"That was rather rude of you" Maven started, Artman gave a gruff and dismissive huff.

  "It was rude of him to show up un announced, I'd thought he was a messenger boy." he replied, Maven rolled her eyes as she paced towards the brooding magician. "So, was he right?" She asked hesitantly.

  "Hmm?" A distracted Artman looked up from his scrutinizing stupor.

  "About the design, was it really ruined because of me?" She asked again, more clearly this time. Tilting her chin to point at the Wooden 'Woman' as it were. Feeling strangely conscious of how exposed the disembodied torso actually was, she touched her own chest lightly before feeling silly and shaking such thoughts from her minds eye. Artman didn't even turn around and just chuffed slightly, shifting on his stool as he turned to look at her.

  "No Maven, It's not ruined, I'll not have that kind of thinking here." He hushed reassuring her, finally standing to hold her in his arms. A gesture that while warm in intentions, felt ice cold against her. "It's just a likely there's some small flaw in the lines that's sapping power from the rest of the model. Nothing I haven't fixed before a thousand times over." He took a step back and turned towards his tool bench, already set to begin tinkering and finagling with arcane patterns and flows of energy.

  Maven gave a frustrated sigh as she watched him set back into his work, a small squall of conflicting emotions etched her eyes, tinged with some mild bemusement at his eagerness to start over again, just working as if nothing was wrong, another job and another day. Like a happy little carpenter in a cottage fretting over a table, instead of some kind of mystically charged and world shaking creation of mechanic and magics. it was all very whimsical if she had to admit, but a gnawing dissent was crawling through her stomach as the young man's words press into her mind.

  If the reason for its lack strength was because of her being used as the basis of the design, it could jeopardize her connection to project, he'd need new models, new frames, she wouldn't be of much use to him and he could dismiss her a simply as that. All those promises, the money, the dancing, even the small private moments together that they shared at night. Gone in an instant. Cast aside, replaced.

  Worthless.

  Fear, like a cold stone made its familiar presence known, that deep sinking dread creeping into her stomach like the deathly chill of winter. The chill of her affliction pound at the door of her mind, setting her teeth on edge as her scars began to ache. she felt the urge to touch the spot on her skull. Praying the pain was temporary, screwing her eyes to shut out the aching nauseous throbbing.

  "Hang it all and Burn, There should be something there, But I can't find the blasted thing!" Artman cried out, thundering curses and oaths as he scrambled to dig through the scattered tools, papers, and endless journals of various notes and ideas, before pulling a single thick tome free from the pile. Slamming it open on the work table and tearing into the pages looking for a specific entry. The burst of motion and fury, dragged Maven clear of her oppressive spell and back into reality where Artman was jabbing a finger at the page and cackling.

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  "There, yes, There, If I move those lines over aby a few degree's that should resolve the issue, and free up more energy for the rest of the construct. Aha! What do you think about that Maven? What did I say, huh, A good researcher never throws anything out. Haha!"

  Maven replied with a weak but pleasant smile "I thought you were hoarding paper for some reason, I didn't realize it was a piece of wizard teachings. What else are you supposed to keep? stiff collar and a fresh robe? or maybe a couple large burning pits to gaze into when thinking of new schemes or distilling some divine essence of Sulphur or such?" her chiding humor carrying the slight bite of her own discomfort, as the headache refused to ease or slow. Artman turned with the kind of face you'd show to comfort a pouting child. He walked to her, reaching out gingerly as she trembled against the wooden post, not quite clinging to it.

  "Maven, your shaking. Did our little intruder upset you that badly? I assure you, he wasn't any danger, just a bit over eager, you know how kids are at that age, all bluster and enthusiasm and little sense." He assured her, trying to at least. "Oh Maven," He cooed, holding her shoulders as he took her in his grasp, her body almost limp as she fought to maintain her cold mask. "I'm fine, Let me go" she said, voice flat and without any warmth. But Artman didn't, holding her closer instead. "Artie, Let me go I said I'm fine." She insisted, her voice rising slightly with a tremble, she started to struggle slightly, but Artman held her closer against her protests, thinking himself playful.

  "Artie stop it, -I- I'm just a little faint is all. I need some air." She replied with a tired voice, pushing Artman away as she moved at a half pace towards the door. "Maven..." He pleaded slightly, She just huffed slightly, stopping at the door for a moment. "I'm fine, Artie, I just need some air." she insisted "You have work to do, and I'm not sure how much help I'd be, considering..."

  "Considering what? This thing" He gestured to the lifeless model on propped up on the work bench. "Not the first time I've had to rebuild this thing. And I'm sure it won't be the last either." His face breaking into a cocky smile, "And besides, this was just an experiment of mine, Not sure if it'll come in use, but..." He shrugged "It was one of Father Brion's suggestions for the project," Artman actual gives a slight laugh remembering the distant conversation. "He said I should make my first model in the shape of a Horse, so it could drag carriage's and push millstones. But I told him I wanted to peruse the shape of a Man because it would fit in more of the work houses. We must have argued for hours over it."

  The silence of when he finished remained painfully strained as Maven stood stock still by the door, her face turned and expression hollow as the spark of mischief and wildness dimmed in her wolf grey eyes. Replaced with something distant that she didn't want to show to him. Artman sighed heavily, realizing in part his mistake.

  "Come back when you feel better, We have some more work to do. I think it's time to finally build that voice box, and, well I'll need some one who knows instruments to do that." He said quite but firmly, before turning back to his work.

  It wasn't exactly how she might have said it, but it was exactly what she hoped he'd say.