Craft of Dreams: Winston (1/3)

[Squirrel]

Event: Craft of Dreams

In the calm and quiet of Winston's day, something quite strange happened. Up until that moment he never might have known that a small creature was following him, sniffing after the trail he left behind, but out of nowhere, the next time he turned a corner or passed through a doorway, suddenly it was there. A stocky gremlin-like thing with leathery wings and wide, curious eyes narrowed into lizard-like slits. For all of its strange and otherworldly appearance, the man that quickly reached down and scooped it straight off the floor looked even more strange.

A shiny gold monocle hung from a long metal chain tucked behind one ear, and his colourful coat seemed to shimmer in the light with a kaleidoscope of vibrant colours. Scattered haphazardly over his elaborate and rather impressive fashion choices were the tools and gear of a budding engineer, including everything from measuring instruments to crafting tools, both wide and flat and thin and fine. "Aha! Sorry if I scared you, my friend! It's just quite hand to catch any of your kind in a crowd, don't you know?" He deposited the little gremlin-like creature on his shoulder, and there it perched, almost like a bird with its wings folded back and arms tight to its middle.

"Though, thank Aeva I've found you now! Teq Yv'lhadi, Champion of Aeva - you seem like just the person to help me with a little unusual quandary I've been suffering from - and I've heard that you seem to be suffering one too, struggling to find your tools at the right moments you need them and all, and coincidences abound, I think I might have just the answer!"

Teq Yv'lhadi crouched then, extending a finger for the ferret to grasp. "I've struggled with tracking down and catching myself a Skullgull. Native to these islands, if I understand correctly, but too skittish to ever sneak up on, with all my devices. Do you think you could find one for me and bring it back? If you do, I have just the thing to solve your problem as well."

Should he accept, there was what looked to be the single bell of a windchime hanging from the tip of his finger. A long, smooth cylinder of metal with no interior mechanism. "Strike this against something solid, when you've captured it, and the note it makes will tell me you've finished your task."

Off Topic

Hello! Here is your Teq event posting. You’re free to pursue the event either in a separate thread as solo or a collab, whichever you’d prefer. Once you’ve completed the thread for dealing with the problem identified in your sign-up, please post again here with the solution to the problem Teq posed to you. Please include a date that is convenient to your pc.

Thanks!

[Winston]

39th of Saun 722

Bird is the word...

Some Preamble

I have completed this thread in order to prep for my success here:

[Sweetsong] Skullgull, I choose you!

From this I (will) gain the following supporting knowledges to boost my Hunting (Competent) skill:

• Engineering: Triggers
• Hunting: Bird traps
• Hunting: Hidden Traps

Also, when you come to review this, in Winston's timeline he has already met Teq by this point during this thread. So you don't need to read that thread, the most relevant development is really just that Teq took Winston for a ride in his hot-air balloon.

Thanks so much for running this/these thread(s) for me/us!

*SNNNNNNAP!* *SQUARK-SCREATCH-BRAAAAARK!*

Winston leapt out and scrambled to get to the anchor-point of his Trap to ensure he got the trap down and bird secured before it got away.

This was not the first Skullgull he had succeeded in capturing, but it was the first he was going to successfully keep. His last attempt had ended in the trap falling, due to the anchor point breaking free as a result of the commotion caused by the bird when it realised it was trapped.

Winston weighed less than the trap... In fact, he might weigh less than the bird, but to ensure that it lowered to the ground gently as he let the trap go from its moorings, he had tied the end of the rope to a hessian sack full of rocks.

As the bird struggled in the tree, he removed the rocks from the bag until it became light enough to allow the cage to begin to drop to the ground, which he assisted by pulling on another length of string, that had been tied and then hidden along the branches of the tree.

The rest of the woodland creatures around them had run for it by this point, as the explosive nature of the gull in the trap had created a mass exodus from the area.

The trap gently touched down on the ground, the gull now beginning to wane a little in its attempts to escape as it began to feel the strain of the effort involved.

Winston approached swiftly, cutting the rope and then securing the trap. He then threw a large blanket over the bird, trap and all, to help calm it down.

It had been a long wait, but he had finally succeeded and so he took a moment to catch his breath again before he tidied up a little.

