Shaking off the Rust

Mission Name: Graduation Headbands
Mission Type: Crafting (Repeatable Weekly)
Mission Rank: D
Mission Goal: Craft 10 Shinobi Headbands
Description: Shinobi Headbands have to come from somewhere, and that somewhere can be you! Craft 10 of them and deliver them to the Academy so they can stock up on them.  Steel Material is provided.
Payment: 10,000 Ryo (Bonus 500 Ryo/Tier/Headband above D rank)
Requirements: Armor Crafting

---

Niko was going to get a head start, but she knew Oriana would be along shortly.  The mission this time was very simple; craft some headbands and deliver them to the Academy… which was perfect, because Niko had been meaning to start working on her skill with Armor for some time now, and considering these were academy graduation headbands, they weren’t expected to be so over the top in quality right off the get go.  Granted, as Niko got better, she would do her level best to ensure that she didn’t lose sight of her own standards, and she would make the best ones she could possibly muster… but these first few? Let’s just say they were going to be what helped her shake off the rust on her skills.

Armor crafting, in contrast to weapons, were a bit different in how they were produced.  Usually it took more than just pouring them into a mold and then fine tuning them afterwards to get them to work.  They required hammering into shape and stamping with whatever marks that were needed… and it was debatably just as difficult as making a good weapon… but the upside was that she was just being used for her services for the mission.  They were supplying the molds, stamps, raw materials… it all had been delivered this morning as Niko had warmed up the forge.

She was just pouring the first headband’s metal into the mold when she heard Oriana enter through the window.  For all the woman’s cat-like grace, her Sensory skill was just a little too sharp for her to be caught off guard by the Genin just yet.  She had improved leaps and bounds in the past week or so, and it was amazing to watch her grow and develop… and Niko had learned much about the woman and was tailoring the missions and training to help her work on some of her weaknesses and helping her evolve.  “I’m in here, Oriana-chan!” she called, not really needing to worry about if the woman could find her, just more or less letting her know that she had realized the woman had arrived.

The sound of her hammer striking metal could be heard as she hammered the headband’s shape into place, and then carefully put the stamp of the Kumogakure onto the metal, finishing the first set, but frowning at it as she held it up, knowing she could do better.  She was wearing her outfit she normally wore when forging to include the fingerless gloves to protect her hands from the repeated strikes with the hammer.  If she wasn’t in a hurry to get this done, she would have re-forged this from scratch once she got a Furnace and a Crucible, but this was a mission, and these headbands were going to be presented to students the next day.  There was no time for delay, this student would have to be satisfied with this one… but next time she made these, she resolved to ensure that she made better quality.  Not bad for a first effort.  Setting the first metal plate aside, she moved on to the next one.

---

Crafting Information:
ITEM: 1 D-Rank Headband (1/3 needed for rank up)
TIME: 1 Post
INFO: Utilizing UA to allow her to craft at 1 rank faster speed for 1 tier lower coordination

Niko's request for help in the forge was something that Oriana found pleasing. Briefly, the genin wondered if the redhead wanted an apprentice. She had observed some crafters with young assistants trailing after them. A few of the more fortunate children at the orphanage had been taken on by craftspeople. They, from what Oriana was able to tell, were more than willing to give food, shelter, and more in exchange for a pupil willing to learn their craft and help run their stores. The pink-haired teen hadn't been so lucky, so she went to the Academy instead.

Niko called out to her the instant she landed on the windowsill as usual. The redhead jounin's perceptiveness sent a chill down her spine. Ignoring the worries of being able to come and go undetected, Oriana went to the forge after stuffing an onigiri from the fridge into her mouth. The genin entered the forge just as she swallowed the last bits of rice and bowed toward her master.

"Good morning, Niko-sama. How can I help?"

Her eyes roamed over the headband her master had already made, fingertips coming up to touch the metal plate sewn to a piece of blue cloth tied around her neck. Would helping make these be enough to make Niko's efforts to care for her worthwhile?

Niko was already hard at work on the next headband when Oriana walked in, pouring the metal into the mold.  While she waited a moment for the metal to settle and set, she addressed the pink haired Genin with a smile.  "Thank you for coming so quickly... I'll get straight to the point.  This is a rush order, and I need your help.  I'll get the headbands made, but I need you to attach them to the cloth and then fold them and put them in that box as I finish them.  There should be a set of rivets there and you just have to punch them through the cloth and I'll finish them off with the hammer... then all you have to do is give them a quick polish with a rag and that cleaner over there and they are ready to be folded and put away."  Her taking care of that portion at least would enable her to focus solely on the metal smithing and getting things right on her end without worrying about the details.

