fandomhigh | The Magic of Plants, Wednesday, Per 3

Puppies!

There were four roly-poly puppies with Karla today, looking very solemn and trying to sit very still, even though their little noses were twitching like crazy taking in all these new scents. "Hello!" Karla greeted the class, making no mention of the four puppy-sized balls of floof by her feet. "Today we're going to learn to make essential oils from plants. Essential oils are basically the building blocks of anything with fragrance, from perfumes to scented candles to lotions and creams. Various types of essential oils have different uses; a few drops of clove and rosemary oils in a diffuser can make your home smell lovely, while several drops of lemongrass oil can keep mosquitos away, and just lemon oil is a natural cleanser. Essential oils made from even just one plant can have multiple uses. Lavender, for example, is said to be a calming scent, and can be added to teas to act as a stomach soother, and can help with insomnia. Because it's such a multipurpose oil, today we're going to learn how to make lavender essential oils, though this method can be used with any scented plant you have access to."

There were multiple homemade distilleries set up, one for each student, and at each station was a large armload of dried lavender plants. The distilleries were made up of pressure cookers, rubber tubing, a bucket of ice, and an essencier. "If you finish in an hour, you can make bath salts," Karla continued, pointing to her desk where yet more items were piled. "And, if you finish that, too..." One of the puppies managed to fall over. From a sitting position, yes. Karla knelt and scooped him up. "If you finish making the oils and the bath salts and there's still time? There are puppies to play with."

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Karla actually laughed a bit at that, more an amused exhalation than an actual chuckle.

"That is usually the first step, darling, yes."

"I'm trying to get there," Zack offered. "I suppose if I can actually get a good night's sleep I'll remember how much I miss it."

So, that was something, right?

"Mostly because your body will thank you in the morning," Karla said wryly. "Also, it's hard to think when you're exhausted. And that makes your more vulnerable to intrusive thoughts."

"Though I am made to run on less sleep than most people," Zack said, with a little wry smile. "I mean... literally made for it."

Which didn't make him any less tired now.

"Less isn't the same as none, darling," Kathy teased. "Silly question, perhaps, but have you tried napping? In the daytime, I mean. Not in the dark, with nothing but your thoughts and long hours stretching out in front of you, but small naps in the afternoon? Maybe even surrounded by puppies or something?"

"... It's entirely possible that I've fallen asleep at work a few times." Zack shuffled one foot a little, scuffing a toe against the floor. "It is a lot easier in the daytime, and puppies do help..."

They were all warm and content. It was a little harder to be paranoid when you had a half dozen dogs sleeping on you.

"So try to do that a little more," Karla suggested. "Make it a habit, take some time and just lay down. Don't try to force it, but don't fight it, either."

"... The vet staff is going to start wondering why I'm coming in to work just to sleep," Zack noted wryly. "But... I'm sure they won't mind."

It helped that Zack was the one paying them.

"And you'll still be entertaining the puppies," Karla offered with a crooked grin. "Either they'll cuddle up on you or enjoy their new piece of playground equipment."

"I happen to make pretty great playground equipment," Zack allowed, smiling a little at the thought. "Maybe I should just start spending more time at work..."

"Where are you most comfortable?" Karla asked bluntly. "Where do you feel the closest to relaxed?"

There, Zack. You should be spending your time there.

"The most relaxed?" Zack opened his mouth to say 'buried under dogs,' but paused and frowned a little. And then bit the inside of his cheek.

And then sighed.

"That would be when I'm fighting something."

He was kind of hard-wired for it. He was in his element, then. He knew what he was for.

"Well, have you tried that?" Karla asked. "Look for a sparring partner. Find someone who can stand up to you and work each other into the ground. Exhaust your body and find peace when you do it."

Yeah, Zack was a specially-bred super-soldier or whatever, but this was Fandom. If Zack couldn't find someone who could give him a run for his money, Karla would eat her Jewel.

Well, not bred, but definitely engineered. It was a SOLDIER thing.

"... It was easier before," he noted, huffing out something that wasn't quite a laugh. "We had Fight Club, and Reserves, and something attacked the island almost every other month. I guess, uh, I guess I could put up an advertisement somewhere...?"

The island also no longer had a newspaper.

"Fliers, maybe?" Karla suggested. "Or a sign in the window? You might be able to put them up in several different places."

She frowned. "I'd offer, but it might be more frustrating than you're looking for, since I can't fight you toe to toe."

Zack shrugged his shoulders a little.

"Hey, there are other ways of sparring. The old training programs at Shin-Ra--" He paused. And then frowned. And then kind of huffed an exhale and shook his head. "... Maybe I'll just see if anyone can let me punch something in the danger shop. I used to have permission to do that. Uh. A while back."

Six years ago.

"That sounds perfectly reasonable," Karla said. "If you need a teacher's permission, I'm sure you could find at least one who'd be willing to tag along with you."

"Wherever might I find somebody like that?" Zack gave Karla one of those little-bit-too-easy smiles of his. "If you ever have the time, I would appreciate it. But I don't want to hold you up if you have Queen stuff to do back home, or anything."

"All my Queen stuff can wait a few extra hours while I help out an old friend," Karla said, without hesitation. "And if something truly pressing comes up, Warren and, like, half my First Circle have cell phones these days. If they need me, I'll know."

"Oh..." Zack pondered that as the puppy resumed wriggling away in his arms. "Well... then I appreciate that. Thanks, Karla."

"Whenever you need," Karla said. "It's the least I can do in appreciation for you taking these little guys off my hands."

"Heh, yeah..." Zack smiled down at the puppy, and was rewarded with another lick to the face for it. "I mean, I would've taken them for free, you know? It's kind of what we do."

Being a shelter, and all.

The Magic of Plants, Wednesday, Per 3

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