Nailing it Down

Log Info

• Title: Nailing it Down
• Emitter: Nemori
• Characters: Nemori, Robert, Slixvah, Jay
• Place: Lower Trades, Robert's Smithy
• Time: April 27th, 2022
• Summary: Back on her feet now, Nemori has begun her apprenticeship at Robert's smithy, her working on forging nails. A simple yet necessary task. Slix runs up in her human guise, getting used to the spell and totally not faceplanting on the ground. Jay glides on in and shares tomatoes. Nemori shares her thanks with the lot of them, and they are glad to help. Especially Jay, since that bout of assistance didn't involve too terrible of an ending for those involved. Which, causes him to think he's not too cut out for adventuring. Various others give him reassurance and alternative methods, most of all Robert giving the best dad-vice that he can to help cheer him up. Nemori offers to teach Jay how to use the rapier he has, and Slix bounds off for dinner.

• TING*TING*TING*

So Nemori has started her apprenticeship. She's currently at Robert's forge.. having at least moved on to the basics of firing and stoking and maintaining the furnace. Now... she's making nails. Wearing a thick smith's apron, a long, sleeveless tunic and hair held back behind a leather cap, she hammers away, doing her best to make mostly straight spikes. Glamourous work. Certainly something she might someday be renowned for. Nails.

The sunset makes the sky a painting in vivid colors of blushing passion. Eluna perches high in the half-light, coy and waiting for Daeus to settle into his sleep and becalm the skies. A gentle wind winds through the streets from the Phoenix Gates to the west.

Bob doesn't seem to pay any attention to the mul'niessa at work behind him, sitting under the soft, yellow-gold glow of a floating sphere that bobs and tinkles above his bench. He has a blueprint nailed to a post before him for reference and works an assembly line on sixy boxy, clockwork gadgets. He has a green-and-red handkerchief tied over his head to keep his thinning hair and sweat out of his eyes while he works.

A figure is jogging down the street, a slim, pale human woman. She's giggling loudly, stumbling over her feet in sandals as she has her arms spread out beside her. Ribbons tied to her arms trail behind her in twirls and swooshes in pretty colors.

She gets just outside the smithy before she trips over her own feet and lands face first with a 'bweh!'

She pops back up like nothing happened. "Heeeeeeey, I heeear people being productive..!" a familiar voice calls over the gate. This woman has colorful and plentiful robes, shawls, and ribbons all over her, the latter affixed to her arms with one tied around her head. A veritable wreathe of flowing white and red hair encircles her shoulders, and a bright, winning smile crinkles her sky blue eyes amongst her soft face.

Nemori glances up, then looks side-eyed towards the familiar voice. The unfamiliar face. She shifts just so, ensuring only the left side of her head and face is presented to the newcomer. "I believe someone is here looking for you, Bob.." she offers to the smithy's proprieter, the name still dropped with a hint of reluctance. Then glances back down at the remaining piece of glowing metal held in her tongs. She sighs, then starts hammering away again. She does not look enthusiastic. In fact, she look about at her limit... between the sweat, the frustration and, unfortunately, the softness of an easy life lived... well, it's more than the nails that need forging right now.

There's a fluttering of wings, a flash of white, blue and black, and a loud cawing, "I'm landing. Landing! I only get one run, look out!"

Integrity C Truefeather, the 'C' is for conspicuous, glides down out of the sky, doing a tight hairpin turn before his talons hit the cobbles. He straightens up and folds his feathers, immediately turning to look at the pale, be-ribboned human, "Is that you Slix?"

"Miss Slix!" Bob's ear perks and he glances up from his project, a jeweler's eyepiece wedged over his right eye. He waves, a set of pliers threaded between his fingers-- and double-takes. The eyepiece falls into his lap while he blinks, puzzled, and gives a confused laugh. "Miss Slix, I think you forgot your feathers at home."

