prismatica | Video - Something borrowed

[The feed starts in the rather nondescript living room of one of the apartments new arrivals get directed to when they first make it here. Home decor hasn't yet been a priority since Moran has arrived, and even if it were, he would leave it entirely to his more savvy housemate.

Addressing a video feed is a bit weird, because he is just talking at a machine, but his face is nothing but pleasantly inquisitive. He knows how to hide discomfort.]

Greetings.

I am looking for someone who could possibly point me in the right direction. I wish to have a fan custom made.

It needs to look like this.

[He grabs a fan on the nearby table and opens it, and though trial and error for a few seconds, manages to angle it so the motif is visible.

The fan is dark green silk, with a delicate drawing of a lotus flower and clouds in white on it. After a few seconds, he turns it around to show that the reverse has exactly the same color, except the décoration there is Chinese characters, also written in white. A few more seconds and he closes it and puts it away.]

I need it to be exactly identical, except for the colors which need to be reversed. I would be very grateful if anyone knows of a maker who could accomplish this.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[That must mean that he (they? She's not entirely sure how to tell with humans and is simply going off his voice) must have arrived at the same time she did. Hopefully he hadn't seen the trouble she had caused.]

That would still be welcome. More information is always better.

Excellent. Well then, I would need to show you the original so you can work from it. When would be a good time to meet?

I shall be free in about an hour. Any time after that would be amenable to me. Where shall we meet?

I can usually be found at the Lunar Scientia library in their headquarters. I believe there is an establishment that serves drinks on the ground floor, if it pleases. We could meet there.

Very well then. I shall see you soon.

[Moran did not quite catch what the person at the other end of the line looked like. They seemed to be wearing some sort of mask. But he has shown his face, so probably, they will be able to recognize him.

Of course, he has long hair and he is wearing long, flowing robes, so that on top of his graceful features will make it hard to discern whether he is male or female at first glance to one unused to this.

For now, he has set up residence in one of the quiet booth of the Lunar Scientia cafe, reading from a book. The two fans, the one he showed earlier and the one he referred to as 'the original', are folded on the table close by.]

[As promised Hornet arrives at the appointed time--a little earlier, in fact, so as to make sure she finds the place without too much trouble. She has passed by the Lunar Scientia building when she spent her time getting to know the lay of Lunatia but it's her first time going inside and it's fascinating to see how it's structured.

Fascinating but a touch inconvenient--it wasn't built with diminutive bugs in mind.

Finding her client fortunately does not take long, and it's as she is approaching him that she realizes she foolishly never asked for a name. Oh well. No time like the present.]

Greetings. [His attire was rather distinct from what she saw most of the other Lunatians wearing--but that wasn't so unusual considering they, like her, were from another world.]

I apologize for never asking your name--I am Hornet. I hope I did not keep you waiting.

I should have introduced myself. Pardon my lack of manners. I am Beitang Moran.

[She - he thinks she is a she? - is a lot more diminutive than he expected, but he doesn't let his surprise show.]

Please have a seat, order anything you would like.

[Of course he'll pay for it, since he is the one asking for a favor.]

Edited 2019-11-11 21:06 (UTC)

Well met, Beitang Moran.

[She takes a seat across from him. She's never really been at any sort of eating establishment like this before. There had of course been some in Hallownest, but that was before it had fallen.

There is a menu before her but she's more curious about the fans at the moment.]

May I? [She nods at them.]

[He hesitates only a second before sliding them over to her.

The green one, that he showed to the camera earlier, is intact, its motifs easy to parse. On one side, the lotus flower and the clouds, and the poem on the other side.

The white one is in a pitiful state. Its motifs are identical to the other one, but several branches broken, and the designs themselves are obscured by some dark brown stains.

Blood.]

[The color of the blood is definitely different from what she's accustomed to, but Hornet can recognize it for what it is and her eyes linger on it for a moment. It would be a lie to say that she isn't curious, but she also recognizes that it's not her place to ask. She and Moran are strangers doing business; prying into what is without a doubt a deeply personal affair would be untoward.

So instead she simply examines them both, scrutinizing the cloth and designs appreciatively. The Weavers that she and her mother descended from weren't named that by mere happenstance, but Hallownest, or even Deepnest where they had migrated to hadn't really been all that keen on the skills they had to offer. Seeing something so lovingly crafted was wonderful to see.]

They are lovely pieces of work. Are fans such as these frequently found where you hail from?

They can be acquired relatively easily if you have enough money. They are quite expensive. And these two are the only of their kinds.

[They were, after all, custom-made for their owners.]

Will it be difficult to replicate?

Not at all. [It'll be something new but Hornet has absolute confidence in her skills. She's rather looking forward to it. The spider takes a moment to use her communicator to take several pictures of both fans from different sides before carefully handing them back.]

I'll get started on it right away and keep you updated to be sure it's to your liking.

[Moran carefully collects the fans, then... bows his head, rather lower than what he usually does.]

I cannot express how grateful I am. I will do my best to answer any questions you might have, although, as I told you my knowledge might not be that much deeper than yours, having recently arrived myself.

[She nods in understanding.]

What I know is that most everything here is powered by an energy called Chroma, correct? Those of us summoned here from worlds beyond are called moonblessed in part because we might undergo certain changes depending on the time of the month, and because we can produce Chroma by touch?

[That was about the extent. What the changes were or how this all worked was still beyond her.]

That is what I have been told as well. Apparently, the natives cannot produce Chroma, which is why they hold us in high regard and see us as 'blessings' sent by the moons.

I am not quite clear yet on what the transformations might be. I need to read a bit further, but they appear to be both physical and mental which is... worrying.

[He supposes he'll have to see. As it happens...]

A member of my household is currently a small sheep.

It alters the mind as well? [She was similarly perturbed by the concept. Having your body change sounded like it would be uncomfortable, but given that it was temporary she could put up with it. Having your mind change, however, was significantly worse....]

Do they still act the same? Seem like the same person?

So I have been told.

[As for the other question...]

Some of their innate traits seem to be rather... enhanced. He is normally quite stubborn, but even more so right now. Others... might be because of the Moon's effect itself. I suppose I will know more once I have experienced it myself.

[he is both looking forward to it - because Knowledge! - and not.]

Video - Something borrowed

video

video

video

video

video

video>action

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject