Banshy would hum at the Collectors response, but not much more. such an interesting fellow.
they would listen to Forgraves tale with minor intrigue. he'd never gone into too much detail, explaining how his life got up to this point, but he remembers fainly him mentioning a group before he left, atleast to their father.
Banshy shot up in alarm at the admittance of self testing.
they grumbled, rolling their eyes with an exasperated sigh.
he looked back to the other two, an almost "see what i have to deal with?" expression on their face.
Feb 14 2023, 11:55 AM
Feb 14 2023, 12:36 PM
The pair listened, nibbling and sipping politely as they did. It seemed, now, a proper little dinner party: tea and food, and of course, conversation.
Algol offered a tip of his head--nothing more, so as not to interrupt--at the mention of the flask. But when Forgraves called himself 'not bright,' the Blacksmith gently interjected. "You are perfectly... 'bright,' Forgraves... do not sell yourself... too short." -Was this the second time he'd said as much? He couldn't remember--but the fox seemed to have such a strangely low opinion of himself-! "In any case... you will have much to experiment with... even with these... leaves, alone." He gestured to the seedlings. "Green tea... black tea... herbal and light, or... very strong, and dark... it is only a matter... of how old the leaves and... how they are treated. Perhaps you will find... a new type of tea... from them." There: lesson imparted. Experiments could abound!
Both heads swung quizzically toward Banshee, but it was the Collector who broke the short silence. "A safer way of what... may I ask? Testing teas-?" He sounded confused, at best, and the fact that the Blacksmith did nothing to clarify seemed to indicate that he, too, did not quite understand--not the reason for Banshy's upset, nor the meaning of their question.
A culture clash, perhaps?
Algol offered a tip of his head--nothing more, so as not to interrupt--at the mention of the flask. But when Forgraves called himself 'not bright,' the Blacksmith gently interjected. "You are perfectly... 'bright,' Forgraves... do not sell yourself... too short." -Was this the second time he'd said as much? He couldn't remember--but the fox seemed to have such a strangely low opinion of himself-! "In any case... you will have much to experiment with... even with these... leaves, alone." He gestured to the seedlings. "Green tea... black tea... herbal and light, or... very strong, and dark... it is only a matter... of how old the leaves and... how they are treated. Perhaps you will find... a new type of tea... from them." There: lesson imparted. Experiments could abound!
Both heads swung quizzically toward Banshee, but it was the Collector who broke the short silence. "A safer way of what... may I ask? Testing teas-?" He sounded confused, at best, and the fact that the Blacksmith did nothing to clarify seemed to indicate that he, too, did not quite understand--not the reason for Banshy's upset, nor the meaning of their question.
A culture clash, perhaps?
@Forgraves
Feb 20 2023, 08:56 PM
Forgraves seemed slightly caught off guard by the praise, he doesn't think he's had many people call him bright, let alone reassure him of such when he would claim otherwise, but its a nice, warm feeling in response all the same, a thankful smile.
"I'm quite excited, I haven't often given plants much time to grow on their own, yknow? bebby usually grows them with her magic when we're low, mostly because she's impatient. could be quite a fun venture, actually caring for a plant on its own without it." he said, tail wagging. he'd been needing something to do anyway, right? the tea plants alongside the bonsai could give him the rest from daily stress he needed.
he took a few bites from his kebab, ears flicking at Algol's confusion."Oh, ignore him. i believe he's asking about how YOU lot came to discover tea, if you knew about it before we did. as for the safer comment? I don't use magic, so i was going for a more natural way of healing, salves and the like! he explained, "I didn't ingest any poison, but because i didn't know what any of the colors meant, if i wanted to figure out what different salves did i of course had to test them. i believe ive categorized all the colors meanings by now, but i think banshy is being a worry wort for nothing. I'm not dead, it hasn't killed me!"
he briefly remembers the leopard seal attack.
"..well. yet." he said, Banshy glaring at him.
"Speech." Thoughts.
he took a few bites from his kebab, ears flicking at Algol's confusion.
he briefly remembers the leopard seal attack.
Feb 20 2023, 09:03 PM
banshy raised a brow at Algol. did he say something weird? but ignoring Forgraves jabs, they just nodded.
banshy will admit he hadn't gone to the library more than once with Forgraves, but he does hear alot about it's contents. if he didn't know about the library, he certainly didn't know of any sort of high tea society from ages past that were keeping it a secret. he's probably wrong on that front too, but it's a funny idea.
