Closed [Stormhold Salves] Starting out above sea (Altaira)

[M'Wanii]

70th of Fall, 513AV A robed figure weaved through the river of people surrounding the Great Bazaar. Hood firmly down hiding the upper part of her face, the Charoda was making good time. The weather was damp and cool but not overly, it had been a god-send. For once, her skin did not itch underneath her robe from dryness and she didn't feel out breathe in the slightest. Tugging her scarf up higher over her face as she walked, her pupil-less spied the shop's sign. Earlier in the week she had spoken to her new boss, Mistress Sahfri Blackleaf, after being sent there by the employment office. The Eypharian had been shocked at her appearance, and rightly so, but had agreed to take her on. The woman was kind and sympathised a little excessively over the scars that spread over the right side of her body, a gift from the Djed storm. After a brief chat, Mistress Sahfri had asked M'wanii to return later on in the week when she had organised what work she could help out with and inform the others that worked with her in the shop of her arrival. Now here she was, with a whole 3 chimes to spare in front of the infamous Stormhold Salves. Pushing open the door, she was greeted by a sight and smell of all number of concoctions lining the walls of the shop. Letting the door shut behind her, she glanced around the shop. When M'wanii had first visited, this sight had been a surprise. The place looked more like a treasure trove of multicoloured glass and ceramics than the garden that had been expected. Shelves and shelves filled with the unknown colours of creams, ointments, toxins and cures. Little round black and white pearl like things in small glass tubes next to large jars of something that reminded the sea dweller strongly of the algae that coated the sides of old rocks but held a blue hue to it. A surge of excitement had filled M'wanii when she realised all she could learn from this place. Adjusting her hood and scarf to hid more of her face, M'wanii gently called out. “Hello?” She hoped that they had not abandoned the shop to her on the first day. If that was the case, She doubted she would have been able to cope. The Charoda couldn't make head nor tail of what most of the things were, let alone what they did or how to use them. “Is anyone there?” A sound came from through a door behind the counter. Slowly shifting forward she tried again, now confident in the fact she wasn't alone. “I was told to come today by Mistress Blackleaf to start an apprenticeship. My name be M'wanii.”

[Altaira Readva]

Winter was quickly approaching, and Syliras' Autumn was turning cooler by the day. It was still warmer by great lengths than Altaira's old home in the north, but the chill that had nipped her fingers when she'd first came in that morning had her quickly make way to the greenhouse. It was already three quarters of a season since she'd taken up work in the store, but she still considered herself much a novice in place's workings. She'd learned the ins and outs of the place, what went where and how the books were logged, but in the company of Mistress Blackleaf or Aoren, and she still felt horridly out of depth.

Altaira's eyes scanned the garden beds with her keen eye, having found her sensitive eyesight more than a token trait when monitoring the plant growth. Of course, it also meant that when she got too close, what she saw was less than beautiful. Still intriguing by every sense of the word - from the fine threading of the stems of the leaves, to the waxy texture of some petals - but she had to stand quite some bit afar to simply take in the simple beauty of the plants. She tried to keep in mind what she'd been thus taught. It was nothing of major note, just something that Mistress Blackleaf had taught her in the ways of gardening when Aoren was off philtering and she was tired of merely watching him work.

She gave up soon enough, a nagging memory thick in her skull of the one who was to join the store. Mistress Blackleaf had said she was a Charoda, a race that Altaira was admittedly ignorant of. With Syliras being the first coastal town that she'd ever stayed at, and yet to venture out to sea - it was through books and tales that she'd heard of them. Of course, none of such stories had ever mentioned them venturing to work on land.

Some had told her they were hideous, others strangely beautiful. But with striking gold-amber eyes of her own, and a rather odd shape to them (knowing full well that many leaned closer to the opinion of 'strange' rather than 'beautiful', in their own case) she couldn't help herself but not put too much weight on their words. She pressed her lips into a fine line, recalling all the other details that she'd been told in regards to the new co-worker. There was work already set for her, nothing so serious or out of the ordinary, centered around her current skills, but Altaira was only there for the briefest of overviews, and wasn't sure how much M'wanii knew.

Had she been given the all out, grand tour of the place? Told how things were shelved, and how the ledgers were logged? Was she to perform the tasks, such as Aoren did to her, if she hadn't? Was the Mistress in at the moment? For the ways she spoke it was as though she knew that she would like be predisposed. Altaira let out a heavy breath, massaging the back of her neck as the humidity of the greenhouse was finally getting to her. Having a base kind accustomed to the topics had its perks, and although she could bear the heat better than most, she wasn't ridiculous -- too long in the green house and the only way she could stand it without breaking a sweat would be to strip and change. Something which was yet to happen; 'Indecent behaviour for a workplace', and all.

