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 Posted: Fri Jul 15, 2011 2:37 am
It just wasn't a vacation if you had to study but her parents had been adamant and no matter what she said, she couldn't dissuade them. Regardless of the fact that she was in a countryside retreat, she was required to study for her classes and to work hard at improving on the subjects that gave cause for concern. In her opinion, it was all a bit of a waste of time... What was the point of being on holiday if you still had to work? With this in mind, didn't that make such a statement an oxymoron? It should have come at no surprise that her parents' demands hadn't been well received.
For the last six hours or so, the young witchling had done her best to avoid anything that could be considered work. She had left the cottage under the guise of studying for her botany classes, herbalism specifically. Rumour had it that this particular village produced some of the best plants and as a result, she had used this as cover to escape. It would be a small break, a moment to herself where she didn't have to think about any of her lessons or the overwhelming expectations of her parents. All right, so perhaps 'overwhelming' was an exaggeration, but they were determined that she would raise all her grades to a reasonable standard... She didn't have to be a straight A student, but she did at least have to get at a minimum of 60% on each exam - if she could do that, then she would be an 'average' student.
It would also mean she would graduate.
It was with a small sigh that she drew to a halt, sliding her hands into the pockets that had been sewn into her skirt by her mother. They were the most useful things ever and Ishtar was grateful that her mother prided herself on practicality and utility, even if it did ruin the plaits a little. She'd finally placed a sufficient distance between herself and the summer cottage she was spending time in, and, in doing so, now found herself inside a forest. She hadn't wandered far enough to be within the depths, she was still on the outskirts, but it was enough for the temperature to drop a little where the light failed to breach the canopy. Suffice to say that her surroundings were very pleasant and the sweet smell of vegetation and fresh air was refreshing in comparison to the stifling heat of the town around the Academy.
Alas, there was just one tiny problem with her current situation... While she had managed to escape the watchful gaze of both parents, she had done so under false pretences and consequently, they would be expecting her to return with samples. This was an issue for the young witchling, as simply put, botany was another of her weak spots and when it came to finding appropriate samples, she didn't stand a chance. Her nose scrunched up in a note of discontent, if the samples weren't on shelves then she didn't know what they were, simply put, she had absolutely no idea what they looked like when they were alive.
"Oh hells," she swore, pursing her lips as she gazed around her immediate vicinity for some sort of inspiration. Finding none, she elected to walk for a little longer, her gaze fixed on the ground as she looked for a sign or a pretty flower. She regularly dismissed what she regarded as weeds, murmuring under her breath as she 'identified' them. In fact, regardless of whether it was down to luck or not, she was doing quite well - or she was until she stepped on a 'weed' that was actually far more important than it let on.
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Posted: Fri Jul 15, 2011 12:37 pm
That day it was warm and beautiful outside of Kiarei's humble home, thus she opted to go out into the forest and collect more bulbs since she hadn't been able to the past few days. She had been very surprised and delighted to find bulbs for more rare herbs that she had been running low on, carefully collecting them and depositing them in her basket. Most of her morning and early afternoon was spent gathering various herbs along with some berries and a few nuts and fungi both for growing and for food.
Perhaps she was odd, to go out into the forest in pristine white and completely barefoot and have more fun than she would doing many of the things that city dwellers did for enjoyment. Kia, however, didn't mind that she was, perhaps, a tiny bit odd by the standards of some Witches. In fact that was actually what kept many of them away and left her in peace except for when they needed to purchase herbs from her. This left her with plenty of time to practice her magic in private to prepare herself for, hopefully, becoming an Ars Lilium in the future.
Humming softly to herself Kiarei gathered a few more items before looking skywards, her ears swiveling and perking as she listened to the forest around her. She smiled at the intermingling of sounds that only existed in places so full of life before she turned and headed back to her home. Part of her always felt rather connected with animals and plants, especially those in the forest, which made her wonder if her... More animal-like extras contributed to that at all.
As she emerged from the forest she peered up towards her home only to frown and tilt her head a little when she noticed someone nearby. Looking thoughtful she began to make her way up the hill, her eyes slowly widening as she noticed the path the stranger was treading. She broke into a run, but it was too late, the girl had already stepped on some of her flowering herbs. No, they weren't necessarily incredibly valuable and, yes, they could be regrown, but still, she ran up, crouching next to the trampled plant, staring at it as tears welled up in her eyes. Slowly she looked up at the purple-haired girl, tears running down her cheeks and looking horribly upset by the whole incident.
