Aroma of * a p o t h e c a r y || {Elmida + Aiden}}

Posts : 11 Join date : 2011-12-27

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The apothecary shop was thick with the smell of apples, chestnut, and herbal roots that couldn’t really be named by anyone who wasn’t in the profession. A soft tune could be heard, and for residents of Goewyn, it was an easily recognizable melody. The song sang of the moon, the rivers, and the magic of earth in a most natural blend of perfection. It sang of the creatures, and sacrifices they would make, the blood that would be spilled, so that the beauty of nature could be the only entity on earth with longevity and character. Even without the words, the softly hummed melody was invigorating and grandiose, but there was also a cool, unsympathetic joy that glided over each note, making the tune more eerie than the familiarity of the song.

The walls of the small shop were adorned with rustic, ornate frames that displayed only the dark, mud green wall paper behind them. The peculiar picture-less decoration was the undertone to an earthen space that housed a large wooden table, a few stools, and cabinets and shelves which lined neatly along the walls, clearly the works of the local wood crafter. There were flasks and bottles of various sizes that sat daintily atop the shelves, and occasionally, a messily written scrawl of a handwriting warned customers of delicate, breakable vessels and the danger of the substances inside.

On the table, several parchment sheets were spread out in an obvious lack of care, some even showing signs of being crumbled. There were diagrams and notes scribbled on the yellow parchment in the same handwriting as the warning posts. The diagrams mostly denoted flow of blood, body segments, and indications of bone joints and vital organs. There were also lists of diagnosis relating to minor and very common illnesses that plagued the human and supernatural species of Goewyn. Then, there was a booklet filled with simple prescriptions for wound healing, burns, and all the possible bodily trauma imaginable to men.

A large, lithe, black panther paced the room, staying close to a door in the far right corner which led to a bedroom of sorts. In the middle sat a large cauldron on top of a sinister, crackling fire, and hovering over it was a woman clothed in black cloak. The cloak looked handmade and worn, with mauve stitches sewn in the shapes of petals for decoration along the outer lining. She had wavy black hair that rippled down her back, accentuating her pale, waxy skin and cool grey eyes. Her eyes were fixated on the bubbling liquid in the cauldron and her lips were tirelessly mouthing words, phrases, and numbers as she stirred and added more of a black powdery substance. She was tall, but only in proportion to her lean physique and bony exterior. At the age of forth-seven, Elmida was still an impressionable witch, but she had already lost traces of her youthful beauty and softness that witches often are famed for, in comparison to some of the other super natural beings that roam the land of Rioghan.

“Come, Lincoln, and bathe in the glory of this delight.” She whispered adoringly to her companion. Her voice was soft but articulate and clear, almost undeniably commanding. It was barely audible over the loud roar of the fire, but the panther immediately picked up her beckoning, as if it was a telepathic message. The panther hissed and trotted into the back room, his tail characteristically swiping the floor in fluid motion as he propelled himself forward. Elmida reached out and scratched the patch of soft fur between his ears as he approached her. “The three quarter pint of powdered sesame really binds the male chestnut flowers with the apples, how did I not think of this before? This will have a tremendous effect on rejuvenation of blood, and you know I have eager customers for those.” She caressed his cheeks gently and confided in glee.

Lincoln propped himself up onto the ledge of the cauldron with his fore legs and dipped his head until his nose was as close to the liquid as he could get without a bubble exploding into his nostrils. He paused for a moment with his eyes closed and ears relaxed, his muscles less tense than they had been seconds before, and drew in the scent of the potion. Immediately, his nose twitched and his grey eyes, the same as Elmida’s, flew open as he recoiled from the liquid and made a low growl at the witch; then, he ventured back into the shop front without another look at her, tail swishing on the floor and nose held high in the air in a look of complete dissent.

“Too sweet, you ungrateful brute? I spent hours perfecting this, and now you think to tell me it’s a disagreeable fragrance? What use was your nose three batches and four humans ago?” The witch retorted in the same clear voice, but no longer a whisper as it resonated over the crackling fire. No matter; it was still a brilliant, perfect creation in her eyes. She pulled from her cloak an empty flask and scooped in the pastel-rose coloured liquid without spilling a drop. She gave the bottle a slight swirl before pushing a cork into the mouth of the bottle to seal the liquid tightly within its confinement. All she needed now was to wait for a desperate and naive man, and they all are, to believe that it will heal whatever pitiful disease they had so unwittingly contracted.

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ELMIDA* Click
WORD COUNT* 921
TEMPLATE* meg.

Posts : 9 Join date : 2011-12-28 Location : New York

A i d e n
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❝I may be a mere pawn in your eyes, but in mine, I AM KING.❞

& the crowd was roaring;
Aiden wiped the sweat off his forehead with the back of his forearm. The sun blared down on him, burning him to a crisp. He had a farmers tan outlining his tank top, under which you would find his natural creamy white complexion. But for now, he sported an olive tan and a severe sunburn on the nape of his neck. He felt as if his any sudden movement would tear his skin right then and there, but alas this did not stop him. You see, he had them now, they were under his CONTROL, and he was the grand puppeteer. His fingers strummed the strings on his guitar with such fluidity, one would assume the guitar was merely an extension of his own body. And his voice, it captivated the crowd, entrancing them like a witch's spell. The town square was filled with at least a hundred people of all classes bustling around, pushing their way to the front to see what exactly all the commotion was about. "That's it, come to me... notice me", Aiden muttered underneath his breath.

