Private Provisions of a Particular Kind

[Braze]

Tags: Xiaoyu​

Braze was on an errand today, tasked with finding all the things his father, Kaito, had requested. He had been assured the list was simple… though the paper in his hand suggested otherwise.

The sheet bore Kaito’s delicate handwriting, the sort of notation one might expect from an apothecary’s working diary rather than a market list. Braze slowed beneath the shade of a stall awning and read again.

Moonroot — fresh if possible, the pale variety that grows where the soil stays cool.

White sage bundles — properly dried, not the brittle desert kind.

Ghostcap mushrooms — young specimens only; avoid those with darkened gills.

Silverleaf petals — sealed in wax paper to preserve their oils.

He traced further down the page, brow knitting faintly.

Star anise pods.

Juniper berries.

Nightshade seeds — intact, not crushed.

Black hellebore root.

Braze paused there… fingers lingering on the line. Some of these were gentle enough... herbs for fever teas, oils for calming the nerves, leaves used in salves that soothed aches after long days of training.

Others… Well... Nightshade did not earn its reputation by accident.

Black hellebore, if mishandled, had a talent for ending things rather than healing them.

Braze tilted the page toward the light as if the ink might reveal some hidden note explaining why Kaito needed them. His father’s methods often balanced along that narrow edge where medicine and poison differed only by the smallest measure.

He continued down the list.

Lotus pollen.

Angelica root.

A small vial of distilled myrrh.

Blue lotus stamens.

Poppy seeds — untreated.

There were a few small marks beside certain items, little symbols Kaito had made in the margins… shorthand Braze only half understood. Some indicated drying methods, others extraction. One mark—a thin spiral—usually meant the ingredient held a stronger potency than it first appeared.

Braze lowered the page slowly, gaze drifting across the market rows.

Baskets of herbs hung in loose bundles from wooden frames. Clay jars stood open on tables filled with crushed leaves and fragrant powders. Small glass vials caught the sunlight where merchants displayed oils the color of honey, smoke, or deep forest green.

Even here, surrounded by it all… The list still seemed impossibly long. How was he meant to gather every one of these before Kaito returned from his journey? Braze folded the paper carefully, though not quite enough to hide the ink. His father had trusted him with the task. That mattered. If Kaito was to have a proper place to work—somewhere clean, quiet, and well-stocked where medicines could be crafted with care—then Braze intended to see it done.

He slipped the list back into his hand and glanced toward the next line of stalls.

Somewhere in this market, he hoped, someone would know where to begin.

 

[Xiaoyu]

​

Xiaoyu had noticed him several minutes ago.

Not because he looked lost; people wandered markets like this all the time—but because of the paper. Anyone buying herbs usually carried a list, but most people glanced at it once or twice before heading straight for a stall. This young man kept unfolding it, reading carefully, then looking up at the rows of merchants as though trying to solve a puzzle.

That kind of list was rarely simple.

She finished tying a small bundle of dried feverleaf at the stall she had been browsing and drifted a little closer, curiosity quietly guiding her the rest of the way. As she approached, a mixture of scents reached her nose; sage, juniper, star anise… and something sharper lingering in the air around the paper.

Nightshade...Interesting. Xiaoyu paused beside the shade of the awning, hands tucked loosely into the sleeves of her robe. Her eyes flicked briefly to the sheet in his hand. She didn't stare; a quick glance was enough.

Moonroot. Ghostcap mushrooms. Silverleaf petals. Angelica root. And a few lines lower…

Black hellebore. Her brow lifted just slightly.

"That is an ambitious list," she said, her voice calm and matter-of-fact, as though she were commenting on the weather rather than a collection of herbs that wandered dangerously close to the boundary between medicine and poison.

She tilted her head, studying the page for another second before looking back at him. "Whoever wrote it knows what they're doing."

Most people buying ingredients for tea or simple remedies didn't combine calming herbs with plants that required careful handling. The balance suggested someone practiced; an apothecary, perhaps, or a healer comfortable working very close to the line where treatment and toxin differed only by a few grains too many.