The big Cerenzan turns again and carefully sets his tool and half-constructed gadget down, fishes the lense out of his lap, and stands away from the table. The bobbing sphere of light alternates between his shoulders like an anxious spectator trying to find the best view. He digs a rag out of his apron pouch and starts wiping his hands.

He stops briefly to look over Nemor'i's shoulder and smile, giving a grunt and a nod of satisfaction. "You've already figured out both sides aren't supposed to be flat. It took me a week when I'd first started."

Finally, his grin widens a bit more as Jay arrives, one hand coming away from the rag to wave at the l'egalrin. "Muse grace, IC."

The human woman, now identified as Slixvah, cocks a sideways grin, and slides past the gate. "D'aww, and here I thought I'd be /memorable/, sugar! Oh well!"

And Jay glides in. Her smile softens just a touch. "eya Blue, what's good with you? You got it right! It's meee! I learned a trick and I'm getting used to it."

She leans over to him, a hand blocking her mouth to stage whisper loudly to him. "I dunno how these featherless folk do it, I have more robes on and I'm cooooold as sin!"

She draws closer to the Cerenzan, her flip flops clacking against the soles of her feet. "I sure did! And you wouldn't /believe/ how long it took to take everyone single one off too, including the beak mask!" she teases back. "Just some mojo, no big. Shoulda seen me when I first tried it, I was fallin' over the place like a drunkard! Feet are weird! No talons to grip!"

Nemori doesn't smile at Robert's encouragement. She doesn't nod. Could be she's just entirely focussed upon this last nail, hitting it hard to shape the spike, then smaller, more measured taps to refine it. The sharp-eyed might see her resolve harden at his words, however.

Finally she steps back, dropping the finished nail in with the others, then setting the tongs and hammer aside while she grabs a damp piece of cloth to wipe at her forhead. Then the cap comes off.

She fingercombs the hair not held in braids over the right side of her head, then finally turns to regard the visitors. "Mistress Slixvah. Integrity. A good evening to you both." She may still seem a little bit confused over Slixvah's appearance, but also seems hesitant to pry.

"Feet that can't grip would be very weird! And you're top heavy without wings to counter balance, and you look cold!" The bluejay assesses, shaking his head, "I wouldn't enjoy it at all."

He hops closer to the forge, "Hi Nemori, Hi Bob! Want some tomatoes?" He has a supply now. He peers at Nemori's handiwork, "Oh! nice nails!"

"The trick is to find someone you love," Bob answers Slixvah with his wide, warm smile. "You settle down and get fat and old together and you're never cold again." He drops his rag back into the apron and this pats his own ample stomach to indicate the comfort weight he's accrued, though he's looking a bit slimmer after being back at the younger man's game of adventuring.

"Tomatoes?" He perks at Jay's offer, clearly interested. "What's the occasion?" He waves both of the visitors in and then busies himself with extracting the bellows, smothering the forge, and straightening up the workspace.

"I think your product passes muster, lady Nemor'i," Bob asides to the shadow elf, gesturing towards the blueprint tacked up to a post. The first nail she'd finished he'd promptly borrowed and put to use. "It is a job well done," he agrees with IC.

Slixvah giggles at Tegri's assessment. "It's all very strange, but damn is it nice to use cups that /actually/ work for you!" she grins broadly. All those subtle expressions with her as her true self are fourfold now, and all are worn so easily. "I was being a little goof ball and running around to get used to it. Totally didn't fall earlier. Nope. Not me."

She hums, swaying from side to side on the spot. "Helloo Robby Bobby and Miss Nemori. Glad to see you're doin' better, sugar. Up on your feet, and doin' some labor. You'll get your strength back in no time. Good work so far, better than me."

She rests on her back foot, perking up at the forgemaster with a lopsided smile. "What a way to warm the heart and soul, sappy man," she teases. "Perhaps in time, later, when I get stuff figured out and all that pizazz. Wha'tchy'all workin' on?"

"Well I am working on that!" Jay assures Bob, glancing in Slixvah's direction, then tilting his to examine her more closely. "You make a cute human! They're fun!" His wings flex a little, feathers splaying, "Very ticklish!"

