Taking a Test Taste (Pa'haite)

by **Wil** on July 1st, 2012, 9:02 pm

13th of Summer, 512 AV.

Wil was dressed quite differently from the rest of Zeltiva, at least those of his age. He was a young boy who had just turned 18, and in just turning 18, you would still expect him to be wandering about in common britches and shirts. The weather was that of a nice Summer, the sun kissing all those who wandered underneath it, yet Wil had decided to wander around the outskirts of Zeltiva with a heavy robe on overtop his trousers and shirt. It was an odd choice of garment, making him look like a eldery wizard that shambled about the University. All in all, it was a distaste for the wild that made him look like this. He was someone who was used to the indoors, used the cool air of a building, the safety of walls around him. The wind touching his skin made him quiver, the sight of a bug on his hand would make him flinch, and the feel of sea spray on his face irritated him. With that in mind, he shielded his body appropriately. Even though he was sweating, he seemed less than caring of his mild discomfort.

The young student was wandering around a small little grove of trees that could be found off to the side of city entrance, close enough to run back to Zeltiva if anything bigger or meaner than him happened along. He wasn't exactly sure what he was looking for, but he had long since grown tired of spending coin to find ingredients for his Philtering and Alchemy studies. Perhaps if he could harvest the materials on his own, he would be able to study a bit more afforably.

What would be the best to start with? Perhaps back to the basics. A poison or a drug of some sort would work. Eyeballing the plant life around him, he chewed on his lower lip, running a hand through his dark curls. Intelligent blue eyes checked out each plant and each flower, and finally, he settled on what looked to be a couple of tall blades of grass. He studied them for a moment, stooping to his knees, eyes narrowing. Was this a plant worth taking? After a moment pause, he reached down his head, and simply licked the stalk. Sucking his tongue back in, he tasted it, the first of many experiments to come.

by **Pa'haite** on July 2nd, 2012, 2:09 am

The ground was cool, the weather was warm. The earth underneath her bare feet was a comfort. Pa'haite had just finished helping a particularly unhappy little bird out of a thorny bush it had gotten stuck in. It now stood perched on Pa's finger, which she held out in front of her, keeping eye contact so that the little creature could tell her all about her problems. She nodded every so often, sending it images and feelings of comfort.

As she listened she continued to walk through the trees and brush, her other hand held out, brushing against every plant she passed, sending them all greetings and asking them for any problems or discontent. All of them seemed to be doing alright, so she would continue on. She knew the area well enough by now to be able to walk and look at the little bird at the same time.

She was wearing her usual plain clothing. Light grey, almost billowy pants that ended a little above her ankles. An airy shirt of the same color, sleeves ending just above her elbows. Her hair lay in loose curls over her head. As always, her scarf was wrapped around her mouth and nose. She hadn't hadn't fallen ill in a while, and was expecting it any day now. No chances could be taken.

Pa'haite hated to interrupt the little bird, but she stroked its head softly. Back to the hatch lings now. They need you. It nodded and reluctantly flew away.

Turning around, she froze, staring ahead of her. Through some trees there was a figure kneeling on the ground. She couldn't see it clearly from where she stood, being over to the side and almost behind it. Not taking her eyes off of it, she placed her hand against a tree next to her. She asked it to ask the other trees what they could tell her of the figure. Ordinarily the trees weren't so eager to answer her questions, she only had a single mark, after all, but recently a man had come through and left careless mess behind him. Had the trees answered her then and told her of the sharp tools he held, she could have prevented what resulted in a death of one of their brothers.

The tree sent her back a small series of descriptions and images. Robe. Analyzing. Picking. Licking. University or wizard then. She had seen some like this before in such clothes, though not usually in such weather. Pa' cocked her head to the side. Most that she had encountered like this were arrogant, thinking they knew everything about the plants around them, and that it was okay to rip up plants at random. She had spent many a day simply fixing the mess they made. This one though. Licking plants? As a Konti she could sense the wariness about him. He didn't seem to like it out here, and didn't quite seem to know what he was doing.

She stayed by the tree and continued observing him. This one needed to be kept an eye on.

by **Wil** on July 2nd, 2012, 3:15 am

Wil was not the most observant of people, not when it came to something outside of whatever he was currently doing at the moment. The Konti would feel quite comfortable at her little vantage point, the human in front of her having little interest in the world around him. Instead, he merely smacked and licked and tasted his lips and tongue, continuing to keep his sharp blue eyes locked onto the little stalk of grass blades in front of him. He was focused, and he was studying. Nothing would get in his way. That being said, he wasn't so sure what he was studying. Smacking his lips a little bit more, he blinked, and once again leaned forward to quickly lick at the vegetation. It didn't taste like much. There was a slight bitter taste to the plant, but nothing overbearing. His tongue wasn't swelling, he wasn't overcome by chills, nor was he dropping dead. Useless, really.

