Closed The Business of Hunger (Nellie)

[Kechaiya]

Timestamp: Fall 30, 514 Location: Sunset Quarter Time: Around the 11th Bell Kechaiya was having trouble focusing on the task in front of her. She was working on separating marigold plants, but the cramping and empty stomach of hers was crying out to be filled. She was using a small blade from her Herbalist's kit to carefully cut the leaves away from the stem, and set them in a pile. It was slow, meticulous work, for she was trying to make her cuts perfect, so as to not be wasteful. After removing the leaves from the three plants, she cut the root systems off, for she hadn't learned of any use for them. She then cut the flowered heads off, for they were the more important aspect. Laying down the the knife, she grabbed a small set of tweezers from the kit. Using one hand to hold the flower head steady, the other used the tweezers to pluck petals from it. She made two piles, one for petals that remained whole when removed, and the other for those that broke. Unfortunately the latter grew more larger than the former as she worked. When she was finished, she swept the whole petals into a glass jar. She then discarded the petal-less flower heads and stems. She considered trying to eat them, but knew the bitter taste would likely make her vomit, and she didn't feel like losing even more nutrition. The petals were a garnish at best, and provided little nutrition, and as such, were more valuable to sell or use in her medicines. Getting up from her table, she decided she'd try her luck at gathering food outside of the city. She put her supplies away, storing them in her backpack, then slipping her arms through it. The cloak came on next, hood covering her head, and dagger in hand. Slowly, she made her way to the edge of the city. Upon arriving however, there were several groups of men and women fighting and shouting at one another. People were starving, which led to desperation, which led to fighting. Kechaiya decided this was too dangerous for now and turned back. Making her way back home, ignoring the pains she felt, she decided that if she survived this, she would find a reliable way to grow, catch, or create her own food. Money can't buy food if there is no food to buy. Her gait was slow, winding now through the Sunset Quarter nearing ever closer to her home. Perhaps one day she could buy a small plot of land and grow food there. She wasn't sure if she would be able to protect the crops from starving people. But she couldn't let herself get in this situation ever again.

[Nellie Hawkins]

Struggling slightly with her basket, Nellie frowned at the sky; it was much later than she'd anticipated, but who'd have guessed that the docks would be literally covered with new "fishermen" all plying their lines? Or waiting around to steal the catch from a lucky neighbor?

Nellie had taken one good look at her favorite pier and hightailed it in the other direction. She'd ended up picking her way along a rocky outcropping and spent what had been a surprisingly fruitful couple bells fishing. Though it was an inconvenient perch, located much farther out than she liked to venture alone, it was also teeming with fish. The location made for rather isolated fishing, with zero competing fishermen, and in nearly no time her basket had been filled with glistening, gaping fishy goodness.

Which posed another problem: how to get the petchers home without being robbed of them, or worse?

In the end, Nellie had simply wrapped her line around the handles and over the top, effectively tying her basket closed, and adopted as downtrodden a look as she could manage. It seemed to have worked, for she made it back to the Sunset Quarters unmolested and still in possession of her catch. Feeling only slightly safer in her own neighborhood, Nellie wasted no time dawdling and made straight for her own apartment.

Though her neighbors were typically peace-loving and calm, food had been scarce for some days now. Families were hungry, beggars were more common than ever, and, most disturbing, the local stray animals had started to go missing. Nellie found herself unwilling to dwell on what that might mean and simply tried to appreciate that there were fewer of the beasts running rampant in the streets than usual. Small blessings. But that was still no reason to tempt the Gods and so Nellie hastened to get her catch behind closed doors.

She had big plans for most of her fish. They wouldn't keep long as they were, and Nellie would only be able to eat so much before she simply couldn't continue. But salted and dried, the fish would last for a much longer time, ensuring that she would not need to venture out to the increasingly crowded and dangerous docks just to keep herself fed. Full of a good humor uncommon in the 'berth's residents these days, Nellie approached her apartment and set her basket and pole at her feet momentarily as she reached to open her door.

