Mason: Hikaru wanders down to the forge, his face in his normal scowl he doesn't seem to know how to turn off. He sits down on a bench that's mostly cluttered with tools.
Chantry: Rodrick is hanging his work apron up, almost as if he's getting ready to go to bed, which isn't exactly unexpected as he often stays up for days at a time. Before he leaves the room, he looks at Hikaru and says "We got an order for a gun... Ragnar does all the gunwork... remember me telling you about him?"
Mason: He glowers at Rodrick. He still doesn't seem trusting yet, but he nods. "The dwarf guy right?"
Chantry: "Yeah, the dwarf guy..." He replies in a semi-mocking tone. "Try and be nice... his feelings get hurt easy." and with that, Rodrick leaves the forge.
Mason: Hikaru folds his arms grumpily and huffs. But then gets bored and moves over next to the furnace. He peers into the fire.
Chantry: About 5 minutes later, there are footfalls on the stairs, accompanied with a slight sound of jingling metal. A dwarf steps into the forge. He has his long hair pulled back into a dozen or so braids, tied neatly with a leather strap. His beard hangs down nearly to his knees, ornately carved silver beads tying it every now and then. He has on a sleeveless leather vest and a pair of black pants, as well as work boots that are well used, but still in good condition. He has a toolbag in his hand. "Hullo, young Hikaru! How're ye doin' this fine mornin?!" He says in a boisterous, friendly voice.
Mason: Hikaru flinches back from the furnace as though he has been caught and quickly scurries behind something. Then peers out from behind. "I'm ok Mr. Ragnar.”
Chantry: "The forge is mighty attractive, inn'it? Blast that Rodrick... always leavin' the shop a mess!" He grumbles to himself as he begins picking up and organizing things where they should go. "So, we got an order for a gun, eh?"
Mason: Hikaru nods. Then creeps out a little from behind his cover. Just enough that he can run back behind it if he has to. "Why is it so hot?"
Chantry: "It's gotta be hot so we kin move the metal! Ain't no good t' beat on cold steel... breaks it! If ya heat it up t'where it's glowin, ye kin make it move how we want it ta! But first... we gotta do somethin' important..." He leans toward Hikaru slightly, a serious look on his face.
Mason: Hikaru's face looks minorly confused but he comes out a little more. "What?"
Chantry: "We gotta go get breakfast! Ain't no good workin' on an empty stomach!" He laughs and shakes a small bag of coins. "So, where'd ya fancy some food?"
Mason: "I dunno.. chef ji-ji always made it." He looks down his ears twitching.
Chantry: "Hrmmm..." He strokes part of his beard. "Well, whaddya like? There's plenty o' places we kin go eat!"
Mason: "Um.. ramen, Curry, tonkatsu, sukiyaki…” He counts them off on his fingers.
Chantry: Ragnar scrunches his face like he bit into a lemon. "For breakfast?!" He laughs a little. "How da' bacon, eggs, fried taters, an' some nice fried bread sound?"
Mason: Hikaru shrugs and grimaces at the ground.
Chantry: Ragnar grabs a sheepskin cloak off the rack and wraps it around himself and grabs a rabbit lined, leather one and holds it out for Hikaru. "C'mon, I be knowin' a place tha' has the best damn breakfast you'll ever eat!"
Mason: He grabs the cloak and throws it on. He nods and stumbles after.
Chantry: Ragnar leads the way out of the shop and down the road a ways, dodging carts and mud puddles, whistling an old Wuxian folk song the whole way. Before too long, they're standing in front of a small wooden building with a handpainted sign that says "The Copper Tankard" Ragnar walks up and opens the door, holding it open for Hikaru.
Mason: Hikaru wanders inside and looks around but it looks more like he's looking for hiding places and dangerous individuals than taking in the sights.
Chantry: A halfling is standing behind the counter, slicing various cheeses and dried meats. She looks up as we enter, and smiles. Ragnar booms across the room to her, "Hullo, Carla! This be young Hikaru, He's stayin' wit' me for a bit... We got an order this mornin' and I be outta food... Blasted Rodrick forgot to go shopping!"
