![Novice [250]](https://i.imgur.com/lrYlde6.png)
Arcadia found herself perusing the Fairy Tail job board once more. After getting lost just wandering the streets of Magnolia last time, she didn't feel quite ready for a more far flung job yet. Her deep green gaze found just what she was looking for. One poster called for help for a local potion maker. It was right here in Magnolia, and as long as she didn't get lost on the way there she'd be fine.
Taking the poster with her, she worked her way carefully through Magnolia's streets. She wasn't going to miss any important turns this time. Arcadia took her time to observe streets further down each intersection, and found her way to the local potion dealer listed in the poster in no time.
She knocked on the door, and an elderly man hunched at the shoulders with age greeted Arcadia. He had the longest mustache she had ever seen. Two greyed tendrils hung down to his waist and curled up at the ends. They flowed well with his colorful robes, and carried the same sweet, earthy scent that soaked the inside of his shop. The old man leaned heavily on an ornately carved cane topped by a crystal sphere with a luminescent potion of shifting colors. “Come in. Don't just stand around. No need to knock, young lady. We're open for business.”
Arcadia averted her deep green eyes to the ground, heading inside. The sweet earthy aroma reeked from everywhere in the darkened interior.. All rather overpowering to her dragon slayer nose. She figured it had to be from the ages of brewing magical ingredients. There was something that seemed truly ancient about this old man and his store that made it possible to imagine both had existed forever. All the potions cluttering every shelf and wall certainly added to the idea
The man retreated back behind his counter, taking a seat with a creaky grunt. “Now, is there something I can get you? I don't have all day.”
He just looked so old, maybe even old enough to remember... She finally spoke up, though her voice was timid, the slayer shuffling one barefoot out in front of herself. ”Excuse me, Mister, but you wouldn't happen to know anything about a kingdom called Dragnof do you?
The old man did not look amused, getting back up with the help of his ornate cane to lean over his counter, “Did you come here just to ask me nonsense?! Or you actually going to buy anything? If not, get lost. I have too much to do to waste time on frivolous little girls.”
Arcadia sighed, , it was long shot anyway. She held up her hands and hook her head, ”I'm sorry, Sir.I... was just curious. It's true I'm not here to buy anything. I'm Arcadia Fairchilde of Fairy Tail. I'm here to help you with making potions.”
The old man's eyes sparked with some excitement, and he proved more sprightly than Arcadia ever would have bet when he leaped up onto his counter. He pointed his ornate cane to Arcadia, who now stared wide-eyed up at the man, “Why didn't you say so. My lab is in back. Like the poster should say, I need you to find some kind of new potion if you can. I have an important appointment coming up, and I promised the client something he hasn't seen before. But I've come into Herbalists' Block. Normally I could just work through it, but there isn't time. So I need a fresh set of eyes. Now hop to it”
The young dragon slayer nodded and bowed to the old man. ”Right. I'll get right to work, Sir.”
She headed around the counter and into the lab in back. The earthy stench of potion brewing was even
stronger back here, but Arcadia's nose was getting used to it. Everywhere she looked there was some batch potion bubbling or brewing. She found an available work station along the left side wall. Now she just needed to gather some ingredients to get started.
Many wizards might feel daunted by having to discover a whole new potion in so little time. Not Arcadia, her curiosity was piqued. Dangerously so, as she couldn't wait to see what any old thing she could throw together might do.
Within two minutes of gathering her first ingredients and getting started, her first concoction exploded when mixed together. A sparkly pink explosion that filled the lab and the store in front. Nothing was destroyed, but everything.... EVERYTHING... had been turned various shades of sparkling pink. Even Arcadia herself, skin, clothes and hair were all pink now. Only her deep green eyes were still their true color. She giggled, ”Sweeeeeet!”
From out in the store, Arcadia heard the old man, “What did you do?!”
Arcadia bit her lower lip, but she couldn't keep herself from laughing. She loved this surprise and wanted to keep experimenting. ”Don't worry! I know what I did wrong. Won't happen again.”
Lucky for Arcadia, the old man was distracted by a customer or she might not have gotten to try again. She poured the ingredients more slowly together this time, preventing the reaction from passing critical. Arcadia kept adding a pinch of this and splash of that. Each new addition bringing a giggle of delight. Adding pinch crushed insect wings last, she set the concoction to brew over one of the lab's open flames.
Thirty minutes later the mixture had clarified, and Arcadia pulled it from the pink flame. After it cooled, she tested a drop of the potion on one of the lab's test marbles. Half-expecting the marble to dissolve, Arcadia was happily surprised when the marble began to float.
Arcadia ran around the store seeing what else she could make float with her discovery. She dared a sip to see what might happen if it was imbibed. To her delight, she began to float too. She laughed and bounced from the floor, playing with what it's like to be in zero g for a couple minutes before the old man had time to come back see what the commotion was.
It was his turn to be surprised and dumbfounded. Not the sparkling pink everything, but the sight of desks, flasks, marbles, other lab equipment and a teenage wizard all floating about his lab. She grinned bright and proud, “Think I found something new! Made some notes for you, so you can make it yourself. Whatever you do, don't mix the first two together too fast. Uhh.. most potions wear off right?”
