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 Posted: Sat Jun 02, 2007 12:03 pm
=He could feel the scornful gaze. It's obvious intentions were misunderstood. It would also seem the fairy's words were not heard. In a huff, she begins to go right back up to the warrior only to be stopped by the armor clad man. She looks at him and blinks.=
Master...
You misunderstand. The girl was mocking the pitiable smith within those walls. He cannot find an appropriate price just to practice his art?
=The iron clad man speaks a sad tone, possible of silent resignation. He takes a moment to look at the weapons that were thrown out by the smith. Its as if his eyes are carefully appraising them from behind that helmet and, upon closer inspection, bandage wrap. Without holding them or getting them close, he's already begun an inspection. Perhaps he is a weapon smith of sorts?=
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Posted: Sat Jun 02, 2007 12:18 pm
"Blacksmiths."
The man pulled out his scabbard, looking at the tattered remains of something so dear to him. In his life, his fights, his survival...
Well.
"I once had a blacksmith help forge me the gears which I adorn now. A child back then...I learned the difficulties of making a weapon that is solely devoted to you, and just you. The weapon that would be an extension of your hands. The armor that will become living flesh like your own body. The motions and fluidity that comes along when one dances with their gear.
The music.
The silence."
He went silent, looking down at the ground, remembering all the hard work he tried to do, in order to custom a weapon personally with his bare hands.
Now everyone has lost their value to the worthless object called money...
"Blacksmiths these days. They always ask a price to be paid in exchange for their service. With I, who have nothing else but my skills, and my bare hands....what price would they want from a man who has nothing to give?"
Hopeless laughter rang in the air as the man chuckled at the irony of it. "It's odd...talking to a stranger about my own helplessness. I never stooped so low for the sake of help...it's strange how things turned out to be for me....ha.."
He took in a small breath, calming himself somewhat before looking back at the man clad in armor.
"And what might you be interested in so much that you're listening to this petty life of mine?"
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Posted: Sat Jun 02, 2007 12:29 pm
=He listened, and he listened well. The fairy crosses her arms in a huff wondering what her master is doing, but even she knew better than to ignore the words spoken by somebody so interested in weapons and their craft. It's what these two do for a living, after all. The armor clad man grips his own sword and draws it into the light to allow the warrior to see it. It seems to shimmer in light as it is grasped by the armor clad man. He even looks into his own blade as if contemplating.=
There is more to this world than money, and there are other forms of payment. I crafted this blade with my own hand, and it was the rude girl who aided me.
=The 'rude girl' huffs as she gets right in the armor clad man's face and begins berating him. She flays back and forth as she goes on and on about how she's not rude and he's being rude and... Well. It seems like a meaningless quarrel as the armor clad man shakes his head and gently pets her head again.=
Calm.
=She flushes red and immediately calms down and, to any who can actually see her at least, looks timid for once. With a nod, he returns his attention to the warrior.=
Any who value their weapons and know their true potential are worth looking for different methods of payment.
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Posted: Sat Jun 02, 2007 12:34 pm
Either it was a huge stroke of luck, or Snow got himself into a lucky coincidence that might actually help balance his loss of powers for once. He crossed his arms together, feeling the bracers dig into his flesh uncomfortably while he watched the squabble between the fairy and the man.
The eyes glanced at the girl for a few seconds, before it lingered back onto the proclaimed stranger.
"...And just what kinds of payment would you be interested in?" He questioned, the voice hinting a bit of puzzlement on why this man is indirectly offering a bargain in the talk.
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Posted: Sat Jun 02, 2007 12:48 pm
=The bandage wrap rustles as the armor clad man smiles. He sheathes his sword before crossing his arms and rubbing his chin as if in thought. The fairy goes wide eyed as she watches this. This before she rolls her eyes and shakes her head. She's pretty sure she's already caught on to what her master is planning to do. Even still, she flutters up to sit on his shoulder. She begins playing with the gold trim and spikes. She doesn't look too surprised as he speaks or at what he says.=
I'll do the repair work for free. We can spar after that, and I'll determine if you have the payment necessary for me to do anything more. Deal?
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Posted: Sat Jun 02, 2007 12:57 pm
"I can't say that I was expecting that, but..."
With a bit of hesitation, Snow unholstered his weapons and hoisted them to his left grip. Two katanas, beatened pretty badly but still maintaining its original...er...structure, hung with small clitters and clatters as the nomad looked at the man in question.
