(Untitled)

[panser_bjorn]

(OOM: Iorek has been keeping himself busy. Which leads directly to this post.)

The back door opens, revealing the huge, sleek shape of the armored bear as he drops to all fours and pads over towards the Bar, a flat piece of wood a couple feet across held carefully in his fearsome jaws. As he gets to the Bar he rears up onto his hind legs. Taking the

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[captainryan]

[OOC: Mun is totally going to bed because it's 3 AM, and she does realize this is several days late. However, she will totally be around to pick this up tomorrow, if Iorek-mun doesn't mind the wait?]

It doesn't take long for the other blacksmith of Milliways to notice the sign, either. Well, to be fair, he noticed the bear first (and did a double-take) and then the sign, which is why he's now approaching the bear.

"You're Iorek Byrnison?" Ryan asks, a shade on the wary side. Cos, you know, big ass bear.

[panser_bjorn]

[OOC: It's perfectly fine, we may pick it up in slowtimes since our schedules don't seem to match much?]

The bear's black eyes regard Ryan from within the deep slits cut into the wedge-shaped helmet of his armor. Their gaze isn't exactly cold, but calmly devoid of expression. You couldn't read in those eyes any more than you could in the sheer face of an ice-cliff.

"Yes, I am Iorek Byrnison." His gaze moves briefly from Ryan to the sign on the bar, only to return to Ryan.

[captainryan]

[OOC: Slow = love!]

Ryan halfway depends on scents to tell him the expression of those he's speaking to, anyway. Not that bear scents are exactly like human scents, but they're similar enough that he'll know if he's upsetting the creature.

He hopes.

"I'm Captain Richard Ryan, the night smith. What were you interested in, exactly?"

[panser_bjorn]

The night smith. An odd system for shifts, but one he can accept easily in this place.

"Two things, mostly, as I said to the other smith, the young man who looks somewhat like a Tartar." The voice is deep, rumbling but perfectly articulate, though the lack of emotional tones is a tad disconcerting. "My armor needs maintenance which I need a proper forge to do, and I am a smith. I enjoy my work, and it's something to do to keep myself occupied."

[captainryan]

Ryan's head tilts in acknowledgment. Occupied is a good thing to be, though Ryan also practices his basics there. He's only been doing this for about nine months, after all.

"That was Zuko," Ryan sneers slightly, an easy guess when Zuko's the only other smith. They quite obviously don't get along all that well. "We've arranged to partition our time, he to the day and I to the night." Also somewhat obvious.

Ryan looks the armour over. "Your work seems immensely skilled." No surprise when a Panserbjorne's armour is the equivalent of a human's daemon, not that Ryan's aware of that. He glances to the sign again.

"Would you be willing to pay in instruction?"

[panser_bjorn]

"I could make my own forge. It will take longer, but I'd rather not interfere in an already conflicted schedule." The gaze he gives Ryan is only slightly pointed.

"I could try to teach you, but I don't think it possible for a human to learn the craft of the Panserbjorne." His tone is still flat and emotionless, but he doesn't sound (or smell) like lying, at all. The Panserbjorne have a gift with metal. One that can't be passed on. He could teach some of the techniques to Ryan, but the whole art of his people? Not even if he -wanted- to, which isn't quite the case.

[captainryan]

Ryan arches an eyebrow. "It is only split between day and night," he points out, "and even then, I don't work it all night." Werewolves have to sleep too! "If you choose not to share time with Zuko or I, you're welcome to use it once I've left." Ryan'd like a free weapon or two, in that case.

"For what it's worth, I'm not human," he assumed the bear could tell, "but I'm not asking to learn the secret of your armour." Ryan's not interested in something that cumbersome, for all its quality. "Merely whatever you'd be willing to pass on.

"I've only been smithing since I died," he explains a shade wryly.

[panser_bjorn]

"Ah, one of the dead. I had been told, but you are the first person I have met here that admits to it." There seems to be a mild hint of curiosity in his tone about this topic, but it passes quickly.

"Fact is, you don't seem to like each other much, so I rather would not get caught in your possible conflicts. Still, if you want to learn, I can teach you in your own time." A brief, thoughtful pause.

"Just consider the fact that, if I decide not to use the forge for anything else, then you would be the one indebted to me, wouldn't you?"

[captainryan]

Ryan arches an eyebrow at the bear.

"So I would." He tilts his head at the great beast. "And what sort of payment would you request from me?" Surely not any of his pieces, since Iorek can surpass his quality easily. Money is a possibility, but so is mercenary work.

Ryan likes the latter quite a bit, provided he doesn't oppose what he's fighting for. A trip outside of the bar isn't worth that much.

[panser_bjorn]

(OOC: First of all, sorry for the long and unexplained hiatus. I can be on more regularly from now on. Let's see if we can bring this thread back into working?)

Iorek watches the dead man levelly from within the thick plate of his helmet. It's startling, to find such intelligence gleaming from the usually expressionless, almost alien dark eyes of a polar bear.

"A just exchange. If I teach you what I can of smith-craft, I get to use the forge for the same amount of time for myself."

[captainryan]

[OOC: NP! Real life comes first. *nods*]

Only if you're experienced with speaking with polar bears. The only other one Ryan has met is Belar, and, well, he doesn't really count, does he?

"That's fair enough," Ryan replies. "Just come in the evenings when you're willing to teach. When you have time accrued, simply tell me you want the forge, preferably before I've started any work for the night." He'd hate to have to stop halfway through and ruin a piece.

[panser_bjorn]

At any rate, they aren't the eyes of a simple animal, not even the sharper, more awake eyes of a wolf, even despite the lack of expression in them. The great helmeted head nods and Iorek rears up onto his hindlegs, looking down at Ryan. A huge forepaw is extended, black curved claws tipping each stubby digit, and now Ryan can see a somewhat-opposable thumb.

"We do have a deal, then, Richard Ryan?"

[captainryan]

Ryan swallows despite himself. Big bear. He's not considering it, but if he were, he'd have to be very careful to double cross this creature.

And he has no desire to find out if he can die again, kthx.

"We do, Iorek Byrnison," Ryan says as he carefully places his hand in that huge crushing paw.

Big big bear.

[panser_bjorn]

Iorek's paw closes slow and carefully around Ryan's hand, and the great bear nods.

Big bear, indeed. Even larger than your common polar bear, and those are already larger than most people think

"Good. I look forward to working with you" And oddly enough, there is a ring of honesty in the way he says so. Lying isn't a part of the Panserbjorne's ways.

[captainryan]

"Likewise," Ryan agrees, perhaps a bit more cautiously. New techniques are always useful and he does honestly look forward to that portion of their meetings.

"Meet me at the forge whenever you wish to start. I'll see you then."

[panser_bjorn]

"I will see you then, Richard Ryan." The huge paw releases Ryan's hand and the bear drops to all four once again, turning and heading for the door, collecting his wooden sign from the Bar on the way out.