Crossing the Bridge

[Hornet]

As she struggled to make further sense of her willingness to help, he started associating, looking for names, humming in agreement absentmindedly as she went on.

Helpful, supportive, benevolent, kind... there didn't really seem to be names there. Friendly, amiable, Amie, Amelie, nah, both felt like a stretch. It was surprising to be offered help, unexpected, fresh, Mint perhaps? Hmm, too sharp. Time to try a different route. Stopped on a busy bridge, rest, peace, Calm might work, but didn't really feel like a name. Perhaps something else in the same trend? Tranquil, serene, Serenity. There we go. That captured the moment while still sounding like a name. Moment of quiet on a busy bridge. Serenity.

He slipped out of his reverie just in time to hear her answer his main question, and what she said made him smile a little. She was talking to a being made entirely out of clay, but didn't think he could help her? "I don't know much about sculpting clay, I admit, but I do have some experience with the material, especially with the way it takes shape. Here, watch."

It was the change he used the most. Every single stair in the entire city was just a little too high, so he needed the extra reach frequently. To elongate his arms, he needed to bring in more clay, which he usually took from the sides of his shield. As long as you concentrated, the process wasn't that difficult. Just keep your mind on what you wanted to happen, and the clay would shift from where it was to where it needed to go. In this case, that meant adding clay to his arms, lengthening them, eventually giving him a whole inch of extra reach. It took about a chime for his arms to reach the desired length, and he didn't make any attempts to make it look polished. All he wanted to do was show the possibility, and then let go of his concentration. As his body reverted to it's natural shape, he again addressed her. "Perhaps you could learn by observing me change sometime?"

[Kirsi Winterflame]

Craning her head to the side, Kirsi managed to just catch a glimpse of the creature on her shoulder; the arms seemed to lengthen, though she couldn't be sure at first. Peering hard out of the corner of her eye, she was sure she caught the change happening in reverse. Amazing. Why had her grandfather never told her that pycons could do that?

"Does that hurt? Do you do it often?" It hadn't seemed like a very taxing or time consuming effort on the little turtle's part, and the transition was so smooth. Kirsi had so far been unable to mimic that same flowing style the few times she'd attempted her own sculptures. Though she supposed the Pycon had an advantage over her; he was able to implement the change from the inside, where she was forced to act upon the surface of the clay, alone.

Still, if the question was one of proportion, then the turtle's offer would be helpful, indeed. Even from the awkward angle, she had noticed that, as his arms had shrunk back to normal size, other areas had seemed to fill in. Clay transference? Kirsi nodded, just slightly, making the mental connection; of course for one part of the clay to become bigger, another would become smaller. Should become smaller. To keep the balance. With the pycon, there was no other option, she guessed; she could always plop more clay onto a sculpture, if she wanted, but maybe the lesson to be learned was that that was not always the solution?

"It's an interesting offer; thank you. If nothing else, this is at least a pleasant experience with clay; a nice change from what I've gotten used to," she chuckled quietly at the understatement. Irrational as it may be, inanimate clay had a peculiar way of irritating her in almost no time. Any knowledge that might help her find a measure of success with it was welcome.

[Hornet]

Only when Hornet noticed the difficulty she had looking at him did he realize that perhaps he wasn't currently in an ideal position to give a small demonstration. For him, looking at her was simply a matter of looking to the side. He had simply failed to take into account that a similar movement from her would bring their faces too close together for her to see comfortably. He apologized as soon as he completed the shift. "Sorry, didn't realize it would be difficult for you to see. Let me climb down again, that might make conversation easier."

As he started moving towards the ground again, he tried to formulate an answer to her question. How could you possibly describe the sensation of shifting to someone who couldn't actually experience it? "It doesn't really hurt," he began, "yet it doesn't feel entirely right, either." How could he frame it such that she would understand? Their perception of the world was, after all, significantly different. But then he remembered his recent experience with the clay in Lapis Park. Since she would eat as well, that could be a comparison she might understand. "The best way to describe the feeling, is probably eating some food that you don't really like. You know it won't hurt you, so you eat it when you have a reason to, but the eating in itself isn't an enjoyable experience. Shifting is kind of like that."

