#Science Meets Magic ❤ VERSE: THE CHEMIST;

[thislovelylady]

The town was awfully busy today. It didn’t necessarily mean her shop was busy, though, which meant whatever was going on didn’t really matter to her.

Lenora sighed and turned away from the front counter, eyes scanning the shelf carrying a plethora of vials and bottles full of various mixtures just behind her. It looked like chaos, sure, but everything had a proper place to it…she was quite proud of her inventory if she was being honest.

Now, if only she could sell some of it today!

Customers, customers…where are you hiding today?

[thislovelylady]

@bladedspite

“So you’re asking for a discount, is that it?” Lenora summarized, glancing back at her wares before addressing the young man once more. “Who would it apply to? All of your fellow students, or just those among your House?”

She wasn’t sure how much of a discount she could spare; she had had a run-in with a set of bandits just a week prior and barely managed to get away with under half her goods.

[thislovelylady]

@princelylight

“Please believe me when I say I had no part in this scheme of my father’s.” The moment they were dismissed and out of earshot -- which turned out to be in the palace’s study -- Lenora turned to Io and did her best to explain herself. “And though I do find your company enjoyable, Your Highness, I would much rather be traveling the world to continue my independent business and mission. And not as part of a wedding tour!”

She was so frustrated and she knew it was all her father’s fault! Why, why must he always seek to ruin her life? Was he jealous of her success? Greedy to take part in it? She held her head in her arms and let out a loud groan against the fabric, fingers curling in her hair. “And we’re to be wed with Dekker and Cera! That doesn’t give us much time to try and find a way out of it!”

[thislovelylady]

Potion Shop Ambience

[thislovelylady]

@the-final-experiment

Please let this be the right shop.

Ayreon was tired, Ayreon was hungry, and Ayreon’s throat hurt. The blind minstrel had been cornered by the festival’s goings-on, cajoled into singing and playing his mandolin almost six times now. Each time he had asked for directions, and each time he had been led astray.

Not by their intentions - he was certain they were good - but a mix of their own excitement and his condition. Such bustling streets made it difficult for him to keep track of where he was, even with his normally excellent memory. There were just too many distractions, too much noise and excitement.

“Hello?” He called anxiously as he finally managed to clear the crowd and cross the market floor, fingers scratching the bandages covering his eyes absently. He took a few cautious steps closer, pausing when his cane tapped against the edge of the stall. His fingers ran across the front, relaxing when he found what he hoped was a carving of a potion bottle.

“Is this where Dreamwater is sold?” The minstrel asked with a sigh. “It’s…been a long day.”

At the address Lenora jumped, spinning around immediately --aha! A customer!

“You are correct, sir,” She took in his appearance curiously, observing his bandages as well as his cane. Blind, was he? Perhaps she could help with that, too. At least a little. But for now -- “Dreamwater the sleeping aid, is that what you mean? I have plenty!”

[thislovelylady]

@maenadia

If there was one thing Lenora truly hated about this entire affair, it was that she wasn't getting any credit for her work. Not the death, not the struggles of war, no -- what did it matter to her? She wasn’t on the frontlines. She was nestled comfortably in her husband’s house, dressed in fine clothing and fed meals that were always tested for poison -- by the servants, of course.

To anyone else, she was Lord Russell Jorin’s well-bred wife, known for her eloquence and intelligence and beauty. Or something like that. She didn’t pay much attention to the matters. Truth be told, she had been engaged and wed to the man because of her father’s influence as a wealthy merchant, and she agreed to go along with it solely to get away from him.

Russell was harmless, if not inattentive. Too busy attempting to save lives of some while ending others (the hypocrite) in the name of his King. Lenora, as always, remained indifferent to most current events and monarchs and laws. Science was her god and the only thing she ever  sought out for herself was knowledge -- no matter the costs.

When her husband’s side began to lose against the invaders, she seized the opportunity to strike a deal with him -- leave her to her experiments, and she would provide his armies with the means to annihilate those with greater numbers. The poisonous gasses and other biological weapons she created did not take long to sway him, and now she was relatively content with her life...outside of Russell claiming the mixtures as his own. He said that men would not trust a woman’s invention on the battlefield, and she understood -- but still, it irritated her beyond all measure. Perhaps she would teach them a lesson or two when all the fighting was done--

“--My lady!” One of the guards burst into her lab and she spun on her heel, already tossing a vial of acid in his direction in irritation.

