pawnstorm | Synthesis & You ♗ si vis pacem, para bellum

Who: Everyone! General mingle
When: 8/16, when everyone's been called back to Gammon
Where: Gammon, Southwest Cloister
What: With determination to succeed this time high, Heroes have organized a demonstration of armor/accessory synthesis and everyone has been encouraged to learn how to and consider arming themselves to the best of their abilities for the upcoming battle.
Rating: Doubtful to be anything past PG-13

The Southwest Cloister, crowning jewel of Gammon's Blackchurch district. The high archways that line the sun-warmed courtyard provide a welcoming shade that feels cool and smells old and of masonry and dew, reminiscent of things simple and old as stone. A feeling of monastic solitude.

A place one will find anything but solitude as today a large part of it, sectioned off from the usual bustle of tourism by helpful residents and caretakers eager to help the visiting Blanc Heroes prepare, is filling with the uniformed visitors. Or at least the Heroes will have been encouraged to wear their uniforms, or at least the badges bearing their ranks in order to facilitate finding appropriate partners, and to have brought everything they might have recovered from their various missions, no matter how slight or unimportant it might have seemed. Perhaps a Bishop could discern its true use after all.

Perhaps you were dragged here by one of the enthusiastic other Heroes spreading word or saw one of the flyers posted in the The Other Side Inn. Maybe you just followed the crowd. Either way, you're here now and being ushered to either observe as Rin and Saber prepare to demonstrate for the newcomers, perhaps joined by others about to attempt the process themselves. Have the badge of a Bishop? Oh! Might you have the skills of a Scholar then? Don't worry, you're going to be asked to help assist in analyzing some of the more questionable magical components...

A sign has been posted on one of the pillars as well. Anyone who has decided they want to craft an item is encouraged to write there about the rank partner they're seeking, and likewise any Hero wishing to volunteer their assistance with their specializations is encouraged to write them with their name there.

Even the newly arrived Pawns will have been encouraged to attend and learn more—or perhaps to barter with a fellow Hero who can't figure out what to do with that enchanted scale. And who knows, perhaps someone—a friend or good Samaritan—out of the goodness of their heart...

[ OOC: Everyone is welcome! Get in here and have fun, make new friends, etc.
Also, please indicate your rank in your subject header as well when you're posting!
For example: Allen Walker ♖ Rook (Amplify/Vacuum)
CR meme is incoming as well to help with plotting. ]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Kaede beats him to the punch! ...sort of.

She jabs him in the nose with a finger, standing on her toes to do so.]

A feather.

[And indeed! There is a feather in the hand that poked him, held almost like a writing quill. It's a gossamer-light thing, still rippling with orange iridescence like a flame. A soft golden glow seems to be emanating off of it, too.]

[Ow, ow, ow. However, that jab is still better than hand holding.]

A feather?

[The question is rather unnecessary as he can see said feather clearly. It does look familiar, but it'll be better to make sure anyway. Touching it with the tip of his fingers is more than enough to figure out where she got it and, more importantly, its potential.]

You're lucky, I guess. It has great power, too. That's just the catalyst...what about the base item? What would you like it to be?

[She at least holds mostly still after that, and doesn't poke Gilbert in the face again.]

These burnt gauntlets.

[Now Kaede does move, unwrapping a pair of battered and worn looking gauntlets. She'd tried to use them, but...well, the way the leather palms were charred through explained how that went.]

[Gilbert's really thankful for that!]

I suppose they'll do...

[He takes a deep breath. Time for the most fun part...]

Alright, just wear them. And keep the feather close.

[Kaede slides the gauntlets on as best she can without nodding or otherwise saying anything; the lacing was burnt away in places and made that difficult.

But she sort of managed, though she ended up somewhat gingerly holding the phoenix feather and just making a face.]

Hurry up, it feels like they're going to fall off.

[They really do, that's why Gilbert doesn't waste any more time...even if he'd like to mumble for a while about hand holding and all the cutesy stuff again. With Kaede wearing the gauntlets, he actually has to put his hands on her shoulder instead of taking her hands in his own.

Something seems to be going on with the mana in the air, but it gives only a feeble light. It's going to take a while, isn't it...]

