@will-of-gaara
Somewhere towards the south along the border between River and Fire country, closer to where forest gives way to plains with rivers that run through them, but deeper in the woods, there is a small cottage. Three rooms, a kitchen, a bedroom, and a study, as well as a small separated area for bathing. A small little thing, largely overshadowed by the gardens surrounding it, patches of plants exotic and mundane, managing the flourish in the soil enriched by the river.
Villagers in the closest little settlement -- in River Country -- tell stories of a witch in the woods who will steal away husbands and children, a story that is believed wholeheartedly by many of them. Some of them have even seen her, one woman claiming the purple-eyed demon herself appeared at her doorstep one morning, looking incredibly disgruntled, and asked if she could spare a cup of rice. Not a very scary story, but the old woman claimed she felt unable to resist the demon’s request, beholden to some unknown, otherworldly charm.
Cas woke up that morning with a strange ache in her back, but ignored it. She ate some quick breakfast, took her medication, checked on a few things she had brewing in her study, and then got to work.
“Good morning,” she chimed softly, tying on her apron and pulling on gardening gloves. She paused after a moment, noticing something out of place. There was a new mound of freshly dug dirt near the roses.
The smile dropped off her face.
She pushed forward a wheelbarrow stuff full of sprouts in little pots and plopped down next to the mound, patting it. “I don’t even remember... oh well, you must’ve had a rough night. Datura sound good for you? Datura sounds great to me.
After a moment, she got to work planting the sprouts for new bushes on top of the fresh mound, making sure the soil was good and softly talking to the plants. Datura wasn’t a particularly important plant that she needed, but there were certain shinobi who preferred their poisons to have very specific effects. This would introduce... a fun variety.
She had peace for a few minutes, but then something tripped the invisible perimeter -- a simple spell to alert her to any movement within a certain range. At that point, she simply froze in what she was doing.
