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Post by thepatriot on Oct 16, 2011 15:28:06 GMT -5
While Aestella worked away at her designs and sketches, Quillson couldn't help but watch in awe. He stole glances and looks from over the pony's shoulder as her quill swayed furiously from side to side across the unrolled paper before her. Her quick work towards detail was astounding. In mere seconds she had managed to portray a beautifully detailed sketch, so close to what Quill had imagined in his head. Dumbfounded in his awe the pony muttered to himself quietly.
"Oh my.... that really IS something..."
He had idea of Aestella's artistic capabilities. Maybe there was more to this pony than she had originally let on to. Her work seemed to calm her, but more than that. It gave her a strength that she just couldn't muster in other occurrences. This definitely impressed Quill.
When she had finished with the various sketches (All the while impressing Quillson to the utmost of possibility) and turned back to Quill, he finally responded to her.
"I want to start off by saying, that was AMAZING! I had no idea you could draw like that! The detail is impeccable, and the speed at which you completed... almost impossible! It's almost exactly what I'd had in my head, better even!"
Quill stood there almost motionless, a large goofed up grin across his face in excitement at Aestella's ability. This turned out being quite the exciting encounter.
"What other sort of details would need to be worked out for the job to begin?"
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Post by zasknu on Oct 16, 2011 16:17:13 GMT -5
"Other details?" Aestella looked confused as she turned back to the design. She was glad that he seemed so happy with her work, but she wasn't sure what other details he had in mind. "If this design pleases you, then I can get started as soon as our business is concluded... I guess... if you didn't have any other things to add to it." She released the quill and looked over the work that had just been completed, doing mental calculations to make sure the sketched and written down list of parts is adequate for the job at hand. Nodding to herself, she trots back into the room of boxes and begins to move from box to box collecting various parts and pieces. "Now what Aestella? You can't really get to work with him here... But you don't want him to leave so soon do you?" She frowned sadly as we wondered about how to handle her guest now. As she reentered the workshop, and made her way back to the desk with the parts she turned and addressed Quillson directly again. "From the second I start working on this job, it will take me approximately..." She stops talking for a moment to think before continuing. "34 hours, 26 minutes, and 51 seconds... I think." Aestella looked down at her hooves, and poked at the floor, unsure of how to continue the conversation. As much as she knew she wanted to start working, she also knew she didn't want to be alone again so soon. Every now and then in the awkward silence she would look up at Quillson, her internal struggle at least somewhat apparent in her forlorn expression.
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Post by thepatriot on Oct 16, 2011 16:38:24 GMT -5
Quillson watched with curiosity as she set back into the room of boxes, sorting through the jumbled components that meant little to Quill. He was about to respond when-
"From the second I start working on this job, it will take me approximately... 34 hours, 26 minutes, and 51 seconds... I think."
...What? That was... oddly specific for a work time frame. There's no way she...
"No no, the design is perfect! I wouldn't want to change any part of that masterpiece."
He let another grin show, hoping to (once again) ease the pony. She seemed almost distraught at the conclusion of this business. Maybe she wasn't as antisocial as she put off. Or at least, didn't want to be. He followed her out into the room, looking her in the face.
"But there's no sense in concluding this visit just yet, right? I'd love to talk some more if you're okay with that. Maybe get to know you a little better! I don't mind sharing too, if that interests you."
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Post by zasknu on Oct 16, 2011 17:49:03 GMT -5
Aestella's eyes widen in shock, and she felt as though her entire body has turned to ice; stiff and brittle to the point where any other reaction would cause her to shatter into hundreds of indistinguishable pieces.
"...I'd love to talk some more if you're okay with that. Maybe get to know you a little better! I don't mind sharing too, if that interests you."
She knew that she wanted that, but what could she say? What could she do? Aestella wracked her brain thinking of what she could talk about, but could only draw a blank. She looked around the workshop, avoiding Quillson's gaze. "I could show him around the house some more... not that there is much to see. He already said that he doesn't need anything to eat or drink..." She looked back over to Quillson questioningly, trying to come up with anything that he might be interested in, when she remembered that he wanted to see the other designs she had brought out into the entry room. "I c-could... show you those other designs... if you were still interested." she managed to squeak out shyly. Swallowing, she continued on in a quiet strained voice, "Or... I could show you the rest of the house... Or just ... talk ... about stuff..." Aestella shifted her gaze away from Quillson and back through the house towards the front room.
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Post by thepatriot on Oct 16, 2011 18:59:24 GMT -5
Quillson felt immediately disheartened by Aestella's drawn out response. It would appear all he had managed to do was unsettle the pony even more than originally! Hopefully something here would be salvageable.
