For this week's post about writing projects that aren't The Agency, I've decided to share a little more about the town of Corbin Cove. Today, it's going to be two shops that are near each other and had a small legal battle that's been sorted out: Remains to be Seen and Imagi-Knit. I'll warn you now that this does involve a little bit of gore so if the casual mention of viscera, dead things, and people working with it bothers you, you may wish to skip this post altogether or proceed with caution.
Imagi-Knit is a shop that sells all the supplies needed for knitting and crocheting such as various sized needles and yarn in every color possible and impossible. If you can think it, you can create it, is the shop's motto and belief. Imagi-Knit also offers workshops on crafting with yarn and other stranger knitting materials. This is where they ran into some conflict with their across-the-road neighbor, Remains to be Seen.
Remains to be Seen is an unusual shop, even by Corbin Cove standards, that crafts and sells crystal-clear urns and coffins. They also sell articulated skeletons and artwork that involves real skulls and bones. While the main portion of the shop is the showroom, there is a small room next door where people can create their own artwork, much like how there are some pottery shops that let you paint your own pottery in a room adjacent to the main one. The owners of the shop hold workshops that include bleaching the bones, painting, weaving, and incorporating other natural items such as feathers into artwork.
Remains to be Seen and Imagi-Knit got into a dispute regarding Remains to be Seen's weaving workshop and Imagi-Knit's use of intestines in their "Knitting with Viscera" workshop. See, both workshops involved the use of intestines and, while one was knitting and the other weaving, neither shop liked that the other one also used a material they did. It didn't help matters that Remains to be Seen's weaving workshop also taught participants how to knit with intestines, which was by far more popular than weaving with intestines.
With neither shop willing to change the way they taught or negotiate without bloodshed, the owners approached two members of the Town Council that would be best suited to handle their issues: The Peerless Prosecutor and The Devil's Advocate. While The Devil's Advocate primarily handled demon rights and housing, she was in fact still an advocate and would make sure that their voice was heard. So it was that the owners of the two shops and the two Council members met to discuss the problem with The Peerless Prosecutor representing Remains to be Seen and The Devil's Advocate representing Imagi-Knit.
The discussion lasted for several days, but finally--after much shouting, arguing, and severing of tentacles--a compromise that neither party liked was reached. Imagi-Knit would cease using intestines in their workshops as intestines counted as remains and Remains to be Seen would cease teaching their students how to knit with intestines as knitting was something that Imagi-Knit specialized in. Remains to be Seen could continue to teach weaving with intestines and anything else except knitting and, though unlikely and unpopular due to complexity, crocheting. Imagi-Knit, however, would have to cancel their "Knitting with Viscera" workshop, permanently.
Of course, Imagi-Knit did manage to win one small concession that had been briefly brought up during the discussion. Remains to be Seen would no longer be allowed to teach any workshop or sell any artwork involving hair unless they could prove and certify that the hair had indeed come from remains. Imagi-Knit, meanwhile, could continue to sell hair and teach lessons regarding crocheting and knitting with hair, provided they could prove it came from a living donor.
Neither side was pleased with this, but this was agreed upon and things soon returned to normal. Imagi-Knit couldn't teach their patrons how to knit with intestines, but they could teach them the basics then explain how things differed when working with intestines. Remains to be Seen couldn't teach their patrons how to knit with intestines, either, but they could continue the weaving workshop. It wasn't as popular, though.
Imagi-Knit has recently gotten in a fantastic set of knitting needles--solid bone topped with preserved eyes. Remains to be Seen is not yet aware of this.
No comments:
Post a Comment