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 Posted: Fri Sep 25, 2020 6:06 pm
Samir didn't often get to take people back to the forge, but Marissa had shown an interest and he couldn't help but want to indulge her. He had picked her up from the Dark Kingdom and brought her back to Destiny City. It was always a strange balance, trying to make the best use of the time she had to look like a human while making sure he didn't put his workspace in danger of being noticed.
A few blocks away made it a quick walk, and they reached his house in only a few moments. He had taken the opportunity to talk to her about this and that, and to warn her about what to expect.
The dogs, mostly.
Samir lived in a house on property--a comfortable little place that was perfectly suited to his tastes--and his dogs. When he invited Marissa in to meet them, there were four--a black and brown mammoth, first; a keen eye might have identified it as either a Leonberger. He was easily a hundred and seventy pounds and looked like he might have crushed the other dogs, but they seemed more pushy than him. A smaller black dog with a tail made for wagging was next to the behemoth; the tiniest dog there, an Affenpinscher, weighed next to nothing and barely reached a foot off the ground. A third dog was far more polite; a Doberman Pinscher, thin and alert, and not pleased to have a stranger in the home. She was tall, ears on high, and though her tail wagged uncertainly. She stayed in the doorway, guarding the home. The fourth dog was a Basset Hound, but took one look at Marissa and ran into the kitchen to eat.
Samir had been all to eager to introduce Marissa to all of them, explaining, "They'll bark and howl if they see me on the property and I don't let them out--so it's best to just let them meet you now so we can head back there."
He introduced them in order--Leon, who was big but harmless, and who apparently thought he was a lap dog. Salvadore, the tiniest dog, apparently stole shoes. Antoinette--Annie, he called her affectionately, was the Doberman, and she took a little time to warm up but was as loyal as anyone could ask. Gordy, the Basset, just got so excited for any company that he couldn't help but eat everything in sight.
Samir's house was fairly clean, clearly a practical home more than a decorative one. He had a full bookshelf, a well maintained electronic system, a few decorate sculptures, all small enough to fit on table ends and coffee tables, and a fair share of weapons, some of which seemed to be fairly old.
He, himself, was wearing a simple outfit--jeans, a well fitting white shirt with some obscure band on it, and a hoodie that didn't do much to hide his physique. His hair was tied back in something of a ponytail, though it wasn't quite long enough to really be successful. It did the job, to keep the hair from falling into his face, at least, and he didn't seem to mind. He was just excited to have Marissa here.
"When we're done with hellos," he pat atop the dog's heads, "We can go through the back to get to the forge. I get scraps from the junkyard, so I've been saving some good pieces to work with. I don't know if it's as interesting to you, but I do car restoration. And some art projects on the side. Sometimes you see some metal and you just want to see how it can bend, you know?"
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Posted: Fri Sep 25, 2020 7:31 pm
“I know what you mean, I’m like that way with river rocks sometimes. Not that I want to bend them, of course, but rather carve into them and figure out what patters would look best.” Oddly enough Marissa felt more comfortable petting Leon than any of them. Poor Salvadore, made her more nervous than his Doberman, Annie. He was so small. It made her worried that she might step on him by mistake if she didn’t watch her feet. “Gordy’s adorable,” she commented with an amused grin. “I knew someone back in high school who shared a similar personality.” Didn’t matter who came over, at best you’d get a ‘hey’ from the kitchen and a courtesy nod as they stood there in the doorway with some sort of snack in their hand. The guy had quite an impressive metabolism, never had to worry about leftovers when he came to visit. “Speaking of car restoration.” She stood up much to the tiny dog’s dismay. “I’ve been meaning to ask you about that all summer but my mind’s been elsewhere and I completely forgot.” Marissa shrugged, her eyes scanned across the room before lingering on the weapons on display. “ Did you make any of those?” She asked curiously.
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Posted: Fri Sep 25, 2020 10:09 pm
Samir followed her gaze to the wall. "Oh, some of those are mine, yeah." He flashed a quick smile but didn't dwell on it; he wasn't quite so prideful that he needed to keep drawing attention to his creations. He wasn't ashamed--he just loved doting on his dogs and talking about his other hobbies. She was here for the forge--they'd have plenty of chances to talk about what he could make with it later.
He just smiled as the dogs continued to bother her for attention. It seemed like they might have been able to go on forever, sniffing and nudging and licking. As long as Marissa seemed comfortable, Samir let them be.
"Speaking of car restoration," he continued for her, eager to see where her train of thought had wandered. "What of it, did you have a question about it, or...?"