This plight of his was merely a distraction, he wanted all eyes on him, and that's what he got. Aiden's main goal was the attention of a Royal, it could be from any of the three noble families, all he needed was ONE ROYAL to notice him. Beads of sweat rolled down the side of his face, he squinted as he looked out into the crowd, licking his dry lips, consecutively biting his lower lip in anticipation. A hooded figure made its way towards him, and Aiden locked his gaze upon it, following its trail through the crowd. This was it, this was his chance to show them, humans are capable, they are meant to be more than just mere servants with the importance equivalent to that of DIRT. He wanted to prove to them that humans are just as capable as the supernatural and that their place in society should equal that of the supernaturals, just as it is in the land of Tuathal. Most of all, he wanted to prove that HE WAS NOT DIRT. The hooded figure had made its way to the front already. Aiden's fingers stopped strumming, he stood there panting in a puddle of sweat, his attention locked onto the person before him. The hooded figure spoke, "HEY YOU. WHAT'S YOU'RE NAME AGAIN!?"It sounded like a man's voice, deep and hefty. Aiden's heart skipped a beat, "finally" he thought. "A-Aiden, sir",he stammered in reply. "OH AYYYYDEN!!! WELL YOU BETTER GET UP AND GET BACK TO WORK, 'LEST YOU WANT TO LOSE THIS BET, BOY!" Aiden's eyebrows furrowed his confusion, Wha--? Before he could finish his sentence or even fathom the situation at hand he was doused with a bucket of scalding hot water.

"HOLY SHII--!" Aiden shreiked. He made a sudden movement, sitting up, sending a piercing pain down his back. He inhaled, wheezing and coughing as he choked on the water that made its way into his mouth. He rapidly thumped his chest repeatedly to get himself to stop. He peered up with one eye open, still panting, at the grisly, and hairy old man who had doused him with the scorching hot water. BRODY. Brody was Aiden's current master. "GET UP AND GO BACK TO WORK, YOU WORTHLESS SCUM!", Brody screamed. He pulled out his whip and gave Aiden a few lashes. Aiden closed his eyes and took each hit quietly, wincing and letting out a small grunt each time he was hit. "It was all just a dream", he thought. After Brody had his fill of punishing Aiden, he spat and trudged back to the campsite: a small clearing further into the forest, not too far from where Aiden had decided to take his afternoon nap.

Aiden was currently employed as a lumberjack. Him and the rest of the servants that worked under Brody, were now in a deserted forest located about half way between the city of Caraf and Geowyn (Caraf to the north and Geowyn to the south), and only a few minutes away from a small nearby town. Brody was offered a job from a highly endeared employer to acquire the extremely rare Bloodwood from the unique Brosimum Paraense tree. Thus, he set out with all his servants in search of this extremely rare wood. Rumor has it that the Brosimum Paraense tree would be found in this central forest and so Aiden and the rest of the crew were now stuck in the middle of a nameless forest until they found this tree that may or may not even be here. Aiden let out a big sigh as he he attempted to roll over, his wounds were still fresh. "That bastard" he whispered vehemently. He grudgingly stood up, stumbling a bit, and rubbed his eyes. He grumbled, scratched his stomach, yawned, and stretched his arms as far out as he could.

The only reason Aiden quietly and obediently took those blows from Brody-- and rather, the only reason why Aiden is even trying to accomplish his task at hand was because of the reward. It was a grand reward indeed, one which--in fact, Aiden brought upon his master himself. Back in Caraf, Aiden made a bet with Brody, that if he could find the Brosimum Paraense tree and obtain its Bloodwood, then freedom would be his. Now of course by freedom he meant he would no longer be Brody's servant, society would never allow him to be master-less for long. Nonetheless, that glorious moment of freedom and the fleeting free-spirited feeling is enough to satiate Aiden's true hunger, and for that he was willing to take the risk. Alas, Aiden still found himself in a stump. He was looking for one of the rarest trees to ever exist in a location that might not even have this forsaken tree. Knowing that all the odds were against him, Aiden still motioned to move forward, going deeper and deeper into the forest.

This tree was his ticket to freedom, and Aiden knew very well,
he would never get a chance like this again.

Aiden wrinkled his nose as he continue further into the forest, "A compass would be very handy right about now." he groaned. He could see nothing but shrubs, exotic plants of weird shapes, sizes, and colors, and the thick barks of the long, never-ending trees towering over him. "AHH!" , he exclaimed as he made a pained face and recoiled his arm, now dripping with blood. He took a look at the damage caused by the nearby branch that pointed outwards like a sword. "Wh--what. the. hell. are. you. doing. pointing. outward. like. this. stupid. nature.", he grunted as he kicked the branch angrily pausing at each word. Aiden had lost it, he was now arguing--with a plant. After carefully knocking down the "evil" branch off of the plant, Aiden continued walking, holding his wounded arm to his chest. As ridiculous as Aiden's behavior was, his reasons were justifiable considering the deep gash the branch made on his arm. The bleeding calmed down after a while, as he continued looking for the Brosimum Paraense tree. It was supposedly an extremely easy tree to spot for it would be the only one with a blood red trunk and leaves of a murky purplish-red color.

