RP:A Mysterious Helmet Commission

Summary; Linn commissions Alvina to help him make a helmet to add to his already extensive suit of armor.

Alvina's House

Alvina sat at her work bench among a cluttered pile of metal working tools and metal shearing. Her hair was twisted back in a leather strap while a pair of goggles were fitted tightly across her eyes as she worked with a firing rod. Enchanted tools really did make life easier. In the window, as Linn approaches the house, he'll see a ebony ball of floof sun bathing through the cross hatched panes. She'd look almost inanimate except for her attentive yellow eyes as he came to the front door. It was unlocked, so he could move through it without any trouble. Once inside, he would see the endless supplies of metal working gear she has piled in "Lab" section of her home. In truth, it's a very large front room composed of sections. The kitchen section is closest to the door on his right as he enters, the lab following suit if his gaze sweeps right around the room. He'll find a hallway towards the back that likely leads to a bed room and wash room. After the hallway, the living room portion comes into focus, which houses a raised fire pit and a down feathered pull out couch. A rustic coffee table divides the two and completes the entrance hall. Alvina's focus will be entirely on whatever is in front of her. From Linn's distance, it might appear to be a metal feather. She'll wave her hand in his direction, while really having no idea who it is, and continue studying the frail thing on top of her work desk.

Linn had managed to get himself directed to Alvina’s place of work from the people who he had come to know in Frostmaw, his mention of needing some odd metalwork not coming as any surprise given the obvious construction of his armor. As he approached he eyed the cat sitting on the windowsill with a friendly smile before approaching the door, giving a couple sharp knocks with his metal-backed hand. He gazed around the room, admiring the spaciousness of the entry more than anything. Seeing the firey hair tied up he knew it was Alvina who was working on whatever project she had in front of her, prompting a small smile before he spoke up, letting his voice identify himself. “Hey there, I kept my promise!” Technically he did keep it, though if she caught rumors of what had happened to him in Xalious it might be a questionable subject.

Alvina was notable surprised to hear Linn's voice coming from the doorway. Her head tilted upwards, abandoning whatever conundrum she was puzzling over to rise and greet him proper. "Linn!" She called out with a smile, as if he needed to be reminded of who he was while she wrapped her arms around him in greeting. "I didn't know you were coming, I'm so glad to see you, and in one piece this time." Meticulous emerald optics scourer him for injury and find nothing visible at first glance. "How are you?" The cat in the window turns it's attention to the enchanter, uncertain about this stranger. Alvin catches the kitten's gaze and huffs at her from across the room. "Oh hush Aria," she chides the creatures, even though she'd made no sound. "Are you here for business or is this a friendly visit?" Alvin crosses her arms across her chest, letting the oil stains on her arms transfer to her white shirt. It's already speckled with enough stains to say it's used exclusively when she works. The goggles are remembered and tugged down to reveal her unfiltered face, setting against her collar bone, unnoticed.

Linn chuckled as he shared in Alvina’s joy, catching her hug with one of his own without care for any of the oil that might rub off on the mithril plating. It would be easy to clean up anyway. At being in one piece he grinned from beside her head with a small roll of his eyes. He was lucky to be in one piece right now… He was lucky to be in one piece most of the time come to think of it. Releasing each other he finally had a chance to respond. “I’ve been good. Also quite busy recently. Finding out more about what’s gone out west of Frostmaw and in Xalious.” He’d keep hushed on the topic of almost dying to the lich unless it came up. When asked about why he was here he grinned, “I am in fact here with something to do in mind. You said to come for some metalwork right?” He gave a nod, keeping the friendly grin before continuing, “I’d also be able to show you a bit of what I work in.” A beat, “I actually want to get around to making that helmet that I so sorely need it seems. I’ve got a few plans already drawn up but I’m no smith. You might be able to help me out with the design as well.” He idly thumbed the spiraled mithril ring around his finger where he kept said plans now, rather than the notebook in the side of his pack.

