And then there was Fire [DragonSong]

[Goldie]

"Hmmm...." Idris thought about Adri's question and was honestly torn as to what he wanted to do. On the one hand he trusted the cheaper merchant more, probably because Adri did, but this particular job called for something extravagant and something that carried some more weight behind it. If he went to the normal place, he'd be able to find something decent he was sure of it, would definitely be able to complete the earrings, but the necklace? He was envisioning larger, grander. They were paying him a lot and it honestly felt like a test.

No, it was a test, but not in the way that normal jewelers would experience. This was a test from The Dagger. If he didn't make himself completely and utterly invaluable to Marigold and her family, he would ultimately just be a loose end.

"Let's go to the new one. I know they're pricier, but they have larger and rarer items that might work better for the necklace. We can always get the smaller stones from our normal place." He chewed on his lip as they continued to walk, getting closer to Hamond's stall but still more than a few minutes away with their current pace, "I....honestly don't know much about the place. I kinda wrote it off when you said you knew someplace cheaper." He chuckled a little at himself for that one. Maybe not the smartest business move, but....he trusted Adrianna. He trusted her more than he had ever trusted anyone in his entire life.

[DragonSong]

Adri chuckled a bit herself, both amused at the memory of Idris' quick change of mind at touched anew by his trust in her.

"Good idea," she said anyway, wanting to reassure him that she trusted his instincts too--even when he might not. "And not knowing much about it just means this is a good opportunity to learn, right? I'll poke about a bit while you do the actual business thing." She scrunched her nose up in dramatic distaste, trying to get something of a rise out of him.

Maybe it was overcompensating a bit, but she'd certainly take the vaguely forced joviality over actually dwelling on any of the problems currently facing them.

They were nearing Hamond's stall by this point, and it did rather look like the young man behind it was not, in fact, Adri's childhood friend.

[Goldie]

Idris shifted uncomfortably, not knowing how to take her comments because they were certainly wrong. Adri was the natural businessman in their relationship. She knew how to assess people while Idris knew how to assess product.

Usually.

"Maybe we should get into the jewel business and just cut out the middleman." He had already begun walking towards the gem shop, completely forgetting to pick up a pie since Hamond wasn't there. "Then we won't need to talk to people at all except for traders and stuff."

Because that would be easier than talking to jewelers...

"And I guess I'd need to figure out how to cut gems." He frowned, was that something he could manage?

[DragonSong]

"Idris." Chuckling and rolling her eyes, Adri put her hand on his arm to draw his attention back to the present moment. "I meant you can ask all the appropriate questions about product quality and pricing and whatnot--y'know, the stuff that you're exceptionally good at? That sort of business stuff?"

She smiled crookedly at him, trying to nudge him back toward a sense of lightness. "I can probably get what I need to know just from watching and listening--it's how I do most of my part of things anyway. Plus, I'd have no idea how to assess the quality of precious stones."

[Goldie]

Idris shrugged at that. He ran a good shop, that was true, but he wouldn't necessarily say he was good at the business side. He was a creative! He liked to look at different materials and figure out how he could manipulate it in such a way as to create something new and exciting. But more than that, he liked the puzzle of it all. Sometimes things didn't like to do as they were told and figuring out what it could do or if he could get it to listen....that was joy.

Business was stressful.

"It's a few blocks away, anyways." He absently told her, missing the attempt to shift the tone of the conversation, "So I guess there's time to figure it all out in my head. I need a really big stone. I know it's going to be expensive and need to be careful not to toss everything we earn at it, but the necklace needs to be grand. It needs to draw eyes like moths."

He bit his lip and looked down at her sideways, "I need to learn more about gems, you know...I kinda just make it up."

[DragonSong]

"Better you than me," Adri chuckled wryly. "I can barely keep all that stuff you told me about different grades of ores and ingots straight." She shrugged again. "Ah, well. I'm good at being able to tell when someone's trying to cheat me, even if I can't assess stone quality--I'm sure we'll do alright."

She glanced up at him sidelong, then bumped her hip into his gently. "Hey," she said in a slightly softer voice. "You've got this. I'm right here, okay?"

