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Post by sangreal on Sept 16, 2009 6:49:31 GMT -5
 Faust wandered into the Torquehelm bookstore and shook the rain off his feathers. Dreary, lousy place. People just seemed less inspired here, less creative. Faust made a mental note to leave the town as soon as he could. He had a delivery to make, which he normally would not do himself. However, he had recently used up the last of one of his rarer ingredients making his latest concoction. His supplier was out, and he saw this as an opportunity to get some for free. But first, the delivery. It was a simple draught, one to help you sleep. Faust expected that he could make a pretty penny in this town if he marketed it. Depression bred insomnia. Faust nodded towards some of the people of the shop. “I’m looking for a worker here: Daniel or Bania or something. Does that sound familiar to anyone?” |
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Post by Harpsdesire on Sept 16, 2009 21:26:52 GMT -5
"That'd be me!" A voice exclaimed, appearing from behind a heavily-laden bookcase. She lowered her tone as the shop's few patrons raised purple and black noses from books to glare in her direction. "You must be.. Faust?" It was not hard to guess, since she rarely saw Cards of pure Corvistownian decent in the shop. Dania smiled in her slightly strained way. "Come with me, we can talk in the office. It's 'Dania', by the way."
The office was comfortably cluttered with a variety of books and papers, with nearly every horizontal surface piled high in stark contrast to the impeccable tidiness of the main shop. The rat quickly removed some paperbacks from an overstuffed chair and offered her visitor a seat while she perched on the edge of the precariously book-laden desk that took up most of the room's far wall.
"Can I get you a drink or something before you go?" Dania asked politely, well aware that his visit would not be a simple matter of trading coins for the vial he carried. With magical draughts there always seemed to be a wide array of potential complications, side effects and incompatibilites to be discussed. It just wouldn't do to hurry the Heron out before he had a chance to mention that, for example, this particular batch of sleeping potion would cause her tounge to turn green on thursdays, or become a deadly poison if accidently mixed with huckleberry jam.
The best stuff came from the scientists of Corvistown, but it never came without a price.
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Post by sangreal on Sept 22, 2009 6:48:33 GMT -5
Faust was pleased with this room. It was cluttered with books and papers, a clear sign that this card was a thinker and a dreamer. What a shame she was born in this place. In Corvistowne, she would have been identified early as a dreamer, and a master would have picked her up for an apprenticeship. Not so here.
And so polite too. That could be used. “No, thank you. I don’t need anything to drink while in Torquehelm.” As an alchemist, Faust knew that even the purest water could be tainted by its surroundings. In this town, he wouldn’t take a chance. “But please, feel free to have some yourself.”
He took out the vial and a sheet of paper. The liquid in the vial was thick and black. “I have taken the liberty to prepare a list of instructions for you. Most people prefer to mix the draught with another liquid. I can’t blame them. It smells of swamp. The best sleeping draughts always do. However, I must caution you. The liquid used must contain no honey, no sugarcane, no sweets of any kind. The monosaccharides in that drink will disrupt the balance of tired and weary that I have placed in this draught. And, after all, sugar keeps you awake anyway. Have I made myself clear?”
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Post by Harpsdesire on Sept 22, 2009 23:08:23 GMT -5
"Ah, alright." While in Torquehelm, he had said, and she percieved a slight disapproval in his tone. So he had something against her home region? Although it made her prickle a bit, Dania could hardly say she blamed him for disliking the somewhat gloomy atmosphere. She was convinced that it was not just tradition that made the general population of the area so disheartened. The rat took a sip of water from a mug that sat half-hidden behind a stack of periodicals.
Smelled like swamp? Ugh. But if the bird's potion would help her sleep, sleep and not dream, it was worth it. "Yes, I understand." Although the word 'monosaccharides' meant nothing to her beyond 'some fancy word for sugar', the general meaning was clear. She would mix her draught with some strong, unsweetened tea to mask the potent scent. "No sugar, honey... no juice, right?"
Dania sipped her drink again and accepted the vial and written directions. "So the dosage is on here?" Her violet eyes quickly skimmed the page. "By the way, it was very kind of you to deliver this yourself, Faust. I hope I haven't put you to any extra trouble." With her best attempt at a smile, Dania nodded her thanks.
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Post by sangreal on Sept 27, 2009 9:26:09 GMT -5
Faust chuckled a little. "That's right, no juice. The amount of sugar contained in juice would be catastrophic to this draught."
He lifted a leg and set it on the piece of paper. "The dosage amounts are there. I gave you an amount that should last you all month." He didn't wait for the card to respond. "Yes, I know we had only contracted for a fortnight, but I'm afraid that I need something from you. Something that a fortnight's worth of sleeping draught just won't cover. It is actually the reason that I came here personally."
He rose up to his full height and looked down at the bound rat. "You see, I am out of a prime ingredient for one of my draughts and you can help me get more."
He smiled. He had been looking forward to this part for a while. He wondered what the rat would say in response.
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Post by Harpsdesire on Sept 29, 2009 0:34:41 GMT -5
As Faust explained that he had provided a month's worth of potion, Dania made a small sound of protest, but the Heron was already overriding her voice with an explanation. He needed something from her, personally? Dania's reaction was to stare at the card for a moment while her emotions went from flattered, to wary, to confused, and then back.
It wasn't as if she and Faust were close friends, and his request came as a surprise to Dania. Not exactly a nice surprise, since she knew what kind of grisly products went into Corvie experiments. (She tried in vain not to consider what kind of questionable ingredients were in the swampy-smelling vial she held.)
"I'd be happy to help you..." The rat's eyes narrowed a little as she hastily added, "Depending on what you need, of course." His smile was actually a little frightening, and she sincerely hoped that the "prime ingredient" in question wasn't some sort of body part. Many Corvistowne residents had reputations for unscrupulous dealings in such things, and she wouldn't put it past Faust to be one of the fanatics who would cheerfully mutilate other Cards in the name of science. "I do have the coins to cover the cost of the potion, if that's what you're worried about."
She was on the defensive. Dania tried to maintain a cool exterior, but her voice came out higher-pitched than she wanted: distinctly awkward, more nervous than threatening.
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