[Open]

[fireforger]

As she stepped into the foyer of the Outsider's Hotel, Daja wasn't just accompanied by her Trader Staff today. On her other arm she held a beautiful shield, made of steel and decorated with twisting dragons. And in the very centre, a symbol that some members of the crew may find familiar

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[i_am_the_bafo]

The Overlord made a practice of dropping in on the Outsiders headquarters every so often -- mostly because he still has every intention of using the Outsiders as loyal if irritably do-gooding minions, and consequently had taken a personal interest in their activities.

So lucky, lucky Daja, as she stepped in, would find herself approached by a green-haired, vapid girl carrying a book. That book had a face, and that face is saying, "Huh. Nice shield."

[fireforger]

When Daja had first woken, she would have blinked at the green hair - but by now, she had seen many stranger things. The talking book, however? That was considerably stranger. She bowed, although it was somewhat hesitant - she wasn't sure if she should address the book or the girl.

"Thank you - it was made for Katara. I hope that it will serve her well."

[i_am_the_bafo]

"Katara?" The book lifted an eyebrow in surprise. "I didn't know she used those. She seemed like a martial arts kind of girl..."

The gears in Zetta's head, glacial though their pace might be, turned just enough to complete a thought. "You must be the girl with the forge..." The book frowned as it struggled to remember that commversation. "...Daja?"

[fireforger]

"I believe she intends to learn," Daja explained politely. "And yes, I am Daja the blacksmith. May I help you?"

[i_am_the_bafo]

"We talked on the omnicomm. I'm Zetta." The demon Overlord. The being incapable of recognizing what exactly that long pause and quick exit from the conversation had meant.

Also: totally a book.

"I wanted to sound you out on getting some work done."

[fireforger]

In a moment, Daja's expression became carefully unrevealing. Inwardly however, she was worried - very worried. How was she supposed to deal with a demon?!

"Good day, Zetta," she said, utterly polite. "Thank you for considering me, however I am afraid I am currently very busy working with the Engineering Department." Although not busy enough to not have time for clients - but she didn't want to tell Zetta that. "I am sorry that I cannot assist. If you'll excuse me, I must deliver this to Katara."

Hopefully, Zetta would not push and she could quickly make her escape.

[i_am_the_bafo]

"Hey! W-What the hell? you're totally putting me off here!" The Overlord seemed less furious or outraged than... confounded. "I can tell! At least own up to the real reason!"

Strange as it is, after all this time on the ship, he doesn't even consider the idea that it's because he's a demon.

[fireforger]

Daja bowed, hoping to placate the demon with polite platitudes. "I apologise, but cannot always accept every commission."

Rising from her bow, she gathered up her courage. "I have my reputation to consider. And I will not craft something that I know will be used for evil."

[i_am_the_bafo]

"Huh."

The Overlord considered this for a moment.

"Okay, but for what it's worth, it's not for me. I wanted to give my apprentice a gift. Vikings, I guess, make a big deal about helmets... or at least she does about hers. She's not anywhere near 'evil'."

Neither was Zetta, honestly, but he had no idea of the fact. Don't tell him.

"If you want to say no? That's fine. But ask Katara before you make up your mind. She knows the girl I'm talking about a little."

[fireforger]

"You are a demon. How can I trust the truth of any of your worlds? I do not even know if you would even give my creations to your apprentice, or if you would honour payment."

She gripped her staff tightly. "I hope that you have not been manipulating Katara. She deserves better than that."

It was a shame that Daja didn't even have the option of telling Zetta that he wasn't evil - since she didn't know that herself.

[i_am_the_bafo]

Hey, someone who actually takes this demon stuff seriously! It's a miracle! He was really starting to wonder about this ship.

"Because this isn't worth lying about," Zetta said. "Besides, I'm not one of the sneaky zype of Overlords. I'm the smashy, rule-through-brute-force-and-awesome-strength kind of Overlords." Or he was, till he got stuck in a book, but never mind that.

"Whatever the case, right now, we're all on the same side, us versus the Ohm. If I start roughing you up or robbing you or whatever, I get the whole ship against me. And even if we weren't on the ship, it's stupid to ask a craftperson to make you an item, then rip 'em off, because then you can't ever get something out of them willingly again. You may not trust me, but it's in my own best interest to play by the rules here."

[fireforger]

"So you tell me," Daja said wryly. "But of course, your claims that you are not lying could also be a lie."

Hefting the shield higher, Daja looked at Zetta warily. It did not look like the demon was going to take no for an answer - and Daja feared that he might bring retribution on her if she continued to refuse him.

But Daja was a Trader - if anyone could put on a polite face and squeeze a client for all they were worth, she could. If Zetta was going to be so insistent on buying her services, he would find it a very, very expensive endeavor indeed.

"And how exactly do you intend to pay?" she said, her face carefully blank.

[i_am_the_bafo]

"Yeah, but think about it. It's common sense."

Zetta could, on rare occasions, grasp the concept of it, much in the way a comet could occasionally come very close to a star, but spent most of its existence billions of miles away from it.

"The currency I have right now is called Hell," Zetta said. "Standard Netherworld currency. "But I have a merchant as a minion, so maybe you'd like some other weapons and armor and crap? And I do a lot of City scavenging, too. I get the idea that raw materials aren't common around here."

[fireforger]

Daja balked a little a currency called hell, but covered it quickly. She tried to tell herself that as long as it was gold, real gold, and uncorrupted by any of his demon essence... "I do not know this currency. I will need to see some before I can decide if it is acceptable."

She leveled a steady look at Zetta, choosing to ignore that insult to her craft. "I am fully capable of scavenging for material myself. If you wish to trade, you must trade something valuable. What do you have available?"

[i_am_the_bafo]

"Yeah, but every minute you spend scavenging is one you're not working," Zetta said.

"Uh, this isn't a threat or attack," he added, "so don't take it that way." Some distance behind him, he Invited one of his construct-minions, who crashed to the ground from some unspecified point above. The minion drew forth a bulging bag as she approached.

"There's Hell if you want to take a look at it," the book said. "For goods, I can trade knives, swords, katanas, axes, morning stars, nunchaku, spears, rapiers, rifles, flamethrowers, gatlings, bazookas, wrenches, shovels, drills, books, UFOs, and standard armor and crap. Yeah, including helmets. I just want this one to be special."

[fireforger]

Daja stepped back, her grip on her staff tightening. Where had the creature come from? Surely it hadn't been up there in the roof all this time?

She didn't approach the bag at all - Daja didn't need to, not to inspect the metals. "Your currency is made of no metal known to me," she said, unsettled. Usually she would be exited and curious to learn of a new metal, but considering the source... "I cannot use an unknown metal with unknown properties."

Daja didn't understand all of the items Zetta mentioned - what were 'nunchaku', 'bazookas', and 'yoo eff ous'? - "I cannot accept weapons and armour that I have not inspected," Daja said calmly. "How can I know how many would be acceptable if I do not know their quality?"