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

by **Alistair deGrey** on April 11th, 2010, 6:05 am

Continued from...

This is my abode. This is my demesnes. Keep a mind as the Sea of Grass, and never forget that you have ears to listen. Here you will learn, be it of tragedy or of wonders.

Yet these grounds serve as a temple to loneliness, a small church etched into the corner of society, built for machines. Perhaps you might breathe life into iron and wood.

Anticipation felt like pins and needles running along Alistair's back as he unlocked the heavy iron door. The portal was warped from moisture, and the winter's cold air had done nothing but compound the problem. deGrey had a horrible habit of leaving the courtyard door ajar. He pushed heavily on the door, stumbling through when it burst open into a world of ticking. Inside the display room were several clocks and a few other mechanisms such as gyroscopes, automata, pumpscrews, or more unique inventions. Only two of the clocks were wound, a pair deGrey kept perpetually running for accurate time keeping. Their metronome was the only noise in the spacious shop.
Most of the the display room was painted in shadows, the only light flooding in from a pair of windows by the door to the workshop.

"Come Ha'na, it is not so dark in the workshop." deGrey walked stone floor, his footsteps mixing with the "ticks" and "tocks" of the clocks. Around the marble counter he moved, beginning to fall into habit and slip off his short boots and leave them behind at the portal. However, a small streak of nervousness ran through him and he kept his shoes on. He was allowing Ha'na in, but not all at once.

The workshop was neatly organized for the most part. It was brighter than the display room, being lit by a pair of fixed windows, and the open portal that led to the courtyard. There were small cupboards of tools deGrey did not use, but in general any tools that were frequently used fell into line like well trained soldiers. The previous owner had done all the engineering work for the Syliran Knights, and had nearly every tool Alistair had ever needed. Surely I can accommodate her with these resources. deGrey had received a stroke of luck when he received this shop. "This is it." Alistair turned back to stare intently at Ha'na's eyes, deciphering their mystery. What did she think? Was it disappointing? He pointed to another door across the room, slightly ajar. "That would be my living quarters." Then deGrey pointed to the open door that led to an outdoor courtyard, "And there is the forge."

by **Hana** on April 11th, 2010, 7:02 am

Ha’na, having only let go of Alistair’s arm so that he could open the door, followed behind him. The first thing she did was take in the room as a whole from floor to ceiling in one slow, sweeping movement of her eyes. Then she tried her very best to absorb the little details, but with so much in the room she knew she’d have to spend more time there in hopes of memorizing it all.

She lingered for a little moment, listening to the noise filling her ears. Her head canted to the side, taking in the timing of it all. She softly mused more to herself than him, “The heartbeat of the building…”

The look of wonder on her face only grew as she was led into the workshop. In better light, she could take in her surroundings. This place was much more important than the showroom. This room would tell her more about the person that lived and worked within the walls. She wondered what sort of secrets were held there. What triumphs and sorrows had she not witnessed?

She looked towards the door that was noted as his living quarters. Then his forge. She wanted to see it all, but did have opinions on what would be proper and what would not.

She stepped away from him in order to approach his tools. She looked at each one carefully, noting what it looked like, where it was, how worn it appeared to be. Her hands were clasped behind her back so she would not touch anything without permission. For a long time she was quiet.

Standing back up from the half-bent position, she turned her head to him. The look on her face was outright joyful. Thrilled even. Her eyes were wide with delight. The smile on her face so large it threatened to swallow it whole.

“This is wonderful, Alistair… Absolutely amazing.”

by **Alistair deGrey** on April 11th, 2010, 7:36 am

I have never sought the approval of anything but physics. Quite frankly, that is all I required a nod from because physics rules me. But now I find myself thirsting for more than just the tonic of science.

Worlds away, something, somewhere, must have felt the disturbance. Vents of pride and happiness released their noxious gas into deGrey. He had not anticipated this at all, in fact, he thought most of his equipment was rather dull. However, Ha'na's approval and happiness brought about a strong reaction.

