[ It's been easy to give herself the space of her dreams to work, and she has different flora laid out an a large table. They're inside today, but the windows are open, the illusion of a bright, sunny day.
When Claude makes it to the surgery, she smiles widely at him, then huffs out a laugh. ]
Homework and you haven't even been here five seconds!
[ It's a tease as she raises an eyebrow while reaching out to accept the books. ]
These weigh more than a healthy and robust toddler. But I can't wait to dig in, honestly. Do I need to begin here before anything else?
Children are a good weight of measurement for these. [ Offered with a grin of minor apology considering it's no small amount of reading to give to someone. ] We have some others lying around that would weigh more on that sliding scale, but these should be a good start. One of them is much more focused on the learning of the spellwork and what goes into them so I'd say start with it, and the other's more of... a reference, I'd say. There'll be some things mentioned for the faith behind that Faith magic which might not be immediately clear since the textbook assumes you already know them.
[ Offered with an easy shrug of one shoulder since Claude's since learned this is the case for most religions thanks to meeting others, and there's possibly also ones from Claire's world(s) which would fall into the same sort of vaguely mystifying category for him. There's enough in common to get to the important parts of learning what's needed to practice later on.
What's on the table also caught his attention as he'd walked in, and with that curiosity comes leaning over to inspect some of the flora on display. ]
Are these just plants in Solvunn or also ones from your home?
I'll take note of anything that I feel needs context, to ask later.
[ Claire understands that she may be missing context, but she's no doubt things will be filled in as she goes. At least she assumes. It's been so long since she's been in the position of studying something deeply, and it feels good. If there are two positives to come out of being stuck in a place, they're the people she's met and the opportunity to learn things she never could have imagined.
Setting the books aside for now, Claire looks down at her bounty as well. She has different piles, each with its own designation and she gestures. ]
Most of these plants can be found in both places, which was pleasantly surprising. All of the first group is familiar to me, and it's quite a bit. These here look similar, but under a microscope, they're different, so I can't be sure they work at the same strength. As for the third group, I've no idea what in hell I'm looking at. It will take trial and error to figure out, I think.
[ The division of the plants into groups is certainly helpful - there's some Claude recognizes in each as ones from Fodlan or in Cadens' deserts after spending so much time wandering around them in search of different ones for apothecaries. It's the third group which really draws his attention as the selection of mysteries.
One benefit of being in the Horizon is there's (theoretically) no risk of harm unlike in reality, so when there's something he recognizes Claude picks up one with blossoms and a healthy number of spikes. ]
Ah, this one I know from a trip I made from Cadens to the edge of Solvunn last fall. Lots of it was growing on Solvunn's borders and I've spotted it in the desert. It's called buttonbush and grows around the Free Cities, too. The seeds are edible though the soldiers we were with said they're more of a last resort food than anything you'd want to make a point of eating. It should be noted the flowers are poisonous, from what I've been told, though I'm not sure how poisonous.
[ Back to the second batch of plants since there's another familiar one, and he sets the buttonbush down to pick up the narrow leaves of it with spikes at the edges. ]
If this is the one I think it is, it's also in Cadens. [ Using one thumbnail he carefully cracks it open and when the gel he was expecting seeps out of the leaf, a grin goes with it. ] Nadine taught me this one. Shell-leaf's its name and it works well in burn salves. We brought several batches of it to Libertas after Thorne attacked.
Already making progress, I knew this was a good idea.
[ She grins at Claure before leaning over to write. As she does, Claire gives him a small, random but relevant anecdote from her life. ]
When I was traveling with my husband's army, toward the end we were boiling all sorts of different leaves and plants for food. It's surprising what will suddenly do in a pinch. [ Putting down her pencil, she picks up the buttonbush and brings it to her nose, smelling it. Seeing as how they're in the Horizon, she has no qualms about rubbing it along her inner wrist. ]
Some poisons are good at numbing if applied topically; of course, you'd never ingest it. But pressed into oil and left in good hands, something like this could be helpful. We'll see if it does what I hope it will in about fifteen minutes.
