Celesmas Candles!

Volka

(Eugenides has the first half of this log, but this section stands alone. I had lot's of fun with @yllaora, and I cant' wait to see how it works out in the event!))((Log is between Yllaora and Volka, in The Auxiliar Laboratory. (I'll get descriptions later))

You brush a hand through your hair.

 Clapping her hands, Volka nods. "Right, wax!" She whistles tunelessly as she busies herself at the adjacent station, keeping an eye on Yllaora as she goes. "You can use those empty jars for the mixed powders." she says. "Just keep the measurments consistent."

Auxiliar Yllaora says, "Yes, of course."

The sun begins her downward journey towards eventual sleep, casting even, full light upon the land.

  Volka lights a fire under a hanging cast iron pot, before dumping a pile of wax chunks, shavings, candle bits and ends of old spent stubs into the container, preparing to melt it down for the candle cores.

Yllaora takes what is left in the wooden bowl and pours it into an empty jar, with her face inches from the exchange and only one eye open to better fixate on each grain. Having weighted the mixture by hand, she take more of the right quantities and collects an amount to fill the jar two-thirds of the way of the powder.

 Volka stirs the pot with a long handled wooden spoon, evenly heating the wax and melting the larger chunks. Pulling a smaller ladle toward her, along with a slender, tall metal cylinder mold, and a few ceramic dishes, she watches the wax closely, drumming the fingers of her free hand against her thigh.

Volka holds out one of the ceramic bowls toward Yllaora. "Can you put some of the mixed powder in this?"

 Yllaora tilts the jar of the mixture and delicately scrapes out a third of it's contents with the knife into the ceramic bowl.

 Volka grins wolfishly. "Thanks." she says, taking the bowl back and ladling some of the indescript wax into it, stiring with a thin metal spatula to distribute the metalic salts somewhat evenly. she pours the resulting mixture in to the wicked mold, and brings the rest of the bowls over to the powder station as she waits, the wax in the pot barely over the fire, keeping warm. "I'll need a larger amount of Magnesium, to layer between the colors. The wicks have a strip in the center, but I want them to flash when they change colors." she says, grining.

Auxiliar Yllaora says, "Oh, that should look quite nice. Come to think of it, I didn't quite know how the magnesium was coming into play."

Auxiliar Yllaora says, "Now it makes sense."

Volka grins rougishly. "Celesmas is about stars and light and identity. Sometimes our changes of identity come in a flash." she says, as if explaining her idea process.

Pleasantly, you say, "Praise Varian and His favorite flannels, rah rah."

Auxiliar Yllaora says, "And I suppose ones identity is subjective, as to say it could equally be a facade to mimic this drastic change, which could identify."

Auxiliar Yllaora asks, "Or are we not having that conversation?"

Volka hums idly, watching Yllaora mix and grind the different powders together, nudging a stack of bundled firework wrappers a little further under the table bearing the dissected leg as she does so, keeping them out of the way as she moves about, alternately stirring the wax, checking the cooling test core, and watching the progress of the Auxiliar. "Oh sure," she says, nodding in response. "Identity is fluid. What is syssin today could be Cabalist tomorrow." she smirks. "Or Cabalist today, Shaman tomorrow. With identity comes self. And with self, choices."

Scratching her head in thought, Auxiliar Yllaora says, "Through those, it's hard to tell when someone who makes drastic decisions like that, how it is all related. Surely spending all of your time working towards a completely different goal changes your consciousness, and then how are you the same person?"

Auxiliar Yllaora says, "Or maybe that's the point."

You say, "Sometimes. Sometimes it is simple. A discovery of adept ability, for instance. The effect of loyalty. We are all made from threads of Varian's design. It is our warp and weft that make a tapestry for His enjoyment."

 Volka coughs slightly. "But don't take my word for it. I'm not a theologian."

Auxiliar Yllaora says, "I don't think anyone in the Cabal would admit to it, either."

You say, "Oh, I don't know."

Volka rolls her shoulders in a shrug. "The Conduit is an Order leader for our good Lord Maghak. Kelliara too, come to think of it."

 With a surprised tone, Auxiliar Yllaora says, "Oh? Now was not expecting that. But again, that's most certainly a point to that."

 Volka grins at the core mold, chuckling slightly. "Everything Eleanor does has a point to it. Maghak is a God of results. He may not claim that as a tenent, but I think He'd agree." she says, knocking the cooled wax out of the mold. Trimming the wick down with a knife, she shrugs again. "Eleanor once asked me the most profound question I've ever heard." She says conversationally. "And knowing the answer...at least, thinking I know the answer, cures me of my drive to serve any Immortal beyond Varian." she smiles, setting the gray blob of wax on the table. "You want to do the honors?" She asks Yllaora, nudging the stub towards her suggestively.

