I prefer a man who lives and gives expensive jewels

[heirwithouthope]

Date & Time: March 24th, some time after business hours.
Location: Unit no. 909
Characters: Thorin Oakenshield (heirwithouthope) and Khisanth (onblackwings)
Summary: About a month ago, Thorin agreed to make Khisanth something shiny. Of course that meant she could drop by whenever she wants to check on the progress.
Warnings: A dwarf unwittingly giving a dragon gold, which can only end in tears. Other than that, nothing that I can think of.


[There were many things he still did not understand about the city and its so-called "advancements" in technology, but Thorin was just as practical as he was stubborn or wholly convinced of the superiority of Dwarfish design. If it would help him better understand the world he has come to accept being stuck in, more to the point, if it was necessary for his survival, he would adapt.

It took him almost an entire month, but he finally learned to operate the apartment's stove. There may have been a handful of mishaps along the way--some burnt fingers before he learned not to touch the circular markings carved into the thing--but Thorin has enough grasp on it now to put a frying pan to use.

Some eggs crackle inside the skillet as though they were being held over a real flame; he flips them over with a spatula and then turns back to the plate he was currently arranging on the kitchen counter. Two pieces of bread, lined with ham (or what the Men in the market called ham: the meat came in terribly thin slices, and wasn't cured enough for his taste, so he has to pile it on thick and douse it with salt).

A couple more minutes, and he prods the eggs one more time before scooping them out of the frying pan and into the center of his concoction of protein-saturated goodness. Thorin gives the plate a brief glance-over, and then prepares to step off his box and return to his room.]

Comments

[onblackwings]

[ It wasn't difficult to discover Thorin's room. Khisanth adopted a crow's shape to catch sight of him in the city, and then a mouse's once he'd gone within the building of the housing. From there it was just a matter of scurrying after him to see which room he chose, and slipping in before the door could shut. She stayed just long enough to determine which specific room was his, and then teleported back to her own room.

After all, she's not interested in showing up naked. It would be cold. So in the safety of her own room she pulls her clothing back on after shifting to her human shape, visualizes the main room of Thorin's apartment — 

— And there she is.

One moment there's nothing behind Thorin as he turns, protein altar in hand, and one moment there's Onyx, standing in the center of the room with her head cocked expectantly. ]

Are you finished yet?

[heirwithouthope]

[It may say something about Thorin's reflexes when the presence of another body suddenly materializes a few feet away from him and he doesn't drop his sandwich. He slides his plate across the kitchen counter and grabs a butcher's knife, snarling through his teeth briefly like an old guard dog.

Until his vision opens and Thorin actually processes who it is. His shoulders drop as his grip around the knife relaxes. His look says, "you nearly gave me a heart attack" even if he doesn't verbalize it himself.]

So you found someone to teach you magic, I take.

[onblackwings]

[ She only smiles, looking terribly amused. It's the reaction she'd been hoping for, really. ]

Several. But teleportation is a spell I've known for quite some time.

[ She moves nearer, willfully blind to the knife and entirely unconcerned by it, and more interested in glancing around the interior of the apartment. Hers looks better, she decides. ]

So?

[heirwithouthope]

[Well maybe if he knew she was going to show up, he would have tidied up a bit. Lit some scented candles for ambiance, baked a cake...

Except no. He has no feelings about the apartment or what it looked like--it still doesn't feel like his, after all. And these man-made homes with their white walls and fire-less stoves would never be as beautiful as their mines and mountains.

He watches her approach, and feels tension crawling up his back again. If only because Onyx seems to be hinting at something, and he isn't sure what.]

What did you come here for?

[onblackwings]

[ She stops near enough to make it a casual chat, and leans against the counter. Mm. That food smells kind of nice, actually. ]

So, as I asked before, are you finished? [ This with an disarmingly open smile: ] Why else would I bother to be here?

[ seriously why else waste her time with dwarves if they aren't making her shit. or telling amusing stories. or being... you know, somehow useful and interesting. ]

[heirwithouthope]

[His question exactly. But after he peers at her for another few seconds (the height of the box allowing him to make easier eye contact with Onyx), it comes back to him.] ...You are calling about the necklace.

[That was a conversation almost a month old, though she had said she would check on his progress in a week. ...Of course a week after his network post was when he lost his body. And the week after that, he lost his beard and refused to leave his apartment or speak intimately with anyone.

Thorin puts the knife down, replaces it with his plate, and steps off his box, back to his god-given height.]

If you will come with me.

[And he obviously expects her to follow, if his stride towards his personal room is anything to go by.]

[onblackwings]

[ A bit regal, she feels, for a man so short, but for once she doesn't mind taking the suggestion. After all, as long as everything's all still in line with her wishes, no harm done. So she starts after him, still eying that plate. Maybe if... when he's not looking... ]

It is done, then?

[heirwithouthope]

[He does not falter, turn around, or give any other kind of visual recognition of her question. Not one she can see anyway, as Thorin grimaces to remember the past month.]

