[ Ardbert lifts up the page after noting the drink that M'ahina chose, squinting at it for a few moments. He is still unclear on why alcohol concoctions need to be so complicated, why things like floral notes are needed, but if this is to be his job then he'll need to learn the ins and outs of it quite quickly.
If nothing else, it's taught him yet another thing about M'ahina, that this is the sort of drink she would pick when presented with an entire list. Granted, she may not have put too much thought into it and instead chosen the first one that sounded vaguely appealing. ]
Right then. [ Time to find out where all of these different liquors and other ingredients are kept. He begins searching under the bar and on the shelves behind it to gather up all that he needs, glancing over his shoulder at M'ahina when she speaks of nostalgia. ]
How's that? Are you thinking of the Wandering Stairs?
[ There's no doubt plenty of other such taverns that M'ahina has frequented, but that one is naturally the first to come to Ardbert's thoughts. ]
[ M'ahina begins to scan the page over once more, taking mental notes here and there of what sounds interesting. Truthfully, the mixed drinks appeal the most simply because they are an oddity compared to what she's used to, and some of the flavors sound intriguing. She wonders how many she get get away with sampling tonight. ]
Hmm? [ She looks up again, already distracted as she considers the possibilities. ] Not quite. There is the company, of course, but... I actually tended to frequent such establishments in my youth, before I became and adventurer. A bit of song and so forth, though it was purely for mine own enjoyment, not for coin.
[ She's never been a minstrel as such. But still... ]
[ There has never been much of a chance for Ardbert to speak with M'ahina about the time of her life before she'd set out as an adventurer, and so he's a bit surprised to hear it mentioned now. There is something nice about reminiscing, even if melancholy is bound to come along with it. That sense of knowing it's a time you can never return to, quite literally in his case...
But he isn't about to bring down the mood. He's found a mortar and pestle which he believes he's supposed to use to crush some petals, the floral notes being quite literal in this case. He turns back to face M'ahina and gets to it, finding a strange satisfaction in the task. ]
[ She tilts her head, watching in curiosity as Arbert mashes the petals. She supposes that would bring out some of the flavor, and now she's even more curious what his finished result will be. ]
Hmm... I'm not certain I actually put that much thought into it, in truth. [ She gives a small laugh. ]
The thing is, Gridanians can be quite ... stuffy. Obsessed with protecting our forests and so forth. And so with archery, I was expected to make myself useful. When my former mentor appeared, I was simply the only one of my guild who appreciated something of a more artistic nature, rather than simply learning to fight better, so I thought, "why not?", and that was that. That it ended up suiting me so well was simply an added bonus.
[ In other words, never really a plan of hers at all, in spite of the fame bards held within her country. ]
[ Thancred has only heard bits and pieces about Gridania, primarily through M'ahina, as it's not a part of Eorzea he'd seen fit to visit when he was there. He'd been fueled with so much anger and grief at the time that the idea of sightseeing had never even occurred to him. Not when he'd wanted to burn it all to the ground to save what he'd lost. It's difficult to think back on that time now, especially given how he'd viewed and treated M'ahina back then. ]
Adding art into your combat... [ He tilts his head to one side, then the other, cracking his neck. ] I never would have thought of such a thing either. Yet your songs, they truly do serve to inspire your fellows in the midst of a battle.
[ It's quite impressive, all told.
Ardbert begins to measure out all of the liquid ingredients now, before dumping them all into a single mug. Whether this concoction will end up tasting any good, he has no idea. It's good of M'ahina to offer to test it for him, considering his utter lack of experience. ]
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If nothing else, it's taught him yet another thing about M'ahina, that this is the sort of drink she would pick when presented with an entire list. Granted, she may not have put too much thought into it and instead chosen the first one that sounded vaguely appealing. ]
Right then. [ Time to find out where all of these different liquors and other ingredients are kept. He begins searching under the bar and on the shelves behind it to gather up all that he needs, glancing over his shoulder at M'ahina when she speaks of nostalgia. ]
How's that? Are you thinking of the Wandering Stairs?
[ There's no doubt plenty of other such taverns that M'ahina has frequented, but that one is naturally the first to come to Ardbert's thoughts. ]
no subject
Hmm? [ She looks up again, already distracted as she considers the possibilities. ] Not quite. There is the company, of course, but... I actually tended to frequent such establishments in my youth, before I became and adventurer. A bit of song and so forth, though it was purely for mine own enjoyment, not for coin.
[ She's never been a minstrel as such. But still... ]
no subject
But he isn't about to bring down the mood. He's found a mortar and pestle which he believes he's supposed to use to crush some petals, the floral notes being quite literal in this case. He turns back to face M'ahina and gets to it, finding a strange satisfaction in the task. ]
Is that why you chose the path of the bard?
no subject
Hmm... I'm not certain I actually put that much thought into it, in truth. [ She gives a small laugh. ]
The thing is, Gridanians can be quite ... stuffy. Obsessed with protecting our forests and so forth. And so with archery, I was expected to make myself useful. When my former mentor appeared, I was simply the only one of my guild who appreciated something of a more artistic nature, rather than simply learning to fight better, so I thought, "why not?", and that was that. That it ended up suiting me so well was simply an added bonus.
[ In other words, never really a plan of hers at all, in spite of the fame bards held within her country. ]
no subject
Adding art into your combat... [ He tilts his head to one side, then the other, cracking his neck. ] I never would have thought of such a thing either. Yet your songs, they truly do serve to inspire your fellows in the midst of a battle.
[ It's quite impressive, all told.
Ardbert begins to measure out all of the liquid ingredients now, before dumping them all into a single mug. Whether this concoction will end up tasting any good, he has no idea. It's good of M'ahina to offer to test it for him, considering his utter lack of experience. ]