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Post by Veliky on Jan 31, 2023 23:09:45 GMT -5
For several seconds, Veliky just blinks at Zarius; idly chewing yet another bite of viper floss, cream cheese and whole-grain bread. This wordless stare is made even more awkward by the generalized silence in the inn, though most of the onlookers' eyes are thankfully diverted to the statue-still automatons that still haven't moved from their spot by the front door. As if her usual demeanour weren't inscrutable enough, whatever magic she's used on herself has made her thoughts as secret as a seagull's stash.
After several more seconds of uncomfy staring, she swallows her bite and finally responds in a voice as emotionless as her expression.
"Guarding her would be vastly more responsible, and arming her is more likely to create danger than it is to prevent it. Unfortunately, it's not my place to decide, since I'm not the real Veliky[1]. She just left me here to give something to Astrid."
And with that revelation so plainly expressed, the apparent copy minces off, heading to the questboard where Astrid's stood and leaving its sandwich on the table. Its approach is augured by a comical squishing noise that accompanies its every step, like those of waterlogged boots. And, sure enough, it is there when Astrid turns around, staring blankly up at her.
It looks at the notice in Astrid's hand, processes it for a second, thinks something along the lines of 'That's a Realiky problem,' and then reaches into its pocket and hands her a little card.
Unlike the crusty parchment that Astrid grabbed from the board, this card is the picture of tidiness, the text upon it written far more straight and precisely than should be possible for a living person. The face is coloured with the metallic tinge of platinum. It says Veliky's name in bold letters, and a precise location to which letters and packages might be directed (Blixt™ Cafe, Sol City). In the upper-left corner, it also reads the words "korol/inzhener/silovik" in much smaller lettering. And, most enigmatic of all, there is some sort of insignia on the lower-left corner: a cog above a feather & sword.
The Veliky holds it plainly, waiting for Astrid to take it.
"Some basic information if you want to reach Veliky. You'll probably see her again at some point. Just don't die before then."
Astrid looks at the Veliky, seeming to perk up at the quarterling's approach. When she notices the card, she takes it, a curious expression on her face as she turns it over. Then it processes that this isn't the real Veliky, and a small wave of disappointment sinks the girl's shoulders slightly.
"Oh," she breathes, trying not to let it show on her face. Of course this would be a double. She upset Veliky on accident, so why would she want to stick around? After all, she's just some kid from the street who asked too many question.
Astrid's eyes focus more on the card in her hands, not making out all of the words, but realizing that it has a location. Sol City... So she's at least interested in them maybe seeing each other again. A bit of warmth tugs the corner of Astrid's mouth into a small smile, and she looks at the replicant Veliky.
"I won't die," she says confidently. "I promise. Can ya tell Miss Veliky next time I see her, I'm gonna have made somethin' of meself. Maybe I don't know what that looks like yet, but I'm gonna do it." Astrid thumbs the card in her fingers, her eyes drifting down to it and lingering for a moment before meeting the replicant's again. "Will ya tell her thanks fer the help an' advice? I really appreciate her bein' nice ta me... even if she wouldn't call it that."
There's a lot spoken in Astrid's words. There's confidence and youthful aspiration, but also earnest gratitude. And there's hope - hope only recently discovered.
Their conversation hasn't gone unnoticed; after the commotion earlier, it'd be unlikely. Looking on are the faces of people who've looked down on Astrid for so long, all sat around their oak tables and with the stench of alcohol on the breaths. Financially, many of them aren't much better off than Astrid. And seeing her receive special attention from someone that could easily raise them out of squalor...
It doesn't aid their perception of the fiend-blooded foundling.
But they don't matter right now. Soon enough, they might not matter at all - not to Astrid. As the Veliky-replicant looks up at her with an unfaltering objectivity, considering her words, processing the hope in Astrid's tone... until it finally opens its mouth to speak.
"No." Chest-piercing simplicity. "Unfortunately, my time's almost up. I was only supposed to give that to you, so Veliky didn't spend much mana on me. Another few minutes and I'll be gone."
One of the onlookers - a tiefling himself, with pale skin and oily hair - chuckles before returning to his drink with a grin. Many others are similarly amused in some sadistic way.
