• Closed • A Day In The Life [Jobthread]

[Kala]

37th of Ymiden, 716

It was a slow, cool morning, and Kala was happily making her way around the Infirmary's courtyard garden, enjoying the warmth of the early morning sun and the scent of the fresh, crisp air. Her morning job, each and every day at the infirmary, was tending to the medicinal section of the Infirmary's garden. Area's were provided for patients to sit in and get fresh air, but they were of no concern to Kala, as she was only interested in the smaller section tucked away for all of the plants, trees and fungi cultivated for use in the treatment of patients.

She quite enjoyed the opportunity to move around the garden, weeding and watering, as well as harvesting that which was ready for use back in the Apothecary rooms. However she didn't quite have the time to spend making her way around the whole garden, and so after she had made a quick trip around to water the plants, she then made her way directly to the plants and herbs she would need to use that day. I tended the garden yesterday. She decided. It can wait until tomorrow for a proper weed. It could be argued that she was a little too vigorous and attentive to the garden, as the weeds barely got a chance to sprout before they were tugged out, roots and all. The pristine garden beds were a matter of pride for Kala, and she'd happily spend the entire day puttering about in the dirt and leaves, if only she could get away with it.

As it was through, that was not Kala's actual job, and so after filling her basket with the last of the herbs and roots that she needed she stood, dusting dirt off of her knees and stomping her feet to remove any clods clinging there, before she moved inside. Once she was inside and walking swiftly towards the Apothecary rooms, Kala went over the recipe in her head, carefully checking over each item in her basket as she went. She was making an antiseptic salve, likely the one thing she made most out of everything as it was used for such a huge variety of ailments. Kala was so used to making the salve that she could practically do it with her eye's closed, and she no longer needed to bring the ingredient list with her when collecting the herbs she needed.

Reaching the apothecary rooms, Kala moved immediately to a bench and began to unload the herbs and plants from her basket. Retrieving a knife and a wooden board she pulled the first plant towards her, reaching first for the bright orange Calendula Flowers. She had picked a well sized bunch, and after pulling a half dozen of the flowers, she set the bunch to the side to hang for drying later. Kala cleaned the flower carefully, removing any dirt or small bugs from the petals and from the center. Next she pulled the Goldenseal root towards herself, brushing away the drying dirt before picking up her knife. Kala sliced the thin tangling roots as well as was possible, before pushing the roots into a small pile beside the orange flowers.

[Kala]

The rest of the herbs followed in short succession, until Kala had several small piles set out in front of her, and her cutting board was smeared with green plant blood. Wiping her hands off on her apron, Kala moved to prepare the oil infusion, retrieving a large, heavy jug of golden oil and a large jar. Placing them both on the counter, Kala scooped up the herbs, flowers and roots, and carefully deposited them into the bottom of the jar. Next she uncorked the jug and hefted it, grunting slightly at the heavy weight. Slowly and with as much care as she could manage, Kala began to pour the oil over the herb mixture below, stopping when the oil covered all of the herbs by a good amount.

Setting the jug back down Kala pulled out a draw to her right, riffling through the utensils inside until she found a wooden spoon with a long handle, which she used to mix the herb and oil together, the oil already beginning to take a pale green tint. Oil Infusions were one of the most tedious processes for Kala, as they took so long to infuse. There were quicker methods, but those generally involved keeping the oil mixture at a steady heat for a long amount of time, which was almost impossible when all you had to deal with was a small fireplace. So, instead Kala defaulted to the easiest but longest method, which involved letting the herbs sit and steep for days and days on end, even taking the whole of some of the shorter seasons before it was ready.

Once the mixture was combined well, Kala pressed the cork cap securely back into place before stowing it away in a dark cupboard, the jug of oil following shortly behind it. Peeking into the dark depths of the same cupboard, Kala reached into the back, pulling forward a dusty jar, it's contents thick and dark. It was the same as the one she had just prepared, the only difference between the two was that this one had been left to sit in the cool dark cupboard for a good chunk of the season.

Satisfied that it was ready for use, Kala pulled it out, setting it down on the counter. Moving back to the draws, Kala retrieved a loosely woven cotton square and a shallow pot to be used over the small fire crackling away in the fireplace. Back at her counter, Kala uncorked the jar with a grunt, instantly releasing the strong and pleasant scent of herbs and medicine. Picking up the cloth, she stretched it over the open top of the jar, holding it tightly in place as she picked it up. Holding it over the pot, she adjusted her grip and carefully but quickly flipped the jar, holding it upside down over the pot and keeping the cloth securely in place as the oil began to drain through, the chunks of herbs and flowers held back by the cotton cloth.

