Submission (#8204) Approved

Quest: Resonance - Act 2
Act Type: Character
Word Count: 933
Adult Elnin Present: n/a
Regional Affinity: Silveil
Claiming Regional Affinity for: Mizuki [ELN3022]
[Noble] Rank Unlock Mini-Requirement: Far From Home (Home Region: Ealei)

After a very rewarding meeting with Luna, Mizuki said her goodbyes and continued on her journey. While she had taken in many of the sights within Silveil city, from the bustling crowds to the extravagant nightlife roaming the streets, the little undine was ready to move on to someplace a little quieter.

And after a bit of walking (or floating in her case), she found herself at the edge of Starlake. She let out a sigh of awe as she took in her surroundings. No matter how many times she came here, she would never tire of this place. The canopy of stars above seemed to continuously shift and dance in the sky, the panoply of colors never failing to mesmerize her. The lake itself was also a sight to behold, the bioluminescent fauna living within giving the illusion of a submerged sky. Even more curious was Silveil’s eldertree, that grew not up, but below, underneath Silveil City. It was surreal, seeing its reflection beneath the waters.

Taking the chance to unwind, Mizuki sat at the bank of the lake, and unfurled the cloth bundle she carried. Within it was a pin cushion with a few bobby pins. She smiled as she held it up, cherishing it. After they had finished their chatter, Mizuki had asked Luna if she had any leftover scraps from one of her projects that she’d be willing to offer her (not for free, of course!). Luna only gave her a puzzled expression, and asked if she wouldn’t want her to make her something new instead. The undine merely shook her head, and told her it should be something she wouldn’t miss.

After much debating, Luna ended up providing her a piece of fabric from the very first project she started on. It was actually one of Lumia’s old sashes, as Luna had started out by upcycling her grandmother’s older outfits for practice. Despite being old, the quality was still impeccable, and Mizuki couldn’t help but marvel at it. She offered one of her trinkets in exchange, but Luna wouldn’t accept it without at least giving something of equal value.

Hence, this pin cushion. It was one of the first ones she made, and though the fabric was starting to wear a little over time, the pattern on it was still quite beautiful. It resembled a flower, with cloud-like patterns and stars stitched on. A few of the stitches were a bit uneven, the signs of a fledgling seamstress, but Mizuki found it endearing.

“Biri, if you would, please.”

Her pomu chirped beside her, and proceeded to dive into the undine’s shadow. After a moment, she pulled out some items. A charred firework tube, as well as some broken shells.

Placing the pin cushion on top of the sash, Mizuki reached out and picked up the used firework tube. She had gotten this from Fuwa, after he had shown her how to create various firework displays. This was one of the first ones he created, which had ended up backfiring. He had kept it as a reminder of his mistake, but when Mizuki asked if she could have it, he obliged. Mizuki offered him some of the shells she had collected, and he only accepted if she explained why she wanted such a thing.

To most, it would be odd to be collecting anything considered defective or broken, but to Mizuki, she treated them as a starting point. A guide. A reminder. No elnin started off being completely perfect in their craft. It took lots of time, trial and error. She showed him some of the broken shells she had, which were from her first attempts in creating accessories. Some were too brittle and shattered when she tried to cut them, while others already had initial knicks and holes in them, or other blemishes caused by weathering.

While she was proud of her progress so far, seeing where she started not only showed how far she had come, but also served as a reminder that there was always room for improvement, and she should never settle for anything less. At this, Fuwa only smiled, and accepted the shells she offered. He had initially thought about asking for the broken shells instead, as he was planning on just grinding them up into powder to use as material for adjusting the firework colors, but upon hearing her explanation, that wasn’t something he could do if she cherished them this deeply.

She would have loved to display them in her home as a reminder, but considering she was constantly on the move, it made more sense to keep them with her, and while Biri was a bit absent-minded sometimes, the pomu knew how much the undine cherished these items, and made sure to meticulously store them carefully. That, and Luna made her swear she would never publicly display such a thing openly. Mizuki had reassured her she wouldn’t, but thought the craftsmanship was still quite well done despite it being her first piece. Fuwa wasn’t as fussed, but thought it would be a little odd having it as a display piece, especially if Mizuki was planning on opening a relaxation resort. 

Well, Mizuki supposed she couldn’t argue with them, and wished to respect their wishes (Luna herself she felt would have been absolutely mortified if it were placed out in the open for the public and probably would never let Mizuki live it down). That said, even if it may be considered “trash” to others, it was still important to her, and no doubt to the individuals she had gotten them from.