AUGUST CATCH-ALL | OPEN TO ALL

[forgeabettertomorrow]

Who: Darin Altway and You!
Status: OPEN
Where: The Starmetal Forge and around Eltrut and Nogard depending on the quest!
What: The Starmetal Forge Grand Opening and MANTA Board quests!
Warnings: None!

-STARMETAL FORGE GRAND OPENING-

[It took longer than he would have liked but after months of hard work, he's finally managed to do it. He'd saved up enough money and made enough connections to rent out and properly refurbish a big enough workshop then applied for his formal business license. And now, finally, after all of that and months of preparation, he can finally say:]

Welcome to The Starmetal Forge! Whatever your wish may be, with this hammer, I'll forge it into reality!

[The workshop isn't massive. It's actually rather modest, but Darin's invested all of his time into preparing for this day. The forge is fired up and he has two very meticulously organized and cleaned workstations ready to go with pristine tools. There's plenty of space for people to come and watch him work and even a sizeable storeroom for more rare materials; including the small horde of elemental gems he'd recovered from the Abyss.]

[But the crown jewel of this endeavor is the sign above the door. A sign bearing his personal emblem; a shooting star whose tail curls into a perfect circle with the handle of a smith's hammer coming from the comet itself, as if the star was the hammer's head. It's an emblem he'd kept ever since he took up the hammer. One he'd hoped would adorn his own forge some day. And now, the day has finally arrived.]

[He'd placed a MANTA board request specifically for this month. Anyone with any rare materials and wish for new items or equipment could bring it to him and all he'd charge is a small labor fee. He can't wait to see what people bring in!]

[When you come to check the place out, he's already tinkering with something or other. But you'll catch his attention soon enough and he lifts his head, smiling.]

Hey, welcome to The Starmetal Forge! Name's Darin Altway, Master Smith and Forgemaster! What brings you in today?

-GEMSTONE RESEARCH-

[With an abundant supply of Gemstones at hand, Darin has already been tinkering with ideas. But first, he needs to see just how powerful these stones are and if their various elemental effects can be combined.]

[Darin has had in mind a variation of a grappling hook for some time now. Something that can be fired with some sort of propulsion mechanism and retracted with a small motor. But he'd like to incorporate some of the gemstones as a way of magnetizing the grapnel. Something that will allow him to grip metal surfaces as well as wooden or stone.]

[So he's in the testing area, working on a glove with an elemental gem of wind and lightning slotted into the back of the hand to see if he can create some sort of magical, magnetic effect. This surely won't end poorly for anyone who wants to look over his shoulder.]

-TRAILING DAWN-

[Darin doesn't spend as much time on Nogard as he should. Honestly, being a Corsair never really sat right with him, but it was better than being a Paladin. Just another instance of never seeming to fit anywhere specifically. But since he's on Nogard doing some testing of his gear, he's decided to take some time and wander the beaches like he used to do back home in Kenmore.]

[When he finds the large, deepwater fish dead on the beach, Darin finds himself kneeling and examining them.]

What the hell are these doing way up here...? Deepwater fish don't usually wash up on shore...

The hell is going on...?

(OOC: I am open to other threads and quests so feel free to ping me on Discord at bitterbearface or Plurk (bitterbearface)if you'd like to do something else!)

Comments

forge opening, but i'm once again bringing my own prompt kinda

[multidisciplinary]

[ Over three weeks have passed since Darin stormed out of Zelda's apartment after confiding his deepest secret to her and receiving nothing but her petrified silence in response. Three weeks she has spent replaying that conversation over and over in her mind, thinking of dozens of different ways she could have-- should have-- handled it differently and cursing herself for doing none of them. She froze. She froze because she heard the words "Demon King" and "prophesied destruction" and suddenly all she could think about was Hyrule's Demon King and Hyrule's prophesied destruction. And she knew even from the moment he said it that Darin was talking about his world's Demon King and his world's prophesied destruction. She knew and she still just sat there saying nothing, allowing Darin to think she was suddenly terrified of him.

Now three weeks have passed and Zelda has not been able to reach him once. And it's certainly not from lack of trying. She has been trying relentlessly to call and text him via the shellphone, but her attempts either go ignored or are bounced back to her as undeliverable. She's even tried going to his home, but he never answers. He clearly wants nothing to do with Zelda and is shutting her out of his life completely.

