[Flashback RP] Apprenticeship (Sal/Na)

[Enoh Love]

Since the kitchen area was next to his lounge area, he could hear pretty much everything going on. He continued to lay motionless on his lounge chair, half on his side and soaking in the sun that came in through the makeshift window, and simply listened. He heard the clink of jars, the way the burner ignited and puffed out, and of course every unhappy mumble that passed her lips.

She struggled to make it certainly, but despite all of her attempts, she hadn't once come to ask him for help or advice. She never tried to give him something that she wasn't sure of. It meant that she had been paying attention to the contents, despite it all. That was promising. And hilarious. In equal parts.

By the time she made it out of the kitchen, his small smile had turned into a rather twisted grin, his shoulder shaking with quiet laughter.

"I do, yes." A miracle allowed him to straighten his expression, and long, thin fingers curled around the offered cup. "It forces you to pay attention to what you are using. It's easy to mislabel something, and easier to mix up your materials after that." After he sat himself up - but made sure to keep himself and his dark fabrics in direct sunlight - he brought the cup to his lips for a small sip.

"Very good, young one." She had gotten it right, including his vague definition of a hint. The cup was held between both hands and rested on his lap, as he lifted red eyes to look at the heavily decorated hopeful-apprentice.

"Would you like to continue your test for candidacy?"

eight

 

[Eight]

Na'ima frowned and glanced back toward the kitchen. It would be far too easy for someone to poison themselves by mistake, she didn't like that. She would definitely need to invest in labeled jars. Or at least some way to subtly mark the ones he currently had. She'd figure something out.

At least she'd gotten the coffee right after the struggle to make it.

Continue..that was her test? Seriously? Na'ima blinked. "Yes, I would." Might as well.

Enoh Love

 

[Enoh Love]

"I'd hoped you would say that." Sal said sweetly, as if he meant it. His gaze never wavered from her, he never looked away, never did anything more than keep constant eye contact.

"Next, you must go into town, and replenish what you had used in your various attempts to make this coffee." He offered her a sweet smile on top of his kind-sounding request.

eight

 

[Eight]

...Somehow she was less surprised than she thought she would be. Na'ima didn't so much as bat an eye to the request, starting to anticipate that anything he considered a 'test' was going to have absolutely nothing to do with actual alchemy and potion making.

Why was mother and father sending her to him. Honestly.

"Am I replenishing it with your coin," which was only fair as it was his coffee, "or mine?"  

[Enoh Love]

Salbei made a small, thoughtful noise. As if nobody had ever asked him that question before, though he had heard it at least a handful of times from other past would-be apprentices.

"Yours, of course." The kind smile and cool tone continued. "I will reimburse you for the items you correctly replenish." Failing would mean coming from her own pocket, because those items would mean nothing to him and were therefore unnecessary. "But you are a very smart, lovely filly. I have faith that you will succeed." And that confidence was greatly falsified, and so easily given despite untrue at best.

Well, at least with Na, he was somewhat sincere about it. Others, not so much.

eight

Roll a 3d20.
- If you beat my roll, Na'ima brought back the correct items - and more than necessary to simply replenish!
- If you do not beat my roll, Na'ima brought back a couple incorrect items, or not enough.

 

[Eight]

Figures.

"Very well," Na'ima answered simply. Her veil was pulled up to cover her face again, her robes straightened neatly before she made her way out of the tent and to the marketplace.

When she returned she was carrying a basket of jars, all of them clearly labeled. "Salbei," she called out though her voice never truly raised from its natural volume. "I regret to inform you that the only merchant who told me they normally had hazelnut," she continued into the kitchen to drop off the basket, "had just sold the last of it yesterday and has not had a chance to restock on it." She checked her jars. "However, I found everything else."  

[Enoh Love]

Na'ima would return to find Salbei on the lounge couch again, eyes closed and breathing even. He'd fallen asleep again, his coffee cup on the floor near one of the chair legs. It was her speaking that woke him up, and all he did was open one red eye a fraction, looking at her as she explained the situation.

"Very good! Not to worry about the Hazelnut, you may try again tomorrow." He mused sleepily, before gesturing to the kitchen once more. "Please replenish the jars and put them back where you found them." The older horseman yawned. "Oh, and Na'ima? You may not label a single one. Have fun!" He waved her off, and went back to snoozing on the chair.

eight

BEAT MY ROLL TO SUCCEED

 

[Eight]

Na'ima nodded. It was good (or, well, bad) that Salbei warned her not to label anything, because she had had every intention of doing so. Instead she sighed and was glad her back was already to him as she scowled and rolled her eyes toward the ceiling mouthing 'whyyyyyyy' to herself before she went about taking her jars out of the basket.

Ugh.

Wait..someone had rearranged the jars again? She opened the one she had expected to be sugar only to find what was left of the cream. Where was the sugar? Where were the coffee grinds?

He had moved everything.

Enoh Love