But then the replicant continues, expression unchanging. "But I'll tell you this: Veliky's a woman of action. If I told her, she wouldn't bat an eye. But if you tell her yourself, and prove your talents, then you'll see some gears turning."
It lets a yawn, which melds into the sounds of clinking mugs and other merriment. Its eyes seem to grow heavier with each second.
"Stick with Cantio whenever you can. He's dense as a dwarf's liver, but you can trust him. Mostly. Don't ask his opinion on anything you make; he'll say it's good, even if he's lying."
Just as it lowers its hand, something catches its eye. And it's easy to see what - one of its fingers is missing. There's no blood or injury, just an absence marked by the blue glow of deteriorating mana. It's growing, little by little; in just a few seconds, most of its hand has disappeared.
"That's my cue to clock out. Keep yourself safe, kid."
All at once, gaps appear in its body, portions burning away like paper in an arcane fire. It doesn't seem to be discomforted by the process - but, then, it'd be difficult to tell. In little over a second, nothing remains of the copy.
...
The bots by the door aren't leaving. They actually seem somewhat lost. And their obstruction is becoming more blatant by the second. But nobody quite has the courage to tell them to leave, so they remain as a sort of fixture in the room. The tavern keep looks anxious.
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Post by Lady Astrid Stormstone on Feb 5, 2023 4:41:15 GMT -5
Astrid tries not to dwell much on what just happened with the dwarf. It's time to move on, to stop waiting for something good to happen to her. No, she did her waiting. The good thing happened today. She's met three people all at once who lifted her up and now, by the sound of it, want to give her a fighting chance.
An appropriate weapon, huh? What could that be...?
Zarius ushers the other two away, but his whispers don't go completely unheard. Astrid doesn't expect anything more of them. If they're offering a proper meal and a weapon to forge her own path, she'll take it, and she'll be grateful. She'll forge her own path forward. Forge her own path... Her mind starts to wander along that line of thought until Veliky approaches her.
Disappointment washes over her upon the realization that this Veliky isn't Veliky at all. Instead, it's another replicant she's hiding behind. There seems to be a theme with the quarterling... It stings a bit more to know that her thanks won't make it back to the businesswoman. Still, the card in her hand gives her a way to find Veliky again. Sol City, huh? Wait, where is that?
That's a later problem. Twoliky is right - action matters, and it's time for that. The job posting crumpled in her hand, Astrid looks over at Cantio and Zarius at the table. They seem trustworthy enough - Cantio especially if the false Veliky called him out. It feels right.
Suddenly, it dawns on her that she hugged him. Oh gods, she barely knows him. Why did she do that?? An embarrassed flush washes across her face, tinging her freckled cheeks a bright red. He didn't even mention it! Just carried on like nothing happened! Astrid, why?? There are still a lot of eyes on her, so Astrid looks to where the tieflings are and scuttles over to their table, trying to hide her embarrassment with her face turned down.
Their meal is quick. Too many uncomfortable stares and glances make it so. While Astrid ignores them as best she can, the events from earlier continue to hang in the air. She eats whatever they order. Besides the meat skewer earlier, this is the first meal she's had in a few days; it's certainly the warmest and hardiest. The wrinkled job posting about missing miners ends up with a few splatters of food viscera throughout the process.
When they finish, they leave quickly, and only once they're in the streets and chilled air does Astrid truly relax. She walks backward to converse with the tieflings behind her as she leads them to the requested destination of the weaponsmith.
"Ya didn't hafta do alla that," Astrid says with a satisfied smile, seemingly having forgotten the drama only shortly before. "But I really appreciate it. All of it. Can't remember the last time I had a proper meal like that. How can I repay ya?"