Xiaoyu had always found that line fascinating.

Her gaze drifted toward the rows of stalls stretching deeper into the market. Baskets of herbs hung in loose bundles from wooden frames, and clay jars stood open on tabletops, their contents sending up clouds of bitter, earthy fragrance.

"If you try to gather everything randomly, you'll spend most of the afternoon walking in circles," she continued. "A lot of merchants here don't store their stock very well."

She gestured lightly toward one of the shaded rows further along the market. "Moonroot loses potency if it sits in the sun too long. The pale variety you want should still feel cool and firm. Ghostcap mushrooms should have pale gills; once they start darkening, they're already past their best."

Her eyes drifted back to the list, the rest of the details coming easily.

"Silverleaf petals oxidize quickly unless they're sealed properly, and black hellebore should always be bought whole. If someone has already ground it, there's no way to judge how strong it is." She paused briefly, then added almost as an afterthought, "Nightshade seeds should still rattle when you shake them."

For a moment she seemed to realize she had begun explaining all of this without being asked. Xiaoyu blinked once, her expression flattening slightly as if she were correcting herself.

"…Anyway." Her gaze returned to him. "If you want everything on that list in decent quality, I can show you which stalls are worth visiting. It would save you a lot of time."

Braze ​

 

[Braze]

Xiaoyu
Braze perked up at the sound of someone speaking to him about his rather troublesome shopping list. He listened carefully to what she had to say, offering her a gentle and appreciative smile once she finished.

"My, you are quite knowledgeable," he said with a warm friendly smile. "I'm afraid my understanding of these plants is rather lacking. I find your familiarity with them both impressive and admirable."

He dipped his head politely.

"My name is Braze. May I have the pleasure of your name, miss?" he asked, glancing up from the creased paper between his fingers.

Braze held the list thoughtfully for a moment before continuing.

"You see, this list was written by my father. He entrusted me with gathering these materials while he is away." A faint note of embarrassment crept into his voice. "I fear I may be somewhat out of my depth here. If I may be so bold… might I request your assistance? You appear to have a far more intimate understanding of these matters than I."

He offered the small slip of paper toward her.

"I assure you I can provide fair compensation for your help."

After a brief pause, Braze reached into the inner lining of his tunic and withdrew a second sheet, carefully folded and tucked within a hidden pocket. This one he handled with noticeably more care. The paper was thinner, the edges softened from repeated folding.

When he opened it, neat cursive writing stretched across the page in deliberate lines.

"This one is somewhat different," Braze said quietly. "The first concerns medicines and… This one appears to deal more with fragrance materials."

He turned the paper slightly so she could read it.

The note appeared to be written by someone accustomed to working with botanical materials, each item followed by short observations meant to guide someone tasked with gathering them.


Rosa damascena – Damask rose (cuttings or fresh petals)
Shrub with thorned stems and layered pink flowers. Petals should be gathered at first light before heat disperses their scent. Cuttings root best when taken from young green stems.

Jasminum sambac – Arabian jasmine (seedling or flowering sprigs)
Small evergreen vine bearing white star-shaped blossoms. Flowers open during the evening and are most fragrant through the night. Blossoms bruise easily.

Lavandula angustifolia – True lavender (flower spikes or seed)
Grey-green narrow leaves and upright purple flower spikes. Harvest flowers once most buds have opened but before the heads begin to dry on the stem.

Pogostemon cablin – Patchouli (leaf cuttings)
Low tropical herb with broad textured leaves. Leaves must be fully grown before cutting. Harvest in dry weather to avoid excess moisture.

Vetiveria zizanoides – Vetiver grass (root clumps)
Tall grass with narrow blades and dense fibrous roots. Roots grow deep and are best removed after the plant has matured through several seasons.

Iris germanica – Orris iris (rhizomes)
Thick underground rhizomes beneath tall sword-like leaves. Rhizomes are lifted after flowering season and cleaned of soil before drying.

Polianthes tuberosa – Tuberose (bulbs)
Long narrow leaves growing from underground bulbs. White tubular flowers open at night along tall stalks. Bulbs divide readily when lifted from the soil.

