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 Posted: Fri Jul 15, 2011 12:06 am
The grey skies were rather depressing, bringing a strange, gloomy feel to the day. Theo sighed as he walked along the path towards the edge of the forest, wishing he hadn't agreed to Phil's request. Or made that bet either. But he'd lost it and was under an obligation to now get something for Phil while Phil prepared for his tests. Theo snorted at the last part. Like Phil needed preparation of any kind. He was the smart one. If he needed preparation in any area, it would be in the practical side of his tests and that was something there was no help for. Well, unless Phil was willing. Theo rolled his eyes and continued, wondering how long this little path was.
Still, he was in no position to complain. He'd have to return to Moonfall soon and there was no bothering Phil when he was studying. He'd completely lose himself in his books and ignore everyone completely. So a wlak to the woods was just about the only excitement he'd have today. phil said there was a herbalist there, or so he heard. And Phil wanted some of those said herbs and had handed him a small list. Most of them were unfamiliar to Theo, having no interest in Herbology whatsoever.
When at last he arrived at the small cottage Philemon said was the herbalist's home, he was not in the best of moods as he knocked. He knew better than to be rude, but he wasn't prepared to deal with a hermit either. Hopefully the herbalist was not one. He waited rather impatiently, seeing as patience was definitely not one of his strong traits. He honestly hated waiting for people, but he didn't have much choice. he sighed as he waited outside the door.
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Posted: Fri Jul 15, 2011 12:24 am
When Kia had first opened her eyes and taken a deep breath of the morning air, she had smiled at the hint of rain she detected. Slowly he had stretched, her tail flicking lazily before she slipped out of bed and went about opening the windows and beginning her morning ritual. Water was poured into small ceramic pots containing various plants and seed was placed in a small feeder outside the window for the birds. A light breakfast of vegetables and modest amounts of meat was prepared and then the dishes cleaned and set aside.
After that she typically moved outside to tend to the garden, however the clouds looked as if they would release precipitation at any moment, so she didn't feel the need to water. Instead she moved back to her bed and retrieved a journal from nearby and began to write. It was a habit she had picked up during her days at the Academy and had a tendency for making her feel a bit less lonely. It also seemed to help her feel more organized, especially when she ran a quick inventory of the herbs that she had remaining; sometimes witches bought large amounts of certain herbs all at one time from her.
She startled, ears pricking when someone knocked on her door, her red eyes wide as they swung to it. Slowly she set her journal aside and stood up, absently tugging at her kimono to make it lay more evenly over her thighs. Perhaps she should have worn shoes to answer the door but she was so out of the habit of doing so now that it hadn't even crossed her mind. Tail flicking behind her she slowly opened the door and peered outside, blinking at the blue clad figure that stood before her, ears drooping a little; he didn't look very friendly at all.
"H-hello..." Kiarei greeted softly, shifting nervously behind the partially opened door. "Can I help you with something...?"
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Posted: Fri Jul 15, 2011 12:48 am
The door swung open to reveal a young woman dressed in red and white. Her eyes were eeriely red as well, but they were tempered by the gentleness and fear in them. Long white hair partially hid the ears and tail, but they were unmistakable. The fear in her eyes made Theo cringe a little, knowing how he must appear to her. He wasn't exactly in the best of moods, but there wasn't any real reason to scare people either. "I uhm," He stuttered. "I was asked to get some herbs?" He said, feeling rather awkward before this strange girl. What was it that made him feel so uncomfortable? Perhaps it was her unusual appearance. He'd never seen someone like her before.
He was hoping that he wouldn't meet a hermit, but a girl with ears and a tail were hardly what he expected either. "I'm sorry if I scared you?" He ventured, stumbling over the words. "And uh, can I come in?" He asked, feeling a rather awkward tension build up between them as he stood there. He looked around, trying to ignore that strange awkwardness as he studied his surroundings. Flowers bloomed in profusion and the whole area was full of colour of various plants that grew here. It was a very serene place, and he could sort of understand why someone like her may prefer it over to the town around the academy. She seemed like a very timid person, so he supposed the multitude of people there wasn't exactly her cup of tea.
