Midwinter calling, day 47

Lists

Iselin, Kari, Ciara, Asta and Bodil have helped building radio parts for three radios, and done a lot of parts with just my guidance. Of course, I could almost build it quicker by myself, but that's not the point, and it's so damn satisfying to have Iselin, Kari and Ciara there. We methodically build and test parts so we know they work and try to have everyone learn, but it's interesting to see the difference in craftsmanship. Ciara have by far the most patience to carefully and methodically build something really pretty where everything has to look perfect and be exactly the same, even if the function might not be one hundred percent if I don't describe exactly how it should be, but she is getting better. Iselin isn't that patient but mainly tries to make it work as well as possible while not being ugly, so that for example the contact and feel of a switch is more important than being able to see yourself in the surfaces. Iselin and Ciara work well together and make works of art in brass, wood and plastic. Kari and Asta have a more normal level in their builds, but it works and looks okay, and although I will of course choose the best parts, spare parts are very useful. Everything is built to be as identical as possible, so it truly is spare parts without modification necessary, and if a future problem is discovered, it will be easier to transfer a solution or lesson to other parts. So jigs for holes and such have been used.

As expected Bodil's woodwork boxes and knobs are really nice, and Bodil have been branding in our names on the inside of the lids off the radio boxes, including the first two. My name first, followed by Iselin, Kari, Ciara and finally Bodils which made her hugely proud. There is room for surnames behind the others names, because in the future at least Iselin's and Kari's will be changed. I hope.

I want to surprise Iselin with something special before the wedding, and have enlisted Kari's help in trying to find what Iselin might like. Kari suggested something with electricity and light, because here a LED is still sejd and magic - a small coloured light without fire or heat - and Kari suggested I make something glowing for Iselin, and just special. I suggested flashing, since tallow candles, fires etc, don't flash, and I know how much Iselin loves her desk LED lamp and how fascinated she is by the 'flashing' blue LED in the radio - although she is hardly alone in that. I showed Kari what I meant with the small red flashing keychain flashlight I took from my backpack. Kari liked the idea and thought that was good enough as is, but I wanted to build something better than basically a LED throwie. Iselin deserves the best, especially in connection with our marriage.

So in secret I have built a very small simple 'joule thief' based flasher circuit that flash an LED every few seconds and is powered by a 1.5V AAA/R03 battery. Battery with the on-off mechanism are separate, and I took the absolute strongest LED I have, which is the green 80000mcd from the 9xLED lamp, which is still disassembled. I know Iselin likes green, and although a bright blue would have worked too, the green is stronger and blue is hardly unique and every radio has one and I have more. Almost all electronics in Midgård have powerful blue LEDs and ironically are the most common LED colour I have if you don't count white (which is probably blue with a yellow phosphor layer on top), followed by red, green and yellow. Just 20 years ago, blue LEDs were rare and expensive, and I remember when I built one of my custom computers and changed to blue-purple 430nm LEDs in everything, including all accessories such as the monitor, keyboard and mouse. Those LEDs were the most expensive single thing in the project on the pure modding budget. That is not the case nowadays, although the usual blue LEDs are generally 470nm.

The flashing circuit worked fine, and I baked the finished circuit in re-melted hot glue taken from the Mobius mod and the only thing going out from that blob is gold contacts so they don't corrode. Kari really loves the finished green pulsing little thing and handles it very tenderly when she leave with it and the battery with its holder. She won't say what her plan is, but she's sure we'll both appreciate it.

I know Caecilia tries to be my personal assistant, and she do good work, but I guess old habits are hard to loose as her instinctive reaction to finding me lying on my back in my bed thinking, is to lay down beside me and snuggle in after putting my hand on her stomach. I guess it was a matter of time until she or Ciara would. At least we are both dressed because I try to think about all the projects and future projects that isn't electricity, radio, electronics or black powder. The pendulum clocks needs to be finished before the guest arrive, but it's not a huge amount of work or hard, just boring work. I have been tempted to make some mechanical sculptures during the winter, for example a mechanism where glass marbles are lifted up and go down in tracks to be lifted up again. Similar mechanical sculptures usually use an electric motor, but it is possible to make a weight-driven mechanism that winds up much like a pendulum clock, and thus the mechanism have a certain operating time or cycles before it automatically stops. It can be an elegant solution.

My thoughts on weights, gearing and locking mechanisms comes crashing to a halt when Caecilia starts stroking my crotch and asks me to stop torturing her and instead take her hard. I honestly haven't considered where my hand has wandered and is doing, how hard her nipple is and how strained she sounds.

My bad.

As decided weeks ago, we will send the Millennium Eagle to Borgarsandr to pick up the guests and musicians. Kari is eager to come along so she can take care of a few final things before the wedding, and of course it's not a coincidence that she can visit the Seamstress guild while she's there, which Kari doesn't deny, as her reply is just a sinful and slightly playful smile, followed by a kiss. Which becomes a deeper kiss. Which makes me push her up against the wall as we continue to kiss. The kissing is nice, but I really like the smile she gets when I do things like that.

