Just a spoonful of sugar

[young_oldman]

Who: Sanae Kochiya and Lu Meng
What: Prayer 13
When: April 20th
Where: Around the city
Warnings: None

[Journeys to the near shore are always as exhilarating as they are exhausting. It's easy to be overwhelmed by all the sights and sounds of the modern world, to gape at every new marvel and stare at every feat once deemed impossible to man, but lo and behold! Men can now fly into the sky on metal carts that can lift themselves up into the air and soar seemingly with ease.

So much to see, to observe, to take in and experience. And all so temptingly within reach.

He resolves to someday come to this world on his own time. But for today there's work to be done, and he's keeping his attention focused solely on the latest prayer that's made it's way to his god's ears:

"I can't stop sneezing and I'm not getting nearly enough sleep. If I don't get my allergies under control soon, things are going to start getting bad, ugh."

It had taken only a little explanation on what allergies are. The issue was that the man didn't have enough money to go see a doctor...which was how the two of them ended up pouring over books and websites featuring both traditional and modern medication for a bad case of sinus. Finding a book on traditional Chinese medicine gave him a jolt of familiarity and nostalgia; it's heartening to know that the knowledge from this time has lived on even until today. He doesn't dwell too long on it though lest his thoughts take a less favourable turn; he doesn't want to risk wondering too much about the past. Instead he must dedicate his mind and focus to the time he has now and the task ahead of him.

It's Sanae that discovers a potential cure, though the strange reaction she had when she first spoke up about it made him a little wary.]

I didn't know you were familiar with a healer's art as well, Lady Kochiya. [An innocent enough remark to get this round of interrogation started. He sticks close to her as they cross the road, passing out apologies as unsuspecting passer-bys accidentally bump into him. To his side he can hear and see the metal carriages that run without horses, held at bay by the red light above the pedestrian walk. Seeing them all lined up, rumbling and ready to screech forward at the first flash of green makes him slightly nervous, but he does a good job hiding it, focusing instead on the list of items they were going to need to make this home cure for allergies.]

Nor did I know that ivy comes in more colours than just green. Blue ivy...I wonder how it turned such a strange shade.

Comments

[miraculo]

[ It's a simple remedy she's made of citric acid, potassium sorbate, sorbitol, and-- of course, the secret ingredient-- the ever purposeful blue ivy extract, the saponins! ] T...to be honest, I'm not familiar with things like this that much.

[ For instance, who in their right mind would decide on using blue ivy in a medication?? ] But, they do say that pharmacology is just the other side of the coin of toxicology. We're just putting these ingredients to good use, and there's a lot of literature on these substances that show they can help.

[ She holds up the list of ingredients. ] The trickiest part to do is to determine the right about of which ingredient to add to a solution, and in which order. [ A pause. ] Now, the order might not matter in this case because none of these ingredients may react with each other, so we may be okay with that. [ She sets the paper down, ready to get back to work. She brings out a pencil, beginning to draw the basic molecular structures of each ingredient.

Ah, science. Or perhaps pseudoscience in this case. Whatever it is, Sanae likes figuring out puzzles. ]

[young_oldman]

My lady, medicine is no trifling matter! If you don't have the necessary expertise in concocting remedies, then we should leave this brew to those who do.

[miraculo]

But Lu Meng, this young man wanted help from us-- which means he wants medicine or a cure from us!

Not someone else!

[young_oldman]

He wants help from us, not a poison brewed with good intentions but untrained hands.

[What on earth are those scribbles? He's looking over her shoulder with mild curiosity anyway, even if he disagrees with them coming up with a cure themselves.]

[miraculo]

He'll be fiiiine. See here-- [ She'll point to this molecule. ] This is an example of a saponin. It's the ingredient that we're looking for in the ivy. It helps expand the airways in the lungs and clears the sinuses!

[ See see she totally knows this shit.

Okay no she doesn't, but she's learning. And she looks like she's having a good time, because she likes to learn. More than that, she likes to be right. ]

[young_oldman]

It's one thing to read it from a text book and another to apply it. That man is not your practice patient, Lady Kochiya.

[Who's Mr You-can't-have-a-good-time? He is. He's already upped the disapproval to disapproval face rank 2.]

We can't risk endangering his health. To offer medicine when we have no experience in such matters is medical malpractice. [Someone's learned a big word lately. "Malpractice". Must have been all that studying he did for their last prayer request.]