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Posted: Fri Jul 15, 2011 1:07 am
Kiarei blinked slowly as he seemed to stumble over his words, seemingly caught off guard. She did suppose that she looked a little odd to strangers... Though he had horns, so they didn't seem too different to her. At the mention of herbs her ears perked and she seemed to brighten a little, knowing, now, that despite his apparent poor mood he most likely wasn't there to bully her. She peered up at the storm clouds for a moment before looking back to him, smiling gently, if a bit shyly.
"It's alright." Her voice was soft, but more relaxed now. "Yes. It smells like it may rain soon. You can wait it out here."
She stepped back, drawing the door open and stepping aside, waving a red nailed hand in a silent invitation for him to enter. Once he came inside she gently shut the door behind him and padded on bare feet to retrieve her kettle and some water. With a simple spell she started a small fire in her tiny fireplace and hung the teapot over it. Suddenly she startled and turned, biting her lip, looking horribly embarrassed and apologetic.
"Oh! I'm so sorry..." she gestured to her table and the simple wooden chairs beside it. "Please, sit down. I'm sorry, I don't often entertain guests..."
Biting her lip she turned away, quickly wiping at her eyes while her back was turned to the stranger to wipe away any tears that may have gathered there; she didn't want to make her guest uncomfortable. She retrieved tea leaves and a small infuser, smiling back at her guest as she turned to face him again.
"I'm sorry. My name is Kiarei. What herbs are you looking for?"
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Posted: Fri Jul 15, 2011 1:32 am
He smiled a little in return as she let him in, apparently concerned about the weather. He would dry off pretty quickly, but he didn't particularly fancy getting caught in the rain. "Thank you." He murmured as she waved him inside. The interior of the house was simple and clean, just like the outside. She shut the door behind him and he stood there, admiring the simplicity and the various cermaic pots that covered almost every surface. It was clearly the home of someone who adored herbs and plants.
He watched as she put the kettle to boil, using a simple spell to conjure a flame. The spell was rather weak, he noted. Somehow he doubted that such magic was her forte. She seemed like one of those more comfortable in the healing classes than out on the field learning offensive magics. Phil was like that as well. The resemblance made Theo smile as he watched her bustle around.
He seated himself at the chairs she'd gestured at, slightly amused at her darting around looking for things and such. She introduced herself as Kiarei. "I'm Theo. I actually have no idea what these are." He laughed a little sheepishly as he dug out the scrap of paper Phil had written down all the herbs he wanted. "It's actually for my brother, since he's taking herbology classes and all that, so yeah." He trailed off, unsure how to continue. "There's quite a few of them, and I never took herbology classes so I don't really know that much about herbs." He shrugged.
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Posted: Fri Jul 15, 2011 1:46 am
"It's nice to meet you Theo." Kia answered, moving to poor some tea leaves in the metal, mesh pouch, moving to place it inside the kettle and replace the lid.
She blinked at the answer, turning back towards him and tilting her head a little, curious. Slowly she approached, reaching out for the paper and hesitantly taking it from Theo, peering down at it intently. Her eyes ran over it for a few silent moments before she lifted her head and smiled at the blue-clad witch warmly; he seemed much nicer now that she had actually spoken with him.
"Allow me to pour you some tea and I'll package some for you." Setting the paper back on the table she moved over to a cupboard to retrieve two, small, ceramic cups.
It didn't take too long before the tea began to whistle a little, indicting that it was close to the boiling point. Due to the nature of the tea, it was best if it didn't steep for too long, thus, using a rag hung nearby, she removed the kettle from the fire. Kiarei approached the young man and carefully poured the tea into the cup set before him. She then set the pot down on the table, picking up the paper again.
"I hope you enjoy it. I made the tea myself. I use it to relax."
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Posted: Sat Jul 16, 2011 7:56 pm
"Likewise." Theo returned the sentiment, watching her as she brewed the tea. He watched nervously as she read the paper, hoping Phil hadn't asked for something downright ridiculous and impossible to find. When she smiled he felt a little of the tension ease, knowing that she probably had what Phil wanted.