He sets a basket of tomatoes on the small wall, "Apparently I have to buy all the ones that have been sampled now."

Nemori looks at the small pile of nails somewhat dubiously, then holds up one of the example ones she'd been given and looks pointedly at Robert, her left eyebrow arched. She doesn't remark further, however, putting the nail aside, then using the rag to giver her arms a rubdown as she steps away from the heat of the furnace. "Working helps take my mind off of things. I am happy to assist Robert," So it's back to that again, is it. "And am grateful he is providing a place for me. And.. I was not properly grateful to the two of you, either." Slixvah may still look odd to her, but she's doing her bet to not let it show. "I would have been dead, my brother forgotten. I thank you. All of you."

Obviously having found some great level of contentment with the arrangement, Bob idles watching Nemori as she says her piece. He raises a hand to hide his smile, rubbing through his stubble and then scratching at his jawline as he starts to clean up his own project.

"No need to rush, IC, it'll happen," he promises with a nod. He takes the magicked crystal from the air and pushes it into a grate overhead, leaving the light in one place so the shadows can settle as he continues to move around. "... and I can buy a share from you; tomatoes would be nice."

The blueprint comes down, he returns the nail to the pile, and he starts arranging the stray pieces of half-finished gegaws. "Gadgets," he finally answers Slixvah. "I wanted to have a few on-hand in a pinch. With the lady helping me on some orders it frees me to tinker a little more in preparation for our future adventures..."

Slixvah's eyes brighten at Jay's comments, her steepling her fingers under her beakless chin. "Oh aaaaam I? I make a pretty cute anything! Egalrin, human, was thinking of trying a Nar next, maybe even a-"

A tinny voice chirps from her robes. "Do not get her started. Please."

"Don't hate me 'cause I'm beautiful."

Slix giggles. "Don't try and tickle me or you'll regret it."

Haha. Ha. Ha...?

She sticks out her tongue before turning to Nemori, her blinking some. A hand rests over her heart, and she slightly bows from the waist. "You are very welcome, dearie. Glad I could lend a wing where I could."

She watches Robert for a moment, nodding approvingly. "Smart move. I look forward to your doodads makin' a fuss if we get in another pickle. Though, Tegri got a lot, saw him buy 'em. Was right before we saw a dumb fool asking for help in an alley. Made an undead. Ugh."

"Oh, happy to help Lady Nemori. You're one of the few people I've helped that didn't involve almost killing someone or getting them arrested. I mean, you almost managed both on your own so it was great we were there." Integrity says, the 'C' is for crass.

He clacks his beak at Slixvah, its fixed profile meaning his mood is hard to read, for non-avians. The feathered folk will know he's perturbed. He bobs his head at Bob. "Those will help."

"I'm not sure I'm really cut out for adventuring. I've almost been killed, saw Muscles nearly die, other people nearly die..." He looks away from Nemori, "and nearly killed someone, and there's a lot of blood. I'm used to... happier things."

"Even that Angoron got in trouble with his temple and he as only trying to heal his husband. I guess it wasn't going to work out the way he planned, not with those demons involved. Turiah has recovered, but Boden will be breaking big rocks into little rocks for a while for the Breaking and Entering, and Assault and Battery, and the theft." He looks at the cobbles, takes a tomato and pecks into it, "I guess that's a happy ending. But are we making a positive contribution overall? The Tribune still has articles about how terrible Adventurers are."

He takes a squishy bite, "At least in Blar being a nuisance to hobgoblins felt like a win."

"Integrity." Nemori's voice sounds.. not exactly like a whip, but it's sharp. "I understand that a large part of the reason I am alive is directly a result of your actions. I do not know much about this city's woes.. but I can guarantee you have made a large difference in at least one person's life." Her voice isn't particularly warm.. and in fact, the words are a little bit stilted. Like she's not accustomed to their content. Or perhaps it's all a show. She shrugs, retreating to her stool.. sagging into it, really. "Perhaps it is about starting small. Working up."

