Bottles And More [Beodan]

by **Nira'lia** on September 1st, 2015, 4:48 am

70th Summer 515

"Hmm..."

Nira'lia's eyebrows knitted in confusion as she looked at the pot in front of her. It had a small plant in it and it didn't look like a very common species, but she couldn't think of its name! The Konti was frustrated at this point, blaming her lack of knowledge in herbalism. There were a few other plants in the room, all used by the Soothing Waters for different purposes. She had made salves before, used in massaging, and now she was tasked to working with herbs again... which was proving to be more difficult than she thought, since she couldn 't even name the plant.

The Konti drummed her fingers against the wooden table. She was in a room with plenty of sunlight, and some philtering and herbalism tools were available for her use. Just outside the door, she could hear the Soothing Waters going by its normal day as per usual. There was the low sound of conversation and a strong, relaxing scent in the air. There weren't too many people this afternoon, and it wouldn't take very long to find her if anyone were searching (though if Ivis Balak would let them in without paying was another question).

Shrugging, Nira'lia reached up to a dusty book in a nearby shelf, hoping that it would help her identify the plant. It would probably take a while, but she didn't want to bother anyone else with her questions -- and besides, it was a slow day, she had all the time she needed.

by **Beodan Clathony** on September 1st, 2015, 5:59 am

“Uh.. uh! I-I just need to drop this off for Nilichoa!” Beodan stuttered at Ivis’s question, intimidated by the stone faced man that guarded the desk at Soothing Waters. The man’s eyes seemed to bore into him, and had an expression like he would not be phased if the Kelvic were to burst into flames right before him. It was unsettling, even after his relatively regular trips to the bath hall. He looked up to Nilichoa, with her impressive lab suited to their shared passion and even philtering, which he had not delved into. All the hot gases and weird equipment were a little too daunting. Which is why he liked to bring her little gifts, hoping to receive praise from the healer. To Ivis he held up the small vial; massage oil of his own creation. Rosemary, Eucalyptus, and a little Clove for heat and a Safflower oil base. It was simple, but it worked well.

At the man’s approval Dan scurried past him into the medical studio. He kept silent, not wanting to disturb anyone receiving a massage or needing rest. He entered the area that was closed to the public after a short walk, reserved for healers to work on their own. This was where Nilichoa kept her work space, and he hoped she would be in to see him. He walked up to a table with tools he recognised, and set down the vial. He could not help but to admire the herbalist equipment. It was of such high quality, putting his decent, but inadequate by comparison, tools to shame. The knives looked razor sharp and the mortar and pestle sets looked brand new. It was a shame he didn’t live in the castle, or maybe he could have worked here! A dream job, to say the least.

Alas, the Healer was not in, probably working in the area just outside. So close, yet out of reach. The Fledgling Herbalist turned to leave, and then jumped as he noticed someone next to potted plants with a book in her hand. He had thought he was the only soul around! He clutched his chest, his heart pounding from the fright. “Oh! Hello there, er, miss. I was just dropping something off, sorry to disturb you!” he called tentatively to the woman, approaching her cautiously on his way to the door. She looked familiar somehow. Alabaster hair hung down to her shoulders, and blue and white clothing. “Nira’lia, is that you? Oh, you work here, right!” He looked at the plant in front of her as she searched through her book. Jagged, dark green leaves in little creepers with the occasional stocks with a white, purple veined flower at the top. “Everlight? Hmm, that does make sense at a place preaching relaxation. What are you going to do with it?” he asked, extremely curious. It must have grown out in the Syliran Plains.

Ledger :

by **Nira'lia** on September 9th, 2015, 1:44 am

Nira'lia was so engrossed in searching for the right plant that she didn't realize that someone else had entered the room. The Konti was slightly startled at the sound of another voice. She turned her head and blinked at the familiar face. Beodan! What was he doing here? It had been a while since they first met in the forest, and she didn't think that fate would make their paths cross again. All she had as a reminder of their encounter was the coat she had forgotten to return, and which was resting on a chair back in her home.

"Hello!" she said in a sweet, cheerful voice. The dusty book was placed on the table as she put her attention to him. Besides, she no longer needed the book... he had just told her exactly what the plant was!

Everlight seemed like a familiar name, though she couldn't tell exactly what it was for. There were so many different kinds of plants in the world that even the most common ones got by her sometimes. But now that she thought about it, she had seen these growing in the wild before!

Nira'lia thoughtfully scratched her cheek as she mused at his question. "I'm not really sure. Unfortunately, I'm not very familiar with this plant, unless you can tell me more about it and what exactly I can make out of it?"