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Posted: Sat Sep 26, 2020 11:27 pm
Hmm, so he's a living Will Turner. Marissa smirked at the Pirates of the Carabean reference but kept the comment to herself. "I don't recall how much I've told you about the project I've been working on for Queen Laurelite. I've been working on creating a prototype for an item that would allow half-youma like myself, and perhaps maybe youma as well, hold our glamour for a longer durration than we're use to." At the very least it would make days like this feel less rushed. "Anyway, I was thinking it would be nice to have a car again. But I can't exactly buy something new, nor would I really have a place to park it." Without a job with a steady income, paying for a place to keep it while she was home in the Dark Kingdom would be quite the expense, not to mention a drivers license and active insurance. "Wolframite... Winter. He had mentioned wanting to learn how to drive and I was kind of hoping this might be something you could help me with." Marissa looked up at him with a mix of a sheepish yet hopeful expression.
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Posted: Thu Oct 01, 2020 7:20 pm
Samir nodded as he listened. He had only heard a bit about the project, but to actually hear her talk about it now, like this, it made it feel so much more real. So much more within grasp. It wasn't the only thing on her mind though, and he found himself nodding a bit through everything as she spoke.
"All right," he said easily; it didn't seem like much of a problem at all. He was considering a few of their options but finally figured it might just be easiest to ask her--"What do you want to do? If it's about getting a car, I'm sure it wouldn't be much work to fix one up over here. It sounds like it's for a good cause. And if you need a place to park it, I've got a parking lot, so that won't be an issue either."
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Posted: Sun Oct 11, 2020 1:39 am
“Perhaps, before you take me back to the Dark Kingdom, we can take a look at some cars you think might be good candidates for restoration? I only ask that it be an automatic, not manual. If at all possible, I’d really like to avoid getting pulled over while practicing in a parking lot again.” A day worth remembering for everyone involved, including the two cops that were likely taking bets on how many minutes until she stalled her friend's car again. “At least, if we have time it would be nice. Otherwise we can plan to do it another weekend, whichever will work best for your schedule.” He was the one that would end up having to taxi her to and from the Dark Kingdom, especially if she wanted to keep this as a surprise from Wolframite. It was originally brought up in casual conversation, but he didn’t need to know that this was something she really wanted to do. Plus, it would be nice to be able to spend some more time with Samir, not worrying about quota’s or hunting for senshi. Living close to the castle made it almost impossible to separate work and life but out here she felt more free to just simply be Marissa again.
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Posted: Mon Oct 12, 2020 10:37 pm
"We have time, don't we? Do you have somewhere else to be?" he prompted, smile plain on his face. It seemed like a good enough plan to him and he was in a good mood. "I've got the afternoon free, so when we're done at the forge we can look at some cars. There will be more options if you can give me a little extra time to get a few more fixed up, but if I know it's something you're waiting on, I'll make it a priority."
He seemed almost excited about the project and scratched at his chin as he walked, as if deep in thought over what he might have that she would like. They weren't far from the forge, though, and even as he was mulling over options they reached the small, comfortable little building set up safely enough away from everything else.
There were a few half finished projects laid out, safe from damage but clearly works in progress. The most impressive of the selection was a sculpture that seemed to be slowly growing in form; there were many small metal strips carefully twisted to encircle each other. It looked like an abstract flower blooming, but even in this state it was obvious what he was going for. He smiled when he brought her to the forge and gestured, "Welcome."
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Posted: Thu Oct 15, 2020 7:50 pm
Marissa couldn’t help but laugh at his enthusiasm. It had been a while since she had seen him so happy and, in all honesty, it made her happy as well. Such an infectious thing joy could be. “Holy crap,” she stood in awe for a solid minute, mouth agape as she took in his working craft area. Where she carved stones as a favored pastime, her set-up was pretty portable and fit in a box; a Dremel, some sandpaper to clean up a rough edge, and some finishing wax. This room actually rivaled Wolframite’s tanning set-up. “Ok, I admit, when you said you had a forge I was for some reason imagining an old fireplace and maybe some welding gear. But this is a freaking blacksmith set up.” She walked across the room over to where the floral sculpture was being pieced together. “Ok.” her fingers ran along the edge of a twisted piece of metal. “In terms of epic hobbies, you win.” "How big are you planning in making this?" Marissa meant to look up at him but couldn't take her eyes off the craftsmanship and skill work already put in to the work in progress.
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Posted: Fri Oct 16, 2020 4:42 pm
Samir laughed. "No, no. I meant a forge. My pride and joy. Hobbies shouldn't be compared, it's whatever brings you joy. I just like working over hot fire and hitting things, very hard, and bringing new shapes to life."
