“Don’t ma’am at me, Byrne. Sounds like you’re talking to my mother.” Esme rolled her eyes and mimed gagging. Then, she obligingly hauled up her right pant leg as far as it would go. Riding pants were tight, so it was a rather long process that threatened to get stuck at any point on the skeletal bands of steel.
“You’d think that you didn’t help me make the thing.” She’d drawn up the schematics, sewn the leather pieces. Had needed Caro for the steel shaping and enchantments. Still, the original fitment process had not been very conducive to one’s modesty, considering she’d needed nearly a full limb replacement. But then, he’d been pretty bloody embarrassed about that too. Strange man – but not, perhaps, a bad one. He could hardly make her uncomfortable when he was nervous and blushing like a much younger man.
Esme stopped teasing to appreciate the magic. It was always fun to see it up close, even if, at first, this wasn’t a particularly wild example of the art. Any smith could bend a nail. The rest … Well, maybe. But it’d take more than a few light touches while kneeling in the dirt. Strange, though, watching her prosthetic peel and reshape. She almost expected to feel it, as something more than light pressure against her stump.
“Scaramouche.” A villainous masked stock character in Antivan theater. It seemed likely that they’d continue to take work opposed to Antiva, considering Caro was a native Marcher. Masks — she’d primarily need this new addition while riding Domino.
“Thank you, ser – ain’t that terrible?” Esme hopped up, careful not to bump into Caro. She started to shake out her pant leg, then stopped. “I’ll need to do something about my clothes, I guess. Tie one leg up or slit the side to the knee. That’ll start a new fashion, I’m sure.”
She didn’t exactly like the idea of other people seeing her prosthetic, but she didn’t have enough spare clothes to rip them every time she practiced with the crossbow. From a practical standpoint, it was useful as a surprise. Big chunk of steel like that could take or give a blow beyond what an opponent might normally expect. Less practical but still on her mind: some species of vanity.
Not that she was out to impress anyone.
“You’d think that you didn’t help me make the thing.” She’d drawn up the schematics, sewn the leather pieces. Had needed Caro for the steel shaping and enchantments. Still, the original fitment process had not been very conducive to one’s modesty, considering she’d needed nearly a full limb replacement. But then, he’d been pretty bloody embarrassed about that too. Strange man – but not, perhaps, a bad one. He could hardly make her uncomfortable when he was nervous and blushing like a much younger man.
Esme stopped teasing to appreciate the magic. It was always fun to see it up close, even if, at first, this wasn’t a particularly wild example of the art. Any smith could bend a nail. The rest … Well, maybe. But it’d take more than a few light touches while kneeling in the dirt. Strange, though, watching her prosthetic peel and reshape. She almost expected to feel it, as something more than light pressure against her stump.
“Scaramouche.” A villainous masked stock character in Antivan theater. It seemed likely that they’d continue to take work opposed to Antiva, considering Caro was a native Marcher. Masks — she’d primarily need this new addition while riding Domino.
“Thank you, ser – ain’t that terrible?” Esme hopped up, careful not to bump into Caro. She started to shake out her pant leg, then stopped. “I’ll need to do something about my clothes, I guess. Tie one leg up or slit the side to the knee. That’ll start a new fashion, I’m sure.”
She didn’t exactly like the idea of other people seeing her prosthetic, but she didn’t have enough spare clothes to rip them every time she practiced with the crossbow. From a practical standpoint, it was useful as a surprise. Big chunk of steel like that could take or give a blow beyond what an opponent might normally expect. Less practical but still on her mind: some species of vanity.
Not that she was out to impress anyone.
04-24-2024, 07:27 PM