"Uhm, thanks." He rubbed the back of his neck as she finished brewing the tea and poured some out for him. He was rather apprehensive about it, seeing as most of the homemade teas Phil brewed were just.. nasty. They may have had healing properties and all but that didn't make them any less nasty. Which was why he always made a beeline for the only pub in town when he was over with Phil.
Tentatively, he took a sip of the tea. It was bittersweet, but he could feel the tension in his body ebb away like the receding tides. "This is a very nice tea." He offered, smiling a little more now. The tea had a curious scent to it, and Theo couldn't really identify what was in it. Nonetheless, it was very relaxing. He took another sip of it, finally letting himself relax.
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Posted: Sat Jul 16, 2011 11:29 pm
"You're quite welcome." Kiarei answered, smiling warmly at him and picking up the paper once more.
Curious she watched the other man as he took a sip; he didn't seem like he drank tea very often, judging from his hesitance, but she hoped that he at least enjoyed what he brewed. She waited a few seconds before looking down at the list again, eyes scanning over it for a few moments. At his words her ears perked and she looked up again, beaming at him at the compliment.
"I'm glad that you enjoy it! If you would like I can package up some for you also?"
She gave another small tilt of her head before smiling and turning to a rather large set of drawers, her fingers trailing over them slowly, reaching the engraved labels. Slowly she began to pick out dried herbs, gently setting them aside, letting Theo drink his tea as she worked. Most of what was on the list was fairly common, very necessary for many witches... However...
"Is the person you are getting these for a student?" Many of the herbs she had recognized in being used in many of the classes at the Academy.
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Posted: Sun Jul 17, 2011 8:21 am
When she smiled, Kia was truly pretty, or so Theo thought. still, it was nice to see the shy woman smile. She looked like somewhat who could burst into tears anytime, for no reason whatsoever. And the one thing Theo did not know how to deal with was crying women. Or crying anythings really. He took another sip of the tea and leaned back against the chair, allowing himself to get comfortable.
"If it's not too much of a bother, that would be realy nice." Theo smiled, graciously accepting Kia's offer of some extra tea. Perhaps he could finally finally have some decent tea, not the nasty stuff that Phil brewed so very often. Whatever the properties, bitter leaf juice just did not cut it.
The gentle patter of rain against the roof indicated the stormy skies had given way and let their tears fall, bringing moisture down upon the earth. He looked around the small room again, taking in their contents once more. Rooms and houses told much more about people than they would think. The herbs were neatly labeled into large drawers, where Kia was now rifling through, looking for the herbs Phil wanted so much. Plants covered many of the surfaces, in tiny ceramic pots. They were leafy and green, indicating the were well taken care of.
"Yeah, they're for my brother." Theo answered. "He said he needed them and he wasn't sure where else to get them from." Theo shruged his shoulders, not entirely sure why Phil wanted them. He picked up the cooling tea, sipping at it again. The lukewarm tea just wasn't nice. Making a little face, Theo summoned the flames in his fingers and heated up the liquid until it reached the appropriate temperature. He banished the dancing fire with a wave of his hand and sipped his tea again. Perfect. Theo smiled, a rare thing for him indeed. He hadn't felt this relaxed in a long while.
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Posted: Sun Jul 17, 2011 9:51 pm
"It's no bother at all." Kiarei gently set a few packets of herbs aside, continuing to retrieve the others on the list.
Her hand paused and ears perked when the rain began, causing Kia's head to tip back and a small smile to curve her lips. For some reason she really loved the rain and especially loved how green it made everything look after. Always the air seemed so crisp and new after a spring rain and it left her feeling quite refreshed and in good spirits for the rest of the day. Never mind that it was good for her garden as well.
"Oh... He must be a very studious brother. Typically herbs are provided for classes... He must be practicing." Kia mused, glancing back at Theo and offering him a warm smile when she saw him warming up his tea. "There is more in the teapot if you would like more."
