Closed A Day Early [Estrellir Konrath]

[Eivl]

Timestamp - 6 Fall, 514 AV Eivl took to the streets of Kenash once more, this time armed with a viable map and a direction to go. Destinations set, objectives in mind and heart steeled, she hovered onwards to find the first shop on the list: Sweet Secrets. The shop was on the West Bank, and it was a ways away from her current location, but she took the regular road to familiarise herself with the layout of the city instead of flying directly to where she needed to go. From Fire Island, she headed south and passed by a shipyarding service of some sort. It was doubtful that she'd ever find a need to leave Kenash at all, unless some twist of fate gave her a lead on her parents that led her away from here, so she moved on without giving it much more thought. The rest of Blade Island was filled with empty buildings, and though Eivl was slightly curious as to why, her minor dabblings in philosophy led her to believe that it was simply not the right time for anyone to be building there for some reason, otherwise they would have already done so. She saw a park in the distance too, but did not feel like going to relax at the moment. She did have other things to do after all, and business comes before leisure. Crossing the first bridge she came to and reaching the West Bank, the first thing she saw was a beach full of colourful, rounded bits of glass. Not being able to resist the pull of beauty, she took a detour to study the union of colour and shapes that was the Glass Beach, requesting permission to enter from the man who sat in what looked like a beachside office. The sun reflected off the pieces of glass stunningly, and Eivl was loath to hover above them as her opaque form would prevent the life-giving rays of light from striking the surfaces of the glass bits, some of which were not transparent, but translucent, and at rarer times marbled. She caught some of the reflected rays on her palm, and against her pale skin they created wondrous spotted patterns, giving Eivl much food for thought for any personal projects. Though she did not wish to part with the beach's inspirational properties, thoughts of a project reminded her of the job that still needed to be done and she returned to her hunt for materials. Exiting the Glass Beach and hovering down the West Bank path, she noted several establishments of minimal value to herself and her pursuits. Towery's Casino, a hub of gamblers from various walks of life… and various states of mind. She was vaguely interested in psychology as well as philosophy, but her mild interest would not cause her to engage in casino gambling or, indeed, any activities pertaining to it. She was the less-known sort of artist, the cautious one. Even for art, it was doubtful that Eivl would hurt her physical self or mental well-being, as she was raised in a culture comprised of artists who were willing to go to any lengths for their work by an Auntie who cared for nothing more than her adoptive child's life. Nevertheless, Eivl had no intention of ever setting foot anywhere remotely dangerous unless it was absolutely necessary, and this caution extended to places that may erode her sense of self. The Askara Livery Stables, which sold horses. That was all Eivl needed to know before deciding she wouldn't be stopping by any time soon, as she and horses don't mix. The stories she'd heard of their legs being powerful enough to kill a man were sufficiently deterrent. The Kenash Gazette, which dispensed news of the city, was also of little interest to her, as art needs no modern day influences to become one itself. As she was capable of supporting herself by hunting for fish and seaweed, there was not much of a need to stop by for the latest news about popular food joints or places to get cheap food, and anything anyone had to offer about celebrities of any place was irrelevant to her search for her origins and purpose in life. Hovering down the path, Eivl noted that she has not been giving a lot of thought to life recently, much less than she did when she was in her soul-searching phase at the age of 12. Thanks to her Auntie and her philosophy volumes, she was able to deal with not having her parents around very well, to the point that her Auntie would never have thought she was worried about it until she voiced her wish to leave Abura to find them. Compared to her blazing progress years ago, Eivl had not moved a single step in regards to inner development, and her interest in philosophy had not changed in the slightest. She began to wonder if she had chosen the wrong time to come to Kenash, being in her late teens instead of in her early adulthood, when she realised that she'd reached Sweet Secrets. Putting her self-development on temporary hold, she approached the shop, ascending the stairs and noting the contrast between the shop's overall exterior and its sign. Squinting, she criticised the shopfront in her mind a little before knocking on the door and entering. Her eyes widened a little in mild surprise upon entering, though not too surprised as the plain-but-cosy atmosphere was all but overdone in the shops she'd read about. One thing she didn't expect was the smell of tobacco, which she wasn't unfamiliar with, but it