"W-why are you stepping on my herbs?" Kiarei gasped out, her lips and voice trembling; her voice wasn't accusatory, simply full of sadness as she stared at the stranger before her.
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Posted: Sat Jul 16, 2011 11:56 am
My herbs?
Ishtar paused momentarily to register the question in her mind, confused in the immediate period that followed. She hadn't had any idea that she was trespassing, as far as she had been aware that had been no fences or signs to indicate the land belong to anyone. It was in these moments that she was struck by a wave of paranoia and as a result, she gave a slight squeak of surprise. She glanced from left to right, just to double check she hadn't missed anything and when she was certain she hadn't, the confusion hit her again. Either she was missing something, or they didn't have boundary lines in this village.
Unsurprisingly, it took the teenager a considerable amount of time to return to the present and it was only then that she lifted her foot off the plant she had stepped on. She inspected it more closely in an attempt to discern what it was but no matter which way she looked, it still looked like a weed. Alas, Ishtar had never been the greatest botanist and could never be certain that she had any idea what she was talking about - if the voice had said it was a herb, then it was a herb.
She froze.
A voice? Oh hell in a handbasket there was someone there! This realisation should have dawned on her much sooner, in fact, if she had initially thought it was a disembodied voice then that was technically grounds for even greater concern. Thus, it was with a considerably delayed reaction that the witchling spun around properly and finally caught sight of the woman who was, well, at the base of her feet.
...Honestly, how the heck had she missed that?
"I um..." sheepishly the teenager moved away from the crumpled plant, wincing uncomfortably at the sight of the woman. The fact that she was trespassing was one thing, but was this woman honestly crying over a plant too? She furrowed her brow just a little and lifted a hand to rub at the back of her neck, "It's not dead you know, just crumpled," she observed, casting her gaze back down to the plant. "Plants are stronger than they let on, especially ones that look like weeds," she murmured.
"I didn't even know it was a herb," she added before shaking her head. "Still..." she took a breath and put her hand back in the pockets of her skirt. "I'm really sorry, I'd no idea I was in a garden, it just looked like a piece of forest to me..."
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Posted: Sat Jul 16, 2011 2:59 pm
"Y-you still shouldn't step on them..." she gasped out, lifting her hands to wipe at her eyes before looking back up at the student. "If someone stepped on you you wouldn't die, but it'd still hurt."
Kiarei, bit her lip, gently running her fingers over the leaves, as she closed her eyes and focused. A tiny amount of healing energy spilled from her fingertips, causing the plant to perk a little beneath her touch. She sniffed a little, staring at it for a long moment before slowly climbing to her feet, eyes still holding a few residual tears but, at least she wasn't crying.
"I-I'm sorry... I just got so upset..." Kia gasped out, now looking incredibly apologetic and guilty; she hadn't meant to sound so accusatory. "I-It's alright... You didn't know... I-I can overreact sometimes... I'm sorry..."
Kia's ears were still a tad droopy and her gaze lowered to the ground as she moved to dust off her short dress and her bare legs. She felt so awkward now, being so unkind to a stranger who couldn't have known that they were stepping on one of her herbs. It made her feel terrible, made it want to make it up to the young girl. Slowly she looked up, looking her over and biting her lip, her tail swaying behind her.
"Oh... Are you... An Academy student?" Kiarei asked softly, tilting her head a little before she bowed her head a little, looking apologetic once more. "I'm sorry, I normally don't treat strangers so poorly... Would you like some tea... To make up for it?"
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Posted: Mon Jul 18, 2011 1:17 pm
Well she'd never been stood on but she had/i] been sat on, in a manner of speaking the overall results would have been the same right? It hadn't hurt overly much, but it had winded her and ensured that her mother achieved the goal she had been aiming for - in short, Ishtar had gotten out of bed as she had been told to. To this day, the witchling couldn't comprehend why her mother didn't just elect to do what her father did... which basically boiled down to rubbing icecubes along her toes - it made her shriek (an entertaining response in her father's eyes) and it woke her up.
...She couldn't really decide which was the most humane method.
Nevertheless, as she watched the older witch tend to the plant she did have to lift her brows, her interests piqued. Whoever the fox-eared woman was, she was a healer of sorts and seemed to be attuned to the appropriate arts. With the exception of her parents she had never really bumped into any esteemed witches beyond those who taught her in school and if anyone would let Ishtar voice her opinions on them then they would be in for an ear ache.