Alvina was thrilled that he still seemed soundly put together, and all the wounds she knew about had healed without flail. She’d caught not trace of the whispered rumors of Linn’s near death experience, which was probably for the best, seeing as she was keen on keeping him on team ‘stayin’ alive’. “I heard that Xalious is in a bad way…” she commented, “…not that Frostmaw is any better.” Her brow furrows into a slight frown. “Just keeping doing whatever you’re doing to stick around.” Was the last she said on the matter. “Something to do!” She exclaimed throwing her arms excitedly into the air and watching him like a hungry wolf, expecting more details. The ring catches her attention, but it’s the notebook that she expects him to reach for. “In here?” She points to the bound pages at the pack’s side. “I’d love to help. Tell me everything and we will work it out together. I’m a firm supporter of the ‘Linn not getting hurt anymore’ party and I think a helmet would greatly reduce the risk. Obviously.” When the bard got excited, she blurted out things that need not be blurted out. Nothing offensive or inappropriate. Her internal dialogue just transcended the barrier of her mind and broke in to reality.

Linn turned a bit nervous at the mention of Xalious and Frostmaw before he responded, “They’re in about the same condition really. What’s been going on between the two is concerningly similar.” When Alvina pointed to his notebook he shook his head, a wide grin growing over his face as he thought about the correct answer and how she might react to it. At the way she described her approval of the helmet he couldn’t help but begin laughing, traces of it remaining in his voice when he managed to begin speaking up again. “Okay. Things like this are better shown than said though, don’t you think?” Holding up his hand he put the unusual ring on display for the both of them, “This is a bit of what I do” he stated before the wires suddenly began to twist and unspool as a series of tiny diamonds escaped the loop to form another ring about his hand. A thin string of white light then connected the gems as the space above suddenly illuminated itself with a fully three-dimensional image of the enchanter’s current armor, its ridges and edges cast in whitish-blue light to outline its shape. A couple other models sat beside it, though the networks of light over them traced something else, something a bit more immaterial. He gazed at the image for a second before he turned one of the diamonds on the loop, parts of the image dissolving and others having sections added on. Now the whole model had several nodes of light that punctuated the edges of the plates where they gave way to the flexible armor. Next to it as a detailed view of a small section of the edges, showing what looked like a pit carved into the metal to serve as a setting, with the matching form to be put inside next to it. Alvina currently would find no such settings on the edges of Linn’s armor right now. Another turn of the diamond caused the image to vanish entirely before replacing itself with one of the helmet he had in mind. Among its most noticeable features was that it was divided into a front and a back section, held together by the means he did the rest of his plates. The face was kept well-open so as not to restrict his vision, the spaces where his ears were covered by a mesh rather than the solid metal that was outlined to ensure that his hearing was unimpeded as well. Around the bottom were more nodes of light that marked settings for the gems that he planned on using as well before a web of overlapping plates hung down to shield his neck from attack.

Alvina felt all the words in her mind vanish as the ring began to filter through bits of light in a 3d model display of Linn’s armor. She nearly cried, stepping forward with her tentative hands outstretched like she would be able to hold the figure, knowing full well that she could not. The intricacy of the designs were breathtaking. The wires, the grooves…all on display for her to see. It was everything her imagination did but in real life. To scale. Nothing like jotting figures in a notebook and toying around with the sizing until it looked right. She stared at the model as it moved, not speaking for a small length of time. When she finally did find voice to speak, it was breathless and bated. “Linn,” she swooned, “this is so magnificent. Show me everything.” And so he did, the networks of light lining the helmet, carving it into the air before them. The mesh linings for his ears and neck, even the divide between the two helmet pieces was crisp and clear. “I can do this,” she said, at length. Nodding to confirm the statement. “Let me get the materials together, and we can begin. It may take a short while to get the mithril, and I’m not an old hand at this by any means. We can work on it together.”

