trans_9 | Ten-Thousand Cuts

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Ten-Thousand Cuts

Nehaalista was just where she'd promised she'd be. Most days she spent were on the Observation Deck, watching the Bleed go by much the same way she'd watched it pass on the Exodar before the crash. Back then, however, she'd also been occupied with proper duties, and proper training. And family.

She shook her head and looked at her wares. Necklaces, rings, small loose gems, large loose gems, settings, bracelets and cuffs. It shone and glinted in the light. She toyed idly with one of her curls, pulling it straight and letting it snap back.

Well, if they wanted them, they would come. In the meantime, Nehaalista picked up a book and read, The Light and How to Swing It

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Evangeline did not come up to the obs deck too often; she always felt an unpleasant tension here brought on by her curse, the confused governing spirits of which became increasingly agitated when she moved to the extrema of the ship. Infrequently was not never, though; the view was nice, even she would admit, and she would be damned if she'd let the same curse that had confined her for fifteen long years keep her penned up any more than she had to be now.

And today her obstinacy was rewarded with handicrafts. The little vampire crouched wordlessly in front of Nehaa's display, studying it with an appreciativeness she rarely showed actual people, before finally offering a few words for their vendor.

"What are you taking for trade?"

Nehaalista looked over the top of her book and raised an eyebrow. She shook her head. Hm, hadn't anyone read her note? Well, maybe not. She motioned to her wares again and shook her head.

Ah, Nehaalista. Kang had been wondering when she would be contacting him about his necklace; she'd been adamant about repairing it. So, when he saw the draenei woman sitting there with her wares, he smiled and came over to take a look at her work. "If we had money on this ship, I bet you'd make a fortune. These are good quality."

Nehaalista put down her book and smiled widely at Kang. [Thank you, very much. I have your necklace, if you'd like it now.] It hadn't been that hard a fix, really, but she couldn't leave sleeping dogs lie and had to improve it a little bit.

But only a little!

"What, they're free?" Evangeline raised an eyebrow back. Even barter was sparse when the ship provided basic necessities, it was true, but IOUs or favors were always an option.

Well, now that she knew she wouldn't be giving away the object of her interest to some too-cunning saleswoman she felt free to inspect the individual pieces more closely, occasionally picking one up carefully.

"They're good work. Where did you find tools? I know those idiots are still fighting over that forge."

"You're a jewelcrafter."

Choline had a habit of just popping out of the shadows that way. She was wearing a sad smile on her face as she fingered some of the items on the table. The craftsmanship; the style of them were achingly familiar.

"So was he."

And she'll leave it at that.

"Yes, I would. If you need anything from me, just ask," Kang nodded in thanks. He could almost swear he sensed magic from a few of the items on the table.

Nehaalista signed at her with one hand, then tapped the fine wooden case at her side. It was old, very, very old if the dark, aged sheen to the wood could be believed. With a finger, she opened the case and showed her the tools that had been used to create the pieces.

As for the forge, well, she was keen to waltz in when she liked.

She nodded and opened the tall wooden box that held her jeweler's tools, and removed his necklace... and something else. A pair of horn caps, in the same silvery-blue metal most of the jewelry was set in, chased with the remaining gold from her cuff. [Here.]

Nehaalista raised her eyebrows as she watched Choline finger the objects. It was times like now she wanted a voice to question, though something told her it would be better to simply listen to Choline. She picked up a gem and turned it in her fingers.

As soon as he touched the necklace, Kang felt the magic in it, and trusting that Nehaa wouldn't do anything to harm him, he put it back on, "You enchanted it, didn't you? I can sense the magic. And what are these for?" He took a closer look at the caps, unsure of what they were supposed to be.

She shrugged, [It was just a little bit. Some of these are cut for that.] Nehaalista motioned for him to lean forward a bit, and took the caps from his claw. She placed one over each curl, then twisted them with the grain of of his horns, much like she would her own.

[Horn caps.]

Old. They'd been brought with her, then. They must have been an object of great importance to her; not many possessions followed their owners to the ship. Evangeline, with her few attachments, had found nothing at all.