"Still, I'm sorry," she reinforced her previous apology and shook her head. The plant might have been fine but everytime someone cried it always got to her, it was like her mother's 'I am not angry, I am just disappointed in you' stare - no matter what the situation and no matter what she had done, she caved...even if she wasn't even guilty! "I'll be more careful next time, I promise," she added after a moment and cleared her throat. "Kinda figrued that if the grass could survive being walked on then so could most other plants..."
Nevertheless, when Kia asked if she was a student, Ishtar's lips did part briefly and then she nodded her head. "Yes, I am, final years... Was kinda hoping I'd graduate this year," she added and hazarded a smile, she didn't bother to get into the issues surrounding her lack of finesse when it came to certain subjects. Still, she didn't have much time to dwell on it as Kia continued to speak and offered her tea - she wasn't much of a tea drinker but it sounded quite nice...more importantly, maybe this Witch could give her some inspiration on what to bring home, she seemed to know enough about herbs.
"...Tea would be," she paused, "really nice," she finished, her smile deepening a touch, it was only then that she took full notice of the woman's ears and blinked - twice.
"This is going to sound totally rude, but are those things real?" she queried, her finger pointing towards her own head as if to indicate she was making a reference to Kia's ears.
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Posted: Wed Jul 20, 2011 12:36 am
Kiarei slowly tilted her head at the apology before smiling warmly, aiming to reassure more than anything. She had overreacted a little herself, getting so upset on behalf of one of her beloved herbs, thus it wasn't very nice to stay angry at someone who clearly had not meant any harm. Her smile simply seemed to broaden when the girl mentioned that she compared plants to grass, shaking her head a little.
"It's really alright. Not everyone has the same passions for plants as I do..." She mused, folding her hands behind her back, her tail swishing back in forth, showing that she was already in a better mood.
She supposed that being raised in a family of herbalists and those that seemed to have an affinity and respect for nature tended to make her more attached to plants and animals to most others. Due to this it was irrational and silly of her to expect the same sort of love from other witches. If everyone were exactly the same, after all, the world would be a rather boring place.
"That explains a bit." Kiarei murmured, tapping her bottom lip with a red-nailed finger. "Well... This way then."
Kia turned to begin to head back to her small home only to freeze at the girl's question, biting her lip and flushing a little as she turned to look back at her. She lifted a hand to one of her ears, her eyes hooding as her fingers slid over the soft fur, fur that no human had on their body unless they were like her. She offered a hesitant smile, her ears drooping a little; she was used to being teased about her looks and, mentally, was steeling herself for possible impending laughter or jokes.
"...Yes. They're real."
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Posted: Wed Jul 20, 2011 12:16 pm
"Huh," Ishtar mused at Kiarei's reply and pursed her lips, pausing momentarily as she regarded the ears for a few more moments. The 'hm' of thought hung in the air for a little longer than was probably polite and then she shook her head. Seemingly satisfied with the response that Kiarei had provided with her, which had been short and sweet, she didn't appear to need any further details. "Fancy that," she concluded in a manner that indicated she had no further desire to discuss Kiarei's mononoke traits. It was a response that may or may not have come as a surprise to the paler Witch, who appeared to have been anticipating a much more hostile reaction.
"So how long have you been a herbalist?" she asked after a few moments. Following after the slightly older witch, she looped her hands behind her back and clasped them together. Kicking out her feet with each step, she could have been compared to a can-can dancer in slow motion. Well, perhaps her foot flicks weren't quite as high but they were similar enough to be a viable comparison. "It's not exactly the most interesting subject if I'm honest, s'like watching paint dry..." she murmured and quite clearly stated her own personal opinion. "That being said, paint dries faster than nearly every plant in the world," she continued and furrowed a brow.
"Except bamboo," she ammended as an after thought. It was at this point that she fell quiet for another short while.
"You have sugar right?" she broached another subject, leaving the previous ones behind as her attention turned to the immediate prospect of tea. As an individual who didn't really like tea, she was probably going to stumble into the realms of those who drank really sugary milk. Admittedly, it didn't sound anymore pleasant than tea did but at the very least, it wouldn't be bitter! Fortunately, this was one of those moments in which the witchling kept her thoughts to herself.
...Rare as it might have been, she could hold her tongue sometimes.