[Goldie]

Idris stumbled awkwardly at the hip bump, but smiled at the playfulness despite feeling a bit like a fool. He never really expected to be touched – it wasn't exactly a typical thing when you grew up in a forge where that kind of playfulness could land you in the fire. Literally. Also, Herald wasn't exactly the kind of man who goofed off like that like....ever. If they had free time, he was drinking or sleeping. No, correction, they never had free time and Idris was always working while Herald disappeared for hours to leave him to it.

Though....was that even fair anymore? Since becoming partners and working on their own separate projects, it seemed like Herald really did have some kind of work ethic. Or maybe he always did but now he didn't have Idris' overzealous-self doing most of the work.

Huh.

And just like that, they had crossed the last few blocks in silence as Idris just relived half his life in his own brain. What must Adri think of him in these moments? If she had tried to strike up a conversation he hadn't hear it.

"Oh, uh, I guess we're here."

He found himself standing taller and adjusted his tunic and belt, making sure his Master's Seal was prominent and visible. They'd know him, of course, at least by name, but he didn't want there to be any question since it was his first time in this kind of shop. He took a deep, steadying breath, tipped his head at Adri, and walked through the door.

[DragonSong]

After all the time they'd spent together, Adri liked to think she'd gotten fairly good at being able to tell when Idris was sunk into his own world--there were different levels of it, that she'd noticed. Sometimes she could draw him back out, but others he was just too deep in rumination.

This seemed to be one of the latter moments--rather than futilely attempt to draw him back out into conversation, she huffed, rolled her eyes fondly, and devoted the rest of her energy to making sure he didn't stray off path or walk into anyone else passing them on the street. It was something she'd gotten quite proficient at, and required sort of "herding" the smith without actually touching him.

Then they reached the shop, and he seemed to come back to himself abruptly. "I guess we are," she chuckled lightly. With a dip of her head, she extended a hand. "After you."

She found herself watching fondly as he fussed with his clothes--maybe she should have been more concerned about her own appearance, but honestly she was still just too tired from the last few days to care overmuch. Since starting to live with Idris at the forge, she at least had taken to wearing modestly flattering dresses, rather than the thread-worn and ragged affairs that had been the best she could do as a street-corner flower-seller.

She followed him into the shop, looking around curiously as a tiny silver bell tinkled cheerfully to announce their arrival.

[Goldie]

Idris didn't understand how Adri could have so much faith in him. Didn't she understand that he was just making it up as they went? If he were being completely honest with himself, the only reason he did anything was because she was there pushing him forward. So, by that logic, he was only good at anything because of her. At least by way of business. Up until this point in his life he ignored the numbers and just wanted to create for creation's sake. Now he needed to make her proud. He needed to make sure she was taken care of and knowing those numbers was the only way that was going to happen.

He refused to see her nearly dead in the middle of an abandoned house filled with wildflowers. No, never again. Wasn't going to happen.

So he ignored every part of his that screamed to run away and he stepped over the threshold and into an incredibly well lit storefront. It was quite possibly the prettiest store he had ever seen! There were counters that looked to be mahogany, but he couldn't be sure since he wasn't exactly a tree expert. Regardless, they were shining with proper care and were topped with exquisite glass cases that were filled with different stones in varying sizes and variety. One side had a sign that read "magic infused," while another stated, "Rough cut." It was nothing like the exchanges he'd had before and it was clear that this store brought in a lot of money.

Idris was equally surprised to see a number of noble men and women perusing the stones when he knew perfectly well they didn't know how to do any kind of smithing that would make owning the gems worth their time. Perhaps they just liked to source their own things? Or own pretty trinkets to display for guests? That seemed weird, but nobles were weird. Besides, it wasn't like there were that many jewelers in the area. Maybe six at most not including Idris.

Weird. The whole thing was odd.

But that probably meant he just wasn't used to seeing what successful merchants looked like or were able to achieve. One day perhaps he would be able to have an entire storefront that looked just like this that were covered in glass baubles infused with his light magics instead of the lamps that lit this place.

"Can I help you, sir?" A warm feminine voice reached his ears and caused him to swivel his head around to see the source. As he moved, others in the store began to notice him and started murmuring to each other – that was him, the young Master Smith who was taking the town by storm. That was the artisan who made jewelry unlike any other jeweler in town! That is Idris – he just accepted a patronage from one of the more prestigious families in the area.

"Oh! Forgive me, Master Idris, I didn't recognize you. It's been so long! Last time I saw you in this shop you were just barely of age and were still learning from Master Herald. What can I help you with today?"

