Melita’s weary carriage, her lessened vitality, plucked painfully at the bard’s chest. Isuma rubbed her soft cheek reassuringly against his own before she hopped down to cuddle next to the honeybee girl, so that she was safely snug between two companions to encourage and cheer her. The willow branches were freshly cut and springy in her hands, easy to shape to her will while the leather and glue helped hold their new curves and angles, however Melita bent them.
The bard’s lips quirked a little in spite of his own shadow of sickness asJiao joined them, a little aloof, a little judgmental, but joining in with grace nonetheless. His smile widened with relief and pleasure at hearing that lanterns were also a Fae tradition, and he gave her a short bow of gratitude. She ignored the stiffer framing materials, going straight for the paper, and he watched her fingers moving deftly as she folded and turned the sheets until his eyes lit with recognition. ”I have not met many others who fold paper into shapes,” he said quietly, appreciative of her skill. ”It was something my mother taught me… but I think it is less common among the humans here.” He should remember to ask Samuel to make him some more colored paper for it… ”Perhaps we can trade patterns with each other, when the snows make it hard to work on other things.” She would undoubtedly know shapes and animals unique to Caido, and he hoped he might have some creations from his world that she would be interested in.
And then there was the stranger, lovely as springtime and sultry like summer’s heat – and mysterious as a moonless Leafchange night, asEzra withheld their name. Jigano’s brow finally arched at the dark-haired beauty’s casual manner, but they were courteous in their own way, and he accepted the bottle with a little bow of his head, taking a smaller pull from it before setting it on the stump in easy reach of any who wanted it ”Thank you,” he murmured, grateful for the drink as well as the toast. His health was not what it had once been, a manner of growing concern, but today he felt a little stronger, a little better, and he hoped that it meant he was finally on the upswing of recovery.
Ezra seemed the least interested in what they were doing during his explanation, but as he settled down to choose his own supplies – a selection of different sized wire hoops and a handful of wooden lathes, all the same length – he was surprised to find that he had close company, and another offer of wine. He hesitated for a moment before accepting the bottle with a nod of gratitude, taking another small drink before handing it back. His once-clever hands shook as he began to assemble his first two lanterns, running lines of twine between the metal hoops to connect them. He was forced to work more slowly than he was used to, but he fought the kindling frustration in his breast at his own clumsiness. ”How did you know her? Would you like to make a lantern for her?” he asked quietly. ”She was… one of the first people I met when I came here a year ago. We were friends. She was… important to me.” It made his betrayal of her trust hurt all the more, a knife twisting in his heart at knowing that they would never have the chance to make up now. No chance to write her odes to fire or send her little gifts to try and make her smile again. Never get the chance to apologize to her properly, when pride and temper weren’t clouding his words. He couldn’t forget that last conversation, and all the things he’d wished he’d said instead of what he had.
Time passed slowly in the golden Leafchange light. Jigano finished the collapsing wire-hoop sphere frame, and another made of wooden sticks that formed a cube, the edges glued and held together with leather ties until it dried. When it looked as though the others had finished their frames – or paper shape, in Jiao’s case – he stood and led the way to the second woodland ‘table’ which held the paper and fabric for covering the frames with. ”Some of these are thin enough to let light shine through, while others are thick enough to almost block it, unless you cut shapes from it to let the light escape,” he explained. ”Or perhaps you will find a combination of thicknesses and colors more appropriate for those you are remembering. Please, use whatever strikes your inspiration.”
What does your lantern frame look like? With the frame complete, it’s time to decide what – if anything – you will cover it with! White paper? Colored linen? Thin silk? Will it be the same all around, or will shapes be cut from the material?
No posting order
The bard’s lips quirked a little in spite of his own shadow of sickness as
And then there was the stranger, lovely as springtime and sultry like summer’s heat – and mysterious as a moonless Leafchange night, as
Ezra seemed the least interested in what they were doing during his explanation, but as he settled down to choose his own supplies – a selection of different sized wire hoops and a handful of wooden lathes, all the same length – he was surprised to find that he had close company, and another offer of wine. He hesitated for a moment before accepting the bottle with a nod of gratitude, taking another small drink before handing it back. His once-clever hands shook as he began to assemble his first two lanterns, running lines of twine between the metal hoops to connect them. He was forced to work more slowly than he was used to, but he fought the kindling frustration in his breast at his own clumsiness. ”How did you know her? Would you like to make a lantern for her?” he asked quietly. ”She was… one of the first people I met when I came here a year ago. We were friends. She was… important to me.” It made his betrayal of her trust hurt all the more, a knife twisting in his heart at knowing that they would never have the chance to make up now. No chance to write her odes to fire or send her little gifts to try and make her smile again. Never get the chance to apologize to her properly, when pride and temper weren’t clouding his words. He couldn’t forget that last conversation, and all the things he’d wished he’d said instead of what he had.
Time passed slowly in the golden Leafchange light. Jigano finished the collapsing wire-hoop sphere frame, and another made of wooden sticks that formed a cube, the edges glued and held together with leather ties until it dried. When it looked as though the others had finished their frames – or paper shape, in Jiao’s case – he stood and led the way to the second woodland ‘table’ which held the paper and fabric for covering the frames with. ”Some of these are thin enough to let light shine through, while others are thick enough to almost block it, unless you cut shapes from it to let the light escape,” he explained. ”Or perhaps you will find a combination of thicknesses and colors more appropriate for those you are remembering. Please, use whatever strikes your inspiration.”
What does your lantern frame look like? With the frame complete, it’s time to decide what – if anything – you will cover it with! White paper? Colored linen? Thin silk? Will it be the same all around, or will shapes be cut from the material?
No posting order