"Why not?" The man smirked, showing at least some life in his bloody red pupils now. "But first things first. I never did manage to catch your name, and the fair maiden's name perched on your shoulder." He stated, giving a brief bow out of chivalry, perhaps.
And gratitude. Can't forget gratitude now, should it?
"The name's Snow. I was once known for my abilities with...winter, but...that's past now."
(( And off to bed I go for tonight. ))
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Posted: Sat Jun 02, 2007 1:09 pm
=Winter, huh? He looks at the assortment of items. That made it easier. The fairy girl is particularly in tune with anything water. With a nod of his head, he decides it would be impolite not to also introduce himself. The fairy, still seated on his shoulder, giggles.=
I'm Gayt Kingdom, and this little devil is Sakura.
=Gayt gives Snow a half bow as Sakura slaps his helmet. Apparently these two have get along pretty well as neither are actually mad at the other. They're just teasing back and forth.=
You seeing her means something about your vision. She's usually invisible to all mortal eyes save mine.
=He smirks from under those bandage wraps. There are things better left for later to actually know, but he has his suspicions. One never forgets the smell of what brings bitterness and torment. He turns and begins walking a different direction from either where they had come from or were facing.=
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Posted: Sat Jun 02, 2007 9:48 pm
"I am but a humble person. Perhaps seeing Sakura was just the remains of my...past abilities." Snow muttered, letting all but the weariness trail off of his speech. With a motive to go for, with a objective to complete, the now reformed fighter propped himself up from the ashen world of this life, following this strange Blacksmith beyond the wonders of social ties.
A wandering Blacksmith that suggests a possibility to revive his broken blades...
True, or is it just a decoy for something far more sinister than Snow could imagine?
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Posted: Sun Jun 03, 2007 4:18 pm
=As he walks, Gayt eyes the shops. He can smell the craft. That smell of wood, fire, and metal. His eyes shift from front to front as if appraising each smith's shop they happen to pass. His right hand moves to a hammer strapped to his right leg. It's so well holstered that it appears to be a part of the armor at first glance. It's as if that part of the armor were crafted with holding the hammer very specifically as there are no straps to hold it in place. He comes to a stop as he looks around. He sighs. Sakura's no good at flames. It would use too much energy to create their own forge. There's nothing really appropriate around here either. He turns to face Snow.=
I don't suppose you know an abandoned forge or a smithy who'd take me as an apprentice?
=Sakura rolls her eyes as she grabs Gayt's right hand and begins to pull.=
Come on Master! What ever happened to not wanting to work for a smith who doesn't really understand the craft?
=He chuckles. He suddenly pulls her close and points to the sky. She blinks and immediately turns flush crimson. With bright eyes and hidden smile...=
What craftsman can claim they have no medium to practice their art?
=Yeah. He played a little drama on her, and she huffs and crosses her arms with this disgruntled look on her face.=
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Posted: Mon Jun 04, 2007 10:03 am
"...."
And just as Snow had thought that the man was a Blacksmith. Now he's entrusting his weapons to a man that is just a mere apprentice?
If it was a joke, then it's not a very lively one.
"...I'm not exactly sure if there is a Smith that would be of any use here. The more I look around, the less I like the people here to my guts." Snow confessed, giving a lame stare at the people walking to and fro from tither to hither, in their own little worlds and fantasies of the imaginative. Like Kingdom, Snow's more of a foreigner instead of a native here, a nomad, as said before.
"As for an abandoned forge..."
He rubbed his upper lips a bit, in thought. The battle stadium was initially constructed near a town for constant resupplies and equipments should the need arise. There were infirmaries and some common stocks of gears within the stadium most of the time, but the town prospered for quite some time ever since fighters began to flock into the stadium for the tournament.
Snow was one of them in the old times.
With the outskirts of the town littered with abandoned, less modernized buildings, the heart of the prosperity was in the center of town, where the people gather and wander about most of their time.
Surely there should be a forge or some abandoned hardwares in the outskirts of town...
Which would mean the Southeastern part of town.
"I'm not too sure about whether or not there will be a forge still there...but if my suspicions are correct.."
He then pointed Southeast, ignoring the small teases the couples were making.
"We should have better luck there. Unless you want to try bashing the idea into the Blacksmiths nearby...which I wasn't able to." He commented, looking with suspicion in his eyes.