Other people might take the hint and give up. Not Zelda.

When people are being kind, they might describe the Princess of Hyrule as tenacious; when they are being less than flattering, they tend to say she's stubborn as a mule.

It is with said mulishness that Zelda arrives at the Starmetal Forge on its opening day.

But she has the tact not to simply walk straight up to Darin and force him to speak with her on such a momentous day and in front of all these people. He's told her about wanting to open this forge. She doesn't want to spoil his achievement.

So Zelda enters discreetly along with a crowd of other curious customers. The hood on her cloak helps her blend in a bit better, not drawing anyone's attention. She lingers around the workshop for a little while, admiring it while she waits for the right chance to approach Darin.

That chance finally arrives while the current customers are drifting out of the shop, leaving it momentarily empty, while Darin has his back turned. Taking one last steeling breath, Zelda approaches the worktable behind him. ]

I've heard tell that the master smith is capable of fixing anything, including magitech. [ Zelda with draws her shellphone from her pocket and sets it on the worktable. ] I hoped you might take a look at this. For some reason, my calls no longer go through.

Hell yeah break all of the rules

[forgeabettertomorrow]

[Darin's having the time of his life. Commissions and work keep pouring in and he knows he'll be busy for weeks at this rare. Which, given his mental state the last few weeks, he very much appreciates. He's been able to bury himself in his labors which have kept him blissfully distracted from the fact that he revealed his greatest secret to someone who was quickly becoming a bit of a fixture in his life and said former-friend could only stare at him in absolute horror.]

[Gods, the look on Zelda's face still haunts him. It was both a knife in the heart and punch in the gut all packed into one wordless stare.]

[But The Starmetal Forge is the start of something new. It's exciting and the possibilities are practically endless! And he won't have to worry about telling anyone his secrets because after that debacle, he has no intention of ever sharing them again.]

[He's inundated with orders throughout the day and he's said a number of times that he'd be with the cloaked figure as soon as he was able. And now that the place has cleared out, he's happy to finally have the chance.]

Well, master smith I may be but I'll be honest, I'm still working to figure out these damn things.

[He takes the phone and, in moving it, disturbs it from its sleep mode to reveal a familiar and bittersweet selfie.]

[He freezes up. Just what the hell was she playing at? Admittedly, Darin knew about the calls and texts but he'd ignored them when he actually received them. He wasn't about to go back and answer any questions about what he was. Why? So she could get more horrified? So she could refute his claims? Virtue signal about his finer qualities like he's some sort of problem that can be 'fixed?' No, that look was all he needed to see.]

[He puts the phone down but doesn't turn around and when he speaks, it's with an almost haughty, amicable tone. Like hell he's about to drop that damn mask again.]

Ah, sorry miss. I can't seem to help you with that. In my experience sometimes calls don't go through because that line's dead. You're better off just forgetting it. There's nothing here for you.

[multidisciplinary]

[ Ah, so he won't even turn around to face her. Zelda knew she'd receive his attitude (though she would honestly prefer his anger over this coldness disguised as courtesy), but she thought he would at least look at her when he delivered it.

Very well. If this is where she must start, this is where she must start. ]

I see. That is unfortunate. I was given much the same answer when I took it to the shop I originally received it from. [ She exhales her breath in a disappointed sigh. ] So I thought, "perhaps the shopkeep simply does not want to expend the effort to diagnose the root of the problem. I should take it to a master craftsman. I doubt he would give up so easily."

[forgeabettertomorrow]

[Darin's body visibly tenses at that remark. If there's a surefire way to get under Darin's skin, it's to imply that he doesn't give 110% all the time. He's spent his life working to be recognized in some capacity. Every waking moment he's constantly measuring and curtailing his strength to appear 'normal.' If there is one thing that Darin can be proud of, and he believes this list is undeniably short, it's the fact that his work ethic; the effort he puts into everything he does is unparalleled. It has to be.]

[He doesn't turn fully, but he does look over his shoulder at Zelda, and arches his eyebrow.]

[When he turns, he's all smiles. He picks up her phone.]

Well, I appreciate the vote of confidence~!

[His voice is mirthful but there's no hint of warmth behind it. It is the pure epitome of "customer service" voice.]

[He takes her hand and places the shellphone back into it, screen faced down like one might put a frame photo flat on a desk when you don't want to look at it.]