As she approached the door, the time struck her, though it wasn't until she heard the chime of the front door, and a distinctly feminine voice. Her hearing was better than most humans, but it wasn't that good. Through two doors and an expanse of shelves, she wasn't sure what was said beyond a greeting of some form. Altaira didn't think any further, and made her way quickly and most ungracefully toward the front of the store, not lifting her gaze enough to survey the workroom or take note who was in it. Whether it was no one, or not, Altaira was rather determined not to let the co-worked, should it have been her, wander in awkwardness for too long.

“I was told to come today by Mistress Blackleaf to start an apprenticeship. My name be M'wanii.” She heard, same voice but more clear, as she exiting the work room.
"Yes," Altaira smiled, making her way towards her new co-worker. "I'm Altaira, and you're ridiculously punctual. It's a pleasure to mean you, M-" She stalled briefly for a moment, taking care not to incorrectly pronounce her name, quickly finding herself distracted by the woman's hooded figure, and trying not so subtly to see more than the Charoda's rubbery eyes. "M'wanii."

She then gave a sharp exhale, and felt bitterly sorry for Aoren. Even with warning, Altaira was a little at a loss as to what to do, and she inwardly scolded herself for not taking note of who had planned to be in that day, and if any were in store. "I'm relatively new here, as well," She tried, thinking that perhaps it would be best to sympathise with M'wanii before throwing questions at her. "You've met Mistress Blackleaf, from what I understand, and there is also Aoren..." She trailed, glancing about the room.

She wasn't too fussed on speaking about people in their absence, especially if they were at a risk of walking in. "Please feel free to tell me to stop talking if I say too much - what do you know of already? If you've already been given a run down, I can go over a thing or two, if you like." She gave her the warmest smile she could muster, already wondering what she would bring to the store, especially in terms of knowledge. Surely the charoda woman would have within her a host of knowledge in regards to the flora of the sea, even more so since it seemed likely that was where she learned her skills. Open water, Altaira shuddered, she'd gladly hear of it but had no desire to experience it herself.

oocI should probably mention that the gardening thing is a job thread I'm currently writing

[M'Wanii]

The sound of her calling brought a young woman out of a door near the back of the shop. Although not Mistress Blackleaf, Altaira as she had introduced herself, appeared to work here. Dark haired with yellow eyes that bore a different shape to those of the other land dwellers in Syliras. As she approach the Charoda, her gazed seemed fixed on what lay behind the hood. This wasn't unusual most people tired to see what hid beneath the hood and scarf before giving up or deciding they didn't want to know. Her manner seemed stiff and tense, unsure of what to do with the current situation. "I'm relatively new here, as well," Ah, that explained the unease about her. “You've met Mistress Blackleaf, from what I understand, and there is also Aoren..." “That be correct. She said she would have work ready, yes?” Short and sweet. Her knowledge and skill in common was still only basic, so naturally most of what she said wasn't lengthy. Tilting her head to regard Altaira as she spoke, M'wanii noted how her eyes were truly unique. Yellow like the fish of her childhood life. They were almost hypnotic. So pure and curious. She had began speaking again. "Please feel free to tell me to stop talking if I say too much - what do you know of already? If you've already been given a run down, I can go over a thing or two, if you like." A warm bright smile almost blinded M'wanii causing a warm comfortable feeling to settle in her stomach. Yes, I could begin to feel at home here. Noticing Altaira was anticipating an answer, there was an internal panic trying to remember what had been said before the woman's lips had curved. “Only second time here. Don't know much about....um...shop. But …..erm....Aquatic plants. You have some, yes? Mistress Blackleaf said I should be looking at them.” Note to self, need to learn how to communicate better. Feeling rather embarrassed at how blunt she had sounded, M'wanii shifted her gaze to her feet. She still had no idea where they could have hidden a garden of aquatic plants in this maze of bottles, potions and parchment.The shop didn't even seem big enough from the outside to have a more than this room.

[Altaira Readva]

oocGah, I am so sorry I replied this late-ish. I saw you responded but my mind went mush and it didn't really register

Altaira kept her jaw firmly shut, deciding that she'd listen to understand rather than reply, and wait her turn until speaking. "Quite right" She mused, her eyes scanning the shelves. "Rather than to say we have some, it might be mre accurate to say that we're working on it," There was a bit of a giggle there, and she gestured towards the workroom. "Mistress Blackleaf brought quite the little bounty of Auquatic plants for you to start with."

