PM to join [Dire and Dynastic Glassworks] A Woodcarver Learns of Glass

[Inari Lorak]

Fall, Day 12, 513 AV Though it was only half past the 10th bell and a cool breeze blew now and then through the bustling city, Inari's dress was already starting to stick. Curse this weather, the Lorak mentally seethed as she trudged past Fountain Plaza. And curse my implausible, fanciful ideas of "healthy exercise," too. For, that is what she had originally intended: a nice, invigorating walk to this new glasswork shop she had recently heard of. Naturally, bursting forth from her store on a complete whim meant she had given little to no thought on the issue of distance paired with humidity. She normally traveled by carriage during the day, and whenever she did sneak about during the night it was often with trousers and loose tunics. The present circumstances, however, were ruthlessly unforgiving. She would have turned back around or hailed the nearest carriage herself, had she not already walked more than halfway to her destination. It would be horribly embarrassing to show up sticky and out of breath, so Inari veered a little off course and parked herself in the shade. Humidity aside, it was rather pleasing to be out of the shop, peacefully observing the constant, colorful flow of Kenashern life. Her brief respite withered to a husk of unpleasant surprise, however, when she realized where she was standing. Right across the street, not ten strides from her patch of shade, was a certain, magecrafting business, which in turn belonged to a certain longtime, childhood pain in the ass. Inari's eyes narrowed. He was probably twiddling his thumbs in his office, if he wasn't somewhere else altogether scheming in some dark, noisy corner with Jack, or cavorting about with more overly-willing, insipid women... Huffing, she squared her shoulders and continued walking in spite of the dampness. Rowan gave her enough headaches in person; she'd rather eat her own shoes before admitting he had the ability to annoy her without even being present, like some kind of bloody poltergeist. At that last thought, her anger evaporated. He was the one being haunted, after all, not she. It was still grating, the way he behaved, but it was also less damning when she more or less knew why he did the things he did. Sighing, she let her shoulders fall and slowed her pace. It would only make the stuffiness worse anyhow. After paying the toll to cross to the East Bank, Inari finally found herself wading through Braggart Square, nodding subtly to a few friends along the way. When she at last found herself standing before Dire and Dynastic Glassworks, she pressed the backs of her hands to her warm cheeks, hoping to cool them down a bit. The shop itself looked rather unassuming from the outside, except for its stunning, glass door, which Inari openly oohed and aahed over. After a brief moment of hesitation, she gripped its elaborate handle, pulled it gently open, and stepped into the quaint little shop. "Hello, and welcome!" a cheery and rather lovely girl greeted from behind the counter. Inari smiled back, suddenly nervous about her impulsive trip. Was it even possible to start right then and there? Perhaps she should have made an appointment first...yes, definitely should have done that before walking all the way here. "Um, hello," Inari replied a beat late, unable to help looking all around her at the innumerable displays of beautiful, colored glass and the unlacquered, wooden floor, which she happily approved of."I apologize for not making an appointment ahead of time, but would it be possible for me to take a glassworking lesson today?"

[Acteon Zulaca]

It was an otherwise normal day in Dire & Dynastic Glassworks, save somewhat windy from time to time judging by the rate of the furnaces' exhaust cooling out. There was a humidity in the air which gave rise to droplets of condensation gathering around the rim of one of the proprietor's personal glass cups, filled with cold water from the cooling tub faucet. Here Acteon stood, in front of the glory hole, churning some yet indistinct piece of glassware at the end of a metal blowing rod. He had a casual expression on his face, almost as if complacent about his craft seeing as it was just another day on the job. Even though it wouldn't look it at first, he had poured a lot of heart and soul into fully stocking his twenty by thirty five foot showroom shop with all manner of glassware and items, within a considerably short amount of time. His eye for the colorful was life's gift to him, and his creations were his gifts to the world. Very few expected such an artistic affinity to come from a mere fox, though most just seemed to forget that he wasn't actually human since he always kept this form. At least, not entirely human.

The cobblestone walls of the hot shop and glass lab were thick, but an all too familiar voice had rung out through the cracks, one that Acteon's fox ears would never miss. Another potential student? he thought drably, yet inwardly optimistic about the chance to do business. He quickly finished blowing out the Kenashern glob at the end of the glory hole into a bubble, setting it down on a stone desk for the time being to settle. While fresh glass could always be reheated or scrapped, first impressions on waiting individuals could never so easily be mended.

"Hm," Nessie thought, placing her elbow in hand and index finger on her bottom lip for a moment, "I could arrange an appointment later this week if the master's not preoccupied with prior engagements... but...." Nessie paused, and suddenly her charming tone kicked in. "I'd be happy to check in now and see if he will see you today. He's out in the shop, blowing glass right now. I'm sure it wouldn't be too much trouble." She ended with a soft and charming smile.