The pink haired genin would be able to talk during the forging process, but Niko doubted she would; she was almost as quiet as Mako, who never seemed to be around much anymore.  He was always locked away in his lab or gathering herbs for his experiments, and while she knew that he was still doing alright, he was taking his food into his room now, not even coming out for dinner.  It disheartened her to never see him, which made the time she spent with Oriana all the more important for her to keep up with.  The metal finally settled, she pulled the still glowing hot plate out and began to strike it with the hammer to give it the curve it needed before dunking it into the ice-water to harden it.

Once that was done, she pulled it out and set it back onto the saw-horse, where she took the custom Kumogakure symbol chisel, or Kumo Stamp, and placed it carefully in the middle before striking her hammer on the top of the handle, imprinting the symbol into the metal.  Already her skin was beginning to glisten with sweat from the effort, and as she handed the finished plate to Oriana for her to attach the cloth to, she looked to see if she had finished the first one so she could hammer the rivets, pouring the next plate into the mold so it could cool as she did so.  This was Niko in her element; working in the forge with a calm efficiency.

---

Crafting Information:
ITEM: 1 D-Rank Headband (2/3 needed for rank up)
TIME: 1 Post
INFO: Utilizing UA to allow her to craft at 1 rank faster speed for 1 tier lower coordination

Niko was different in the forge in a way that softened the anxiety that kept Oriana so high-strung most of the time. What the tall redhead wanted was always clear, concise, and concrete. She never asked the genin to do things outside of her ability or required her to do a task without explaining it first. This was comforting, although Oriana would likely never say so out loud.

"Yes, Niko-sama," she said a few moments after Niko finished giving her instructions.

She picked up the first metal plate her master had completed and fetched a pair of rivets. She set it on top of a strip of cloth before inserting the shaft of the rivet into one of the holes Niko had put three on both short edges of the plate and fastened it carefully. The sharpened end pierced the cloth of the headband with a firm push and Oriana was already fastening the tail on the second rivet. She finished by the time Niko was done hammering at the next headband.

She turned to the redhead to see her approaching with another plate. One of Oriana's brows quirked upwards maybe a fraction of a centimeter at Niko's efficiency. The genin took the plate from her master without a word and set about attaching this one to a headband with deft fingers and precise movements.

Unlike other times when Oriana happened to be at Niko's house, she seemed far less skittish when they worked in the forge. The clear expectations, lack of small talk, and limited physical contact made it a much more comfortable setting for the shorter teen. She admired how hard Niko worked and did her best to support those efforts to keep her "debt" down. As such, Oriana seemed to show up whenever Niko was in the forge for long periods of time to assist and often refused to leave until she was ordered to stop helping.

[2]

Niko knew that helping her out in the forge was one of the ways that she relaxed, and it seemed from what she could tell, that it worked very similar in effect to Oriana.  They had to be in close proximity to work together, and she wasn't even tense at the moment, and that was something that made a lot of sense; Oriana had a mission and clear and concise orders... having that structure helped a lot, where as she struggled with decisions and uncertainty, not having much confidence in herself.  Pouring the next plate into the mold, the red-head was pleased to see that she had hired on the right help; the pink haired Genin was not only dedicated to the task, but efficient too.

While waiting for the next headband to set, she took the ones she finished back and pounded the rivets with a precise strike to each one, not once missing, attaching them to the cloth completely before handing them back to Oriana for polishing and folding.  By the time she was done with that, it was time to pull the plate that was cooling out of the mold and shape it, which was quick and efficient, making the general curved shape and then putting the imprint of the village symbol on the front before dunking it into the ice water, causing more steam to hiss from the bucket.

She would need more of that soon, but luckily she had just the assistant that could help.  Once Oriana had finished threading the next set of rivets, she pounded them into place and then held up the forehead protector for inspection with a set of critical green eyes.  "Not my best work... but I think I know how to make it better... just will take longer."  She gave Oriana a smile.  "But Quality before Quantity, right? Do me a favor and run and grab my some ice.  They give it out free to craftsman at the corner of the block to our south, and it should still be open, and all you gotta do is say your my apprentice and they should hand it over, no problem.  If you can do that, I can start on the next one, and you can polish this one when you get back."  Hoping that wouldn't be too big of a task to ask of her, but certain that it wasn't she continued to inspect the third headband, looking for more improvements.

---

Crafting Information:
ITEM: 1 D-Rank Headband (3/3 needed for rank up) - Can Forge C class armor!
TIME: 1 Post
INFO: Utilizing UA to allow her to craft at 1 rank faster speed for 1 tier lower coordination

Oriana used the cloth to polish the headbands before folding and setting them in the box as Niko had instructed. It only took a couple minutes, but Niko handed her a third headband shortly after she finished. The genin repeated the process and waited for more instructions while the jounin pounded the rivets.

