Crafting Quests

Ace had never thought of crafting in his youth. In the days of thievery and adrenaline there seemed to be no need, yet here he was, setting up a workspace specifically for crafting. Perhaps Camellia's grand plans for her own crafting space had rubbed off on him, her beaming smile reflected in his mind as he cleaned down a large wooden table.

It wasn't the flashiest location, being an old shed that was left unused for a good couple of years, but it was spacious, and that's what mattered the most. A good place to fit materials, tools, and furniture needed for such a meticulous process. It wasn't as pretty as Ace would've liked, but it worked.

The furniture was handmade from redwood, creating sturdy cupboards, tables, crates, and chairs. They were by no means perfect, bearing scratches on surfaces and paint splatters from misadventures while working, but they got the job done. The tools were a contrast, made with care by the finest Kitbull blacksmiths that were available to his funds, made to be long lasting and practical. They had gentle etchings along their handles, with various shapes and colours. From knives and hammers to spoons and stirring rods, it was all designed with patience and dedication.

That dedication to the craft was inspiring, to the point that Ace had attempted to make his own tools too. However, those had all ended in failures which he promptly used to decorate the space. Handles that were not suited to the job were turned into windchimes that hung near large windows, catching the warm summer glow through mosaic glass. Metal chunks originally intended for blades, but were not durable enough to work, became oddly shaped ornaments speckled across the room. Each one reflecting the colours of whatever was nearby. Ceramic sculptures sat firmly on the large table, shaped into the vague likenesses of companions and Kitbulls. Books perched in shelves, with titles varying from crafting guides to novels, and various shades of blue fabrics beneath them as a means of protection.

It was perfect to Ace, as it was reflective of him. This space was for his work after all, it would only make sense to be his tastes. But still, he couldn't help but get lost in the magic of it all. Perhaps it was the countless hours he spent working on it that had softened him to its design, or maybe it was watching the mosaic glass reflect rainbows during the sunset glow, it was too hard to think of a specific reason that he had grown so fond of the space in such a short period of time. But still, there was that nagging feeling of adding more. Like a rug on the floor, or a comfortable chair, or something of the like. It just felt like something was missing.

"Oh, right. I forgot to make a place for Spade." He murmured, heading out of the shed and to the house. If he wanted the workspace to be at peace, he needed to accommodate to his companion, at thee very least. It wouldn't be too hard though, as Spade only really needed a place to sit comfortably, a water bowl, and something to play with. For such a little menace he wasn't very needy at home. Opening the door to his house, he was even greeted by Spade, another reminder.

"Morning buddy, I'm going to grab something real quick." Ace grinned, watching Spade loop around his heels as he walked into the house. There were many things to source from, but heading upstairs was the best bet for finding things for Spade, and possibly a few other knick-knacks to add to the crafting space. Watching as Spade climbed up the stairs with him, Ace made his arrival to his study.

The study was low-lit, most light being blocked by bookshelves. The bookshelves didn't hold a lot of books, ironic for how many there were, but instead various things that Ace kept for sentimental value or that he simply didn't use all too frequently.

"Let's see.." Ace ran his index finger mindlessly along the shelve edges as he past bookshelf after bookshelf, "Oh, that'll be good to take actually." He hummed to himself, grabbing a chisel off the shelf, along with a few blank journals.

"Now, where are the pillows?" Stepping across the space with upmost care, as not to tread on Spade's tiny toes, Ace made his way to a bookshelf further into the room's corners. The bookshelf contained what seemed to be only materials for Spade, like pillows and bowls, usual pet things. Everything was a colourful mess in that corner, as there was no sorting besides shelves containing certain items. With a shrug, Ace grabbed the nearest blue pillow and a bowl, placing the chisel and journals into it before turning to Spade.

Spade had grabbed an item off the lower shelf, and was swinging his small head side to side as he played with it. It was amusing to watch, and made toy picking for the creature much easier. Now he just needed to set the space up, and the crafting workshop would be complete.

"Alright you goose, let's head back down." He chuckled, watching Spade bound down the stairs, toy in hand. With improved lighting, he could see it was one of those plush squeaky toys designed to look like a chicken, though Ace had long since removed the squeaker from it. It was old as well, considering it had patches from being resewn, it'd fit in perfectly with the workspace. A cute coincidence.

Arriving back at the shed, Ace walked over to the main desk once more, setting down his journals and chisel before stepping back outside to a nearby water pump. Sitting the bowl underneath, Ace let the water fill the bowl while he tried to keep Spade from dunking his head into the flowing tap. As the sound of water faded, he watched Spade run into the shed, occasionally peaking from the open doors.

"You're so silly." Ace sighed, following after the Kitlike with the now full water-bowl. Spade had made himself home in a corner near the doors, curled up, toy beside him and staring at the Browbird with expecting eyes.

"So that's where you want you stuff?" Ace sat the bowl down, watching Spade get up and trot beside him as he moved to the corner. Tucking the pillow into the corner, and moving the bowl closer to it, Ace felt that the workshop was now complete.

Now he could begin crafting.