Solo [Essence of Avalis] Finding that Signature Scent

[Matthew]

19th of Summer, 508 AV. Min'serra (or Min, as Matthew preferred to call her) seemed completely undaunted by the student's stoic expression and endlessly curiosity. She had been a bit curious herself as to why a young medical student would decide he wanted a job at a perfume shop, but was outgoing enough to ask. He had been honest, telling her that he wished to be able to make his own scents, eventually his own soaps and toothpastes, and various other cosmetics. Realizing he was working with her both to help and learn, Min had only grown even more bubbly. She would be happy to show him the ropes to creating simple perfumes and colognes when time allowed, and perhaps they could explore the idea of soaps together. It certainly didn't hurt that the young student from Zeltiva was absolutely gorgeous. It was obvious that he put care into his appearance. Matthew enjoyed the idea of making his own cologne, oddly enough. It seemed to be an art of science, and he enjoyed science. He enjoyed rules and exacts. He had obediently come into work almost every other day, making just enough to cover living expenses while also leaving him time to study medicine at the library of the Opal Order. He had come up with an idea for a final project that kept his mind racing. Working with Min seemed to help relax his furiously churning mind. He had mostly been assigned cleaning tasks around the shop, but on one particularly slow day she had brought him to the back to show him the basics of perfume-making. A large amount of glassware had been arranged on a table in the back of the shop, with an oven nearby. There were various other glass pieces and vials that Matthew didn't recognize, though he did glance them over and shelve their image away in his mind. A nearby sunny window had a row of tightly-sealed glass jars with liquid and herbs floating in them. On another seperate table, there was a large bucket of crystal clear water and what appeared to be a bottle of vodka. Matthew's eyebrow twitched at that one, and Min let out an amused laugh. "It's for the perfume, I promise." Grabbing him by the hand, she pulled him over to a small desk, pointing out a few blank pieces of paper, ink and a quill, and a worn notebook. "The first page is the first recipe I ever learned. It is a very simple cologne for men. Men don't often come to buy cologne, so I don't stock it that much, but I think it is the easiest to learn. Read the ingredients slowly, take them in. You must ALWAYS follow the recipe." Matthew was quiet almost the whole time, but his blue eyes flickered with a burning intensity. It was obvious he was listening, absorbing. The young student gave her a quick nod and stepped over to the book, blue eyes slowly flitting across the page. He could read, though slowly. He took his time, soaking in the words, absorbing the words, full lips quietly mouthing each sentence in a soft whisper to himself. He noticed each page was signed by Min herself. This must be her journal.

[Matthew]

Earthy Aletrid Cologne Secure the following ingredients. If the Oil is not already made and on hand, be sure that it is fully made before continuing. It will need to be immediately available when making the cologne. Aletrid Oil. (Recipe on page 73.) Alcohol. (Vodka is best.) Water. (Purified.) She nodded, eyes on him, watching his gaze to see where he was at in his reading. "Go ahead and move to page 73, skim over the instructions. I will show you afterwards. This next part is more Philtering than anything, but it allows you to make your own unique scents. You could buy scented oils, but I prefer making them. I'll have to take you herb picking some day." He nodded slowly, trying to keep up with the new information being thrown at him. Turning to page 73, he blinked at the long list of information, and then slowly went about reading it. A few chimes later he was rapidly blinking, thinking he understood but not exactly sure. Min laughed again, enjoying all of this way too much. It wasn't often that she got to share her beloved trade, and it only helped that she was sharing it with eye candy. Motioning for him to follow, she led him over to the stove and the glassware. "So, we will need to make the Aletrid Oil." She gestured at a large metal pot that was sitting on the stove, boiling rapidly. There was a line of empty mason jars with lids sitting nearby as well. "The common Philtering term for all of this is Glassware, and an Oven. Both very simple, basic tools. First you boil the mason jars in the water, just to make sure they are completely and utterly clean. I've already done that step. The tools we use define this step as the Philtering step. Philtering, the skill of mixing and brewing any sort of potion, can be used in a wide variety of ways. In this case, we are using Philtering techniques to make a better perfume. It compliments the perfumery skill, understand? The more you study Philtering, the more ways you'll find to get truly creative with your perfumes." Matthew nodded again, his head bobbing rapidly as he absorbed her words. He wish he had a notepad. Philtering and Perfumery. He'd have to mark those down later. Min stared at him a moment to make sure he wasn't totally lost, and then turned to pluck a small herb from a shelf up high. "So, read it out to me. What ingredients does the Aletrid Oil call for?" Matthew hurried back over to the book, still on the correct page, and slowly read out the list of both ingredients and tools.

