Re: Hunting Through Keliac - 119 4A

[Nara-pyon]

Rose was astounded, though she did understand why it was so expensive. She had seen spiders spin webs, and she couldn't imagine how many would need to spin and for how long in order to get enough thread to actually make material out of it, let alone enough material to be useful.

She moved to the window and pulled the scrap out of the display. She had learned a little about textiles since she had met Holly, though undoubtedly she hadn't nearly the same appreciation for it; nevertheless, she was in awe of the material that was now in her hands. It was incredibly soft and flowed almost like liquid - there was no other way to describe the sensation - between her fingers.

"I've heard it also possesses some incredible insulating properties," she murmured, passing the material to Holly. "Keeps people warm in cold weather, and cool in hot weather?"

Marenne nodded. "Of course, it depends heavily on the design of the article and how well it is made. But yes, that is the idea of it."

[Kara Winters]

Holly took the piece from Rose and carefully felt the material. She felt how it slid along her fingers, it be similar to silk in how smooth the material was, but it was (if possible to describe) softer than silk.

"Pity the weather here is so warm," Holly murmured, "This would make a fine cape... half cape... four yards. On a child or someone my height it would make for an adorable small cape, and on an adult, it would make for a elegant small cape good for evenings out.... if... you lived in a cooler climate."

It might even be a bit more, if it needed lining for a good cape now that she thought about it. And it did need to be lined.

"Is this difficult to dye? Is it dyed as a cloth or in the thread stage?"

[Nara-pyon]

"This particular type of spider silk is not easily dyed," the man spoke up, looking up from his work at last, "both due to its already vibrant colour and its texture. It takes years to do properly, and even then it doesn't keep the colour well. But it really is a shame to dye it."

"Regular spider silk is far more workable," Marenne agreed. "Texture-wise, it isn't much different, but because it's actually white instead of gold, the colour shows far better."

[Kara Winters]

"So... if you wanted to line an article of clothing with a different colour to make the gold colour pop, you'd probably be better of using regular spider silk to line the gold spider silk?" Holly inquired rhetorically.

Oh god, she realized she was doing it. She was like a cat after a mouse, she just couldn't get the idea out of her head. She better have some really good lace in her stock, otherwise she was going to be a sulking kitten, she just knew it.

It was the reason why she didn't really mind Shiro's habits within reason, she was no better sometimes.

[Nara-pyon]

"And with a proper dye job, the result can be absolutely stunning," the man beamed, clearly happy to have someone to discuss techniques with. "Of course, as with the golden spider silk, it takes years for it to become truly magnificent, but it is always worth it."

"I'm still working on my very first project," Marenne admitted with a wistful smile. "Nothing has taught me patience as this project has."

The man chuckled softly. "I'm just glad you have the patience, and that you aren't rushing it and ruining it in the process." He smiled at Holly and Rose. "I'm afraid that's what I did with my first project. That being said, it was a very long time ago and I have since learned to be extremely patient."

[Kara Winters]

Talks of projects made Holly's mind switch gears, because she was reminded of her Master Project. She had put it on hold because of the need for cold weather clothes, but once she was done. She was seriously going to have to consider it. Dying a material from scratch would be difficult, but dying in a method that paid homage to the style of clothing she wanted to make would make the project well worth it.

Also, the way spider silk just flowed would make it very worth it indeed.

"That reminds me," Holly replied, "I'm starting a project for my Masters soon. I was wondering, how much is regular spider silk? And... I noticed that here the colours are very bright and vibrant. Are there local plants that are used for dying? And if so, are there any plants for the colour purple?"

[Nara-pyon]

The shop keepers didn't understand the term Masters in the way that Holly meant it, but they presumed the term in an apprentice/master context, which, to be fair, wasn't far off: both were, after all, a project to prove her skill.

Marenne and the gentleman took the time to talk with Holly about the various details of spider silk and dying techniques, and the time passed quickly. Eventually, Rose noticed that it was beginning to grow dark outside - and despite the fact that it was Winter, that meant that it was well past the time when they should have been back.

She touched one hand lightly to Holly's elbow to get her attention. "Time to go back," she murmured, nodding at the window.

[Kara Winters]

Holly took a glance out the window and was startled. She hadn't realized how much time had passed.

"Oh no... we should have been back a long while ago," Holly murmured.

She hoped they weren't worrying anyone. Turning back to the shopkeepers she smiled and bowed slightly.

"Thank you so much for your input. I hope to be back to do some trading, if I can perhaps interest you in some lace on my next visit?"

From her understanding, she could gather the dye materials from the local area, but she was going to need material, undyed in order to do it from scratch.

[Nara-pyon]

"Perhaps," the gentleman smiled back at Holly. "We would first have to see the quality of the work, I'm afraid. But it was a pleasure to meet you, and I do look forward to seeing you again."

Rose waved to the shopkeepers and headed off with Holly in tow.

When they finally reached the tent, the others were all eating dinner in the dining room, with the exception of Makaela, Tehlmar and Takari.

"Well, look who made it," Cael chuckled as the two girls entered the room. With a wave of his hand, he dispelled their disguises.

Rose laughed softly as she slid into an empty chair. "Deep discussions at the tailor's," she grinned.

