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Cassandra Adama's Metallurgic Emporium


Ashbringer

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A knock. Cassie was too focused on the metal before her, so she simply Pulled the door open. "Come in!" she yelled, probably a bit louder than necessary.

A figure stood on the doorstep. She couldn't quite make her out... something about the smoke from the forge?

No. This was something else.

Cassie dunked the axehead into water - it would probably need to be fixed later, but whatever - and nodded to the customer. "I'm Cassandra Adama. What can I get for you?"

She paused. Hmm. "Are you here for a pickup?"

@kenod

* * *

Poller walked quickly through the alleyways - lowercase A, thankfully. It was getting dark out, and the Alleycity was not a place one wanted to be wandering parts at night, fairy tale eldritch monsters or not. Fortunately Cassie's shop was in a better part of town.

Which... didn't change all that much about the situation, now that Poller thought about it.

The Lightweaved woman was following, not close but they were obviously together. Well not together together, but - oh dear, it did look focus Poller this is important. He lowered his tapping on bronze - it was running low anyway. Well, relatively low. He kept a lot of bronze stores for emergencies.

"That's it there," he said, pointing to the storefront. Then he stopped. "There's... someone at the door?"

@Ookla the Uscritic

Edited by Ookla Fell From The Sky
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9 hours ago, Ookla Fell From The Sky said:

A knock. Cassie was too focused on the metal before her, so she simply Pulled the door open. "Come in!" she yelled, probably a bit louder than necessary.

A figure stood on the doorstep. She couldn't quite make her out... something about the smoke from the forge?

No. This was something else.

Cassie dunked the axehead into water - it would probably need to be fixed later, but whatever - and nodded to the customer. "I'm Cassandra Adama. What can I get for you?"

She paused. Hmm. "Are you here for a pickup?"

Shade nodded. "I've been asked to pick up an order for the Anarchist?" She said, not entirely certain. She hadn't been given a fake name to use, so she figured that whoever ran the shop was aware of him, but it still felt wrong, using his actual name instead of some sort of pseudonym. It felt unsafe too, a good way to accidentally get caught out.

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Cassie nodded. That was good enough for her. She didn't really have to worry about thieves, especially if they knew her main client's name.

"That cart has the main supplies," she said, pointing. "Is that all you'll need?"

She paused. "Actually, I'll probably come with you. I can close down for a while, and I've got some experience with Lord."

And I need to find those spikes.

@kenod

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Shade nodded, grabbing the cart. "I understand," she said. "You're one of the Anarchist's associates?" She felt slightly curious that the woman would help directly with something like this, not many people who'd want to directly participate in an attack on a guild, even mercenaries and assassins might get a few second thoughts, since it could turn all the other guilds against them, as well as law enforcement.
@Ookla Fell From The Sky

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Aln followed Poller toward the building, talking urgently to Folorian. "Unfortunately, now isn't a great time to stop and chat. The Guild was attacked, possibly even destroyed - I had to flee. And there's something else, too, something strange. This man, Poller, is taking us somewhere secure where we can discuss privately. Running across you was a real stroke of luck - if this is what I fear it might be, we'll need all the help -" she cut off as Poller stopped, pointing at the door, where a customer had just entered. He seemed unusually surprised at what seemed like an everyday occurence. "Is that going to be a problem?" she asked him.

@Ookla Fell From The Sky @mathiau

Quote

Post I was referring to:

On 12/9/2020 at 9:44 PM, Ookla Fell From The Sky said:

Poller walked quickly through the alleyways - lowercase A, thankfully. It was getting dark out, and the Alleycity was not a place one wanted to be wandering parts at night, fairy tale eldritch monsters or not. Fortunately Cassie's shop was in a better part of town.

Which... didn't change all that much about the situation, now that Poller thought about it.

The Lightweaved woman was following, not close but they were obviously together. Well not together together, but - oh dear, it did look focus Poller this is important. He lowered his tapping on bronze - it was running low anyway. Well, relatively low. He kept a lot of bronze stores for emergencies.

"That's it there," he said, pointing to the storefront. Then he stopped. "There's... someone at the door?"

@Ookla the Uscritic

Edited by Ookla the Uscritic
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Cassie opened her mouth to respond to the... collector, but stopped as another customer entered the room. This one looked... somewhat familiar?