[ Looking at the shell-leaf, she reaches out and touches the gel, pressing it between her thumb and pointer finger to see what the elasticity is. ] This is like something called aloe in my world, it's fantastic. I'll have to see if I can trade for some the next time I'm in Nocwich.
[ Setting that aside, Claire picks up a twig of greenery. ] This is called white willow, and I've never been gladder to see a familiar plant. When all else fails, and we can't get any other mild painkillers, this can be steeped for tea. [ She begins to go on a bit, always happy to share what she knows when someone is as enthusiastic about learning as she is. ]
It's actually the building block of Earth's medicine for aches and pains, headaches. If someone's having chest pains, this tea should help bring their blood pressure back down if it isn't too serious. I try to never be without this, if I can help it.
[ That Claire shows no hesitation in picking up the buttonbush gets a smile from him, but it's the added tip after it which has him raising an eyebrow. Numbing is an interesting usage he hadn't considered for poisons before, but it could certainly have plenty of applications - literally and otherwise - now that he thinks about it. And also something else in the vicinity of it when it comes to poisons. ]
Well, if you ever need any stomach poisons to induce vomiting, I can help you out with those. They might be partially my specialty.
[ Said specialty being poisons overall rather than one area alone of them, but: one step at a time there. Claude also says this lightly enough while watching Claire investigate the shell-leaf, remembering Nadine also say something similar. His attention's caught by the introduction of the next bit of greenery he studies to commit the details to memory. A possible recreation back in his own domain a little later for his own experimenting's not out of the question either. ]
Gods, if we have a plant like this back in Fodlan I've made the mistake of not getting to know it since that's an impressive array of things it can do. There are herbs in Fodlan that can do much but they normally need to be combined to reach their full strength rather than doing so much on their own.
[ Where a good apothecary like the ones he's discovered in Cadens would also help, Claude's sure, since that takes some of the guessing away from creating something effective. Another note's made to see if either Nadine or one of his regular stops after a desert trip has anything he might be able to bring to Claire to share. ]
Is this one the same when it comes to what you keep on hand since it's already crucial for healing?
How to induce vomiting is one hell of a specialty.
[ She knows what he meant, but she has to joke and smirks before agreeing she'll probably need something like that on hand. ]
I may be calling on you sooner rather than later for that one. There are more than a couple of reasons that may be important one day.
[ In a less sinister example, there are plenty of children who might put something into their mouths who need to have it expelled. Worst case scenario, someone's putting their own skills to awful use. ]
If you come across aspirin, that's the best thing to have for mild pain relief like we're talking about. But this plant, yes, so far it's pretty identical to what I'm familiar with. I've already used it for my own headaches back in Solvunn.
[ Looking at Claude, one hand goes to a hip casually as they talk. ]
What would you use at home for relief, is there anything in the plant category?
[ There's maybe the slightest sideways smirk in all playfulness Claude offers in response for both Claire's answer and for potential important reasons. His might've been slightly different (or the opposite) of medical care reasons in the past, but no harm in using them for that now. ]
When you're ready for them, I'll have some on hand or I can bring the ingredients themselves if that's less suspicious. A couple of them are also from Nocwich, so at least that'd make bringing them stand out less.
[ Nothing some good concealed containers and labels couldn't further disguise, Claude's sure, but they can worry about that later. Aspirin's more interesting to him as it's a word he recognizes from Cadens' apothecaries, and the same for the question following as he hums in thought while studying a different twig with different leaves before looking back up to meet her gaze. ]
There were some healing items we used to keep on hand while in battle. Vulneraries were the most common because they were small and portable, though there were other concoctions and elixirs you could take with you. Mostly they were meant to keep you alive until you could get to a healer.
