Saoire Gift Giving 2022 [Woe / Leander]

[Pegasus]

On a certain day in Zi'da of the 722nd arc, Saoire was preparing another get together to facilitate the sharing of gifts through special doorways assigned to that purpose. It would begin a few days before the appointed hour of the gifting. They'd find a note some days earlier, tucked into the top of a doorway in their own home, detailing who their intended recipient of their gift was, with clues to what they might like. Then a date for which the gifting would take place. So the appointed gifter would know by when they could have their intended's gift ready, however they wished to come by it.

On the 42nd, the very same doorway they'd found the note in would open up into an idyllic realm of Saoire's Dream. The doorway became a portal into her realm, the birthplace of the Cadouri and the place where many of Saoire's own personal gifts were made. For this purpose, the Realm would serve as a hosting ground for the gifter and their intended, and was tailored to such a purpose as that. Especially suited to either recipient, so that the place would be appropriate to their identity and interests.

And as they were asked to have a gift prepared, they were assured they too would in turn receive a gift all their own. Through the very same doorway as they received their instructions, on the 42nd of Zi'Da, it would open up into the realm of Saoire's Dream where two would meet. One gifter, one intended. In this case, the two were Woe and Leander ~ Woe had received his information about Leander and, so, came prepared. The place they entered was a large and comfortable room with high vaulted ceilings and tall windows which overlooked a beautiful, snowy landscape. A fire burned in the hearth and there was a bookshelf to one side of it. Should either of them take the time to look there were books with myths and legends, tales and fables. No books of skills or knowledge here, yet books of wisdom and lessons to learn, should they wish it.

Off to the side there was a door, but in front of the fireplace was a low table on which sat a beautiful jug of boiling water and a delicately carved box containing a variety of teas. Next to that was a small tray with just about every addition to tea one could think of. From honey to cinnamon sticks, it was fully stocked.

Above the fireplace was a painting, showing Saoire's school on Faldrass. The dark wood of the walls had delicate patterns engraved in it and even though it was cold enough outside that the windows frosted over, the room was warm and welcoming. Welcoming, too, was the small figure who stood waiting to greet them. She was maybe three foot tall, but more likely two and a half and she wore a very pretty pink dress. "Hello, hello," said the cadouri ferret, wide eyed and smiling at them. "My name is Tin'na and I'm here to welcome you on Saoire's behalf. Please," she said with a broad smile and a friendly, open gesture. "Feel free to make yourselves at home!" Looking between the two of them she nodded. "Woe has a gift for you, Leander. A kindness shared between the two of you, just as Woe himself will receive a gift and Leander will give one. Isn't it precious!" Delightedly, she clapped her hands, then looked at them expectantly.

It seemed that how the gift was given was up to them and she was there simply to facilitate.

!

Message from: Peg

Welcome to your Saoire Event 722 Thread! This thread will be eligible for both skill points and knowledge, as long as the usual review requirements are met. At the end of the thread, all pcs will be given gateways to return to where they were. Literally and exactly where they were. Feel free to start your posts with where you were and what you were doing when the first gateway appeared. Gifters, please assume that the gift you are giving has been transported and is in the vicinity as you step out of the gateway. Also, if you need to have a space to craft that gift, please assume that one was provided. You may play the offered cadouri as NPCs throughout this thread. If you ask specific questions, feel free to PM me, but largely the NPC is provided for flavor. When you have completed the thread, please place it up for review as normal. Once it’s been reviewed, post here to claim your event medal!

[Woe]

The gift had been secured from Mudge’s Tannery works in Egilrun. A fine masterwork of a chemist’s satchel… or scholar’s satchel. There were catches and pockets for phials should one wish it, although they could easily be filled with writing utensils just as well. So it was a multi-purpose satchel, with a sturdy shoulder strap.

However as Woe was wont to do, he wasn’t content to use pedestrian materials for this gift. He thought Leander might appreciate a special type of leather, Blooded Leather, made from the tanned hide of an Oh’Deer and then boiled in its own blood before being stretched over a rack. The leather was sturdy on its own, but should any damage occur to it, it was self-mending.

The satchel had a larger portion in the main pocket, which could be filled with books or scrolls or bulkier materials for chemistry. Or just tools. There were smaller pockets for the phials and smaller samples, should he wish to have them separate. The inner lining of the satchel was merwool, a moisture resistant material that Woe had picked up from the market as well, and snatched it up quickly on seeing it was available. His woman in Almund, Lacrima had stitched the lining herself, and done a good job at that.

