"By Nature's swift and secret working hand The garden glows, and fills the liberal air With lavish odors. There let me draw Ethereal soul, there drink reviving gales, Profusely breathing from the spicy groves And vales of fragrance."—THOMSON. ————————————————————————— ————————————————-

((The name of Eless' parfumerie comes from terms used to describe fragrances. Fragrances contain three notes: top, middle & base. The middle note is also known as the "heart note".))

"Were not summer's distillations left A liquid prisoner, pent in walls of glass, Beauty's effect with beauty were bereft, Nor it, nor no remembrance what it was; But flowers distilled, though they with winter meet, Leese but their show, their substance still lives sweet." ~SHAKESPEARE.

Elessaria finally sank down in a soft chair next the fire burning in the workroom of her parfumerie. She had just finished checking on the various bowls set out with different macerations steeping: cedarwood, oakmoss, iris root, rosewood, and a couple of others. Earlier she had distilled some orange blossoms and several different kinds of rose petals. The fragrant warmth helped ease her worries and the winter's chill if only for a short while. Caught between her neat pearly teeth was an ink quill and she shuffled through her pages of notes, murmuring quietly.

"Definitely tuberose as the heart note for Tara's fragrance 'tis nay any doubt about that and mayhaps I shall layer in some jasmine as well. I am just nay certain what I wish for the finish for her."

The empath moved down her list and scratched out a few of her previous ideas for her friends' personalized fragrances and added some to others. Tonka bean was included on both Piper and Rena's ingredient lists, but in different accords. The warmth of the scent reminded her indirectly of their coffee drinking. Vanilla was going to be the final note in Amber's and Jewell's was obviously going to be fresh, but how to capture that watery quality was elusive. Eless would have to resort to magic or a chemical imitation - neither of which was something she really wanted. Skipping down the list, her smile warmed with each name. Each friend making her time in RhyDin more bearable and yes, even enjoyable.

Before she could bounce back up and continue her creations, the flames' warmth and soothing crackling lulled her to sleep.

After sleeping in and several cups of one of her bitter, medicinal tea blends to counter any lingering effects from last night's drinking binge, Elessaria worked on her second batch of fragrances.

In a delicate bottle of laen, fashioned to look like a droplet of water, Eless poured her creation for Jewell: lotus, cyclamen, rose water, white lilies, olive tree accord and white moss.

Antonio's bottle was in the image of a jeweler's loop and contained: Verbena, tangerine, black current, cypress, sandalwood and juniper.

S'jira's decanter was made to look like a needle with a bead halfway down it and was a mixture of: ivy leaves, amerenia heart, vetiver, cinnamon, solar notes and musk.

Panther's laen version of an IOU note held the combination of: orange blossom, coriander, ginger, cardamon, patchouli, dry amber and musk.

Amber's rootbeer mug was home to a fragrance that contained: lily of the valley, licorice, red fruits, cotton candy, caramel and vanilla.

"The forward violet thus did I chide: Sweet thief, whence didst thou steal thy sweet that smells, If not from my love's breath?"-Shakespeare

Eless was busy polishing the glass vitrines and mirrored shelves that spanned two walls of the main salon of the shop while she waited for Topaz to visit. She knew her friend would stop by in the evening when she could leave her children in her mate's care. The petite empath hummed quietly as she worked, excitement giving her energy in spite of the late hour and long hours of work.

She then peeked out the front door before returning to the backroom where she set a pot of tea to brew. On a small table she placed a tray of madelaines and brushed the cushions of the two soft chairs. Earlier she had placed some tiny vials with various essential oils which she thought Topaz might like. On the page with her notes, she had written "heart note = stephanotis". That would be the note around which the elf would build the rest of the scent. She had also jotted down "heliotrope and lily blossom" as well as "violets".

http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj239/Elessaria_Devabriel/Heart%20Notes/stephano.gif

Hearing the lovely fae, Eless quickly ushered Topaz into the shop. Since the Grand Salon wasn't finished and was much more formal, she led her friend to the back room instead. There she gestured to the pair of chairs hearthside and prepared the cups of tea.

