First Impressions [Mizumi]

As the sparks settled and the forge dimmed, Vulpes dropped the last of his morning blades into the quenching oil. He gave his shoulders a good rolling ass as he turned to rack his tongs and hammer.  The half-dozen daggers and pair of simple long swords were far from finished, but the rough blades were ready for cold work and tempering, and the shop needed to be opened.

Vulpes hung his apron and stepped into the front of his store, just as a key turned in the lock.  With a smile and step forward, Vulpes caught Strix as he was pulling his key out of the lock, wrapping the mage in a bear hug, almost knocking the bundle of goods Strix carried back out into the street. "Good morning, Strix" Vulpes winked, giving the taller man a kiss on the cheek before releasing him into the store.

"I'm going to open up, there's tea and porridge in the back" Vulpes said over his shoulder as he stepped out the now-unlocked door to open the shutters and security bars that covered the front of his store at night.  Soon enough, the street displays were out, and Vulpes was sitting at a workbench in the corner, repairing the grip on an old sword.

Stix smiled, enjoying the calmness of the streets as Zalsabad woke.  Of course, messengers already jogged their circiuts, as apprentices opened store fronts and moved stock for their masters' stores.  It was on such shop Stix walked towards, a bundle of leather and fine wood over one shoulder, and a box of groceries under his other arm.

He stopped before the smithy, balancing his goods carefully as he jabbed his key into the lock and pushing the door open with his foot before finding himself catching both his balance and the groceries.  His annoyed retort was cut off by the forge-warmed smile the looked up at him. "Good morning, Vulpes." Strix sighed, accepting the kiss as penance as he dropped the bundle of goods onto a workbench before dissapearing into the back room for tea even before Vulpes had finished inviting him to it.

After getting two mugs of the strong black tea(His with nothing, but Vulpes took enough cream and sugar to feed a small family), he moved the pot into the main store, to be shared with early morning customers or passers-by. Finally, the tea set out and his load delivered, he settled into a corner workbench to sharpen a load of swords marked to be sent to the local militia.

Mizumi Moved down the road in the early morning. She was looking for one shop in particular it was a sword shop and she was hoping to find a new set of nice daggers. She missed her old ones but they where more then likely lost to time. She was looking for one of the best human blacksmiths around. She could of gone to any of the Vampire blacksmiths most of who had at least 100 years of experience but she looked and was less then satisfied with the beauty of the blades. Most of them where built to survive the lifetime of a vampire, but they where not built for beauty as well as function. That is what she loved most about blades, something that is a beautiful as it is well made.

Mizumi finally got to the shop "Odd Fox Armory" Smiling as she read the sign. It was not the name of a shot that you would thing a great blacksmith would own but given he went by Vulpes it wasn't all that surprising. She pulled her long braid over her shoulder and since the doors where open she hoped they where already ready for a customer. She walked in looking around and said "Excuse me." She said in a soft soprano voice too the quiet room in front of her seeing two men one man small but built like someone use too using his arms and she guessed he was Vulpes. The other who was average and lean with the muscle of a fighter put her on edge a little because she could tell he was proficient with the swords he was sharpening. She took this all in in a second and she turned twords the shorter man and said " I am looked to buy a set of daggers. " She smiled at him softly putting on the persona of the younger vampire she was pretending to be.

Vulpes turned to look when he heard the soft call from behind him, setting down his work and standing with a smile. "Hi! Welcome to Odd Fox Armory, I'm Vulpes. You say you need a pair of daggers? I'm sure we'll have something to fit your tastes."

Vulpes began to show her around, getting a feel for the kinds of blades she liked, but not really showing her what she was looking for. when he saw the discontentment on her face, he smiled at her apologetically "I'm sorry ma'am, are you not seeing what you want? maybe I can get Strix to help you, he's got a better feel for people with specific tastes"

Strix was the first to notice her, examining her as she examined them before carefully putting down the sword he was working on and leaning back in his seat to watch.

He watched as Vulpes led her around the shop, trying different weights on her, different styles. He scoffed at the charade, knowing that Vulpes could have handed her the perfect pair of daggers the moment she walked in, but Vulpes had always liked building people up, making them feel like they were special, and then 'accidentally' giving them exactly what they wanted.

Then again... as Strix was watching he noticed a grace about their customer. Something about her was screaming at him to be noticed, and he smiled a little when he finally figured it out just as Vulpes pointed her towards him. "Vulpes, of course those blades don't fit her, they'll be scrap before she's middle aged. Why don't you go fetch your vampire stock? Our lady here will probably like that better."

Mizumi chuckled softly at that observation the man in the corner made and said "Your right I am looking for a pair of daggers that will last my life time.. and maybe longer... just like these two have. "She patted one of the swords on her hips and as Vulpes went to the back she looked back at Strix and said "So your a fighter? Former military I am going to guess?" She said a slight smile playing her lips as she watched him. She was wearing her normal clothing so all her tattoos where covered by her brown shirt so where all her own battle scars with it. She moved forward too look at some of the other merchandise and said " Even though these would not last half of my lifetime they is still brilliant craftsmanship in each and every one of them."

