#anywhere

"Wudlig probably will. He's kinda flashy."

She notes the bristle and takes the hint "So chimiercal hair burns colors? does the color of the hair matter that much?"

"It does... see, it looks a bit like confetti because, well - Nevers." Indeed, the pattern is a collection of multi-colored bursts, the lines between a quarter and half an inch long.

"Probably not smart but I'm curious what my hair would look like wih the treatment. One of the blue ones"

"Well.. um... I have some wares that are bisque-fired..."

She goes to rattle around the shelves and returns with a small, unglazed pot.

She pulls out a blue strand "ow"

The Nevers giggle as they mimic.

"Okay, you ain't... hold on." Rummaging more, and Kylie is handed goggles, gloves, and an apron.

Kylie puts them on

"Blue hair... mm..." She lights a burner and holds the hair with a pair of metal tweezers.

She watches.

Burning hair smells awful.

"Chime?!" One of the smaller, pale Nevers squawks in worry at the sudden acrid scent of burnt hair. Two others shake their heads and explain in tinkling voices that Thistle thinks she can almost decode.

"I know it's not Never hair..."

"Yes, it stinks. But it should work with the funky powder from the garden..."

"Garden?" A sleepy voice asks? "Garden is sleeping." The clay gnome yawns hugely, peering up at the new Nocker.

"how many chimera you got around here?"

A never flits down and tries to tug Blinky's hat off... however, it's as good as solidly attached to his head and doesn't budge.

"Hey Blinky. There was some cool dirt by the glowy flowers?"

"It has the chimerical smell to it, so I bet it'll fire cool."

"Blinky?" A nod "Okay"

"Blinky's a gnome."

"He.. uh... came alive?"

"A lot of that batch didn't survive.." She frowns. "I was making them at school, before, y'know, this..." A gesture at her spirals.

"who destroys art? Even gnomes?"

Blinky takes off his hat and wrings it in his hands. A never scolds him at that - why does it only come off when the Gnome wishes it?

"Cold man."

Thistle frowns, her colorful spirals dimming, like a sputtering neon sign.

"Um. They..."

"Hey, let's see about that glaze?"

One of the Nevers zips in to pat her worriedly on the cheek. "Zzzt?" She says, mimicking almost exactly the sound that a faltering neon sign makes.

"Sure" she says

A gentle fingertip on the Never's cheek. "No worries."

A little fist shakes in the air, arguing! "Chime?! Zzzt! ZZT?! ZZZT!" A few other Nevers mimic the sound now, and drop dramatically to the floor, lights dimming.

"Dramatic little guys"

"I don't see him anymore. It's fine..." But she frowns, and the spirals are a kind of dull blue.

The little pale Never from earlier pats the handle of the torch. "Peeeuuu?"

"Yeah, we'll make the stinky burnt hair."

"Okay, Kylie, don't fuck this up, I'll walk you through it...."

Next thing Kylie knows, the kiln is firing up!

"How can I fuck it up? Anything I do the FIRST time is auomatically my best effort" A needle grin

The kiln spits out a reassuring, glowing warmth that bathes the entire studio.

Even Blinky stirs a bit more, moving closer. "Mmm. The mother Furnace." Reverence in his voice.

She follows instructions, her hands are nimble

Working does sap the grey away - even if it is walking Kylie through a basic glaze so they can try the hair.

"How long do I need to ... Oh furk I think I get it"

"Too cold.... too cold...."

"too... GO GO GO!"

Thistle is standing by with her treasure gloves and the hair sample!

She moves quickly a bit panicked but doing it "frick Frick Frick!"