On the road
4 Brujames, 333
Slavina
It's late in the evening... after sundown, in fact, and dark enough that the gems on Starbringer's gown are starting to twinkle. Around the caravaner's campfire is a low murmur of activity: some folks are finishing bowls of stew, others are chatting or playing cards. There was dancing earlier (thanks to Daina's influence) and some more rowdy types of songs, but by this point things are starting to settle down after a long day's work.
Slavina sits on a log, next to a couple of the younger fellows. She finishes up her last song for the evening - a Liudzi song about a desperate family looking for work in a villiage and finding everything so horribly unsuitable they leave town worse off than they started. It can be sung funny or poignant, and she's chosen poignant today. One of the (more drunk) guys near her is crying, in fact. After the song she pats him on the back, disentangles, and approaches Daina.
"Ready to go?" She asks.
Daina
Daina smirks faintly as she rubs a corner of scarf that she's wet over her face and hair. "Yeah after you bring that poor guy to tears you wanna go huh?" teasing some as she hangs the scarf from her belt to dry.
Looking around them though it's clear things are winding down and so she gives a nod as she turns towards the direction of the cart. "Caused enough trouble for the day I suppose" She allows as she paused to get a drink of water from one of the small groupings they pass on their way, smiling her thanks for the drink before heading on.
Slavina
Slavina shrugs a sweater on, covering the sharp lines of her shoulders with soft folds. "Yeah." She says quietly in a scratchy-wool voice, "better him than me." She follows Daina, walking slowly and gingerly as they round the bush out of view of the caravan-camp.
Daina
Daina tilts her head a little one side to the other. "yeah I mean if you spread the tears around no one drowns yes?" grinning a little as she offers Slavina her arm.. maybe shoulder to lean on as they walk. "Have a good day otherwise? Anything interesting I didn't hear about some how" she makes a face at the lack of news while on the road, though they did have Frankie at least and that was a big differennce. She ponders writing a letter home soon .. maybe ... writing a letter to Momma... Frankie .. could probably deliver it. She shakes her head to clear it of those notions for the time being and focuses her attention on the person walkin' with her instead.
Slavina
Slavina shrugs a little, the movement obscured somewhat by the ruffles on her sweater. She takes Daina up on the offered shoulder (arm would be nice but their heights make it inconvenient), and she leans on Daina pretty heavily - or at least as heavily as possible for someone as small as Slavina. She's really tired.
"Not really. Aaren made me feel not-bad for a little while though. That was nice." She lifts her skirt up with her free hand to keep it from snagging on the brambles they're passing. "Apparently I'm sad. I finished writing a letter though." Even in the dark, her dissatisfied-face comes through in her voice: Slavina is not a fan of her own writing.
Daina
Daina glances over and sort of .. straightens up and makes her walking posture more solid. "Interesting.. by working with your song I'm guessing?" she questions as she scratches her cheek, her lips making an oh shape for a moment before she blows out a breath that makes her lips flap noisily.
Daina notices the skirt holding and pauses a second to dance forward a few steps and bow, spreading her arms to both sides and straightening, The small path widens just enough and returns to normal as they pass.
"There are plants that can help with being sad you know.. if you want that is" She offers "though sometimes you just gotta be sad.. feelings need their space and stuff" She murmurs .. not really sure of the offer of plants after it's voiced but she would try if Slavina wished.
Slavina
Slavina gives Daina's shoulder a little thank-you squeeze when she clears the path and fails to duck her head in time to not smack her face into a clump of ripe berries. "Ew." She pulls out a handkerchief and wipes berry off her face.
"Yeah." She sighs. "I... don't know. If you think it'd be a long-term solution maybe we could bring it up with Aaren?" She sits down on a rock to finish wiping her face off, since there's some berry in her eye. "But if it was, you'd probably already have done it for yourself I guess."
Daina
Daina snorts softly and chides the berries with a waggle of her finger. "They're ripe so I guess they want to go with us" she undoes the scarf from her belt and holds it up like a basket. "I mean could try it and if it works maybe make it long term.. can always bring it up and see what the healer supreme thinks"
Smiling a little bit she puts the makeshift basket around a part of the branch and gives it a controlled shake, several berries tumbling into the waiting space.
