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 Posted: Fri Aug 14, 2009 5:04 pm
It was quiet in the little back room, behind the main shop of Enchantmint. The store was closed and emptied of customers, the lights turned off, though there was enough light still for the nymph - nearly hidden in the stack of books - to read still.
Sage liked the workroom because it was cool, even in the summer, and because of the smell of fresh turned earth in the pots that lined the walls and the bags neatly tucked under the table. There was also a small trace of magic still, both from the nymphs sleeping quietly in their pots, waiting to sprout, and from the last time that Tabitha worked better. Though he could barely make a seed of grass sprout, he liked the feel of it.
He was a tall nymph--nearly eleven inches tall--and because of that it was a little easier to get situated on one of the shelves, surrounded by books about the local flora, and on horticulture. With his own, smaller tome opened in his lap, he read by the afternoon light, grateful for the shade and the silence.
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Posted: Fri Aug 14, 2009 6:10 pm
The scents of dried old herbs and musky roots wafted under the perked nose of a young Nymph. Well, as far as the Nymphs went, she was one of the oldest.
Though she did quite like to tend to regular things such as roses and dasies, nothing could quite excite the little Nymph more then the bitter smell of crispy basil or sage. But when she thought about it, Aromali couldn't help but feel slightly cannibalistic to her male counterparts when she nibbled on the delicate sage leaves.
Brushing a strand of her bark colored hair from her face, Aromali decided to follow her nose. It was one of the few things that would not betray her. As she came closer to the little hut behind the main store, she could smell the stale pages of ancient books as well as the old foliage leaves used to mark the pages.
A chill overcame her as she felt the earth beneath her bare feet become cool. A figure slouched over one of the many books was concentrating in his text, apparently not yet aware of her. He was rather fair looking, an interesting marking lacing his body. Aromali closed her eyes and leaned in closer to get a stronger smell... This was definatly the place...
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Posted: Fri Aug 14, 2009 6:47 pm
"Known types..." he murmured to himself, making a note in the margin of the book in his lap. The current variety of minor nymphs is quite small by comparison to the amounts of plants that they could most likely occupy, he thought to himself, mentally going through a portion of the types of herbs and various blooming plants. Though they were a relatively new species, relative to what he'd termed the major nymphs, largely trees and extending to other flora over a certain size.
Frowning, he leaned a bit closer to the page, trying to make out the text. Funny; a moment ago it had been a lot clearer. Time passed quickly when he was reading, but it seemed a little excessive--hadn't he just sat down a moment ago? Looking over his shoulder, Sage nearly jumped out of his skin when he saw someone there behind him.
Though it wasn't as much of a disaster as it could've been, he did send the book he'd been scribbling in along with the very small pencil clattering to the wooden shelf beneath him. Blinking up at her for a moment, Sage wondered desperately if he'd met her before and if he was supposed to remember what her name was. Though with the dark designs on her pale skin, quite distinctive, he didn't think he'd forget.
"Uh, hi," he said after a moment.
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Posted: Fri Aug 14, 2009 7:06 pm
"Oh! Hello...!" Aromali had been spotted by the young man. She felt uneasy, as though she had disturbed him and that he would only be wishing for her hasteful leave.
"Did... did I block your reading light...?" she apologized, placing her palms on her knees as she bowed, "I'm sorry... I was just following my nose, and it led me here... Oh how wonderful!" Suddenly distracted by the silhouette of an aging herb, Aromali gracefully swept across the room, dodging piles of books as she reached her destination.
"Do you see this?" she pointed to the tiny leaves peeking out from a large dusty book.
"This is a rare wild herb hardly found anymore! They use to grow a long time ago, but diseases from other plants of different regions wiped them out... I can't believe such a thing could be found here..." Aromali was in her own world, happier than she had been for a while. A pure smile grew along her lips as she turned to the Nymph again.
"Oh my! I'm sorry, I got so carried away I forgot to introduce myself! My name is Aromali!" she bowed again, the magenta flowers in her hair flipping in the wind.
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Posted: Fri Aug 14, 2009 7:20 pm
"A bit, but that's fine." Absently, Sage gathered his books and his pencil again, neatly stacking them with the rest of his things on the shelf, set apart from everything else by the size, if nothing else. When she rushed over to where Tabitha kept her herb book, carefully closed, he started to stop her.
"Wait, thats--" a rare wild herb, hardly found anymore. "Um, yes. There are a few things growing back here that are difficult to find elsewhere. They can't be contaminated or over-run under close supervision, though they still have to be grown under precise conditions." Though he could've continued, Sage stopped, not knowing how much information was too much and when talking became babbling. Pushing himself up off of the wooden surface, he brushed his shorts back down over his knees.
"Sage. It's a pleasure to meet you." Shake her hand? Kiss it? Curses. Rather than doing either, he nodded somewhat stiffly.
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Posted: Fri Aug 14, 2009 7:35 pm
"That's so amazing! There must be tons of different herbs here that are extinct to us!" Aromali squealed with glee, her eyes wandering along the leafy walls. She spotted many herbs that caught her eyes, some she hadn't even heard of, but she figured it would be more polite to observe them some other time when she was not in the presense of another.
