escordvi | AUGUST CATCH-ALL

Entry tags:

AUGUST CATCH-ALL | OPEN TO ALL

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!)

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[Benedikta can't help but huff the smallest laugh at his explanation, and his idea.]

It seems I was right to come to you.

[Just an offhand comment as she leans on the counter, casual as she pleases.]

I don't think I would be needing the magic quite as much, so it needing to recharge would not be a problem. A blade is a blade, and that is what I came here for in the end, after all.

[A pause, and her lips curl further into something of an amused smile.]

That being said, having the extra failsafe would go a long way, and the magic being there at all would be helpful. So, if you think you could do it...

[She pats her coinpurse at her belt.]

How long do you figure something like this might take?

[Darin beams. He loves it when his ideas are well received. He's more than confident in his skills but he's working with new materials and a whole new clientele. A clientele that seems to both respect him and his ability. Honestly, Darin's happier than he's ever been.]

I'm more than confident I can do something like that for you. How soon do you need the pieces? I've got some other work lined up but if you need them right away for a job or something I can bump you up in the queue.

[He should be proud and confident. Benedikta still has her questions about him, which she will get to, but for now, she can at least give credit where it is due. A skilled and innovative is hard to come by sometimes.]

Oh. There is no rush.

[She waves a hand dismissively and unhooks the coin purse from her belt to set it down on the counter.]

It is more a gift than anything else, but... would three months be enough?

Pft...Three months? I was going to have them ready for you in a couple of weeks if you need them.

[As difficult as smithing work is, Darin has the advantage of his unnatural strength. Shaping metal is a lot less time consuming when you can juggle anvils.]

But, if it's all the same to you, I'll take the extra time to really refine the gemstone process. I'd want to make a few mockups to make sure the elemental charges function properly before forge the real pieces.

Yes, do take the extra time you need. I do not need these rushed, and I would much rather they not be.

[She does pause, straightening.]

If you require someone to come in to test them for you, then I am willing. And I could offer my winds as well to use in conjunction with the gems.

[Darin tilts his head curiously.]

Honestly...it would probably be best to test them in the hands of someone who can actually use magic. I've got nothing so...everything I'm coming up with is based on what I've studied in the few months I've been here.

I'd be interested to see if there's any resonance between your magic and the innate magic of the stones.

That, I am sure we can arrange. The other would be lightning, but that part is the surprise. A gift.

[If the shape of the blade was any indication of that. So, she will simply use her own to test.

But she, too, is curious. She knows nothing about how these stones work, and has only heard about it through Cid's ramblings when she was only half listening and half understood what he meant. So long as they get the job done, then that was all that mattered to her. But she would very much like to be sure that it would work with her magic and not against it when the time came to test.

But...

Benedikta glances behind her at the shop. And for now, they are the only ones here. Perhaps it would be better to tell him all of this before they do so, is what she tells herself in that brief pause. She would not want any surprises, and... more than that, he is still the only one who does not know.]

... You do not have the ability to wield magic?

[She's not quite sure how to broach this yet, but that point did catch her attention.]

Hm?

[Darin's currently jotting down some notes; half-spun ideas and details to make sure the lightning dagger is kept particularly under wraps.]

[When he's done, he glances up with a bashful grin.]

Yeah, unfortunately not. On my world children get tested early on to see what element their mana affinity is. Even with a little mana you tend to show some sort of affinity but...my brother and I both had nothing. Supposedly we've got no connection to mana which...is weird and didn't really afford me a lot of opportunities.

[He sighs a bit. He's never a fan of discussing this but it's the sad state of the classism of his world.]

Just one more reason for me to slip through the kingdom's cracks, I guess.

[That gets a harsher narrow of her eyes at him. Not only because of the "no magic" thing that she is finding very hard to believe, given what she has seen, but because of this "mana affinity tests". It reminds her a little of their own with the Bearers awakening. At any rate...

There really is no good way around this, is there? No good way to fish for information, and her silence will be even more damning.

Her hand instinctively goes to her sword, but she keeps herself as casual as ever as she stares at her green nails.]

So, what happened over the ocean that day with that harpy was not magic?

[Just going to come out and say it, then.]

Over the oce—...

[Darin freezes in place and he visibly pales. She'd seen him? She must have been a bystander on the ground. After all, Zelda saw the whole thing...]

