Vices and Herbs

Log Info

• Title: Vices and Herbs
• Emitter: Simony
• Characters: Aelwyn, Ous, Simony
• Place: The Ox-Strength
• Time: March 22, 2023
• Summary: Simony takes refuge from the damp in the Ox-Strength, chowing down on some curry while reading. Ous saunters in, gets himself a few beers and settles at her table. They chat on a variety of things, including vices and herbs. Aelwyn also stops by for a short bit, before moving on.

The foggy day makes the interior of the Ox gloomy, and many of the customers are slightly sodden, their clothes dampened by the mist.

The smell of something good cooking fills the air, masking other scents like burnt wood and stale vomit. Most of the patrons are settled at the bar, with one small one settled a narrow booth near the door

Simony is pretty out of place, clean and neatly dressed in her copper and blue robes. A tome is laid open upon the table, and she carefully spoons curry from a bowl, eating while she reads.

Ous was becoming a regular in this place. This was evident by the fact that when the Tall ranger walks in, the Barkeep looks at him and groans. "Not you again!" Holding up his hands in a reconciliary manner, the man waves them slightly as he speaks. "Aye didnae ask them boys tae talk tae me. Aye didnae ask them boys tae try and take me beer, and Aye did not ask them boys tae get so rowdy when Aye asked them tae repay me for me drink! Aye am th' victim."

The bartender glares at Ous for a moment and growls back. "First, they weren't boys. They were soldiers working for Lord Halstad, and regulars of mine. Second, you didn't ~ask~ anything. The one took your beer and you kicked him in the groin so hard he threw up!"

eyes going wide, Ous nods. "Aye think...maybe this is one of them communication problems. Aye'll be good, Aye promise. Aye'll just take me beer, or beers an' go sit in th' corner where I dinnae need tae talk tae anyone. Quiet as a mouse, meek as a kitten." there's another moment of glaring from the bartender before they begins to pour Ous 2 beer. "Meek. as. a kitten, Ous. no bullshit this early in the morning."

The albino watches Ous saunter into the place, and smiles in bemusement at the reaction from the bartender. The conversation as it moves back and forth has her grinning toothily and shaking her head.

At the sound of a compromise made, and two beers to be had, one of the benches at her table moves back, giving the man a spot to sit."

taking his beer and leaving an extra gold as a tip for the bartender, Ous makes his way through the tavern, nodding to some of the other regulars as he goes. "Peter. Looking well this morning. Dave. Glad tae see yer ear is healing up. Rukguhshuk...your scales are looking...uhm...blue." Seeing Simony pushing a seat out for him, the ranger drops onto the beench and sets 2 large mugs in front of him. "Mornin' Simony. What brings ye here?"

There's a little thunk on the bench beside him, made by a pale, bare foot. "My feet." Her grin is only slightly cheeky. "I decided to get out of the mist, and this was the closest place to where I was at the time.' Her spoon is lifted to her mouth, and she chews quietly and swallows. "The curry is good, and packs a decent amount of heat."

Simony eyes Ous curiously, "You seem to have completely taken over and settled right in here. No one willing to dance with you any more?"

Taking a mouthful of beer as he listens, Ous shrugs. "Aye try not tae eat before noon. Isnae good for th' humors an gets in th' way of a proper morning's drinking." Looking aroudn the tavern again, he adds "Aye havenae taken over. Aye am just accustomed tae this kind of crowd. Product of me raising aye suppose. reminds me of being a kid." If one looked closely at the ranger, they would probably notice the telltale signs that he wasn't that far off from being a kid anyways. Under the beard and mane of hair was a man in his 20's.

"Morning's drinking? On an empty stomach?", the Goblin wondered. "Doesn't that make it much more likely that you'll get drunk?" She rubs at a cheek, and her other for joins the first at stretching across the skinny space under the table.

"How old are you, if it's not nosy for me to ask?"

Taking another mouthful of beer, Ous raises an eyebrow. "Drunk? Nae. I dinnae get drunk. Pished from time tae time, but never drunk." Offering another grin, the ranger pulls the tobacco pouch from under his shirt and begins the ritual of rolling a cigarette. "Aye dinnae know how old Aye am. Ne'er really come up...but gimme a moment. If Aye were in Iblinston pass 2 years back...and the Wolf gorge were a year before that...." Ous mutters to himself for a moment, counting things off on his fingers as he does so. finally he seems to come to a conclusion as he says. "Aye am somewhere betwixt 17, an...38..No...yes....no. between 17 an...28. 20 an' 25...." Again he trails off before he takes another swig of the beer. "maybe 23 or 24. what about ye?"

"How do you... Nevermind, I don't want to know how you lose track." She watches him do the math on his fingers, chuckling at the different ranges of numbres, and nodding slowly as he finally agrees with himself on a number.

"I've seen seventeen summers.", she says softly. Simony eyes the making of the cigarette curiously. "Smoking and drinking so early in the morning.", she comments. "How many more vices can you get in before noon?"

