32nd Ashan, 721
When Vega had been a little girl, her father had sung a song with her.
It was one of those songs where there were two parts - he always took one, her the other. She recalled it, now, as she moved to meet and chat with Mavis, the mouse-cadouri.
That, Vega thought, was something of an understatement. Mavis had on so many layers and scarves and coats that she resembled the pom-pom on top of Vega's warm wooly hat. Considering that Vega's warm wooly hat was rainbow-striped and had ear flaps which tied under her chin, with a pom-pom on top of it, Vega figured she probably shouldn't be giving fashion advice to anyone. Even Mavis who resembled said pom-pom rather a lot. Though, in fairness, if she was going to give fashion advice to anyone, Mavis would be top of the list.
"So, jewelcraftin' is your thing, I understand," she said. Mavis nodded. "Yes. But also Alchemy, and I work to combine them, often." Vega raised an eyebrow. "Really? I hadn't thought about that. That's clever, that is," Mavis smiled."I've been thinking about your beacon a lot. I think that Professor Doran has the beacon itself covered, but I have two ideas which might help you. Maybe three." Vega smiled at the small mouse and nodded. "I'm well happy to hear them," she said. "Whatever you think."
"Well," said Mavis, and she pointed to a small cut-glass crystal. "I've seen what Professor Doran is doing and I think I can enhance it, make it brighter by virtue of being more focused light, if we use prisms to focus the light." Vega beamed. "That sounds great. Can you do that?" The small mouse nodded. "Yes, I've seen what Professor Doran is constructing, and I'm putting together a sort of hood for it. That will be a frame on which we put carefully cut prisms to focus it. I'll have Reggie make the frame for me, we work very well together."
Vega nodded at that, it made perfectly good sense that they did. "The nice thing about the hood," Mavis explained, "is that you'll be able to have levels of intensity for it. If you want a wide, broad bright light, then have the hood up, but you'll be able to use the prisms to give different effects." The difference each of these touches would make were huge as far as Vega was concerned, simply huge. She had thought that what they had planned was already good, but each one of these experts was adding such a lot to the overall thing.
"Also," Mavis said, "I've seen the effect Professor Doran is using on the glass, with the phosphorescent sand? I could make small glass jewels which glow in rainbow colours, to embed in the railing of the spiral staircase, and then have the same woven around the dome of Nella's Kitchen?" Vega blinked, delightedly. "Really?" Mavis smiled. "Yes, it's quite straightforward, really. Professor Doran did the work in terms of the phosphorescent sand and all I need to do is apply it slightly differently. " Vega shook her head, rather amazed at that.
"I had no idea. That will be beautiful, it will," Mavis smiled. "The beacon is for Xiur, I'm told?" Vega nodded. "Then, I'll make the roof of Nella's kitchen look like stars."
Damn this pregnancy, Vega thought as she blinked back the tears which had suddenly sprung into her eyes. "Really? Oh, Mavis, that would be well lovely. There's a thing. I wonder if you could help with it?" Vega had meant to keep this entirely secret, but this little mouse might just be able to add the touch of magic Vega needed and wanted.
"Nella, well, she were a very important lady. My husband's mother. An' we're expectin' our first child an' I want this to be jus' perfect, you know? She used to make the best jams an' pickles an' chutneys." Mavis nodded, a small hand reached out and touched Vega's. "Don't be too nice to me, Mavis, or I'll start cryin'. You're only small, an' you might drown." Mavis smiled, patted Vega's hand and then removed her physical contact. "What are you wanting to do?" Mavis asked, all business-like.
"I want to make the sign for it. An' it'll be a boy, sittin' on the crescent moon, an' there'll be a storybook, an' a hat, an' a chicken an' a string of pearls." Mavis beamed. "You want parts of it to be glowing, sparkling? Made to look beautiful? Oh, I can do that with you!" Vega nodded. "I'd like that a lot Mavis. But I'm goin' to be really specific an' I'm goin' to be well cantankerous if it isn't right." Mavis nodded. "Well, lets just get it right, and then you won't need to be."
It was one of those songs where there were two parts - he always took one, her the other. She recalled it, now, as she moved to meet and chat with Mavis, the mouse-cadouri.
I saw a mouse!
clogs on?!
Right there.