The redhead didn't disappoint, giving her another task to complete in order to help the process along. Niko said something that confirmed some of Oriana's suspicions. "I am your... apprentice?" she asked, hoping to clarify their relationship. Initially, Oriana had expected to serve as a maid or live-in toy, but the taller woman seemed to have no interest in that. Being her apprentice, however, was also something that the pink-haired teen could understand.

Once Niko answered her question, the genin left for the Market. As her master had described, there were a few adults advertising ice. Oriana approached them, shoulders stiff and asked for some ice.

"That will be--"

"I am Niko-sama's apprentice," the genin blurted out, shifting from foot to food.

"Alright, then that will be free." The man nodded once. "Take one of those boxes there," he jerked his chin to gesture towards a stack of crates. "We keep those made up for craftsmen. Take what you can carry."

"Thank you, oji-san." Oriana bowed quickly.

"Bah! You make me feel like an old man, don't be so formal with me."

"Sorry Oji-san,--"

"Just go! You're holding up the line."

Oriana obeyed, taking two crates of ice and making her way back to Niko's house. They were heavy, but the short teen pushed through and refused to stop for a break. Niko needed this ice for their mission so she would get it to her. She set the crates down to let herself into the house and then hefted them into the forge. Setting the crates down with a loud thunk, the genin took a few breaths. Her arms quivered a bit from the effort, but she had done it.

[3]

Oriana had always been very good about following instructions, and she seemed to be paying attention and learning along the way, which is what any good apprentice should have been doing. Focusing on her part of the job made Niko's work a lot easier, so perhaps they could make their deadline without any trouble after all. At Oriana's question, she had to look up as she handed her the last of the lower-quality headbands and give her a smile. "Of course... I wouldn't let just anyone help me with something this important..." She was absolutely confident in that Oriana would be helpful to the craft just as much as she was helpful on missions, and had no quarrel with taking her on and having her get a cut of the pay alongside her.

She took off like a shot towards the market to fufill her request, and already Niko was pouring the next mold; this part of the process wouldn't change, but she would be taking her time a bit more on the actual shaping and such to make it a better quality headband... at least Market Quality. The Academy couldn't find any at all in the market, which is why they came to her in the first place, so they wouldn't complain about the first few but Niko had her pride about it.

While waiting for the next plate to set, she took a moment and went to a shelf where a scroll was tucked away and drew it carefully with a smile. Placing it on Oriana's seat so that it would be obvious what it was for and who was to read it, she then moved back, pulling the plate out of the mold and beginning to hammer it into shape, but instead of large, forceful swings, these were medium strength and in rapid succession, giving it a bit more of a precise rounding to the headband. She was still doing so when Oriana returned with two boxes.

"Perfect... fill the bucket with some and then take a look at that. Something I've been working on for a few days between jobs." She said, nodding towards the scroll and waiting for a reaction.

---

Crafting Information:
ITEM: 1 C-Rank Headband (unfinished)
TIME: 1/3 Posts
INFO: Utilizing UA to allow her to craft at 1 rank faster speed for 1 tier lower coordination[/quote]

Oriana stretched her arms a bit before moving to pry open one of the crates and fill a bucket with ice. After that, she gave her arms another shake. The boxes had been heavy, but the genin had been able to carry them both anyway for a price. She would need to step up her strength training, however. It wouldn't do to be too weak to be of use around the forge. If Niko thought of her as an apprentice, then Oriana needed to prove that her faith hadn't been misplaced. Another chance at a better life was unlikely, so the short teen needed to make this one count.

When the pink-haired genin turned around, a scroll sat on the workbench she had been using for her part of assembling the headbands. Oriana glanced over at Niko, feeling uncertain before approaching the desk to pick up the scroll and unfurl it.

Inside was a detailed blueprint for a set of gauntlets with claws extending from the knuckles. Tilting her head, Oriana decided they resembled brass knuckles with knives attached. It was clearly one of the tall redhead's designs. However, Oriana wasn't sure why the taller woman would show her this.

"Niko-sama," Oriana lifted her head, blue eyes locking on the blacksmith's face, "are we making these as well? They aren't part of the mission parameters...."

[4]

Niko continued her work unabated, using her Sensory to both pay close attention to her work and to watch Oriana inspect the scroll for a moment, noting that she didn't seem to understand what it was or why the red-head was presenting it to her. For a moment, she had to admire at just how cute and innocent that Oriana really was sometimes. Niko had just about finished getting the shape just right, and using the tongs, flipped it over and then carefully placed the symbol dead center on the headband's still glowing hot exterior surface, followed by carefully tapping the handle of the stamp to press it into the metal just ever so much to give it a clear and defined look without the rushed pressure of the earlier headbands.