Raising an eyebrow at Simony, Ous rolls the paper slowly between his fingers. "'Tis easy tae fit a whole lot of vices in before noon if ye skip goin' tae sleep for a day or 2. As for how I lose track of how old Aye am? Da an I ne'er really kept track tae begin wit' Me ma died givin birth tae Aye, so me birthin' day weren't really somethin' he or Aye really wanted tae think about much nohow. Plus, I were raised in mercenary camps. They dinnae coddle ye in them places. the work don't stop jsut because it's yer birthin' day, or ye're feeling a little unwell...or ye's got an arrow in yer leg."

"Vices like... what, exactly?", she wonders, focusing on her curry chicken, and unable to look him in the eye. "I would just think that someone would remember their own birthing day, regardless of whether it is celebrated by others or not." The albino nods to him then, "I was sheltered much of my young life, so I do not share your rough upbringing. Made you a decent fighter."

finally finishing rolling the cigarette, Ous places it in his mouth and quickly pulls it out again, dampening the paper before placing the cigarette between his lips. "Well, what ye got Aye suppose. Aye dinnae have a lot of vices. Aye drink, but It doesnae bother me tae stop when Aye need tae. I smoke when Aye have tobacco, but I dinnae when Aye am hunting or on the job. The scent is too easy to catch on th' wind.." Another swig of the beer is taken. the fact that he has managed to practice drinking a beer without removing the cigarette from the corner of his mouth says something on it's own. "but Aye was busy on me first birthind day, plus I didnae know what day it were on...Now that ye mention it, aye probably should have gotten around tae askin Da about that at some point."

As he speaks, Ous removes the small tinder box from the tobacco pouch and hesitates for a moment before lighting the rollie. "Did ye enjoy yer childhood?"

"Somewhat. But I wasn't allowed to go outside. My parents worried about the damage the sun would do to my skin. A fair concern, I suppose, but I certainly didn't appreciate having to stay inside all the time. As soon as I was able, I got out and left. Wasn't rough, like yours, but it was... a cage. A gilded cage, but still a cage."

Her eyes follow the progress of the cigarette. "Not the worst vices, one supposes. At least, tobacco is pretty tame."

GAME: Ous rolls survival: (5)+8: 13

Nodding at that, Ous finally lights the cigarette. Letting the smoke roll from his nostrils slowly for a moment, he closes his eyes, taking the time to just be in the moment, finally his eyes open once more. "Aye had a good childhood. Plenty of healthy exercise, Da an I were close. Spent a lot of time together when he weren't on th' field. Learned a trade." Taking another mouthful of beer, Ous looks into the cup as he sees the first one is pretty much drained. "Must be a hole in this mug." finishing the dregs of the first beer, he continues. "There are some plants tha' grow outside o town tha' might help ye wit' th' sunlight issue. Aye use them for burns from time tae time."

Simony giggles at the man, "Sorry, I drank some while you weren't looking." She does her best to look innocent, but she breaks into more giggles, shaking her head. "You have been sipping from that mug since you sat down." She nods then, spooning a few more mouthfuls of curry chicken into her mouth before she continues.

"It's good that you got to be close to your Da. And learning a trade is good, has it provided well for you?"

His mention of plants has her raising an eyebrow. "Oh?" Her notebook is fished out of a pocket, along with her pencil. "Can you describe it? I write it all down and maybe draw it from how you describe it."

The door to the Ox opens - and a tarp covered, horned figure steps in from the mist. Moisture clung onto those ruddy scales, making the glaive wielding sith-makar far shinier than he should have been. Yet, it was the Ox's spicy curry that brought in Aelwyn. Especially after the long day working the warehouses.

Coin is neatly slid out and the draconian orders up a meal of curry. "Make it with extra fire, Keep." The Dragoon tells him, while he pulls off some of his cloak.

Looking at the emoty mug again, Ous switches to the full on in front of him and takes another deep swig. "th' trade has served me well so far. He taught me tae be comfortable in th' woods. He taught me tae hunt man an' beast. Aye'm honestly better at huntin' man than he were. and he taught me not tae die. So far that training has been im..pe...irra....fantastic. Ain't died once yet."

Another drag is taken from the cigarette as Ous thinks about the plant. "It's green...has leaves...silver underside of th' leaves. Smells kind of like a mix between Sage an' mint when ye crush th' leaves. Make sit easy tae tell when someone has gone through them when ye're trackin' em." Seeing Aelwyn from the corner of his eye, the ranger shifts slightly in his seat and waves to the Sith makar and his big stabby stick.

Simony ignores the sound of the door opening and closing as she writes down what Ous divulges. "How many leaves per stem? What shape are the lives?" The albino nods as he talks about tracking people. "I don't know if running around til I smell them is the best way to go about finding them."

At the wave, the Gobbo looks up towards the bar, and offers a nod to the curry-buying Sith."

Aelwyn takes the curry bowl with deep appreciation, holding the warm meal in his hands. He was bowing to inhale deeeeply its rich, spice tinged flavor - except his nostrils picked up a completely different scent. Just barely catching Ous' wave, he turns to look at the ranger and the small albino goblin.

"Tracker, White." The Dragoon greets, as he holds up his bowl. "This one had this feeling he smelled something familiar." He gives a glance towards the cigarette. "A scent that carries far away." Simony gets a glance from him. "Drawing again?" He offers a toothy grin.