Mason: Hikaru glares at the halfling and hides behind Ragnar.
Chantry: Ragnar chuckles. "She's okay, Hikaru. She be like us... differn't. She ain't gonna hurt ye." As she leans over the counter to look at you, you catch a glimpse of a clockwork prosthetic leg.
"Rodrick made that for her... She couldn' afford it, but we struck a deal. She keeps our secret and helps out with food, an' Ol' grumpy keeps her movin!" He smiles at Hikaru
Mason: He eases out and moves slowly from table to table until he reaches the counter. "What happened?" He points boldly at her leg.
Chantry: Carla smiles at the inquisitive little fox-boy. She hops down from her stepstool and walks out from behind the counter and explains, "That's a long story, but I'll sum it up for you real quick like. I got bit by a big cat and it got infected, and the doctors didn't think I'd make it, til one of em from your land came in and said she'd cut it off. I'd lose my leg but keep my life."
Mason: He thinks for a minute. "Does it hurt?"
Chantry: Ragnar, knowing the story, grabs a menu and starts browsing it while stroking his beard.
"Sometimes if I step wrong or when it's real cold out it aches, but she did such a good job I really don't even know it's gone!" She playfully glares at Ragnar, "Unless some gnome we both know forgets to come service this once in a while!" She lifts her fake leg and moves it around.
Mason: He climbs up next to Ragnar and leans over Ragnar's menu.
Chantry: "D'ye know how te' read common?" He says, holding the menu over for Hikaru to see better.
Mason: He looks up and back down. "... Kinda. My mom mostly taught me katakana."
Chantry: "Well, I'm probably not th' best one te' teach ye... Maybe Carla kin one'a these days! We gotta get tha' gun built... let's grab some food. I'll take some bacon, eggs, fried taters and frybread... toss some sausages on there as well, why not?!"
Mason: He looks at Ragnar and back. Then nods.
Chantry: Ragnar laughs, tossing his head back and then says to Carla "Make tha' two... an' two big ol' tankards o' milk!"
Mason: "What about that... Sour stuff Rodrick leaves around. Makes my head tingly.”
Chantry: "Tha' booze brain... leavin' it layin' about tha' you kin get ta it... Tha's probably some form o' burbon..."
Mason: "Can I have... That?"
Chantry: "Well, tha's for grown ups... I don' wanna tell ye how te live, but I'd recommend not..." He says, smiling as Carla comes over with a tray heaping with food.
Mason: He grumbles but Ragnar can't hear it over Hikaru's stomach growling.
Chantry: "Probably best not te' be drunk if yer' wantin' te' help me build tha' gun, too... but don' let me make yer' decisions fir ye!" He shoves a steaming piece of bacon in his mouth. "Ooooh! Ah-aahah! hot!"
Mason: He grabs some food and starts to shovel it with his hands like a wolf.
Chantry: Ragnar just laughs and does the same. They eat in relative silence, other than the occasional grunt or burp. After the plate is clean, the tankards empty, and stomachs full, Ragnar sets a few gold coins on the bar and yells out, "Thanks fir breakfast, Carla! we'll be seein' ye' later!"
Mason: Hikaru dazedly struggles off of the stool in a half food coma.
Chantry: Ragnar laughs and nudges Hikaru. "well, back te' the shop..." He starts walking back, whistling the same Wuxian folk song he was earlier.
Mason: He clutches to Ragnar's cloak.
Chantry: Once back in the shop, Ragnar stokes up the forge and takes his cloak off. He grabs a couple pieces of steel and puts them into the forge and sits down at the bellows to heat them up. "So Hikaru, what sorta animals do ye' like? Me, I'm partial te' Falcons."
Mason: He shrugs. "I don't really think about animals. Except..."
Chantry: "Cept' what?" Ragnar asks, stopping the bellows and looking at you.
Mason: He wanders over next to the steel. "Cept my uncle." His eyes look cold and dark. "... He's always in my head always there and what he did never leaves.... But he will not outlive me."
Chantry: "He th' one who did... all th' bad things te yer family?"
