This time is the last time [Closed]

[knitter_gwen]

Characters: Gwendal von Voltaire and John Watson
Content: Man-Date Just having tea and food together and doing some last minute-shopping.
Setting: Badlands
Time: Mid-morning to Afternoon
Warnings: None

Comments

[threeleggeddoc]

"Just the lunar caustics now," he answered in good cheer, pleased to have someone accompany him in his medicine run. It would have been difficult to navigate the market with the packages on his own, considering his leg. "And perhaps stronger antiseptics. I have my doubts on the ones we bought; they looked rather diluted. However, I suppose that would be fair for the price."

Watson looked around at the crowd, noting that it had sufficiently thinned down since the end of the race. There were still quite a large amount of people, though...

[knitter_gwen]

"You may have to bargain for the stronger antiseptics if we find any. The marketplace is no doubt going down soon, bargain buying it pretty much a must now so they can all break even," Gwendal advised.

He looked about as well. He was actually glad the crowd was significantly smaller than before, he didn't have to worry about bumping into people or dealing with them in general. The crowds were rowdy enough before when the races were still going. "Are you looking for a specific antiseptic or just stronger ones in general?"

[threeleggeddoc]

"I am horrible at bargaining, so I may have to leave that to you," he admitted sheepishly. He probably spent more money than he should, though he had an acceptable amount saved away in his real bank account outside of John W.

"And just stronger ones in general."

[knitter_gwen]

"I'll try, but I can't promise anything," Gwendal said wryly. Then, he looked around for any other medicinal stalls. "Why don't you try something more along the lines of herbs, rather than chemicals? Those can be rather strong as well."

[threeleggeddoc]

"I'm afraid I'm not as familiar with herbs as I am with chemicals, so I have never given them particular attention." But he wasn't about to dismiss the idea now that it had been brought to his notice. "Do you have any suggestions? I'm not at all averse to trying the things if they are effective."

[knitter_gwen]

"Well, for instance, instead of using rubbing alcohol as an astringent, you can use Witch Hazel. But at the same time, it can also be used for different skin conditions, poison ivy, insect bites, and even sunburns. Various teas can be used to help with headaches, fatigue, nausea, instead of using normal medicines and therefore, build up a resistance," Gwendal suggested as a start. "There are quite a few things an herb can do just as the same, sometimes better, than your normal chemicals."

[threeleggeddoc]

Watson nodded at the suggestions, taking note of them in his head to remember their various uses. "Hmm. That does sound interesting and useful. I think I shall look into that. Do you think we can find those herbs here?"

His training had been stringent back in Melior and the army, but if these herbs worked as well as Gwendal came, then perhaps it was time to learn. Already, Watson was thinking of looking for books to read on the subject.

[knitter_gwen]

"It's possible, however, we would need to find an herbalist first and those have become harder and harder to come by as technology advances," Gwendal replied with a shrug. "No one cares for home remedies anymore even those the ingredients are quite easy to find. They just take time to make and the know-how. Which is what most people don't care for anymore when they can find it in an general store across the street."

If one thing Gwendal noticed from his long life, it was the changing medicines and how society was changing as technology advanced and people became more dependent on them. Not that it was necessarily a bad thing, but he liked to keep some of the older times with him when it came to his own body. Swallowing pills for a headache was cheaper, maybe, but having peppermint tea wasn't exactly hard to make either.

[threeleggeddoc]

"With technology comes the standardization of medicine and its quality, and its consequent mass production," he replied idly. "I suppose it only makes sense for people to forget the old techniques for faster, artificial effects. On my end, I was never very familiar with them in the first place. There was simply no room in my curriculum for the subject." Admittedly, Watson was a bit of a traditionalist when it came to medicine, and was not adventurous enough to venture outside of his stringent science.

He supposed Vohemaro vendors would be more well-stocked when it come to herbs, and looked around for the telltale stalls.

[knitter_gwen]

"No, there usually isn't," Gwendal shook his head. "I can see why and it isn't a bad thing, to be honest. But I've grown up on Erealia where science is different there than on Bellcius. I've grown rather fond of using more natural products than other things, is all. But I can't deny the advances in medicine either or I believe cauterizing by fire would have been used rather than silver nitrate, hm?"

Gwendal nodded his head to a stall that had quite a few glass bottles and dried herbs. "Try that one."