RP:Commissioning A Crab

Part of the Thy Kingdom Come Arc

Summary: Pilar travels to Cenril to recruit Kreekitaka on Hildegarde's behalf.

Ryder Sanctuary

Pilar could not wait for Ashe any longer. Every day that passed by, more atrocities were being committed in Frostmaw. Steeling her courage, she embarked on her mission alone. She followed the directions Khitti gave her, surprised to find that they led her to Desparrow's house. Worried that she had gotten the directions wrong, she almost didn't approach. But she had to try. Besides, she had an excuse to see Desparrow himself, if she was mistaken, so she could sort of save face.

Kreekitaka was here, working the store, and fortunately there was a sign by the front saying "Looking for Kreekitaka? Come around to the side!" and the side door was decorated with all sorts of bright colors and glowing streams of fabric that seemed to make the whole doorway a bit ethereal, and the room of the store itself didn't make that any better. The walls and ceiling seemed to disappear into the distance much like they had at that ball not long ago, and on every wall were shelves and shelves and shelves of garments. Here were dresses, here were menswear, here were accessories, here were undergarments, here were raw fabrics to buy by the yard. The selection of color was likely unlike anything someone who hadn't encountered Kree before could have imagined clothes could come in--they glowed and shimmered, some were on display actually hanging weightlessly in the air, and there were places where the fabric's color simply didn't stay the same at all, changing as one walked past it or simply just shifting through the spectrum regardless of motion. One section that seemed just a little duller than the rest but no less magical was a section devoted to armor. Several mannequins were on display showcasing different sets, with signs saying "DANGER: DO NOT TOUCH" on each one. One set was a blue-grey and appeared to be very smooth leather. Another was a greenish-yellow and was less smooth, and seemed a bit lighter, though it also featured razor-sharp spines on the gauntlets, shoulders and lower legs. The last two sets were a dark grey, and appeared mostly unremarkable, simple leather, though they too had "DO NOT TOUCH". Interesting. Kree himself was sorting some material on one of the shelves.

Pilar followed the directions around the side and nervously entered the shop. This was a huge step up from the little cart Kreekitaka had when she first met him in the Sage Forest. As she looked around the store, she thought she recognized some of the material from that day. The blue-gray leather, at least, she remembered clearly. When she saw the crab man by the shelf, she cleared her throat. "E-Excuse me..."

Kreekitaka noticed her come in and waved when she did, then went back to work until she called for him, at which point he placed the garment he was holding back on the shelf and turned to face her. "Hi!" he said, dipping down a little and clenching his facial crushers in greeting. "Can I hepp you fin' someHHHTHing?" She looked familiar--he was pretty sure he'd seen her around at various events--but he wasn't--had they met at Artia's house? Yeah! Yeah, he was pretty sure they had. "...Piyar, righTAH!.?"

/ was honestly surprised that he remembered her at all. She certainly wasn't as interesting or noticeable as a crab man, and with his business he must meet tons of people. She smiled politely and dipped her head in greeting. "Yes, Sir Kreekitaka. It's nice to see you again." Pilar took a deep breath to calm her nerves before getting right to the point. "I was sent here by Steward Hildegarde. I do not know if you've heard the rumors, but they're true: the Steward lives again. And she wants your help. Things in Frostmaw have been going downhill since her passing. Beatings. Break-ins. Murders. Non-giants being taken from their homes and thrown out of the city. She is preparing to go to war to take it back, and she sent me to find you. She needs your designing skills, for armor."

Kreekitaka was a little surprised that she wanted his armor for a large group and, since she got right to the point, got right to that point as well. "Why me? I know my armor is specioh, buTAH! I am no byacksmiHHHTH--if you are yooking for maximum proTAH!ection, wooDAH! noTAH! meTAH!oh armor be beTAH!er? I won'TAH! pass up a contracTAH! HHHTHis big, buTAH! my armor is on HHHTHe yighTAH! siDAH! of armors." He paused a little. "BuTAH!, if HHHTHaTAH! is whaTAH! you seek, HHHTHen you have come TAH!oo HHHTHe besTAH! pyace. Come." Deciding that after underselling himself like that, he ought to showcase what armor he did have, he walked over to the mannequins. "Each suiTAH! is mayDAH! from a DAH!ifferenTAH! kin' of yeaHHHTHer which I have enhanceDAH!, giving iTAH! many of HHHTHe properTAH!ies of HHHTHe creature iTAH! was mayDAH! from. Sharkskin," he pointed to the blue one, "harDAH! an' razor-sharp, very abrasive. Pufferfish," he pointed to the spiky one, "wiHHHTH toxic spines HHHTHaTAH! parayize. Hagfish," he gestured to one of the two grey ones, "which infyayTAH!s when sTAH!ruck, giving iTAH! exceyenTAH! impacTAH! resisTAH!ance. An' eeoh," he gestured to the last one, "which can sTAH!un anyone who TAH!ouches iTAH! wiHHHTH a TAH!iny spark of yighTAH!ning." He stood tall, clearly proud of his inventions.