Auxiliar Yllaora says, "Are you sure you don't mind? You've been working so hard."

Volka grins broadly. "It's a team effort." she says, nudging the candle again. "You go on and do it. Besides, this way, if it explodes, I can put you back together again." she says, winking.

Yllaora takes the flint from her tinderbox and starts a small flame with the charcloth. She brings the lit end to the top of the wick, standing at her small arms length away. The wick catches and just burns as a small flame for a few moments before raining down a shower of sparks that dissipate before touching the ground and flame alighting to a brighter green.

 Volka squeals audibly, clapping her hands together with a child-like merriment, momentarily seeming to forget her super-serious scientific pursuit. "FANTASTIC!" she half-

Auxiliar Yllaora says, "That all seemed to turn out quite well, and with minimal cause for alarm."

 Volka grins broadly. "We should be able to layer the colors then. The thin bands of magnesium will make a flash or flare of light, and then the colors will change.

 Auxiliar Yllaora says, "That sounds perfect."

Handing a stack of ceramic bowls to Yllaora, you say, "Here, you put your powders in these, in the measurements for your different colors, about the same amounts as you did for this stub, and I'll add the wax and make a few cores. We should only need a few batches of each, the cores aren't very big."

Volka smiles, stirring the wax again. "We'll slide the cores into the candle forms, and be done. " She says, nodding as much to herself as to Yllaora. "Eugen will love them."

 Yllaora takes three bowls and designates one for each color. Like the mixture, she slowly evaluates the amounts being scooped out and pats them down in the ceramic bowls flat afterwards.

Auxiliar Yllaora says, "Good."

 Volka pours the heated wax into each bowl, working quickly before it cools, and pouring a larger amount into the bowl of magnesium, mixing and layering the different mixes in the candle mold, re-wicked and waiting. "I really appreciate your help, Yllaora." She says after a moment, glancing up as she adds a thicker layer of metalic wax over a layer of magnesium. "I don't have enough hands to do this on my own, it would have taken forever."

You look about, rubbing your chin thoughtfully.

Auxiliar Yllaora says, "Well, I suppose that is the catch. You could have enough hands to do everything, but they would get cumbersome and interfere with each other's basic tasks."

You say, "Yeah, you're probably right. Couldn't hurt making your own pair more efficient though....."

Volka trails off thoughtfuly for a moment, before, shaking her head. "Gah, too many variables." she mutters, finishing off the first set of cores, layered in different, hopefully pleasing patterns of red, green and white, as requested. "I'll remelt the rest of it and pour some really raucous ones, I think." She says, grinning. "Something chaotic. From Chaos, Order." she says, smirking.

 Auxiliar Yllaora says, "Well, they could probably be optimized to use less energy or stronger but that doesn't take monotony out of the work."

Auxiliar Yllaora says, "Uh, yes-."

 Volka giggles slightly. "True, true."

 Auxiliar Yllaora says, "That seems appropriate."

Volka leans against the counter as she waits for the wax to cool. "So why'd you choose the Cabal?"

 Squinting as she tries to find where to start, Auxiliar Yllaora says, "Well, I've always liked learning new things, most of all knowing the truth about misunderstood things, which I don't think there is a better example of that than the Cabal."

Auxiliar Yllaora says, "The spheres sing a perfect, simple truth just wanting to be known, and our life-science has proved to be a great tool in understanding the importance of abandoning personal bias and other things that would restrain freedom of thought and practice."

 Volka grins lopsidedly. "You find the ventures of the Cabal satisfactory for your needs then?" she asks curiously, checking the cores with a touch to the side of the molds.

Auxiliar Yllaora says, "Oh, yes. I know there is not a better place or people to- uh- explore with. Let's go with explore."

Auxiliar Yllaora says, "Or Ideal."

Auxiliar Yllaora says, "One of those concepts."

The corners of your mouth turn up as you grin mischievously.

You say, "I agree."

Volka leans forward, popping a core out of the mold, the drab mix of random colors making an unassuming striped cylinder of wax.

Volka drops a wooden candle box.

 Volka rumages around in a wooden candle box, pulling out a tall, red candle, and dropping the core in the hollow space where a wick should be. Dipping the very bottom edge in the candle in the wax pot, she seals the bottom, affixing the candle core to the outside. "Tada!" She says exhuberantly, waving her free hand at the finished product.

