The Pickup

    Naniko isn't really out much without a weapon. She doesn't fight when she doesn't have to, and even when she does, she's almost always using her magic more than anything else, and then almost always to get away. Still, Miho's production of something better than starter weapons has Naniko back at the forge checking on the progress. She's not entirely sure what's coming out of it, since she wasn't very specific going into it. She merely trusts Miho to make her something interesting, if not amazing.

Miho had been working on the weapon for a while she was making sure she got it right for Naniko. While it has been finished fo r awhile Miho had been on one job or another so she'd had to send word to Naniko to come get it. She's working away as Naniko arrive and he dog a big old mine dog comes to greet her with a boof!

"I'll be out in a moment!"

    Naniko has never been a dog person, per se, but she doesn't mind friendly animals. She has absolutely all the water in the world to wash with, so a giggling wriggling is all the dog's friendly attentions are met with. Why do dogs always go for the face, anyway? In any event, the bluenette doesn't seem that bothered by the licking of her face. She even pets the dog some.
    "Okay," she says. "Ack! Get down, boy. Down. Sit!"

The big dog pause and sits thumping it's tail on the floor but it seems to be listening so that's good news. Miho finall comes out with a smithing apron on over her normal forge gear.

"Oh Naniko? Here for your weapons?" She ask while heading to the main counter and bending down to get something out of sight. The dod meanwhile give Naniko the pet me look but does not move save for the thumb of it's tail.

    Naniko moves to pet the dog, rewarding him for being such a good boy. She looks at Miho. "Yes," she says. "I'm very curious what you came up with. I assume it's something thematically appropriate? Or maybe just amazing? I know you're very good at what you do."

Miho says "Each one has a different element as you asked one's water element, ice aspected the other is air based so you never have somethting that won't work if you want to go for an full elemental set that would be fine." The weapons are in a small simple wooden box. If Naniko opens it she'll find that the weapons are shaped and themed from the element with how the hilts and pommels of each are, and the blade may faintly be seen to have a sheen of the element on them when they are held.

    Naniko is immediately drawn to the first of the 'blades'. At first, she's a bit confused about the material choice. The hilt, crossguard, and pommel are an even, smooth sandstone with no marbling. There's classical Undine designs carved into the stone all over. A skillful application of some kind of dark green plant is wrapped around the sandstone handle like a tanto or katana, despite the more european crossguard.
    The blade is as amazing a piece of art as it likely is deadly. The entire blade is made of ice. The business end is glassy and clear, but the back of the blade toward the hilt has something mixed in to make it look like a wave breaking against the shore of the hilt. Naniko knows that ice doesn't like to be sharp, since water likes to make round shapes, but a quick test with her other hand lets her feel how sharp, and slick, the blade is. She actually whistles at the razor's edge she feels. The thin layer of water the blade seems to want to accumulate from the air only serves to make it more slick, which should keep it sliding through anything she's cutting at. She slaps it against something firm a few times, but it doesn't break. It's obviously not mundane ice. She carefully puts it back into the box.

Miho lets Naniko take in the work hopefully she'll be pleased with the order. Given Miho was given a lot of leeway with ths commission she can only hope it turned out good. Sh watches her work and grins. "So does this meet your approval?"

    "It feels surprisingly nice in the hand," Naniko says with a nod. "I wouldn't mind a matched set."
    Naniko has significantly less experience with Air magic, though it's her second-strongest field, tied with Fire. Fire, she thinks she might have thoughts about, but air? How does one make a blade for air? She draws the second weapon from the box. The handle is wrapped in leather. She can tell that there's a separation that goes from the blades to the pommel through the handle. The weapon looks like it's made of silver, save for the divider and the leather grip. The blade section is wider overall, as each of the two blades has to serve as a knife on its own. It is a double-edged affair, but there's enough space to lose a pea between the two halves. It's not immediately obvious to Susan, but as she flexes her aerial magic into the blade, sparks run up the gap like a Jacob's ladder. She raises a blue eyebrow.
    "Okay," she says unable to stop a smirking smile from tugging a corner of her mouth up, "that's surprisingly cool." She pushes more energy into it to fill out the effect. "Two matched sets, though...I'm gonna need more sheathes for all this," she says, looking down at her poncho-obscured form.

Miho says "Good! I'm glad it's worked out." She watches the blade for a momen with out another word and she laughs at the mention of more sheathes. "I fear I'll have to order out for those and if you want another set i'd be happy to do it. If you are happy with it I gues all that's left is ti pay for this one and ot think if you want to order a earth and a fire one, yes?"

    "That's an accessory," Naniko says, shaking her head. "I make those. It's fine." She looks at the blades and considers. She reaches behind herself and fumbles in a fanny pack before pulling out an amount of money that's not quite enough. "I, um...I don't really do quests very much," she says. "I don't think I'm going to be able to get a set of all four elements."

Miho says "Mmm could exchange services to make up the rest as I can't make asccessoires and i have a few things to order. Would that work for you?" She leans on the counter looking at Naniko with a grin on her face. "We'll work something out. I do like my craft after all!"

    "If I have to pick," Naniko says, "I would like a set of water blades. I feel like the energies flowing through would make a good focus. But I also need to get more into crafting. Also," she continues, "if you have any mysteries that need solving or locks you need opened, I can absolutely do that. But...I can offer my services to make accessories for the weapons you make. I think people might appreciate good sheathes and such to house their amazing gear."

Miho says "How about this I put you on retainer for your work on locks nad mysteris and you pay off your commission with work for me?" She tilts her head alittle bit. She'll hold out her hand "So dow e got a deal?"

    Naniko shrugs. "You convinced me to even work toward new weapons in the first place," she says. "I suppose working to enrich your business is only fair." She extends a hand. It's very clear in that moment that she's American at heart.

Miho shakes. "Good then and onced you pay off any commission i could help you sell your things too. that cna come later, Though you should get out and be more social with people, you are one of the most hermit people i know."

    Naniko's lips tighten. "Yes, well," she says, "I'm pretty justified after all the crap the palace landers pulled and the griefers and anything else. I'm trying hard not to die, especially after we learned what it does to memory. It's hard to be betrayed and killed if you keep out of sight."

Miho says "but you are also alone if trouble finds you. Your a big girl so I won't press it, your life is up to you. Right is there anything else I can do for you Naniko?"

    "You are missing the fact that I asked you out...that...was kind of a huge deal for me. I let you talk me into helping you here and getting new weapons and...look, you got me to come out of my shell. Yeah, you're not interested, but I'm trying, now, okay?"

Miho sighs. "If I had realized what the intention was before it I would have said something. I'm clueless as a forge hammer." She does seem to feel reget at that. "You are..."

    Naniko looks apprehensive as she waits for the next bit of that. "I am..." she says. "Trying?" she tries. "Adorable? Because yes," she says, a bit cocky and playful about it.