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 A Study on The Arts of Glass Blowing [Private. Sephora Only]

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Kin

Kin


Posts : 5
Join date : 2016-05-27

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PostSubject: A Study on The Arts of Glass Blowing [Private. Sephora Only]   A Study on The Arts of Glass Blowing [Private. Sephora Only] EmptyFri May 27, 2016 11:04 pm

His favorite pass time, very nearly; the arts of glass making and crafting had been his constant companion and interest since he was a small child first coming into his abilities; a rare talent among his clan, control of the ancient desert sands was commonplace, but his power was that of the glass made by fusing of those ancient grains under extreme heat; far more than the high noon sun could ever bring upon the lands of the Nile. His was a strange, otherworldly power, a testament to his bloodline and his peoples association with the gods. They were a people that predated the rest, his family and their allies had lived in these deserts since before time was time, before the others and the humans and the lower beasts came to this divine world of heat and purity. Before even the Gods themselves, or so the elders of his clan said; in soft whispers deep in their ancestral oasis caves where the outside world could not hear the blasphemy against the Gods that ruled over them.

But that was for another time; a thought experiment on the truth of existence and the validity of the divine when the divine came not first, but long after the true first peoples.

Now was the time to craft, to mold and shape and create a thing of beauty. The kiln was heated white hot, a glob of molten glass sitting in the small depression meant to hold and contain it's molten fury until he was ready to work it. The blower's pipe was prepped and ready, the air channel was checked and clear of obstruction, his tools were ready and plenty of water was nearby; even the rare, supremely expensive cotton paper imported from the lands beyond the Great Sea ready to be used; blocks layered so thickly that they were worth more than a skilled craftsmen could hope to make in a lifetime ready to be burned and abused in order to turn the orange hot formless glob of glass into a masterpiece of craftsmanship and artistry. The pipe was plunged into the blob's heart, a twist and a turn and a flick of the wrists and he'd grabbed the molten glass in such a way that it stuck to the end of the pipe and could be worked. The blower piece was brought near lips and the first glorious inhalation, filled with the scent of the turned and broken glass, filled his lungs and he pressed his lips to the pipe, exhaling hard, like he was trying to pop a dart through the pipe; there was a method to this, it would form the initial bubble within the glass and allow him to begin to turn and expand the ball, thinning the walls and making it to where he could turn his masterpiece. A gift for his mate, his beloved companion and oldest friend.

He was going to turn this glass into a set of jewelry; hollow and light but supremely strong and made to be worn in the high desert heat; the pieces would absorb the heat from her body to keep her cool without warming themselves, not uncomfortably anyway; they would be a sign of her status as well; risen from a slave to the nobility of the land. Her skills and work over the years were more than enough to earn her place among the nobility, but that didn't stop some from contesting. Her position as his advisor gave her status. Not enough for others. Her marriage to him cemented her place, but it did not stop the whispers.

This... would likely not either; but he didn't much care. She was worth a million of her detractors, and he derived a pleasure from proving it in any way he could; not that she didn't do a fine job of that herself, she truly did a better job than he ever could; but showering her in gifts and trinkets worth more than any of those malcontents could ever hope to aquire was a nice start in his mind; even more so when the items were useful in a way that those idiots could never understand. His crafts came with an innate magic about them, one he never fully understood himself; a remnant from his forgotten past, his people had long since lost the truth of their origins; they were of the desert, yes, but they were not like the others of this place. They derived from far older, far different stock; from a people born to a place of green fields and cool rains; far to the north of this stark, dry desert land.

Firm pressure, quick inhales and exhales when needed, maintain the pressure and grow the inner bubble; condition the glass and it would do what he wanted without question; this was the most dangerous point; if he misstepped here, he risked ruining the glass yes, but also causing it to explode in a rain of horrifyingly deadly shards. No, not a risk he would take; it was why he'd started when he had, by the time Sephora appeared he would be past this part. He hadn't told her exactly why he wanted her to come to the kiln shop, but he knew she would appear, and at the time he'd given. He knew her well, she might be early, but not so early as to appear before this was done and he was safely out of this stage.
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Sephora




Posts : 3
Join date : 2016-05-27

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PostSubject: Re: A Study on The Arts of Glass Blowing [Private. Sephora Only]   A Study on The Arts of Glass Blowing [Private. Sephora Only] EmptySat May 28, 2016 12:02 am

Glowing. No other words could describe Sephora. It was like her own private little sun dwelled within her causing her to radiate happiness and light everywhere she went. There was nothing, absolutely nothing, that she felt could take her happiness away. She had been like this for quite a while of course: Kin had filled her life with happiness and joy from the moment he had rescued her and their relationship and bond had only increased that happiness throughout all of the years they had been together. So, what could possibly increase the joy she felt? The little life growing within her; a sort of surprise that she had never expected, but which she had found out several weeks prior that her and Kin had been blessed with.

