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Post by Oneiromancer on Mar 29, 2008 12:59:31 GMT -5
The barracks were too closed in, Skye had realized that after a few hours of restless sleep. Her dreams were filled with the scent of fire, rot and sand and for what seemed like the hundreth time, she sat up, fur plastered with sweat and chest tight with anxiety.
Quickly, she stole out of the room assigned to her and moved out of the barracks, a loose tunic, breeches slid over her frame. Her sword rested at her side, since it never felt quite right to move without it.
The maid looked tense and worried, a haunted light in her blue grey eyes as she made her way through the fort, the images and senses of terror and grief resting in the back of her mind, as she sought out a quiet place, to let herself forget.
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Post by Linx Exotic on Mar 29, 2008 13:05:48 GMT -5
"Are we having fun?" Linx's sarcastic question was accentuated by his having none himself. Returning to the barracks after a late night of research at the shop, he was dressed in dark, ominous garb; his black textile entourage made the numerous steel buckles over points on his body glisten in the moonlight with uncanny contrast. Of course, it wasn't his intention to look particularly imposing, even with an obsidian waterproofed coat making the silhouette of his body rather massive, thanks to its being unbuttoned and the sides hanging freely under his arms.
This frighteningly dark but nonetheless jovial mouse approached Skye with a smirk playing across his face. Too often he found beasts wandering about the grounds within the fort as if they were lost. Equally often he found beasts wandering about the grounds within the fort as if they were lost and he didn't know them. "You don't even know me, you don't have to answer, of course..."
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Post by Oneiromancer on Mar 29, 2008 13:12:55 GMT -5
Skye half turned, the steel of her blade glinting in the cold light of the moon. Instinctively, she pointed the sword to the stranger, with a sure, easy grip, eyes narrowed a moment, taking in his odd attire, and the cheerful light of his eyes.
Frowning quizzically, she held the blade at her side, with a quiet apology, and gave a fluid shrug, watching him closely "Loads." she replied, a tense tone of sarcasm in her voice. "No, I don't know ye. Usually polite beasts introduce themselves when they meet another. I'm Skye, new te the barracks." she added, giving him a cautious nod, eyes flickering around their surroundings, before resting on his face once more.
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Post by Linx Exotic on Mar 29, 2008 13:21:04 GMT -5
"Congratulations, Skye, you just pointed a sword at an officer. ...No, don't call me sir, please, call me Linx. Great to meet you." Linx would normally have drawn his CLOS but ended up deciding to be nice to her. No need to scare this new one with a revolver. No, if she, for some reason, decided to go at him with her sword, he could just snap out a palm dagger and bury its blade in her chest. Hopefully, though, they'd just be able to talk.
He approached with a bit more of a friendly smile than before, doing his best to present nothing but his warmer front. It didn't really help that the paw he brought up to meet Skye's was covered in a black, buckled glove with steel plating wherever it didn't have to be flexible and actual diamond spikes on the knuckles, but he hoped the mouse would disregard that as much as he did. "Really, I'm always happy to see another recruit..."
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Post by Oneiromancer on Mar 29, 2008 13:32:31 GMT -5
When he said he was an officer, a look of dismay crossed her face and she sheathed her blade. "Hellgates. I'm sorry...that was uncalled for." she commented, sheepish now. She gave a nod as he introduced himself, and reached out with a slight, scarred paw, shaking his gaunleted one.
It didn't seem to bother her in the least, as she released his paw, giving a small nod "That's good te know. How long has this place been standing?" she asked.
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Post by Linx Exotic on Mar 29, 2008 13:38:50 GMT -5
"Uh... Construction started a little over ten years ago, it's actually a pretty new place. If it were anywhere else it'd be just some little outpost, but this is such a trade hub that it's transformed into this huge place over a pretty short amount of time. Just about anything from the continent, and then some, you can find here." This was referring to offshore export sites. There was plenty of money circulating throughout the fort, since it exported easily as much as it imported; raw materials were taken in, finished products were exported, and everyone benefited. It also meant that the fort had an income tax well under 20 percent.
Linx put his paws behind his back and loosely clasped them so as to help keep his coat from continually billowing out. "I'm the fort's Master of Weaponry. I also run my own business, Exotic Weaponry, which is funny because I get to use my work budget to buy my own products for the soldiers... In any case. About ten, yeah."
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Post by Oneiromancer on Mar 29, 2008 13:49:43 GMT -5
Skye listened closely, interested now. It sounded as if all the beasts here had worked hard to make their home, and the talk of trade and weaponry was even more impressive. It was hard enough to find a safe haven, but to make it profitable. That could nearly be impossible.
"Ten Seasons is a long time. I'm sure ye've see ye're share av attacks." she stated, nodding to his armoured gaunlets and the disciplined ways of the fort so far. "What sort av weaponry do ye make? Blades, or some av those long ranged weapons?" she asked.
