Red Ruby
12-02-14, 10:04 AM
Rachel strut her little self into a merchant smithy on the outskirts of town. Compared to the cleaned and pristine armories downtown, this little shack had a welcoming aroma of soot, musk, and possibly mold. Mixed with peeling paint and splitting wood, this gem often turned many an adventurer.
But why judge a book by its cover?
Many say a good business is all about location, location, location. Here, the location was perfect for the sleek scoundrel, for it was outside the guard's regular patrol, low on bystanders (or potential witnesses), and open to easy getaway with no traffic to obstruct. Were it not for the massive half-orc smith and his equally terrifying half-orc wife, this place might be an easy target for some quick coin. Then again, why put a bad taste in everyone's profits? A girl has to have her shops.
Rachel looked around the grungy interior. Crudely fashioned weapons hung from wrought iron nails and barn mice scampered through the loose metal shavings and scraps littered on the dirt floor. She approached the dry pine counter, uneven and stained with all manner of oils.
"Scuse me?" she called out against the rhythmic hammering, "You have yourselves a client up front!" Her tone was whimsical and sweet, her accent similar to the agricultural groups of people living to the far south of Radasanth.
She heard no reply, just the patterned strike of a master tending to his trade.
"Hello~ Regular 'ol human girl actually looking to buy~" Again she sang out, her boots on their toes and body stretched slightly over the worn counter. From the edge of split planks, she could make out the flicker of the forge and the hand striking red hot metal. Sparks danced across the dusty floor with each blow.
"He's either not taking me seriously, or beatin' off against the metal has damned his hearing over the years," she muttered with a cocked hip. Rachel relaxed her shoulders, took a deep breath, and pressed her fingers against her lips. The next to follow was a piercing shrill that was sure to catch his attention.
Or wake the dead. Which would also get his attention.
The rhythmic ring of metal on metal stepped off beat to a sharp twang. Grumbling and grunting soon followed.
"What in Hogrimah's balls you making all that racket for?!" Roared the voice manning the forge. Hot steel hissed as it was quenched in water. His lumbering footsteps brought him into view with a furrowed brow that nearly overtook his beady black eyes.
"Hello there!" Rachel called out with a smile. The smith wasn't having it.
"What do you want?" Came his disgruntled reply.
"Awe, come on handsome, do you treat all your potential customers like this?" The thief propped her weight against his counter. The split pine squeaked in testament to its age.
"I don't get customers."
"Well aren't you one with words?" Rachel pouted, his green tinged skin wrinkled further against his nose. "Would you be willing to make an exception?"
The half-orc took a moment to survey the dusty, rusted, and worn weapons scattered haphazardly on the walls. His tough facade faded and brow receded from sunken pupils.
"Depends." The smith worked his brutish hands into his apron - a feeble attempt to clean the black from his skin. "What do you need?"
"There you go!" Rachel chimed, "I knew there was a businessman in there somewhere!"
His brow again attacked his eyes in disapproval.
"Alright, alright." The thief lifted a slender finger before removing certain effects from her person. Meanwhile, the smith crossed veined arms across his hardened chest. As Rachel unloaded her weapons one by one, his eyes fell on them silently.
"First off, you can call me Ruby. You are?" Rachel asked, placing the last of her throwing knives on the counter.
"Allan."
"Hmph," she muttered with a raised brow, "I would 'ave assumed something more angry, like Drak'shal or Xanbata." She shrugged. "Nice to meet you anyway, Allan."
He remained still, arms crossed and quiet.
"Not a talker? Shame. Well, onto business then." Rachel motioned to the dagger, push blade, and knives. "These faithful little things have served me well, but I get so very tired of having to clean and oil them. Iron just rusts so easy y'know?"
Allan sharply exhaled into something of a grunt. Rachel assumed this meant, 'Yeah, iron can be a real pain in the ass.' So, she continued.
"Well, I was hoping those muscles of yours might be able to fashion me something in steel? Perhaps one of those fancy alloys?" Rachel tried pouting again to sway him, but didn't put weight into its success.
"Steel is a good metal," Allan stated very plainly. "You don't need fancy alloys unless you want to infuse it with the devil's magic."
"Oh? Not a fan of magic are we?"
"Yedda's tits, no. That's those tree fuckin' Elves' nonsense. A good hammer and a good arm will get the job done better than sparkles and confetti."
Rachel laughed. Allan had a sense of humor under that thick skin after all. Her chuckle melted away whatever apprehension he seemed to have.