She was very pretty. Her dark hair was swept up in a sensible braid that twisted around her head while a few loose tendrils framed her face. Her eyes were so green they almost glowed of their own accord, but that was probably just a trick of the light. When he met her eyes he noticed her face grew pink and he wondering if she was feeling alright. If she was sick and the actual owner of the store made her work, what did that say about the man as a person? Hmm....already he was disappointed that he was here and not with his usual merchant, now he was just feeling less and less comfortable giving this shop his business.

"Ah...ahem...yes. I am working on a project that needs a very specific kind of stone. Would you please show me your sapphire selection?"

Her eyes brightened even more, how was that possible?!

"Absolutely, Master, this way." And she swept past him with a soft giggle and her fingertips brushed his shoulders gently. He glanced down where she touched him and frowned. That seemed unnecessary. But perhaps being overly friendly helped them get customers. Maybe that made the difference between this shop and others?

He shrugged to himself and followed after, making sure to keep his back straight and his face passive so not to show any wonder when she pulled out a tray of glittering deeply rich, blue stones. There was a box of sapphires as small as a pin tip and one that was as big as his fist. He didn't even want to know the price on that one and was honestly surprised they even had it out in the open. That seemed like the kind of stone they'd keep under lock and key.

She stood on the other side of the counter and smiled warmly at him and then held out her hand, "I'll need your wrist, please, Master Idris. A security measure to keep our inventory safe, you understand."

Idris held out his wrist and she gently tied a rope around it. Her fingers brushed against his skin and he noticed her cheeks were growing pink again. Gods, this woman needed to go home and rest...

She turned towards Adri and waved her over, "You, too." She said quickly, the smile gone from her lips.

[DragonSong]

Oh. 

Oh no.

Adri found herself suddenly burning with a protectiveness that under most circumstance she would have thought wasn't entirely warranted, but after the last two days she wasn't about to question. 

It started slowly, when the people browsing the gems started to take notice of them--well, of Idris, not of her--and began whispering behind their hands. It burst into a fierce intensity, however, when the woman behind the counter practically fell over herself in her excitement to assist Idris. And then she kept finding excuses to touch him, and Adri had to bite back a churlish comment about it. 

Not my business, not my business, I'm just here to observe, if Idris minded he would say something... Well. She hoped he would say something. He might feel too awkward or uncomfortable though...

She quirked an eyebrow when the woman waved her over for this "security measure". She approached easily, extending her own wrist. "I'd rather wondered if I'd suddenly turned invisible," she noted, tone joking with just a bit of a sting in the tail. 

Shit. She hadn't actually meant to say that. 

[Goldie]

The woman was all business with Adri, and was finished in half the time with her as she was with Idris. In fact, her fingers hadn't even touched Adri's wrist where they had almost lingered over Idris's skin. Which, of course, he hadn't noticed.

Honestly, he hardly noticed anything besides the stones that sat in front of them and his fingers itched with anticipation. He wouldn't know if it was the right one until he was able to actually hold them and feel them. 

"If you try and take anything from the store, this will tighten without stopping." The shopkeep told Adri specifically, "Even just putting a stone in a pocket will trigger it. You've been warned. We had some urchin lose a hand a few weeks back."

Then her attention was back on Idris and she began arranging the stones in order of clarity and size - so basically by price which wasn't lost on him. Naturally she spent most of her time talking up the stones that cost the most and was giggling and sighing an awful lot when his attention was on those specifically.

She felt disingenuous so Idris blocked out her voice and carefully picked up one of the medium sized sapphires cut into a square with facets that were more geometric and square than the rest. It felt...not right. Then he picked up another and, once again, just wasn't it.

He was probably standing there, picking up stones and putting them down with a frown, for a good ten minutes, possibly more.

"—came from the eastern coast of Ler'aana where the earth creates a very unique color for these stones. But their characteristics are still sapphires so we keep them together."

Idris lifted it, still frowning slightly, and turned towards Adri - only just speaking for the first time.

"Doesn't our usual merchant had stones like this? She never charged us more because the color was a bit off, does she?" It was a pointed question, and one that caused the shopkeeper to pale, but Idris had been watching Adri these past months and he had been learning, even if he didn't realize it much himself.