Days of our Lives (Cloud/Squish)

Discussion in 'Northern Hyrule' started by Cloud, Apr 24, 2016.

  1. Cloud

    Cloud friend admin

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    "Uh," he spoke, thinking to himself, Well, if he insists... And with that, he made his way out to the forge.

    His forge wasn't a massive deal-- and for most smiths, a forge should never dictate what the forge can or cannot smith. "A lot of these are what I would consider knightly weapons. Some, though, are being forged with a greater purpose in mind. I'm planning to give most of them to the Royal Guard, see, so I want them to be perfect," he said, organizing his forge. HE dumped charcoal in, and lit it up.

    "See, this part's called the fuller-- it makes the sword lighter," Julius said, pointing at where the sword's shape dipped. "This is important because you want the blade to be as light as possible-- but not too light, see? A longsword with no weight behind it is useless. I would go for... A falchion, or scimitar, really, if I were trying to make a blade as light as possible. This is because those weapons are meant for slicing, really, not stabbing."

    He gently lifted a broadsword that was black and gold. In the middle, it looked like he was going for more of a flamberge, but hd you pointed this out, Julius would have said it was just for style. "You know, after what we went through in Starsend, I'm genuinely surprised that I received no invitation to join the Royal Guard." Julius polished the blade further, it being basically complete. "Then again, I'm almost literally a one-man army. Plus, we've got plans to extend our fleet into the skies as well. I imagine I'll actually head that branch, once we get there. In case you didn't know, we're planning to build... a Great Flying Machine. It's still being drawn up, but eventually..."

    He set the sword in its scabbard. It was designed after a sword of myth and legend, after all-- the blade and scabbard both. It had a hilt that was reminiscent of wings, but flipped so it faced away from the blade. After all, he didn't want to offend its soul.

    "But anyways. While I do have work to do, I'd enjoy some help. Like I said, it's getting to be a bit much."

    He turned over a large sword-- having to lift it with two hands. "This, meanwhile, is my own blade. I've already got one of Mirror Silver, true, but... I felt this to be necessary to expand my arsenal. Eventually, I'm going to make it out of Splinter Crystal and Goron Iron, using various techniques and a little something known as Master Ore. Still have no idea where to get that, though, while I can just make Goron Iron. It's a little bit of a complex recipe-- needing anywhere from one to three Luminous Rocks. Gathering those up requires going deep into the mountains, though, so I'd be surprised if I managed to get my hands on even two."

    What was basically the Royal Crest was its hilt, made of gleaming gold. "Not bad, if I do say so myself. I think it's shaping up to be a real beauty." He gave it a few practice swings-- there wasn't an edge, so no one could really get hurt. Still, though, this was going to be his finest piece.
  2. Squishy

    Squishy tl;dr this is all, still, toko's fault admin

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    Silas followed Julius outside. So this was where the man spent most of his free time? It was small, yet neatly organised and filled with weapons in progress. Weapons that Julius started pulling out and showing to him, naming the styles and details of every one. Silas nodded, smiling at the man's enthusiasm and knowledge. It wasn't often that he saw a Hylian forge up close.

    The Sheikah's smile faltered when Julius mentioned Starsend, their trials inside the portal still fresh in his mind. The endless expanse of stars, the stifling atmosphere, the terror- No. He told himself, that was behind now. They made it out alive. He shook his head.

    "I suppose you can never have too many blades." Silas said, lips curling into a smile, a playful gleam returning to his eyes. "How about wielding all of them at the same time? That'd be a sight." He laughed.

    "If you need a hand, I have one on offer. Although I do think I might need an explanation." As a spy and servant to the Royal Family, there had been very little need for it, as the clan had its own dedicated artisans. And besides, if Silas had had a choice of craft, he would have drifted more towards textile ones. But it never hurt to try something new, and if he could be of help to a friend, all the better.
  3. Cloud

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    "Hah," Julius laughed. "While you'd be right in saying I can never have too many blades, blades aren't all I work on. For instance, I could work on, say, a Ball and Chain... The only problem is finding one." Julius laughed, again. Hearing what would come out of Silas' mouth next was, in Julius' mind, frankly outrageous. "Going into a battle without a shield is nonsense, but I suppose it can be done. Not that I'd ever support it," he said while reorganizing more of his forge.