The last of the words cause her smile to slip a little but she shrugs. "the grass makes me pretty happy and chill so.. it's working for now. Don't think that's what you need though"
Slavina
"Do you mean grass like cannabis, or do you mean the literal grass makes you happy?" Slavina asks... it's Daina, after all. Could be either. She curls up a bit, pressing crossed forearms against her stomach as she watches Daina pick berries.
Daina
Daina snorts softly "I mean both but I was talkin' about the cannabis specifically this time" a faint little laugh as she glances over.
"You know.. you're allowed to take up space. Being big might help you feel better.. Sprawl out.. stretch.. try and reach a tree with each limb." she ties the scarf and finds a plot of land to flop onto, stretching out wide and giving a slightly put on groan.
Slavina
Slavina snorts a sort of half-laugh and shakes her head but doesn't uncurl. "I appreciate the thought, but I doubt taking up more space will make my stomachache any better." She pulls her head up so she can watch Daina again. She jumps back a pace in the conversation and says, "Yeah pot doesn't really... well, it works for me but not the same way. I get high really easily and when I do I kind of slip Between."
Daina
Daina nods "Yeah it's a fine line.. smoke too much and same thing happens" she murmurs as she considers. "Huh it might loosen up some gas or something if you stretch out, it -could- help a stomach ache" she says with a slightly annoying jesting tone of voice.
Slavina
Slavina shakes her head again. "It'll go away eventually." She says, with a kind of forced hopefulness because she knows it's true even if it doesn't feel true. "It's just.... you know. Part of being burned-out and sad-sick. Like being tired all the time or feeling like I can't breathe." She names a few of the more annoying symptoms.
"Anyway, what kind of berries are these?" She asks. "I can't see a thing."
Daina
Daina nods a little bit and pauses a sec "so .. dude... I can make weed that won't get you inbetween.. it'd fix some of that shit for you like the stomach ache probably and physical pain." She grins "yeah I can make it like totally not hallucinitory and stuff.."
Slavina
Slavina makes a small, murfled noise of interest. Like the vocal equivilant of raising your eyebrows.
Daina
Daina chuckles a little "Oh man why didn't I think of this sooner, it's such a good idea.. " she pauses and double checks the berries. "Northern Pluck Berries most likely but a slightly different strain.. a little more sour most likely. Still good for baking though" she murmurs before her attention returns to Slavina "So yeah when we get back to the cart I'll do some growing and fiddling and we can try it out, what do you think?" excited by the idea obviously.
Slavina
"Uh." Slavina stalls out for a minute as she is faced with... gasp... decisions. "Sure." She chews her lower lip a little and adds, "Good thing they're sour. That'll give us something to do with all that honey...."
Daina
Daina smiles to that and nods "cool, yeah this is going to be great.. imagine being able to just like have some plant and feel better but not have to like be sleepy or .. like all woo woo wibbly wobbly brain.. ya know?" she pauses and at the mention of vast amounts of honey she employs her pockets, her sash, and the front of her shirt to hold more berries.
Slavina
Slavina stands up and has a go at assisting with Daina's berry-collecting... but soon finds that telling the ripe from unripe berries apart in the dark is pretty hard. So she just holds the handkerchief basket for Daina instead. "Do you bake much?" She asks. "I've never done it by myself."
Daina
Daina looks over with some shock "Oh man I've clearly let you down I am -so- sorry" she tsks softly "I totally bake.... we should go back and bake and then bake it will be super chill and we'll have delicious snacks."
Slavina
Slavina takes this as a prompt to start moving homeward. She holds the bag of berries slightly away from her body so she won't get berry-juice stains on her skirt. With her other hand she goes back to leaning on Daina. "Slow down there zippy. Let's not talk about snacks until after you've cured my stomachache." She gives a thoughtful pause of several paces before saying, "Wait... don't we need an oven to bake?"
Daina
Daina hums a little "Yeah ok that's fair " she snickers a little bit as she points out "oh I managed to put a stove in when I revamped the cart.. does more than stove top stuff."
She nods some and then continues on, a balancing act between keeping the berries from smooshed fates to soon and helping Slavina along. Not too difficult for Daina though, kinda like having a drunk dancing partner really.
