RP:To Life, To Life, She'll Bring Him

Summary: Aureus visits Iintahquohae's shop in Vailkrin with a request to bring his minotaur plush to life, or as close to sentience as she can. She happily obliges.

The Stitch and Pin

Iintahquohae's shop is still in relative disarray due to the undead, but at least she didn't have to worry about shattered glass anymore. Or looters. The window is still boarded up, in need of a new pane of glass, the majority of her stock is gone from the shelves, stolen over the last few weeks. But the seamstress's determined and somewhat stubborn nature meant she'd get things back to normal one way or another. It'd just take time, and she had plenty of it. The desk and chairs she brought downstairs take up the center of the room, broken display cases shoved to either side wall of the shop until she figured out how to properly replace them. It is there that the seamstress can be found, poring over a ledger of her now long gone inventory to get a real look at what all she's lost. The mannequins are at least up and about, helping with what little autonomy they possessed. Wooden, faceless figures in various states of disrepair toting dustpans, brooms, and feather dusters, walk around the relatively empty shop, cleaning up the mess. Despite the dreadful state her shop is in, Iintahquohae actually has the open sign flipped on the front door, and the door is unlocked for anyone to walk in. The shop might be in disrepair, but she can still work. The looters didn't get everything, and she had her other shop in Cenril to borrow inventory from in a pinch.

Aureus walks into The Stitch and Pin after hearing somebody can animate his plushie. He opens the door and steps inside, taking a look around for a couple seconds believing this place had once been a very magnificent shop. He stops short and catches his breath as he watches mannequins with brooms and dusters move along. Knowing he found the right place. "Evening!" he says to the woman. "Pretty cool place you got going on here!" he chuckles.

Iintahquohae's head abruptly jerks up from the ledger she's looking through at the sound of the door swinging open. The individual that walks in catches her off guard. She expected vampires or undead, not... “Well aren't you just spectacular,” the seamstress remarks, probably a little too loud. But how could she not point out the minotaur's resplendence? The ledger in her hands closes with a soft thunk, and Iintahquohae is on her feet moments later, walking around her desk with a far too excited swish of her grey fox tail as she moves to properly welcome Aureus in. “Good evening, and thank you! It's...Well,” a bit of a mess is an understatement, the shop is a wreck. “We've fallen on hard times, much like the rest of the city, but! What can I help you with? I'm sure I can still lend a hand...” She didn't have a clue what someone that looked like they were hewn from crystals might want from her business, but she can't turn down an opportunity like this. The seamstress offers her hand, “Iintahquohae Kerrigan. A pleasure to meet you....?”

Aureus accepts her hand. "Aureus Vernifelon, pleasure to meet you." he says before glancing back to the magical mannequins. "I've heard you can do stuff like that" he says, pointing to the mannequins. "Do you think you can animate my plushie? I kinda want a new sidekick." he says before pulling out a decently crafted minotaur plushie, holding it out to her.

“Likewise, Mister Vernifelon.” Iintahquohae follows his eyes toward her mannequins hard at work. “That I can,” she nods. “Though my skills aren't perfec- A plushie?” Her gaze returns to Aureus as he reveals the tiny minotaur, and with maybe an overabundance of care, she lifts it into her hands. It's a holdover from making soft toys for children, or mending them what she called her 'stuffed toy clinic', or something similar. Depended on the child. She doesn't go through with making a grand show of examining the plushie like she would with a child, instead opting to give Aureus a nod. She does take a good look at its craftsmanship, however. Its stitching, specifically, considering if Inks was going to bring it 'to life', so to speak, she'd need to cut it apart and stitch it back together. “I can do this for you, absolutely. What did you want for it to do?” He said sidekick, and Iintahquohae finds herself looking up to the minotaur with a bemused expression on her features as she envisioned the minotaur plush perched on his shoulder. “I can make it move, walk, clean...unfortunately not talk, or think, the way we do. But I can give it a personality.” Actual sentience, as far as the seamstress knew, required an actual soul, and she zero knowledge on how to work with souls.