Auxiliar Yllaora says, "Looks perfect."

Auxiliar Yllaora says, "Great work."

Volka grins happily. "Couldn't have done it with out you." she says. "There's a lack of glitter, but, given the circumstances..." she trails off, smiling conspiritorially at Yllaora. "I don't think we would find any if we tried."

 Auxiliar Yllaora says, "Well, if anyone else asks, we didn't try, at least."

You snicker under your breath.

You say, "True!"

You say, "I'll slip these cores into the sleeves and seal them, and ship them back to the Senator."

Auxiliar Yllaora says, "Sounds good."

You say, "You can go, if you like. Though I do suggest, you may want to write a short report on your work today. It would make a good one, and I'm sure the Conduit would enjoy it."

You say, "Not right now, o'course."

You say, "But after you've gotten some rest."

Auxiliar Yllaora says, "Certainly, I'll tend to it in a couple months."

Auxiliar Yllaora says, "And yes, I should rest."

 Volka grins, uncasing the rest of the cores, and choosing out sleeves for the different patterns. "I look forward to working with you again, Auxiliar. Keep up the good work, and we'll see you accredited soon."

H:Auxiliar Yllaora says, "I will take my leave and see you at the celebration."

Volka slides the cores into the candle sleeves, each core no larger than a standard taper candle, and seals the bottom of each one, dipping the end in the warmed wax. "Fantastic! I will be there!"

 Yllaora waves goodbye at you.

Yllaora leaves to the west.

Volka waits a moment to let them cool, before setting each finished candle in the wooden candle box, ready for shipment to Eugenides.

LETTER TO EUGENIDES (with box in it)

Eugy,

 Enclosed is your candle box, with all the finished candles in it. Each one of your sparky ones have a GRAY bottom. The others are regular candles. the GRAY bottomed candles with the LEMINSCATE carved on the bottom are multi-colored. They are completely random, and have many colors. The rest of the GRAY ones are in patterns of your requested color palette. Thank you for thinking of the Cabal in this matter.

 In service,

Volka Adil, Seven-Hand



 

Moirean

That was a fun read and it really highlighted something I love about Spinesreach - the city is so great at taking little hooks (Guys, go make me some decorations) and turning them into great scenes and even RP arcs. Awesome job, and especially great work integrating in a new member and helping her learn-by-doing your guild tenets.

Eugenides

OH SNAP! and now for

CANDLES! THE PREQUEL!

... Which isn't on my laptop. Will upload when I get to the desktop....

consider this the teaser trailer.

Eugenides

As promised, The long awaited Prequel, Where did these people come from? Does one of them have a secret past? Where did the beautiful and amazing Senator Eugenides go? all these questions and more shall be answered in.

Candles! THE PREQUEL!



Somewhat worried now, you say to Volka, "Speaking of procedures, is there one in place on what to do in case of fire?"

Volka strides across the lab floor, past rows of desks, racks of jars, and one particularly nasty-looking dissected leg on an obsidian table, to a lab station still sporting a few leaves here or there, tiny parchment tags around the stems. Now mostly populated with small jars of different minerals, and small racks with spirit candles beneath them. Arching a brow at your question, Volka says "Put it out?"

Eyes scanning the room, Eugenides pauses for a moment to look at the leg before continuing to follow Volka. He says, almost absentmindedly, "Put out the fire. Check."

Leaning over the table of candles, Eugenides peers into the little bowls and jars. Motioning, he ask, "What's in these?"

Adding as an afterthought, you say, "And am I allowed to touch them?"

Volka raises a brow. "Oh, uh, explosives. I took apart some fireworks to get the powders out of them. You can, but don't spill them. We're going to be lighting them on fire in a minute."

Yllaora asks, "To test their safety?"

Volka says to Yllaora, "Nah, to see which ones do what. I'm not a pyrotechnic, so we'll have to test them all, and I want to see how they burn."

Snatching up one of the jars Eugenides peers inside at the yellowish powder. Moving a hand back and forth over the opening, he wafts the sent at his nose. With a grimace, he no so much asks as declares, "Sulfur." He sets down the glass only to retrieve a new one. Peering inside he comes back with a quizzical look. "What've we got here?"


Volka looks about herself, rubbing her chin thoughtfully.

Volka says, "Magnesium, I think."

Eugenides sets the jar down very carefully, and takes a step away from the table. His eyes are wide and watching.

You say, "Best leave that one for you."

Waving a hand at the table,, Volka says, "Most of them come in molded balls, so they detonate properly. These are just shavings."

