Not quite coming home (Gossamer)

Theying · August 7, 2007, 09:14 PM

It had been five patterns since Theying had left this shop in the care of Zenox and been tricked by that damn magical cat through that damn magical portal. The fact that he had found the woman he would later marry on the other side not withstanding. It was just so strange that he would open a shop and be so forcibly removed so soon after its opening.

He hadn't heard a thing from them in a few eras, but that's not strange considering the city had closed due to Pox, been visited by Allerians, and who knows what else. Theying didn't quite know what had happened, he had been sending back things when he had access and getting profits. But, that stopped rather suddenly which worried the master herbalist.

It was one of the first things he did upon arrival in Alleria Prime was to meander back to the place where his store once sat at his signature pace. His normal unhurried but focused method of travel led him to a place that was somewhat different than what he remembered, and quite alive. The place breathed with life, which as wonderful but even without seeing the sign with another's name on it the whole establishment didn't feel like his once did.

He strode into the establishment, and wandered over to the counter. The varieties in evidence were well balanced and varied, it all looked very well run. So, there was nothing to do but ask. "Excuse me," the rather unimposing young man inquired. "May I ask who owns this place?"

Gossamer · August 7, 2007, 10:12 PM

Nana Causta smiled brightly. She had a few good teeth left, so she wasn't self-conscious at all about her smile. Actually, on the Medonian the smile looked shocking... white against black. "Why hello there. Admiring my shop are you? I'm the owner. Nana's my name. What exactly can I do for you today?" She asked, coming around the corner. She could smell a customer when one walked through the door. Perhaps he was here for a tincture to help him with his stiff joints, or maybe he needed some nice Ticaka Powder for a beautiful young mistress. Either or... the man was definitely here for something. It made her smile, and she extended her hand to him. "A tincture perhaps, or some powder? Even a plant? We have numerous ones in the greenhouse upstairs. I can even give you advice about the soils and treatments for raising up delicate orchids the right way. Or maybe its aloe your after. We have a special on it this week." She announced cheerfully.

Theying · August 7, 2007, 11:27 PM

"I don't need anything at the moment," Theying answered. "I can normally keep myself supplied with the herbs that I need. I happen to have some skills in that respect myself. But what I'm really interested in is that greenhouse on the second floor, I've been trying to figure out how to reproduce that and have found myself rather at a loss."

The master herbalist knew that he should probably start asking about how ownership had been transfered, but there were some interesting things that he wanted to learn about first. He really hoped that something could be worked out with this old woman, quite frankly Theying was quite happy with what this Nana had done with the place.

Gossamer · August 18, 2007, 01:05 AM

Nana smiled. "Why it was easy, really, laddy. I took the shop as it was, and punched through the ceiling. Then I had a whole parcel of them ratta lug up the panes of glass from that shoe factory that closed down. They scrounged the windows when the entire building was auctioned off, and sold them to me for 50 crowns a pane... and they were huge panes. I paid them 75, and they moved them in place upstairs for me. I had a carpenter ready, and he installed them as we moved them up. Then... then the end there? See? On the north side, it has two panes set into the roof that open by pulleys to let the heat out. Thats a great thing, you know? Venting in the summer. And in the winter, I gots oranges. Can you imagine?" She grinned, and leaned forward.

"So how come you can keep yourself supplied in herbs? You a merchant?" She asked, leaning on the counter. They were now speaking the same language, and thats what she liked talking about. But it suddenly occurred to her the man hadn't offered his name. "And just who might you be anyhow... you have me at an advantage. You know my name....." She said, grinning toothlessly at him.

Theying · August 18, 2007, 01:17 AM

"Really," Theying answered, quite surprised by the oranges. He had access to a greenhouse in Jaedaxia but that was mostly for climate control against snowstorms, not for growing off-season plants. He really wished that idea had occured to him. That would be quite interested to do.

"I'm a herbalist myself," the master herbalist responded. "And I guess you could all me a merchant, although situations beyond my control forced me to neglect that side of things for quite some time. I don't imagine you would have heard of me, but I'm Theying."