Mason: He turns his baleful, barren gaze onto Ragnar. And nods
Chantry: "Well, we all promised ye' we'd do wha' we could te' help... anyway... let's get started on this gun. Wanna help?"
Mason: Hikaru blinks almost startled and his eyes come back into focus. He nods and runs over to Ragnar.
Chantry: Ragnar grabs a little leather apron and holds it down for Hikaru before starting to pump the bellows again. "These be bellows. ye' pump em te' heat up the forge, more than normal. They force air up from th' bottom of th' fire."
Mason: He watched closely.
Chantry: Ragnar pumps the bellows for a while, then stops and stands up, grabbing a set of tongs. "We use these te' reach in th' forge... don't wanna burn our hands!" He reaches in and pulls out a bright orange-yellow ingot and lays it on the anvil, then repeats the process with the other one, laying them on top of each other. "These be differn't types o' steel. If we weld em together, it'll give us a nice patt'rn." Ragnar grabs a large sledgehammer and smacks the top of the two ingots incredibly hard, setting the weld before he begins a rhythm of hitting the hot metal.
Chantry: After a minute of hitting the metal, it's a dull orange. Ragnar picks it up with the tongs and returns it to the forge and sits back down at the bellows. "See, th' metal is too cold te' work now... so we gotta heat it back up! we'll draw it out an' then fold it, twist it, fold it again, an' then maybe add another fun patt'rn!"
Mason: "Like... Falcons?"
Chantry: "Nae, iff'in we wanted te' add a falcon, we'd do it at the end with an engraver. We coul' add another type o' steel and make it look like it's got stars in it, or one tha' makes it look like it's on fire, or even a lightnin' bolt!"
Mason: He nods and watches some more.
Chantry: A few hours pass, Ragnar explaining things as he goes and even letting Hikaru swing a hammer a few times. Ragnar is about to put the ingot back in the forge, and then pulls it back out. "Let's make it lightnin' why don' we?”
Mason: He nods.
Chantry: Ragnar takes some bright, shiny metal wire and hammers it into the hot ingot, shaping it into a lightning pattern. As it cools down, he shows Hikaru the pattern and explains that when they start shaping the frame and barrel, the pattern will look like the lightning is shooting down the barrel.
Chantry: As the day passes, the gun starts taking shape. They forge the barrel blank, the receiver, and bolt assembly. Ragnar clamps the barrel in a vice and slowly drills the bore. "Say young Hikaru, kin ye' go pick out a piece o' wood fir th' stock?" He says, pointing at the rifle blanks.
Mason: He walks over and begins picking through the wood.
Chantry: "Somethin' tha' catches yer' eye..."
Mason: He grabs a nice red brown blank.
Chantry: "Ah, a nice walnut. good choice!" The evening wears on, the work becoming slow and monotonous, as a lot of it is now hand filing and test fitting... as the early hours of the next morning start creeping close, the receiver drops into the now shaped blank. Ragnar attaches the barrel and sets a couple pins, holding it all together. "Well, whatt'ye think?"
Mason: He tries to take hold of it but it seems a little large for him to wield
Chantry: "Little big, eh? Well, tha' might be fir th' best... this rifle is fir' an adult... Do ye' like how it looks, though?"
Mason: He nods.
Chantry: A huge smile erupts across his face. "Well good! It'll hang on th' wall in yer' room til' yer' old enough te' use it." Ragnar hands it to Hikaru.
Mason: "But... I thought it was an order?"
Chantry: "It was. Rodrick ordered it for ye'."
Mason: Hikaru shuffles uncomfortable by the emotions churning inside him.
Chantry: "It's okay, son. Ain't no reason te' feel bad or anythin'... it's a gift. te' show ye' we care."
Mason: He shuffles some more and mumbles some thanks.
Chantry: "Yer' welcome, Hikaru. You was a great help today, ye' wanna learn te' gunsmith?"
Mason: He nods.
Chantry: "Well, I'll teach ye then! But not tonight. It's late an' I'm tired. Let's git some sleep..." Ragnar closes the forge door and starts heading upstairs.
Mason: He moseys over to the stairs and follows.