Banshy;
Feb 20 2023, 09:23 PM
The Collector sighed, rolling his eyes beneath the hood at Banshy's words. "Oh, come now; it was hardly random. I did warn him that black liquids would be poisonous," he pointed out. Then, memory seemed to struck him, and he laughed. "He screamed for hours, you know," he near-hissed, and then--as if remembering himself--glanced sharply to Banshy. "Ahhh--not Forgraves, never fear. Ahem. I got lost in a pleasant memory."
"...Algol," the Blacksmith said, quietly but with reproach.
The Collector sighed and waved a hand, and looked to the two. "My apologies. To answer your question, we have always had tea. It existed before us, and like many things, it was never lost to us."
The Blacksmith cleared his throat, sitting with cup held steaming between his hands, and picked up where Algol had halted. "Many things, such as... a writing system. Tea, and... certain foods, other drinks. Technology-"
"I TRIED to give them that!" the Collector interrupted abruptly, sitting forward sharply as if only just remembering, and protesting the point. "I gave it all to them! The knowledge of salt, and clay; water transport and the very wheel; how to make cloth, popcorn, Persei--even, yes, HOW TO MAKE TEA!" He flailed, then dropped his hands with a deep sigh. "I do not know how you have the patience for them! All of it was lost, mere hours after it was shared. A waste of--what are you doing." He asked this flatly, crimson eyes shooting to the Blacksmith's hand, which had reached over to pat his own; and the Blacksmith was gazing at him with clear appreciation and warmth.
"I knew you... had it in you," he murmured.
"Persei-..." Algol's tone was irritated, exasperated.
"You did something... good, for them! How... wonderful," he beamed.
Algol sighed, leaning back with a scowl. He drank his tea, and by the looks of things, it was to avoid giving voice to his dour thoughts.
The Blacksmith looked to Forgraves. "Ours was... an older society. All that was lost... to time... your people have... had to rediscover. Much of it... from nothing. It is... admirable, how resourceful... you have all proven, in... our absence."
It was a compliment, kindly given.
"...Algol," the Blacksmith said, quietly but with reproach.
The Collector sighed and waved a hand, and looked to the two. "My apologies. To answer your question, we have always had tea. It existed before us, and like many things, it was never lost to us."
The Blacksmith cleared his throat, sitting with cup held steaming between his hands, and picked up where Algol had halted. "Many things, such as... a writing system. Tea, and... certain foods, other drinks. Technology-"
"I TRIED to give them that!" the Collector interrupted abruptly, sitting forward sharply as if only just remembering, and protesting the point. "I gave it all to them! The knowledge of salt, and clay; water transport and the very wheel; how to make cloth, popcorn, Persei--even, yes, HOW TO MAKE TEA!" He flailed, then dropped his hands with a deep sigh. "I do not know how you have the patience for them! All of it was lost, mere hours after it was shared. A waste of--what are you doing." He asked this flatly, crimson eyes shooting to the Blacksmith's hand, which had reached over to pat his own; and the Blacksmith was gazing at him with clear appreciation and warmth.
"I knew you... had it in you," he murmured.
"Persei-..." Algol's tone was irritated, exasperated.
"You did something... good, for them! How... wonderful," he beamed.
Algol sighed, leaning back with a scowl. He drank his tea, and by the looks of things, it was to avoid giving voice to his dour thoughts.
The Blacksmith looked to Forgraves. "Ours was... an older society. All that was lost... to time... your people have... had to rediscover. Much of it... from nothing. It is... admirable, how resourceful... you have all proven, in... our absence."
It was a compliment, kindly given.
@Forgraves
Feb 20 2023, 10:04 PM
he sipped his tea for a moment longer during the silence, looking up to meet Algol's eyes at his laughter. he seemed confused.
His ears dropped.
He looked away, briefly terrified, something akin to realization dawning on his face. oh stars, what HAD he done that day?? screaming? for HOURS?!?
he looked back up after a bit of mildly horrified self reflection, nervous, to listen to the rest of the explanation. eventually the worry melted away into fascination, however.
he listened, half amused at his rant. truly, he didn't seem the type to give such things away without a mentioned cost, but of course he had his "contractual obligations" or whatever he said earlier. though from the way persei looked at him he had a feeling that was almost exactly it.
he smiled brightly.
he turned to persei once again.