At the moment she was allowing time to slip by by amusing herself within the market: more particularly looking over beautiful fabrics and patterns while contemplating different ideas - she fully intended on making every item of clothing for their young from scratch: each piece completely unique for their child. She kept in mind the time that Kin had wanted her to meet him, and knew that like usual she would end up going a little early, without being too early. It was simply the way Sephora was: slightly early without being annoyingly so.

Just as she was preparing to leave and make her way over to the shop a thought occured to her: something cold and delicious after such hot work would surely be welcome. With a smile on her face she made her way quickly to one of her favorite tea shops: they served each flavor both hot and iced, and everything was completley natural and made from scratch: which of course meant her sensitive stomach would be more than pleased. She ordered two iced flavored teas and then went back on her way.

Thanks to her stop she made it with only about five or less minutes to spare and after a quick shift of the drinks to one arm slipped her way inside. "Kin?", she called out, ignoring her drink for now: she didn't like spending too long away from Kin, so she was more concerned with seeing him than the drink that was causing both her arm and sleeve to become wet with condensation.
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Kin

Kin


Posts : 5
Join date : 2016-05-27

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PostSubject: Re: A Study on The Arts of Glass Blowing [Private. Sephora Only]   A Study on The Arts of Glass Blowing [Private. Sephora Only] EmptySat May 28, 2016 12:38 am

He was hunched over the massive wooden and steel block that allowed him to safely work the glass when it wasn't being blown or heated; a small indentation in a circular shape that allowed him to maintain the shape as he worked and added extra bits for color and texture, adjusted the composition of the glass to do and be what he wanted. He was puffing gently on the pipe to control the shape and size as it started to solidify and became workable in a different way; he needed to pull balls and strands and such from the main ball now, and he wouldn't be able to until he'd finished this step. He was sprinkling powders, adding bits of older, already worked glass, adjusting, always adjusting and always blowing; his chest heaved and his body was tense with the effort. If he could sweat, he would be coated in a sheen of the salty liquid, but his people didn't suffer from the heat the way others did; if he was sweating then everyone else would be dead from the heat. It was good that he wasn't then; even more so when his large ears swiveled to focus on the sound of the massive door sliding open; it was nearly half a foot thick but swing light as a feather due to the construction and way it wa hung; it was made of a densely thick wood that couldn't burn, which when combined with the thick volcanic glass-rock of the room itself meant that the heat within was contained and if a fire was to happen, it wouldn't spread beyond. Safety, always safety above all. Upon the floor was a symbol, a special one known to his people, it pulled the heat from the air around anything living so that the room felt cool and comfortable at all times, even with the fires lit and piles of molten glass cooling. His smithery on the other side of the compound had the same, he could run his massive bellow-fueled charcoal fire-forge without worry of bothering anyone because of it. The room was actually cooler than the outside air was, and there were a few comfortable ironwood chairs to sit in; the same wood the door was made of and extremely rare in these parts; only a few merchants had the ability to import the material, and the costs made it so that only the highest of nobility and royalty could afford it. He used the stuff in spades; it grew wild in his family's oasis, so they traded among themselves like it was the common reed-woven furniture of the rest of the region. To them it was normal to have, and it made for a good way to bolster the coffers, selling small amounts of it year to year. Supply and demand, always the creed the Fennec merchants lived by.

Once the glass was stable, he was able to move it back to the kiln, set just inside to keep it warm and at the phase of conversation he needed it to be at. He'd heard her call to him, if not for his dedication to his art, and he want to do this for her, he would have ruined the glass by stopping to speak to her; but this was important to him. He was able to hold himself and focus were he needed, if only for a few moments. "Come in, my dearest. Sit, rest. Cool off, the sun must be harsh this time of day. What's this, did you bring tea for us to share? Excellent!" Even with the thick smell of charcoal and glass, his keen nose could pick out the scent of the imported teas and spices within the cups; hell, the sound of the liquid screamed 'tea!' to his sharp ears. He reached for the one chair of them all that was padded, upholstered with a fire-retardant silk and filled with the feathers of a fire-bird that could only be found in the eastern volcano's of the seafaring peoples on the edge of the Great Sea; they would never burn, no matter how powerful the flames, but were soft as the down of the geese that migrated across the northern delta later in the year. He'd made it specially for her; she sat with him as he worked often enough, and with her carrying his child... he was going to make sure she was perfectly comfortable at all times. No risk would come to their child, not so long as he drew breath. "Sit, sit. How is the market? Did you see anything interesting?" He'd been training her in the arts of the merchant for decades, her opinion was highly valued as she saw things different than he did, and that was a welcome thing for one such as him. She could see patterns and trends long before him, some that he never would have at all. What she could tell him was vital to maintaining his businesses; and he loved her all the more for it.
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Sephora