Slavina
When they reach the cart (it's really not that far, after all) Slavina deposits her berries in a large gourdwood bowl and sits on the sideboard of the cart, curling up again and taking her boots off so she can pull her feet up. "Do you want me to do anything while you make the drugs?"
Daina
Daina hmms and considers "like.. maybe meditate on being happy?" She suggests as she rummages around for a pot for the plant and surfaces with another bowl like the one holding the berries. "Here we go" she hops down from the cart and sniffs the air to find the right dirt.
She takes a few steps in one direction then another ... she returns to the cart in about five minutes with a bowl of freshly dug earth and a slightly dirty hands. Setting the bowl down her hands are engulfed in flame for a second, burning away the dirt and such.
Slavina
Slavina chews her lip again and tries. She closes her eyes and takes a deep slow breath in, then out. Except something goes wrong because after a few of these slow even breaths they start to turn ragged and shaky until she's almost gasping and she reflexively curls up to cover her face as she starts to cry.
Daina
Daina returns to a crying Slavina and steps over. "Oh man.. what happened?" she questions as she sits nearby and slings an arm around Slavina. "It's ok.. or it'll be ok.." she tries with a faint furrowing of her brows.
Slavina
She shakes her head from side to side and presses the heel of her hand against her eyes. Once she's caught her breath enough she replies. "Sorry. It's...it's okay. It's..." She takes another minute to gather herself up, sniffling and wiping (then hiding) her face with her crumpled hankie. "I found out my friend Milusha... I mean, the whole family... died. A while ago. But I just found out recently." She swallows hard and presses herself against the side of the cart.
"I'm sorry. I was trying to think about happy things like you said. It's just... just that... Milusha is the only one who ever baked with me..." She faceplants into her knees as the tears start again.
Daina
Daina nods a little bit, a slight wince at the idea of a whole family being gone. She doesn't ask.
Daina smiles some "well maybe if you and me bake we can send some to her in Uncle Brens.. maybe.. if she's still there.." she frowns "I wonder if pie can be.. spirited so ghosts can eat it.. I mean I would -hope- so." She clears her throat and gives a faint applogetic half grin at her own distraction. "We can totally make a little alter with some nice baked goods for the family though we can for sure do that.. if you'd like that is"
Slavina
Slavina nods a limp little nod. "Okay." She blows her nose again and takes a deep, shuddering breath. "Can we just do what we planned already? Not feeling sick sounded nice. And we can... we can figure out about offerings later?"
Daina
Daina nods her head emphatically "Sure can" smiling some and turning her attention back to the plant. A few moments of concentration with fluttering slightly wooshing hand movements that she's started developing in lue of dancing her intentions, at least in smaller spaces.
The seed she'd put into the bowl when it was half full sprouts to life and with an infusion of energy from herself grows quickly.
While the plant gets bigger, starts to get ready to flower Daina brings over the bowl of berries so she can Slavina can make sure there are no bugs or fungi on the berries.
Slavina
When directed, Slavina helps toss out moldy and bug-ridden berries. She's improved to only occasional snuffling now. "So..." she swallows again to re-wet her mouth, "how do we bake them? Do we wrap them in leaves?"
Daina
Daina hmms "Yeah that'd work or if you have a pan.. maybe I should see about making some with that wood.. " she ponders. "Or maybe buy some next town we're in." she glances over and hesitates. "so like .. .. if you want to talk about it.. I'm totally here and with ears and stuff and uh.. but if not that's ok.. up to you.." she returns her attention to the berries and picks some that are too ripe to use as ammunition later.
Slavina
"Thanks." It's a hollow, wooden sound. "I don't really know what to say. I'd been... I've been working myself up to going back some day. Seeing them again. But..." She bites her lip, hard, and shakes her head again. "I guess I shouldn't have waited so long," she says in a rough almost whisper.
Daina
Daina nods a little bit and nibbles on her lower lip. Listening. At the near whisper she pauses "I mean maybe but also .. maybe you're meant to meet them again later, next life time or something" suggested with an effort to be of comfort.
Slavina
Slavina gives a limp shrug. "I just... I don't know. If I'd been there maybe it would've been different?" She pulls at her sweater, re-wrapping it to cover her knees and chin. "She listened to me. I could've... could've told her she was going too far. Maybe. I don't know." She shakes her head again, flopping the hood of the sweater a little with the movement.