"Topaz, 'tis good of thee to come. I am very excited to work on a signature scent for thee. Please sit down, so we can discuss our ideas more comfortably." And with that the empath, motioned for her visitor to sit in one of the ivory brocade chairs while she grabbed her notes. "The heart note of a fragrance is the mid note from which I like to begin building a scent. I noticed the other night in the Inn that thou dost seem partial to the lovely stephanotis. Methinks 'twould be the perfect beginning as I immediately thought of thee when I smelled some. I also am leaning towards a scent that is light, airy and a delicate floral."

Eless paused in pouring the tea, waiting to see if her guest indeed would like some. She needed to know when and where Topaz would wear her scent and what sort of affect she wanted it to have, before she could finish crafting the perfume. "Wouldest thou being wearing this daily or for special occasions? Wouldest thou be in close proximity to others whilst wearing it ....this way I know the intensity level I should go for."

And now that she bombarded poor Topaz, fueled by her excitement for the project, the elf settled into a seat and began to nibble on one of the freshly baked cookies.

"I love it!" The blue flames flickered with excitement deep within Eless' eyes as she stopped nibbling the delicate cookie. "We are definitely in agreement with what is considered a white floral, and we can follow a bridal type theme."

Eless went to her little desk and picked up a large, leather bound volume whose pages were tattered and yellowed along the edges. "I definitely would like to keep stephanotis as part of the heartnote and for the topnotes I'm considering lily of the valley and orange blossoms. And mayhaps white orchid in the midnote as well." She then opened The Art of Perfumery And Methods of Obtaining Odors From Plants (by G.W. Septimus) and glanced at the table of contest, searching for some ideas from the list of plants. "I am not entirely sure where to go with the base notes as I want something that will be soft after the dry down. The base note is what lingers the longest and we can put stephanotis in here as well." She skimmed the pages, turning the delicate pages gingerly and continued to share her thoughts out loud, "Since thou wilt be wearing this for special times with thy husband, I would think we would like something warm and sensual, but soft. " The empath paused to sip some more tea, regarding Topaz over the rim of the delicate cup crafted by her dear friend, Piper. "Do nay worry, soon we will get to the fun part and actually smell some of the flower essences; but, we want to narrow it down so our noses do nay suffer a sensory overload."

"Perfect, Topaz! I really like how my idea of white floral seems to match with flowers Lucien doth gift thee." She moved to the work table and sorted through the bottles containing the various fragrance essences she would eventually combine to make the perfume. Eless then named them as she set them down, putting a scent strip next to each bottle in turn. "For the topnotes we will use orange blossoms and lily of the valley. The heart notes will be comprised of stephanotis and Edelweiss. The base notes will include vanilla and clove pink." She really loved how everything just seemed to have fallen into place and she looked up with an eager smile, inviting Topaz to join her, "Shall we smell a couple of these with which thou art nay familiar first' Then I will blend a tiny amount of the fragrance for thee to try for a few days to ensure thou dost like it before I make the final perfume."

After they finished their sampling, tea and cookies, Eless carefully blended a small amount of the sample fragrance into a tiny vial for Topaz. "If thou dost like this, then I shall do any final adjustments and make the full portion for thee, m'friend."

The empath was tired, but it was a good tired. She really enjoyed this new path she'd chosen. She really liked making people happy — especially friends.

"A dress?" She blinked several times and quipped, "Well, I can tell thee that plum silk, while not horrible for thy coloring, is nay the best choice for thee." She wiped her hands on the linen towel she carried, but she didn't laugh. She could see his nervousness without the aid of her empathy. "Why don't we go into the back, sit by the fire and discuss this. I may nay have bourbon, but I will nay force thee to drink tea either." All business, with a hint of mischief twinkling in her eyes that betrayed her serious tone, the elf ushered him to the more relaxed work room at the back of the shop.

Now he found a smirk to give her as they moved into the work room. Still lots of glass and delicate looking things back there but he didn't feel like he would break anything just by taking a deep breath. "That was your color choice, Eless. And I looked damn good in it." His shift to a sly smile told that he hadn't forgotten and was still plotting revenge. He eased his bulk down into one of the chairs nearer the fire. One hand lifted to rub the back of his neck.

