Fantasy The Last of Us Among the Cosmos

[Many Weapons Guy]

- ... I mean, we were just exploring, but you got a point. Still, best not to just throw your life away, y'know. I'm not too fond of seeing our number reduced further with each day pass. We're all holed up in this town now, and you're one of the few that can actually fight. Not that I blame the townspeople for not being able to take up arms against those fuckers, but losing an able body is still a big problem.

The dragon scratches the back of his head wearily, somewhat stressed at how bleak the world has come to be now. An entire world of 7+ billion people, now reduced to around 70+ in a town in the middle of nowhere. The underground cave and that city in the sky might be more populated, but it's still quite a mental distress to see the damage those eldritch monstrosities have caused. Worst of all, though, is how everyone was separated and has been at each other's throat ever since.
He takes a deep breath and adjusts his clothes.

- You get some rest too, when you can. And, come by this tonight, if you feel like it. Maybe Jin can make a gun or something so you to handle yourself, if you don't wanna run in close range.

 

[Yaruzaru]

"Ah, don't worry about that, with my magic, I don't exactly need to kill anything that threatens me anyway. Nor do I see any reason to do so outside of putting a few notches on my belt. I may not have much destructive power but handling myself out here is something I can do, trust me. I'll just leave the shooting to you guys. No use in being in a group if you can't even take advantage of the benefits that come with having a diverse party, just leave the trapping to me."

He'd take to the act of making several small but potent explosives in any case, his pouch quickly turning into a volatile pit of destruction that he could use to offset his lack of offensive options. As before, he seems pretty relaxed while he's working, the only indication that he's paying attention to his surroundings being the flickering of his long ears to idle noises in the background.

 

[Galaxy_730]

Galaxy walked within the town with her dad, whom seemed to be preoccupied with something.
“So er, when are you going to show me this surprise of yours?” She asked

 

[Many Weapons Guy]

- Real soon, sweetie. We'll talk about it over lunch.

Jin gently pets the wolf's ears and takes her to the inn that they came to when they first arrived at the town.
The menu is just as minimal as ever, but it'll have to do.
Jin sets the plate of food near his daughter.

- Alright, so...

He shows her the PDA. On the screen is a notification that reads "30th July : Galaxy's birthday".
And on his face, the happiest smile that a father can afford for his daughter, in these trying times.
Then he takes out a rough sketch of a sword.

- How do you want me to color this, sweetie ? Uh, choose what color you want for, you know, the blade the guard all that. Except the handle. It's a secret.

 

[Galaxy_730]

Galaxy’s ears perk up in surprise at the text- she’s completely forgotten it was her birthday.
“Woah... I don’t think I would’ve remembered if the PDA didn’t remind me.”
She then looks over the sketch, wide eyed at the detail.
“Hm, I guess the blade can be purple, and the guard blue” she explained

 

[Many Weapons Guy]

- Purple... blue... alright, noted. Will get to it real soon. Love you sweetie.

Jin slightly raises his trunk and gently kisses on Galaxy's forehead, while petting her ears more.

- You've always mean so much to me, kid. In so many ways I'd never imagine... and all in a good way, no less. I'm glad to have you as a daughter.

He slowly and gently pulls her in for a hug from the side, his arm covering almost all the left side of her body, like a shield that would protect her from the entire universe full of monsters and horrors out there.

 

[Galaxy_730]

“Heheh, love you too dad.”
She returns the hug to the large elephant, arms not being able to reach all the way around him yet still in a loving hug.

 

[Many Weapons Guy]

Later, after lunch ; at the workshop near the gate...
The sounds of the hammer blasting through the metals on the anvil, and the sounds of metal melting, boiling in the forge... truly the best music to his ears.
When the two arrive, they see an aged female boar but with quite a long tail, almost like that of a lion. She also has some kind of lion-like mane too.
However, her voice, unexpecting to all that bothers too much with her appearance, is as clear as it is spoken by a human. Almost as if her tusks don't get in the way at all.

- Can I help y'all ?

She pauses her metal-hammering and wipes off the sweats on her forehead while looking at the two, her tail wagging.
Jin clears his throat. If anything, he needs it just to build up enough confidence to get past his social awkwardness.

- Um... can I borrow your forge a bit ? I have a sword I wanna make.

The boar stands upright more, now the hammer and the metal bar away from the anvil.

- You wanna... borrow my forge. To make a sword. Why ?
- It's for my daughter's birthday.

Now she rests the metal bar on her shoulder. That smoking metal bar, bright red at the end, doesn't seem to her any discomfort while directly in contact with her fur coat. She still looks perfectly fine. Needless to say, Jin is pretty amazed at how the boar can't be bothered with THAT kind of temperature.

- You have a design for it ?
- I do, here.

Jin shows her a rough sketch of the sword, and as he anticipates, she doesn't seem very impressed.

- Maybe... I can help you make it ? For a discount.
- Thanks ma'am, but I wanna do it with my own hands. I know what to do.
- Alright, help yourself.

