(no subject)

[azure-mercy.livejournal.com]

With the House of Arch Academy students off for the summer, Zhaan has a lot of time on her hands. She's been working hard on her garden, collecting useful wild herbs in the woods, and doing some extra religious devotions - and, of course, spending time with Stark.

She's decided to sell some products from her garden again, now that time allows. Arranged on the table of her usual booth near the infirmary are jars, sachets and wrapped packages of various items - teas, incense, balms, perfumes, soaps and spices. While she doesn't have a sign up, the neat shop-window arrangement of her products makes it obvious that they are for sale.

Comments

[big-staff.livejournal.com]

John's on his way outside when he catches sight of the booth. He remembers Zhaan at a glance, though it's been a long time since they met (http://community.livejournal.com/milliways_bar/16614001.html); she's not the sort of face he'd be likely to forget.

He wanders over, hands in his coat pockets, and gives her a smile that's edging on shy. "Zhaan, right? I'm John Little... we talked once, out by the lake."

[azure-mercy.livejournal.com]

Zhaan nods. "Yes, I remember, though it was some time ago. How are you?"

[big-staff.livejournal.com]

"Good, thank you. My door doesn't seem to turn up as often as some," he explains. "Though I'm glad it came today. It's bitter cold at home."

His attention is drawn naturally to her wares. "What are you selling?"

[azure-mercy.livejournal.com]

"I cultivate and collect herbs. These are all things I have made with them," Zhaan explains, indicating the items on the table with a broad gesture. "I used to do this before I became a teacher at the House of Arch. Now that the children are out for the summer, I thought it would be a good idea to do it again until they return."

All the products have simple but clear labels detailing what they are and what's in them, although of course that only helps if you can read.

[OOC: I don't know whether or not Little John can read. I'm guessing not but I could be wrong.]

[big-staff.livejournal.com]

Little John has a working knowledge of herbs, from living in the forest for so long. He thinks some of the jars' contents look familiar, but given Zhaan's from a different planet -- and the fact that this is Milliways! -- he's not sure.

And, annoyingly enough, the outlaw can't read a word.

"Do you have any agrimony, or something else that's good for stopping bleeding?" he asks thoughtfully.

ooc: ack, sorry -- forgot to address that! And you were right. :D

[azure-mercy.livejournal.com]

"I have sphagnum moss, although not here on the table. I can bring you some later, but I must make sure you can apply it properly. You obviously know some herb lore, but I must be cautious."

Zhaan's a doctor, after all, and wants to avoid having anyone exacerbate their health problems because they use a remedy the wrong way or use something of hers when they ought to see a professional healer.

[big-staff.livejournal.com]

"Oh, it's not for me. Well, I hope not," he adds sheepishly. "It's just I know Djaq likes to have some on hand." There's a pause, as he realizes that Zhaan has no bloody way of knowing who Djaq is.

"Err -- Djaq's one of our gang. She's the most knowledgeable about medicine; her father was a Saracen physician."

[hopefulpoet.livejournal.com]

There is a blue woman, sitting at a table with a variety of items upon it. She seems comfortable, relaxed, at peace, somehow.

Christian can't explain it.

He approaches slowly, hands in his pockets.

Just because she's blue doesn't mean she's any different from anyone else. Be brave, you bloody git...

"Hullo," he says, his voice soft. "Are... these things for sale?"

[azure-mercy.livejournal.com]

Zhaan smiles warmly. "Yes. They're made with herbs I cultivated or collected in the forest."

[hopefulpoet.livejournal.com]

"Ah, you speak... English. Good. Um..." He checks his pockets. "What currency do you take for..." Christian scans the items and spots what looks like loose-leaf tea. "Some tea?"

He's trying not to stare. She's quite lovely to behold, if rather bluer than he's used to. He wants to ask where she's from, though he won't know it, of course, and he doesn't want to pry.

[azure-mercy.livejournal.com]

"It's all right," Zhaan says, picking up on the young man's anxiety. "I'm accustomed to meeting people here who have never seen an alien before. And I'm not speaking English - the Bar is just translating." Zhaan can read and write quite well in English by now, but has difficulty speaking it, especially since the phonemes differ so much from her own language.

"I have a few different kinds of tea. Do you have anything specific in mind?"

[hopefulpoet.livejournal.com]

"Does it? Oh." He looks around the bar, as if expecting to see something different than what was there moments ago. Everything looks the same, of course. "Well, isn't that clever?"

He sighs and says, "Something soothing, I suppose? Though it's a mute point, dear lady, if I can't pay."

[azure-mercy.livejournal.com]

"If you are Bound, the Bar can add it to your tab," Zhaan says. She's not sure it's wise for the young man to buy from her if he's living off a bar tab, but where she comes from one doesn't say things like that unless they have some professional knowledge of the situation. She's a priest and a healer, not an accountant or debt counselor.

"I have a chamomile and mint blend. It's good for the stomach and for helping someone sleep at night." It also has the virtue of being inexpensive.

[ostro_goth]

Herbs!

Teja follows the scent, and arrives beside the table with the blue woman.

[azure-mercy.livejournal.com]

"Good afternoon, Teja," Zhaan says. She remembers meeting him late last year. (http://community.livejournal.com/milliways_bar/18392736.html) "I see you might be interested in some of the things I have here."

[ostro_goth]

"Greetings, Zhaan," Teja says. He remembers her also -- he sometimes ends a list of the variety of people in this place on a note of '... and a blue woman!'

[azure-mercy.livejournal.com]

Teja's probably not the only person who has Zhaan on that kind of list.

"Are you looking for something specific, or simply browsing?" Either is fine.

[ostro_goth]

"Some of those that knew about herbs, among my own people, would put some into little sacks of very thin linen, and then one would add those to a hot bath if one's muscles were especially sore, and these herbs would help so one would be able to move lithely again somewhat sooner," Teja says. "If you have something like that, I would like to buy it."

[azure-mercy.livejournal.com]

"Peppermint or lavender works well for that," Zhaan says. "Peppermint also opens the pores to let the body sweat out toxins."

[candied-rabbit.livejournal.com]

Momiji hasn't ever seen much in the way of shops and things at the Bar, so the sight of what looks like somebody selling stuff draws him over pretty easily. And it's all fun look stuff, too, which keeps him around, poking his nose and pointing his big, brown eyes towards various things.

He's being distracted by a few of the perfumes, at the moment. At least, he thinks that's what they are. It's hard to tell, at Milliways.

[azure-mercy.livejournal.com]

"Hello," Zhaan says. "Are you interested in some of what I have for sale?"

If he just wants to look and smell, that's okay too.

[candied-rabbit.livejournal.com]

"Uhm, I don't know what it all is!" Momiji turns, grinning at Zhaan in a way that is half Hello, I'm constantly chipper! and half OMG, you're bluuuuue!

"But it all looks nice."

[azure-mercy.livejournal.com]

"Thank you," Zhaan says. "I cultivated most of the herbs that went into these products and made them myself. Although not without help." Stark was very eager to contribute to the effort.

[candied-rabbit.livejournal.com]

"Oh, wow. Was it a whole lot of work?"

It certainly looks that way to him. After all, even after growing things, one would have to actually turn them into what they are, now.

Still, this brief reflection doesn't stop him from picking out one of the perfumes and gently picking it up.

"This is a perfume thing, right? Can I smell it?"

[azure-mercy.livejournal.com]

"It is lavender perfume and yes, you may smell it - just be careful not to drop or spill the bottle." Zhaan smiles. "It is indeed hard work making these things, but I enjoy it. It gives me a sense of accomplishment."