Timestamp: 80th of Fall, 520 A.V.
“What is this thing?” Tegan said with a laugh as Tazrae grunted again and started grumbling. They should have returned to The Protea for Bree and her cart, but Tegan had insisted with a test heft that he’d help her carry it back. The only problem with the plan was that piled on to of the very heavy crate they were now carrying between them was other things. One was a large crate with an oil press in it, another had several books Tazrae had ordered, and there was some additional supplies for the Inn. Her guest, Tegan, had come along to help unpack the ship having witnessed the phenomena in the previous arrival of The Veronica. The entire settlement turned out to unload the ship because most everyone had something they’d ordered aboard and that way James got to settle in and relax faster after he got tied up and unloaded. The situation was win-win for the residents and win-win for the crew since those not unloading the ship and acting as longshoreman were busy fixing up a feast so everyone could eat after the labor was done.
“The first crate is an oil press… the big one is a Philtering Lab complete with a distiller, and there are some books and other supplies for The Protea in the two crates on top.” She said confidently. Tegan laughed. “We really should have gone back for your lizard and her cart. It feels like you live really close to the docks but when you are hefting an entire lab and miscellanies stuff along with it, the distance stretches out much further.” He commented, not even winded while Tazrae was breathless.
“That’s… why…. I…. suggested….” She started off between pants, then shook her head. She caught a look at Tegan’s face and saw he was teasing. They were bright and twinkling, even a little flirty. The Innkeeper tossed her curly hair and blew a wayward strand out of her eye. “Stop teasing me.” She demanded all in one breath.
He just laughed again. “Do you know how to use all this stuff?” He asked.
Tazrae shook her head. “The Captain was supposed to pick me up a book or some handwritten instructions on how to at least set up and run the still. I feel like I’ve figured out so much stuff about life here, that how can one little distiller trip me up? I just want to extract some of these beautiful scents from the jungle and turn them into perfumes.” She said thoughtfully.
Tegan chuckled. “That’s a noble idea. And having a philtering lab here will really help me too in my search for new toxins and ways to counter there. I’m pretty well versed in Philtering. I can help you set this stuff all up and show you how it works in a general sense. Sometimes its easier to have someone standing right here than to read something on a page, have a question, and no where to turn.” He said thoughtfully then looked puzzled a moment. “Where are you going to set up your lab?” He asked, curious.
They were almost back to the Inn, and Tazrae was sweating profusely. The cargo they hauled was a lot heavier than she first guessed. “Oh! I have an office off the Kitchen behind all that shelving. Those walls slide back and my office is pretty open to the outside. I thought I’d add a table along the wall, push the desk back against the shelves and have a perfect place to work. I’ll probably have to build a table, but I can do that really fast before I set everything up. I don’t want the lab equipment on my desk. I have paperwork I need to do there… and notes to take… recipes to save that sort of thing.” She added, glancing up at him to see if he approved.