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Re: Thread The Needle
Posted: Thu May 09, 2024 2:20 pm
by Filaurel
•───────── Gloaming Hapertas ────────•
54th of Glade, 124th Year of the Age of Steel
Filaurel had been a creature of habit even when he served under House Val'Kor's auspices, and the decade of painfully slow rehabilitation had only reinforced that. He rose, washed up, dressed, and made a round of the shop to ensure that everything was in its proper place all before he broke his daily fast. He inspected each shelf and mannequin, pulling and nudging at his wares to ensure they were well-displayed, before he unlocked the door, set out the shingle, and began work once more.
He'd had dreams, the past week. Len'Alen was not one of the fortunate bloodlines blessed with particular insight into Thiovan's realm, nor had he any gift of prophecy, but like many elves he did place a certain amount of significance in the apparently-random scenes. He'd dreamed of a bird opening its wings in the center of a tree, and of the dark sky, star-studded, and decorated with one too many moons. This, of course, he attributed to his unusual guest's musings. In particular, his chat with Turuher had put him in mind of a particular symbol which he thought he might update and incorporate into his designs.
It was while sketching those designs that Len'Kouneli reappeared, though Filaurel was not in fact so in tune with the time to realize the improbable coincidence of it. Rather, as the door opened and he turned to observe the huge elf's entry, only satisfaction flooded his face.
"Ah, Len'Kouneli!" he exclaimed, voice redolent with genuine enthusiasm, "But you have come in good time. Just last night, I finished work on our prototype. Here, let me show you-"
The pile of half-finished projects on the sewing table disturbed itself, scraps of cloth tumbling down like grains of sand off a dune. A complex assembly of cloth worked its way gently free from a pile of pale lavender hosiery, slowly knocking itself free of wrinkles as it unfolded in the air. It drifted closer to Turuher, presenting itself for inspection.
The garment was much as Len'Kouneli had envisioned it, save for certain parts which the tailor had been forced to alter out of practicality. It was fashioned in the main of leather, meant to clasp the calves and thighs, and with silver clasps designed to be quickly removed or attached, four pieces in total. Connecting them all was a web of sheer, silvery cloth- very thin, but designed of the exotic metal threads of Gelarand, and almost certainly stronger than the treated leather. Filaurel had taken great pains in the design to maximize the area it would cover when the flier's legs were spread, permitting them greater control over its effect on their velocity.
Though the thing had clearly been designed with practicality in mind, Filaurel had nevertheless added a bit of design- on the corner of the sailcloth, such that it would be facing upwards to the sky, was a small and stylized embroidery of circles and stars, arranged in an old pattern. Long, long ago, it had been one of innumerable symbols of the Boundless Empire, meant to symbolize Ransera itself in the days when Sol'Valen had administrated other worlds. Filaurel had subtly adjusted this, too, adding a third lunar circle to correct for the planet's new satellite.
"Well, come now, try it on- it is meant to be worn over the pants, so there is no need to strip. You shall have to test the airworthiness elsewhere, naturally."
Re: Thread The Needle
Posted: Fri May 10, 2024 4:59 pm
by Hekatos
It was a virtuous circle, the most perfect of geometries.
The giant grinned and hurried over, an amount of mass at a heightened velocity that might affright an elf of less stern stuff than Finlaurel Len'Alen. His eyes were everywhere, looking where Finlaurel indicated, but trying to see everything all at once. There was artisanry coupled with artistry, which was common even among common Hytori elves—anything worth doing was worth doing well—but that it was for him, that made him positively gleeful.
As soon as he was told to put them on, he allowed his hands to run over the metallic cloth, the leather, and the silver. He nodded and held it up to observing how it draped, and then proceeded to figure out how to most efficiently get it on him. Most elves weren't embarrassed by nudity, though there were times and places where it was more appropriate. He was more concerned with utility than comfort, but comfort would be a boon as well. He could focus on his flying more if he wasn't focusing on how something pinched his trousers underneath.
But this was a prototype and certainly the logisticians among his wing would figure out whether they ought to be worn over gamboised cuisses, or worked into some sort of proper armor.
"Do I just...? Ah, I see..."
Eventually, he thought he had it strapped on properly, and was turning in a circle, testing how far he had to spread his legs before their movement was arrested. In a perfect world, it would be easy enough to walk in them, and easy enough to take flight and use them as they were meant to be used.
