Beads of Dew on Delicate Silk

[Mhairi Ankaa]

The sunlight caught within the dew upon a spider's web --
-- and perhaps they could be worked into jacket! Maybe as stitching, or --
Dew with sunlight at it's center... --
-- Anything from the hardness of Winters first frost to the durability of a spiders web woven overnight and collecting the warmth of the suns first rays.

A spiders web, the dew being held steady on each strand of the delicate silk.

Was resting on a newly hedge woven desk, a thing of birch and briars, or what passed for the former within the Hedge, every so often, the birch's eyes, would blink, or shift and gaze up at the world around them. Near the antique sewing machine, gilded and glowing with the gentle rays of the setting sun. Every so often wisps of dusk clouds would appear, only seen from the corner of your eye, disappearing as soon as you tried to center them in your eye.

Mhairi sidesteps one of the dress mannequins that floated passed, fell-flames flickering as the female silhouette poses before slowing slipping away into a realm of sketches given life, wearing splashes of color, filling out lines, then erasing them. Forever in a moment of ideas - fashion yet to be given thought.

Mhairi had thought of expanding the Autumn Commons, and creating a work space there, but she reconsidered because she knew she wouldn't be working on things for Autumn, but for her own dreams. So, she finally carved out her own slice of the Hedge.

A Hollow, with dreams of gothic grandeur, slipping between possibilities, and imagination but only the vestibule was a reality. The only thing that Mhairi could give form to before the call of her workshop became to great and she just had to start experimenting, but even that urge needed to be tempered since Mhairi had a gift and commission both to work on for the gilded nix, Seraphina .

Who Mhairi hoped would be able to find the small hollow without any trouble.

[Seraphina]

Sera had gotten the directions from Mhairi to find the Hollow. And while the Nix wasn’t expecting it to be too hard to find, there was always the risk of the Hedge deciding to change. It was a living thing, capable of changing paths without notice, making getting lost very easy.

But that wasn’t going to stop her from navigating the trods, weaving their way around various plants. It really was a wondrous, if not terrifying, place.

Soon, she came to Hollow and eagerly went inside, anxious and excited to see what the Wisp had been working on.

Sera had dressed rather casual for this trip, loose fitting jeans with various holes in varying sizes exposed some of her tanned legs, and a white loose fitting t-shirt. Thing was, even in casual, tattered jeans, she looked amazing.

Eyes widen as she watches Mhairi sidestep the mannequins before it disappeared. It was a beautiful and fascinating thing to watch.

“Hope I’m not late.” Greets the Fairest with a warm smile.

[Mhairi Ankaa]

The wisp, nearly jumped out of her skin at the sudden sound, and appearance of Nix. More used to the Sprights nattering in the Autumn Commons, and their shrill voices alerting her to anyone heading their way. "No! Not at all!" calls Mhairi's voice, a pitch higher then it ought to be.

Her fell-flames are cast around the space, noticing the dress mannequins slipping between 3D to 2D, and swore, silently to herself, that she was investing in some Wards as soon as she could muster the glamour.

"Did you find it alright?" Mhairi asked, more so just to ask, willing her heart to slow taking in the ripped jeans. A frown, were they ripped on purpose, or had that happened on her way through the Thorns? "Are you alright?" a near squeak, the likes of which hadn't passed her lips since her stammering days had ended.

The wisp moves closer and tries to see anything that looked on her gilded legs, like a wound.

"We need to get your jacket made up." Mhairi said lowly, fell-flames taking in her legs, and her moonlit face drifted, perhaps a tad to close to the exposed parts of the Treasured's legs.

[Seraphina]

Smirking, “Sorry, didn’t mean to jump you.” Even though it was kinda funny. “Maybe there needs to be a bell or something.” Half joking, half not.

“Have to say, it’s kinda hypnotizing to watch them.” Her head nodding to the mannequins. “You been at it long?” maybe she should have brought some coffee or something.

“Yeah, it wasn’t too bad. The Hedge must have been in a good mood or something and didn’t mess with me too bad.” Or it had other things to focus on. Which she wasn’t sure was a good thing or not.

She had actually forgotten about the rips in her jeans until Mhairi seemed really concerned.

“What?” blinking at the Wisp a few times before following her eyes and movement, “Oh!” there was a laugh then, “Yeah, I’m fine. I bought them like this. Well, ok, there was one or two when I got them, I kinda added more.” Shrugging. The Elemental wouldn’t find any flaws on the exposed legs. Just more gilded scales, glittering when the Treasured moved. If it bothered her how close Mhairi’s face got, it didn’t show. She was actually very used to it and was unfazed.