[Hell, there were probably plenty of people who saw it...]

[He laughs nervously. Maybe he can try and pass it off as a case of mistaken identity?]

I'm...not sure what you mean. I remember the giant harpy but...I was hunkering down like everyone else...

[If only.

But this has gone on long enough, and he is the final person that she meant to talk to. And she has many questions for him.]

Were you?

[A glance over her shoulder to be sure that they are the only ones left in the shop. Fortunately, the only other person who had been browsing in here while they'd been talking has left, and should anyone else try to enter, she'll shove the door shut with a sharp wind.]

I seem to recall it differently. You rode on the back of the harpy, and she carried you over the ocean. Tried to drown you, I believe.

[She's taking several educated guesses, though. Her own consciousness had blended so much with Garuda's that she only remembers the fuzziest details of most of the encounters where her Eikon lost control.]

... Left quite a few nasty bruises on my back because of it.

[Darin visibly panics when Benedikta starts to recount the battle over the skies of Eltrut. She'd seen everything? So then why confront him like this? What was she looking to do?]

[It takes a few moments for the dots to connect when she speaks of her bruises, and she can literally watch the light dawning in his emerald green eyes. They fall to the sketch of the feather blade, then snap back up to her as Darin squares up.]

...You're the harpy. You attacked Eltrut. [An attack that set a lot of things into motion in his life, most notably a chance meeting with the person who pulled him out of the ocean after she tried to drown him.]

What...are you? Why are you here?

Garuda.

[She corrects him. Even when she feels conflicted about her Eikon, she never did like it when people reduced her down to the harpy, and Garuda liked it even less. The Eikon lays dormant still, but Benedikta could always feel her aether simmering within her own, the beginnings of a stirring again.

But seeing his hackles rise like that, she straightens from the counter and waves an almost dismissive hand, though her eyes remain sharp on him. She had a feeling this would happen. She breathes out a sigh.]

Not to worry. I did not come to stir trouble. [A nod to the parchment.] I really did intend to come here for business.

[Well. Mostly. Business and one other thing, as she starts to pace slowly.]

I merely came to discuss what had happened that day. Of all the people that approached her that day, it was you who left the biggest mark. And, if Cidolfus has his eye on you, I thought to see properly for myself.

[Darin raises an eyebrow.]

'Garuda' [He repeats as he eases up a little. He's still on guard, watching her with more confusion than suspicion.]

...You make it sound like it was some kind of test. But, if you want to discuss what happened, I assume you've got questions.

And if it's all the same, I've got some questions of my own now.

[And just to be sure, Darin moves around his workbench to the front door. There, he flips the sign from open to closed then locks the door.]

[From there, he turns around, arms crossed over his chest.]

So, let's talk.

[Benedikta laughs quietly under a breath when he clicks the lock on the door. At least they are on the same page with regards to their secrets, and once she is sure that there will be no interruptions, she lets some of that tension in her shoulders go, a stark contrast to Darin's crossed arms.]

Hardly a test. If only it had been so simple...

[She wishes that it was, and her voice says as much. If she had just the right amount of control, but then she would not be here having this conversation right now.

Turning, she leans back against the counter.]

First of all, I figured that, if you choose to take Cidolfus's offer, you should be aware of what sort of den you are walking into. Consider this a courtesy.

[That...sounded like regret in her voice. And it's become increasingly obvious she's only here to talk. She probably knows she has most of the cards here— from overwhelming power to knowledge of what Darin's capable of.]

[It wouldn't benefit her to come out and reveal herself like this. And, of course, Cid's name comes up again. Just what the hell was Cid? Always getting into trouble and harboring the ha—Garuda? Darin's mind is filled with questions.]

So, you heard about him asking me to join his crew.

...Alright. Courtesy accepted. But that doesn't change the fact that you and I probably have a lot of questions about the other and no spicy chicken wings to distract us. So...I guess I'll start.

What exactly are you? What's Garuda? Why did you attack Eltrut?

[For all her arrogant preening, Benedikta's confidence wavers at his sudden line of questions, her eyes darting away from him for just a second long enough to be noticeable.]

I hear and know everything. I am his second in command, after all.

[By virtue of being the woman he is trying very hard to put a ring on, and it is a self-proclaimed title. Not that it matters in the grand scheme, but this is her attempt at trying to give herself the upper hand again in the conversation, even when he thinks she already does. Funny how that works.]

