Thomas
Thyri's blacksmithy. Where she forges all of her goods for her customers.
Marisela
The young man that walked into the shop was a rather interesting one indeed. Having settled into the Academy and having just over a week until he'd have his first test to see if he truly belonged there, he was using his downtime to check out this shop. Aranea had claimed that the magical items made in the Eternal City were a mile ahead of others save Mistrion. His gut had brought him here. 

Cullen was a young man an inch under six feet, with a shock of silky white hair and skin the same color as a drows, dark with a pretty purplish hue. His eyes were a brilliant yellow and were bright, clever and seemed to almost contain a sparkle. His clothing was that of a commoner, brown britches and boots and a white tunic that showed off a well defined chest. He wore a couple of plain silver rings and had his ears pierced. 

"Excuse me! I'm looking for Thyri? I heard that I could maybe talk about getting a weapon or armor or something made here." He spoke like a street rat, the smooth slang and easy flow of words mixed with an informal sense of gravity and yet... He didn't have the air of a thief. He seemed entirely confident that he could afford to be in a place like this requesting magical items. 

Once he caught sight of the target of his visit, he'd smile at her warmly- a boyish smile but also one that carried just a hint of weariness.
Diana
The entrance to the store was quite the cozy little place, rustic and made from hand. It was certainly a rather strong building, and the inside was suited to it's owners needs. Along the walls, various weapons hung from nails and hooks. Many seemed to shine from their polish, and others had odd runes that seemed to glow with some sort of strange power within them. Shields made from wood and steel were piled against the walls, and even some armour pieces were on display. Certainly a surplus in items.

As the door was opened and an individual entered the store, a soft bell seemed to ring throughout the store, even though there was nothing but a small piece of steel hung from the frame, certainly not big enough to make such a sound. A huff was heard from somewhere in the back, as a clatter of objects soon followed.

Soon enough, a female with quite an imposing build exited from the rear of the building. She was carrying a crate of metal and grunted as she placed it onto the counter, before making her way behind. Brushing some hair out of her face, she flashed a smile to the pale haired boy. "'Ello mate. I'm the one yer looking for now. Thyri's the name. Got a special order ya need?"

Her accent certainly portrayed her as someone from quite far away. Seemingly from one of the many villages that were out in the word. Sandy blonde hair was matched with piercing brown eyes and tan skin. The tattoos upon her arms seemed to tell a story, but one would need to know exactly what they meant to understand. She didn't mind much about informal attire or such a way of speaking. If one was inside her store, they knew what they could afford.
Marisela
Holy crap she was kind of hot in a 'ill crush your skull' kind of way. Which was just Atlas' type, the half demon in his head roaring with approval. He had to admit she had impressive musculature and it was a given- she was a blacksmith after all. He cleared his throat and looked around the space at all the enchanted items. 

"Yes, I do. I haven't exactly determined what it is I want made- I guess I was hoping an expert could help me design something." He said, stepping up to her counter and gazing at all the materials with absolute enthusiasm. "I have a katana that isn't magical and a modified wheellock pistol that's enchanted to never get jammed and is much easier to fill with gunpowder and bullets. I simply have to have items on hand and say the command 'Reload' and it'll reload in five seconds. I can fire three shots with it. It's my only magical item." He said, pulling out an elegant pistol and setting it down on the counter. 

He wanted to explain his magical technique to her- but he hesitated. How did he explain that he both had and didn't have it. Re/Armament was a magical technique that belonged to Aranea, one of the two souls he housed- and he could barely tap into it without resonating his soul with hers. A difficult and exhausting process. Still... He needed good gear if he was going to surprise. 

"Before we get to business though- Hello Thyri, im Cullen Stellae. It's a pleasure to meet you, you have a very lovely shop." He said with a smile, holding out his hand to shake. He was two inches taller than herself and though he was slender, she'd be amazed to find that he had surprisingly strong hands if she shook with him.
Diana
"A katana, aye? Cannae say I see many of those round 'ere. Would love to get a look at the steel that's been used if ya got the time for it." Making up a design on the spot then? She could certainly get behind that. All her best ideas came around midnight either way, and whilst it wasn't very late, with her horrid sleep schedule, it might as well have been.

It was the wheellock pistol that soon caught her interest however. With gloved hands, she took a moment to fall into a comfortable silence as she looked over such an item. Her eyes traced over each and every mark the weapon had, intentional or not. "Bloody beautiful piece of equipment right 'ere. Most noble types would want this to be stuffed inside a vault or some shite. Glad to see that ya actually got some use in it." Always was a sad day when she had to do a monthly maintenance on some piece that wasn't even damn used. This brought a simple smile to her face.

"Cullen Stellae then. Thyri Sigtrygg. Pleasure to make yer acquaintance." Gently placing the weapon back onto the counter, she removed her glove and clapped her hand into his for a shake. Her hands were rough and timeworn, but at least she had all her digits. "So, what sorta design ya got rummaging up in yer 'ead there. Anything I'm able to work off?"

Plans of her own was already flashing through her mind. Schematics of useless weapons that would fail, and others that would likely be brilliant. But she always had to go with what the customer wanted most, though that didn't mean she wasn't able to add a few ideas of her own if she needed.
Marisela
"Well... I have two ideas. First I should explain my magical technique. It's called Re/Armament. I can access a personal pocket dimension and store anything in it that classifies as an Armament or an Armor. I can switch them out at will for minimum mana cost. I believe my technique works best when I'm switching weapons multiple times in a fight- it makes it harder for my enemies to predict my fighting style." 

The speech he gave was actually from a practiced script that Aranea had made him repeat over and over before they'd come. Since the technique was hers before, she understood it intimately. Re/Armament was the only magical technique he could access outside of Soul Resonance- so they'd decided he should focus on building up his arsenal. 

"The two ideas I had were for a dagger or perhaps some boots- something to increase my mobility? If I could combine high mobility with my pistol- I could probably at least hold my own against common bandits." He said, rubbing the back of his head. "If you have any questions I'll do my best to answer them. To be honest- all of this fighting stuff is totally new to me. But you're a master of your craft- so if you've got any ideas I'd love to hear them. I have plenty of money, so that won't be an issue." He said with a smile. She had a warmth to her that he liked, she was rough but incredibly welcoming so far. He had a feeling she'd be someone he came to for new weapons a lot. He supposed there were worse customers to have than an Archduke of the Nine Realms.
Diana
A hum escaped her as she listened to the magical technique. That was something that was quite interesting, that was for damn sure. What she would do to be able to simply throw all her weaponry and armour into a little pocket and just begin a travelling smithy. Could have been the first of it's kinda and would have been damn fun. Least she would be able to get out into the country a bit more often.

"If yer going for a dagger, got a bit of an idea." Taking a moment to turn around, she crouched down to reach into some closed cupboards. After rummaging around for a moment, she eventually let out a content sound as she stood. Returning her gaze towards Cullen, she placed down a rather odd looking blade onto the counter.

The blade didn't have a hilt or handle, and was clearly just a proof of concept, but it was certainly strange. Deep serrations on the side resembled a comb more than a proper blade. "A Swordbreaker. If yer gonna be using your pistol mostly, why not 'ave something to keep a blade at a distance. Plus, can still be used to cut so if ya really need to get in close, ya ain't gonna be left with naught. But the fun part bout this lil thing here is the enchantment I've put on it." Flipping the blade, she showed off an earthen marking that seemed to flow up the middle and to the edge of each comb. "What its meant to do is disturb bits of metal, so put a sword between a pair o' prongs and twist hard, ya can likely snap off a good blade."

.

"But, for mobility. I do got something fun." Placing down the blade and reaching down once more, she brought up a pair of fur lined leather boots. "Ain't got a fun name for these yet, but what they do is bundle a bunch of cold air below ya feet. Makes it so ya glide and slide around the place more than run. Can say I've 'ad my fair share of tumbles with 'em, but if ya can properly learn 'ow to use them, ya could get across a damn lake with ease." Placing them down, she allowed the boy to take a look at either one he wanted to.
Marisela
Cullen had grown up on the very streets outside without even a copper to his name- he'd fought, tricked and scammed his way into most meals. Eventually he'd gotten odd jobs here and there, picked up skills, but none of them would have ever prepared him to be in a blacksmiths shop perusing *Magic items*. He picked up the Swordbreaker, he'd heard of these. You used them as a sidearm and if you could catch a sword in it, you were supposed to twist and snap the metal or at the least, wrench it out out of their hands or bind up their blade. 

With a metal deterioration enchantment on it, the weapon was double effective. If the sword he'd caught wasn't a strong magic item, he could wear it down and break it. A super useful tool to have to. 

He set it down gingerly as if scared to break it and then peered at the boots. In all his 24 years of life, he'd never seen magic boots. So they stored up cold air so he could slide around on it, huh? Now that was interesting. The mental image conjured up was comical to say the least. Still... If he could learn to use it... 

"I definitely want these boots. They'll help me make space so I can fire my pistol." He said, patting the boots. "But the Swordbreaker would be great- im excited to adventure and stuff but if I had to be honest, im not exactly eager to go and take someone's life. That's a pretty permanent thing to do someone, you know?"

He suddenly beamed as he realized he was quite rich. 

"Let me buy both- and I'll help you get the Swordbreaker finished too! I'm pretty good with my hands and I learn stuff quick, whatever you need really! Even if it's just cooking you meals or something!" The truth was he didn't have anywhere to go for a week and waiting around doing nothing for a week before his first test didn't exactly sound like a treat. 

"I'm really amazed, it's clear how much you really love your work." He said, tilting his head to study her face as they spoke of her craftsmanship.
Diana
Pride was plastered on her face as she crossed her arms, watching the boy pick up and look over her weapon. It was always damned nice to see someone actually appreciate her works, she put hours into each piece of armour that had ever been inside this shop. She always made damn sure the person left with something they could use for the rest of their life! However long that was going to last.

"Don't think anyone is eager to take another's life, but in yer line of work, gotta be prepared. Some real bastards out on the road." She had travelled to Aeterna in a caravan for better protection, if she had travelled alone, she was just about certain some group would have tried their luck against her.

She clapped as she heard both were going to be purchased. A damn fine deal! Picking up the blade once more, she placed it to the side, she would have to get to work rather quickly to make sure the deal was worth it. The boots were ready to go, so the boy could put them on right in this moment for all she cared. "Right! That'll be..." Flipping up some notes she had beneath the counter, she double checked the prices before nodding. "Fifty gold pieces for the boots, and I'll give ya a discount on the blade since I hafta finish it. So let's say round bout... Fifteen gold? That sound fair to ya?"
.

Already, she was moving to another part of the smithy to collect up a few items. Some metal and various others parts. The design she had in her mind was perfect. A rough wooden handle with a leather cover to make sure it was going to be easy on the hands, yet wouldn't go flying when it was struck with a hefty blade. A good rounded pommel to keep the balance decent. Now all that remained was a proper idea for the quillons that was going to both protect the user's hands and arm, whilst also being a bit stylist so it could be traced back to her smithy. "Oi, ya got any family crest or something? Put it on the breaker if ya want. Don't matter what it is."

Placing the materials she needed into an empty box, she hefted the items up and moved them over to the counter. Now came the worst part of the job. Damned maths. She needed to figure out just how much material she was actually going to be using. Then she would need to draw up a proper plan for the weapon, make sure that it wasn't too big or overweight on any one side. "If ya can make rabbit stew, yer damn welcome round 'ere!"

A laugh escaped her as she brought out some old papers, looking over them. Cullen would have a grand view at her side profile from the angle. Her sharp features seemed to be framed in the smithy's lighting, and her eyes were damn bright whenever the light shined just right. "Was born into it! Always loved it since I first picked up a 'ammer. Lucky I got born into a family of smiths."
Marisela
Cullen set down his pack and carefully dug through the neatly packed clothing and supplies, opening a pouch within and pulling out a separate smaller pouch marked with a golden drawstring. It contained a hundred gold, which he set down on the counter for her. Then he grinned at her and said, "Sure deal!" A hundred gold, that would be enough to cover her for a while and would set up them having a good working relationship. It was the same when a noble tipped well at an inn or at a tailor- that noble then always received the most excellent service. 

*"Cullen, you are a noble now."* Araneas voice said softly, and he felt a twisting in his stomach. It felt weird to be the thing he'd spent his life serving and avoiding. Having payed, he took the boots in his hands and closed his eyes to **Heavily** Concentrate. Both Aranea and Atlas had exceptionally large mana pools, but both worked entirely different. 

Araneas was like a flowing river that constantly moved in one direction, it was a rush of water that never changed. The trick was that you had to *Surrender* To her mana and then you'd have control. So... He closed his eyes and as he tapped into her well of mana, he felt a rush of power that terrified him. He wanted to push against it and was about to when Aranea soothingly spoke in his head. Calming, he gave in and felt the mana take hold. 

"Re... Armament!" He said, and there was a flash of blue light. The boots vanished as if they'd never been there. Cullen then stepped back and said, "Switch!" His boots flashed blue and suddenly he was wearing the new cold slider boots. Deciding not to try and activate them now, he looked at her as she gathered materials. She really was pretty in a rugged kind of way. He wondered if he'd ever seen a ruggedly beautiful woman before. Shrugging, he reached into his pack again and pulled out an insignia. 

"Can you put this crest on it? It's the House Crest of the Stellae, the Archduke of Velaris." He said, setting the insignia down so s

He could see. The crest was a single shining silver star that also happened to be in a sword like design, with a ring like Saturn acting as it's cross-guard. 

A burning star that would act as a sword of light against darkness. His father had been many things- but Cullen could admire his genuine desire to fight evil... Even if he strolled too close to evil himself to do it. 

"If you've got the rabbit and don't mind me using your kitchen here, I could make us both a fantastic lunch." He said with a grin.
Diana
A grin was on her face as she picked up the pouch, after taking a peek inside, she was quite surprised to see a rather hefty tip had been added. Well, that was certainly a welcome change for once. Her grin widened as she stashed the pouch below the counter. She was going to have to make sure to add a few items for maintenance at the end, just to make sure the objects didn't fall apart during the boy's adventures. Even if she was confident that half of her weapons would last longer than the empire would, it didn't hurt to make sure they were properly maintained.

As she turned to look at the boy for a moment, her vision was suddenly filled with a bright blue. Blinking off the sudden light, she had no clue *What* Had actually happened for a moment, before she finally recognized that the boots were gone, and with a second flash, they were suddenly on Cullen. A soft huff of surprise escaped her as she leaned over the counter. "Guessing that's what ya mean by pocket dimension? Damn useful thing to 'ave."

As the insignia was placed down, Thyri picked up the item to have a decent look at the design. Thyri hummed as she flipped it over, trying to look at it from various angles to get each and every little details. "Aye, think I can get it done. Don't see why it'd be an issue."
.

Once more, Thyri let out a laugh as she lifted up the wooden box of materials, maneuvering them into the back of the smithy where the forge was. She gestured with her head for Cullen to follow, and the moment one went through the door there was an obvious change in temperature. Whilst the storefront felt cool, and even seemed to have a pleasant breeze moving through an open window, the forge was quite the opposite. The forge was still burning away from a previous project that had occupied Thyri before Cullen had arrived. The forge itself seemed to be kept in quite good condition, with various items hung up nearby, and a few extra materials laying underneath tables in small stacks.

The insignia itself was placed onto a table near an anvil. There, she would be able to take reference for the design whilst she worked. "I got some rabbit upstairs. Just don't go wandering into my room now, ya 'ear?" A teasing grin was on her face as she once more let out a bright laugh, soon shaking her head after as she placed some paper onto a table, already sketching out a design that would incorporate the insignia better.
Marisela
Cullen followed after her with an interested expression, waving a hand in front of his face as he was blasted with unfamiliar heat. He'd never been in a forge for longer than a few seconds, only ever to deliver a parcel here or a tool or something. Delivering food sometimes if a blacksmith was working on an important project. Now he was here to get his very own *Magic* Items. 

