Mallside 10

[bc56]

Pontius' Custom Constructs

Sekhmet responds, "Objects. Uh, yes, illusions." When told about the possibility of disguising bodyguards, she pauses, thinking, then comments, "That's, uh, I think I could do that, with some experimentation. Do you need, uh, a demonstration?" Without waiting for a reply, she begins to concentrate. A shimmer, like water, passes over her body, and as it does so, she changes. Although her clothes and build are unaltered, she changes from a Tiefling to an Elf, her hair going from black to blond, her skin paling, her ears becoming pointed, and her horns and tail disappearing. Sekhmet holds out an arm to look over her handiwork. "It's, uh, not very substantial." She passes a hand through the pointed tip of her ear to demonstrate. As she speaks and moves around, she flickers like a bad hologram. "It's, uh, hard to focus without a wand."

[Earl of Purple]

Pontius' Custom Constructs

"That's... Not quite what I meant, but it's better illusion than I can manage. About all I can do is make notes that fade after a while. They last longer on a surface. A wand? Hmm. Do you need to make it yourself, or would any kind of thing do?" He's heading over to the counter, motioning for Sekhmet to follow him. He'll rummage in a draw and pull out several lengths of wood; hawthorn or willow, primarily. Some are well on the way to completion, others are barely started. One's just a reasonably straight length of wood, still with its bark on it.

[bc56]

Pontius' Custom Constructs

"It'd work better if I made it myself, because, uh, I'd be more familiar with it, but, uh, I could use anything." Sekhmet takes one of the more complete wands. It crackles for a second in her hand, and the flickering on her disguise stops. "I would, uh, need to practice to do much more, uh, complicated than this." Sekhmet is very used to casting on herself, there are a lot of variables to consider if she wanted to try using her disguises on another person, probably even more on a golem, and the more difference there is from the disguised person's true form, the more points of failure there are for the disguise, which would add an extra layer of complication.

[Earl of Purple]

Pontius' Custom Constructs

"Doesn't matter. We've got stuff that can help you get that practice, and you're already better at illusion than the other apprentices. I'm Prumathe, and... I'm not really supposed to hire apprentices. But... I can give my boss a call, see if he's willing to come over." He'll listen to Sekhmet's own introduction before picking up a phone and ringing it. He doesn't seem to be talking to Pontius himself; rather, the phone's been answered by another apprentice who is serving as a middleman. "There's a girl here who'd like to be an apprentice... Yes, forging and some object enchantment and illusion... Um, yes, I think so, but I don't see why that's relevant... Oh, um. That's, uh, a valid point, but I don't think she was wearing one when she came in." He blushes, at that point. It's not very visible with his dark skin, however. He hangs up, and smiles a little awkwardly. "Pontius is on his way. It won't take too long, he's got a flying chair." Which is a little baffling, and it won't be long until Pontius arrives. Not this post, however.

[bc56]

Pontius' Custom Constructs

"I'm Sekhmet." Sekhmet takes this time to dispel her illusion. She waits patiently while Prumathe is talking on the phone. "That's good." Something dawns on her, "Wait, wearing one what?" Is she supposed to be wearing or not wearing something? It seems strange.

[Earl of Purple]

Pontius' Custom Constructs

"Pontius asked if you were wearing an illusion when you came in. I said I didn't think so." The question before that, however, was 'is she pretty'. Which is why Prumathe's still a little flustered.

Meanwhile, from the store room at the back Pontius arrives. He's an obese gnome, balding and just shy of middle-age, with a large nose and beady brown eyes. He's sat in a comfortable looking armchair that walks forward on four long, slender and articulated legs, whilst a pair of wings are folded up against the sides of the chair and there's another articulated limb on his left, ending in a carving of a hand, made of wood. The limbs are all wood; oak, by the looks, as is the body of the chair, but the joints are brass and the wings are mostly cloth- possibly silk. The gnome himself is wearing a grubby apron over some practical-looking orange overalls, though the overalls are very clean- and his boots look brand new, as though they've never been used. "Hello, miss. I'm Pontius Gearhands Ascendant Montifex Dathrii. I hear you're interested in learning how to make constructs and golems. Do you have any experience making such things? I hear you're an illusionist. Do you know how to anchor an illusion onto an object permanently? Are you clad in illusion now?" He pulls a brass and crystal monocle out of a pocket and puts it on. "No, but you were recently. Good, good, that could have been embarrassing. Have you ever permanently enchanted anything? Any experience with stonework? Woodwork? Glassblowing? Forging? Casting? Can you tell the difference between iron and steel, when both are glowing red hot? How about the difference between limestone and sandstone?" There's more questions in the same vein as those.

