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Post by Amir Barteau on Jan 3, 2021 3:32:23 GMT -5
"Oh he's from Teronna as well?" For a moment he wondered why the man had left if that were the case. From his understanding most people of Teronna were incredibly dedicated to their home and never really left. Though Amir could make a few guesses. The island needing to be 'more accepting' was one of those reasons.
"Ah the people do tend to be rather...close minded." Especially pretaining to same sex love or magic. If the two of them went things could become frustrating.
"Does your lovers family know about your relationship?" He could only assume that if they did they were less accepting of it than the marquis. Or at the very least more verbal about their distaste. That could make things stressful for both of them. "Pardon if this seems like an odd question but have you been sleeping well?"
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Orion
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Post by Pearce Lockheed on Jan 3, 2021 3:44:00 GMT -5
Pearce nodded along with Amir's words, though he felt a small wave of anxiety from the way Amir said 'close-minded' that perhaps he had been a bit too...revealing. He didn't want to go around exposing Zander's magic, after all. Funnily enough, the fact that they were gay and somewhat out about it was a good cover. Not something he would have considered possible.
"Yes?" As far as Pearce knew, Zander's family consisted of the redhead and Briella. He hadn't pressed Zander about his parents very much but from their talks, both of them were dead and there was no one else. "It is just him and his younger sister."
"It is a bit...forward," Pearce began slowly, sitting up as Breeze wandered off into the gardens. The marquis had to remind himself that this was supposed to help. Amir was...some sort of healer, and he seemed friendly enough and honestly concerned and while he would have preferred Zander be here, he was a perfectly capable adult. "Not the last few n-nights..." he finally admitted uncomfortably. He suspected one aspect that might be at play, but he doubted it was enough to explain all of it.
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Post by Amir Barteau on Jan 3, 2021 3:55:59 GMT -5
Admittedly Amir was a bit surprised to hear that the other man in question only had one living relative left. Certainly it wasn't unheard of but it was still odd. "Does the sister live with him?" Of course he wasn't entirely sure how old this other man or his sister were. For all he knew she could be old enough to have already gotten married or live on her own. He'd also started traveling on his own fairly young.
Hearing it was a bit forward made him give an apologetic smile but he didn't speak. There would be no getting anywhere if he didn't ask forward questions. Certainly he could just have a nice casual conversation with the marquis but that hadn't been why he was invited to the manor. "Is there any particular reason for not sleeping well?" He asked curiously as his owl took off. More than liekly to catch a meal.
"Nightmares? Nerves? Headaches or nausea?" If the man was anymore anxious regularly than he was now Amir could only imagine what kind of toll that might take on his body. "Have you changed your diet at all?"
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Post by Pearce Lockheed on Jan 3, 2021 4:21:24 GMT -5
Pearce supposed, if he had wanted a comfort animal, a dog was more apt than a cat. While he was getting used to having Whisky around and asking, well, ordering, the dog to follow commands, he was far from a dog person. It was a good start for now.
"She d-does, yes. She is still young, after all. They are...quite attached." He could see Briella growing up and moving on with her life without her brother. Zander, on the other hand...well, it was difficult to say at the moment. He would always been the protective older brother. Whether he would feel comfortable with Briella living elsewhere, falling in love, going on her own adventures...it remained to be seem.
The blonde shifted slightly. Again with the health and care questions. Next time Heather invited a friend over, he'd have to make sure Zander was around. Even knowing Amir simply wanted to help didn't make it easier but having someone he knew and trusted nearby would have helped him be more at ease. It wouldn't make the questions any easier to answer, of course, but he'd feel better. And honestly, Zander would push him to answer and Pearce knew he needed that. Still, he tried.
"Nerves," he said at first and then seemed to grow more thoughtful and move away from his quick answer. "I...don't really know. S-sometimes headaches, other times..." he thought about it for a moment. "My chest feels...strange." Nothing explicitly hurt, nor id he struggle to breathe, he knew after the last time to pay attention to that. It was more his heart skipped a beat or being able to feel it pounding more than usual.
