!! Never Idle's Frenzy !!

[Matope]

Ever since Never Idle's disappearance and reappearance, all sorts of accessories have slowly seeped into the swamp. The stag still spends the better part of his days creating - weaving, beading, braiding, and painting - but he's been in something of a lull recently. Call it an Artist's Block, if you will. No matter what materials he gathers, or what he makes, or even how he makes it, nothing seems to meet his standards. What's the best way to solve this problem? Why to beat at it until it goes away of course!

Never Idle's put out a call - bring anything, everything to him and he'll see what he can make.  

[Matope]

How It Works
For one month, Never Idle will be accepting requests. He will make existing kin accessories and decorations. Much like the original item shop, this one functions entirely IC -- payment to Never Idle is done ICly, and colorists will choose based on the IC form and reasoning.

Keep in mind that while Never Idle has rather delicate, dextrous little mongoose hands, there is still only so much he can do. He can not, for instance, carve stone, so any gems or rocks in your accessories must be rough-hewn and, generally, woven into the construction or wrapped in carved wood. Also be aware that items are colorist choice when it comes to breeding, which means there is a good chance that they will not be passed on.

Colorists may choose some requests from this thread and at the end of the month we will raffle some random winners! If you have been CC'd then you won't be entered into the raffle.

Form:

There are four basic elements to this form that you should put heavy thought into:

What is the item? You can be specific or vague, keeping in mind that vague requests will be more semi-custom than custom, leaving wiggle room for the artists.

Why this item? You must give at least some write-up as to why your kimeti wants this item/why it suits them. Good writing here could help get your bribe picked.

IC bribe? IC, your kimeti is also offering some sort of payment to Never Idle. What is it? Again, good writing could get you picked!

If you've given some thought to the above, fill out the below and post in the thread.

If your form has been chosen, a colorist will PM you to confirm you still want it, and that you're alright with them taking it. You can turn them down, but it's unlikely that a different colorist would take up your request after your refusal!

[b]Kin Name:[/b] [url=linktouncert]name[/url]
[b]Item Information:[/b] Be as detailed or as vague as you like, but keep in mind, much is in the colorist' hands if you're vague!
[b]Why this item:[/b] Give some information as to why your kin wants this item.
[b]IC Bribe information:[/b] What is your kin offering Never Idle? You can write this however you like.

 

[Scaramouche Fandango]

Kin Name: Lizard Kisses
Item Information: The big lizard skull was bleached white; it had died on a rock, probably happily basking in the sun at a ripe old age, never knowing that it wasn't going to wake up. Its grin was permanent and, as Lizard Kisses had always thought, kind. The littler lizards were each different; this one had no jawbone, this one's mouth was fused shut, this one had cracks in it. All told, Lizard's lizards were a motley collection. The seven skulls ranged from the head of a big creature, maybe three or four feet long at death, to the smallest, which had belonged to a tiny tree lizard, one of the little ones with sticky toes. She had carried them carefully in an empty shell- where did she get that?- all wrapped in leaves, and she gently nosed them as she unwrapped them to show Never Idle.

"I was- ok, this might be weird, but I was kind of hoping you could make me a headdress. I want to wear them. I want to wear the big one right between my ears, and I want the others to kinda... dangle? I want it to look nice, you know? But I've got no idea how to do this on my own. And, uh, maybe a little color? Some pretty stones in there would be great, and maybe a little pigment on the skulls- just to highlight how cute they are. I've thought about this a lot as an abstract thing, but I'm not, um, not sure what exactly I want it to look like. I'm no artist."

Why this item: "I've been collecting them since I was little," she said. "Is that strange? I mean, they're all lizards... and I'm Lizard... but I love them. They're smiling at me. I'd like to keep them safe- well, safer. If I leave them lying around, I'm worried that somebody will hurt them. They might not know how much they mean to me, and..." She smiled bashfully, staring at her hooves. "And that nobody will ever know who they were. I mean, somebody might mistake them for just little lizards, but there's no such thing as just an anything. They had lizard lives and my life is a Lizard Life, so I thought... maybe I could convince you to help me make everybody remember."