was not a smell she recognised at once. She was immediately greeted by the owner of the shop as she approached the counter. What she needed was not something that was on the regular purchase list, and so understandably the owner was a little confused, but he went to the back to retrieve some needles nonetheless. Eivl looked at the largest sewing needle she was offered, and it was still a little too small. A little disappointed, but hopeful that the Hammer and Nail would carry the tools she needed, she thanked the owner for his time and went on her way. As the sun was about to set, she saw that she would need to pick up the pace or she would not be able to get anything done before any free source of light she had was gone, so she took to the skies and flew over to her next destination. She roughly knew its location, so it didn't take much thought to narrow down the area in which she would have to stop. Unfortunately, there were two buildings and she had no idea which one she had to enter in order to gain etching supplies. Unsurprisingly for a shop owned by the Radacke Dynasty, it had the kit she was looking for as well as a plaque base of silver of an appropriate size and was willing to sell them to her for a reasonable price. Of course, this reasonable price was still quite a bit to pay given her limited funds, but Eivl restrained her inner miser in favour of her inner survivalist, for she would not be able to pay for any lifestyle for long without this first purchase. She exited the shop and hovered around for a little more in search of a lantern to work by later at night. Back on the West Bank, she spotted a shop with the words 'The Traveler's Complex' on a nearby shop, which was larger than it initially appeared. Purchasing a lantern and even a bottle of magenta ink here was fast and simple, attesting to the experience of the workers and the amount of customers that have passed through this general shop. She considered staying here as well, but reconsidered as she found that she would be far more comfortable out in the open where she could see the stars. It may even give her ideas for any new projects she may want to work on. Finally back at the spot she'd designated as her home, she set the lantern on her workchest and got to work, coating the blank silver plaque with the acid resistant grounds carefully, and sketching out the design of the border while waiting for the grounds to set. She took out her initial sketches of the border and tried to combine the two that Estrellir liked, scritch-scratching for about an hour before she was finally satisfied with the result. The curves of the second design translated into the much less complex form of the third, weaving into it as if the two were entwined from the very beginning. The large black dot which punctuated the centre of the third design in its first form was carried over, and instead of being left at the centre, it has been multiplied to mark the corners of the plaque. Sketching the designs out now, a few more ideas popped into her head, ones that deviated from the request she was given. Eivl figured they would have made the plaque look better, especially the one which saw the black dot Estrellir disliked changed into a different shape or having more details within itself, but she refrained from changing what she'd been told to create. She could always create another border, for another project, for another time. She was slightly upset at herself for not having requested permission for a trademark or some sort of signature to be on the plaque, but seeing as it was far too late to request any such thing now, she went ahead with her plan and finalised the design. Being satisfied at last with what she'd put together, Eivl began the etching process with the tools she purchased just now. She was a little unfamiliar with these new items, but got used to them quickly as she carved the design into the grounds, exposing the silver to air. Curve after curve she carved out under the light of the lantern and the watchful stars, taking breaks whenever she felt a yawn coming up and her eyes begin to water. The sooner she finished it, the sooner she would feel unburdened by the looming threat of a deadline, so she pushed herself to finish it that night. Dawn broke, and Eivl found herself sleeping atop the chest. Recalling the past night, she remembered that she'd left the plaque sitting inside the chest itself where she would not disturb it in her sleep, and went to clean the ground off the plaque to check its aesthetic value after pouring some of the ink onto it and letting it sit overnight. The result was satisfactory, and Eivl sighed in relief as a multitude of things could have gone wrong in the time she took to sleep… But she would not dwell on it now. All that's left is to get the plaque to Estrellir and get her opinion on it. --------- Timestamp - 7 Fall, 514 AV Eivl arrived at Konrath's Detective Bureau the next day, not sure if it would be alright to drop by a day before the appointed deadline. It would be far more disastrous however, if she had arrived on the day and Estrellir did not find the plaque to her liking, so she'd convinced herself that work is something to be done as quickly as possible to leave room for improvements.