She grinned at him -- Nira'lia had learned from him last time, and she was hoping he could help her again this time around. But before that, she asked another question.

"Wait, what are you doing here? Are you starting work here?" she asked curiously, realizing that she didn't even know what he did for a living.

by **Beodan Clathony** on September 9th, 2015, 3:02 am

"I'm not really sure. Unfortunately, I'm not very familiar with this plant, unless you can tell me more about it and what exactly I can make out of it?" the Healer asked, scratching her cheek with the tip of a feminine nail. He nodded, his eyes rolling up as he scrounged what he could about the plant out of old memories. Before he could open his mouth to speak, she asked, “Wait, what are you doing here? Are you starting work here?" Beodan smiled and said shyly, “Oh, I was just dropping off some massage oil I made, for Nilichoa. It is for pain, like aching muscles or bones. I hope she likes it!” He continued with a prideful tone, “I don’t work here, well, not really. I sell plants and various herbal remedies to lots of businesses in Syliras. Soothing Waters usually likes salves and oils, rather than raw herbs. I’m an herbalist, you see!”

With a nod to himself, the Kelvic arranged his thoughts on the plant once more. Clearing his throat, he began. “Well, it is very situational, I don’t even keep a stock of it because it needed to be macerated in order to last longer than half a moon. The fresh flowers make a delightful tea, though I do not want to spend a day searching for it for a cup of tea. The tea sharpens the mind, good for remembering things, or meditation,” Dan explained, miming how much effort it took to retrieve from his tent.“Though, the more medical purpose is it clears cloudy eyes, flushing any bad things, dirt, hairs, and things like that, out. But then again, it needs to be macerated, so the effort of doing that might not worth the extra healing properties past just flushing with water. It’s good to have around in any case!” he finished, giving her his thoughts on the plant.

He caressed one of the fragile petals with the edge of his knuckles, it was really quite beautiful. The flower distorted the flavor of other herbs, but by itself, it gave the tea a delightful, lingering aftertaste. A shame this one was destined to be rubbed in someone’s puss oozing eyes. Still, maybe he could convince a fan of meditation to give it a try! He plugged it a bit more, “If you ever need to study something, like that plant guide there,” he pointed at the dusty book, “Do try a cup of Everlight tea beforehand, you will retain so much more! I was taught mostly hands on, so not many books for me. But you can take advantage of it!” He adjusted the bag on his shoulder, filled with small jars of dried plants and salves. “Is there anything, job wise, I can help you with?

by **Nira'lia** on September 9th, 2015, 4:03 am

A herbalist! That made so much sense. Making assumptions from what she knew, she gathered that he travelled to the city from his home in the forest to sell plants and remedies. How very exciting! The bright smile on the konti's lips remained as she absorbed all of this in.

Nira'lia continued to listen to his explanation of the plant, nodding along as she took in the most important points. If they had to be macerated, that it would probably be smart to set aside a few bottles of the concoction, in case they would be needed.

The Konti shook her head. "Truthfully, I don't really have much to do today, which is why I was here looking to busy myself," she peeked outside the door and saw that there were only a few customers, though she knew there were a handful more in the massage studio. "Oh, but sometimes I make some tea for the customers in the studio, they enjoy having it after their massages. Perhaps we can make some of the tea you were speaking of?"

She looked at him from head to toe and studied the bag he was holding. Nira'lia couldn't tell, but perhaps he was on his way to his next delivery?

"Maybe you can teach me to make the tea? I don't want to be a bother, though. I'd even ask how to macerate them but I'm thinking that would take even more time."

Nira'lia nodded at him and gestured at his bag.

"And then after the tea, I wouldn't mind accompanying you to your next customer! Anyway, I need to run some errands for Nilichoa, she said it's not a rush but now's a better time than any. Maybe we can walk together?"

by **Beodan Clathony** on September 9th, 2015, 11:34 pm

"Maybe you can teach me to make the tea? I don't want to be a bother, though. I'd even ask how to macerate them but I'm thinking that would take even more time,” his companion asked. Beodan nodded, “Yes, macerating is a lot of waiting, days and weeks even. The tea is really quick though! I just need..” He walked across the room to put a kettle of water on a wood stove, and then gestured for Nira’lia to come watch him harvest the plant. “And then after the tea, I wouldn't mind accompanying you to your next customer! Anyway, I need to run some errands for Nilichoa, she said it's not a rush but now's a better time than any. Maybe we can walk together?"