[miraculo]

[ A sigh. She's learned that she can't hope to fight against yet another, higher disapproval ranking. ] But what else would we do? Nothing else seems to have worked for him!

I mean, it could be a spirit, but we met him! He didn't seem haunted by anything at all.

[young_oldman]

[Thankfully she backed down from that idea pretty easily. Lu Meng relents too, his stern features softening somewhat.]

There should be modern apothecaries in this city. Let's turn to them for advice. Failing which there might be a divine being in Heaven that could pass us a cure for allergies.

[miraculo]

[ Modern apothecaries... ] Such as... pharmacists? But he would have gone to them to begin with. That's where everyone gets their medication today, including those used for allergies.

[ And because she's rather tired of having her (clearly amazing) ideas always being dismissed by Lu Meng, she huffs stubbornly. ] ...Maybe we should just skip to me making a miracle.

[young_oldman]

[He knows what that huff means, and if he pushes her too hard he's just going to make her more obstinate than before. And a miracle would...probably be a good compromise between the two of them.]

...that would be the ideal option then.

[Though she might still be upset that she didn't get a chance to mix her own batch of herbal remedies up. Maybe there's a compromise here?] Actually...could we make the medicine, and then use a miracle to ensure its success?

[miraculo]

Hm, I don't see why not. [ Except that it would be kind of pointless to make the "medicine" if she could just miracle things away--

But no. She's not prone to thinking that. She's an advocate for working and figuring things out! And she wants to make this pseudo-science-y-herbal remedy if she can!

Sharing his disappointed look, Sanae looks back to her paper. ] ....I could pretty much stop now if I'm just going to use a miracle to ensure its success in the end. [ She begins stacking up her notes. ]

[young_oldman]

...I'm sorry, my lady. I know you really wanted to make the medicine for this man, which is why I suggested that alternative. But it would be better to err on the side of caution when it comes to matters of health.

[miraculo]

[ She pauses, and then realizes that she's being rather unfair to him. She shouldn't have an attitude just because she didn't get to research more about these ingredients and making something herself! ] Why are you apologizing? You are right.

[ Being a god, she can do that. But not having fun? That's the difficult part to swallow. Yet ultimately she does know it's good to be cautious, even if she does think she'll be right to perfect the medication on her own without a miracle. ] I can always try to make something on my own later-- what's important is to help this young man first. [ See see he's gotten through to her!! ]

[young_oldman]

Being right and being mindful of people's thoughts and feelings are two separate issues. I could tell that you had your heart set on making medication for that man.

[He helps her pack her notes up.] I'm not sorry for standing my ground against you. It is true that that man is the priority here. But I do understand that you were looking forward to creating that remedy for him.

[miraculo]

[ Ah. Now she understands. ]

In that case... [ She slides her notes and books into a bag, and slings it over her shoulder. ] I'll have to find something else to look forward to, no? [ That's easy enough for someone like Sanae to do, so nothing much is lost. She smiles at him, beginning to walk past him.

Casually, ] Hmm, now that I think of it, we should buy a cute cup to put the medicine in.

[young_oldman]

[Well. That didn't end with another awkward moment between them. He's relieved, letting out a silent sigh. Dealing with Sanae hasn't been all smooth-sailing, and the lines between guide and servant are a little unclear especially when she was proving to be a little immature for her age.

Long strides to catch up with her, he slows his pace once he's at her side.]

What would you have on that cup? Another frog?

1/2

[miraculo]

A frog...? [ Aaah he knows her so well already. It's almost embarrassing, her idea that frogs are cute.

Rather it should be embarrassing, but no. To Sanae, frogs are cute. ] Who said anything about a frog?

[miraculo]

--There would be three frogs on it, of course.

[young_oldman]

Only three? Are you getting tired of them already?

[Behold, the rare teasing Lu Meng has appeared. So rare is this side of the shinki, and so subtle in appearance (the same serious, strict voice, with just the barest of smiles), it can still easily be mistaken for the more common no-fun Lu Meng.]

[miraculo]

[ Alas she hasn't known him long enough to pick up on this subtleness.

She's treating this and him seriously. ] ---You're right about that, too. There should be at least ten!

[young_oldman]

...I was only speaking in jest, my lady. Three frogs are more than enough.

[He's honestly surprised that her temple isn't full of frogs just yet, surrounded by all that water and all.]

1/5

[miraculo]

But three frogs wouldn't be eno--

[miraculo]

[ Wait. ]

[miraculo]

[ Did he just-- ]

[miraculo]

[ OMG HE DID. ]