Finally, he looked up for approval from their maker.
And, "If you would like to watch me try them out, that could be arranged."
Re: Thread The Needle
Posted: Tue May 14, 2024 11:07 pm
by Filaurel
•───────── Gloaming Hapertas ────────•
54th of Glade, 124th Year of the Age of Steel
"Good, good!" exclaimed the tailor, "Well, to a point. It looks absurd, naturally. But that is hardly the project, is it?"
It was unusual, having the purpose of a project be unrelated to looks- certainly there were unsightly garments which had to be made for various purposes, but that was never the aspiration of a master tailor. If they did meet with success, the design would require refinement. Not only would it need to be less obtrusive to the eye, it was clear now to Filaurel that it needed to be something which could be worn for the entire duration of a mission. No matter how cleverly made the clasps were, even a handful of seconds while a winged elf awkwardly tore at it could be the difference between life and death.
"I shall have to devise a solution to walking without taking it off... but that must needs wait for it to prove practical." It had been years since Filaurel had traveled more than a half mile from Silfanore, constrained as he was by Len'Alen's curse and the schedules of those who'd been willing to escort him. Still, he wanted to see Turuther in action. He was certain, in fact, that unless he was able to see the flight with his own eyes, he would struggle with understanding how best to improve it.
The tailor's hand rose, buoyed by a current of flux, and he gestured towards the world beyond the window over his sewing table. "That would be best, I think- I would like to see how it works. If it works. In any event, if by some horrendous mischance it should fail, I can catch you." That was more of a jest than an offer; though Kinetics was easily strong enough to lift even the enormous elf, he expected that the winged corps probably had a variety of ways to keep themselves from plunging out of the sky.
Still, he felt his heart beat faster. It would be good, of course, to get out of the city for a bit. To see the camaraderie of soldiers, too, even if he wasn't among them any more. And on the off-chance that the big lunk's design proved useful, well... the thought of proving useful again could have warmed his heart such that it burnt through his ribcage, if he dwelt on it.
Re: Thread The Needle
Posted: Thu May 16, 2024 3:16 pm
by Hekatos
It lasted a moment before he cracked a grin, although he did turn around a bit in front of a floor-length mirror. Certainly, he wasn't checking to see whether it made his ass look fat or similar. Elves weren't vain.
Turuher nodded, more serious when Filaurel began to speak of logistics, albeit not comically serious as before.
"We do require help with some of our more awkward armor pieces, but we do as much as we can for ourselves. They want us to be self-sufficient as possible, able to arm and prepare for rapid response." While their lifespans were shorter now, and some time did pass between the regular apocalypses of Ransera, their elders did a proper job of keeping past terrors in what seemed, at least, like living memory.
And anyway, the might of the elven magic and military were surely a deterrent to other greedy world powers.
The massive elf grinned once more, imagining Filaurel running to and fro upon the ground trying to gauge where a rapidly descending Turuher might land, but he knew better than to laugh. They were a magical people. Nothing was ever entirely what it seemed.
"I think... I mean I can arrange for something. A small airship so you can observe from height, as long as you aren't acrophobic." He smiled, elated but polite; he couldn't quite empathize with a fear of heights, but he knew it was something those born without wings sometimes endured, rationally or otherwise. "I can see about a few possible dates and times and see what best suits your schedule."
The inflection on his sentence rose along with an eyebrow, questioning whether Filaurel would be amenable to that.
Re: Thread The Needle
Posted: Thu May 23, 2024 11:18 pm
by Filaurel
•───────── Gloaming Hapertas ────────•
54th of Glade, 124th Year of the Age of Steel
"It would be a great pleasure for me." Filaurel reassured his anxious customer. It meant more to him than that, really, but although the Hytori were not a vain people, they were a prideful lot. Pride had tormented Len'Alen as he suffered the curse of his blood, and bride held his tongue from expressing freely how much Turuther's offer meant to him now. Nevertheless, there was an honest smile on his face, and if the other elf knew him better that alone might have told him how moved excited the tailor felt.
"Whatever time you can arrange, I can make- one of the great benefits of leaving the army is that your time becomes your own again, and the calendar feels less like a shackle." There had been other shackles in his case, of course, but he was long past the point of wanting to dwell on such matters. Plus, even if he had busy social calendar, he certainly would have cleared his schedule for such a novel thing.