Aureus looks at Iintahquohae with an obvious disappointed look on his face. "Oh, well I guess just make it act as human as possible. I was thinking you could make it actually live. How about making it so it follows me everywhere? Is that easy enough?" he says, giving this whole idea a second thought.

Iintahquohae hardly bat an eye at Aureus' disappointment. It's understandable if he dropped by for one thing and realized she couldn't necessarily deliver on that one thing, but luckily for him, there were alternatives. “...As human as possible.” Her eyes linger briefly on a nearby mannequin at work, and her stranger mannequin, Sal, locked away in her shop in Cenril springs to mind. That mannequin could walk, write letters, travel long distances, and horrifyingly enough -disguise- itself to try to blend in. And it...well, it 'felt' feelings. More like unhinged obsessions, really. And it had a clear understanding of right and wrong, as far as she could tell. Poor Tristram. Poor Lanlan. Unless Aureus took his plushie back from her, the seamstress held it in her hands and turned it over, yet again taking in its overall construction. “I can get close to 'alive',” she explains, “but your little friend won't be perfectly alive like you or me. It'll take some time to draw up the sigil chains and set your friend into motion, but I'm happy to do it. Two or three days should be enough to draw them all out on something small enough to sew into your friend.” A brief pause follows, in which she hands the crystal minotaur back his plushie. “I'll need a drop of your blood to complete the work. Or....” Those crystals the minotaur was covered in, or perhaps made of were utterly magnificent to behold, and her usually dull eyes seemed to light up at the mere sight of them. So much potential. “A piece of you. Just a small one. Something to give your dear friend a spark of 'life'.”

Aureus looks at her, curious about what she has planned. Then realizes what she meant. "Ohh, you need one of my crystals? I think I have a couple in my bag, lemme check." taking his bag off to look through it. After a couple seconds he takes out a little sparkly crystal, handing it to her. "That should do it, I shed a few every now and then." he says.

Iintahquohae nodded. “Just a small one, given the size of your friend,” she decided not to refer to the plushie as a plushie any longer, considering the plan was to make it more life-like. Asking someone to tear off large parts of themselves to make something move seemed too many steps too far, especially given the size. Her earlier demeanor trickles away to something that leaned more serious as flashes of the symbols she'd need to painstakingly draw and chain together come to mind to make this work, and she knew it'd be her primary focus for the next few days to ensure it was completed properly. It was part ritual and part rune weaving, in a sense. When he retrieves a crystal from his bag and hands it to her, she holds it carefully within her palms. Typically she'd make more of a show of it if she were bringing a child's toy alive to entertain them, but there was still part of her that perhaps oddly, to those that knew her personally, approached the act with a sort of reverence. The act of creating in any capacity, the seamstress equated to something similar to divinity, and this was, at least to her, the closest that she'd ever come to 'playing god', so to speak. Her fingers close over the crystal, and her head lowers just a hair to Aureus. It wasn't often she encountered folks taller than herself, so it actually felt more like a partial bow than Inks merely peering down at someone else. “Give me three days at most, Mister Vernifelon, and return with your friend. Then we'll wake him up.”

Aureus nods, "Sounds good to me! Thank you for this by the way, it means a lot." saying as he turns to leave. "I will see you soon!" he says, waving her goodbye. Still curious how human this will turn out.

Iintahquohae grinned. “Of course, I'm glad I could help.” She hadn't even discussed pricing, let alone... “Oh!” She internally curses, realizing she forgot one crucial part. Before Aureus steps out onto the street, she asks, “Wait, what is your friend's name?”

Aureus stops and thinks for a moment. "Gosh, I haven't really given him a name yet. Would you like to name him?" he says, thinking if she can work miracles like these then she could possibly give him a good name.

Iintahquohae hadn't expected that answer. No name? And he's allowing her to choose the name. As much of an honor as that is, one doesn't spring to the seamstress's mind right away. Instead she reiterates her thoughts, partially. “Well, as much of an honor as that would be, I think you should be the one to choose his name. We can save that for when you return with him.” In the meanwhile, she could come up with something if he did come back with the minotaur plush to wake him up, without a name in mind. “I hope you have a good evening, Mister Vernifelon.” When he exits and the door closes behind him, he'll notice that one of the mannequins in the shop hastily flips the store's sign to read Closed, and the sound of a lock bolting the door shut. It was time for the seamstress to get to work.