His stomach grumbled out load followed by a moan on Aiden's part. Not only was he fatigued, covered in wounds, and extremely annoyed at himself---he was also very hungry. Tired, he sat down and pulled out a small notebook from his pocket. Unravelling the pieces of cloth wrapped around it, and uncovering a small reed pen and a bottle of black ink, Aiden wrote in his notebook. After jotting down his thoughts, he quickly wrapped everything up, put it in his pocket, and got up. "Phew--that felt good.", he exhaled. Feeling a little bit happier Aiden continued walking as he noticed an opening not too far from where he was. Following the path, he saw that it opened up to the northern outskirts of Geowyn. It was around noon, and he was tired, wounded, and hungry: a small break from his task would be nice. He also needed someone to look at his wound, which was now beginning to fester under the dried up blood. He noticed a small shop nearby from which an extremely peculiar scent was being produced. "An Apothecary", Aiden deduced. He quickly made his way to the door, following the keen scent--it smelled like warm apple cider, or something of that nature. "Maybe the Apothecary can heal my wound" he reasoned with himself, "...and maybe he or she has food." he added gingerly. He was now at the doorstep, somewhat reluctant to knock. Aiden was a human, he knew that his chances of being helped were extremely slim. Whoever was inside may even be dangerous, and his life would be a stake, nonetheless, he drew his good arm up and knocked on the door.

Aroma of * a p o t h e c a r y || {Elmida + Aiden}} Aiden

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Tagged: Mari
Word Count:1,515
Notes: Yay! It's Aiden's introduction! :3
With love, SEN
Coding Credit: Meg

Posts : 11 Join date : 2011-12-27

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Lincoln heard it first, but only because Elmida was still busily prancing about in the back room, murmuring to a hoard of bottled magic and breathlessly recounting instructions, recipes, and uses of each. She had always found verbal labeling helped her remember better, although, the prospect of serving an unknown liquid to a thirsty guest was no less of a delightful surprise.

The knock came almost hesitantly, but it was most definitely a knock on the door. Lincoln prowled forward curiously as the time of the day didn’t seem to suit the nature of a visit. A sniff of air spoke to him of blood… and mankind. The panther turned around gingerly and retraced his steps to the backroom, located Elmida squatting before a cabinet, and growled in amused bewilderment for the man’s timing couldn’t have been more perfect.

“A man at the door? Now, are you for certain Lincoln, or is this one of the less humorous tales you like to tell? Oh, what am I saying, of course you are serious.” She grinned sheepishly as the panther gave her a look of exasperation and his tail drooped adorably to the side. The tall woman gave a sweeping look around her, careful to note where everything was placed, before exiting the room with great anticipation, the newly bottled blood-rejuvenation potion stowed in the large pocket of her flowing cloak. She cast a glance at the wall mirror hanging by the front door; the woman staring back at her looked tired, slightly delirious, but above all, intelligent and capable. She gave an approving nod, softened her expression, and pulled the latch from its place to ease the door open, just a crack.

There was indeed a man standing just beyond; a bloody man, no less. Her cool grey orbs took in the well toned muscles, the nearly dried blood, the new and old scars that scattered the visible parts of his skin blatantly displayed his social class, and the wild, weary glances in his eyes. He looked to be between twenty and thirty human years; young, ignorant, and best of all, bold and daring. He was perfect.

“What is it? We are not open for business today. Now be on your way.” Elmida screeched. “I do not do your bidding, regardless of what your lords tell you.” Then she opened the door wider, leaned toward him, and placed her long, cold fingers on his arm and lowered her voice to a raspy whisper, “unless, you can pay the price. What do you think, Lincoln, does he look like he can pay?”

Lincoln strutted in a circle around the man, tail slithering about his sturdy legs, and nose twitching in disgust at the smell of sweat, blood, and a very curious whiff of the bittersweet tree. He was impressed – this man, mere man, had ventured into the forest and was able to withstand a lash of the bittersweet tree branch without so much of a wince, tear, or plea. Most only knew of the poisonous offspring the tree produced year to year, but little knew that a scratch from the branch could bring equal symptoms of muscular lethargy but at a much slower and undetectable rate. Elmida smiled, tightened her grip on the young man, and pulled him inside gingerly.

“Come in, come in. Now, tell me, how can I help you exactly? All who walks into an Apothecarist’s shop carry with them a request. I can tell you are no different.” She indicated the young man to be seated in a chair placed rather hazardously at the corner of the large table as she spoke; meanwhile, her fingers busily leafed through the stack of scattered papers, her eyes only fluttering away from him momentarily when she found what she was looking for.

“Ah, bittersweet tree. Fitting name, don’t you think? Lovely fruit, fatal attraction.” She skimmed the page theatrically, then pulled open the drawer in front of her and brought out the necessary tools – cloth, alcohol, vinegar, and a bottle of soother. “The alcohol will clean you up, before you ask. The vinegar patches the wound, and the soother, well, is from the goodness of my heart. Now speak, why did you come about this place?”

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ELMIDA* Click
WORD COUNT* 706
NOTE* My bittersweet shrub symptoms are far fetched. D: & I love his intro, Sen - so manly~
TEMPLATE* meg.

