DOUBLE SWIMMING // sage (healer apprentice) tryouts !

[rochelle]

[align=center][div style="borderwidth=0px; text-align: justify; width: 50%; font-family: verdana; font-size: 11px;"]Destiny and fate were things Fischer heavily relied on, or, at least, tried to. She liked to believe her goal in life was already predetermined in the stars before she even could gasp a little breath on her own. But lately it was seeming like ... what she was meant to do, wasn't really what was meant for her. Not that she felt out of place in the Typhoon, not un-welcomed among the crew ... but rather, misplaced. The three divisions seemed simple enough, and from the perspective of a pacifist like Fischer, one of the divisions suck out like a sore thumb and could be removed from the options. A Blackjack Rat or a Necro Mamba. Not that it was a spoiler or anything, but she was always a healer, through and through. Even when she took on the guise of diplomat and leader, she was always looking after the health of her people, not to mention, her own spirituality.

So, she decided she was a Necro Mamba, at least, unofficially. Her blood division ceremony had been postponed, much like her entrance ritual, but the dilemma of her losing her sight was what was now keeping her from completing it. And she didn't know why ... she could manage unimaginable tasks like the scavenger hunt while being blind, what was so different about the ritual. If she was honest with herself, it was the commitment. See, she could imagine herself perfectly fine as a Necro Mamba, and deep down, she was most comfortable with that fate, but she also found more fortune in having that decision made for her. For such an advocate of freedom, all Fischer wanted was for someone to tell her what to do. At first she thought being a Privateer would solve this issue, making her a servant to the public of the Typhoon, but the yearning to heal ... it was still there. She got a rush of it during the first aid lesson, feeling as hopeful as she'd once been, looking up to her mother as the Oracle taught the magic of herbs and medicine. And now, arriving to the tryouts, that tickle was rising again, setting her heart a flame to reach out and seize the destiny in front of her.

So, she allowed herself to be free for once, grabbing her own leather satchel, twitching her whiskers in acknowledgement to Rosemary, and setting off into the jungle. Her body was quivering with anticipation as she found herself traveling deeper and deeper into the undergrowth, thinking about what her plan was. In reference to her mother's teachings, she knew a lot about herbs, but in the limitations of the island, her knowledge was uncertain. The common herbs, she of course, knew, but she was well aware of the native flora to the Typhoon's island, and what it might bring to the table in reference to new ways to heal. So logically, she would spare herself the hassle of trying to remember the uses of the unique plant life, and instead seek out the ones she knew.

Her wandering, and of course, sniffing about, brought her to the first herb. Comfrey. She knew she'd found it not just from the obvious scent, but from the way it felt against her nose. The soft bell petals contrasting against the wide leaves let her know she'd found what she was looking for. Fischer carefully picked the herb, with special attention to digging up the roots with it. Comfrey itself had various uses, but the roots were a healer's essential. Once she had tidied up the area, she scooped the comfrey into the bag and continued on, nostrils flared and tilted up into the air to catch wind of a herb.

She was beginning to worry about the time ... the last herb had taken her thirty minutes to find, and as did this one. Yarrow. The pungent smell of it circled a few memories with it, none of them particularly good. The scent nearly made her nauseous, reminding her of the sickness that came up when it was ingested. Thankfully, she'd never consumed the small budding flowers, but she didn't hold that much scorn for the herb. It was useful, despite having just one use, it was as important to have around as comfrey was. Quickly, she picked the yarrow bundle and put it into her bag, carrying on with the challenge.

The third and final herb didn't take her as long as the first two, but she rushed, because she was unsure of how far from camp she was at this point. She knew she was nearby the temple, at least, fortunately. This plant, surprisingly, was much more common to the island than the others. Fischer had told herself she'd stick to what she knew best, and that was still true. The aloe plant had become a necessity for her since she joined the Typhoon. The hot sand and burning dock always managed to leave her paw pads sore and scorched, and aloe vera was always handy and perfect to use to soothe the pain. The black smoke sniffed at the plant with a slight smile, before breaking off a piece of the flora and placing it in her bag, eager to get back to Rosemary and the others.

And within the two hour limit, she did indeed, make it. It seemed she wasn't the only time scrambling for time though, which saved her the rush of embarrassment she was expecting, thinking she would be far later than everyone else. Carefully, Fischer set her bag down, and fetched the first herb, comfrey. "So, this is comfrey. Generally, you can chew the roots into a poultice and apply it to any area of pain to ease the irritation- simply put, it's a painkiller. I personally find it works best for that, at least." She offered, smiling faintly in the direction of the Soothsayer. Her eyes were focused, though they didn't really meet the face of anyone, just sort of gazing out. Without hesitation, she felt for the next herb, double checking that it was yarrow and not comfrey. After she was positive she hadn't mixed them up, she looked up, and said, "This is yarrow. It only has one use, to make the consumer throw up, usually to expel poisonous plants or food that have been ingested. Yarrow can be dangerous if you have too much of it, but it can be a lifesaver." The black smoke concluded, before reaching into the bag one final time to speak about her last herb. "And lastly, I have aloe. It's found pretty commonly around the island, thankfully, because it helps for burned or irritated areas. I often burn my paws when the sand gets hot, so opening up one of the leaves and rubbing the innards of it, almost like a poultice, helps soothe the pain very well, as well as heal it." And with a sigh of relief, she lapsed into silence, proud of the effort she'd put into it. She had satisfied her urge to take up the feat, and that's what counted the most for her right now.