All of it was dyed mostly deep red, almost burgundy. The metal catches, loops, buckles and buttons on it were crafted of embersteel.

Woe carried it under his cloak, so as to do a dramatic reveal when Leander arrived. As arranged, Woe knocked twice on the threshold that had been assigned to the purpose, and arrived at a winter wonderland of sorts. Woe had in the past had some issues with snow and icey weather, but those were long behind him. They didn’t bother him anymore. He even came to enjoy the peace of a winter’s night.

He arrived there alone, having come ahead of Leander. There he waited, and put a kettle on the fireplace if he was allowed so he’d be able to brew some tea for his acquaintance in Rharne.

There he smiled pleasantly at Tin’na, as he took a seat and waited for the water to boil. Before long they’d have a good blend of tea brewing, and be ready for when Leander arrived.

“Nice night.” Woe said to Tin’na, deciding some small talk to fill the empty spaces wouldn’t be remiss.

[Leander]

It had been a terrible, no good, loooong trial. Nothing particularly bad had happened. It had just been little things, one after the other. He had woken during the night with a headache, managed to fall back into a fitful sleep, and woken up with his lower back in agony. He had had no tea to start his morning. His front door had seemingly frozen shut and it had taken him banging his shoulder into the door before he realised that he hadn’t even unlocked it. The trial continued as such. All-round just unpleasant.

The note he had receives a couple of trials previously sat half-forgotten on the table by his bed. And it wasn’t until he had returned home from his misadventures that he even remembered it. Then there was the door.

He stepped though.

He wasn’t afraid, he wasn’t even really aware that there was something unusual about what was occurring, such was Saoire’s pull over him on this trial. The room he entered into was nothing short of delightful. The fireplace, especially, had Leander staring into its depths in wonder. He loved a good fire, something that had always stuck with him since his time growing up in Viden. Fires were life-givers, life-savers. Utterly mesmerising in their warm properties. And the type of hearth was a sign of wealth in Viden. This one looked like it was straight out of an aristocratic bedroom. Utterly wonderful. He instantly felt better about being here, and hoped his time here would never end.

It took him a little while to notice the table of teas. And Leander’s smile turned into a massive grin. Yes. He made a beeline for the table and selected a peppermint option for himself. As he did so, he realised that he was not alone. The girl spoke first, and Leander stared. He forgot himself for a moment and then blurted out, “Tea?” Then he cringed, and smiled self-depreciatingly. “I’m sorry, I mean would you like some tea, Miss Tin’na?”

Then he turned to the second being in the room, one whom Leander was not all too sure about. He had met the man before. And… had he dreamed of him? Slightly disconcerted, he noted that there was water already boiling. Probably Woe’s doing, and extended the same question to him. Then, he added, genuinely, “It is good to see you again.”

[Woe]

Woe was busily brewing some tea from the ingredients on offer on the table. He decided on something that would bring about a warmth. Some cinnamon and ginger, and a small touch of sugar and honey. These spices he mixed in a small dish before mixing in with the teas that he’d be serving Tin’na and Leander. He’d save the last service for himself, as was customary for… well, him.

He poured out the water carefully over the leaves and seive. Once it was all in the pot and well steeped, he began pouring them out into cups and mixing in his blend of spices that he’d set aside. There was an importance to the introduction of each ingredient when it came to brewing, and in no other facet of the skill was it more evident than in tea making, which more often than not was an individual practice. Brewing wine or beer was one thing, when done by the cask. But in tea-brewing, each cup required a curation and individual touch.

He poured out each cup and mixed the honeyed drops into them. Once they were well mixed, he dished them out to Leander, Tin’na, and finally himself.

He looked at Leander. The man looked quite drawn and Woe almost thought distraught. As if he feared a premature conclusion to his time in this peaceful space. Woe had wondered how the chemist fared in Rharne, after meeting him. He’d only entered his dreams once, to check up on the man. The details of that episode being somewhat hazy and indistinct at this time, he disregarded them. However, he still wished to build a rapport with the budding chemist. If only to glean some of his knowledge for his own.

“Are you alright?” Woe asked Leander. When Leander took the cup, Woe made it a point to make physical touch as he handed it over. He imparted a sense of fearlessness in Leander then, to put him at ease if nothing else. At any rate, he’d find his worries melting away like the spices into the tea.

“You look tired.”