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Post by Cantio von Lumen on Feb 11, 2023 13:17:53 GMT -5
Cantio looks at Zarius with a frown; for a man with a mask, his expression seems to clearly state that he hates what has just been said by the other tiefling. He hates it because it’s simply true. “ I know.” he admits quietly; his voice barely rises above the hum of the tavern. “ I just can’t imagine how anyone can live with that kind of anger and hate.” His expression softens as he looks away, his golden gaze lifting when Astrid wanders back to them with a flyer crumpled in hand. “ Did you find something?” he calls, keeping his voice light and cheery despite the situation; but before anything more can be said, he’s pulled in by Zarius. “ Wha—? I…” he trails off, shame flickering beneath his masquerade. He… couldn’t possibly take Astrid under his wing… he’d get her hurt, or killed! If anything happened to the child on his watch… he squints his eyes shut, overwhelmed with a wave of self-depreciation and worry. Besides, Astrid doesn’t seem like the type to want to tag along with a minstrel. He chuckles nervously, tail curling around his leg in dejection as he talks himself out of even the thought of offering to lend a hand. “ I… I guess you’re right.” he agrees hesitantly, “ But— but it would probably be good for someone to go with her to this first job at least… to help get her acquainted with things, right?” Cantio looks at Zarius pleadingly, because honestly his chances of convincing Veliky to do it seem pretty low— and he's not a very good role model in terms of adventurers. Eventually, as the conversation ends, they find out rather suddenly that the Veliky they’ve been speaking to is in fact… not even Veliky. The quarterling had cut Astrid off halfway to speak with her; Cantio’s surprise is evident on his face when the small woman begins to fade into a blue glow, and… just like that, she’s gone. “ I’ll never get used to that…” he remarks, only vaguely familiar with the spell that allows her to do such a thing. His tail flicks back and forth with an edge of anxiety as he looks from Zarius, to the approaching Astrid. While Zarius speaks with the nearest server to get her a meal, Cantio offers her a warm smile, and brings up lighter topics while they wait and eat together.
Cantio follows Astrid out as she walks backwards through the exit of the tavern, and out onto the streets. “Oh, you don’t have to do anything!” Cantio objects, tail swaying contently; he offers the girl a smile. “We’re happy to help— a full belly, and something to protect yourself with— is really going to give you a good start to getting up on your feet.” He does his best to ignore the part where she is a child, and she shouldn’t have to do this, but… she seems passionate about it, and he’s not going to discourage her despite his hesitations about it.
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Post by Eameia (Zarius unavailable) on Feb 14, 2023 9:51:23 GMT -5
Zarius frowns at the Veliky clone. Ironic that she was lecturing him on responsibility while her real self wasn't even here. The quarterling's hypocrisy was infuriating. There was no point in snapping at the replicant though, it would only draw more attention towards them if they had another outburst.
He huffs and then is confronted with Cantio's pleading look.
What? Him?? Cantio wanted him to babysit this random street kid on her first mission? Really?
He gives the red tiefling an exasperated look, but nods. "Yes, I suppose that would be best."
It wasn't like he had anything better to do, though it did strike him as odd that the bard wasn't jumping at the opportunity himself. Veliky had praised him for being a good adventurer, but it was pretty clear he had a lot of anxiety in regards to such a profession. Maybe Veliky had grossly misjudged Cantio more than Zarius originally thought.
After leaving the tavern and the collection of golems behind in the poor confused tavernkeep, Zarius walks along with the two down the street towards the weaponsmith in hopes of finding something suitable for the young girl.
"Ah, correction. She does have to do one thing." Zarius shoots a look at Cantio before looking at Astrid. "You want to repay us? Then do your best not to get in over your head. There is no rush in being an adventurer, but plenty of danger. If you are seriously going to do this, then make sure you always do jobs with someone else who can watch your back. Avoid unnecessary risks, and do not be ashamed to run if things take a sour turn. There will always be another job, but you only have one life. Got it?"
Plenty of more experienced people took stupid risks and paid the ultimate price for it. It was impossible to avoid getting into bad situations, even if someone was not an adventurer. That said, being an adventurer did put one at the forefront of trouble that even the local guards couldn't handle.
He had started doing this kind of work when he was young too, but he had the support of his parents and their employees to ensure that he survived dangerous encounters with bandits and goons. Astrid didn't have such a support system, at least not yet.
They eventually make it to the weaponsmith where there are more dwarves working away on sharpening and forming blades. The tiefling looks about and puts on a friendly smile. With any luck they will be able to avoid any drama this time, though considering all three of them had fiendish features, that wasn't likely. Zarius hopes that it's nothing a little bit of coin can't smooth over.
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Post by Lady Astrid Stormstone on Feb 14, 2023 22:35:27 GMT -5
That's it? They really only want her to repay them by staying alive? Perfect! She was planning on doing that anyway! "Aye, aye, Mister Zarius!" Astrid says, saluting the tiefling with a big grin on her face. "Stay safe! Makes plenty of sense, I s'pose. Ya put all this effort inta feedin' and clothin' me, so it'd be a shame ta just go an' die, huh?" She turns around to pay attention to where she's walking, but she can be heard muttering to herself. "The findin' a partner part's probably the hardest..."
