you've never danced like this before [open]

[cointosser]

Who: Jaskier and YOU
When: October catch-all, prior to event
Where: The new Casa de Mojo de Witcher, and Jaskier's plant shop in Cadens
What: Being a good business owner and bullying his family into a better home.
Warnings: N/A!

A SONG OF SAPLINGS

In the midst of the Cadens desert sits a small oasis surrounded by four walls. A Song of Saplings is (one of) Jaskier's pride and joy. This plant shop lay in the heart of Cadens's thriving market, with a handcarved, inviting sign of a tree's branches wrapping around the name of the store. A tiny bell with a sound similar to a bird's call rings as one steps inside -- only to be assaulted by a wall of green.

The goal of A Song of Saplings is to fill the desert with color. While most plants Jaskier offers are hardy cacti and woody bushes, there are special selections of flowers, saplings, and plants that simply should not be growing in the desert. Bright pink roses, verdant oak saplings, and a fuzzy-leafed favorite called "wolf's ear" are displayed among the store's rich wooden shelves, all personally grown by the Gem of the Phoenix himself. A selection of local artisan-crafted pottery fills one of the back shelves, each piece stamped by its creator. Other similar art for one's garden is for sale, including statuary of dragons, decorated birds, mermaids and unicorns -- pieces of the Continent that Jaskier has commissioned to decorate Cadens. And, of course, phoenixes.

At the back of the shop is a door that boasts a sign reading "EMPLOYEES ONLY", a bit of a modern touch Jaskier has picked up as advised by some of his more contemporary companions. Inside is a room set up similar to a break room, with a cushioned couch pushed against one wall, a small table with a smattering of chairs surrounding it, and a shelf containing cleaning tools and solutions. There also appears to be a miniature well where one can draw fresh water from, though it does not sink very deep.

The front counter of the shop bears a bowl full of candies and a young woman with a head full of black braids and what appear to be horns naturally curling from her head. She wears a facemask that covers her nose and mouth that, as is rumoured, she never removes. Quille's voice and face always remain somewhat blank and detached, but she is startlingly dedicated to aiding those who come seeking specific foliage. She can often be seen sweeping the same spot for an hour, or plucking leaves off the plants -- wait a second, did she just eat one? Further rumours circle that she is a daemon that's been exiled from her home, orphaned and left to thrive on Cadens's streets on her own, but Quille will limit conversation only to the purchasing and selling of plants. Somehow, she has extensive knowledge of every single plant in the shop, and appears to be its only employee.

CASA DE WITCHER

Away from the hustle and bustle of the markets and Cadens's main streets is a rather decorated home, a stone wall giving its land a small bit of shade and privacy from its neighbors. The front entrance has two strangely rich and green box flowerbeds to welcome visitors, and a long, rough doormat gives indication of how little the owner wishes you to bring in mud and dirt. Even from the ground level, one can see that the rooftop patio is full of green plants and one twisted, knotted tree with bowed, weeping boughs and small white flowers.

Connected to the side of the house is a shed and a stable, housing two horses and, bizarrely, a bright golden chocobo. Along the walls are various tack and saddles for the creatures, and what appears to be a series of shelves that, upon closer inspection, have cat prints left behind in the dust. One large black horse and the chocobo are very friendly to any guests peeking their head in, but the second horse will snort and may bite if visitors come too close.

Inside the home are long hallways that lead to three different bedrooms, all decorated vastly different, respectful to their owners. The hallways are lined with shelves containing all manner of potted plants, skulls, and bones, along with something that looks suspiciously like a petrified lizard. A dining room has been set up with a rather expensive-looking icebox, and generally the small kitchen is always filled with bread or the smell of it. Curiously, food never appears to rot here, no matter how long it's left out in the open.

The home's dwellers are often seen going on and out at all hours of the night, sometimes bringing back monster corpses or... parts... with them. And more often than not, one can see (and/or) hear Jaskier sitting on the patio, practicing his music.

Comments

a song of saplings → plant shop. [open!]

[cointosser]

[The shop is open for business, as usual, with a new addition: a sign beside the front door that lists the hours and days whereupon the store will be open for business. While his attempt at hiring his first... employee... had not gone swimmingly, Jaskier did take some lessons from the interview. And, now that he has an actual, official employee he trusts to take care of the shop, it's possible to have regular hours.

However, his employee is not, er. Regular.]

