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]

Tags: ​

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 as 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]

Tags: 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.

 

[Xiaoyu]

[

​

By the time Braze caught up, she had already slipped through the edge of the gathering crowd. People parted without really noticing when someone moved with quiet certainty, and within a few steps she was at the center of it.

A man sat slumped against the side of a tea stall, one hand still clutching the edge of the table as if it were the only thing keeping him upright. A shattered cup lay at his feet, its contents already soaking into the dirt. Even now, a faint scent lingered in the air—bitter, sharp, and distinctly wrong.

Xiaoyu crouched beside him without hesitation.

“Don’t let him lie flat,” she said, her voice calm but firm as she reached for his wrist. Her fingers pressed lightly against his pulse, counting in silence. It was too fast, uneven in a way that didn’t belong to simple illness or exhaustion.

Her gaze shifted to his lips, just enough discoloration to matter. Then she leaned closer, catching the faint trace of his breath as he exhaled. “…Alkaloid-based,” she murmured under her breath. This was not something that just happened. Her hand steadied his jaw gently. “Can you hear me?” she asked. The man responded weakly, barely coherent, but it was enough. He was still conscious...for now.

She held out her hand slightly without looking. “The moonroot.” When Braze would place it in her palm, she would crush a piece between her fingers, releasing its juices before carefully bringing it to the man’s mouth.

“This will slow it down,” she said, her tone even and controlled. “Not stop it.” As she worked, her attention didn’t stay fixed on the patient alone. It moved across the stall, the scattered tools, the half-used ingredients, the cups still waiting to be served. Nothing stood out immediately. And that was the problem.

Xiaoyu stilled for a brief moment, her thoughts settling into place. “…This wasn’t a mistake,” she said softly. There was no doubt in her voice.

She straightened slightly, her gaze lifting to the surrounding crowd. People had begun to gather more tightly now, drawn by curiosity and concern. Most of them looked unsettled, unsure whether to stay or leave. But a few lingered differently—watching, waiting, just a little too still.

Most people drifted away when trouble started. The one responsible wouldn’t. Her eyes narrowed slightly as she scanned the faces.

Then she glanced back at Braze, lowering her voice so only he could hear. “The dose was controlled,” she said. “Too precise for contamination. And if it were meant to kill quickly, it would have already done it.” Her gaze flicked briefly to the man again before returning to Braze.

“This was meant to do something else.”

She held his gaze for a moment, studying him in turn now; not just as someone helping, but as someone capable of thinking through it with her. “What do you think?” she asked quietly. “A warning? A test? Or do you think he wasn’t the intended target?” She wanted his perspective, wanted him to give her his honest opinion before she allowed her mind to continue to spiral, as it often did when poisons were involved.

After a moment, her attention shifted again, drawn back toward the tea stall itself. “The drink matters,” she continued, more thoughtfully now. “But so does who prepared it…and who it was meant for.” She rose to her feet slowly, her eyes already moving toward the vendor behind the stall and the remaining cups still sitting untouched on the table. “If the poison was prepared ahead of time,” she added, “there might still be traces left behind.”

She took a step toward the stall, then paused just long enough to glance back at Braze. “Stay with him,” she said, though her tone had softened slightly. “But keep an eye on the crowd too. If someone decides to leave quickly…” Her gaze shifted briefly toward a narrow gap between the stalls, one of the easier exits out of the market. “…they may have a reason to.” The market noise carried on around them, but it felt different now; quieter in all the wrong ways, like something beneath the surface had shifted.

And somewhere nearby, someone was still watching to see how this would end.

Braze​

 

[Braze]

Tags: Xiaoyu ​

Braze padded after her, pale attention fixed on the man as Xiaoyu worked. He listened closely, catching the certainty in her voice when she named it for what it was: poison.

Without wasting another breath on doubt, he drew the small gourd from his hip and pulled the cork free. A clear ribbon of water rose from within at the call of the Force, gathering above his palm in a trembling sphere before narrowing into something finer, more precise; a fluid shaping not unlike that of the Shapers of Kro Var, though turned here toward preservation rather than harm.

He knelt beside the stricken man and guided the water carefully to his lips, not forcing it down in any crude rush, but easing just enough against his mouth to wet it, to thin the bitterness there, to help whatever Xiaoyu gave him pass more easily. The rest he held in a delicate orbit near the man's throat and jaw, ready to steady him if he choked or faltered.

Then Braze set his free hand lightly near the man's upper chest, jade-green eyes sharpening with an intense focus. What followed was an application of Force healing, guided as well through Detoxify Poison in Another. It did not move with haste. It pressed inward with quiet care, feeling for the wrongness already spreading through blood and breath, seeking to slow its course, to blunt its hold, and to draw part of the poison's influence from the man's body before it could settle any deeper.

"I can keep it from advancing too quickly," he said, his voice low, measured. "But I do not think I can draw all of it out..."

 

[Xiaoyu]

[

​

Xiaoyu did not look up immediately when Braze spoke. She felt it before she saw it; the subtle shift in the man’s breathing, the way the tension in his jaw loosened just enough to matter.

“Good,” she said quietly, her tone steady, grounded. “That’s enough.”

Her fingers adjusted at the man’s throat, guiding his head slightly to the side as the crushed moonroot took effect. She watched closely; pulse, breath, the faint tremor in his limbs. The sharp edge of the poison hadn’t vanished, but it had dulled, slowed into something she could work with rather than chase.

She exhaled softly and shifted her attention.

“If you slow it,” she continued, her voice low but certain, “it gives us time to understand it.” Her gaze flicked once to the man’s lips again, then to the faint trace of sweat along his brow. “And time matters more than force, with something like this.”

