The Return Of Time

Chapter Twelve: Pressing Issues

Biana gasped excitedly, "Oh my gosh, that one? I love that one! Go get it! Now! I'll set everything up!"

With new energy, she got up and ran out of the room, leaving Dex chuckling to himself in amusement.

Five minutes later, Dex was standing on her little pedestal she used for fittings as Biana cut additional fabric panels, laughing, "You sure bulked up on muscle over the past decade, huh?"

Dex shrugged, and a seam of the jerkin popped, "Bigger inventions create more muscle mass, what can I say?"

"Mind if I pin the jerkin to your shirt so I can cut the seams about to pop?"

"As long as you don't stab me."

"I make no promises."

"Great," he laughed, and held very still as she slid the colorful pins in, trying not to get poked.

Carefully, she then cut the seams that were really strained apart, and started to sew in the new panels. She felt him watch her as she worked, but she didn't mind, and finished within an hour. When she did, Gaia and Emrys walked in, just as she was buttoning Dex's jerkin up.

"Whoa, what happened while we were gone?" demanded Emrys.

"I fixed Dex's jerkin for him," Biana explained, "doesn't he look handsome?" She stepped back and let him flex, showing off the beautiful stitching in the leather.

"See, Emrys? Your Emrian doesn't clean up too badly, s'pecially when Biana makes his jerkin."

"It's a hot jerkin," Biana agreed shamelessly, avoiding Gaia's scheming look.

"Agreed," Dex smiled, and hopped down off the pedestal. "What're you guys wearing to the masquerade?"

Biana pulled out Gaia's dress proudly, "Wanna show them, Gaia? We fit it yesterday."

Gaia nodded, and went off to change, while Dex's question fell on Emrys, who answered, "I'll wear the one you sent me for Peace day. I haven't worn it yet."

"The one with the scale-like sleeves," Dex told Biana smugly, and she gasped.

"Oh my gosh! I made that! Dex didn't tell me who it was for, but that makes so much sense!"

"What makes so much sense?" Gaia asked as she walked in, the skirt of her dress just barely skimming the floor. She was wearing the fabric mask Biana had made her too, and the female Vacker was jittery with excitement and pride.

"You look awesome," Dex smiled, "you and Biana did a good job designing it."

"What do you think, Emrys?"

He mumbled something under his breath in a language she didn't understand, but Gaia seemed to, and blushed, but changed the topic, "Biana, you said you were going to wear something different than what you picked out?"

Biana gasped, "Oh right!" she turned to Dex, "I was wondering if we could finish that special project so I could wear it."

"The heat-proof suit has been successfully tested, I don't see why not," Dex stroked his chin thoughtfully and turned to the two kids, "you guys wanna come see something awesome?"

Gaia and Emrys nodded, and Dex lead everyone to the leapmaster, where, when everyone was standing on top of it, he yelled, "To the lab!" and they were off.

As soon as they walked into the cluttered inventors lab, Dex took off his jerkin, and hung it on a coat rack for safe keeping. He then handed Biana a small box, telling the kids to go and explore while the adults got everything ready.

Biana went to the nearest bathroom and changed into the full bodysuit in the box Dex had given her before. It was slippery, and sheen, designed specifically to resist heat, so naturally, it was white. It fit her perfectly, as it had been made specifically for her to wear, and only left her head exposed. The suit was skin tight, as it was meant for special fittings, and had the neckline of the dress she planned to wear with what they were about to create marked in black, heatproof thread. Before leaving, she made sure there were no wrinkles, and tied her hair in a bun at the top of her head.

When she walked back into the lab, Dex helped her step up to a pedestal, one that she had brought from B.V. a while ago, and she held her arms out, as they would make the torso of this metal bodice first.

Gaia and Emrys were sitting together a few feet away, watching in confusion as Dex heated metal sheets. Biana couldn't keep a smile off her face as Dex brought the first one over, wearing tight heat proof gloves of the same material as her bodysuit that went all the way up his arms. She was so excited, this bodice was going to knock the fashion world's socks off!

"Ready?" Dex asked, amused.

"I was born ready!" She giggled, and watched as he wrapped the molten metal around her waist. Together they smoothed it as best they could, and when Dex went to get the next piece of metal, she looked up at the kids, whose faces read a mixture of shock and intrigue.

"Doesn't that hurt?" Gaia asked as Biana smoothed a piece of metal over her chest as Dex cut the neckline.

"The suit's fireproof," Biana explained happily, "so it's actually a little cold!"

Emrys was puzzled, "How will you actually be able to get into that thing?"

"In a few minutes I'll cut the back panel and I'll put hinges there," explained Dex, who was cutting the metal under her arms now, creating a drastic shape. He then put a piece of metal on each of her shoulders and they worked them into sleeve-like structures. When they were finally done, Dex did a last check over before he cut the back off, as promised, and used a cold air dryer to dry the metal to the point where she could take it off without messing it up, then he dunked it in cold water before setting it on his work table.

"Uh, I hate to break it to you guys, but it's a little lumpy..." Gaia pointed out, and Dex nodded,

"I'll smooth it out with some tools later, right now it needs to set for the first time, and because I don't want to use such heavy machinery on something Biana's wearing. You wanna see the mask I made to go with it? Mine's done too."

Biana nodded and eagerly followed him to a table, where he handed her a gold mask that matched the bodice they just made, and he put a silver one to his face, "Exciting, no? The calculations came out perfectly"

She nodded, and Emrys asked, "How come you didn't use a machine to make the bodice when you used one to make the mask?"

"My scanner can only pick up once surface with minimal changes in depth, like a face, or the top of a shoe, because the scanner was meant for details. But Biana's torso-" he lifted one of her arms out and he trailed his finger down the side of her waist to show the curvature difference, "has more drastic depth than a nose or a pair of lips, so the scanner wasn't able to pick it up properly, and the bodice needs to fit to perfection."

"Ohhhh," Gaia smiled, "that makes sense!"

"I know," Dex flexed his muscles, "I'm a genius, aren't I?"

Biana kissed his cheek to surprise him, and his ears turned red, "That you are. Now how about I go change and I'll make us dinner. Emrys? You staying? Or do your parents need you home?"

Emrys shook his head no, "Nah, they know where I am."

"Excellent! I'll make quentile root loaf!" Biana cheered and skipped off, so happy that everything was set up. This masquerade was going to be perfect!

-F.M.