Three nights later...

The task is complete. Yards and yards of thin muslin strips cover the floor, upon which the seamstress has embroidered line after line of a complex chain of runes in a bright red thread. The runic system is of her own design, and the lengthy chains of symbols specify the minotaur plush's capabilities that she'll bestow upon it in excruciating detail. Mobility. Very simple logic. Spacial reasoning. The malleability of a 'mind' to develop its own personality. A capability to learn new tasks. An understanding of commands from its companion, in this case Aureus. Imprinting – specifically, to the crystal minotaur so the plush understood upon activation that Aureus was its guardian. She carefully winds all of these bits of embroidered muslin around the crystal Aureus gave to her, fashioning the bundle into a heart for the plush. She keeps this bundle on her desk while she awaits Aureus' return, rolling her wrists until they cracked. Being a vampire may grant Iintahquohae impressive embroidery speed, but it still hurt after working nearly non-stop on the same project.

She needed a drink. Thankfully after rummaging through desk drawers, the seamstress retrieves an unopened bottle of bloodwine that she's quick to uncork and take a swig from. Despite her grimace at its taste, it'll suffice for now. She can hunt after Aureus returns and she can complete her task. She recorks the bottle and stows it away once more, and refocuses her attention on the shop's door while waiting his arrival.

Aureus bursts through the door with a much excited look on his face. He couldn't wait for this day to come, it felt like the longest 3 days of his life. As he walks inside he stops to take a couple breaths, he ran quite a long way. "Hey Inks! You mind if I call you Inks?" he says after spotting her by what looks like the spawning of a demon. He quickly wonders if Iintahquohae talks to spirits in her free time.  "I've got a name for him! How about…'Azazel'?" he asks her with a dramatic tone to his voice.

Iintahquohae considers reaching back into the desk drawer for another drink to curb some of her thirst, but just as she's about to lean over to pull at the drawer handle, Aureus arrives. Her nickname is pleasant to hear. “People call me that all the time. Not at all,” she replies, standing from her seat to properly greet the minotaur. “Do you have hi-” she pauses and almost apologizes for cutting him off in her eagerness to see the task through to completion, but in pausing she learns the minotaur plush's name. Her head bobs with approval at the name. If he liked it, it was the correct name for his friend. “Do you have Azazel with you?” She ushers him to the desk and sets to work clearing most of it off and collecting a few supplies from another drawer. Needle, thread, a thimble, all of which are placed on the desk while she motions with one hand toward a mannequin nearest the door to close it and flip the sign to indicate the shop was closed. Temporarily. No interruptions for another night.

“This part shouldn't take long. The bulk of it is done. I just need to cut him open, add his brand new heart, and stitch 'em back up.” It sounded so unnecessarily morbid when she addressed the plush with a pronoun, but the seamstress didn't intend for that. “If you could set him on the desk, please,” Inks murmurs while threading a needle, then searching her pants pocket for a seam ripper she kept handy. “Belly up, s'il te plait.” Aureus may notice a subtle shift in the air of the shop's confined space. A buzz of magic, a distant pulse, a facsimile of a heartbeat. And all of it emanated from the rune-wrapped scale waiting on the desk to be implanted.

Aureus nods and unclips Azazel from a handmade clip he crafted attached to his sturdy utility belt. Carefully stepping forward and placing him down on her desk, weary of accidentally touching one of the objects on her desk. He quickly leaps back, almost as if something might blow up. "Sorry, I'm very careful when it comes to magic. I hate anything that has to do with it…well besides you of course." he says to her while holding his hands up in front of him to get a good look at his sparkling crystals. Thinking about when this 'crystal' incident first occured. Of course he knew this plushie transformation shenanigans dealt with alot of magic, but this is different. "He's all yours! I'll..just be over here." he says with a nervous look while backing up a couple feet. 

