Court of the Fallen
(SE) The Artistic Expression of Bitterness - Printable Version

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(SE) The Artistic Expression of Bitterness - Iris - 11-23-2020

Iris made her way through the ancient streets of the Sanctuary with determined stride. The days had begun to shorten and dusk was already on the horizon, thickening the shade. Every turn she took, her shadows followed, dancing in the corner of her eye.

Her father, Erasmus, staring straight at her from the side alleys. Radiating wrath with a murderous intensity, jaw tight with disdain.

The traitor he killed, eyes still as wood, but wet and glistening. Mouth gaping as if uttering a final cry. A warning.

And then, every once in a while, Elias.

Finally, she was in front of the Artist's Sanctuary. She left her ghosts out on the street when she closed the door behind her. This was the place. Having scanned the room, bright and full of colorful baubles and their more or less skilled makers, she proceeded to mile about, gathering bits and pieces of advice and materials.

Iris was not a talented craftsman, but she was a stubborn perfectionist, so she decided that her present for the trickster god would be made to a certain standard. For this, she needed help.


RE: (SE) The Artistic Expression of Bitterness - Amun - 11-25-2020

It wasn't unusual for people to venture into the Artist's Sanctuary. So Amun only spared the woman a glance before returning to his work. There was a lump of metal in front of him, one he had laid both hands on. Under his touch, it was rippling and moving, forming into a metal shelf that would be more organized than the regular randomized chaos of supplies. Of course, it was decorative as well, flowers and fantastic creatures hidden all over the wavering design.

Zhanshi had been banned from the Sanctuary after one too many tunnels. Therefore the potter was uninterrupted as he hummed a tune and shaped the metal. Finally, he stepped back and admired his handiwork. Nodding, he turned, surprised to see the stranger still there looking lost. [say]"Can I help you?"[/say]


RE: (SE) The Artistic Expression of Bitterness - Iris - 11-26-2020

It started appearing to Iris that bringing her vision to life was going to be a bit more challenging than she'd thought. After a brief though informative demonstration from a woodcarver, she struggled getting her hands to make similarly gracious movements.

Promptly reconciling herself with the fact that her creation was going to come out more crude than she'd intended, she moved on to the next problem. Her eyes searched the artisans' tables, wondering what sort of tool she could use in place of her dagger to hollow out the pieces of wood she'd just gotten.

That was when she saw a lump of metal effortlessly transform under a man's touch. When he noticed her overt stare, she responded with a wide smile. [say]"Definitely."[/say] She strode over to his table, curiously observing the rest of his workstation. [say]"That's a useful skill you have. What else can you do?"[/say] She inquired, fingers reaching to gently line the intricate carving on the freshly formed shelf.


RE: (SE) The Artistic Expression of Bitterness - Amun - 11-28-2020

Chuckling at the woman's question, Amun waggled his eyebrows. [say]"I have all sorts of useful skills."[/say] Winking for good measure, he grinned.

Eying the wood in her hands, he eventually meandered over to a pile of tools. Plucking a whittling knife and a carving knife, he held both of them out to her. [say]"Here. These might help. What're you working on?"[/say]

Moving around the Sanctuary, he gathered up cloth and a needle and thread. Sitting on a table nearby her, he began to sew the fabric together, fingers moving deftly. Glancing up from his work, he studied the room, looking for some suitable material to use as stuffing.


RE: (SE) The Artistic Expression of Bitterness - Iris - 11-29-2020

Iris smirked at his coy answer, watching him deduce the cause of her problem and promptly provide a solution. Now all that was left was for her to master the unfamiliar tools and create something akin to her original vision. [say]"It's going to be a doll for Ludo."[/say] She inspected the tools, glanced back at the woodcarver recalling her brief lesson, and confidently tried them out.

Her original idea would have to be modified.

As she hacked away at a wooden block, Iris wondered if the artist had also been subject to the herald's whim. More and more people walked the streets wide-eyed, carrying the weight of sleeplessness. He didn't appear haunted, though perhaps a little pale. After he'd left his workstation, Iris spotted a piece of chalk among his tools. A glance around the Sanctuary showed he was busy, so she helped herself to it, drawing outlines on the uniform wooden blocks she'd acquired.