That said, Woe couldn’t wait another moment, but revealed the gift he’d brought for Leander. It was a masterwork leather satchel, with enough catches, pockets, and hidden compartments for all his needs as a field chemist. It was crafted from blooded leather, a fine textile that would resist cutting and even when damaged could repair itself. The leather was well tanned, and armor-grade in toughness, but still light and supple.

“This was made by the tanners of Egilrun, one of our finest, Mudge.” Woe didn’t much like Mudge, but he couldn’t deny the man did good work, and was useful in that one didn't need to spend too much time in negotiation before settling on a price.

“How have you been?”

[Leander]

Woe spoke, and Leander’s gaze turned on the man. He had met him before, of course. And there had been… more than one meeting, though honestly Leander was a little hazy on the second, honestly doubting himself as to whether it had ever really actually happened.

“Yes. I mean… I will be. Yes.” he replied slowly, ruminating over his words as he spoke them. There was no surety to what he said, and no doubt Woe would pick up on that. But he didn’t care. Somewhere in the back of his mind he was aware that Woe had seen him at his most vulnerable, so what did it matter what he said in this moment anyway?

Tea prepared, Leander cupped his hands around the large (thankfully) vessel and sighed. The only thing better than drinking tea was the warmth it provided to both body and mind. It was the anticipation of a good brew that made him instantly feel a little more relaxed and he had no doubt that Saoire’s selection would be significantly better than anything he could get in Rharne. He didn’t drink immediately though, knowing it would be too hot. Instead, he raised it to his nose and sniffed before breaking out with a soft ‘ahh’.

“I am tired, yes. It’s been a long few trials. Tea will make it all the better I am sure. How are you?” He added, for the sake of politeness, though part of him hoped that Woe would provide an honest answer, rather than simply the socially accepted response of ‘fine’ of any variation therein.

Then Woe pulled out what was undoubtedly his gift for the chemist. Ah yes, the reason they were here, Leander had almost forgotten, as the tea was gift enough! The satchel Woe revealed was beautiful and Leander could tell without even touching it how well crafted and lovingly made the satchel was. His eyes widened in excitement and he scrambled to put down his still-too-hot tea on the table in favour of reaching out for the satchel. He paused for a moment, realising he was almost literally making grabby hands for it, and smiled sheepishly before approaching Woe a little more slowly.

As he took it from Woe, he examined it with the tips of his fingers, running them along the seams, along the leatherwork, along the clasp. He listened to what Woe was saying with half an ear, his smile growing wider with each passing trill. “It’s beautiful Woe. I thank you. My last was old - from Viden, you know, I have kept it that long and it is falling apart at the seams, unfit for purpose really, however I have not had the inclination to search out a new one. My own fault. But this? This will do wonderfully. Thank you.”

“Hmm?” he was still admiring the bag, so Woe’s question took slightly longer for Leo to process. “Plodding along, really.” Was he supposed to be honest with the man? did he really care for a truthful answer? “I am, truth be told, a little overwhelmed. So much has changed recently. New contracts, now jobs. A steep learning curve. It is hard to keep up. But I am managing on what little sleep I can get.”

[Woe]

Leander was a thoughtful person, and Woe could recognize that the man lived in his head an awful lot. Woe knew well enough what that meant in terms of outward perceptions. Often reflexive thinking about what the other was saying and why, and their motives. A sign of a keen intelligence. Yet during the dream they'd shared, which Woe had mercifully wiped much of it from Leander's memory, or so he thought, the mortalborn had made a dreadful miscalculation of his character.

He would try not to repeat the mistake, at least not with Leander. Although he would've liked to pick his mind for chemical knowledge sometime, it might have to wait for a more appropriate setting. Perhaps.

Woe sipped the tea, and nodded at the cadouri that served it. It was good enough, not necessarily to his standards for a brew, but tasted well enough. The warmth anyway was half the point of drinking tea. Flavor was another thing entirely, although Woe had always been partial to such a specialty.

Woe was surprised somewhat when Leander asked him how he was. There were only a few people that Woe knew who tended to ask him that, and they were people he held in high esteem for their thoughtfulness. Still, it was nice to hear every now and again even if said casually as a reflex to being asked how they were.

Woe didn't want to trouble Leander with minutiae necessarily, yet he didn't want to brush off the question. "Egilrun is running smoothly enough." Woe said, defaulting to the discussion of his job, if nothing else was going on. His personal life wasn't really taking him much of anywhere lately.