Dunking it into the newly refilled ice-water, she took that moment to turn her face upwards and address Oriana directly while waiting for it to finish cooling. "I was trying to come up with what really fit your combat style, and that was what I wound up choosing from about ten or so different options I considered. They can be used as Bukijutsu or Taijutsu both, and are really good for someone who wants to get up close and personal to do some damage. Stabbing or slashing, they will do some serious damage... not to mention you can deflect away other people's weapons. The unique design means people won't know how to counter it right away too. Might give you an edge for the Chuunin exams."

The use of the word 'edge' was not lost on her, and was quite punny.

---

Crafting Information:
ITEM: 1 C-Rank Headband (unfinished)
TIME: 2/3 Posts
INFO: Utilizing UA to allow her to craft at 1 rank faster speed for 1 tier lower coordination

Oriana waited somewhat anxiously for her master (or mentor?) to reply, feet shuffling a little bit.

When Niko explained that the gauntlets had been chosen for her specifically, the shorter teen blinked, a light frown crossing her face. Gifts from her caregivers weren't uncommon, especially after she had pleased them, but this had come before Oriana felt she'd properly demonstrated her worth. The redhead had already called her her student and affirmed that she was her apprentice. Perhaps Niko was relying on her confidence in her ability to teach Oriana how to use such a weapon properly.

If that was the case, the genin would do her best to show Niko that her confidence was well-placed and avoid undermining her plans.

The other part of this gift that stood out was that Niko had taken the time to think of what kind of weapon would best suit Oriana's fighting style. She knew the tall redhead watched her like a hawk, but hadn't realized how much Niko thought about her.

By this point, Oriana's face unscrunched, eyes starting to widen at the realization. This was the most considerate anyone had ever been to the short teen and she wasn't sure how to respond.

Ordinarily, the pink-haired young woman would have repaid such a gift with some sort of sexual favor, but the idea of trying anything like that on the blacksmith made her incredibly nervous. Her face flushed.

"Is this really okay?" Oriana asked, still struggling to decide on how to respond. How did apprentices thank their masters? Did they also use physical affection? More foot shuffling accompanied the bubble-gum haired teen's uncertainty.

[5]

Niko pulled the headband out of the water, and instead of just handing it off to Oriana, she wanted her to really focus on the schematics and the subsequent information she had just dumped on the girl. Not only was she giving her a personalized gift that was by no means a short deal, showed just how much Niko watched and cared about her in a way that the pink haired Genin could understand. The reaction that she had, too, was beyond cute, and it took every bit of her willpower not to drop the headband, run over, and give her the biggest hug in the world... but the redhead managed. Her uneasy shuffling made her pause... she wanted to know what to do. Niko had been around her enough she knew that look; she was thinking. She couldn't make a suggestion now; it had to be her own decision... but she would find out soon she knew.

She pushed the rivets through the cloth, waiving away any possible protest to let her process what she was feeling. Would she get a hug after so long of working with her? Maybe... but not likely. Whatever happened, it needed to be natural, a choice made by no one but Oriana herself, and as she hammered the rivets into the headband. "Of course it is... I wanted to give you something in appreciation for all your hard work." And it was true too; she had noticed all the little things that Oriana was doing around the house here and there, how she was always popping in and eating her food, which had done wonders for getting her back to a healthy weight... being available when Niko needed help. Folding and putting the headband into the box, she stood before Oriana, only a meter away, and waited a moment to see what it was that she was going to do, a gentle smile on her face.

---

Crafting Information:
ITEM: 1 C-Rank Headband (Complete) 1/5 for rank upgrade
TIME: 3/3 Posts
INFO: Utilizing UA to allow her to craft at 1 rank faster speed for 1 tier lower coordination

Oriana's head tilted, expression showing confusion. She had been doing her best to be useful, but had never expected Niko to notice the way the forge seemed to be better organized and cleaner when she returned or the way dishes were often washed and put away before the redhead could do it. To the genin, these were things that should be taken for granted or required of her. Oriana had been eating her food, after all, although that, too seemed to please Niko. The genin's attempts to eat enough to satisfy her master had softened the sharp edges of her bony figure. She was still painfully thin, but her skeleton was less visible now, something that Oriana wasn't sure how to feel about. Niko seemed to like it; the pink-haired teen had caught the taller woman looking her over a few times.

The short teen switched from shuffling her feet to playing with the cuffs of her sleeves. Niko was pleased with her. This knowledge was a relief even if it was a bit confusing. Her face pinkened once more at the idea of having met the tall woman's expectations.

She looked at her master again. Was Niko still waiting for her response. More shuffling.