[ If they were lucky enough for that, that is, but given that Claire's gone through war herself from what she's described he thinks that'll be clear enough. A second more of thinking, and then he starts to conjure more specific plants and roots while naming them to place on an empty part of the table. ]
What we used to grow at the monastery included white verona and rocky burdock that were said to help increase strength or resistance to... well, battlefield attacks. Angelica helped with casting magic, and there were some fruits said to do the same. Oh, and, [ he's definitely trying not to laugh while he brings forth the final plants because of what he now knows from Nadine's business, but he is actually serious since this (probably) isn't medieval cannabis endorsed by the former archbishop - ] some herbs meant to improve mood, relax you, or any number of more pleasant things.
types this tag while enjoying some of those helpful herbs
[ It's fun, the prospect of trading jars of unlabeled things back and forth, and she smiles at the idea of all the information sharing. Hopefully, there will soon be a network of people through all the factions who can use the plants to their own benefit, and the benefit of others. Her interest is piqued even further when Claude mentions plants that sound familiar, but not used similarly at all to what she's used to. ]
To me, verona is a type of grape for winemaking, angelica is good for things like arthritis, and the other is one I haven't heard of. Although, there is burdock root which is good for some stomach ailments. I haven't come across that yet in Solvunn.
[ When he continues, her eyebrows raise and then she lets out a snort of amusement. ]
Oh yes, marijuana, it's called. At least in my world. It's a wonderful anti-inflammatory too, and for those with illnesses that make it difficult to eat, the plant induces hunger particularly well. It's one of the most popular plants where I'm from, but unfortunately has been criminalized and used to propagate racism. Still, there's plenty in Solvunn, so I don't have that to worry about, at least.
[ On top of everything else, it was a bit of whiplash to go from the 18th century when it was widely and acceptably used, to the 20th century where it and other things were illegal thanks to some awful scare tactics. ]
as it should be!! and fitting for their conversation too
Curious. So they exist in your world and even do with those names, but have totally different applications.
[ There's something to that, he thinks, and he thinks of other Summoned who've said their worlds might all be linked somehow. If there's more things like this, that certainly pushes that more into the realm of possibility.
That's a long path of thoughts to tread down when they already have plenty in front of them here, and he grins slightly when Claire supplies some added knowledge about the herbs in question. ]
If that's another name for cannabis, then yes, though I don't think what's used for calming in Fodlan is quite the same as I really only learned about it from Nadine after coming here. She's taught me about some of the uses, too, and I plan to try something she has for sleep one of these days just to see what it's like. But I'm also unsurprised to hear it's been taken advantage of by those in power from the sounds of it, as that seems to be another unfortunate commonality between all worlds.
[ Including this one since he has plenty of thoughts on the Free Cities, but something she's mentioned about Solvunn catches his attention. ]
I take it Solvunn's enjoying the benefits of it as well, from the sounds of it?
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this is beautiful!
When Claude makes it to the surgery, she smiles widely at him, then huffs out a laugh. ]
Homework and you haven't even been here five seconds!
[ It's a tease as she raises an eyebrow while reaching out to accept the books. ]
These weigh more than a healthy and robust toddler. But I can't wait to dig in, honestly. Do I need to begin here before anything else?
<3
[ Offered with an easy shrug of one shoulder since Claude's since learned this is the case for most religions thanks to meeting others, and there's possibly also ones from Claire's world(s) which would fall into the same sort of vaguely mystifying category for him. There's enough in common to get to the important parts of learning what's needed to practice later on.
What's on the table also caught his attention as he'd walked in, and with that curiosity comes leaning over to inspect some of the flora on display. ]
Are these just plants in Solvunn or also ones from your home?
no subject
[ Claire understands that she may be missing context, but she's no doubt things will be filled in as she goes. At least she assumes. It's been so long since she's been in the position of studying something deeply, and it feels good. If there are two positives to come out of being stuck in a place, they're the people she's met and the opportunity to learn things she never could have imagined.