She knew the way she phrased things was still far from the norm in this time but most people who where not long lived would push that off too a century or two of age.She played with the end of her braid as she waited for Vulpes to return with what she guessed what he planed too show her from the start. She did not want to ruin his game and it was nice to see and talk to someone so openly friendly and warm hearted.

Strix chuckled, nodding. "Yeah, I served for a while. And as I'm sure you've seen, these blade will outlive us all, we just want to give you something that you won't have to have repaired every decade to keep it pretty." He gave her blades an appreciative look as he crossed the store to pour himself more tea, then filling a second mug without asking. "Dual latching blades. Not the most common style these days. and I've never seen latching blades in a Katana-style."

He smiled as Vulpes came back in with a chest over one shoulder, handing Umi the mug of tea. "Let's see what we've got in your style."

Vulpes put the chest on a workbench lightly, despite the dozens of blades that were revealed when he opened it.  "Let's see.  Matching daggers? Less requests for those than you might think..." He sifted through the blades, all beautiful in their own right. "Ah! Here we are. I've been saving these for just such a lady."

He drew out a pair of short, balanced daggers with mother-of-pearl inserts in the handles. "High-density damascus steel, perfectly balanced for throwing, and they'll hold an edge for a decade between sharpening's. One piece construction for longevity, and the decorative plates are resin coated.  It'll take at least a century before they need replacement, and that assume you use them in combat daily. What do you think?"

Mizumi chuckled and said " Ohh yes it was not a common style when I was young and I more then sure that its not even near common now a days." She said then she bit her tongue and turned her attention to Vulpes hoping she did not give away too much saying that she was on the older side. She was still not use too hiding how old she was and it was definitely hard because before now she was always so open with how old she was.

She took one of the daggers in her hand and flipped it and grabbed it by the tip and then flipped it by the hilt again and looked along the blade and said " I like them...do you have anything else. Just so I can look at all my options. If I am going too have them for a while I hope too truly love them." She smiled at him brightly handing him back the dagger and going back too twisting her braid. She was already sold on those daggers. She wanted them but it was always a bad idea too only look at one thing and nothing else.

Vulpes began to say something, but Strix cut him off with a rare grin. "He thinks those are the best blade for you in here, and he's almost right.  But he's thinking you want something you can easily hide, or show off with a fancy dress." Strix pulled a dual-dagger sheath out of the chest and pulled out a pair of curved steel blades with runes engraved on the sides. "I think you'll find these to your liking.  harded to hide, and less ornamental, but they'll get done what you need done."

Mizumi took one of the new daggers in her hands and balanced it. It would be useless too throw but as a short weapon it was perfect. she frowned looking at the two of them then looked over at Strix and said " If I didn't have Besoin and Désir you would be correct. But I need something small I can hide in a boot or under my skits so I can use it quickly weather I will be throwing it about or slashing someone with it. Even though I am not a lady of fancy Dresses and parties I do think these small beauties are my favorite." She said reaching for the Mother of pearl daggers again smiling happily as she did. "You wouldn't happen too sell thigh straps would you?"

When Umi looked back at Vulpes, she saw that he was paler than a starving vampire. "By the Soulforge... You're the prophet!" Vulpes awe stunned him for a moment, then transitioned to something akin to lust. "May I- I mean, if you'd be so kind, uh." Vulpes shook his head to clear it of the maelstrom of thoughts and desires, "Ahem.  Could I see them? maybe hold them a moment, if you're so kind?  It's not every day I get a chance to see the magic of the old world"

As Vulpes stuttered, Strix pulled a thigh sheath out from beneath a work bench. it was creamy leather stitched with ocean blue thread, very supple and a lovely match to the blades. He placed it next to the chest, then sorted and moved the chest to a corner of the room while Vulpes recovered enough to become coherent again.

"Me The Prophet no that was my...GRANDMOTHER!" She jumped flustering too much for that lie to even come across as true. She was blushing and very flustered for a moment and  said "OF course you can see them." She said pulling them off knowing neither of them bought that lie she went over too one of the benches and sat down grabbing her forgotten mug of tea. "Just be careful with..." She said with a sigh and murmured " How can I get by unnoticed when stuff like this happens... I wish I was never let out of that damn spell. Life is so much more complex now." She puleld her hair out of the braid and ran her fingers through her logn hair over and over in a very stressed looking way.

Vulpes found himself holding a pair of famous, ancient blades he'd heard tales of growing up, yet somehow they were the last thing on his mind. He set them on the workbench, then sat down next to Umi, putting a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Hey, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to open old wounds." Vulpes looked hurt himself, a puppy that played, and is sad when the hand pulls away. "I spoke without thinking, I know there's no way you're the prophet. Even the longest lived vampires are long since passed on. And I'd be a hypocritical fool to be offended if they were stolen into your family, or passed through generations."

Vulpes put on a lopsided smile that spoke of his own hurts, squeezing her shoulder gently as Strix approached. He didn't try to fill the rest of the moment with words, merely reaching to fetch the teapot when he saw her mug was half-full and lukewarm.