Gossamer · August 18, 2007, 01:51 AM

Nana looked at him curiously. Then she frowned at his words. "You used to own this place?" She asked boldly? "Thats the name that was on the paperwork when the Aedile sold me the place." She said, though she hadn't heard of him outside of a name written on paperwork, nor did he seem familiar in any other way.

"What sort of situation would cause a man to abandon his own shop and stop paying his taxes to the point the city reclaims the wreck? It was totally abandoned when I bought the property. And I only picked this one because it was set up good for plants. That well pipe runs all the way upstairs so I don't have to haul buckets now. Thats good when your as old as men." With that she leaned back against the counter, studying the visitor with keen interest. It would be amusing to finally meet the missing owner.

Theying · August 18, 2007, 02:24 AM

"Yes, that would be me," Theying answered. "The whole story is rather embarrassing. I never intended to leave the shop, or especially stop paying taxes, there was this crazy magic portal... thing, and the next thing I know I'm in Jaedaxia. In fact I got a fellow by the name of Zenox to make sure that this very thing would not happen, he was looking after things and then the walls closed and the Feeble Pox came. I don't quite know what happened, maybe the Feeble Pox got him... but I heard from him after that ended for some time yet. I meant to come here to sort things out, but then my wife had kids who were rather sickly at first... How am I supposed to leave that? When I finally make it back here I find that this place has a new owner." He sighed deeply, as he knew that he had been rambling again.

"Yeah, I wasn't able to do much with the place when I first got it," the master herbalist said, snapping out of the little funk that he has settled into during that explanation instantaneously and without warning. "But I was able to move things to provide for that well pipe. It's a shame that I never got a chance to finished it when I was here."

Gossamer · August 25, 2007, 11:08 PM

Nana nodded, and patted Theying on the shoulder. She smiled knowingly. "Its a good thing, lad, you looked out for your family like you did. Thats right noble of you. And good for me too. I got to realize my dream! I built this place up from almost nothing. I added the second story, expanded the inventory, and now we thriving. Thriving! I am having a slow month if I bring in 5,000 crowns a month. Can you imagine? I wonder how well you did when you owned it? Bet not so well." She smiled, and leaned back against the counter.

"Well, its good you got things back together, and organized. What are your plans for the future? You going to open a business and compete with Nana dear? That would prove interesting." She acknowledged with a toothless grin. "Or are you looking for work? I could definitely hire on a Master Herbalist if thats indeed what you are. I could use the extra help. But I'd have to test your knowledge first. Indeed I would...." She said, gesturing to the vastness upstairs.

It was clear to Theying that Nana was the chatty sorts. She didn't ever keep things to herself, and was probably used to visiting it up to the entire neighborhood when circumstances dictated. And by the amount of people who wandered in and out as they were talking, and decided to come back later, it was obvious the place was popular.

"Would you like any tea?" She asked suddenly, gesturing for him to take a seat at the counter upon one of the four stools there.

Theying · August 26, 2007, 12:32 AM

This was a problem. Nana was quite possibly doing a better job of all this that he could. He really didn't want to do anything bad for everyone.

"I was hoping that I could somehow get my shop back," the young mad said whisfully. "But, it seems that you are doing a much better job than me. If it was just me alone I might take you up on that offer. However, my wife was born Jaedaxian and she absolutely refuses to move. It would be impossible for me to stay. Although, I have already founded a new place in Paxia. If at all possible, I would like to keep you in charge of this place but maybe we could strike an arrangement. Do you think that it would be possible for me to try to buy part of this place? It's nostalgic being my first place of business and all. I don't intend to take the place from you, but I would like to still be a part of this place."

Gossamer · August 31, 2007, 05:19 PM

Nana looked thoughtfully at Theying. She was a business woman, but she didn't like the idea of someone owning a business outside of the area... then being absent. "You know, I don't really want to sell it. I'm sorry, but you'd be out of town and why own something you cant watch over? It's not profitable in the least, even with a trusted business partner. Besides, buying into this place now would be very expensive. It's worth a whole lot, and I have grandchildren that want to take it over someday if I live long enough." She said thoughtfully, then gave him another look.

