Of Glowing Glitter and Lit Sticks

Log Info

• Title: Of Glowing Glitter and Lit Sticks
• Characters: Alaryn, Aelwyn
• Time: March 28th, 2023
• Summary: Alaryn is distracted by Aelwyn, who she instantly recognizes as a potential customer. Like walking to a trap, Aelwyn has no choice but to ponder all the possibilities she offers for improving his glaive. Purple or mere flames; and inscription and engraving? In the end, Alaryn has managed to not only get a commission, but also sell vials of flame for his horns.

Lower Alexandria Market District

Projects! Projects galore! What happens when you teach someone with ADHD to love artifice? Well... things get started, lots of things. Finishing them becomes a challenge. At least when it is not something being paid for, and is mostly just experiments.

Today, Alaryn is experimenting with a few things. Arrow fletching that glows in the dark, and sometimes trails lit up glitter behind it. Yes, tracer rounds. She is also working on tindertwigs that light up different colors. Useful for signaling allies. And then the one she is trying to use to combine those... a tindertwig that lights up bright blue... and when it ignites, it fires like some bottle rocket (Flare gun?).. the pieces of this last item are laid out on her workbench that sticks out from her cart... and her eyes narrow as she studies the parts. They're just not cooperating. When one has plenty of time, and plenty of coin, and questionable fashion choices, one begins to think what they could be doing better. Or rather, where they could be more productively spending their hard earned coin on. After all, it used to be so simple.

Slowly, a ruddy sith-makar approaches the artificer and her cart, hips rolling with a lazy gait. Red ribbons flared from his horns; and the ones around his glaive as well, held across his shoulders and an upright angle. A fancy new one was flaring from under the blade. "Merchant," He greets with a bow of his head. "Should this one inquire what is she working on; or would this be safer to not know how one would trigger an explosion?" He asks, with his teeth getting exposed in a macabre grin.

It actually takes a moment for Alaryn to realize that it is -her- that is being spoken to. She is so focused on multi-tasking. Halfway through the statement and question, she turns her head and jump-startles a bit, "Holy....!" she begins to exclaim. "Wow! Be careful walking up on me! Things could blow up!" she states.

That is when her brain processes what was said to her, "Oh... right. Explosion. No, asking won't. Startling could. But nothing is at the ignition stage yet."

She turns fully, reaches up to lift her goggles off of her eyes, which makes them appear a bit less comically oversized, and she grins, "How can this one help you?" she asks.

Aelwyn slowly lowers his glaive besides him, waiting patiently for her to gather herself. He's had enough experience with gobbos wielding explosives to stay calm - no sudden moves - keep words to a short - don't get startled with them. He rumbles with amusement as he gestures towards her cart. "Yet here she is, with her wares on display."

The ruddy sith-makar takes another look. "Maybe."

There's an easy step to him, as he wanders closer. "What kind of fire does she craft?" He asks then, "This one is looking for very specific kind."

I mean, Alaryn is no gobbo. Outside. Inside, she might have the brain of one. Either way, she inclines her head and grins, "Indeed. Here she is." she admits.

"I mean. Fire? It's not always fire. This time there is -some- involved. But I deal in all manner of enchantments." Her eyes flicker to the glaive and she lowers her goggles back over her eyes, flipping a switch. "Ah, no magic aura yet. But it is definitely a work of art. Shall I be adding something to your very fine weapon there?" she asks. She is no idiot. Nope.

Aelwyn's orange eyes widen at the quick deduction. Though, it was not quite what he was going for - but talk about his weapon and one gets excited. "... tch, it is as if this walked in naked." The draconian says, tailtip wiggling behind him. No hiding excitement. He clicks his teeth though, lowering his glaive. "This one is looking for fire to play with." A flash of his teeth. "For a performance."

Ruddy hands, with purple tipped fingers, slide across the ornate glaive and its golden ornamentation. The blade itself is fine; but the rest seems very added on. "This one has seen blades onfire." Then Alaryn gets a tilt of his head. "Not lit by fire, but be fire. This one used to dance with many such things."