Altaira began moving onto the workroom then, her pace not too quick. "Our greenhouse holds quite a number of marvels, though none of the entirely aquatic kind. Which is why today you'll get to play with what we have, and then decide on what would benefit the store most in terms of attempting to cultivate them here ourselves."

Altaira took her own place near the workbench, and put out on display a rather large collection of herbs and plants, almost proud of the array. "I'm afraid that my own knowledge of herbalism is limited, I'm still only learning myself, so you have free reign to dabble here." She then looked about the place, taking note that who ever used the work room last did a splendid job of tidying up.

"I can watch, or I can help, its really up to yourself," she smiled, before gesturing to the green house, not minding that she was very well what some folk called a 'chatty Northerner'. "Of course you're not limited to what is in front of you, I have no problems collecting a thing or two more from the green house if you'd like. It will most likely be beneficial to see what types of things require a variety. But its truly up to you."

She felt like she putting pressure on her new co-worker, and tosses up whether or not she should throw a life line at risk of insult. After several moments of debate, she recognised that the likelihood of someone knowing recipes off the top of their head is too little to not accommodate for, deciding that it would be better for M'wanii to turn down a range of recipes than to put her in a position where she must ask for them.

Altaira then moved to the shelves and cupboards, seeking out several herbalism manuscripts, each a tome filled with recipes. She picked and played for a moment, before settling one with at least a dozen familiar names along with a host of what was collected. "If memory fails you," she then said, placing the book in front of M'wanii with a helpful smile, "There should be a thing or two, at least, in here of use."

[M'Wanii]

Altaira was speaking again, motioning around the room at various land dwelling plants. In truth to the Charoda, they looked no different from the trodden weeds that grew by the paths of the city but her specialty lay elsewhere. Picking up the book laid before her. M'wanii gave a quick flick through the pages before placing it back down again. At least if she got bored, she could read here. Thanking her new co-worker, M'wanii wandered over to where she had be told there was a greenhouse. What precisely was that? A house painted green? A house made of plants? Opening the door the amphibian was greeted with a familiar warm moistness reminiscent of the Southern Suvan Sea. Glass surrounded her on all but one side and plants ruled all around. How was this place this big? Was it magic or witch craft of some sort? Land dwellers were rumored to be good at both. Regardless of the reason with this heat the hood and scarf were coming off, followed promptly by her woolen robe leaving her in a thin sleeved tunic and water worn trouser. Leaving her clothes in a neat pile by the door. M'wanii eased her posture and relaxed. Her grey scarred skin greeted the moist air with enthusiasm. Oh yes. This may just work. Now where was the plants? A quick survey around herself found a large glass tank; in which many aquatic plants had been placed. It didn't take her long to realise something was wrong. Many of the plants were wilting and sickly. The only plant thriving appeared to be a rooted red tangle of hard jelly like string. Thinking to her self, M'wanii stuck her head into the workshop. Locking pupil-less eyes with distracting yellow, a question bubbled out of her concerned face. “Do you have any more water tanks?” OOCSorry for the late reply Life just got everywhere!

[Altaira Readva]

oocNo worries! And rereading what I wrote, I realise how ambiguous it was! Sorry about that! XD I'll take more care I'm sorry for the lateness of my own reply!

Altaira busied herself with her own work, flying about the work room as she took a mental inventory of what manuscripts were accounted for, which few she'd taken home herself, and whether or not any of her own colleagues had taken one or two. Although not particularly necessary, it was handy knowledge to have for when the Mistress was in store and asking where her tomes had gone.

Once or twice she shot a longing look at the small collection of mint, debating whether or not she would be in the right mind to make a cup of tea. Of course she quickly dashed her own thoughts, seeking out the hand written manuscript on botany that the mistress kept hanging around. It didn't seem to be in Mistress Blackleaf's own hand, so she supposed it was from and old friend or workmate - most likely deceased. She sighed lightly in relief when she say it, using her slightly taller than average height to reach for it upon one of the higher shelves.

She shifted through the tattered pages and messy hand until she found a page that she found she could take interest in, eyes raking over the miniature essay detailing differences between the plants the amateur botanist had studied in Sylira and Eyktol. It was an interesting enough piece, but short with sloppy words. She promised herself that should she ever opt to write and sell her own journals, she'd spend a season in advance perfecting her writing. She couldn't quite complain, however. As illegible to others as it was, she was lucky to know how to read and write.