"Are these enchanted, or for adornment only?" She asked, then added. "If you think clearly, I'll hear."

Choline was feeling exceptionally contemplative. "There'd be days where I wouldn't see him at all; he'd always be playing with his rocks. And just when I'd get annoyed, he'd --" She fished something out of one of the satchels on her belt and held it up.

"Well, there'd be something like that on my pillow."

It was a tiny elekk, cut from what might have been a chunk of red quartz or ruby. It reared up on its hind legs, trumpeting in silent triumph.

"In the end I had a small herd of the things." She smiled. "And of course the baubles and the gems. The work you all do -- it's wonderfully diligent. These are beautiful pieces."

She smiled and shook her head. Another one of those, "Let me look into your miiiind!" types. It wouldn't work. It had never worked before, and it still hadn't worked here on the ship.

Nehaalista reached for her omnicom and wrote slowly, [It won't work. But this gets my point across... mostly.]

"What kind of spell did you cast on them?" Kang asked, curious, hesitantly letting Nehaa put the caps onto his horns. The twisting sensation felt odd, but he ignored it, and when she finished, he reached up to touch one of them. "Ah, thank you."

He wasn't really one for jewelry (the necklace was simply a symbol of his political position), but he didn't want to be rude and refuse a gift.

She smiled and lifted her loupe to her eye to better inspect the little elekk. It was no secret between her friends and family how much she loved the majestic, elephant-like creatures that had been used on Draenor for everything from transportation to heavy labor.

She touched her lips and drew out her hand as though she was sending a kiss towards Choline. Then she remembered she had her omnicom and wrote, [It is lovely, your elekk, I mean. And thank you, but I'm not as good as my father was.]

[Not so much cast. It was in the cut, see? Here?] Nehaalista pointed to the delicate carvings inside the link. [It's just what I learned, so, I thought it would be good for you, if I put it in the link.]

"...interesting," Kang took a closer look at the carvings. "What does it do, if anything?"

Choline loved the elekks too.

"It's not difficult," Choline said after reading the omnicomm, with a wry grin, "to tell when something has been crafted with care. Or love. Each of these always were." She picked up the elekk and pocketed it again. "And yours."

She picked up another gem and admired its facets. "Your parents. Did they live after you came to Azeroth? Did your father teach you?" Choline looked totally engrossed, as though she wanted to hear more.

Any familiar story of home would put her at ease.

[It's supposed to make one more dexterous. I guess we'll see, right?] Nehaalista smiled and sat down beside the box again, closing it up. She ran her hands against the old, dark wood lovingly, and looked back at him.

"If it works, it'll definitely come in handy." Kang grinned, letting go of the necklace. He never had been all that dexterous.

Nehaalista shook her head, [I don't know where they are. They may very well be dead. But, my father, Neharam, he was a jeweler in Tuurem, and then in Shattrath. I learned from him, by watching.] She looked down once and thumbed her finger over a bangle. The design was her father's; the small parade of alien birds and elekks over it etched in with small, delicate cuts.

[So yes, he taught me... in a manner of speaking.]

Celena hadn't taken too long on taking up the offer Nehaalista had put out. Quite interested in both the jewelery and gems she had made and meeting the one who had made them herself. Thus the dragon was now padding her way through the halls and up into the Observation deck, pausing at the threshold to sweep the room with her gaze, a thoughtful ripple of light running along her markings as she spotted the one she was looking for.

Stopping a respectful distance from who she could only assume was Nehaa, the dragoness dipped her head in greetings, "Nehaalista I assume? A pleasure to meet you, I am Celena," Introducing herself with a smile as she let her gaze travel to the many pieces of jewelery and gems the other had set out, well crafted and beautiful indeed.

She grinned widely at him and nodded, [Many of my cuts have worked thusly. I don't see why they should stop now.] At least, she hoped they wouldn't, but only a test would see. She adjusted the loose gems and one of the necklaces where they'd mussed their line.

[You're quite welcome to something, if the desire so strikes you.]

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Ten-Thousand Cuts

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