Of course, most in the house seem to have noticed that Kari often has been wearing something special, and I was probably the only one who didn't notice anything - yay for selective attention - but at least I can't be accused of ogling their bodies. Although of course they can accuse me of not appreciating their bodies enough. Sometimes you just can't win.

I didn't expect that several of them want to try, but it's not like I really care about the cost, so corsets will be ordered for Iselin, Ciara, Caecilia and Jane. Jane surprises me when she straight up suggests that I also give the guards their own to try, as Gunhild apparently got to try Kari's after Elvira, and is interested. It surprises me that Kari lend it to anyone, but I quickly understand that Kari used them as a model for any change or variants and how it looks on other bodies. A regular corset seems to be fairly cheap, so I decide that everyone gets one each even though a corset should hardly be something for a guard, which the guards agree with. But of course they would like to have one anyway if they have the chance, and Alith and Bodil helped test bras etc.

After a discreet whisper from Caecilia, the maids are included and also Ima, Shakini and Elin. I don't really understand why getting a corset of their own to try would be so interesting, but I'm a guy and also very uninterested in clothes, and that wish should be obvious when it's something new, unusual and clothing based that gives a nicer body profile and is 'free'. It's a bit like asking a nerd if they want a free tech gadget with flashing LEDs, especially if the gadget is more advanced than that. Most people say 'yes' before asking what it does, if it even does anything beside blinking LEDs or looking cool. There is a good old expression from the British Army; Shiny thing. Something cool and shiny that attracts eyes and desires like crows to something sparkling, so whether it's useful or not, everyone wants one - because it's shiny and cool. Shiny.

The träskor clogs have been very appreciated and see a lot of use, and socks - especially knee high socks - have also become a thing that most also use indoors, and when they talk I learn that my sambos have already ordered many prettier socks for themselves and the staff, as well as arranged new nice clothes so the staff is properly dressed and looks good during the wedding feast. I can only guess how much time the women have spent talking about socks, clothes and corsets. Before that first shopping spree in Borgarsandr after we moved in, Iselin, Kari and Jane have been taking all possible measurements of the people in our household, and they know how they and Kari were measured, but it will take quite a long time before all the corsets are sewn. I'm informed that Kari and Jane have already decided to try to make an agreement with the Seamstress guild for possible sale as with the other designs, and they have decided that Jane will get 10/20 of the income, with a smaller 1/20 part each for my sambos and the guards, and I get the last 3/20. Sounds good to me, although I expected Jane would want a bigger share considering it's her idea and she doesn't have much income, so it could be that she's content with what the paintings will give her, and wants to gain favour from the others.

I suggest trying to get some kind off agreement on side saddles, but Kari is ahead of me on that. I want to get four side saddles made for the household as sambos and others think it is much better than the usual ladies saddle, and I want a decorated design on the first one with Iselin's name on it. Kari and Jane is also going to try to get an agreement on high heels, and I ask them to measure Alith up for a pair with 5cm wedges or so. Alith seems to have a bit of a height complex for being the shortest of our guards, which makes Kari smile as she whispers that she has orders for stilettos for Iselin, Ciara, and Caecilia, and Iselin seems really excited because she's ordered two pairs. Kari is excited by boots, so I make her add leather boots for sambos, guards and Jane, with built-in sheaths for a hidden dagger in the shafts. They don't have to have a dagger if they don't want to, but at least they have the option. I know that Iselin, Jane, and Alith love the concept of concealed weapons, while Kari is definitely thinking more on really fancy boots.

In addition to picking up a lot off ordered items such as ceramics, glass, windows and so on, I also give a few orders I've accumulated to Kari, and that she should also try to buy 'oil of vitriol', which prompts Kari to whisper she will buy a lot of another kind of oil too. We will need it sooner rather than later, because Kari is working hard to use what we have, but she isn't the only one as Caecilia is another. It reminds me we need to buy a lot more paper, books, ink and toilet paper, resin too, but Kari just point to the shopping and order list, which is huge and on several pages. Oh! I remember to task Kari to buy a bunch of not particularly expensive little things like combs, cheaper jewellery, decorations and the like. I've been thinking of having one of those roll a dice gift games and I need a bunch of stuff to wrap.

I give Kari a sealed order to the jeweller for a plug for Caecilia with an orange glass jewel, and I want Kari to buy a lot of really small sapphires or rubies, about twenty if she can. I need something very hard. There is also a list of brass and more to buy from Digraldi, and parts for many more oil lamps and other stuff. Then an order to the glass master to try to make parts for a pretty Lord Kelvin water generator, and glass balls about 30mm diameter and as round and fine as he can make and twelve of them. Kari's excitement and how her eyes have lit up surprise me, and I realise what she thinks they will be used for, as that reminds her of the similar silver balls. I haven't told her about my kinetic artwork idea, but Kari is clearly disappointed when I explain, so I increase the order with six more glass balls with holes through if he can make it, without high demands on diameter or quality, and Kari rewards me with another deep kiss.

I'm so damn weak-willed when they're disappointed and ask me for something, or they get those eyes or sad expression. At least Kari's look isn't as heartbreakingly devastating as Ciara's can be.