The Herbalist picked up an extremely sharp dissecting knife from the set of tools in a mechanical fashion, most of his attention focused on her words. “Oh, yes, the bazaar is perfect! I need to give some things to Sahfri by tomorrow, at Stormhold Salves. That’s where I get most of my work,” he explained happily, readying the knife in his hand with a practiced flick. He delicately pinched the base of the flower just below the sepal leaves, and cut just above them, moving the knife around in a slow, tight circle. He plucked the flower from its base, and repeated the actions for one more. “There, that’s all we should need for a pot. Do you know where cups are? The water should be ready soon,” he said, wiping the beads of sweat from his brow resulting from the concentration required to make the cuts without hurting the plant more than was necessary.

When cups were retrieved, Dan took the boiling kettle off of heat. He placed the collection of petals split evenly between the two cups, and poured the water on top of them. The white and purple petals quickly turned clear and wilted, the tea tinted a nectar white. Steam curled up from the cups, spreading a sweet fragrance to the two healing enthusiasts. “Smell that? Ahh, it has been a while since I’ve had some Everlight tea,” he gushed, nearly bursting with anticipation at the rare taste. He waited with eager eyes for the tea to cool, touching the cup every few seconds to test the heat. After a few chimes he could not take it any more, and settled, “It’s probably ready now.” He grabbed a cup, and offered the other one to Nira’lia. Taking a careful sip, it was still nearly a dangerous temperature, and let out a contented sigh. “Mmm!”

OOCGo ahead and control Dan to get down to the market

by **Nira'lia** on September 10th, 2015, 8:08 am

"Hmm, I don't need to go to Sahfri today, but I always like exploring her shelves, so let me come with you," she said as she watched him work. "I need to go to the Inner Fire Glass though and pick up a dozen bottles, if you wish to come."

As he harvested from the plant, she kept her attention on his hands, closely watching the actions that he used. He appeared to be familiar with the exact way of taking the flower and where to hold and cut the stem. Nodding, she made a mental note of all of this.

"Cups! Of course!" she exclaimed with a clap of her hands. Nira'lia looked around and saw that there were none available, so she ducked out of the room really quickly to pick some up from the storage. When she returned, she watched him pour the water and took in the scent of the flower. Finally, when he deemed it ready to drink, she followed his lead and took in a taste.

Her eyes lightened up at the relaxing effect the tea had. She nodded her head in appreciation and took in one more sip.

"This is great! Thank you so much. Give me a few seconds, I will just prepare a few cups for the customers. I think their sessions are just about up."

With that, she mimicked his previous actions, from boiling more water to harvesting the flowers. Her actions were not as precise as his but she got the basics, and soon she had petals in three cups which she had fetched while the water boiled. However, she didn't pour the water into the cups, as the masseusses would do that.

"Here, help me take these to the studio. Do you mind taking the kettle? I'll bring the cups."

She led the way to the studio, which was a room behind Ivak. There was a table near the door and she put the cups on it, gesturing for Beodan to the same with the kettle. The customers were still not done with their massages, but Nira'lia explained to Ivak that he could simply ask the masseusses to pour water over the petals -- it appeared simple enough, and akin to making any other kind of tea.

With that, she nodded towards Beodan and they made their way towards the market, and it didn't take very long until they could see the facade of the Stormhold Salves.

by **Beodan Clathony** on September 11th, 2015, 2:34 am

Beodan nodded and grabbed the handle, following her to the studio. He had passed through the room on his way here, but had not gotten a chance to properly look around. It was had a relaxed feel, as if the air was still and free of dust. He curiously peered into a massage room, though he could not see much besides the dimly lit far wall. Noticing that Nira’lia was further away now, he started and hurried over to set down the kettle just past the cups. He gave her a smile, it was nice of her to think of making tea for the guests. They headed to the front where she gave Ivak simple instructions for tea preparations and with a nod, they left the bath house and joined with the crowds.

There were a lot of people bustling on the streets now. When he had come it had been a little less bad, but now there was barely room to breath. It was making Dan nervous. He was used to a life of solitude, for the most part, and only meeting people in groups of one or two. The last time he had stayed in a large gathering on purpose was at Sayana’s wedding celebration, though even then he did not stay much longer than was respectful. The pushed through the masses steadily, the Kelvic’s well built figure certainly contributing to their success. Surely this would be more efficient if everyone cooperated and didn’t shove! He brought a hand up to nibble on a nail, wishing sorely for some grass to chew. He took his companion’s hand, mostly to ease his anxiety at the situation but also to prevent them from getting separated. He sighed with relief when they reached the wall that contained Stormhold Salves.