When they reach the smithy, Astrid stands in the door just taking in the sound of all the hammers clanging against metal. This is one of her favorite places to just sit outside of and listen. The sound of metalwork is music to her ears. "Ah, listen ta that," she says a bit more dreamily than maybe she intends. "Metal on metal in a constant rhythm. The steam hissin' when hot metal's doused. The shrill grindin' of blades on whetstones. It's incredible!" It's rare she gets to go inside, usually having been kicked out, so she's giddy that she not only gets to enter the building but this time as a customer! With no small amount of confidence, Astrid enters the shop. Almost immediately the dwarf at the counter has his eyes on the girl, and his thick brow falls heavy over his eyes. The man looks exasperated. "Ah thought ah tellt ye dinnae come back 'ere, girl," he growls. "Nooo, ya said don't come back unless I'm gonna be a customer! Guess what! Today's customer day!!" Astrid puts her hands on her hips as she proudly declares this. The dwarf doesn't seem to believe this one bit, but then again she has cleaned up. He looks past Astrid, observing the two tieflings that have entered right behind her. "Right then," he grumbles. "Yer das finally come scrape ye aff th' wynd?" (Wynd = Road) Astrid glances back at the two tieflings. "Oh, they ain't me das, they're just nice folks." Then she looks at the dwarf. "Hard thin' ta imagine in this town, ain't it?" The dwarf scoffs. "Urr ye buyin' somethin' or nae?""Aye, where's yer hammers? The ones fer fightin' with!" "Whit? ye dinnae want something fer smithin'?""Nah, I gotta have money fer smithin' since none of yer boys will take me on as an apprentice, so I'm lookin' fer coin a different way then I'll learn ta smith on me own!" This time the dwarf rolls his eyes and points over to a few racks of weapons across the shop from the smithing supplies. "Weapons ur ower thare." He does not however mention any of the weapons mounted on the wall behind the counter that spans the entire side of the shop. Those, he considers, are out of her price range. Astrid strolls across the shop happily and starts looking through the racks for things, occasionally picking something up and feeling its weight in her hands before putting it back and repeating the process. It's a long few minutes of the shopkeeper's eyes looking between Astrid and the two tieflings who came in with her. He doesn't care enough to ask questions right now. "Hey mister, can I see that one??" Astrid suddenly exclaims. When the dwarf looks over, she's leaning against the counter and staring bright-eyed at one of the hammers on the wall. "Oot o' yer budget," he snaps. It's not the first time he's caught her in here staring starry-eyed at the hammers on the wall. "Can't I see it?" she asks, shooting him an indignant look. "Th' minute ah haun ye that, ye'r aff tae tak' it 'n' run. Ah juist ken it. A' th' wee wynd rats huv a go tae pull something fleet lik' that." Here Astrid's come in with two adults, and the man still thinks she'll just run off and steal the first fancy thing he hands her! "If I were gonna do that, I would've done it a while ago, don't ya think?" she says pointedly. The dwarf looks over and sees the two other devil spawn in his shop. They're going to drive away customers if they hang out for too much longer. "Fine, fine. Ah will let ye keek at it, bit then hurry up 'n' lea." With a grumble, he goes over to the rack and hefts the hammer off the hooks and sets it on the counter in front of Astrid. Astrid's eyes immediately light up looking at the hammer. It's an extremely well-crafted battle hammer. Each surface is engraved with dwarvish designs. The haft is wrapped with perfectly stained leather. The pommel is as polished as the hammer's head itself with a perfectly tooled leather strap embedded into it. Though it's meant for an adult, Astrid lifts it with ease. The dwarf looks surprised by this as he half-expected her to drop the thing immediately. There she stands, the little half-dwarf devil-spawn with a perfectly crafted hammer in her hands. Its brilliant surface seems to shine and reflect in her eyes. This one is perfect. But, oh, it's much too expensive. Cantio and Zarius have done enough for her, and she wouldn't dare to ask for something like this. So once the butterflies of excitement settle in her stomach, Astrid sets the hammer back down on the counter gingerly. "Thanks, mister," she says, this time with significantly less snark and energy, and she turns to go find something much more modest. Everything pales in comparison to the excellent craftsmanship of the hammer on the counter.