"The things we've done together, IC, have been good things," Bob offers in the wake of Nemori's assessment, his voice gentle and sympathetic. "They were hard and violent things but incensed and oversized wasps? Brigands hoping to enslave and exploit a young woman? Someome had to do something."

The red-skinned man flips open his pack, pulling out a waterskin and walking it the short distance to the mul'niessa as he thinks. "But they aren't things you have to do." He steps past the forge and sits on the low wall with a quiet grunt. "Go where your inspiration takes you. You can do as much good helping people through the courts as you can with a sword."

His smile dips into a frown as he glances to Slixvah and then back to Integrity. He shakes his head and doesn't comment on the matter of undead for now, "... different people do contract work for a lot of different reasons. Your perspective-- your compassion-- has a special kind of value. It'd be our loss if you decided to step back from this... but I'd understand, I'll support you, and I'll be proud of whatever you decide to do to help people. Because I know you'll make the right decision."

Slixvah's expression softens at Jay's disposition. She holds up a finger, flips the hood up on her robe to obscure herself, and snaps her fingers. A gale passes through her, throwing her ribbons and shawls around in a whirlwind of obscurity before it settles down. Like it was never gone, familiar wings stretch and splay, and the hood drops to reveal the much more familiar, avian visage of the rest of the them.

She's also incredibly poofy, like a static buildup. A sigh leaves her. "Nemori and Bobby's right," she intones, reaching down to pick up her sandals and slip them into the many folds of her robes. "Though, I'll add, 'venturin' life is rough and not for everyone. You've... done pretty good work. You've impressed me, Blue. And when life really depended on it, you pulled through. That makes you a cut above."

She pulls a wing in front of her, running her fingers through the feathers to smooth them down. A glance to Robert to catch his grimace, and she drops that entire topic. "Tribune can shove it. They ain't down in the dirt. Piggybackin' offa Robby's ideas, maybe you could submit articles to them? Be a journalist on the side? Give 'em the cold hard facts that you do with your l-eagle work provides? Report what's goin' on?"

"Oh! Oh that's a great idea Slix, and thanks Bob, everything you have both said, you've all said, those are good. I should remember those." Jay also stares, as the other egalrin re-feathers and looks like she went back for a second coat. "You look so huggable Slix!"

He says it, but he doesn't do it. He scratches at a cobble with one talon, picking into the grime surrounding it. "I don't want to let you down... am I'm afraid I'm going to... and I'd..." He looks straight at Robert, "if something happened to you and I wasn't there, because I was chicken... I couldn't face Codrin and Daciana and Mircea, and ... yeah, I couldn't."

"It would be worse... knowing you were out there and not knowing what was happening... " Integrity's voice trails off as he stares at the ground, lost in a moment of thought. He pecks his tomato again before resuming, "... that would be much worse. Staying behind."

"I'll... accept that you need me, that I can be useful and... I'll try to be. I don't want to lose you." His head raises, and he looks over Slixvah again.

Nemori accepts the waterskin gladly.. first pouring some out into her hands and then splashing it on her face, only to wipe it away with the rag again. She shifts a little bit on the stool partially turning away from Slixvah and Jay, then proceeds to take a few short sips from the skin. She sets it down on the wall beside her, then lifts the apron up over her neck and begins to fold it.

"Since that is settled? I believe I recall seeing you with a sword, Integrity. Perhaps you would like to practice with me sometime."

The blacksmith looks across at Jay and stands, taking a moment to mirror Nemori and slide out of his apron. He walks across the short distance and rest both hands on either blue-feathered shoulder. "You aren't my guardian angel, IC. You're my friend." He grins as he looks down, letting each point rest one after the other before he continues on. "And if anything ever happens to me it's because I made a choice-- not because you didn't do enough. Whether you're standing right next to me or sleeping in a bed on the other side of the world."

He squeezes those shoulders gently and holds Jay's gaze. "I'm not in a rush to go anywhere but I have the love of my life and my little boy waiting for me in the Cradle of Nature when my time comes. I can't think of a happier ending."

