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[pharmacy]

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Quentin Smith, 23

letters ◇ thoughts ◇ dreams

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[somatosensory]

How'd you get into apothecary work anyway?

[pharmacy]

why, are you looking for a gig?

[somatosensory]

Curious, mostly.
Although I have been meaning to ask if you have anything good for sleep.

[pharmacy]

[ Oh. He likes being asked for his expertise well enough that it stuns the shyness out of him. ]

I started learning foraging for first aid and food in the Fog, before I came here
I guess I got a bug for it
I like the research, and I like seeing people in the shop
I like helping people

Sleep is kind of my special interest
For you or someone else?

[somatosensory]

You do seem to have a way with people.

Me.
I have a fairly high tolerance for intoxicants, will that be a problem?

[pharmacy]

It might be a problem

Tell me about trying to sleep

[somatosensory]

How it feels?

( he has to pause, to debate how best to explain this. )

I'm not used to the quiet.
Where I'm from, we're all ...connected. So there's a constant background noise, a little like the network.

[pharmacy]

was Mavis not part of it?
do you not hear her?

[somatosensory]

Mavis is similar, but I can't rely on her all the time.
Things ...blur, if I'm not careful.

[pharmacy]

[ It probably isn't strictly relevant, but it's too curious not to ask: ]

what does that mean? what blurs?

[somatosensory]

The more we interact, the stronger the connection, and the higher the risk of our individual senses of self diminishing.

[pharmacy]

[ jesus christ ]

does murphy help with that? having someone else around? 

[somatosensory]

Murphy is very strong-willed.

( so, yes. )

[pharmacy]

[ A problem they'll resolve by finding him. In the meantime...in the meantime, maybe Aristaeus can handle something a little stronger, if he's so tough and (surely, surely they'll find Murphy) he gets his people back soon. There's a pause while Quentin considers, pulls out one of Merta's books to start flipping through. ]

So you need something that will kind of unplug your brain
You're awake thinking, with no kind of white noise stimulus to shut it off 
Sound right? 

[somatosensory]

That pretty much sums it up.

So, the Fog.
That's your world?

[pharmacy]

It's the last place I was
My world was before that, but I haven't been there since I was a kid

Have you done anything with laudanum?

[somatosensory]

So you have experience with this. Any advice for a first-time multiversal kidnappee?

Can't say that I have.

[pharmacy]

Know who your friends are and don't stop moving

[ ha ha ha ]

Laudanum is an opiate. I mean, you might even try smoking opium. It's a sedative, it's EXTREMELY addictive but idk if your constitution can handle it, the clinic gets a regular but limited supply

I'd rather try to mix you something first, but if you need an emergency eject drug

are you sating?

[somatosensory]

Good advice.

I'll defer to your suggestion since you're the expert.
No, with searching and this whole chastity thing, I haven't had a chance to swing by the fight club yet. Might just crack the lock at this point. We've got bigger issues to deal with right now.

[pharmacy]

Let's try a remedy first, before you get yourself in trouble with the locals
If that doesn't work, you should at least be able to bust out in the safety of the cabin
not to be too crass

Are you safe to come here?

[somatosensory]

So far it's just migraines and some minor light sensitivity. We only have to start worrying once it hits my teeth.

→ in person

[pharmacy]

then come see me
let me see about hooking you up

[ He'll be making notes and mixtures until Aristaeus makes it to him, taking advantage of Merta being home with a family emergency to knuckle into his personal patient. The shop is quiet, enough so that Quentin notices the very moment Aristaeus makes it in, despite being entrenched in his research. ]

Hey--come back. Come on back.

[somatosensory]

( having never been to the apothecary before, aristaeus pauses to survey his surroundings. his eyes drawn initially to the bunches of herbs left out to dry, hanging from the ceiling like botanical chandeliers, swaying gently. next, to the shelves lining the space, with their neat rows of glass jars, labeled in what's presumably rubean. )

Nice place you have here. Cozy. ( dipping his head at quentin, finally, in lieu of a greeting. )