Eugenides watches Volka with a renewed rapt attention.

Yllaora says, "That makes sense. All the better to observe and not explode."


Volka says, "That one's copper, I'm pretty surer. It's from the cabalist firework. And this one over here is Titanium, if it's the same as paints, this one should be white.

Volka clears off a space for the three of them, swiping leaves into a box and tossing it aside. "Have a seat." she says, nudging a stool with her boot.

Eugenides sits down at the indicated spot, fiddling with his goggles to make sure they are secure.

Yllaora sits on the stool, letting her legs sway above the ground.

Volka remains standing, stepping between the two seated. "Y'see this?" she says, picking up a flat blunt knife blade, angled to set a little lower than the handle. "You use it to hold the powder." she picks up the sulfur bottle, scooping a tiny bit of powder out and tipping it slightly to shake the powder back in, to demonstrate. "Like so, see?"

Nodding, you say, "Aye, Seems easy enough."


Volka says, "Y'shake it into th' flame real light, it should spark and burn in th' colors. Spirit flame is clear or a little blue, so you should get pretty good colors out of them."


Glancing at everything addressed and hand movements with her wide eyes, Yllaora says, "Yes, this all makes sense so far."

Thinking for a moment, you say, "I've never worked with spirit flame before. Should be easy enough. Light it up!"

Volka grins, tapping a finger to the lamp in front of you, a slightly blue flame flickering suddenly around the wick. "Go for it, Senator." she says, turning to do the same for Yllaora's glass lamp. "You too, Auxiliar. Tiny bits to start, if we can't get the colors out of small samples, we'll make them largeer."

Snatching up the jar nearest him, Eugenides tips a small amount of the fine powdery substance out onto the flat of his blade. Carefully, he shakes small flecks and partials, sending them though the flame. They spring to life on the other side producing yellow sparks dancing this way and that. With a smile and a light in his eye, Eugenides asks, "Which one is this one?"

Glancing at the jar,, Volka says, "Ah, Sodium."

Selecting another jar at random, Eugenides hands it to Yllaora before selecting one for himself. This time he dips the tip of the blade into the jar, coating the tip. With a dexterous flip of his wrist, Eugenides tosses a small amount of the sand like substance through the flame. Red flecks of flame land scorching the tabletop. He looks inquisitively to Volka.

Volka says, "Try the titanium. I want to see if it's white like I think it is."

Volka nudges the bottle of titanium flecks a little closer to Yllaora, smiling encouragingly.

Volka grins hopefully. "I think s..st..strontium? ".

Eugenides nods as though taking a mental note. He sets the jar down.


Volka leans over your shoulder, to pick up a small black book, flipping it open and scribbling a few notes in it with a cloth-wrapped bit of charcoal.

Yllaora delicately screws off the lid of the jar from a safe wafting distance. She lightly taps the powder with the knife, then collects a small amount on the edge. Carefully, she lowers the metal into the fire, and immediately a milk white smoke erupts and shortly disperses.

The corners of Volka's mouth turn up as she grins mischievously.

Volka says, "See? Science is -fun-."

You smile at Volka.


Volka says, "Yes!"
Yllaora says, "It feels, clean somehow. I don't know how exactly to express it. Pure."

Yllaora says, "I like it."


The corners of Volka's mouth turn up as she grins mischievously.

You say, "Right, Which ones do we have left?"

Volka says, "Copper, and uhm..."

Yllaora says, "Barium, as I can remember off the top of my head."

Volka says, "Barium?"

Volka says, "Magnesium is sparky, it's what I was going to use to relight the candles."

Yllaora says, "Oh, that's clever."

You say to Yllaora, "You want the Copper or the Barium?"

Yllaora says to you, "Oh, I do love copper if you don't mind. It's a beautiful metal before it's turned into bronze."

Volka scribbles a few more notes in her book, watching Yllaora closely. It's apparent to the close observer it's not just the powder she's taking notes on, and a slight smile twitches at the side of her mouth as she writes, an analytical expression on her face.

Offering a quick bow and a gesture to the jar of copper shavings, you say, "Absolutely. I'll take the Barium."

Eugenides seems to think for a moment before removing a small square strip of paper from his journal. Laying it flat on the table, he picks up the jar of Barium. Once again dipping the blade into the open jar, he makes a small line of the material on the center of the page. Deftly, and before anyone has a chance to protest he rolls it into a cigarette shaped tube. Placing one end in his mouth, Eugenides brings the other end to the flame. Instead of lighting it, he exhales -hard- sending a brilliant green fireball out the other side. The fire ball, No bigger than a human head, stays alive for less than a second before its fuel is used. Eugenides sits back, apparently satisfied with himself.