The door shut behind them, the roar of people muffled to a background murmur. There were a few patrons looking at jars of various plant goops, or salves as goop was more commonly referred to, a few held up living plants and one was haggling boisterously with Sahfri. Dan gave the Eypharian a wave, to which she gave a slightly strained smile, though a genuinely happy one. He could see that she was busy, so he pointed to the bag. She said something to the customer in a strange language and held up nine fingers, before turning to him and gesturing at the shelves with a slightly raised eyebrow that said, ‘I don’t need to hold your hand, do I?’ He grinned widely and approached the shelves in the far corner. He pulled out a jar filled with dried Vyfox flowers, still in combs, and bit his lip, looking for its proper place. Finding it, he placed it behind next to the current stores, and started on the next. Soon his bag was empty, and went to the back and pulled out empty jars to replace the ones he would leave behind, as was customary. It made things much easier. He turned to Nira’lia and said, “All done! Shall we go to the glass shop? I might be tempted to buy some new tea mugs!”

by **Nira'lia** on September 12th, 2015, 7:05 am

'Everlight...'

Nira'lia had her fingers around a small jar that contained a transluscent liquid. It was quite mesmerizing to look at as the familiar petals soaked in oil. This was the macerating process that Beodan had spoken of before. Various other items of different colors were displayed in the entire shop, and if she had the time, she would go through all of them!

When Beodan was done with his tasks and had called out to her, Nira'lia placed the jar back on the shelf and turned around to look at him. "Yes, please!" she said, in response to his question to head to the glass shop next. Nira'lia gave a slight wave to the Eypharian lady before ducking out of the store with Beodan. "It is not too far away," she nodded at him as she gestured towards the direction.

The glass shop was actually on the other side of town, she just hoped that Beodan wouldn't mind the walk. The Konti looked at his bag, wondering if he had any other deliveries.

"So sorry, I forgot to ask, do you have to meet any other customers? I don't want to be a bother," she said to him. "Let me know if you have any other place to be--ack!"

There was a naked woman suddenly standing in their path. It was a young woman who didn't seem bothered by her own nudity. Nira'la gaped at her, but she appeared to have a question. He looked between the Konti and Beodan and asked, "Would you know where the market is?"

Nira'lia gestured towards the direction of the market. With a nod of thanks, the lady suddenly dissolved in a swirl of lights and then there was a cat in its stead. The cat proceeded towards the market.

The Konti scratched her neck sheepishly and turned to Beodan. "I know it's acceptable for kelvics, but I always get so surprised when I see a naked person walking around. Don't you?"" she said with an awkward laugh, not realizing that she was speaking to one, and continuing their walk towards the other side of town.

by **Beodan Clathony** on September 12th, 2015, 6:53 pm

Beodan followed her finger, and they began to walk towards the glassblower's shop. If he remembered rightly, it was just across from the ironworks on the second tier of the city. It was where he had purchased most of his herb jars. They were durable and well made, so he did not come to the store often enough to maintain a relationship with whoever the owner was. It was not too far of a walk, at least not with Nira’lia for company. Though, the distance made it more likely that he would purchase something, to have something to show for it besides a good day out. What would he buy? An actual teapot, so he would not have to keep making tea a glass at a time. Hmm, perhaps!

“So sorry, I forgot to ask, do you have to meet any other customers? I don't want to be a bother," she asked, her expression full of sincerity. "Let me know if you have any other place to be--ack!" Nira’lia yelped, causing Dan to jump at the sudden and quite unexpected loud noise. He followed her gaze quickly and they rest up a nude girl, a little younger than he looked. Before he could greet her she asked, “Would you know where the market is?” His companion responded, and the girl moved to pass them. He made eye contact with her, her vibrant green eyes containing slitted pupils. He cocked his head slightly, and leaned forward to sniff her, a gesture that she mimicked, looking at him with widened eyes. They exchanged a smile, and she disappeared into the telltale swirl of lights he was so familiar with, and the small feline proceed to the market with a last flick of her tail. Their entire exchange had not taken longer than three ticks.

Dan’s fellow healer turned to him with a startled expression and said with a laugh, “I know it's acceptable for kelvics, but I always get so surprised when I see a naked person walking around. Don't you?" He thought for a moment, taking the question seriously. “No,” he started, scratching the short stubble on his chin, “I don’t mind it really. I always wonder why people bother with these things.” He tugged on his shirt with a glare at the dark fabric, and continued, “I would rather wear nothing at all, but Sahfri says it makes the customers nervous. So I have to walk to the city for deliveries, instead of a quick run with nothing to hold me back. What about it bothers you?”

Closed Bottles And More [Beodan]