Word Count: 1093/500
Taking the poster with her, she worked her way carefully through Magnolia's streets. She wasn't going to miss any important turns this time. Arcadia took her time to observe streets further down each intersection, and found her way to the local potion dealer listed in the poster in no time.
She knocked on the door, and an elderly man hunched at the shoulders with age greeted Arcadia. He had the longest mustache she had ever seen. Two greyed tendrils hung down to his waist and curled up at the ends. They flowed well with his colorful robes, and carried the same sweet, earthy scent that soaked the inside of his shop. The old man leaned heavily on an ornately carved cane topped by a crystal sphere with a luminescent potion of shifting colors. “Come in. Don't just stand around. No need to knock, young lady. We're open for business.”
Arcadia averted her deep green eyes to the ground, heading inside. The sweet earthy aroma reeked from everywhere in the darkened interior.. All rather overpowering to her dragon slayer nose. She figured it had to be from the ages of brewing magical ingredients. There was something that seemed truly ancient about this old man and his store that made it possible to imagine both had existed forever. All the potions cluttering every shelf and wall certainly added to the idea
The man retreated back behind his counter, taking a seat with a creaky grunt. “Now, is there something I can get you? I don't have all day.”
He just looked so old, maybe even old enough to remember... She finally spoke up, though her voice was timid, the slayer shuffling one barefoot out in front of herself. ”Excuse me, Mister, but you wouldn't happen to know anything about a kingdom called Dragnof do you?
The old man did not look amused, getting back up with the help of his ornate cane to lean over his counter, “Did you come here just to ask me nonsense?! Or you actually going to buy anything? If not, get lost. I have too much to do to waste time on frivolous little girls.”
Arcadia sighed, , it was long shot anyway. She held up her hands and hook her head, ”I'm sorry, Sir.I... was just curious. It's true I'm not here to buy anything. I'm Arcadia Fairchilde of Fairy Tail. I'm here to help you with making potions.”
The old man's eyes sparked with some excitement, and he proved more sprightly than Arcadia ever would have bet when he leaped up onto his counter. He pointed his ornate cane to Arcadia, who now stared wide-eyed up at the man, “Why didn't you say so. My lab is in back. Like the poster should say, I need you to find some kind of new potion if you can. I have an important appointment coming up, and I promised the client something he hasn't seen before. But I've come into Herbalists' Block. Normally I could just work through it, but there isn't time. So I need a fresh set of eyes. Now hop to it”
The young dragon slayer nodded and bowed to the old man. ”Right. I'll get right to work, Sir.”
She headed around the counter and into the lab in back. The earthy stench of potion brewing was even
stronger back here, but Arcadia's nose was getting used to it. Everywhere she looked there was some batch potion bubbling or brewing. She found an available work station along the left side wall. Now she just needed to gather some ingredients to get started.
Many wizards might feel daunted by having to discover a whole new potion in so little time. Not Arcadia, her curiosity was piqued. Dangerously so, as she couldn't wait to see what any old thing she could throw together might do.
Within two minutes of gathering her first ingredients and getting started, her first concoction exploded when mixed together. A sparkly pink explosion that filled the lab and the store in front. Nothing was destroyed, but everything.... EVERYTHING... had been turned various shades of sparkling pink. Even Arcadia herself, skin, clothes and hair were all pink now. Only her deep green eyes were still their true color. She giggled, ”Sweeeeeet!”
From out in the store, Arcadia heard the old man, “What did you do?!”
Arcadia bit her lower lip, but she couldn't keep herself from laughing. She loved this surprise and wanted to keep experimenting. ”Don't worry! I know what I did wrong. Won't happen again.”
Lucky for Arcadia, the old man was distracted by a customer or she might not have gotten to try again. She poured the ingredients more slowly together this time, preventing the reaction from passing critical. Arcadia kept adding a pinch of this and splash of that. Each new addition bringing a giggle of delight. Adding pinch crushed insect wings last, she set the concoction to brew over one of the lab's open flames.
Thirty minutes later the mixture had clarified, and Arcadia pulled it from the pink flame. After it cooled, she tested a drop of the potion on one of the lab's test marbles. Half-expecting the marble to dissolve, Arcadia was happily surprised when the marble began to float.
Arcadia ran around the store seeing what else she could make float with her discovery. She dared a sip to see what might happen if it was imbibed. To her delight, she began to float too. She laughed and bounced from the floor, playing with what it's like to be in zero g for a couple minutes before the old man had time to come back see what the commotion was.
It was his turn to be surprised and dumbfounded. Not the sparkling pink everything, but the sight of desks, flasks, marbles, other lab equipment and a teenage wizard all floating about his lab. She grinned bright and proud, “Think I found something new! Made some notes for you, so you can make it yourself. Whatever you do, don't mix the first two together too fast. Uhh.. most potions wear off right?”
Word Count: 1093/500
