damned_institute | Night 40: F21-F30 Hallway

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Night 40: F21-F30 Hallway

Skuld had slept through dinner, so Ururu did her very best to be quiet, even if she didn't like it much. It was harder not to have someone to talk to, especially when Fai-san and Kurogane were fighting on the bulletin again, and she still hadn't heard from Orihime or Shiki. That was why, when the doors opened, the girl was quick to head out. With Skuld still asleep, Ururu didn't feel too bad leaving the other girl on her own. Right now, it was important that she get to F3 before Orihime or Shiki had the chance to leave--especially if they were still sick.

[To here]

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Chidori was surprised to see such a young-looking girl answering the door, but none of her shock showed on her face. Was this the weapons-maker? Chidori wouldn't put anything past this strange place, and wasn't there a child in S.E.E.S., too? If the boy could have a persona, surely a little girl could have her own powers. "Yes."

"I'm Skuld." She stepped aside to let the other girl in, flipping through her journal as she did. She had that array somewhere...

Finally finding it (they all looked a lot alike), she ripped the page out and put it down. "So how much metal did you get?" She figured she could lay it out, then add whatever was needed from her stores.

Ugh, this was so embarrassing. Next time she wouldn't sleep through half the day.

Chidori nodded, her internal questions answered, at least in part. The how of all this was still very much unknown, but at least who was taken care of. Chidori hefted the pillowcase and upended it, dumping out the three long u-shaped pipes from the bathroom sinks. "We had no tools. It was more difficult than expected."

Well, it was enough for the chain, and maybe for the ax handle. "Yeah, you have to kick them apart. My hammer's not too big, so it wasn't that hard." She went to her closet and dug around until she had enough extra. Okay, she had a perfectly done ax right next to the bag of pipes, but it wasn't really for throwing, and converting it wouldn't take much less energy than making a whole new one.

Turning back, she glanced at her bed... and saw that she'd never put Sigel away. Erk. Maybe Chidori wouldn't notice the little doll.

"Okay," she said, sitting down. "Is there anything you need to know?"

Chidori noticed the doll but, aside from briefly wondering where the girl got such a thing, she had no interest in it. She was much more concerned with the pile of metal, and took careful note of how much was added to her own supply. "I hope to be able to repay the metal you're loaning me tomorrow night."

What did she need to know? Chidori somehow doubted this little girl would be much help with the issue of sex, so she kept her questions related to the task at hand. "How well will it hold an edge?" The pipe metal wasn't exactly high-carbon steel.

Skuld grimaced. "Not as good as steel, that's for sure. It won't stay razor-sharp for long, but it's good enough. Mostly." At least, she hadn't gotten any requests to sharpen what she'd made yet. Her own hammer was as good at the day it was made, but then again she'd used it maybe twice. At least it wasn't deteriorating on its own...

Chidori nodded at the weaponsmith's explanation. A little better than she'd thought, not as good as she'd hoped. She'd simply have to try to use the axe as little as absolutely necessary--choosing caution and retreat over fighting when at all possible. Well, that was her preference in any case, so it would serve as a practical reason and reminder that discretion was most definitely the better part of valour in this place. "I don't believe I have any other questions."

"Okay." Skuld leaned forward to put her hands on the floor, fingertips brushing the edge of the paper there. "O element of earth..."

Sculpting an ax and chain out of metal pipes involved a lot of different steps, making it a lot harder than she'd expected. She'd learned how to pace herself a little, so she didn't doubt she could do it ~~not that she would have anyway~~, but it was still definitely a strain. As the last of the chain linked itself together, she was aware of sweat beading on her forehead; she struggled to control both the power and herself until she could finish the job.

When the last link had been formed, she let go of the little trickle of power she'd still had and half-collapsed; she caught herself before she could really hit the floor, but she was left crouched on all fours, forehead lightly touching the floor and trying to catch her breath.

Maybe I should stop doing this with an audience.

Fortunately--or perhaps unfortunately--for Skuld, Chidori wasn't the type to display concern for another, unless that someone was Junpei, or mattered to Junpei. So she left Skuld crouched on the floor and made no move to help her up, or even ask if she was okay. Instead, Chidori reached for the axe, lifting it carefully to measure its weight and balance. She also nicked her finger on the blade to test its sharpness--a little cut was nothing to her, naturally.

Skuld was glad not to be fussed over, but Chidori completely ignoring her did not make her happy. Grumbling to herself, she looked up in time to see the girl test the blade's edge by deliberately cutting herself.

Well. Maybe child-warriors were just like this.

"Like it?" she asked, a hint of the usual smirk playing across her lips. Chidori had better like it, given how she was getting it and who was making it.

It wasn't as nice as her old axe, but even Chidori could figure out that it would be unwise to say that. Besides, it was definitely better than being unarmed, and probably as close as she would be able to come to her familiar weapon, around here. So all she said in response to the smith's question was, "Yes."

Skuld grinned, not even noticing that Chidori was at least partly just being polite, and scooted back to lean against her bed; at least that way she could sit up. "Good."

Chidori wasn't exactly being polite--she wouldn't know how to do that if her life depended on it--she was just being less rude than she could, by saying only part of what she was thinking. It seemed to have worked, though, so she kept the tactic in mind for future interactions. "I'll get the metal you used replaced within the next few nights."

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Night 40: F21-F30 Hallway

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