"Great, I'll whip some food up. Don't worry, I only ever go into a ladies room when I'm invited in." He teased back with a chuckle and made his way upstairs. The boots fit as if they'd been made for him, and he was excited (if a little nervous too) to try them out. Still what were a few bumps and bruises if he could slide across a lake? Giving another chuckle over the imagery, he stepped into the kitchen and began to sing "My Maiden Fair" As he set down his pack and pulled a box off the side that contained his cooking supplies. He pulled out a well sharpened knife and a cutting board, some of his favorite spices and some turnips and potatoes he'd been saving.

As Thyri worked on the weapon, he worked on the food. Skinning and gutting the rabbit with easy fluid slices of his knife, cutting and quartering up the meat and even tenderizing it here and there, working a mortar and pestle to grind down some spices and taking some of her vegetables to chop onions, turnips, potatoes and other ingredients. He figured while he was at it he could toast some of the bread he had and even pour some wine (a cheaper vintage than the one he had gotten for Merlin). Soon he'd poured a steaming bowl of gourmet hot rabbit stew, some toasted bread slices, some fruit and large cups of wine for both of them. When he was done, he popped open the door to the stairs and called out for Thyri, letting her know that food was ready. 

She'd find him leaned back in his chair waiting for her as if he were totally at home in her house.
Diana
"Aye! Don't go cutting your 'and now!" One more teasing remark before she got sunk into her work. First, she needed to sketch out exactly what she wanted for the hilt. Luckily, it was always the fastest part for her, but the crossguard was going to certainly be a rather interesting thing to work with. She was sure that she would be fine with what she had on hand.

With a satisfied look at the end, and with the blade already forge, all she needed to do was mostly the boring parts. First, she would need to better define the tang, such a process would only take a few minutes with her skills and tools. Then, it was onto the crossguard. Using the insignia as a reference as to what it would look like, she began a rather slow process of beginning the forging process and gently hammering parts into place. It certainly wasn't going to be a simple guard, but she could work with what she had. Combining both style and practicality into one? Well, who was better than a trained blacksmith?

As she was adding the finishing touches onto the guard, she heard her name called and let out a groan as she looked up, stretching her neck. She had been hunched over for much too long now. Was definitely a good time for a break. As she etched in the final part of the star, she stood and gave her arms a proper stretch. Once more blinking to allow her eyes to adjust to some proper light, she used some tongs to pick up the guard, and quenched it in a bucket of oil. She waited a moment before returning it onto the anvil. Removing the pair of leather gloves she was wearing, she made her way out of the forge and began to walk up the stairs once again.

As she entered, ash was within her hair, and she smelled of flames and coal. Dark spots where coal had accidentally been rubbed on her face could be seen as she flashed a smile. "Gods, that smells divine. You some sort of cook or something?" With a grin, she took a seat at the small table, rather excited at the banquet in front of her.
Marisela
"You could say that." He said with a grin, it was obvious he was pleased with the compliment. The truth was he had been, for several years and then had only put more practice into his skills once he'd been adopted into his fathers palace in Velaris. He'd studied with the greatest chefs he could hire with his fathers money- a frivolous way to spite the man. 

"As long as you enjoy it I'll be happy. I don't have many friends here in the city and I'd like for you to be one." He said, smirking at her messy appearance. Oddly, he thought she looked better that way, as if she were in her own skin entirely now. "Learning the blade and magic is hard but, dicing things up and sautéing onions? I could do that no problem." 

There was a growl in his head. 

**"Maybe you should just imagine your enemies as big onions."** Atlas said, and then barked with crude laughter. Cullen had to resist the urge to roll his eyes, it would be hard to explain why he did. 

"How's the Sword Breaker going so far?" He asked curiously.
Diana
"Never thought I'd 'ave a chef cooking for me, least of all in my smithy." The most she was used to was fixing up a chef's favourite knife or making a new set of forks. Especially down at the inn, the amount of times those bastards seemed to blunt the damn knives was a shocker. Ah well, was always a good way to earn a few coins just sharpening them up.

"Ah, sure it'll be fine! Certainly looks grand. Ain't remember the last time I 'ad some wine. Usually just go for mead." It was certainly a rather nice surprise. Thyri was quick to dig right into the meal, snapping a bread slice in half and dipping it into the stew to get a taste of the broth, chewing it with a pleased smile on her face before she used her fork to dig out some of the rabbit, biting into the juicy meat with a content sigh. "Ya keep cooking like this, might just 'ave to keep ya round the place." A fine meal after smithing? She could definitely get used to that.

She spoke even with her mouthful, uncaring of any formality. "Tis going well. Designing the crossguard is a bit of a strange one, but I think I've got a good balance to it now. The insignia is much better than what some bastards ask for. Ya ever 'eard of a crossguard with *Glass* In it? 'ow am I supposed to make that work?"

That had been a damn annoying order, and she had spent hours arguing with the customer, simply just trying to get them to understand that it wouldn't work in a sword.
Marisela
"You trying to marry me already, Thyri?" He asked with a laugh as he spooned some stew into his own mouth. It was a refreshing change of pace to eat with someone as crass as her, it reminded him of his days in the slums. Everyone ate fast because there was a good chance someone might come for your food once they finished their own- meals were never a guarantee. Now everyone ate so *Slow* And careful, it gave him anxiety as he tried not to draw all their eyes to him. This felt like coming home in a way. 

"Wouldn't the glass just break the second they struck anything with the sword? Something about the force exerted being exerted throughout the sword and stuff? It just doesn't really make sense, but then again, nobles don't usually make sense." 

The food was good, though he knew it would be. One of his favorite things to do was cook, he was as good at it as he was massages- the two main jobs he'd worked as a kid roughing it out. The pay had been terrible of course but the experience had been worth the time, while other kids were messing around and getting thrown into cells for a few days- he was working. In the end it had paid off in a way- he'd survived long enough to be in the position he was in now. Though he was still flying by the seat of his pants, it was easier with a massive amount of gold on his side. 

"Thank you for working so hard on my order, Thyri. I'd like to come to you again when I need new gear or a tune up." He said- even though he had not yet tested her magical items he strangely felt sure they'd work. There was just something about her that screamed honesty. Maybe that was him being naive- but she'd let him into her home. That was rare enough as it was.
Diana
"As much as ya can wish, it'll take more than a single meal to impress me." Rolling her eyes in good nature, she couldn't deny that it was one of the best meals she had gotten in a damn long while. Spices weren't always in her price range, and they were damn hard enough to find in this place alone. She was used to much blander meals, but this was practically a gift from above. Maybe she was finally getting rewarded for all her long hours in the forge. The bones of the rabbit were left in the meal for now, she'd likely keep them for another broth she could make later on.

"That's the damn issue now. Some'ow they don't seem to understand that I cannae make glass as strong as steel. It'd be a damn good way to lose an arm, and I just damn well refused to make it." Course, it had been a bit of a blow to her reputation since it was a rather important client back then. But damnit all, she had her pride to worry about.

"Aye, yer welcome anytime lad. I'll always be 'appy to tune up some gear if ya need it." Her only prayer was that he wasn't going to put her gear through the ringer without any maintenance. She had seen enough adventurers that simply didn't bother to care for their gear, and had them break at the worst parts. Digging into the fruitcup for a moment, she looked at the wine with a curious gaze. "This any kind of special wine? 'eard some nobles 'ave weird things where ya... Smell yer drink apparently? Got no clue bout any of that shite."

Nobles were certainly an odd sort, but they definitely brought a decent amount of coin to her. "So, yer an adventurer?" Might as well strike up some conversation whilst she was eating. "Or, yer just starting out as one? 'ope ya got some proper armour with ya, cause I'll tell ya now, a tunic ain't gon do much against a blade, even if you're trying to keep yer distance."
Marisela
He laughed at her remark, it was good to joke around with someone like this. Sitting back in his seat, he steepled his fingers and considered her questions. "It's not special, but it was pretty costly. Really good stuff though, nothing like the cheap crap they sell us at inns. Food is definitely better for rich people." He grumbled, as if he didn't consider himself a rich person at all. "I think it's about.. I don't know, yes I see some people do it. I never bother- booze is booze as far as I'm concerned, if it tastes better than that's a bonus." 

Then he chewed his lip and finally shrugged. "I guess you could say I am, technically I'm trying to become a student at the Magios Academia to learn magic, but I should also learn the blade and keep honing my aim. There's a lot to learn and I feel like I'm constantly playing a game of catch up, you know? It's exhausting.." He said mournfully. 

"No, no armor. I've never worn any before so I have no idea what to expect. I'm tougher than I look though." He said with a grimace. The truth of it was that when he got really injured as had happened twice now, Atlas would force a Soul Resonance. Atlas had incredible regeneration powers, only holy magic, fire and exhaustion could slow it down. Twice it had saved him from death. 

"I don't like the idea of wearing any heavy plate stuff, truth be told. It's loud and I want to be as swift as possible."
Diana
"Costly stuff? Best be good then." Taking a swig of the wine, she made a sour expression as she looked at the glass. Certainly wasn't what she had been expecting. The most wine she ever had was back at home during celebrations. Even then, it was pretty cheap swill. "Its... Certainly a different taste. I'll give it that." Maybe the fancy stuff just wasn't for her. The stories she had heard about banquets and all these rules about certain knives and forks was basically horror to her. Just let people eat what they want to eat. She would gladly take some fancy rabbit stew any day however.

"Ah, yer a mage then? 'ad a few of them come round trying to fix up some magic stuff for themselves." Weird bastards most of them, the youngins were all fine and dandy with only a few being full of themselves, but the oldies were always speaking in strange riddles or trying to impart some sort of knowledge. Definitely a strange crowd. "Aye, think I can get that feeling. I mean, yer only just starting out though, aye? Might be a lot to catch up on, but ya got a good 'ead about ya, sure you'll be fine!"

No armour was certainly a different style than she was used to. She leaned back in her chair as she thought for a moment. "Toughness is fine, but I'd suggest a bit of thick leather either way. Get something between yer skin and a blade." That's what she used, heavy leather that allowed her to still be rather mobile, whilst providing a decent bit of protection. Plus, with her magical enhancements, it was able to take quite a hit.

"Agree with ya there. Can never stand wearing plate. Slows me down too much." But, if the boy was happy with what he had, who was she to change his ways?
Marisela
"Well... Can you make me some armor then? Perhaps you could get creative, maybe make something thin but durable I can wear under my clothes? Just something to stop me from being slashed open by a sword or something. I don't know if it's possible- but if I had armor that was concealed it might make people careless. Careless people make mistakes." He said with a devilish grin. 

Cullen had never had a mind for combat, but having two seasoned warriors in his skull had started to alter his view, he had started to think a little like Aranea and unwillingly, a little like Atlas too. It was scary- but sometimes he couldn't deny that it felt... Good. Good to see when he should throw a punch or where to swing. He felt stronger, more confident because of it. As long as he didn't lose himself to it. Never that. 

Even if you can't do it today I will be going to school here, so I can come back to pick it up. We can have dinner together again, my treat. Not a date, just want to make sure my blacksmith is taken care of." He said earnestly. She really was a fine woman, strong and pretty, easy to talk to. Yet Cullen had always been a romantic, he'd had plenty of chances to get a kiss and cuddle out of a milkmaid or a serving girl, but he'd never done more than dance with any. Well, he had kissed that pretty Amelia at the Flower Festival back when he'd been in the Riable Isles. It had been a fun night, that night. 

No, as much as he *Liked* Pretty women, looking at them and stealing some of their attention, he couldn't deny that when anything had a chance to come of it- he'd run. Always had. Wasn't sure if it was because it was how his mom operated or if he was just a hopeless romantic looking for the fairytale spark. 

What was he doing? Pulling himself back to the present, he shook his head. 

"So, what do you think? Could you make me some hidden armor?" He asked, raising a brow to his very difficult request. "I'll pay for the materials you need and everything."
Diana
"Something thin and durable?" Now that caused her to fall silent for a moment. Something that could be concealed but would protect against a sword. That was definitely going to be a challenge to make. Her face made it easy to read her expressions, a grin slowly forming as she thought about the possibilities. Concealed armour would certainly be something to make a decent bit of coin on. People always wanted to prioritize their damn fashion these days after all.

"I... Think I could make something off that." It would be terrible against a blunt weapon, but if she made it right, then most blades would likely be able to slip right off the thing without too much of an issue. It would require an odd combination of enhancement runes to get perfect, but that w as nothing that time couldn't help solve.

"Yer welcome 'ere anytime for a meal as long as yer cooking it. But next time, bring some proper ale." Loudly laughing once again, she shook the mirth from her head as she downed the rest of the wine. Getting the blood pumping would lead to some better ideas coming around her mind. As she drank, she had to admit that Cullen was certainly a fine young lad. Of course, only admitting it to herself. She'd be damned in her own mind if she ever said something like that outloud. "But someone to take care of me? Ya thinking I'm a lass needing a bit of 'elp now? Well, glad to see that chivalry ain't dead in ya adventurers."

A moment of silence passed as she thought, before eventually giving a nod. "Aye, I can make it. Will take me bout a week or so to get it all done. But for a 'andsome lad like yerself, I'll make it a decent rush order." A bit of teasing in one's life was always fantastic.

Her hand idly began to trace runes onto the table as she thought, running through exactly how she would have to combine such magic to make sure it wasn't a danger to it's user. She was skilled in the arts, so she had confidence in herself.
Marisela
"Oh you can see I'm handsome can you? Thought you might be blind from staring into the forge all the time." The words were given with a devilish smile, he felt cozy with Thyri. It felt as if he'd gotten lucky and found not only a Blacksmith, but a friend. The latter of which was far, far more valuable. She believed in herself wholeheartedly, so he was going to believe in her too. 

"Okay, it's a deal then. I'll pay you extra for making it a rush order and I'll come in... Five days, right before I leave town. I'll cook us dinner and bring some decent booze." The idea was exciting, already forming friendships, perhaps this would go better than he could have hoped for. Now the hard part was planning what exactly to make her, he wanted to wow her. Perhaps something hearty- she seemed to have a preference for stout food. 

"I don't think you need help- but I want to help. You shouldn't have to slave away so you can enjoy your life, no one should but I can't help everyone. I can help you. I have the gold to spend, truly. It'll make me happy to provide you with the kind of work that'll set you up to have more time on your hands- maybe it'll give you time to come up with incredible new designs too." His clever yellow eyes studied her face, she seemed to be relaxed around him too. It made him feel quite good inside. 

*"Keep being yourself, Cullen. You'll do wonders."* Aranea said soothingly. The Sword Saint that had been trapped inside his head had been his friend when she had her own body, she'd cared about him. Despite him trapping her inside his head- she still spoke to him kindly and encouragingly. Unlike Atlas, who... 

**"So you're totally gonna bed this Blacksmith right? She's got a badass physique, nothing better than a woman with some muscle on her."** Atlas said approvingly, and Cullen sighed. The half demon in his head actively made a point to be as vulgar and violent as possible, perhaps to upset Aranea, perhaps to watch Cullen squirm.
Diana
"Somewhat, canne tell if my vision is truly gone yet." Snickers escaped as she once more leaned back in her chair. It was certainly a comfortable atmosphere. She hadn't really felt this comfortable since she had left home. Maybe she was feeling lonely and pestered by all the noble orders she had been getting. It was certainly a damn comfort to actually get someone who wasn't worried about manners.