"Well, what magics I know could add fire -to- your blade, but would not transform the steel into flame." offers Alaryn. Sher holds a hand out as if asking permission to examine the weapon. "There would still be a physical blade, and a cut of said blade. But the fire would engulf it and burn anything it struck."

She looks over the finely made blade if allowed, and then lifts her goggles once more before raising eyes to meet Aelwyn's. "The real question I have for you is... how do you want that flame to -appear-? White? Blue? Typical yellow/orange? Blue? I can add whatever color you wish to it, whether to honor a deity, or simply for personal preference."

Aelwyn looks at the glaive, then towards Alaryn. He reaches up towards his shoulder and adjusts the pauldron; after which he hands over the glaive. She could easily see it was not completely balanced, but the blade itself was fine and freshly touched upon. "Hmmh," The Dragoon says, tilting his hip with a quizzical look on his face. "This one never did understood the trick. Were the blades fire itself, the blades on fire, or merely real illusions?" He gestures with his hand. "But to dance with such fire - that is what this one is looking for."

Then she starts offering... options. The draconian cannot quite contain himself, shifting restlessly in place as his tail tip continues to swish behind him. "Tch... this one was thinking the shades of a real flame." He makes a light, flexed pose and gestures across his ruddy scales; the autumn scales turning from ruddy reds to yellows. "To catch the eye." Flash of his teeth. He then leans forward towards Alaryn. "Or does she think something else would look better?"

"Well, I could easily add hints of purple, so that it might match your complexion. It would be very easy to know that it was yours then. Especially for performances." offers Alaryn. "But the truth is, any cosmetic coloration is entirely up to you. Your taste and preference is far more important than my own."

A pause and she adds, "Would you like any runes or draconic script written on the blade in the same color etchings? Glowing like the flames themselves even when the weapon is -not- on fire?" She grins. "I have developed something of a special material... using powdered quartz crystal of various colors and infusing them with mana to make them permanent and to light them up. I can make virtually any design you want, out of glowing etchings that won't just flake off during use."

Aelwyn tilts back on his foot. He lets out a click of his tongue again, crossing his arms. "Tch, this one was expecting the fire itself was difficult enough - now she is saying this one has options and not mere options, but options to meet this one's taste?" He leans forward, flicking his tongue out. "If this one had not traveled with her, this one would assume she was trying to steal this one's tail." Which sways behind him excitedly, still.

"Hmmh, perhaps this one wishes the blade look like a fiery, intense inferno - to give honor to the flame itself." And then he taps his chest. "And obviously, to impress others."

The question about inscription makes him raise his brow slightly, and he falls into thought. "This one had not considered that. Yet this one would enjoy an etching." A claw tip taps his chin. "What kind of engravings does she indulge in? And can she make the engravings not glow, but simmer like the red hot embers in coals, simmering within the blade?"

A sly grin coming to her face, Alaryn asks, "Have you met Hark? Seen his ankle bands? I made those. The glowing lava effect was all my creation. So..." she shrugs, "I can easily do that. Red hot embers with purple highlights in the flame itself. But the real question is, embers or no, do you want there to be any script? Perhaps..." She inclines her head before turning and grabbing a workbook and a pencil she made. She scribbles a few letters and turns it around to show it off. In flawless Draconic script it reads: ESSENCE OF DRAGON FIRE.

She shrugs though and adds, "Or whatever else you might want it to say."

Hark...? Oh, OH. Aelwyn tilts his head back. "She means Lava? Hmh, those did look very fanciful." Flash of his teeth. The nice script is recognized - in that he recognizes some of the words - but it was probably obvious to her that Aelwyn was not particularly proficient in reading, or probably writing, draconic. "Her writing is very pleasant."

Then he looks towards her, narrowing eyes for a moment, before he holds his hand out towards her workbook. "Can this one draw?" He asks. "This one would wish for certain words, yet also an etching across the blade to display the pulsating fire within. "Well, I am not a talented artist. But if you could find an artist to create the artwork, I could transfer said art onto the desired item." offers Alaryn. She notices the lack of linguistic proficiency, and just shrugs, "We can just make it look like swooping and smoldering embers and flames. Simple enough. Like the coals at the center of a very hot fire. That would not need any extra artistic talent."

