Mallside 10

[Mee]

Honeysuckle smiles a little at that, tails curling.
"'Course I am."

Oh and look at that, Fel is sunken down enough to give an encouraging pat to!

After which she'll just enjoy the waters of the spa for a while without saying much of anything.

Felandria sinks lower into the water, relaxing further.

I suppose you’re correct.

I appreciate it, thank you, Honeysuckle.

You’re a good friend.

Wellllll!
Several minutes more later, the proprietor of the spa comes back!
"How are you both doing? Would you like to progress to the massage parlor, or soak a bit longer?"

[Felandria]

[Couple's Walk]

"As it happens, dear Deadra, I picked up a vampire picnic on the way. Ichor liquer in a wine bottle, some bloodfruits, some candles. We just need some beautiful scenery to accompany it." Ezra explains.

Then he looks up at the stars, and an idea comes to his head. "Deadra, have you ever been to space?"

Oh, that sounds utterly delightful, dearest.

Deadra follows his gaze upwards.

She looks back to him.

Space?

I don’t believe so.

Is that space?

[Purple Eagle]

Oh, that sounds utterly delightful, dearest.

Deadra follows his gaze upwards.

She looks back to him.

Space?

I don’t believe so.

Is that space?

[Couple's Walk]

"Yes, honey, and I have the next best thing to going to space itself: Seaside. Imagine, us sitting under the moonlight and enjoying our meal while we look at the stars, the beach sand on our feet while the water occasionally tickles them." Ezra paints a verbal picture, attempting to sell her the idea.

[Reinholdt]

[Erin's Emporium]

"Three days sounds fine," Dorota says, nodding. "I'll talk to Crissy... maybe some friends. Cessie has been running Vigil for a while, and they're similar to you. Maybe it is time for a change. Alchemy's all about that, after all."

[Erin's Emporium]

Reinholdt frowns. "While that may have been the case in the past, that is not the case now. Vigil and HALO are decidedly different. Vigil is very much still acting the police force and jumps headlong into danger. We're more about researching positive improvements to people's every day lives. Sure sometimes, we'll be called on to find out about some demon's historical weakness or something along that nature, but it's a very different proposition. Like... Men of Letters vs. Hunters sort of thing." Rein, it'll be a miracle if she understands that reference.

[Recaiden]

Wellllll!
Several minutes more later, the proprietor of the spa comes back!
"How are you both doing? Would you like to progress to the massage parlor, or soak a bit longer?"

"Doing great."
Honeysuckle stands up from the waters, entranced by the floofiness of the proprietor.
"I think it's time for massages, don't you Fel?"

[Morty]

[Erin's Emporium]

Dorota looks briefly lost, but then nods.

"I'm not sure who Men of Letters are, but I'll give you my decision in three days. Or... maybe it'd help if I visited HALO and saw what it's like?"

[Reinholdt]

[Erin's Emporium]

"Certainly. Anyone's welcome to visit at anytime. If you mean right now, I would be happy to escort you and show you around. Otherwise just drop on by when you have a free moment. I believe we just hired a new greeter as well," Reinholdt says with a smile, stretching a little and preparing to make his exit.

[Morty]

[Erin's Emporium]

"I can't leave this procedure laying around, so I'll drop by tomorrow," Dorota says, as she picks up a large and intricate chisel from a nearby table. "So I'll see you then."

[Reinholdt]

[Erin's Emporium]

"Sounds good to me. Take care of yourself Dorota," Reinholdt replies before seeing himself out.

[Felandria]

"Doing great."
Honeysuckle stands up from the waters, entranced by the floofiness of the proprietor.
"I think it's time for massages, don't you Fel?"

Felandria mellowly turns her head to the others.

Ooh, yes, I do believe it is.

Shall we then?

[Felandria]

[Couple's Walk]

"Yes, honey, and I have the next best thing to going to space itself: Seaside. Imagine, us sitting under the moonlight and enjoying our meal while we look at the stars, the beach sand on our feet while the water occasionally tickles them." Ezra paints a verbal picture, attempting to sell her the idea.

Deadra bends down and nuzzles Ezra’s ear.

That sounds utterly exquisite, Ezra, dear.

Shall we pick up supplies, then?

[Purple Eagle]

Deadra bends down and nuzzles Ezra’s ear.

That sounds utterly exquisite, Ezra, dear.

Shall we pick up supplies, then?