Gardenia jasminoides – Gardenia (flowering branches)
Glossy dark leaves with waxy white blossoms. Flowers bruise easily and should be gathered intact.

Citrus bergamia – Bergamot (young sapling or fruit rind)
Small citrus tree bearing yellow-green fruit. Rinds contain aromatic oil glands and should be removed while still fresh.

Citrus aurantium – Bitter orange blossom
Small white blossoms appearing in clusters among glossy leaves. Flowers should be gathered when newly opened.

Convallaria majalis – Lily of the valley
Low woodland plant with smooth leaves and small white bell-shaped flowers along a slender stalk. Flowers appear briefly in spring.

Digitalis purpurea – Foxglove
Tall spires bearing rows of bell-shaped purple flowers. Grows best in partial shade and well-drained soil.

Aconitum napellus – Monkshood
Erect plant with deep blue hooded blossoms. Prefers cool soil and mountain climates.

Datura stramonium – Thorn apple
Broad-leaved plant with large trumpet-shaped flowers. Produces spiny seed capsules after flowering.

Abelmoschus moschatus – Ambrette (seed pods)
Tall hibiscus relative producing hairy pods containing aromatic seeds. Pods dry on the stem before harvest.

Boswellia sacra – Frankincense resin
Collected as hardened droplets from incisions in the bark of desert trees. Resin forms pale golden tears.

Commiphora myrrha – Myrrh resin
Dark reddish resin gathered from bark cuts. Fragments harden quickly in dry air.

Styrax benzoin – Benzoin resin
Thick aromatic resin obtained from cuts in the bark of Styrax trees. Hardens into amber-colored lumps.

Ambergris fragment
Grey waxy material occasionally found along ocean shores after long exposure to sun and salt water.

Elettaria cardamomum – Cardamom pods
Green seed pods produced by low tropical plants. Pods are gathered before they split open.

Syzygium aromaticum – Clove buds
Unopened flower buds from evergreen trees. Harvested while still pink before turning fully brown.

Beeswax (clean cakes)
Wax rendered from honeycomb. Should remain pale and free from smoke scent.

Neutral distilled spirit

Braze rested his finger lightly against the paper as though trying to make sense of it.

"It seems my father intends to gather some of these… and cultivate others," he said thoughtfully. "He has always preferred growing his own materials when possible."

A sheepish smile tugged faintly at his lips.

"And perhaps," he added quietly, "you might recognize some of them?"

He folded the paper carefully once more.

"I should very much like to ensure I do not disappoint him."

 

[Xiaoyu]

​

Xiaoyu watched him as he spoke, her expression settling into the same calm, mildly curious look she seemed to wear most of the time. When he complimented her knowledge, she blinked once, as though the praise hadn’t quite landed the way he intended. Being told she knew plants well felt a little like being praised for recognizing stones on the ground.

Still, his politeness was genuine, and she appreciated that in its own quiet way.

When he introduced himself, she gave a small, respectful dip of her head in return. “Xiaoyu,” she said simply. Her name came without ceremony or flourish, spoken in the same calm tone she used for everything else. When he offered the first list, she accepted it without hesitation. Her fingers handled the paper carefully but without the reverence he seemed to give it. To her, it was simply information waiting to be examined. Her eyes moved down the page in steady silence.

Up close, the handwriting told her almost as much as the ingredients themselves. The script was deliberate, neat without being ornamental, the sort of writing that came from someone used to recording formulas or notes during long hours of work. Whoever had written this list understood their materials well. The small symbols in the margins were particularly interesting; short, efficient marks that hinted at drying methods, potency, and preparation techniques.

Her gaze paused briefly on the spiral marking beside certain items.

“Your father is thorough,” she murmured after a moment, the comment sounding more like an observation made to herself than something meant to flatter. “Most apothecaries would split a list like this into several smaller ones.”

Her eyes moved over the ingredients again, quietly sorting them in her mind. Fever reducers...sedatives, stabilizing agents, extraction materials and poisons; carefully selected ones. The sort that required precision and respect. Someone careless could easily turn medicine into something far more permanent.