Daina
Daina pauses a moment and considers. Empathy ping, specifically does Slavina just want Daina to listen or maybe offer words of some sort?
Slavina
oh gosh, good question XD. Um probably just listen, or even change the topic.
Daina
She nods a little. "Unno... but nothin' we can know is it" she murmurs before hopping up and getting a wooden fork and handing it to Slavina "Smoosh these up a little while I harvest and dry these buds" her words with a questioning uptilt at the end.
Slavina
Slavina grabs the fork and bowl and smooshes with automaton-like movements.
Daina
Daina smiles a little "thanks" picking a few buds and holding them in her hands, carefully applying heat to dry out the herbs faster. "Dude.. the cart house spirits are going to be so stoked about these baked goods." She smiles as she looks to the small carefully cultivated bonsai table and chairs for the house spirits Daina assumes live in the cart.
Slavina
"The cart has a house spirit?" She's not refuting Daina, just confused... Liudzi carts don't have house spirits after all.
Daina
Daina shrugs "I mean like probably.. cause I totally am calling this place home for a while and like some times spirits are homeless an' stuff." she narrows her eyes some as she thinks about it. "I bet some spirits from hometown wanted some like adventure and came with us .. for sure" she sort of questions like ... 'probably maybe.. don't you think?'
Slavina
Slavina blinks, slowly, twice. "I guess it could happen. I haven't checked..."
With an almost monumental effort, Slavina pulls herself away from the wall and joins Daina at the table. She keeps smooshing the very smooshed berries.
Daina
Daina smiles a bit, still uncertain. "I mean maybe later we can check it out, not like the cart isn't going with us right?" she smiles more and then breaks off a small piece of bud and wraps it in her fist. she burns it and pulls from her fist, the smoke would have done some bad things to most people but Diana seems find and exhales towards Slavina. Taste testing, not having really any physical pain to judge the effectiveness.
The thin leaf is produced from her hip bag and she makes quick work of rolling a joint and offering it to Slavina.
Slavina
Slavina takes it and asks cautiously, "You're sure this won't make me high?"
Daina
Daina nods some "pretty damn sure.. like bodies are all different but if it gets you high I'mma like be real shocked."
Slavina
Slavina nods and lights the joint off their not-a-fire-wood. She takes a hit off it and blows the smoke out the open door, uncoiling slightly as it takes effect. After a second pull, she says, "Thanks. That helps." She pushes the super smooshed berry paste bowl across the table to Daina. "I should probably check with Aaren next time, but..." she shrugs a can't-be-bothered-today kind of shrug.
Daina
Daina nods slightly and smiles, glad to have helped. She accepts the berries and then hops up to get honey to add to it and find some flour in the small 'kitchenette' that's being generous "ok so maybe yeah but also regular weed has CBD too and she didn't say not to smoke right?" she questions curiously.
Slavina
"She didn't need to," Slavina points out, poking with the joint for emphasis, "Usually I only use drugs for wayfinding purposes. Not medicinal stuff. You should put more honey in that." Given how Slavina takes her tea with enough honey to knock out a bear, the statement is not unexpected.
Daina
Daina looks at the filling and then back to Slavina "No way, you can drizzle more on top of yours" she tsks and gives a light laugh. "I like sweet too but golly" she chuckles and then perks up "oh man you know.. we should go get some nuts I bet I can find some not to far off.. " She tilts her head and extends her senses trying to find the markings in the air that indicate edible nuts that are ready to be eaten. Her eyes narrow some as she tilts her head to the other side.
Slavina
Slavina pouts (exaggeratedly and pointedly) at this heinous refusal to make the stuff properly delicious. Then she breaks into a yawn, daintily covered with the back of one hand. "Nuts are nice. Especially if they're mixed with honey..."
Daina
Daina chuckles a little and nods "yeah and could put them in the honey for like a honey y nut topping sauce" she hops up. "hey you look tired.. have a nap I'll go get some nuts and wake you when I get back or not.. depending on how good you're sleeping" she smiles and grabs a cloth bag from a hook on the wall. Hopping down from the cart she asks some of the bees to guard her pie mix from flies and gnats while she's away.