[Kechaiya]

Kechaiya, just about to her own apartment saw a neighbor several doors down. A dark haired woman, about her own age. Kechaiya saw the basket of fish the woman had, her stomach yearning for sustenance much more loudly. Her mind momentarily flashed to trying to steal the fish, but she shook it off. She was more likely to get injured than cause it, for she knew nothing about this woman. Opening her door to step inside, and endure another day and night of starving, an idea came to mind. Perhaps rather than trying a method of force or dishonesty, she would settle for a trade. Kechaiya had skills that could be put to use. She closed her door, and turned, facing the woman down the road. Her pride would not be hurt by this. It was not begging, but plying her trade. Death was too final to worry about silly things like pride and honor. She took a few steps toward the dark haired woman, raising both hands to the air, showing she had no weapon with her, and still keeping her distance. In broken Common, "You fish? I healer," gesturing with one hand to herself, "No be afraid, I no hurt. Just hungry." She didn't take a step closer, hoping to still appear harmless, "We trade? I find plants. Help you. You give fish. Trade." She didn't know if her voice or ebony eyes would convey both her sincerity and desperation, but she hoped so. Trying to think of the word she would need, "Talk trade, inside? So no one hear us?" She made no move nor gesture to either apartment, so the woman, should she accept the offer, would pick whichever location she would be more comfortable with to bargain in. It was all in her hands now. Kechaiya simply watched and waited, hands in the air, putting it all out there.

[Nellie Hawkins]

The broken common intruded into her happy mood and Nellie's head snapped up. Defensively, she moved her body between the stranger and her hard-earned fish, nerves on high alert until the words translated themselves in her mind.

A healer? A hungry healer. Though Nellie was, thankfully, not in poor health, the benefits of befriending a healer were not lost on her. Her eyes narrowed as she studied the stranger; a young woman, near her own age but smaller, with black eyes. And thin-faced, gaunt as most of Sunberth's residents were, especially lately. She stood with her hands raised, fingers open to indicate no weapons were present. Of course that could be a lie, weapons could be hidden elsewhere, they didn't need to take up much space to be deadly and a basket of fish was ample reason for violence these days.

Still, something about the young woman's demeanor suggested sincerity and Nellie was moved, in spite of herself. She gave the other girl a small nod before speaking, trying to keep the words simple. Clearly common was not this healer's strong suit.

"I 'ave fish," there was little point in denying it, after all, the basket was still in plain view. The little healer may be genuinely hungry and pose no threat, but there was no petchin' way Nellie was going to traipse into a strange apartment with a basket full of fish and no one to guarantee her safety. Mouth set in a firm line, Nellie reached to open her own door and beckoned the other girl to accompany her. "Come with me. We can trade."

Hefting her basket of fish once more, she led the way into her sparsely furnished home. A glance over her shoulder showed the healer was still alone in her request and Nellie relaxed the tiniest bit, shoulders losing some of the tense readiness that had appeared with the stranger's approach. Setting her basket on the only surface in the room, a rickety table that groaned in protest under the added weight, Nellie returned to the door and gestured impatiently for the woman to follow.

She gave no thought to the condition of her one room; the few pieces of furniture she owned were serviceable, if not fancy - if you didn't count the chair that looked suspiciously like it was being held together by luck and persistence. In addition, there was a solid hearth capable of a cheery blaze, but fuel was sometimes difficult to find and Nellie had no plans to rekindle the flame in its interior. Instead, she tugged her coat more tightly around her own thin frame, battling against the seemingly ever-present chill in her bones. In her mind, she registered the need for a new coat before winter truly set in; hers had served her well for years, but the seams had begun to fray, and the coat let in almost more cold than it kept out. I wonder if she 'as anythin' for this petchin' cold?

[Kechaiya]