"Yes," she replied to the Anarchist's friend. It was more complicated than that, but there wasn't really much she could elaborate on. I'm working with the Anarchist, but am also now an informant for the Ghostbloods? Probably not what she was looking for.

"I'll catch up. Let me know if you need anything more!" she said, then turned to the newcomer, the man holding aluminum.

"Yes, I'm Cassandra Adama. I was just about to head out for the night for some errands, but if you need something I have time."

* * *

Poller didn't know who this was, but he was rather glad to not be alone with... rusts, what even was her name? Either she hadn't offered it or he'd forgotten in the relative chaos of the day. Anyway... bringing a group to Cassie's shop was more explainable tha-

Darkness.

Poller tapped bronze, staggering. Great. Another episode. Just what he needed.

"Is that going to be a problem?" the woman was asking.

"Uh... it shouldn't be," Poller responded. "Depends if you know who they are, because I don't. But usually a normal customer going about their business doesn't wait for a person to open the door."

He hesitated, grabbing his staff from his back and leaning on it. "Also... I must have missed it or... are we sure we can trust...". He shook his head to clear it a bit. "Sorry. Who are you?" he asked, pointing to the man who'd joined their journey.

@kenod @Ookla the Uscritic @mathiau

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Definitely didn't forget if Poller knows Aln's name or not.

 

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3 minutes ago, Ookla Fell From The Sky said:

He hesitated, grabbing his staff from his back and leaning on it. "Also... I must have missed it or... are we sure we can trust...". He shook his head to clear it a bit. "Sorry. Who are you?" he asked, pointing to the man who'd joined their journey.

"Yes. We can trust Folorian. He's my guildmember and friend." Aln forced herself to ignore the man's odd stumbling, forced herself to overlook the mysterious customer, forced herself to store all the intriguing information about this place in the back of her mind. They were surrounded by little mysteries, any of which she would normally have sat down with and picked apart, notebook in hand. But she was facing a larger problem, a more daunting one, and the pieces were slowly beginning to come together. Forgery, said a section of her mind, finally connecting a few dots. That's where you'd get dual memories. A soulstamp. 

"Once we're in your private place, I'll explain it all," Aln promised. "But I've already been attacked once tonight; I'm not confident we're safe."

@mathiau @Ookla Fell From The Sky

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9 hours ago, Ookla Fell From The Sky said:

Cassie opened her mouth to respond to the... collector, but stopped as another customer entered the room. This one looked... somewhat familiar?

"Yes," she replied to the Anarchist's friend. It was more complicated than that, but there wasn't really much she could elaborate on. I'm working with the Anarchist, but am also now an informant for the Ghostbloods? Probably not what she was looking for.

"I'll catch up. Let me know if you need anything more!" she said, then turned to the newcomer, the man holding aluminum.

"Yes, I'm Cassandra Adama. I was just about to head out for the night for some errands, but if you need something I have time."

"When I've come a few day ago and your assistant, the Poller kid, couldn't find what I was looking for so I assume you'll have to soulcast it yourself" he showed Cassandra the nails "These are recharges for the compounder metalmind at my wrist, see the screw thread on the head? It's so I can have they stuck in my aluminiumind without needing a hammer to put them in"

"... been attacked once tonight; I'm not confident we're safe."

NullBlade turned toward the origin of the voice, and saw a woman whose face seemed slightly familiar, he thought he must have seen her in a... guild manifesto? Yes, she was the leader of guild, or at least an important member of one. He could not remember which but even if it was the weakest guild of the city it was worrying, either the crime syndicate was becoming bolder or worse: a guild had broken the truce.

"Excuse me, did you say something about an attack?"

***

Even after all these years, hearing Aln call him her friend still made him smile like an idiot, like at the time he thought no one would ever want to be close to him again, especially not one like Aln.

And you don't want to know why you were like that?

It's because they'd taken my only friend away from me

Hmm... lie...

Of course it was a lie, Aliece wouldn't have hatted him if it was true.

I'm not sure I want to remember what I did to her, doesn't seem like the right time to unearth 18 years old mistakes.

Hmm... lie... We're finally making progress here.