    "Anyways, help would be useful," Julius said, reigniting his forge. "A lot of the blades I'm working on are specifically for the Hyrule Guard, so I'm not gonna let you touch those. You can look, though, and I suppose they'd be the ones nearest completion." He indicated with his hammer at which ones they were. "Fine blades all around, though I doubt they'd ever really bother with more complex materials than steel," Julius said, making sure the forge was ready.

    "While not all artisans are expected to produce constant, high-quality work, I believe that it's what every artisan should strive for. But... Everyone seems to expect nothing but the highest quality, and while that may be what I serve ninety-nine percent of the time, there are still a few mistakes that I don't catch, every now and again." The fires of the forge were raging right now-- anything he put in there would likely melt. "Ah, forge is too hot," he said, waiting for the fires to calm. "Anyways, while we wait for the forge to cool, why don't we..." Julius remained still in thought. "Why don't you describe to me your ideal weapon? That's something I never get tired of hearing," Julius said, still keeping an eye on the forge, but searching for a notepad nonetheless.
  4. Squishy

    Squishy tl;dr this is all, still, toko's fault admin

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    "My ideal weapon?"

    Silas folded his arm over his chest, leaning against a workbench as he thought.

    "Well... I don't use that many, really. A crossbow, knives, mostly. And needles, but where they come from or how they're made is a secret." He started, giving Julius a wink before turning serious again. "I suppose we're less attatched to individual weapons than Hylians might be. A weapon doesn't make a Sheikah, they're just tools to us. But it's important to have the right tools, and of good quality, too. So, something for close combat, definitely." He took the knife from its sheath on his back, showing it to Julius.

    "Like this. It's a traditional weapon of our clan. We don't fight with large swords, they're too limiting for our style of combat, too big. Sheikah prefer smaller and lighter weapons." The blade was single-edged, about as long as his lower arm without its handle. "I suppose my ideal weapon would be much like this. Perhaps with a thicker blade to pierce armour if need be." Silas almost looked affectionately at the weapon. "I've been wielding this since I was appointed as my father's successor. It's... a little old, but it's served me well." Then, he grinned.

    "But wouldn't it be incredible if it was enchanted with lightning?"
  5. Cloud

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    "Mmmm. Shock gems are..." Julius thought for a moment, still concentrated on his work. Once he'd finished his task, he returned to the conversation. "Shock gems are pretty cheap. Their price varies, but they're one of the more common types of elemental gems. They tend to go for a fairly low price, so 'upgrading' it," Julius scoffed. He knew he;d be making him a new knife entirely. "Upgrading it wouldn't really be all that expensive. And, for you, I wouldn't even charge. With manpower, I'd say... something like thirty-six rupees? But no charge, so twenty-four." He explained, proceeding to take a long drink of water.

    "Anyways. Aaaaaaanyways," he spoke, looking for a hammer. This was a special hammer. Used for more delicate tasks, like bending smaller things, not pounding on metal. "Here it is," he said, returning to work at his forge. "What other kinds of materials would you want in your 'ideal' weapon? Bear in mind, one smith can only do so much," he chuckled to himself, doing some ornamentation work on a Royal Guard's weapon. "Oh, right. I can also make ranged weaponry. Comes with the whole 'weaponsmithing' territory. Not like I haven't made them before," he commented. "There was this one guy named Kalvar-- didn't wear any shoes, but I'd be damned if that didn't stop him. I made him a fairly complex bow-- not that I couldn't do better. Actually wanted to be a Guard, too." He sighed. " Anyways, that's a topic for another time."

    "I'm thinking of making myself a bow as well. Though it's likely to be more complex-- more materials, more time on my hands... but that doesn't matter, I suppose." He'd finished the detailing, and heated it more. Then, he stuck it in water. He heated it once more, and then let it cool slowly.
  6. Squishy

    Squishy tl;dr this is all, still, toko's fault admin

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    "Very generous of you." Silas said, inclining his head in thanks. He listened to Julius summing up the weapons he'd made, wondering where on earth he got the time for all that. With his duties for the guard, his travels, life at home... A busy man indeed.