He wanted to hug her, but didn't. Instead he smiled and moved past her, brushing by to reach to to an overhead cabinet. Alistair reached up and opened the old hardwood with a resounding creak, revealing a small cache of tools and supplies. A trowel, gloves, a vial, spare apron, ahh there we are. from the cabinet deGrey pulled some worn flint and steel. "One moment, if you will. I must light the forge" The inventor smiled again as he moved past her and walked out to the forge. "Feel free to do as you wish Ha'na, I will be a minute." With that deGrey walked unwillingly to the courtyard.

Most of the courtyard was grassy, except for the large swath of loose dirt by the forge itself. Layer upon layer of footprints littered the ground, a history of movement. Beside the cold forge sat a well used crucible, and small piles of wood and coal covered with a tarp. The belly of the dim furnace was covered in black soot and white ash, devoid of suitable fuel. Small thumps could be heard as deGrey set wood into the furnace. A few lumps of black coal were tossed in as well, but not many. Alistair wiped the soot on his pant legs, not wishing to return with blackened hands.

For the next several minutes deGrey prepared the forge, rearranging wood to his liking, adding and subsequently arranging tinder, and striking the old flint and steel. Despite its opposition to throwing decent sparks, a phenomenon Alistair usually found irritating, the inventor continued grinning at Ha'na's compliment the entire time his was lighting the forge.

by **Hana** on April 11th, 2010, 4:36 pm

And then she was alone. Left alone to do as she pleased… But what did she please? The excitement of the situation was electric, the small static feeling before touching metal and experiencing a shock.

It had been a decade since she’d experienced anything like this. That thought terrified her to her very core. She felt herself shaking slightly as she moved to run her hand over a hammer. She closed her eyes, thanking Yahal for this gift, for her god was truly good to her. Of that she never doubted despite her pain.

She wasn’t thinking of what an impact a kiln would have in her life. How it would bring her work to greater heights and cause her to have more control over what she made. She’d be able to fire more at once. She’d be able to make her work more durable. But her mind wasn’t on any of this…

Her mind was on the man outside lighting his forge. He’d been so hesitant upon meeting, but it seemed that the longer she was around him the more he bloomed. Now he wished to make her something. Now he smiled. Now she was in his workshop, alone, as if he trusted her in what she imagined to be one of his most sacred of spaces.

She told herself not to be silly. She was seeing too much in the situation. She reminded herself that getting carried away could be very dangerous. But still there was hope… She wasn’t sure what it was she hoped for, but there it was all the same – Some phantom standing in the corner of her mind.

She stood there looking at his tools still. The floor in front of them to see if there was wear there. She turned to look at the way the light came in through the windows. She took a deep breath, finding that she wanted him to come back. She didn’t feel out of place or awkward, but she found herself… Well, she found herself missing him? Was that the emotion?

Dear God, what had she gotten herself into?

by **Alistair deGrey** on April 11th, 2010, 5:38 pm

I have never believed that the separation of work and pleasure is necessary or enjoyable. Never have I been so convinced.

A small flame caught on the tinder, crawling across the wood to heat the forge. Now all Alistair needed to do was allow it to reach proper temperature. A few more pieces of tinder and a brick of coal found themselves being added as fuel for the budding inferno.

Alistair walked back into the workshop, seeing Ha'na perusing the tools that lay on his workshop table. He wanted to go back to her, not force her into solitude for another fraction of a second. She looked so lonely, as he usually was in this clockwork world. It should not be something Ha'na should be subjected to. deGrey hesitated for a second, but waited. Just another moment lovely. The inventor stepped into his living quarters, pushed open the door to a realm of glassware. He looked around, the desk, the fireplace, the bed, all in the exact position they had been when he first arrived. From the oak desk Alistair pulled several sheets of paper and writing charcoal. The first step was to design it, this is where he would need all of her help.