"Bah, no need for extra pay. Put in some damn good ingredients and we'll call it evens." A proper meal for the second time in a week? If she wasn't careful, she was going to ruin her appetite for the shoddy meals down at the inn. Usually she'd save such ingredients for special occasions. Well, she could certainly tell herself it was special now. Perhaps under the guise of a new business partner. Who knows what could happen then.

Then, he made an offer for some extra work, and extra gold. Silence fell once more before she let out a soft laugh. "I'm always looking for a bit of extra work lad. If ye've got the gold for it, I'd love some extra work. Tell all ya friends bout this place as well. Getting the store full as often as I can means more eyes look towards it for good work." It was a rough market out there, with as much competition as there was, she needed all the edges she could get.

As she thought to herself about the possiblities, she then notice Cullen sigh, and her eyebrow perked up curiously. "Ya got a problem there?" It had seemed like they had been in quite good spirits, she wasn't sur what could be causing a sigh like that to pop out of nowhere.

With a grunt, she pushed herself forward, leaning on crossed arms to look at the boy. Her arms bulged from the movement, popping them up and making them seem ever so bigger. "It ain't the heat, is it? Know the forge is below, but I don't really notice if it's 'ot in 'ere or not anymore."
Marisela
**"See that view? Never settle for a woman who can't lift a man over their shoulders. Makes it more fun to wrestle them with your clot-"** Atlas crooned with hunger in his voice as she leaned towards Cullen, and Cullen instantly muted the voice. He didn't enjoy muting them, it felt wrong to silence them when they had so little control left- but he wasn't going to listen to Atlas ogle this damn woman in his head. Still she did have nice muscles. They were more impressive than his own. 

"No! No! Just realizing how late it's getting, the Headmaster will likely want another word with me on things. I've enjoyed our time Thyri, and I hope to have more of them with you." He said, standing and collecting his bowl so that he could clean it. It would be rude to leave her with dirty dishes. 

"I promise if I make any friends I'll send them your way- the academy is full of people seeking to be adventurers. We will have you the number one magic smithy in the Capitol in no time!" The words were said with a confident grin, as if he entirely believed in her skill to do so. If for nothing else she'd gained someone in her corner that truly believed in her. 

"Our next meal will be fantastic, I'll get you spoiled rotten in no time." He said absently as he cleaned off his bowl and utensils.
Diana
"Ah, that late already?" She took a peek out the window. Damned time always went too fast when she wasn't paying attention. Bah, it had been a damn fine night, what was she complaining about. Not only had she made a good bit of coin, but it seems like she had made a decent friend. A friend who could cook a damn good meal at that! With her plate empty, she stretched her arms as she stood, placing her own plate and utensils into a bucket so she could clean it properly in the morning.

"Was a damn good time, I 'ave to agree. Don't go worrying about the dishes now, I can 'andle them in the morning. Get off to your school." She smiled as she placed a hand on his shoulder and gestured for him to move towards the door. He had done enough in this night. She could handle the rest.

"I'll make sure to 'old ya to yer word though! Best be seeing some of your fellow mages round 'ere." Becoming the main smithy for the magic academy in the city? Now *That* Would be one hell of an honour. It would certainly put her magic skills to use. Nodding to herself as she thought, she definitely would love to go down such a path. Smithing for mages wasn't something that happened often in her family.

"If ya try to spoil me, then I'll make sure ya wares ner break!"
Marisela
Cullen nodded as he was escorted to the door. He turned to face her as he stepped outside and placed his hands behind his head, taking one last good look at his first friend in this city. Flashing her one last smile, he nodded his head. 

"Then it's a deal, one spoiled blacksmith, one rookie idiot with good equipment. Sounds pretty fair to me." Cullen laughed and turned to walk away, but paused and looked over his shoulder at her. 

"It was a pleasure to meet you Thyri, you're too lovely a person for the Eternal City. I hope you never let it or anything change that." 

With that, he waved at her and started to head back. He'd had a good time and would gain new magic items soon, armor and a sword breaker. He could almost skip- though of course he didn't let himself. Still, he'd had a fantastic time. Instead, Cullen just hummed as he began his walk back to the Academy. 

She was like a beautiful flower cast in steel and nicked with use. One of the many wonders of this big world, he supposed.
Diana
"Sounds like one damn fine plan to me." Laughter once more escaping the smithy as she looked towards the boy who had been in her store. Certainly an interesting customer to have. A rookie adventurer and a mage? One fine combination for some excitement in life.

"Damn fine to meet ya as well, Cullen. Keep yourself in one piece now." Thyri flashed the boy a teasing grin before she shut the door to the smithy.

A damn fine young lad within the city, and with a bit of coin to his name from what she could tell. Though, the boy seemed a bit naive. Time would certainly straighten him out, but she could easily see him becoming one of the city's legends. With a grin plastered on her face, she knew she was going to have to make sure that each bit of gear was forged to perfection.

It was certainly going to be a challenge, but she had always been one stubborn bastard. She wasn't going to let a flimsy bit of steel keep her from making some damned fine gear.

The flames of the forge were alight once more. Clanging of metal rung through the building as Thyri put the finishing touches on her project. A bit of metal that could be hidden inside of a leather tunic. Whilst it certainly wasn't going to be the best in defending against anything blunt, Thyri had done her best to make sure a blade would struggle to pierce through.

Right now, the fine young woman was hunched over, using a set of precision tools to etch in a few runes. Under her breath, she mumbled chants to herself, a soft glow eminating from the runic language she was creating beneath her. Around the corners of the steel plate, she had painstakingly etched each and every single rune. A single rune wasn't enough to keep itself powered, if she wanted the item to be properly made, she had to make sure that each rune was able to draw power from another.

Of course, the whole process was extremely draining, but it didn't matter for the moment. Rubbing some mist from the goggles she wore to protect her eyes, she finally finished with the rune. Speaking the final words of her chant, she watched with a content grin as a soft green glow. 

Finally! She was done! Gods, she desperately needed a drink.
Marisela
Behold o' child of fates threads, for thy needs shall be answered. A voice would ring through the shop at the same time the charm went off as Cullen Stellae entered the establishment. He carried two baskets from either elbow, a large sack and a wooden case in his arms and somehow seemed to have them easily balanced and contained. His white hair was a silky fringe around his handsome face, his yellow eyes bright and his cheeks slightly rosy from the cold. 

Today he wore a black coat and a yellow tunic that was unbound, once again showing off his exceptionally defined chest. His same black leather pants were on and he wore his usual high dark brown boots. All in all, rather dashing for himself. He would peer past his load to gaze at Thyri as she came into the room and he'd flash her another bright smile. 

"Good day Blacksmith, I hope the times find you well. I have brought food and *Plenty* Of drink. A little elven moongrass weed as well."
Diana
"Ah! Ya actually showed. Was beginning to think ya weren't going to show." A laugh escaped Thyri as she took a moment to sit down and lean back. Gods, feeling that crack in her back after slouching for hours at a time was incredibly satisfying. She couldn't help the satisfied groan from escaping her. Bits of her sandy blonde hair were loose, and as she leaned forward to rest her arms on her knees, they dangled infront of her wet face, covered in sweat and water she had used to cool herself down whilst within the hot forge.

Thyri was in her regular ensemble. Heavy leather boots with metal braces to protect her feet if she dropped anything, a rather old set of brown pants that had been repaired time and time again, with the knees bandaged to keep them close to her body, her lovely red leather apron that she certainly needed to replace, and her arms on full display yet again. Seemed like she had a bit of an accident, as her left elbow was bandaged.

"Moongrass weed? Cannae say I've ever 'ad such a thing." Curiosity was in her voice as she spoke, it would certainly be something new to try. But she was praising whatever God was looking over her for such timing. Drinks for the night!
Marisela
Cullen watched her sit in her fatigued state- she must have been working hard. Bent over a smithy like that, surely it was exhausting work. He frowned and set his items down. 

"You know I'm a professional masseuse if you want me to work on some of the knots in your back and shoulders. I don't need you to take of your clothes or anything, just some simple stuff might help a lot with pain and stiffness." He offered, opening up the wooden case. Inside were two golden bottles of honeyed mead, one Dragonwhisky and a large jug of stuff that had been sold in a back alley made from the moon or something, he wasn't sure. It had been cheap and smelled like alchohol. 

He popped open the bottle of mead and pulled a mug from her display, setting it down and pouring her a drink. Then he replaced the bottle and closed the case, resting his hands on his hips. "I hope you're not overworking yourself Thyri. Would be a shame to lose my first friend in this city to like, heat stroke or something." He said, grinning playfully at her. Atlas hummed at the sweaty sight of her but kept his mouth shut, not wanting to be muted again.
Diana
"A what now? Don't think I've 'eard of one of em before." Certainly a new word before, but if it was going to help out with her damned back, then she would welcome anything like that.

"Oh, now wuld ya look at that." Her face got plastered with a grin as she saw what was inside the box. "'oneyed mead now? Someone telling ya my secrets? Certainly know the way to this lass' 'eart." Chortling as she stood up for a moment, moving her arm in a circular motion to try and get some proper feeling back into it. This was going to be one fine night. That was for certain.

"Ah gods, ye sound like me mum. Don't go panicking over my 'ealth now, ya 'ear?" She couldn't help but roll her eyes, laughing as she grasped onto the mug and was quick to take a drink. How she would ever survive without such a divine liquid, she had no clue. She wanted to personally shake the hand of whoever had the idea of honeyed mead. Must have been one brilliant man.

"But to ease yer worries, no I ain't working myself to death 'ere. I'm taking plenty of breaks." As many as she needed at least. She could happily work for long hours, and whilst it probably wasn't the best for her health, doing a few late nights for a special project wasn't going to get her killed anytime soon.
Marisela
Cullen thought that many a nobleman would have found Thyri a 'simpleton' to put it plainly - but that certainly wasn't the case. She didn't need to know about masseuses and fine wines because that was never the life she'd lived. Just as a noble had no idea how to handle even a saw or skin a beast. She was refreshingly simple and easy to understand. 

"I'll show you, let's make our way upstairs. Once I've set out all my ingredients ill take a look at your back and shoulders. Shouldn't be long, cmon, use those big muscles of yours and help me carry this up." Picking up the wooden box and sack, he left the two baskets for which had luckily been well woven because they were rather heavy. "The Academy is insane, full of all sorts of witches and warlocks and wizards- people can do things there I can't even fathom yet. I haven't learned anything but I go and check out duels when the students have them- those are really fun." He chatted as he made his way through her burning forge and up the stairs toward the kitchen. Cullen didn't even seem to look for the piece of gear he'd requested, as if he were far more interested in the dinner with Thyri. 

"I hope you're hungry because I brought plenty of stuff- but whatever we don't eat I'm sure you can eat tomorrow." Once they entered the kitchen, he'd instantly set to work of laying out all his ingredients on her countertop. From the sack he pulled out a maroon apron and tied it around himself. 

"Sit down at the table and take off your apron so I can get at your neck fully please."
Diana
"Aye aye, I got ya."

With ease, she hefted up the two baskets and began to make her way upstairs. This was certainly going to be one hell of a pleasant night. Not only did she get the chance at some grand food and drink, but also some fine company for once! Less of those scunners down at the local tavern where she usually ate when she couldn't be arsed cooking. Then, she got to hear a bit about the academy, it certainly sounded like one pleasant place to be. "I can imagine it's a change of scenery. I've 'eard some tales about the place. Some say they bring out people in dark robes in the middle of the night, take away those less fortunate who rest on the street. Do all sortsa experiments on em." Clearly she was just mucking about, telling a horror story that some arse had tried to spook some kids with.

Though, it didn't stop her from having a good laugh as she placed the baskets down near the countertops. As she plopped herself into a seat, she took a moment to adjust at the apron's collar, allowing it to flick open as the fabric dropped to the ground. There was a small burnscar on her neck, it had nearly faded completely, and must have been years old.

"Sounds like ye've been 'aving a grand old time with the wizards and warlocks round there. Anyone of interest caught yer eye yet? Could find yerself a lil adventuring party and get out into the world something proper."
Marisela
Cullen laughed at her horror story, he'd heard the same thing as child growing up in the slums of the Eternal City. It felt good to get away from the academy and spend time with someone more his speed, made him feel more... Human he supposed. Thyri had a sort of positive energy about her that was entirely infectious. 

"It's been interesting- I'm a blank slate, I only have... A couple of techniques but as for true spells I don't have any down. Im starting way behind the starting line when everyone else is already halfway through the race. Still, I'm gonna catch up one way or another." He said with a good natured smile. Reaching into the pouch on his belt, he pulled out an oil and rubbed it into his hand- it came from a strange plant that smelled like tea tree but had an incredible relaxing property. It made his palms tingly, but he could deal. 

"Okay, my hands shouldn't be cold." Cullen had a soothing voice as he stepped behind her seat and placed his hands on her shoulder, brushing his fingers across her neck as he focused. After less than a minute he'd found the spots on her neck and shoulders that needed the most attention and got to work. 

Cullens fingers were like *Magic*, where he pressed in and massaged the tension in the muscles would face way, knots unraveling as if he had found the end and pulled it loose like string. He spent a solid ten minutes massaging her neck, shoulders and back (he included his elbows here) until she'd feel as if he'd taken out her muscles, stretched them out and put in a brand new set. 

"How's that feel?" He asked as he stepped back, washing his hands clean of the oil and glancing at her to see how she was doing. Cullen wasn't sure if she'd ever gotten a massage before but if anyone deserved one she did. He'd learned the tricks of the trade young and understood the human body intimately, in fact he'd gotten so good at it that the owner of the parlor had tried to purchase him off his mother. He's kept his skills up working on barmai
Diana
It always felt great to make another laugh, it was a sense of warmth that was simply unbeatable. It made harsh situations that much better. There was simply no comparison, and not even a master wizard could replicate the feeling with a mere spell. It was just a natural good warm feeling.

"So, yer the underdog then? Well, always gotta cheer for the one who's starting out with the least. Ya 'ave to admit, from the stories it always seems like they've got some way to surprise the competition." At least, that is what she could recall from most of her childhood stories. She hadn't read a good book in some time, so she was a little lacking in a few of the well known stories that were circling around. Of course she had heard plenty of things from some gossip around the place.

"Bah, sure they'll be fine either way." Cold hands shouldn't be that much of an issue. She dealt with the heat of a forge practically daily, so there was no way mere cold hands would best her. But then she felt the relaxing properties of the oil, at first she tensed up, but soon fell into a more relaxed state as a groan escaped her.

Throughout the entire process, groans of content escaped her as her muscles slowly lost each knot. It must have been tough work, she had been working hard since she was practically a tot, so there was certainly a lot of work needed. But she could not stop feeling better with each movement.

"By the *Gods* Above... That a sort of magic spell or something? Cannae recall a time where me shoulders felt this... Loose? Gods, I cannae describe it." So this is what the nobles felt like every single day? No wonder so many of them were so pretensious. If someone felt this good constantly, then she'd also be pissed if someone brought in stress.

"Where'd a laddie like yerself find out 'ow to do that?" Now this she had to know. Either it was going to make an amazing teasing story, or a good bit of knowledge for herself to keep on hand.
Marisela
Atlas rather enjoyed her groaning, Aranea rather *Loathed* That Atlas was such a disgusting dog and Cullen was just glad to be of some service to his new friend. Watching her rotate her shoulders with newfound relief was also a feeling he knew would never be replicated with magic spells. Just seeing the look on her face was enough for him. 

"No magic, but the oil I used does have a slight relaxation property. I just have strong fingers and have a pretty good understanding of the body. I studied with a masseuse who was a retired surgeon, he taught me very well." He said laughing as he began to pull out knives and prep his cooking utensils, starting a fire in her stove and pulling over a bucket of clean water. 