[Estrellir Konrath]

Unsurprisingly, the slave girl was still chopping away at the shrubs and weeds surrounding the small house. It was obvious she'd progressed some, though, as she was focusing on trimming the remaining reeds and tufts of grass to a length considered decorative by her mistress and any Dynast visiting in the near future.

At the sight of the Akvatari, a flash of purple wings, Mell held her gaze for a moment and darted inside like a startled rabbit. Having lived in Kenash her entire short life, the girl wasn't exactly used to the strange sight of a humanoid with butterfly wings and a seal's tail. Shortly after, Estrellir herself stepped out of the front door, rubbing her hands on her pants. Any stains of ink would taint her skin and scales, but be perfectly invisible on the dark fabric. As she walked towards Eivl, she broke into a grin.

It widened as she regarded the package the Akvatari carried with her. "Greetings. It's a pleasure to see you, only dimmed by the fact that the renovations are far from complete. If the plaque turned out as beautiful as we discussed, it'll have to rest in storage for a while." She clicked her fingers. "But the effect will be so much more dramatic."

Chuckling at her little joke, she leaned forward. Of course, working from Fire Island was far from dramatic on ordinary days, but Estrellir had deliberately chosen that location and never regretted it. Spreading her fingers in a subtle invitation, she gestured at the package. "May I see what you've crafted for me? I'm anxious to discover what you've done in half the assigned time."


OOCSorry for the short post. I've been looking for writing motivation, but haven't found much yet.

[Eivl]

Eivl bowed as Estrellir approached, and smiled in response to the greeting. As she presented the package, she replied, "Hello Ms. Estrellir, pleasure to see you as well." She didn't chuckle at the joke, but her expression lightened up a little as she felt the atmosphere warming up. Upon being asked to reveal the commissioned item, she said, "This is the plaque in its first form... a first draft, if you will, but if there's anything you would like changed, I'll see to it that the changes are completed by tomorrow." Eivl unwrapped the package to reveal the aforementioned plaque, hands trembling a little. It was made of argentium silver, which is tarnish-resistant but not as white as the usual sterling or fine silver. Both the border and lettering, which was etched in exactly as specified, had magenta ink colouring, since if one stood out the other would pale in comparison and therefore be lost on the viewer's eyes. The border itself was fused in just right, with elements from both the original borders being visible, minus the leaves, and large dots in the corners of the plaque. She handed the plaque over to the detective, fidgeting a little as Estrellir looked it over. If the latter had finished looking over it before Eivl completed the following 15-second train of thought, she would notice an expression of extreme worry on the Akvatari's face before stating either her satisfaction with the product or any changes she wanted. I went through the list a hundred times already in my head, why am I still so worried about it? Let's see, the border, the ink, the lettering, the cleaning... I didn't leave any of the grounds on it did I? I've cleaned it thoroughly I'm sure... And the ink shouldn't have overflowed because I washed it out after it dried before cleaning off the grounds... Oh no... Did I pick the wrong type of silver? What if it isn't light enough? Or what if she wanted a shade that would match the establishment itself? I should have come back here to confirm the materials as well... I'll need to remember that for any future commissions... If Estrellir considered the plaque for a longer period of time, Eivl would ask, as soon as she thought it was appropriate, "How... is it?" tentatively, fully expecting something to be amiss. OOCNo worries, I've just been feeling the urge to write more these days... The ways of the muse are strange.