Quille, one of the wolf's ears is losing leaves. [He peers her down.] I'm sure you have nothing to do with this? [The girl shrugs, then goes back to wiping down the shelf -- where she has dutifully removed every single potted plant from it to do so. While she is utterly strange and perplexing, Jaskier can admit she is rather dutiful in everything she does. Every day he comes in it feels like every single plant has been moved to a different spot, but the place is spotless.

And she shows up, without any real complaints. Once Jaskier started "accidentally" leaving his lunches out in the open, he also noticed the plants were losing a lot less leaves and petals.

He's sure there's no correlation there at all.

The bell rings, and Quille ignores it, focused on her task at hand. (In Jaskier's admittedly short experience with her, she has not handled multiple tasks at once.) Well. All right. Jaskier's certainly not going to stop her now, so he sweeps behind the counter with a swish of his red coat.]

Welcome! How can I help you today, my dear?

[thedreamer]

[ As if the Doctor wasn't excited already before stepping into the shop, the moment he receives such a warm welcome, his already enthusiastic smile brightens all the more. With a wave, he's quick to respond and he practically bellows his equally warm greeting in return. ]

Hello! Oh, what have you got here, this is fantastic. I have questions, you'll have answers, and more than likely you'll have questions and I'll have answers as we go. The beauty of conversation! Do hang on, though —

[ Yes, do give him a moment and indulge him because a bell has rung as he enters and he's overly joyful about it. So he steps outside the door, letting it close, entering again so the bell rings once more. And fortunately (or unfortunately, as the case may be) for all involved, he does it once more. Both times, he bounces on his heels a bit like a child anticipating presents on Christmas morning. But once inside this third time around, he folds his hands together and steps further inside. ]

Love that bell! Delighted. Hello again! I'm the Doctor. Couldn't resist A Song of Saplings — clever, that!

[cointosser]

[Now, to many, the appearance of a man with this sort of exuberant energy -- actually, scratch that, most people would probably be completely thrown off by it. But mostly, Jaskier is thrown off by it because he's never met someone with any sort of energy to match his own. To surpass it, even! He can't help a laugh as the man rattles off words so quickly that Jaskier can't get in edgewise, let alone watching him go in and out of the doorway to hear the bell twinkle.

At least someone appreciates it. It was a special commission.]

So I can see. [Quille peeks over the shelf she's cleaning to see who's ringing the bell over and over, but like most things, she doesn't seem bothered by it.] The Doctor, you say? [One can hardly fault him for being his title when Jaskier is the Master Bard of Cadens.] Jaskier, at your service. And yes, it is! Always good to meet someone with taste. It's a play off one of my most famous songs back home. [Well, he can only assume it's one of the most famous. He wasn't exactly on his sphere when he wrote it.] Are we in for anything particular, or is this your first time? I mean, it must be. I'd remember a face like that.

[He raises his brows with a coy smile. He does make an effort to remember everyone he can.]

[thedreamer]

The, yes, you've got it. But let's leave the formality outside the door with your lovely bell, eh? Just Doctor will do!

[ He comes closer to his newfound friend; friend because they've already had a positive interaction so, naturally! He folds his hands together behind his back, taking it all in, though his hands hardly remain idle for long and he's stepping towards a plant he's curious about. Looking, but not touching. (Yet.) ]

I'm in for two things in fact! To learn everything there is to know about your beauties here — and don't worry, I expect a multi-day info session. And to meet you naturally! The proprietor. Very glad we've met now, Jaskier. We'll have to diverge for a moment, though, so you can tell me about these songs you've written.

[cointosser]

[He could make a point that the "the" is more like a fragment of sentence rather than any true formality, and the idea of calling anyone simply "Doctor" is a bit strange, but -- you know, he's hardly here to argue about such frivolities.

He's hardly here to make money. He's mostly here to kill time, and because he likes meeting new, interesting personalities.

Certainly a man who talks as much and as quickly as Jaskier serves to be interesting. Where others might hear "a multi-day info session" as a threat, Jaskier sees at least a few hours of fun chatting.

He gives a laugh.] Well, I have quite the catalogue, if I'm to include every song I've written. Decades of them. It depends on what you're most interested in hearing -- would you like a song about the creation of the world? Of swords, of sorcery? Adventures? Dragons? [His favorite.] Of loves found? Love lost? Of love yet to be found?

[thedreamer]

[ He has also, regrettably, missed out on the chance to try for being called The for a little while by someone who might be willing to indulge his absurdities for a moment. Never met anyone called The! One day he'll try it on for size. ]

I'll take that as a standing invite then when you're ready to share the entirety of your catalogue. A little pop by every morning — I'll bring cake, you bring song. [ He says this having not heard anything yet, but he has a sense of the man and he absolutely won't disappoint. ]

Where to start! Flip of a coin — unrequited love, got anything there? Always loathed it. That, and burnt toast. And bus stations. And people who don't like songs.