[Kara Winters]

Holly blushed at this, "It was an amazing discussion, and sorry for losing track of time."

At least, it seemed like they hadn't worried anyone too much, so that was good.

[Nara-pyon]

"Well, I hope you don't take it personally that we did check on you from time to time using a mirror," Lancaeriel smiled. "Just to be sure you were safe."

"A little weird, thinking about it," Rose admitted.

Wren just grinned. She knew what it was like - though to be fair, she had known that she was being watched.

"At least we know you care," Rose added with a grin. "At any rate, even I found the discussion interesting, even if I didn't understand all of it."

[Kara Winters]

"I'm glad you did," Holly admitted sheepishly, "I was just caught up in it. I didn't understand exactly the properties of spidersilk when Miyuki first mentioned it to me. And the local plants that can be used for dying is also very important. At least.. when you want to dye something from scratch or with the kind of colours used here."

Now she was just itching to start her project, but it made it more important than ever to plan things out and give a chance to experiment.

"And it's fine. I was worried that that you were worried since we were out so late."

[Nara-pyon]

"Don't worry," Kaito grinned. "If you'd been much longer, we'd have sent Shiro after you."

Shiro, blushing slightly, elbowed his twin none too gently.

Rose giggled. "Hopefully disguised," she grinned.

[Kara Winters]

Holly blushed at that, but had enough sense to quip back, "Well it's only fair if you had."

Since she had often gotten Shiro out of his work.

Lin chuckled at that, "At any rate, we're glad that you're back safe, and that you found something interesting here."

"Did you see anything else interesting?" Miyuki asked, "Or was it just the tailor's?"

[Nara-pyon]

"Well, we passed through the market on the way there," Rose commented thoughtfully. "It was ... rather more crowded than I've seen a market before."

"It's the animals," Shiro nodded. "They take up a lot of room."

Kaito blinked at his brother. "Did you go out there, then?"

Shiro nodded slowly. "Yeah ... I ... tested what I'd learned about shapeshifting. It worked."

[Kara Winters]

"Really?" Holly's eyes lit up.

That meant that Shiro and Kaito could come out with them! That would be wonderful.

"Does this mean you and Kaito will be taking trips then?"

[Nara-pyon]

"Probably," Shiro smiled at Holly. It gave him a good feeling to know she wanted him - them - to go with her into the town. Or maybe he was being presumptuous. Either way, she was excited for him, and that was a good feeling already.

"The only catch is," he added before she could get too excited, "I haven't tried it on anyone else yet, and according to the book, that's more difficult. That being said, since Kaito and I are twins, it might be easier than doing it on someone else."

[Kara Winters]

"I'm the only other people whose parts can't be hidden," Eron spoke up softly, "And I can wait if needed."

It was a bit sad that he couldn't go out, but it wasn't the end of the world. He had seen places where he could go out and about, and wouldn't mind waiting longer to find another town like that.

[Nara-pyon]

Shiro's face grew slightly warm as he realized that so far he had only been working on learning the shape-changing magic for himself and his brother, forgetting that there were others who would benefit from it as well.

"I'll keep working on it tonight," he promised Eron with a smile. "We'll get you out there as soon as we can."

"At least you won't be in here alone," Daenis reassured Eron warmly. She was getting rather pregnant by this time, and she had no intention of leaving the comfort of the tent for the (to her) absurd heat outside.

[Kara Winters]

Eron smiled at that, "Yes, that is true. I completely understand the need to stay indoors with the weather outside, and I'm not even originally from a really cold climate. It's just too hot...."

And sunny and wings like this were most likely to get burned, not pleasant to say the least.

[Nara-pyon]

When dinner was over, before everyone got up to start clearing everything away, Shiro hesitated, then touched Holly's arm lightly to get her attention.

"When you're finished your work, or whatever, for the night," he told her quietly, "will you come to my lab? It will only take a minute or two, I know you're probably tired after how long you were gone today ..."

He looked at her hopefully, the tip of his tail flicking back and forth slightly in anticipation.

[Kara Winters]

"Okay," Holly replied, she as curious as to why he made the request, "I don't have any additional work for the night, so after I finish helping with the clean up?"

There was still clothes making but that could wait for a bit longer.

[Nara-pyon]

"Sure," Shiro agreed. "I'll see you in a bit then."

Since with so many people helping, it wouldn't take long, he figured she would join him in ten minutes or so - depending, of course, on who helped with the dishes this time.

Since there were too many people for everyone to help, he headed straight to his lab.

[Kara Winters]

As Shiro predicted about ten minutes later, Holly arrived in the lab. The cleaning up was quick thanks to so many people helping out with it.

"Shiro?" Holly called softly into the lab as she entered.

[Nara-pyon]

Shiro was at his desk, still translating the tome, though he was also taking the time to read more carefully some of the passages in it. He was, aside from Holly, the only person in the lab at the moment, and he was grateful for that.

"Just here," he called back, equally softly, looking up from his work. He reached down and slid open one of the drawers in his desk. "I ... um ... well, I was out today, and I ... I remembered something you told me, not so long ago, so ... I got you something."

He reached into the drawer and pulled out a bag with a rune on it. He put the bag on his desk and hesitated briefly before reaching to open it.

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