[Estrellir Konrath]

Her eyes lit up as the package was unwrapped and handed to her. Her arms shot out with the eager movement of a child delighted at a present. It was an almost innocent emotion, but the bureau was hers, after all. As a Dynast, Estrellir had never felt that sense of duty mixed with pride before opening it and plunging into work as an investigator. That little house was her baby and she would always be extremely careful in changing any aspects of its image.

Therefore she took her time at inspecting the plaque the Akvatari had crafted. Employing artists without some sort of reputation tended to be a risky thing, but as far as she saw Eivl had completed the commission not only with extraordinary speed, but also surprising sensibility. Estrellir ran a hand over the silver, feeling its texture, only briefly set back by the color. It seemed darker than most silver she'd seen around Dynasty estates and on the ladies, but that didn't have to be a bad thing. The lettering proved to be exactly as discussed. The border was swirling around the edge just like the pattern Eivl had sketched, but without the leaves. Her finger found one of the dots and remained for a while, feeling the tiny inconsistency in the metal.

When a soft voice broke through her meanderings, her head jerked up and her hand slid off the plaque. Only then did the dull ache hit her arms and the question register in her mind. Beautiful... but heavy. A bit of a smile bloomed slowly on her face as Estrellir brushed a few loose curls out of her face. "It's marvelous. You did everything I asked. I daresay you did much more." Her fingers felt the letters once more. "How did the shopkeepers treat you? They tend to be wary of new blood and competition, but they'll get used to it as soon as they understand your position. You'll get along fine." Provided the Akvatari educated herself in diplomatic ways and stayed away from politics... but that was for Eivl to find out.

Looking back at the plaque, the Konti tilted her head. The sharp noises of Mell's shears could still be heard in the background, mixing with the gentle lapping of swamp water against the island's shores. "As I know nothing about your trade, you have to explain why the silver is so dark though. It's not common, right?" The smile shifted a little as she gave Eivl a generous chance to explain herself. If it was poorly crafted, all the beauty wouldn't save the artist.

[Eivl]

As soon as the word 'marvelous' registered in her mind, Eivl let out a small sigh of relief and her shoulders relaxed from her previously tense posture. She stood at attention once more however, when asked about the color of the silver, prepared to explain herself. "The plaque is made of argentium silver, as in 0.925 silver. I decided on this type of silver as it is far more tarnish-resistant than sterling silver, which is used often in small pieces of jewelry. This property unfortunately takes a little away from the usual pristine white color, but it is more practical, being denser and therefore harder to bend. It is also tarnish-resistant, and so will not need to be polished every other week, or day, depending on the weather." Eivl glanced at the general direction of the slave girl involuntarily, but snapped her focus back to the explanation in a split second, lest she lose her reasoning. "Polishing it regularly would likely remove the ink after a certain period of time, and though it can be reapplied, it won't look as even as it currently does, not to mention the possible abrasion of the plaque face and edges..." Her voice started to trail off here as her confidence waned, but she'd clear her throat before resuming. "I did not wish to disturb you more than I had to, so regrettably I made the decision entirely on my own and will take full responsibility for it if you want one of a lighter shade." In all honesty though, Eivl just didn't speak well with those of higher social status than her own, a result of a possible inferiority complex from being fairly commonplace back where she was raised, as she'd found out recently from a reflective session. She waited for Estrellir's verdict on the plaque and its slightly-darker-than-usual color, hovering in place and fidgeting a little from the nerves.

[Estrellir Konrath]

As Eivl began to explain the properties of the kind of silver in her hands, Estrellir cradled the plaque between her arms like a small child. Although crafted by different hands, it was hers, after all. She liked what she heard too despite the many terms she didn't quite understand. Her profession had never required Estrellir to dig deeper into the secrets of working with metals. Even so, she understood the darker kind of silver was more durable and required less polishing.

