Zeroth

A New Day; Cozy Fantasy Village Life

--- The Village Center ---

Akitsugu

Early Afternoon
@Xaltwind@ERode

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---

When MacKinnon suddenly got up in his face, Akitsugu didn't flinch. His jawline remained tight, and his eyes were fixed firmly on the mischievous, glittering green gaze of the first person he'd met among all these settlers who had earned his ire.

"It IS mine," he shot back at her, every ounce of him convinced of the matter, "and I believed it was obvious it would be mine when I stated, before: I. Am. A. Blacksmith." He swept an accusatory hand at the tools in the barrel. "What use do YOU have for them, then? Do YOU know how to use them? Can YOU make nails, or axe blades, or ploughshares, or ANY of the other things the rest of these people will need, using MY tools? Clearly you've no idea how to maintain them!"

With a jerk of his head, he indicated the others of the group around them---though whether anyone else had something to weigh in on this building argument, he wasn't of a mind to wait for their opinion. "Those of us who've gathered here, from who knows where, after going through who knows what, have all---unanimously, to my knowledge---agreed to work together for the good of the whole group! Thus I, as the blacksmith, am entitled to the smithy and its contents! Thus Master Brom, as a chef, is entitled to any cookware he may need! And so on for any other professionals among us and whatsoever we may find among these homes! So what is it that YOU do---besides loot your surroundings like a baser, no-good bandit!?"

Akitsugu, coming from a foreign culture that more often placed the good of a family or community over that of an individual, couldn't believe the sheer audacity of the excitable treasure hunter. It also seemed he wasn't taking her jests in good humor, either. True enough, he hadn't made any bombastic announcements or planted any kind of flag on "his" properties, but, true to his word, at the time the man simply hadn't thought it necessary. If someone had told him "by the way, if you don't stake your claim, someone else is going to rob the place," he would've been just as incredulous to that statement as he was in this moment. Why would they take things they couldn't use? Who would they sell them to, among the other poor-as-dirt wanderers too busy fixing up their own claims? Such ideas would've never taken root in Akitsugu's own mind, thus he could not see why they might be relevant to another's point of view.

But, after he'd said his piece, he realized just how angry he'd become. He sucked air through his nose and let out a low sigh, not quite a growl, and tried to compose himself---

"I heard a pretty big crash when I was leaving the area. Might wanna check if your smithy still there, y'know?"

@ERode

Akitsugu's pupils dilated. In the same instant it took his body to trigger that involuntary reaction, the micro-expression of emotion, the left side of his coat-like robe flared outward. His thumb pressed against the tsuba. His right hand locked onto the hilt. An inch of the blade gleamed and the ball of one foot dug into the earth.

"Aki-tan, don't do it!" screamed the sword, in a voice like a young woman.

A New Day; Cozy Fantasy Village Life

@ERode
Akitsugu RN:

Everything is NOT daijobu.

A New Day; Cozy Fantasy Village Life

--- The Village Center ---

Akitsugu

Early Afternoon
@Xaltwind@Dragonydas@Remram@ERode

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---

Brom and Myrr both had interesting thoughts on how to make the best use of their new slimy acquisition, but it was starting to look like the idea of domestication might have to wait for the next Slime they trapped inside a cold, unfeeling pot. The Dwarven man seemed intent on having this one for dinner. Akitsugu couldn't say he wasn't intrigued by the idea, but to be honest he couldn't imagine it tasting very good.

Then again, maybe it would be like...a bitter mochi? Akitsugu had eaten red bean flavored mochi, and matcha flavored, and a few others, but didn't think he'd ever had one he could describe as "acidic."

As they arrived back in the town center, the blacksmith noted the position of the sun. They might end up cutting it close, but he could probably make one more trip for firewood before it got too dark. Right now, though, his arms and hands ached from carrying the two loads he had currently shouldered. With a heaving sigh of relief, he dumped both piles to one side of the longhouse's door, within easy reach for anyone who might want to fuel a fireplace or stove inside, but far enough under the lip of the roof that an unexpected rain shower wouldn't ruin the wood. He began unwinding the vine braces he'd tied around each pile as he listened to the ongoing conversation. The three from the forest hadn't been there for the whole thing, but picked up the last half at the least.

There was seemingly some mystery about the sculpture in the village center, but Akitsugu had nothing to offer on that front. The treasure hunting girl, however, was saying something about collecting furniture to burn?

"Ah!" The redhead suddenly stood up, tossing aside a handful of vines, and turned towards MacKinnon. She was knelt by an empty barrel near the well, washing an assortment of objects. Akitsugu approached her with an upraised hand to get her attention. "Before you start stripping the homes around here for anything that can be burned, you need to check with the others to see if they've laid claims! I told you before that I'm a blacksmith, yes?"

He had come close enough now that the pile of things in the barrel caught his attention. It looked like the girl had made a pretty good haul---there were clay pots that might still be useful, some old rugs that might as least serve for scrap fabric, and lots of other things...including...

"Before we went to the forest, I found the former smithy's house---the furnace, some of the tools, and other things in there were still usable, so I'd appreciate it if the rest of it was left alone until I've had time to sort---"

Wait. Were THOSE the same as---!?

Akitsugu stopped short, and suddenly pointed at MacKinnon's barrel.

"Are those MY tools!? Did you take them from the smithy?!" His voice rose much louder than usual, even compared to when he'd shouted for everyone's attention before. For an instant, his brow furrowed and the corners of lips turned down sharply---but, the next moment, he'd recovered a more neutral expression. Still, there seemed to be a building tension in his jaw.