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Posted: Thu Jul 21, 2011 10:27 am
Kiarei's ears drooped a little as the silence extended, causing her to shift her weight and glance in the direction of her home in nervousness. However she seemed to relax a little at the next words that passed the young girl's lip, looking back to her and tilting her head in curiosity. Usually her less human traits were either met with jealous disdain or clinical fascination, often ending with her being teased or told how intriguing she was. Oddly it was nice to not garner either reaction from someone; most of the time her greatest desire was to be treated normally.
Biting her lip, Kia began to head up towards her home, hoping that the other girl would follow her. She wasn't disappointed, however the question had her tilting her head and glancing back over her shoulder, looking contemplative. After a few moments she shrug her shoulders and continued to walk towards her home, her mood seeming a least a little brighter.
"I suppose only about a year... Since I graduated." she mused before laughing softly at the comment. "I've been told what I do is boring... But I really enjoy it. It is very necessary to most potion makers and healers. Though if everyone liked it then I suppose they wouldn't need me."
It didn't take too much longer to get to her home, a modest little shack that looked small but suited her needs just fine. A few men that were friends of her father had helped her with it, but she had done a majority of the work on her own. It had been very difficult and had taken over a month to finish everything but she was pleased with it. She opened the door and gestured for the girl to go inside, blinking at the question before smiling fondly.
"Yes, I do have sugar." Kia answered, gently ushering the girl inside. "Not everyone likes tea like I do, so I keep some on hand."
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Posted: Sun Jul 24, 2011 5:23 am
It wasn't a perfect comparison, but Ishtar's bi-coloured eyes had always been a subject of interest for the general populace as well. As a consequence, she had long since grown out of her fascination for those who had unusual traits. As an individual who had been subject to remarks, although they were rarely disparaging, she had little interest in putting another through the same thing. Fortunately for Kia, she was safe from judgement in the presence of this particular witchling - or rather, she would be safe from judgement until she did something bad...in which case, there would be a few problems!
Regardless, as the mononoke continued to walk, Ishtar slipped her hands back into the pockets of her plaited skirt and continued to listen with a politeness that would have made her parents proud. It seemed the witchling did have her moments of etiquette after all and Kia was fortunate enough to bear witness to them. Admittedly, Ishtar had never really excelled at potions - her healing abilities were decent, but nothing to write home about either. Consequently, she could fully aprpeciate the necessity of Kia's existance even if the purple-haired witchling were inclined to agree with others in relation to the fact that herbalism was boring.
...That being said, potions could be fun when she was allowed to play with explosives.
"Wow, you didn't graduate all that long ago," Ishtar observed and shook herh ead, the entire concept of leaving the Academy was still lost on her. She was approaching the right age, but given her grades she sincerely doubted she would graduate on time. "And you live alone? You really took independance like a bull to the horns," she chuckled softly and then promptly cleared her throat. For some unexplained reason there was a nervousness rolling about in her stomach that she didn't really enjoy - the whole 'growing up and moving out' thing had always spooked her a little.
"Not gonna lie though, I do find herbalism a bit boring," she popped her lips and caught up to Kia. "However, if it brings in the money I wouldn't complain and as you said, your skills are needed," she conceded and pursed her lips; she sincerely doubted that the town around Makai would be quite so busy without it's potion masters and other traders peddling their wares, most of which were made by herbs.
Nevertheless, she was momentarily distracted as she was ushered into the small cottage by the slightly older witch and couldn't help but pause to admire the interior - it was very quaint and rather different from her own home!
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Posted: Thu Aug 04, 2011 11:09 am
"I am still young, yes." she answered with a smile, stepping inside of her home and closing the door behind the girl quietly. "My parents always believed that independence was a valuable asset."
Once inside her home, Kia immediately moved to one of the small cupboards that contained her various teas, tilting her head a little before smiling and retrieving a jar. It was very rare that she brewed this tea, but it was wonderfully sweet, with a mixture of vanilla, Cinnamon bark, lemongrass, and the nectar laced peels and skins of various fruits. With sugar she believed that it would suit Ishtar's tastes just fine, perhaps even change her mind about tea. Setting the canister aside she turned and gestured to one of the chairs at the table, silently offering the student a seat.
"If everyone liked herbalism then I wouldn't have any work." she responded with a bright smile, retrieving her iron kettle and filling it with water she had retrieved from the well earlier that morning. "It is those differences that make our world work so well, I believe."