Linn couldn't help the prideful grin that went over his face as he saw Alvina's reaction to the show; this ring that he kept his notes in was perhaps one of his more fantastic creations. That and the mana crystal he enchanted to form a magical shield for him... she'll probably see that in a bit. But as people who share joy in designs, information, and creation he shared in her awe of the traces of light and what they could do for him beyond what pen and paper would allow. Seeing her reach out for the image he backed up a second to pull it back, eyes flickering right to the metal hand and what may happen. "Best not to touch the images with anything magical. Might cause them to do unexpected things" he explained. The images unfortunately weren't the result of any illusionistic magic, rather the forceful twisting and concentrating of his own raw energy into forms that caused them to gain physical presence. Such energy would readily take the form of whatever spell got close to it, empowering and amplifying it unwittingly. With Alvina's confident statement he grinned again in anticipation. "It's some complicated work. I figured you would have some fun working on this." Nodding himself, the image suddenly dematerialized before the diamonds in te ring reversed their expansion, the wires twisting right back over to hide them from view again before he set his pack down to rummage through it. "I have a small amount of mithril still, nowhere near enough for the whole thing but it's a start." He retrieved a hunk of the bright, lightweight metal from within, just enough to fill the palm of his hand with a shrug before growing a smile, "Tough metal to work with. I can't help but wonder what you have in store for it."

Alvina dropped her arms behind her back like a scolded child. 'Best not to touch...' "Agreed!" she chimed, not wanting to do anything to distort the images OR her arm. The gods only knew how it worked...and if she would ever find someone to repair the magical component within if it should fizzle out. She only brings them forward again to accept the mithril. It glimmers in her hands as she rotates it, letting the sunlight roll off it's surface. "What I have in store for it? Only what we've planned." She gave him a grin. "I'll start by laying out the foundation of the armor. The two halves for the front and back...with the hollow setting for now. And the The mesh looks simple enough. No fancy details as far as I could see. Is there anything special I should know about it? " The bit of Mithril is placed on her work table, to be regarded at a later point.

Linn returned the grin about what they have in plan. When Alvina went through the design as she saw it he gave a single nod before interjecting his own corrections, “The gem-settings around the bottom are important. They will play an important role in keeping my neck from getting broken to any hard hits to the head.” However they would… the answer was of course magic to the enchanter. Blunt trauma and whiplash was a very difficult thing to control without making the armor simply massive, but that wasn’t a solution to him. “It’s also important to get the edges where the two halves fit together right.” As if to explain what he meant he removed two of the connected plates around his arm before separating them in front of Alvina, running his thumb along one of the edges. One terminated in a narrow chevron while the other contained its negative, leading the plates to physically overlap each other about a quarter inch to behave as a single piece when assembled. He grinned, “I’m sure you can do the intricate metalwork for all this.” A beat. “You want these notes for yourself while we go out and get the rest of the material?”

Alvina touched the closure of his current metal with her fleshed hand, noting the smoothness of it. "No, no. Let me just jot down a few quick detailed notes and we can go gather the rest of what we need." At that, she withdraws a few pieces of parchment paper and a quill pen. Sure it wouldn't look as fancy or impressive as Linn's magical illustration, but it would be detailed and she'd mark down everything he'd asked and that she'd taken note of from, well, his notes! She'd hold the parchment out for Linn to view, making sure she didn't miss anything, before putting them away in a cabinet to keep Aria from eating them. Whoever said a cat couldn't eat your homework? "Do you want to go together or would you rather meet back here in a while?" Alvina wasn't sure how Linn preferred to work and she already knew he had a penchant for traveling alone and working alone, and being alone most of the time. Or maybe that was just how it was before, when they'd met. Maybe he'd found more people to keep him company and was warming up to the idea of not having to be alone.

Linn maybe could have made the notes quickly enough from the images he kept in his ring, but Alvina was already off and making her own with uncanny speed. Well, so long as she had the information she needed. When they were handed back to him he looked over the writing and sketches, “Looks good. Anything else we can sort out when we get to actually making the thing.” When asked about finding the mithril he thought for a second about how he’d get it. Given that he needed more sapphire as well he would probably go mine it himself, which meant a few things he’d rather keep a secret. “I can get it myself. If you manage to beat me to it,” he shrugged, “then we can start either way.” He looked up in the air for a second in thought, “We could cut some of those settings into the armor I already have. I wanted to add on to some of the enchantment and need to make some space for it.” He gave a friendly smile, more than anything looking forward to what tricks Alvina might have for such a task.