"I have a few businesses that I've opened recently, and hoping to expand into other cities." Woe nodded. "Perhaps Rharne too, as I have some connections here."

He took another sip, and looked as Leander examined the bag. The chemist would find it of the highest quality of course, with nary a imperfect stitch or embossing.

Time wore on, and Leander made some effort to engage Woe, but the mortalborn could tell that he was possibly wearing out his welcome, or tiring out his companion. Yet, as Leander opened up that he felt he was stagnating, Woe felt compelled to counsel him on that. Could he offer him work? Possibly. Woe didn't know many talented scientists beyond Doran and Faith Augustin, and they were often busy. Having one that hasn't made as much of a name for himself, who has time to spare might prove of use to him. He would consider it.

"Have you struck it out on your own then? As an independent researcher and chemist?" Woe asked. Last time he'd been here, Leander worked for another, a apothecary of some sort. "That's exciting, but understandably exhausting."

Perhaps offering a job wasn't the best point to build off of, so Woe held back for now.

"If you need help on the logistics or business side of things, I would offer my help. It's good to delegate more exhausting aspects of your work to those who find interest in them. So you can focus on chemistry and research." Woe nodded, "I can set you up with some promising managers, I run a head-hunting agency in Egilrun. I can find someone suitable for you willing to relocate to Rharne."

That offer made, Woe nodded, and finished the rest of his tea. He set the service down, and gave a swift nod to the cadouri, and then to Leander. "I had best make it back to Egilrun. It's a jealous mistress, that village."

This said, Woe waited to see if Leander had anymore to speak on, before taking his leave.

[Leander]

Leander might have been an intelligent person… intelligent enough to remember snippets of his dreams and compartmentalise them - putting them down as just that: a dream. He smiled at Woe as the other man watched him, thinking of the man as simply some benevolent member of the Order of the Adunih. Immortals forbid that he should ever learn of Leander’s involvement with the Shadow Quarter.

He had shown his quality, with such a generous and much needed gift. Clever and kind man, that was what Woe was. There was no way this formidable mind would marry up the darker streak of the man he had met in his dream with the man he had met in real life.

The tea was delightful. He could stay here all season and try every one of the options available. Alas, he knew he could not stay for that long. Even if this room remained available to him for his use, he had to return to work. The Shadow Quarter wasn’t keen on time wasters and procrastinators.

“That’s good, then,” Leander responded between sips of tea. “It would be nice if you could build up your businesses to work out of Rharne. It would be nice to see more of you.” Something in his tone would probably alert Woe to the fact that he was simply offering platitudes… but that wasn’t the case. He genuinely wanted to know Woe better - he liked him all the more now for this gift. But he didn’t want to come across as… pushy. It was a fine line to walk.

“No,” Leander laughed, a thoroughly self-depreciating noise, “I’m not brave enough to go it alone. I al working for a small company in Rharne. They have offered me facilities to use - better than the hovel I used to work out of, that’s for sure. The work is meaningful, though, so I enjoy it, even if I am run into the ground.” He managed to say all that without the slightest hesitation or dysfluency in his utterance, something he was secretly proud of. How to tell someone about an employment he was literally not allowed to discuss (on pain of death)? It was rough going.

Oh. He was offering support in his employment. Woe was a many of many means it seemed. Honestly, he had no idea how the Shadow Quarter would react to him taking up other managerial input. But he did not want to offend the man, so Leander hedged his words, “Thank you for the kind offer. I will ruminate, and when I see you next, I will give you my answer. Until then, be well.” He waved Woe off, choosing for himself to stay and enjoy more tea before departing back to his work.

[Woe]

Rewards Requested

Notes/Warnings: Not muchhh

Thread: Saoire Gift Giving 2022 [Woe / Leander]
City/Area: Saoire's Dream

Renown: Dunno
Loot: For Leander: A masterwork chemist's tote, made of armor-grade blooded leather.
Collaboration: Yes
Local Language Thread? (Yes - Name of Language / No)

!	Message from: Kasoria
	Done!

[Kasoria]

Woe

No Knowledges requested, and it wasn't much of a meet, so I think Renown is a bit much. But hey, some tasty XP and a gift handed off, so you got something out of it! Make sure you deduct the cost of the gift from your Ledger.

• XP: 10

Leander

Same as Woe, not a great deal here about from he meet up and the exchange, but you got some XP and ooooooh a stylish new tote! Muy chic...

• XP: 10
• Loot:
  • A masterwork chemist's tote, made of armor-grade blooded leather.