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Post by Krakenbox on Sept 30, 2021 14:50:34 GMT -8
Threading through the metal heads and ravers as Watchtower shredded in the ambience, Henley played his game of offering various trinkets and attention to the hobs as he lead Gavin Graves deeper into the industrial yard. A man stumbled out with his friends laughing, blood dropping from the edge of his mouth as the rest looked at the embedded gemstones in his teeth. Seemed legit. The old dentist chair was clearly hawked from a junkyard with the plastic peeled off and in the process of being replaced by a small team of pale, childlike hobs. The Dollmaker's eyes were hollow, much like the Knight of the Dying Light. She had an ageless look to her that was powdered and bloodless. The large kimono of sewn leather faces ran the length of the stool she was perched on, hiding most of her body. The imps squinted at Gavin and grinned at Henley with sharp teeth as they held up needles dipped with pigment. |
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Post by Henley on Oct 1, 2021 12:47:22 GMT -8
Henley led the way, his slender frame at least a head taller than most of the people in the Market stub and far taller than most of the hobs. Trinkets and love paved the way through the industrial surroundings. When the man came out of the Dollmaker's space as they approached, the Ogre glanced toward the Australian. He paused a moment a few steps back from the door and lowered his voice.
"Best think about what you're willing to give up front and be prepared going in. Thing to know is, she probably is going to want parts in exchange for like parts at the best of times. Can't be sure what she's going to want -- probably one of your claws as an opener -- but if it's an eye you want... then an eye in return will probably be the bottom line. We'll see," He frowned, staring off into the distance as he thought about the realities of the situation. A Razorhand losing an eye was probably not going to be the most peaceful person around.
"Bloody brutal business, flesh trading is. You sure you want this, Mr. Graves?"
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Post by Gavin Graves on Oct 1, 2021 16:46:51 GMT -8
Following the Ogre through the twisting pathways to the Dollmaker's shop amongst the industrial space and flow of people, the Beast was looking a little nervous. Walking around a strung out raver bleary and pawing at movements and the steady thrum of drums and guitar riffs made it difficult to ignore where he was in the context of what he was preparing to undergo.
"Not really up to me, now is it? You and I can push back a bit, but these creatures are pernicious and greedy. We'll have to see what it asks for. Won't be in for it if it demands capability. I have my limits. I'm sure you understand. They all seem to want my claws." He let out a long sharp exhalation readying himself to be disappointed, additionally rolling his shoulders a few times as an act of self-soothing.
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Post by Krakenbox on Oct 1, 2021 17:31:58 GMT -8
The Ningyō-shi looked Gavin up and down, appraising.
"You're very ugly."
The haughty hobgoblin scoffed, gesturing to the Beast and pouting at Henley, "What am I supposed to do with this? Sun damaged leather, eyes belonging to a dirty animal, smelly rotting claws, and hair that doesn't know if it wants to be feathers yet." A product of the Golden Hoard, but not one of the groomed ones.
"Maybe something of worth will be in your mind," she sighed dismissively, gesturing for him to lay down in the chair.
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Post by Henley on Oct 3, 2021 21:53:17 GMT -8
Henley chuckled at the Dollmaker's blunt manner, immediately swinging at Gavin's appearance. He sounded entertained, putting on a playful tone. "What, no 'hello, how are you, Henley', or 'nice to see you, Nate', Dollmaker? Just ripping on my client right away?" He glanced at Gavin and grinned, slipping into the role of representative like a second skin. "You'd be surprised all the things he knows. After all, this is the fellow who brought back the Trod. Not a lot of Lost are that wily."
He gestured to the Razorhand.
"Mr. Graves is looking for an ocular enhancement to be able to see magic. I'll let him describe the particulars."
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Post by Gavin Graves on Oct 4, 2021 11:06:59 GMT -8
"Oof, I'm just devo over here," deflecting the Dollmaker's shade. It had spun a fine façade for itself from a wide selection of bits acquired from its many historical clients. Truly though, it was all the outward refined artistry of a wedding cake applied to writhing mass of vermin and insects pickled by the Hedge until it gained the sentient will of human vice. The cutting words of Hobs rarely held much water with him; today was no different. "There's no accounting for taste."
"Yeah, If you don't like an experienced body, perhaps the experienced mind has something of interest." He wondered what precious memory it was going to reach its grubby paws after. He cut the thought short, trying not to dwell in the worry lest he bring the wrong thing to the surface and it gets the chance to cut into the core of his being. "I'm looking to get a better look at what things truly are. What sort of thing do you have in mind for that?"
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Post by Krakenbox on Oct 5, 2021 19:41:12 GMT -8
The Dollmaker rolls her eyes, gesturing to the chair once again.
"Well I'm not going to know until I dig around, am I?"
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Post by Henley on Oct 6, 2021 13:00:35 GMT -8
"He could make you an offer without you rooting around in his head if you told him the types of things you might be interested in that an explorer of the wilds would know, yes?"
Henley raised an eyebrow. Trust a hob to try to get free information.
"Up to you, Mr. Graves. It's certainly faster to sit down and let her root about rather than hagglign, but she'd have a lot of access."
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Post by Gavin Graves on Oct 6, 2021 20:26:07 GMT -8
"All access pass isn't on the table. Let me hit the highlights for you to narrow it down. I can tell you that there's a lot of studying the occult--sort of why I'm here, getting around on the mean streets of various locales, life or death scrapping, wildly running around in the Hedge wreaking havoc, and wilderness survival and hunting with my uncle, oh and lots of trail guiding and exploring, yeah." He made like he was counting off the categories on his fingers while scanning his memories internally.
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Post by Krakenbox on Oct 6, 2021 20:48:47 GMT -8
"If you keep the catalogue upfront, I can peruse and go no deeper," she said mildly, as if they were asking a jeweler to purchase a gemstone before she got to examine the quality with a microscope.
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Post by Gavin Graves on Oct 6, 2021 21:28:30 GMT -8
Gavin listened to the Hob askance and made his best educated guess as to the veracity of its declaration and rolled with his instincts.
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Post by Krakenbox on Oct 11, 2021 10:28:53 GMT -8
Gavin knew the only way to guarantee some level of fairness was to Seal her statement. He would have to concentrate on the ideas he was okay with her picking through, like shoving wares to a window so she couldn't see the rest of the stock behind—anesthetic would be a mistake. She would also have to breach his Bastion if he asked to be completely knocked out, which opened a whole 'nother can of worms.
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Post by Henley on Oct 12, 2021 9:48:36 GMT -8
Henley gave Gavin a thumbs up with a bit of a grimace on his face, like he was satisfied so far with the negotiations but found this whole business rather grisly.
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Post by Gavin Graves on Oct 12, 2021 11:44:03 GMT -8
"Right, just going to need to seal a promise to that effect: No looking beyond the surface, and no removing anything without permission. Permission for looking deeper and permission for removing being separate things, clearly." Gavin laid out the boundaries for the interaction and prepared to call on the Wyrd to bind the arrangement.
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Post by Krakenbox on Oct 13, 2021 11:52:08 GMT -8
"Sounds fair," the hob said, her impatience rippling among the servitors as they snip scissors and jab needles excitedly in the air.
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