"Sage, hrm...? You do smell quite good... I was wondering what that strong bittersweet fragrance was..." She was tempted to crawl up right beside him to get a good whiff but considered the embarrasing after-effect and desided otherwise.
"What were you reading about? Or..." Aromali caught herself, lowering her head and peering up from beneath her long bangs repentantly, "Am I being too nosy...? I'm sorry I've been snooping about. You're probably about to have a heart attack from all of the trouble I'm causing!" she apologised yet again.
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Posted: Fri Aug 14, 2009 7:55 pm
Sage wasn't entirely sure how to react to her enthusiasm. He was excited about learning, in his own way, but it threw him off. It was...intriguing though, and he found a corner of his lips turning up.
"Perhaps not tons, but a good dozen certainly, perhaps more." He indicated a terrarium under a dim red light along the far wall, along with a couple of other carefully monitored clusters of pots. "They...ah, thank you." I smell good? That's new. He hadn't really thought of how pleasant or unpleasant other nymphs smelled, for the most part, but then if it wasn't in a book, it was usually beyond his attention. One of the many reasons easy conversation was beyond him, for the most part.
Running a hand over his 'hair,' he looked back over to the books he'd been thumbing through. "No, it's no trouble. My heart is quite steady, as far as I know. These books are about the major nymphs--tree nymphs and the like."
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Posted: Sat Aug 15, 2009 4:31 pm
Aromali giggled at the response. He didn't seem to get that she wasn't serious about him having a heart attack, but it made her happy that there was actually someone different in this garden.
Aromali stared yearningly at the plant under the crimson light. She could barely smell it from where she stood. This place is full of wonders! I sure wish to come back some day when I can inspect these uncommon herbs! But... Aromali cocked her head slightly as she thought... he seems rather interesting himself. He hasn't been bothered by me wandering about, or at least, hasn't admitted it yet. I'm quite sure he would rather get on reading...
"Tree nymphs? Yes, I know of those. Not many rare types around here it seems." Aromali reached for the book Sage had been reading and watched for a reaction should he not wish for her to touch it. She figured she could allow him to continue reading and remain in the sweet-smelling storage if she would read along with him. And it did seem like an interesting topic...
Slowly flipping it open to a middle page she hoped was close to where he left off, she scanned the muddled words for hints of the topic.
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Posted: Sun Aug 16, 2009 9:33 am
She giggled and Sage shuffled a bit, not getting the joke. That was fine, he supposed; he wasn't known for having a particularly intuitive or inclusive sense of humor. At least she seemed contented with the answers that he'd given her so far.
Silence stretched for a moment and he watched her look over to the different plants, and Sage made a note to ask what, exactly, was in them so that he might tell her later. She seemed interested, curious, and he could certainly respect that. He might not be a star conversationalist, but information he could certainly provide if that was what she sought. Other than his...smell, of course.
The point was further proven when she meandered over to where his books were. Though he'd worked hard to compile the information in his books, and he was somewhat protective of them, he never objected to someone else looking at them; information wasn't meant to be hoarded.
"It's true that most of the more exotic types are difficult to find," he agreed, "especially around here. Like the rare plants, they usually require special conditions. Unlike the plants, it's frequently magical in nature." Through that particular book were scattered notes on the different types of nymphs, a handful of sketches, along with mythos and history if he could find it. It was a small, but fairly complete volume.
"Is there something in particular that you're looking for?" he asked Aromali, feeling like he were on a bit firmer footing.
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Posted: Sun Aug 16, 2009 10:28 am
Aromali pursed her lips as she thought... Anything in particular...?
"Well... Saffron maybe... or Bloodroot." I've always wanted to make a nice tea or oil fragrance with them... I've even liked to start up my own shop, but I'm only a simple nymph... Oh! Wrong topic! He was talking about nymph types and here I go off daydreaming...
"I mean, well, if there were any of those types..." Aromali began to feel nervous. The tables had turned, and Sage had the upper hand.
Aromali traced her fingernail along the delicate sketching of a beautiful flower.
"Did you draw any of these yourself? You must have some skill in art!" She admired the intelligence and ability that the male nymph seemed to hold.
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Posted: Sun Aug 16, 2009 11:16 am
Sage opened his mouth to say that he hadn't heard of any Saffron or Bloodroot nymphs, at least not yet, but she had a far away look in her eyes that said both Warning! and that she was probably thinking about something else.
"No, I don't believe there are herb nymphs of those types," he said after a moments thought.
Pursing his lips, he looked away to scan the shelves. Very few things were labeled, but he'd been around the shop and the work room long enough to know where things were located. Hmm. Without thinking, he turned away from Aromali somewhat abruptly, counting the pots across so he knew how far up he needed to go.
"Oh, yes, I drew those," he said absently. One, two, three shelves up and two pots over. "It's useful to be able to replicate what you're looking at; if it isn't accurate, it's difficult to use it for a reference later." The fact that it might be a skill worth more than the value of it's practical uses seemed to be lost on him, and was even when he wasn't scaling the side of the shelves, where a nymph-sized rope ladder was located.
