Ye Olde S33k & Finde

[Aurantica]

As the door swung shut behind her, Ellie sttod stock-still in the doorway. Despite the heat being off, she still dressed to blend in. And the first rule of blending in was "Hide your most distinctive feature" For that reason, Ellie wore a generic black fedora and gloves.

She lifted her head and glanced around the shop. Not much had changed. Everything was clean and dust-free, the grizzly head glared out from the east wall with the same old ferocity, and the marble globe tucked off in one corner was still set to view Antarctica. The only changes were in the pile of odds and ends on the counter. More wires and gears were scattered there than before. Other than that, she shop looked as it had the night she ran in, desperate to hide.

 

[fr33ks33k]

*He laid eyes on Ellie, the girl who'd come in under some sort of duress, but had parted happily enough, though not without some damage to his goods. He was pleased to see that she had returned, even after such a long time.*

Welcome back, Ellie. Or have you chosen another alias to go by?

*His chuckle was low and mirthful, but a bite of sarcasm edged it*

Have you come to honor our deal?

 

[Aurantica]

She frowned at her name. A full month and the man still thought this was a joke.
She nodded once, a clean up and down motion. One hand reached deep into the pocket of her leather coat.

 

[fr33ks33k]

Well good. We can start right away.

*His eyes watched as she dug into her pocket, a brow arching inquisitively. With only a secondary glance, he got up and headed back into the shop's many aisles, heading first for the repair kit, scooping it off of a shelf seemingly at random, then moving off in the direction of the tattered tapestry, shoes making soft echoes against the walls*

 

[Aurantica]

Another nod. Her fingers found what they were looking for and, reassured, she removed her hand and focused on peeling off her gloves.
She followed him into the shop, not making a sound.

 

[fr33ks33k]

*They arrived at the woven art, a large hole sheared clean through it by the shaft of energy that Ellie had unfortunately fired. The shot was a beautiful one, in a tragic sort of way. It had pierced right through the breast of a large beast, depicted scouring the countryside of some hamlet lost to history's clutches, ravaging the land and people.

He set down the kit, pulling it open and withdrawing a few tools. They looked like simple spools of yarn and knitting needles. He held a pair out to Ellie wordlessly, while he read some inscription on the inside of the tool kit's lid. Once he was finished, he stood and moved over to the tapestry*

Well, it's quite simple really. You wrap the yarn around the needles, holding them together, sort of like a pair of chopsticks before you use them. Then just focus on the rend being repaired. The tools will do the rest. Do try to pay attention to the color scheme, however. I'd hate for it to have an off-hue restoration...

 

[Aurantica]

"How is that supposed to work?" she thought as she took the needles. They looked like something used to mend a sail, not a delicate tapestry. The needles were very thick and would leave holes in the tapestry.

"And how do I get it to a working height?" she asked. Working on it while it hung vertical would be very difficult, with the wall stopping her from pulling the needle through on the other side.

 

[fr33ks33k]

Just...watch me and follow my lead....

*He touched the tips of the needles to the tapestry and instantly the spool of yarn seemed to be withering away to nothing. His brow furrowed as he watched bit by bit of the image returning to its former state. He stopped and looked to Ellie, smiling a bit*

No prodding or pulling or fighting with knots necessary. Just press and concentrate. There's a ladder if you can't quite reach the top area.

*He indicated it with a nod before returning to the process. It consumed quite a bit of yarn without actually making great progress into the rend. It might take a bit longer than he'd originally anticipated...*

 

[Aurantica]

She jumped as the spool began to unwind itself into the tapestry. Transfixed, she gazed up at the little bit of smooth fabric where there had been a rip before. It looked like it had before she shot it, a tiny detail of the beast's scales restored to its original beauty.

"Press and concentrate" she repeated with a nod. Her voice was hoarse, scratchy. She had barely spoken since the last time she was in the shop. Spoken being the operative word.

She stepped aside and held her hand out for the tool, overcome by the desire to fix what she had destroyed.

 

[fr33ks33k]

*He handed her the tools he was using, taking up the other set, going back to work, humming slightly, enjoying the restoration process, and the sudden shift in Ellie's mood toward it*

 

[Aurantica]

She blinked as he pulled another set of tools from the kit. She had expected him to return to the front of the store and work with that pile of stuff on the counter.

Turning to the tapestry, she copied his motions, pressing the tools gently to the damaged sections and pushing her mind into the needles. Time melted by as she focused, only stopping to reload the spools of yarn. As she was removing her fifth spool, she noticed the noon sun streaming through the windows, and became aware of how warm it was in the shop. She slipped off her thick leather coat, letting it fall to the floor with a soft whump. and the faintest of rattling sounds. She turned back to the tapestry and continued working.

 

[fr33ks33k]

Getting a little warm, Ellie?

*He smiled a bit, glancing up from their work as he heard the telltale sound of leather rumpling in on itself. His eyes went back to the tapestry, the hole getting gradually smaller. It wouldn't take much longer to repair it completely*

 

[Aurantica]

Ellie barely looked up when he spoke. Her world had narrowed down to just her hands and the section of tapestry before her. It was comforting, in a way, to only have to pay attention to the bit of torn tapestry. She pressed the needles to the fabric again, but nothing happened. It was out of yarn. She knelt, grabbing a spol of fine green yarn from the box.