Finally, Oriana came closer, getting within 20 centimeters of her master before bowing. "Thank you, Niko-sama, I-- I don't know how to thank you enough." She reached out hesitantly and set a hand on the blacksmith's wrist, gently wrapping it with her fingers.

Her body was tense, but Oriana looked up at Niko questioningly. What was she supposed to do now? The tall woman had an infuriating habit of trying not to give her prompts on how to behave. Her face was beet red from confusion and an odd feeling in the pit of her stomach. It wasn't quite fear, although a part of her did want to run away. Nervousness. Her loose grip on Niko's wrist tightened a bit, becoming firm.

Oriana's other hand came up to hold Niko's.

"How should I thank you?"

[6]

Niko was taking a break from her crafting spree to address this moment, giving it her undivided attention; Oriana would understand the significance of this, because working was something that Niko did at all hours of the day, sometimes even working through the night to try to keep things going and afloat. Even the design she had made for Oriana, the very scroll she had been given, had been a late night project, although the red-head more associated that with her meticulous attention to detail.

She was rewarded by Oriana approaching, getting far closer than she was normally comfortable with, and giving her a gentle bow and a heartfelt thanks. Then, ever so slowly, she reached out and grabbed her wrist... and Niko didn't make any real movement, letting Oriana take the lead with this, and as she looked up at her, questioning if she was doing the right thing, her emerald green eyes were absolutely sparkling with pride and happiness. As the woman's hand entered her own, she gave it the most gentle of squeezes, as she claimed she didn't know how to thank her.

"This is enough, if this is comfortable for you. I'll never ask you for more than you are willing to do on your own. Whatever that is, I'll be here and understanding. If I have one thing, it's an open mind." Her voice was warm and gentle, more so than normal, showing through her tone that she was absolutely pleased with the progress the woman had made. She wouldn't force anything when it came to this part of Oriana, it wasn't something that she could train or focus her efforts on; it had to be something that came naturally and grew into her without anything forced, much like a plant. A little water (food) and sunshine (love) and let it come into being all on it's own.

Niko remained still, beaming with pride and joy, not wanting to scare her off after so much progress had been made, and let whatever came next happen naturally.

[7]

When Niko gave her unspoken approval of Oriana's approach, the shorter teen relaxed a little. She squeezed her master's hand in response to the gentle pressure felt on her hand. The pink-haired teen took a deep breath to steady herself. Being this close to another person made her heart race and triggered her flight response, but Oriana stayed rooted where she was. Even though she felt compelled to run, she didn't want to run.

The verbal affirmation served to make Oriana feel relieved that she hadn't chosen the wrong thing by initiating physical contact with Niko, but also left her a little lost about what to do next. The shorter ninja could feel the rush of her pulse in her ears and her face growing hot. Then, she let Niko's hand and wrist go. The taller ninja had given her permission to stop when she wanted to, something none of her previous masters had done.

"Okay, Niko-sama," the beet-red teen replied after what felt like an hour.

More controlled breathing followed, while Oriana tried to calm herself despite remaining so close to her master. Her lips tugged upwards at the corners as if the genin were going to smile.

"We should make some more headbands. The ice will melt before we can use it if we're too slow." The change in topic was abrupt, but the subtle intonation to her voice rather than the usual deadened tone showed that Oriana had not fully retreated back into her comfort zone. Sure, she had inched back a little, but she was still standing far closer to the tall redhead than she would another person.

[7]

Niko could see her slowly relax as she enabled her to know that it was perfectly fine to hold her hand and express her gratitude that way. It was extremely impressive just to get this far with Oriana, and proof beyond all else that her method of just being patient and loving was working with the girl; all the hard work and dedication was paying off, and she wouldn't be doing anything to jeapordize that. Slowly but surely, the hand left her, but Niko didn't reach out like she wanted more, made no motion to indicate how much she just wanted to wrap her arms around her and hugs her at her significant growth, just remained still, patient.

The almost smile was an amazing thing to see. More time, it seemed, would be needed to get one of those.

But then attention went back to work, and she smiled and nodded. "Let's get to it then." she said simply, moving back to the forge and grabbing the molten metal, pouring it back into the mold and beginning to start the work on the next headband. While it was cooling though, she thought she would give a little advice about the claws. "So, Ebony is expensive, but it's the strongest material we have available here in the village, at least for now. Once I get my Furnace and Crucible, which will be sooner than later, I'll be able to re-create the claws with higher quality once I get my skills back up to snuff... make something that makes a kunai you get from the market look like it was made out of paper-Mache."