[Matthew]

"Carrier oil, Astrid herb, glass jars, pot, tongs, eyedropper, vials, corks." Min nodded, motioning him over, holding up an already-filled mason jar that was labeled as Almond Oil. "A carrier oil is the base oil, usually one that has a mild smell. They are named that because they carry the essentials of the oil into the skin, helping the oil linger. Since this will be a cologne, you want it to linger. When making perfumes and oils, always be aware of the smells you are combining. You want them to be alluring, and you want them to compliment each other. There is a lot more to the different scents, which we will cover later. For now, you know that almond oil has a nutty scent, and Aletrid herbs have a very pleasant, masking, earthy scent. It blends well." She held up the herbs she had grabbed, slowly spinning them in her long slender fingers to let Matthew identify them. He noted their appearance, specifically the clusters of tiny gold-petaled flowers. "Aletrid is usually found alongside roots that have spread over low rubble or rocks. It is specifically used for its pleasing, masking scent. Homework assignment, find some Aletrid within a few nights." A playful smile teased across her young features, Matthew noting how vibrant she looked when discussing this topic. The girl flounced away with her herbs and oil, moving to some empty mason jars, a soft hum coming from her throat. "Be sure to keep your hands clean at all times. If they get dirty, wash them with soap and very hot water. Grab the quill and ink, please." Matthew had been following but was forced to spin, grabbing the little vial of ink and the nearby feather. "Label the top of this lid as "Aletrid Oil". Min pointed out a small copper lid, and Matthew went to work on labeling it. His hand was slow and a bit shaky, but with quite a bit of patience he barely managed to write out Aletrid Oil. Not even looking at his finished product, Min moved on. "This is another area where Filtering and Perfumery merge. We want to infuse the oil with the scent of the herb. Put a single herb or a small combination of herbs into the jar, and then cover with your carrier oil. Seal the lid, and then put the jar into the boiling water. This will create pressure in the jar, which will help the scent and the oil fully mix. Only boil for about eight chimes, or the jar may shatter from too much pressure." Taking a nearby pair of tongs that was hanging from a nail on the wall, Min took the jar and slowly lowered it into the water. Turning to Matthew, she crossed her arms and winked, tilting out her hip as she took a moment to look him up and down. He didn't react, just blinked at her in that confused way that he did, something that she couldn't help but find cute. She couldn't tell if it was frustrating that he seemed clueless about her attraction, or endearing. "The technique of adding pressure to help preserve and intensify flavors and scents is a Philtering technique, and can be used in a few other disciplines. My mother used to use it for cooking, but I am a horrible cook." Min switched tunes, motioning Matthew over to the desk. "Go write down what you've just learned on the spare paper that I've left for you." How thoughtful. Matthew could appreciate thoughtful. He moved over to the desk as ordered, sat down, and slowly started to write. He found a peace in slowly stroking the dark tip of the quill over the pieces of paper, even if his handwriting was shaky and hard to read for anyone but him. He managed to jot down a few detailed notes, pausing every few moments to read the little notebook beside of him. The chimes passed quickly, and soon Min was calling him back to the oven. "Use the tongs, get the jar out. We will let it cool, and then store it somewhere sunny for three days. The steady source of warmth will help the elements mingle. After that, we will store it somewhere cool and dark for a couple of weeks, which will slowly strengthen the scent." Min motioned at the nearby window, Matthew now realizing what all the jars were lined up there for. He obediently followed her orders, fetching the jar and setting it out to cool. Min moved around, humming loudly and gathering some random supplies until Matthew moved to put the jar up on the windowsill.