"So, listen. I saw this poster up the other day...something about Fashion Week, and I got to thinking." He looked up at Eless for a second. "I need your help..." His expression softened. Most of the nervousness bleeding away. "I want to buy a dress for Eva."

A soft smile formed upon her lips from both his words and the release of tension. The empath couldn't do her best work with any sort of discomfort mucking up the emotional "air". "I knew I liked thee, Sugar Plum." She winked and poured him a brandy, setting a plate of delicate madelaines cookies by his arm as well. "I can definitely help thee with that. What type of dress" Long, short' Formal, semi-formal, casual" Color" How about we start with is it for a particular event' Like dinner and dancing? We can go from there!" Her questions were rapid-fire, eyes shining brightly with excitement as she sat in the chair across from him. "Once we narrow it down, I can send word to Koy to have a few selections from which thou canst choose. I know she is crazy busy with Fashion Week, but she'll get something together for thee. "

Mason needed a sip of brandy after hearing the barrage of questions. The black dress had been easy compared to this. He took a sip as he thought about all the questions. Then another sip. "Well, I thought about....well...a dress for....dinner and dancing, maybe. Something green or blue, I think those colors would look good on her. Short, but not cheap stripper looking..Eva's got nice legs....I mean...I guess more than anything I want something that will make her feel beautiful."

By the time he had finished his little ramble he was watching Eless...she was the fashion oracle, after all.

http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj239/Elessaria_Devabriel/Heart%20Notes/1747R-2998.jpgInstead of heading upstairs after her walk home with Connar as she normally did, Eless headed to the back of Heart Notes where the workroom was located. The sconces lit and the fire flared simply upon her entrance and she sat at one of the tables in hopes of working off the tension she felt.

Topaz seemed pleased with her custom fragrance, so her first task was to blend the final fragrance, fine-tuning it slightly as she filled a simple glass vial with it. When the forest fairy was ready, she could come pick out a bottle to go with the perfume.

Next the elfess set out the small bottles that contained the essences of white orchid, lotus blossoms, Egyptian jasmine, vanilla absolute and light musk. As the hours slipped away she layered the combination in several different orders, determining which accord would be the best as the heart note. Egyptian jasmine became her choice for this and she built the rest of the fragrance around it.

Eless rubbed her eyes and hid a yawn behind a tiny hand. She had scratched a few notes next to Wyh's name: Unisex, clean, fresh, subtly sensual.... The details would need to wait upon sleep and a meeting with the beautiful Ice Mage to determine the direction the fragrance would take.

At Wyh's voice, Eless stepped from the back room and flashed the beautiful Ice Mage a warm, inviting smile. "Wyh, Welcome to Heart Notes. I have been looking forward to this so much!" She made a little sweep of her hand for her friend to join her in the work room so they could relax more comfortably. The elf had already set a pot of tea to brew, and the low table by the hearth was set with small plates of fresh fruit and an assortment of breakfast pastries. She grabbed her notebook as she gestured to one of soft, ivory brocade chairs opposite her, before sitting herself.

"Thou dost look especially exquisite this morning, m'friend. Thou art positively radiant and I want to hear all about why and who. 'Twill also help with crafting the scent. I have a few ideas already, but the better I know the wearer, or in this case wearers, the more accurate I can be with the blending." She added with an impish grin, "Besides we can have more girl talk without anyone else around."

The empath's smile grew as she heard Wyh speak. The woman positively radiated happiness and after what her friend had endured, it helped renew Eless' faith that there was good to be found in RhyDin. She had poured herself a cup of tea and sipped it slowly while she listened, nodding slightly when Wyh mentioned Ciaran's name. "Aye, I do believe I remember meeting him at the wedding. There were so many people, though, and so little time to really chat. I do agree with thee that he is very easy on the eyes," she added with a soft chuckle. "I found his presence and demeanor very intriguing, and that he helped pull thee from the darkness makes me want to know him more." Her expression gentled, "'Tis nothing wrong with feeling that giddy rush of love and happiness, Wyh. 'Tis all too rare....too fleeting in this realm." She took a nibble of a berry, grinning impishly as she teased lightly, "Besides pink is becoming on thee too."