    "A bow? I didn't take you for an archer, Julius. You're full of surprises." Silas tilted his head. "As for other materials... well, I'm not that familiar with their names. I know what we make our weapons out of, roughly, but if I shared it with you our smiths would kill me first and then come after you." He said lightheartedly, as if simply talking about the weather. "So let's not. I'm sure you have your own recipes and methods, anyway." Silas looked thoughtful. "Perhaps... perhaps something to cancel out or block magic? Mirror Silver, something to stun... Hmm. Oh! And a gripskin handle, of course. Don't want to drop it." He grinned. "All that on top of the lightning of course. It would add up nicely to the techniques I've been practising lately."

    He trailed off, listening to the rhythmic clang of the hammer and anvil.

    "So... to get all this done, where do you get the time? Are you going to be taking hours off from the guard?"
  7. Cloud

    Cloud friend admin

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    "Well," Julius began, "why do you think the majority of the weapons I produce are for the Guard, specifically? It's part of my orders, once I refamiliarized myself with smithing." He turned a red-hot blade, hammering its opposite side. "In addition to that, I've got an All-Night mask, which I wear to increase my operating hours pretty frequently. There's this weird, uh, fanfiction I believe is what she called it? It's far from it, but I have a good laugh every time I hear it. I'd really rather not divulge into the details as they are, ahem, rather vulgar, if I do say so myself," Julius recited, almost not even focusing on his smithy work.

    He refocused, deciding it only needed another good two rounds in the forge, then overnight in a solvent. He stuck the blade in there, continuing, "And that is indeed in addition to my work as a Knight of Hyrule, though it is mostly administrative." He kept his eyes on the forge, careful to not let the steel melt, "I pretty rarely go on adventures any more. It feels like I constantly do, though, given how old I am, and how arthritis-ridden I am." He pulled the blade, and started pounding away at it again. "The only reason I was chosen for Starsend is because of how well-prepared I was. It didn't help that I was more capable than most of my superiors, either, what with that stunt I pulled. Lighting that damnable tree on fire, then working with Luna to freeze it," he grimaced. "I'm going to stop talking about this now; I know it makes you uncomfortable. I know you nearly died back then, and I apologize for constantly bringing it back up."

    He put it back into the forge, before continuing, "Don't worry about self-worth. Believe me; for the longest time I was only barely a Knight, especially after failing a pretty important mission. They figured that, since I didn't exactly follow in my father's footsteps, I did not exactly deserve the title of 'Knight of Hyrule'. There are also some who choose to forego the entire knighting ceremony, and simply remain as Guardsmen as well, though." He retrieved it, hammering it once more, before decided to quench it in cold water. Figuring that was enough, he placed it in a solvent solution along with a good number of other blades.

    "Anyways, to answer your earlier question, I'm really not. I figure I'll probably make it out of Everwood, Deku Ironwood, Nullrock, figure out some way to make it have a more forceful impact, Light gems... That should be it, more or less, but I'm sure I'll continue adding onto it as time progresses." He wandered inside, taking Silas with him. Together, they sat. Julius then indulged Silas about what materials could cancel magic -- summoning or otherwise -- out. "Well, there's always Mirror Silver, yes, but there are also Cold Iron and Expel Glass. With a combination, you'd basically deny any kind of magic user of gaining solid ground against you, unless they know certain spells. Urbosa's Fury, I believe, is one of them; that's hardly an attack you can protect yourself from, though, unless you're wearing something like Lightning Weave Cloth." He let out a sigh. "But talking about outfitting is an entirely different story."
  8. Squishy

    Squishy tl;dr this is all, still, toko's fault admin

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    "Ah, don't worry about it. What's happened has happened..." Silas replied. "I'll get over it. I have to, death shouldn't impress someone like me." He grinned, although it didn't quite reach his eyes. "And besides, if you don't bring it up, my own brain will." He left Julius' remark about self-worth for what it was. He knew the man meant well, but for Sheikah, things were a little differently. And it wasn't even so much self-worth as it was self-doubt.

    Back inside, Silas dropped himself in a chair, turning his attention to one of the dogs that came waddling over. "Maybe you could train one of them as your loyal companion? It worked out great for my brother. Although they're cute as they are. Aren't you, boy?" He squished it's cheeks, giving it a goofy grin. "I doubt there's many that know that caliber of magic. But with what's been cropping up over Hyrule lately, I wouldn't be surprised if we ran into someone who does sooner or later... And if we do, you're gonna need more than just a good weapon." He sat for a moment, thinking.

