half-sliced pines

cover you when the sky comes crashing in

Deimos might not have been the most charismatic individual, but he certainly understood the plights of his people. Most of the same agonies, melancholies, worries, trials and tribulations fell upon his shoulders too, though sometimes with a greater force. To hear the trade would be a worthwhile endeavor left him with a lingering smile, sparing Glas half a glance in assurance, before the other crafter seemed to take the measure in greater stead, advocating for himself.

Rarely indulgent, and wholly capable of making a majority of such things on his own, the Sword still knew how to work the notions of fair barters. Once Glas had put in his request, Deimos studied the wares around them, from the fine craftmanship to the careful, high-quality detailing. “One of your smaller blankets would be nice. I have admired a couple of these,” and he directed the merchant to several adorning the window, explaining Evie’s impending due date. “It would take something off of my to-do list.” Favors for favors, after all.

DEIMOS

// disarm you with a smile //

Content with the trade, the shop keep writes down everything he needs to in order to make sure it wasn’t for nothing on his end. Once he’s done, a wide grin is shot toward the crafter and the Warden, a nod that they could start the work whenever they needed to and in the interim he’d get everything all put together for when they were done.

So with that, Glas sets his bag down inside, pulls out the blueprints again that have been approved and glances at it before he’s snagging some items out of the bag. “C-can you make some wood for the s-sign?” He asks Deimos, snagging a few smaller pieces he’d brought with just in case, and with those the crafter activates his magic to carve out the letters for the new sign out of the new blocks. He seems to work in a blur, not quite the creation magic that Deimos has but the kind that makes his work take less time even if it felt the same around him.

By the time he takes a pause, he’s got three letters already finished, arranging them how he thinks they should be on the brand new sign.

Glas

// and leave you like they left me here //

cover you when the sky comes crashing in

With the negotiations finalized, the Sword nodded, content with the arrangement. Thereafter, Glas seemed to anticipate the necessities. “Sure,” and within half a moment he’d turned over his palm. His incantations weren’t quite like Glas’s – he wouldn’t be moving in a blur – but they led to the same goal. Taking a long, steady breath, he began to conjure the fragments and particles of the elements that strung and sung within his pulse; beats of Earth flickering and conforming until the lumber particles were there, in his grasp, glowing amidst his hands before passing them over, for when the fellow crafter required their proportions.

Calculating, he tilted his head to study the blueprints again, but didn’t want to step on any of Glas’s plans when it came to other portions and pieces. “What else do you need?”

DEIMOS

// disarm you with a smile //

The shopkeep watches in quiet awe as everything starts to work around them. Glas becomes a blur as he crafts the letters of the sign while Deimos creates the wood for the sign immediately which helps give him a spot to put the letters when he has them carved out. As the blur becomes normal again and Glas sits there with his letters, Glas shoots a bright and lopsided smile over at Deimos.

“Can you p-put the letters on the sign?” He didn’t bring nails or a hammer for such a job, sure that Deimos could figure out a way to affix it that would suffice for Halo’s weather. And it leaves him time to grow into a blur as he continues the carving of the letters, organizing them just how they should be, leaving little piles of shavings behind that he brushes into a pile to try and keep it all contained. Handing him the rest of the letters, Glas busies himself with carving little designs in the sign for elegantly floral edging.

Glas

// and leave you like they left me here //

cover you when the sky comes crashing in

Magic had all its intricacies and contortions in varieties; from blurs and speed to instant unfurlings, each one encapsulating exactly what was required from the provider. Deimos arched a brow as he watched Glas whirl around, briefly amused but not wanting to upset the crafter, waiting until he spared a moment to note what else would be needed.

Nodding along, and catching a glance at the shopkeep as the man seemed intrigued and in earnest, Deimos contemplated the venture. He could just as easily snag or create tools, but that wasn’t as entertaining, and he had a notion of leaving the sign without too many bludgeoned areas. Instead, he affixed Earth, Water, and Fire into motion, blending a stickier sap into conjunction with melting and molding and altering temperatures, ensuring the letters would be affixed and stuck into the surface without residue or nails clambering outwards; neat, tidy, and orderly. On a hunch, he tilted his head and utilized his Air magic thereafter, seeing if the pieces were tight enough to withstand a strong, unforgiving breeze, ensuring his incantations were tightly honed and controlled, and nowhere near Glas’s shapes.

DEIMOS

// disarm you with a smile //

For the blur that Glas becomes while he works, to him the time seems to move normally. Everything finding its place, carved with utmost attention, and in the background of the little bubble he’s created for himself, he can see everyone else seemingly move in slow motion. The shop keep’s awe is noted, as is the momentary distraction to see Deimos’ magic work in a quiet studying mode – appreciating all of its intricacies for what it was.

There’s no nails or a hammer to be found where Deimos starts to affix the letters and when Glas is done with all of his and returns time back to normal for himself, his smile is vibrant as it is lopsided because of the scar – his excitement clear in how the sign is coming out. It’s beautiful, truly worthy of replacing the old one set outside the shop, that would blend seamlessly with the facelift of the neighbors to prove that they wouldn’t have to shell out hard earned money on the cusp of Deepfrost to try and accomplish. “Beautiful.” He manages without a stutter, his eyes on the sign as he places a couple of extra finishing touches to it for Deimos to meld into it.