Alvina grinned, wanting to keep her own secrets in metal working for as long as possible. After all, being trained by an Ancient Avian did have its advantages. "That sounds like a fair plan. I'll start working on what we have here and you can meet me back when you're done. If I finish with what I have before you get back, I'll head down to centril and buy some Raw Mithril to work with." She gave him a sort of wink with a steady smile. An unspoken gesture along the lines of 'A girl's got to have her secrets' to dissuade him from asking about her processes. Mithril was a fairly new metal to her but not terribly. She'd seen Cerinii work with it, handle it, make it bend to her commands. Not a total novice. "And I don't know how you expect me to cut into your already enchanted armor that won't be destroyed by a frostmare's but I'll give it a shot when you get back. Crazy Enchanter." The look she gave him was all affection, melting down into slight embarrassment on the heel of him leaving. "I do want to say thank you, again. I appreciate your faith in me." Her heart swelled. It always made her so happy when people actually asked for her help or opinion. She just wanted to be appreciated! Was that so much to ask? And Linn, knowingly or otherwise, was showing his appreciation and trust in her by bringing this to her alone.

Linn just rolled his eyes at her own secret-keeping. He wouldn’t ask about it, but he would certainly watch if he was allowed to when they were working on putting things together. That would come later. “Sounds good. I can pay you back for the material if you wind up buying it.” It was the least he could do for her help with this. With the tease about cutting into the armor he just grinned, “It will be easier than you think if you have the right tools, just takes a little precision, that’s all.” The enchantments he had set in the plates and doublet underneath were there to deal with crushing, impactful forces, not delicate carving. She would learn of just how specific he was in his enchantments when they began the real work though. To her thanks he just smiled warmly, “I figured you would have some fun in making another part of my armor. You’re probably also one of the few people who can do all the different kinds of metalwork needed for it. I figured you would be the perfect person to take this to.” He gave a soft, silent chuckle at the end of the statement. Engineers had to have all sorts of tools on hand to tackle whatever challenges they hit. Alvina was likely no different.

Alvina laughed, the goggles against her neck line bouncing a little. "We are both mysterious and wonderful. It only makes sense that we work together." At the mention of payment, she shakes her head. "We can exchange a few secrets and that should be payment enough. Information like this is invaluable. Plus, you know, I need good projects and new knowledge to work with more than I need gold. The Eyrie has me in steady supply for a bit with their payments and requests." Money didn't matter. Books mattered. Inventions mattered. And if there came a time when she couldn't afford those, then money might matter a bit more. "Right!" she claps her hands together, an exclamation point to the statement. She stepped forward, threw a grandiose hug around Linn and backed away beaming when the embrace ended. "I'll see you soon?" She said, tugging her goggle back on her face as she looked over the mithril he'd brought with him. It wouldn't take her long to unlock it's secrets.

Linn chuckled at the playful laugh, “A couple mysteries working together to make a whole bunch more. It’s absolutely wonderful” he finished with a smile that twisted slightly at Alvina’s idea of payment, spreading itself into a grin at the priorities she held. “It’s always nice to worry more about having things to do than having the money to get them done with.” He gave a nod in perfect agreement, “Hopefully I can find some needs of my own for odd requests. I might have some really odd ideas sometime to try out.” When the bard stepped forward Linn managed to guess exactly what was about to happen this time, hugging her as well when she reached around him. With the farewell he nodded, “See you soon. Looking forward to what you have in store.” He glanced towards the mithril that he handed over with a grin, anticipating just what he might come back to find it shaped into. With that he made his way back to the door to the open room, turning as he reached the threshold, “Goodbye!” he called out with a wave before he left back into the sunlight outside.