"As for where I learned it, well... Like I said I was taught. I worked as an assistant but I was eager to make extra money, so I got him to teach me and let me run the low priority massages. I was so good at it that I got moved to the top bills, I've just been practicing ever since. I might not be the best with magic but, I've picked up a few skills here and there." 

Cullens voice was smooth and steady, he had a bouncy way of talking that seemed to actively tell a story. It was as if that bright look in his eyes was constantly trying to escape through his voice as well. 

"Im glad I helped, if you ever want another one just let me know. I enjoy doing it. You've got really big muscles so it's a unique challenge, I bet I could do a much better job with more time." He admitted as he began to work on the food. Cullen had pre-prepped the bread dough and slid it into the oven to rise, and started instead to work on the side dishes. Mashed potatoes, a popular dish from the countryside he'd learned of, chopped cabbage and pork with onions and some peppers for heat and of course the main dish, some hearty stakes he'd traveled to the high end markets to obtain. 

"Feel free to grab more mead out and drink as much as you want, all of those bottles are for you anyway."
Diana
"Well, I must say that's some damned fine oil then." She would certainly be trying to find a few jugs of that herself, whilst she might not have been able to reach her own shoulders well, she could at least get a bunch of it onto her lower back to relax some of those muscles whilst she was resting.

"Well, praise be to the masseuse, or 'owever the 'ell its said. Definitely a damned fine job." A job where one made another's body relaxed in such a way? She would have imagined it going quite a different direction in these times, but it was certainly a welcome experience. She certainly wouldn't deny another later on, but as for now, it was time to wait for a proper meal and begin drinking the night away.

Clearing her throat, she stood and made her way to the window, pushing it open to allow some air to flow through the room. Plus, she wanted to piss off one of her neighbours with the smell, that old codger always barked her ears off whenever she worked late into the night. Twas the old bastards fault for living next to a damned blacksmith. Ain't her issue.

The tone of the boy's voice was certainly pleasant to the ears. Smooth and well-spoken, easily able to be understood and acted almost like one would expect an old friend to. Thyri's was much the opposite. Her accent made her voice rough, reminiscent of the countryside. Certainly a voice one would expect to hear whilst travelling.

"Might take ya up on that. But I'm glad ya enjoy my muscles, certainly put a lot of work into them for people to enjoy." As she flexed her arm and gave it a pat, she couldn't stop the teasing laughter from escaping her. "So, what be on the menu tonight?" Now she had to get to the part she was most excited about. Delicious food!

"Well, of course I'm already grabbing some. Ye want a drink too?" Already, she had pulled out two mugs, pouring some more of the honeyed mead into each of them.
Marisela
"Like em more than you know." He muttered to himself as Atlas' made his thoughts *Explicitly* Clear on just how much her muscles could be enjoyed. Though to be fair, the half demon had lost his body and it had been a considerable one- Atlas has been a Titan of a man that had made Cullen feel like a bug. Still... He was left standing and Atlas wasn't. That made the half demon sneer and ruined his mood temporarily. Now that the vulgar thoughts that at least weren't his own were gone, he refocused on the food. 

"Well if I told you it would spoil the surprise. Content yourself with drinks for now and tell me more about yourself- where are you from exactly? Your accent obviously isn't from here." He said, glancing at her. When she asked if he wanted any, he nodded vigorously and would take a large gulp before getting back to chopping, slicing and crushing. The young man worked incredibly quickly, his knife a blur of movement with a *Chop chop chop* Sound, entirely at ease in the kitchen. It seemed he really was exceptionally good with his hands. 

"Honeyed mead is delicious, I brought some stronger stuff too if you're feeling adventurous later tonight." Cullen said, nodding at the booze still in the case. "I promise the food will be good though, you'll love it. Meant what I said about spoiling you, Blacksmith."
Diana
For a moment she thought she had heard something, but shook it off as a trick of her ears. Must have been hearing the hammer fall upon steel a few times too many. Bah, she would find some mage who knew a cure for such a thing, likely would cost a fair amount of coin, but it would be worth it to keep being able to actually hear another talk. Rolling her eyes as Cullen dodged her question about what they would eat. Bah, she would just have to try and guess.

Leaning back in her chair, she hefted her boots onto the table to rest in a much more comfortable position, even if the chair was tilted precariously now. "May be a bit of a surprise. Come from the Capitol. Marsalus village to be exact. Come from a long lineage of smiths, craftsmen and artisans. From what I know, my uncle is still the best blacksmith in the village." As she spoke, she had her mug in her hand, and was shaking it from side to side as she spoke, uncaring of any spills. "Taught me all I know, expect 'ow to read. Me mum taught me that, she does poetry in 'er spare time."

"Well, of course I'm feeling damn adventurous." A bit of strong liquor to quench one's first at the end of a tiring day was certainly something the apothecary had ordered. "It already smells divine, *Wizard boy.* Come now, ya know I've got a name, and ya already know it." Rolling her eyes, she took another sip of her beverage.

"What about yerself now? Ya 'ad me put the crest of House Stellae, aye? You telling me ya part of the Archduke's family or some?"
Marisela
So she was from the Capitol too, just deeper into the country. He'd spent his entire life living in the city- it left them worlds apart in terms of culture. His yellow eyes glanced over at her, a grin playing across his face at the relaxed way she sat. Nobles wouldn't get caught dead with their feet on the table. 

"Wow, so it all runs in your blood huh? No wonder you're so talented Thyri." He said with a chuckle, purposefully using her name now. It was fun to tease her and call her blacksmith, but she had a pretty name. 

"Glad to hear you're up to the challenge, was worried I'd have to have all the fun by myself." Cullen said laughing as he began to boil some water and pulled out some freshly churned butter to add to the potatoes. 

He massaged some spices into the meat after tenderizing it some more and began to let it cook- soon the sizzling sound of meat and the savory aroma of high quality steak began to fill the air, as vegetables cooked and pork seared. The young man multitasked on her stove with incredible efficiency, fingers dancing, eyes flickering around and yet still he kept perfect conversation. 

Cullen hesitated as she asked her final question, then continued to work. He debated in his head over whether or not to lie, if he told her who he was would she even believe him? Worse, if she did and treated him differently, he'd lose the one friend he'd made so far- but could he call himself her friends if he lied to her so openly. She'd find out eventually right. 

"Yeah, Im part of his family." He said, not outright saying he *Was* The Archduke but also not lying to her, really.
Diana
"Pretty much, in my line I'm the first blacksmith in... Think round four generations. Gotta say it certainly was a surprise to me ma and pa. Think they thought I woulda been a alchemist or some shite." She had given that line a try way back in the day, but she preferred the harsh work of a forge to simply mixing whatever she could together to make a potion.

"Oh please, I'll drink a lad like yerself under the table!" Confident that she'd be able to outdrink half the people in the city if given the chance. Course, there were going to be plenty that'd be able to handle their liquor much better, but she believed herself to be a tad bit better than Cullen from what she had seen.

As the smell of the meat began to fill the air, Thyri took a moment to sniff, quite enjoying the smell. It certainly reminded her of her younger years with her family. One day, she'd be able to return and have a proper banquet with them. Who knew, maybe she'd be bringing someone back with her. Only time could tell.

"Part of the guy's family? Could ya ask 'im to lower me taxes a bit?" Snickering as she shook her head. She was still rather surprised to have someone who was part of the Archduke's family within her humble smithy. It was definitely going to be something to write home about.

Course, she was going to make it a grand ol tale, blowing the whole thing out of the water.

"Must be interesting being apart of 'is family. Cannae say I've read up much on the 'istory of the city yet." Truth be told, she had practically read *Nothing* About the actual rulers or nobles of the city. The most interactions she had ever had with them was passing on the streets, or a few wishing to purchase some wears from her.
Marisela
Letting things cook, he came over and poured himself some more mead. After taking a long drink, he laughed and patted the top of her head lightly. "You're lucky you're hot, Thyri. Velaris is not the same Realm as the Capitol which is where we are, so the Archduke of Velaris can only affect the taxes in Velaris. If you want change here you'll have to take it up with the Empress I'm afraid." He said laughing. Returning to his food, he continued his work and the conversation.

"It's... Stressful. I spent most my life estranged from that life, I grew up on the streets of this very city actually, moved to the Riable Isles and then into the palace when I was a teen. I don't exactly fit in with the nobles there but, I make do. It's not the worst and having some money to spend is great." Shrugging, he pushed the now finished bowl of potatoes and aside and aimed to finish the cabbage mix next as the steaks were nearly done. The bread should been ready to pull from the oven at any moment. 

"Get the table ready to eat, I'll be serving food in a moment." Cullen said, moving around the kitchen like a man possessed as he flipped something here, pulled out something there and added spices to his dishes.
Diana
"Oi, ain't say you can touch me 'air now." Swatting at his hand, she rolled her eyes and fixed up her hair, tucking in a few strands. "But ya think I'm 'ot, aye? Guessing liqour loosens your tongue quite nicely. Ya ain't 'ard on the eyes either, Wizard Boy." A snicker escaped her at the reveal. But it was rather saddening that she would not be having her taxes lowered at all. Well, maybe one day she could relocate her shop to Velaris and get some tax exemption or something. Until then, she would continue paying them like the dutiful citizen she was.

Though it was rather interesting to hear that Cullen hadn't actually been born into a lavish life, certainly explained why a noble such as himself was able to put up with her actions. When she first realized that a *Noble* Had *Cooked* In her smithy, she nearly had a heartattack. A noble not having a servant prepare a meal for themselves? For a moment, she thought she had been duped. "Well, ya got the best of both. Skills of the streets, but the wealth of a noble." Must have been a pain to be around other nobles then. "Ya got any siblings? Twin maybe?

With the command given, Thyri groaned as she lifted her feet, allowing the chair to clack down onto all fours as she wiped down where her boots had been. She didn't have much in the way of prep to do, some bowls and two plates, along with the cutlery they would be using. A knife and fork for each of them to use. As she took another swig of her drink, her sunkissed cheeks gained a small flush of colour as she felt the alcohol rush to her head, letting out a small cheer. "Gods, that's good shite."
Marisela
"Oh but of course, not your most elegant and regal hair. So perfectly kept in your hot forge all day." He teased at her, though in truth she did have lovely hair and especially so for having spent her entire day in the forge. Cullen rolled his eyes at her compliment , liqueur loosed her tongue too it seemed. Still he enjoyed their banger very much, it made him feel good- nearly as good as the booze which had put a warmth in his chest. 

Once the table was set he pulled out the hot and fresh bread loaf and set it in the middle of the table with some strawberry jam and a stick of butter. Then he placed down the mashed potatoes in all their buttery goodness, the cabbage stir fry with its sizzling pork and onions and of course the fat juicy steaks. He refilled his cup and sat down, glancing at her. 

"Go ahead and dig in, we can talk and drink more after." He said, gesturing to the food hoping she'd like it. Cullens culinary skills were second to very few, he felt confident in few things but cooking was one of them. Still he'd claimed he'd spoil her and now was the time to see if he could live up to it. 

He mulled over her words as he ate, letting the incredible flavors wash over him. Perhaps he had gotten the best of both worlds- now he could have the money to do what needed to be done and he understood common folk- back home he could protect his people and understand them. He liked that, he hoped it was true. She was also right about the mead- it *Was* Good shit. Already the young man had the warm fuzz of a buzz on.
Diana
"But of course, it is but the pride of me life. Not me forging skills, nor me magic. The 'air is what I take the most pride in." Bursting out with laughter and hitting the table slightly, she stifled her laughter as best she could as she looked towards the meal that was being placed in front of her. "I must say, yer lucky I 'ad a proper kitchen made. Used to just cook everything on the forge and burn 'alf of it to cinders."

Those had certainly been the days. Before she had the upstairs properly furnished, she had been living in and out of the inn, making coin with any job she could. Sometimes, she did miss those burnt meals. But there was nothing that would allow her to go back to those days, especially now that she had these delicacies in front of her.

"Dunno 'ow ya can cook so good. Don't think I've ever seen such a meal." Thyri was quick to dig into the steaks, picking up the whole thing with her fork and simply tearing off a piece with her teeth. The fork could be used later if she so wished. Maybe for the odd salad that had been made. She could certainly see some pork in there, and was excited for that.

A content sigh was soon to escape her as she swallowed, a bit of steam escaping her mouth from how hot the meal actually was, but she didn't seem to mind the heat, nor the juice that had sprayed her mouth and dirty tunic. "Ya gon 'ave to teach me this kinda shite. If I can eat like this each day, I'll be a damn 'appy lass." It would also give her something to surprise her parents with. Thyri was certainly not the best cook, and to figure out how to make such meals for them would be a grand way to pay them back for raising her.
Marisela
"I'm glad you had it made, it was nice to cook a meal like this for someone. It's one thing to practice but to actually get to serve someone and share a meal with them is... Well it's something I needed. Thank you, Thyri." His voice was soft as he finished chewing the soft and fluffy bread. He thought his mom, still back at the palace and hopefully safe. She had refused to come with him or leave- perhaps because she was enjoying all the luxuries that came with it. Perhaps he couldn't protect her, but still he wished he could know if she was safe... 

"I'll teach you, or try to at least. People can do anything they put their mind to in my opinion. We limit ourselves all the time, whether it be circumstance or family, trauma or fear. Whatever it is.. I try not to limit myself. It's why I'm here." He admitted, gazing down at his food. 

The pleasantness of the moment had reminded him of something he'd never quite had and yet always played through in his head. It was a familiar stranger to him, and he hoped he could get to know it. Picking up his head, he smiled at her. 

"Well, 'appy lass, I'm happy you're enjoying the food and drinks. It's the least I can do for you sharing your time and friendship with me."
Diana
"Oi, no need to thank me now. I'm getting a meal out of it, so ya ain't gonna 'ear me complaining." Definitely wasn't going to complain about such ameal. Though, she did give him an odd look for a moment. Thanking her because she allowed him to share a meal with her? Maybe the lad was a bit more lonely than she realized. Maybe she should invite him around more often, she could use the company herself, and the work he provided was certainly a welcome change. Speaking of the work, she should likely bring it up after their meal.

"I'll warn ya, I ain't an easy student. I'll try and take over plenty of times." Limits were meant to be broken, that she could agree with. "It is good to see that ya don't limit yerself. Put yaself out there, who knows what'll 'appen, aye? My father always said to flow with the waters of time, whatever the fuck that meant."

"Only gonna enjoy it, as long as ya enjoy it as well." Gentle laughter this time, something that could have come from a more fairer maiden, if she hadn't been born into the life she had. It was an odd sound from such a gruff woman.

"Now, bout yer little swordbreaker and armour. Made a few additions to em if ya keen to 'ear."
Marisela
"I bet I can put you back into place." He said with a teasing wink, before leaning back in his chair and taking another bite of his steak. Listening to her talk, he nodded along in agreement with her until he heard her laugh. It was a gentle and sweet sound, alluring- it was indeed something he hadn't expected to hear from her. It made him look at her again, take in the lines of her face and the amber of her eyes, her sun kissed skin. He realized that she was indeed very beautiful. 

For once Atlas had nothing to say, perhaps he'd fallen asleep or perhaps he too had noticed more than just her body. It was hard to tell, Cullen was sure that vicious and disgusting exterior he was shown was not entirely what made up Atlas. Everyone had to be a baby at some point, right? 

Eager for a change of thought, he leaned forward again and nodded eagerly. 