Although mischief sparkled in the elf's gaze, she listened and watched the Ice Mage closely. "Dost thou have particular scents that either of thee favor" Flowers....or less tangible like how the air smells after a spring rain" A favorite memory thou dost wish to capture?" Eless not only enjoyed catching up with her friend, but the challenge of crafting a fragrance for a couple to wear was exciting.

She smiled as she listened to Wyh speak, setting her cup of tea down to grab her notebook and pencil. "I am nay sure if we can capture it exactly, Wyh, but I am going to get as close as we can!" The empath nibbled on her lower lip as crossed out some entries next to her friend's name and added a few others. "I am considering snow drops and narcissus for the top notes, followed by clementine zest, dewy cypress..." she trailed off, tapping her lower lip with the end of the pencil. "Some clary sage, a hint of mineral amber and jasmine. We want to keep it watery, fresh, but I'd like the drydown...the base notes to be slightly warm and intimate." She glanced up to see what Wyh thought.

"Wintergreen! That is perfect, Wyheree!" She grinned excitedly, "Thou art very good at this. I had thought mayhaps licorice to help capture the cold of snowfall, but I like the wintergreen much better....especially with the accords we have already selected." Eless paused for a few sips of tea before hopping out of her seat and heading to one of the work tables where she sifted through the various bottles until she found one labeled "clary sage". She set out a few test strips and a few other small bottles that contained the essences they had mentioned.

"I found the clary sage. Are there others thou art unfamiliar with' We do nay wish to try them all at once, of course." The empath positively radiated excitement.

http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj239/Elessaria_Devabriel/Heart%20Notes/clarysageoil.jpg

Eless laughed merrily as she listened to Wyh recount her days at the Academy. She carefully placed a tiny droplet of the clary sage essential oil on the test strip, letting the bright, earthy, herbaceous sit for a moment as it could be a bit strong initially. "This is the clary sage. 'Tis very good for the middle accord as 'tis medium of strength and while 'tis warm, 'tis also bright with a very subtle fruity note that will work with both the clementine and the floral."

Next she prepared a test strip for the cypress accord. "This is fresh, clean and has a very mild evergreen component to it. It blends exceptionally well with the clary sage and 'tis known to have soothing properties. With this I hope to capture the scent of the air after a rain. Then with wintergreen we can at a "crispness" to it to evoke a snowfall."

Last she prepared a strip for the mineral amber, explaining while she worked. "Mineral amber, while technically not a mineral, 'tis different than the amber or ambergris that is more commonly used in perfumes. This is from fossilized tree resin instead of from a whale." She winked and set the strips to rest for a few moments. "If thou dost like these, then I will create a small sample vial for thee to take and wear for a couple of days. 'Tis really the true test. If thou dost like it, then I can fine tune it, make a larger portion of it and we can choose a bottle for it. I have a couple crystal ones whose cuts remind me of snowflakes that thou mayest like."

When the Ice Mage was ready, the strips were set out for her to take her time to explore.

The empath blushed faintly at Wyh's words. "Thank thee, Wyh. I can craft the sample whilst thou dost look at the bottles if thou dost nay mind?" she offered and went to the doorway that led back into the front area of the shop. "Take thy time and see if anything dost catch thine attention. If thou dost nay find something that doth appeal to thee, then we can always commission something special from the Kaiser Brothers." She couldn't help but smile as she guided the Ice Mage into the Salon where the morning light filtered through the windows and cast a golden glow over the room. All of the crystal and glass sparkled in the sunshine and the flowers seemed as if they reached towards the sun's warmth. "I would point out the bottles that I mentioned; however, I would like to see if a particular bottle "speaks" to thee. There are also some scented soaps and Rena hath made scented candles — I have a few on display and am waiting for her to make some more." She added softly with a smile, "Just open thy heart and see what happens."

The elfess hummed quietly as she blended together the essences into a small glass vial with a glass stopper and placed the glass stopper with a satisfied smile. She took the sample fragrance with her as she headed to the main salon of the parfumerie where she watched the lovely Ice Mage select the cut crystal bottle that would house her custom fragrance. "Didst thou find exactly what would please thee, Wyh?" Eless wanted to ensure her friend was pleased with the entire fragrance experience, not just the scent. Her eyes sparkled as she handed the vial to Wyh, "Try this for a couple of days to see how thou dost like it and Cieran too. If it doth please thee, then let me know and I will blend the full amount and place it into this bottle." She chuckled softly, "So, I will need to keep the bottle here for now; but, please take everything else with thee to enjoy in the meantime. I am eager to here what thy love doth think of this fragrance as well."