"You remind me of some people I've come across before" Rachel smiled and wiped moisture from the corner of her eye. "Hated the stuff. I'm not much of a fan of it myself. Couldn't use it if I tried. Besides, I think we can leave the sparkles and confetti to the tree humpers, yeah?"
"Damn right," Allan responded with a chuckle. He uncrossed his arms and plodded over to where her weapons lay. One by one, he took them into his hands and looked them over.
"Well?"
"These have seen some use," Allan stated as he looked up to the girl. He ran his black beady eyes over her lithe body. So much skin was not covered by armor. The orcish side found it disgusting, but the human side found it alluring. He found himself in momentary conflict and Rachel took the opportunity to work in a small pose.
"I may be small, but know how to take care of myself," she stated to break the growing silence. Allan huffed and put down her blade. "A girl has to compete in a man's world after all."
"The chipping and wear along the edge... You've done more than just compete."
"Now you're just flirting..."
Allan grew rosy in the cheeks but equally glanced toward his house in a panic. Seeing the archway to his house was absent one overhearing wife, he let out a sigh of relief. He turned to his client with a little more of the rigidity from earlier.
"So business," Allan stated with a rehearsed cough, "I can reforge these in steel. Even polish and hone the edges again. I can work in other metals, but steel is a good metal."
"Unless I'm a humper of sorts?" she teased. He grew rosy again and coughed.
"Uh, yeah. But you're not." He paused. "Wait, you're not, are you?" He cocked his head but couldn't see her ears under the brunette locks.
Rachel lifted a finger to tuck back her hair and expose a normal, rounded helix. Allan again exhaled in relief.
"Good. Then yes, steel will do you well."
"Then how much would it be to 'do me in steel'?" Rachel lifted her fingers for air quotes and a sly grin. Allan glanced feverishly to archway once more. No wife. Then turned back to his client with red cheeks and a pleading look as if to say, 'Woman, you are going to get me killed in my sleep by the misses! For the love of some god's body part, stop it!'
I'll make this easy on you. I will do all the role play, but you can do the pricing. What I want:
Iron Dagger to Steel Dagger
Small Iron Push Knife to Small Steel Push Knife
5 Iron Throwing Knives to 5 Steel Throwing Knives
Also, how much for a coil of climbing rope & hook?
Thanks for the help!
But why judge a book by its cover?
Many say a good business is all about location, location, location. Here, the location was perfect for the sleek scoundrel, for it was outside the guard's regular patrol, low on bystanders (or potential witnesses), and open to easy getaway with no traffic to obstruct. Were it not for the massive half-orc smith and his equally terrifying half-orc wife, this place might be an easy target for some quick coin. Then again, why put a bad taste in everyone's profits? A girl has to have her shops.
Rachel looked around the grungy interior. Crudely fashioned weapons hung from wrought iron nails and barn mice scampered through the loose metal shavings and scraps littered on the dirt floor. She approached the dry pine counter, uneven and stained with all manner of oils.
"Scuse me?" she called out against the rhythmic hammering, "You have yourselves a client up front!" Her tone was whimsical and sweet, her accent similar to the agricultural groups of people living to the far south of Radasanth.
She heard no reply, just the patterned strike of a master tending to his trade.
"Hello~ Regular 'ol human girl actually looking to buy~" Again she sang out, her boots on their toes and body stretched slightly over the worn counter. From the edge of split planks, she could make out the flicker of the forge and the hand striking red hot metal. Sparks danced across the dusty floor with each blow.
"He's either not taking me seriously, or beatin' off against the metal has damned his hearing over the years," she muttered with a cocked hip. Rachel relaxed her shoulders, took a deep breath, and pressed her fingers against her lips. The next to follow was a piercing shrill that was sure to catch his attention.
Or wake the dead. Which would also get his attention.
The rhythmic ring of metal on metal stepped off beat to a sharp twang. Grumbling and grunting soon followed.
"What in Hogrimah's balls you making all that racket for?!" Roared the voice manning the forge. Hot steel hissed as it was quenched in water. His lumbering footsteps brought him into view with a furrowed brow that nearly overtook his beady black eyes.
"Hello there!" Rachel called out with a smile. The smith wasn't having it.
"What do you want?" Came his disgruntled reply.
"Awe, come on handsome, do you treat all your potential customers like this?" The thief propped her weight against his counter. The split pine squeaked in testament to its age.