The albino snorts, "Simony. Sim for short if you must." Her feet are removed from the far bench, giving room for the Sith to slide in next to Ous.

She nods in reply to the ruddy-scale Sith. "I am drawing, hopefully, the plant that may offer me some protection from the sun. As suggested by Ous here."

nodding to Aelwyn again, Ous motions to an empty seat with one hand as he takes another drink from his beer. "It does at that. it's one of th' luxuries of being in town that Aye enjoy." Looking back to Simony, the ranger considers her questions for a moment then shrugs. "Aye'm no a herbabbler. All of th' leaves are on th' stem...they're leaf shaped. kind of jaggedy an' long." Reaching into a pouch on his belt, the ranger rummages around for a moment and comes out with a small dented up tin. inside was a dry, sage colored paste. "This is th' stuff. dinnae if it helps ye like this. also tastes not too bad if ye put some in hot water, or spread it on bread."

Aelwyn seems to prefer to stand this time around, as he leans his glaive against the nook of his shoulder, digging into the bowl with the spoon. "Hmm." He says in ruminating thought. "Sketcher?" He offers to Simony then. "Herbalist?" He offers. Attention sliding back towards Ous, he tilts his head. "Is this from the Felwood?" He asks, shoveling more hot curry into his maw. Must have been pretty chilly out there. "This one is not sure if he would trust anything from those woods."

The albino wrinkles her nose at the smell of the offered herb paste, and nods, dipping her finger into it and rubbing it onto her nose. "Perhaps the next time you go looking for it, I could tag along? Then I might describe and sketch it." She cants her head slightly, "You can drink it, and eat it? What properties does it have after eating it or drinking it?"

At Aelwyn's question about the plant being from the Felwood, the Goblin looks a little upset. "Is this true? Might have been nice to mention it before I applied some to me."

Nodding as Aelwyn mentions herbalists, Ous replies. "'s'what Aye said." Another healthy drink is taken from the beer before he adds. "Not th' Felwood. anything in there is lkely tae try an' eat ye eventually. Jes th' normal woods outside th' gates. Aye live in those ones. They aren't so bad aside from the Lycanthropes."

Considering Simony's question, he shrugs. "Nae properties. Tastes a bit like a mix of clover an' sage. bit of a minty aftertaste. Nothing magical about it, unless ye count it having a mild laxative effect on ye if ye eat too much of it. Wouldnae recommend ye make a salad of the stuff."

Aelwyn balances the spoon by the tip of his finger, before flicking it up back into his hands. "Tracker is right about that. Only thing that grows is the Guild pay out there." The Dragoon rumbles - then his eyes catch onto someone moving past the table. He didn't seem too happy about it. "Tch." He says, and then bows his head. "Eat safe, Tracker, Herbalist." The Dragoon offers, and then with a less excited look about his snout - did sith-makar ever have anything else? - makes his way towards the corner of the Ox.

"The Guild is funding missions out there?", Simony wonders. "Is that a safe thing to do?" She rubs at her cheeks, and eyes the Sith as he steps away to deal with other business. She glances to Ous then, her feet returning to the bench beside him. "So outside the gates? That doesn't sound too bad." Her pencil moves across the notepad, more notes being taken. A small section is underlined with a few exclamation points added. "How did you find out about the laxative aspects of the plant?"

Finishing the second beer, Ous shrugs after a moment of thought. "Aye grew up in mercenary camps. Sometimes th' food isnae th' greatest. Sometimes th' food isnae but bread an' water. Very binding diet. As for th' adventurer's guild funding missions in th' Felwood? Sort of. there is a camp on th; border. the missions are mostly tae protect th' camp an keep the tattybogles out o there."

"Tattybogles? The monsters, demons?" Her eyes glance at the empty glasses, and she hops down from her bench. The empties are collected and she heads for the bar. A little while later, she returns with two more beers, both left in front of Ous.

"Help yourself.", she says cheerfully, as she resettles on her bench, settling her toes back onto his bench. "So it's not in the Felwood, just close enough to be able to deal with stuff coming out of it, before it gets somewhere important, like a town or the city?"

Grinning at the 2 fresh beers, Ous nods gratefully. "Aye thank you. And tattybogle is...jsut a term for any sort of thing what goes bump in the night. Remember me tellin' ye Aye am a mortar tae language barriers? This might be one of them times. But yeah, th' camp is on th' border. few of us went in after a Gibbering mouther th' other day. that were fun."

"Martyr, the word is martyr. A mortar is some sort of Dwarven or Goblin weapon." She chuckles lightly. "Tattybogle is as good a name as any, I suppose. It's unforgettable, at least." Simony blinks, "I think I know what those are. What was it like, fighting it? Fun? Not scary?"

As Simony corrects Ous on the term mortar, the ranger shrugs. "Yeah, one of them things." Taking another mouthful of beer, he shrugs at the question of fighting a Gibbering mouther, "It's a slime wi' magic an the ability tae spit acid. Holy magic seems tae have worked well wit' it though. Jacob killed it right quick. "