Kiarei turned back to the task at hand, going through a few more drawers before she retrieved a piece of firm cloth from the side. It was an odd piece of cloth with various flaps and slits, appearing to be completely useless. However she gently deposited the herbs, each in its own little pouch, onto the fabric before beginning to slowly weave the straps into one another. She then tied a few of them together to secure it before turning to gently set it down in front of her guest.
"That should be everything... And this will protect them from the rain should it start raining again when you head back." She offered Theo another warm smile, hands moving to clasp in front of her. "You may stay as long as you'd like."
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Posted: Tue Jul 19, 2011 12:21 am
Theo shrugged a little when she inquired about Phil. "My brother enjoys making teas and all that. They never taste all that good, even if he tells me they contain properties to keep me healthy and all that." Theo made a face. "He spends most of his time trying out sthings with herbs, god knows why though. Unles she's trying to find a cure for his clumsiness." Theo's lips curved into a wry grin at the mention of Phil's clumsiness. Really, Theo had never met a more accident prone person that Phil. There was always a new bruise or some such thing whenever Theo met up with him.
He watched with interest as Kia packaged the herbs. It was rather stange, with no distinctive pouches or anything to cotain the herbs but a variety of slits and flaps. Slowly, he watched as she wove the cloth into a bag, each herb neatly contained within its own pouch. Theo studied it when she placed it in front of him, trying to understand how each slit anf flap fit with each other to make this puzzle of a bag.
Theo smiled gratefully at her offer to let him stay here until it stopped raining. He didn't quite like the rain, not the damp and cold it brought. Being a fire user, it was rather natural, but Theo didn't really care to walk through the rain. He was content to sit here, listening to the rain patter on the rooftop and sip at a cup of not so nasty herbal tea. "Thank you, and I think I shall wait out the rain." He smiled as he poured himself another cup of tea. "I'm not imposing, am I?" Theo asked, suddenly feeling self-conscious. He didn't want to be a bother to this gentle creature.
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Posted: Wed Jul 20, 2011 11:56 pm
"Oh... An aspiring Herbalist, then?" she questioned, looking rather intrigued at the prospect. "Most things that keep you healthy don't really taste good, but they are very good for you."
Kia returned the smile as, now that she was done packaging the herbs, she went to retrieve the tea and package it away as well. She retrieved a small pouch from nearby and began to fill it with the mixture, gently tying it shut once she had filled it completely; she still had quite a bit left despite pouring so much into the pouch. Turning she strode back over to her visitor and offered it to him, smiling again.
"You're welcome. You're not imposing at all. Make yourself at home." the Mononoke responded, shaking her head before moving to retrieve her own cup for tea.
Upon retrieving the cup she strode back over, setting it down gently before lifting the kettle and pouring her own cup of tea with little effort. She seemed small and frail, but she hid strength beneath the layers of her dress and within her rather slender frame. Finally she settled in the chair positioned across from Theo, taking a sip of her tea and giving a soft hum of satisfaction as the warmth seemed to bleed throughout her form.
"Tea is really quite wonderful on days like these, don't you agree?"
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Posted: Sun Jul 24, 2011 12:13 am
"Something like that?" Theo shrugged his shoulders. "I have no idea what he's doing most times actually." He admitted with a sheepish laugh. "But I do know whatever tea he brews for me is usually nasty. Very very nasty." Theo made a face, as if to prove a point. He hated whatever concoctions Phil usually brewed. They weren't exactly the best things he'd tasted. He'd had worse but even so.
When Kia offered him another pouch, he was surprised then he remembered her offer of giving him some of the tea. "Thank you very much. I really appreciate this." He flashed her a winning smile, taking the pouch and carefully tucking it away in his pocket. There was a pleasant herbal scent enmating from it, reminding him of a forest and a wide, open place.
Leaning back into the chair, Theo continued to drink some of the tea, glad that he wasn't imposing too much. He'd leave as soon as the rain stopped. As Kis settled down with a cup of tea, Theo used this opportunity to study her a little closer. She looked so fragile and delicate, like a crystal vase. Beautiful but unimaginably fragile and easy to break. He nodded in assent to her question, taking a sip of the tea himself. "Indeed it is. Generally I'm not a tea person but.." He shrugged his shoulders and didn't finish the sentence.