Kia hung her kettle in her fireplace before moving to retrieve some wood from the pile nearby. She gently stacked the pieces of lumber before glancing back at the girl behind her, ears perking and head tilting a little as she realized something. She retrieved the flint from their small metal holder and with ease that came from months or years of practice, she lit some of the kindling ablaze, gently urging the fire into life before she began to speak, continuing to gently build up the flames.
"I apologize. I never introduced myself. My name is Kiarei. What is your name?"
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Posted: Wed Aug 10, 2011 5:57 am
Kiarei didn't have a proper stove - or rather, she may have done but she was using the fire to heat the kettle. Ishtar was momentarily fascinated by this small point as it was completely foreign to her. It wasn't that her mother and father didn't have a kettle, they just used more conventional methods of heating the water! Well, she couldn't say that they were using conventional methods here as the village was a decidedly 'back water' place, but as an individual who wasn't an avid fan of tea... this was the first time in which she had been exposed to such a practice. Truth be told, the only time she had heard of such a method of cooking tea was while a person was camping or when it was decades ago in history!
It might have been rude to stare but there was certainly something fascinating about it. Perhaps it had something to do with the ease in which Kia used it. One could have been so bold as to claim that she was so well schooled and accustomed to it that she used this method with just as much efficiency as more modern technology. Ah, but it appeared that Ishtar was becoming more and more easily pleased, people were going to start thinking she was some sort of simpleton. Fortunately she managed to shake away her curiosity surrounding the kettle and flicked her gaze back towards Kia as she caught sight of the twitching ear in her peripheral vision.
"Oh, shi -" she caught herself before she swore and patted down her plaited skirt. It was only after she'd released a small cough and regained her composure that she replied in a more appropriate manner. "It's Ishtar, Ishtar Elms," she finally introduced herself, thanking her lucky stars that neither parent was here to witness her lack of manners. Good grief, when it came to social graces the girl was positively appalling, one could be glad that she had little chance of meeting royalty! "Really sorry I didn't introduce myself sooner, apparently manners aren't one of my strong suits," she confessed with enough decency to look sheepish.
"It's not that my parents don't believe that independence is a valuable asset as well," she said after the introductions were done, moving on into the next topic of conversation. "It's just that it's really hard to fly the nest, there's a lot of money involved with it," she explained, partially voicing her own internal concerns. As she spoke she moved across the room and took a seat on the edge of one of the chairs. "Did you save before you graduated or did you just get lucky...?" she enquired, well aware that she was commiting yet another social faux pas.
"Really if herbalism is that lucrative then I should consider getting involved myself, boring or not," she mused though one could be safe to assume this was mostly said in jest.
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Posted: Wed Aug 17, 2011 12:09 pm
Kiarei blinked at the exclamation, turning her head to stare at the girl with eyes that were a little however. She suppressed laughter as she watched her fret with her skirt and look uncomfortable, waiting patiently as she worked on responding. At the reply she smiled warmly and shook her head, turning her attention back to the fire, which was now burning brightly. She turned and climbed to her feet then, careful not to swish her tail as she did so; burnt fur was not only panic-inducing but also smelled horrible.
"It's alright. I didn't introduce myself either. I'm not all that used to visitors." she answered, moving to her cupboard to retrieve mugs for them both and setting both on her small table. "It's nice to meet you, Ishtar."
With another bright smile she moved to fill a small, bowl-like item made of steel mesh with the tea she had selected. This item had been a gift from her father, one she would not have been able to afford otherwise. Steel tended to be the higher quality of the materials available in Clarus Arbor, thus it was expensive. She cherished it even though it was something small, something only useful in the brewing of tea. Smiling a little she moved to the kettle and, removing the lid with a cloth nearby, she gently set the metal container in the opening so it rested snugly within the opening at the top. She then replaced the lid and turned back to Ishtar.
"Oh... No, I didn't mean that..." she began, ears drooping a little, hoping she hadn't offended Ishtar. "It's just... My parents put a very large emphasis on it, even when I was very young."
Kiarei nodded in response to the next comment, smiling before moving to retrieve the kettle. She used the same cloth to lift it from the fire, moving to place it onto the ceramic plate in the center of the table that was designed to keep the table from being burned. At the question however she blinked, turning to Ishtar and tilting her head a little, frowning thoughtfully.
"I... Erm... Well..." Kia bit her lip before smiling shyly. "I did chores around the house for an allowance, like most... But my parents put all of my money into a fund instead of giving it to me... When I graduated they gave it all to me to get me started and build my home."
