#darkgatefortress

It IS very nice - or was. The heart locket lies in pieces, its once-pristine, 24-karat gold shell cracked along delicate lines, hinting at its former beauty. The jeweler has the knowledge to see that the gold appears almost too soft, as if the locket was crafted more for display than durability. The very purity of its gold, making it so lovely and valuable, has also rendered it tragically fragile - echoing the maker, who valued style over substance.

"Ooooh. Can you make an anklet with little silver bells that tinkle when I dance?" Getting distracted!

"Oh sure, you want the bells to look like anything specific? Tiny acorns or sea shells?" She offers even as she looks over the amulet "I can fix it. I'll need to tap into the good reserves"

"Oh! Sea shells!!"

"FO-Cus" Her cousin says

The boggan humms "We can multi task"

“Right, right.”

Sparkles smiles "Sea shells it is" And then takes the amulet "I'll need to work alone, but I can get it done today, now, about cost?"

She considers, then grins. She leans over to Zane and whispers, “We don’t need the chain, do we?”

"Probably not, there's symbolism involved but we can use the abscence of the chain too. Why?"

“Well, if it’s solid gold like the locket, it’s worth a pretty penny.”

“How’s this-“ to Sparkles, “you can keep the chain in trade, as long as you promise to melt it and reuse the gold in something else?” She glances at Zane for his approval.

“Actually… that had me wondering. Maybe we should reshape the locket?” To Zane. “After all, a heart won’t have the same symbolism for a sea creature, will it?”

His mention of symbolism clearly has her thinking.

"I'll take the chain , but also Zane owes me a free casting later" Sparkles says

Zane says "WITHIN reason, Sparkles.. but yes." Then a look at his cousin "It wouldn't."

"I can reshape it, sure... Sea beast eh? I think I can do something fitting"

She leans against the counter, and thinks. “A fish hook? No, maybe not.”

She is clearly thinking hard. She’s not normally the scholarly type, but with her wife’s life possibly on the line? She’s going to TRY!

“Hm… a heart feels a bit too soft for a sea monster. Maybe a shell instead, something spiraled and deep, to draw those feelings in like a tide? Wgatsit called, like, a nautilus? Or maybe an anchor—something grounding that could weigh down those dangerous urges?

Or even a compass rose, to guide its focus somewhere safer- AWAY from Siv?”

Sparkles is the one who answers "A current, or a whirlpool I can do...wavey lines, like you said"

For a moment Piper looks annoyed that her ideas were brushed aside, but then she graciously lets it go. “A whirlpool could work too… symbolizing desire twisting away… or something.”

Noticing the look, the boggan says "Sorry, you meantioned 'like a tide' I can do the compass rose"

“No, you know the material. And Zane is mage. This working is more important than my ego. I’m just feeling my winter side a bit more these days.”

"Happens sadly" Sparkles says. Boggans tend to lean hard to Seelie and TRY to stay there

Zane smiles "How about two insignals one on each side? the compass diverted on the underside?"

"OH CAN do, best of both worlds" The boggan says "I'll get onto it"

Zane looks at his cousin "Sound good?"

She nods!!

"Then I'll get on it now, be about... oh, three hours"

Zaane nods "Appreciate it, SParkles"

And the boggan goes to work while our heroes wait

(Pause)