A silenece settled upon them before Theo decided to venture another question. "So what sort of plants do you grow in these pots?" He asked, gesturing towards the minute ceramic pots that dotted the room with an abundance of greenery and leaves."I don't think I've seen many of these before." Truth was he'd never really bothered, but perhaps Kia had something unique he hadn't heard of before. And he'd heard plenty from Phil.
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Posted: Fri Aug 05, 2011 10:38 pm
Kiarei laughed softly at Theo's words, smiling at the comment before shaking her head, opting to say nothing on the matter. If he didn't like the things that his brother brewed him then there was little she could say especially since she had no idea what went into the teas being concocted. Besides one could not change the way someone's taste buds worked, could not command them to enjoy bitter things when they preferred sweet. It simply went against the laws of all things natural to do so.
"You are very welcome." she answered, her smile bright as she took a seat across from him and reached for the tea kettle.
With strength that seemed strange for her small and borderline delicate form she poured the tea, the stream of amber liquid flowing in a graceful arc into her cup. Once her cup was full she set the metal container aside both her hands moving to curl around the cup, watching the steam rise from it as the rain drummed against the roof of her home. It was such a beautiful combination, the sound and smell of the rain coupled with the scent and warmth of the tea of her hands. It was something that never failed to relax her and bring a smile to her lips.
"I have many teas that are naturally sweet and tend to appeal more to those that normally don't enjoy the more herbal blends." it was meant as a subtle offer but she wasn't certain if Theo would interpret it as such. "If you ever want to try any, I'd be more than happy to brew you some."
When silence fell between them it felt strangely comfortable, something that had a smile smile tugging at the corner of her lips as she sipped her tea. She had forgotten how nice it was to have company and she felt herself missing it a great deal. Mentally she hoped the rain lingered for a time, a selfish hope that she mentally berated herself for; others shouldn't pay for her loneliness.
"Oh... Various herbs that need less sunlight or are more delicate than the others... And some berries and flowers." she answered, ears perking as she pointed to a few pots. "That is Raspberry, there is some Purple Coneflower there, which is good for colds, some Comfrey, Passion-Flower... That one helps me sleep."
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Posted: Fri Aug 19, 2011 9:05 pm
Kia's laughter rang out, soft but clear, bringing a smile to Theo's face. But he was sure that she understood what he meant, since most herbal brews seemed to have a bitter edge to it. She was very kind, to put up with him considering how he'd arrived at her doorstep earlier. A face like thunder and a temper ready to blow. He smiled wryly, sipping his tea.
The steady pounding of the rain against the roof created a soft rhythm, almost a melody as they fell from the heavens.It was really cozy in here, leafy plants surrounding them, a cup of hot tea and the rain making music outside. He could feel himself getting drowsy from the comforting warmth of the tea and the constant beating of the rain lulling him into a sense of security. Like he was completely isolated from the world and all its terrors here, just for this short time.
Struggling to pay attention to what Kia had said, he smiled at her. "But I don't wish to trouble you. I'm sure you have enough work on your hands already." He smiled rather ruefully. It would have been nice, but really. Theo didn't wish to trouble this sweet woman with his dislike of whatever bitter herb tonics that Phil stewed for him, good for his health or otherwise.
Honestly, he wouldn't mind staying here forever. It was warm, comfortable and just.. pleasant. A small oasis of peace from the troubles of the outside world. Perhaps the next time he came up to Makai he'd drop by to visit her again. It had to be lonely here out here, with nothing but plants for company.
"Passion flower? Hmm." Theo tapped his chin. "I didn't know that. I knew that chamomile helped when you can't sleep, but not passion flower." He regarded the tiny ceramic pots with interest. They were very much like Kia, he believed. Her plants were like a reflection of her personality. Gentle, unobtrusive and helpful. He took another sip of his tea and set his cup down, bringing a hand to gently caress a leaf of one of the plants. "What about this one?" He inquired, curious about the other plants she kept in the house.
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