She handed the paper back just as Braze unfolded the second sheet. This one caught her attention even more.

Xiaoyu leaned slightly closer as he turned the page toward her. The list was longer, the notes beside each entry even more detailed. Her eyes moved slowly down the columns, and for the first time a faint spark of interest appeared behind her otherwise steady expression.

Rosa damascena...Jasmine...Lavender...Patchouli

These were not medicinal ingredients in the usual sense. As she continued reading, the structure of the list became clear almost immediately. Orris root, tuberose, bergamot… benzoin resin… myrrh… frankincense.

It was the framework of perfume.

Foxglove...Monkshood...Datura. Xiaoyu read those three lines twice. A faint hum slipped from her throat before she realized she’d made the sound. “That’s… unusual.”

She straightened slightly, her arms slipping loosely back into the sleeves of her robe as she considered both lists together in her mind. “The first list is mostly medicinal,” she said slowly. “Although a few of the ingredients lean more toward toxicology.”

Her gaze drifted back to the second page. “This one is structured more like a perfumer’s inventory. Roses, jasmine, and lavender form the base of many fragrances.” She paused briefly before continuing, “Foxglove, monkshood, and datura aren’t typically used in perfumery,” she added after a moment. “…At least not in ways people usually talk about.”

She lifted her gaze to Braze then, studying him with quiet curiosity. There was no suspicion in her expression; just genuine interest in the puzzle the lists presented. “Your father sounds like an interesting man.”

She returned the paper carefully, making sure the edges stayed aligned the way he had kept them. “I recognize most of these materials,” she continued. “Some will be easy to find here. Others may take a little more searching.” Her eyes drifted across the market rows as she began mapping the route in her mind. “The common fragrance plants should be available from the garden cultivators near the eastern stalls. There’s also a resin merchant two rows north who occasionally carries frankincense and benzoin.”

She paused briefly, thinking. “The ambergris will be the hardest to find, and monkshood.” A small pause followed before she added in the same matter-of-fact tone, “It’s regulated in most places, but not everywhere.”

Her attention returned to the lists again as she continued working through the market layout in her head. “If we want to gather things efficiently, we should start with the shaded herb stalls. That’s where you’re most likely to find good moonroot and fresh ghostcaps.” She gestured faintly toward the deeper, cooler rows of the market. “After that we can check the spice vendors and the resin seller.”

Only then did she look back at him fully. “As for compensation…” she paused, considering the offer as though it were something she hadn’t really expected. "Maybe a drink?"

Her gaze dropped briefly to the lists again, that faint spark of curiosity returning. “I’m mostly interested in seeing what someone intends to make with all of this.”[/COLOR][/COLOR]​

Braze​

 

[Braze]

Xiaoyu
"Xiaoyu…" he repeated, testing her name on his tongue. A bright note entered his voice. "It has a pretty sound to it."

He gave a small shrug,

"I honestly wouldn't know much about my father's work... It's been many years since we've had this kind of time together… and already he's off again, peddling his wares. He makes candies sometimes
... like the medicinal sorts, though they taste better than most remedies."

His hand slipped to a small velvet-lined pouch at his belt. From within he unfolded a sheer cloth embroidered with tiny vine patterns, revealing a neatly wrapped crystal-clear sweet the size of a marble. He lifted it carefully between his fingers and offered it over.

"This one's lemon and honey," he said, turning it so the light caught its glasslike surface. "There's a bit of ginger in it as well, and chrysanthemum… maybe a trace of mint."

The candy gave off a faint citrus fragrance through the clear wrapping.

"It's meant to soothe the throat and settle a cough. Something sweet enough that people will actually take it, rather than avoid it."

He folded the cloth again, tucking the pouch away as his attention shifted to the direction she had given. His steps turned that way without hesitation.

"Thank you for helping me. I truly appreciate it… I feel as though I might have been wandering for quite some time trying to find everything he asked for."

A faint smile lingered as he walked beside her.

"We're setting up several small gaedens seperate from tge farms. Assorted gardens, mostly. Places where we can cultivate the herbs and flowers he uses."

