ellipsanet | video; un: calabash

Entry tags:

video; un: calabash

[Baizhu is currently in his apothecary in Sunwaning, with the wall of small, dark-wood shelves behind him. A couple of them are open, though only to remind him that they are empty. The man himself appears to be in good spirits.]

I understand that it is a festive season at the moment, for some worlds here.

[And such things do tend to spill over into Ellipsa itself, he's found. The doctor smiles.]

I usually keep myself to medicine, but given the circumstances we're all in, I have found reason to turn my hand to other things, what with my skill in mixing herbs and reagents. [No modesty there, and why should he?]

Tea infusions and fragrances, to be precise. I know that holidays and festivals come with traditions, including scents and tastes, and so I will ask which of these the people here associate with this time of year for some inspiration.

[A little chuckle leaves him.]

I'm afraid the answer that I would give is quite boring.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

You will find that there are a great number of them, and they may change from place to place! Incense, pine smells, peppermint, mulled wine -- which is disgusting, may I add, but so is regular wine, although in fairness I have only really partaken of church wine and that is not known for tasting very good in the first place -- ah, those chocolate orange things are popular, as well as many of both of those things separately, but I would assume that both chocolate and oranges would be difficult to acquire considering they need to be harvested from the Summer Segment? Or I would, but the shops seem to keep a decent stock from what I have seen.

Oh, of that I have no doubt! I fact I'm rather counting on it.

[A chuckle.]

The division of seasons across the segments does make acquiring stock easier than it could be. Though, do tell me about this 'mulled wine'.

It's this thing where people cook wine on the stove with mulling spices and also put raisins in it for some reason. I know not, it's just traditional.

( Thea sits with her chin propped in her hand, set against the backdrop of a moderately busy cafe. )

Teas, you say? ( Colour her interested. ) I'd quite like to try some, when that is a possibility.

( She shifts a little, waving off her registered interest in favour of responding to his own inquiry. ) Personally, I would first think of ginger and cinnamon. Then of mint and chocolate.

I wonder how someone might go about infusing the taste of chocolate into tea...

[Hmm. Things to ponder.]

The base would have to be very specific in order to properly compliment it.

Many teas can overlap with fragrances such as peppermint and cinnamon and apples. Gingerbread appears to be quite popular, so many of the ingredients could likely be found in teas as well. Many love the smell of cookies.

Pine is an oft used scent as well.

And I'm sure you can't go wrong with chocolate.

Chocolate has been mentioned more than once. Though I'm not certain it was the intention, I'm wondering how it might be used in an infusion.

[Baizhu laughs softly.]

I've spent so long concentrating only on medicine, it's refreshing to have a different pursuit.

I can relate. I retired from being a gleaner back home and have taken up exploring. A different but not wholly unique a pursuit. I'm sure the transition from medicinal tea to infusions won't give you too much trouble.

As for chocolate infusions, I'm sure there are ways. Chocolate is known to have some health benefits, so combining it with tea should prove successful much like it is with coffee.

Edited 2024-12-23 17:36 (UTC)

Indeed it is! But of course you would have some knowledge of such things.

[It's part of the reason Baizhu values him so much as a supplier - he often brings back things that he knows to have benefits in some way, rather than the usual array of interesting plants that Baizhu then needs to sort through to figure out what use he might have for them.]

I trust I can make use of your expertise in my new venture. You have always been reliable.

You certainly can, I thank you.

[Baizhu being one of his constant employers meant that Erenville generally had steady income, regardless if he took on extra quests from the adventurer's guild or not.]

To be honest, being here as made me adapt more to learning more of the flora than I normally would and your requests for supplies help.

[Just doing his part to help the community, and all that. Plus, Erenville is incredibly reliable, which helps him a great deal. To not have to worry about where he's going to get certain things means he can keep his attention elsewhere.]

Well, then. [A chuckle.] In that case, I am glad to be of service to you in some small way.

[A beat.]

Do you have a liking for chocolate? Or your partner, perhaps?

Seasonal options are a great idea.

[ Albedo looks momentarily thoughtful, then he answers. ]

I'm a fan of the sweeter scents and tastes. I tend to go for something like hot chocolate with a peppermint stick and marshmallows. [ Which isn't really what Baizhu is going for here. What can he say, he has a mega sweet tooth. ]

I'm sure things like mint, cinnamon, and ginger were mentioned. They seem to be pretty popular here. I also notice a lot of fruit like apples, cranberries, and oranges.

[Always delighted to see Albedo, Baizhu smiles brightly when the man's face appears on the screen.]

I'm certainly noticing a trend of similar preferences when it comes to this time of year.

[And he is dutifully making note of them, though he isn't sure how he's going to go about what he plans to do just yet. That's part of the fun, though, and Changsheng is definitely (quietly) relieved that he's turning his mind away from obsessing over immortality and repeatedly damaging his own health.]

Ginger is never a bad thing to be using in my opinion. It has a wide variety of medicinal uses and if it's popular as a flavour, then all the better.

It's definitely what I've seen around the shops here, too. You could also highlight teas that would pair well with the desserts and foods this season.

[ He looks thoughtful. ]

That's true, too. Ginger can do a lot of good. Mint can bee helpful, too. I'd be glad to pick up some new mixes from you when you have them.

It sounds to me like you're quite knowledgeable in medicinal herbs yourself, my friend.

[That's just a hint of a smile around the corners of his mouth.]

Perhaps you'd like to come and lend some assistance?

Master liked me to have a diverse education since it can come in useful for alchemy, as well. Though my knowledge doesn't come close to yours.

[ As if he'd say no. He enjoys working with Baizhu! ]

But I would be glad to lend any assistance I can.

Oh, you flatter me.

[That's not to say he does not enjoy said flattery. He enjoys it quite a bit.]

I'm sure I can find more than a little use for a fresh pair of eyes. Do come by when you have the time.