The door behind the counter quickly slid open, from behind it appeared the shop's very proprietor Acteon. "I'm hardly a master artisan yet," he said while closing the door gently behind him. "And haven't I told you before there's no need to call me that? You're too lovely to speak like a slave." In his tone he was blunt, yet graceful. He called things as he saw them, rarely more and rarely less despite the misleading sound of empathy he'd picked up from being constantly around humans.
"U-uhm, yes master-er... boss-Acteon, sir...." she stumbled on words. She had still been getting used to her employer's unique and unreadable way of speaking. The shop had only been open no more than two weeks and her official employment had began but a few days ago.

Acteon marched around the counter to its opening with a certain finesse, reached his hand out for his guest's and looked her in the eyes with an absent look and a slight smile. His eyes glistened slightly against the light peering through the shop's windows with a certain yellowish glaze. It should have been obvious by now to anyone who hadn't already heard and was somewhat familiar with Kelvics that the man before her was in fact one. He was skeptical if she would pick up on this, and wondered how it might affect their relationship. He gave a slight bow. "Welcome to my humble glass shop," he said, "It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance. I heard everything from the other room. You'd like to take glass blowing lessons, correct? Did word of it being free this month lead you here, or were you just passing through?" What a rare privilege it was, a dynastic Kelvic glassblower who rarely spoke to anyone other than Nessala during business hours at the shop, coming out on a whim.

[Inari Lorak]

Inari beamed, her nervousness forgotten as she saw the gentle yet honest exchange between the proprietor and his young clerk. Anyone who treated their slaves with kindness was worth knowing in her book. Plus, him coming out personally had to be a good sign; perhaps she would get her lesson afterall, and then her grueling efforts to walk here would not have been in vain. They shook hands amiably, each with a grip bespoken of their crafts, and he gave a humble bow as he welcomed her to his shop. The Lorak noted the glassworker's yellow eyes and subtly pointed canines, though she knew him for what he was long before such observations. He dressed in fine clothes and behaved as an absolute gentleman, to be sure, but the Kelvic collar around his neck testified to his second, feral half and did not seem meant to be ignored. Inari was fascinated. She knew little of the Zulaca family, but The Velvet Ear served as more than just a source of income; it allowed her to observe, listen, and discover tidbits of news and information concerning all of Kenash. From her last performance, she overheard talk of a new glass shop, but the gossipers were far more interested in its proprietor than its wares. They had claimed he was not Dynasty born, but rather initiated into the family by the head himself. This, evidently, did not sit well with some of the elite, but no one dared openly oppose the whims of Lord Zulaca. That, the girls had tittered, and he was devilishly handsome, which prompted Inari's eyeballs to roll furiously in their sockets. Morwen knows, every enigmatic subject of gossip seemed to either be horribly handsome or terribly beautiful. She wouldn't be surprised if they said such things just to indulge in their own fancies. Scratch that, she could bet her life on it. Yet, it seemed for once the rumors had proven to be true. The shopkeeper's skin was pale and smooth and his features rather alluring. Even the slightly wild air of his feral half lent a sort of rugged attraction to his otherwise calm, collected persona. Inari inwardly grinned; it certainly didn't hurt to have a young, handsome teacher for a change, and not some old, wrinkly grump who puttered about his shop, mumbling half-remembered complaints as he shook his head at everything she made. Gods, what a chore those last few wood carving classes had been in her youth. If only Grandaddy had lived to see her education finished... "You'd like to take glass blowing lessons, correct? Did word of it being free this month lead you here, or were you just passing through?" Inari blinked, realizing she had trailed off again. Petch, she had to stop doing that in public. "Ah, yes," she quickly recovered, "that is correct. And it was, um...the former, though the part about lessons being free is a complete surprise." "Actually," the Lorak divulged, a gleam of violet in her eyes as her right and proper senses returned, "word is that your shop holds an impressive display of a beautiful commodity found no where else in Kenash. A, er, friend told me that you teach as well, and I had to come see it for myself." Inari looked around the shop once more, easily becoming distracted by all the colors and beautiful, crystalline forms as her excitement grew. "And by the looks of it, I'd say the word is right. I've never seen so many beautiful things in one room in all my life!" She winked at the clerk girl, remembering the Kelvic's earlier words. "But look at me, forgetting my manners at the mere sight of pretty things." She resisted the urge to bring palm to face and smiled warmly instead. "I am Inari Lorak, and it is pleasure to meet you both! I would be honored if you could spare some time to teach a humble beginner, as well as allow me to know the names of my wonderful new acquaintances."

[Vice]

Inari :

Skills

• +2 Observation
• +1 Rhetoric

Lores

• The Zulaca Dynasty: Treat Slaves Well

Acteon: If you decide to return, please PM me for a grade.

If you have questions, comments, or concerns, please send me a PM, and we'll discuss my reasoning behind why the grade given was received. Please make sure to edit any posts in the grading queue to 'graded' and update your CS as soon as possible. Enjoy! ^.^