50 Searing, Year 123
[Closed - Solo]
The work day may have been over for Hilana, but she had brought some of her work home with her. This was something she had wanted to get done earlier during the day, but it just hadn't happened, and since it hadn't happened, it was coming home. Sometimes you just couldn't get away from the job, and she knew that when she picked up a second one at Harataecia's Blood that she was going to be stretched and strained for time. So be it, it just meant that she was going to need to do some more in what should have been her down time as well. But the Vastiana didn't mind, it allowed her to spend time with Lia and Lykos and she could teach them a little more about what she was doing and working on. She wanted to be able to spend time with them too.
Lia might not have been too interested in the subject overall, as her interests were less with foraging and knowing what one needed to thrive with in the desert, but as Hilana was doing her best to stay keen on her hobbies and interests, it was only fair to return the favour. "What are we making today?" she wanted to know, looking over her little sister's shoulder, one hand resting on the other shoulder and giving her a light, encouraging squeeze. She had a whole sack of branches, it seemed like, and she was working at the table with them. Closer inspection showed off a number of dark, black-purple berries that were not very big, but they were shiny, juicy, and quite inviting.
"These are blackcurrants," she told her, offering her one of the berries to try. "Try one. They're pretty good. They are a bit tart--" Lia took the little round fruit and tested it carefully, making a sound as the taste hit her tongue, her eyes widening as she made a face. She wasn't able to help it, and she winced, looking at the offensive taste bomb in her fingers, inspecting it.
"Founders, those are very tart," she frowned in faux disapproval. "'A little tart', Hilana, what do you eat in your spare time? Raw lemon?" she was teasing. She did know for a fact Hilana could eat a raw lemon like one might an orange or tangerine, and she'd seen her do it. "But forgive my interrupting you. What are you going to make with them?" She moved to sit beside her, resting her arms on the table and watching her sister's nimble fingers in action.
"A couple of things. The leaves are going to be used for teas, because they actually have a lot of medicinal properties that they can help with. And on the other end of the spectrum, they can also slow down the body's ability to make blood clots, which can lead to bleeding disorders." Hilana said cheerfully. Her sister looked a bit aghast at this information. Was she joking with her, or pulling her leg...?
Still, this was a young woman who played with cobras and asps and whatever other reptilian horrors she kept, and while she did use a good deal of the venom to make antivenin, there was still a good deal more that Athalia truly didn't want to know about. While they were interested in each other's hobbies, she did find the subject of poisons to be problematic... but she also knew it was nice to have someone who knew about this subject close by. Their great-aunt wouldn't be around forever, and it was important that someone learned her secrets and could use that information for the benefit of the rest of them. She had skills that could lend to keeping others away by reputation,and through using her knowledge and abilities to earn favour of those that were higher than them. It was best not to knock someone else's racket, as you didn't know when you might be doing the same one day.
"So, they are good for your digestion, and making tea with the leaves can help soothe the mouth and throat if they are inflamed and sore," Hilana decided to get away from the talk of poisons and toxins and horrific symptoms that could be wrought with them. "So we separate the leaves from the berries, and the leaves can be used either fresh or dried. Some schools of thought say that they are more potent when they are fresh, because the flavours are stronger and are rather fruity, surprisingly, whereas if you dry herbs, that amplifies the flavour, right? Dried herbs and spices are about three times more potent than fresh, so this is one of those times when the exception to that rule comes into play." Nimble fingers deftly took the berries off of the stems. "Vasilei has used them to reduce inflammation in a poultice as well, so they can be applied topically, not just orally. They're also supposed to be good for your immune system if you eat them regularly."
She rolled one of the berries between her fingers. "They're popular for juices where they're plentiful. Jams, jellies, cordials, ice creams, wine. And to that point? They can be used for dye, too," Hilana knew that that would get Lia's interest. "They make a really nice colour. If we have a surplus of some at the greenhouses, I'll bring you a batch and some linen and you can play with it, and we will see how you like it." She knew Lia was somewhat less keen on the dying aspect, but both of them knew understanding your materials was crucial to the final product.
Her sister did like it, as she took another berry and ate it carefully. The taste was one that had to be acquired, but Hilana certainly seemed to like them. "But you said that they could be poisonous?" She inquired. She wasn't sure how this worked - these berries were apparently perfectly edible, people liked them in a wide variety of applications, and they had numerous benefits to one's health... so how were they bad for you?