Once the oil had begun to run slower, and eventually drip sluggishly, Kala loosened the cloth around the opening of the jar, allowing it to sag and gather the herbs in it. Holding the cloth carefully to avoid dropping any of the herbs into the pot below, Kala set the jar aside and twisted the cottons ends, making a little pouch of herbs, still dripping slightly. Making sure that everything was securely twisted closed she gave the bundle a fierce squeeze, the oil still inside bubbling out past her fingers and flowing down into the pot. Repeating this a number of times, Kala only stopped when no more oil could be squeezed out, leaving nothing but a cotton covered ball of sodden herbs.

► Show Spoiler

I feel like a TV chef... "Here's one I prepared earlier!"

[Kala]

The infusion now collected in the pot, Kala turned her attention to the fireplace on the other side of the room. It was already lit, but Kala made her way over and used the fire poker to prod at the logs and coals until the flames were burning a little lower that before. Happy with the height of the flames, Kala hung her little pot over the hook before moving back to scrounge around in her cupboards in search of a chunk of beeswax and her jar of honey. Without a doubt, Kala loved honey. Not only was it delicious, but it had a huge variety of uses, both in the culinary field, as well as the medicinal and practical field. Inhaling the thick, delicious scent filling the room, Kala smiled happily, plonking the block of beeswax down on her cutting board.

She didn't both measuring as she cut a portion of the wax into small squares, instead simply used her personal judgement and experience to gauge how much she thought she'd need. Then, with a handful of wax cubes, Kala picked up her wooden spoon and moved over to the fireplace. The infusion was starting to steam, the occasional bubble welling up slowly in the thick oily liquid. Kala added a small portion of the wax cubes, using her wooden spoon to stir the infusion continuously until they had dissolved, the infusion slightly thicker than it had been before. Not yet satisfied, Kala added another few cubes, stirring them into the hot oil until those too had dissolved. It was getting closer to the consistency that she preferred, so after another few cubes had dissolved, the infusion was now much thicker than when she had started. Satisfied, Kala reached for her thick heat-proof glove, and after pulling it on she removed the pot from the heat, carrying it over to a counter already set up with a stone slab to place the burning hot pot on safely.

While she allowed the infusion to cool, Kala set about cleaning up the mess she had made, wiping what she could clean and setting everything else aside to be washed later on in the afternoon. The only things remaining on the counter was the honey, a spoon, whisk and three smaller, clean jars. Picking up the last of her supplies, Kala moved to the now warm infusion. As it had begun to cool, the colour had begun to pale, and it would be much paler, almost white, by the time she was done with it. Kala began to whisk the salve vigorously, her arm working rapidly as she whisked, the air bubbles being folded rapidly into the salve causing it to become paler and fluffier.

Kala paused when it was halfway to the consistency she wanted, then reached for the honey and spoon, and added two large spoonfuls to the salve. Retrieving the whisk, Kala continued until it was creamy coloured and smooth. Satisfied with her salve, Kala pulled the jars towards herself, uncorking them and setting the corks aside. Once the mixture was scooped evenly into each jar, Kala pressed the corks back into place and stored the jars back into the same dark cupboard that the oil had come out of. Happy with her work, Kala wiped her hands off on the front of her apron and went to find herself some breakfast.

[Kingdom]

CASSANDER

King of Rynmere

Kala

Knowledge:
Basic
Location: Rynmere Infirmary
Gardening: Weeding
Herbalism: Antiseptic salve
Cooking: Heating oil for infusion
Cooking: Straining oil
Cooking: Honey has many uses
Cooking: How to keep food from spoiling in jars
Business Management: Managing limited time effectively

Loot: 1 x jar salve
Injuries: n/a
Fame: n/a

Story: 4/5
Collaboration: 0/5
Structure: 5/5

Comment: Bloody well written thread, boring AF, but damn well done. Job threads huh, the struggle is real. I have a couple of suggestions for picking up a few more knowledges, like naming some of the herbs used or having the character recognise certain aspects about them. Enjoy the rewards!