“What have I said about interruptions?!” she hissed, irritated that her toss had missed him.

He yelped all the same, “My apologies, my lady, but we are under attack! His Lordship requires you be escorted to the keep at on--”

Before he could finish, the man was cut down, and his body fell into the acid that had landed at his feet with a sharp sizzle. Swearing, Lenora took a step back --

[thislovelylady]

LINK TO THIS AMAZINGNESS

her fucking demeanor in this whole scene. the stammery bit, not the cheating on your husband bit

[thislovelylady]

@wiildchild continued from here.

“I’m all for the pursuit of knowledge, Link, but test that when you’re in a safe environment -- not climbing mountains.” She bopped him on the head as she passed, albeit gently. “A whole lot of good knowing how long an apple lasts when you’re too starved and improperly nourished to escape a bear.”

[thislovelylady]

continued from here. maybe it is canon. maybe it’s further down the road in their relationship. maybe it’s bullshit. who knows? it’s fun.

Lenora had a busy life and a was workaholic on top of that: Between gathering herbs, experimenting with said herbs, mixing potions, being a merchant (and occasional emotional consultant), there was little time she had for...personal enjoyment. But she was still a woman with needs, and so it wasn’t completely out of character for her to indulge on occasion.

It wasn’t too much of a stretch to get her to invite Zelos to bed. He was handsome, had proved dependable, and was more or less a walking sex offer. ‘Charming’ men like that went one of two ways: they backed up all their talk and flirtations with actual skill, or they were nothing but talk and would backpedal and be horrible. Considering he had performed excellently in her first request, she was willing to risk the latter. Fortunately, she was not disappointed.

...At least, from what she could remember. Between the drinks and the aphrodisiac she always took before one-night stands (she wouldn’t drug her partners, of course; unless they requested) her memory was kind of spotty. But she preferred that to an extent.

At his rustling, she turned and peeked at him over her shoulder, brows raised.

“...Don’t look so lost. You’ll make me worry I didn’t get your full consent.”

[thislovelylady]

[thislovelylady]

@princelylight is about to unknowingly meet his future bride what

Reward or no, Lenora couldn’t simply allow someone to suffer if there was a possibility she could help. Sometimes it worried her that her father didn’t seem to understand this concept, but she let it go for now. Kaine Love wasn’t notorious for his empathy, after all -- only his business.

Prince Dekker of Casalaea had been written off as doomed when he was diagnosed with an incurable disease a boy. Despite her many travels and reclusive behaviors, even Lenora had heard vaguely of the tragic tale: While waiting for their eldest to die, the King and Queen deemed it appropriate to train their second son, Io, to take over duties Casalaea’s future ruler. In the meantime, rumors had spread like wildfire that Io and Dekker’s wife-to-be, Cera, had an ‘inappropriately close’ relationship developing in the meantime as well.

It all felt very dramatic and, quite frankly, exactly what Lenora expected out of the type of people whose wealth gave them far too much free time to be get into trouble. She hoped, upon arriving in the capital, that not all of it would be true.

Tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear, she approached the castle gates with invitation in hand. Her father had been to the castle several times, it seemed, as he had grown close enough to the present King to have his surname recognized by the soldiers posted just outside. The guard who approached her only glanced at the seal and name on the parchment before returning it to her with a nod and gesturing for the gates to be opened.

She bowed her head in thanks and pulled her steeds along, escorting Nettle and Fennel into the courtyard, her traveling cart trailing in behind them. She had come straight to the castle upon receiving her father’s letter, not even pausing to drop off her things at her family home on the kingdom’s outskirts; it wouldn’t make sense to, anyway. She had everything she would need on her person already.

Almost immediately, a royal valet approached her, and in a flurry of other servants, her horses taken from her side and lead away to the stable, cart in tow.

“Ah -- wait, please, I need to--” 

“You will be given a proper place to work after you have greeted the King and Queen,” the valet informed her stiffly, eyeing her simple clothing with a bit of contempt. “They have expressed their need to speak with you as soon as you’ve arrived. Unfortunately, that doesn’t give you any time to make yourself presentable.”

