[Mechanical Marvels] A Kiln for Company (Ha'na please)

[Alistair deGrey]

Well what do I do now? Perhaps I should have given this a few seconds forethough

One forever... Two forever... Three forever... Yes, he was sure of it. After three forevers, Alistair tentatively released himself. deGrey was elated that she had returned his affection. He glanced down at Ha'na, stars swimming around his vision. "I... Ah..."

What does one say after something so lovely was reciprocated? Thank you? The words seemed shallow to Alistair as he rolled them about his brain. It had taken up so much of deGrey's courage to kiss Ha'na, and now he was emptied.

"Well..." His larynx cooled and became dim, the fire that fueled his tongue meekly dying. She had offered much to him though, the inventor thought she deserved something. Quickly he reforged his voice, sparks flaring it back to life as the infrequent words that passed his lips. "Is there um, anything... Anything you'd like to know?" I suppose its my turn to open up.

Yes that sounds correct.

[Hana]

Everything. She wanted to know everything. Ha’na wanted to crack him open like he was some beautifully bound book in order to soak up every little bit of information held within him. She wasn’t an educated woman compared to many she’d known, at least not formally, but there was a certain passion there for the details of everything. She didn’t care for the big picture of it all, though that would please her too – No, she wanted everything. Every little bit she could take in. She wanted to be overwhelmed by the knowledge of Alistair deGrey; she wanted to be an expert.

This, however, she didn’t tell him. There were certain things she knew and understood about herself, mainly her fear of connecting and letting people in. She assumed that everyone else was like that, though more likely to a lesser extent than herself. This kept her quiet for a long moment even as she peered at him with curious eyes.

Her hands moved to take one of his. She gently lifted it up to her lips. Each of his fingertips were kissed one by one as she simply looked at him, studying the shape of his face. She found it so pleasing.

Very quietly, warm lips brushing against the heel of his palm, she very nearly whispered, “Start with what is most comfortable for you…”

[Alistair deGrey]

Perhaps I would understand what I blindly stumble through if I had become a cryptographer. A pity that I am unable to decipher the actions, of which there must be significance, that Ha'na bestows upon me.


The brilliant woman before Alistair took his hand and began to kiss his fingertips. This slightly bemused the inventor, as he was sure they would taste acridly of the charcoal he had handled earlier. What confused him even more was the motive. deGrey had never heard of such an offering, could only assume it meant affection. The heat of her breath against his palm was intoxicating, deGrey was in Ha'na's palm, more clay to mold at her discretion. Neither did he want to upset Ha'na, his only goal right now being to see her happy. He had, after all, just caused her to cry. So Alistair would follow her, indulge her, whatever she wished, like an obedient servant, and gladly at that.

deGrey pursed his lips for a few seconds. "What is most comfortable for me..." Alistair reiterated the question and thought for a few moments. The obvious, and clearly cliche, thing to say was "Well, you do." But the question persisted in the inventor's mind, it was not one he often considered. "I like to learn things, there is always something to be discovered." deGrey pondered some more, feeling his reply completely unsatisfactory, "Humility, things do not need to be grandiose to be beautiful." He smiled and tapped her nose.

The words, enough about me though, almost rolled off Alistair's tongue so unaccustomed was he to telling others of himself. Business as usual rarely included speaking about comforts. But instead of being quite so blunt, he asked Ha'na a question. "Ha'na, I have a query. How does one so lovely and sweet as you come to be a potter in Syliras?" Alistair took her hand, replicated the kissing motions he had earlier received. While any deeper may not have been grasped entirely by deGrey, he was sure it was reciprocal. Her fingers tasted of earth, humble and beautiful.

Achingly, like an old man moving ancient bones, the sound of a clock's metronome returned to Alistair's ears. The world was reassembling itself, renascent in the new light.

[Hana]

She smiled at his answer and attention. It had been so long since someone had been affectionate with her that she seemed to bask in it. However, when he got to the point of asking her another question about her, her face fell just a touch. There was that hesitation there once again. Her bottom lip was chewed upon as she peered at him, trying to explain it.

She cleared her throat, looking down. Her head tipped just a little, thinking of how to word it. What she wanted to say. Where to start. She tried to decide if she could leave anything out, but it came to her that it would just be visited and revisited until she let it out into the light of day. He said it didn’t matter. She wasn’t sure she believed him, but she knew he believed himself.

