John Preston is behind the counter, organizing boxes of ammunition in the large cabinet system that is up against the wall.
Billy Ray has a battered duffel bag over one shoulder and finishes a cigarette outside before he shoves his way into the shop, shoving aviator sunglasses into his coat pocket as he flashes a smile at John. "Eya, bubba. Figgered ah'd bring by some of my stuff - y'know, so y'got what you know y'got and see my quality an' all that, plus some of the more esoteric an'," he glances around, making sure they are alone, "Odd stuff."
John looks up and says, "Oh! Hello, Billy Ray. Glad to have you here. Let me just make sure we are not disturbed." He moves over to the front door and locks it. "I would love to trade notes and tricks. I do not often trust easily, and perhaps I am seizing on something just because it is rare, but--I have not known many changelings to embrace firearms as much as I do. Most of them are believers in swords, and axes, and knives, and--well--just about anything that does not fire bullets. Unfortunately, those are a lot less practical in the mundane world than a reliable gun. Not that I have not forged the occasional sword or armor, but it is not where my passion is."
Billy Ray grunts, "Ah hear ya bubba, ah hear ya," he says as he slaps hands and shakes them - if allowed. He shrugs off the duffel bag, a quick check around and the door and he begins to open the bag. "Ah been out damn near a decade now. Came out near Columbus Georgia, my birth town. Kicked 'round there, west coast some, an' came back here. Spent my teenage misspent youth heah." he says. He pulls out a scabbarded rapier - almost steampunk-y in design to mortal eyes, with silly pipes and whatnot - but to Lost eyes, it's a Hedgespun. A homebuilt rapier with intricate spikes and a long series of pipes to cover the hand - textured pommel to hold grip despite blood, sweat or rain, and steam and electricity runs alongside the blade. When gripped, the pipes shift and move to surround the hand - encouraging it to move this direciton or that. "First thing, this b'my blade when ah'm in the Hedge. Helps ya defend a lot better."
John shakes Billy Ray's hand firmly, though 'warmly' would be a bit of a stretch for a Winter--his hands are cold and dry. When the rapier comes out, his eyes widen in pleasant surprise. "This is some quality work," and lets out a startled laugh in pleasant surprise when the pipes shift to nudge his untrained swordsman's hand into a more appropriate position. "Ha! Clever, that! Already, a skill I do not have--I could make a blade, but not one that helped someone to use it better, for I do not have the skill myself to impart." He carefully hands the rapier back. "I too returned to the world about ten or so years ago, but this area is a new one to me. I came because I had heard the mortals were...more accepting, here, than in most other places, of our kind."
"That's what th' skinny was. An' ah had a friend or two 'round here, and it's a new Freehold - so ah figured mebbe the Springs could use a helping hand or two," says B-Ray with a grin at the praise. He digs into the bag, pulling out a holstered pistol - it has a small optic atop it, a flat trigger for precision shooting. "Still tinkerin' with this, but this is gonna be my carry gun. Started as a Sig Sauer P320, then slide cut for the Trijicon RMR sight, flat trigger system, polished th' feed ramp and put a polished heavy barrel in it. Gonna wanna a Hedgespun version ah think, for when ah'm in the Hedge," he adds, handing over the holstered pistol after checking to make sure it's unloaded. "Money wise, ah'm ok - saved a bit here an' there, beer money an' whatnot. But work - work is what keeps me from thinkin' too much, man. If'n that makes sense to you? And findin' someone - like y'said - that likes the firearms, that's rare. Most folks want Excalibur or somesuch nonesense."
-> >> Billy Ray to Here << <-=========================================
Rolled 6 Successes for an exceptional success.
< 1 1 2 2 2 3 3 4 4 4 5 5 7 7 8 9 9 10 10 10 >
=================-> >> Crafts.Firearms + Dexterity + 4 9-Again << <-
"I remember the first time an Ogre came to me, when I first hung up my shingle in the freehold I was part of outside of Chicago. 'I want Gimli's axe, but can ya make it bigger, an' glowy like a lightsaber that can cut through metal doors?'" A wry grin. "The Sig Sauer's a great chassis. I would be worried about the sight getting caught on the draw if I was in a hurry, but if I had the time to attach on the fly, it would make an excellent addition." He reaches into his coat and carefully produces his own pistol, setting it down on the table. "This is my hedgespun pistol. Beretta M92FS chassis."
===========-< << John's BERETTA M92FS HS +Note >> >-============
This hedgespun pistol resembles the Beretta M92FS model modified to look like the weapons featured in the movie Equilibrium.
Mien: This pistol is made of an odd black metal likely taken from someone's dreams. Impossibly smooth, impossibly hard, improbably angular, it resembles something out of a movie prop set (specifically, Equilibrium) rather than any normal pistol,
Mask: This heavy pistol appears to have been extensively customized in order to appear identical to the modified Beretta M92FS pistol used in the movie Equilibrium. It is a uniform matte black.