“Guess I didn’t think of how it would look coming in here. Sorry about that.” Ok, so next time, jeans without holes.

“Yes, I’m really excited about that! A little added protection if I venture into the Hedge again. Not that I really want to, but you never know.”

[Mhairi Ankaa]

"No-ah-no. It's my fault." Not having any active security on her Hollow....she really needed to fix that.

Mhairi flushes when she realizes how close she is to the brunette's....legs. "Good, good. I'm glad." quick words as she moves away, tangling her fingers together and hoping that the Nix didn't think she was being weird. Even if she actually was being a little weird. "I should have known, I'm just-I didn't...the Hedge." she fumbles before settling on an explanation.

She sighs, before nodding her fell-flames tracks the mannequins.

"They are, and I have." Mhairi answers, without thinking, "But that doesn't mean I'm not ready to get started on her jacket!" a nod, "A little extra protection is always a good thing, but you don't have to be in the Hedge for it to work. When you're on the other side you need to offer up some Glamour, or a twist of the wyrd, but you can still use the whatever's, your jacket's abilities, over there. The difference is that over here, in the Hedge, hedgespun doesn't need glamour or your wyrd to trigger it. The Thorns do it for you....is I guess how you'd put that." Maybe she was a little tired.

Moving towards the desk and to the waiting reagents, "So, uh-have you made that necklace, or...?" Mhairi asks, wondering if the Nix had experienced any of what Mhairi had been trying to tell her about hedgepun and instinct.

[Seraphina]

Her fault, Mhairi’s fault, it didn’t really matter. She was there now.

Why was the Wisp fumbling so much?

“You feeling ok? You seem…off.” Was a polite way of asking what was going on.

Nodding, “Yeah, that makes sense.” She says as she glances back down at the jeans, “I’ll find something better to wear next time.” Shrug. She liked the jeans, they were cute and showed off her legs. But she got what the Elemental was getting at.

Smiling, “If you weren’t ready, it’s all good you know. I don’t want you to feel rushed or like it’s something you have to do.” Mhairi was doing this a favor to her, but she didn’t want her to feel like she had to do it.

“Ah, well that’s good to know. I didn’t realize that you didn’t need the glamour to trigger them in here.” Nod, “Yup, good to know.” She just hoped there wasn’t ever a reason to trigger it on the other side. But, you never know.

“I did! And I have to say, it was an amazing experience!” excitement crept into her voice, eyes widening, “At first I was a little unsure of what I was supposed to do, but after a few minutes of sitting there and allowing the Hedge and the items to speak to me, it just flowed! It wasn’t easy, I’m not saying that, but it was, I’m not sure,” she pauses, looking for words, “almost natural?” she questions, looking to the Wisp. “Not sure if that makes sense or not. But when you sit and clear your mind, and let the feelings and Season speak to you, it’s an amazing thing.”

[Mhairi Ankaa]

"I'm okay, just tired and excited." Mhairi's hand raise and her dripping fingers deftly gather her stars, and nimbly secures an elastic around the lot of them. Leaving her mane off her neck and in a mess bun. "I've been here experimenting," she smiles up at the Nix.

Mhairi did feel different. Different then she had in several months. Here she was just Mhairi, not Queen, not Director. Just a girl who liked making beautiful things, and what was more beautiful then the stuff of dreams?

"Wear whatever you want, no seriously. Don't let me stand in the way of you and fashion." the wisp smiles, "It's just in my nature to worry."

Dripping fingers scratch at her neck, "No, I'm good to go, I promise. I've just been trying test out my new workshop." nod, and pats her birch desk. It blinks back at her.

Mhairi shifts in her seat so she could face Sera, and with the Nix's excitement, Mhairi beams up at her.

"That's great!" she nods happily, "I totally understand. It's sort of that way for me. You just want to let the ingredients, or the themes speak to you. It's instinct. It's something that relatively safe, if you're careful with your reagents, that's also tied to our magic. Expresses it and proves that there's...wonder." the fell-flames flicker, and the wisp is clearly looking off into memory. "Even with everything we've gone through."

There's an awkward moment of silence, before the wisp blinks and refocuses on the now. She shakes her head, "Sorry, about that." she smiles, or at least tries too, "So, do you have it with you? Your necklace? I'd like to see if if you have it."

[Seraphina]

She watches as the Wisp put her hair up, still finding her hair fascinating and amazing. Knowing she could stare at the stars all day, she forces her eyes away. “How’s the experimenting going? Learning or figuring anything good out?” she asks, curios.