Iintahquohae tries to maintain her default, neutral expression even as Aureus leaps back from her desk after setting Azazel down on it. Fear was something she only marginally understood, with the influence of a certain serpent possessing her or otherwise. And she has no place to judge his hesitation anyway, as he describes his distaste for magic and vaguely reveals why. She doesn't press to learn his past, instead refocusing on the task at hand. Seam ripper in hand, she opens Azazel's middle with one deft motion at the seam, evenly splitting stitches. From there she removes some of the stuffing, roughly the amount that matches the size of the pulsating bundle of muslin on the desk.

“Feel free to sit,” she motions to the chair opposite her, while settling down at the desk. “It won't hurt you.” But she understood if he was too wary to settle down in such close proximity to magic at work, and tries a reassuring smile as Aureus backs away. That's alright. She can focus her attention solely on getting his friend up and running. With care, she places the activated 'heart' into the plush's open middle, then adds some of the stuffing she removed around it to better stabilize it within the tiny minotaur's center. With threaded needle in hand, she works a ladder stitch along the length of the opening so the stitches are invisible on Azazel's tummy once she's done. It looks like an entirely mundane task, truth be told, but the seamstress hums as she does it. The tune itself is magick'd, or rather the sound of her voice is – a mix of aeromancy and magic with sound vibrating undead vocal cords, honed in on the tiny heart within its vessel to steady its pulse, and activate it.

The minotaur plush, little Azazel, moves his left arm first as she snaps the thread with one hand and cradles the animated plush in the crook of her opposite arm as if she were holding an infant. Azazel's right arm lifts shortly after, in curious, testing motions. Then the legs. She sets the needle down on the desk and ceases her humming just as Azazel's head slowly begins to turn in her direction. Before it fully turns to face her, she whirls the minotaur plush around to face Aureus, planting his little feet on the desk while her hands gently held the animated plush's arms upright to assist in stabilizing him until he adjusted. “Azazel,” she says his name slowly, deliberately, so the name registers. Her fingers reach down beneath the plush's chin to gently turn his head toward the crystalline minotaur. Imprinting was important in these scenarios. Azazel had to know who his...guardian, she supposes, was. “Meet Aureus.”

Aureus's emotions are caught in a whirlwind of amazement and sentiment as he witnesses Azazel, his once static plushie friend, come to life before his eyes. The experience tugs at his heartstrings, leaving him both awestruck and touched by the sight of the animated minotaur. The way Azazel's limbs move with an uncanny semblance of life and its curious gaze that seems to hold a hint of recognition leave him in a state of wonder. Guided by Iintahquohae's enchantment, the minotaur plushie's movements evoke a mix of emotions within Aureus. He's entranced by the way the small creature's actions mirror those of a living being, its inquisitive gestures reminiscent of a curious child exploring its surroundings for the first time.

Despite his initial reservations and unease around magic, a surge of affection wells up within Aureus for the now-animate Azazel. The bond he shares with this plushie, once just a plaything, has taken on a new and profound dimension. Watching Azazel's tiny, animated form interact with the world, he finds himself smiling through welling crystal tears, overwhelmed by the adorable spectacle that has unfolded before him. As Aureus locks his gaze onto Azazel, his eyes reflect a blend of amazement and affection. The animated minotaur, now inquisitive, captivates him in ways he couldn't have foreseen. With a sense of wonder and a touch of hesitance, he approaches the animated plushie, extending his hand palm up. As Azazel tentatively crawls onto his hand, his heart swells. The adorableness of the tiny creature, guided by Iintahquohae's magic, evokes warmth and wonder that pierce his initial unease.

Lifting his hand slightly to allow Azazel a better vantage point, Aureus's eyes remain fixed on the animated plushie. He's captivated by the delicate movements, a testament to the intricate enchantment at play. His emotions are a mix of joy and gratitude for this magical moment, where his cherished plushie has come to life in a way he had never imagined. With a chuckle, Aureus can't help but be charmed by the sight of Azazel attempting the miniature high-five. The gesture melts away any lingering tension, leaving behind heartwarming amusement. As Azazel's playful antics unfold, a smile forms on his lips, his focus solely on the adorable spectacle before him.