But even the wisest masters know when something can't be salvaged. You can't temper a blade forever! Eventually the metal thins out. It gets brittle. It breaks. And no amount of pounding away at it can make it the same as it was.

Best you let it go.

forge!

[thearchangel]

[He's not the last to show up, but he's close to it. Partly because some pressing business kept him until late. Partly because he didn't want to run into a crowd. That was detrimental to what he was here to do. Well, sort of. Support the guy, sure.]

[But also...]

[Garrus probably doesn't cut a very subtle figure while he waits for the last customers to clear out. No problem. Most people don't bother him. He's too weird looking. Too intimidating, in full armor. Adding to the effect is a rather impressive set of claw marks along the cowl. More reason to be here.]

[He'll wave, when it looks like the new local smith is ready for a chat.]

[forgeabettertomorrow]

[Darin was honestly really happy that Garrus came by for the grand opening, if only so he could properly thank him for looking out for him during that whole ghost fiasco.]

Garrus! What's up, buddy? What brings you in?

[He spots the claw marks on the cowl.]

...Yeesh, how the hell did that happen? Who'd you piss off this time?

[thearchangel]

That... actually.

[He shifts where he stands. Rubbing at the plates along the back of his neck. He hates this. This is so embarrassing.]

I need to apologize. For not believing you about the ghost... thing.

[A gesture to his cowl again.] Because the man who did this was someone whose skull I put a bullet through. Three years ago.

[forgeabettertomorrow]

[Darin's face grows pale.]

Whoa, okay. Are you alright? Come over and have a seat, man. Do you need something?

forge!

[garudas]

[While Benedikta had nothing to offer in terms of materials, a smithy that she felt she could trust was exactly what she wanted. After meeting Darin once, albeit in a bit of an awkward situation, and hearing about him from Cidolfus, she figured why not. After hearing of his grand opening via the MANTA board, she is there on the very first day with a piece of parchment folded neatly in her hand.

She busies herself with looking around while she waits for him to finish his work, fine not to make herself known right away despite traipsing everywhere like a peacock with its feathers out on display. She knows better than to interrupt a boy and his tinkering.

So when he finally does address her, she glances away from the emblem above the door to him.]

Well, I had to see the Spicy Chicken Master's forge for myself.

[She gestures with a hand around her before it falls to rest on her sword, a grin pulling at one side of her lip, and she lifts the paper between her fingers.]

And 'tis quite the place, indeed.

[forgeabettertomorrow]

[Darin offers a sweeping, playful bow at the absurd title.]

I don't know how you discovered the place's original name, but I felt "Starmetal Forge" had a bit more bite to it than some overly spiced wings.

[He straightens up to his full 6'3" height and crosses his arms over his chest proudly.]

But it's good to have a place of my own again and to see a familiar face.

From the looks of it, you've got some work for me?

[garudas]

[She snorts at his answer. Very true.]

I do. I have been looking for someone to make these for some time, but I've yet to find a smith that I could trust.

[And Cid has put in a good word for Darin already, so here she is. But she does not hand him the piece of paper yet.]

I've no materials to offer you, however, as you mentioned in your posting. But I am willing to pay the cost for them.

[forgeabettertomorrow]

That's just fine by me, honestly. I can source the materials, I've made some connections already. I'm not here to get rich.

[He leans on one of the workbenches with his hip, eyeing the sheet of paper.]

You gonna tell me about it? Or should I start guessing?

Starmetal Forge

[telepathicignorance]

(Sidestep will come late, if still within reasonable hours, when most people are likely to have already stopped by earlier and this not be there.)

Hey. How intricate do you think you can manage?

(They glance around the area as they ask, hiding their nervousness behind curiosity.)

[forgeabettertomorrow]

[Darin lifts his gaze and offers a confident grin.]

Well, that depends! I've done some pretty intricate work— engravings on weapons and armor and the like. Some people really like their gear to have a lot of ornamentation. What are you in the market for, friend?

Name's Darin by the way. Darin Altway, Master Blacksmith and forgemaster of the Starmetal Forge!

[Gods he loves the sound of that~!]

[telepathicignorance]

Darin then. (They frown, hesitant. Is this really a good idea? Even with the lie they have prepared it's entirely possible he might start asking questions.

Start poking his nose where it doesn't belong.

