[ Why does that sound almost familiar... If he can't remember, it can't be that important. He'll just have to learn why, later. ]
Ah, then I can't have her using any of that shit our employers got. What's her weapon of choice? A sword would be best, but I can...
[ Explaining the extent of his skill to his own apprentice? He's too distracted, clearly. The ocular text to speech doesn't catch the embarrassed laugh that slips out, or the cheerful recovery. ]
Oh, you know the rest by now. We ought to make her something in advance, and save it just in case. I've got some good tamahagane left over from Aventurine's project that I've been saving for something special, and this fits the bill, I think.
[ The ocular doesn't catch it yet it's easy enough to imagine all the same from the tone of the text that comes after and it makes Yuta smile to himself, fond. It only grows fonder still at the suggestion. ]
she's been using blades more often recently, but her personal preference is for pole-arms. naginata specifically. but would that really be okay? she might not ever be brought back here by LILITH.
[ She very much deserves that something special in his very biased opinion, but it would be a shame if it never gets used and that tamahagane could be used for something else that does. ]
I can't think of a better reason than for someone important to you. And you can use it too, if she taught you, right? I had another student in life who made a bit of a name for himself with his polearms, so you'll be following in his footsteps in a sense.
[ he means, masazane, the maker of tonbokiri. (one of the three great spears of japan is more than just any old polearm, but go off, peepaw...) ]
Now, a spearhead is a lot like a sword in many regards, but in order to mount it to the shaft we'll have to extend the nakago until it's nearly the same length as the blade itself. Takes three times the amount of ore as one of our usual blades. What's more, our usual lumber won't cut it either, since it'll have to provide the rest of the length instead of just reinforcing the nakago. I'd prefer teak, but don't know how easy it will be to find these days either, and we'll have to look around. Then, there's the lead in the shaft to add heft and the matter of the tachiuchi.
[ Oh, that warms his heart. The protest of "what if it breaks or something happens to it" occurs to him, but well... this is Muramasa who will have it fixed or replaced if need be which renders the whole argument moot before he can think to send it. ]
thank you, shishou. i'm not as good with polearms as she is, but i suppose that's all the more reason to practice. i know she would really love it, especially when you taught the maker of the tonbokiri too.
[ Ha, Yuta did his homework there. ]
i see. a lot goes into making a spear huh.... i can start by looking into how difficult it is to obtain teak online. if it's not too expensive i could order it and have it brought over if there isn't any we can pick up nearby.
I already got paid, though, back when he ordered the sword. Eleven ryō for a genuine Muramasa.
[ ding! there's a link to his original deal on the network, public and out there for everyone to see. one day before all the disappearances in may started. ]
by the sound of it, he intends to sell it for so much more than he paid you. so then it's only fair that you get a cut too. and you should definitely be paid for any additional labor he might want to add. i'll talk to him about it.
Yuta... you know I don't give a damn about the money. I already charged way more than I ever would for anyone else by setting the price that high... Ain't that enough?
i know you don't. but this could set a bad precedent. i'm not going to let people take advantage of you and your skills just so they can get rich themselves, shishou.
[ He doesn't care who it is, Yuta's going to go to bat for Muramasa first and foremost. ]
[ He's So Ready to go have some very Stern words with people. ]
maybe so. but that might not stop people from trying things with your swords themselves. that could be bad for both business and your reputation. what other nakago?
Oh, no. Half the reason he's being so damn particular about how he goes about selling this one is because he's gambling on the idea that nobody else can ever do it again. I mean, I definitely could make another sword look as old as that one, but it's such a headache I can't say I'd be inclined to without a damn good reason!
[ Or else he'd need to have More Words, but okay good. He'll just talk to Aventurine about Muramasa's cut then. ]
i know you do, shishou. but someone who would take advantage of you doesn't have good intentions. and they will keep doing it if you let them. no matter how much you might love the work, you're not some sword-making machine. you're a person and you deserve to be treated with care and respect. you have to think a little more of yourself, too.
[ there's a lot of things he could say to try and refute this: that generosity is a virtue, and the merit one earns from doing so is more than enough; that it's not his fault if someone else has bad intentions; that he has been, from the moment he was summoned, as close to a machine for making swords as a person can be; that he doesn't care about what others think, so long as he can do those things he was meant to do.
but ]
Nn. [ The oculars, which have a hard time picking up on laughter, seem to have no trouble this time picking up on the uncomfortable noise that slips out again when confronted with such an... ardent insistence. ] You're a real worrywart, Yuta.
[ Such a little thing—those two letters denoting the noise Muramasa must have made—and yet they speak volumes to Yuta who knows his master well enough by now that he can perfectly picture the uncomfortable state he must be in from that noise alone. Maybe Yuta should be a little more merciful in all his bleeding sincerity, but well... ]
so i've been told. i guess i can't really help it. i just want what's best for the people i love. that's only natural, right? (˶◜ᵕ◝˶)
Well, sure. But I'm the one who's supposed to be looking after you, ain't I? You got your whole life ahead of you for lookin' after others. Let me take care of you a little, will you?
i don't see why it can't be mutual. you deserve looking after too, shishou.
