Clink, Clank, CRASH

Brielle. Dark Brotherhood engineer, tinkerer, social manipulator, passionate inventor, and occasional babysitter of full-grown adult assassins. Does not advertise her profession; is usually seen as a ruin diver or traveling.

[anvindrfarseer]

tinkerbrielle replied to your post: 

“I wouldn’t ask if I didn’t want to.” She’d expected him to immediately rebuff her or shrug it off. Baby steps. “What are you having?”

“Another mead, please.”

Should he–… Should he wait, or…? That’d be awkward, to cut their conversation short, having only just greeted each other. And it didn’t feel right, standing around waiting with nothing on hand, either. 

“I’ll walk with you. I’ve watched this side of the bonfire long enough.” 

[tinkerbrielle]

“As you wish.” Brielle gave him a laughing curtsy. It seemed maybe she’d been drinking a bit, though there wasn’t any slurring to her words. Just a pinch of pink to her cheeks.

As they walked, a thought struck her, and it spilled out before she could check herself. “Or did you think I might poison it?”

[tinkerbrielle]

astarill

“Maybe not, but it would be a marked improvement. However–…” He let his gaze wander along the crowd, trying to distinguish Dust’s form among the masses. To no avail.

“It doesn’t look it, but I am here with someone. In the interest of our continued friendship, I believe it is paramount I remain available to be talked to and to be fed the occasional caramel when so desired.”

“That does sound important.” Brielle’s tone took on a playful seriousness, but there was no hint of sarcasm. They were at a festival, after all, and those were to be enjoyed. “Maybe I can speak to you later, then, about how to attend a class?”

[tinkerbrielle]

raujel

He gasped, hand to his chest, and chided her with a poor – very poor – mimicry of high class diction.

“Pray, keep yer slander to yerself. A lady of my standing does not swoon.”

“My apologies! I did not wish to perjure your honor or reputation.” Brielle couldn’t keep the amusement from her voice. “Please, how can I make it up to you?”

[tinkerbrielle]

askdusty

“Pfft!” Dust scoffed and let Brielle go, hands moving to her hips. “The national Nordic past-time is drinking mead and talking about past conquests both warlike and carnal while not actually doing either.” She wagged a finger, then got a catlike smirk at Brielle’s wink.

“Oh, now that is very tempting.” There was something both soft and sleek in her look, eyes lidding. It really was tempting. She was a pretty thing, and not at all shy. But of course, she couldn’t indulge like that with anyone who didn’t know her secrets. “But I shouldn’t, dear. I’m going to wake up utterly hungover, and furthermore it’s going to be in the home of a guest who might be annoyed if I go missing.”

If she goes missing? There’s a brief bit of confusion--could Dust know she was in the company of an assassin?--before Brielle realized she meant something far more innocent. “I’d never dream to take you from your guest. But...

“Should you be in the mood to sneak off, I’m in the mood to be discreet.” Brielle laughed, carefree. There was no fear of rejection, here; after all, it was in good fun.

[tinkerbrielle]

Awkward Reunions

[tinkerbrielle]

anvindrfarseer

He stretched the corners of his mouth in a brief, tight-lipped smile. He was wrong. This wasn’t a sustainable branch of conversation either, though he couldn’t quite pinpoint what vexed him so much. Maybe… Maybe it was all just too close to home. What did she know, anyway? If she was so full of bright ideas, why wasn’t she in some far off city in High Rock, apprenticed to a master builder or artisan? That’s what he’d always imagined she’d grow up to do. Why in Kyne’s name had she joined these murderers?

“My aunt has ruled Morthal for more decades than we’ve been alive. I think she knows what she’s doing. She doesn’t need your help.”

The censure was decisive enough that Bri barely bit back a bitter barb of her own in return. Oh, did his aunt? Trade had dried up and there was little there to entice it, but his aunt did just fine.

“My mistake.” Brielle said simply, flatly, and let it go. Anvindr was not going to warm up to her, and she would just have to deal with it. Having known each other as children meant very little in the face of how they’d grown apart.

[tinkerbrielle]

askdusty

For a moment it seemed the Breton took the teasing to heart. She froze in place, mouth agape, looking very much like her partner had just insulted her profession, her honour and her mother all in one go.

Then, without warning, she cackled - moving to try and catch Brielle up in a proper dance, dipping her backwards if she allowed with something closer to a leer than a smile. “No no, darling, we do other things with flailing limbs when we’re in our cups.”

“Do we?” Brielle laughed, letting herself be dipped and moved about. “I know it’s the national Nordic pasttime, but how much fun can you have when you’re sloshed? I’ve half a mind to think it’s all invented in the morning to make up for the headache.

“Still, if you’re of a mind to...” She gave the other woman a wink. “I’m not against it.”