Crocus sativus. Saffron. Should be here somewhere.
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Posted: Sun Aug 16, 2009 12:10 pm
Aromali raised an eyebrow and backed up to sit lightly on a stack of books, clenching her hands together on her lap.
"They're such beautiful pictures. If you had such a skill in drawing nymphs, I'd ask if I could model for you, but drawing herbs and nymphs are two different skill-sets altogether." she spoke softly, looking up at Sage as he scaled the walls upon an old ladder.
As she watched, she noticed his left upper-arm had a bandage on it. Maybe once he had found what he was looking for, she would ask him about it.
"I've always been much more interested in the small herbs than big floral plants..." she spoke absentmindedly, "Many young nymphs around me grew to only wish to frolic in fields of daisies, but I was more interested in the qualities of herbs. When they were out making rings of flowers, I was making the perfect brew of tea. I've almost found the greatest combonation for it, but I have not been able to try every herb..."
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Posted: Sun Aug 16, 2009 12:34 pm
When he'd made it to the shelf that he wanted, Sage stepped off the ladder and back onto the wood, looking down at the plants that were, in their pots, about up to his shoulder; from a distance, it might look as if he were in a very tamed jungle. At her comment, he paused long enough to blink owlishly down at her. It surprised him that the thought hadn't occurred to him, and that she would offer--ish.
"I, ah, don't believe I've ever drawn a nymph," he told her, going back to his search. "I imagine it would be quite different." Ah, yes. There it was.
It wasn't blooming, but he hadn't really expected it to be. Saffron only bloomed two weeks out of the year, and each individual plant only bloomed for a day. Sage knew that most people or nymphs that wanted Saffron were looking for the red stems from inside the flower, but the leaves still had a pleasant smell. With some thought, almost reverently, he found a suitable leaf and removed it from the plant as he listened to her talk from a couple of feet down.
"Daisies are of little use," he said, stepping back from the pot and carefully curling the leaf and putting it in an inside pocket of his vest. "Frolicking in them would be even less so." There was an awkward pause as Sage thought that perhaps the other nymphs of which she spoke might not be frolicking through daisies for a purpose, but instead for some form of entertainment.
"Herbal teas are a much better use," he continued. "Though if you were still experimenting, I would exercise a great deal of caution when using bloodroot. It's quite useful as a dye, but can be quite harmful if ingested." Perhaps because of that, there was no bloodroot in the back room, but rather in a sectioned off portion of Tabitha's personal garden, which he wasn't unwelcome to, but wasn't encouraged the same way he was to be here. Done, for the moment, he returned to the ladder.
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Posted: Sun Aug 16, 2009 2:10 pm
"I suppose not." Aromali stood again as he began to descend back to the lower level, moving her clamped hands from her lap to her chest in one swift motion.
Her eyes were glittering with wonder at Sage. She could hardly hold in the curiosity of the motive of his venture. It seemed he had brought back something with him… but she could not tell from where she sat what it was. The walls were lined with pots, and she did not see from which he may have plucked the tiniest of leaves.
“Daisies hardly taste very well. I have found no use for them but for looks.” She agreed, nodding. “Many other herbs can create therapeutic oils, medicines, incenses... Oh, the list of their abilities can go on and on!”
“And no, I do not plan on using Bloodroot for teas.” Aromali chuckled to herself. “I have many more skills than just the simple tea. I would like to use it for medicinal purposes. The red juices in the root can treat fungi on the skin, but yes, it is quite dangerous. If I… should I injure myself… I’ll be sure to come to you…” Aromali thought about it again. “Unless you would not wish for my disturbance” She looked back down to her hands, fiddling with her fingers as a nervous habit.
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Posted: Sun Aug 16, 2009 2:32 pm
As he descended the ladder back to where she sat with his books, Sage said nothing, only listened to her talk with interest. He wondered, idly, how much she knew--and how much he didn't know. He'd have to check his books to see what records he had on the uses of herbs and what they could be made into to see if he could ask her any questions.
Of course, should she be interested. He couldn't fidget as he finished the last few rungs on the ladder and stepped easily back onto the shelf where he'd left Aromali, but he wanted to, for lack of anything better to do. He was also torn between continuing their conversation and returning to his reading where he knew what he was supposed to say.
"Mmm, I didn't mean to imply..." he started. "I mean to say, I'm sure you know it's correct uses, and how to use it safely. Should you need first aid, it certainly wouldn't be a disturbance, though I know more about it in theory than in practice." And he wouldn't mind if she stopped by again, were he here. Of course, he hoped that it wouldn't be because she'd been injured (for more reasons than one).
Shaking his head, he reached into the inside pocket of his vest and withdrew the saffron leaf, extending it to her.
"It isn't as widely used as the stigma, but perhaps it could be of some use. There is a saffron plant, just there--" Sage pointed to the pot where the little plant grew, "--and considering the relatively small amount that you would need, I'm certain that Tabitha wouldn't mind letting you gather occasionally."
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