Summoning Spell ~ Teq

Having secured the bird, Winston had settled in to wait for Teq to arrive. He brought

Chest

to the cage and hung the chime beside it before striking it as instructed to let Teq know that his prize was waiting.

Last time, it took Teq a little while to arrive, but to Winston's great surprise, he had arrived in a flying basket. This had left him paralysed with curiosity with regard to, firstly, how the chime worked and secondly, whether he would use the balloon again.

As such, he had set himself up a little packed lunch, with plenty to share with Teq of course if he pleased and sat, with his back against chest and waiting peacefully as the gull occasionally rustled and squawked beneath the blanket.

The Devil on My Shoulder
Curiosity: Is he here yet?
Winston: Nuh.
Curiosity: Is he here yet?
Winston: Nuh, mun.
Curiosity: Where is he?
Winston: Me don't know, mun.
Curiosity: Why isn't he here yet?
Winston: Oh My Immortals, wud yuh just be patient?!
Curiosity: I can't, it's too exciting! I'm going to get to meet Teq again!
Winston: My know, mun, but we gatta wait...

Winston fidgeted impatiently.

[Pegasus]

Event: Craft of Dreams

Winston rang the bell and a single note chimed out. It carried on the air for a while and then dissipated. Winston had settled in, waiting for Teq to arrive and, true to form, Teq arrived in an interesting way. Last time, he'd been in a basket attached to a balloon - but this time, first a shadow fell over the space where Winston was and then a ladder tumbled down from the sky (still attached to something above it) and then, down climbed Teq. Should Winston look up then he would see that high above him was a ship - not a balloon this one but a ship, floating in the air.

"Winston!" Teq beamed with delight as he hopped down on to the ground. "Oh, I say look at that!" He clapped his hand delightedly, and then moved over to the skullgull in a trap. "A fine specimen, yes indeed very fine!" His eyes landed on Chest and Teq gave a slight start, like he'd been shocked somewhat. "I say, hello you, how are you to-trial?" He spoke that to Chest. "Aren't you just a wonderfully interesting fellow? Quite the wonder." He admired Chest for a few moments and would - with Chest's permission - pet Chest also.

But his reason for being here was never far from his mind. "Winston, you are a wonder," he said, honestly. "You've saved me quite the job. I'm very grateful to you. Now then, I have this for you, as a thank you" he said and he first of all rummaged in the many, many pockets of his jacket before finally pulling out a bag."Now, how about you and I have a spot of lunch together, you can have a little look at this tool belt-bag-thing that I got you, and we can have a chat?" Teq was a busy fellow, it was true, but he was happy to sit and spend a little time with Winston who seemed to be genuinely just a very nice individual.

Flapping out the back of his jacket, Teq sat and started pulling foodstuffs from his pockets. As unusual as that might seem, he had obviously prepared things, and they were all fresh.

"So how have you been?" He asked.

[Winston]

I want a flying ship!

Smoky

Teq was the one that game Winston the Diri Smoky, during their last encounter.

Also, I have to back-date my skills as best I can remember to what they were during this timeline. I hope I got it right.

As the shadow passed over him, he glanced up in excitement. He was expecting to see the man's flying balloon, but NO! "I thought you said it was a balloon?" Asked joe incredulously. Winston stood, failing to contain his excitement. "Es wus! Et WUS! Teq mun! Ummm... Ahoy there?" He called with a chuckle.

Smoky

and

Joe

materialised for Teq's benefit and the floating hands waved at Teq.

Chest

was happy to be petted, as long as it did not involve getting to close to the flying ship. They lifted their lid slightly against Teq's hand as he stroked it. "Dis es Joe, and yuh already know Smoky. Dem 'ave become gud friends." Joe nodded. "Howdie-do."

The Devil on My Shoulder
Curiosity: OK, screw dragons. We can MAKE a flying SHIP!
Winston: Wat? Nat likely!
Curiosity: Yeah, totally! We can then KEEP our dragons on it. Just ask Teq for a ride.
Winston: No mun, we 'ave sum fud tuh eat first.
Curiosity: OK, but then we ask for a ride right?
Winston: Mabey.
Curiosity: And for a lesson in how ot make flying ships!
Winston: Me tink dat wud be mare den one lesson!
Curiosity: What's your point?