Pilar wished she'd thought to bring a pen and paper with her. It would have been easier to remember if she could mark it all down. She repeated his spiel. "Sharkskin. Hard and sharp. Pufferfish, paralyzing toxic spines. Hagfish, inflates. Eel, lightning." Confident that she had it committed to memory, she turned back to him. "The Steward was vague about what exactly she wanted from you, to tell you the truth. There may be other things besides armor that she wants. Also, she thinks you would be able to help during the battle itself. We saw how you fought at the Yule Ball. But, if the designing is all you are willing to do, that it fine, too." Pilar hated speaking for Hildegarde. She was afraid that she would say the wrong thing and either burn bridges or make promises that couldn't be kept. "It would probably be best if you talked to her in person. She is staying in Vailkrin Castle right now."

Kreekitaka hrmed at this but he was definitely open to the idea. Fighting in a big war? Heck yeah! "I... have some pyans of my own which may make fighTAH!ing HHHTHe baTAH!oh DAH!ifficoaTAH!, or possibyee much easier for ao invahveDAH!, weoh see how iTAH! goes." But then she mentioned Vailkrin, and that was when Kree bristled. One could perhaps feel the hatred steaming off of him like... steam... steaming off of a... yeah, you... get the picture. His paddles flared. "HHHTHen she comes TAH!oo me TAH!oo speak, if she wanTAH!s TAH!oo speak in person. I go no yonger TAH!oo Vaohkrin. NoHHHTHing you say can make me go back HHHTHere. Is a baDAH! pyace." He crossed his arms, standing resolute on that point.

Pilar knew that asking him to fight a war that wasn't his was going to be... inconvenient, to say the least. She didn't fault him at all if he chose not to partake. But he didn't outright reject it, so that was good. What he DID outright reject, however, was Vailkrin and... yeah, she couldn't blame him for that either. She only lived there out of necessity, herself. She hoped one day she would have the means to get out of there for good. But, until then, it was her home. She smiled sadly as he crossed his arms. "I have had some bad experiences there, too." Like that time she was nearly murdered. "I will ask her to come here, then. So... can I tell her that you will support her?" She held out her hand, before it occurred to her that she didn't know if crab people shook hands... er, claws.

Kreekitaka extended his claw and snapped it open, then extended five small tentacles which twisted around each other and extended the tips into the shape of a hand, and gripped her hand with them, shaking firmly. "Aye. Io neeDAH! DAH!irections--sizes, numbers, how much she is wiying TAH!oo pay, an' when she neeDAH!s iTAH! by. BuTAH! Io DAH!oo my besTAH!--I wanTAH! TAH!oo see Fros'maw reTAH!urneDAH! TAH!oo her, as iTAH! means I can expanDAH! my business HHHTHere someDAH!ay." Biggest contract yet. And since that suit he'd made for Desparrow had been 5k, definitely not giant-sized, and using the promotional price... heeheehee. He was going to make so much money from this.

Pilar's eyes widened. She had not expected tiny tentacles to pop out of his claw. He was just full of surprises, wasn't he? Though, his dexterity suddenly made way more sense. Couldn't exactly sew fine details with BIG MEATY CLAWS now could he? The tentacle-hand felt... odd, but she managed not to yank her own hand away, though she was glad when the handshake ended. "Thank you, Sir Kreekitaka. If she cannot make it herself, I will bring you the information you need." Sizes, numbers, payment, due date. Got it. Sharkskin, hard and sharp. Pufferfish, toxic spines. Hagfish, inflates. Eel, lightning. A lot to remember. She hoped she could do it.

Kreekitaka nodded and, with a neat sucking sound, pulled the tentacles back into his claw and snapped it shut. He tilted his head a little, watching her face, and twitched a facial crusher lightly. "...DAH!oo you neeDAH! me TAH!oo wriTAH! you a yisTAH!.? ShooDAH! I incyuDAH! a few optionoh extras such as weighTAH! reDAH!uction or yower visibiyiTAH!ee? HHHTHey bring up HHHTHe cosTAH! of each armor raHHHTHer significanTAH!yee, buTAH! if HHHTHe increase in effecTAH!iveness is worHHHTH iTAH! TAH!oo her..." He shrugged a little and went to go get some paper for writing.

Pilar smiled. He'd read her mind. "That would be wonderful, thank you. Hildegarde will appreciate this, I'm sure."

Kreekitaka may also have read her post, or at least he might have if he were Deadpool. Which he isn't. ...I hope. After completing the list, he rolled it up like a scroll and handed it to her. "An' if she has any issues, she comes TAH!oo me. I HHHTHank you for HHHTHe opporTAH!uniTAH!ee TAH!oo be heppfo." And the money. But shhhh.

Pilar took the paper gratefully and tucked it away in her pocket. "Thank you again, Sir Kreekitaka. I will see you again soon, I hope." With a wave and a smile, she left the shop and started home towards Vailkrin. That had gone better than expected, quite honestly. Kreekitaka had agreed to help... provisionally. But it was better than nothing! Pilar was glad that she wouldn't be returning to Hildegarde empty-handed.