The girl scoffed in a way Drysi used to in the old days, as if Willow had something obvious or dumb. She shook her head and ran one of her hands through her hair.
"I'll answer your questions in reverse, and as an added bonus, I'll talk slow so I won–..."
Suddenly, she stiffened, arms dropping to her side as if she had an ice cube drop down her back. Her lips pursed, and she started again slow.
"The stone in your hand is a control glyph," she explained, in a drone that suggested she wasn't used to being polite, "It sends signals to the coralite in my golems, directing them. As for clowns? Only if you count the one I'm looking at–..."
She slapped her cheeks with one set of hands, and wrenched up her overalls with the other in frustration. "I haven't seen a clown. Sorry. However, I did see a couple of spriggans and a gordalisk going east into the valley. For your first question, I am Clever. I maintain the wildlife here in the Cairn Valley with my sister."
Her eyes closed, and she raised a finger.
"Correction. I used to maintain the wildlife with sister, now it's just me."
Then, one of her hands shot out, "Okay. Questions answered. Stone now."
[The Dorms] A Perilous Acquaintance
Re: [The Dorms] A Perilous Acquaintance
“Nah, Miss Clever, I said I was just starting with my questions,” Willow said back as she began to toss the stone up and down in her hand. With her other hand holding the broken oar she once again began to tap the wood against her shoulder; the implication being that she wouldn’t mind clubbing the rune with the same strength she’d used to clock the first golem. “Your sister is Smart, and no longer here. While someone named Clever got caught by golems that she had a control rune for. I'm tracking these spriggan and their… gordalisk, so it’s good to hear I haven’t already lost their trail. You manage the critters around here, should I expect any hostility as I press on into the Valley? Know anything about The Slumberer? And… Why did your sister leave? I’ll give you some benefit of the doubt that you’re not this prickly towards your family.”
Re: [The Dorms] A Perilous Acquaintance
"I'm not prickly," started Clever, her expression grim at the mention of her sister, "people are stupid, slow bums. They drift through their lives, doing meaningless garbage and, when they see your work, they gawk at how they can't fathom its workings. They say stupid things like, 'I could never do that', when what they really mean is 'I don't care to better myself.'"
By this point, Clever was pacing angrily, throwing her arms about. Then, she rounded, pointing at Willow, "But my little sister? She's the only one in this whole world besides the Maker that's smarter than me. She's brilliant. She's… Well… She's Smart. She and I breathed life into the Cairn Valley. We created all the mechanical wonders of this world."
Her rigid posture began to waver, and she started to wipe her eyes.
"Then, she decided she was done. We argued. Now she's gone off."
Clever blinked fresh tears.
"And she's never coming back."
Sniffing she spun around, wiping her hands on her overalls and gathered herself. Once she felt better, she spun back around. "Whatever. Your stupid questions… No. Sorry. Your questions. The animals in the Cairn are no more dangerous than anywhere else in the world, so, about as dangerous as any wolves, bears or wildcats. And… the Slumberer? That sounds like a name in one of Creative's plays. He can't resist using anything that has that er-er sound at the end."
All four of Clever's hands formed an arc, "You must mean the Broken. She resides in her forest. The only person that really knows her is the Maker."
By this point, Clever was pacing angrily, throwing her arms about. Then, she rounded, pointing at Willow, "But my little sister? She's the only one in this whole world besides the Maker that's smarter than me. She's brilliant. She's… Well… She's Smart. She and I breathed life into the Cairn Valley. We created all the mechanical wonders of this world."
Her rigid posture began to waver, and she started to wipe her eyes.
"Then, she decided she was done. We argued. Now she's gone off."
Clever blinked fresh tears.
"And she's never coming back."
Sniffing she spun around, wiping her hands on her overalls and gathered herself. Once she felt better, she spun back around. "Whatever. Your stupid questions… No. Sorry. Your questions. The animals in the Cairn are no more dangerous than anywhere else in the world, so, about as dangerous as any wolves, bears or wildcats. And… the Slumberer? That sounds like a name in one of Creative's plays. He can't resist using anything that has that er-er sound at the end."
All four of Clever's hands formed an arc, "You must mean the Broken. She resides in her forest. The only person that really knows her is the Maker."
