“Heeeeeeey!”
Retvik tutted as his feathery friend Elksia appeared behind him, bouncing up and down a little too much.
“Hello Elksia,” the fiery Rethan let out a small grunt, trying to focus on his work. “Do you need me for something urgent? I am a little busy right now.”
“No! Not urgent! But…” Elksia paused, taking a moment to see what Retvik was making. He was filling tubes with very small amounts of various powders, some bagged up, some loose. To one side, several tubes had been fitted with a cone at the top and a length of string dangling from the bottom. “Are you making fireworks?”
Retvik nodded, finishing the rocket he was working on with a small piece of seemingly decorative tape, then turned around to face Elksia.
“Why are you making fireworks?” Elksia asked.
“Kinisis asked me to.”
“Why? She’s magic! She can make them herself!”
“It turns out that Kinisis much prefers other vok making explosive displays, because she loves being surprised by what one comes up with. And what with me being the local arsonist, the duty has fallen on me to create something pretty.
“But you… You make them by hand?” Elksia was curious now.
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“It gives me far more control over what will happen.”
“Ah.”
Elksia paused some more, before suddenly brightening up, remembering why she had gone to find Retvik in the first place. “I have a thing to ask!”
“A thing?”
“Mhm!” Elksia bounced a little less, not wanting to damage Retvik’s work. “I want to change how I look. I have magical shape powers. Many options. I want your opinion.”
Retvik looked Elksia up and down. “I am probably not the best person to ask.”
“Yeah you are!” Elksia chirped. “Everyvok here says stay the same or be a dragon. Tenuk says he wishes to be surprised. Because he is going to change himself as well. We both want to change. You know me best here. You can help me decide.”
“Maybe so, but I may be biased as I have always known you as a plucky, excited Vrekan. I find it hard to imagine you in a different way.”
Elksia smiled. “That is why. You’re stubborn. Like me but more so. I want to change how I look. But I want your advice when I go too far.”
Suddenly, Elksia slapped something onto the table, somehow managing to not knock anything over.
“These are my ideas. You can help, yes?”
Retvik took a moment to look at Elksia’s designs. Many of them were very draconic, others though bent back the other way, making her too much like a proto-threanic being. However, every design kept Elksia’s arm-blades and her tall, elegant Vrekan stance.
“These are impressive designs, Elksia.”
“Thank you!” Elksia was still grinning, watching and examining Retvik’s expressions as he flicked through each design. She noticed that Retvik had singled some of her designs out, and put them to one side as he continued reviewing designs.
“So, what do you think?” Elksia asked again, as Retvik handed her three designs in particular.
“I like these ones,” Retvik smiled slightly. “I do think you and Tenuk should have a talk about it though. After all, you are a couple and you need to be happy with each other.”
Elksia deflated a little, before shaking her head and turning her attention back to Retvik.
“Yeah, I guess you’re right. Better to ask first.”
“Indeed. But these designs are very cool. I am sure Tenuk would want to see them.”
Elksia’s grin returned. “You’re absolutely right! I’ll as Tenuk! Thank you!”
Before Retvik could say anything else, Elksia disappeared in a flash of green and orange confetti.
“Well, at least she is happy…” Retvik grumbled, returning to his work.