As for food... He couldn't help but blush a little. He hadn't mentioned not drinking the tea to Zander yet. "A little. Just some tea. Not sure what it was anyway," he said faintly, embarrassed.
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Post by Amir Barteau on Jan 3, 2021 4:35:18 GMT -5
"Attatched?" He was a bit curious what the marquis meant by that. Was the younger sibling very dependant? Was the older brother very over protective? Though he supposed those questions would be better saved if he ever met the other man. "It's always good for siblings to be close." Though Amir wasn't exactly close with his own.
The quick answer was mostly expected. As much as he prepared to dig deeper it seemed he didn't need to. As the man continued Amir nodded in understanding. "Troubles with things like stress and anxiety can cause severe negative effects on a persons physical health. Leaving your mental and emotional health unchecked does cause real outward harm." Still there were other thoughts as well. Perhaps it was a condition that ran in his family.
"Can you explain what happens? Does your chest feel tight? Is it more of a trouble breathing?" While Amir wasn't a physical doctor he knew enough to at least help the marquis get a better grasp of the issues himself so he could talk with a doctor.
"Tea? Was it experimental or were you supposed to drink it?"
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Post by Pearce Lockheed on Jan 3, 2021 5:07:59 GMT -5
"I suppose so," he said quietly. He wasn't very close with his sisters or any cousins but he blamed most of that on his parents. It was why Zander being so over protective was...sometimes strange to him.
He knew stress amd anxiety didn't serve him well. He could feel that without anyone telling him as much. The marquis found it difficult to let go of things or confront them. Sometimes thise things were serious. Other times, they weren't and that made him feel silly.
Still, he very likely had conditions that ran in the family, just nothing so obvious in this day and age.
He shook his head slowly, looking first at Amir and then finding he couldn't manage to explain while looking at the man, let his gaze wander over some of the bare hedges. He couldn't wait for spring. "No, it d-doesn't hurt and I can breath alright. My heartbeat just feels...unusual sometimes. It...it isn't comfortable." Especially considering all he was doing was laying down, not moving about.
"Experimental?" He repeated the word as a question, looking back at his conversation partner. "I don't know what that means. I..." he blushed. "I was...s-supposed to. But I can't. I won't anymore," he insisted. He didn't want something like that around Briella. Especially since he didn't know what it was. He felt rather irresponsible about that incident.
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Post by Amir Barteau on Jan 10, 2021 15:35:20 GMT -5
Amir had met other people before who claimed to have strange and painful heartbeats. Not everyday but it seemed to be often enough to be frustrating. Perhaps he could give the marquis some of the herbs he'd given some others. At least smoking or drinking them had seemed to help more than anything else.
When he talked about not wanting to drink something his doctor recommend to him Amir furrowed his brow a bit in comfusion. "Why is that? Did it make you ill?" He understood things like medicine were more of an art than a science. One thing never worked for everyone. "If you need help with any aches or relaxation I have some herbs and teas I can suggest."
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Post by Pearce Lockheed on Jan 10, 2021 16:25:03 GMT -5
"Ah, not me," he shook his head and grimaced. "A..." he was going to explain one way and then decided he'd already shared the stressful bit so why not. "Mmmy lover's little sister. It was an accident but...I d-don't want to hurt anyone." Yes, Briella had been fine, but he
Of course, he didn't have much choice about it. Just because he didn't want to do something didn't mean that was okay. He just didn't like taking things around anyone else. He smiled appreciatively at Amir's offer to help, but Pearce imagined any herbs would have the same risk. "I-I...just need to be b-better about where I...use things." Not to mention Zander would be beyond worried if he did something without his knowledge. But at the same time...
"I would like to be more relaxed," he said hesitantly.