Glas

// and leave you like they left me here //

cover you when the sky comes crashing in

Once letters were passed over, Deimos repeated motions, concentration and focus directed within the mold of incantations. The elements came together rapidly and efficiently, refining and honing the semblances so when portions were dried, they represented proportions without the need of nails; a clearer, more pleasing picture to the eye, and hopefully to the merchants and passersby in need of wares.

Stepping back to survey, his head tilted, amused at Glas’s comment and pride. It was good to hear the crafter was capable of it (and should’ve been, considering his capability and work). “Want anything else on it?” the Warden murmured, gaze narrowing on places where some ornamentation could be directed; but he’d default to Glas and his own machinations and plans.

DEIMOS

// disarm you with a smile //

As the sign comes together and Glas steps out of his crafting zone to take it in, he’s very content with the result they’d come up with. It was better than he’d imagined earlier, even with the blueprint sitting there. The final product missing the entirety of the nails he’d suggested placing it into, knowing it’d be stronger with Deimos’ abilities tied into it than what he could have added with his usual tools and techniques.

“Uhm.” He says, reining in his smile into something softer as he scans the sign and compares it to his blueprint, before he’s noticing those similar spots that Deimos has an eye on. “M-more decoration here.” He says, reaching out to point at the smooth surfaces for the opportunity to add additional little flares that he thinks the shop keep would appreciate having. "Whatever kind of d-design you think would look good." He also offers, sure that Deimos has a few more ideas of his own to add, and so far it's been perfect.

Glas

// and leave you like they left me here //

cover you when the sky comes crashing in

The Sword typically designed ornamentation around those individuals he knew well. It was easy to compose and contort things for family and friends, but for other constituents and citizens, there was some degree of difficulty. Not to be waylaid by the notion though, he nodded, accepting the task before his gaze went elsewhere – along the threshold of the shop itself, taking in any noteworthy patterns, any shapes, any proportions that seemed to repeat over and over again, purposefully nostalgic or invocations of themes.

It took a few moments, but he noted a semblance of the same sort of dog in fabric, in the upholstery, in some of the corners in knick-knacks and décor. Perhaps it was a pet, or some other adornment, but given its repeated efforts across the area, he figured it would be a safe bet, despite the degree of risk associated. If it wasn’t to their liking, he could always manage to make something anew. “All right.” Taking a deep breath, he put on some regular ornamentation first through his earthen incantations; snagging at snowflakes in the corners for representation of Halo, and then the canine, tucked away amongst letters, as if peeking out and eager to assist.

DEIMOS

// disarm you with a smile //

The dog in question is a pet. Boone, to be exact. The family pet that had such a huge influence in everything (even the dog bed in the corner that looked used and well loved, even if the canine wasn’t here today, likely at home corralling the kids). “Wow.” Glas murmurs under his breath as he watches it take shape, a grin blooming on his face even though it’s lopsided because of the scar.

When Deimos steps back from it, Glas immediately nods his approval. He steps back, then, getting the shop keeps attention who comes over to inspect the sign and brightens. S’got Boone! What a great surprise. Thank you guys.” Face slightly flushed to have such a lovely sign to display their business, Glas nods with the approval and steps outside, climbing up one of the ladders there to start prying off the old sign. He’s careful with it, because he fully intends to reuse it – it was good wood after all – and only once he’s sure the area is ready to put the new sign up, Glas calls down to Deimos. “Ready for the n-new sign!”

Glas

// and leave you like they left me here //

cover you when the sky comes crashing in

With approval from both Glas and the merchant, Deimos stepped back, letting the inspection parse through, granting a small smile and some penchant of relief for picking the right proportions, cataloguing the dog’s name for any future need or references. If they found it to their liking, and it’d be suitable for the shop, the better the plan could and would unfurl for the improved image campaign of the area. Updated and orchestrated and renewed; purposefully eye-catching for any incoming passersby.

Once other signs were removed, the Warden nodded at the crafter’s announcement, snagging the new one and holding it up for the crafter to take, long arms stretching to ensure there’d be no issue in snagging and replacing.

DEIMOS

// disarm you with a smile //

Deimos is much taller than Glas is, and it makes for quick work as he hands him the sign and they essentially trade. Handing Deimos the old sign to do with what the Warden chooses – it seems like the merchant is far more excited about the new one and less so attached to the old one for sentimentality, that it leaves plenty of time for Deimos to dispose of the old sign while the crafter works to hammer and mold it into place.

Stepping back down the ladder he’d snagged, the hammer is settled in a tool bag at his hip as he squints up at the sign to see just how sturdy it is. Content and happy with it, he looks toward Deimos for his approval and the shop keeps, which has spent the last few minutes getting everything together for the trade – the bargain for the work done.

“Should b-be all done, now.” He murmurs to the merchant as he admires the sign, before spilling out what seems like a million thank yous along with the pieces bargained. A quilt for Glas, a smaller blanket of similar making for Deimos, bundled with absolute care and a few other trinkets hidden within (a few handkerchiefs for the both of them, should they want them).

And only when Glas has finished picking up everything he’d brought, does he look back over at Deimos with a wide, crooked smile. “Thanks for your h-help.” He’s sure he’s taken up too much of his time in this endeavor, so the crafter’s content to finish up lugging his stuff home so the Warden can go back to doing Warden things.

- FIN

Glas

// and leave you like they left me here //