"Wat... Me mean. Et's a flying ship, boat, but 'ow yuh make an entire boat float?" He tried to crane his neck around to see if there were perhaps a plethora of balloons holding it aloft. "'ow many flyin' ting duh yuh 'ave?" His inquisitive nature was rarely suppressed, but where flying ships were concerned, there was little that would stem his curiosity.

As Teq suggested they chat, the ferret beamed and accepted the bag with glee. "Oh yus, please, cum an' join me." He said, gesturing towards the picnic he had set-up for them both and turnign the bag over in his hands. "Me cun see dat yuh 'ave sum af yuh own, bot yuh es very welcum tuh 'ave sum af mine." There was cake and sandwiches and a little fresh baked bread. "Ef yuh want sumtin' else, me share me cun wip sumtin' up inside Chest."

Chest's large tongue came out, ran across its teeth and then vanish back beneath its lid again.

He opened the toolbag and peered inside.

"Oh, ting's 'ave been suh gud mun. Me 'ave been cookin' in de Scalv Cookin' Competition. Et's soh much fun. An'-AN'! Me met de fairies af Sweetwine far de Blackberry Pickin! Oh!" He turned to Chest. "Chest! De fairy cakes! Hehe. Cun we 'ave de fairy cakes please?" Chest opened its lid and inside was a collection of slices of cake which Winston climbed in to get. "Dis one will turn yuh Blue and dat one will make yuh sweat lemon curd." He hesitated for a moment. "Et tasts grate, bot et es a little bit messy... De Deaf by Chocolate makes yuh Deaf... Hehe... Nat grate far having a chat, per'aps."

Smoky

signed

. I would be OK. Winston giggled and signed very clumsily in reply. That is right.

[Pegasus]

Event: Craft of Dreams

After greeting Smoky and Joe, Teq was very happy to sit and chat and eat with Winston and Chest. When Winston asked how many flying things Teq had, he frowned and solemnly started counting on his fingers. After a moment, though, he shook his head. "I give up. Lots. A few. Not as many as I'd like. I once met a woman, you know, who did a lot of knitting and crochet. She had a thing she called a "stash" of yarn. Ridiculous amount. When I asked her about it, she just laughed and said that she had just the right amount to always need a little bit more. That's the same with me!" Nodding, he seemed pleased with that as an answer.

When Winston spoke of meeting the fairies of Sweetwine, Teq nodded. "Some of my best friends are fairies," he said."I like them. There's something fundamentally very honest about them and their child-like ways." When Winston described - and Chest showed - the fairy food, Teq looked at it with interest. "I'd love to sweat lemon curd! That sounds amazing!" and, with Winston's permission he took some of that cake. It probably didn't take a lot to recognise that, soon, he'd be making himself warm just to experience it. He chuckled at Smokey's sign and nodded, signing back as he spoke. "Wouldn't you miss hearing, though? Because you can't speak, you still hear. Interesting thought!"

As he ruminated on that, though, Teq pulled out what looked like a small pocket-watchsuch things don't exist, I'm just giving you a visual and then sighed. "Alas, Winston, I must make haste and leave you. There are so many people with problems to solve!" He smiled at his friend."It's a pleasure to see you, Winston. I hope that you and I meet again. Soon!

And with that, Teq would make his way. Happy in the knowledge that another problem had been solved and obviously keen to go and do some exercise so that he could sweat lemon curd.

[Winston]

Rewards Requested

Notes/Warnings: none

Thread: Craft of Dreams: Winston (1/3)
City/Area: Parts Unknown

Renown: reviewer discression
Wealth Points: none
Collaboration: No
Local Language Thread? No

!	Message from: Pegasus
	Done!

[Pegasus]

Event: Craft of Dreams

Winston

Feedback

I had such fun in this thread. I really do like Winston and he is, without doubt, the most earnest ferret I ever did write with! I enjoy his NPCs and I really like that you can write them so clearly without ever being confusing and never once losing the focus on your pc as the focus of the story.

Beautiful writing - thanks so much for signing up to this event, I'm super glad that Winston got his rewards!

Rewards

• Renown: 5
• XP: 15

Knowledges

• Engineering: Anchor points
• Engineering: Counterweights
• Science: Physics: Weight distribution
• Stealth: Concealment
• Animal Husbandry: Making it dark to calm an animal down
• Linguistics: Common Sign: Simple Conversation

Loot

• accepted the bag with glee
• Bag of multi tools as described