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Billy Ray nods, "For th' Hedge, where y'got all those roots an' trees and whatnot, it's a challenge - it could get caught, f'sure." he says as he grins, leaning over to examine the offered pistol. He pulls on a pair of gloves, carefully eying it this way and that, grunting. "Well hoo-ee bubba, y'done smoked this sucka long an' hard, huh? This thing'll drop down that rampagin' Ogre y'would just talkin' about. The Beretta 92, man that thing can be adjusted an' tinkered with six ways to Sunday. Ah suspect yer a good bit stronger'n ah am, that thing'd snap mah delicate wrists like nothin," he says with a grin. "That's good work - great work, an' looks scary as hell too!"
"Thank you," he says. "My name--well. I was taken because my keeper had seen Equilibrium--or heard about it, I think, through someone's dreams. So far as I can tell, it was sheer coincidence, but who knows how they think, really? In any event, it just seemed a proper fit after a while, so why not embrace it? In places with worse gun laws than Vermont, it made it easier to fool anyone who questioned me by saying I was 'dressing up' as the guy from the movie, complete with 'prop' pistols. I have another one that is not hedgespun--in case I want to fire cold iron loads; they would tear through this like a hot knife through butter."
Billy Ray nods. "But hurt us like a sumbitch if you hadda handle 'em," he agrees, "That's kinda funny - in a weird way, 'bout the movie. M'keeper, what ah can remember at least, was just straight about the violence an' death. Had me makin' weapons a' mass destruction damn near a century, far as ah can tell," he says as he carefully hands the pistol back. "That's one legit piece a work, buddy."
John takes the pistol back, putting it into a holster. "Come--let me show you the workshop," he says. "If we work together, you will be spending a lot of time there. Once I am part of the Freehold officially, I was thinking of adding a Hollow with workshops and the rest."
John comes into the office, and steps past the desk to unlock the steel door to the workshop and let you in to look around.
Billy Ray nods, "Ah was thinkin' the same - ah'm gonna need a workspace in a holla in order to be able to get my Token an' Hedgespun work done, an it'll be a good place to store supplies that weren't do too good on this side a the Hedge, so t'speak. Lead on, boss man." he says with a grin, putting his duffel bag over his shoulder.
"You can make tokens?" he arches an eyebrow. "Now -that- will come in handy for our business."
Billy Ray nods, "Ah was thinkin' the same - ah'm gonna need a workspace in a holla in order to be able to get my Token an' Hedgespun work done, an it'll be a good place to store supplies that weren't do too good on this side a the Hedge, so t'speak. Lead on, boss man." he says with a grin, putting his duffel bag over his shoulder.
John comes into the office, and steps past the desk to unlock the steel door to the workshop and let you in to look around. "You can make tokens?" he says, arching an eyebrow. "Now -that- will come in handy for our business."
Billy Ray nods, "Ah can. Ah ain't a master, but I made 'em and can make 'em - Tini, a local Toll Taker, new like me? In Georgia ah made her token - it's an endless bag, somethin' she can store tons a' gear and whatnot in," he says as he looks around. "Ah like it. Y'got CNC and all the gear we'd need to get good an' proper. Ooh, an' a forge. Y'know, depending on the weapon, ah like to hand-lathe a barrel - use the old molten lead way of seasonin' the barrel and gettin' the riflin' just so. Means y'could have a rifle shooting half a minute a' angle at three quarters a' a mile."
John nods pleasantly. "This is the first shop I have had the ability to plan for -myself-, so I did my best to pick up everything I have seen or seen used in the shops where I have worked for or with other people. It always seemed that there was something missing, to me--one tool or another, the wrong lathe or one that was broken or just kept messily, you know. And I like crafting guns whole-cloth from nothing but ingots. Hard to do that in most folks' setups. Especially since our clientele might ask for something like a musket, or have something made of a peculiar material that you would not find elsewhere. I do not know about you, but I have yet to find a gunsmith who can make personalized grips out of whalebone, potter's clay and a mixture of rosemary and fox tears. Not that that particular request has come up, but just in case it ever does, I wanted to be prepared."
Billy Ray laughs, with a nod, "Mebbe as Hedgespun or Token, but not in a real world thing, nope," he says as he peers around the shop, moving around. "Ah like the layout. Ah should mention, ah got tons a' experience with chemistry, physics and other whatnots, so ah can help if'n you want to make our own custom gunpowder or other items. And ah wonder if'nt the Freehold would let us have a Holl'a based off of this place? I did already join th' Freehold, 'fore I moved here for good, so that shouldn't be an issue, at least.
