Re: A Time To Heal - Makshim, Shiezin 119 4A

[Kara Winters]

"I swear," Holly huffed a bit as she got up, "It's like they live there sometimes."

At least she (and Shiro) got out on occasion. Even if it took some prodding to do so.

"Well I'm sure if this was a village, they would live above their forge," Hikaru commented unhelpfully but cheerfully.

[Nara-pyon]

"At least it's not like they're just doing their own thing," Shiro protested, laughing. "They do what they do to help others out."

He grinned at Holly. "Besides, you didn't know Andarien before Shoneah came into his life. He is ... what was the term Eron used? ... too exceptional. Highly intelligent in a very few areas - mechanics, especially, knowing how things work - and like an infant in others. His social skills were nil. In fact, when Shoneah first came, she was terrified of him. Didn't want to be around him. And he was equally scared of her. Don't ask me how it all changed, but ... trust me when I say that this is Andarien taking it easy."

[Kara Winters]

"Considering what the rest of his family is like," she gave Shiro a look, "Yes, I can see that would be him taking it easy."

Shiro and Miyuki both tended to always be busy with something. Miyuki and Andarien's mother and father seemed to not be like that, but she was once told by Lin that she was just as bad at one point. Which was why Lin didn't really have anything that she could call a hobby. She wrote a lot, for certain, but it was more to keep herself busy and useful.

[Nara-pyon]

Shiro grinned at her and flicked one ear.

"Besides," he added, "for Shoneah, before she started working in the forge with Andarien, she was terribly homesick. Never spoke with anyone, kept to herself, very depressed. At this point, though, I don't know if she spends so much time in there on account of the work or on account of Andarien."

They left the lab, and Shiro closed the door behind them. The forge was only a few doors down, so it didn't take them long to get there.

[Kara Winters]

"Probably a bit of both, my understanding from Sliverbirch is that her people are nomads, but you know traveling here is nothing like traveling back in Gaia. This place is a bit strange even by Gaian standards and home is a lot of weird," Holly commented.

Even though Holly grew up in a non-mage family, even she knew Gaia's tendency for the epic and unusual.

[Nara-pyon]

"Yes," Shiro chuckled. "That's true."

They didn't have to go to the forge to find Shoneah and Andarien, though: even as the three left the lab behind, the door at the end of the hall, the one that led back to the foyer, opened, and Shoneah entered the hallway, followed by Andarien. They seemed rather cheerful, and they didn't seem to notice Shiro, Holly or Hikaru, despite walking in their direction.

[Kara Winters]

"Looks like our timing is good," Hikaru commented softly as he nodded towards the couple.

Once the two got close enough, Holly called out.

"Done for the day?"

[Nara-pyon]

Andarien jumped ever so slightly when Holly called out to them, but Shoneah just smiled calmly.

"Just heading back to the forge to do some cleaning up, actually," she replied.

"If it's cool enough," Andarien added. "It's only been cooling about an hour, so probably not." With a grin, he added, "We just gave Daenis the bracelet she asked for."

"Bracelet?" Shiro asked curiously.

"Littinum," Shoneah nodded. "She hopes - well, it was Lancaeriel's suggestion originally, but the hope is that her magic won't get as out of hand on her anymore. Especially when it comes time for her to give birth."

Shiro winced. "Probably a good idea."

Suddenly he realized that Holly and Hikaru probably didn't know what they were talking about. Daenis hadn't lost control of her magic - or used it, for that matter, as far as he knew - since she and Mailon had been married. He turned to them and explained briefly. "Daenis can cause snowstorms - some pretty nasty ones. We've had a time or two where she was upset and inadvertently caused some pretty major problems."

[Kara Winters]

"Ah... though sorry to ask, what is Littinum? In all my travels I haven't heard of that metal," Hikaru inquired.

He knew it wasn't from Gaia, unless there were discoveries while he was gone.

[Nara-pyon]

"Littinum is a metal unique to this world," Shiro explained before Andarien could get started. "It also has a rather unique property of nullifying magic, or channeling it."

Andarien frowned. "Why didn't you let me tell them about it?"

Shoneah laughed and elbowed him lightly. "Because when you talk about metal, it's like Miyuki talking about magic. You don't tend to stop."

[Kara Winters]

"Nothing wrong with that," Hikaru laughed, "I mean... I get most of what Miyuki is saying so maybe that's why I don't mind."

It was weird talking about magic often after so long of not doing so, but it was a refreshing change for someone who never did a post education time on the subject.

[Nara-pyon]

"And he wouldn't understand most of what you might say," Shoneah grinned at Andarien.

Andarien just blushed and mumbled something under his breath.

"At any rate, were you looking for us?" Shoneah asked, turning her attention back to the others. They had stopped in front of the door of the forge, and she wasn't sure if she should head inside with Andarien or invite the others in with them or what. "Or ..."

[Kara Winters]

"Actually, I was!" Holly cut in.

She had to her chest her sketch book which she had taken with her from the lab.

"It's about your wedding plans."

[Nara-pyon]

"Oh!" Shoneah beamed and looked at Andarien. "Well, cleaning can wait, right?"

Andarien grinned. "Of course!" Then he blinked. "But there's not much room to talk in the forge, maybe we should go to the foyer or something."