[ LET HIM DO IT FOR YOU. But also ugh, flipping this around on him... Yuta's tender heart feels full. Entrusting himself in Muramasa's care is not something he has to even think twice about. ]
you already do it so much, but okay. please continue taking care of me.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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Ah, then I can't have her using any of that shit our employers got. What's her weapon of choice? A sword would be best, but I can...
[ Explaining the extent of his skill to his own apprentice? He's too distracted, clearly. The ocular text to speech doesn't catch the embarrassed laugh that slips out, or the cheerful recovery. ]
Oh, you know the rest by now. We ought to make her something in advance, and save it just in case. I've got some good tamahagane left over from Aventurine's project that I've been saving for something special, and this fits the bill, I think.
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she's been using blades more often recently, but her personal preference is for pole-arms.
naginata specifically.
but would that really be okay?
she might not ever be brought back here by LILITH.
[ She very much deserves that something special in his very biased opinion, but it would be a shame if it never gets used and that tamahagane could be used for something else that does. ]
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[ he means, masazane, the maker of tonbokiri. (one of the three great spears of japan is more than just any old polearm, but go off, peepaw...) ]
Now, a spearhead is a lot like a sword in many regards, but in order to mount it to the shaft we'll have to extend the nakago until it's nearly the same length as the blade itself. Takes three times the amount of ore as one of our usual blades. What's more, our usual lumber won't cut it either, since it'll have to provide the rest of the length instead of just reinforcing the nakago. I'd prefer teak, but don't know how easy it will be to find these days either, and we'll have to look around. Then, there's the lead in the shaft to add heft and the matter of the tachiuchi.
no subject
thank you, shishou.
i'm not as good with polearms as she is, but i suppose that's all the more reason to practice.
i know she would really love it, especially when you taught the maker of the tonbokiri too.
[ Ha, Yuta did his homework there. ]
i see.
a lot goes into making a spear huh....
i can start by looking into how difficult it is to obtain teak online.
if it's not too expensive i could order it and have it brought over if there isn't any we can pick up nearby.
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[ there's his emoji ]
and money might not be an issue in a week or so, if all goes well. we'll ask aventurine to cover it!
[ because.... he is assuming he will not be getting paid for the auction. he was paid in advance... ]
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ദ്ദി( •̀ ᴗ - ˵ )
[ .... Also, hold up. ]
wait
won't you get paid for that yourself too?
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[ ding! there's a link to his original deal on the network, public and out there for everyone to see. one day before all the disappearances in may started. ]
See?
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but you said it'll be sold, right?
won't you be getting a cut of that as its maker?
because you should be.
[ Does the accountant need to go have Words??? ]
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But he already paid for the labor and the materials? I don't care what he does with it now that he's got it.
Although... I get the feeling Aventuirne might ask me to play bodyguard for him? I'll have him pay me for that.
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so then it's only fair that you get a cut too.
and you should definitely be paid for any additional labor he might want to add.
i'll talk to him about it.
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but this could set a bad precedent.
i'm not going to let people take advantage of you and your skills just so they can get rich themselves, shishou.
[ He doesn't care who it is, Yuta's going to go to bat for Muramasa first and foremost. ]
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For what it's worth, I don't think anyone'll be able to pull off this little trick a second time. I'm not putting false patina on the other nakago...
[ too... earnest... ]
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maybe so.
but that might not stop people from trying things with your swords themselves.
that could be bad for both business and your reputation.
what other nakago?
[ Like in general or...... ]
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My reputation is what it is at this point. I can't change it.
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i thought you might be making more for aventurine-san.
[ Which would be questionable even without the false patina since he does not seem to use swords as far as Yuta knows. ]
that's no reason to make it worse by letting people think your generosity can be taken advantage of so easily.
i don't want that for you.
1/2.
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I like doing the work, Yuta... if its something that helps someone else, what's the harm?
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once should be enough.
[ Or else he'd need to have More Words, but okay good. He'll just talk to Aventurine about Muramasa's cut then. ]
i know you do, shishou.
but someone who would take advantage of you doesn't have good intentions.
and they will keep doing it if you let them.
no matter how much you might love the work, you're not some sword-making machine.
you're a person and you deserve to be treated with care and respect.
you have to think a little more of yourself, too.
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but ]
Nn. [ The oculars, which have a hard time picking up on laughter, seem to have no trouble this time picking up on the uncomfortable noise that slips out again when confronted with such an... ardent insistence. ] You're a real worrywart, Yuta.
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so i've been told.
i guess i can't really help it.
i just want what's best for the people i love.
that's only natural, right? (˶◜ᵕ◝˶)
[ He's better at being ruthless. ]
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you deserve looking after too, shishou.
[ LET HIM DO IT FOR YOU. But also ugh, flipping this around on him... Yuta's tender heart feels full. Entrusting himself in Muramasa's care is not something he has to even think twice about. ]
you already do it so much, but okay.
please continue taking care of me.
🎀