"Alanis and the Guild everything I have, I wouldn't betray either even if my life was on the line

Hmm.. not a lie... Good

Let's hope we never find whether it's true

@Ookla Fell From The Sky@Rushu42

Edited by mathiau
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It was night when Zaria and her lightspren Orb finally found the Metallurgy shop. "Ok, Orb. I found it, now what."

"Did you forget? You came here to ask for a job."

"Well I know that! I don't however, know HOW to ask for a job."

"I think you walk in there and say can I have a job."

"You are no help whatsoever. I guess I'll just have to wing it, and hope no one there has met me before. That would be awkward."

Zaria walked over an knocked on the door.

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Cassie sighed. Such was the life of a businesswoman. Have nothing to do for hours, and then the second she got into her head another activity, people poured through her door like mercury though her Soulcasting molds. At least the helper of the Anarchist - Shade? - had left. 

The first customer made and explanation about the aluminum charges - he burned aluminum that he imbedded in his skin? she may have to look into that - so she grabbed one to use as a template and hustled to her work station. She could duplicate it fairly easily, and she was eager to be off.

"Excuse me, did you say something about an attack?"

Cassandra's head shot up as the customer turned, and Poller entered the building, accompanied by two... Scholar's Guild members, she thought. Another customer stood outside the door. Well, it looked like the boy had found a hobby, at least. He looked rather sheepish.

Wait. Storms, the attack? Did they know what the Anarchist was planning? Would she have to warn him?

"Poller? What's this-"

BOOM.

Her shop shook, a pile of plate armor crashing to the ground. Well, suddenly advance warning of an attack didn't seem to matter much.

"Rusts! What was that?" she said, stabilizing herself with her gloved safehand.

@Random Bystander @Rushu42 @mathiau

Quote

So that would be the explosion of The Trader's Haven, which Cassie very much wants to "go check out". Figured I'd give you guys a chance to react to it before she and Poller start deciding things.

 

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The explosion's noise and blast from the explosion where enough to take Folorian out of his trance for a few seconds, which was enough for him to notice Zaria was there

"Er, I think we should investigate that before going to the safe house."

***

NullBlade put the nails and the counter and walked toward the exit

"I'm going to investigate that explosion, I'll come back later"

@Random Bystander@Rushu42@Ookla Fell From The Sky

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Zaria began to knock on the door, but then froze. 

"Was that an EXPLOSION!!! I think it was... What do we DO??? Zaria? Are you listening to me?"

"Yes Orb, I am listening. I'm just confused... Why was there an explosion? Ugh... I'm guessing we'll have to come back tomorrow, so I think we should just wait in that alley over there."

Without thinking, Zaria attuned Irritation. She walked over to the alley, and sat down.

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Poller hesitated. Cassie didn't seem to have much of a reaction to his reappearance, but whatever that sound was seemed to jar her. Rusts, it jarred him.

He turned to where Folorian and the woman who'd asked for his help were standing, still hesitating on the threshold of the store. Folorian... he hoped he was mentally pronouncing that right. He was suggesting going to investigate the explosion. Weren't they just running from an attack? And now they wanted to go find another one?

"I think this is too important," he whispered, trying not to let the others hear. "Besides, I don't know about you, but I'm a noncombatant. I can swing a stick, but besides that I can barely regulate my own sleep."

Well, he thought he was a noncombatant. It was getting hard to tell. If everything he knew was a lie...

 

Cassie nodded to the man with the aluminum spikes as he departed. She'd Soulcast some copies later. For now, she needed to get to the Trader's Haven before things got out of hand. 

She checked her dress's pockets. A lot of little knives, some aluminum, some steel - good. She'd been practicing a few tricks with them - being a Coinshot may take more glory than a Lurcher like herself, but that didn't mean she couldn't use her Allomancy. She ran back to her desk, grabbing a leathery thing from under it.

Technically it was a bandolier, although it probably wasn't like any most had seen. Leather with a long string of pockets, some wide, some thin, all with aluminum clasps. Meant to hold spare amethysts and iron vials, respectively. On the back was space for two dirks, and at her hip was a simple knapsack. Just because it was meant for battle didn't mean it couldn't be efficient, after all.

Rather like herself. Built, Invested, created to be dangerous. Combative. But that didn't mean that was her destiny.

She chose that destiny for herself.