"I don't get customers."
"Well aren't you one with words?" Rachel pouted, his green tinged skin wrinkled further against his nose. "Would you be willing to make an exception?"
The half-orc took a moment to survey the dusty, rusted, and worn weapons scattered haphazardly on the walls. His tough facade faded and brow receded from sunken pupils.
"Depends." The smith worked his brutish hands into his apron - a feeble attempt to clean the black from his skin. "What do you need?"
"There you go!" Rachel chimed, "I knew there was a businessman in there somewhere!"
His brow again attacked his eyes in disapproval.
"Alright, alright." The thief lifted a slender finger before removing certain effects from her person. Meanwhile, the smith crossed veined arms across his hardened chest. As Rachel unloaded her weapons one by one, his eyes fell on them silently.
"First off, you can call me Ruby. You are?" Rachel asked, placing the last of her throwing knives on the counter.
"Allan."
"Hmph," she muttered with a raised brow, "I would 'ave assumed something more angry, like Drak'shal or Xanbata." She shrugged. "Nice to meet you anyway, Allan."
He remained still, arms crossed and quiet.
"Not a talker? Shame. Well, onto business then." Rachel motioned to the dagger, push blade, and knives. "These faithful little things have served me well, but I get so very tired of having to clean and oil them. Iron just rusts so easy y'know?"
Allan sharply exhaled into something of a grunt. Rachel assumed this meant, 'Yeah, iron can be a real pain in the ass.' So, she continued.
"Well, I was hoping those muscles of yours might be able to fashion me something in steel? Perhaps one of those fancy alloys?" Rachel tried pouting again to sway him, but didn't put weight into its success.
"Steel is a good metal," Allan stated very plainly. "You don't need fancy alloys unless you want to infuse it with the devil's magic."
"Oh? Not a fan of magic are we?"
"Yedda's tits, no. That's those tree fuckin' Elves' nonsense. A good hammer and a good arm will get the job done better than sparkles and confetti."
Rachel laughed. Allan had a sense of humor under that thick skin after all. Her chuckle melted away whatever apprehension he seemed to have.
"You remind me of some people I've come across before" Rachel smiled and wiped moisture from the corner of her eye. "Hated the stuff. I'm not much of a fan of it myself. Couldn't use it if I tried. Besides, I think we can leave the sparkles and confetti to the tree humpers, yeah?"
"Damn right," Allan responded with a chuckle. He uncrossed his arms and plodded over to where her weapons lay. One by one, he took them into his hands and looked them over.
"Well?"
"These have seen some use," Allan stated as he looked up to the girl. He ran his black beady eyes over her lithe body. So much skin was not covered by armor. The orcish side found it disgusting, but the human side found it alluring. He found himself in momentary conflict and Rachel took the opportunity to work in a small pose.
"I may be small, but know how to take care of myself," she stated to break the growing silence. Allan huffed and put down her blade. "A girl has to compete in a man's world after all."
"The chipping and wear along the edge... You've done more than just compete."
"Now you're just flirting..."
Allan grew rosy in the cheeks but equally glanced toward his house in a panic. Seeing the archway to his house was absent one overhearing wife, he let out a sigh of relief. He turned to his client with a little more of the rigidity from earlier.
"So business," Allan stated with a rehearsed cough, "I can reforge these in steel. Even polish and hone the edges again. I can work in other metals, but steel is a good metal."
"Unless I'm a humper of sorts?" she teased. He grew rosy again and coughed.
"Uh, yeah. But you're not." He paused. "Wait, you're not, are you?" He cocked his head but couldn't see her ears under the brunette locks.
Rachel lifted a finger to tuck back her hair and expose a normal, rounded helix. Allan again exhaled in relief.
"Good. Then yes, steel will do you well."
"Then how much would it be to 'do me in steel'?" Rachel lifted her fingers for air quotes and a sly grin. Allan glanced feverishly to archway once more. No wife. Then turned back to his client with red cheeks and a pleading look as if to say, 'Woman, you are going to get me killed in my sleep by the misses! For the love of some god's body part, stop it!'
I'll make this easy on you. I will do all the role play, but you can do the pricing. What I want:
Iron Dagger to Steel Dagger
Small Iron Push Knife to Small Steel Push Knife
5 Iron Throwing Knives to 5 Steel Throwing Knives
Also, how much for a coil of climbing rope & hook?
Thanks for the help!