[8]

---

Crafting Information:
ITEM: 1 C-Rank Headband (Incomplete)
TIME: 1/3 Posts
INFO: Utilizing UA to allow her to craft at 1 rank faster speed for 1 tier lower coordination

Once the rhythm of making headbands was back on track, Oriana relaxed more. The monotonous task of pushing the rivets into the holes in the plates and through the cloth headbands was soothing. There would be more time until the next one was ready, so the genin made sure the ice bucket had enough actual ice and not just half melted slush in the meantime.

Oriana's head tilted at the mention of using expensive material for her gauntlets. "I can get some ebony for it," she offered without a second thought. Taking C rank missions with Niko had significantly increased the teen's income. She could earn enough ryo to have more than the bare minimum amount of food in her apartment and replace the most worn of her clothing and still have time to help Niko at the forge or train. Two C rank missions would give her the same amount of money as three D ranks.

Despite having a bit more income at her disposal, Oriana's spending hadn't increased all that much. Initially, she'd had little money because she had needed to buy necessities, like the sparse furnishings in her apartment and clothing. But the recurring expenses of food and occasional new clothing when what she had was beyond repair didn't compare to the initial expenses Oriana had faced. As a result, she'd been piling up a bit of savings. With nothing to spend that extra cash on, Oriana had just ignored it. Now, she could put it to good use.

"How much is ebony?" the genin asked, ready to calculate how many extra missions she might need to take.

[8]

Niko smiled as she claimed that she could get some Ebony for what the claw weapons as the red-head pulled the plate out of the mold and repeated the process of slowly and methodically hammering the shape into the plate, able to engross herself in the conversation without losing focus on her task.

"Well, that's what I would do for customers anyway... they get the materials they want for the equipment they want me to make and I make it. You would get a special apprentice discount on it, of course... I'm not going to charge you for anything beyond the materials for something I am offering you as a gift of appreciation." Because normally, Joe Ninja that walked off the street would have to pay her for her time and energy she spent making that weapon, and it wasn't cheap for the good stuff. It wasn't something that came up very often, but Niko was starting to think she might need to discuss it with her sooner than later considering she would be helping out around the forge.

The topic of how much the prices were for Ebony, and automatically the Blacksmith rattled off the price having learned it by heart. "12,500 Ryo for ten pounds, which would be enough for both sets of claws. It's pricy, but it's also amazing stuff. Once I get an Anvil too, I can make it even tougher." There was a large list of things she needed to buy, but that was part of the reason she was hammering away at something like these headbands; it was an official mission, and that meant income. Plus this one helped her hone her skills in metalworking, and had the incentive that the better their quality, the more Ryo she would receive. She had made sure to put in the request with both her name and Oriana's as well, so she would be getting paid to help her.

It was a pretty good gig, all in all.

[9]

---

Crafting Information:
ITEM: 1 C-Rank Headband (Incomplete)
TIME: 2/3 Posts
INFO: Utilizing UA to allow her to craft at 1 rank faster speed for 1 tier lower coordination

Having run out of headbands to prepare, Oriana began to putter around the forge, tidying up: a few tools put back in their proper place, spilled water from the ice bucket mopped up, making sure her master's material were all in reach, and such.

The genin squinted when Niko told her the price of ebony. Considering her savings, after this mission, she would probably be able to get twenty pounds of the stuff. It was more than what Niko was asking for, but Oriana wanted to make sure the tall woman knew how much she appreciated the gift. Perhaps she could just buy the anvil. Her mouth twitched again, a ghost of a smile appearing at the thought.

"Alright, Niko-sama. I'll bring it to the forge when I buy it." She didn't even protest the discount; buying Niko some equipment for her forge would more than warrant such a thing. Once the forge was tidied up and the ice bucket refreshed, Oriana wandered out of the room with the excuse of wanting to cool off.

The heat of the forge was actually quite pleasant for the pink-haired genin. However, this was a good opportunity to start showing her appreciation and reciprocating Niko's gift. Swiftly, the genin made sure all the dishes were clean and put away and took out the trash before returning to see if there was more for her to do for their mission.

"Are there more plates ready yet?"

[9]

Niko focused on finishing the headband she was working on while Oriana busied herself cleaning up around the forge as per usual. It was pretty commonplace, to be fair, but it was comforting that the little things that she normally would lose sleep cleaning up afterwards would be done and dusted before she had to worry about them.

But what was the most interesting was the outrageously rare smirk she saw on Oriana's face out of the corner of her eye; she was up to something, and what that was, she had no idea... but she was definitely up to something. Niko could count on one hand how many times she saw that tiny, almost unnoticeable smirk play on the pink haired Genin's features, and always it was accompanied by a surprise. This was accompanied by a comment saying that she had plans to buy it, and that brought a smile to the red-head's face, because it meant that she was accepting of the gift completely.

