Amamiya Ren for Chrysariel

[p]Appearances can be deceiving. Skitters may have skin that's rotting but he's a sensitive guy just looking for love. Tile Monger may look like a cute and cuddly ruffie at first glance but his twitching eye and eerie chuckle have left many a visitor to Riverside fleeing in fear.

[p]Then there's the darkmatter archan known as Ren.

[p]Just five minutes with this seemingly sinister citizen of Arctic Frost will be enough to convince you that not only is he not scary...he has more Luminaire spirit than Melody herself.

[p]Ren was born on December 25th amid the hustle and bustle of that most adored and celebrated holiday, Luminaire. Even as a tot, he was always looking for ways to share his toys with less fortunate children. It will come as no great surprise then that he grew into a toymaker rivaled only by Vanya.

[p]Nobody learns their craft alone, however. His mentor was the famed craftsman, Kaichu, whose toys have graced the shelves of toy stores on multiple worlds.

[p]Kaichu is one for isolation, keeping to himself and working out his ideas alone until October, when he combs the seven galaxies for two or three worthy apprentices to learn his trade secrets. For three glorious months, he travels to the northernmost pole of five dozen worlds, seeing to it that the citizens on each globe have a holiday worth remembering. It was during his rotation on Subeta, staying as a guest at Vanya's workshop, that he was introduced to Ren.

[p]The two hit it off right away. Long nights of building and brainstorming ideas for new toys led to the consumption of whole platters of Divinity and more hot cocoa than Get Mugged sells the other 11 months out of the year.

[p]Kaichu taught Ren the special joy of designing special toys for special children. A handicap should be no impediment to a magical Luminaire morning. Sometimes softer materials or cleverly hidden hinges make all the difference in bringing a smile to the face of a little one who would otherwise feel left out.

[p]Ren is currently hard at work completing designs he and Kaichu came up with in the weeks following last Luminaire...

[p][center]*****[/center]

[p]He doesn't look up at the gentle jingle of bells but a smile comes to his face. He would recognize the soft tread of Melody even in his dreams.

[p]"This year was marvelous, Ren. Please pass on my sincerest gratitude to Kaichu, the next time you see him."

[p]"For you, he would fight the very patterns of the weather to see to it Luminaire was not delayed."

[p]Her laugh is the gentle fall of snowflakes and the crackle of a yule log on the fire. "I see you're already hard at work on next year's innovations. Your design?"

[p]"I think of them all as Kaichu's designs. If I'm lucky enough, I might improve on one someday."

[p]"They're so tiny. Are they meant for a dollhouse?"

[p]A flashback of fragile working parts that snapped at too much pressure. His natural impatience with imperfection had him trying several designs and snarling under his breath many a time before he got the right proportion of materials. None of that former frustration is betrayed by his serene smile as he finally takes his eyes off his work.

[p]"A new concept, actually. Toys that allow the little ones to interact more fully with their minions. Tinsel has quite delighted in being my test subject."

[p]"It's a wonderful idea, to take two of the things Subeta's children adore the most and combine them."

[p]Ren nodded. "Next Luminaire will tell."

[p][center]*****[/center]

[p]Every day he will work from sunrise to well after sunset. He never notices the strange fashions of Survival or the fanciful costumes of the Masquerade and he has never once tasted a chocolate egg at Vesnali. Summer heat is an annoyance that makes it harder to bond paint to wooden carvings. Morostide captures his interest only because it is the time of year when Kaichu is set to arrive.

[p]For Ren, Luminaire is and will always be the season with a reason.

[p]Story by [user=Pureflower]