Re: [The Dorms] A Perilous Acquaintance
Willow smiled a soft smile showing genuine appreciation for candid answers to her questions. Feeling she might now be able to get further answers from Clever without a hostage she dropped her vaguely threatening stance. Raising the stone in front of her in a few light practice throws to make sure Clever saw it coming; contrary to how the stone had come into her possession. Once intentions were clear, Willow tossed the stone back with an arcing underhand lob.
“Don’t s’pose you could tell me anything about this Broken or this Maker, could you? Either way, it seems like I’m heading the Broken’s way, so I wouldn’t mind being prepared,” Willow started to slowly back up towards the Valley while still facing Clever. “And, if I see your sister I’ll let her know you miss her.”
“Don’t s’pose you could tell me anything about this Broken or this Maker, could you? Either way, it seems like I’m heading the Broken’s way, so I wouldn’t mind being prepared,” Willow started to slowly back up towards the Valley while still facing Clever. “And, if I see your sister I’ll let her know you miss her.”
Re: [The Dorms] A Perilous Acquaintance
Clever began to sway side to side as Willow prepped her throw, but not in any way preparatory. In fact, it looked as though she was getting a little bored; eager to carry on with something else. All that changed as the glyph came sailing her way and she became a mess of limbs. The first hand missed the catch, the second slapped in the air, the third bounced it the other way, a foot kept it from hitting the floor before the fourth grabbed it.
She hunched over the rune, thrilled to have it back in her possession. While Willow primed her questions, Clever was getting one golem off the ground, and getting back to the maintenance of the other. It was almost as though the allomancer was forgotten until…
"I…" Clever tried to form words, but she found them insufficient, "I've been really rude to you. I'm sorry. It's the same chip on my shoulder that drove Smart away. You helped me, and I… I haven't… I'm such an animal…"
Her hands all took different penitent positions on her head, "Willow? Right? Were you named for the trees? The Maker gave us our names for our qualities: Clever, Noble, Smart, Creative, Diligent. I guess he didn't name you if you don't know who he is. The Maker is… The Maker. He makes things. He shows me the way when I'm not sure how to continue on a project.. He's the only one who knows how to fix the Broken. And she's… "
She made a few flowing motions as of that would help her produce the words.
"The Broken is the only one of us that doesn't work properly. That's why I call her the Broken. Anyway… do you need any help? I don't know how to get to the forest, but the only lands that touch the Cairn Valley right now are Jotungard and the Floating Hills."
She hunched over the rune, thrilled to have it back in her possession. While Willow primed her questions, Clever was getting one golem off the ground, and getting back to the maintenance of the other. It was almost as though the allomancer was forgotten until…
Clever froze, then pulled her face out of the open hatch of the golem. For the first time since they met, the Willow had Clever's full attention. The doll-girl looked at a loss, and began to play with her fingers as she thought about that. Her eyes began to become wet with fresh emotion, revealing just how much of a crybaby this prickly person was.“And, if I see your sister I’ll let her know you miss her.”
"I…" Clever tried to form words, but she found them insufficient, "I've been really rude to you. I'm sorry. It's the same chip on my shoulder that drove Smart away. You helped me, and I… I haven't… I'm such an animal…"
Her hands all took different penitent positions on her head, "Willow? Right? Were you named for the trees? The Maker gave us our names for our qualities: Clever, Noble, Smart, Creative, Diligent. I guess he didn't name you if you don't know who he is. The Maker is… The Maker. He makes things. He shows me the way when I'm not sure how to continue on a project.. He's the only one who knows how to fix the Broken. And she's… "
She made a few flowing motions as of that would help her produce the words.
"The Broken is the only one of us that doesn't work properly. That's why I call her the Broken. Anyway… do you need any help? I don't know how to get to the forest, but the only lands that touch the Cairn Valley right now are Jotungard and the Floating Hills."
Re: [The Dorms] A Perilous Acquaintance
“You were in a rough situation, not gonna fault you for having a bit of a temper. Apology accepted,” Willow stood confidently as she spoke to project confidence, and then burned a bit of Zinc and Brass. With Brass Willow Soothed some of Clever’s more tumultuous emotions slightly, while the Zinc she built up Clever’s feelings of gratitude. The trick, she’d figured, was to make the emotional allomancy subtle enough to seem like it was the person’s own fluctuating emotions. Nothing major and overly manipulative, but enough to ease along relations; although the thought of these two metals still made her feel uneasy. Before long however Willow shrugged and rejoined the conversation.