As the young woman wandered off for a bit to, apparently, take care of the dishes and such, Niko finished putting the imprint onto the headband just in time to watch her pink-haired head pop back in, asking if any more had been completed. Coincidentally, she had finished another one and set it down on Oriana's seat, which she gestured towards as she wiped the sweat from her forehead. "That one... I'm gonna get started on the next if you can punch the rivets in through the cloth." She turned slightly to check how much metal she had left... just enough from the looks of it.

[10]

---

Crafting Information:
ITEM: 1 C-Rank Headband (Complete) 2/5 for rank upgrade
TIME: 3/3 Posts
INFO: Utilizing UA to allow her to craft at 1 rank faster speed for 1 tier lower coordination

Oriana watched Niko wipe the sweat from her forehead again. Her head tilted in curiosity. Was there some way she could help Niko stay cool? Eyes still on her master, the genin walked over to punch the rivets through the fabric and flip the headband over so the blacksmith could pound them. She caught sight of Niko's glance towards her materials.

Her fingers twisted at the ends of her sleeves while the short teen thought of her next course of action. Would purchasing Niko more commonplace materials be more useful than buying something expensive? In search of something else to do, Oriana checked the ice bucket and wandered back out of the forge. Before long, the house was nearly spotless. Still not satifsied, the genin took it upon herself to go and pick up supplies. They were beginning to run low on ice again anyhow.

The walk to the Market was brief and Oriana was able to procure another set of crates. This time, she brought a flatbed along (whisked from Niko's forge), to load up the heavy boxes before moving on to a store that sold crafting supplies.

Wringing the ends of her sleeves, the genin asked, "How much for some steel?"

In the end, Oriana managed to stock up on ten pounds of ebony. She hauled her purchases and the ice back to Niko's house. With a significant amount of effort, she dragged everything to the forge before the ice would begin to melt. It helped that it came in insulated crates that helped preserve the frozen goods inside.

The genin pulled the cart into the forge and smiled at Niko. "I got more supplies," she announced, almost sounding proud of herself.

[10]

Market Purchases:

Niko poured the next plate smoothly into the mold, and while it was setting, took the now prepped headband with the rivets and pounded it into completion before handing it back to her and letting her finish the folding and putting it back into the box.  She was a fair ways closer to completion, starting on her sixth headband, and having Oriana help her with it was proving to be absolutely essential for speeding things to completion.  Had she been alone, this would have taken far longer.

Oriana wandered out again and began to clean the house more, but Niko knew she was going to run out of things to clean out there because while she did work a lot, she also ensured she never did anything without trying to clean up behind herself... at least before she slept for the day.  Now she wasn't even going to have to worry about that, and idly the red-head's mind traveled to what it would be like if Oriana did decide to move in.  She would certainly have a bit more time to sleep, that was for sure, if she was going to wander around the house cleaning up everything behind her. Niko made a mental note to make her some more changes of clothes so she could change things up and thank her a little more than just with combat equipment.

She came back quickly, having used one of the trolleys Niko had for hauling supplies, having brought more ice and what looked to be some more raw ebony.  So it appeared that she wanted to get those claws up and running sooner than later, which Niko could appreciate.  The green-eyed Jounin wondered idly just how much Oriana had spent, but considering she was probably getting a hefty discount (which Niko had wished she knew about when she first made her purchases) it probably wasn't all that bad.  "Awesome... once we finish with this order, I can get straight to work on your claws!"

A small part of her felt bad that she wouldn't be able to make a better product right off the bat, but she could always melt it down once she got the Crucible and reforge it when her skills were better.

[11]

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Crafting Information:
ITEM: 1 C-Rank Headband (Incomplete)
TIME: 1/3 Posts
INFO: Utilizing UA to allow her to craft at 1 rank faster speed for 1 tier lower coordination

Oriana nodded at Niko's statement, perking up at the excited tone in her master's voice. Still looking pleased, the genin set about refreshing the ice bucket. She wiped the condensation from her hands into the fabric of her dark pants.

She settled down a bit under a meter away from the tall redhead and leaned against a workbench.

"Niko-sama, what is a crucible?" the pink-haired teen asked, looking to the blacksmith. With nothing else to do, she decided to use the lull in activity to learn more about Niko's trade. Now that she knew she was an apprentice, Oriana wanted to be more proactive about being a good one.

[11]

Niko once again pulled the plate out of the mold and began to pound it into shape, taking her time with small strikes to get the roundness right so that it would fit just about anyone's forehead. Granted, there was a ton of people who wouldn't wear it on their forehead, opting to wrap it around their waist or on an arm, sometimes around the neck. Niko had one, of course, but didn't really wear it all that much... she had plans for her tiara that she wanted to make that not only would have the symbol engraved, but would be enchanted to give her a heigtened power. She wasn't sure entirely just yet what type of enchantment she would want, but she was getting closer every day. One of the reasons this job was so perfect was that it was a form of armor, so the better she did here, the better she could make her own gear, and the gear for others.