IC Bribe information: "I brought you something- maybe you might like it, or maybe you can use it for somebody else if you're gonna help me with this." The acha dances from foot to foot as she nudges her enormous turtleshell forwards. She's dragged it all the way here; it's what her skulls were in. "I used to keep them in here. If you can help me keep them on me, I won't need this any more and you can have it for yourself! There's also a lot of ochre in there- I dug it up, got my hooves all stained- and you can have that too! I've heard it can be used as paint. That's useful to you, right?"  

[Minsuil]

Kin Name: Riptide, as a gift from her mentor Flame of the West
Item Information: A white eagle feather - made into some kind of trinket. Maybe an ear piece? Necklace? ??? Anything?? Flame doesn't really have any ideas and is leaving it up to Never Idle.
Why this item: Riptide is/was Flame's apprentice when she decided to join Westfen. He's watched her struggle and adapt, and cope with her sister's absence, and while he wants her to stay here he also wants her to choose what she wants the most. He's prepared a white eagle feather for her if she chooses to stay and when she completes her Pilgrimage and becomes a full-fledged member of Westfen. (Which she does, but spoilers he doens't know that yet.)
IC Bribe information: He found the legendary exactly where Burning Bush had said he would be. Flame entered the groove and lowered his head in acknowledgement. He slid the furs he was carrying on his back, the results of his hunts, and opened them up to show Never Idle what lay inside. There was a shiny bright fox pelt, expertly cleaned, and a collection of bones, teeth, and claws that had also been cleaned. A single white feather lay in the middle in pristine condition.

"Two rabbit pelts, and one red fox pelt. The teeth, claws and bones are yours to use, but the feather I ask of you to make something for me with."

Kin Name: Ironside
Item Information: A chain of daisies. Flower crown? Necklace? Garland?
Why this item: Her aunt, Sycamore, used to make them for her all the time with flowers from her grandfather's garden. Now that Ironside's left home... she wants a little something to remember it by. Also, don't you think the daisies look good on her?
IC Bribe information: The gift she brought was a sapling, carefully carried, roots and soil gathered up in a small net of moss and lichen. It was a year old, carefully tended, with fresh green leaves sprouting. She placed it down gently and explained:

"This is a sycamore sapling. Nurture it well and it will give you shade and bark and fruit."

It had been raised by hand by her grandfather, freely given to a favored granddaughter. But Ironside could not carry it around while she traveled so she offered it as payment for a smaller memento.

Kin Name: Hornbeam
Item Information: A bag to carry his wares. I'm thinking across his back but whatever works?? I guess baskets could work too??? ??? ? ?
Why this item: He is a traveling medicine/plants merchant and it would be really great if he could carry more stuff.
IC Bribe information: He brought pelts, tanned and dried, and reeds and sinew as materials. These he had gathered himself, or received in payment. Hornbeam hoped it was enough material for Never Idle. He placed them at the stag's hooves and explained his needs. As payment he set out a collection of herbs and plants.

Oak chips for tanning, madder root for pinks and orange, larkspur for yellow, sassafras for brown, lichens for sea-green, a small bunch of indigo for deep blue.

Anyone who understood anything about plants would know this small collection was worth more than any gem. The indigo itself would be more than enough payment, but Hornbeam knew his request was work intensive, and he had long since learned to respect the craftkin of the swamp.  