A return to peace, Alistair moved back to the workshop, back to Ha'na. "Hello again lovely." He set the drawing materials on the high workshop table, and turned to pull a tall chair over for Ha'na. deGrey silently indicated that she should sit, and then spoke again. "Alright, shall we commence then?" Alistair's hands neatly recorded a heading that indicated the date, time, and invention. In most circumstances Alistair fairly scrawled when writing for himself, but this was far more important to him than a personal document. So he was precise and methodical in his writing.

He turned to look at Ha'na's gravitational eyes, two suns of blue fire. "First we must design your kiln. I will need you to guide me." deGrey's hand was poised above the paper, awaiting instruction from Ha'na. "Perhaps cylindrical? Or maybe it should be a cube." Alistair screwed up his face and turned to Ha'na, truly unsure of what a Kiln should look like. Of course deGrey had his own idea, but this was for Ha'na. "To allow heat control, I was considering closable vents on the si-" Alistair cut himself off, not wanting to unload all of his ideas on Ha'na all at once. So for the moment, or two, he just leaned against the table and became lost in the thought of her voice, the draw of her eyes, the smooth contours of her face.

by **Hana** on April 11th, 2010, 6:52 pm

She was so deep in thought that she’d not noticed that he’d returned. She wasn’t sure she was exactly enjoying where her thoughts were going. She’d realized that perhaps infatuation was starting to present itself, but she knew so little about him truly… And so on and so forth, she internally argued with herself for what seemed like ages.

She wondered if she’d jumped when she heard his voice again. She knew that her insides had.

The paper was put down. She looked up at him, Yahal help her, rather adoringly as she moved to sit down on the chair that was offered to her. Only then did she turn her attention to the task at hand.

“When I was young, the kiln was shaped like an arch. Like this…” She moved to put her hand over his, carefully guiding it to form the shape. With a chimney, like this…”

She urged his hand to draw it. There was a bit of hesitation. She didn’t want to break contact with him, but yet she did. Reluctantly.

“It was made from stone. And there was a spot where you could put on thick gloves and pull a stone from the wall to look inside… The one we owned had a metal door, but many of them simply had bricks. Does that help?”

She hoped it did.

by **Alistair deGrey** on April 11th, 2010, 7:28 pm

Stone.... Damn.

Alistair's eyes grew wide. Oh dear, I have never worked with stone before. The thought of an iron door comforted Alistair slightly, at least something fell within his bailiwick. But still he felt surprise at this revelation of the kiln's material, and more than a little worry. deGrey internally balked at the very concept of disappointing Ha'na. This must not fail. His resolve formed into the iron he worked with.

"Yes, yes of course." Alistair's voice was calm, as if trying to comfort Ha'na as well as himself. deGrey's mind tried to recall the information from years gone by, but his memory coughed out naught but a few shreds. It seemed he should have kept his university notes.

Ha'na placed smaller hand over Alistair's, and the reoccurring warmth of her touch was welcome as ever. A small shiver ran down the inventor's back as he remembered that this was all happening within his workshop. It was novel.

The mention of arches recalled a few more snapshots of information, the word "keystone" in particular. Alistair's hands, familiar with charcoal and paper, began to sketch a quick two dimensional arch brick by brick, including a keystone near the top. First an arc using a circle compass, then another inside of that. Then he simply created dashes between the two arcs to indicate bricks. Near the top deGrey wiped away the normal stone and instead placed a keystone. This was the arch Alistair was aware of, hopefully it was correct.

From behind the arch deGrey began sketching a tall chimney in the back with straight edges. Just a simple outline for now.

To the side of his frontal sketch, Alistair's hands created a top down view of the kiln. The square chimney, the rectangular length of brick. It was not detailed, not in the slightest. It did however, illustrate that the planned kiln had length to it. "Is this what you meant?"