[Couple's Walk]

"Well, that's why we're in Mallside, Deadra dearest. I have the meal ready, now we need candles and picnic supplies. Oh, look, speak of the devil." Ezra mentions, pointing just off the side to a stall being held open at this time of night. The front of it says "Pissup's Picnic Supplies"

"Wanna handle this one, dearest?" He asks, wanting to see if she's willing to engage with a potential mortal in the name of shopping.

[Felandria]

[Couple's Walk]

"Well, that's why we're in Mallside, Deadra dearest. I have the meal ready, now we need candles and picnic supplies. Oh, look, speak of the devil." Ezra mentions, pointing just off the side to a stall being held open at this time of night. The front of it says "Pissup's Picnic Supplies"

"Wanna handle this one, dearest?" He asks, wanting to see if she's willing to engage with a potential mortal in the name of shopping.

Are you certain I should?

I don’t want to give the poor fellow a fright.....

But, for you, I shall.

[Mee]

"Doing great."
Honeysuckle stands up from the waters, entranced by the floofiness of the proprietor.
"I think it's time for massages, don't you Fel?"

Felandria mellowly turns her head to the others.

Ooh, yes, I do believe it is.

Shall we then?

And massages they receive!
She leads them into the next room, where there are some comfortable places to lie, perfectly sized that she indicates the two towards.
Once set, she gets to work working the kinks and knots out of their shoulders, backs, and legs.
She is quite good at her job, as well.

[Recaiden]

Felandria mellowly turns her head to the others.

Ooh, yes, I do believe it is.

Shall we then?

And massages they receive!
She leads them into the next room, where there are some comfortable places to lie, perfectly sized that she indicates the two towards.
Once set, she gets to work working the kinks and knots out of their shoulders, backs, and legs.
She is quite good at her job, as well.

Perfectly-sized? Given their difference in sizes that's pretty exceptional!
Honeysuckle lies down and tries to relax.

Which turns out to be very easy, with the masseuse being so good at her job.
"Do you do everything here?" she asks, impressed.

[Purple Eagle]

Are you certain I should?

I don’t want to give the poor fellow a fright.....

But, for you, I shall.

Caesar squeezes her hand. "I know you can, my love. I'll be right there with you."

When they enter, there's a tall elven man with a jolly aura about him who addresses the two vampires. He appears to be half-vampire given his red eyes and the little fangs in his teeth. He's bald with tan skin and is dressed in poofy baggy clothing, and if the patterns on his clothing were different he might seem more like a clown than a store owner. "Welcome, welcome! And vampires, too! My mother was bitten while pregnant for me." When he spots Deadra, though, any apprehensiveness he shows is due to her size, though that quickly fades. "What shall I get you?"

[Felandria]

Perfectly-sized? Given their difference in sizes that's pretty exceptional!
Honeysuckle lies down and tries to relax.

Which turns out to be very easy, with the masseuse being so good at her job.
"Do you do everything here?" she asks, impressed.

Yeah, usually they have like five people team up on my massages.

How do you find the time?

[Felandria]

Caesar squeezes her hand. "I know you can, my love. I'll be right there with you."

When they enter, there's a tall elven man with a jolly aura about him who addresses the two vampires. He appears to be half-vampire given his red eyes and the little fangs in his teeth. He's bald with tan skin and is dressed in poofy baggy clothing, and if the patterns on his clothing were different he might seem more like a clown than a store owner. "Welcome, welcome! And vampires, too! My mother was bitten while pregnant for me." When he spots Deadra, though, any apprehensiveness he shows is due to her size, though that quickly fades. "What shall I get you?"

Deadra gestures towards Caesar.

My darling Caesar and myself are looking to have a lovely moonlight picnic, and we require various and sundry picnic supplies.

Perhaps you could help us with that?

[bc56]

Pontius' Custom Constructs

A Tiefling girl pauses in front of the store, looking up at the two golems above the entrance. She was here in the mall to see if she could buy some tools, but it couldn't hurt to just look around. She opens the door and steps inside. She has dark red skin and long, black hair pulled into a ponytail. She's wearing a t-shirt, a pair of jean shorts, and sturdy leather work boots. Her horns are like a gazelle's, and she has a barbed, devilish tail. She looks around the shop in wonder and curiosity. This is the shop of a professional artificer, the sort of thing she never was able to see at home. She can't help but stare at the constructs in awe.