To Vega, that song had been delightful and she had to admit to wondering whether Mavis had any clogs. Would that be one of those things which were rude to ask, she wondered. She thought maybe yes, but she wasn't entirely sure. Probably best not then, all things considered. "Wotcha, Mavis," she said, sitting down opposite the small woman. "It's well cold, innit?" Vega smiled and nodded. "You're wrapped up well." Where!?
There on the stair!
Where on the stair!?
Right there! A little mouse with..clogs on?!
Well, I declare!
Going clip-clippety clop on the stair. Right there.
That, Vega thought, was something of an understatement. Mavis had on so many layers and scarves and coats that she resembled the pom-pom on top of Vega's warm wooly hat. Considering that Vega's warm wooly hat was rainbow-striped and had ear flaps which tied under her chin, with a pom-pom on top of it, Vega figured she probably shouldn't be giving fashion advice to anyone. Even Mavis who resembled said pom-pom rather a lot. Though, in fairness, if she was going to give fashion advice to anyone, Mavis would be top of the list.
"So, jewelcraftin' is your thing, I understand," she said. Mavis nodded. "Yes. But also Alchemy, and I work to combine them, often." Vega raised an eyebrow. "Really? I hadn't thought about that. That's clever, that is," Mavis smiled."I've been thinking about your beacon a lot. I think that Professor Doran has the beacon itself covered, but I have two ideas which might help you. Maybe three." Vega smiled at the small mouse and nodded. "I'm well happy to hear them," she said. "Whatever you think."
"Well," said Mavis, and she pointed to a small cut-glass crystal. "I've seen what Professor Doran is doing and I think I can enhance it, make it brighter by virtue of being more focused light, if we use prisms to focus the light." Vega beamed. "That sounds great. Can you do that?" The small mouse nodded. "Yes, I've seen what Professor Doran is constructing, and I'm putting together a sort of hood for it. That will be a frame on which we put carefully cut prisms to focus it. I'll have Reggie make the frame for me, we work very well together."
Vega nodded at that, it made perfectly good sense that they did. "The nice thing about the hood," Mavis explained, "is that you'll be able to have levels of intensity for it. If you want a wide, broad bright light, then have the hood up, but you'll be able to use the prisms to give different effects." The difference each of these touches would make were huge as far as Vega was concerned, simply huge. She had thought that what they had planned was already good, but each one of these experts was adding such a lot to the overall thing.
"Also," Mavis said, "I've seen the effect Professor Doran is using on the glass, with the phosphorescent sand? I could make small glass jewels which glow in rainbow colours, to embed in the railing of the spiral staircase, and then have the same woven around the dome of Nella's Kitchen?" Vega blinked, delightedly. "Really?" Mavis smiled. "Yes, it's quite straightforward, really. Professor Doran did the work in terms of the phosphorescent sand and all I need to do is apply it slightly differently. " Vega shook her head, rather amazed at that.
"I had no idea. That will be beautiful, it will," Mavis smiled. "The beacon is for Xiur, I'm told?" Vega nodded. "Then, I'll make the roof of Nella's kitchen look like stars."
Damn this pregnancy, Vega thought as she blinked back the tears which had suddenly sprung into her eyes. "Really? Oh, Mavis, that would be well lovely. There's a thing. I wonder if you could help with it?" Vega had meant to keep this entirely secret, but this little mouse might just be able to add the touch of magic Vega needed and wanted.
"Nella, well, she were a very important lady. My husband's mother. An' we're expectin' our first child an' I want this to be jus' perfect, you know? She used to make the best jams an' pickles an' chutneys." Mavis nodded, a small hand reached out and touched Vega's. "Don't be too nice to me, Mavis, or I'll start cryin'. You're only small, an' you might drown." Mavis smiled, patted Vega's hand and then removed her physical contact. "What are you wanting to do?" Mavis asked, all business-like.
"I want to make the sign for it. An' it'll be a boy, sittin' on the crescent moon, an' there'll be a storybook, an' a hat, an' a chicken an' a string of pearls." Mavis beamed. "You want parts of it to be glowing, sparkling? Made to look beautiful? Oh, I can do that with you!" Vega nodded. "I'd like that a lot Mavis. But I'm goin' to be really specific an' I'm goin' to be well cantankerous if it isn't right." Mavis nodded. "Well, lets just get it right, and then you won't need to be."