[Pigxels]

~Updated 8/12~

Kin Name: Spark of Life
Item Information: A small bark/wood cuff for her closest back leg - possibly tied with leather with one or two yellow feathers on the string.(If something isn't working, you can tweak this however you like!)
Why this item: Spark of Life is incredibly in tune with the forest, and while she's very magical-looking, it's a little difficult for some to recognize her as such at quick glance, mistaking her as something from the water - and running in terror. (Angler fish are glowy too, you see...) Something wooden somewhere on her body, she figures, would give other kin a better idea at quick glance.
IC Bribe information: She trotted into the area with a small raven on her head, and a wefted wooden cage in her mouth, and bowed to Never Idle, respectfully. With a quick snort, the raven fluttered from her head, to Never Idle's shoulders, and perched there with a quiet 'hoot.' "He's a trained messenger raven," she explained. "He can help you send messages around the swamp if you ever need to communicate with other kin who supply you with work tools. He'll obey basic flight commands, and he'll repeat exactly what you say, so long as you repeat it to him two times! It will keep him from copying random words and sentences into his messages. It's sort of a code he understands," she smiled, then turned and put the cage down in front of him as well.

"And this is where he'll sleep at night. Not necessarily that he has to stay in here, he won't fly away; but it will keep him safe from other things in the woods at night while you're sleeping. All you have to do is open the door - he'll fly right in on his own!" She stepped back and bowed again, hopeful.


Kin Name: Licks Icicles
Item Information: A small wrapping of white or clear seaglass that look like lumpy icicles hooked and hanging from one horn on what appears to be a thin white string of leather, long and arching - sort of loose looking. (If something isn't working, you can tweak this however you like!)
Why this item: Licks Icicles has always been fond of the large icicles that hang outside of her frozen cave, and has always relatively wished she could wear them around. The small ones that rattle above her make a lovely chiming sound, and she wishes she could bring some of the music along with her when she travels.
IC Bribe information: She drags a massive leaf along beside her, and rests it at Never Idle's feet, the hoof-sized glossy shells and shining seaglass glistening in the mid-day sunshine. She smiled and then sifted slightly with her foot to reveal sand dollars also in absolute pristine condition and then smiled widely. "I found them when I traveled to the coast a few months ago," she said cheerily, "however, I dragged back too many... I no longer have room for them, and I imagine you would make better use of these with your craft! I hope this is enough," she added shly.

She prances back a bit and allows him to inspect all the different colors. not a single shell or glass chunk was chipped, and most of the glass was actually polished relatively smooth - nice for lack of need to work with carving and cutting oneself. The dollars were bleached perfectly white, had a nice soft texture, and were neither chipped nor scraped. The massive shells were glossy and perfect, ready for a heavy hoof to smash them and use for for art and jewelry.


Kin Name: Night Sight Lost
Item Information: A black leather hind-leg wrap of small bird skulls, teeth, and 2 small white feathers, strung relatively loosely looking and looping down his leg, dangling just above his foot, or resting on his tail. (If something isn't working, you can tweak this however you like!)
Why this item: Night Sight is interested in Necromancy and tribal medicine, and has been collecting and studying bits of bone, skulls, and teeth for several months. The best of the best of what he's found, he's gathered into a small pile for future use, and hopes to have something strung together for himself while he works on his new dark craft.
IC Bribe information: Night pulled out a beautifully weaved orb of wood, something he'd been doing around his own hut for months. Slowly over time, he'd grabbed a small branch between his teeth, and tucked it into another piece of wood until it had actually formed something round. Then, he snapped off the branches that had been holding it, releasing the ball from the trees, and left the very top open. He weaved a tiny lid, and then bit it off as well, then sent his swan, Antidote, out to collect small fireflies, herding them inside. It was tight enough to hold them, and still gave of a lovely amount of light between the branches.

He carried it by one long stick he stuck through it to carry, careful not to disturb the top lid, and carried it over, sticking it as hard into the soil as he could so that it hovered above them, leaving a lovely glow in the night sky. "I made this for you," he said, uncomfortable that it wasn't some form of tool or food. "I hope it helps you see at night when you're working," he said and nodded. "The fireflies can be traded out once in a while if you catch them, then you'll always have light. I'm a bit of a creator myself," he said shly, and tucked a hoof, feeling suddenly self-conscious in the legendary's presence.