But one thing at a time. And none of it shall leave this room.

[There is some irritation in her voice as she runs her hands over her leathers, as if to straighten her already meticulously kept clothes. This goes for both what she tells him, and what he tells her in turn. After a sharp breath—]

I am the Dominant of the Eikon, Garuda. Warden of the Wind. A vessel, of sorts, for her.

[Darin's reaction might be a little underwhelming, simply by virtue of the fact that all of those lofty names and titles don't mean anything to him. Though, the word vessel catches his attention and from there, he's at least able to peace some things together.]

...A vessel? Like...her soul is inside of you?

[The implications of that being that there's another facet to her or her soul. Something that is eerily similar to his own state. It's hard to distinguish whether or not he's a vessel for or is the reincarnation of the Dark Lord Diomuhr...but at this point, it's merely semantics.]

...I won't tell anyone, by the way. I'm not in the business of drawing attention to myself or others. Not unless it's for my craft.

[Underwhelming is better, and quite honestly, she is quite relieved by his calmer reaction, and by his reassurance that this will not leave this room. More of that tension eases out of her.]

I suppose you could say that, yes. We are born with them, chosen by the Eikons at birth, though some do not awaken until much later.

[Her being a prime example of that. If only she had awakened at a younger age like the Phoenix, but...]

I draw upon her aether, and can cast her magic freely, and call upon her power when I need it. In turn, she draws upon my own. And, in some cases, take on her form... as you very well saw over the water.

[She pauses there, in case he has questions, but there is a look about her as she glances at him. Not fear, but uncertainty hidden beneath a proud lift of her chin.]

["We are born with them"]

["I draw upon her aether...and call upon her power when I need it."]

[The words ring out in Darin's mind as his eyes start to widen. He takes a step forward as something clicks in his mind.]

You think I'm like you...you and Cid...!

You guys know what I'm capable of and you think I've got some...some Eikon or something inside of me, don't you.

Is that why Cid wants me on the crew??

[There's a panic, an edge to his voice. He's defensive, much like how Benedikta probably is in this moment, though maybe for altogether different reasons. He still doesn't know Cid's endgame and while the older man doesn't seem like someone who would ever use him or anyone else like a weapon...well, that much power on one crew is more than a little alarming.]

[She stares at him like he's suddenly sprouted another head.]

What—?

[It takes her a moment to process everything that he's accused her of, and as soon as it hits her, she quickly shakes her head.]

Where in Great Greagor's tits did you—? No. I do not think that you are a Dominant, nor do I know if there is anything "inside" you like us.

[A pause because he already knows about Cid being Ramuh? Well, that is news to her, but just in case she misread that, she doesn't ask. Yet.]

He merely sung your praises about your smithing skills and knowledge being something our crew could benefit from. He does not even know that I am here, and I would prefer if we kept it that way.

[Darin straightens up, confused. In truth, he had no idea about what Cid was...merely that his and Benedikta's interest in him could be misconstrued as them wanting a powerful crew mate.]

So...wait, that's...all that was about? Then why'd you bring up my strength when we fought? You...sounded like you were suspecting me of something.

[Well, she feels like she fumbled this a bit, but she rights herself soon enough after that shock has worn off.]

Not suspect.

[That's not the word that she would use.]

I've just some questions about it. It is not every day a mere human can go up against an Eikon, let alone Garuda, and live to tell the tale. So, something tells me that you are not just a mere human...?

Oh...

[Darin noticeably relaxes as he moves back towards his workbench.]

I...sorry, about that, Benedikta. Where I come from...I've had to hide what I can do my whole life. It's bad enough people treated me like a monster because of my hair color. If they knew what I could actually do I'd probably be run out of the kingdom.

So, when people know what I'm capable of...it tends to put me on edge.

[He's notably and obviously not answering the question about being a 'mere human.']

Edited 2024-08-25 19:44 (UTC)

[Oh, she's certainly picked up on that, but she'll hold onto it for now.]

Well, there is no sense in hiding here. At least, not with me. It would seem both of our greatest secrets are out anyway.

[Well, one of. It's not like she kept it much of a secret before she primed, only after, but that's a technicality.]

Why is it that it would get you run out?

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i'm sorry i laughed at his conclusion LOL

He's a little paranoid

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