When he arrived on the ground, he took a few steps to get fully into her field of vision, then turned and responded to her acceptance of his offer. "I've said it before, I would love to return the favor. The twelfth is my next day off, would that work for you? Tonight would also be fine with me, though the fading light might become a problem. Either way, we would have to find a quieter place then right next to a major road. Where do you usually work? It would probably be useful to practice based on what you see." He knew he was prying a bit, but you make hay when the sun shines.

[Kirsi Winterflame]

Kirsi stood as still as she was able while her 'passenger' climbed back to the ground, glad that she would be able to talk to him with craning her head around awkwardly. Though the little turtle's explanation didn't exactly set Kirsi's mind at ease. The idea that, at first, had seemed appealing and possibly helpful now sounded more like something to be avoided. At least on the Pycon's part. Who would wiling spend bells shifting forms, if it were the equivalent to eating food you hated, just so a new acquaintance could try to learn about clay?

And what did it say about her that she was still sort of eager for the visual aid?

Rather than argue the need for any payback, Kirsi simply nodded at the small creature. After only a moment of thought, and a glance to the darkening sky, she answered, "The twelfth will be fine. I'm working at the Terra Cottage - the pottery shop. I don't know if you're familiar with it?" She raised an eyebrow questioningly; was it too much to assume that, because he was clay, he must know where Garob's shop was? Best err on the safe side. "It's near the Antiquities Society. Garob, the owner, has a workshop in the back; if you came later in the afternoon, he probably wouldn't mind my borrowing it. Especially if it results in a improvement in my sculpting abilities!"

Kirsi didn't try to stop the chuckle that escaped her lips at the words. The old Eypharian had been more than patient with her, but not actively training her to sculpt anything. He dropped tidbits of information every now and then, and mostly just let her fumble around in the workshop on her own. It wasn't like she was able to render the clay useless; as long as it didn't dry out, it could be salvaged, no matter how much of a mess she made of it.

OoCAck! The Terra Cottage wasn't on the linkmap. I picked a generic-ish location near merchants and housing that seemed to make sense. If it becomes an issue in grading, it can be editted out.

[Hornet]

It was a facial movement he could not recall ever seeing before. She moved the hair above a single eye upwards, making that eye appear larger and the other eye appear smaller in comparison. The movement was so explicit that it drew his attention immediately. But what emotion could she be trying to convey? A negative emotion was unlikely, as there was no reason for one in the context. It was more likely to be related to the question somehow. Perhaps trust that an answer would be forthcoming? Or anticipation of an answer? Either way, he wouldn't leave her hanging.

"I haven't been there before, but I'm familiar with the neighborhood." The Zhongjie Warrens were in that area of town, so he remembered the area vividly. Somewhere close by there was a set of stairs where Akalak would run without looking were they placed their feet. That was were he had learned that not everything should be experienced at least once. Thanks to the journey home that day, he now knew every single inch along the route.

"I'll find it. But who should I ask for when I arrive?" He didn't like having to ask for her name without having discussed naming with her. Most humans unfortunately didn't seem to understand that a name could be the foundation of a relationship rather then a mere identifier. But thus far, she had ignored the topic. Perhaps she actually was wiser then most humans, and would understand the concept without an extensive discussion. "I would like to call you Serenity, because you were the only calm on that busy bridge, but I doubt your employer would understand if I used that name. And how would you like to call me?"

[Kirsi Winterflame]

Laughter bubbled up before she could stop it; Kirsi could only imagine Garob's confusion if this little Pycon showed up at the Terra Cottage asking for 'serenity'. Poor little thing would probably get shooed out with mutters and odd looks. She puzzled over the nickname for the briefest moment; it wasn't offensive, though she wasn't used to being given a nickname before she'd properly introduced herself.

"You're right - Garob would probably think you were confused, at best. And I doubt he'd term me particularly serene. My name is Kirsi," the words came without the typical proffered hand. Size and dimension made the gesture seem ridiculous, in any case. But the smile that accompanied the introduction was genuine, if a little confused. How would she like to call him? Oh! He must be expecting a nickname, as well. Was that a Pycon thing?