He perked up as she requested a drink as compensation.

"Oh sure… what kind of drinks do you enjoy? I have a few experimental flavors of drink I've been working on lately. Nothing too refined yet...just plum with honey, ginger with a bit of spice, pine tips with citrus peel… small combinations to see what settles well together.

The cellar is finally finished, though it isn't stocked particularly well yet… so these little projects have been keeping me occupied in the meantime.... unless there's something here at the market , you've been eyeing.

The second list of ingredients I've been gathering are for me... I intend to turn toward perfume. My father always said fresher ingredients broaden a perfumer's palette; they give a wider range of notes to work with.

There are a few things I'd still like to source eventually… certain flowers, perhaps a resin or two. Harder things to come across, I suspect, though worth keeping an eye out for.

But tell me… do you prefer stronger drinks, or something a bit softer?"

 

[Xiaoyu]

[

​

Xiaoyu walked beside Braze as they moved deeper into the shaded rows of the market, listening quietly while he spoke. When he repeated her name and said it sounded pretty, she glanced at him for a moment with a faintly puzzled expression. Compliments like that always seemed slightly strange to her; pleasant enough, but not something she ever quite knew what to do with.

Still, he sounded sincere. “Thank you,” she said after a moment, her voice calm and polite, accepting the remark the same way one might acknowledge a kind observation about the weather.

As Braze spoke about his father, her attention drifted naturally across the surrounding stalls. Bundles of herbs hung from wooden frames overhead, and baskets filled with roots and dried leaves were stacked in neat, fragrant rows. Most people only noticed the pleasant scents in a place like this; the warm sweetness of chamomile, the resinous bite of sage, the bright citrus hint of dried peel.

Xiaoyu noticed the dangerous ones too.

When Braze reached into his pouch and produced the candy, however, her attention returned to him immediately. She leaned slightly closer, curiosity sharpening in her eyes as the small sweet caught the sunlight between his fingers. It was beautifully made; clear as glass, the color so faint it was almost invisible, with only the slightest golden tint where honey had been folded into the sugar.

For a moment she didn’t take it. Instead, she studied it the way a scholar might examine a specimen.

“Lemon, honey, ginger, chrysanthemum…” she murmured softly, almost under her breath as she considered the ingredients he had listed. “And mint.”

The faint citrus fragrance reached her, delicate but noticeable even through the wrapping. She nodded faintly to herself. “That combination would work well,” she said after a moment, her voice thoughtful rather than impressed. “Honey coats the throat and helps reduce irritation. Ginger encourages circulation and can calm inflammation. Chrysanthemum is often used for fever or soreness.” She paused briefly before adding, “And mint helps open the airways.”

Her gaze lifted back to him.

“Your father understands balance.”

Only then did she reach out and accept the candy. She held it lightly between her fingers rather than eating it right away, turning it once in the light as if admiring the craftsmanship. “Medicinal sweets are clever,” she added after a moment. “People are far more willing to take medicine when it tastes good. Most remedies fail because no one wants to swallow them.”

She slipped the wrapped sweet into a small pocket hidden in the sleeve of her robe as they continued walking.

When Braze began explaining the gardens they were establishing, Xiaoyu’s eyes drifted back toward the plants lining the stalls around them. The idea seemed to interest her; not in an excited way, but in the quiet, thoughtful manner of someone who was already imagining how such a place might function.

“That makes sense,” she said after a moment. “Fresh materials are always more reliable. Herbs bought in markets vary too much depending on how they were harvested or stored. “And some plants are better understood while they’re still growing. You learn more from watching them develop than you do from buying them dried in bundles.”

Certain toxins changed potency depending on the soil they grew in, the time they were harvested, even how long they were exposed to sunlight before drying. Those were things one only truly understood by observing the plants themselves.

When Braze began describing the drinks he had been experimenting with, she glanced sideways at him again. This time there was a little more interest in her expression.

“Pine tips with citrus peel…” she repeated slowly, turning the idea over in her mind. “That would probably work well,” she said. “Pine has a sharp, resinous flavor. Citrus oils would brighten it and keep it from tasting too bitter.”