"Jaedaxian you say? There's plenty of things I'd like to get brought over from there a few times a year... say every other month. Instead of buying a shop so very far away, why don't you instead start supplying shops from Jaedaxia. There's lots of flora there we can't get here because of your extreme weather. I'd love to get snowberry, frost plums, all sorts of things sent in, but no one supplies herbs exclusively. Thats what you outta do instead of waisting your time plunking money into a place you won't be visiting often. Start a supply line. Run it out of Jaedaxia. I'd be all for that, and one of your first and biggest customers." She grinned at him a second time, just as toothlessly as the first time around.

"Why, I'd be able to put in about a 500 to 1000 crown order every two months, and if you can get other herb shops along the way to do the same, you'd make more than you would owning a shop." She said, then nodded proudly at her idea.

Theying · August 31, 2007, 09:50 PM

OOC: I'm assuming you meant "Flora" not "Fauna", I am fairly certain that Nana doesn't want a majestic moose.

IC:
"That would be a wonderful compromise," Theying said. "I would allow me to still be a part of my first business and let you do whatever you want with it." It really satisfied his needs, and she was right this place didn't even feel his any more. Although there was some more things.

"Oh, you wouldn't need anything out of Arium, would you?" He inquired. "I have been teaching some people in Paxia the herbal arts. Their local herbalists were almost entirely wiped out by the invasion and fire. Those who have survived and those I have trained are still suffering the effects of the twin disasters, I could get you stuff from there as well."

He had just a garden in Jaedaxia at this point, and he didn't get along well with the new owners of the D'Hiver shop well. In order to regularly supply such local herbs he would need new space in town. He would have to do that as soon as he got home. It was a good thing that he kepted things written down.

But what the feth were frost plums?

Gossamer · September 1, 2007, 03:04 PM

ooc: Yup, Flora not fauna.. it was late/early! And I hope you meant plums the fruit not plumbing! Hahah, listen to us two. Quite the pair.

"Well, sure I'd need stuff from Arium. And I'd like to send things there too. We supply a lot of shops out west with rare plants we find in the pegasi woods. Most of them are quite lucrative. But shipping is horrendous and I hate finding distributors that know how to expedite live plants. Its not so bad with dried material or extracts, but the live is the problem. Do you think you could help with that? It might be easier for you than snapping up my shop." She said softly, and grinned once more toothlessly at him.

In fact, what Nana was suggesting was a realm-wide operating system for moving medicines and herbs around the Kingdom. It wasn't anything anyone had taken on yet, though it was quite possible, if someone was willing to take the time and run the system.

Theying · September 1, 2007, 03:15 PM

OOC: I have no idea what you're talking about.

IC:
He could talk people into shipping things across the empire, but that wasn't something he was quite sure he could handle anything large quite yet.

"Let's not quite get ahead of ourselves," the young man said diplomatically. "It would be good just to trade across between Paxia, Jaedaxia, and Alleria Prime for now, and we can see how it goes from there. I do have a number of things I need to nail down back home before I can risk marching down into the far south to talk things over in person."

Gossamer · September 1, 2007, 07:16 PM

ooc: Denial will get you everywhere. I saw the altered post. :P

Nana nodded. "Alright then. I will give you a list of what I need, and you can quote me prices and if they are reasonable enough, we have a deal." She took out a piece of parchment and began to write.

Quote:

Frost Plums, seedings (100-200)
Frost Plum, seeds (two bushels)
Hazelnut Trees (20-30 live immature 2'ft seedlings)
Mugwart Vine (starts and clippings fine, two dozen)
silverfrond fern (two dozen)
foxglove - red, yellow, or blue (100 starts or seedlings)
any unusual rose varieties of any quantity under 200
any unusual mint varieties of any quantity under 200
Spicebark Tree Seedlings (50-100)
Longrice sprouts (300-500)
Rope Hoya Vine (20-50 starts)
Wormwood Root (30-70 starts)

Nana then pulled out a hand-written sheet with a list of her store inventory and the quantity of supply she could provide. "Here's what I have if anyone either place wants anything. I can ship anything in good weather, so long as its not too hot or cold. So pass that along. And if you collect the same inventory lists from other herb shops, they and forward them, it might be that I have more to order." She smiled.

"Will I be hearing from you?" She asked curiously.