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Post by Amir Barteau on Jan 28, 2021 19:00:10 GMT -5
Hearing the girl had accidentally gotten into the medication wasn't terribly surprising. Children were naturally curious and clumsy. The idea that she may have drank it by mistake or just out of pure curiosity almost made him smile. Though Amir understood how that could have been upsetting. "It is best that medication of any kind be kept out of reach of children. But accidents happen."
Hearing the man say he'd liked to be more relaxed made Amir think. The air around the two men vibrated slightly for a moment before settling into almost a bubble of calm and ease. Something that couldn't be seen but certainly felt.
Amir reached into his bag and searched for a short moment before pulling out a small pouch. "Ah, here it is." He turned his attention back to the Marquis with an easy smile and the small pouch in the palm of his hand. "This is Blue Lotus. It has many calming and relaxing effects. It's also been known to help sleep by easing anxiety and from my understanding has helped with things like heart problems."
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Post by Pearce Lockheed on Jan 28, 2021 20:54:38 GMT -5
Pearce was somewhat confused to the man's thoughtful pause after he had offrred but he wasn't about to rush him. As he regarded the young man, he felt like the air grew lighter. Like some unseen weight had lifted off his shoulders. It wasn't sudden, but it was...strange. The nobleman didn't feel there was anything that had chanhed to affect such calm around them or within himself but it wasn't something he wanted to fight. It was easier to simply breathe and relax his shoulders and jaw.
As Amir presented him the pouch he listened quietly, picking it up and turning it over, as if he might divine all the properties Amir mentioned from just the bag. "All that?" He mused with a soft amazed smile. "Sounds like magic," Pearce suggested. Yes, he meant the Blue Lotus, and yes, he might also mean the...strange aura about them. He was from Teronna after all. And Pearce knew that was the main reason people left the country. It wouldn't be a stretch to wonder if that was one reason why Amir had left.
He blushed slightly, mildly embarrassed but the emotion didn't seem to have the same power over him that it had a momwnt ago, thanks to the man's magic. "What do you do with it, exactly? Can we..." he trailed off with a questioning look.
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Post by Amir Barteau on Feb 7, 2021 14:16:16 GMT -5
The suggestion the plant might be magic made the healer chuckle softly. Certainly he was, not that he'd say that outloud. The Blue Lotus on the other hand was simply a plant. "I can't personally confirm the effects it may have on any physical conditions like heart problems but from my experience with it it has helped me remain calm and even helped me focus." Amir wasn't the sort to ever offer someone anything he hadn't tried himself first. This also meant he'd been experimenting with different plants and substances for a long time.
The question on what to do with it made him shrug his shoulders. "Drink it, smoke it, eat it. Just about whatever you want." He also understood how overwhelming all these things could be for someone first starting out so Amir reached into his bag again to pull out a small wrapped up cookie. "This is a cookie I made yesterday using concentrated oils from marijuana. Which is what you likely drink in your tea." He unwrapped the cookie to show him that it looked exactly like a normal baked treat.
"Depending on how you consume will depend on how strong the effects are and how long it will take to kick in." There was also the issue of how much is used and how concentrated it was but that could be discussed later. "Personally I like to smoke." Amir rewrapped the cookie and set it on his lap to avoid his feathered companion getting to it as he reached in his bag once again. He pulled out a small porcelain pipe. Intricate lines decorated the side though the pipe itself was no bigger than his hand.
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Post by Pearce Lockheed on Feb 7, 2021 19:33:43 GMT -5
The marquis grimaced faintly everytime anything to do with heart problems was brought up. He wasn't about to deny it but he didn't enjoy talking about it. He appreciated the honesty, though was more than looking forward to something to help him relax more.
As Amir spoke further, he got the feeling the man did this a lot. Perhaps with others but at least in general. He spoke with a sort of soft understanding that made Pearce feel a lot more comfortable. He looked back at the pouch. Eat it? He couldn't mean...