Posts : 9 Join date : 2011-12-28 Location : New York

A i d e n
♙♙♟♟♟♟♟♟♔♟♟♟♟♟♟♙♙
❝I may be a mere pawn in your eyes, but in mine, I AM KING.❞

Regret soon followed;
The moment Aiden knocked on the door, he looked back remorsefully, "Maybe I should just go back." He shook his head immediately in disagreement with himself. The throbbing and oddly numbing pain in his arm and his growling stomach agreed with his decision. Besides, if he were to go back to the campsite looking like this, he'd only be greeted with more lashes from Brody. "It's okay, I'm sure he's a nice guy" he muttered under his breath reassuringly. He heard footsteps making their way to the door and soon the door creaked open just a peek. To his surprise it was a woman who answered the door. She had a very poised and elegant atmosphere about her, with long and beautiful billowing hair, and a strong, adamant presence. He stared into her murky gray orbs, they were extremely mysterious and oddly enticing. Aiden felt as if she bore right into his soul with her eyes.

“What is it? We are not open for business today. Now be on your way.” she said. To be honest, Aiden was so caught off guard it left him somewhat speechless, "Uhm, that is--I--was--", before he could finish his sentence she flung the door wide open and leaned in toward him. Aiden froze, he swallowed his saliva, and stood extremely still. She touched him on his arm with her finger, leaving the place where she touched him feeling fuzzy. “unless, you can pay the price. What do you think, Lincoln, does he look like he can pay?” she whispered. Aiden let out a little sigh of relief,"Lincoln, that must be the Apothecarist", he thought. To his dismay a large black panther made it's way out of the shop. "L-L-Lincoln?" Aiden questioned, his voice growing hoarse towards the end. He gritted his teeth and closed his eyes tight as the panther circled him. He raised his arms up high as if he were waving a white flag, wincing at the slight pain from the wounded arm. He made a squirmish sound as Lincoln's tail swished past him. Aiden wasn't fond of large cats, they eat humans like him.

Right when he was thinking of turning around and leaving, the woman tightened her grip and led him into the shop. He stumbled in and gaped in awe. There were bottles and bottles of random liquids on shelves along with books and scattered pieces of parchments everywhere. Aiden also recognized the strong scent of apples he was following coming from a boiling cauldron over a fireplace. “Come in, come in. Now, tell me, how can I help you exactly? All who walks into an Apothecarist’s shop carry with them a request. I can tell you are no different.” the woman asked, pointing at a chair for him to sit in. He obliged, seating himself at the end of a large table. He was just about to explain how he needed help with his wound when she continued, “Ah, bittersweet tree. Fitting name, don’t you think? Lovely fruit, fatal attraction.” He looked at her perplexed, what was she talking about? She pulled open a drawer and started pulling out items. Then she continued, “The alcohol will clean you up, before you ask. The vinegar patches the wound, and the soother, well, is from the goodness of my heart. Now speak, why did you come about this place?”

"AMAZING", Aiden thought, SIMPLY AMAZING. He smirked at his fortuitous luck. The woman sitting before him was no ordinary Apothecarist, he could tell that she was much more than the average Apothecarist. Without asking him a single question regarding his wound, this woman was able to tell the origin of the wound, name it off the top of her head, and prepare a remedy for it--all within seconds. He could've sworn she only had a few second to glance at his wound and no more. He has a good feeling that she would know where to obtain Bloodwood. Aiden took a deep breath, taking everything in. He motioned his arm towards the woman warily trusting her remedy and accepting her help. He glanced at the panther cautiously and spoke with a soft tone, "Before I go on and tell you the reason why I'm here, I'd say it's common courtesy to introduce myself, no?" He bit the bottom of his lip and smiled at her. Aiden could sense there was something amiss, something that didn't click, but he was too desperate at the moment to care so he pushed his curious conscious to the back of his head. He held out his good hand and boldly declared,
"My name's Aiden, and yours?"

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Tagged: Mari
Word Count:778
Notes: No, I loved your description of the bittersweet shrub symptoms! lol :p
With love, SEN
Coding Credit: Meg

Posts : 11 Join date : 2011-12-27

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Even as she talked and worked, Elmida could see his discomfort; he was weary of Lincoln and suspicious of her motifs. He had every right to be, of course. After all, she was a witch and an apothecarist, and that could either make him the luckiest man or lead him to the darkest moments of his life. Elmida liked the sound of the latter.

Lincoln had sensed the human’s obvious distrust almost immediately, but the feeling only grew stronger as they remained in the same enclosed room. The panther hissed in amusement; foolish man, always fearing what he doesn’t know. One day, his fears will eat him from the inside and destroy what little dignity is left within. Until then, however, Lincoln couldn’t say no to a little fun of his own while Elmida strutted about playing the role of a knowledgeable apothecarist.

She watched him with hawk-like intensity as he looked at her curiously in what she thought was a mixture of shock and awe, followed by a deep breath… of relief, of surrender, or is it a masked sigh to hide something else? She then heard him say softly, in a tone almost as if he was testing the water to see if it was safe to tread in. “Before I go on and tell you the reason why I’m here, I’d say it’s common courtesy to introduce myself, no?” Elmida gave the man a small smile; he was a smart one and knew how to take precautions, and he had manners pleasant enough for an uneducated human. It almost made her reconsider what she had arranged for him. “My name is Aiden, and yours?” He asked her, in what she perceived was a much calmer persona.

The panther crept up to Aiden’s side and propped himself onto the human’s lap with his fore legs. He sniffed about the wound and pressed his hot, sticky tongue on the cut and followed the blemish until there was no more, until he was only inches away from Aiden’s face. His grey eyes found the man’s dark shade of brown eyes and returned the glare he had received earlier; he inched closer to the man’s nose and bared his fangs in intimidation, accompanied by a low rumbling growl.