The boar is pretty curious at the "customer" wanting to borrow the forge for his own craft, but she doesn't object, and stands aside to watch.

 

[Galaxy_730]

“Thanks for letting us use the forge miss.” Galaxy thanked the boar politely, then stood to watch her father at work.

 

[Many Weapons Guy]

- Oh, no prob dear.

The boar blacksmith gives Galaxy a grandmotherly smile while resting her hands on her waist.
Jin looks around the place a bit to get himself familiar with it. The shelves to keep the materials, the forge, the anvil, the trough of water, and the workbench.
Then he cracks his knuckles and gets his hammer readied, as well as his magic, made just for this.
A ray of blazing sunlight shines down from the sky and lights up the molten lava in the forge, the flame brightens up a brilliant and radiant color that hints at how even the lava can be "boiled". Along with it, is a ray of frost moonlight into the water in the trough, the color also lights up but the temperature drops significantly, yet the water doesn't seem to freeze even if just a bit.
As metals melt so easily when coming in contact with the sunlight-touched lava in the forge, Jin shifts the sunlight and fire with his hammer into a current of sort, to "move" the melted materials into the desired shape. Then, hardened and held in place as strong as the earthen foundation of centuries-old, under the frost moonlight, the sword blade, guard and pommel are ready.

- Alright, I told you the handle was a secret, sweetie... this is why.

Jin says so, as he grabs a chainsaw and starts to slowly, carefully cut off his tusks and horns.
The boar freaks out :

- Whoa hey hey hey ! What are you doing !?
- I know what I'm doing ! Trust me on this.

The boar really wants to rush in and stops Jin from what he's doing, but the look on his face shows that he's not in pain at all, and he's not actually cutting into his skin or flesh, only the tusks and horns, so at least he's not doing self-harm... kind of.
But even then, it's still excessive and extreme for her.
She reluctantly leaves him be so he can continue.
With the last tusk cut off, and now the materials in hands, Jin finishes the last part of the sword...

 

[Galaxy_730]

Galaxy’s quite shocked at her father’s willing “dismemberment”, but she knows that he knows what he was doing- and was admittedly very curious.

 

[Many Weapons Guy]

Jin proceeds to weld the pieces together with the sunlight and moonlight, constantly switching back and forth between melting and hardening them into each other, effortlessly finishing up the creation : a sword made for Galaxy.
For the final touch, the colors, he conjures nebula clouds and aurora waves, a mix of blue and purple glitering and gleaming in the daylight, normally a sight only seen in the outer space, but now brought in view with his otherworldly magic.
He'd then easily and accurately color the weapon parts as he wants, using his agile and flexible trunk, even the tiniest details would not be missed. Despite his clumsy look, he easily moves his trunk as agile and swift as if it's his third hand.
When done with the coloring, he "washes" the electrical starlight over the weapon to "soak" the colors of the nebula and aurora into the materials and keep them in place.
Throughout the whole process, the boar is pretty astonished to say the least. She has seen all sorts of powerful magic spells, but mostly to fight each other, deal with monsters, etc., never for making weapons like this.
The sword is done, with the blade looking like a piece of outer space literally cut out and built into that shape. On top of the surface is a layer of prism and crystal.

- Happy birthday, sweetie.

Jin gives the sword to her, eagerly waiting her response.

 

[Galaxy_730]

Galaxy’s face glows upon reviving the sword, tail wagging quickly. She eyes the sword up and down, admiring the craftsmanship.
“This is beautiful... thank you so much dad!” She beamed

 

[Many Weapons Guy]

- Never in my life have I seen anything like that before. You're quite a cut above the rest, young man.

The elderly boar is certainly impressed with Jin's use of magic, mixed with traditional forging techniques and modern tech, in the creation of the sword. And he did it all by himself.

- And that's undoubtedly a beautiful sword for a pretty wolf pup like her. I'm almost jealous, ehehe !

She chuckles, like a mother proud of her son for achieving such an incredible feat. She sounds like "now that's my son !" in her tone of voice.
Jin would ask for the cost for using the boar's materials in making the sword, but she simply waves her hand and shakes her head :

- Aye, don't mention it. I'm just glad that my equipment helped you in making your daughter's day, heh.
- You sure ?
- Positive. And, tell you what, feel free to come by if you ever have any new designs in mind. I like watching you do it, hehe.
- R-really ?... Thanks, ma'am. I appreciate it.
- Oh, don't mention it, dear. And, happy birthday, darling.

The boar gently pets on Galaxy's ears in a motherly manner. Her palm has been bruised and blistered like she's been holding metals since 10 and for most of her life, but it's still soft and warm to the touch.

 

[Galaxy_730]

Galaxy’s ears flatten a bit, and she smiles as the boar pats her head. “Thanks again miss, it means a lot to us.”

 

[Many Weapons Guy]

- Oh don't mention it, dear.