"I'm going to check that explosion out," Cassie said, pretending that it wasn't fairly obvious. She filled the few empty pouches in the bandolier, hesitating as he found the most recent shipment of Lord's amethysts. Gemstones bought with blood. No, Cassie protested. Metal, not blood. It didn't change how sick she felt about it. Maybe she could steal more from him in this raid, or even better find how he created them for so cheap.

"Poller, you're in charge of the shop while I'm gone. You know what to do."

And she hurried out after the aluminum burner. Towards Lord's shop. Towards... 

Retribution.

@mathiau

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40 minutes ago, Ookla Fell From The Sky said:

Poller hesitated. Cassie didn't seem to have much of a reaction to his reappearance, but whatever that sound was seemed to jar her. Rusts, it jarred him.

He turned to where Folorian and the woman who'd asked for his help were standing, still hesitating on the threshold of the store. Folorian... he hoped he was mentally pronouncing that right. He was suggesting going to investigate the explosion. Weren't they just running from an attack? And now they wanted to go find another one?

"I think this is too important," he whispered, trying not to let the others hear. "Besides, I don't know about you, but I'm a noncombatant. I can swing a stick, but besides that I can barely regulate my own sleep."

Well, he thought he was a noncombatant. It was getting hard to tell. If everything he knew was a lie...

"We're mostly non-combatant, but we're both radiants, and Aln's a truthwatcher, we will be useful in saving whoever survived the attack."

He tuned toward Alanis "Although I am out of stormlight, do you have enough to share?"

Quote

For the pronunciation of Folorian, the two o are normal o sounds the i is pronounce like the letter e and the an is a sound that doesn't exist in english, it's the nasal version of the a of star so maybe try pronouncing that a while try to speak with your nose? I'm not a French teacher, no idea how to explain that. Anyway if Poller's from Scadrial he should pronounce it right

Also, I doubt Cassandra would've be able to understand what NullBlade's powers are, he asked for compounder bracelets so she probably believe he's a double aluminium metalborn that really don't want to be affected by things like emotional allomancy

 

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On 12/20/2020 at 3:45 PM, mathiau said:

"We're mostly non-combatant, but we're both radiants, and Aln's a truthwatcher, we will be useful in saving whoever survived the attack."

He tuned toward Alanis "Although I am out of stormlight, do you have enough to share?"

 

Quote

Zaria is also a radiant, so she can loan you a few spheres.

"Hey Orb! I think something is going on over there, could you check? I think they would notice me."

"Yes, I will do that."

"Thanks."

Orb zooms off, stays for a few minutes, and zooms back.

"They are going to check out the explosion. They said it was an attack."

"Oh."

"Ok, let's talk to them. Maybe we can join them."

"Why would we do that?"

"Come on Zaria, you KNOW you want to."

"I will talk to them only if they come over here. I just got here, and I will stay here."

"You are stubborn."

Ignoring Orb, Zaria grabs some food from her bag, and eats it.

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Aln stood, torn, as the others began to scatter, running towards what had apparently been a distant explosion. No, she thought desperately. Not now. But there was no denying the reality of it. She was just about to suggest staying clear of whatever had caused that when Folorian spoke up. 

On 12/20/2020 at 5:45 PM, mathiau said:

"We're mostly non-combatant, but we're both radiants, and Aln's a truthwatcher, we will be useful in saving whoever survived the attack."

He tuned toward Alanis "Although I am out of stormlight, do you have enough to share?"

Well, that settled things. She could hardly let Folorian down. Stifling a curse, she shoved a hand into a pocket and drew out a handful of spheres, most still it. "I've only got this. I suggest saving it for potential wounded."

And, handing him half, she started running with the others. She could feel Pel projecting approval across his bond, but somehow that just frustrated her more. I don't have time for this! The Guild is occupied, and I've got mysteries coming out my ears! I should turn back and work this out. But she didn't slacken her pace.

Quote

I'll put a post of her arriving in the other thread, where we can pick up the conversation.

 

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Orb pesters Zaria for about 5 minutes.

"Come on Zaria, I bet they would be happy to have your help. You could re-shape anything that fell on anyone. People are probably trapped there."

"FINE! I will go check out the explosion, but only to make you SHUT UP!!!"