He tilts his head to one side and winks, "All these extra chapters with you kids and getting to see the amazing people you grow into are a bonus." He pulls Integrity into a tight hug. "All that matters to me is that you're happy, IC."

Slixvah's eyes crinkle in a smile, and gives a thumbs up. "I give the best hugs, want a sample?" she teases, opening her wings playfully before giggling to herself. It holds for a moment as Robert sweeps in, and she softly sighs, stepping back. "You're doing great, sugar," she coos, not really able to add to anything as great as dad-vice."

She catches Nemori's turn, then smooths down the rest of the plumage on her head. "Oh? That's a welcome offer, Blue. Get you some sword play, learn how to use it easier so less people get hurt? They say knowing proper safety and how to handle a weapon causes less accidents."

"Well it's my sister's sword. Was. Temperance gave it to me when she got a bigger one. It's a rapier." Which Integrity is wearing on his belt, and now struggling to remove from its scabbard. Several tugs later he's pulled it free. He shows off the blade.

Mithril, engraved on each of the three sides with words from his sister's. Temperance's is: 'Because your pen won't always be enough'.

He clacks his beak a few times at the sword play offer, "Are there practice weapons? I'm... not sure I want to practice with real ones right now."

He tilts his head towards Slixvah, "I'm also accepting more hugs if you're still offering."

Nemori rises as well, to hang her apron up.. then she returns to the waterskin, though she does not yet take another sip. Her lips turn in to a faint scowl, and when she looks at Robert she manages to give the impression she is looking down her nose at him. Despite the significant difference in height. Suspecting, perhaps, that he is including her in the kid label.. then she's looking away again. Hiding her face as she drinks some water, then stoppering it. A shift, and she's regarding Slixvah and Jay with her unobstructed eye; a hand raises to clear the strands from the other. "I can tell you how they chose to drill us.. back when we were children.. in the use of the rapier, if you would like." Her smile shows a brief flash of white teeth. "But perhaps that is another thing you would prefer not to hear. I am sure some suitable sized sticks could be found. I think I would prefer not to have my blood tarnish such a fine blade."

"Why don't you and miss Slix go get some supper, IC? If miss Slix is free?" Bob steps back from the egalrin well before the rapier is shown off and looks between the two as he makes his suggestion. "The lady and I have a bit more cleaning to do tonight but with the work order done tomorrow lacks a hard agenda."

Either not noticing Nemori's frown or choosing to ignore it, the Cerenzan turns her way now. "You could take the morning and practice with Integrity while I finish my gadgets? Then we could work on some rivets and patches on my armor in the afternoon." He glances over at the unfinished bits and bobs, "No reason to hold you while I explore the mysteries of ancient Kulthus."

Slixvah tilts her head to the side at the blade, her eying the words and softly chuckling. "Wise words," she hums warmly, nodding in approval. The request for an embrace is met without words, her reaching forward with both arms and wings. "C'mere Blue!" Slix chirps in warning before he's completely wrapped up in full-on, firm hug.

She's still got him bound as Robert is proposing the two get some food. She bobs her head once, ruffling the top of the l-eagle's plumage with a hand before pulling off with a hop. "I'm free! Let's go Blue, I'm /starving/! I could eat as much as Fiadh!"

A voice chirps from her robes. "I am not that mongrel raven, we've been over this."

She points off in a vague direction, indicating a charge. "Onward Blue! We ride!" She starts to walk off, only to pivot on a foot as she walks backwards. "Good to see you two. Catch ya'll on the flip flop, as the Gobbers say." Two finger guns shot out and she's out the gate.

Nemori winces a little bit, rubbing at her arms. "That sounds acceptable," she finally answers, though she doesn't exactly sounds excited about it. Being that she originally brought up the sparring, it's probably the ever EXCITING work of making more TINY PIECES OF METAL evoking that tone. But she's not going to be caught complaining.

-End Scene-