"More comfortable there, too," Shiro grinned. Considering it was now their living room - the new playroom was yet to be added - it was probably the most comfortable place (though the least private, not that they were worried about that at the moment) in the whole tent.

[Kara Winters]

"Let's do that then," Holly agreed, "We can use a couch and pull some chairs closer."

As a lot of the seating was spread out due to the number of people there were in the tent. It was very rare that everyone in the tent would be in the same room, but when it happened it was best to make sure there was enough room.

"You look like you're going to vibrate," Hikaru couldn't help mention to Holly.

[Nara-pyon]

"Vibrate?" Shiro repeated, looking at his girlfriend as they brought some chairs together to make a cozy little circle.

Maybe that was Hikaru's way of saying that Holly was buzzing with excitement - because that was something he could see.

Andarien and Shoneah made themselves comfortable on the couch and waited for the others to settle in as well.

[Kara Winters]

Holly took a seat close to Andarien and Shoneah so she could show them what she had been thinking of. She wait for Shiro and Hikaru to take a seat before starting.

Hikaru took a seat where he wasn't so close as to invade on anyone's space, but he would get a good view of what was in Holly's sketch book if she decided to open it.

"Yes, vibrate, with excitement," Hikaru confirmed with a chuckle.

[Nara-pyon]

Shiro chuckled too, and took the last remaining seat - next to Holly, with his chair almost right up against hers so he could also see clearly.

"So what did you want to talk to us about?" Shoneah asked Holly curiously, crossing her legs and making herself comfortable. "I mean, you said wedding plans, but anything in particular?"

"Clothes," Andarien murmured to her furtively, grinning. He was quite pleased with himself for realizing at least that much. Holly was all about clothes, after all.

[Kara Winters]

"Of course!" Holly replied, "Among many cultures, wedding clothes are a thing, and could I really pass up the chance to make fancy clothes?"

That was a rhetorical question that made Hikaru chuckle.

[Nara-pyon]

"But we don't even know what we're doing yet," Andarien pointed out.

"Though we've had a number of suggestions," Shoneah added. "Some of which sound interesting, and some ..."

Andarien shuddered. "Nothing from the White Elf culture. No way. Never."

Shoneah smiled and squeezed his hand, then turned back to Holly. "So what did you have in mind?" she asked her.

[Kara Winters]

"In the old days," Holly explained as she opened her sketch book, "The wedding clothes would be whatever the tradition was for the culture you're in. In many weddings it is still like that, but there's a rise in making your wedding your own and theming it to what makes sense for you."

She opened up her sketch book to reveal steampunk attire. For Andarien she had thought of a three piece suit, the coat (with tails) and pants were black, with gold buttons. The vest though was leaf green with gold gears for decoration. She imagined there would be a place to clip on a pocket watch. For Shoneah, she had thought the same leaf green for the dress, which was strapless. The skirt stopped above the knee but continued down, as Holly felt Shoneah wouldn't want a full skirt. There was a brown (brass) coloured corset with gold gears for decoration on it. At least that's what her notes said.

"At least... something like this," Holly murmured.

[Nara-pyon]

Shiro, who recognized the style for what it was, was very impressed.

Andarien, who didn't know what the style was but knew what he liked, was even more so.

"Wow," he breathed, craning his neck to get a better look at it. "That's really neat ..."

Shoneah was stunned. She had noticed, since joining the group, that there were a lot more different styles of clothing than she had ever imagined, but she had never in her wildest dreams imagined anything like this before. She wasn't entirely sure what she was looking at, but she did know that she liked the look of it - especially when the two designs were next to each other.

"It really is beautiful," she murmured, smiling warmly. "But ... are you certain it wouldn't be too much? Too ..."

She struggled to find the word she was looking for and failed.

"You know what would be really dashing," Shiro suggested with a grin reminiscent of his mischievous brother. "A top hat for Andarien. With some gears on it as well. Maybe a brass band, to match Shoneah's corset. Or green, to match the vest."

[Kara Winters]

"If you have information on hat making I would completely go over it," Holly agreed, "I had made hats in Gaia, but as part of costumes, the process here would be a bit different, but do-able I'm sure."

She smiled at Shoneah in an attempt to assure her.

"It's wedding clothes, they're generally pretty over the top, but they can act like your formal clothes for the future. I'm sure you'll be in need of them."

[Nara-pyon]

"You could always ask around the city," Shiro pointed out with a grin. "They're pretty friendly here. Most of them, anyways."

He wondered if he might have information about hat-making on his tablet. Unlikely, it was so random, but anything was possible.

Shoneah nodded at Holly's reassurances, and though she did look doubtful, she smiled warmly.

"Of course we're going to need formal clothes," Andarien said as if it were the most obvious thing ever. "When we get back to the Southland then we'll be living in the palace until we go back to Gaia and we're really going to need them there."

Not that he remembered any formal occasions in a palace, but he had learned in his etiquette classes that when living in or visiting a palace, one always needed at least one set of formal wear.

[Kara Winters]

If Lin or Miyuki had been there they would have mentioned there would be at least one formal dinner, because it was the sort of thing that would happen after being away for many years.

"Of course, it's up to you," Holly told the couple, "Including how the clothes look."

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