“That’s enough, Lincoln. You are in the way of my remedy.” Elmida coaxed as she swatted her Familiar away with a fluttering wave of her hand. Her gaze followed the panther as he threw her a defiant glare, which meant she had ruined his fun and had hell to pay later. Lincoln leaped onto the table, disregarding the piles of paper, and stretched out to lie on his stomach, all the while keeping his gaze lingering on the man. “You are absolutely right, Aiden,” she replied calmly as she added another layer of soother over the wound where Lincoln’s tongue had danced across, “it is common courtesy. Now that you have told me yours, I will allow you to call me Elmida; Elmida the Witch, Apothecarist, and companion to Lincoln, the panther who has taken an apparently liking to you.” She gave his arm a slight pat and concluded, “All done. I believe it is your turn, now.”

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ELMIDA* Click
NOTE* Ah! This Aiden-Lincoln interaction is amusing me too much! xD I was going to send him away but that would seriously implicate the level of fun!
WORD COUNT* 535
TEMPLATE* meg.

Posts : 9 Join date : 2011-12-28 Location : New York

A i d e n
♙♙♟♟♟♟♟♟♔♟♟♟♟♟♟♙♙
❝I may be a mere pawn in your eyes, but in mine, I AM KING.❞

An insidious Fear crept upon Aiden;
From the corner of his eye, Aiden noticed the black panther make its way towards him. Immediately his attention was drawn at the large cat. It carefully propped itself on his lap, sending chills down Aiden's back. He made sure to stay absolutely still as the panther inched closer to his wound. Aiden's could hear the vibration of his heart pounding against his chest which began to quicken its pace. He clenched his teeth and made a fist as Lincoln drew out his moist, hot tongue and traced Aiden's wound. Soon enough after having traced the very end of Aiden's injury, Lincoln's face was but a few inches away from his. Aiden could feel the warm, moist breath of the panther as it breathed in his face, baring its fangs, and letting out a low growl.

At this point, Aiden didn't want to show fear, he knew that in doing so, his fear would prove to be his downfall in the situation at hand. Aiden was a human calculator, not one of mathematical purposes, but rather a "situation calculator". One can't really describe it as a special talent that he has, seeing that it was second nature to him. It was like a survival mechanism. He calculated situations, made decisions, and only acted according to decisions that would provide the best outcome. Of course, there are plenty of times where surprises catch him off guard, but that is where the beauty of improvisation comes into play.

Aiden stared back into the gray irises of the panther--they somewhat resembled that of the apothercarist's-- only less mysterious and more easy to read. "That’s enough, Lincoln. You are in the way of my remedy", the woman spoke. Aiden's tensed muscles loosened up a bit as the panther retreated, but he maintained his guard, noticing the black panther's unwavering gaze. "You are absolutely right, Aiden," the woman spoke as she lathered on another layer of the soother onto his wound, Aiden turned away from the panther to give her his attention, “it is common courtesy. Now that you have told me yours, I will allow you to call me Elmida; Elmida the Witch, Apothecarist, and companion to Lincoln, the panther who has taken an apparently liking to you.”She patted his arm, “All done. I believe it is your turn, now.”

Aiden shifted his arm back into the comfort of his lap as he held it close with his other hand--it seemed the medicine was beginning to take place, his arm was feeling much better already. He smirked, "He's taken a liking to me?" he asked with an amused tone. He chuckled, " Well Elmida, Witch, Apothecarist, and companion to the lovely Lincoln", he nodded his head in the panther's direction, " I'd like to thank you for helping me with my wound, it was very kind of you." He shifted in his seat, fidgeting a bit. He quickly added, "I hope I'm not pushing my luck while asking this but...would you happen to have any food? I've been in that forest for such a long time and I'm starved." He kept his gaze upon her, unwavering, with a certain gleam in his eyes. His face was calm-- he was calm.

With more information, Aiden was now analyzing the current situation at hand. "She is a witch", he thought. This changed the outcomes of his prior calculations a bit. He twiddled his fingers as he tried to conjure up different conclusions of the possible situations that may arise, biting the inside of his lower lip. "This is a dangerous situation", his inner conscious spoke as it shrouded his thoughts. "You must leave immediately, she is a WITCH, she will use you as her puppet" his thoughts pushed him further. Aiden made a small disgruntled noise--he had bitten his bottom lip to the point of bleeding. He licked his lip, swallowing his blood now mixed in with his saliva. He was struggling to choose between his risky personal desires and the other safe outcomes he anticipated from other conclusions.

Aiden blinked, his gaze still on Elmida, "Even if I wanted to leave, I still have a debt to repay her...I should see this through to the end", he thought. Aiden's pure and just principles of equal treatment and compensation trumped his selfish personal desires and cautious calculations; and he accepted the risks that came with it. Making his decision and confirming its acceptance, Aiden seemed more relaxed now. He took a deep breath in and exhaled rather comfortably. "Actually, I'm also looking for something.", he added sheepishly. "...And in exchange for your help in obtaining that item, I'm willing to do whatever you want", he whispered. He lowered his gaze away from Elmida, there was no looking back now.
Aiden was a man of his words.

