Post by Sophia Durham on Feb 27, 2020 22:09:28 GMT
Karina was exhausted.
Business had been good. Overly so. It was pretty fantastic, but it was also exhausting.
She helped the last customer at her counter, following the young woman to the door and closing it behind her - locking it quickly so no one else could enter. She leaned against the door with a deep sigh, looking over the shop with wide eyes. Her shelves were bare! Well, there were a few stragglers - a couple potion bottles here and there. But mostly empty.
The ground trembled slightly with Karina's irritation.
She quickly recovered, pushing herself away from the door and over to the shelves, rearranging the bottles to pull them closer to the front.
Moving over to a few of the plants on the shelf, she touched them gently, causing more leaves to grow. They would need to if she was going to brew more potions. She picked a few of the leaves of the first plant, turning them over in her hand.
She leaned against the counter again, another deep sigh escaping her.
Normally Gavin, the cook aboard his vessel, The Wolfsbane, took care of making sure their galley's storerooms were fully stocked, but the last the Captain had checked he'd found the big, lovable, oaf passed out over a tavern table with, what Finn was sure, had been a belly full of mead and stew. Normally he might've thrown something at the man and shoved him out the door to do the job he'd been signed on for, but honestly it was a hassle to try to wake that guy up and after the chaos of his past few days Finneas could use a leisurely stroll through the market, securing shipment orders for his vessel down at the docks. It was late in the evening now, the sun starting its downward trip below the horizon line as it cast an orange pall across the clear, open sky. Finn was pretty sure he'd collected everything they would need before setting back out to sea, running the list through his head several times over, just to be certain. There were no markets on the open ocean, unfortunately, and it was a terrible fate to be lacking any items necessary for ones survival. Once he was absolutely certain he was done with his necessity shopping, he decided to let his eyes drift about the shops all around him, his hands tucked away into the pockets of his billowing coat that caught the breeze coming off the ocean. He had to close his eyes to take in that scent he treasured so dearly. Nothing smelled better, nor more liberating, than the salty sea air. How the people who lived much further inland managed without it, he would never understand.
It was then he noticed a peculiar little shop. "Sunshine and Moondust" the sign read, catching the Pirate's fickle attentions as he looked the place over. He could swear he'd felt a vibration running through the ground emanating from somewhere within the place, but it was so brief he thought he must've imagined it. Still, the sensation had certainly piqued his interest as he moved to the door, noting the place seemed to be closed now, but he swore he saw movement from within. The Captain moved to a different window, getting a better view as he cupped his hands to the glass panes to block out the waning sunlight's glare. There was indeed a girl in there. Rather young to be managing a shop all on her own, though, wasn't she? He couldn't make out anyone older around, within, but he noted the way her hands simply brushed across the leaves of her plants and they sprouted more. Magic. Fascinating!
His finger tapped against the window, aiming to get her attention as he pointed to the plant she'd made grow before his very eyes with a simple touch, miming an explosion bursting out of the side of his head to indicate how impressive and cool he thought it had been to see such a thing, first hand.
"All Sins can be forgiven when somebody loves you"
Post by Sophia Durham on Feb 27, 2020 22:53:24 GMT
With how busy Karina had been, she completely missed that there was someone at her window. She was usually pretty aware of her surroundings, but at this moment, when she was so tired... She just wanted to go to sleep, though she knew she had many hours ahead of her before she could. She needed to get a lot of the potions restocked before she could sleep. There was no way that she could open her shop tomorrow with the shelves looking as they did.
The tap at the window caused her to jump, and she spun towards it.
She was surprised to see a man at her window, tilting her head slightly to the side as he motioned towards the plant and then made the motion with his hand near his head. It took her just a moment, before she understood what he meant.
A ringing laugh escaped her, noting that he must have been impressed with what she had done, before she moved over to the window and opened it slightly. "We're closed... but thank you for the compliment." A slight blush crossed her face as she looked at him, not exactly used to too much attention from others.
