Oh, that little note! Gela nods. Presently, her mouth is full. She took a bread roll from the dining hall and decided it would be to go. After she swallows and touches the corners of her mouth with her fingertips, she answers.
"Yes. Hello! Pardon the crumbs."
Ahh, she's put two and two together. "You're Lia?" She only gave things to two people she didn't know this year. "It's good to meet you."
"Well, I was wondering about-" She rummages and pulls out the tea.
"-this. What is it?" She hears herself and holds up a hand reassuring that she isn't stupid, "I gather it is tea, but what are the properties it contains?"
Lia is trying to be polite. She doesn't want to accuse anyone of poisoning her, after all it could be innocent.
She looks at it, taking the little jar from Lia. She made a good amount of these and took them around to everybody, which one did she get again...? Oh yes! She hands it back.
"It's a blend that I made, and it is for good health."
Gela has to think for a moment. Then she recites slowly, with a few pauses in-between as she remembers, "It was black tea leaves, flower petals—rose, to be specific, a nice pink one from the gardens—a pinch of dried elfroot... pine needles, mint and dandelion root.
"You have to promise you won't tell anybody. The recipe is secret."
"Just a pinch," Gela repeats, but she's smiling. They both know what the pinch of elfroot is for.
"It's a secret because if everybody knew it, they would also make it, and then I'd never come across the ingredients as handily as I usually do." And because it would keep her from gifting it to anybody, but she won't say that. It would sound awful aloud.
Something occurs to her when Lia asks her next question. Gela's smile drops off. "Are you worried about the taste? I promise it isn't so bad. You get used to it."
And that way she can talk more about how it all works and how she made it... really, this is her ideal outcome. She says, "Come to the dining hall with me, and we can take some cups and hot water."
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"Good day!" She says warmly. "Are you--" Lia holds up the note that Gela left in her pigeonhole. "Gela?"
Lia knows for certain that she is, but it is only polite to feign ignorance if they haven't formally met.
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"Yes. Hello! Pardon the crumbs."
Ahh, she's put two and two together. "You're Lia?" She only gave things to two people she didn't know this year. "It's good to meet you."
no subject
"Well, I was wondering about-" She rummages and pulls out the tea.
"-this. What is it?" She hears herself and holds up a hand reassuring that she isn't stupid, "I gather it is tea, but what are the properties it contains?"
Lia is trying to be polite. She doesn't want to accuse anyone of poisoning her, after all it could be innocent.
no subject
She looks at it, taking the little jar from Lia. She made a good amount of these and took them around to everybody, which one did she get again...? Oh yes! She hands it back.
"It's a blend that I made, and it is for good health."
no subject
"Yes." She nods. "That you said. What is it a blend of?"
She invents something plausible:
"My stomach doesn't always agree with every plant, so I like to keep track of what I consume."
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"You have to promise you won't tell anybody. The recipe is secret."
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"Elfroot?"
She has heard tell that has potential properties, but not for poison.
"I shall not tell. Why is it secret?"
Lia, still a little wary, makes an offer.
"Perhaps you'll have some with me?"
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"It's a secret because if everybody knew it, they would also make it, and then I'd never come across the ingredients as handily as I usually do." And because it would keep her from gifting it to anybody, but she won't say that. It would sound awful aloud.
Something occurs to her when Lia asks her next question. Gela's smile drops off. "Are you worried about the taste? I promise it isn't so bad. You get used to it."
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"Maybe a little." She says shyly as if admitting something very embarrassing. "I didn't want to be rude."
She takes a breath.
"If you showed me how to brew it properly, it would help!"
no subject
And that way she can talk more about how it all works and how she made it... really, this is her ideal outcome. She says, "Come to the dining hall with me, and we can take some cups and hot water."