Snorting to himself, he stood, glancing around, the Konti still going completely and totally un-noticed. He walked around in quick circles for a bit, his cloak billowing around his young figure, his thin arm raising to wipe some sweat from his brow every now and then. Chewing his lower lip, he ran a hand through his long curls, still glancing quickly around. Soon, he laid eyes on something that looked a little more dangerous. A black plant with a few flowers budding from it, with thorns sticking from the side of the dark thing. Perfect.

His eyes flickering, he quickly strode over to the plant, and knelt right in front of it, falling to his knees. This one had more potential. A dangerous color, pretty flowers, and sharp thorns. How should he go about this?

Out of nowhere, he would poke a finger forward, pricking it directly on one of the sharp thorns in front of him. He winced, and instantly a spot of blood popped forth. Let's see what happened.

by **Pa'haite** on July 2nd, 2012, 3:34 am

Pa'haite watched the man growing more and more confused. Tasting the plant so intently... He had to be a scholar of some sort. Although, to Pa', he looked more like a cat in a crowd of insects, the way he kept whirling around. She narrowed her eyes. What is he looking for...

As he approached the thorny plant she started to understand. Poison. He was trying to find poison, perhaps for some sort of mixture or study. But why was he getting so close... Surely he knew not to touch-

Pa'haite flew out from her place behind the tree, running as she had so many times before seeing some creature or another in trouble. As soon as she reached the man she put herself between him and the bush, pushing him back away from it with what little force her small frame could manage.

Without a word she lifted the man's hand. Seeing the blood she shook her head. She had been seconds too late. It was only a small prick, but she knew these thorns to be particularly vicious. Not wanting to waste a second she turned to the plant and touched her small hand to one of the leaves. Poisonous plants tended to be particularly rude to her. All the same, she silently begged it to tell her what plant would counteract its poison.

by **Wil** on July 2nd, 2012, 4:45 am

He blinked at the small prick, but barely had time to sit down and thoroughly analyze what was about to happen to his bodily functions. Out of nowhere, a blur of motion came between him and the plant, giving him a shove. He was young, and caught off guard, but her light push barely rocked him back on his heels. Eyes wide with surprise, he blinked rapidly, and stepped backwards. What was this? What was she doing? He didn't speak yet, though his mouth did open, as if he was searching for certain words to say. He merely stood there for a moment with his mouth open, then closed it, and furrowed his brow as he stared at her. She would be allowed to touch her hand to the leaves, and if she bothered to notice him, she would realize that he was analyzing her now. He was staring at her much like he had with the plant, his intelligent blue eyes looking her up and down. Fair white skin, the slight shimmering of scales, the beauty that tugged the young man in... Konti. She had to be. Either that, or a human playing as one. He had seen girls like that before. Apparently they were for work in the whore-houses, for those who had fantasies with the fair maidens.

Clearing his throat, he waited until the Konti seemed done with her touching of the plant before he spoke. "Konti? With the white skin and the beauty, it seems as such. I don't find that many woman attractive, out of the idea that it doesn't make much sense to be attracted when there is a lot of other work to be done. I am not attracted to you, per say, but I can appreciate your beauty." It sounded like a compliment, but the mulling tone at which he spoke made any idea that it might be a compliment go away. He was simply analyzing and talking, as if laying out his thoughts so he could sort through them. "Why did you shove me away? I was working. And why are you touching the plant like that? And lastly, to end this interrogation, why are you wearing the scarf over your face?" The questions came, quick and to the point, his blue eyes searching for hers, only glancing down to study the scarf, and her hand on the plant.

He took a step to the side, and approached the plant from a different angle, apparently determined not to let her get in his way. He paused though, and glanced down at his bloodied finger, tilting his head. He had a sample right here. In another show that would likely make the girl cringe, he lifted the finger to his lips, and took a quick taste.

by **Pa'haite** on July 2nd, 2012, 5:31 am

It wouldn't answer. She sighed. The man should be fine, as long as he didn't make it any worse. At least she thought so... She hadn't had as much time to study medicine as she would've liked, the area itself had a lot of work to keep her busy.

