video; un: dunmer dragonborn

[fireandhoney]

Turns out when one is bored, doesn't feel like drawing or reading, and has a familiar that makes silk, this is the end result.

[He holds up a braid of string. The string is pearlescent, and it's crudely braided together, looking like a kid's first attempt to braid their hair or make a friendship bracelet. One can also see four very large spider legs draped over his shoulders, though the rest of the spider is hidden behind him.]

I may have discovered the future of fabrics right here.

[He tugs the string a few times, as if testing its strength.]

Comments

un: courtesan of death, video

[tsukky]

[ Those are some hairy leggies... ]

...That a giant spider behind ya?

[ Perfectly normal...

Spiders kind of have... negative connotations for Tsukuyo. But not for the usual reasons people don't like them. It's complicated. ]

Can it make a ball of string that my cat can't destroy? [ Said "cat" is actually a very large nekomata cat demon, she just likes to wind the creature up... Hence why an indestructible ball of spider-silk string for "kitty" might be just the thing. Or maybe just offend him further. ]

[fireandhoney]

That would be Sil, my familiar.

[The spider inches up more, climbing up the back of his head until she's resting on the top of his head, like a shiny, white hat. She's about the size of a cat.]

I don't see why not. She produces quite a lot of silk, and it shouldn't be too hard to gather some up and roll it up.

[tsukky]

Hello, Sil.

[ Yep. That's a big spider. It feels strange talking to a spider but that's the kind of thing that's normal around here.

A cat-sized spider and now there's an actual two-tailed vaguely demonic-looking cat the size of a small wolf appearing on her screen in the background. For some reason its expression seems as though it's not amused by the conversation topic, as if it's above such ordinary cat things like playing with balls of string - even though it's clearly interested in the dangling shining string on the screen. ]

Well, if she's happy to spare some I could always use more cat toys - he usually destroys 'em pretty quick. Might stop him from scratchin' the furniture so much.

[fireandhoney]

We can certainly do that. I can even have her spin an empty egg sac and give you that.

[He's yet to see a male of her species in this world and he's quite sure that she's far too big for common house spiders to mate with, so any egg sacs she produces will be duds anyway, perfect to tear apart.]

She's certainly in no short supply of silk. One time I settled down for an afternoon nap and she gave me a spider silk turban. I'm not sure if that was her way of preventing bedhead or if she just felt mischievous.

[tsukky]

That would be good. Anythin' that can be dangled that he can destroy, he likes. Even though he likes to act like he's not like an ordinary cat in any way.

[ Also, that must have been an extremely fetching turban. ]

...If mischief was the case, I never thought about a spider having a sense of humour like that before.

[agentlewish]

You made that? That looks wonderful. If you were able to make a bracelet on your first try, then it looks like you really have a talent for this!

( She doesn't miss the sight of that spider, though... )

Is that your familiar? It's nice to meet them.

[fireandhoney]

You should see what a real textile artist can do. I just twisted a bunch of silk together until it was thick enough to work with.

That is my familiar, yes. I call her Sil.

[agentlewish]

Oh, no! I think being able to make anything is really admirable! After all, you were able to create something special on your own.

( A doll floats up then, looking closely at the feed between them. Tohru pauses before laughing a little. )

It looks like someone else wanted to say hi.

[fireandhoney]

You should see my drawings. That's my main medium.

[Sil climbs up his back until her upper body is visible. She's quite large for a spider and very pale.]

Sil is an albino Solstheim spider.

video; un: coffeefiend

[ichoosefight]

[ Okay, giant spider. She can deal with that being a familiar. She can totally... deal with that. ]

...Is it weird to make stuff out of something that came out of your familiar? I can't tell.

[fireandhoney]

I don't see why it should be. Sil doesn't seem to think it's weird.

[He points to his back, indicating the large spider still clinging to him like a backpack.]

[ichoosefight]

[ She tries very hard not to shudder. If only it wasn't so big... ]

I guess they would know?

Wait, shouldn't it be sticky?

[fireandhoney]

Some spiders can also produce a silk that isn't sticky. It depends on what they intend to use it for.

video, un: filament

[omnicrafter]

[Irhya... might be staring wide-eyed at the fiber.]

Gods, how much does your familiar even make? Would it really be enough to weave together into a fabric?

...And can I have some?

[fireandhoney]

She makes quite a lot. In her native environment, she'd spin herself a large nest out of silk. So I imagine that you could indeed get enough to make fabric.

[He taps the table and the spider climbs off of his back and onto the table, to show how big she is. She's about the size of a cat.]

We could certainly arrange to give you some.

[omnicrafter]

I'd be willing to pay. You shouldn't go without compensation for something like that, I think. Especially when it must take some resources on her part, right?

Ooooh, I can't wait to experiment with it! What kinds of properties does it have, if you know? I've only ever seen the like that comes from silkworms. Oh, but I bet it'll be gorgeous... ahhhh...!

[fireandhoney]

I'm sure we can negotiate a good price, then.

Sil produces a few different kinds of silk. She makes the sticky kind, and she also produces a silk that isn't sticky, both of which are quite strong.

[individuates]

That's so cool!

[well, more the spinning than the braiding - which could do with a little help, but...]

What if you went into weaving?

[fireandhoney]

Oh, I don't know, I'm more of a drawer and sometimes painter.

[individuates]

Supplying a weaver, then?

I mean, I'm not one, and I can only imagine how much raw silk and time it would take to make a full garment, but I mean. If you can part with a little I'd definitely be interested in giving it a try? Like, to make a kerchief or something?

[fireandhoney]

I could do that. I mean, I am open to other forms of art too.

video; un: pinkparfait

[happyberry]

[ A pretty young girl with pastel pink hair done up in a high braid with a thin ribbon and wearing a mint green sleeveless Chinese-style top with many pearl earrings and silver hoops dappling her ears is gaping entirely dazzled at the camera. ]

Uwaaa~! That's amazing! Nee, are you into fiber arts?

[fireandhoney]

Actually, I'm more into drawing and sometimes painting. This is my first foray into fiber arts.

[happyberry]

Ah, but what a lovely idea — it's pearlescent...! Nee, what do you draw normally? I draw, too — just clothes, though...

[fireandhoney]

Lots of stuff. Mostly stuff from back home, and sometimes stuff I see in this world.

[He reaches for his sketchbook and opens it up to a random page, holding his phone up so the camera is facing the drawing. The drawing in question is a sketch of an automaton.]