A chuckle passed stubbled lips when she jumped at his presence and rubbed the back of his neck a bit sheepishly, clearly having not intended to give the poor lass a tiny heart-attack or anything of the sort. His grin broadened into a wide and friendly smile as she moved towards him and cracked the window that separated them. He took a step back to not be pressed to the glass any longer, eyeing the girl up and down with a flicker of curiosity glistening in the depths of eyes the same color of the ocean he called 'home'. "Apologies, love," sneaking a peak at the bare looking shelves behind her, though they brushed across what few wares still remained, wondering what sort of things one sold at a shop like this. Cures? Tonics? ...Love potions? Hah- no that was no different to taking advantage. He was incorrigible, sure, but he'd never so much as taken advantage of even a knackered woman in all his life. If one was too drunk to make coherent decisions, well, then he assumed the party was over and at most he'd simply guide them to their doorstep.
"I saw you were closed, didn't mean to intrude," he explained, his eyes once again back on the girl, "I was just strolling through and felt- drawn to the shop." Had there really been a tremor, before? He still wasn't sure. "Noticed the display of magic and was just so fascinated by it I felt I had to convey my amazement at such a sight." His arms propping himself up on the windowsill between them as he rested his elbows upon it.
Still, no one older than her appeared to question the 'untrustworthy pirate' talking to the girl who appeared to only be a little over half his own age. He'd always been a tad more childish in nature than his age conveyed, however. Call it a lack of parental supervision growing up or a penchant for doing what he pleased when he pleased, regardless, it was just who he was. "You can't possibly run this whole job on your lonesome can ya, lass?" his brow furrowing, feeling more concerned by the thought than anything. "That seems a hefty load for a solitary beauty." His tone more complimentary than flirtatious- he could be a 'Don Juan', but hitting on a girl with such a vast difference in their ages? He may be a Pirate, but he wasn't a Pig.
"All Sins can be forgiven when somebody loves you"
Post by Sophia Durham on Feb 27, 2020 23:43:18 GMT
Karina smiled as Finn rubbed the back of his neck and apologized, shaking her head gently, trying to assure him that it was no problem.
"Sorry.. I just didn't see you there. I'm a little.. tired." Another gentle chuckle escaped her.
When he said he was drawn to the shop, and apologized again for bothering her when they were closed. "Don't worry, it's not a bother at all. And thank you." She watched him prop himself up on the window, herself leaning against the little ledge next to the window.
He spoke again, asking about whether she ran the shop on her own, and then complimenting her again. She flushed once more, before nodding.
"This is my store, yes. And it can be a lot at times... but I love it." She motioned towards the shelves when she spoke of it being a lot, but looked back at him again with a smile.
"My mother taught me well, she owns a little shop in Moten which I worked in when I was a child. I got used to the work."
She wasn't in the habit of telling her life story to strangers, but at the same time, she wanted to let him know she wasn't just a young child and knew her way around the world. Well, a little.
"I can understand that," sympathizing with enjoying something despite the work it entailed, "Many have told myself I'm a tad too young to be Captain-ing my own vessel." Nodding at the camaraderie of the struggle. Granted, he didn't do it on his own. He had his first mate watching his back and a crew he considered like a family. Still- leading a group of men and women that looked to you for direction when most of the time you didn't have nary an idea where you were heading, yourself? It got a bit weighty at times.
Moten, huh? "Can't say I've spent much time in Moten. 'My kind' aren't exactly well liked there. Act as if I'd want anything to do with running away on one of their ships when none compare to the beauty I already own," scoffing at the very notion of it. Their military vessels might be bigger, shinier, more expensive. But none matched his Wolfsbane for heart or speed. He'd spill his own blood to keep her safe from harm. The lass did seem tired, though. He felt bad for keeping her while he got the sense she still had other things to wrap up before she'd be able to head off for the night and get some well deserved sleep. Poor dear.
"Anything I can do t'help you get on out of here and get some shut eye-?" He winced after the words had left his mouth. Maybe it was a stupid question. He suddenly felt like an idiot for asking, having briefly forgotten most didn't exactly like the 'helping hands' of a Pirate. He was a thief, yea- and sometimes he aimed to rob a place of some sparkly things that caught his eye, but this wasn't exactly a nobleman's vault. There was nothing within that caught his 'treasure seeking' eye, he just felt the benevolent mood of lending a hand. But, he wouldn't be offended if she just told him to take a hike and slammed the window in his face. It wouldn't be the first time his good intentions were met with scrutiny because his fingers seemed to stick to glittery baubles.