[bc56]

Pontius' Custom Constructs

Sekhmet seems flustered by the barrage of questions at first. She regains her composure and begins providing answers. "I'm Sekhmet Winnifred Ingenia Octothorpe. I, uh, do not have any experience with golems. I, uh, have not made any permanent magic. I have some experience forging, and a little with whittling." Very little on the second count, just what she needed to know to make a wand, which she learned from a book. "When hot, iron melts and pours more easily than steel. Limestone bubbles when exposed to acids." The bit of alchemy she studied came in handy there.

[Earl of Purple]

Pontius' Custom Constructs

"That's less 'nos' than I was expecting. But still quite a lot of nos." Pontius thinks for a moment; Sekhmet might get worried a little. "But that's good! Still a lot to learn, which means nothing you need to unlearn. And here's another trick, regarding sandstone and limestone- sandstone's grittier in your mouth than limestone is. Can I see some of your magic, please? I will, in turn, show you some of mine." As he speaks here, he takes out a dirty handkerchief, a needle, and some thread, starting to sew it into a figure-shape.

[bc56]

Pontius'Custom Constructs

It's not surprising Sekhmet didn't know about the texture of the stones. It's not like she puts random rocks in her mouth. "Okay." She repeats the disguise spell from before, once again appearing as an elf, but also alters the colors of her clothes as well, to midnight black. She doesn't change the style, however, because the extra concentration needed to remember how different clothing moves when worn would weaken the spell.

[Earl of Purple]

Pontius' Custom Constructs

"No gestures, or incantations. It's all internal? Well, minus the wand thingy. Is the wand required, or just helpful?" If required, that's a problem. If it's just helpful, then Pontius can try weaning her off it. Crafting usually needs two hands, after all. His handkerchief is now sewn into a vaguely humanoid form, and he strokes it gently. The humanoid handkerchief sits up, turning its 'head' from one side to the other and hopping up to do a jig.

[bc56]

Pontius'Custom Constructs

"It's, uh, helpful. For, uh, aligning the conscious and subconscious." At least that's what the book said. "Without it I have to think about my appearance more." She puts away the wand to demonstrate. She is then distracted by the dancing cloth figure, "Ooh." With the lapse in concentration as she watches, her disguise begins flickering again, and her tail reappears. "It's very good."

[Earl of Purple]

Pontius' Custom Constructs

Well, that's good. Only needed for affecting herself, then. Well, probably. Either way it's something Pontius can work with. "It's quite a simple thing, though it is still made of cloth. It's not very hardy, and if it's damaged the magic will dissipate. Small things like this are quick and easy to make, and to one as knowledgeable as I, pose no real challenge. Which is why I made all these." He gestures at the nearest golem, which points at the one next to it, and so on down the line until every golem is pointing at another. He had help carving them, and animating them too, but he developed the process that granted them movement and directed their construction.

[bc56]

Pontius'Custom Constructs

The demonstration is suitably impressive. Sekhmet forgets to concentrate on the disguise spell, losing control of everything except the changes to her hair and skin color, so she looks like a pale, blond-haired Tiefling. "They're excellent work. Very, uh, impressive."

[Earl of Purple]

Pontius' Custom Constructs

"Thank you. Golems like these are my biggest sellers. Not the things I enjoy making most, though. I like creating things that are entirely new. Giraffe statues for a lifeless menagerie, duelling automatons, flying armchairs like this one. I don't get as much call for those, however. People who need such things are typically able to build golems themselves. So, pay's [reasonable for an apprentice], when can you start?" His armchair raises itself as he speaks, so at the end he's level with her head and he doesn't have to look up so much.

[bc56]

Pontius' Custom Constructs

"I uh," Sekhmet is somewhat surprised, "Thank you! I can start tomorrow. Where should I come?" Her disguise is completely gone by now, and she looks very excited. A real job, and a chance to learn too! Of course, she probably has no idea how hard it is. She's never really worked a day in her life; dabbling in magic and engineering was more like a hobby.

[Earl of Purple]

Pontius' Custom Constructs

"My warehouse in Inside's where the factory's located, most of the heavy lifting takes place there, with the construction and enchantment." He jots down an address, and passes it over- using his own hands, which is quite unusual. It will be hard work; not just magically, but also physically. It's a mix of a wizard's apprenticeship of research and scholarship and a craftsman's apprenticeship of hard work and heavy lifting.

[bc56]

Pontius' Custom Constructs

Sekhmet is ready for that. Except maybe not the heavy lifting. Okay, definitely not the heavy lifting.

She takes the paper, elated. "Thank you sir! I'll be there first thing in the morning." She assumes that it opens early in the morning, she doesn't actually know. She also realizes that she's going to need to buy some proper work clothes; the casual outfit she has on now wouldn't be very safe for working in.

[Earl of Purple]

Pontius' Custom Constructs

"Work starts at seven, you'll need steel toe-capped boots and comfortable clothing, stuff that's comfortable to move around in but not too loose. If you need anything more, like if you're forging metal, it'll be provided." Keeping his apprentices safe keeps them learning and keeps them working. But he doesn't know Sekhmet's shoe size, so he can't really provide those as easily.