Posts : 3
Join date : 2016-05-27

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PostSubject: Re: A Study on The Arts of Glass Blowing [Private. Sephora Only]   A Study on The Arts of Glass Blowing [Private. Sephora Only] EmptySat May 28, 2016 3:30 am

Sephora rather found it funny how despite the fact that it should have been a literal furnace inside it was far cooler than outside; enjoyable really. She had long grown used to the sun and heat, especially given the fact that she hid her body from everyone's sight but Kin's which meant she was covered at all times of the day and night if out in public. Still, the coolness of inside was enjoyable just the same - and she definitly loved an opportunity to get to watch Kin hard at work.

She sat in her usual spot, the cushioned chair more than comfortable enough for her. At his guessing of her having brought tea she nodded her head yes and giggled softly. "I can never pass up a good tea, and I was close enough to grab some for us on our way here." Sephora placed his cup safely off to the side for when he wished to have it - she was quite like he was when working, focused and wanting to ensure everything was done just right - so she knew how focused he could get. She held her own with both hands and sipped it slowly. The flavor was just right, sweet in its own way without being overbearingly so, and it was very cool. The mixture of the cool drink and the much cooler air around her was making her very happy at that moment.

She sighed happily and shifted her drink so she was only holding it in one hand while her other idly rested on her stomach. "I saw a few fabric patterns I liked today, including a beautiful striped one; it had golden thread woven through it: the colors are done in a random and yet smooth way that come together and work wonderfully. It was beautiful, but easily tearable given how the fabric is. Definitely not sturdy enough for every day wear, let alone for a baby." Still, a look of thoughtfulness came upon her face: the idea of the beautiful strip pattern was not one she was willing to let go so easily. She wasn't one to steal someone else's work, but that didn't mean she couldn't create her own lovely pattern with far more sturdier and softer material.

Sephora went silent then, taking another sip of her tea while she let her mind wonder. She was also waiting for Kin's opinion: she valued it just as much as he valued hers.
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Kin

Kin


Posts : 5
Join date : 2016-05-27

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PostSubject: Re: A Study on The Arts of Glass Blowing [Private. Sephora Only]   A Study on The Arts of Glass Blowing [Private. Sephora Only] EmptySat May 28, 2016 4:10 am

"Hmmm... sounds familiar. Likely a copy of an imported fabric style; it brings up memories of the time I visited the eastern seafarers as a child; they had fabrics that were unbelievably fragile compared to anything we would wear here; even among the nobility and royalty that never leave their marble palaces. Threads of woven glass and silks thinner than anything the orient trades with us, anyway. Strange fabrics, some called them divinely blessed, they never seemed to damage, even with their ephemeral nature." An eye was kept on his glass, he had to maintain it at a certain temperature or it would shatter, even semi-molten as it was; but his focus was on her for the moment, that gentle smile that never left his eyes, the one reserved only for her; it was his only expression as he reached for the tea she'd brought for him and sipped it deeply in the way only a desert fox could; gentle and light but draining a significant amount of the cup either way.

"I just bet I could recreate it using my glass, now that I think about it. Not the exact pattern, not without some serious work and some hired help from within the family; but something close. A mix of silk and glass fiber, it would be... well, it wouldn't be heavy per say, but it would be noticeable when worn. A single layer would be as heavy as the thick overcoats one wears outside of the city, for protection from the sandstorms; however the nature of the materials would allow for only a single layer to be worn, so the weight wouldn't be an issue." Idle talk, his mind was split between her, adjusting his next orders from his suppliers in relation to this information, and his glass. This rest would allow the temper to solidify in a good way; make it stronger and let it absorb a bit more magic from the world around them.

"A cousin is leading the next caravan in from the main oasis, he's bringing me a pallet of the ironwood to work the frames and such for the baby's furniture, as well as a replacement for that old couch of ours. It's gotten a bit small over the years; not that I really minded; but with the baby we'll need more room. There's some new scrolls and books as well; a trader from the far south, beyond the edge of the savannah and the southern desert appeared a few wees back and left them in exchange for some of the raw gold ore they'd removed from the temple. Nothing we needed, even to trade; gold isn't something we've ever been interested in trading, not with the spices and materials we have access too; so they just gave the trader all of it. Good deal, least for us. I've got a supplier that's bringing bird down from the tundra geese; it's supposed to be the softest possible to acquire without petitioning to the Gods to hunt sacred beasts. It won't be much, enough for a small pillow or two; but a good test to see if I want to order more. At the prices it sells for, I'm going to test it before buying in bulk. It's almost more expensive than cinnamon is, and the orient traders are refusing to bring any significant amounts of the base plant with them, so the prices are rivaling peppercorns and salt right now."