It would be interesting to set foot on an airship again, although he hadn't much experience with them in his prior life. For transport, certainly, a handful of trips, but his captain had preferred to avoid the rigors of working with counterparts in the aerial service, and so he'd spent many days asaddle riding from one end of the country to the other instead. He wondered, vaguely, whether his Kinetics would suffice to catch himself if something happened to an airship mid-flight. In theory, of course, manipulating the flux on high was no different from carrying his body about at ground level, but he imagined it would be a hard thing to convince himself of mid-fall.
He realized, suddenly, that he'd let his mind wander while he still had a guest. Filaurel carefully lifted an arm again and made a broad, sweeping gesture about his shop.
"I am somewhat busy, given the time and the season and the general mood in Silfanore, but I would still like to hear from you if there are adjustments or improvements which must be made. Gowns and sundresses and hats are one thing, but I fear that my professional pride could not survive if a garment I made got you killed in the field. So do not hesitate on that matter, nor concern yourself about price- my work always has a full warranty of use at sale."
Re: Thread The Needle
Posted: Wed May 29, 2024 3:51 pm
by Hekatos
She had him sit with her in the cockpit so she could regale him with knowledge about airships in general, this airship in particular, and the few stories she had to her service record. It the co-pilot's harness also availed him the best view of the sky as it was more globe of bespelled glass than anything else. After showing off how quickly he could get himself into Filaurel's contraption, Turuher had flung himself aloft with impressive athleticism and the Ikaros had buzzed upward like a bee to follow him.
Magical technology took care of something called inertial dampening, which made the flight much more smooth than he might have imagined. The tailor had an experience as close to flying with Turuher as was possible for one without wings, and then showed him something few of the landbound elves ever saw: high in the air, the light bent around it so it didn't prove an eyesore for any eagle-eyed ground-walker, was an aerial obstacle course. Ikaros hovered while the pilot fell silent so the both of them could watch Turuher put himself through his paces.
"Oh!" the pilot managed several times. "He is a powerful flyer, Turuher," she explained. "Agility, though, has been a struggle."
Eventually, Turuher flew up close to meet them, his cheeks ruddy with effort and excitement. He made a few hand gestures to the pilot that the veteran strapped in beside her would remember. Mission: success! and Time to eat. That communicated, he furled his wings, tucked his knees up to his chest, and toppled earthward. Through the glass below him, Filaurel could see him move like a diver, and then Ikaros spiraled downward as well.
Once they had landed, Filaurel had only to extricate himself from the harness and debark. The pilot offered him a salute, saying she had to see about getting Ikaros checked in. He found Turuher unbuckling himself, from his artificial tail and then tucking it reverently over his arm. A kinetic cab was speeding over to pick them up.
"Lunch?" he offered hopefully.
Re: Thread The Needle
Posted: Sun Jun 02, 2024 9:02 pm
by Filaurel
•───────── Gloaming Hapertas ────────•
XXth of Glade, 124th Year of the Age of Steel
For all his anxious excitement, it took Filaurel quite a bit of tedious work to actually prepare for Turuher's flight. Though Kinetics sufficed to move himself around his store and the loft apartment above, he worried about an extended trip. Even simply sitting was complicated thanks to the Curse, which robbed his core of the strength it would take to keep himself upright without support.
To prepare, therefore, he started a regimen of teas a week before the planned flight, seasoned with bitter herbs and small pinches of ground dragonshard meant to fortify his aetheric reserves. He was no alchemist, so he kept the mix dilute to avoid the strange magical illnesses which could come from larger influxes of foreign magic. With a few doses of the disgusting brew and sufficient rest beforehand, he started the day with fair confidence that he'd be able to keep himself upright during the entire trip.
He went out with Turuher in a simple tunic with a longer skirt, meant to disguise the fact that his legs were not moving; not that it would fool anyone with sharp eyes, but it kept him from drawing too much attention in an ordinary crowd. To prevent his hands from dangling, he parked them in the pockets above his stomach, and made himself a fair simulacra of an elf walking slowly behind the huge and boisterous soldier (who, in fairness, drew all eyes in his stead).