"Yes please, I'm exceptionally curious to hear about your work and what you did! I've been practicing with your boots, I call them Drifters. The trick I've developed isn't that I try to force a turn, I drift into it. Allows me to keep my momentum and speed while maintaining balance."
Diana
"Ya can certainly try!" With her muscles, she could probably lift the poor boy over her shoulders. But that would have to be for another time, after all, she didn't have time to be learning a brand new meal during this night. But after a moment, she noticed Cullen's gaze, her eyebrow perking up as she looked towards his yellow eyes. She was easily able to keep his gaze, a smug smirk stuck on her face as if she knew exactly what he was thinking. Truthfully, she was just enjoying the attention.

"Drifters? Bit of an odd name, but I can see it working." She always used to just force the turns, maybe that was the issue. Too much brute force for something that required a bit more finesse than anything. It would definitely make a lot more sense than just using more force to get them to work better.

"Well, the Swordbreaker is all done and dusted, fixed up yer little crest into the crossguard, and made sure that it's got a few runes to protect yer arms just in case. As for the armour, it was a bloody difficult thing to work with, don't often use thin metal. But I managed to etch up a few runes to make it a lil better." Truthfully, the entire edges on both sides were covered with impossibly small runic markings to make the whole thing work. "What it should do, is rather than repulsing a blade, it should try and snap it to the side. So instead it 'its ya with a blunt side, and lets ya sneak a blade into their ribs." A sneaky devil of a trick, but it would be leagues better than just allowing a sword to slice you up. Thyri certainly had a mind to her.
Marisela
He felt his cheeks get hot as she seemingly read his mind and knew his thoughts. Clearing his throat, he nodded along enthusiastically and smiled. 

"Wow that's fantastic, I will do my best to put it all to good use! Once we finish eating can I try it on, so how it fits and stuff?" He asked, managing to get really interested in his food to hide the red glow of his cheeks. Gods it wasn't like he'd been ogling her, he just knew she was beautiful. Cullen had a habit of enjoying beauty- but perhaps this was different because he was sharing a dinner with her. 

"So it acts like a magnet? You know when you put the same end together, they sort of divert to the side. So when someone tries to stab me it'll just slip over across my body instead of piercing me?" He asked, tilting his head as he tried to picture her magical items at work. He'd already decided that the sword breaker would be perfect for his off hand to use as defense.
Diana
Certainly an interesting reaction, she was definitely going to bring it up later.

"That's sounds good to me. I dinnae know yer measurements, so I might 'ave to adjust some parts." She was almost certain she had made it a tad too big, armour was always something she could never get in one perfect go. At least it gave her an excuse to get close to the lad. Her eyes went wide for a moment as she realized just what thought she had, quickly shaking it off.

"That's the idea of it, aye. I tried to 'ave it just push it back. But if I did that, it would mess with any jewelry ya 'ad on." A shame she hadn't managed to get that set of runes right. It would have helped with the issue of blunt weaponry, but it was certainly better than nothing. "If yer lucky, it should knock 'em off balance as well. Put some confusion into their mind, and let ya get a good strike on 'em."
Marisela
"You're incredible Thyri!" He said, finishing off his food with one last big bite. Cullen always ate quickly- part of growing up poor was eating quick. So once he was done he popped open the brown box and pulled out the heavy duty whiskey from it. 

"Bottle says it burns like dragon fire going down and makes you fly on their wings once it's settles in. Strong stuff indeed." He said laughing and opened the cap. Giving Thyri a mischevious grin, he tilted the bottle up and took a large swig straight from the bottle. Instantly his eyes widened and he set the bottle down, stumbling back and coughing as it indeed burned like **Hell** Going down. It burned far more than any whiskey he'd ever experienced and it settled in *Fast*, already he felt himself go from a light buzz to definitely almost drunk. Still he prided himself on his tolerance and straightened up soon, beaming at Thyri. 

"You've got to try this stuff- then, hic!' he hiccuped and steam drifted from his nostrils. That was fucking sick! "Then we can go get the armor fitted okay? Wanna see your hard work in person." Cullen said, taking the bottle and walking over to her, admiring her face and holding it out. Cullen was still unsure if it was *Him* Or Atlas that was attracted to her. He wasn't sure if he wanted to know. 

"Cmon big strong lass, a big gulp now." He teased at her, standing only a few feet away.
Diana
"Ah, it ain't nothing, truly!" Thyri was a tad slower than Cullen, taking the time to enjoy the taste, but still doing her best to keep up with the lad. Then it seemed like they were moving onto the whiskey, it definitely was going to be interesting.

"Burns, does it? Sure it cannae be that bad." Thyri truly had no clue what she was getting herself into this time. So, she took a moment to watch as Cullen took the first swing. At first, everything seemed fine and dandy, then the lad seemed to stumble. For a moment, Thyri was scared that she was going to have to catch the boy to stop him from falling over. "Ya alright there? Seemed to 'ave 'it you like a damn mace." That definitely wasn't the best thing to see when one was about to have a drink. It was then that she spotted steam coming from the lad's nose! This was certainly something else! She couldn't help but be a bit nervous at the sight of the drink as it was offered to her.

"Oi. 'Ush up now. I'm drinking, I'm drinking." All nerves were gone the moment she was teased, taking hold of the bottle and bringing it up to her lips. She took a deep swig of the cruel liquid, swallowing twice before she began to cough. Gods, she wasn't able to hold her composure with how fiery the drink actually was. Soon enough, a hiccup of her own escaped, followed by the steam escaping her nose. As she wafted the steam away as best she could, she shook her head as she coughed, her cheeks flushed with colour.

"By Celus! That's fiery! And 'ere I thought a forge was the 'ottest thing in the building." Placing down the drink, she blinked tears out of her eyes as she cleared her throat. "Alright... Ya wanted to see the armour now?"
Marisela
Cullen couldn't help but laugh at her as she too blew out steam from her nose and her cheeks flushed with color. Of course it was harder to restrain a laugh do to the alcohol anyways. Still when she asked the question, he nodded eagerly and made his way with the odd sway to his step down the stairs. Once he got into the forge, he puffed out his cheeks and let out a whistle. 

"Gods it's so damn hot in here Thyri. I don't know how you do it. I can already feel myself sweating." Shaking his head, Cullen shrugged off his coat and set it down, and then he gripped the edges of his tunic and pulled it up and over his head. Now shirtless, it was apparent that he had a very nice physique, years spent doing labor, training with Aranea and having been gifted the enhanced physiology of the demon Atlas, his muscles were surprisingly well developed if not overtly large. 

Wiping sweat from his forehead he peered around the room. 

"Alrigh- slap it on meh." He said, spreading his arms out in either direction to pose in a T, a dopey grin on his face as he felt rather wonderful and totally unabashed at being shirtless in her forge.
Diana
As she made her way down to the forge, she couldn't stop coughing from the taste of the whiskey. She knew fiery drinks existed, but she never thought they would be like *Brimstone*. Still, she had a reputation to keep, and she wasn't going to be labeled a damn milkdrinker in her own house. Shaking off what feeling she could, she entered the forge, the familiar feeling of heat washing over her.

"Well, get yerself smithing when ye're a youngin and may'aps you'll be able to spend a bit more time down 'ere with me." Laughing at the poor lad's misfortune, his undressed state went unnoticed for the moment. Hefting up the slab of armour she had made, even in a drunken stupor, she made sure to check over each rune one final time. A decently thin plate that would easily be hidden unless something touched it. Weren't like she could make metal feel like cloth, unfortunately.

"Yer gon need a undershirt if ya want to wear it for a full day. Either that, or get used to the damne-"

She was cut off as she turned around, finally noticing his shirtless body as she burst out into uncontrollable laughter. "Cannae say I've 'ad a shirtless lad in me forge before." She couldn't help but appreciate the decent physique, but she had a job to perform. She made her way over, and first put the back half of the armour on, making sure it looped over the shoulders before she moved to strap on the front plating. The armour was fairly beautiful, a thin chestpiece with runes carved on each edge, softly glowing with a gentle green power.
Marisela
Cullens face burned as she laughed at the sight of him shirtless, what man wanted a woman to laugh at the sight of his body? He looked down at himself to see if he'd broken out into a rash or if having the souls in his body has caused him to grow strange lumps? Aranea was a woman, what if he was getting- no, no he was fine. Squinting at himself, he then peered at her and said. 

"What's so funny huh? It's supposed to go under my tunic so I took my tunic off, yk now. I'll get a super thin shirt made to go underneath it." He grumbled defensively, though soon his embarrassment was forgotten as he looked down at the armor. The glowing runes and intricate metalwork were nothing short of beautiful. So this thin armor would push a blade to the side to graze off of him? It didn't outright repel, it simply guided things away- which meant of course that a heavy mace would still crush his ribs. 

Still, he planned to dodge as if he weren't wearing armor so this was perfect. As she came around the front to strap it on, they were incredibly close. Atlas chuckled darkly and Cullen could feel his thoughts clouding, he felt the strangest urge to kiss her. However, drunk or not, Cullen was the master of his own body and did no such thing. The half demon growled in frustration- truthfully it was less about Thyri and more about the demon wanting to see if being drunk made it possible to control Cullen. 

"This armor looks incredible Thyri. You're an artist." He said softly, looking away from her face because it was much too close and looking at the armor again- which caused a small headache to form. Atlas hated breaking eye contact.
Diana
"Nothing nothing, ya just caught me off guard. Wasn't expecting to see ya just outright shirtless. Ya got a damn good chest on ya." A teasing laugh escaped her as she shook her head. It had definitely been quite the surprise. Most would simply leave their tunic on to make sure the metal didn't rub against their skin. Seemed like Cullen either didn't care, or was too drunk to realize.

As she worked around the front, she kept herself focused on the armour for the moment, fixing up the straps on the sides where she needed, and making parts didn't clank against each other when they moved. At times, she would have Cullen move his arm just to make sure that she had it right. After a moment, she stepped back with a wide grin on her face, her hands on her hips as she gave a pleased nod. "Ain't no artist, just got a lot of pride for me work. Now, what do ya think? Is it too 'eavy? Does it pinch at all round the shoulders?" Finally! It had been some time since she had such a difficult task.

Thyri took a moment to circle Cullen, looking over the armour before finally stopping in front of him. "It definitely suits ya. Ya look good in armour. Should see me in leather tho, really makes me muscles pop." A snicker escaped her as she moved to the side for a moment, reaching into a box and unwrapping the swordbreaker she had been working on. She was quick to move back to Cullen, and hold it out to him. "Ya wanna give 'em both a test? Got some old swords I can use to prod at ya."

Some was certainly an understatement, she had a whole barrel full of blunted swords that she had traded for some daggers. The metal in the swords was what she was really after, she was never going to get around to sharpening each individual sword. But smelting them down for the materials? She could certainly do that.
Marisela
"Maybe we can go on a quest together when I'm an official student." Cullen suggested as he turned this way and that to examine the armor and see how it felt. The metal felt good against his skin but he was sure it would give him a good rash in time- he'd get a shirt custom made to fit tighter than a glove to under it, perhaps even get it attached and then he could just Re/Armament the armor on when a fight started. If he could master the damn ability that. He'd had almost no luck getting it to work on the fly, he needed to be totally calm and doing nothing else to make it work. 

"Let's do it! Stab away! This is gonna be sick!" He said, shaking out his arms and mentally preparing himself. Sure he trusted her skills, but at the same time it was a brand new armor piece and what if it didn't work? Maybe she missed a rune or something. 

"Wow this is incredible." He said, taking the dagger with the many comb like teeth and turning it over in his hands to gaze at it. One side with a cutting edge, the other with prongs that could catch a sword, corrode it and break it with ease. Cullen tested the balance on it with a few practice swings, twirling it in his hands. He was actually quite good with knives- years of being a cook, a street performer and a brawler had made him exceptionally proficient with them in every way. Daggers and pistols were the only things he had any real skill with without the help of Aranea- who seemingly could master any weapon. 

"Just don't be too rough with me." He said with a wink.
Diana
"I would certainly be keen for such a thing. 'aven't really been out of the shop since I arrived in the city. Would do me some good to make sure I ain't going soft." Ah, the thoughts of wandering out into nature and letting the world do as it would against them. An intoxicating thought, that was for sure. The excitement of getting into all thoughts of mischief reminded her of her childhood. Gods, she felt old at the thought. Shaking her head and letting out a soft laugh, she made her way over to the barrel, letting out a hum as she looked at the various swords.

Picking a random blade, the hiss of metal scraping against metal rung through the room as she brought out the weapon. It was a simple blade, an old shortsword that likely belonged to someone's father years back. After taking a moment to test the weight and give it a few practice swings, she turned towards Cullen.

"Cannae blame me if ya get 'urt now." Readying the blade, she took a deep breath to calm her nerves. She wasn't exactly the greatest swordswoman in the world, but all smiths needed to know how to use their weapons. With a quick thrust, she pushed herself forward, aiming the sword towards the middle of Cullen. It was a movement that would have struck true if not for the enchantment bursting to life. A soft hum shot through the armour as the blade was suddenly yanked to the side. Instead of a piercing blow, the blade turned in Thyri's hands, and glanced off the armour. The enchantment had worked!

Unfortunately, Thyri hadn't been expecting the blade to be yanked so roughly. She had been expecting the blade of the weapon to be moved, but not the whole thing. Thus, she came crashing into poor Cullen.
Marisela
**"Don't you dare flinch."** Atlas threatened, a burning headache on the verge of forming in Cullens head as Thyri readied her blade. He had to trust the armor, trust that it work. This was a blacksmith who'd put her heart into the creation of it, the boots had worked and they worked great- this would work too. Instead of flinching, he flexed his stomach muscles just as a tensing and then... The blade slid right past his body as if an invisible hand had shoved it away. He beamed at her and was about to go for a high five or a hug or something when... 

"Whoa!" He exclaimed as she crashed into him. She was a considerably built woman and the force of her caught him off guard. However instincts kicked in and he held her arms to keep her from twisting and hitting the nearby table, instead he crashed onto the floor with a loud **Crash** And felt all the wind rush from his body. He wheezed as she crushed him and his head bounced slightly off the stone. 

"Wow you are muscular." He said stupidly, squeezing her biceps which were bigger than his own, trying to ignore the pain and power through it. Cullen was **Not** About to look like the biggest baby ever so he just smiled at her and said in a very airless voice. 

"You okay?" He'd subconsciously ensured no harm would come to her as she fell, but he was consciously a ball of breathless pain. "The armor doesn't not negate falling." He wheezed, trying to laugh but failing horribly.
Diana
Thankfully, it didn't seem like anything had been knocked off any tables, but Thyri's instincts immediately cut in and went to protect her head as best as possible. A smithy wasn't the place one wanted to fall over in, especially considered how many blades could be on a single table. She was prideful that the armour had worked however! It had worked a damn charm from what little she had seen. A perfect glancing blow. Such a thing was definitely going to be good in combat, and she could always rework the runes to apply a certain effect if she needed it to.

A groan escaped her as she fell onto the poor boy, shaking her head lightly. "I'm fine, aye... Gods, maybe a bit too much to drink..." A bit too much was an understatement. Crashing into someone after some fiery whiskey did not feel amazing. Especially since he was now wearing armour. As she pushed herself up, she blinked for a moment to gain her bearings,, and made a quick check to see if any of her projects had fallen down and she simply hadn't heard it. Luckily, everything was in the right place.

It was then that she felt something squeezing her arm, a look of confusion appearing on her face as she looked down. It took her a moment to realize she was practically straddling the poor boy under her weight. "Oh shite, er.. Sorry bout that." She wouldn't be able to deny the slight flush of colour to her cheeks, but she would easily blame it on the liquor.