But she smiles. "I am sorry if I am complicating things for you. It is -very- important to me that my customer gets precisely what they want, even if they did not know what that is when they approached."

Aelwyn rumbles, rubbing at his chin. He lets out a thoughtful grunt, then tilts his head in thought. "Hmmh. Where this one comes from, across the sea, those would be dangerous words to speak out loud." He lets out in amusement, rumbling. He bows his head though. " This one was not expecting to be able to inscribe the weapon in such way - she must be a legendary craftsman to be such fine work."

With that said, the ruddy sith-makar crosses his arms and looks at her. "... but perhaps this one should ask for the amount of coin she will be asking for."

"Oh, right. The cost." Alaryn grins a bit and shakes her head. "Normally, you'd find work like this going for upwards of eight thousand gold. But... you are in luck. I offer discounts to associates and friends."

She lifts her eyes without lifting her head, and winks, "Yes, you are a friend." She adds before she tilts her head, does some mental math. "So, with that discount, we are talking.... four thousand eight hundred. A significant cost break. But I still make a small profit. So it is a win win for both of us."

"And don't refer to me as legendary. I am just... creative. The enchantments cost the gold. I'll throw in the cosmetic and decorative upgrades for free. After all, those have no bearing on the weapon's actual combat effectiveness. They're just nifty."

Aelwyn's tail sways behind him, then he leans in closer. "This one likes that. Friend." His lips spread broader across his lips; sounding as if he was in on a secret. The price was still pretty steep for him - but he glances towards the glaive, and then towards Alaryn. "Ah... this one believes he knows which words he desires the glaive to speak."

Sliding hand into his satchel, he takes a fairly large piece of paper and a pencil. A low amused rumble leaves his lips as he begins to write - very slowly and in large letters - his engraving. "This one thinks Merchant and this one think alike." He flashes his teeth. "What use is anything, if one cannot show what they have?"

Looking to the script, Alaryn nods. "Well, I am on the case." she adds with a grin. "The rest of this stuff can wait." She steps over to her cart and reaches into pick up a rather elaborate leather container. She opens it and reveals vials of tons of different colors of powdered crystal.

She reaches and thumbs through the vials, trying to find just the right shade of violet. She looks up to the complexion of Aelwyn several times as she searches, and then plucks the right vial out, "Ah-hah. Perfect. No need to blend a new pigment. This will match your purples flawlessly."

And then she inclines her head, "Have you ever thought of adding some glowing effects to your horns? It might look distinguished on you."

Aelwyn bows his head. "This one is grateful for her eye and skill. Perhaps Merchant can come collect the payment from TarRaCe? A free meal and a bath." There's a tilt from the draconian's body as he grins. The rest of the 'stuff' on the cart attracts his attention though, and he has to ask, with a vague gesture. "Are these all explosives she is crafting?" He was fairly certain he was safe. Never hurts to ask though.

The second question though makes the Dragoon pause. Slowly, he reaches up and touches at the horns; pointing directly towards the sky, and clad in those red ribbons of his. "This one is not certain... Lava can glow, perhaps, but would it look cheap on this one?" He asks, with a tilt of his head. "And how would this one's horns hold the glow anyway?"

"May I?" asks Alaryn as she gestures to the horn in question. She uncaps her vial of powder and says, "I can add just a little of this, and make it -look- as if there is a small purple flame surrounding your horn. "Though, it would be difficult to make it so that it would stop working." She shrugs.

"Your call. Oh... explosives?" She looks down at her projects and shrugs, "One is just.. flames of different colors. Which is what led me to think of -your- flames being different colors. Now... this.." she gestures to the little fused items with a stick attached. "I made them to be able to launch into the air where they would yes... explode. Not for damage, but with different colors to be used as long range signal devices. So, they are not weapons so much as tiny explosive communication devices."Aelwyn clicks his teeth. "Tch, that would be great for this one's performance..." The Dragoon says, sliding his hand on his chin. "In fact, it is the sort of flame this has been looking for for his performances. Flame, that does not burn or sting the audience, but something that this one can feel the heat of like a real flame." He takes in a deep breath, hands on his hips. "This one does not wish to burn down the TarRaCe."