Tilting her head, Kirsi studied the little man thoughtfully. Turtle? No, that wasn't a name. Though it did fit. He looked like a turtle, and was slow. Clay - that was what he was, not who. So, what did one call a small clay turtle with a blindfold and lettering on his shell? The design itself made little sense, as thought it were plucked from the imagination of an eccentric artist... And then she knew what his nickname should be.

"I think I'd like to call you Art. If you don't mind, that is," she added hastily. It was a perfectly fitting name, for the small sculpture was definitely artistic in design. Kirsi hoped she'd chosen well - this nickname process felt a bit like a test.

[Hornet]

Had he made a joke? The way she laughed at his remark of going to the Terra Cottage and asking for Serenity would make you think so, but Hornet didn't remember saying anything particularly funny. Unless the name he had chosen to give her was laughable? If the store owner didn't think her serene... He sure hoped the name wasn't as inaccurate as his own. Of course, it merely reflected his own perception of her, but still.

"Oh, no, I don't mind at all. I love the name." Art, short for Arthur. A common male name. Perhaps the Valalah Library contained some information on it's origin and meaning. But there was also that other connotation. Artistic, beauty. "It's the name you thought of when you saw me, so when you use it, it describes me better then the name I've chosen for myself."

"That isn't particularly difficult, mind you. I'm called Hornet, after an event I hope Harameus showed me, but I still haven't figured out if it was the right choice." As he introduced himself, he crossed his right forearm horizontally in front of his chest, then bended his other three arms, lowering into a formal bow.

"I hope you don't mind that I've given you a nickname either?" She didn't seem to mind it at first glance, but he wanted to be sure just in case. Especially if she didn't think the name suited her, she might simply be too polite to show if she was offended. Perhaps some more explanation was in order? "It's just that I feel a name can show a relationship between two people, where most seem to blindly accept the choice of the parents as the only correct one."

[Kirsi Winterflame]

Harameus? The name - title? - had been mentioned matter-of-factly, as though it were commonplace. A family member, prehaps? In any case, it was not a name Kirsi was familiar with and the turtle did not pause to elaborate. The Pycon's explanation - Art's explanation, she corrected herself - made a certain sort of sense, and Kirsi found the straightforward convention charmingly unique.

But how did a stranger know enough about you to form an accurate judgement of who you were? Though she considered her own personality to be fairly straightforward, many people simply weren't as easy to figure out. It certainly placed a lot of trust into what other people presented themselves as, to give them a name based on the character they showed to you on first meeting. And if your opinion of the person changed, would you then change their name? Would it matter?

Realizing she'd allowed herself to get far too distracted by unnecessary details, Kirsi put her questioning aside for the time being and shook her head. There would be another opportunity to ask them, in any case, and she'd probably have thought of several others by then as well.

"No, I think Serenity is a lovely nickname. I'm flattered that you think of me in such a charitable light. If Garob had to pick a name for me," she continued teasingly, "it might be more like 'Bungler' or 'Mistake' - either could describe my efforts with clay thus far. I much prefer 'Serenity'," Kirsi assured him with a smile.

A glance around showed the crowd on the bridge to be much-thinned down. Doubtless most people had made their way home and to dinner by now. As if on cue, Kirsi's stomach gave a quiet rumble of its own. Clasping her hand over the offending area, she couldn't help but chuckle. "On that note," she acknowledged, "I think I'll say goodnight and let you continue on your way. It was a pleasure meeting you, Art. I look forward to seeing you again."

OoCGah. Weak ending. Feel free to submit for grading at your convenience.

[Taylani]

Edited

[Translucent]

Congratulations On Your Hard Work!

Hornet:
XP:+2 observation, +1 climbing +5 socialization, +1 rhetoric
Lores: The need to insure others are aware of your presence., Kirsi Winterflame: Eyes of changing color. Re-naming Kirsi Winterflame Serenity

Kirsi Winterflame:
XP:+3 observation +5 socialization
Lores: Offering to help


Notes:Ty for changing the font, much easier on the eyes. Please remember to delete/edit your grade request.

As always PM me if you have issues.