Setting the books aside for now, Claire looks down at her bounty as well. She has different piles, each with its own designation and she gestures. ]
Most of these plants can be found in both places, which was pleasantly surprising. All of the first group is familiar to me, and it's quite a bit. These here look similar, but under a microscope, they're different, so I can't be sure they work at the same strength. As for the third group, I've no idea what in hell I'm looking at. It will take trial and error to figure out, I think.
no subject
One benefit of being in the Horizon is there's (theoretically) no risk of harm unlike in reality, so when there's something he recognizes Claude picks up one with blossoms and a healthy number of spikes. ]
Ah, this one I know from a trip I made from Cadens to the edge of Solvunn last fall. Lots of it was growing on Solvunn's borders and I've spotted it in the desert. It's called buttonbush and grows around the Free Cities, too. The seeds are edible though the soldiers we were with said they're more of a last resort food than anything you'd want to make a point of eating. It should be noted the flowers are poisonous, from what I've been told, though I'm not sure how poisonous.
[ Back to the second batch of plants since there's another familiar one, and he sets the buttonbush down to pick up the narrow leaves of it with spikes at the edges. ]
If this is the one I think it is, it's also in Cadens. [ Using one thumbnail he carefully cracks it open and when the gel he was expecting seeps out of the leaf, a grin goes with it. ] Nadine taught me this one. Shell-leaf's its name and it works well in burn salves. We brought several batches of it to Libertas after Thorne attacked.
no subject
[ She grins at Claure before leaning over to write. As she does, Claire gives him a small, random but relevant anecdote from her life. ]
When I was traveling with my husband's army, toward the end we were boiling all sorts of different leaves and plants for food. It's surprising what will suddenly do in a pinch. [ Putting down her pencil, she picks up the buttonbush and brings it to her nose, smelling it. Seeing as how they're in the Horizon, she has no qualms about rubbing it along her inner wrist. ]
Some poisons are good at numbing if applied topically; of course, you'd never ingest it. But pressed into oil and left in good hands, something like this could be helpful. We'll see if it does what I hope it will in about fifteen minutes.
[ Looking at the shell-leaf, she reaches out and touches the gel, pressing it between her thumb and pointer finger to see what the elasticity is. ] This is like something called aloe in my world, it's fantastic. I'll have to see if I can trade for some the next time I'm in Nocwich.
[ Setting that aside, Claire picks up a twig of greenery. ] This is called white willow, and I've never been gladder to see a familiar plant. When all else fails, and we can't get any other mild painkillers, this can be steeped for tea. [ She begins to go on a bit, always happy to share what she knows when someone is as enthusiastic about learning as she is. ]
It's actually the building block of Earth's medicine for aches and pains, headaches. If someone's having chest pains, this tea should help bring their blood pressure back down if it isn't too serious. I try to never be without this, if I can help it.
no subject
Well, if you ever need any stomach poisons to induce vomiting, I can help you out with those. They might be partially my specialty.
[ Said specialty being poisons overall rather than one area alone of them, but: one step at a time there. Claude also says this lightly enough while watching Claire investigate the shell-leaf, remembering Nadine also say something similar. His attention's caught by the introduction of the next bit of greenery he studies to commit the details to memory. A possible recreation back in his own domain a little later for his own experimenting's not out of the question either. ]
Gods, if we have a plant like this back in Fodlan I've made the mistake of not getting to know it since that's an impressive array of things it can do. There are herbs in Fodlan that can do much but they normally need to be combined to reach their full strength rather than doing so much on their own.
[ Where a good apothecary like the ones he's discovered in Cadens would also help, Claude's sure, since that takes some of the guessing away from creating something effective. Another note's made to see if either Nadine or one of his regular stops after a desert trip has anything he might be able to bring to Claire to share. ]
Is this one the same when it comes to what you keep on hand since it's already crucial for healing?
no subject
[ She knows what he meant, but she has to joke and smirks before agreeing she'll probably need something like that on hand. ]
I may be calling on you sooner rather than later for that one. There are more than a couple of reasons that may be important one day.