Another look over the area, making sure there's no one else there.)

There are people in my world, and some others (They begin, cautiously.) who have parts of themselves ...replaced. By machinery. Usually to fix something missing or wrong inside them. (They lean into the nervousness, the fear. A desperation not untrue but repurposed.

Additionally, they reach out telepathically, trying to get a feel for the state of his mind, his mental and emotional reactions to this.)

Like a peg leg but more complicated ...and sometimes it's a heart instead of a leg.

[forgeabettertomorrow]

You're talking about something like a prosthetic? I've made things like that before.

My world didn't have any way to give them full range of motion but here? I could probably figure something out.

[Darin is certainly intrigued. Already he's running through design possibilities and potential blueprints. The idea of a heart has his interest absolutely piqued.]

What more can you tell me?

Gemstone research (slightly backdated to opening week)

[emet_sulk]

[ Emet-Selch does eventually pay a visit to Darin's newly established forge. He can't be there on opening day but he does manage to visit within the first week. Content as he is with the weapon Darin has already made for him, he does not bring anything other than himself when he finally makes an appearance.

As it so happens, it's when Darin is experimenting with those elemental jewels.

Emet-Selch can see the magic sparking from a malm away and so he stands a respectful distance back before calling out. ]

Greetings, blacksmith. I see you've finally managed to establish your own forge.

[forgeabettertomorrow]

Sure did! [Darin proclaims proudly, holding up his gloved hand to wave.]

Not only that, but my trip into that Abyss has given me more than enough materials to begin my work in earnest!

What brings you here today?

[emet_sulk]

[ He takes the cue to come closer, eyes flicking to Darin's current work. ]

Mostly to congratulate you. I do regret not being able to meet you on opening day. But I see you've already begun experimenting with elemental stones.

Starmetal Forge

[astudyinviolet]

[ Sherlock might not have come opening day or even opening week because he's not one for such events, but he does arrive. He has a sketch of a microscope, both outside and a cutaway version to show the internal components. They aren't blueprints, but they do a good job of capturing the functions of the tool. ]

Mr. Altway, are you in?

[forgeabettertomorrow]

Yeah, I'm over here!

[Darin waves from one of the two workbenches in the modest forge where he seems to have built a small pile of elemental gemstones, which he's currently slotting into a device with three slots. As of now, only one slot is occupied by an emerald.]

How's it going??

[astudyinviolet]

[ Ah, there he is. Sherlock enters the forge proper, and he's a little surprised at the pile of gemstones. Those aren't the materials he expected to find in a forge. Yet, this isn't a normal forge either.

As for the question, Sherlock doesn't know how to answer that. He hasn't had a good time of it lately, and he doesn't want to to bring it up. Having an existential identity crisis is better left compartmentalized and shoved back into the mind attic. ]

I brought some sketches of a microscope. I thought you would like to take a look at them to see if it's something you can do.

gemstone research > certain talk

[ramuhs]

[Not only did Cid want to visit Darin's forge, he had a few elemental gemstones he thought the smith could use to try and make something out of. Cid himself is also curious about it to try himself, so why not swap ideas? There was also a certain matter he thought they could discuss after, so Cid will deliberately chose later in the afternoon to arrive when Darin will hopefully not be so busy.

And it seems his timing worked out as he hears Darin near the area. Making his way over to the testing area, he'll notice the two gemstones on that glove...

...

And being very familiar with those elements—]

I'd be careful with those—

[forgeabettertomorrow]

[Darin turns when he hears the familiar voice.]

Cid! Hey, how's it—

[He was about to turn to wave and it's a good thing he didn't. Wind and lightning together might work in theory but there's a lot of different things to account for. The combination of wind and lightning certainly have an effect; namely, it blows Darin back while drawing anything metallic towards him. A dented shield clangs off the back of its head and ricochets off of his skull as he drops one the initial charge fires off.]

[He's fine. He's just lying face down on the ground.]

...I take it you've got experience you'd like to share.

[ramuhs]

[There's a wince as he watches the fall out, an arm instinctively rising to shield himself should anything decide to fly his way. When it all settles, he shakes his head and slowly makes his way over, glancing at all that's gathered.]

In some manner of speaking. At least you weren't shocked in the process.

[Now in front of him, he pats Darin's shoulder.]

What were you even trying to do?