Her eyes remained on the ground, brows furrowing as she willed herself to tell him the story. After a long quiet moment, she said, “I’m from Yahebah. From the north of the city. The women of the tent I belonged to spent their time working pottery, and so those are the skills that I learned. Pottery, home-making, a little beekeeping though that is man’s work. When I was young, I was in love with someone. But… My people, we… Marriages are arranged, and my tent was not the wealthiest…”

She’d told him the story in part – The story of the creation of the oasis. She offered a rather heart-breaking smile as she continued to look out and away from him.

“So my love married a woman with a bigger dowry than my own. I was so, so heartbroken. I didn’t know what to do. I was able to convince my own mother not to force me to marry for a little while longer, though my father was not pleased. A year passed, though, and the man I loved… He came back to me. I… Gave myself to him. This situation happened for quite a little while until one day we were caught…”

She squeezed his hand as if she was afraid he would pull it away from her before she continued on, “When you are caught committing adultery in Yahebah, they take your palms and they tattoo them black. When you are a prostitute or if you’ve committed adultery with a married person, you are branded with a snake on your foot or hand. They put you in a pit over night with an adder.

“If you are a woman, your dowry is taken and given to orphans and widows. No one will marry you, and if they do there are no celebrations. You are looked down upon. By doing what I did, I shamed my family. My people. And so… I left. I couldn’t face my family. I was seventeen.

“I lived on the streets of Ahnatep until I was taken care of for a time there by someone. Eventually it came to be too much, and so I left there as well. I’ve traveled all over. I’ve been what seems like everywhere.”

She took a deep breath, looking up at him with a bit of terror in her eyes. She was sure this little moment of happiness was over.

“I’ve been here in Syliras for three seasons now. I bought my cottage last winter, because I just… I’m too tired to travel anymore. I’ve been on my own for nine years now, and…”

She just shook her head then, allowing herself to trail off on whatever thought she was having. She’d already said too much.

[Alistair deGrey]

Black Adder, let your fangs sink deep into my arm. Allow me, if you would, to taste of your venom in her stead. Let my palms run black and your visage brand me. Allow me, if you would.



Throughout the monologue, which was clearly painful for her, Alistair sat calmly and listened. Not a word escaped his mouth, all of the phrases that accompanied a listener were absent. I see or Mmhmm never once escaped his lips. But Alistair deGrey heard every word she said, pondered it, chewed it, and cataloged it. His eyes never left Ha'na's, even when downcast.

deGrey felt a sour taste accumulate at the back of his tongue when he heard that she had loved another. Perhaps he would burn that memory. He heard it, pondered it, chewed it, and threw it out. The past was unimportant. Whats more, who was he to by hypocritical?

While the past love had left a painful resonance, the details of her experience with black adder left a veritable cacophony echoing in Alistair's chest. That seemed completely beyond the limits of human compassion. He did not understand how a culture could force such a fate upon somebody. But then again, deGrey had never been to Ekytol either.

The short confession ended, and Alistair released a sigh, carrying the scent of sorrow and heartache. It was a bitter relinquish, and an equally unsavory acceptance, of the information. deGrey ran his hand along her arm, trying to quell the remnants of fear from her eyes. "I... That is a terrible experience to live with. I am sorry. But remember Ha'na, you are not on your own anymore. I will always be here should you need me."

The afternoon was waning on, it would be dark in several hours. The days were growing longer, but winter still had its grasp on the city of Syliras. Alistair wanted to... No, he would rather keep Ha'na here. But regardless of what wanted, he needed to get her back to her abode before the sun set. They did not have a terrible amount of time. "Dearest Ha'na, the sun will set in a few hours. I would like to keep talking, but just tell me when... When you want to go home." He never broke the firm grasp of her hand.

[Hana]

“You… You don’t hate me.” The words were not a question. They were a statement of shock carried out on the whisper worthy of a mouse’s voice. Her eyes lifted up to him, their light color only causing them to seem all the wider.

He surely didn’t realize it, but he’d sealed his fate. Unless he chose to push her away, she would not stray from her dedication to him. She would see to it that he was cared for, that he’d be freed of the little details of daily life. The kindness he gave her would be returned threefold. Surely there were worse fates than having a Benshiran woman take an active interest in your well-being.

She smiled suddenly, the sun’s first rays of light breaking after a storm. The burden of her past seemed not so great now.

She rushed in to kiss him again, lingering close to him. She didn’t want to leave him. She didn’t want to leave this building. She wouldn’t say it, but she was quite content to stay where she was forever. After a long moment she pulled away slowly, looking up at him through the veil of her eyelashes.