Then her brow furrowed. A paradox, wasn't it? "So I should not polish it unless it's in obvious need of cleaning, right? Are there any measures you can recommend so that the ink stays vibrant and fresh as long as possible?" With those questions, her tone carried a certain edge that would sound mildly accusing to a stranger. However, Estrellir merely strived to get a full grasp of the properties of the metal. As a business owner, she wasn't foolish enough to assume the plaque would take care of itself once acquired.

Violet eyes wandered over the Akvatari as she reviewed the work once more in her mind. Not only had Eivl completed the commission a day early, she'd also taken the freedom to choose materials that she thought fit best Estrellir's wishes. The Konti valued independent thinking - as long as it led to better results.

After weighing the rectangle in her arms, she slowly broke into a smile. "This is good work. I cannot wait to see this above my door. Mell..." The girl arrived at her side almost before she'd finished speaking her name. Estrellir handed the plaque to her. Without hesitating, the girl carried it towards the house, came to a stop in front of the door and held it up in skinny arms. "The colors are a nice fit too..."

While the girl carried the work of art inside, Estrellir whirled around. Ivory locks tumbled over her shoulders as she rubbed her hands together. "Now let's hear your wish. What would you expect me to pay? Don't be shy, I will consider your suggestion." Behind a voice like honey, Estrellir tried to remember how much things like that were worth in the region.

[Eivl]

At Estrellir's question once her explanation had finished, Eivl drew in a short breath, as the question is likely to mean there was no problem with the current plaque. "The beauty of it is that as the ink is nestled inside the grooves of the design, it won't be worn away as long as the silver itself stays intact. If there are harsh storms every few months in which the wind buffets it from the front, some varnish once or twice a year should keep it looking nice, but if the climate here is temperate year-round, little to no maintenance is necessary." She was unsure of the climate as she had not studied it, but there shouldn't be many variations in a swampy area. The little girl from earlier came and carried the plaque over to the house, as a preview for how it would look on the house, and Eivl nodded a little as Estrellir acknowledged her choice of color to be a good one. She then watched it being carried inside, and Estrellir asked about the cost of the plaque. Eivl was a little confused, as she hadn't considered Estrellir a client at all during this project, but as someone she owed and should repay for having given her knowledge she needed. She didn't have much need for money either as she could gather food as much as she had to, sleeping under the stars atop a cliff where she felt most comfortable. Closing her eyes, smiling, and lowering her head a little in response to Estrellir's question, Eivl said, "I believe I said this plaque would be made as a gesture of gratitude for your hospitality." She lifted her head now, and looked at Estrellir in a serious manner, saying, "I would not have been able to make it without your guidance during the first hour of my arrival, so please do take it. Thank you for your help," bowing to take her leave. She stopped a second after turning, reversing the turn and adding, "I'll come back when I've gathered enough to request your help in finding my parents however. It was nice to do business with you, Ms. Estrellir." Eivl then went onwards to find a place to work, being a rookie at all this. OOCTopic left unless stopped, thanks for your cooperation.

[Timothy Mered]

Your Righteous Reward!

Eivl
Unfortunately you won't be able to receive your grades until your Character Sheet has been approved. Please submit your request for CS approval here: http://www.mizahar.com/forums/topic37900-940.html

A mod will then look at your CS to see if is in order. If it is, you will receive a green check mark at the very top of your CS. Once that is so, send me a PM and I will put up your grades.

XP :

No xp awarded, see above.
XP

Lores :

No lore awarded, see above.
Lore

Estrellir Konrath

XP :

+2 Socialization
+2 Observation

Lores :

Aesthetics: Shrubberies, begone!
Self: Dodgy on the heart.
Self: Keeping Up Appearances
Plaque: Like A Present!
Eivl: A Skilled Starter.
Self: Like A Magpie.

Note: A short little thread which didn't yield as much XP for Estrellir as I thought it would. There are a few lores to celebrate though! I am interested to see if this business relationship will develop into something more permanent...

If you have any questions, concerns, remarks, or comments regarding the grade, please send me a PM and we can work something out.