[ In a less sinister example, there are plenty of children who might put something into their mouths who need to have it expelled. Worst case scenario, someone's putting their own skills to awful use. ]
If you come across aspirin, that's the best thing to have for mild pain relief like we're talking about. But this plant, yes, so far it's pretty identical to what I'm familiar with. I've already used it for my own headaches back in Solvunn.
[ Looking at Claude, one hand goes to a hip casually as they talk. ]
What would you use at home for relief, is there anything in the plant category?
no subject
When you're ready for them, I'll have some on hand or I can bring the ingredients themselves if that's less suspicious. A couple of them are also from Nocwich, so at least that'd make bringing them stand out less.
[ Nothing some good concealed containers and labels couldn't further disguise, Claude's sure, but they can worry about that later. Aspirin's more interesting to him as it's a word he recognizes from Cadens' apothecaries, and the same for the question following as he hums in thought while studying a different twig with different leaves before looking back up to meet her gaze. ]
There were some healing items we used to keep on hand while in battle. Vulneraries were the most common because they were small and portable, though there were other concoctions and elixirs you could take with you. Mostly they were meant to keep you alive until you could get to a healer.
[ If they were lucky enough for that, that is, but given that Claire's gone through war herself from what she's described he thinks that'll be clear enough. A second more of thinking, and then he starts to conjure more specific plants and roots while naming them to place on an empty part of the table. ]
What we used to grow at the monastery included white verona and rocky burdock that were said to help increase strength or resistance to... well, battlefield attacks. Angelica helped with casting magic, and there were some fruits said to do the same. Oh, and, [ he's definitely trying not to laugh while he brings forth the final plants because of what he now knows from Nadine's business, but he is actually serious since this (probably) isn't medieval cannabis endorsed by the former archbishop - ] some herbs meant to improve mood, relax you, or any number of more pleasant things.
types this tag while enjoying some of those helpful herbs
To me, verona is a type of grape for winemaking, angelica is good for things like arthritis, and the other is one I haven't heard of. Although, there is burdock root which is good for some stomach ailments. I haven't come across that yet in Solvunn.
[ When he continues, her eyebrows raise and then she lets out a snort of amusement. ]
Oh yes, marijuana, it's called. At least in my world. It's a wonderful anti-inflammatory too, and for those with illnesses that make it difficult to eat, the plant induces hunger particularly well. It's one of the most popular plants where I'm from, but unfortunately has been criminalized and used to propagate racism. Still, there's plenty in Solvunn, so I don't have that to worry about, at least.
[ On top of everything else, it was a bit of whiplash to go from the 18th century when it was widely and acceptably used, to the 20th century where it and other things were illegal thanks to some awful scare tactics. ]
as it should be!! and fitting for their conversation too
[ There's something to that, he thinks, and he thinks of other Summoned who've said their worlds might all be linked somehow. If there's more things like this, that certainly pushes that more into the realm of possibility.
That's a long path of thoughts to tread down when they already have plenty in front of them here, and he grins slightly when Claire supplies some added knowledge about the herbs in question. ]
If that's another name for cannabis, then yes, though I don't think what's used for calming in Fodlan is quite the same as I really only learned about it from Nadine after coming here. She's taught me about some of the uses, too, and I plan to try something she has for sleep one of these days just to see what it's like. But I'm also unsurprised to hear it's been taken advantage of by those in power from the sounds of it, as that seems to be another unfortunate commonality between all worlds.
[ Including this one since he has plenty of thoughts on the Free Cities, but something she's mentioned about Solvunn catches his attention. ]
I take it Solvunn's enjoying the benefits of it as well, from the sounds of it?