A nervous laugh escaped her as she pushed herself up, holding out a hand so she could yank Cullen back to his feet. "I'll definitely think of adding some cushioning next time." It probably wouldn't help much, but it got Thyri to laugh at the thought.
Marisela
Cullen looked at how she'd landed on him and if he could have breathed, he would have been pretty freaking stoked about the situation. Yet the landing had not been gentle and when she was up he took a good breath and got back to his feet, dusting himself off. When she laughed, he looked up at her and couldn't help it, he laughed too. 

"Yeah a little padding would have been great, might have made that situation a lot more enjoyable." Shaking his head, he unstrapped the armor and set it down on the table with one last admiring glance before grabbing his tunic and starting to put it back on. 

"But you did incredible Thyri. I didn't doubt that you'd be amazing for a second." He said, walking over once his shirt was on and patting her cheek gently. "Now check this out." He said, and grabbed the sword breaker from where it had fallen. 

Standing perfectly still, he closed his eyes and focused. After a moment, he tapped into Araneas mana and said "Re... Armament!" There was a flash of blue light and the weapon was gone, added to his inventory of weapons. Now he'd be able to summon it any time and from anywhere too if he lost it somehow. It was a permanent part of his arsenal. 

"Not bad huh?" Cullen asked with a big grin, looking at his pretty new blacksmith friend. Atlas wanted this woman like a feral goblin wanted steak, but Cullen wasn't sure what he felt. He was definitely attracted, and he liked to be around her but at the same time, he didn't feel a tug for more- in fact he felt the same tug he always felt when he grew close to someone... To run. He ignored that for now.
Diana
Brushing onto the next subject, she cleared her throat and allowed herself a moment to recover. At least neither of them were injured, and with the armour working, she couldn't see anything wrong! It had been quite the interesting night. Padding would be the next addition if she ever got time to work on it again, but for now it seemed like he was quite content with the armour as it was.

"Maybe next time then, aye?" A teasing punch to the shoulder followed her words. It was a beautiful sight however, the armour in all it's glory. Soft sheens of green flowing through the runes, almost seeming like it was bursting to life! It was always a shame to see such work go out the door, but no matter. She was happy it was going to be seeing some proper action!

"Ah, I didnae 'ave the best aim now. Pretty sure me footing was off as well. Ain't really a sword typa lass." Truly, she enjoyed her maul. A large and unwieldy beast that she had forged herself. She had spent hours perfecting the rune on it. The few times she had properly used it were fantastic!

It was then she was directed to watch for a moment, and she once more got to see Cullen's magic in action. She was a bit more prepared for the flash of light, and only squinted rather than completely close her eyes this time. "I still find that amazing. Ye gotta be proud to 'ave such control over yer magic like that." Of course, a slight bit of jealousy at her friend being a walking armoury.

"Yer gon do amazing at that academy with that. Might not be the best against magic and all that shite. But it should give ya an advantage over anyone tryna slash at ye now." Not having to worry about someone stabbing you would certainly be a grand advantage out on the road. Maybe she should make something for her own set of armour. It was certainly be useful.
Marisela
"Maybe next time." He said with a laugh, rubbing his now sore shoulder. She looked wonderful when she was looking at her creations, it was fantastic to see an artist like her appreciate her work that way. He wondered if he would ever look at something the way she looked at her smithing work. 

"Well regardless we know it works and that's the important part." Sitting against the table and wiping sweat from his forehead, he crossed his arms over his chest and gazed at Thyri. "I don't really, I can't use it under pressure and I have to be standing still and entirely focused. Really it's supposed to... Well it's supposed to be used on the fly. I'll get there though." The young man's smile was soft but determined. Closing his eyes a moment, he took a deep breath and let the hot forge air sear his lungs. This was a place he was happy to be despite the hot air and pain in his back- all he wanted was to take in that fact. 

Opening his eyes again, he reached out again and patted her head, knowing full well she'd object to him touching her hair. "With you by my side, how could I fail? I'll have the coolest magic weapons in Aeterna!"
Diana
"Aye, that's the good part. Works a wonder, thas for sure." What was better than a working bit of armour? Well, probably alot of things, but to Thyri it was simply the best. Leaning back in the chair, she let out a long exhale of breath, simply enjoying the moment for what it was.

"Supposed to be used on the fly? Guessing ya got some teacher for it then." That was damn useful, Thyri wished she had a teacher for her runes. She just spent hours making metal spoons and painfully inscribing each one. If she recalled, there was still a large box of hand made ornate spoons under her bed back home, she could probably have sold them for a grand price to the nobles here. If only she had thought that far. "Still, think yer pretty damned good with it, yer able to use it damn quickly. Bet ya put yer teacher to shame with it!" She gave a toothy grin as she finished speaking.

Yet the moment the hand attempted to touch her hair, the grin was gone and she was back to swatting at the hand. "Oi, said no 'air touching. But yer right, can provide ya with the best weapons in the Eternal City at least. Still 'ave to go learn from the dwarves n' giants." A plan for the future, that would hopefully set her onto the path of carving her names into the stars themselves.
Marisela
Cullen found himself wondering if there was something special about her hair or if it was just one of those lady things. Tilting his head slightly to the side, he shrugged and then let himself get dragged to the next topic. 

"My teacher was a prodigy with it. It's her technique, she was born with it and she taught it to me. She blows me out of the water but, I'll do my best to catch up." Aranea chuckled at Cullens kind words, but he could feel her happiness. She really was a simple lady, not hard to please but also easy to piss off when it came to Atlas. The few times he'd seen her in action, it had been like watching a natural disaster come to life. There was no way in hell he'd ever be as good as Aranea at fighting or use of her magic. 

"So you wanna study with dwarves and giants? You keep working for me you'll probably make enough to afford to go and apprentice there!" He said happily, sure that would only make her better at making magic items, which would only benefit him too. 

**"Now you're thinking like me."** Atlas said with a smug tone. Cullen realized that was entirely true, it *Was* Something Atlas would have thought of. The very thought made him shudder. 

"Well, let me clean up the mess I made upstairs and I'll get, hic, outta your hair Thyri." He said, feeling another wave of pleasant dizziness as the booze sank deeper into his bloodstream.
Diana
"Well, she certainly sounds like one 'ell of a lady." From what she could guess, Cullen's teacher was likely a noble prodigy or some sort of veteran. At least, that is what she believed. Noble families always seemed to be able to get quite powerful teachers.

"I work for meself, lad." A teasing glare was shot towards Cullen at the words, before she laughed and shook it off. "But, I'll gladly keep working on yer armour and weapons." Being able to study under masters of her craft would be a damn dream come true. She was sure that with their guidance, she'd be able to take her craft to the realm of the Gods if she had to. But, she would likely have to be satisfied with crafting for a Demigod or such one day. Something powerful at the very least.

Standing up and stretching her arms, a soft groan escaped her as she began her routine of closing up shop. First she would have to douse the forge, at least to the point where it would easily die out on it's own. Then, she would begin cleaning up the mess she had made during the day.

"Aye, keep yerself safe on the way 'ome now, lad. Twas nice to see ya again." Flashing the boy a smile, she moved over to the side to grab a broom, and once more began the routine of sweeping ash out the door.
Shantay
It had been a rather eventful day for Gum. What was initially going to be another fight for food turned into something far better: a free meal, and a pouch of shinies to call her own! With her belly full and wanting to show off her stolen goods, she made her way to the one person she actually trusted.

Gum had met Thyri some time ago, showing up at the forge while starving. The blacksmith had given her something to eat and a place to sleep, and the little goblin could often be found in the forge afterwards. Truly, Thyri was the one person Gum could consider a friend, if she were to understand the concept.

Thankfully, she hadn't shown up under such dire circumstances. With a small hop she climbed through the window, a coin pouch in her mouth which jingled as she moved around. There was a certain pep in her step as she wandered around in search of Thyri, the coins continuing to clink together as she turned her head.
Diana
Thyri had one hell of an interesting day. From finally finishing up her little project, to having dinner with Cullen once more, she could certainly say it was easily the best day of the month. Right now, the blacksmith found herself within the little shoppe, tidying up from the day. There had been plenty of customers, and plenty of coin to count.

Then, her ears perked up for but a moment. A strange noise in her smithy? Her head darted towards the doorway as she stood, picking up the lantern she was using to light her area and her maul. As she arrived at the doorway, she kept the maul low for now, but held the lantern high as she searched through what she could see.

"Oi, who's in my forge now? If yer gon be a trouble maker, ya can go for the 'ouse across instead." If it was an actual thief, she was fairly sure that she would be able to handle such a thing with ease. But there was another option, which is why she hadn't brought her weapon up. A little creature that she was sure was going to turn up once more eventually.
Shantay
Given that it was somewhat dark, the lantern Thyri held left Gum infatuated. Her pupils dilated as she stared up, the goblin halting all movements for a moment in favor of simply watching.

Her eagerness to show Thyri what she had found soon trumped her desire to stare at the light, and Gum made her way forward. She still held the pouch of coins in her mouth, and one close enough gave her head a little shake. Gum hoped the jingling would grab Thyri's attention for what she did next.

And with the force of one thousand lions, she began shaking her head around violently to make the coins clatter together inside of the pouch. She would occasionally stop to make sure that Thyri was watching, but it didn't take long for her to go back to thrashing the bag around.
Diana
The first jingle caught her attention, lifting the lantern a bit higher in an attempt to see better. The first sight she caught was a familiar flash of green skin. Ah, now she knew exactly what it was.

A grin appeared on her face, and she was about to greet the little creature once more. Until suddenly the little goblin began vibrating, and Thyri was left dumbstruck for a moment as she watched and listened. Soon enough, a small laugh escaped her. "Well, ye certainly 'ave a way with words now. Don't ya? What 'ave ya gotten for yerself this time?"

Allowing the maul to lean against the doorframe, Thyri stepped forward with the lantern. The flame flickered from the movement, but it never once went out. With a soft grunt, she kneeled near the goblin, looking at the pouch. Huh... Looked a tad familiar now. Her brow furrowed slightly as she looked at it. "Now, where did ya get that?" She knew the goblin would likely never answer her questions, but it felt right to talk.
Shantay
Though it was unclear whether or not Gum truly understood what Thyri was saying, she was at the very least listening very intently. Her ears were perked up and she made good eye contact, seeming excited by the blacksmith's words.

When asked where she obtained the pouch, Gum took a few steps forward and sat down. She opened her mouth and the pouch fell to the ground, the goblin then cupping it with both hands and hoisting it up. The poor pouch had been torn up quite a bit, several of the coins threatening to fall out. It also seemed as if chunks had been taken out of the top given that's where she had been holding it when shaking it.

She held it up as high as she could, peeking out at Thyri from behind her own hands. Gum knew Thyri as someone who took her things and made them even better. As such, she was eager to show off her noise maker, even if she didn't detect Thyri's accusatory tone for where she had gotten it from.
Diana
"I do 'ope ya didn't take this from a merchant now." With the pouch being raised up towards her, she took it with one hand and opened it to reveal the contents. It was a fair decent amount of coin. This had to have come from someone fairly wealthy now. It was good to buy some decent metal.

"Gods above... Ya best be taking care of yerself now. I nae wanna see a bounty with yer face on it now." A silly thought, but now she needed to get to work. Standing up with a small grunt, she placed the bag onto a table and removed the coins from it. She would have to add it to the count later on. For now, she had a request to fill. She knew what the goblin liked. "Yer lucky this time, got quite a few spare parts of chainmail."

She would need to start with repairing the pouch first. She wasn't grand at working with cloth or canvas, but she could certainly up the holes with leather. Plus, would likely be nicer to bite into then. Collecting up all the materials she needed, she laid them onto the table, taking a handful of the spare chainmail, and shaking it in front of Gum, allowing it to jingle in the air for her entertainment.
Shantay
Gum's excitement only grew when Thyri took the pouch and moved over to the table. The little goblin was quick to follow, staying close behind Thyri and then jumping onto the table so she could see what was going on. She watched as the shiny gold coins spilled from the pouch, the light reflecting in her big ol' eyes until she was given something else to focus on.

Thyri dangling the chainmail in front of her got the goblin visibly antsy. She began ducking her head up and down, typically an indication that she was about to leap towards her target. However, instead of jumping to try and grab the chainmail, she instead leapt onto Thyri's shoulder and clung on for dear life. She eventually got herself stable after clambering around to the smith's back, watching from over Thyri's shoulder.
Diana
The sudden addition of a goblin on her shoulder was a bit of a surprise. But, Thyri stood firm. Like a grand tower, she allowed the goblin to clamber over her back as she got to work. First, she did her best to fix up the holes and add a bit of durability to the pouch. A soft interior with bits of metal stuck inside of it with a leather exterior. Such a process would take a damn good chunk of the night, but it was a good way to practice.

She did allow the goblin to take ahold of the chainmail, however, letting her have a bit of fun whilst the smith worked away at the pouch. The nose was likely going to be ringing in her ear, but it was something she was used to by now. "Yer lucky yer bringing in coin. Otherwise, probably wouldn't be doing this for ya." A joke, she would happily make little bits and bobs for the goblin without her own benefit. There was something about the small creature that just made her smile.
Shantay
Gum eagerly accepted the chainmail, clutching it in one of her tiny hands. Her attention was fixed on it, though she still managed to hold on to Thyri's back. As the goblin began to shake the chainmail around in her fist, she glanced between her hand, Thyri, and what Thyri was actually doing on the table.

After the blacksmith spoke, Gum took that as initiative to show her the wonders of metal jingling around. She began to shake her fist in front of Thyri's face, climbing up further so she was nearly stood on the smith's shoulders. Though she nearly slipped a few times, she managed to hang on while trying to show off what she thought was one of the coolest things she had ever witnessed.
Diana
Blinking at the sudden fist in front of her face, she let out a laugh as she did her best to wave the goblin off. "Aye aye, I can see it. Yer ringing and noise making will be back in yer bag soon." Well, it wasn't her bag exactly. But Thyri had been meaning to make something for the little goblin to carry her pouches in.

But it did bring up the question of *Where* All the items she had given to the creature were going. Was she trading them off for food? Perhaps she had a little hideaway somewhere under the city, or perhaps in an alleyway or abandoned shop. Ah well, something she could figure out in the future. For now, she had a rather specific question for the goblin.

"Ya 'ungry? Want some food?" She did hope that the creature would know exactly what the words meant. She had plenty of leftovers as well, she needed to eat it all before it went off.
Shantay
Gum pulled away as Thyri acknowledged the sound. Though she continued to shake around the chainmail, she no longer did so right in front of Thyri's face. She still stayed on the blacksmith's back, but was far less invasive. That was, until food was mentioned.

If there were any words that Gum had learned by heart, they were 'hungry' and 'food'. The goblin's pupils immediately dilated and her excitement grew. She crawled up and onto Thyri's shoulder awkwardly, just so that she could look her in the eye. The pace of her breaths had quickened, and though her mouth was closed, she began salivating at the very mention. Gum was not one to turn down food at any moment, even if somewhat full already.
Diana
Now that is what she wanted to see. Seemed like the little gremlin was certainly ready for a meal. Grinning, she pushed away from the table for a moment. She didn't mind if the goblin wanted to catch a ride on her shoulder to rest. The goblin wasn't that heavy after all.

Making her way upstairs, she found herself in the little living area she had set up. A small kitchen where she could cook up a decent meal, and the gorgeous smell from the night's dinner still in the air. Various spices and herbs had been used, and some of it was even left over. There was still a plate with some meat and bread on it. "There ya go. Gods, I need to clean up now. Cannae be bothered, but ain't living in a damn mess."
Shantay
Gum sniffed the air quietly a few times as she rode on Thyri's shoulder, and the smell of the wonderful cooking hit her partway up the stairs. She seemed eager to leap off of Thyri's shoulder and beeline straight for it, but managed to contain her excitement for at least a few more moments.