[Earl of Purple]

Pontius' Custom Constructs

This is more a display room than a standard shop; as the name suggests, they make golems to order, as well as the rather standardised statues displayed within. They range from a scarecrow in old clothes, with an old hessian sack with holes cut in it to serve as a head, to a marble statue with a carved toga and aristocratic features. There's also bronze, granite, limestone, wood, silver, steel, and jade, with the statues being a mix of styles. They all turn to watch Sekhmet as she walks through, to make it clear that these are all functional examples of the golemcrafter's art.

After a moment, somebody walks up to Sekhmet. They're human, not much older than she is, and male. He's got dark skin and thick curly hair, dark green eyes and a physique which isn't quite athletic, more the body of one who does a lot of hard work for a living. He's wearing a pair of black cargo trousers and a dark grey t-shirt. "Hello miss. Can I help you at all?" He's very professional.

[bc56]

Pontius' Custom Constructs

"Oh!" Sekhmet exclaims, startled, "I'm, uh, just looking, just looking." She continues to admire the golems. "Are they, uh, yours?" She should know better; the amount of work it must take to make one of these things must be staggering, and the man doesn't look old enough to be a master craftsman.

[Earl of Purple]

Pontius' Custom Constructs

"Um, I worked on that one, some of the carving on it, but no. I'm just an apprentice, really." He motions to a limestone statue with a feline head. Certainly explains why he's so fit, though. "I can't yet animate anything larger than a garden gnome, and that wipes me out. Pontius is the master here, except he doesn't work well with people. That's why I'm here instead. The apprentices all take it in turn. Pontius is in the factory, overseeing the others and teaching the animation techniques he uses."

[bc56]

Pontius' Custom Constructs

"You're an apprentice then? What's it like?" This is very interesting to Sekhmet. She couldn't get an apprenticeship back home, and not for a lack of trying.

[Earl of Purple]

Pontius' Custom Constructs

"It's hard work, but worthwhile. I've learnt a lot already, and I'm not halfway through it yet. And not just magic, either. All the apprentices learn one or two craft skills, to actually make the golems. I'm learning stonework mainly, hence why I was carving details on her." Another nod to the cat-headed limestone figure. "I've also learnt origami, which is far fiddlier and easier to practice at home. There's also metallurgists, potters, weavers, sewers, carpenters and all sorts, really. Why, are you interested?" He's really enthused about it, too, a sign of somebody who enjoys what they're learning about.

[bc56]

Pontius' Custom Constructs

"I, uh, yes!" Sekhmet replies. Her face lights up for a second, then falls again. "But I don't have much experience."

[Earl of Purple]

Pontius' Custom Constructs

"Neither did I, when I started. That's why it's an apprenticeship. Do you have any experience in any kind of craft or magic? Any groundings in either would be useful, but... When I started, I'd never held a chisel before. I did know some origami, though." He knew how to make swans and some other things, not little origami figures like he makes now.

Sekhmet at least has experience in some magic, judging by the teleportation experiment that found her in the Nexus.

[bc56]

"I know a bit, uh, of metalworking, and I can do some magic." Sekhmet's not great at either, and her magic is mostly limited to disguise. Her attempts at working with other sorts of magic are what landed her here in the first place. It wasn't even a large teleportation attempt, she was trying to transport a cup across a desk. If she had been more experienced, she might not have made whatever mistake it was that caused it to explode.

[Earl of Purple]

Pontius' Custom Constructs

"Well, that's good. Casting or forging? And what kind of magic?" Both are used, though for different things. And even disguise magic can be handy, if one wants a totally loyal bodyguard made of steel without letting on that it's made of steel. And the fact she knows some already does at least show she has magical aptitude; not everyone does, and magic's important in making constructs. Unless you build a robot, but that would upset Pontius. He doesn't understand those, and he's scared of them, too.

[bc56]

Pontius'Custom Constructs

"Forging. And uh, I can't do much. Mostly, uh, disguise and some minor enchantments." Sekhmet would demonstrate, but she's not very good at it without something to focus through, and her wand didn't make the trip with her.

[Earl of Purple]

Pontius' Custom Constructs

"Forging's good. Enchanting objects or people?" In Dungeons & Dragons, 'enchantment' is social magic, which makes very little sense when magic weaponry is produced by 'enchanting' it. Enchanting objects is more useful for a golemcrafter, but might sell more if they enchant their customers. "Disguise magic? Like illusion? That'd be very handy. We don't have an illusionist right now, but we've got some books. Disguising bodyguards and so on."