[raujel]

Axe to grind

[tinkerbrielle]

raujel

Truth be told, she was plenty distracting already. He pushed his tongue against his cheek, and grinned. Took him all of half a second to consider her proposal.

“Sounds good.”

‘Course, it could very well complicate his whole reason for being here. Fucking the blacksmith’s sister in the man’s own godsdamn stable might ruin his chances to wrest a good deal from the guy, but… Well, in the grand scheme of things, what was more important? Getting laid today, or getting a good deal on a new axe that would serve him well for the next few decades? Yeah, he didn’t need to think long on that one.

“Lead the way, Red.”

Brielle’s grin matched him as she stood up, walking over to wrap her arm in his and guide him toward the door with little mind for if they were ditching the bill--it wasn’t as if the proprietor didn’t know how to get it from her later.

The rain came down steadily, forcing her to pick up the pace with a laugh. She’d just started drying off, but with a goal in sight her mood could not be diminished. Rugar’s house, and the stable behind it, was just around the bend. And it wasn’t as if the wet clothes were going to stay on long at all.

The stable itself was small, with room for fresh hay and one horse stall. With luck it smelled more like the former than the latter; her brother must have just cleaned it that morning. The great draft horse Clod swung his head their way for just a moment, then went back to his food, ignoring them completely.

“Well, here we are. Practically palatial.” Bri slipped her arm free of Raujel’s, and her hands went to his waist. “How about I help you out of those cold, wet clothes and we can warm up together?”

[tinkerbrielle]

astarill

To be surprised to hear that a large portion of students abhorred calculations, must mean she didn’t get to communicating beyond people in her field much. But to be stunned by the news that magic was an exact science, that was the real kicker.

What? Did she think all great mages of the past, whose groundbreaking insights and formulas were still taught today, just handwaved it? How did she figure the study of magic was communicated peer-to-peer, across generations and language barriers? To write it down and describe it, you needed mathematics, physics and metaphysics. It wasn’t all philosophy. No, you didn’t need to be good at your sums to cast a fireball, but if you weren’t, you’d never go on to publish a book or make history.

“I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but the world’s full of fucking idiots.”

“Yes, well, and I was one of the ignorant til a moment ago.” Brielle mused. “Still am, obviously--I wouldn’t know where to start--but you aren’t, and that has some intriguing possibilities.”

She cracked half a grin, then. “But it’s a festival, and here I am contemplating the best way to drag you off to learn magical physics. Maybe not how you were planning to spend your evening.”

[tinkerbrielle]

raujel

“So do I, after I’ve skinned and butchered them. Guess that makes me a lady, too. Hold the fuck up–” He put his tankard down, and put one foot in front of the other. Arms out, a little bob of the knees. “How’s that for a fucking curtsy?”

“Masterful, elegant, I am charmed and delighted.” Brielle snickered, clapping her hands together once in both delight and applause. “Now, if you’ll just swoon into my arms, you’ll have outdone yourself.”

[tinkerbrielle]

astarill

He raised a brow. There was nothing peculiar about the Dwemer as an example. If understanding of the fundamental laws of the various fields of knowledge they busied themselves with was what brought on their demise, the majority of the academic world would’ve ceased to exist along with them. Or perhaps it had, and they had all transcended. Him, her, and everyone else here. In which case he couldn’t but conclude that transcendence wasn’t all it was cracked up to be.

“Everything can be described with mathematics. That’s what it’s for, but keep it to yourself, huh? I don’t need you spreading panic among potential students. As much as I loathe teaching, my income does depend on it.”

“Why would that chase students away?” Brielle was aghast at the thought. No, finding out magic could be predicted in mathematical equations was a miracle, a revelation. No one had ever thought to mention this to her in any time she’d complained about the unpredictability of enchantments, and yet here this altmer just casually dropped insight and then requested she not share.

“The trouble--the absolute tragedy of trying to use magic with my work--has always been trying to get it to work consistently and predictably. Having a key function fail could be catastrophic, but being able to predict it with mathematics so there’s failsafes in place--anyone who doesn’t realize the applications of that is a fucking idiot and I will not excuse my language.”

[tinkerbrielle]

askdusty

“That, my dear, is at the heart of all dancing. More often ‘n not ‘s a random flailing of limbs and twirling, but it’s fun. And that’s all that really matters.” A grin and Dust moves to give a little twirl, then stomps her foot. “It’s all about feeling. Letting body and heart lead. I think ‘s why people love it so much, when they give in to it - why we don’t do it often.”

“Ah, I see.” Brielle mimicked her partner, graceful enough if not quite on tempo as she attempted to suss out the movements. “Are all Breton dances flailing limbs then, or just when you’re in your cups?” She was enjoying herself, her dance partner was pretty, and the teasing was all in good fun.