She thought about the others he had mentioned. “The plum and honey sounds the most balanced,” she added after a moment. “Ginger with spice would be stronger. Probably good in colder weather.”

Then he mentioned perfume. That caught her attention immediately.

“Perfume?” she said, glancing at him with a little more curiosity now. “That explains the structure of the second list.” Her mind returned to the ingredients she had read earlier; rose, jasmine, orris root, the resins and aromatic seeds. “Fresh materials do give you more flexibility,” she said. “Dried ingredients lose their lighter notes very quickly.”

They passed beneath another shaded awning as she continued thinking aloud.

“But perfume is more complicated than most people expect. Some flowers collapse completely when distilled. Others change scent depending on the solvent you use.” She paused briefly before asking, “Are you planning to distill oils, or extract them using enfleurage?”

The question came naturally, spoken in the same casual tone someone might use when asking a baker whether they preferred butter or oil. When Braze asked about drinks again, Xiaoyu considered the question more seriously than most people probably would have. She walked in silence for a few steps before answering.

“I usually prefer milder drinks,” she said finally. Her voice remained thoughtful rather than dismissive. “Stronger ones dull the senses too quickly.” She glanced briefly toward the market stalls around them again, her sharp eyes quietly observing the people and plants they passed. “And that makes it harder to notice things.”

Braze​

 

[Braze]

Xiaoyu
“I’ve considered both,” Braze said, his tone turning thoughtful. “Distillation is better for some oils, especially where heat won’t ruin the character of it. Enfleurage would suit the more fragile blossoms. Slower, yes… but I imagine the result might keep more of the sweetness intact.” He offered ae he slowly visited each stall in order to make his purchases.

"Perhaps you might like to see some samples of scents I've made so far? I'm still experimenting with new scents and combinations. "

 

[Xiaoyu]

[

​

Xiaoyu listened as Braze explained his thoughts on distillation and enfleurage, her eyes drifting briefly toward the rows of herbs as he spoke. When he mentioned enfleurage preserving the sweetness of fragile blossoms, she gave a small, approving nod.

"That would be the safer approach," she said. "Heat tends to flatten delicate floral compounds. Jasmine in particular can change quite a lot if it's treated too aggressively."

They paused briefly at one of the shaded herb stalls while Braze examined a bundle of moonroot. Xiaoyu leaned slightly closer to inspect it as well, gently lifting one of the pale roots between her fingers. She turned it once, studying the surface and the faint scent that clung to the skin.

"This one's good," she said. "Recently harvested." When Braze mentioned the scent samples, she glanced back at him with quiet interest. "I would like to smell them," she admitted. "It's easier to understand a formula when you experience the result."

Her gaze drifted briefly across the market again, and then she stopped.

It was subtle at first; a faint scent carried through the warm air between the stalls. It smelled almost medicinal. Xiaoyu's expression shifted slightly. "…That's strange."

She turned her head, inhaling again more carefully. The smell was faint, but unmistakable to someone who had spent years around laboratory benches and poison distillations.

Alkaloids…Her eyes narrowed just slightly as she followed the scent down the row of vendors. Several stalls away, a small crowd had begun gathering near a tea seller's stand. Someone inside the circle coughed harshly, followed by the sound of a clay cup shattering on stone.

Xiaoyu's attention sharpened instantly. "That shouldn't be here," she murmured.

Without waiting, she began moving toward the disturbance, already scanning the tables for possible ingredients that might explain the smell. Over her shoulder, she added calmly to Braze "You might want to bring that moonroot with you."

Another cough echoed from the crowd ahead. "…I think someone just drank something they shouldn't have."​

Braze​

 

[Braze]

Xiaoyu
Braze listened with quiet attention, and when a small complication arose, he moved after her without hesitation. He gathered the materials she had asked for and held them out for her to take.

“Do you need me to fetch anything else?” Braze asked.

He understood the basics of first aid, and knew a little of Light-sided healing, but this was already edging beyond what he could confidently manage.