    "Well, you know, I might take up knitting again. I could do it before, so I don't see any reason why I couldn't do it again. ...with some practice, of course. Sewing and the like has always been more my thing. Gotta keep my suit nice and neat, patch up holes, reinforce it, that sort of stuff. It... might not be a bad idea to incorporate something extra while I'm at it." He smiled. "Thanks for the idea, though. It'll give me something to occupy myself between the paperwork and restless nights."

    Silas resumed the ear-scratches when he heard a quiet whine next to his knee. "Seems like this one doesn't want to let me go just yet. Perhaps a spot of tea before I go on my way again? If I haven't been keeping you up too much, that is."
  9. Cloud

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    "Sure," Julius said before getting up and going over to his stove. "I only have black, though. Coffee's more my thing, expensive though it is." Julius put a kettle on before igniting the stove. "I'm much more versed in coffee, though there... aren't really all that many variants of it now, what with Southern Hyrule being gone." He sat again across from Silas.

    "Ah, I remember the... let's say girl, though you wouldn't believe it, who made my raiment. Scary." Julius reflected on his past dealings with Sienna. "Probably should have arrested her, or even slain her, but she was much more powerful than I am. Powerful as in stronger, not... You know what I mean." He then responded to his earlier comment about training them for combat. "I would, but I found them in some dilapidated mansion up north near Snowpeak. I figure to just let them rest. Live out their remaining days in peace, you know?" One of them came trotting over, feet a-tapping and tail wagging.

    He pet the mother, before it decided to lay at his feet. "Anyways..." The kettle began whistling. "Oh!" Julius got up, before pouring two cups of hot water for himself and his friend. Then the teabags came. "Alright. Careful, it's hot."

    Julius didn't really drink his tea. It was too hot, and his stomach didn't really agree with tea most times. "But yeah. That's.. the reasoning for everything pertaining to the dogs, at least. Might not reenlist after the next year or so, either. That experience, coupled with more than enough adventuring to last several lifetimes, is going to kill me sooner or later." Julius laughed, looking into his coffee. "Ahh, but that's... Well, I still need to mull it over. But most likely won't. After all, with this and the upcoming assignment, I'll be a decorated war hero, moreso than with just Starsend under my belt, haha," Julius smiled. "Ahhh, what a life."
  10. Squishy

    Squishy tl;dr this is all, still, toko's fault admin

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    Coffee? Silas tilted his head. He'd had it on a few long and restless nights, but he couldn't say he had any strong opinions on it. It kept him awake, and that was that. He didn't quite like the shakiness it caused in his hands.

    He accepted the tea, letting the mug warm his hand. He had mostly gotten used to feeling it only in one hand now, but at times, he still missed it. The dog nosed his fingers impatiently, staring up at him with big eyes. "Hey, easy." Silas said, smiling. "I've only got one hand and it's full now." He got a whine in response, the dog deciding to lie on his feet, huffing indignantly. Silas shook his head, turning his attention back to Julius. "I suppose you're right. If they're not used to battle, letting them live their life in peace is only fair, no?" He took a sip of piping hot tea. "They seem to have a pretty good life here. And, hmm, if I have the time and you'd like, I could take them outside of town for a walk and some exercise someday?"

    He finished the tea, feeling the warmth spread as he put the empty mug aside.

    What Julius said next surprised him.

    "So, finally retiring from the guard, then?" Silas rest his elbow on the armrest, chin in his palm. "I shouldn't be surprised, not at your age, but still." Silas grinned. His own father had retired not too long ago as well. "Somehow I had this image of you as an unstoppable juggernaut, you know? Retirement just didn't seem like a word that applied to you. But you've more than earned it. Really." He made a thoughtful sound. "Especially after Starsend, no one would blame you. With all these new adventurers on the rise, surely there'll be someone who can take up your position. I'm sure they'll miss you, though." He let the silence hang for a bit. "Probably for the best to go while you still can. I suppose going for one last grand mission is better for the books, but honestly? Those are often the missions that go very, very wrong. The last, or the first." Silas kept his tone light, but there was something earnest in his eyes. "So please, don't. Stay alive okay? I have a feeling Hyrule will need men like you, retired or not. I'll... do my best too."