There were several small diagrams nestled within the hulking paragraphs, with the caption 'defensive measures' scrawled beneath them. Plants have their own defensive measures? She stood tall and furrowed her brow, going through her knowledge of herbs and plants, seeking one that she thought could be an example of it. The thought made enough sense, though anything more than the concept seemed to be a token too advanced her skill level.

She heard the click of the greenhouse door as she brought the clumsily bonded pages to her chest, and frowned as she saw concern scribed over M'wanii's face. "Do you have anymore water tanks?" Altaira opened her mouth to respond, instead frowning and taking a hard glance about the place. "I'm going to assume not, that in the greenhouse is barely a day old - From what I recall we have another two coming in this afternoon."

She placed the book upon the workbench, and made her way over to her new co-worker, regret washing over her. "Please don't tell me there's a serious problem." She went to speak, but cut herself off, before sighing heavily and going on with her words regardless. "If there is, I am so sorry - Its most likely my own fault." She wasn't so much as distraught but determined, if there was a problem then it was to be fixed, and she would ensure to educate herself to ensure it does not happen again.

[M'Wanii]

The woman was berating herself, the Charoda could tell. In truth, it wasn’t really that big a problem and in theory could be quite easily fixed. The tanks residents were not from the same neighbourhood, so to speak. So this wasn’t unusual. In truth she doubt that she herself would have known which plants would act ‘friendly’ towards one and other, when setting up the tank, as not all of the plants in there were familiar to her. Having decided when the other tanks arrived they could properly sort out what went where, she was just going to have to make do for the moment. Quickly M’wanii spoke to reassure her co-worker, “It’s not a biggie. Easily fixed. And the rest can be sorted out when the other tanks arrive, Yes? I will do it. No problem. Rest easy. Not your fault.” Allowing a naturally toothy smile to ease Altaira’s worries, the amphibian scanned her eyes around the workroom. Then began the search for a container big enough to hold the ‘bully’, as she had now nicknamed it, comfortably. Nope, not in this drawer. That one has pens in it, that one feathers, that one glass ware. The next one had glass tubes and small tin bowls. Following one had knives. The Charoda made her way around all the drawers and cupboards in the room in this fashion, opening them, checking their contents then closing them and moving on to the next. Eventually M’wanii found one filled with a large wooden pail in. Hauling it out she then turned back to Altaira. Gesturing to the bucket she spoke a single worded question. “Water?”

[Altaira Readva]

Bird Speak | Common | Vani | Others

Altaira's breath left her in a rush of relief. "Thank the Gods." She then nodded twice, and gave a short smile, eyes following M'wanii as she went about her business in the room.

An eyebrow quirked as she watched the Charodae scamper about the room. Is that was she, herself, looked like when she first started? Soon a giggle bubbled from her lips, quiet and sweet as she tried to figure out what it was her new coworker was seeking. Glass-? No, she's definitely past that draw. A container, perhaps? Does she wish to remove and separate the aquatic plants? That would make sense, since she said the problem could be solves when the other tanks arrives. Could it be possible that the plants were from different ecosystems? She barely understood the concept herself, but it would make sense if water plants needed to be separated like terrestrial.

Altaira walked several paces backwards, and peered into the greenhouse, gaze dwelling on the earth. She knew the differences in soil, she'd made a point a digging, observing, and feeling the differences as apposed to reading about them in some tattered tome, but were there such differences in the sea? She could think of salt water and fresh water making a large difference - but wasn't the sea just... sand?

A short silence disturbed her muddled thoughts, and she blink away her haze of mind to find herself staring at M'wanii. Water? Oh. "Would you be able to use some from the tank?" she began, moving into the green house. Where was it put again? Got it. She threw a look behind to ensure that M'wanii was indeed following after, before unhitching the shed and pulling out a spare bucket of water. It was just over half filled, and was the only portion of treated sea water - Altaira didn't care for how such a thing was done - left over after the tank was filled.

She dropped the bucket of spare water by the tank, before moving back to close the shed, the offset of one of the doors causing it to be rather unpredictable in terms of leaving it unlatched. "Anything I can do to help?"