John says, "I was going to put a door in there," he points to the metal door in the middle of the wall separating the office from the warehouse, "and not have an entrance from the hedge. It is why I have such heavy security on the store--not that that would be a bad idea in a gun shop in any case. But done right, we could just move between 'rooms' pretty easily. I know a bit of chemistry, not too much--enough to play with loads, for those times I have had to make cold iron ammunition, but nothing too precise. I can also weave." He gestures to the coat he is wearing--obviously hedgespun. Then he pauses, and says: "You make tokens...hm. If you can duplicate it...I wonder if you can make something like this. For yourself, or for others. I know *I* spent a lot buying this one." He takes off a necklace, and shows it to you, explaining what it does.
=============-< << John's TOKEN AMULET +Note >> >-==============
Welrod Amulet
The Welrod was a pistol designed for the British Special Operations Executive (SOE) in World War 2. Used by the SOE, the OSS and Resistance forces, it saw action in Denmark, the Falklands War, Operation Desert Storm, and throughout the Troubles in Northern Ireland.
(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Welrod)
What made the Welrod special was that not only was it sanitised (no identifiable markings), it was also integrally sound-suppressed.
Crafted by a Darkling tokenmaster from the remnants of Welrods painstakingly recovered from dusty warehouses and firearms collections, the Welrod Amulet is made of the flattened firing pins of several of these weapons
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OOC NOTE: it isn't approved yet, but it's down to the details right now and I expect it will be.
Billy Ray carefully picks up the item, reviewing it thoughtfully and peering at it with a crafter's eye. "Those are firin' pins from that SOE pistol - the double-ya double-ya two one, amiright?" he asks as he glances at John. "That's nicely done. Not too big, won't bang all against armor, and it'd be super legit fer assaults and whatnot. Yeah, ah think we could make somethin' like this. Prolly not based exactly the same - but, there's internally suppressed weapons too we could use as a basis. Prolly require a coupla trips into t'Hedge fer ingredents, tho." he says as he hands it back. "That's nice - real nice, JP."
"I cannot take credit for it, but yes--that is what it was made of. I have always considered learning to make tokens, but I never seem to have the time to dedicate to it. One of the reasons I moved here is the hope that things will be quiet enough, and I could make the right toolset, to learn how to do it. I would not ask you to give away secrets of your craft for free, but your tutelage in learning such a skillset would be a good basis for a future partnership. While either of us could undoubtedly make a good business of this seperately, together, we could provide great value for the Freehold and share in any profits made. And I would be pleased to hunt ingredients down with you."
John puts the amulet back on.
Billy Ray dips his head, "That sounds good t'me, bubba. If'n you don't mind me callin' you bubba, dude, man, or JP," says Billy Ray as he offers his hand. "Y'already heads an' tails ahead a' me, y'got hardware, tools, hell a fine buildin'. Ah say lets get ya in the Freehold most quick an' start kickin' butt and hangin' the shingle fer work. Ah know Tini already told me she wanted t'commission me for some more work, so if'n it's a token ah would be honored t'have you shadow me, see how it works and all that jazz." he says.
John seals the deal with a handshake. The man appears to be normally very reticent and precise--but with Billy Ray, he seems to open up. A shared passion for craftsmanship can do that. He adds, "Also, there is one other thing that I can provide which I believe you will find of use. Once every year and a day, I can...aid you, or myself, in making something as close to perfect as possible. It is obviously the product of supernatural aid--I did not use it on this pistol," he gestures to the Beretta, "but I am planning on doing so relatively soon, to improve it even more."
Billy Ray purses his lips, making a whistle, "Well hello pardner, that's damn useful," he agrees. "In the interests ah' sharin', ah talk t'my tools an' equipment an' items ah'm makin'. And they talk back - sometimes even walk 'round. Got a automaton - a movin' table that helps me build things, bein' shipped here. Year and a day? Woo-ee, that's gotta be a pain to wait for, right?" A grin at the other man. "Oh man, I'm super psyched now!"
"Yes, it is a huge pain in the ass, believe me. I am waiting for the Freehold to pledge me--should be soon--before making the Hollow; going to put in a garden so we can grow Promise Leaves for the Blessing of Protection in addition to the gamut of hedgefruits, along with workshops--probably for weaving and forging both." He smiles. "I think we will work well together, Billy Ray. And, at the risk of sounding stereotypical, while I am not the biggest fan in the world, I will not mind listening to NASCAR and country western on the radio while we work in the same workshop. And I also smoke, though not around open containers of gunpowder." His jokes may sound stilted and awkward, but at least he is trying!
Billy Ray grins, "See JP, that was in danger of being a JOKE, my man. A JOKE! Can you even believe it? And good, cause baseball season 'bout to start and ah can't miss a game, and don' even get me started on NASCAR, y'all have a Earnheart poster 'round here and ah'll dadplum shoot it ALL up!" says Billy Ray with a grin.
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