Alistair tried to hang onto his lucidity as he awaited Ha'na's answer. He needed to be thinking clearly for Ha'na. As much as he wanted to just release himself and bathe in her solar aura, he could not. Something came to him, "Oh, there is a small complication, I do not have any stone. I can procure some in one or two days though." Alistair hoped dearly that this would not upset Ha'na, and hoped even more so that she would stay with him for the short wait. But deGrey had not the audacity to propose it.

by **Hana** on April 11th, 2010, 8:10 pm

“Yes!” She out-and-out beamed at the fact that he knew exactly what she meant by the shape. For some strange reason that thrilled her so much that she got fully caught up in the moment. She threw her arms about him to give him a hug. Right after she did it, she realized what she’d done. She pulled away, looking down as she blinked. “I… Sorry…”

Clearing her throat, she attempted to direct her attention back to the work at hand. She didn’t want to upset him by getting distracted from it.

“But… Yes. Oh.”

She looked up at him meekly and nodded. The fact that she’d have to wait didn’t seem to trouble her at all. Actually she didn’t realize that the original plan had been to fully build the kiln in just one day. Perhaps work on it a little, but not finish it.

“That’s not a problem at all, Alistair.”

In fact, it would give her reason to be near him again. She actually liked that plan.

by **Alistair deGrey** on April 11th, 2010, 9:53 pm

I think I may have fallen asleep and began to dream at some point. Was I just hugged?

Though her description had been spot on, and all deGrey had did was transfer the shapes to paper, Ha'na seemed to be exceptionally pleased. This pleased Alistair, beyond comprehension. The room brightened noticeably when Ha'na beamed at Alistair.

If the workshop filled with sunlight from Ha'na's smile, when she hugged him his world was set alight. If he had been able to speak right then, it would be been a string of incoherency. deGrey was in system shock, his brain struggling for the correct code, for some clue as to what to do. The feel of her body against the scars etched into his chest was strange, but not unwelcome in the least. While his mind gasped for air, Alistair's body began to take over and he started to reciprocate the embrace. However, before deGrey could wrap himself around Ha'na, she relinquished him to the cold air of the workshop and left his arms grasping for warmth that was not there.

"Err... I... Don-don't be sorry. It was not... Err, unwelcome." Alistair smiled awkwardly, trying to restore a modicum of reality. But why? deGrey didn't want reality if it did not involve the woman before him. He'd much rather walk among dreams. "No... Not at all un-unwelcome."

He slipped the sheet he had drawn on underneath a clean piece, and began to hastily write. Mechanical Marvels... Requested date: As soon as Possible, 510 AV... Masonry: 120 cubic feet... Price: 240 gold Mizas. deGrey now realized he was using almost his entire season's raise to build this shining star a kiln. It did not matter, the plan was to cut what he used in half, then he would have by far enough.

"One moment please, I need to deliver this order." With that, Alistair threw his arms back around Ha'na. "I will be right back, Ha'na." He retracted, blushing despite his pleasure, and quickly left the store. Bitter pain lanced him with every step he took away from her.

OOC :

by **Hana** on April 12th, 2010, 3:15 am

The smile he got in reaction to it all with a demure little thing. She watched him from the corner of her kohl-rimmed eyes. Fortunately for all she’d not seen the price he’d written down on the paper. It would have slapped her back into practicality. She would have been forced to throw herself down at his feet and refuse to let him go until he’d decided against his plan. But yes, fortunately she was ignorant of it.

“Yes, of course,” she said softly as he embraced her. It wasn’t his words that put her at ease about her moment of lost self-control so much as the fact that he’d hugged her on his own. “I’ll be right here.”

He left and then she was alone again. She blinked to herself, looking upwards. A deep breath was taken in and a sigh let out. She would be sitting there still when he came back, though the urge to go explore was quite strong. The thought of angering him or upsetting him kept her in her place; she had practice in this sort of task that she cared not to remember.

Her head tipped to the side as she looked down at the drawing of the kiln. A small smile curled onto the corner of her lip. He was quite sweet.

Taking the charcoal in hand she wrote a little message neatly in the corner to be found later. The words were in Shiber. Simply translated it read I hope.