[cointosser]

[Jaskier claps his hands together. You know, he normally would hardly play for cake -- it could be an insult, really, if that little performance wasn't meant to be followed up with a roll in the hay -- but he senses a genuine interest, and to a bard like Jaskier, that's worth more to him than any coin he could get.]

I should tell you to find me in the taverns like any other man of my audience, but I admit, it's been some time since I've allowed a private performance.

[The acoustics of the shop will be absolutely shit, of course, but Jaskier can make it work. Men with interesting personalities, faces, and cake... they're enticing enough to have him find a way to make it work.]

Oh, I have books of unrequited love. I fear it happens far too often, in so many different ways... [Though he does give the Doctor an off look. Burnt toast? He doesn't even know what a bus station is.] I tend to write songs about bigger concepts. Philosophies. Not... objects. Unless it's metaphorical.

[nadine_he_loves]

[Nadine times her visit carefully. When she knows Jaskier is not very busy, but there's still time left in the day. She has an idea to present to him, one she's been mulling over for some time now.

But if one thing has been made clear to her recently, it's the....permanence of her and Jaskier's partnership, for lack of a better word. They've made that clear to one another, in their own ways, time and time again. Her relationship with Jaskier is closer to a true marriage than what she'd had with Flagg. There might have been a wedding ritual - of sorts, a dark and terrible one - but everything had been done because of some prophecy or foretelling or whatever it was. No matter what good times she can recall - and there had been some - it didn't matter.

And how sad and desperate had she been, that a few years ago she told herself she was content with a man who could never truly love her, only consider her important? But she supposes he'd done that to her, in a way. He had brought her up, as much as the nuns and the foster families.

But that's in the past. That chapter of her life is, hopefully, closed for good. What she has with Jaskier matters. He loves her, simply and truly, and she knows that just as truly. They chose one another. And it feels wrong to her, somehow, to have a permanent and visible tie to Flagg and none to Jaskier. Marriage isn't even a thought on her mind. Not really. For her it's been tainted and for him...she imagines if she ever mentioned in the context of them doing it, he'd run for the hills automatically. Jaskier just isn't the marrying kind.

But there's still something she can do, to show the world their tie to one another. That's what she's here about, slipping into the shop dressed in a white floral print dress that shows her shoulders and collarbone.]

Hey. It looks great in here!

[cointosser]

[When he lifts his gaze to see Nadine, his entire demeanor shifts from "customer service" to "man deeply infatuated to an annoying degree."] Nadine! How lovely to see you!

[As if he hasn't seen her in ages. He hops over the counter to greet her with a kiss, taking in her lovely little dress. It isn't rare to see her come by, but he's always glad to see her with some free time spent away from needles and their herbs.]

Doesn't it? I've done some rearranging -- well, Quille's doing it, I suppose -- but Geralt finished building all the shelves. And look, he's been whittling these little things! [He plucks a wooden figure of a robin from the front counter to show her.] Not for sale. But I think it brings the whole place together.

[It's clear that Jaskier is especially proud of his shop now. While he's always had pride in it, after so much time spent with it, he feels like he knows what he's doing now. He's a businessman! Imagine!] I don't suppose you came by for a little smoke in the backroom, did you?

[He gives a glance to Quille, but she hasn't even looked up from her work.]

[nadine_he_loves]

[Nadine appreciates both the shelves and the little carvings. Geralt's quite talented at that. And Jaskier's right, they do give a nice atmosphere to the place. It's the little touches. There's something homey about the shop.]

I mean we could, but that's not why I came by. I do want to chat in the backroom, though, if you have some time. I have...an idea I want to talk to you about.

[She chooses her words carefully, not wanting to make it seem as though she has something dire or worrying to discuss. Just an idea she wants to talk to him about.

Though she hopes her demeanor would lay to rest any of those fears. She's smiling and eager. Everything in her body language and facial expression say that she's in a good mood, and not about to drop some uncomfortable to unpleasant bomb of truths.]

[cointosser]

Oh. [He certainly is not missing what a good mood she's in. A blessing now he knows she's nearly healed. And even on the worst day, she is the most beautiful woman he knows. (Not that he's disparaging any woman he knows, of course...)]

Oh.