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Post by Linx Exotic on Mar 29, 2008 13:53:23 GMT -5
"What do I make? Weird stuff. I do a few specialized blades... A lot of my orders are custom, so my patrons can get whatever blades they actually want. By weird, though, I mean creative; Things my customers might not really think of and things that need a lot of special equipment to make. Have you ever seen a bolt repeater? Not that crank-operated one we're exporting all over the place, the pump-action one." If she hadn't, Skye would likely be in for a surprise. Linx had been the one to invent both generations of the bolt repeater and was proud to show her it. Of course, the mouse had probably already been introduced to it during recruit training, unless that was something she was still doing.
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Post by Oneiromancer on Mar 29, 2008 14:03:33 GMT -5
"What sort av specialized blades? How large is ye're forge, and what kind av metals do ye use?" she asked, a keen look of interest wiping out the tense look from her face.
The mouse blinked and frowned slightly "Bolt-Repeater. No, I havenae, most av the places I've been use swords, bows, or slings. So, ye have me lost, Linx." she confessed, a small quirked smile passing over her expression, that eased her face further.
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Post by Linx Exotic on Mar 29, 2008 14:13:45 GMT -5
"Well, I'll explain in a minute. I have a pretty large forge, up to five beasts can work in it without disturbing one another... Of course, that's never the case... I use steel in pretty much all my blades, I haven't used iron for anything in a while now... Most of my projectiles are steel-tipped, but some are just aluminum. In fact, I use aluminum for the casing of a lot of my ranged weapons, since it's so light... I'll still give it steel backing so it can't warp, of course." Linx paused to let this all sink in. Of course he had a large forge; he was the richest beast in the entire fort. Even richer than Finnerator, whose self-appointed salary could never get as high as his own profits.
Now he moved to Skye's question. "A bolt repeater is a weapon loosely based off a crossbow. Upgrades include a receiver– the part that carries the mechanisms inside– made entirely out of steel sheet metal, stamped and sheared to the correct shape. Another upgrade is its use of a steel coil spring instead of a pair of wooden arms; it's the same power but a lot more compact. Yet another is its foregrip, which is connected directly to the firing pin. You cock the spring back by pushing the foregrip back, which lets you keep your paws on the weapon. The aluminum bolts it fires have locking lugs on them which lock into spiraling grooves on the inside of a cylindrical tube protruding from the receiver– the barrel. This puts a spin on it which lets it fly accurately without flights. And lastly, it's fed from a magazine of ten bolts. This lets you get off a whole lot of accurate shots without having to reach for another arrow or bolt each time. ...The other upgrades are more superficial than that." These included its pistol grip, safety catch and bead sights, but he didn't need to mention these now. It would probably be better to start more slowly than that.
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Post by Oneiromancer on Mar 29, 2008 14:47:39 GMT -5
Skye nodded slowly, seeming to understand the first explaination, of all the metals used. She had spoken to other beasts about such matters, having a strong liking for weapon craft. "Ye're fortunate, to have that room and skill te work. I use weapons, but have little knowledge on how te make them." she replied, listening to his next explaination. A look of blank confusion was creeping over her face as he explained the mechanisms of a bolt repeater, and she frowned quizzically. "So, it's a crossbow made av metal that fires more accurately and much faster with a lower need to reload?" she asked, trying to puzzle out just what he meant.
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Post by Linx Exotic on Mar 29, 2008 14:56:54 GMT -5
"And it's a lot more compact and durable. Yes. The mechanisms are a little complex, it'd be easier to show you an actual model, but I think the armory's locked. Wait, I have a key. Wait, I don't care." Linx gave Skye a playful grin, looking over her in earnest for the first time. The first thing he noticed was her tunic– Anyone still wore tunics? It looked like she'd emerged from the shadows of how things had been fifteen years or so before then, when tunics were still widely used amongst all walks of society. Now they were for... Who were tunics for, anyway?
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Post by Oneiromancer on Mar 29, 2008 15:14:10 GMT -5
She quirked a brow, his manner reminding her slightly of other lighthearted woodlanders she had met. "Well, that's all well and good, I'd love te see what ye have to show." she stated, noting his probing look, and tilted her head "Is there something on my face, or were ye taught that staring is rude?" she asked.
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Post by Linx Exotic on Mar 29, 2008 17:18:26 GMT -5
"No, if I were taught that staring is rude, I'd still be looking at your face." Linx seemed to be scanning what lay below. This was a tunic. Hopefully it didn't across incorrectly. "You're just wearing a tunic, that's all, I haven't even seen a fort member with one of those... In a while."
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Post by Oneiromancer on Mar 30, 2008 6:59:31 GMT -5
He had a point, and now that she saw his eyes drift, she stiffened slightly, mouth tensing. "Yes, and breeches too. I've been traveling for seasons, each place I visited hasnae been as... advanced as this fort. Besides, they're comfortable enough." she replied with a shrug, relaxing slightly as he seemed curious about her clothes and little else.
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