shellphones | [open]

Entry tags:

[open]

Type: Video
Sender ID: hasapoint (Lashan)
To: Public
Subject: waterproofing charms
Warnings: none!

[FIRST: You get a very close shot of Lashan's eye as she squints at her shellphone. We have here that double-doozy of a medieval and an old person and while she's pretty sharp, these devices are not intuitive to her.]

'S it working? The bead's glowing.

[aka 'the light's on'. The video pulls back a bit but like, it's still pretty close and the angle is unflattering. This whole thing feels completely unnatural to her and the lines between her brows are deepened in a frown.]

I'm Sister Lashan. I'm a lay sister, not a nun. I've made some charms for waterproofing. They're not well-tested though. If you help me with that I'll give you one. Want to know their tolerances and if I have to tweak anything before I start selling them. I'm on Elrut.

[yeah this has made her feel ridiculous and stilted. She prods at the phone with a finger.]

...How do I- [she found out how to end message! this was Not guaranteed.]

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[There's another, longer pause because Lashan, after surviving her tempestuous youth, is a cautious soul. She also has to find a public place that isn't crowded, let's see, I'll make up a small open statue garden.]

FIRST LANTERN MEMORIAL YOU KNOW IT

[there's too much punctuation here, she's just going to assume he can infer the question mark.]

[That's a good thing to do, honestly. Alhaitham would have suggested the same if she hadn't done it herself.]

I do. [A pause as he takes a moment to figure out the time...] I should be there in about twenty minutes.

[First Lantern is a little park set up after a ship by the same name vanished, by the families and loved ones of its crew. That happened long enough back by now that it's become a more casual place, though still on the quiet side. The most prominent sculpture is a replica of First Lantern's figurehead, who holds out a lantern and has a carved look of blank intensity.

Lashan is on a bench in the shade, positioned so she can look to either entry to the park. Even seated she's tall, with an upright bearing and a direct gaze. She wears a divided skirt and a long-sleeved tunic with a short white cloak. There's a sheathed longsword at her hip. She does not know how to recognize Alhaitham but if someone's coming to meet her it's a good chance that this is the one.]

You'd be... how do you say your name?

[Video footage aside, with the variety of people and types that tend to hang around Eltrut its really not hard to spot the riftfarers from the locals, and so as soon as Alhaitham steps into the park it doesn't take long at all for him to see the lady he'd talked to on the shellphones. He strides up to her easily as the strapping young man of twenty nine that he is, cape and all.]

Alhaitham. [He says it slowly enough, making sure to enunciate clearly so that its easy to pick up. One thing he is grudgingly willing to admit that magical auto translate that this place has makes communication a lot more efficient.

With that settled, he gives a cursory glance around the area before looking back at her.] Do you intend to test your charms here, or somewhere else?

[...yeah he's just going to get straight to the point. That's what they're here for after all, so no point beating about the bush.]

Alhaitham. [She repeats it with a little nod. A much better name said than spelled, to her.] Good to know.

There's a little fountain, other side of the statue, if you want proof of the concept. [Lashan's smart enough to have thought of that even if I'm not.] But that's not 'immersion in seawater', after all. I'm not all that familiar with this place. Is there a good place where people just walk into the water?

[She purses her lips, not quite hiding her distaste at the idea. Lashan, though she really would rather not show it, can't swim and is in fact afraid of the ocean.]

[Normally Alhaitham would lean more on the side of skepticism, but... well. It's hard to hold onto that when what he mostly sees is a somewhat weathered and grizzled old lady. Those are the kinds of peoples who he's used to back in Sumeru, so he's more inclined to take them at their word. Anyway, the fact that she is the one who is willing to prove it is enough for him to know that she's legitimate about her claims.]

There are pools that we can go to. [He says with a nod. Not that Alhaitham minds the ocean, per se, but... it is a lot of water. This whole place in general is A Lot of water. It's something he's trying to get used to again after being back in Sumeru for a year, but that's neither here nor there.] One of them should not be too far away from here, if I remember correctly.

All right, then.

[Lashan stands up, pushing off the bench with her hands. She's quite tall still broad-shouldered, even if those shoulders droop; an old lady all right, but decidedly not little. In her prime she'd been tremendously burly and something of that is still there, under loosening skin and a layer of healthy fat.]

Lead the way. You've been here long?

[Once she stands Alhaitham does get a better look at her stature, which very much suggests a hard earned life. Perhaps something more reminiscent of the elders who live out in the sands, then... though that does nothing to change anything that he feels.]

Nine months. [He answers the question, making sure that she's ready to walk before turning to start doing the same himself, leading the way as asked.] I wouldn't say its particularly long, but its still a considerable length all the same.