Oriana, seeming bored, asked an interesting question about the crucible, so as she continued to hammer the glowing plate into shape, the red-head took the time to explain. "So, it's an advanced part of a Smelter, which is another tool I need to buy. What it does is it allows me to melt down equipment that has already been made and reforge it... especially useful if I make something and wind up coming up with a better idea later or improve my skill in the craft, I can remake whatever equipment it was with that in mind." The possibilities of such a thing were staggering, because it removed virtually any drawback to simply hammering out the same item and smelting it back down to try to improve it, giving her far more freedom with trial and error.

"Once I get the Anvil, the Furnace, the Crucible and the Whetstone, I can save up to reopen my Uncle's Shop; Hellforge Metalworks. The Hellforge has been in our family a long time, and sadly, it's just through that door." She glanced upwards to the big double door that was locked, the only other door in the forge, that led to the door for just a moment, realizing she would need to explain a bit more. "When I became a Genin, I was swimming in debt, and the collectors came. They were going to take it... but I promised I would pay them back and over time, I'm starting to get close... finally." There was a hint of excitement in her words, but also a sadness... because it had taken her this long to accomplish her dream.

[12]

---

Crafting Information:
ITEM: 1 C-Rank Headband (Incomplete)
TIME: 2/3 Posts
INFO: Utilizing UA to allow her to craft at 1 rank faster speed for 1 tier lower coordination

Niko's explanation not only helped Oriana understand more about the hardware used in blacksmithing but it also gave her an idea of what she could do to support her master's ambitions. Despite her lingering uncertainty about how to be a good apprentice, this seemed like a surefire way to make sure Niko knew she hadn't chosen wrong. Oriana could save up and help the tall redhead buy the equipment she needed to help run the shop.

The genin suspected her master wouldn't just let her chip in without trying to repay her, or outright rejecting the contribution. If Oriana wanted to do this, she had to strike quickly and before Niko had a chance to stop her. Quietly, the pink-haired ninja wondered how many D rank missions she would have to complete to purchase such things. Probably several. She also got paid for helping Niko do C rank missions, so maybe that would be enough.

"That's good, Niko-sama," Oriana heard herself say. Her mind was already calculating how quickly she could amass ryo for this "gift".

The slight wrinkle between her brows revealed that the genin was considering something, but not what.

With the discount she got due to Kumo's success as a large metropolis, Oriana could likely earn enough to buy all the necessary appliances by doing between eight and ten D rank missions. Perhaps she could even enlist the help of another genin to achieve her task. Fortunately, Oriana knew one other genin besides the illusive Mako --Tsuki. The girl had some strong capabilities and seemed agreeable enough. If Oriana could find her, they could work their way through missions with ease.

Oriana's lips twitched again, hinting at a smile. Niko would never see it coming.

[12]

That's good?  What kind of reply was that?  Niko actualy paused, the stamp still on the hot metal to look at Oriana with her jade eyes, suspicions running high.  Sure, it was good that she was getting close, but never had she shown interest in her personal affairs before, but after just a moment, she went back and hammered the symbol into the plate and dipped it into the icewater, steam rising from the bucket as she considered what that could possibly mean... and then a smile crossed her face.  Perhaps she was finally taking a deeper interest in something?  That was a definite possibility... the title 'apprentice' meant a lot to her, that much was obvious... interesting.

Niko pulled the plate out from her bucket and tapped it against the edge of the workbench, getting the water off and then flipping it into the air, where Niko snatched it with a hand and inspected it.  Pretty decent all things considered, and she would do what she normally did, and keep hammering away until she got a stroke of brilliance on a way to improve them.  It would come sooner than later she was certain... and she handed it to Oriana in order for her to punch the rivets into it, and looked around for a moment.  It was fine, she would get some water later... or would it be alright if she asked Oriana for that much?  Once the pink haired Genin had finished she took the plate and cloth back and gave her a gentle smile.  "Would you do me a favor?  Some refreshments for the pair of us would be phenomenal.  Whatever you can find in the kitchen is fine..."  

She didn't know what all she knew about different types of drinks, but hell, there was water in there as well as some truly massive cups.  Hammering the rivets back into place, she moved on to start the next one after handing the plate back to Oriana.

She was just thirsty as hell.

[13]

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Crafting Information:
ITEM: 1 C-Rank Headband (Complete) 3/5 for rank upgrade
TIME: 3/3 Posts
INFO: Utilizing UA to allow her to craft at 1 rank faster speed for 1 tier lower coordination