Poi 01: Afternoon

[fivemilesdeep]

[The video in the kitchen car turns on, showing Ryo holding up a tray of freshly baked muffins - half poppyseed and half chocolate chip, from the looks of it - and wearing a smile a bit more mischievous than usual.]

I don't know how many people have looked at the shop today, but we can now vote on improvements to the train. I had six votes, and I'd imagine most people have about that many.

I also have freshly baked muffins, and I'd like to offer a trade: if you vote to add scaffolding in the garden car, I'll give you a muffin, as long as I still have them available. If we get enough votes for scaffolding and you still want a muffin, voting for protein and dairy or for meat will also count. I'll be in the kitchen for a little while if you want to come talk to me.

[Yes, he is happily bribing the train to get what he wants. No, he has no shame - at least, not over this.]

Also, Thanatos, can you come see me when you get a minute? No rush.

[There's a poppyseed muffin set aside for Thanatos. Ryo takes care of his friends.]

Comments

[fivemilesdeep]

"Chocolate chip it is, then," he says, picking one up and handing it over. The poppyseed had been more popular than he'd initially expected. "And that'll be nice, especially for the new people." A little kindness helps the drastic change go over a little easier - it had certainly helped coax him down from a panic when he'd first arrived.

He perks up a bit as she continues. "What are you growing? Persephone and I have been talking about needing more room to grow for a bit - maybe we can all plan something."

[nell_of_soulwood]

"Thank you kindly," she said, taking the muffin. "Have to admit I never thought of putting chocolate chips in a muffin before, but it sure does smell delicious! And yes, I thought having a little something sweet might make all the craziness a little bit better."

What was she growing? Oh my. "Lots of things," Nell said. "I've gotten some seeds from each of the places we've been, wherever I could, so I could try and grow some of their spices and fruits and vegetables. And I've got some herbs and such to make tea and tinctures and lotions with. They're in my cabin and in my spot in the garden and just anywhere I can fit them in."

[fivemilesdeep]

"You're welcome! I can't take credit for the idea - I heard someone else talking about it and thought it sounded good." It seems to have worked out fairly well, from what he's seen - nobody has had any complaints as of yet.

He brightens as she mentions her remedies. "Wait, are you a herbologist too? What do you make? Are they magical or all natural?" It's a skill set he hasn't really gotten to talk about much on the train, beyond the times he's needed to use it, and he's excited to compare notes with someone from another world and see if there's any overlap.

[nell_of_soulwood]

She broke off a piece of muffin and popped it in her mouth. "Oh, this is very tasty! Good choice there."

Nell blushed a little. "Well, I've never taken any fancy courses or anything, so I don't reckon I can be called by a fancy name, but I have studied a lot about them and I can grow most anything. And I always listened when the mothers and grandmothers talked about herbal remedies. I... mostly I think it's natural, but I've come to realize that I'm not exactly human, that I'm kind of a little magic or maybe part earth spirit or something." She really wasn't sure what that even meant, but it did seem to read true.

"So maybe there's a little magical? But it's not on purpose, 'cause I wouldn't really know how."

[fivemilesdeep]

"I'm glad you like it." It's a simple reply, but a sincere one.

He tilts his head a bit as he listens. He'd figured she wasn't entirely human - his Sense had told him that much - but given that a lot of people on the train aren't quite human, he'd long since stopped questioning it. "If you're not putting magic into them on purpose, then they're probably not magical?" Not that he has any idea how her magic works, but he figures it's a good enough guess. "And it's not really a fancy name - at least, not where I'm from. If you know about plants and you make remedies, you're a herbologist." He shrugs. "I certainly didn't have anything fancy to teach me."

[nell_of_soulwood]

"Then I guess you can call me an herbologist," Nell said with a smile. "I know a fair bit about them from what I learned growing up and from what I studied about them on my own later. And we'll go with not magical for now."