[He may be getting the absolute wrong idea, but that's only made him even more eager to take her to the back room.] Do tell. [He offers her his arm, pulling a ring of keys from his pocket.] Quille, be a dear and watch the front, please!

[There's a muffled affirmation as he holds the door to the back room open.] So, this idea of yours...?

[nadine_he_loves]

Loving your enthusiasm, but it's not a sexy thing.

[Or maybe Jaskier will think it is, she probably shouldn't decide that for him. But it isn't inherently sexual. No need for him to get all excited and think orgasms are imminent or something.

She waits for the door to close behind them and then takes a seat on the comfortable couch Jaskier had gotten for the back room. It's a big step up from the plain wooden bench they'd first sat together on back here.]

It's more of a romantic thing, I guess. It's...it's coming up on two years, you know.

[There's no need to specify what, exactly.]

[cointosser]

Oh. [This one certainly has a disappointed tone, but he won't complain (much). He is always happy to see her. (He's only a little disappointed. He's not saying his mind wanders during the slower hours of the day, but --)

Right, he's listening.

He sits across from her, crossing his legs at the ankle. He's behaving! Getting his thoughts in order. Listening. Romantic is still plenty to pique his interests. As she mentions the two years, the smile that crosses his face is so endlessly font that it even creases the wrinkles at his eyes.] I know. If we're counting the party.

[He does like to count it. He hasn't told her -- it feels an undue amount of pressure to put on anyone -- that it stands in his head the longest a relationship has... flowed. He can't even recall really ever arguing. Not about anything that matters.] Were you thinking of doing something special? To celebrate?

[ancunin]

[ After they parted that first day, Astarion made sure the bard's coin (as well as some extra pilfered coin) was well spent. The bath had been almost relaxing, and he is no longer wearing the ill-fitting uniform from the barracks. The non-descript, fairly worn cloak is the same one from the previous day, but the clothes beneath are newer and clean - a plain black shirt with fairly high-waisted trousers, the latter of which appear as though he managed to convince someone to do a little tailoring.

Truthfully, he might've sought the man out sooner - if he had only skipped out on visiting Nocwich. Between a meeting with a drow from his own world, and a dhampyr from another, both more willing to offer him assistance, he's been a bit... skittish, and not particularly inclined toward introspection. That, and the fact that he's been surviving off a little bit of bloodwine and rats for the past few days... well, he's still not his best self. Mentally, at least.

This visit to the plant shop isn't a blind one. Even if Summoned-owned businesses weren't already a rarity, one owned by the so called Gem of the Phoenix earns some talk.

As the bell announces him at the door, he lowers his hood and runs a hand through his hair to loosen any flattened curls. ]

Oh, I'm still deciding - [ He artfully adopting a playful and sly expression, with the confidence of someone who has no doubt that he made an impression. ] Hello again, Jaskier.

[cointosser]

[Jaskier stands up from where he'd been leaning on the front counter, a light coming to his eyes as he meets that slyness with a smile.]

Well, well. If it isn't my significantly less stinky friend. [And -- oh. While he'd gotten a little peek at such curls, he can't help but stare. Not only because of that beautiful white hair (he has a thing, all right?), but the ears. He's an elf? He hadn't realized.

A twist in his heart. He's already learned from Urianger that an elf here does not, necessarily, have anything in common with one from the Continent. And yet he cannot help that spark in him, the same one that had him become the Sandpiper in the first place.]

Astarion, was it? [He asks like he doesn't remember. As if he didn't make an impression. Look, Jaskier won't deny it.] How are you? It certainly looks like you've found your footing. [If his tailored trousers have anything to say about it.]

[ancunin]

[ He wrinkles his nose at 'stinky'. Fair is fair, though. And while he notices the stare, he reads little into it for the moment. He does draw attention, whether he means to or not, for obvious reasons. Elves are a stranger sight here than vampires, somehow.

Both arms extend out from his sides with languid grace, widening open the front of his cloak to reveal a better look at the clothing underneath as he strikes an effortless pose for a second. ]

It's certainly a start, in no small part thanks to someone. [ Well, multiple someones if you count the pockets picked in Libertas. But, details. Dropping his pose he approaches the counter, letting his gaze scan the rest of the shop with mild interest, landing on the figure in the corner for a second before flicking back to Jaskier with a curious and assessing look. ]

So - a famously successful bard and a shopkeep? [ His appraising gaze lingers downward for a moment before returning to meet his eyes again, tilting his head with amusement. ] Are you hiding a wife and a gaggle of whelps down there too?