[He still has a window of two months, but the same can't be said for Kaveh, who'll soon have been here for a year... its not so bad now, since the return to Sumeru is still fresh in both of their minds, but its nonetheless still something that Alhaitham can't help but think about.]

[With her Empathy she's definitely picking up suggestions of something here, for all that he's got one of those less-expressive faces. He's being reminded of someone else, she thinks.]

[Lashan appreciates the pause, and not calling attention to it, and tries to keep almost apace. There's a slight bowleggedness to her from all those years ahorse.]

What's happening back where you're from in the mean time? The bird girls who tried to explain things when I got here were a little vague.

[Not long ago Alhaitham wouldn't exactly have an answer to that question, but now...]

When you return its back to the exact moment in which you left. [He tells her simply, since its not like there is any reason to sugarcoat any of this.] You don't remember anything, either.

[And that is... well. Its something he and Kaveh don't agree with, mostly because of everything that they've worked to have for each other here. Even if they know that they'll eventually get there back home... they don't want to lose the memories that have helped them down that path.]

Hm. [Yeah, that's weird.] So, nothing done here matters, except to here? There's a thought. Wonder what that means.

[Bizarre as this place is - and it is bizarre, if Alhaitham watches closely Lashan is carefully not staring at a lot of the people she passes - it seems very real.]

My Sisters wouldn't have been happy if I disappeared, but they could've gotten on. I suppose it's as well that I don't, though, they'd have to step up producing manuscripts to make up for the revenue I wouldn't be bringing in and that's hard on you.

That is the status quo as we understand it at present.

[Keyword being 'at present', of course. There's still a lot about the rifts and themselves as riftfarers that is not understood, and while Alhaitham has always been interested in wanting to find out more, recent events have made it more of an investment—because now he has a personal reason in seeking that knowledge and understanding.

As they walk Alhaitham does notice, a bit, that she doesn't seem to regard the other people that pass by, but he'll chalk that up to nervousness rather than any specific reason. He can understand how much all of this is to take in, especially when its all so sudden. He was lucky that Kaveh was already around when he first came here.

But that aside, her mention about producing manuscripts piques his interest as a scholar. Though, when he combines that with the fact that she'd mentioned her 'Sisters'... some kind of religion, then, maybe similar to what Mondstadt has in reverence to the Anemo Archon.

Had it been anyone else Alhaitham may have perhaps prodded at it a bit, but considering how Lashan is an elderly lady he is... being more mindful than usual, so he will not try to pry.]

If you desire a job to keep yourself occupied most riftfarers tend to turn to the Manta board. There are other avenues, of course, but the jobs from the board are fairly direct, and they don't ask questions.

[Just do the job, show proof, and get paid. It's about as simple as it comes.]

[She doesn't want to goggle at people like a rube, but where she's from 'people' almost exclusively means 'human' and are dressed quite differently, and everyone's on solid ground and etc etc. Lashan really wants to visibly take things in stride and be in control of herself, not to be confused and overwhelmed and wildly homesick. At least, not where these strangers can see her.]

I'm a little old to go out adventuring. I'm not incapable, mind. [she taps the sword on her belt] But some things are better left to the young. Or younger than me at any rate. There's a reason I retired as a merc, and even that was a long time ago.

[Fighting, running, struggling takes so much out of her these days. Lashan can augment herself for it, but that's wearing too.]

I'll check the board, though. If there are less-strenuous options, I'll think about them.

[Alhaitham did surmise that the weapon at her hip isn't for show, but he's also familiar with the ways of the retired mercs; there's more than a couple of them that live in Sumeru City after all, and many others out in Aaru Village, which he goes to every once in a while when he has to take a trip out to the desert. Even if they no longer work in those lines, they carry with them a wreath of information and experience that is always useful to have in any situation.

But putting that aside, he can also understand where her concerns come from.] A good number of jobs do involve some degree of combat, but there are others which do not. [Alhaitham doesn't go out for the fighting ones as much as he used to now these days himself; not that he isn't willing, but some of the creatures here are beyond anything that he's used to and he's not so foolish as to risk his chances.] Of course, its still your choice to take them up or look at another avenue of work.

[A pause here as he ascertains where they are and where they need to be, and once he's made the required adjustments he continues to lead the way.]

I'll have to go and keep busy somehow. A lull's great for a few days but it's no way to go through life.

[Even if nothing really matters here, it's better to act as if it does. Lashan looks around in the pause.]

So is this going to be a building or just out on the harbor?

[If you ask Alhaitham he is all for relaxing for as long as possible—which is more or less what he's been doing. Relaxing and pursuing things that are purely in his interest, rather than from a place of obligation. It's very freeing, if he has anything to say about it.]