Kin Name: Starglow
Item Information: A front-leg loose, black strip of leather with a carved, white petrified wood smiling moon against her leg, and 3 small 4-point stars dangling below/around it, with small blue beads between them. (If something isn't working, you can tweak this however you like!)
Why this item: Starglow is obsessed with night and would love to highlight the beautiful moon marking around her eyes - her one pride and joy of her appearance she would never trade for the world. She's always admired lovely carving work, and collected the wood at the beach the last she'd been there - perfect and sunbleached.
IC Bribe information: She carefully sat down a skinny little Creek Sandpaper Fig sapling, and was careful not to accidentally step on its dirt-ladden roots. "This little sapling will grow you fruit," she said, and pointed at the swamps squishy soil. "It grows well in swamps and wet places, so they won't drown or die on you. They grow about 8 to 10 meters tall, and it grows small figs you can snack on when you're tired of working for the day," she smiled.

She stuck it a few feet away from the opening of his home, and dug a small hole for it, placing it carefully into the soil sideways with her teeth, careful not to bite down too hard. When she finished placing it, she carefully buried it back, and then nodded, satisfied. "It should grow now. If it does die though, let me know. I have about three more by my own house I can pull a sprig from!"  

[theCorniest]

Kin Name: Maple Milk (though maybe add it to the masked version also, or instead? For fashion.)
Item Information: The primary and tail feathers of a swallow-tailed kite, used in some way to make Maple look grand and imposing.
Why this item: She's a vain old thing, and her villainous rep has taken a bit of a dive lately - not to mention she's been feeling a little down after a series of events that have reminded her of her vulnerability and mortality. Nothing like a new, wearable art piece to drive away your lurking doubts, right?
IC Bribe information:
It was only fair that Maple Milk turned to Never Idle for some help in chasing her blues away. Helping him had, after all, been part of the chain of events that led to where she was now.

She laid her bundled feathers - a prize from happier days - down, and said, "Fair craftsman, I would like something for me to wear made from these feathers of a swallow-tailed kite. I prefer a style that commands attention and respect, and, perhaps," she continued, smiling a little wickedly, "a touch of fear. If such a thing is in your power to make, you may have in payment the longest feathers of two wood ducks and one red-tailed hawk." It pained her to give them all away - they truly might be used in potions and charms, she hadn't lied to the hunter who had gathered them for her - but higher pay, she reasoned, was higher odds of him taking her request.  

[hybridic]

Kin Name: Wolf Dream
Item Information: A long white feather, one end stained with a strange blue tint. Perhaps a small spray of forget-me-not flowers alongside it (see below). Made into an accessory in whatever way seems fitting.
Why this item: Wolf Dream found this feather during the wandering prompt "Never Idle's Building" and also discovered the patch of blue mud that dyed it then as well (this post & the one right after). He left the feather at the burial site of a fallen kin, but when it reappeared to him in one of his dreams, Wolf Dream went back to find it, figuring it was meant to be his. In exchange, he decorated the kin's burial site with hundreds of sprays of forget-me-nots, which he found when following the trail of yet another dream.
IC Bribe information:

The feather was easy enough to carry -- it was long, and a bit unwieldy, but light and easy to hold in his mouth -- but the mounds of small blue flowers were more difficult to transport. The meadow of forget-me-nots he found had more than enough to decorate the fallen kin's gravesite with plenty to spare, and in exchange for whatever Never Idle might choose to create for Wolf Dream out of his blue-dyed feather, he had brought as many of the flowers as he could carry -- draped across his back, tucked behind his ears, lain out across his long tail. He had lost a number of them as he made his way to Never Idle's grove, leaving a blue-dotted trail behind him, but there were still plenty to offer to the legendary. He bent to slip out from under the piles of blossoms, shaking himself free of any stray sprays of the small blue flowers as he moved. He hoped it would be enough.  

[Minsuil]

1. Lizard Kisses
2. Lully in Sunlight
3. Spiderlily
4. Riptide
5. Ironside
6. Hornbeam
7. Spark of Life
8. Licks Icicles
9. Night Sight Lost
10. Maple Milk
11. Wolf Dream

Rolling one winner for now!