Pain shot up her arm. Damn She thought. She had forgotten about the gash on her left forearm. It was a week old, but still painful, the result of a long and unpleasant fight. She reached for the bottle of pills in her coat pocket and twisted it open. She shook out two and swallowed them. A final check of the gauze, slip the bottle back into its pocket, and Ellie reloaded the spool and went back to work.

A smile tugged at her lips as she used the tool to add a highlight to the beast's claw, making them stand out where they had once been undistinct from the background. It was a subtle change, but one that improved the work. She did this in motel rooms, sometimes. The prints there were always generic and ugly. Sometimes, at night, she'd slip the print out of itsframe and add something with pencil. A cat in the corner of a house, the image of a lady in one window, it all depended on what was there first. It helped her feel connected, and the thought that someone plauged by insomnia would look up and realize that one of the little kittens or flowers wasn't originally there. was reassuring

 

[fr33ks33k]

*He looked up once again as the rattling of something in a plastic container met his ears. It was then that he noticed the gauze strips wound around her forearm. He made a troubled face briefly, debating asking her what had happened. He decided that if she wanted to tell him, she would. He wouldn't pry.

When his eyes moved back to the woven scene, he noticed her little addition. It was an innocuous change, and in truth it only enhanced the piece. He went back to work. The rend was nearly gone now, merely a 2-inch void where the very heart of the beast would reside.*

 

[Aurantica]

The hole in the tapestry was small now. Too small for two people to be able to work on it comfortably. She turned to the man.

"You can go... I'll finish up" she said.

It would be easy enough, she decided, Green for the scales, with black around the tip of each individual scale. The most challenging thing would be to make the scales overlap right. With the odd tools he had given her, it wouldnt be too hard at all. They seemed to know what to do. Several times as she worked on the far tears in the tapestry, she had gone to fill in a area, only to find that the tool was adding shading and shadows to highlight it. She suspected ther was more to this place than met the eye.

 

[fr33ks33k]

If you insist. Thank you for your help Ellie. When you're done, you can put the tools back in the kit and bring it to the counter.

*He smiled warmly and left her to it, making his way back to the front of the shop, sitting at his stool behind the oaken counter, sifting through the various trinkets and junk atop it.*

 

[Aurantica]

She nodded and turned back to the beast. It was almost done. She rebuilt the scales one by one, careful to overlap them just right.
Just before she finished, she loaded the tool with the most delicate of pink yarns and wove a faint glow around where the beast's heart would be. It wouldn't be visible in the relative darkness of the shop, only when its eventual owner took it home and hung it on a sunny wall would the glow be visible. Even then, it may be a while.
She stood back, smiling at her work, and walked back to the counter.

 

[fr33ks33k]

*He clicked the last few gears in place, pressing a button at the back of the clockwork monstrosity in miniature. It sprang forward, hopping like the frog it was supposed to be, a metallic croaking ringing into the room. He looked up as Ellie returned, kit in hand*

All done? I'm glad you enjoyed helping repair the tapestry. I worried that you might find it a chore....

 

[Aurantica]

She set the kit gently on the counter.

"It's alright" she said, her voice still slightly scratchy.

She watched the tiny metallic frog hop about on the desk, waiting for him to say something else or dismiss her.

 

[fr33ks33k]

*She sounded like she was getting over a cough or cold...an odd gravelly undertone to her voice. He watched the robotic frog hop around a bit more before he drew his attention to her*

So, is there anything I can interest you in Ellie? Forgotten lore, jewelry from long-lost cultures? Perhaps a recipe for wound regeneration, or a medicinal tea for soothing a raspy throat?

 

[Aurantica]

She blinked in surprise at his last two suggestions. How the hell did he... Her coat. She has take it off halfway through the repair. Right. She shook her head.
"It's nothing" she said, grateful she had put her coat on before returning the kit.

 

[fr33ks33k]

Even minor injuries deserve attention, my dear. And illnesses tend to thrive off of neglect....but, if you say so...

*He turned back to the mass of pieces on the counter. The frog had managed to jump clear to the end of the pile, cocking its head to the side in a quizzical manner, staring directly at Ellie*

 

[Aurantica]

Funny... Ellie thought. The little frog seemed to be looking directly at her. She leaned in for a closer look. The little frog's eyes moved, keeping her in it's mechanical sights. She waved a finger back and forth in front of its face. Her heart nearly stopped when its eyes followed.
She stepped back. "Its fine, I can take care of myself" she said.

 

[fr33ks33k]

*He chuckled a bit as she toyed with the frog. It continued to watch her for a while longer, until the clockwork bird he'd assembled previously swooped overhead. The frog hopped frantically back toward him, seeking refuge. It's worried ribbiting was almost sad. He picked it up and put it in a drawer, watching the bird with a scowl. That thing had been more of a nuisance lately.*

Very well then.

*He bowed his head and looked into the pile of mis-matched parts, plucking out ones that seemed to fit together, laying them out in a blank space on the counter*

 

[Aurantica]

Ellie nodded once to him, then turned and left the shop.
She had her reasons for returning that day. She wanted to repay her debt to the old man, yes, but there was something more. She wanted to see the bow again. Yes, it was destructive, it could probably even kill. But she needed protection.
Used to need, she corrected herself. Those day were past. The journal she had bought that first fateful day turned out to reveal the locations of several possible skeletons the doctor had located before he was forced back the the mainland. It turns out the doctor was quite the travelling man, and and adventurer, too. And what he had discovered promised to be like nothing anyone had seen before. It was all out there. She just had to go dig it up.