Inspiration, Contemplation and Something Unusual

by **Kirsi Winterflame** on October 4th, 2013, 3:33 am

"Oh!" Kirsi laughed a bit in relief as the Otani give her seal of approval - finally. For a moment, she'd feared that she had completely missed the mark; judging by the mischievous look in Uleru's eyes, that was the intent. "Well, you're welcome, of course. I'm glad you like it." All of a sudden, the tooth was flipping through the air at her; Kirsi reached out a hand unthinkingly, just missing the bit of ivory as it plopped into her lap. While she had thought a break might be in order, maybe even suggesting that she just simply take the tooth home and carve it there, the other woman appeared to have a different plan.

With a small sigh of good-humored defeat, Kirsi picked up the tooth and nodded at the Otani. Kirsi was Vantha, after all - of course she'd welcome a new story. And so she listened intently as the sea creature spins a colorful, if slightly scattered tale. Imagination took over, and Kirsi found herself trying, with limited success, to picture the scenes Uleru was describing: flashing silver schools of fish, delicately colored corals and reaching, swaying strands of seaweed. An eyebrow raised when Uleru depicted the beautiful jellyfish as cold and ruthless. And who knew that the massive whales, with their familiar black and white colors were, in reality, gentle giants? Under all of the fanciful words, however, was the Otani's obvious respect and love for her creator. Laviku. God of the Oceans, and all the creature within it. Protector?

Kirsi realized she'd let her thoughts run off with her again, and Uleru was staring at her, waiting for something. The story was done.

"Wonderful, Uleru! The ocean sounds... Well, it sounds a bit frightening, actually, different than what I'd thought. But beautiful. I think I know what this," she held the tooth up a bit, watching the dull gleam of ivory in the sun, "should be."

And it was true. Between Uleru's words and her own imagination, Kirsi knew exactly what she wanted to carve. the base of the tooth should be a hand, Laviku's hand, and each of the four sides would represent a level of the sea that she had just learned about. A side to represent the fish, silvery and swimming in perfect harmony through the ocean's currents. And a side for the jellyfish - though cruel, it was certainly a representation of beauty in the ocean. One more side for the coral; the intricate and whimsically unlikely shapes, interwoven with seaweed, flowing freely. The last side... This one Kirsi was a bit unsure about. She wanted to carve Uleru, the Otani. Laviku's child, who so worshiped the God that her every word was colored with her devotion.

Glancing at the other woman consideringly, Kirsi wondered if she should ask permission before putting the Otani's own likeness on the tooth. But, no - she had urged Kirsi to carve whatever she liked, whatever the sea was to her. And now, having met Uleru, she would always think of the Otani when she thought of the sea.

by **Uleru** on October 8th, 2013, 12:02 am

Uleru's eyes gleam with anticipation when Krisi tells her that she knows what she will carve in the tooth. But the Vantha is not forthright with telling her what it is, and Uleru doesn't push it. She gave her free reign after all.

As the Vantha digs around in her box for different tools Uleru gives herself the task of amusing herself as the carver works her craft. Thinking it unwise to disturb her for now.

At first she considers making more sculptures to replace the ones now melted into the sparkling puddle. But more flippant use of Reimancy is not wise, so she goes about her task in other ways. She studies the now unrecognizable antler in more detail, trying to discern what she can about Avanthal beyond what Kirsi told her. She starts to build a sandcastle with the dark sand closer to the waves, but gives up when it turns out to be as malleable as rice pudding. At one point she gives a sudden raspy gasp, but the sound comes from her side as opposed to her mouth. She raises her arm to see that the gills (located where her ribs would be) are gapping and getting rather dry. She apologizes for the noise and scoots back into the water, wetting herself thoroughly before returning.

It becomes clear as time wears on that patience is not one of the Otani's virtues. She is fidgety and restless, but manages to strangle her questions before they leave her lips. She is trying to respect Kirsi's need for quiet concentration, but it is getting harder all the time.

In a last effort she resigns herself to prayer. Mentally feeling for the link that attaches her to Laviku and keeping it in focus as she prays quietly:

"Father, your care and guidance keep me safe and well. I am blessed beyond measure and hope to share in your glory with another; Kirsi, a new companion and follower of Morwen.
May she understand that the sky reflects the ocean, and can be seen from any distance. Let her understand the gifts you give to the world and all of those who know you. And in turn let me understand her, her race and her truth, so that you may know her well."

The Otani frowns with her eyes still closed, considering bringing up the sad story of the Vantha's pressure to travel. Considering asking the god to take her into the fold of their community. But something tells her that is not what Kirsi would want, and she might not be thrilled to know that this very personal story is not a secret in Uleru's hands. In fact, as soon as she knew the story, so did her god. It is a biological fact that she cant keep secrets. She swallows unnecessarily and moves on.

"Bless her and bring her peace on her journey, wherever it takes her. Bring her full sails and a smooth current, and plenty of stories for the return trip. I remain your servant in all things, and your faithful daughter." she finishes, opening her eyes and blinking back the sun that reflects off of the sparkling sand and Kirsi's multi-hued eyes.

She smiles when she realizes that the Vantha is indeed looking at her. And once she caught her eye she cant help but ask: "How are you getting along, winter girl?" Task be damned, she is bored.

by **Kirsi Winterflame** on October 9th, 2013, 5:42 pm

Ivory was a joy to work with, and Kirsi relished the experience. She was not as familiar with it as with bone and wood, and the sheer novelty of the item demanded the utmost care. Still, as she began to strip away the designated sections, her knife skipped across the surface, leaving a series of small, jagged lines. The carver's brow furrowed. Thank Morwen - and Laviku? - that this is easily fixable, she thought, carefully going over the flawed section to smooth away the ridges.

