Graven Beauty

Log Info

• Title: Grave Beauty
• Emitter: Gadget
• Characters: Gadget, Ashes
• Place: A14: Artificer's Hall
• Time: Thursday, September 03, 2020, 12:06 PM
• Summary: Ash comes to visit with Gadget. The gnome is alone for the moment, wearing a dress that she later explains was taken from the trash and mended. Her monkey dresses her. Ash discusses options and asks how Gadget feels about herself. The gnome is focused on getting her eyes, arms and legs replaced, and says that looking pretty is a low priority. The mourner agrees, but also observes that it's likely the easiest fix, and doesn't have to come after the other things. She also offers to do some makeup, as she's well trained in making corpses presentable. Gadget, for the moment declines, and declines Ash's invitation to the opening of Sabina's new place. The mourner has to go, but promises to return.

-=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--<* A14: Artificer's Hall *>=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=-

The Artificer's Hall rests slightly off the ground, supported on all sides by eight strong, if nonfunctional legs. The entire Hall is carved from an ancient automation of a giant arachnid. While at one time--many eons past--it may have been functional, today it is a hollowed-out shell of its former self, with rooms made for professors' offices and class rooms. The Hall itself may be accessed by a stairway that leads up, and up...and up through one of its many legs.

Once inside, its appearance is anything but a mechanical spider's guts. With ceilings of polished stone and artifice-metal, the Hall possesses the same, ominous acoustics as any grand cathedral. Twisting, jointed arches of metal reflect its true form--as a great, massive structure hosted within an arachnid's mechanical belly. Everything is dark and metallic, with seams barely visible where pieces have been welded together. The whole building pulses every so often with a hum of energy, powered by a kind of arcane force scarcely comprehended by the outside world. Yet, the energy seems almost gobber-chaotic.

The centre of the building is a great octagon, with eight, great halls leading away from its core. Decorating its core are stained glass windows. They add to the almost holy ambiance. Instead of leading to the outside world, each shadowbox displays life-sized figures enact scenes from Alexandria's past from the Artificer's perspective. They display feats of Building, Achievement, and Experimentation. Towards the north is one depicting the Forge of the World. It depicts what is thought to be a snapshot of the tower at the center of the World Engine, the god's planar home.

The whole of the complex includes dormitories and construction rooms, where artificers compare notes, ideas, and puzzle over the grand works of history. These buildings spawn from the Central Hall in an almost arachnid fashion, connected by walkways of dark steel and overseen by golem guardians.

-=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=-

Gadget is not inside her buggy this morning. The buggy is there, but empty of all bedding (and coins) that lined it. Gadget herself is sat in a legless, old chair that seems to be designed for human children rather than gnomes that's shoved under a workbench. She's got similar clothes on as well, which shows in the fit of the dress: Straining across her chest and slack below...and obviously the sleeves don't fit even a little bit. This is obviously not the clothes that were commissioned for her, but they seem to be in good repair. Mr. Jinglewidget is also conspicuously absent.

The workshop seems a little less friendly. A chill atmosphere takes over. Shadows are deeper, objects seem more ominous. Everyday objects like a bubbling kettle seem somehow part of an eldrich machine. It's the same room, but creepier, and worse somehow for one that can't observe it. There's the overwhelming sensation of wrongness, an oppressive quiet, like being alone in a tomb.

Ashlee has arrived. "Hi."

Gadget turns her head to try to hear better. She's still blindfolded, but it's a nicer swath of fabric. "Is that Ashlee?" she asks.

Ashlee comes around, examining Gadget outside of her buggy for the first time. Her dress is interesting and disturbing, the gnome looks too much like a doll with her limbs removed. If Ashlee had dolls as a child, it might be a fond memory, instead it reminds her a little of work. She notes the strain of the dress and the complimenting blindfold.

"It's me, yes." There's other things she should be saying, her pamphlet had guidelines for small-talk, "You look nice."

GAME: Ashes rolls bluff: (3)+0: 3
GAME: Gadget rolls Sense Motive: (17)+1: 18

Gadget smiles. "You're a terrible liar," she says, gently. "It's nice to hear your voice, Ashlee. I always look forward to your visits."

GAME: Ashes rolls sense motive: (8)+7: 15

"Your dress is too tight. Without your limbs the empty sleeves and bottom it looks strange." Ashlee says, more honestly. Perhaps the pamphlet lied about compliments. Her voice is still monotone, "It might look better without them, if you were more like a pillow. Or when your new arms are finished."