Fortunately for Sekhmet, her prior experience with metallurgy mean she's unlikely to be doing as much heavy lifting as Prumathe, since metal typically comes in smaller pieces than stone does.

[bc56]

Pontius' Custom Constructs

"Yes, okay." Sekhmet is already making a mental shopping list: she'll need boots, her own pair aren't steel-toed, she'll need a long-sleeved shirt, since red-hot metal and bare skin don't mix well, some sturdy trousers, and underclothes, since she only warped into the Nexus with one set. "I, uh, have some shopping to do, do you need me for anything else, sir?" Since Pontius is her boss, it's only right that she calls him sir, at least in her mind.

[Earl of Purple]

Pontius' Custom Constructs

"That's everything. Here, it's a cobbler's that has the requisite safety shoes." He scribbles down a shop's name elsewhere in Mallside and hands it over. Pontius' own boots came from there, though his haven't had much use. Because he can't move his legs to actually use them as they're intended.

[bc56]

Pontius' Custom Constructs

"Thanks so much!" Sekhmet takes the name of the store. Unless someone stops her, she'll leave the shop, stopping to say "Bye!" as she exits.

[Mee]

Yeah, usually they have like five people team up on my massages.

How do you find the time?

"Practice! Dedication to the craft!
And only taking a few customers at a time."

Perfectly-sized? Given their difference in sizes that's pretty exceptional!
Honeysuckle lies down and tries to relax.

Which turns out to be very easy, with the masseuse being so good at her job.
"Do you do everything here?" she asks, impressed.

Of course! One does not open any service in the Nexus that offers things such as this without some way of adjusting the size of things on the fly!
"I do, in fact. It is just me."

[Earl of Purple]

Pontius' Custom Constructs

That shop is also called Pontius' Custom Constructs, and is in fact the older premises. Both Pontius and Prumathe wave as she leaves, both quite eager to see her again, though for different reasons.

[Recaiden]

"That's real cool." Honeysuckle adds.

Until sometime later- "And next we visit the cafe?" Pampering and relaxation is hungry work, you know!

[Purple Eagle]

Deadra gestures towards Caesar.

My darling Caesar and myself are looking to have a lovely moonlight picnic, and we require various and sundry picnic supplies.

Perhaps you could help us with that?

Pissup pulls out a picnic basket labeled 'Essential Picnic Kit' and opens it up, showing it to contain paper towels, trash bag, disposable cutlery, picnic blanket and a thermos flask. "Of course, of course! Will this do?"

Caesar smiles up at Deadra, nodding in pride.

[Felandria]

Pissup pulls out a picnic basket labeled 'Essential Picnic Kit' and opens it up, showing it to contain paper towels, trash bag, disposable cutlery, picnic blanket and a thermos flask. "Of course, of course! Will this do?"

Caesar smiles up at Deadra, nodding in pride.

Yes, this will do quite nicely.

Perchance, shopkeep, do you sell candles?

- - - Updated - - -

Floofadoodle Spa

Fel’s kinda pointy ears perk up at this sentiment.

Ah, yes, some refreshments seem to be in order, I would agree.

[Purple Eagle]

Yes, this will do quite nicely.

Perchance, shopkeep, do you sell candles?

"Of course, of course!" Pissup responds, pulling out a pack of four red-coloured candles. "Vampires like this sensual smell of the night, with a tinge of blood, not enough to drive anyone into a frenzy. So do I, on the day of the week I have to feed." He says that with some distaste. "No offense, that I have to feed doesn't mean I like the taste." He quickly adds, sheepishly.

[Felandria]

"Of course, of course!" Pissup responds, pulling out a pack of four red-coloured candles. "Vampires like this sensual smell of the night, with a tinge of blood, not enough to drive anyone into a frenzy. So do I, on the day of the week I have to feed." He says that with some distaste. "No offense, that I have to feed doesn't mean I like the taste." He quickly adds, sheepishly.

Ah, excellent, just as long as they don’t have too much blood in them.

Don’t wish to be tempted to eat them, after all.

She smiles at Caesar.

[Purple Eagle]

Ah, excellent, just as long as they don’t have too much blood in them.

Don’t wish to be tempted to eat them, after all.

She smiles at Caesar.

Pissup smiles and tells of the reasonable price the entire thing is, and Caesar steps forward to pay, turning to his lover and smiling back at her. "I wish you a lovely night, folks! Come again!" He says to the couple as they leave.

Caesar wraps his arm around Deadra's waist and gives her a kiss. "You did great, my love. How do you feel?"

[Morty]

[Concourse]

Iknika leads Natalie and Yasril through Mallside, chattering animatedly at the two taller girls.

"So, what do you want to see here? I usually come here to look at weapons, armor and stuff, but also clothes. And training equipment."

Well, here interests are certainly diverse.