It took a moment for Pa'haite to realize the man was speaking. When she did she turned around and looked up at him. Her common wasn't perfect, and it had been almost a year since she had actually spoken it to anyone. But from what she could tell, the man was acknowledging her as a Konti. She tilted her head to the side watching the way he looked at her. Studying her? Her brow furrowed, not knowing whether to be suspicious and wary of him or not. The way he asked seemed almost accusatory to her.

The girl understood the gist of his questions. The first one seemed obvious to her. She gestured from the plant to his finger, shaking her head. She wasn't sure whether to trust him to even answer the other two questions, but before she could even think about that she saw him putting his finger to his lips. Without giving it a thought she lightly smacked his hand, shooting him a stern look. Perhaps she was wrong about this man's purposes here, he seemed to be attempting suicide.

Normally she didn't care to interfere this way with what others were doing, but this man confused her. Either he had ill intentions, in which case she would most certainly be keeping an eye on him, or he wasn't aware of the consequences of what he was doing.

Looking up Pa'haite scanned the trees. Lucky for her, she spotted the same bird she had helped earlier. She made eye contact, and silently told it to fetch her a certain flower, something that would seal up the wound at least a little. It gave a tiny nod and flew off. If this man was going to commit suicide, he was certainly not doing it here. That would attract much troublesome attention to the area, not only from other people, but other animals who would likely interrupt the progress she had been making there.

Turning back to the man and the plant, she looked at him worriedly, then placed her hand back on the plant. If you won't tell me a cure, please at least recede so he doesn't keep hurting himself. It took a moment but the plant responded.
Its his own fault he touched my thorns he deserves the consequences.I agree it is his own fault but do you really want people here taking clipping after clipping of you trying to study his cause of death? The plant reluctantly agreed and moved so that it slowly leaned away from the man.

by **Wil** on July 2nd, 2012, 10:44 pm

He watched curiously as she talked with her hands, but was quickly surprised by her sudden slap. His lips finally lifted in a small show of emotion as she slapped his hand, his eyes widening a bit and his hand retreating as if afraid of more violence from her. His lips formed a small scowl, and he let out a single monotone word. "Ow." Rubbing his hand tenderly, as if playing up the fact that she had struck him, he continued to watch her, sizing her up and studying her. Indeed, she would soon start to feel like an experiment of sorts, with the way he started to pace around, circling her slowly, looking her up and down, his voice quiet. "Yes, Konti. That is for certain. The scales give it away, of course. But your silence is odd." He noticed her glancing up into the tree, and glanced the same way, managing to catch a bird flying off. Odd. Was she distracted? He waited until he had her attention again, and began to speak quickly. "So, why exactly are you so silent? Are you mute? Or can you communicate in something other than motions? If you are mute, please raise one finger." His voice was calm and matter-of-fact, his eyes returning to remain steady on hers. He seemed to be a very forward, logical person.

Then, he watched as she touched the plant... and paused a bit as it moved. Had she done that? Was that something she had manipulated herself? This Konti was full of surprises. Opening his mouth to phrase the question, he paused, searching for the words. "Did you just move that plant? That didn't make sense. You didn't shove it, you touched it, and it moved back. How did you do that?" Full of questions, wasn't he.

He pointed the plant, and then pointed at her. "How do I know that is poisonous? And if it is, how can I harvest it without damaging the plant? Or do I have to take the whole plant? Will you teach me? I can pay you." Here he was, a young man asking her to teach him, even though they had just met. He didn't seem to be shy at all. He merely seemed interested in learning. "I Philter. Have you ever heard of it?"

by **Pa'haite** on July 2nd, 2012, 11:05 pm

As she was touching the plant, she heard his question and raised one finger, though bending it halfway. When she was satisfied at its movement, she turned to the man. Her eyebrows raised slightly. Caiyha had told her that people would hate and fear her as a witch. This one just wouldn't stop asking questions. He seemed to be studying her, definitely a scholar of sorts. But not like one she had encountered before.

Pa'haite finally reached into a pocket in her pants and pulled out her little slab of rock and her chalk. She wrote on it in the best common she could muster.

"asked it" When she was done she lifted it to so the man could see. Erasing this with a sweep of her hand she then wrote "phylonurist". After a moment of thought she wrote below that "witch". Not having interacted with someone to this extant, she really didn't know which term others would know her mark by. After showing it to the man, she nodded to his his question about teaching him. She decided she'd better help him as much as she could, so that he didn't continue going about it by testing the plants on himself.

Philter? This was one word in common she had never heard. She shook her head.