Closed A Nutty Meeting (Arvan)

[Leila]

Timestamp: Summer 13, 513 AV Leila was setting more than she wish she would, as she made her way back to her shop, lugging two heavy bags in each arm. She been down at the docks, just seeing what was coming in, and she came across a nut merchant. Leila's papa had often preached the health benefits of nuts, and Leila had seized the opportunity to make the purchase. Nuts don't go bad quickly, and there were so many different recipes that she could use them in. There weren't many uses in herbalism for them, but they were a good food for a healthier life. And herbalism was all about living a healthier life. Leila readjusted the bags, putting them higher on her chest, her arms aching. She was only halfway back home, and was sweating most unladylike on her forehead. After going another block, she shifted the bags to being held beneath the arms. It wasn't any easier but it was at least a different position. She never realized that a ten pound bag was so heavy. Her breath was already coming a little quicker, and her body getting hotter, but she kept pressing on. Her back and neck were starting to ache. The only thing that didn't seem to notice what she was carrying was her legs. They just kept plodding along while the rest of her moaned and griped. Huffing and puffing, she unlocked her front door, then made her way over to her home proper. She set the bags down on the table, exhaling after that. She really needed to get more in shape. She wasn't fat in the least, but she wasn't exactly healthy either. Maybe she could find someone to help her work out. But that was neither here nor there right now. She had very specific plans for today. She went outside to her small fire pit, enjoying the smell of her garden all around her. She grabbed a couple of logs and tinder from the pile nearby, and went about setting up a nice neat fire beneath the brazier she kept standing there. She stood the logs up into a neat little mountain, and stuffed the tender in a neat little cave beneath the mountain. She smiled, remembering how her father had taught her to do this when she was younger. She then grabbed the flint and steel and began striking it, trying to angle it down at the tinder. It took several chimes but eventually the tinder caught, and Leila blew on it to get a small flame going. She kept watching over it, easing it in until it caught proper. She then smiled, as if she were a mother who'd just watched her child grow up. She left the fire and went back into her home to gather up her ingredients and cooking gear. She hauled the bags of nuts out first, her arms not thanking her in the least. She then went back in, grabbed a glass jar with a sealing glass lid, grabbed some cream, sugar, butter, a vial of vanilla, her water skin, and some cooking gloves. She carried all of this outside as the fire was good and ready, not too big, but just big enough for her cooking purpose. She put in some water and a generous amount of sugar in the jar. She poured the rest of the water into the brazier, which sizzled briefly then leveled out. She placed the jar in the center of the water filled brazier and waited. The water in the brazier started to boil, where as the water in the thick jar did not. She stirred the sugar in the jar until it was dissolved. It then started to cook in the boiling water, bubbling slightly, and beginning to turn the color of rust. She waited patiently, waiting on the opportune moment, cream and butter in each hand. Steam started to come of the mixture and that's when Leila struck. She poured the cream into the jar while stirring. It started to look a much lighter brown, a nice creamy texture. Leila then added a smidge of butter, never stopping the stirring. Soon it was a nice, sweet gloopy mixture. Leila put on her cooking gloves and remove the jar from the brazier, then waited so that the water could boil off, leaving her a perfectly clean brazier. She thought about just throwing the nuts in there and cooking as is, but realized that they would just burn. She needed something else for them. She stepped back inside, grabbing a jar of honey, her pouch of cayenne pepper, and a pouch of sea salt. She went back out, and grabbed a handful of both types of nuts, and sprinkled them into hot iron. She then sprinkled the nuts with the salt and cayenne pepper over the nuts, letting them roast just a little bit, making sure to keep her eyes away from the fire. She didn't want burnt cayenne floating up and blinding her. Giving it just enough time, Leila then drizzled the honey over the nuts. She was happy at the way this was all smelling. Her entire atmosphere smelled of pepper, cooking nuts and the sweet honey, and the many herbs growing around her. She knew she had several chimes to cook these, then she'd have to reheat the caramel, make some more paper cones and she had a fine treat. Grading ModeratorPurchases: 10 pounds of Walnuts = 3gm 10 pounds of Hazelnuts = 5gm

[Arvan]

Arvan inhaled a deep breath,filling his lung with fresh summer air. His neck was stiff and a light headache pained him back at his room. He decided to gave himself a walk. It was a tough week at the university. He should admit that his first week didn't come as easy as he hoped. He need fresh air and may be a nice fly trip would be great. He stretching his hand skyward, loosen the stiffness that hung thickly shoulder. He cannot have a nice fly today, he must go to the city to get some books and ink vials. It won't be good if he showed up naked at the town.

Arvan stride through the university walls that caged him for week, light bag bouncing cheerfully at his back. Arvan knew it would start to scream once he load it with some heavy books. He need to resupply for further notes on his subjects. The seaside city was started to torture him, the spring breeze was gone and the humidity thicken. The fishy smell of the street seems to multiplied and cool shades of building was like an oasis among deadly desert. Arvan walked swiftly at the stony pavements, tried to cover himself from the burning orb. Dirk told him that summer was realm of Sivah's a joyful god of celebration, though Arvan couldn't get any relation from summer and celebration. May be it's the 'heat' that relate the two? May be its the smell? May be its the spirit? Arvan didn't have much time to asked Dirk about that. The Old man seems to have some serious research that he didn't have much time for the Kelvic. Arvan turned at several road to avoid crowded street. It has been a while and he know the street better know. It would be a longer way but it didn't matter. He needed it to refresh his mind. He pick the road that led him to more quiet street, Arvan like this part of the city, it was nearer to the mountain that was already a part of himself since he was born.

A sweet scent drag him back to reality. A delicate aroma of caramel, honey and pepper, tickling his nose and triggering his saliva. Someone was cooking a good meal somewhere near. Enchanted by the nice smell and almost by instinct, he walked swiftly to find it. It wasn't long before he get himself in front of "Leila Soothing Salves and Clinic", it has many plants and weeds that grew on pots. Arvan know little about plants but at least he know that it wasn't there for decorative purpose. A young women sat near a cooking fire at the garden.

"Nice day to have a nice meals, ma'am?"