He rubs his hand along his horn. "A lit flame for outside performances might not work for the other work this one does, though." He clicks his teeth, a bit annoyed.

Returning to the topic of her experiments, he looks back towards them. "Signal devices?" He falls into thought for a second, "Would that not simply make it easier to find one when fired?"

"I -could- make a topical ointment with the powdered crystal infused in it. So it might burn for.. an hour before going out. You would need to re-apply it each time, but that would work for short term performances." admits Alaryn. "It would be cheap enough to produce. I could sell it for say a silver per vial, and you might get six uses out of a vial." she thinks aloud.

"Oh, but for signaling, if you -are- firing a signal, is it not the whole point for your allies to be able to find where you fired it from? I was thinking it would have more large scale military use than simple adventurers." Aelwyn doesn't think military. So he falls quiet for a second, staring at her. "Hmmh." He finally lets out. "Yet if she were to do it small and for adventures, it would make it easier to coordinate between parties." The draconian suggests, "Perhaps in plainer colors, or to confuse one's target."

To her suggestion about the vials though, gets the ruddy sith-makar even more excited. "She could do such? Tch, if she could craft those, this one would be willing to pay gold for a vial. This one has been looking for such ointment for very long time."

"Well, I tell you what. When you come back for your Glaive, I'll have a case of vials for you. Half a dozen of them. Call them a part of the big price you are paying. Replacements can be discussed in the future. But I figure thirty six doses should be a good start, yes?" she asks as she beams a grin with those comically oversized goggle eyes.

She turns and starts cleaning up her work space, placing things into organized trays with labels so that she can come back to them later. Odds are she might forget one or two of them. But you know.

And then once it is clear, she gestures to the bench, calling upon the power in her gloves to move some levers and attachments telekinetically before extending the bench further, and placing more ground supports out. "Please place your weapon here, and I will get started on it right away."

It was obviously a bit hard for Aelwyn to part with his weapon - but he does slowly move forward and place the blade down in front of her. He once again, reaches up and touches at his shoulder paldron. She might notice a handle poking from under it. "This one is very grateful for her generosity." The Dragoon says, with a bow of his head. "This one will look forward to the results of her craft."

"This one shall look for her in few days time to see her progress." The draconian offers, "And she can always find this one at the TarRaCe." He rumbles in amusement.

"I am thinking this will take just over a week of work. I will commit to it full time until it is finished. Other things can wait." offers Alaryn. "But I appreciate your trust in me. I will come collect the pay when I can... I will need the money to purchase the materials for the enchantments as it is, and I am not exactly rich these days. Made myself a few things that cost me a pretty copper."

She gestures to her boots, "But I run a lot faster now if that helps!" she adds with a grin.

Aelwyn tilts his head, but then he bowsh is head. "This one was getting worried that she was not asking for advance payment." The Dragoon grins. "It is a fine glaive." He reaches behind him, then takes a small pouch and offers it to her. It has a small pile of platinum coins. "To get started with." He flicks his tongue out. "When one gets paid in advance, there is a touch certainty they will come for the rest."

Orange eyes look at those boots, then back towards her. "Tch, a valuable investment, depending on what she is running away from." He lets out another rumble from his chest. "This one shall then leave her. May her fingers find what they look for and craft wondrous things." He bows his head deeply.

Lifting her hand, Alaryn gives a mock salute. "You are welcome to come by any time. I could always use an extra pair of hands doing the work. A lot of it is just gruntwork, placing things in the right place, holding them there while the mana settles in. Things like that."

"I've found some people really like to be -involved- in the enchantments of their property. Totally your call.." adds Alaryn at the end with a smile.Aelwyn tilts his head at her. "Perhaps this one shall then. He does know someone who might have ideas for the design." He flashes his teeth. "And if she desires any help with anything, this one is willing." Finally though, he bows his head. "Until then, Glow." The draconian turns around and starts walking away, tail swaying behind him.