[say]"I hope you don't mind."[/say] She showed him the borrowed item when he returned, placing it back on the table. [say]"I'm trying to map out my approach. This isn't exactly my forte."[/say] She gave a quick, bashful smile.


RE: (SE) The Artistic Expression of Bitterness - Amun - 11-30-2020

Nodding at the woman's answer, Amun grinned. [say]"There seems to be a lot of that going around these days."[/say] He himself was going off to make a doll of his own. Once he'd collected the cloths, he decided to use canvas as stuffing. It was probably too expensive, but at least it was plentiful here.

That done, he began to sew it as best he could. When she spoke up, he glanced over at the chalk and her now marked up wood. Chuckling, he shook his head. [say]"I don't mind at all. That's what it's there for."[/say] Heading for the table, he hitched himself partially up on it, leaving one leg dangling and the other on the floor. [say]"Is this your first time in the Artist's Sanctuary?"[/say]


RE: (SE) The Artistic Expression of Bitterness - Iris - 12-04-2020

Confirming Iris' suspicions, the materials the man molded began taking the shape of a doll. Not one to openly pry, she focused on her own work, occasionally glancing over at his skillful hands.

She raised her head from the table, smiling at the question. [say]"Is it that obvious?"[/say] She asked in turn, applying leverage to break two pieces of wood apart. Her creation remained persistently ambiguous. She set the pieces down and extended a hand. [say]"I'm Siri."[/say] The alias easily slipped of her tongue, a result of much practice.

[say]"What do you do here, oh man of many skills?"[/say] Picking up the whittling knife, Iris went back to work, carving out the smaller pieces first, limb by limb.


RE: (SE) The Artistic Expression of Bitterness - Amun - 12-06-2020

Still perched on the edge of the table, Amun kept his gaze downwards. His fingers continued sewing, the bundle of cloth and rags and thread coming together under his watchful eyes. Chuckling, he grinned. [say]"No, I'm just really good at guessing."[/say] He tapped his nose and waggled his eyebrows.

Juggling his bundle, he extended his hand. Taking hers in a firm grip, he smiled. [say]"I'm Amun. And I am a potter, mostly. Among other things."[/say] Releasing her, he returned to work, though he shifted so he could see her out of the corner of his eye. [say]"What inspired you to come check out the Artist's Sanctuary? Are you an aspiring artist yourself?"[/say]


RE: (SE) The Artistic Expression of Bitterness - Iris - 12-09-2020

[say]"Among other things? Mysterious. What do potters do when they aren't making vases and ashtrays?"[/say] Iris joked, raising an inquisitive eyebrow at the man before pricking her finger on a splinter and returning her attention to her work. Some of the doll's body parts were beginning to take shape, but before she continued, she had to make sure she could fit them together later on. The prospect of starting over was daunting. [say]"Be right back."[/say]

She went back to the woodcarver, and retrieved from her a hole saw, clumsily testing it out on one of the pieces she'd managed to whittle into the vague semblance of a thigh. She chuckled at the assumption in Amun's question. [say]"No. But I figured it would be the best place to learn how to craft a message for the herald."[/say]

The truth was Iris had no patience for art. She imagined it might be something to get into in her old age, when her body loses most of its previous uses. It took some adjusting, but she managed to drill a hole down through the tiny thigh. [say]"Do you host plays here?"[/say] She asked with renewed interest.


RE: (SE) The Artistic Expression of Bitterness - Amun - 12-10-2020

Amun shrugged at Siri's question. [say]"Run the Artisan's Guild and advise the queen,"[/say] he drawled. Both of those were fairly public positions so he wasn't giving anything away. [say]"And what do you do Siri? Besides carve dolls and ask questions of potters?"[/say]

Nodding as she went off, he sewed one of the arms onto his doll. He couldn't help but raise his eyebrow when she admitted she came here for help with a task for Ludo. [say]"You thought the Artist's Sanctuary, comprised primarily of Ascended, in the Hollowed Ground, run by an Ascended, was the best place for help with something for Ludo?"[/say] Chuckling, he added, [say]"Well you've come to the right place."[/say] He shook his head at her.