"Nay, Wyheree, thank thee for this creative challenge. I enjoyed it immensely as well as thy company," the empath responded. She took the midnight crystal bottle that would be filled with the final formulation and added, "I was hoping this would find thee. 'Twas crafted by elves in Llainoeriel where I get many of my perfume bottles. As with the others, they are unique and thou wilt nay find it duplicated. I am looking forward to hearing what Ciaran thinks and to spending more time with thee soon, m'friend."

Elessaria saw the Ice Mage out, watching the beautiful woman head down to the lane until another customer drew her attention back to her work.

http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj239/Elessaria_Devabriel/Heart%20Notes/heartnotes1.jpg Elessaria sagged wearily against the edge of her work bench and brushed a few stray strands of her golden hair from her eyes. A satisfied smiled graced her pale lips as she stared at the final creation of her limited edition product line that was for the Benson Boulevard Initiative and the foundation in Jewell's memory. In spite of the fact that her gifts were not yet up to full strength, she was proud of her word.

Delicate fingers wrapped the strand of pale blue pearls around the neck of the single bottle of eau de parfum for the line. She had named it "Papillon Eph"m're" to follow Koy's theme and to emphasize that this was a limited edition product line. The petite elfess had crafted the bottle herself out of elven laen into a hollow crystalline butterfly. The strand of rare pearls could be worn as a necklace if the owner chose to remove it from the collectible bottle.http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj239/Elessaria_Devabriel/Heart%20Notes/5271_WE.jpg The other products she created for the line included an eau de toilette, crushed pearl infused body lotions, body butters, bath gels and oils all decanted into lovely glass bottles created by the Kaiser Brothers.

http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj239/Elessaria_Devabriel/Heart%20Notes/img-thing.jpg There were also hand crafted soaps in a variety of butterfly shapes and in the imitation of different seashells. The entire line of the ethereal scent would only be available for 45 days after the opening gala. Papillon Eph"m're was created by the empath in memory of Jewell and with the desires of the fashionistas who were regular visitors of the various Benson Boulevard shops. It is an elegant scent of watery florals that develops with a subtle warmth and dries down with feminine mystery. Some of the notes included in this singular creation include: sunny citrus, honeysuckle, water hyacinth, aquatic lotus, white linen, Spanish cistus flowers, Jacaranda wood, and pheromones.

http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj239/Elessaria_Devabriel/Heart%20Notes/neroli.jpg

Elessaria was finally satisfied with the fragrance she had developed for Lola. It had taken some clever working to include the scent memories the young woman had wanted, without having the perfume smell like furniture polish. It would open with light citrus touch, develop with a floral and rose-centered heart and would finish with warmth and spice. She poured the final eau de parfum into a delicate crystal bottle fashioned in the likeness of a neroli blossom.

Top notes include: Neroli, petit grain, lemon verbena, tarragon. Middle notes include: Jasmine, rock rose, tuberose bud, Egyptian pelargonium. End notes include: Coriander, cumin, pink pepper, dark chocolate.

http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj239/Elessaria_Devabriel/Heart%20Notes/sandal12-l.jpg

Ammy had very specific requirements for her request for a custom scent to which the empath adhered to strictly. In a simple glass bottle she decanted the perfume crafted with mineral amber, sandalwood and redwood. The only addition was the chemical component of toscanol to maintain the fragrance's stability and to prolong the life of the scent.

http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj239/Elessaria_Devabriel/Heart%20Notes/crystal_crane_crystal_animal_crystal_giftsumm.jpg

Elessaria crafted a custom fragrance that both Riley and David could wear as her wedding gift to them. Its notes would reflect their heritage and adjust to their individual essences due to the empath's unique talents. The eau de toilette was poured into a crystal perfume bottle fashioned in the likeness of the cranes she had seen Riley fold from paper. The box was then wrapped in scarlet silk and tied with gold ribbons.

The notes include, but are not limited to: Top notes: bergamot, black tea (lapsang souchang), litchi, chamomile. Middle notes: orris, olibanum, white honey, hawthorn Base notes: almond, Guaic wood, papyrus, oakmoss.

http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj239/Elessaria_Devabriel/Heart%20Notes/240px-Koeh-184.jpg

Elessaria decided it was well past time for her to create a signature scent for RhyDin's beloved (to her, at least) gossip blogger, Marc Franco, and what better time than to celebrate the fourth anniversary of his blog? She believed this was one of her finest compositions yet— capturing the complexity of the man in a harmonious blend. The fragrance contained a bit of spice with pepper, crisp green notes, woodsy warmth and an elegant, sensual finish. Into a crystal bottle fashioned to look like an inkwell with a feather quill trimming it, she decanted the unique scent.

Top notes include: lavender, peach, bergamot, citrus, ginger Middle notes include: white & pink pepper, gardenia, geranium, freesia, anise, patchouli, rose Base notes include: benzoin, tonka, sandalwood, vanilla, leather. She also included two gift baskets for the interns that contained scented soaps, body washes, lotions and the like. One for the men and one for the women.

The women's products were mainly white jasmine & mint scented. Its notes of jasmine, lily, orange flower and rose help to portray a fresh, sunny garden in the morning.

For the men, black peppercorn ,coriander, cumin, oakmoss, with violet leaf and bergamot to lighten the sensual spicy warmth.

http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj239/Elessaria_Devabriel/Heart%20Notes/TF174_04_EH.jpgFor Veronica, she wished to capture the elusive sensuality that can be found only during the night hours. Rich, feminine, and mysterious, yet warm with a dry down that, although subtle, lasts.

Top notes include: Night blooming jasmine, Moonflower, Peony. Middle notes include: Midnight orchid, Tuberose, Osmanthus. Base notes include: Rum absolute, White patchouli, Vanilla absolute.

http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj239/Elessaria_Devabriel/Heart%20Notes/bergamot.jpgFor Ander, the elfess wanted to capturehis desire for a woodsy based fragrance. To keep it from being too heavy, she had it open with light, clean notes. The heart was warm and the finish quite masculine.

Top notes include: Bergamot, Neroli, Lavender. Middle notes include: Geranium, Iris extract, Cedar. Base notes include: Leather accord, Rosewood, Vetiver.

Each fragrance would be poured into the decanters that Ander had provided and wait for his approval.

http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj239/Elessaria_Devabriel/Heart%20Notes/imagesqtbnANd9GcRc7JW01aH24HV-II2jN.jpg

Katt had requested a fragrance based on ginger— a scent the woman adored. Ginger was what her customer would get with three different types layered in each level of the perfume. The challenge for Eless was to create one that was neither too spicy nor too sweet; something to reflect Katt's personal taste while not having her smell like a pfferneuse cookie. The empath stayed away from traditional spices and balanced the sweetness with some spicy florals and grounded it in warm woods.

Katt's signature scent includes the following notes, but are not limited to:

Top notes: Ginger lily, Star Anise flower, red currant Middle notes: Zingiber ginger, fig, toffee apple, geranium End notes: Alpinea ginger, rum, blonde woods, and a touch of patchouli

http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj239/Elessaria_Devabriel/Wardrobe%20Choices/Brahma-Kamal.jpg

Daniel's thoughtful Yule gift of essential oils containing a night blooming rose that could be found only in his homeland served as the inspiration for this creation by Eless. The scent was delicate, yet substantial, like the young half-elf for whom it was created. The empath used primarily all flowers that bloomed solely at night— many for only one night a year, some for a very short span. A gentle touch of spice and oak moss served to ground the ephemeral scent.

The notes included in Kaelyn's custom fragrance include, but are not limited to: Top notes: Moonflower, Dutchman's Pipe cactus, Brahma Kamal Heart notes: Night blooming roses (native to the DeAuster homelands), Nottingham Catch Fly, Night Blooming Water Lily End notes: Night Gladiolus, Four O'Clocks, Oak moss, frankincense