"All Sins can be forgiven when somebody loves you"
Karina's eyes widened when he spoke of captaining his own vessel, for the very reason that he said. He did seem awful young for that - growing up in Moten she saw plenty of captains, and they were most often quite a bit older.
"That's very impressive!" She smiled again, thinking about her mother and her home in Moten.
When he spoke of Moten, she frowned just a little. His kind? She was just a little confused about that, but he did know about the shipbuilders in Moten. And.. running away with a ship? Interesting...
Captain. Stealing a ship.
Pirate?
She frowned again, not sure what to make of the situation.
He spoke again, offering his assistance. Could she trust this man? It wasn't like she had anything super valuable in the shop. Well, she had money.. and if the man was a pirate?
But for some reason, she felt like she trusted him, if only a little.
"Maybe you could help, a little..." She motioned for him to go over to the door, closing the window and heading over to unlock the door and open it for him.
The Pirate was openly surprised but the fact she hadn't started swatting a broom at him or conjuring up some sort of incantation to turn him into a newt or some such. Could a witch do that? Turn you into newt? He wasn't sure he really wanted to know the answer to that question as he moved to the door where she welcomed him inside, a broad smile warming his face. "Uh- just for full disclosure," he started, "I am a Pirate." He wasn't entirely certain she was overly aware of that fact given how welcoming she was being for his aid. "But! I have less than zero intentions for robbing you," raising his hands and then forming an X over his heart in a sort of 'on my honor' oath. "Just got my duties done for the day, gathering gear for my ship, and have some time to kill. And let's just say me and idle hands are a jittery companionship." He lingered to take in the shop, chancing to pick up a vial of- something? He had no clue what, giving a sniff and pulling back as floral and earthen scents assaulted his sensitive wolf-nose. "So, uh- what do these things even do? Like....if I drank one could I sprout wings? Oh..that would be fantastic. The fae lookout on my ship? Young lad by the name of 'Pix'- he has wings. Man, I bet there's no freer feeling in the world than flight..." His eyes wondering in to the open air, clearly imagining what the sensation might be like. "Ah...sorry, I came in here to help you, not slow you down by asking a million questions, so-" he placed the vial back where he'd found it and brushed his hands together, "What d'ya need me to do, love? I've cleaned ships from top to bottom, I think I can manage a store."
"All Sins can be forgiven when somebody loves you"
Post by Sophia Durham on Feb 29, 2020 22:15:56 GMT
Karina tilted her head to the side when Finn admitted that he was a pirate, wondering if he actually had something sinister in mind. But then he promised not to rob her. Well, that didn't completely reassure her... but still.
She let him inside and closed the door behind him, re-locking it behind them. She studied him for a moment, listening to him as he admitted that he wasn't good at having nothing to do. Well, that was something they shared. She also was not a fan of being bored.
Not that it happened often while owning the shop.
She moved to the shelf to organize the few bottles that were left again, before turning to look back at Finn when he spoke once more. "Well, it depends." She nodded towards the vial he was holding. "That cures seasickness. It's good for people who maybe aren't as used to travel on a ship as you are." She grinned a bit at that, before picking another small vial off the shelf. "Treats headaches." She pointed at another, a small jar with a white paste in it. "That helps wounds heal faster."
She shook her head, though the grin was still on her face. "No flying though, I'm sorry." She motioned for him not to worry, "I like talking about my work."
She motioned again, this time towards one of the plants. "Get some more leaves, we need to make more poultice for wounds." She moved to the counter, grabbing out a large mortar and pestle, adding a few other things to it before waiting for the leaves. She looked back at Finn, realizing she didn't know what his name was. "Oh, and my name's Karina."