Another sip of the tea and he reached for the blower's pipe, pulling the glass free and setting it in a special steel die cast, it would allow him to turn and shape without worry of burning or cooling the glass, as the steel could handle the extreme temperature, and hold it well; while still being adjustable itself. He began to gently turn the blob while blowing air into it, he needed to get it turning and moving before he reached for what appeared to be normal iron sheers, only with strange symbols along the blades. They reinforced the strength and heat resistance of the metal, so that he could cut and shape the glass without risking the iron melting itself. "Was there anything else that you saw? Did you see the designs I'd sketched for the playpen? I thought about just burrowing a new room and building the parts into the walls and such, make a full fort style place with hiding holes and the like. Something to grow into, and we can use the rooms for storage after they're outgrown."
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Sephora




Posts : 3
Join date : 2016-05-27

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PostSubject: Re: A Study on The Arts of Glass Blowing [Private. Sephora Only]   A Study on The Arts of Glass Blowing [Private. Sephora Only] EmptyMon May 30, 2016 4:53 am

Sephora watched Kin in silence while listening to him speak. Her gaze glued onto what he was doing while she caught every word he spoke. She loved to hear about his past, even small pieces of it, as it better helped her to know him - though, in truth, even though she wasn't one to brag she liked to think she knew him better than most anyone else given how long they had been side by side.

At his idea to recreate the pattern using glass a very curious look came upon her face along with a mixture of determination and a look that stated quite clearly her creative juices were flowing. "Recreating it would be even more beautiful than it was.. it only caught my attention to begin with because the gold played off of the scarlet just right. Just the right shades and tints to make it work without either color being overbearing to the other."

Sephora then thought about what else Kin had said. She was rather fond of their couch but she understood the need to grow. There was enough room with two of them, but with a third on the way it wouldn't be long before they just simply wasn't enough space. Better to prepare for things early rather than scurry about at the last minute trying to fix a problem.

At Kin's mention of the pillows she grinned a bit. "I think I use you more as a pillow than an actual pillow.", she said with a soft chuckle. She was a cuddle bug to the core, so it was true. She preferred using Kin as a pillow than bothering with her own most of the time.

"I did see the designs, I like them. Multiple uses later on will ensure the space isn't wasted later, too. Plus, I can see years of fun using those little tunnels to play in and hide in."
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Kin

Kin


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PostSubject: Re: A Study on The Arts of Glass Blowing [Private. Sephora Only]   A Study on The Arts of Glass Blowing [Private. Sephora Only] EmptyTue May 31, 2016 4:25 am

"Gold and scarlet complement each other when used correctly; so that is not surprising. Given gold as a color is a bit of a favorite among my people and the distributors we use, finding the correct shades should not be very difficult." He was working to cut bits and piece of the blob off, paring it down to the size he needed, while taking the bases for the various different pieces he planned to work. Once they were lobbed off, he used the sheers to move them to a hot plate that would keep them at temperature as he worked, returning his attention to the main glob still attached to the long pipe. He began to blow and roll the mass within the die once more, he needed to adjust the mass and get it formed properly once more; once the density was uniform once more he would cut this mass in half and begin rolling the long strands he would need to make bangle-wraps.

"I will need to make a new batch of glass, send it off to my uncle to weave into cloth. He is far more experience in making fibre, and has a better workshop for the job. I could do it, but the threads would be heavy and likely a bit to delicate for a child; more akin to heavy spun candy floss than anything suitable for woven threads." He could weave cotton and yarn and silk just fine, give him the spun glass fibre and he was fine; but making the fibre was a skill that he knew he was not well versed in, and he wanted only the best for his child. He trusted his uncle enough to have him make the base thread; Kin had a large loom in another workshop that was more than capable of handling the delicate glass threads, so he could weave the cloth himself; which would satisfy his need to be sure the fabric was safe. He reached for one of the small open containers of powders and minerals that he would add to his glass; the one he reached for was a powdered sapphire material that would give the glass the color of the purest tropical ocean water, while still being perfectly clear. He needed to get the base color correct, once that was done he could mount the gems and crystals and precious metals that would hold the seals and symbols that give the accessories their properties; beyond just the magic of the glass itself.
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