It is. Fortunately for you, the treachery of this world has not stopped me from completing my task.

[onblackwings]

Good.

[ Nope, no sympathy here, not even any empathy-- although she'd had a terrible time having her body stolen. But far more important than all that is the prospect of adding to her hoard, and so she only looks excited.

Impatiently: ] Where is it? Can I see?

[heirwithouthope]

[That might have even bothered him if he was looking for commiseration. It was a factual statement more than Thorin trying to open up--dwarf problems were dwarf problems, after all. He was more than happy to move on.

When he opens his bedroom door, he lets her go first, lifting his eyebrows a little at her enthusiasm. Rather than tell her where the jewelry was (and risk her going to find it herself, which meant going through his things), he will go get it himself.

If his room was not nicer than the rest of the apartment, it was at least more to Thorin's aesthetic taste. All of the modern furniture that used to be in the room had been gradually thrown out and exchanged for pieces he crafted himself from darker wood. His curtains were permanently drawn, and there were one or two paintings of interlace patterns on the walls. His sword, and what appears to be a petrified tree branch, lean against a chest at the foot of his sturdy low-rise bed.

But those aren't what Thorin wants when he walks over to the chest. He puts his things to the side (including his supper) and unlocks it, drawing out a small bundle of blue cloth.

He does not hand it to Onyx immediately--he will not until he was certain of his payment. Instead he pulls the coverlet aside in order to display the necklace. But more authentic-looking gdit. Made of blue and yellow topaz, some foreign stones the merchants of this world called pearls--

And of course gold. It would not be an example of Dwarven craftsmanship without.]

You will let me know if this is to your liking.

[onblackwings]

[ She watches him eagerly, stepping closer — she even only spares a glance for the abandoned supper — and her eyes light up at the sight of it. Now that's a necklace. It puts her current choker of tiny swords and ogre skulls to shame, easily. ]

It's — acceptable.

[ She licks her lips. An unconscious move, more dragon than human. One hand reaches to take it, but she pauses, flicks a glance up at him. There are a few greedy, fleeting thoughts of killing him and taking it, but she pushes those aside as impractical. If she kills the maker, who will make more? ]

What's your price?

[heirwithouthope]

[He had not been expecting her reaction to go up his spine the way it did, hissing and scuttling. His thoughts feel like a key missing a lock--a reaction without reason behind it. It seems out of place (it's not as though he hasn't been alone in the same room as Onyx before, and didn't have reason to suspect anything then) and coming to that conclusion makes it almost easy to completely brush any wariness aside.

Nevertheless, Thorin keeps his gaze trained on her for anything else, and only briefly reminds himself how far away his weapons lie. Otherwise he is the picture of collected.]

Two hundred in coins.

[onblackwings]

[ Her eyes narrow in anger at the price that she definitely doesn't have, and those thoughts of murder and theft spring up again — but she straightens from the lean she hadn't been entirely conscious of starting, and clears her mind. Kadagan would have shaken his head at her for thoughts like those. This man is useful, there's no reason to kill him.

And with her mind cleared as it is, a solution presents itself to her. She smiles, cool once again. ]

I'll have it for you by tonight.

[heirwithouthope]

It is yours whenever you are ready to claim it. [A somewhat wry lift of his brows.] If you would knock first, this time.

[The brief disturbance in the force continues to ebb from the situation--though her leaning forward does cause him to tilt back in response (if only because Thorin overall doesn't care for Taller Folk fogging up his personal dwarf bubble).

And because he was ready to write this off as a normal exchange, no part of him intends to try and sell the necklace to anyone else, as that would be dishonorable business conduct.]

[onblackwings]

Knocking is too slow.

[ That with a smile, like it's a joke, which of course it isn't. She won't be knocking. ]

Expect me shortly.

[ She turns, as if to make for the door, but it's a move mostly for show. Before her hair has even settled back into place again, she's teleported away. It's totally time to go shapeshift into animals and steal shit, but she'll be back. ]

[heirwithouthope]

[And Thorin would've had something clever to retort to that with, if he was given half the chance.

Onyx is gone again, as though a door had opened in the space right in front of him and swallowed her. He waits for a second or two, almost as though he was expecting her to reappear, and then sets the necklace in the box at the end of his bed so he can lock it for safety again.

There is no doubt in Thorin's mind that she will return--and in the meantime, he can finish his sandwich.]

[onblackwings]

[ It doesn't take her long. A mouse sneaks into a few closed-down shops, a crow flies a few trips' worth of shiny coins, and soon enough, Khisanth has her money. She composes the decently-sized pile into a small bag, dresses herself again, and teleports her way straight back into Thorin's room not an hour later. ]

I have it. [ Spoken even before she's quite located him — it occurs to her too late that she should have had a little more patience. It would be embarrassing to be heard talking to someone that isn't even in the room to listen. ]

[heirwithouthope]

[Thorin was still in his bedroom, though clearly he had not been expecting Onyx to return so soon. He had finished his sandwich and sat down on the floor with his sword and a whet stone, examining the edge of it. But when she reappears, Thorin's eyes widen.]