He watched, smile on his face, as she examined the piece. "I don't know how big it will be when I'm done with it," he confessed. "It partly depends on my mood. I've been working on that one on and off for the past two weeks. It's easier to do when the weather gets colder. But if I get too uncomfortable out here, or if I get another project in mind, I might be tempted to finish it quickly. Do you like things like that?"
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Posted: Fri Oct 16, 2020 5:15 pm
Marissa nodded her head. "It's unique," she commented while her gaze traveled along the twisting metal as her fingertips brushed over both smooth edges which felt sharp in some places. "Both feminine and masculine, in that from strength something quite beautiful is being created." There was an almost wistful tone to her observation. "I use to have a glass blown jellyfish wind chime about this big," she held her hand maybe about 8 inches apart as a size comparison. It was one of the last things she bought while on vacation when her family was still whole; the summer before her brother passed away when they all went to California for a week. "it was pink," Marissa smiled since it wasn't a color she typically gravitated to but in this case, it was the one thing in the window she couldn't take her eyes off of. "Unfortunately it broke when I was packing my apartment." She was glad to have been alone at that moment because she had cried for hours. It took time to calm down but when she did, Marissa gathered what pieces she could and collected them in a jar in hopes of someday repairing it. "I may not look like it, but I have a soft spot for pretty and unique crafts."
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Posted: Fri Oct 16, 2020 6:49 pm
Samir laughed a bit, pleased with her observation and visibly flattered. The smile lingered as she spoke, though there was a bit of sadness in his eyes when she mentioned that it had broken. "There's no 'look' needed for a fondness of pretty or unique crafts. I fix cars and run a junkyard. Who would think I wanted to make pretty things? But, I do."
He moved to pick up a sword he was working on and as he raised the unfinished thing, there was an obvious fondness in his eyes. "...There is beauty in all things, I think. You put a little piece of yourself into everything you make. So I am proud of all things. And if you make a mistake, just reuse the pieces and start anew!"
He was still holding the sword, delicately, running his finger over the intricate hilt. "I want to make you something. I've got it in mind already, I know how I want it to look. But if you don't like it, I can always finish up that flower and bring it down to you instead."
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Posted: Fri Oct 16, 2020 7:20 pm
A visibly pink blush swept across her cheeks to the tips of her ears; thankfully she was in her glamoured form and not standing here as a half youma or her skin would have turned a purplish hue thanks to her blue-tinted skin. "Do I at least get a hint or is it a surprise?" Her eyes were alight with intrigue as she tried to think of what he was planning. "I mean, I wouldn't say no to both," she added, not even trying to hide the smile. Something about the flowers just pulled at her in a similar way that the windchime did. Even in its unfinished form, she liked it as is.
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Posted: Sat Oct 17, 2020 3:40 pm
Samir flashed another smile in her direction. "I like surprises, when they're gifts. That way there's no expectation. I don't like to disappoint," he confessed. "So if you don't know what you're getting, you can't be let down if you don't get what you thought! But. I suppose I can give you a hint."
Her smile was contagious, and it made him want to make her something. Something every bit as charming and unique as she was.
"I like to make things that don't break easily. So, there's that to look forward to. I hope! Something pretty. And special. Like you."
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Posted: Fri Dec 11, 2020 9:33 am
"You are such a charmer," Marissa poked him in the center of his chest with an index finger, it made her wonder why he wasn't taken yet. Anyone would be absolutely lucky to be with him. "So, do you have an easy project in mind for us to make today?" It would either have to be something simple that they could complete in just under two hours or one that they could come back to in a few days, or a week, to complete. One of the major downsides to being a half youma was that she missed out on interactions like this, always cut short because, like Cinderella, her glamour wasn't meant to last over long periods of time. It's one of the main reasons she wanted to complete this project Queen Laurelite had given her; to be able to have more moments like this without having to constantly look at her watch or set an alarm on her phone so she knew when to bail so nobody else saw what she actually looked like.
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Posted: Thu Dec 17, 2020 8:07 pm
Samir laughed, obviously in good spirits about all of it.
"Oh, there's a lot of easy projects we can start with. There are the boring ones--Corkscrews, musical triangles, S-Hooks. You might have more fun with something a bit more creative. I can show you how to make a leaf, we can make it into a keychain?" he asked, and seemed a bit excited at the idea.
"Definitely easy to make in two hours, even if you're a perfectionist and want to long tutorial. I like to make them when I just need something easy and calming to do, a lot of my art uses them, just because I like making them. Even the small ones."
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