"If you wouldn't mind, I would love to see your other designs for various things. Considering your talent in the sketch you just made, I'd consider it equal to viewing a fantastic art piece! I'd seen something that you had out when I came in that intrigued me. It looked like a... sort of wing design perhaps? I think you placed the pieces and papers over there."
Hoping that returning the topic to her works would please Aestella, Quillson pointed a front hoof over towards where the designs for the project Aestella had out beforehand now rested. He was honestly intrigued by the design. It seemed around Equestria that a lack of flight for non Pegasi ponies was an accepted limitation. If Aestella could get something like a pair of artificial wings to work, it would revolutionize the world.
Just in case the pony wasn't feeling up to being so forthcoming on sharing her designs further, Quill would suffice with getting to know the pony a little better. Maybe a trek through her home would let Aestella open up a little more, or atl east spark deeper conversation between the two.
"Afterwards if you wouldn't mind, I would love to see the rest of your house. To take the "Official Tour" and what not."
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Post by zasknu on Oct 16, 2011 23:06:50 GMT -5
"Let's go back to the front room then, and I'll show you my other work... but the wing project..." Aestella looks back over at her small models and scraps of materials that she set down on one of the shelves. "I can show you my plans and notes... but I'd rather not bother anypony with those models." The last word she only manages to choke out, as if she was ashamed for having come up with the idea. She heads out the door of the workshop, to go back to the entry of the house. "If you could come with me, please." Aestella walks back through the 'storage' room, taking a second to look through a side door that leads into the rest of her dwelling. "I guess it wouldn't hurt to show him more of the house... there isn't too much to see though" She kept walking forward, a frown crossing her face, remembering his reaction to the parts of her house that he had already seen. "Maybe that wouldn't be the best idea... But, he did say that he liked the rest of the house though... so, maybe he will enjoy the rest of the house? Yeah... maybe he will be interested, they are just as clean as the other rooms after all, and he did say he liked that about the rest of the house." She enters the front room with a nod and takes a position by the table and collecting the various watch designs that she had left out previously. As she rolled up those drawings, she unrolls the next set of drawings so she can show Quillson her standard clock designs. In addition to those, she also unrolled the next set of scrolls that consist of music boxes of various sizes. "Between the mantle, wall, and grandfather clocks... and these music boxes, I'm sure he'll be pleasantly happy with staying a while longer." She looks over towards Quillson, who she assumed fallowed her into the room, waiting expectantly for his reactions.
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Post by thepatriot on Oct 17, 2011 15:47:42 GMT -5
Quillson followed Aestella back to the blank main room of the house, standing beside the covered table where Aestella's rolls of designs rested. He nodded to her as she spoke, obviously refraining from her wing model and design. Making a mental note on the touchiness of that subject, Quill moved onto other matters. Aestella seemed perfectly happy sharing her other various designs and sketches, which pleased him all the same. He took in the various sights and designs of Aestella's work as she sorted through the parchment on the table before them.
He scanned over the designs carefully, taking a mental note of the different aspects and differences between items. After a few moments he noticed Aestella was watching him, probably waiting for some sort of reaction to her work. He glanced up at her, smiling before looking back down at them.
"These are just as wonderful as expected. You really do have quite the talent for detail and exquisite drawing ability."
He looked back up at Aestella before he proposed his next question.
" Have you ever thought of taking up art perhaps? You know, drawing for leisure or simply as an art form? I'd have to say that your capabilities are far beyond that of most."
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Post by zasknu on Oct 17, 2011 18:49:15 GMT -5
Aestella turned her head away from Quillson, her face flush with an odd mix of joy and embarrassment. She never had somepony compliment her on her sketches before, and she wasn't really sure what to make of that. At least now it was clear that Quillson did enjoy seeing everything she had to offer him. "Perhaps," she thought, "he wouldn't mind my... stranger, creations and would enjoy looking over those as well."
"It's n-nice of you to say that" Aestella stammered, turning back to face Quillson with her standard tired expression, though with a bit more color in her cheeks. "But I just ... sketch. Just enough to get an idea of what I'm making. But... if you likes those..." She swallowed, still a little hesitant to show the odd designs that certain customers had ordered or that she had cobbled up herself, "Then I maybe I could show you these."
With careful, practiced ease, Aestella rolled up the scrolls she had laid out, tied them with simple tan bindings, and set them aside on one end of the table. She then levitates the other scrolls she had set aside over to her, ones bound with purple ribbon, and begins to spread them out on the table for Quillson to see. The first of the scrolls unrolls to show another detailed sketch, though with a considerable increase in the amount of notes written around the image. The first images appears to be that of an egg, though an egg filled with gears and springs. Small diagrams around the main picture reveal a way to wind up the internal structure of the device with some sort of key, and when the key is removed, the egg will pop open after a certain amount of time. The notes scratched at various odd angles point towards hollowed out sections of the interior where the client who had asked for the device apparently wanted to store confetti and streamers.