She withdrew her hand at last, though she didn’t rise immediately. Instead, she reached for the man’s sleeve and pulled it back just enough to expose the skin beneath. Her eyes scanned for markings; needle, scratch, anything that didn’t belong. When she found nothing obvious, her focus narrowed slightly.

“Ingested..” she murmured to herself more than to the man beside her. Xiaoyu rose to a standing position at last. Her gaze moved past Braze, past the man, and settled once more on the tea stall. The untouched cups…the vendor. The arrangement of tools that, at a glance, looked ordinary enough to escape suspicion. But everything felt like a set up…felt too organized, per se.

She walked over to the stall, deep in thought, studying the placement of each cup, the subtle differences in fill, in color, in the way the liquid caught the light. To anyone else, these seemed like insignificant details, and certainly not things to keep one’s attention as they did hers. “If it were meant for him,” she said, “it wouldn’t need to be this careful.”

Xiaoyu exhaled, “But if it wasn’t…”

She grabbed the cut from the table, tilting it slightly under the sunlight. Her gaze flicked once toward the vendor, measuring their reaction without making it obvious she was doing so.

“…then someone here was meant to choose wrong.” She watched how the liquid inside the cup moved, how it clung to the sides. A figure stood just beyond the stall, half-turned as if already deciding to leave. But separate in a way that didn’t belong to someone caught in a crowd’s concern. Their gaze had lingered too long earlier; and now, it was gone.

“…We’re being watched,” she murmured, barely audible. She set the cup back down on the table carefully, as though not to disturb the peace. “The vendor handled it,” she continued under her breath, calm and precise. “But they didn’t choose the moment.” Her eyes shifted to where the man who had just left. “That one did…”

Her eyes found Braze again. “If he gets out of the city, we’ll never catch him…” she murmured, as though signaling for him to pursue rather than her. Xiaoyu trusted her instincts, trusted what she saw in Braze. “I won’t let the vendor get away…” she decided the paths for them both in one simple statement. She guessed that Braze was better at fighting or at least holding himself in one than she was, and unless he objected, she’d add, “don’t make too much of a scene as not to alert the vendor that we’ve caught on…”

Braze​

 

[Braze]

Tags: Xiaoyu ​

"Understood," he murmured, low enough for Xiaoyu alone.

He eased the stricken man into her care. Then he rose in one smooth motion before he slipped into motion at an angle moving through the gathered crowd, threading through the market with restrained haste, seeking to cut toward the gap between stalls before the watcher could clear it. His eyes stayed on the sway of shoulders ahead, on the subtle tells of someone trying too hard to look ordinary.

 

[Xiaoyu]

[

​

Xiaoyu didn’t watch him go, she didn't need to.

By the time Braze moved, she had already turned back toward the stall, her focus narrowing with quiet precision. The man on the ground steadied beneath her earlier work, his breathing still uneven, but no longer spiraling. That bought her time; and she used it. Her hand returned briefly to his pulse, confirming what she already suspected. Slowed. Not safe, but stable enough to leave for a moment. That was all she needed. She rose again, this time without hesitation, her attention settling fully on the vendor.

Up close, the details sharpened. The way their shoulders held just a fraction too tight. The way their gaze didn’t quite land where it should—skipping past her instead of meeting her directly. Xiaoyu reached for one of the untouched cups, lifting it with the same calm, unassuming motion as before. She brought it closer, tilting it just enough to catch the light, to watch how the surface tension shifted. Then, without warning, she spoke.

“You prepared these.” She paused, not long enough for the man to respond. Instead, she was watching his hand twitch, the same twitch that she had seen but a moment prior. Xiaoyu’s gaze dropped to it briefly, then lifted back up, steady and unblinking. “You didn’t mix it into all of them,” she continued, quieter now, as though she were simply thinking aloud. “Just one...maybe two.” She lowered the cup slowly back onto the table. “Which means you knew exactly where it was going.”

This time, she let the silence stretch just enough to press. The vendor shifted. Xiaoyu stepped closer, just enough to close the space between them, her presence calm but unyielding. “And you knew when it would be taken,” she added. Her eyes held theirs now, searching for fear. Because fear made people choose. Behind her, the market still moved, still breathed, still pretended nothing had changed. Somewhere beyond the stalls, Braze was already closing distance on the watcher.

Xiaoyu’s voice softened, just slightly. “Look at me. If you stay still,” she said, “this ends with questions.” Her gaze didn’t waver. “If you run…” She let the words hang, not as a threat, but as a simple truth left unfinished. Then, just as subtly, her hand shifted; resting lightly against the edge of the stall, blocking the easiest path out without making it obvious.

For a moment, it seemed like the vendor might hold, that he might choose calm. But then their eyes broke from hers, darting past her shoulder; toward the same thinning edge of the market Braze had moved to intercept. And in that instant, everything aligned. Xiaoyu didn’t turn. She didn’t follow their gaze. She trusted what she had already seen.

“They’re signaling him,” she said under her breath, just loud enough to carry if Braze was close enough to hear over the noise. The vendor’s hand shifted—subtle, almost nothing; fingers brushing against the underside of the stall.

A mechanism. A faint click followed.

Xiaoyu’s eyes sharpened. “Left side,” she added, her voice still calm but now edged with urgency. “Second row of stalls. He’ll break there.” Only then did she move. Her hand shot out, catching the vendor’s wrist just as they tried to pull back, not with force meant to harm, but with precision meant to stop. Her other hand swept the table in a single controlled motion, sending two of the untouched cups crashing to the ground. Liquid spilled, the scent hit sharper this time. Her grip tightened just slightly.

“You don’t get to disappear into this,” she said quietly. Then, just enough for Braze; wherever he was now, moving through the crowd toward that narrowing gap.

“Don’t let him turn the corner.”

Braze​