"Yay! Adventure!"

Zaria packs her stuff away, drinks a bendalloy vial, and runs toward the explosion site.

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  • 3 weeks later...

Aln awoke with a compounded sense of disorientation. Memories warred in her mind, contradictory recollections fighting for precedence. For several terrifying moments, she had no idea where she was. 

Thankfully, clarity returned with concentration, and she recognized her surroundings as a makeshift bed in the back room of Cassandra Adama's Metallurgic Emporium. Hand on her head, she climbed to her feet. She appeared to have risen earlier than either of her companions, so rather than disturb them, she set off to locate writing materials and a table.

Aln stared at the blank paper now set before her. Some strange apprehension filled her as she reached for the pen, and she found herself hesitating. It was quite a day yesterday, wasn't it? she thought instead.

"Quite a day," Pel agreed. "But an enlightening one, in some ways. You did well."

These memories, she thought quietly, they're not pleasant, are they?

Pel was silent.

If I really try to remember them, she continued, it'll be dangerous. I won't be happier for knowing.

"Would you rather live in ignorance? In a lie?"

The answer to that was obvious. Taking a deep breath, Aln picked up her pen and began to write everything she could recall.

@mathiau @Ashbringer

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Folorian entered the room and scanned it for persons, trying to count seconds despite not being able to feel them. One Mississippi, two Mississippi. Having found Alanis, and deduces from her posture she was writing something, he went to her and looked at what she was writing.

"You're witting what you remember of the other reality?" he said and lightwove at the same time.

@Rushu42@Ashbringer

Edited by mathiau
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12 hours ago, mathiau said:

"You're witting what you remember of the other reality?" he said and lightwove at the same time.

 

Aln looked up, still writing, and blinked. Folorian's words, usually just faded, were flickering rapidly, akin to someone playing with a light switch. Her brain, she realized, simultaneously viewed him as a close friend and a mere acquaintance, and her Nightwatcher bane was reacting to that. Thankfully, Folorian had thought to lightweave as well.

"Yes," she replied. "It is... a surreal experience, to say the least." She gave a faint smile. "I'm trying to focus on the most important aspects of the memories, but there's much to be distracted by.  In the other reality, for example, I cowrote a really fascinating paper on converting between forms of Investiture, and now I have several theories on what Investiture looks like in its most basic form, untainted by a Shard's Intent."

@mathiau @Ashbringer

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Clank.

Poller's eyes shot open as the device strapped to his chest deactivated, removing a molded bronze piece from his skin. He'd had the thing constructed to help him sleep on a mostly normal schedule. He didn't use it that often - there was some value in his capabilities for being open 24 hours a day - but he... really needed his sleep. Perhaps later he would have time to work the bronzemind into a section of his staff.

He wandered out of his bed, grabbed his staff and the charged plate, pulled a shirt on - he'd evidently gone to sleep in most of his clothes - and carefully made his way to where he'd let Aln and Folorian rest for the night. The two appeared to be already at work writing down... something.

Poller knocked on the half-open door, then walked in. "So... what's the plan to do now? I don't even... I don't even really know what it is you're looking for."

@Rushu42 @mathiau

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6 hours ago, Ashbringer said:

Poller knocked on the half-open door, then walked in. "So... what's the plan to do now? I don't even... I don't even really know what it is you're looking for."

 

It took Aln a moment to realize that Poller had entered the room. In her distraction, she had neglected to face her chair towards the door, and it was only through a chance flicker in the corner of her vision that she saw him at all. "Ah," she said, "I'm sorry, did you say something?" 

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16 hours ago, Rushu42 said:

It took Aln a moment to realize that Poller had entered the room. In her distraction, she had neglected to face her chair towards the door, and it was only through a chance flicker in the corner of her vision that she saw him at all. "Ah," she said, "I'm sorry, did you say something?" 

"Uh... yeah."

Poller hesitated, brow furowing. He'd... he'd talked to Aln before. Folorian was a bit strange sometimes, yeah, but he hadn't even looked up at him, and Aln had somehow missed... everything he'd said?

Rusts, were they both deaf?

Aln it seemed could read lips just fine. So... no matter, Poller supposed. "I was... I was asking if you had a plan. Or a solution. Or... well, any idea what it is that we have here."

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