Strix watched Vulpes comfort the stricken girl as a thought crossed his mind.  He dissapeared into the back of the store for a moment, returning with two wooden blades. He took the mug from Umi's hand and pulled her to her feet before handing her the practice blades.  "I own a dojo down the street. come show my students what years of practice can accomplish."

He led her two blocks down the quickly filling street, and through the front door of a small building.  The inside was a large open space with mats on the floor and combat rings of all sizes painted about the space.  In the back, a few young men were practicing a shield wall, while a younger girl used a heavy wooden mallet to slam against their defenses.

"Round up!" Strix yelled at the sweating students, and soon there was a line of students standing outside the front most fighting ring.  Strix took the sword and sheild from one of the young men, speaking to them in an authoritative voice, "This morning I'm going to do a breif demonstration of sword and board against dual connecting blade." he looked to the young woman with the hammer "Cassandra, if my opponent taps he hilts together, toss her a staff." The girl nodded, and at her gesture one of the young men ran to the back of the room to retrieve a staff of the correct length.

"Oh, one more thing" Strix turned to the vampiress "I'd like to know the name of my opponent.  As Vulpes said, you can call me Strix."

Mizumi almost gave Vulpes a look of disbelief. She covered the look quickly when she was pulled too her feet by Strix and told about and taken to his dojo. She was a little surprised by his quickness too want to spar with her. But it was a good thing too get her mind of things and when he finally asked her name she flushed a bit forgetting she had not told them and said "Mizumi Uso. Sorry for not introducing myself earlier." shew knew Vulpes would think that she was given her grandmothers names as well as her swords but she was not sure what Strix would think.

Once things had gotten settled they moved too the center of the room her blades out and ready her body hunched like someone ready to spring. the one thing Strix did notice the most about her stance is that she stood on her toes it didn't look like much because she was wearing boots but it told him that this was going to be a very interesting spar with lots of moving about. "Ready?" she said her voice coming across the room like a soft purr.

Strix took up a defensive stance behind his shield, taking slow steps to rotate around Mizumi. He gave her the occasional quick strike to test her defenses, darting in quickly, but pulling out before they fully engaged.

"Do you have any regular sparring partners? Your stance is impressive, but it looks like you could use more practice to keep that guard up." Strix flashed a quick smile, "We could always use more trained fighters here. Gotta give the greens something to work for, or at least a new excuse for why they go home so sore."

Mizumi chuckled a little as he tested her guard. she seemed very relaxed even when he was talking about being out of practice. " Lets just say i have been away from civilization for a long time. I lived pretty much as a hermit for the past while. And I do not think i would mind staying around here if it means getting back into battle shape." She saw him go to strike again and did a quick movement back then twisted forward and got behind him and went for his back with the slash of just one sword keeping her other sword at the ready in case he knocked it back testing his own reflexes and defenses as he was doing with her.

Stix dived when she spun behind him, cooming up to his feet with his sheild between them, then lunging forward with a heavy thrust that solidly cleared the space between them.

"Hermit, huh? You don't make it sound like a vacation."

Mizumi flipped backwards landing on her toes as he thrusted at her and smiled at him cheekily and said " Think of it as a forced..." She paused at that obviously chewing on what she was going to say next as she made another swift move forward trying to catch him under his shields guard. "...Hibernation." She finally said as she pulled back from the unsuccessful attack.

Strix snapped her blade aside with his shield, then missed with his reflexive counter as she swayed just out of reach. With sudden energy, he pushed forward, feinting an overhead strike. When he pulled the feint, he smashed forward with his shield, aiming just below her center of mass.

"Sounds like... you need a... VACATION!"

Mizumi jumped too the side of both the sword and shield and sword where his arm was over extended to hit her low and she smacked it with her blade and flipped away from him and whistled for Cassandra to toss her the staff and she threw away the swords and cause the staff twirling it for a second in a flourish before crouching ready again holding it in one hand out too the side for the moment. She knew if he was wearing any sort of armor that hit would mean nothing but it was technically a score but it was not much.

"You could defiantly say that." she quirked a smile at him knowing after that love tap she was not going to get out of this sparring match with at the very least a the same amount of bruises she gives him.

Strix smiled at the strike, then spun his blade and came at her with a basic sword combo. A feinted thrust at her chest, followed by a strong backhand slash to open her guard for a shield bash. After the bash, another slash to take advantage of any dodge of lack of balance, and a thrust to pin through a counter. In itself, it was a a basic form he'd learned in the military,But some advanced fighters could use it to position their opponents for a shadow step maneuver.

"You're good. A little rusty, maybe. Or are you holding back on me?"

Mizumi dodged and weaved with ease and bantered back and said " I could the same about you that was a bit sloppy and a Shadow step that is so over used." She used the staff the way she would use her blades and parried everything easily and countered his maneuvers and in an elegant twist forced him to turn and pushed him back into the same pin he was attempting to put her in. She then thrust the end of the staff at his legs and as he went to block flipped the staff around and aimed for his face the mass of the staff still in front of her hard to knock to one side.