...I am presentable, she wanted to say, but understood his meaning. She had done her very best to dress herself up before arriving, but there was little she could do. She was a merchant, yes, but never did she have the luxury (or desire) to dress as finely as her wealthy father did. Such appearances were not suited to worldwide travel.

Instead, she laughed weakly, quickening her steps to keep up with his long strides as they entered the castle. 

“You say that as though I am a guest of honor,” she mused.

“Well, your father has spoken quite highly of your skills. His Highness has high hopes that you will be able to save the Prince.”

“...I see.” But no pressure, clearly. Why would you say such a thing, Father?! She was good, sure, and she would do her best -- but there was definitely no guarantee. She hoped she wouldn’t be punished if she failed.

[thislovelylady]

@galaxys-finest-physician

It had been two months (more?) since she had departed Tanlia in the company of a notorious Republic smuggler/ladies’ man/doctor with too many degrees/living adventure novel hero. Thinking back on that sentence alone made Lenora’s head spin, but it was the truth. 

Dodging bounty hunters and drugging business partners and pretending to be an actual nurse and generally being in danger had become the norm for her and that was... that was weird. She didn’t feel like the type that would ever get into any sort of trouble outside. Yet here she was.

At least they were in Republic space now, which wasn’t that much safer, but safe enough compared to before. Allowing Doc to handle their travel plans, Lenora instead poured over whatever modern medical texts she could get her hands on in order to update herself on the tech outside the little backwater planet she’d been stranded on. She was a fast learner, sure, but there was just so much to comprehend!

Which was why she kept frequently forgetting where they were going. Although, frequently switching ships and catching rides to various locales didn’t help much, either.

“--Remind me what we’ll be doing at our current destination again?”

[thislovelylady]

“My friend locked me outside naked. Help.”

“… ‘ Friend’ , huh?” Lenora quirked a brow and leaned back in her chair, eyes scanning the screen before her as she held the comm a little closer to her mouth. It was actually a very hilarious predicament to find him in, considering she had been worried about what was taking him so long to get back to the ship. “I didn’t think you were the type to care about strutting around in the nude, Doc. Whatever do you need my help for?”Maybe she was a bit annoyed. Maybe.

[thislovelylady]

@zelotae​

Lenora wasn't sure why being alone always felt so comfortable. She had been raised in a busy household in a vibrant trading town. Wouldn't that mean she would have a natural affinity for such chaos?

Perhaps not. Perhaps it had an opposite effect on her, and now she preferred quiet spaces and solitude to escape the overstimulation and the nostalgia. Sadly, comfort or no, one did not run a business for long on empty roads. For the past few years, she traveled across the world with her wares in tow -- everything from medicine to antidotes to weapons to nearly anything else anyone could think of! Her customers called her a witch sometimes, but that wasn't entirely accurate; the term 'witch' implied magical actions, and yet hers were all based in science!

Yes, she didn’t weild any sort of magic -- just a strangely thorough memory and source of knowledge when it came to her shop and her wares. Regardless, she was rarely corrected anyone unless they began to spread the misunderstanding around. In fact, avoiding rumors nowadays was imperative to her business’s success. She was settled in a small cabin on the outskirts of the city now; no more traveling, at least not until the winter time. She didn’t want people to treat her like an old creepy hag out in the forest selling alternative medicine... even though, save the old part, that was fairly accurate.

As with every morning, today Lenora ate a full breakfast she had prepared herself and moved out to the front of the stalll she had firmly planted before it. Many days were slow and dragged on, but most had a few customers venture itnto the wilds to see the infamous worldly potioneer who solved rare medicines -- including love potions. Which, in all actuality, were placebos meant to work as a cover for her personal romantic counseling...but nobody had to know.

it was a warm day today, and Lenora was busying herself with rearranging the bundle of flowering herbs she had picked a few days in bouquets that hung to dry above the top of her wooden stall. Her back was turned and her own soft humming drowned out the footsteps of an approaching stranger until the very last moment -- and she turned with a hint of surprise.

“...Oh! Forgive me,” Picking a stray leaf out of her hair, she rounded to face the man and gave a little nod. “Welcome to my shop. how may I help you today?”