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Tagged: Mari
Word Count:802
Notes: I love the interactions between Aiden and Lincoln, no worries! ^___^ Sorry I kind of went philosophical with Aiden's thoughts in this post, lol. It just...turned out that way. LOLS.
With love, SEN
Coding Credit: Meg

Posts : 11 Join date : 2011-12-27

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Aiden thanked her profusely, if she could even describe it as such. He wittingly subscribed to all her titles and in a manner of what she thought was utmost respect, he made a simple request, “I hope I'm not pushing my luck while asking this but...would you happen to have any food? I've been in that forest for such a long time and I'm starved.” He was so calm, like a pond in the middle of the forest on a cool, summer day. No ripples of disturbance, no splash of worry, just calm water reflecting the blue and green of the day. In her mind, Elmida was already forming a new plan, one that she had never attempted before but the prospect excited her nonetheless. “Keep an eye on his wound, Lincoln,” she said simply to the panther before she got up from her stool and made her way to the backroom. From the kitchenette cabinet, she retrieved some bread, a leg of roasted hare preserved in a jar of olive oil with air-tight lid on top, and a bowl into which she poured the apple and chestnut potion.

She returned to her stool and set the food down on the long table, but did not gesture for Aiden to begin. Instead, she watched him as he twiddled his thumb in contemplation. Something was on his mind, and it had such an obvious weight that he hadn’t noticed his teeth sinking into his bottom lip until it started bleeding. She cocked her head to one side curiously and wondered briefly what could be so troubling. Perhaps he had guessed that she wasn’t all that honest and good-hearted of a doctor. Perhaps he was still sinking into a bottomless pit of fear of Lincoln, who seemed to have that effect on mankind. Or, perhaps, he was thinking of a way out of this predicament of a debt with a witch. But she had him now, and escape would be more futile of an option than death, in the most extreme of events.

Then, it seemed as if his mind was set, and he spoke up once again in a timid and self-conscious manner, “Actually, I'm also looking for something...And in exchange for your help in obtaining that item, I'm willing to do whatever you want.” It came out as a whisper, and he got quieter and quieter as he spoke, but she heard. Her smile widened. There it was – whatever she wanted.

Man and desire. Those two walked hand-in-hand, head held high, not a hint of shame and discretion. She had seen many in her days, and they were always used to her advantage. Man had little capabilities. They were smart and entrepreneurial, sure, but their physical and mental powers, their knowledge, and their resources were also limited; so limited that it made the game easy. It had been only a full moon ago that another young man was here. He was slightly older than Aiden, lived in a nearby village, and had trekked to her with intent. He had asked for the location of a songbird that only witches knew. She had denied his request in a delicate manner – go home and live your life, she had said, but he was unrelenting. He promised gold, he promised labour, but in the end, he promised her anything she wanted. Retribution finds its way unknowingly into the lives of the foolish, and nature punishes those who wish to disturb the harmonic and natural order. In return for the exact location of the bird, the man became the inspiration of a concoction that silenced his world.

This man before her – he was the same. He was engulfed by desire for something. Perhaps he had come to her unknowingly and by chance sought the opportunity for the value of her knowledge. But all the same, he was pining for something, something important, sentimentally or superficially. She picked up the bowl of apple and chestnut liquid and held it in front of him. “I had just healed your arm wound and immediately you test my skills by wounding your lips. Drink this – it will replenish your blood loss.”

Lincoln watched Aiden with attentive interest, curious as to whether or not he would drink the liquid. This was a potion with heavy fumes and it invaded his nostrils with thick, sweet, flowery scents, but it was one that suited the dull senses of humans. He knew that the male chestnut flower would enrich the blood, so much so that it flows faster, pumping more from the heart and circulating the body at a much faster pace. The rushed blood flow will, in theory, cause the man to become increasingly excited and agitated, and to vampires, he would stand out like an easy target in an open field. Apples, on the other hand, will cleanse the blood, ridding the bloodstream of foul bacterial substances, which results in a higher appeal of blood quality Lincoln purred – the witch wanted to keep this one to herself; if Aiden was to step out of the shop, the rogue vampires would be on him within mere seconds. Clever and brutally effective, he mused.

He was looking away from her, but she knew he was listening, and she knew he wanted her, nay, needed her help. “I am curious and willing to listen to your request.” Elmida whispered, “but I make no promises.”

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ELMIDA* Click
WORD COUNT* 900
NOTE* I have a feeling this post makes little sense, ha. Aiden can decline the potion, of course, or he can drink it - and if he does, you can make up whatever reaction if any and how fast he reacts to it. Hope you had fun moving into res, Sen!
TEMPLATE* meg.

Posts : 9 Join date : 2011-12-28 Location : New York

A i d e n
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❝I may be a mere pawn in your eyes, but in mine, I AM KING.❞

Aiden took a deep breath in;
He could smell the sweet scent of apples coming from the bowl Elmida had just offered to him. “I had just healed your arm wound and immediately you test my skills by wounding your lips. Drink this – it will replenish your blood loss.” Aiden blushed, she had noticed his bleeding lip. Ever since he was young, whenever Aiden was in any kind of predicament or deep in thought, he had a bad habit of biting down on his lower lip. He disliked this habit of his, seeing it as a giveaway of his emotions. Nonetheless he took the bowl from Elmida's hand and thanked her. He held the bowl with both of his hands and he took a deep whiff of the liquid in the bowl. He smelled apples and possibly a hint of chestnut, but he was getting more of the sweet apple than anything. "A healing potion?" he thought. His mouth watered, whatever was in the bowl smelled absolutely delicious. He glanced up from the bowl to meet Elmida's eyes once again. “I am curious and willing to listen to your request, but I make no promises.” she whispered. He brought the bowl to his lips and before drinking it he smiled and whispered back, "It's okay, I trust you."