"I know," Gadget says. "It was ripped and probably too small for the child who wore it before me, and Mr. Jinglewidget found it in the trash when he was out. I've been practicing casting spells without movements. It's harder, but still doable. I was able to mend it."

"That's good. I've never tried that." Ashlee generally doesn't cast a lot of spells, and her main go-to trick is glaring at people and hoping they have a bad day. Which works surprisingly well. There's a screech as she pulls a chair closer, the human-sized one that gets shoved in the corner when she's not around. She sits. "Do you want to go shopping, or want me to get something for you, so you aren't wearing clothes out of the trash?"

Gadget can still shrug, but the gesture has less weight without arms. "I need a lot more gold, and I need to experience more things. When I can figure out the next stage of spells, I feel like things will become easier for me all at once," she tries. "Still need to figure out how to get experienced in my current condition."

Ash nods, which can't be seen and likely isn't audible. Her hair is thick and coarse, but not so thick the sound of it sliding on clothes is going to be obvious. "You could get one of those dress forms, the empty hoops, and take the body off the top of it. Attach wheels, and Mr. Jinglewidget could push you around inside it, hidden by your skirts. You'd only have problems with stairs. It might help you adventure a little bit."

"Safer to just use the buggy, I think," Gadget says. "I don't need to look pretty to disrupt undead." As she's speaking, the monkey comes back with cleaned bedding, which looks like it's actually just a big blanket, and starts stuffing it back into the buggy. "Mr. Jinglewidget?" Gadget asks. Friendly monkey noises garner a smile in response from her.

"Hello Mr. Jinglewidget." Ash says, directing her flat words in the monkey's direction. She watches him pack in the blanket. He seems quiet skilled, and this impresses her. "That's true."

She stares silently for a little bit. Certain thoughts with obvious answers occuring to her. The ashen Arvec, for various reasons, is rather insulated from the opinions of others. Still, she understands self-image. Finally she asks, "Do you want to look pretty?"

"It matters a lot less than being able to walk, cast, and see," Gadget says. "But I do, yes. That's my usual goal when I wake up in the morning...or was before this happened."

"I prepare the bodies." Ashlee explains, or perhaps offers. Her duties likely involve some makeup, sewing lips shut. So it's an option perhaps, if one wants to look like a corpse. "It's the easiest thing you can fix, it doesn't have to come after the others."

Gadget squirms slightly. "I see," she says. "Okay," she continues. Mr. Jinglewidget moves to her and picks her up in a bear hug before putting her into the basket. Then he pulls the blankets up to her chin once more. "Thank you," she concludes with a smile.

The ashen Arvec watches as Mr. JingleWidget picks up Gadget and moves her into the basket. The gnome seems very comfortable with her familiar touching her. Familiar even. Then again, Ash is okay with Chippen wandering around on her, and most are unsettled even seeing that. "He's good at that."

"We've been practicing," Gadget tries. Mr. Jinglewidget, his hands now free, smiles and waves to Ash. She's brought them food enough times and hasn't been threatening, so he seems rather comfortable with her. He sits in the half-chair under the workbench and puts his monkey feet up on the spokes of one of the wheels.

Ashlee takes an apple out of her satchel. It seems normal and fresh. She holds it out to Mr. Jinglewidget. She doesn't seem to have a bag of food today, perhaps recalling the earlier discussion about caloric intake. There may be further things in her bag though. She leans forward a little, staring at Gadget in her new setting. "I'll try to think of other ideas. There is a new bar opening up. It has a bath house."

"You really think it's a good idea for people to see me naked?" Gadget asks, a hint of sass in her playful tone.

"I... was not planning on bathing." Ashlee says, and while her words are still very flat and monotone, perhaps there's a hint of reluctance. She bites her lip. She stares at Mr. Jinglewidget, who thankfully cannot speak. There is the rustle as she adjusts her clothes, her very old and faded clothes. "You would make an impression."

Gadget huffs out through her nose. "I miss going out and partying," she admits. "Especially on school nights," she says, a mischievous grin coming across her features. "But I should keep my wits about me. Bars are out, bath-houses, however nice a bath might sound, are also probably out."

"My friend owns it. She's a priest of Tarien." Ashlee says, she thinks back to her school nights, which she decides not to comment on. "It would be safe. The baths are separated."

Ashlee nods, watching Mr. Jinglewidget eat in silence. She doesn't press the issue further. After a time she announces, "I have to go to Temple. I'll return."

With a quiet swish of clothing the ashen Arvec departs, and with her, the eerie aura of the grave.