"As in all things, the dose makes the poison," Hilana explained. "They're not particularly poisonous, Lia, but the toxin is from the seeds," which her sister had found and spat out, looking at the it. "So, the seeds would be pressed down, kinetically or under a great deal of weight, and when you do that, it would produce an oil. What that oil can do, in enough quantity, is hamper the body's ability to allow the blood to form clots. Even if you're not bleeding presently, it can manifest as a lower threshold for bruising. So what I would do is save the seeds, press them, and then alchemically take that trait and produce it into something else in order to make sure it is strong enough to produce the effect I'm wanting. It's a difficult plant to get enough of, here, so it is not common and will not likely ever be in Solunarium. But the rarity helps me, at least."
"Why is it a rare plant here? If it's so popular where it grows?" Lia set the seed aside, wiping her hands and reaching for another cluster of berries in order to help strip them off of the stem and put them in the bowl like her more colourful sister was doing. Her own fingers were not as practiced with plants, so she was mindful of the stems and twigs and she was doing the best she could to make sure she did not put any debris in with the collected fruit.
"It doesn't thrive in the deserts, not without a lot of help," Hilana clarified. "You see, blackcurrants are plants that we have had to import from Ailizane, and we grow them in the greenhouses under fairly strict conditions... or at least until I get Wood Attunement, and then we'll see what I can do with them to make them like our home a bit more. But as it is, they wouldn't do particularly well in the Commonwealth to the west, either. You see, black currants favour cool, moist soil. It doesn't like frost or drought, which we get plenty of depending on the season. While the Commonwealth doesn't get much by frost or drought, it's quite wet soil and it's also far too hot and humid for it. Places like Cathena across the water are good for it... that's where we got these plants from. I suppose I could get Finn to take me up to Karnor, and we might be able to find some out there. It's listed in the big book at Sweet Remedies where I need to go to find it."
The two of them made fairly swift work of splitting the berries off from the stems, and Hilana took one of the leaves and popped it in her mouth, offering it to Lia. She took it with a 'Gratias', and chewed on it slowly, making a sound. Fruity, and surprisingly fresh. "This really would make a good tea," she admitted. "Fresh or dried."
[Closed - Solo]
The work day may have been over for Hilana, but she had brought some of her work home with her. This was something she had wanted to get done earlier during the day, but it just hadn't happened, and since it hadn't happened, it was coming home. Sometimes you just couldn't get away from the job, and she knew that when she picked up a second one at Harataecia's Blood that she was going to be stretched and strained for time. So be it, it just meant that she was going to need to do some more in what should have been her down time as well. But the Vastiana didn't mind, it allowed her to spend time with Lia and Lykos and she could teach them a little more about what she was doing and working on. She wanted to be able to spend time with them too.
Lia might not have been too interested in the subject overall, as her interests were less with foraging and knowing what one needed to thrive with in the desert, but as Hilana was doing her best to stay keen on her hobbies and interests, it was only fair to return the favour. "What are we making today?" she wanted to know, looking over her little sister's shoulder, one hand resting on the other shoulder and giving her a light, encouraging squeeze. She had a whole sack of branches, it seemed like, and she was working at the table with them. Closer inspection showed off a number of dark, black-purple berries that were not very big, but they were shiny, juicy, and quite inviting.
"These are blackcurrants," she told her, offering her one of the berries to try. "Try one. They're pretty good. They are a bit tart--" Lia took the little round fruit and tested it carefully, making a sound as the taste hit her tongue, her eyes widening as she made a face. She wasn't able to help it, and she winced, looking at the offensive taste bomb in her fingers, inspecting it.
"Founders, those are very tart," she frowned in faux disapproval. "'A little tart', Hilana, what do you eat in your spare time? Raw lemon?" she was teasing. She did know for a fact Hilana could eat a raw lemon like one might an orange or tangerine, and she'd seen her do it. "But forgive my interrupting you. What are you going to make with them?" She moved to sit beside her, resting her arms on the table and watching her sister's nimble fingers in action.
"A couple of things. The leaves are going to be used for teas, because they actually have a lot of medicinal properties that they can help with. And on the other end of the spectrum, they can also slow down the body's ability to make blood clots, which can lead to bleeding disorders." Hilana said cheerfully. Her sister looked a bit aghast at this information. Was she joking with her, or pulling her leg...?