The second scroll opens up to a much more cluttered page, with seemingly more notes than actual diagrams. It's picture shows the cross section of a metal box filled with twisted coils of metal springs of various thicknesses. The picture, while detailed, is still jumbled and crowded and hard to make out. From the notes that surround this picture, it seems that this device was intended to heat up slices of bread to make toast. Knobs that would have been attached to the front of the box would have allowed for different amounts of time before springs inside launched the toasted bread out of the top of the box. Unfortunately, this device was never completed due to a lack of a proper heating element.
Aestella unrolled the third scroll, which takes noticeably longer to flatten as the scroll seems to go on and on with notes and smaller pictures. It's main image appears to be that of a door, only under its base (presumably it would be inside the floor or ground or wherever) there is a strange combination of metal tubes and large gears. In front of the door is a large round circular disk, with a rod below it that attaches to the gears under the door. Between the long paragraphs of notes and the smaller illustrations around them, it would appear that the idea for this device is to make a door that will open as somepony steps towards it and onto the metal plate. Judging by the notes left all over the scroll, a prototype was never made.
Quickly, Aestella unrolled another scroll that was almost as long as the third one, but this time depicting images of what appear to be mechanical birds. Text around the images and well as small illustrations reveal that they can be manipulated with the turn of a key, much like the strange egg contraption. These mecho-birds when wound up would stretch their wings and bob their heads, but not much else. Aside from the minimal movement, however. Variations in design would allow Aestella to install clocks or lights into the bird so they perform some function rather than just being for show. Small notes towards the bottom explain that at one point the mare had plans to create smaller music boxes that could fit inside the birds so they could chirp when wound up as well as flex their mechanical wings.
The last scroll is unrolled as Aestella displays her most recent project, the one that she had been working on when Quillson stopped by for his visit. The images on the parchment shows detailed sketches of a pegasi's wings as well as a copy of what those wings might look like if they were made from metal, wire, and canvas. Designed to attach to the back of somepony, the wings themselves seem to be worked into a kind of vest-like harness that would wrap around the body of the pony using it. Other sketches around the scroll show designs for operating the wings via magic, or cables and pulleys attached to the legs, or a small engine of some time that could be affixed between the wings. Unlike the other designs she had just laid out, it seems as if the notes towards the bottom of this scroll are fresher, detailing what materials could be used in construction as well as notes explaining all the ways in which this project would probably never get off the ground.
With the last of the random projects out and on display for Quillson to look over, Aestella collects the purple ribbons and folds them up neatly before setting them down on the table. She looks back and forth from her guest to the diagrams and images that she had just presented to him. She blushes again as she looks at the unusualness of these designs. "I can't believe I made these... Oh he's going to think I'm so strange... Then he'll leave and probably never come back." She shrank back from the table in fear of the conclusions her mind has come up with.
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Post by thepatriot on Oct 17, 2011 20:47:02 GMT -5
Aestella seemed almost... embarrassed to be receiving so much attention and praise. It was rightly deserved in her case. Quill had seen very few ponies capable of drawing anywhere near the same level as this filly. But something he said or did seemed to be working, as Aestella was willing to show him all her various works now.
Her first piece of machinery was... some sort of egg? Maybe a surprise device... for parties. Or.... goodness knows what else. But, it was definitely original.
A device to cook bread individually? Well that's certainly interesting. Quill wondered just how something like that might taste, as he read through the scribbles and notes surrounding the sketches and design.
The next paperwork showed a failed door design, though it was an amazing idea. A door that you didn't have to push or pull open, how convenient!
The birds were very entertaining. They didn't seem to have any particular purpose off the bat, but you never know what something like those could be good for.
But the final design Aestella laid out for Quillson was the most impressive in his eyes. He thought that he'd seen some sort of mechanical wing design when he came in, and sure enough. He'd been right. Now her seemingly random fascination with Kuruka made more sense. He wanted to question her more on this, see just what her intent behind such a creation was.
Once he was finished looking the wing design over, he raised his head back up to face Aestella.
" Aestella, those were absolutely wonderful. Such creative ideas! I loved the door one, it's too bad you couldn't get something like that to work. But my favorite is definitely the wings. It's such a revolutionary idea, I hope they get working for you! Do you mind if I ask what brought forward your fascination with the concept?"