[cointosser]

[It's only fair. A barracks is no place for anyone who smells halfway decent.

And with the way he dresses, perhaps he's already made his way out of it. Jaskier hopes so; not only for the elf's sake, but for the Free cities. Every less soldier is less power Marlo accumulates. And gods know she has plenty of it already.

Jaskier gives a little clap at the pose, which isn't supposed to be sarcastic. Honestly, he's fucking thrilled to meet anyone in this bloody city who has an eye for fashion who isn't his tailor. That's about the only thing Thonre has going for it.]

And an honour it was. [He leans across his counter, taking in Astarion's grandiose gestures. A showman, he thinks. Perhaps someone in theatre?]

A man must keep his fingers in many pies. [He answers with a wink -- which quickly turns into a choked laugh.] Oh, gods, no. I am not the marrying sort, and even less likely to brood. [He has distinct aversions to anything resembling certain sorts of commitment, actually.] I like to keep my options -- and my free time -- wonderfully open.

[Which may seem strange with a business and a home, but he specifically has people to take care of such things if he desires to wander.]

cw: potential reference to sexual abuse/trauma from here on out

[ancunin]

[ Oh no. He was prepared to 'sleep' on the streets, there was no way he was returning to the barracks that first night. Fortunately, he managed to avoid both thanks to a soft-hearted innkeeper with an affinity for Summoned - since that's what everyone here considers him, now. Apparently. Not spawn, not infected. But still other by a different name, not of his choosing.

Something else to add to his ever growing pile of grievances.

This one, however, doesn't lay its blame with Jaskier personally. Astarion is pleased enough to be admired in the moment, just as he's amused with the answer given. It gives him pause as he studies Jaskier from the other side of the counter, amused and thoughtful. ]

I happen to have an abundance of free time at the moment, and - [ he glances over at the figure in the corner... eating leaves? No, that's not his problem - he turns back to Jaskier with that slight blip interrupting his sultry (unsubtle) proposal: ] - if you've some to spare as well, perhaps now that I'm so very fresh and clean, we could... explore those options together.

[ It would be different, he thinks, than if he had followed through the other day. Not a debt being paid, per se. And not lowering himself, like it would've been with the blood merchant. Just a bit of fun, and in the daylight no less. When's the last time he was with someone and didn't lead them to the dark? Not in two centuries.

It had been... fine with Tav. ]

[cointosser]

[Says one without a bit of business to attend to himself. But he can hardly fault a man for wanting to look for work so immediately. The only reason Jaskier bothered was because Thorne was much more stifling, and it was full of nobles with the dullest entertainment imaginable and coin purses that were sorely in need of being lighter.

Jaskier hardly needs much prompting at all for a bit of fun, but he must say how encouraging it is to not be the one taking such... forward motions.

His smile sticks, encouraging and lit with interest. There is not a drop of subtlety in this man, and that is an extremely attractive quality. Sometimes it truly is that simple. And even when it's not -- it still is fun.] What an impression I must have made for you to spend such valuable time -- abundant or not -- seeking me out. [He gives a glance to Quille, who is already far too experienced with the sort of people who come by, seeking Jaskier out. And Melitele bless her soul, she's never asked a single fucking question. She simply takes over when he steps out, even on a whim.]

I can't imagine not making room for you, my dear. [In his schedule. Clearly. He walks around the counter, fingers tracing lightly against its edge.] Do you have a place in mind? I'm open to all possibilities.

[philancer]

[ Sylvain has seen this shop in the market before, but he always seemed to wander past it when he already had a destination in mind or his hands full of purchases. Although the number of times its caught his eye of late is enough to have him detouring towards it early today before that can happen, even if he’s a little uncommonly tentative when he pokes his head in the door, glancing up when a bell announces his not-so-subtle arrival.

The familiar voice greeting him has his eyebrow arching in surprise because he recognizes the man - who wouldn’t at this point? - even if he’s never really met him. The amount of time he’s spent helping out in Libertas alone had told him more than enough.

But he’s quick to break into a crooked smile of greeting as he steps inside the shop fully, letting his dark gaze quickly take in the vibrant surroundings. ]

Curiosity, mostly. I’ve wandered past this shop enough times that I wanted to see what was inside. I think you’ve got more greenery in here than the Free Cities could boast as a whole.

[ He wonders if Claude’s seen this place yet? ]

[cointosser]

Curiousity is how the best relationships start.

[With his newest, most beloved plant, clearly -- though Jaskier can't help but let his eyes follow the newest guest and his rather fantastically colored hair. And matching eyes? Is that even natural? (Of course not. But, he must say, he carries it very well.)