Kechaiya was incredibly relieved that this woman was willing to trade. She watched her enter her apartment, placed her hands over one another, to keep them in view, and walked over to the woman's door. Deliberately waiting in the doorway for a moment, so as to not unduly startle, she crossed the threshold into the woman's home. Kechaiya immediately noticed that it was much draftier than her own apartment, probably out of sheer bad luck. In this quarter, some people's houses leaked, some were drafty, some flooded, it really was a crap shoot. She knew that winter was harsh for all of Sunberth, but in a home like this, it would be downright dreadful. Kechaiya knew she had to come up with something to offer, something of use. She could provide her medical services to the woman if she was ever in need, but that wouldn't be that enticing since she didn't need treatment right here and now. Thinking back to her previous thoughts, perhaps she could help with the impending winter. She knew of a few plants she could find that when added to food improved the blood in your body, and made you warmer. She also thought of the axes sitting under her bed, the ones she used to collect firewood that was stacked in the corner. Three things of varying value to trade with. Taking a deep breath, she began, her heavy accent evident, "I healer, Kechaiya, you fisher. You have food often yes? I have warm herbs and wood for fire often. I go to woods. I get herbs for warm for you. I share wood for fire too. I trade these for fish. If I no have wood or herbs for warm, I no get fish. If you no have fish, you no get herbs or wood. What think you?" She left out the bit about free medical services for now, knowing she needed food more than this woman needed any of what she mentioned. She needed a fall back, just in case.

[Nellie Hawkins]

At the healer's words, Nellie raised a brow, her interest entirely captured by the idea of warmth. Though she wasn't sure what 'herbs for warm' were, firewood was clear as could be - and would be more than welcome through the colder days. So, there would be a trade, then.

But Nellie had a merchant's heart and her sense of fair play had been heavily eroded by years in Sunberth, so she was determined to get the better end of this deal. After all, fish were harder to find than trees. You could go chop a tree down any time of day, any place a tree was growing. Fish had to be hunted, stalked, met on their own terms, at often inconvenient times of day. It was clear, in Nellie's mind, that her fish was the more valuable of the items on the table.

"Kechaiya," she nodded at the other woman, committing her name to memory, "I'm Nellie. I fish an' I dig clams. I would trade fer firewood, some. But what are," here she paused, trying to remember the phrase the other woman had used. "What are 'herbs fer warm'?" After all, she could hardly agree to a trade when she didn't understand what the offer was.

A few guesses flitted through her mind while she waited for the answer; some she dismissed out of hand. 'Food? Probably not.' If the herbs were food, Kechaiya would probably not be trying to barter with them. 'Spices, then? Or medicine?' The latter was the more likely, given the other woman's claim of being a healer. There were too many possibilities to continue discussions without solid facts.

If Kechaiya did offer medicines, Nellie would have to rethink the barter. Medicine could either be very valuable to have or a complete waste. She knew little about them, other than that most needed to be consumed or applied shortly after creation. Since she was absolutely not planning on falling ill or getting severely injured, it may be that Kechaiya's medicine would have very little value. On the other hand, if it were something that could be kept until needed without losing its potency... That was another thing altogether.

[Kechaiya]

Kechaiya liked the name, Nellie. It was pleasant sounding, compared to a lot of those that she'd heard in this city. She was quite surprised about the clams however. She thought clams lived in the ocean. How does one dig for clams? Are there ground clams and water clams? After this negotiation, she was determined to ask for the answer to this. It appeared that the woman also did not understand how she described the herbs. She thought about how best to explain it. She knew that it worked, and how they affected the body, but words in Common were still difficult to string together. But she would attempt it if it meant food. "Ah, herbs for warm, no make you warm like fire..." She tried to think of an accurate way to describe it, "When arm cold, and rub them, more blood goes into arm, yes. Herbs do same, but no rub and for whole body. Makes blood better. Not like wine. Wine lies. Make you think warm, but not really warm. Understand?" During this brief exchange, she used hand motions to help get her point across, first rubbing arm, then a spreading of the arms to indicate her entire self. "The herbs eat by self or add to food. Some taste food more, some bad. But all medicine, all help warm." She still did not through out the healing aspect of the deal. She couldn't tell if Nellie was leaning toward agreeing to the deal or wanting more, but she wasn't going to just give it away. If she asked, it was no water from her stomach to give it to her, but she had to work for it. The only charity Kechaiya gave was to the orphanages, and even that wasn't completely without benefiting herself.

[Nellie Hawkins]

Puzzled, Nellie thought about Kechaiya's description; the other woman's broken common was proving to be a challenge. Luckily, the healer seemed not to be getting too frustrated by the difficulties, allowing both herself and Nellie the time to work through the confusion.

It was a good sign, as far as Nellie was concerned; impatient people often resorted to force to get their way, just bulling through obstacles and people that were slowing them down. So, though the communication was slower than she was used to, she felt much better about her decision to barter with Kechaiya.