When he turns his gaze to Iintahquohae, a mixture of gratitude and awe fills his eyes. Her simple yet profound magic has brought joy and life to something he values deeply. "Thank you," he says softly, his voice carrying a depth of emotion that goes beyond words. It's a small phrase that holds immense meaning, conveying his gratitude not just for the enchantment she's woven, but for the connection they've forged in this magical moment.

Iintahquohae releases her grip on the animated plushie's arms now that it seems to be coming to grips with movement. The minotaur's overall positive reaction elicits a smile as she silently observes the pair. Her eyes are mostly on the plushie to determine if it was moving in a way that might mean her magic didn't properly take. So far so good, especially after that high five the two share. “Wonderful.”

The seamstress maintains her smile as Aureus expresses his gratitude to her. “You're very welcome. I'm happy I could help.” There was still the matter of payment, which Inks hadn't entirely settled on just yet. But that minotaur's crystalline scales are absolutely fascinating, and he -did- mention that he sheds them on occasion, so she can't resist asking. “We never settled on a price. How about another one of your scales?” While not the scales of a dragon, they certainly are beautiful. “Its size isn't especially important.” It might be a grotesque request, but they are in Vailkrin, after all. Grotesque is relatively on brand here.

Aureus sets Azazel down on the desk to let him explore. Then turns to look at Inks. "Well, I saw you eying them up earlier and thought you might like a couple." he says as he pulls out a goodie bag full of his crystals in every shape and size imaginable. "I figured this was the least I could do for you.. and your store." handing her the bag. "Also I do have a concern, if Azazel starts...acting up, should I just bring him here to get fixed?"

When has Iintahquohae smiled that brightly? Ages. As Aureus pulls out the bag of crystals, she has to resist breaking her usual composure to snatch the bag from his grasp and begin searching through it. Thankfully, she doesn't actually behave that way, instead accepts the bag and after gently bouncing it in her palm to guesstimate its weight, she sets it down on the desk to look through later. “Thank you so very much, Aureus.” As for his question about Azazel not functioning properly, she nods. “It's unlikely...Well, actually, he is much more flammable than my mannequins so if his heart catches fire or receives any kind of damage really, I can fix him up. You may need to swap out the scale occasionally...” She jabs an index finger to her own chest, roughly at her heart. “If you don't hear a beat, bring him back to me. As long as you take care of him, that should last for, goodness,” her eyes slide over to one of her mannequins, not currently mobile but standing eerily still next to a shelf. “Years. But other than that, what else can I do for you, Aureus?"

"No you've done enough for me, I can't thank you enough!" he says. He turns to his plushie playing with a needle on the desk, "Woah there buddy! Can't lose you on the first day!" he chuckles as he pulls the needle away. "Let's go home, k?" He held his hand out for Azazel. Watching him crawl back onto his hand. "Can you wave goodbye to Inks?" he tells Azazel. He just stares at Iintahquohae. "We might need to work on a few things." he looks at Iintahquohae,  "Pleasure doing business with you!" offering a handshake.

“You're absolutely welcome. Happy I could help,” Iintahquohae repeats herself, though her attention focuses more on the plushie as it begins exploring rather than locking eyes with Aureus. She's quick to move any other sharp and pointy objects from her desk away from the plushie, batting them to the side with her hand. The movements the plushie makes are so endearing, even the blank stare she receives when the minotaur asks his plush to wave to her. It's cute. She then refocuses on Aureus, and takes his offered hand within both of hers for a firm shake. “It honestly was a pleasure. If you ever need anything else, please come back anytime. I have a shop along Cenril's northern coast too if that's easier to reach.” The seamstress then walks the centaur and his darling new friend to the door, poking a head out to see if the throngs of undead were thinned out enough to be relatively safe for the pair to step out. “Stay safe, the both of you.”

"You too" he says to Inks as he starts walking down the street. "Ready to go exploring, Azazel?"