When they entered the room and the food came into view, Gum kicked off of Thyri's shoulder, scurrying over to the plate. Her first stop was the meat, but it didn't take long before she began taking large bites out of both. She didn't even bother to use her hands, demolishing the poor leftovers with nothing but her razor sharp teeth. There were brief moments where she stopped to look at Thyri, making a bit of a mess before digging right back in.
Diana
It was quite a sight to behold, a goblin simply digging into a meal without care nor worry. After all, she always wished for her smithy to be a safe haven for the littleuns, let them wander about and have a mighty fine gander at all the weapons and armour. Course, plenty would be horrified at having a child wander around a place with such sharp and dangerous objects around. But she was living proof a kid would be fine! She had spent most of her childhood within a forge, and she had turned out just fine.

Shaking her head, she moved over to the plates that were stacked on a counter. With a fresh bucket of water waiting for her, she began the slow process of cleaning up the utensils. At least she didn't have to worry about storing the rest of the food it seems. Gum was going to fix that issue before she even got a chance to touch them again. Sure, the mess would be annoying, but it was nothing she couldn't clean up.
Shantay
It didn't take long for Gum to completely ravage the plate of leftovers, albeit with some mess. Once finished, she looked over to see Thyri doing the dishes, her little brain working overtime to deduce what was happening. Seeing the stack of plates, she picked up her own and waddled over to where the smith was cleaning, holding it up for her to take.

To Gum, the plates were Thyri's version of 'shinies', considering she didn't often use them herself. With the plate (hopefully) accepted, she hopped up onto the counter to see what was going on. However, she didn't pay much attention once she noticed that the bucket Thyri was using was filled with water.

Her eyes lit up once more and she made her way over. It wasn't typical for Gum to move in such a determined fashion. She only did such when completely transfixed for one reason or another.

It was likely she planned to drink the water, especially with how she began to lean her head down in preparation as she walked over.
Diana
It was rather nice to see the plate being held up, Thyri smiled towards Gum as she took the plate, using the water to wash off what she could from the dish. Having a little helper was always quite lovely, getting the chores done in nearly half the time. Even if it was only a single plate, she couldn't deny she was too damn lazy to go towards the table. After working an entire day? She deserved to be a bit lazy.

But then, Gum made the attempt to lean down into the water. Thyri was quick to put her arm in front of the small creature to get her to stop. That was not a great idea at all. "Ah nae, don't go drinking that now." She did not want to see the little lass putting that down her gullet. It likely would end rather poorly.

Thyri was quick to gesture to another pot in the area. It was also full of water, but unlike the bucket, the pot was drinkable water that Thyri had in a special metal cast. It had runes at the top that were meant to keep the water in better quality.

Of course, she had no clue if it even worked. But it was the thought that counted.
Shantay
Gum blinked a few times as Thyri stopped her, looking up at the smith and tilting her head in confusion. She glanced at the other pot full of water, still skeptical as she made her way over.

Without too much thought, she dunked her head into it and began drinking, not nearly strong enough to pick up the pot full of water. She finally let go of the chainmail that Thyri had given her so she could focus wholly on drinking.

Eventually, Gum lifted her head out of the water, face completely soaked. She was also slightly out of breath, having held her head underwater for some time. It didn't stop her from going in for another few seconds, and when she came back up for air, she shook her head to dry off a little.
Diana
Even if the goblin hadn't understood why she couldn't drink from the bucket, at the very least she was smart enough to recognize the gesture. A small sigh of relief escaped Thyri as she finished up, giving a nod as she hefted up the bucket, before pouring the dirty water out of the window.

Placing the bucket back down, she gave a proud nod at the sight of the clean dishes. Fantastic! Now that was done and dusted, all her chores were pretty much finished for the day. A hint of excitement appeared in her eyes at the meaning. Gods, she could not *Wait* For a nap.

Looking back over to the goblin, Thyri couldn't stop the laughter from escaping her at the sight. Gum had gone and gotten herself completely soaked. Ah well, the goblin had certainly needed a bath. "Ah, look at ya. Yer covered in water. Wait 'ere a tick." Shaking her head, she made her way into her bedroom, looking for spare piece of fabric of somesort to dry the goblin off.
Shantay
The little goblin simply watched as Thyri went to go and grab something to help her dry off. She found herself alone in the room, left to her own devices. First, she began rubbing her face against the countertop she sat on, wiping some of the water away herself. It wasn't the most effective, but at the very least it was a decent start.

As she looked around to get a better idea of what all was in the room, Gum let out a big yawn and rubbed her eyes. It had been a long day, and she was beginning to run out of steam. She laid down next to the chainmail she had dropped previously and began poking at it with a finger, making a noise far more gentle than when she had been shaking it.

Under normal circumstances, she would have made a beeline for Thyri's guest bed and crawled underneath it in order to get some sleep safely. However, a full stomach and Thyri's absence made her feel something she had seldom felt before: laziness.
Diana
Thyri's room bore a minimalist charm, a rather surprising departure from the decoration radiating throughout the rest of her store. A solitary shield adorned the wall, its wooden canvas painted in the vibrant hues and bearing a fading symbol of her family. A wistful smile graced her lips as she took in the sight before turning her attention to a wardrobe, that was certainly in dire need of an upgrade.

Amidst the relics of forgotten clothing fading into dust, Thyri uncovered a rather fetching dress, albeit too snug for her current frame. No matter, it could still be used in quite the variety of ways. Turning the fabric into a makeshift rag and standing upright, she nodded in satisfaction, leaving the remnants on the floor as she retraced her steps to the goblin. It was quite the surprise to see the Goblin simply laying on the counter. Usually she would have to go on a wild goose chase to actually find the little lass. Perhaps she was growing more comfortable? Well, that was certainly a pleasant idea.

"Right! Found ya a rag. Now, over 'ere." Thyri gestured for the Gum to draw near. There wasn't really a good way to go about putting the fabric over the creature's face. Ah well, she would simply have to deal with the consequences later. Draping the cloth over Gum's head, the blacksmith was quick to get to drying what she could.
Shantay
Gum perked up as Thyri re-entered the room, slowly getting back to her hands and feet. She tilted her head as the blacksmith approached her with a rag, and didn't immediately flee or duck away when it was draped over her head. Instead, she began to slowly turn away and try to walk, though it was practically fruitless since she couldn't see anything.

That didn't stop her from trying. The little goblin began to shake her head, making the drying process more difficult. Naturally, she didn't exactly realize that Thyri was trying to help, more concerned with her own discomfort than actually getting dried off.
Diana
"Oi! Calm yerself! It'll only take a minute now." Using her larger build, the blacksmith did her best with what she could. It was like trying to dry off a cat, certainly difficult but not impossible. After a bit, she eventually pulled the rag away, looking at the goblin. "Well, ye certainly need to put some effort into yer 'air. But should be fine now."

It was dry enough, probably. Gum was certainly an odd case, but at the very least she hadn't clawed or bit at her. "Ya feeling better now?" Knowing there would be no actual answer from the creature, Thyri stood and dumped the rag onto the counter. The fabric still had some use in it for dishwashing.
Shantay
It certainly took some doing on Thyri's part, but eventually, Gum was mostly dried off. She looked to the blacksmith with a squint, almost glaring as the rag was removed. But soon, she put two and two together, realizing she had been dried off and that the gesture had been kind.

The little goblin paused for a moment, eyes returning to their usual wide state as she thought about what to do. Whatever she was planning was certainly taking some processing power, and eventually, she reached down to pick up the chainmail. Then, she slowly lifted it up for Thyri. Perhaps she was trying to repay the blacksmith's kindness. Either that, or she was getting impatient in regards to her gold pouch being fixed.
Diana
"Ah, right. Yer right." With the chainmail lifted, Thyri gave a nod as she picked it up and placed it into her pocket. She still had to return the pouch. It was likely in a decent enough state for the goblin to be a bit rough with the item, without it tearing apart or anything.

"Just wait 'ere." She gestured for the goblin to sit as she made her way back down to the smithy, she needed to add one more final touch to the pouch before she returned it. Leaning over the table and her little project, she once more got to work. It didn't take very long, and soon the item was fixed.

As she made her way back upstairs, she held the small pouch in the air. It was all fixed up and her jingling items were back inside. Thyri gave it a little shake to show off the item before she tossed it over to Gum, trying to see if the goblin would catch it. Though, she assumed she would try and catch it with her teeth.
Shantay
Gum slinked back once Thyri took the chainmail, watching it closely until it was out of view. She stayed put as Thyri walked back downstairs, left once again to her own devices.

But without something to occupy her, and with a long day drawing to a close, the only option in her mind was to curl up and close her eyes. It was winter, but Thyri's forge was so warm, especially as the heat rose to the second floor. It was the perfect spot to grab some rest, at least in her eyes.

Though she didn't get much shut-eye when Thyri came back up, and her eyes fluttered open lazily. The jingling caused her to become more alert, Gum fixing on the repaired pouch before it was tossed. Unfortuantely, her instincts prompted her to leap backwards, nearly slipping off of the counter before making her way back over to the pouch. She pressed on it lazily before scooping it up and hugging it close. As she looked to Thyri again, it was clear she was fighting to stay awake. Her eyelids drooped and she seemed to be having a hard time keeping upright, but her instincts kept jolting her to action.
Diana
It was quite humourous to see the goblin sleeping in the middle of the room. If she didn't know any better, she would have thought the thing to be some kind of strange cat. Gum certainly acted like one.

"Tired already, lass? Aye, get yerself to bed then." A laugh escaped her as she felt the hints of exhaustion pecking at her own mind. Sleep was certainly a grand thing to get on this night, and as she opened the door to her room, she let out a yawn. Letting her blacksmith's apron fall to the ground, and removing her gloves to place them on a drawer. She took a moment to change herself into something a bit more comfortable. A rather old tunic and some brown pants.

"Ah, nice and warm up 'ere. Blessing to 'ave that forge, I swear." It was such a delight to have such a warm room during the winter, though it wasn't as appreciated during the summer.
Shantay
With Thyri's approval, Gum seemed to take the hint and officially lay down. She wrapped her small body around the pouch, holding it tightly and curling up into a little ball. Despite being wide out in the open room, she felt all warm and cozy with the forge running just downstairs.

They were some of the best conditions the street goblin could ask for, if she knew how to speak. With a yawn, she closed her eyes, ears still perked up in Thyri's direction as if still listening to what the blacksmith had to say. Though it didn't last long as she began to drift off to sleep, her hold on the bag getting more loose. Still, it seemed well protected in her little clutches.
Diana
Another day, another pile of metal smelted into tools, armour and weapons. Gods above, she was certainly going to be getting a workout in each day if she continued at this pace. Wiping the sweat from her brow, she brought up her current little project. It was an absolutely gorgeous rapier, with the hilt crafted from a golden material. Small runes had been inscribed in gold along the blade to make the weapon stronger, and to pierce with quite a punch. Running up the middle of the blade was an etching of a winding vine with flowers. It almost seemed to have a green glow running along the sharpened blade.

Taking a moment to step back, she blinked quite a few times as she got used to regular lighting once more. Working up so close with hot metal was going to do hell on her eyesight, but a healer would always be able to help. At least, that is what she hoped. Thyri picked up the item and ran her hand gently across the blade, checking for any imperfections. Of course, it was a beautiful weapon, and extremely well crafted.

It was going to be the pride of her store for some time. She had no clue what to even price it!

That brought on some horrifying thoughts. What if it was never purchased? What if it was simply too well made? The thoughts were banished by the reminder that foolish nobles existed, and one of them would make it a gift for a rebellious child. As she brought the item into the front of the store, she placed it onto a display stand next to a set of plate armour. A satisfied nod escaped her after she took a moment to adjust it's positioning. It looked *Fantastic*.
Emil
As the sun began to sink into the horizon like a sleeping giant, the flickering flames of candlelight illuminated the once crowded and bustling cobble-path. Albeit, despite the decline in business at this time, some shops remained open, hoping for weary travelers or illicit business in the grey market. One such traveler appeared to be a rather imposing figure, hastily making their way through the broad streets. Draped by a wanderer's veil, their stride would be broken by the examination of some of the shop signs dangling overhead. Regardless of whether the shop was open or not, they would peer into the shops to examine the refined assortments on display. This was especially the case for any accessory boutiques they came across. However, as they slinked further into the dwindling marketplace, their curiosity finally settled itself onto one of the remaining blacksmiths functioning at this lonesome hour. 

Taking a passing glance at the arched overhead sign, their figure slowly trailed towards the window where their gaze settled onto the freshly-prepped rapier. Gaze trailing from hilt to tip of the refined blade, the weapon was an immediate eye-catcher to the aichmomaniac, who was mentally cycling through the already-possessed blades within their ever-expanding collection. Nothing matched the curvature and elegance of the hilt, much less the golden finish across it, nor did it match any specific style of the past that they could recall. No, this was a newer style that they had never laid eyes upon... And it was certainly a worthy addition. Resolve finally manifesting in the pit of their chest, they swiftly paced over to the door before lifting a blackened hand to lay upon a firm knock.
Diana
Upon hearing the knock, a look of confusion appeared on her face. Most people simply entered a blacksmith when they needed something. What was someone doing knocking? It took her a glance outside to realize what hour it possibly was. Gods above, she had worked well into the night again. A groan escaped her at the realization. It was already so late and she hadn't even started on any cleaning. Bah, she could do it in the morning. Right now, it seemed like she had a customer. As she placed a box of scrap to the side, she called out.

"Aye! We're still open. Ye can come in."

Seemed as though she had been getting plenty of late night visits at this point. For the strapping young lad who had cooked her some heavenly meals, to the little goblin that spent time around her little smithy. Perhaps it would be better if she kept the store open a bit later. Though, she would still need to open early for the farmers who's tools would need repairs. Ah well, she could figure it out another time. Torch light flickered within the building, illuminating various weapons and casting long shadows of armour against the walls. Despite the forge in the back still raging, the store front had quite a pleasant breeze, though not a single window seemed open.

"Welcome to Thyri's Magic Goods. What can I get for ya?"

The blacksmith leaned against her counter. She was a muscular creature, arms covered with dark ink and gorgeous blonde hair thrown over one shoulder. A kindly smile was on her face, and it almost seemed as though her eyes were glowing. Though, it was likely just a trick of the lighting.
Emil
The door gently creaked open, with the hooded shape slowly stepping into the room of the establishment. Untamed hair and the shade of the cascade of their hood hid the majority of the upper portion of their face - Despite this obscuration, two amber orbs seemed to stare back towards the clerk, or rather through her. Taking a peeking glance at the other crafted items on display, it was as if she was taking a mental note of everything her gaze set upon, with her form gradually shifting over to examine them more thoroughly. Settling her hands upon one of the greatswords, she lifted it with ease into the air to look the blade up and down before placing it back upon its display. 