Dwarf color: f07d40 Dwarf translator
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Post by Cantio von Lumen on Feb 21, 2023 11:29:49 GMT -5
Cantio looks at Zarius with an anxious air about him when the tiefling corrects him; he opens his mouth to counter whatever it is that he’s about to say with a huff- but promptly deflates when he actually hears what it is he’s saying. “ Well... yes, obviously that goes without saying.” he agrees after a moment. Astrid is a more excitable child though, so it’s probably good to mention just in case she gets too eager out in an unfamiliar field. “ But yes, that is a good point… There’s no need to risk your life by trying to tackle things alone- in fact, Zarius is going to show you the ropes on your first job, so you won’t have to worry about finding someone to work with immediately.” The tiefling had already agreed to it, so he doesn’t mind casually bringing it up. “ He’s really experienced in- uh- surviving in dangerous scenarios like adventuring, so make sure to listen to his advice!” He sounds a bit like a fretful mother hen at this point- but he won’t be there, so he’ll have to poke and prod Zarius for details later on how it went. Which means he has to stay in touch with Zarius. Yay... He waives it from his mind as he steps into the blacksmith after Zarius and Astrid; his tail sways idly as he remains behind the two. A warm smile crosses his face when Astrid boasts about the interior of the blacksmith- and he can understand what she means. There’s a rhythm to the hit of the hammer, the crackle of the fire, and the hiss of hot metal. It’s a natural, practiced timing that creates its own manufactured, but appealing sounds to even a musician. Still, outside of the audible rhythms he can pick out, he’s not much help here in terms of craftsmanship or weaponry- he’s already outlasted his use with helping Astrid pick out an (admittedly mismatched but charming) outfit. So, despite his face darkening in a silent flush when the dwarf assumes they are— yet again— Astrid’s fathers, Cantio watches the conversation as it occurs without too much useless input on his behalf— but as Astrid wanders the racks, she seems particularly drawn to a hammer mounted on the wall. He frowns when the dwarf simply remarks that it’s out of her price range; and she seems… Well, first of all, she is absurdly strong— he doesn't think he could even lift that hammer— but she seems happy with it when the dwarf allows her to hold it. Cantio feels his heart grow heavy as Astrid sets it down; the enthusiasm is gone from her voice when she wanders off. “ Um,” he speaks up for the first time, tail swaying as he approaches the counter. Before he can speak, the Dwarf takes one look at him and quickly responds, “ Ah dinnae tak' pae in song.” Cantio’s expression falls— not out of disappointment, but irritation— before he continues. “ I wasn’t going to ask... I just wanted to know how much it actually is? Like, a number?” The Dwarf glances back to Astrid’s browsing with narrowed eyes, then looks back at him. “ Oot o’ yer budget, tae.” An exasperated huff leaves the bard's lips. Alright, fair, it is out of his budget— but the Dwarf doesn’t know that— and Cantio finds it awfully rude that this is just his default of speech, apparently. Although his tail flicks back and forth like a wronged feline, he offers a helpless glance back at Zarius, quietly imploring him for assistance in handling a potential bargaining situation most definitely not meant for a meek-hearted minstrel.
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Post by Eameia (Zarius unavailable) on Feb 23, 2023 14:31:27 GMT -5
For the first few minutes in the smithy, Zairus stands back and lets Astrid take the lead. He watches her closely as she interacts with this dwarf who clearly had seen her more than he liked.
Cantio’s pleading look makes him sigh and step forward up to the counter. He had already expected to be the one paying for the hammer, but it was irritating that that dwarf wouldn’t even give the bard an answer.
The dwarf raises an eyebrow as he approaches. “Dinnae mak' me repeat maself a third time.”
“Your customer service leaves much to be desired. It is a wonder you can stay in business when you treat new clients with such disrespect.”
Zarius looks over the hammer and then considers the other items on display. While he was not one to use such weaponry, his father had a very expensive collection of finely crafted weapons from across Charon. Some were antiques while others were one of a kind pieces commissioned from famous smiths throughout the land. For most of his youth, he and his sister were barred from even entering the vault that housed the collection. It was probably for the best. They were quite the troublemakers and would have either damaged something, themselves, or the guards had they had access.