Jaskier gives a flattered little wave of his hand.] You're hardly wrong. I should really add that as a tagline to the sign. [But it is the reason the front windows are so large and bright, after all. Cadens has its colors, but all this green has certainly led to plenty of people walking inside simply for a glance (and always leaving with some small pot in their hands.)] I've been doing a little research into the language of flowers... if you're interested. I could perhaps guide you to your own special flora.

[philancer]

[ For a moment, he’s caught off guard by that offer, because it’s the first time he’s heard anything of the sort mentioned here. And also because it’s the sort of offer he could just imagine Lorenz or Ferdinand making and that just… makes it really hard not to just start laughing right here. Not a good first impression at all on his part, so fortunately he controls himself.

But there’s a brightness to his answering grin as he bemusedly shakes his head. ]

I’m afraid I’m already as fluent in that as I’m likely to be. Although I wasn’t aware that was a language that spanned universes. I guess it doesn’t really surprise me that much, though. Especially when there are so many flowers that seem to do the same.

[ It was odd, which things all the different worlds seemed to have in common. And what they didn’t. ]

Actually, I was hoping for a different sort of help. I’ve been dabbling in recreating some tea blends that were popular back in my lands, but I’ve been having trouble finding some suitable replacements for some of the more unique ingredients that I haven’t been able to duplicate here.

[cointosser]

[Jaskier brings a hand to his hand, even more interested.] Truly? [He raises a good point.] I'm sure every world may have differing interpretations, of course, but I hardly find it an impossibility to believe that all cultures should find meaning in the world around them. Besides, I'm quite known to steal knowledge from all sorts of spheres, if I can get my hands on it.

[Who doesn't love flowers? However, he will admit, there is a certain kind of man that typically has no interest in such things. And while the man is a pretty thing, he doesn't look like... hm.

Books and covers.

Tea and flowers? Oh, a man after his own heart. Jaskier claps his hands.]

You're in luck, my good man! I happen to be a connoisseur of teas, with plenty of experience making my own. As long as it's a plant I have some relative knowledge of myself, I can grow whatever you might need.

[philancer]

You, too, huh? [ Sylvain’s smile turns a hint crooked at that, because that sounds familiar. ] At least being here offers us plenty of unique opportunities to do so. One silver lining, at least.

[ There’s more than one, for him, but he knows some of the Summoned aren’t so happy about being here, so he always dances carefully around that line.

But he can’t help but grin at Jaskier’s eagerness, his own expression brightening a little. Other than Claude and Hilda, he hadn’t really had a tea buddy here since Caitlyn vanished. He’s missed it. ]

Really? I didn’t realize there were others here who were working on it, too. It was a bit of a hobby of mine, back home. And tea time… was often something special. [ He blamed the Professor for starting that particular trend, although is fondness for tea had certainly stretched longer than just that. ]

Cadens’ selection isn’t bad, but it could certainly use some variety. I’ve managed to mimic a few I remembered from home - there was a pine one I was recreating for Claude that I had to spend a few weeks on and get ingredients from Nocwich, and a berry rose one for Hilda, but the rest I’ve just been sort of poking at when I’m bored. To be honest, starting with all new ingredients has left me feeling a little overwhelmed and not really sure where to start.

[cointosser]

Of course! Tea is essential. For good news, for bad news. For sharing at all. For filling awkward silences -- that's my favorite one. A lot of time can be wasted in those moments, making tea. [Asking for favored flavor profiles, boiling the water, preparing milk, or cream, or sugar (sugar only for him, if you ask, thank you).

It's special. As he's said.

Jaskier straightens up.] Oh! You're one of Claude's friends? [Handsome men truly do stick together.] We killed a ghost together, you know.

[They didn't kill it, and it wasn't a ghost, but. Details.]

And Hilda? Deadly-with-an-axe Hilda? [Oh, he has so many good murderer friends. Though -- oops. Perhaps this one doesn't know she's intensely terrifying with an axe. Ah, well.] I would be utterly delighted to help you make tea for them! Perhaps, even, with a friend's discount. [He winks.] And -- how I forget myself. I'm Jaskier, [He says, with a little curtsy] at your service. And I think I have just the thing to start with. [He sweeps by, plucking a somewhat wooden bush from the shelves, popping and blooming with small yellow flowers as he picks it up.] Brittlebush. While its tea can be used for medicinal purposes, I like the spice of it. It offers something a little sharper than most teas offer.