That the herbs were used for warmth, somehow, was clear. They could be added to food or not. They would taste more - good? - or possibly bad. But they would have a warming effect, in the same manner as rubbing your skin made it warmer, temporarily. Would the warming from the herbs go away just as quickly? How long would the effect, and the herbs themselves, last? More information was still needed.

"Kechaiya, how long will the herbs make me warm? For a bell? Longer?" Holding up first one finger, and then all five fingers, lifting her hand into the air, Nellie pantomimed 'uncertainty' as best she could, hoping that the gesture wouldn't confuse the healer. Though she knew what she was asking, too much flourish might only muddle the question. Dropping her hands to her sides, she smiled apologetically at her companion before continuing, "How long can I keep the herbs? Will they --" Nellie cut herself off, with a slight shake of her head. "Do the herbs go bad?"

Surely Kechaiya didn't have these herbs just laying around for convenience at all times; she'd indicated already that she may not have anything to trade at times, suggesting that they might not save for too long after harvesting.

[Kechaiya]

It seemed that the language barrier was less of an issue now, for Nellie had some more pertinent questions concerning the deal. Kechaiya took this as a good sign, "If herbs used with food, will keep warm until need to eat again. Not last as long if used by self. Can make tea, work for whole day." Kechaiya's stomach growled loudly, much to her own annoyance, but she acted like it hadn't happened. This woman certainly knew which questions needed asking. "Herbs need eat fresh. No as good when dry. Good for..." She leaned back, thinking, "Ten days." She emphasized this by holding up all of her fingers. She couldn't help herself but stare at the fish with her deep ebony eyes. "If do this, I gather herbs every... three days. Trade for fish and wood." Her loud grumbling finally broke Kechaiya's nerve. "And I doctor. If ever injured while this deal is, I fix, no mizas. I good doctor, fix lots of people." The desperation was now obvious, and Kechaiya knew she had just shown her entire hand. There was nothing more to offer aside from her body. She'd never been with a woman, but if she asked... she didn't know. She was now at this woman's mercy, a feeling Kechaiya absolutely despised, but times were tough. Kechaiya found herself now fidgeting in nervousness, most uncommon for the woman. The temptation was there to try and take the fish and run, but that only solved the problem of right now, not for the entire future. And it would also give her an enemy, even if she failed, which also was entirely possible. "I can go get herbs now if want trade. Not take long." She hoped that was true. She knew a few areas that they would be likely to be found. She really needed to grow her own when spring came around.

[Nellie Hawkins]

Nellie's brow furrowed; the fisherwoman was concentrating very hard to make sure she understood Kechaiya's explanations. Clearly the herbs needed to be added to something - food or drink - for best effect. Would they taste good with fish? It was probably best to stick with a tea whenever able. The healer had said that would last all day, where the food would last only a few bells, if she was understanding correctly.

A low rumbling noise emanated from the smaller woman as she continued to speak, a sound that Nellie found particularly interesting. Paired with the obvious and hungry stare the healer had fixed on the bucket of fish, though, it was a little disturbing. So far the two women had managed an entirely civil conversation, if a bit hindered by the language barrier. Nellie wondered with more than idle curiosity if the stranger would allow her desperation to lead to thievery.

Trying to appear casual, Nellie sidled in front of the basket of fish, using her body to block them from Kechaiya's view.

Ticking off the benefits one last time in her mind, Nellie weighed the value of the trade. Herbs to warm her, wood for her fire, and now the added bonus of medical attention, should the need arise. While the healer was in need of food, at least. Deciding that the offer was more than enough, and feeling as though she'd gotten the slightly better end of the deal, Nellie nodded slowly to Kechaiya, meeting the other woman's ebony eyes with her own serious gaze.

"Its a good trade, Kechaiya. Get th' herbs, an' I'll give ya fish. I'll even clean 'em while yer gone," she added, feeling generous and just the smallest bit sorry for the hungry woman. Did Kechaiya even know how to clean fish? Fishing was a simple skill to pick up, and the little healer could easily learn enough to keep herself fed with very little effort or expense.

Nellie thought it best not to mention that fact to Kechaiya.