“I suppose I ought to go… Will you show me something that you’ve created first, though? Please?”

She’d not let go of his hand, and still she didn’t. She was afraid that it would be painful to no longer be touching him. The expression on her face said it all. She was happy. Thrilled even. She adored him completely. And, despite herself, she was quickly falling in love.

[Alistair deGrey]

I should have made more sooner! How could I not have seen this coming?! Such carelessness.


Ha'na's heated breath rolled over deGrey's face like invisible perfume when she kissed him. It was superlatively superior to when he had carelessly done so earlier. The fact that she not only was open but was reciprocating the action made Alistair vaporize into a gout of steam.

Yes, yes of course!" deGrey answered her, still elated from the contact. If he had been thinking correctly, the answer should have been no, no you cannot. But the words would not come to him, for he could not deny Ha'na her wish. Frankly, none of his machines were interesting, unworthy of being displayed. He had plans, many plans, but fruition had yet to be attained for them. Time. he lacked time.

Alistair's mind racked itself to find a suitable device, and fell devastatingly short. Eventually his mind dragged itself to a particular item he had created last winter. "Right this way lovely." The two moved back the the shadowy room where deGrey's inventions rested, Alistair kneeling behind the counter to pick out a small girl from the display case.

She was made of burnished copper, balancing precariously on one foot. Her cylindrical base was of the same material, foot and stage merging in one sweeping, frozen motion. Her arms were artfully arced over her head, but looked a little too angular. A simple turnkey presented itself off the side of the mechanism. Alistair's free hand turned it, pushed it into the base, and released. The dancer began pirouetting in place, a miniature pantomime for the audience of two. The spinning did not last long, and lacked music. One of these days, it shall have music.

He was rather ashamed that he had shown her such a simple device. In comparison to what he would soon be making, this was unworthy of even cursory attention. A small blush crept up on Alistair, and he began looking for something worthier of Ha'na's attention. He failed. He was too busy, instead, internally squirming at Ha'na's impending dissatisfaction.

[Hana]

She stood in quiet anticipation as he brought the figure out. Her head tipped ever-so-slightly as he turned the key. As the dancer began to spin, Ha’na’s face gave away her child-like delight over the mechanical girl. Very softly she said, “She’s beautiful. Amazing.”

She did in fact love it, and there was nothing but admiration there. For a moment she seemed to think, tipping her head a little further. Clearly she was considering something.

Slowly she leaned forward on the counter, looking a little more closely in hopes of understanding how the creature was constructed. Idly she commented, “You could cover her body in a suit of clay, paint her, set her with jewels… Imagine a room filled with her and all of her friends dancing…”

Ha'na, it seemed, saw potential everywhere.

She paused, hoping she’d not spoken out of line. Reaching out she put her hand on his, whispering, “Make her go again, please.”

[Alistair deGrey]

I enjoy inspiration's ability to produce itself from places unseen. The subtle framework of an idea always emerges as suddenly, and sometimes subtly, as a predator from the dark forest. Frightening in its brilliance.

Alistair lit up. He didn't like metalworking in the first place, and creating organic figures was beyond difficult. Not to mention the very thought of working jointly with Ha'na was thrilling for deGrey.

deGrey's one hand was still clasped in Ha'na's, and now he took his other to clasp one of hers. "That is absolutely brilliant!" The words were not born of a desire to please Ha'na either, the idea actually was splendorous. Alistair pulled out on the turnkey and cranked it while he spoke, "I am not a superb metallurgist, human figures are, extremely difficult." His free fingers tapped the cylinder as the girl began to spin again. "That would be nothing short of exceptional, Ha'na."


It seemed as if thoughts of taking Ha'na home were distasteful to deGrey's memory, for they were soon replaced by considerations of what Ha'na and he could accomplish. He imagined the two working together, deGrey firing the forge and Ha'na firing the kiln. "Tell me Ha'na, where ever did you learn to be so brilliant?"

[Hana]

She smiled, pleased that she had pleased him. Her eyes remained on the spinning figure, that expression of wonder never fully leaving her face.

“Brilliant?”

It seemed strange to her that anyone would think her brilliant. She only had a very basic education, and most of it centered on taking care of a home. Perhaps she had a worldly education from her travels, but it wasn’t something she considered to anything of import. She’d just stored away little bits of information to keep herself safe. Nothing creative. Nothing brilliant…

She shook her head just a little, looking up at him again.

“You’re too kind. I just come up with silly little ideas. That’s all.”