Looking around, he pointed at the instruments and small stage in one corner of the room. [say]"We host performances, yes. Are you a bard? Or looking to become one?"[/say] Glancing over, he cocked his head to one side.


RE: (SE) The Artistic Expression of Bitterness - Iris - 12-18-2020

[say]"Potters are more interesting than they let on."[/say] Iris looked up from her work, hands pausing their movements as she looked at him in a new light. He displayed a sensible wariness. It was the least she would expect from a man in his position.

Setting the saw aside she picked up a leg piece and blew air into the hole she'd drilled through it. Wood dust flew out the other end. [say]"I was taking care of family until recently. Since then, I've been traveling."[/say] Picking up a whittling knife, her hands went back to work. [say]"I also play a mean hand, if you're ever up for a challenge."[/say] She added with a coy smirk. [say]"What's the queen like?"[/say]

Content with achieving a general shape in favor of realism, she set another half finished piece on the table. Her doll now had a torso. [say]"Everyone's been helpful."[/say] She retorted with an innocent smile. [say]"What about you?,"[/say] she asked. [say]"Are the other Ascended gonna nag you for making that?"[/say] She nodded at the doll taking shape in Amun's hands and resumed her whittling.

She pictured herself up on the stage and laughed. [say]"No. I have no flair for the performing arts. I do enjoy a good show though."[/say] She said jovially. [say]"There's something to look forward to, once this Ludo business is finished."[/say] She placed the herald's head down on the table.


RE: (SE) The Artistic Expression of Bitterness - Amun - 12-18-2020

Grinning at Siri's compliment, Amun nodded. His fingers continued to sew cloths into the doll, though his eyes were straying around the Sanctuary looking for something suitable. [say]"Mean hand of what?"[/say] he asked even as he set the fabric down and picked up some wood.

When she asked after Wessex, though, the potter just raised his eyebrows at the visitor. [say]"Available. Go find out for yourself."[/say] Winking at Siri, he grabbed some white paint and began working on the doll's face.

Snorting, he shrugged. [say]"They can do as they like. Doesn't really matter to me one way or another. I was just curious about your thought process."[/say] He applied the coating to the wood before setting it aside to dry. Smiling at her comment about not being a performer, he shook his head. [say]"Everyone's got a performance in them. I wouldn't sell yourself short just yet.


RE: (SE) The Artistic Expression of Bitterness - Iris - 12-25-2020

A smirk quivered on her face when he inquired about cards. [say]"I play primero, mostly. Though I'm game if you prefer something else."[/say] She shrugged, looking at the potter for a response to the invitation. Almost done making the doll's many body parts, she got to whittling a chunky middle finger on the tiny herald's hand, her own fingers already sore from the friction.

The advisor's reluctance to talk about his liege was curious. She expected a bit of praise, prehaps. Vague and general compliments at the least. [say]"What would I have to discuss with a queen?"[/say], she asked, smiling. [say]"I doubt she'd have the time for a game of primero."[/say] Satisfied with the size and shape of all the doll's pieces, she made quick work of hollowing them out, before laying each piece in its proper place.

[say]"I was curious about the place, so I came. Besides, I knew where to go lookin for skilled help."[/say] She flashed a smile at the Ascended, [say]"And you? What prompted a follower of the new gods to make Ludo an effigy?"[/say].

Iris looked at the stage. She couldn't imagine herself on it in a million years. [say]"I suppose so."[/say] Still, most performances were done off-stage, and in that sense at least, she could agree with the potter. A thin smile appeared at the thought.

Finally, it was time for the most difficult part of her project. Luckily, it would be an easy job for the man in front of her. [say]"Could I bother you for a bit of your magic?"[/say], she inquired. [say]"If you could will these strings of metal to connect the doll's limbs? And add a separate line that will connect to the hand and go out the hole in the back."[/say] She turned the torso piece around to show the point where the string would come out, and picked up the hand she wanted to connect to it, its middle finger pointing the potter's way.