Feb 20 2023, 10:09 PM
banshy would indeed give a sharp, startled glance to Algol, needing to manually flatten his own feathers at the confirmation forgraves wasn't hurt, but they still eyed Forgraves reaction with a level of apprehension.
They would listen, and would nod. They were exhausted, in all honesty, by all the talking. they don't do it often, but it seemed to be overall a half pleasant experience. persei was decent enough company, and he can see for sure why forgraves thought so highly of the man, but Algol was a wild character. he raised a brow at his outburst, a light chuckle at persei's praise.
funny.
Banshy;
Feb 20 2023, 11:33 PM
The Collector was about to answer that brief 'why' when he saw it the answer dawn on Forgraves. No need, then, to remind him...
They both listened, the Blacksmith nodding with approval at the mention of Astraea teaching reading. "That knowledge opens... many doors," he murmured, sipping tea.
The Collector sipped, too. "It is not a matter of being willing to teach. I gave them knowledge--diagrams, schematics. I suppose I wished to see if they'd share it among themselves. I certainly expected them to," he added, sourly. "I expected tradesmen to crop up, trade and trade routes to begin to flourish... the real beginnings of a civilization." He almost sounded mournful at this--or at the very least, wistful. "But on they went, scrabbling at dirt and eating raw mice. Ahh, well--oh. My point was that I did not bear this knowledge myself. It was composed of texts and so on, not taught by me, and now whoever took each piece, well--they still have it, I suppose."
"I am certain... the library may... have what you seek. But be... respectful, to those within... its halls." The Blacksmith's warning came soft, though likely not needed--Forgraves was hardly the rude or pushy sort, after all. He looked to Banshy, curious. "I am sorry, but... did you say that... Forgraves told you of... the magic, I wish to teach you..?" He glanced to Forgraves then, wondering--was Banshy one of those who would be present?
And he glanced around, curious--wondering what this family would do if given the support they needed to make the home--or village, or even city--of their dreams.
They both listened, the Blacksmith nodding with approval at the mention of Astraea teaching reading. "That knowledge opens... many doors," he murmured, sipping tea.
The Collector sipped, too. "It is not a matter of being willing to teach. I gave them knowledge--diagrams, schematics. I suppose I wished to see if they'd share it among themselves. I certainly expected them to," he added, sourly. "I expected tradesmen to crop up, trade and trade routes to begin to flourish... the real beginnings of a civilization." He almost sounded mournful at this--or at the very least, wistful. "But on they went, scrabbling at dirt and eating raw mice. Ahh, well--oh. My point was that I did not bear this knowledge myself. It was composed of texts and so on, not taught by me, and now whoever took each piece, well--they still have it, I suppose."
"I am certain... the library may... have what you seek. But be... respectful, to those within... its halls." The Blacksmith's warning came soft, though likely not needed--Forgraves was hardly the rude or pushy sort, after all. He looked to Banshy, curious. "I am sorry, but... did you say that... Forgraves told you of... the magic, I wish to teach you..?" He glanced to Forgraves then, wondering--was Banshy one of those who would be present?
And he glanced around, curious--wondering what this family would do if given the support they needed to make the home--or village, or even city--of their dreams.
@Forgraves
Feb 21 2023, 12:01 AM
banshy made a mental note to go looking for those diagrams. could be useful, if forgraves cannot find what theyre looking for in the library.
He looked up, nodding and persei.
he would, indeed, leave the floor to forgraves, refilling his cup of tea, an offer to either of the brothers for a refill, brow and hand raised with the teapot in hand.
Banshy;
Feb 21 2023, 12:30 AM
Forgraves nodded.
he hummed, seeming perfectly content all things considered, a bit lost in his thoughts, before he positively lit up at persei's question.
he seemed to bounce in place and banshy opened the floor to him, giggling with joy.
he didn't come out for several moments, but when he did he was holding what looked to be a notebook, pages aged and dusty, but covered in dark ink.
he sat back down and, moving his food to the side, he placed the notebook down and turned it their direction, pointing at the pages and flipping them occasionally as he talked.
the writing would become harder to read as he, seemingly, got more excited as he wrote it down or maybe even lost sleep and eventually passed out.
he sighed. looking up, not a hint of embarassment on his features for once after so much talking, he smiled.
he was asking both of them, eyes flicking between the two.