 Head slowly turned to glance back towards the window display, a pale-toned arm extended out towards the rapier pridefully placed by the stand - A long, blackened pointed digit gesturing to the crafted piece. "I wish to inquire about that specifically."* She finally croaked calmly, voice hoarse from overuse and potential age. Through her words, her cascaded head turned back towards the clerk.*" I've been across the lands for several years now, and yet never before have I laid eyes upon an item to this extent of craftsmanship. Is this a newer addition, or something that slipped through the annals of history by chance?"* 

Form shifting this time to the counter, her form ruffled under the guise of the cloak, the hand reemerged clasping a plump bag of something heavy. Plopping it down onto the counter, the firm contents of gold spilled out like an open wound onto the wooden base. *"I'm willing to pay a fair sum of fifty piece for the item, should be more than your usual grasp, I take it."* Considering her words, it was either out of naivity towards the legitimate sum of items in the common era, or out of slight harassment.
Diana
Her eyebrow perked up at the sight of the individual, a truly strange figure who seemed quite intent on keeping their privacy. It wasn't the first time a cloaked individual had come through, the usual suspect was an assassin looking for a new blade after their original had shattered. Some were attached to their weapons and merely wanted repairs. It was always a fine day whenever she saw such a weapon put to good use. Assassins and similar roguish fiends were always her favourite customers, they always put their tools to good use. Thyri watched as the individual made her way over to the great swords. Perhaps this person was much stronger than they seemed? Thyri knew how powerful magic could make one seem.

Then, the arm was lifted and a direction given. Thyri glanced over to where the woman was pointing and was quite surprised to see interest in the weapon already. She had believed that some servant would take notice of the weapon and give an incredulous description to their noble master. "Ah? That one?" A soft laugh escaped Thyri as she brought put a piece of cloth, placing it onto the counter before moving to pick up the rapier. As she placed it onto the blue fabric, the metal seemed to shimmer and shine like never before, almost mirroring the reflection of what was around it. "Nae, nothing like that. Made this one meself. Fine piece of work, ain't she?"

She was quite ready to jump into a long winded explanation about the creation of the weapon, and what the runic symbols upon the blade would do. However, she was cut off by the clatter of gold coins landing. It seemed the individual wasn't too keen on hearing about the creation of such an item. Though, she had to shake her head at the amount. "Sorry, Lady. But fifty gold ain't even enough to cover the material cost. Two 'undred and fifty is the price." She may have overpriced it by a bit due to the words and how they seemed to be said, but who truly cared when you were receiving a masterpiece?
Emil
*"...Wonderful."* Faintly gritted the figure, jaw slightly buckling into a grimace. 

There was a brief, exasperated sigh that slipped out from her as a hand was brought to her temple, mentally weighing the circumstances. After a fair moment of this, her hand slunk down to the countertop of the desk, blackened fingers gently strumming rhythmically. A tinge of regret was building in the back of her mind, not for forgetting to bring more coins before going out, but for not sending a thrall out in her stead. Then again, it had been a fair few years since she set foot back into the city herself, and curiosity was beginning to get the better of her. The proof was certainly there considering the fee before her. 

Either she had been out of the public for longer than expected, or she had been simply surcharged as a patrician, with the latter of the two feeling far more likely. While her cloak did hide a fair bit of what rested underneath, the hem of a scarlet dress rested just underneath - Though, unfortunately, what the guise could not mask was the faintest, coppery stench clinging to her like a cheap perfume. Not wanting to jump to verbal conclusions just yet, her repetitive strums stopped momentarily as her hand gestured back to the other weaponry sprawled across the shop. *" What about the remainder of your crafts? Surely something could be purchased with that fee."* She replied, more so demanding than requesting. Despite her beckoning towards the other items, her amber gaze stayed firmly fixated on the rapier before them both.
Diana
Ah, seemed like the individual didn't have enough. Truly a shame, but quality always came at a cost.

Her nose scrunched up slightly as she noticed the smell. She wasn't going to disrespect a customer, but she was certainly going to get some candles into the room later. Whilst she was rather fine with the metallic smell, not all her customers enjoyed such a thing. Pretentious bastards. But as the request to see more of her wares was made, a grin appeared on her face. "Course, I got plenty. And if I don't 'ave what yer looking for, ya can always put an order in." Even though her order log was a bit backed up, she always made sure to offer up the process. Orders usually came at quite a nice cost, and many would pay high price for something specially made for them alone. She could still remember her first ever custom order. It had truly been a beautiful weapon.

Getting away from her thoughts, Thyri turned around to pick up a crate of blades. They weren't attached to any hilts yet, but were placed in a way that would make it easy for one to easily inspect each one for their favourite. "After all, 'ere at Thyri's, I like to make sure that everyone gets a weapon perfect for 'em." A gentle laugh escaped her as she hefted the crate up, turning around to place it onto the counter next to the rapier. The plan was to simply let the individual pick out a blade before picking out a hilt that would fit them best. Many seemed to prefer fashion over practically. A rather stupid idea in her mind.
Emil
Shifting her attention briefly over to the assorted box, both hands finally unveiled from under the garment to skim through the varying blades, points, and sabers. Her eyes would run over each one, carefully taking in as much of the detail as she could, from engravings to the marbling of the metal. At one point, she tested the edge-end by gently pressing the blade into the flesh of her thumb, only managing to embed the first few layers away. Under normal circumstances, a thrall would usually arrive back with either Damascus or steel-bound weaponry - Longswords and daggers being the average item of interest. But, it had been a few good years since she had laid eyes upon a weapon outside her particular preference that piqued her intrigue.

The last time a thrall had brought back something that truly interested her slim taste was nearly a decade, a trivial time in her lifespan but significant enough to leave a yearning for something new and exciting. Much like her thralls, her interest in accessories and trinkets certainly waivered to no end, with the span of beginning to end seemingly being random. Only a select few items and individuals have successfully managed to become inseparable from her attention, though these were few and far between. 

 If she was to get the rapier in her possession, a distraction was desperately needed since she regrettably managed to bring a lighter load of coin than anticipated. Gently tossing the thin-pointed blade back into the depths of the crate, a meager shrug slipped from the lips of the woman. *" No, no... None of these samples will do."* Glowering gaze shifting back towards the blacksmith, she continued. *" You wouldn't happen to have more worthwhile items in the back, would you? Something a bit on the blunt and heavy end, perhaps?"*
Diana
Thyri watched as the woman glanced over each blade. The blacksmith was rather proud of each one of them, in her opinion, it was a fantastic way to show them off. Simply store them next to other similar blades, but have different designs. However, it seemed like the individual wasn't pleased with any of these blades. It was a rather unfortunate thing to hear, especially after she had believed that anyone would take a look at these blades and simply find exactly what they wanted. It worked against most indecisive nobles, but it seemed like it would not be the case this time around.

Upon the request, however, a large toothy grin appeared on her face. Now *That* Was something she could certainly get behind. "Aye, I think I might 'ave something just yer taste." Once more turning around, Thyri made her way into the forge area. "Are ya more keen on 'ammers or maces?" Both were fantastic in her eyes, but a good old hammer was certainly more appealing to her tastes. Crouching down and looking through a crate, she eventually pulled out a rather plain mace. It looked fairly unremarkable, but it had plenty of runes inscribed onto the handle. It had been in her shop for ages, people didn't seem to really want a mace these days.

Standing up once more, she brushed off a bit of dust as she began to make her way back to the front. She would certainly polish the weapon before selling it, but the customer would have to look over it before making their decision. She didn't want to have to do any extra work for naught.
Emil
*"Please, do take your time dear."* 

Keenly keeping an ear out as Thyri's footsteps trailed further from the shop and into the depths of the workplace itself, her head would swivel back towards the elegant rapier on display. Gradually creeping her way over, her attention would swap occasionally between her destination, to the direction Thyri disappeared in. Each of her steps was carefully placed from floor panel to floor panel to not cause unneeded creaking. While thievery was certainly something she was familiar with, she wasn't normally the one to be in the fray of pilfering. Hell, normally she would consider it an action beneath her and far more suited to those under her authority. 

Tightly clenching her grasp along the hilt, she smoothly guided it the blade end to her other hand to examine the intricacies more closely. The refined leather of the hilt was a start, as small grooves were settled into it, spiraling upward to enable a better grip for the wielder, which was an unexpected yet pleasant surprise to the thief. From the detailed engravings scattered across the forte and edges to the gilded finish across the knuckle-guard and crossguard - Everything about it was a shining spectacle of originality and peak craftsmanship. Without much of a second thought behind her growing covetousness, she would lift one of the ends of her cloak to simply slip the blade into a holster before concealing it back under the shroud. While being the furthest from one of the first rapiers in her ever-growing collection, it was nonetheless going to set a new example of what should and shouldn't be collected. 

Giving one long, final gander back towards the depths of the shop, she would take a few final steps towards the way she had entered before reopening the door and slipping back out into the moonlit streets of the city. Not exactly her most elegant departure from a crime scene, but far better than some of her last instances.
Diana
Idly wiping the blade down with a spare rag, Thyri once more made her way to the front. Speaking as she looked down at the mace. "I dinnae know if I 'ave much more round the store. But if ye wish to put in an order, I'll 'appily make it by the en-" The blacksmith was cut off as she realized the individual had seemingly left already. A pit formed in her stomach at the realization. Stupid! She never should have left the front without supervision. Her eyes quickly glanced around to try and find if anything was missing. At first, it seemed like everything was fine and dandy. Everything was in the right place.

When she finally saw what had *Actually* Been taken, her heart sank in an instant. The rapier that she had spent so many years perfecting. She had made sure that each little inch of that weapon had been perfect. She had sharpened the blade to a fine point, even replaced it with higher quality material time and time again. The weapon was her masterpiece. Thyri knew that a masterpiece of such quality came to a blacksmith rarely. The weapon was a perfectly balanced tool of speed, durability and power. The enchantments were a perfect combination that had taken her hours to properly translate and enscribe. The combinations possible in a single swing were incredible. In her good mood, she had let down her guard, and she had been punished for such stupidity. Thyri felt rage boiling in her blood as she grabbed her hammer, rushing towards the door of her store and slamming it open.

"Oi! Where did ye go ya thieving bastard!" She was *Not* Going to let it go. This was going to be stuck on her mind for ages, perhaps even years. She was not going to rest until the *Damn* Weapon was back in her hands. She had no clue who the person was, or if they were going to do with the weapon.

But she was going to pool together a fair bit of coin to get it back, unless she could break the damn bastard herself. Her eyes scoured through the dark streets, trying to spot the thief.
Brian
All seemed still out upon the streets, with most civilian activity long since passed by now, with the only thing of notice being the lanterns dappling the streets ever so gently flickering in their frames. Aiding this illumination, was the pale moon dangling overhead amongst a gallery of faint stars like a splattered canvas. What was out of place was the silhouetted form of a humanoid figure peering back along one of the adjacent rooftops, accompanied by the sound of unfastened, shifting tiles. Jutting from her enclosed hand appeared to be the slender, extravagant blade in all its glory. 

Lifting her free hand to her cowl as to draw it back, the pale woman simply looked back towards Thyri with an amused expression sprawled across her face. Rows of protruding, dull fangs lined the inside of her mouth like a beartrap waiting to spring shut. Either she was simply mocking the blacksmith for even attempting a chase, or she was pleased with her partially finished task. "Honestly, I'm surprised with how swiftly you came back, was expecting you to be in the back much longer. Then again, I don't think I could be as shocked as you seem to be given the circumstances." The woman chimed out, her once-gentle voice was now seeping with arrogance and callousness. This was the most entertainment she had gotten in a fair sum of years, with the only thing to compete with it being the occasional, begrudging event or arrival of fresh goods. 

 Extending the blade out, her grip was uneasy, merely swaying the blade by the handle, almost as if she was attempting to taunt the poor shopkeeper. Using her free hand once more, she made a dismissive gesture. *"Scurry back inside your dwelling, little woman. There are far more things out here that could diminish your existence other than myself, so best not to cause much of a scene. Wouldn't want the bones in your hands to be reduced to powder, otherwise how else would you make such lovely weaponry?"*
Diana
All that was in her eyes was a blistering rage. These damned *Thieves* Always thought they could take what they wanted without any punishment? Over her rotting corpse. If there was one thing that brought her fury like no other, it was thieves. Her rage was only increased by the fact that the item of theft had been such a valuable piece. Normally, she would simply remember the looks of the individuals to report it to the guards. However, this was such a time that she needed to get such an item back personally. Rest was going to be forgotten so long as this weapon remained out in the streets.

As the woman spoke, her knuckles grew white as she grasped one of the many keys that hung around her neck. With a soft clack, she tore the item from it's binding, before inserting the item into the hilt of the weapon, with a quick turn the key was locked into place and the enchantments that had been inscribed into the head were activated. The hammer acted as a catalyst, the symbol upon the item glowing a deep violet as the enchantment took over. These keys had been a pain to create, but after years of trial and error, she had finally created the perfect way to swap between enchantments. Wisps of purple steam seemed to escape from various parts of the item as her grip only tightened.

"I'll use yer damned bones to make me next knife unless ya give back that weapon." Her words were spoken with the fire from a forge. Snappy, and unyielding. Her hammer was ready to grin everything underneath it into dust, the symbol upon the weapon having a minor haze to it now, almost as if it was mimicking a different symbol. The mere sight of the woman holding the blade brought unfathomable anger. That was *Not* Her weapon to wield. If one had to resort to thievery to gain such a weapon, then they had *No* Right to wield one of her weapons. She had made them for only the worthy who *Deserved* Such a painstakingly crafted weapon.
Brian
Expression lowering into a look of detestation, the blade would sink back into the confines of her cloak with a faint *Clink* Initiating it back into place. She would rather have her own fangs ripped out by hand than have to even fathom the idea of being talked back to, above all else a mortal nonetheless. *"With all due respect, I sincerely doubt that. For as much as I do think that you could physically keep up with me, I don't think you can quite measure up when it comes to traversing..."* Her words would momentarily trail behind, as her hand made a circling motion in the air as if she was trying to manifest her thoughts. After a sharp suck of air through her teeth, Avox finally continued. *"...Well, anything that isn't a flat surface. Though, I imagine you get it considering you're the one who has to live with it. Honestly I would shed a tear if it wasn't for the fact that it was fucking pathetic."* Sharply raising her hand for a swift moment, the pale woman would twiddle her fingers in an underhanded attempt at a farewell. Promptly following this, she would swivel on her foot in the opposite direction of the steadily brewing conflict, bounding across the rooftop with steadfast pace. 

 Once the woman had finally approached the edge of the building top, she would take a bold jump across with ease, her form managing to bound across to the next adjacent building. Given the circumstances and minor encumbrance, Avox was surprisingly agile considering each occurring traversal and architectural barricade was traversed with the same method - Grace and finesse. It was the closest thing to alive she had felt in years, this was practically a vacation in comparison to the growing stagnation of 'liveliness' her own day-to-day. With distance extending and expanding between the two, the only thing that was left in Avox's wake was the sound of her own laughter howling throughout the lantern-lit streets.
Diana
Eyes burning with rage, and with her breath growing heavier with each thud of her running. Hatred was growing within her heart as she heard the woman speak. It was rather unfortunate that such a promising customer had turned out to be a snake of a thief. A taunting one at that. Thyri was quick to move to try and keep up, but with Avox moving across the tops of buildings with ease, there was no chance that she would be able to keep up. Soon enough, she found herself in a dead end alley that she had thought would have been a shortcut. A silent curse escaped her as she turned to try and find the woman. No luck.

With rage in her heart, she hefted her hammer above her head, ready to smash it into a cart. After a moment, she eventually relented. It was someone else's property and she wouldn't go destroying random things out of rage. She would simply have to pour her anger into her work. Pour her rage into blades, armour and tools. She would make them better than anything she had made before. The farmers were going to be pleased with the quality of the items. It would be a fine way to get rid of some anger.

Yet, the anger would not fade quickly.

But she vowed to find that damned blade, there was no chance that she would let it go free. She would tear the forests apart if she had to. Thyri refused to allow anyone to steal from her. With the right reward in mind, she was guaranteed to find a decent number of adventurers who would be willing to sacrifice life and limb.

If need be, she would grind down their bones and replace them with perfect cold steel to protect them. She would turn their hands into perfect instruments of murder. All to get back a single blade.