“My name was more a compromise than anything. Mum wanted to name me Patricia, blegh[/i]. My dad made a case for Eleanor, but Ma didn’t like that it was in a Beatles song. So eventually I was named after my great-grandmother. A sneaky way for Dad to get me a less rigid name.”
Shifting her shrug into a head scratch, Willow continued.
“And I’ll certainly not turn down an offer of help, seeing as I’m playing the Stranger In A Strange Land. Anything you can offer is more than I could ask for.”
A humble play should be the right move, the Brit thought.
“My name was more a compromise than anything. Mum wanted to name me Patricia, blegh[/i]. My dad made a case for Eleanor, but Ma didn’t like that it was in a Beatles song. So eventually I was named after my great-grandmother. A sneaky way for Dad to get me a less rigid name.”
Shifting her shrug into a head scratch, Willow continued.
“And I’ll certainly not turn down an offer of help, seeing as I’m playing the Stranger In A Strange Land. Anything you can offer is more than I could ask for.”
A humble play should be the right move, the Brit thought.
Re: [The Dorms] A Perilous Acquaintance
"I don't have much on me," admitted Clever, peeling open one of the golem's legs. A small array of replacement parts and tools filled the empty space in the apparently hollow leg. "my workshop is nowhere near the road leading to the Floating Hills. You'd lose track of your spriggans."
Clever withdrew a screwdriver from the compartment, amd shook her head.
A wrench? What about twelve? No.
A small caved rod that had a bit on the end. She squeezed a gem set on the handle and the bit spun. No.
A set of calipers? No.
A few pencils? No.
"Yeah, nothing super helpful here. Unless you like scrap metal. The best I can do is advise you not eat anything you find in the valley. All the plants and fruit are cultivated to be heavy in minerals and oils, not very good to anyone who does have a metal or stone stomach."
She rubbed her head, and climbed over the leg with a handful of metal fastener nuts. "You know, don't take this the wrong way. The more you talk about yourself, the more you sound like a human."
Clever withdrew a screwdriver from the compartment, amd shook her head.
A wrench? What about twelve? No.
A small caved rod that had a bit on the end. She squeezed a gem set on the handle and the bit spun. No.
A set of calipers? No.
A few pencils? No.
"Yeah, nothing super helpful here. Unless you like scrap metal. The best I can do is advise you not eat anything you find in the valley. All the plants and fruit are cultivated to be heavy in minerals and oils, not very good to anyone who does have a metal or stone stomach."
She rubbed her head, and climbed over the leg with a handful of metal fastener nuts. "You know, don't take this the wrong way. The more you talk about yourself, the more you sound like a human."
Re: [The Dorms] A Perilous Acquaintance
"Whaaaat? I sound like a human? That's crazy. You're silly," Willow responded with a couple exaggerated huffs and puffs and the occasional scoff. Obviously, yes, she was human, but the way Clever phrased it made it seem like being human was less than optimal; a whole vibe, right there. So, for the time being, she'd pretend to be otherwise. "What kinds of metal is the scrap? And what kind of minerals and oils in the plants? I consume certain metals regularly, and frequently drink fish oil. The metal gives me strength, but the oil is mostly just to keep my hair silky; and because I was told I couldn't drink alcohol yet."
Re: [The Dorms] A Perilous Acquaintance
"Huh. You don't look like a quarrid, but I don't leave the valley too often," remarked Clever, shrugging both sets of shoulders. A placid uneasiness made her movements a little robotic and sheepish. Willow could tell, were she paying attention, that Clever seemed unconvinced, but willing to play along with the lie. "The plants? The plants. The plants!"
The artificer went back to her comatose golem and proceeded to bury herself in its clockwork innards.
"Oh and the scrap metal."
Upon remembering, she tore herself from the hatch. Then went back into, becoming flustered at forgetting to make some adjustments that Willow couldn't see.
"Metal!" Clever emerged again, closing up her golem and returning to the storage compartment, "I guess of you're… uhm… hungry. I have some of these struts and nuts. They're made from a copper-aluminum alloy. Strong stuff, light too."
Willow found a set of bright, metal parts pressed into her hands. The struts were long pieces of metal that were the size of a small hammer. Sprinkled with it were twenty-three nuts. "I don't know how your stomach works, but the fruit is meant to be consumed by the Cairn animals. The minerals depend on the fruit, but there's usually a lot of iron, copper, tin, bismuth, silver and gold. The juice is a sort of petroleum base, not fully, since the are trace compounds that precent corrosion."