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Post by watcher on Oct 17, 2011 21:06:27 GMT -5
Nimble was walking through the snow, bundled up against the cold, and head down to keep snow out of his eyes. As he walks through the street, he sees a brightening of the snow around him, and he looks up to see a lighted clock face on a nearby building. Hmm, I wonder who opened this place up? I haven't seen it before. He decides to check it out, and goes up to the door and knocks.
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Post by zasknu on Oct 17, 2011 21:44:50 GMT -5
"Well... I guess the inspiration came from that zebra pegasi back in Nimble Mind's bookstore. I've never been so close before and I guess I just found her wings, interest-" Is as far as she managed to speak before a knocking came at her front door, just a few paces away from where they were standing. With a gasp, she ducked down, hiding under the tablecloth as if such an action would protect her from the knowledge that the world continued to move outside of her sight range. "Maybe it'll leave if I just stay down here... then I can be alone again, and safe, and happy. Alone. Oh wait!" Suddenly, she remembered that she still had a guest in the house, and slowly poked her head out from under the cloth to look up at Quillson.
"C-could you s-see who's at the d-door? Or let them know that its u-unlocked?" She squeaked, before trying to get a hoof out from under the table, slowly trying to make her way out of cover so she won't completely embarrass herself. "Oh this is so embarrassing! I look like such a foal!" Aestella grimaced at the thought, with a sad frown, continues to push herself out from under the table.
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Post by thepatriot on Oct 17, 2011 22:22:18 GMT -5
Quillson listened carefully to Aestella, before the knocking came at the door. The repetetive sound drew his attention away for only a moment, and when he turned back Aestella was nowhere to be found. That is, until her quivering voice chimed from beneath the tablecloth covered table.
Quillson ducked down, greeting the frightened Aestella's face with a sheepish grin. He smiled at her under the table and nodded, before turning towards the door. She really was quite easy to startle...
He opened the door slowly, as to not let the snow make its way in too quickly. Peeking around the open region, Quillson greeted the newcomer.
"Oh! Hello again Nimble. Please, come right inside!"
Quill stepped back to make room for the pony inside the barren room, making sure to keep the door open enough for Nimble, but as not to let in the snow.
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Post by watcher on Oct 18, 2011 8:29:19 GMT -5
Nimble looked startled, like he expected somepony else. "Wow, what a small world! Of all the places I could have stopped at, I pick one owned by a friend." HE crosses the threshold, stamping the snow from his hooves at the door. "You know, I expected more of a mess from you, for some reason. Not something so...spartan." He chuckled as he looked around
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Post by diamondpoint on Oct 18, 2011 13:15:03 GMT -5
Diamond Point trotted her way through the dim morning light, her steps making soft crunches in the snow as she made her tracks. She was headed towards the small town of Hoofington where she was supposed to meet up with the town's new Militia Captain, Kuruka, and assist her in defending the town. She had left Canterlot the day before and had been walking for most of the night, but she was far from tired. She was too excited to get to the little town.
Diamond paused as once she noticed the outline of the town growing before her. "There it is!" she grinned and started walking once more, although faster now, "Now I just have to find some ponies. I wonder if any will be up this early? If not I guess I can just find the Inn and go there." she thought aloud, "I wonder which one is the Inn? Oh! Is that a light?"
Diamond broke out into a run upon seeing a light a top a door. And then another, large one under with a pony shape in front. Someone was home! And the door was open! She doubled her efforts, wanting to get to the source before the door closed.
She skidded to a stop just in front of the door after another pony entered, taking a second to peer up at the source of the smaller light. It seemed to be a clock? How wonderful! Turning her attention back to the door, she quickly stuck a leg and her head through the space and smiled at the stallion who was holding it open, "Hello there! Mind if I come in to get away from the cold as well? Marvelous!" she spoke cheerfully before letting herself in without waiting for a response.
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Post by zasknu on Oct 18, 2011 14:58:06 GMT -5
"You know, I expected more of a mess from you, for some reason. Not something so...spartan."
Aestella let out a soft sigh of relief, and started to get up off of the floor. It was just Nimble, stopping by to see what was new in town. She found it a little unnerving to know that she would have to entertain more than one guest at a time, and her hesitation paused her assent from the floor long enough to hear a sound so terrifying, that it caused her to jump down under the table in panic.
"Hello there! Mind if I come in to get away from the cold as well? Marvelous!"
"This can't be happening! It's just unfathomable! How can there be this many ponies awake this early?! And why are they all here?!" Aestella covered her face with her hooves and sank as close to the floor as possible, hoping that she could disappear altogether and never have to deal with yet another stranger in town. It was hard enough just talking to Quillson, and now there were two more ponies in her home. Nopony could possibly expect her to talk to this many people in one day, the idea alone was maddening. She remained under the table as they talked shaking and quietly choking back sobs of anxiety, uncertain of how to handle this recent development.
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