Grinning, “Well, worrying when it comes to the Hedge is a good thing.” Looking down at the jeans again, “And not really sure it’s fashion per say, but they are comfortable as hell with built in a/c.” bonus! “But nice to know there are still Lost who worry about other Lost. So often I’ve come across some who could care less what happens to anyone else but themselves.” In some way she understood it, they had each endured a lot. But at the same time, it was those endurances that bound them together.

Looking around, “How is it working out? Anything you need or anything I can do to help?” she’d never attempted to make a Hollow, so she wasn’t sure what really went into it.

Catching the look, she wanted to ask. Ask what the Elemental was remembering. But that would be rude, and prying. Not to mention they weren’t really that close and it wasn’t her business, even if she was curious.

The gilded Nix nods, “Yeah, I get what you’re saying. With what we’ve each experienced, it can be hard to find beauty and even wonder in anything.” It took her a few months to get past her own experience. To look forward in life and refuse to let her past define her or dwell in it.

A soft smile, “It’s all good.” She got lost in memories sometimes.

A sly smile slowly spread across her full lips as a hand reaches into one of her pockets. She pulls out a silver chain and holds it out, slowly opening her hand. In her palm rested what appeared to be a mystic topaz, but within the Hedge, it begins to suddenly glow. Multiple colors seeming to come to life with movement. The sly smile turns to one of pride and excitement, eyes looking to Mhairi, eagerly awaiting judgement. Praise was what she was after, but, this was her first attempt and the Wisp had more ‘spinning under her belt than the Treasured did.

[Mhairi Ankaa]

"It's been good!" Mhairi enthuses. "I haven't actually realized anything," she hadn't truly finalized any 'spinning, "But, I have been weaving together things, just to see how they would....react...?" she trails off like it was a question, before nodding. She'd meant to use those words.

Mhairi lets out a light laugh when the Nix explains her jeans, "I always worry...it's one of the reasons, I'm an Autumn." worry was just a different sort of knot in her gut. A close cousin to dread, and Fear.

"Well, now that you have an idea about how all this comes together, I'd like to know exactly what you'd want out of your jacket. Like would you want actual armor? I can coax the spiderwebs to give up their strength, and weave a jacket from them...or maybe you want to enhance your own...deftness. The webs are silken and could easily be woven that way too. I could use the dew a little more effectively here I think. Again, I could do both, or even something else. Spiderwebs are hard to see....I could enhance that aspect of them...with the dew I could easily speed up your reflexes, dew's only around for so long before it's gone."

Mhairi's words stop before she could overwhelms the Nix. Then she flushes when she realizes she might have already done that.

"Sorry! This is just so, exciting and this will be my very first project to come out of my workshop!" she smiles at her friend - or at least Mhairi hopes they're friends, "I didn't even try my hand at the bolts of fabric I'd gotten to see about a dress I've been itching to make."

The excitement dims. That reminder that there were things so very far between that offered the Lost joy and wonder. Mhairi nods at the words and the soft smile.

The necklace comes out, and Mhairi lets out an audible coo, "Oooh That's just lovely." For a moment Mhairi sees the mask, the silver chain and the colorful jewel, before the nature of the hedge takes over and Mhairi sees the rainbow-dawn, and hears the bird song. *

*

In the hedge, Hedgespun are automatically activated!

[Seraphina]

A quick nod, “Ah. Well, I suppose it couldn’t hurry for me to worry a little more. I mean, of course I worry and am careful in here,” motioning with a hand to the Hedge. “But being a little more careful is never a bad thing.” There was a reassuring smile.

Yes, the jacket! She listens carefully to the Wisp as she laid out what could be done. “Everything sounds amazing!” there was a laugh, “But I believe increasing my defenses would be best. Not that I’m opposed to have both, but having that extra line of defense is important. While I’m good in a fight, I always try and, uh, persuade, them against it.” A musical laugh, “My voice has saved my butt on more than one occasion. Though having quicker reflexes is pretty tempting. What about both the defense and reflexes?” she got the thing with the dew only being around for so long.

If Sera felt overwhelmed, she didn’t say. Just eagerly listened to what was said.

Laughing, “You’re fine, no worries. I find this all just so amazing and fascinating, please, keep talking!” she could learn a lot from the Elemental. “There is a lot for me to learn about this art form, and the more you talk, the more I get to learn.” But then there was a frown, “Aw, you should totally work on the dress! Spoiling yourself is just as important as helping others you know.” She winks.

There was a smile full of pride as Mhairi admires the necklace. “I’m quite proud of it, at least for my first try and all. I have you to thank.” The Nix looks to the Wisp, “You gave me the confidence to try this.”