In such a short amount of time? [She hadn't told him if she already had the money and just didn't have it on her person when she first came over. Or if she needed to get it through some other means.]

[onblackwings]

[ Oh, good, he's actually here. She smiles as she turns to face him, feeling a little smug, and hopes it looks mysterious. Magic users ought to be mysterious, so she keeps any explanations to herself. A shrug is all she offers. ]

I have my ways. [ She steps nearer (a little disappointed to note that his supper is gone), and gestures with the bag. ] It's the full two-hundred. You can count it, if you'd like.

[heirwithouthope]

[Thorin intends to.

After he sets his things down in a safe place, he reaches for the bag of money that Onyx was brandishing in front of him, and sits back down on the mattress so he could tug it open. Fortunately the process is fluid, almost perfunctory as he goes through the coins, so it doesn't take much more than a minute to finish counting, and nod in approval.]

Then we have no problem. [He gets up again; this time to walk over to the chest at the foot of his bed, since he locked up the necklace again after she left.]

[onblackwings]

[ She waits, arms folded over her chest and weight shifting from foot to foot, trying not to look impatient. And then finally he's done, and she wastes no time in stepping after him. Her eyes are on the chest immediately, all but gleaming. She doesn't speak, just waits.

come on come on come on give it over ]

[heirwithouthope]

[He doesn't miss the impatience written on her face and her body language--again, not what he was expecting from Onyx. In fact, there were only two races in Middle Earth that were prone to this kind of lust for valuable things, and one she could not be (in his eyes, because if he had any thought about her possibly being a dragon...)

Thorin casts a look over his shoulder as he opens the chest again.] How ever have you been surviving in this world, when gold is so hard to come by? [Just a little sassy. ...Though granted, the circumstances don't please him either.]

[onblackwings]

It hasn't been easy, but I've managed.

[ Tersely, but more because that sounds like he's stalling and he could be handing it over instead of asking sassy questions, than because it's any actual issue for her. There are other things to add to her hoard. ]

[heirwithouthope]

[Smoother still, though he's opened the chest now.] Now you will manage better, if I have your patronage.

[She said she might return for more jewelry if she liked what he made for her now--which she seemed to, quite obviously. And if she was just an abnormally greedy woman and nothing more sinister, that would suit him fine. Another potential flow of income to add to his name.

He picks up the necklace, unwraps it from its cloth bindings, and hands it to her.]

[onblackwings]

[ She shifts smoothly from impatience into pleasure, as soon as the necklace is shown, and reaches out to take it. It's just as well-crafted and beautiful as she recalls. She reaches up immediately to fasten it around her neck, and once it's in place, touches one hand to the swords and skulls already hanging there. A whispered word of magic shrinks them smaller still, to give more room to the finer necklace.

That done, she smiles at him. ]

How does it look on me?

[ There is one right answer to this question, Thorin. One right answer. ]

[heirwithouthope]

[If there is a moment's pause before his reaction, it's only because he has never been asked that question by anyone before. Even his sister, either because she didn't care for the opinions of others, or she had another person to ask.

Thorin looks at Onyx, and then studies the necklace again, admiring his own work (she had asked him how that looked, after all). And he hadn't measured it, so he's pleased to see it didn't need any adjustments.

He nods his head.] Fitting for a woman of your fearless bearing.

[He would not say beautiful or elegant--what were those things to a dwarf, anyway? Strength and confidence was much more flattering.]

[onblackwings]

[ Well, a greedy soul like Khisanth is certainly not turning away compliments of any kind any time soon. And "fearless" is a pretty decent one, as far as they go. She smiles, pleased, and drops her eyes to it again. ]

It's good work [ Which is about all the compliment she can squeeze out for someone else. ] Consider me a patron.

[heirwithouthope]

[He starts to drift to the side to examine the jewelry from another angle, though catches her eye again when she confirms she would be coming back. There's a very slight spark in his eye at the notion of having more things to craft.]

Then make your request whenever you wish. Of course I am capable of more than just necklaces.

[onblackwings]

Be sure you have enough supplies. I'll have a new job for you soon.

[ She finally takes her eyes from the necklace, though one hand hovers nearby to trace fingers against various parts of it. And, on a whim, she leans down to press a quick kiss against his temple. ]

[heirwithouthope]

[Thorin has fought and defended himself enough to know what and what wasn't meant to be an attack, and doesn't see that as her intent. Being kissed on the forehead stops him in surprise, finding such a thing unexpected and not entirely pleasing (he's royalty, dammit), and he is slow to decide how to react. Then he nods his head again.]

Indeed.

[onblackwings]

[ That's a suitable exit, and she's a little surprised to have successfully caught him off guard. ]

Until then.

[ And on that note, she turns (for show, again) and vanishes. ]