Kiarei blinked before laughing softly at Ishtar's comment, moving to pour them both tea before approaching her cupboards once more. Reaching up she retrieved the sugar she kept handy and a small spoon before returning to the table. She set both down, smiling brightly at the young Academy Student.
"Perhaps. Though shouldn't one enjoy what they do, profitable or not?" the mononoke questioned, arching a brow before gesturing to the sugar. "Help yourself."
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Posted: Mon Aug 29, 2011 9:01 am
Now there was a thought - her parents had thought far ahead and prepared their daugher for the the future. Ishtar had to wonder whether or not her own parents had the same foresight. If they had, they'd made no reference to it up until this point and as a consequence, she assumed they hadn't. It wasn't as if her friends had parents who would do the same thing as Kia's, it wasn't a terribly common thing. Alas, the entire concept was rather cool and regardless of whether her parents had decided to follow Kia's parents' example, she filed it away for later use. Who knew? In years to come she could have children of her own and she could make such arrangements.
"Huh, well odd jobs make sense," Ishtar agreed with a small nod. She then patted down her skirt, settling herself into a more comfortable position on the chair while she regarded Kia's handiwork. The mononoke was very comfortable and well versed in her own movements, everything seemed to be a practised motion. Was this what they regarded as 'grace'? If so, Ishtar never expected to have any! "S'probably something I'll have to do when I graduate," she mused, refraining from mentioning that she may not graduate.
"S'true that we should enjoy what we do though," she slipped comfortably into the next subject and leant forward to help herself to some tea. She fell silent, lifting the kettle to pour some of the tea into her cup and then deposited quite a few spoonful of sugar into it as well. Once satisfied, she took the cub into her hands and leant back again. "Although, what we do isn't necessarily the best thing," she murmured gently and shook her head. She knew better than anyone that her current strengths weren't exactly the easiest to market.
"Some just don't bring any money and you'd end up on the street," she concluded. She pulled a face and then sipped on the tea, her brows lifting as she realised that it didn't actually taste all that bad - who'd have thought? There was actually a tea that tasted decent! "I mean the best magic I have is the ability to scry, that's not exactly something people pay a lot for and contrary to popular belief, 'fortune teller' isn't a suitable job - my mother says so," she explained.
"That and I'd look awful in the clothes," she added as an after thought. "Hoop earings make my ears look huge."
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Posted: Thu Sep 15, 2011 11:30 am
Kiarei smiled and nodded, giving Ishtar a sympathetic look. It wasn't easy, going out into the world on your own, but she had faith that the student would do just fine when she got to that point. Yes, it would most likely be a little difficult for her at first, but Kia was certain that she would be just fine if she put her mind to it. Then again she supposed that she barely knew Ishtar, but it was just the general feeling that she got from the other girl.
"Oh! When do you graduate?" she questioned finally moving to seat herself at the table as well. "I've only been out of the academy for a year or so."
It really didn't seem like it had been that long when she thought about it. Kiarei felt as if she had just barely graduated a month ago, yet it had already been a year. Briefly she wondered if, perhaps, she worked too much and should be doing other things but quickly brushed it aside. Yes, she needed to practice the healing arts as much as possible, but she needed to live as well. It was a difficult balance to maintain effectively but she would do what she could. However she realized, after a moment's thought, that this home of hers may one day not be her home... Especially if she wished to elevate to become a member of the Ars Lilium. That thought frightened her a little, though she supposed she was about as frightened of that as Ishtar was of living on her own.
Mentally Kiarei had to admit that Ishtar was quite right. Sometimes the things that people wanted to do weren't exactly enough to keep them alive and well-off. She was lucky that everyone needed a healer or an herbalist... And that she was both. It made it much easier to earn a living in Clarus Arbor than if she was good in, say, summoning or transfiguration. It made her sad for those who were good at things that were more a niche than anything, especially if they loved to do it. Perhaps they would find away to make profit from what they enjoyed one day.
"Perhaps one day you will find a unique way to use it that will also be profitable." she mused, taking a sip of her tea before giggling softly at the next comment. "I don't suspect I would look good in them either."
Briefly she wondered what would have become of her had she not become an herbalist. How different would she have been? Would her parents have still been proud of her? What if she had gone on to become a knight or a warrior instead of a peaceful healer? She was so full of what-ifs at times... Thus she thought it best to simply set such ideas aside and focus on her guest for now.
"What are you planning to go into after school, if I may ask?"
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