[M'Wanii]

It seemed to take a while for the question asked to register properly in the other woman's mind. Her face of brief confusion when it did was mildly amusing to the Charodae. As was the slight scrunching of her nose as she thought. Such odd traits that M'wanii had also noticed in other land dwellers. They were exotic to her in so many ways, not only in their facial movements. It was quite unique to her, how they managed make such use of pupiled eyes, eyebrows and protruding noses to convey so much with out a word needing to be said. Having been so intent in examining Altaira's face M'wanii was taken off guard when she was asked a question. "Would you be able to use some from the tank?" She probably could but the tank water would need to be replaced eventually. Or at least diluted a bit. That would have to wait until the other tanks came. Removing the source of the poisoning would have to do for now. Still holding the pail in one webbed hand, the amphibian gave a small succession of nods at her co-worker, who then turn on her heel and re-entered the green house. Following the woman like a baby dolphin would it's mother, M'wanii relaxed once again in the warm moist climate of the glass palace. Inhaling deeply through her mouth, she allowed the different smells from the land dwelling plants to register in her mind. All so different than what she knew in the sea. There was a lack of the familiar salty under taste she was used to, allowing the spicy tang of the scents to really show through. It was almost intoxicating to the Charoda. Shifting her focus back to Altaira, the amphibian saw she was opening some sort of shed that had been carefully tucked away in the corner of the garden. Without knowing it was there, it was easily missed. After a bit of clambering around, the woman exited it with another pail. Storming over to the tanks, she placed the pail down, the force of the action causing it contents to swish about. Taking the initiative, M'wanii quickly placed her own found pail next to Altaira's, then ran back to the work shop. By the time the Charoda had returned, now carrying a chair, her co-worker had closed the shed back up and was now next to the tanks. Propping the chair up against the side of the tank, M'wanii quickly made eye contact with the dark haired females question. "Anything I can do to help?" Grinning sweetly, all three rows of the grey skinned Charoda's sharp teeth made an appearance as she sweetly replied back. “Yes. Move buckets up and down, when I says to.” With that she picked up and pail and stood carefully on the chair. Rolling up her sleeves the Sea-dweller got to work. Bending over into the tank, the amphibian allowed her head dive beneath the surface of the water. Stretching out she cupped the bright red tangled mess of plant gently at it's base pulling it free. Filling her pail with water, she put the plant into it before reaching for it's sibling. Mistress Blackleaf knew to start out with more than one plant. Once the tank had been cleared of the problem plants, M'wanii also slipped some of the sandy earth, from the bottom of the tank, into the pail before standing up out of the water again. Hauling her pail out of the tank the Charoda offered it to her co-worker with a simple “Careful. Heavy.” before she motioned to for the other pail to be handed up to her.

[Altaira Readva]

Bird Speak | Common | Vani | Others

Move the buckets? Up and down? Altaira frowned at the thought, but nodded along regardless, hoping that by merely going along with the situation, she'd realise what was meant by her co-workers words, gaze dwelling perhaps a little too long on the woman's set of teeth.

She couldn't help the furthering of her frown at the sight, having expected the woman to feast more so plant and vegetation than flesh and meat, than what the sharp and numerous sets of teeth suggested. Not that she herself could quite complain, when it came to her own preference on food - her human form reveled in the taste of red meat. Perhaps what he found most interesting was the imitation of humans - they were both doing it, borrowing from the most abundant race to walk Mizahar as they accentuated word with expression.

At least, that was how she'd come to think of it as. As a kelvic who grew to emulate the Vantha of her frozen home, the different between herself and a wild roaming kelvic was bleeding obvious. Whereas she was quick to pull her clothing in to fight the bite of the cold, most others tended to merely strip and shift in their bid to battle the elements. But what of M'wanii's kind? Were they, by nature, much like humans? Or was she acting more as a learned behavior, and less as a natural one.

Her thoughts were disturbed as was caught in watching M'wanii's work. From the tugging of one plant to another, the placement of the pale and how quick she was in her movement, trying not to linger too much on the strangeness it was to see someone so gleefully take part an act that would drown people such as herself.

“Careful. Heavy.”

M'wanii's words prior made sense, then, and Altaira was quick to muster her strength and haul the bucket to the floor, her eyes popping as she severely underestimating the weight of the water. She was quick to move on to the next pail, handing it up to the charoda woman with a pleased little grin.

She continued to watch M'wanii work for a short moment, before her gaze was torn and she spent a moment in a strange little reverie, eyes hard on the plant life within the tank. "So, uh," she fumbled, sights falling to the plant that was contained in the pail at her feet - as though imprisoned for some severe wrong doing. "Why must they be separated, exactly?" It was't as though such knowledge was needed, but she wished to learn it none the less.