While competently crafted, none of the weapons here were particularly remarkable. They were sturdy and would get the job done, but they were definitely produced for a certain crowd.
If he were here, his father could likely take one look at any of the pieces hanging on the wall and immediately come up with an accurate appraisal. Zarius wasn’t as knowledgeable, so it takes him a minute to consider what his starting offer should be. All he did know for certain is that the dwarf’s claims of the hammer being out of his budget is false. There were few things he couldn’t afford without a little persuasion.
The dwarf furrows his brow and makes a move to put the hammer on the counter away.
“Fifty.”
The dwarf stops and looks at the tiefling. “What?”
“Fifty Solars for the hammer.” Zairus pulls out a coin purse and tosses it on the counter. The coins inside the bag clink together.
“Fifty?”
Zarius puts his hands on the counter and leans in towards the dwarf with a toothy smile. There's a slight hiss to his voice as he speaks. “Is there a problem with that offer?”
The dwarf sweats a little and glances from the charcoal tiefling to Cantio and Astrid. He takes his hand off the haft of the hammer and picks up the bag of coin. “If it gets ye oot o' mah shop quicker, that's a fair cost.”
“Hmph, still rude but good to see you are a half-competent businessman. Miss Astrid, do you need anything else?” Zarius looks over at the kid as he backs off from the dwarf.
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Post by Lady Astrid Stormstone on Feb 26, 2023 22:01:06 GMT -5
The world seems to fade away from Astrid while she goes back to looking at the hammers and weapons hanging from the other racks. Rhythmic clanging echoes in her ears as she looks over each hammer with as careful an eye as she can, trying to find the best looking one of the bunch. Most of these are to use as tools, and there are few that could stand up to battle. If she’s lucky, she’ll do some easy jobs and make enough to come back and buy a really nice hammer for herself with money she earned. That is, if this dwarf will even sell to her.
Nothing seems to really suit her or draw her attention in the same way as that hammer, so instead, Astrid finds something that’s good enough for her purpose. Then she starts making her way to Zarius and Cantio only to hear her name called. She looks up, her eyes a bit like a deer in lantern lights, as she missed an entire negotiation it seems.
“Anythin’ else?” she echoes, looking at the tiefling, having not processed what he's just done. “Um, no I’ve got meself a hammer here.” Astrid holds up the significantly cheaper hammer, and the dwarf behind the counter scoffs. She’s not really sure why, but he walks off and leaves the fancy hammer on the counter as he walks away with the jingly bag of coins in his hands. Astrid blinks a little and looks at Zarius, the battle hammer, then at Zarius again.
“Wait… Did ya…” The cheap hammer in her hands finds itself on a rack again in a blur as she rushes over to the counter, eyes gleaming with excitement. “Really??” It seems too good to be true, but both tieflings give a bit of a nod, and unbridled happiness wells up in Astrid’s chest, only releasing itself in a small squeal. “No way!!” The hammer on the counter feels like something she’s not allowed to pick up. Her fingers drum against the edge excitedly, and when she’s had enough bouncing, Astrid scoops the battle up into her hands, turning it over with careful admiration.
“It’s…Incredible…” she breathes.
Suddenly, looking up at Zarius and Cantio with eyes gleaming with tears, Astrid says, “I-I don’t need nothin’ else. Y-Ya already did a lot… Ya didn’t hafta…” She feels the burning in her eyes and rubs the tears away quickly, holding the hammer close to her. If they spend any more time here, the dwarf who owns the place might cause more of a fuss, so she scurries outside into the street. Part of her fleeing is to avoid the feelings welling up in her chest.
When they get outside, the cool mountain air washes away the hot flush on her cheeks. Mister Zarius and Mister Cantio have been really nice to her. In all the time she’s spent in this town, no one would give her the time of day. Today’s a different day though. Astrid looks at the hammer hugged against her chest then she turns to face the tieflings.
“T-Thanks. Thanks a lot fer everythin’,” she says, putting on a brave face and a bright smile. “I didn’t expect none of this, and ya didn’t hafta do it, but ya did, and I… Well, I really appreciate it. An’ yer gonna go lookin’ fer miners with me! Then I can show ya how I’ll take care of meself an’ do a buncha good stuff fer other folks!”