Aiden gulped down the apple and chestnut concoction in the bowl. It tasted sweet and extremely crisp. He finished the last drop and set the bowl down onto the table. He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and licked his lips for the remaining residue of the sticky and sweet liquid. He really took a liking to it--that is before he began to feel a burning sensation at the pit of his stomach. Immediately he felt a pang in his stomach, he clenched it and let out an uneasy grunt. His breathing rate increased as he motioned to get up. "What...what--did you give me...to drink?", was all he could muster up and ask between his heavy and quick breathing. His whole body felt as if it were burning up as he broke into a sweat. In his abrupt motion to get out of his seat, he knocked it over to the ground. He held onto the table as a support, for he could barely keep his current stance. He groaned, he didn't feel any pain or sickness. If he could describe it in one word, his body was in a state of excitement. He felt as if his blood flow increased a thousand fold and every part of his body was sensible to touch. Even as he held onto the table, he felt uneasy.

In this moment, Aiden's mind was rushing with thousands of calculations as he tried to figure out what was going on with him, but the excitement of his body was enough to take over his thoughts. Agitated by the fact that he couldn't figure anything out or even think straight, he made his way across the table towards Elmida. Aiden ignored the fact that Lincoln was still there and all the possible death glares he may be receiving. Heck, Lincoln may possibly charging at Aiden at this very instant to attack. Even so, Aiden bent down towards Elmida who sat in her stool. Panting heavily, he held onto her shoulders with both of his hands for support, he shivered at the uneasy feeling that ran through his body after touching her. He was now face to face with the witch at eye level. He gave her a look of discomfort and continued to breathe rapidly and heavily. It was as if he was an animal in heat. "Elmida" he spoke in a hushed but noticeably uncomfortable tone. "Please...fix me." At his last word, Aiden fell forward in slump. His arms slid off Elmida's shoulders, down her arms and to her sides as his head found her cozy lap. The rest of his body was positioned as if he were sitting on the floor. The whole scene in itself looked as if Aiden decided to take an afternoon nap on Elmida's lap. He was still conscious of what was going on around him, but his eyes were closed and he couldn't mutter a sound, it was as if he were in an extreme state of sleepiness or drowsiness in other words.

Deep down, Aiden wished with all his might that this was not the end.

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Tagged: Mari
Word Count:741
Notes: LOL! Aiden drank it! Very Happy

sorry I left him in Elmida's lap, I just thought this situation would be cute! :3 Also, as mentioned in the roleplay, Aiden's very much conscious, so feel free to have Elmida speak to him in his drowsy, sleepy coma-like state. LOL.
With love, SEN
Coding Credit: Meg

Posts : 11 Join date : 2011-12-27

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Her eyes narrowed characteristically – they always do when she is anticipating a result – as Aiden drank the apple and chestnut concoction in a few short gulps and set the bowl back down on the table. Her gaze swept across the surface of the wooden vessel, now empty of its content, and allowed her eyes to find their way back to Aiden. “Well done.” She commented in approval.

Then, it appeared as if he began to react to the potion, pleasant and inflamed all at once. His hand clenched his stomach area as he writhed in his seat, attempting to get up. Did he know? Could he have guessed already? She watched him knock his chair over after standing up abruptly, heard his heavy gasps for air, and felt his anxiousness and excitement. Oh, how she wished she was a vampire so that she could first handedly smell what they must be smelling at this moment – the purified, sweet, and enriched torrent of blood that stormed and crashed through his body. “What… what did you give me…to drink?” He asked, speaking with all the strength he could muster as his blood, his body, went wild without control.

“A potion, to help you, of course; you should be honored, really, Aiden. Only a man of proven intelligence or physical prowess can be eligible for a taste of nature.” She let the words roll off her tongue and allowed a small smile to play into her lips. She silently waited for Aiden to completely cave in to the tremendous pressure that would result from the rushed blood flow.

Much to the witch’s surprise, however, Aiden began to wobble toward her. This man had the will power to sustain mobility even though his body no longer was willing to listen to his brain. He walked straight to her and grasped her thin shoulders in his large, over-worked palms. There was no pain, of course, for he was not able to call upon any sort of force to hurt her. His dark brown eyes were looking right at her cool grey ones, letting a mixture of confusion, fear, and animosity hit her. “Elmida,” he began in a weak voice, “Please… fix me.” With that, his limbs and muscles gave out and he sank to the floor, the upper part of his body and his head falling right onto her lap.

Elmida felt her body shudder slightly. It had been three full decades since she had let anyone, much less a man, come so close to her in body contact. She stroked Aiden’s hair absentmindedly as if intrigued into a trance by his uncanny timing of demise. Thirty years she spent alone, in her cabin… thirty years since she loved another being, and just like that, she heard that enraged, hurt, and fearful voice, hollow and filled with hatred, in the back of her mind. You were trying to save my life, Elmida? Don’t kid yourself. You did this to me. YOU and your poisonous mind, your toxic creations, you did this to me. One day, you will see the monster that you are.