And then Amir showed him the cookie and understood, feeling a little silly. Added it into some sort of food made a lot more sense.
"I don't think cookies are a good idea." Not after the issue with just having tea. Not to mention he worried he might eat quite a few if they tasted as good as they looked. His weak spot for sweets was something he kept tightly reined in. He was a little surprised to know that might be what was in his tea. He knew very little about the substance, only that i was know to make people experience a state of euphoria and relaxation so he supposed he wasn't as concerned as he might be. It made sense, considering how he felt after drinking it.
"I don't think my tea is very strong," he noted. Especially if he was drinking two cups a day and only felt a small change. He didn't feel like it affected him too much either. Pearce admired the small pipe. He'd smoked before, but not much. Such things didn't always agree with him but, if he was going to try this... "I'd like to try whatever you are most comfortable with," he said. "How...effective is it? Smoked?"
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Post by Amir Barteau on Mar 9, 2021 23:32:47 GMT -5
Amir wouldn't put it past the man to be cautious of edibles. Even he sometimes had problems with eating too many. While there were no real terrible effects of eating too many it still presented its own issues. Like running out of what you needed in one sitting. When asked how effective smoking was the brunette thought for a short moment. "Well with eating it tends to be stronger simply because it's more concentrated." Though it was also a bit harder to extract the oils from the plants than it was to simply dry and smoke them. "Smoking helps things take effect faster than eating though so it's easier to know when to stop." He took the pouch from him and opened it as he rested the pipe on his lap.
"Your tea is likely not steeped for very long. Perhaps to avoid the strong flavor." Amir did recognize that while most of it might have smelled nice the flavor wasn't very pleasant. Or perhaps it just wasn't meant to be very strong, he wasn't really sure. It would be something he'd have to see for himself. If the Marquis was fine with that, that is. He packed the bowl of the pipe with the plant from the pouch before tying it off again and setting it to the side. He pulled a box of matches from his bag and held the pipe with one hand before striking one of the matches. With his thumb placed over a small hole on the side he burned the before bringing the pipe to his lips.
As he inhaled he removed his thumb from the small hole and placed it back over when he was done. He took another quick breath and held it for a moment before blowing out the smoke slowly. Watching it dance and curl in the air before disappearing. Amir offered the pipe to the man silently.
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Post by Pearce Lockheed on Mar 9, 2021 23:59:46 GMT -5
Pearce listened attentively, nodding. He didn't understand the why behind it but he supposed if he wasn't making his own, he didn't need to. Simply knowing g what was more powerful and what other effects it had was enough for what he intended.
Which, he supposed the fact he intended anything should be due a lot more thought. Was he really considering getting high with a near stranger?
Yes. Yes, he was.
The marquis felt he owed it to himself and to Zander to try all of his options at least once or twice. If he was to be forced to go through the crucible of leeches like Zander had said, then this couldn't be nearly as bad.
He was a trusting sort, after all and Amir seemed to truly want to help. Not to mention this was his own home and his staff were here.
"It does taste rather...atrocious," he admitted, figuring the man was likely right. "Though not very strong." He made a slightly disgusted face as he realized it could taste worse than it already did. It was not a pleasant thought. "Perhaps, given your greater knowledge on the t-topic you could look into it. Not right now, of course," he added. Quite trusting indeed.
The blonde watching Amir prepare the pipe, certain he wouldn't be able to replicate the task just from watching, but striving to pay attention regardless. Especially when it came to how he smoked the pipe. Pearce had smoked a few times in his life. None of them recently, so it was a bit of a crash course review when he took the pipe from Amir. "You uncover this when you breathe in?" He asked mostly for clarity.
The smoke tasted different. And considering he was only vaguely ready for the feeling, it tickled a little and he didn't hold it in for very long. He blushed softly, but only felt a little bit embarrassed as he handed the pipe back. "How much do you smoke in one sitting?" he asked, watching the smoke fade away.
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