A hum began to emit from the control rune, and the second golem pushed itself up, "Are you going to need any help getting to the Floating Hills?"
The artificer went back to her comatose golem and proceeded to bury herself in its clockwork innards.
"Oh and the scrap metal."
Upon remembering, she tore herself from the hatch. Then went back into, becoming flustered at forgetting to make some adjustments that Willow couldn't see.
"Metal!" Clever emerged again, closing up her golem and returning to the storage compartment, "I guess of you're… uhm… hungry. I have some of these struts and nuts. They're made from a copper-aluminum alloy. Strong stuff, light too."
Willow found a set of bright, metal parts pressed into her hands. The struts were long pieces of metal that were the size of a small hammer. Sprinkled with it were twenty-three nuts. "I don't know how your stomach works, but the fruit is meant to be consumed by the Cairn animals. The minerals depend on the fruit, but there's usually a lot of iron, copper, tin, bismuth, silver and gold. The juice is a sort of petroleum base, not fully, since the are trace compounds that precent corrosion."
A hum began to emit from the control rune, and the second golem pushed itself up, "Are you going to need any help getting to the Floating Hills?"
Re: [The Dorms] A Perilous Acquaintance
Copper-aluminium alloy? Willow wondered if she could have gotten lucky twice now. First the elctrum, and then… well, whatever the name of this alloy was. True, she didn't have confirmation that the Electrum was the pairing for Gold, but she had a good feeling; based entirely off of realizing on her own that it was a gold/silver alloy. As for this new metal, it would probably be, no it would be if it worked, the pairing for Aluminum as she already had Copper's pairing. Much like her curiosity about what the opposite of Gold's I'm going to be disappointed in myself power, she was curious what the opposite of I'm gonna harmlessly burn off all my reserves would be. Would it activate all of her metals at once? That'd seem redundant since she can already do that herself.
Regardless, Willow graciously accepted the nuts and scrap, hurriedly tucking the bigger scrap to the bottom of her satchel while planting a couple nuts in a coat pocket. Even if she ended up unable to burn the nuts she could still shoot a beastie between the eyes with one. Given that she had twenty-three nuts to work with she was half tempted to scarf one down and test it, but since it was an aluminum alloy she'd be hosed if it trashed her metal reserve right now. So like with the Electrum, she'd wait until crunch time when she needed a gamble.
On to the next order of business, she was relieved to hear some of the fruit would possibly be useful.
"Which ones are the Iron and Tin fruits? Copper and Gold I could use, but I don't need to avoid…"
Willow immediately began to burn Copper.
"Iron, Tin, Copper. Gold I could use, but I don't need to get depressed right now."
Copper was such a mindless metal, and Willow had never really needed it up to this point. It clouded her presence from magical detection as well as thought manipulation or detection, but there was no means of really practicing with it. It turned off and on, but changing the burn only seemed to change the radius of the cloud. Now however, she was hunting magical creatures in a magical land, so perhaps being in a magic blindspot would benefit her.
"As for the Floating Islands, uh, how far up do they float? I've got about a hundred feet or so from a stationary push. If they have exposed metal I could possibly pull myself the rest of the way."
Regardless, Willow graciously accepted the nuts and scrap, hurriedly tucking the bigger scrap to the bottom of her satchel while planting a couple nuts in a coat pocket. Even if she ended up unable to burn the nuts she could still shoot a beastie between the eyes with one. Given that she had twenty-three nuts to work with she was half tempted to scarf one down and test it, but since it was an aluminum alloy she'd be hosed if it trashed her metal reserve right now. So like with the Electrum, she'd wait until crunch time when she needed a gamble.
On to the next order of business, she was relieved to hear some of the fruit would possibly be useful.
"Which ones are the Iron and Tin fruits? Copper and Gold I could use, but I don't need to avoid…"
Willow immediately began to burn Copper.
"Iron, Tin, Copper. Gold I could use, but I don't need to get depressed right now."
Copper was such a mindless metal, and Willow had never really needed it up to this point. It clouded her presence from magical detection as well as thought manipulation or detection, but there was no means of really practicing with it. It turned off and on, but changing the burn only seemed to change the radius of the cloud. Now however, she was hunting magical creatures in a magical land, so perhaps being in a magic blindspot would benefit her.
"As for the Floating Islands, uh, how far up do they float? I've got about a hundred feet or so from a stationary push. If they have exposed metal I could possibly pull myself the rest of the way."