[tinkerbrielle]

askdusty

“Dust.” The titular Breton beamed in return, turning as they reached the stomping grounds to take Bri by the other hand. “D’you know the old Bretic dances, dear? I could teach you! Honestly I’m a little in m’cups, but I remember the important things. Oh, your hair is beautiful. What’s your name, hm?” And without waiting for an answer Dust began to try and lead in a merry little jig.

Brielle had kept herself sober enough--she never liked over-indulging at parties to begin with, not very Nordic of her--and so it was more amusing to watch the little Breton try to lead her in a spirited step. “I’m Brielle. Lovely to meet you, Dust.”

It would likely be clear Brielle didn’t know what she was doing, but was happy to try and keep up. “I don’t know what this is, but this is fun.”

[tinkerbrielle]

astarill

He waved that addendum away with an off-hand gesture. No, it wasn’t a bother. To him, anyway, but she may soon regret she even asked.  

“The flow of various types of energy, to name one. The properties of light, or optics, the mathematical underpinnings of which few bother to learn, which is why enchanters can charge outrageous prices for their work.” He paused, for the duration of a sip of his drink. “The Dwemer,” he continued, “concerned themselves with sound and its propagation through various media in the way theory of magic these days is focused on light. None of which is of particular importance in the everyday application of magic, but it would make one a better mage if they bothered to–…”

Another pause, to think of better phrasing but nothing came to him within the time span he allotted himself, “…give a fuck, if you’ll pardon my language.”

Brielle didn’t even address his cursing, as if she would mind, instead looking to parse what he’d imparted. Mathematical underpinnings? In magic?

“The Dwemer are a peculiar example to hold up, considering their hubris got them wiped out, as far as anyone knows.” She pointed out. It was part of what made her so frustrated with their works, why she avoided them. She wanted progress, but they’d clearly gone down the wrong path. “But, you’re saying that, of all things, magic can be described with math?”

[tinkerbrielle]

astarill

A first-class moron, is what he wanted to say. He didn’t. No matter his opinion on his student, he would not ventilate it in public. Opinions could change overnight, but a reputation couldn’t shake a blow quite as easily. He considered it part of his job to–… well, not so much protect his student’s reputation, but at least to have no hand in making it worse.

“Currently?” He snorted, and a sip of his drink to alleviate the bitter taste of what he was about to say. “Parlor magic. I do what I can, to make it serve as example for the underlying theorems and paradigms, but I have long since accepted that will always be more for my own entertainment than the hope that it’ll stick.”

Oh. He taught magic. Of course he did. Only a great amount of training could keep her face from screwing up into a grimace, whether or not the mer could see it. And here she thought they might have a productive conversation.

“What sort of...’underlying theorems and paradigms’ can you find in magic?” Maybe she’d learn something. Maybe she’d just get more frustrated. “If it’s not a bother to ask while you’re trying to enjoy yourself.”

[tinkerbrielle]

astarill

He narrowed his eyes in thought. What? So, she was a locksmith and a clockmaker? Well, he supposed the latter wasn’t a viable profession in a province where thanes had less to spent than the average courtier in the Imperial City before the Great War, and where putting food on the table outweighed obtaining some wondrous mechanical bauble to show off at dinner parties. Here, people looked at the sky, or used an hourglass. There would always be a need for locksmiths, though.

“I teach.” Gods. Could he have said it with any more bitter resignation? He looked down into his cup with a quiet little scoff. “An uphill battle.”

“Oh, I do not envy you.” Brielle tried not to laugh. A teacher. An altmeri teacher, in the land of Nords. The poor fellow. “What do you teach?”

[tinkerbrielle]

astarill

“Skewer,” he echoed, even as his eyes narrowed and he contemplated just what she could’ve meant with ‘technical’. “Or bash. Beyond that, you’ll have little audience.”

What was she, then? An architect? A builder? A shipwright? He knew what she wasn’t, though: A siege engineer, because nothing skewered or bashed quite as thoroughly as ballistae and catapults.

“What do you do?”

“For a job, finicky work. Better locks, timepieces, things where you fit tiny bits together to make as perfect a mundane mechanical machine as you can.” She laughed lightly. “Hard to wow a crowd with something that small, and it’ll be a while before anything bigger is ready to be shown off.”

She moved on smoothly from there, shifting the conversation. “And what about yourself?”

[tinkerbrielle]

Guest name: Brielle Steelblood

Race: Breton/Bosmer

Gender: Female

Date: She gonna hit on y’all

Outfit: A forest-green tunic, soft suede pants tucked into boots, some fancy silver cuff bracelets over her sleeves, and a deep blue scarf to hold back her curls.