And then he realized what she was doing.

"ARE YOU USING WATER TO CLEAN IRON TOOLS!?"

He waited for MacKinnon's answer before he decided whether or not to be furious.

A New Day; Cozy Fantasy Village Life

@Xaltwind Where do I stand on the schedule? I started a new job this week so I haven't been checking in as frequently, I'll try to catch up on what's been posted since my last Akitsugu-update.

A New Day; Cozy Fantasy Village Life

--- Springwood Forest > The Village ---

Akitsugu

Late Morning
@Xaltwind@Dragonydas@Remram

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"If the Slime proves inedible," Akitsugu mused as he walked with both armloads of wood perched atop his shoulders, "Do you think it might be possible to... tame it?" He asked not out of any sense of pity for the creature, but simple curiosity. "If it has some form of alchemic uses to Myrr, it might be more sustainable to... well, I don't know, actually. I hesitate to suggest...um... milking it..." He felt himself cringing at his own suggestion, and simply trailed off the thought there. At least, verbally.

But, really. Could you somehow raise a slime, and then... somehow... divest it of the useful properties of its goo?

Maybe not. Surely if that was the case someone in this land would've done it already. Unless perhaps Slime gel just wasn't that useful as an alchemic ingredient, foodstuff, or anything else. But...

"Oh!" he suddenly exclaimed after going a while without speaking. "There are some varieties of acid-treatment used in steel processing! Most of what I've seen in that regard for swords is really just for artistry, to give it a "wootz" pattern, but, maybe if Slimes only eat organic matter, they could be used to remove impurities or process ore..."

If no one else had anything to contribute to his line of thought, he was fine just walking in silence for the rest of the trip. He wouldn't even ask Brom to help carry the wood, since now the dwarf had his own potload of slime to carry. Once again, the forested floor soon turned to open fields, and soon the fields revealed a dark spot on the horizon. It was only a shabby silhouette right now, but soon it would be a place bustling with potential... There would be repaired homes for those who had wandered, many of whom no doubt being called just as the blacksmith had been. Perhaps they could find some resources to trade with other settlements. Maybe... Maybe this could be the place Akitsugu could finally settle down, after traveling for so long...

After all, for the first time in his travels, he had a home all his own now. Sure, there was a hole in the roof and one wall was missing, but as far as repairs went, those weren't the worst. And it wasn't just a house, but a workshop as well---finally, a place where he could hone his own craftsmanship, without a master to bark orders for countless nails and horseshoes.

Yes. He smiled as he thought about it, growing ever more eager to return to the smithy with every step.

A New Day; Cozy Fantasy Village Life

Just a friendly reminder for the nexxt round of posting:

If you can, make it back to the town square, unless you're okay with missing out on some exposition and NPC info/conversation dumping.

You're presence is not mandatory, but it is encouraged.

@Xaltwind

Should our group assume Brom's successfully captured the slime in the Poke-Pot and edit in some "moving on" segments?

A New Day; Cozy Fantasy Village Life

Addie when she finds out that they took down a whole building:

@BunniesOfDoom

Akitsugu discovering the same:
youtube.com/shorts/ACZgi4BuD5I?si=2BS…

A New Day; Cozy Fantasy Village Life

--- Springwood Forest ---

Akitsugu

Late Morning
@Xaltwind@Dragonydas@Remram

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"My axe probably won't last too much longer, come to think of it." Akitsugu said when Brom spoke of borrowing tools. "The old smithy at the edge of town still had some tools left, rusted though they were--perhaps I can find a whetstone, or even an old splitting maul..." As they gathered their things, Myrr pointed out the need for gloves to handle what Akitsugu assumed were more volatile plants. He knew some kinds of nettle were called "stinging," so he assumed touching them probably wasn't a good idea. Brom asked about their food preferences, to which Akitsugu's stomach growled--causing him to cough politely and turn away from the others.

"Ah, don't go to too much effort on my account." he said sheepishly. "I can typically make do..." Though, when Myrr brought up meat pies, he let out a pleased "hmm!" "Yes, meat buns do sound good--if we can find the things to make dough and someone has some beef or sausage, even dried, it's not difficult to make, either!" Something simple and filling would be much better than an elaborate meal, since it seemed the village was still in need of so many resources.

But, speaking of meals...it seemed they weren't the only creatures in the forest looking for one! Out came... a single green slime.

"Ah... hello there?" Akitsugu wasn't so much being polite, as just acknowledging the creature the way he might a stray dog or cat. It certainly seemed interested in the firewood, and the blacksmith quickly grabbed his bundles and stepped back. Myrr pointed out that the creatures were scavengers, feeding on dead and decaying matter. But Brom seemed struck by a sudden idea--using a single stick as bait, he readied himself to pounce on the creature with pot and lid in hand!

If Brom didn't catch the slime, Akitsugu felt confident they could probably just... outwalk it. But, if it got feisty, well... He slowly put down the bundles behind himself, out of the monster's line of sight--did it have eyes?--and then placed a hand on his sword...

A New Day; Cozy Fantasy Village Life

@Remram Sorry, I should've popped in before now to say I've been sick on top of other things. But I was kinda gonna wait for you too cause I actually do wanna see if Brom tries to pot the slime XD

A New Day; Cozy Fantasy Village Life

@Remram QUICK CATCH THE SLIME IN YOUR COOKING POT!

Either we just scored a pet, or dinner!