"Cure seasickness?" He mused, glancing back at the strange little vial. He'd never had the displeasure of experiencing such an affliction, but life on a boat, he'd met many men who struggled wit the issue. "You know there's an old seafarer's trick for that one?" He indicated the bottle in question, "Plug an ear with cotton and the sickness will fade. Only one ear, however, not both. Then you'll just be sick and deaf." He let out a soft sound of humor, the chuckle vibrating in the Pirate's chest as he strolled around the small shop front, eyeing what remained on the displays. It was a neat little place, to be certain. Not so different from an apothecary, but with a more broad range of cures for different ailments. Shame nothing in here could make you fly. He'd always wanted to experience the sensation, being a man who sought out the feeling of freedom like no other.
"Of course." Moving to the plant and running his fingers along the veins of the leaf. He didn't have the pleasure of seeing plants often, they didn't do well at sea and were a bit unnecessary aboard a ship. It didn't mean he didn't like them. He understood the marvels that they were and respected them, but between the Earth and the Sea, for him, the Sea won every time, no question. "Pleasure, Karina," the Pirate spoke up when she introduced herself, turning towards her to dip into a low bow with his arms spread out wide as he did so, "The name is Finn." Pulling himself back up to his full height with a cheeky grin sprawled across his lips, twirling about once more to head to the plant she had indicated. He felt weird about the idea of just tearing the leaves off. He didn't know much about plants, but it seemed rather rude to tear its little self limb from limb. Instead he pulled a small knife, he often used for cutting rope aboard his ship, from his pocket and started trimming the leaves from the plant until he had, what he imagined, was probably a substantial enough pile.
Finneas stood alongside Karina and placed the leaves neatly beside her on the counter. "Will this be enough?" he inquired after having put his blade away, "I can get more, I imagine. It just felt rude to leave a woman bare," gesturing back to the plant, indicating the 'woman' in question.
"All Sins can be forgiven when somebody loves you"
Karina turned back to Finn as he spoke of the trick to lessening seasickness, nodding her head slightly. She had heard that before, but the small vial that he was holding was much more effective. "That works better." She grinned slightly, shrugging her shoulders. She knew that some people didn't want to pay for the vial, though she really didn't charge that much. "I don't know that I'd like to be even half deaf on a ship." She hadn't really traveled much, from here to Moten wasn't a big deal. It was land travel, nothing over water. She wasn't sure she'd even like traveling on a ship.
She smiled again when he introduced himself, Finn."It's a pleasure to meet you, Finn. And thank you for the help."
She watched him as he carefully cut the leaves from the plant, smiling softly as she continued adding things to the mortar on the table.
Karina nodded her head as he asked if the leaves were enough, motioning towards the mortar. "That's perfect. You can put them in here." She shook her head again, motioning towards the plant, which began to grown more leaves again. "It's fine, Finn." She grinned at him once more, mixing the few things in the mortar before Finn added the leaves that he had. She added some liquid from another small jar, and continued mixing, this time whispering words softly as she did so.
Evidently his discretion with the greenery was unneeded as the plant began repairing itself all at once, just like he'd witnessed before, wondering if this young lass were not secretly the goddess Gaia given human form. He'd witnessed many wonders in his travels, but magic was one that never ceased to bring a glimmer to his eyes like the waves of his watery mistress. It was a treasure he could not wield, not unlike his desire for flight. Sadly, like all things one could not have, it only made him yearn for it all the more. Some in this world had been granted such marvelous gifts and yet his remained a monstrous beast that took hold beneath the full light of the pale moon and stole his mind and his control away from him, leaving behind nothing but a fanged creature as if molded in the depths of Hell sent to this earthly plane only to cause pain and misery to others. He supposed he'd drawn the short straw when it came to magic, gifts, and curses.
Still, the time wasted lamenting his birthed destiny served no one any good. All he could do now was his best to never allow that beast out again to wreak bloodshed and havoc among the innocents. He was a bringer of death in the presence of one who made life. Perhaps that's why he was so drawn to her. The pirate felt envious of that power. ...Positively green with it. Chuckling at the private joke in his mind.