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Posted: Tue Jun 05, 2007 3:07 pm
=Gayt has himself a chuckle. Sakura flies atop his head and has a seat there. She puts her hand to her forehead and begins looking around, as if searching for something. She uses her other hand to keep her balance on his head by holding onto his helmet. When he turns to face Snow, he gives him a quick nod, which causes Sakura to go wide-eyed and stifle a scream. She has a rather angry expression on her face as she looks down and kicks Gayt's shoulders. He rolls his eyes as he answers Snow.=
That sounds like an idea. Better than looking around here all day.
=He pauses for a moment before slightly inclining his head as if trying to look at Sakura.=
You wanna get the bag?
Okay, Master~!
=Sakura jumps up and immediately flies off towards the outskirts of town. With quick glance, he looks at Snow.=
Lead the way. She'll catch up in a bit.
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Posted: Wed Jun 06, 2007 2:37 am
There was a time when Snow would've been sarcastic and awkward at the same time. But seeing the two couples display such...trivial manners to each other, all Snow could do is just watch and feel the awkwarndess build up intensely, as if there was nothing else to do but to do so.
"Right..."
He turned around, looking at the main street which they'll have to traverse back in order to get there.
"Just hope that we don't meet any stragglers..."
Though crowded, it certainly also meant more than some mere simple pickpockets and thiefs. Thugs, bandits...oh yes, even the rogues and sadistic fighters that citizens can't really touch due to their...prowess, per se.
Snow motioned lightly for Gayt to follow as he began to weave to and fro throughout the crowded street. A bit different than the time he was humiliated and insulted by some reknowned spectators, his fluid motion from one point to the next could be considered as consistent and in rhythm.
Certainly there was more to him than a common look at his lack of finance and poverty.
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Posted: Sat Jun 09, 2007 11:18 am
Gayt follows carefully. He's more interested in appraising how Snow moves right now than the to and fro of business on the streets. Even as Sakura arrives where 'the bag' is hidden away with the only valuables they brought, he keeps a watch on that fluid movement. Strange. To Gayt, it doesn't seem very 'ice-like'. He has to wonder if any enhancements to the tattered weapons will make any real difference. Well. There are good reasons for retrieving 'the bag' then. For now, he's just follow and observe.
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Posted: Sun Jun 10, 2007 11:42 am
It didn't really take long to arrive there. Avoid the many streets where the spectators and fans from the stadium are, and mostly trouble can be avoided just like that. Without the proper gears and the lack of power, facing any of them in the common day battles would prove troublesome, cumbersome, and certainly to his disadvantage.
Although it meant taking a detour away from the main road out after the first few minutes or so, it gave Snow some meaningful time to take a few small breaths and walk away from the commotions which were still relatively stirring within this town here.
News travels fast around here, so he isn't ready yet to be laughed at again, especially with his current status.
It was about half an hour later at least when they arrived to some tattered buildings and broken areas of the outskirts. Many of the buildings were abandoned as the population shifted more towards the central part of town, where most of the business thrives and such. With obvious locations everywhere showing signs of erosion and unmaintenanced structures, these were the thriving grounds for small bandits and gangsters - the deliquents for gather, per se.
"..."
He looked around, then pointing to a small building which housed some anvils and a large oven-like pot.
"I'm betting that's the Furnace...Forge, if my assumptions are correct."
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Posted: Mon Jun 11, 2007 8:02 pm
=With a nod, Gayt quickly steps over to the building. Even under that armor, he doesn't seem to have grown weary from that long walk. There are things hidden from the eyes of man, however. He holds his hand up to keep his hair out of his eyes as he looks into the building. It's dark, dank, and certainly smells of non-use. He sighs. It's usable and workable, but it's been so neglected that it'll take Sakura at full strength to do any enhancements on Snow's weapons. He closes his eyes and lowers his head. That means he'll have to work alone on repairing them, and that meant time. Looking over his shoulder, Gayt squints and his eyes. 'Speak of the Devil...' That was the phrase.=
=He makes quick strides to walk right past Snow, and he'd soon know why. Sakura does this flying, tackle thing before she pulls back with this scowl on her face. She quickly shoves something that looks akin to a golf bag into Gayt's chest, and subsequently arms, before turning around in a huff. With a confused expression on his face and a shake of his head, he decides to give a quick instruction to Snow.=
Lay your weapons down in front of that building. I've some things to discuss.
=When he looks back to Sakura, she's already in his face with this very, very angry look to her...=
Why'd you move, Master?!
Wha...wha?! I needed to get to a furnace as soon as possible.
You could have told me!
=Gayt has this nervous impulse to scratch his head before he decides against it and quickly bows.=
I'm very sorry.
=Coming out of the bow...=
I knew you could catch up, and the bag was in a safe spot.
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