Still, this was a young woman who played with cobras and asps and whatever other reptilian horrors she kept, and while she did use a good deal of the venom to make antivenin, there was still a good deal more that Athalia truly didn't want to know about. While they were interested in each other's hobbies, she did find the subject of poisons to be problematic... but she also knew it was nice to have someone who knew about this subject close by. Their great-aunt wouldn't be around forever, and it was important that someone learned her secrets and could use that information for the benefit of the rest of them. She had skills that could lend to keeping others away by reputation,and through using her knowledge and abilities to earn favour of those that were higher than them. It was best not to knock someone else's racket, as you didn't know when you might be doing the same one day.
"So, they are good for your digestion, and making tea with the leaves can help soothe the mouth and throat if they are inflamed and sore," Hilana decided to get away from the talk of poisons and toxins and horrific symptoms that could be wrought with them. "So we separate the leaves from the berries, and the leaves can be used either fresh or dried. Some schools of thought say that they are more potent when they are fresh, because the flavours are stronger and are rather fruity, surprisingly, whereas if you dry herbs, that amplifies the flavour, right? Dried herbs and spices are about three times more potent than fresh, so this is one of those times when the exception to that rule comes into play." Nimble fingers deftly took the berries off of the stems. "Vasilei has used them to reduce inflammation in a poultice as well, so they can be applied topically, not just orally. They're also supposed to be good for your immune system if you eat them regularly."
She rolled one of the berries between her fingers. "They're popular for juices where they're plentiful. Jams, jellies, cordials, ice creams, wine. And to that point? They can be used for dye, too," Hilana knew that that would get Lia's interest. "They make a really nice colour. If we have a surplus of some at the greenhouses, I'll bring you a batch and some linen and you can play with it, and we will see how you like it." She knew Lia was somewhat less keen on the dying aspect, but both of them knew understanding your materials was crucial to the final product.
Her sister did like it, as she took another berry and ate it carefully. The taste was one that had to be acquired, but Hilana certainly seemed to like them. "But you said that they could be poisonous?" She inquired. She wasn't sure how this worked - these berries were apparently perfectly edible, people liked them in a wide variety of applications, and they had numerous benefits to one's health... so how were they bad for you?
"As in all things, the dose makes the poison," Hilana explained. "They're not particularly poisonous, Lia, but the toxin is from the seeds," which her sister had found and spat out, looking at the it. "So, the seeds would be pressed down, kinetically or under a great deal of weight, and when you do that, it would produce an oil. What that oil can do, in enough quantity, is hamper the body's ability to allow the blood to form clots. Even if you're not bleeding presently, it can manifest as a lower threshold for bruising. So what I would do is save the seeds, press them, and then alchemically take that trait and produce it into something else in order to make sure it is strong enough to produce the effect I'm wanting. It's a difficult plant to get enough of, here, so it is not common and will not likely ever be in Solunarium. But the rarity helps me, at least."
"Why is it a rare plant here? If it's so popular where it grows?" Lia set the seed aside, wiping her hands and reaching for another cluster of berries in order to help strip them off of the stem and put them in the bowl like her more colourful sister was doing. Her own fingers were not as practiced with plants, so she was mindful of the stems and twigs and she was doing the best she could to make sure she did not put any debris in with the collected fruit.
"It doesn't thrive in the deserts, not without a lot of help," Hilana clarified. "You see, blackcurrants are plants that we have had to import from Ailizane, and we grow them in the greenhouses under fairly strict conditions... or at least until I get Wood Attunement, and then we'll see what I can do with them to make them like our home a bit more. But as it is, they wouldn't do particularly well in the Commonwealth to the west, either. You see, black currants favour cool, moist soil. It doesn't like frost or drought, which we get plenty of depending on the season. While the Commonwealth doesn't get much by frost or drought, it's quite wet soil and it's also far too hot and humid for it. Places like Cathena across the water are good for it... that's where we got these plants from. I suppose I could get Finn to take me up to Karnor, and we might be able to find some out there. It's listed in the big book at Sweet Remedies where I need to go to find it."
The two of them made fairly swift work of splitting the berries off from the stems, and Hilana took one of the leaves and popped it in her mouth, offering it to Lia. She took it with a 'Gratias', and chewed on it slowly, making a sound. Fruity, and surprisingly fresh. "This really would make a good tea," she admitted. "Fresh or dried."