The boar pets on Galaxy's ears a bit more, as the father and daughter take their leave. Now with Galaxy's birthday present, a brand new sword, with the grip made of Jin's tusks and horns.
The two head back to the inn. For now, without a home, this is the best place they can stay in.
He rubs his fingers on the stumps on his tusks and horns, feeling kind of odd, even though they're pretty much still there on his head, he only cut them (much) shorter.

- Might take some time to get used to this... but, totally worth it. Now I'm always with you sweetie. Always there to protect you.

He would gently move his trunk around the fur coat on Galaxy's neck to cuddle her while feeling her close to him.

 

[Galaxy_730]

Galaxy smiles as her father holds her, tail wagging again.
“Thank you dad. This really is an amazing sword”

 

[Many Weapons Guy]

- Anything for you, sweetie.

... Later, that afternoon, in a small room that Jin rents for him and his daughter...

- So... it's your birthday. I figured it's the only time I can really talk about this with you.

The mammoth would try his best not to sound too serious and make the wolf pup nervous, but whatever's coming is probably not easy to take, at all... though, even then, it's probably better to come clean now than leaving her to learn about it on her own later.
He can only hope for the best when expecting her reaction.

- It's about you, basically. Come here, pup.

He gently pats on the space on the bed, next to him.

 

[Galaxy_730]

She sits next to him, looking up at him curiously. “What is it?”

 

[Many Weapons Guy]

- Alright, where do I begin...

Jin holds his hands together, looking down and trying to gather all the courage he needs to do this.

- ... You ever notice those colorful dusts coming off your fur coat when you charge up your power ?... It's because...

According to the truths that he learned, of the nightmarish monsters that look to be like spawns of the most dreadful depths of hell, they can be categorized into two types.
The first, easily told apart due to their myriad of gaping maws, bulging eyes and crawling tentacles, with no comprehensible "form", and all mixed in a putrid, demonic coloration of black, purple, green and/or blood-red ; these grotesque unspeakable terrors are "Void-Spawn", only known to come from the supermassive black holes that have sucked in and devoured enough matter. They are predators, freakishly fast and strong, and can regenerate. They hunger for flesh and blood, and are sentient enough to seek out their victims to devour.
The second, literally a formation of crystal shards, nebula clouds, aurora waves and ring system (similar to Saturn), surrounding a singular "eyeball", a sphere of pure light. Their colors are mostly white, with or without bright accents like yellow or cyan. These monsters, known as "Star-Born", are much rarer than their Void-Spawn counterpart, in that the birth of a Star-Born only occurs when a star explodes into a supernova while inside a cluster of nebula clouds and aurora waves, all of which pierced by the light beam of a quasar, and all happens at the exact same moment. Physically, they're much weaker than the Void-Spawn, but in return, their crystals can project infrasound and ultrasound that can come across as "whispers" to lure their victims closer ; they can also grow crystals that show reflections at impossible angles to wear down the victims' mentality.

Also according to Jin, Galaxy is a Star-Born. An eldritch cosmic entity, herself.
However, in her case, she was hatched from a radiant, luminous egg-like object (looking like an actual star too) that crashed on earth. Jin found the egg just at the moment the thing cracked, and it was her that came out, but in her true form, nothing more than a formless cluster of nebula clouds and aurora waves. Jin mistook her for some kind of spirit and just let her go. Around 12 years later, he found her, now as a wolf, in a forest, and took her in. He recognized the stardust coming off her fur coat and remembered the same colors from when she hatched.
Now, after learning about the two types of cosmic eldritch horrors, Jin realizes that Galaxy is one of them too.

- ... So... yeah, there you go sweetie. I didn't wanna tell you, but I fear that sooner or later you'd learn about it by yourself... especially because of how the world's gone to be.

 

[Galaxy_730]

Galaxy sat in shock as she stared at him, trying to piece it all together. She thought she was just some ordinary wolf that her dad found. She didn’t remember really anything of her life before him...
But as he described all that...
It seemed so familiar all of a sudden
The feeling of just being cosmic energy, wandering the world without purpose or even physical form for 12 years- she couldn’t see, but she could sense what was around her and what she was doing. All these memories started to come back, and it was almost overwhelming.
But now.... she knew where she came from. She knew what she was.
And all she could say in that moment;
“Holy shit.... I had no idea.... it does make sense I guess, but.... thank you for telling me, dad.”

 

[Many Weapons Guy]

Jin feels as if he's been holding his breath this whole time, waiting for and listening to his daughter's response through and through... more than that, he feels his heart rate sky-rocketing to no end. He sits there clenching his fists really tight on his knees. not making a single inch of movement. Not even his tail, or trunk.
Even the shocked expression from her face can put him on edge too.
Thankfully, she takes it somewhat well... she still calls him "dad". He lets out a sigh of relief and gently holds her paw.

- I suppose you'd want the truth about me too ?... That day when we were moving to this town, when the coach had an accident and almost fell off, and I... you know...

He looks down a bit.

 

[Many Weapons Guy]

I wish it'd never come to this, but as of now I have no motivation or idea to keep it going anymore.
The RP is closed.