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 Posted: Sun Jun 04, 2023 6:54 pm
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Knocking on a door to no avail, no answer not even a stir. Izaiah waiting only for a few, determining his close friend was out, somewhere. It was usual, but he had hoped. He had trekked all the way to see him, catch up he supposed. But just looking for somewhere to stay for a time. He would have to try again later. It’s not like he announced he was coming, so there was no reason for him to be annoyed. He’d find him eventually, he was pretty sure he knew where he worked, but not when. Though tonight he didn’t feel like checking, not wanting to deal with a crowd or noise.
So, what was the next best thing to stick out for a time that would fit. Hmmm. The library, one that stayed open, and he could look through their selection of ‘romance’ novels and read for free. There was enough buzzing about at night hours to do so. It was Hemlock after all, why wouldn’t there be a 24-hour library. He was no scholar, but he indulged in lewd writings. The worse the better.
He made his way to the building, anyone present kept quiet like you would, he may have looked a bit out of place, like he should be out partying, having fun. He never looked like he had fun, that face of his utterly neutral, it was hard to determine whether he was bored or just hated everyone. He had no care what anyone thought.
He tossed his bag he had, just his necessities onto a table away from anyone milling about in the isles. The Librarian giving him a look. He gave his back, dead pan. She didn’t say anything. He went off to scan the rows for what he wanted. Tugging a few out to take back. Setting them down to take a seat. He kicked back legs crossed, opening the first page. Oh, this was going to be good and began to read through the overly descriptive writing. No hesitation to where the characters were going.
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Posted: Sun Jun 04, 2023 7:16 pm
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 When Izaiah arrived, Zaal didn't even look up from his tome to notice. Truth be told, he couldn't usually hear any outside noise when he had his nose buried in a book. This was another fine example, with Zaal poring over a copy of an ancient manuscript... no doubt one that had been barely legible to begin with. However old it was, and the copy was old enough, he did possess a certain knack for this. It was definitely a strain, but Zaal took careful notes on his notepad, making his own transcription of the text.
This one was not about death, but rather a treatise on horticulture and herbology. Ancient techniques for preserving certain herbs used in the mystical arts, and typically left as offerings to the gods. Rather than being a necessity, this piece was a bit of light reading to the nerdy young vampire. He'd selected it because the title and subject matter intrigued him, particularly the descriptions of how the herbs were used.
Something was obscuring his light slightly, and he squinted, trying to make out a particularly difficult passage. At last he glanced up, and realized there was now a fae at the table opposite his own. Ah. Well. He had chosen this portion of the library for its unpopularity, not having expected to have company, even though the company in question was not, strictly speaking, close by. Moving the tome would mean risking potentially damaging it, and as loath as he was to have company for this, he was even more loath to do damage to the old book.
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Posted: Sun Jun 04, 2023 11:05 pm
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Well, what a fruitless venture, he dropped the last one on the table. That one was almost promising, but he was so irritated getting there that he was no longer interested now. He pushed them aside, grabbing his bag, digging around, pulling out a notebook. Ripping out a sheet carefully and began to fold, carefully and evenly, making a long strip and setting that aside, grabbed another sheet and did the same. Bringing them both together and weaving them together. A paper braid, picking up the last book that had some potential and stuck it in the cover. He planned to take this one with him when he was through. Well check it out, whatever. He reached in his bag again for a pencil, opening the notebook. Starting to write, it was just a random list of ideas or things he needed sometime. New projects and supplies for them. Scratching off some almost as soon as it was written. The list making devolving into little crude doodles in the margins.
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Posted: Wed Jun 07, 2023 9:51 am
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Whatever Zaal had thought would happen when he talked to the other fae, it was not this. Not that this was bad by any means, but Zaal did not have a knack for talking to strangers. There was something that almost seemed obstinate about the other fae, and he wondered if he had touched a nerve. Maybe, maybe not. "It's about herbs and how they can be used in different rituals," he said, matter-of-factly.