Lincoln darted from the table to the floor of the cabin in a swift and instant motion and hissed at the man – why, the nerves of this ungrateful human. His tail was raised in hostility and his muscles were tensed in every direction, barely controlling himself as his instincts told him to shred the human to pieces. “Will you calm down, Lincoln? It’s not as if you drank that, now is it?” she chastised the panther in a sweet voice.

“Now, as I have said,” she turned back to Aiden, whose head was still rested on her lap, his breathing still rapid and heavy and his eyes fluttering momentarily to show that he was very much conscious, albeit immobile and exhausted, “I will help you in exchange for a price paid. Now you have. I suppose it would only make sense for me to adhere to your request. Before we get to that, however, I need to make one thing clear to you. What you just drank, it was a potion of blood rejuvenation. In fact, it does much more than just rejuvenates your blood; it immortalizes it. That’s not to say you’re no longer human, but to vampires, your blood is now ambrosia from heaven. Your body will eventually adapt to this, and you will be as you were before, but your blood will never go back to its previously tasteless state. You are really a fortunate fool, Aiden. I give you two choices – stay and work for me, or leave and face your own fate.” She paused for dramatic effect, and it felt nice to hear the silence that echoed the moment her voice muted.

“What is your choice, and what is your request?”

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ELMIDA* Click
WORD COUNT* 807
NOTE* Ahahaha. I laughed out loud so hard when I read your reply. LOVE IT~
TEMPLATE* meg.

Posts : 9 Join date : 2011-12-28 Location : New York

A i d e n
♙♙♟♟♟♟♟♟♔♟♟♟♟♟♟♙♙
❝I may be a mere pawn in your eyes, but in mine, I AM KING.❞

Aiden breathed heavily;
Collapsed into Elmida's lap, his limbs feel like soft noodles. She spoke to him as she gently stroked Aiden's hair. Every touch sent a small shivering tingle down the nape of his neck. "Now, as I have said, I will help you in exchange for a price paid. Now you have. I suppose it would only make sense for me to adhere to your request. Before we get to that, however, I need to make one thing clear to you. What you just drank, it was a potion of blood rejuvenation. In fact, it does much more than just rejuvenates your blood; it immortalizes it. That’s not to say you’re no longer human, but to vampires, your blood is now ambrosia from heaven. Your body will eventually adapt to this, and you will be as you were before, but your blood will never go back to its previously tasteless state. You are really a fortunate fool, Aiden. I give you two choices – stay and work for me, or leave and face your own fate." Aiden's eyebrows furrowed in discontent as she described the effects of the potion he drank. He didn't realize the severity of the situation that he was putting himself into--or rather he didn't think that it would come this far. Did he miscalculate? Impossible. He shut his eyes in disbelief realizing that he made a mistake by trusting this woman blindly, he put too much trust in her and now he had to suffer the consequences. Vampires, as he knows, are one of the most vicious supernaturals, and as the witch had explained, his walking out of the shop would only mean sudden death. She then proceeded to ask him, "What is your choice, and what is your request?"

Aiden grunted as he slowly motioned himself to try and get up and off of her lap. It was an extremely hard feat for him. His limbs and entire body felt like jelly, his rapid panting was beginning to slow down and he began to feel his sweat cooling down, making him shiver. In fact, the intense amount of heat that had been emitting from his body only a few moments ago made a roundabout and he was now suddenly feeling extremely cold. Mustering all the strength he could, he gained control of his wobbly legs as he positioned them into a sitting position from their original limp posture. Next he tried pulling his torso and upper half of his body off of her lap, as he began to push upwards with his forearms. He was almost all the way up when his arms gave in and he fell forward-- he caught himself in the nick of time, taking a step forward, and proceeded to stand on his feet. The only way that Aiden was able to conjure up all this energy was from the single emotion that was boiling through his entire body right now, the cold shivers caused by the potion were swept over with this intense emotion: ANGER. Aiden was angry; he was highly displeased with the outcome of the potion and angry at himself from letting himself be fooled by Elmida.

At this rate, he would constantly be targeted by Vampires and other supernatural beings that would threaten his life. Aiden couldn't risk this, he still had goals and aspirations that he needed to fulfill, and in order to do so he needed to be ALIVE. He needed to go back to Brody and he needed to acquire the Bloodwood from the Brosimum Paraense tree. This was his current goal and he needed it to be fulfilled no matter what, he had come this far already, he couldn't turn back now. Aiden contemplated more on the thought and finally came to a conclusion. He exhaled heavily and looked at Elmida; he was but a few feet away from her, standing upright on both his feet. His muscles were tense and he ached all over, he was truly mustering up all of the energy he possibly could just to keep his position intact.

Raspily, he finally spoke, "I need Bloodwood from the Brosimum Paraense tree, it's extremely rare..." He took a deep breath again and then added, "...that is all I need from you." curtly.
Aiden lowered his gaze, awaiting her next move.

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Tagged: Mari
Word Count:723
Notes: Sorry it took so long! I'm so busy T____T Also, my apologies for the lack of substance, I was having a writer's block. Mad

haha.
With love, SEN
Coding Credit: Meg

» Elmida's Apothecary Log ~
» Elmida Luthane
» `aiden's journal
» // *AIDEN O'SHEA
» AIDEN ["Good leaders must first become good servants."]