He'd taken up a perch on a table out of her way, resting atop it to observe her process with rapt attention like a child watching baked goods rise in the oven in anticipation of biting into their sweet and gooey centers. "Absolutely astounding," he whispered, afraid to exclaim too loudly and disturb her from her process. It was clear his mind raced with questions, a newborn discovering a new world. How did it work? Could she mend a broken bone? Could she talk to plants and if so what did they say? He wanted to ask them all, but he feared breaking her focus, occupying himself by rolling a coin across his nimble and deft fingers, clearly not lying when he said he could not tolerate keeping himself entirely still. "What does it feel like?" he finally had to ask. One of the questions burning through his brain like a raging fire. His own curse felt like breaking bones and tearing skin. He had to imagine the flow of magic was nowhere near as brutally unpleasant as all that.
"All Sins can be forgiven when somebody loves you"
Karina had never really questioned her gifts, always knowing that she had the Salazar witches behind her. Her father had been a rather gifted earth elemental as well, which just seemed to boost her witch gifts. She had practiced with him quite often when she was a child, though she lost him at a fairly young age. She had done more work with her mother, though the plants were definitely her father's gift.
She heard Finn speak in appreciation while he was watching her, smiling slightly as she continued to mix.
The mixture in the mortar changed color, to the white paste that she had originally shown Finn in the small jar. She sighed softly, setting the pestle down and looking up at Finn once more.
He spoke again, and she shrugged slightly. "I mean, it's pretty amazing." She wasn't really one to brag, but she did love her gifts and she loved being able to help people with them.
"I feel stronger when I use it, when I'm actively doing something I mean. And it makes me feel happy." Another slight shrug, she wasn't really sure how else to describe it. "It feels like a song." She'd felt that before, the music almost.
Grabbing smaller jars from under the counter, she scooped the white paste into each of them, tightening lids on them.
"It also depends on what I'm doing, I guess. Like, potion making is my favorite and it feels good. But I can spell objects too, or something like that. That's a little different."
The Pirate nodded as the elemental witch answered his question. Her words calming, in a way. He'd imagined it felt something like that, perhaps. Though he knew he'd never truly understand the sensation, but it was utterly fascinating to hear her version of the process with which the healing magics flowed through her. It was sweet the way she sought to help people, heal them. He was a Pirate, but not a violent nor malicious man. He simply loved living by his own rules, one of them being to never hurt an innocent (despite the wolf within disregarding that number one law) and another that he never stole from those who could not afford to be stolen from. Only took from those who had more than they could need. Besides, those ones usually had the shiniest little baubles just lying around like disregarded toys having no clue how men died in streets for just a brush of that sort of wealth. It was a bit disgusting really. He wasn't super fond of most nobles, at least not the "pompous rub it in your face" sorts. Those really got under his skin and almost begged with him to be relieved of their goodies.
But actually helping people? The must do a soul good. If spirits were visible on the outside of a being he could imagine the pure white that emanated from Karina. "That sounds beautiful." His eyes drawing a distant look as he turned his head to stare through the window, though it was clear in his vacant gaze that he wasn't really seeing anything in his eye-line. "You are an amazing person, love. Not many in this world would see a hand reaching for help and offer it in turn. In my experience they're more likely to steal your coin purse and leave you dying in the street. World could use more pure souls like yers. Good on ya."
"All Sins can be forgiven when somebody loves you"
Karina's face turned a deep red as Finn spoke, looking down at the counter in front of her. She shifted slightly, unsure what to say.
She had always been this way, her mother had taught her to help people. She owned the shop in Moten, and Karina had really never known anything different. Her mother had instilled that kindness in her, and honestly, the Salazar witches had always had a positive relationship with Atelus. Wanting to help people was in her soul.
She looked back up at him after she had calmed slightly, smiling at him.
"Thank you, Finn. It's always just been something I've done, and my family as done." She frowned slightly as she looked at him, thinking about what he had said. She hoped it wasn't true, but she had seen a bit of darkness in the world. And unfortunately, Finn seemed to be part of that.
"What made you decide to be a pirate?" She blurted it out, realizing after the fact that it might have been a little too pushy. "Sorry." She apologize quickly after that, hoping that she hadn't made him angry. She was curious though, he seemed like a kind man. And from what she knew of pirates, they hurt people. They were thieves yes, but there was something a lot darker there as well. And that worried her, she had let him in her place...