This was no book of spells, precisely. It was more of a suggestion on what herbs to use to venerate what deities or seasons. Maybe that was something akin to a spell, but if so Zaal did not see that the resemblance was so strong. There were other factors too, such as how often to use them, how fresh they should be, and how they could be stored. Things to consider for an offering or a celebration. "It's pretty old... the text is a bit difficult to make out."
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Posted: Sat Jun 17, 2023 11:36 pm
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"I was curious about it," Zaal said, brightening now that the other fae was showing interest in what he was reading. "You hear so much about offerings for the gods, but rarely what the gods have historically enjoyed receiving. I suppose it doesn't hold much water for us, since our deities are not quite as ancient as some, but it's interesting." Or at least to Zaal it was interesting. He enjoyed reading about esoteric things, though. Perhaps this was not his new 'friend's' cup of tea, but he didn't know that yet.
Of course, this book dealt with more than herbs and their use in deity offerings. "It also talks about use of herbs in seasonal rituals," he added as an afterthought. He took a few careful notes in his notebook, poring over the tome, even in his new company. "A lot of the herbs are the sort of things you'd use in cooking." Neat that they had different properties and uses.
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Posted: Sun Jun 18, 2023 5:39 pm
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Izaiah’s eyebrow raised slightly, so it was for fun. But he listened to the other Fae, and his, well very informative spiel. Sitting back in his chair to listen rather than look at the text he couldn’t read. Oddly enough somewhat thinking about what he knew about the gods and what he was saying which wasn’t a lot.
Either way he listened, still a bit baffled at how much the other was into it. Though it made him, nearly smile, like a twitch. Almost there but then gone. “So if I cooked, and used the right herbs, I could also use it as an offering?” He mused. “Would it even really matter if they were correct though if your intent was there for said offering or ritual? Or would that just…” He cut himself off, guess he really had nothing better to do, now musing over the topic.
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Posted: Mon Jun 19, 2023 9:09 pm
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Hmmm. The stranger raised a very valid point. Was the intent or the item itself the key to a successful offering? Honestly, Zaal didn't know. He wasn't sure exactly how this worked. "You could use it as an offering, yes," he said, and pondered over what the other said. "But I think you may be right. While these are herbs historically used for certain gods, intention should matter, too." Which begged the question... was this tome a waste of his time? Surely not, right? Just because a god or goddess might accept an offering they didn't prefer didn't mean they would not appreciate the right kind.
Surely. "Perhaps it's like with other things, where one may work, but another is more efficient and more of a sure thing." It was hard to know whether it would work or not. He really did not know. Given that Zaal himself was not an expert about gods or their offerings, he could not give a definitive answer. All he could provide was more hypothetical reasoning. "I wonder what cooking itself does, if certain herbs are accepted by certain gods as offerings." And, too, sometimes one burnt offerings, didn't they? Ah, but here they came back to intent again.
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Posted: Tue Jun 20, 2023 9:44 pm
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Now this wasn’t exactly how he intended to spend the night, sitting in a library having an arbitrary discussion with a stranger. Though it made for a distraction from being irritated at his predicament and the lack of a good story. Not that he tried very hard to find anything. This was doing just fine, something anyhow to pass the time. Izaiah decided it wasn't that bad. "So, say, in a pinch whatever you had on hand would cut it." But he made a point, "but for efficiency, depending what you were trying to do, having what they preferred would be best."
Another thought occurred. Well he was just full of them, it was unlike him to have conversations like this but he went with it. And he was quite amused at the others enthusiasm. "I guess it would be possible to offend even with the right intentions. You think there's stuff they would absolutely hate?" He was comparing in his head how of someone gave him something offensive but with good intentions he'd still be at least a bit put off if not entirely so. It was probably the same sort of idea. He mused more to himself, many questions and theories but left them unsaid.
"In the end I guess you can't just substitute everything."
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