Volka says, "Well that surely works."

With a smile, you say, "I think I'm getting good at this whole science thing!"

Volka grins, nodding. "Anyone can do science. You just have to have the passion and attention to detail."

Conspiritorially, Volka says, "But only a few are good at it. You're both quite promising."

With a sly grin, you say to Volka, "I've given this speech before. You on a recruitment kick?"

Smiling wryly, Volka says, "If you are interested, we wouldn't turn you down. The Cabal can be fufilling for a lot of people, if they'd give it a chance."

You say to Volka, "The day may come when I decide to call the Cabal my home, but that is not today."

Still smiling slightly, Volka says, "Shame."

Yllaora in a similar fashion, delicately takes off the lid of the copper container, and crinkles her nose at this much more familiar metallic smell. Taking a more generous portion of powder, she again slowly holds it above the flame, which shortly crackles into a tall cyan flame before shrinking and then dying out entirely.

With a firm clap of the hands, Eugenides says, "Right, I believe that's all the powders, Right?" a brief pause. "Seven-Hand, You wouldn't happen to have a mortem and pistil floating about huh?" He finishes.

Volka raises a brow curiously. "To your left." she says, motioning with a tilt of her chin.

Snatching up the required tools, Eugenides asks, "Who's our artist? I've not the eye for colors." after a breath he adds, "Or art for that matter."

Yllaora says, "I can see colors, at least. I don't know about art.."

Eugenides passes the tools to Yllaora saying, "let's see what you got! We need some holiday colors. I'm thinking red, green, and white for some reason."

The corners of Volka's mouth turn up as she grins mischievously.

Volka says, "We could do a few candles for the inner gate in a mass of colors too. With the left over powders."

You nod your head emphatically.

You say, "That sounds like a plan."

Yllaora says, "Yes, that sounds nice."

Volka winks cheerfully, pulling down larger jars of powder from a high rack, and a few empty jars as well, and setting them aside. "We know blue and yellow make green, so let's try that one first, and see if we can mix them like that and get the different colors. if it doesn't work, we still have barium to make it.wt

Yllaora asks, "Do you have a- small bowl that I could use to contain them as I mix? Or should I use the mortar?"

Volka says, "Hrm... let me see."

Volka rumages around a bit, finally reaching all the way to the back of a cabinet, dragging out an old, battered looking wooden bowl. "Will this work?"

Yllaora says, "Oh, yes. That looks perfect."

Volka grins, passing the bowl off to Yllaora. "Fantastic!" she says, nodding. "I'll get the wax for the cores started, and when we've got a bit done up, assuming the mixture works, we'll add some to a core and make sure my idea will burn right.

Yllaora with a bit more confidence in the stability of the powders, she opens the corresponding jars and scoops out equal amounts of both and dropping them into the wooden bowl. Using the pestle to blend them together and crush any imperfect lumps and the knife to scrape any powder that is clinging to the sides, she take only about half of what she gathered and takes it to the fire. The mixture is consumed instantly producing a sparking burst of flame, in the color of a ripe lime.

Eugenides

---- Editor's note / fanfiction of the ending! / directors cut
..... this didn't happen, but it's how I like to remember it.

A guard shouts, "DRAGONS ATTACK THE SPIRES, SIR! What are our orders."

Exuding masculinity, Eugenides stands, "Stand strong soldier! You are a guard of the Lion. I'll not have you whimpering. Make sure the women and children are safe. Leave the dragons to me!"

Volka says, "No, Senator Studmuffin. You shall perish! No one man can stand against the might of a dragon! If you fall, so do the hearts of all women in the realm. You want to take on the dragons? Surely you can't be serious."

with a hushing noise, Eugenides gently places a finger on the lips of Volka and says in calming tones, "I am serious, and don't call me Shirley."

Flashing one last smile, Eugenides draws his dirk, mounts his unicorn, and cries, "WHAT HO!" as he charges up the stairs.

Moirean

...I need to hire Eugenides to write some fan-fic for the Fling's library...

Volka

OMG, I'm dying @Eugenides‌ .

Thanks for posting the other half of that.

I don't know why it didn't space mine like yours, it's like that on my computer... *sigh*
At any rate, it was SUPER fun. I got to hang out with a new addition to the guild, make some rp and managed to not fumble too much.

Also, the thought of Eugenides charging up the catacomb stairs on a giant pink unicorn made my unicornsing day.

Cylano

This is so good!! Love all of this!