Astrid looks at the hammer, picks it up, and holds it properly in her hand, feeling her fingers curling around the leather of the haft. It feels perfect. This is perfect, and her smile turns into a more confident grin. “I’ll show ya won’t hafta worry ‘bout me. I promise.”
Oh, but if she’s going with Zarius… This is goodbye for Cantio. At least she gets to say a proper goodbye to him unlike Veliky. “Um…” She looks up at the tiefling hiding behind the mask, trying to find the right words to say. His words of encouragement, his words defending her, his words of kindness… “All the stuff ya said today… Well, thanks. Fer alla it.” Astrid offers a little smile. “It was real nice meetin’ ya, Mister Cantio. I hope I get ta see ya again sometime. After all, I’ve gotta give yer handkerchief back!”
Earlier, she hugged him without much hesitation, and she wants to hug him again, but no, that’s too much. Right? She decides not to. Well, unless he offers. Then she’d bury her face in against him. He’s nice. She likes him a lot.
When she’s finished with her goodbye to Cantio, Astrid looks at Zarius. “I owe ya a lot too. Thanks fer comin’ with me an’ bein’ me first partner. An’ thanks fer helpin’ me afford this.” She looks at the hammer in her hand again and spins it a little. “This is real fancy, but I promise I’ll take good care of it, so it can take good care of me!” Astrid gets the feeling Zarius isn’t really a hugger, and this isn’t goodbye for the two of them.
“Let’s go find some missin’ miners. Bye Mister Cantio!”
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♪ Hide your face so the world can never find you. ♪
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Post by Cantio von Lumen on Mar 2, 2023 22:24:39 GMT -5
Cantio steps aside to let Zarius approach the counter; he hopes that the tiefling will manage to get the price out of this guy; because he seems intent to just not sell to them. He offers the dwarf an icy side-eye when he threatens to repeat himself, but bites his tongue to let Zarius speak. He looks over to Astrid in the meantime with an air of worry; he watches with a tilted head as the girl wanders aimlessly about the other weapons. She’s not even really paying attention to their interactions with the dwarf at the counter. Cantio blinks when he hears the clack of metal, and turns to look at the blacksmith; he bristles slightly. He’s already putting the damn thing away without even telling them the actual price of it!? He opens his mouth but Zarius beats him to it— offering the dwarf a hard price that seems to interest him. He doesn’t want to ruin the deal, so the minstrel clears his throat to get rid of the itch he feels to sass off the blacksmith. “It is a pretty fair deal,” he muses instead to goad the dwarf. His tail swishes while the dwarf plucks up the bag of coins; it seems he’s going for it!
Yes! Zarius isn’t entirely a pain all the time after all! Praise Solaria!! He wants to rejoice, but he holds off with just a delighted clap of glee and a bounce on his heels. “ Oh, thank goodness, I thought he…” Cantio keeps his voice low, but stops short when he hears small footsteps from behind him. He turns to see Astrid, holding up a hammer— he still doesn’t know the significance of weapons— but he can tell it’s not quite as fancy as the one on the counter is. He offers a frown at the dwarf as the blacksmith scoffs at Astrid, before he looks back at the girl with a smile and a nod. “ M’hm.” he ensures her, stepping away from the counter so the excited girl can zoom up to the counter with all the speed of a lightning bolt. It fills his chest with warmth to see how excited she is about the hammer; although, he does feel guilty about making Zarius pay for… well… everything. He’ll find some way to pay him back. … Who’s he kidding? Zarius will find some way for him to pay back, even if he doesn’t try! But he’s a good sport, and he doesn’t really like being in debt, so he’ll figure something out to pay him back. “ Every good adventurer needs a reliable weapon,” Cantio muses, smiling sheepishly when Astrid looks up at them with blurry eyes. She scuttles out into the street with her new hammer, and Cantio follows with a sway of his tail and a click in his heels. He slows to a stop when Astrid turns back to them; her smile is bright, lighting up even the overcast gloom of Sky Peak. He nods, chuckling softly as she moves to hold the hammer; she could be holding it improperly, and he’d never know. “ Good; make sure you do that.” he responds, offering his arms out for a farewell hug— he doesn’t really think twice about it, given Astrid has already hugged him once at the tavern. There’s a moment of awkward silence as the half-dwarf stares blankly at the minstrel. Cogs turn behind her eyes as she tries to process the offer. With his arms open and unmoving, she realizes it’s an invitation for a hug. Suddenly, Astrid feels