~~~
"I had not quite realized how fast and quiet these run." Len'Alen commented to the pilot of the Ikaros during a lull in her stories, "In fact, I begrudge my captain somewhat for deciding to avoid your services now. To think we spent so many hours in ramshackle ground camps halfway between to and fro..."
But Filaurel's attention was stolen away when the big elf they were trailing appeared in the viewport, focus sharpening as he observed the man's movements aflight. No physicist, he still tracked the movements of Turuher's legs and wings as he swooped and turned, doing his best to apprehend just how the winged elf moved. He muttered to himself as he observed the fabric between his legs, imagining refinements to the prior design.
By the end of the test flight, Filaurel's face seemed stony, wholly dissatisfied- but at Turuher's obvious enthusiasm, he smiled.
"After all the work you did up there, I imagine you are near to fainting from hunger. Let us make haste to remedy that." Filaurel spread an arm to indicate that he would follow the bigger elf. "But please, do not leave me in suspense- how did it work for you?"
Re: Thread The Needle
Posted: Tue Jun 04, 2024 2:25 pm
by Hekatos
"I am still learning how to use it," he admitted, "but already, it allows me to make sharper turns, easier stops. From the look on your face when I returned, I think you have ideas already. My part will be practicing with it, learning how to use it as second nature. I know you haven't seen me run the course before so you might not have anything to compare this with... but those of us with the Avialae wings, well, our wings tend to grow to resemble some bird's or beast's. I'm built rather like a hawk. The tail, or whatever we end up calling it, makes me more maneuverable. Or, rather... it gives me a tool to help me maneuver."
In his excitement, Turuher rather dominated the conversation on the short ride to the building that contained a canteen. The winged elf immediately hopped out and, when Filaurel didn't, he finally put a few things together.
"Are you well, Master Len'Alen?"
Perhaps he had noticed the signs before in the other elf's shop, but now he was his guest and his responsibility, and he didn't know if Filaurel was ill, weary, or hungry. Some didn't adapt well to time spent aloft, either. Whatever the case, he wanted to be a good host.
With all due chivalry, he offered a hand to help the veteran out of the cab for whatever reason he looked slightly off.
Re: Thread The Needle
Posted: Thu Jun 06, 2024 12:15 am
by Filaurel
"No, Master Len'Kouneli, I am afraid I am not well." Filaurel waved the bigger elf's hand away and got out of the cab with oddly jerking motions "But do not let it trouble you, I pray you. I am no worse today than any other."
There was no particularly effective way to demonstrate his ailment--after all, he was moving about, and his flesh lacked none of the vigor and pallor of health--so he resorted to explanation without it. "Much of my body was paralyzed a decade past; that was when I retired from the army. By the use of a rune, I have been able to regain some range of motion. That is taxing in other ways, of course."
Sadly, the Len'Alen bloodline bore no particular proficiency for magic, and even after years of practice, Filaurel's power to store and conserve aether would not have elicited much comment from any of Silfanore's magi. Still, he was proud of the level of control he'd mustered. Even if Turuher wasn't the world's greatest detective, Filaurel thought it a rousing success that it had taken him so long to notice at all.
But he did not want that topic to dominate a day which should be properly triumphal!
"As I said, pay it no mind- it is not a disease, or any such thing which could infect you, and I am quite used to it. Instead, tell me as we go in- what would make the tail work best for you? It already seems to me that it must not impede you on the ground, nor should it require much time or attention to deploy, and I have some ideas on those fronts. But you are the soldier here, I will never have to rely on it for my life, eh? What would make it work best?"
Re: Thread The Needle
Posted: Tue Jun 11, 2024 4:46 pm
by Hekatos
"Ah, I see," he said, eyes showing understanding, but no condescension. To his mind, Filaurel Len'Alen was both a veteran and a craftsman of skill, and ought to be honored as such. If he wished his paralytic condition to be ignored, then he would ignore it. "As you wish."
However, he let his companion set the pace into the canteen, and shifted his focus to a report.
Most of what he shared showed some foresight: a quick-release mechanism should it become damaged in combat and prove a hindrance to survival; possible armored augmentations; possible enchantments. Some of these were things Filaurel could perhaps work into it, while others would require other sorts of magic. The possibilities, though, seemed endless--at least in those moments of exhilaration.
| ! | Message from: Hekatos |
Huzzah! Prototype achieved and tested!
You are hereby awarded 15 xp to be used at your discretion.
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