It's a pond that's closer to the outskirts of the main hub. [He answers, in response to her question.] It should be deep enough to serve our purpose.

[Sure it might not be actual seawater but. Unless the amount of salt in the sea is going to affect the effectiveness of these charms Alhaitham isn't going to fuss too much on this.]

Is this somewhere that people go and swim in?

[She's trying to seem neutral about it but there's a bit of distaste that gets through. Swimming in a pond is better than going into the sea, it's just. why would you want to go in water, people drown doing that. she never learned and frankly it feels too late now.]

Not to my knowledge. The wildlife that dwells in it has proven to be a rather effective deterrent.

[Alhaitham has no real opinions about swimming since its just something that needs to be done to get from point A to B. ~~The perils of being a character from an open world game.~~ He isn't fond of getting his clothes soaked though, but if these waterproofing charms work as well as claimed then that might soon be a thing of the past.]

Ergh. [Another of the reasons why she doesn't like the idea.] Well, you're the one going in.

So part of the use of these is that they've got to be sort of 'taught' what to work on by touching them to whatever it is first. They don't 'know' otherwise. They don't work as well on living things because that's better than if they worked too well and dried them out. You can see how that would be a problem.

[Alhaitham is indeed the one going in, and he can deal with one set of soaked clothing if that's what it takes to make this charm work the way its intended to. Which, considering what has just been explained to him, sounds fairly important.]

Yes. [He returns, without any other fanfare, seeing their destination coming into view now.] Is there anything else I need to keep in mind?

If your mouth or eyes itch, tell me.

[Lashan is fully confident that her waterproofing charms won't cause injury, but if her calculations are off one might dehydrate Althaim slightly, enough to irritate those wet, sensitive regions. She's working alone and with slightly different materials, in a place where the rules are different, and is too cautious to assume that won't make any difference.]

What do you want kept dry? Clothes, skin, hair, gear? I'm going to stand where I can see. After I give you one and show you what to do.

[There's a small hum and nod to her answer before he goes on to respond to her question back in turn.] Clothes and gear, mostly. We can focus on that if its the inorganic that's easier to work with.

[He can just dry himself out if its skin and hair so it should be fine... hopefully. Won't know until an attempt is actually made, but that's what this is for.

There's not much distance left between them and their destination now, so it only takes a bit more walking for them to arrive. It turns out to be a pound that's... maybe on the outskirts of a park? There may or may not be some sheep roaming about, but they're all far enough that it won't pose any sort of issue.]

[Ah, sheep. Lashan takes a second to look their way, having a mingled fondness and exasperation for such animals. These are bigger than the ones in her Sisterhood's herds or those kept by the clans, as she'd seen while warding off those flying sheep when she first arrived.

Anyway. She gets two talismans out and gives Alhaitham one, keeping the other and hooking thumb and finger through gaps. It's a circle of heavier wire with a letter-like shape made of lighter wire within, with four-ply wool thread wrapped and tied around and through it. It feels slightly heavier than it looks, but not by much.]

Here, to set it, you'll want to squeeze these two closer together, like this, and run it along what you want to protect. Let's say I wanted to keep my tunic dry, I'd do this.

[Lashan touches the talisman to her breastbone, dips it down almost to the hem, back up to the upper edge, down one sleeve and back, then transfers it to her other hand to run it down her other sleeve and back. The two elements that had been held together ease back apart into their previous configuration.]

Then you'll want to keep it on you or it'll wear off quickly.

[Alhaitham easily takes the talisman that'd been offered to him, and he studies it for a moment before he turns his attention over to her hands, gaze turning sharp as he watches what she does, also making sure to pay full attention to her words at the same time. That same level of attention persists when she goes on to demonstrate what to do, gaze fully affixed to the movement of her hands, only breaking when it becomes clear enough that she's done.]

Hmm. [A hum, mostly out of acknowledgement, and Alhaitham looks at the talisman in his hand for a second more before he follows after what has just been shown to him—holding the talisman in the same way as she'd done and then pressing it to his clothes to drag it across the fabric.] Do I simply have to keep the talisman on myself in some fashion? Or is there a specific way in which to do so?

Might have to stand on one leg to get your trousers and footwear, depends on how flexible you are. You can do it to things you haven't put on yet, too. I think of it as sort of painting these things with wax.

[Hard to say if it feels like anything's happened. Maybe a slight prickling in the wake of the talisman, but it's faint enough to possibly be imagination.]

I'm partial to necklaces but I don't think it really matters as long as it stays put. Things can end up falling out of pockets underwater, can't they?

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