a lot less embarrassed about unexpectedly embracing him in the tavern earlier. Delight flashes in her eyes, and nothing can stop her from stepping forward and wrapping her arms around Cantio’s waist to hug him. She doesn’t say anything, just leans into the comfort of his arms and accepts the warmth. If she could have these every day for the rest of her life, she’d be a pretty happy kid. Cantio, meanwhile, pulls Astrid in for a hug; he chuckles fondly, holding her close for a moment, before giving her one last squeeze and releasing the girl. He reaches out to adjust the collar of Astrid’s shirt, and a bit like an anxious mother hen, he starts to ramble. “ Make sure to take care while you’re looking for those miners, alright? The mine will probably be unstable— and make sure to listen to Zarius, he knows what he’s doing.” He pats both hands on her shoulder encouragingly, and offers her a bright smile. “ Tell me all about it next time we meet, alright?” The embrace could have lasted a lifetime, and it still wouldn't have been long enough. When Cantio pulls away, Astrid reluctantly releases and watches his hands fiddle with her collar. It's a simple gesture, but it’s one that gives her a warm, fuzzy feeling inside. It makes her feel like he cares. That alone is enough to cause tears to burn the backs of her eyes, but she returns his smile, not letting them fall. She's happy, after all, and tears are meant for people who are sad. With a goofy motion, she brings a hand to her forehead to salute to fretting fiddler and lets her smile creep across her freckled cheeks even moreso. 'Tell me about it next time' means he plans to see her again. " I promise I will!" Cantio tilts his head fondly, returning her salute with a flamboyant and over exaggerated bow of his own. “ Then, miss Astrid! I’ll leave you to your very important adventuring business. Take care, and farewell for now.” He stands up straight, his smile remaining even as he looks at Zarius, “ And I’m sure I’ll hear from you no matter where I end up… so I’ll look forward to your correspondence.” he chuckles, albeit this one is a bit nervous; he bids Astrid and Zarius one last wave in farewell before turning on his heel, and disappearing amongst the crowd in Sky Peak about as well as a peacock might disappear on the stark white background of Frost Gale itself.
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CCS Courier
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Renown
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Ash Lands
Sister to one half of a can of Zardines
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Post by Eameia (Zarius unavailable) on Mar 5, 2023 23:48:19 GMT -5
Zarius chuckles at Astrid’s excitement over the new hammer. It was just a thing, but to someone who had so little and received even less, it meant a lot more than he could fathom having grown up in the lap of luxury.
He doesn't say much but does offer a few nods of acknowledgement of Astrid and Cantio's thanks. It wasn't necessary, but it was still appreciated. The Solars were nothing, really.
Although he would never demand that Astrid repaid the debt in any of the expected ways, his generosity did come withsome invisible strings attached. Though they were more attached to Cantio than the young adventurer since Astrid had yet to have an opportunity to prove her usefulness or worth to the tiefling's interests. The bard on the other hand, even without having to say anything, did owe him since accompanying Astrid was at the musician’s request.
In actuality, he had already told the bard what he wanted from him so the young tiefling didn't really have anything to fret over. They had already discussed the request to perform at a later date for a family celebration. This all just made it more likely that it would happen and that the red tiefling wouldn’t turn around and tell authorities that he was coerced into it.
The tiefling watches the two exchange a hug and their goodbyes. It was unlikely to be the last time they saw one another, and with any luck, not in pieces.
"Do not worry, we will be in touch," he says with a toothy smile directed at the bard. He'd never get tired of teasing him and only laments not having as much time to poke fun at him as he would like.
Once Cantio has made his leave down the open street, Zarius looks down at Astrid in all her new gear. For someone who was just wandering around lost a few hours earlier, she sure had a lot of energy to burn. This mission would be a good test of just how far that energy could take her. Armor and a weapon could only do so much on its own.
"You are welcome. Let us head out while we still have some daylight to work with. It may take us some time to get to the mine from here."
With that said, he leads Astrid off into the wilds of the Dragon's Spine in search of the miners.
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