[Kaede didn't wiggle terribly much when Gilbert touched her shoulder; besides her usual frown, she was on best behavior! Well. Better behavior. Even her mana was behaving itself, feeling like a crackling fire as usual, but one that wasn't spitting more than the occasional spark. Just on the off-chance Gilbert forgot who was standing here.

The air around them started to hum, heating up a little—especially around the gauntlets. The phoenix feather's glow brightened and brightened—until abruptly the edges burst into a white-hot flame. It didn't consume the feather, at least not in the way that a fire consumed fuel, only grew until the entire thing was wreathed in flames.

It made the gauntlets very uncomfortable to wear very quickly, but Kaede just ground her teeth and said nothing.]

[His own mana always behaved itself (even though the exchange was always stressful for him), and that time was no different. Opposed to Kaede's crackling fire, his own felt more like smoke, quite similar to the cigarette smoke, but it wasn't as intrusive. Actually, it contrasted with Gilbert's usual demeanor and his grumpiness—it wasn't anything like it. Instead, it felt warm.

He needed to close his eyes when the glow became too bright, but he opened them shortly after, when, supposedly, the process was over.]

I think it's...over?

[Gilbert, you were supposed to know such things...]

Is it? Because my hands are on fucking fire right now.

[Said between gritted teeth. But she sure was maintaining her composure! Especially since that was somewhat literal.

Technically her hands weren't burning, but the gauntlets were still glowing with phoenix-fire as the feather melded itself onto them. The metal itself seemed touched with gold and brass when the fire spread to it, the plain steel molding itself into fluted, almost featherlike shapes.

But Kaede was too stubborn to quit now; her mana growing more and more agitated. As...to be expected, really. Detached from its owner as it was, the phoenix feather seemed intent on testing its prospective master first.]

[Pretty sure that the glowing would be over in a matter of a couple of seconds, Gilbert watched the gauntlets still giving out a blinding light. It was probably a good thing that he didn't take his hands away and kept them pressed against her shoulders.]

Fuck...the feather.

[That was some ace detective work, Gilbert.]

You have to withstand it.

[Was synthesis supposed to be such a struggle? He couldn't have known, but he really thought it would be much easier.]

Thanks.

[The ordeal would be over relatively quickly, at least. Right now, in fact!

The light gathered into a single point, leaving behind burnished metal--before it burst, into harmless, almost feathered white sparks. The temperature of the gauntlets dropped drastically, but Kaede practically tore them off of her hands anyway. The skin was reddish, obviously warm, but not too badly burned for all of that. It was hard to conceal the relieved sigh she made when the cooler air hit them, but--the gauntlets were done with whatever mischief they were up to.

The leather backing was renewed, the dull steel replaced with something brasslike, light without seeming flimsy.

They were fairly comfortable, when they weren't on fire.

Kaede, predictably, scowled at them.]

[If he only could tell if Kaede was at least mildly satisfied with the results...from her scowl alone it seemed like it was the first and only time doing the synthesis. To Gilbert, though, the finished product didn't look all that bad. On the contrary, it seemed to be rather alright and not as uncomfortable as before.

But Kaede was scowling anyway, so maybe it was just him.]

So...is it fine? Or does it need some adjustments or not really?

[He'd straight out ask whether he can move his hands away, but that way was safer.]

It's fine.

[She'd also probably say "this is fine" in a literally burning room.

Tentatively, Kaede eased her hand back into the glove. It was just gently warm now, and almost...lighter. Like her mana needed barely a thought to flow down to her hands.

She flexed each of the fingers, frown abating somewhat. This was Acceptable, she supposed.]

What did you want, then?

[She felt a bit tired, but not enough to mention out loud. Kaede figured she should at least offer to help back, even if she didn't...know exactly how to say that.]

[Kaede no]

If you say so.

[He didn't believe her completely, but what could he do.]

Me? I don't need anything, really. I needed practice anyway.

[He wasn't making it any easier for her, was he.]

You sure about that?

[She didn't want this sneaking up on her later!]

Eh? Yes, I'm sure. Don't worry about it.

[He couldn't imagine Kaede worrying about it too much, though.]

Maybe next time when I won't set your hands on fire.

[Gilbert had realized that it was the feather some time before, but still.]

Synthesis & You ♗ si vis pacem, para bellum

2

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

omg that picture

no subject