The area in question was to be the fleshy side of Laviku's thumb; fashioned after Kirsi's knowledge of the human hand, a gentle swell and slight surface wrinkles would give the God's appendage an easily relatable and comfortingly familiar appearance, cradling the ocean creatures she would carve on the remaining sides. Somewhere in the farthest corners of her mind, she was comparing Laviku, per Uleru's descriptions, to Morwen. A protector of his creations, nurturing and kind. It crossed her mind to further question the Otani; surely there were other sides to the Sea God, but further knowledge at this point would only have her second-guessing her design. Kirsi knew she tended to overthink a thing, and so, deliberately, asked no more questions.

The Otani herself discouraged questions, choosing that moment to speak. Kirsi focused on the words only long enough to recognize the respectful discourse for the prayer it was, and resumed her efforts on the tooth, scratching in the beginning lines of fingers, knuckles, and nails. Despite her efforts not to eavesdrop, the mention of her own name on the other woman's lips caught her attention, and she found herself watching Uleru with a small smile, as Laviku was prevailed upon for peace and blessings.

And then the Otani is done, her eyes are open, and her curiosity rises again to the forefront. "How are you getting along, winter girl?"

Kirsi looked down at the tooth in her hand; chimes of chiseling and scraping at the surface have left the impression of a large hand at the bottom, and Kirsi was well-pleased with the work. The mishap at the start had been eroded completely, and she offered up the molar for Uleru's inspection. "It's coming along - ivory is lovely to work with, Uleru; and the more you handle it, the more it shines. See here," putting down the tools, Kirsi traced the line of fingers and thumb, "this is the hand of Laviku, supporting his domain. Fish and coral and sea plants - all that resides in the ocean, cradled in his hand."

Kirsi deliberately left out the part where the Otani herself would feature, but was too excited about her design not to share a bit. And if Uleru had any reservations about the general direction the piece was taking, it was not too late to rethink her plan. Her eyes studied the other woman's reaction intently; dark blue swirled with the green of uncertainty. 'Free reign' on a piece did not mean trompling over the wishes of the owner, and she hoped Uleru would see the beauty in the design.

by **Uleru** on October 23rd, 2013, 7:47 pm

"How... fitting", she sighs upon hearing the plans for the tooth. Of course, having Laviku cradling his world in his hands is very symbolic. Illustrating his roll as a caregiver and protector, and the strength needed for such a roll. The Otani might have a prevailing rose-tinted view of their god, but the races of the sea would be able to see this as well. Along with the image of that hand easily curling into a fist and destroying its charges.

Kirsi seems to genuinely enjoy working with the raw material as well. And the Otani smiles and nods as if she understands the differences between wood and ivory. Wouldn't clay be easier though, since it's so malleable? She ponders this but doesn't ask. The answer isn't really interesting anyway.

Settling back into waiting mode, Uleru rocks back on her hips. Gazing into the middle distance that is apparently located over Kirsi's left shoulder.

OOC :

by **Kirsi Winterflame** on November 4th, 2013, 12:00 am

Kirsi smiled, relieved, at Uleru's tacit approval of the design. Though there was time to change it, the carver had already grown quite attached to her vision, and was loathe to do so. So, as Uleru seemed not to want to talk, for the moment, Kirsi bent head her once more to the task of carving.

With charcoal from her toolkit, she blocked off more sections, marking bits of the ivory that she wished to remove. It was detailed work, moreso than usual blocking, because this carving would be a relief image. Kirsi planned to scrape away the outer layer of ivory, leaving a raised design in the surface of the tooth. This kind of work was forgiving, and even relative novices to carving could generally manage to create something appealing using the technique.

What that meant, as far as Kirsi was concerned, was that her ultimate design must be amazing. She'd hate to give Uleru a finished product that was less than beautiful; aside from the measure of payment, the Otani's request was highly subjective and relied almost entirely on Kirsi's own vision. In short, Uleru trusted her to create beauty, and she meant to do it.

Kirsi held the tooth up, eyes narrowed in a critical scrutiny of her design. She'd chosen to begin with the coral aspect, and had colored much of the surface on one side of the tooth. The basic shapes she left untouched - they resembled large ovals rising from the base of the tooth, above the side of Laviku's palm. The details of the coral, the angles and branches and motion of the piece... Those she would add in freehand, after the relief work was finished.

Picking her carving knife up once more, she glanced up at Uleru, who seemed to be staring intently at nothing. With a smile, she pressed her knife to the ivory. "Here goes!" Slowly slipping her knife along the edges of the charcoaled ivory, Kirsi hummed to herself. It was a childhood tune, one she could remember hearing her mother sing while the older woman had cooked or cleaned. Kirsi wouldn't accost the Otani's ears with the words, her voice was decidedly average and was as likely to sound bad as good. Idly she wondered if the Otani was musically inclined.

"Uleru, are there songs about Laviku? I know there are songs about the sea, but are there any specifically about the God of the Sea?" The only tunes Kirsi could recall were rollicking and bawdy sea tunes popular in taverns.

OoCNo worries. Maybe this direction will be more inspirational?

Closed Inspiration, Contemplation and Something Unusual