Yulian Smith, high school drop out and owner of a run-down shop. His mother had died when he was young. He couldn't remember all that much about her if he was being honest. All he knew was that his father had changed ever since. He threw himself into his craft with reckless abandon. Never stopping. No time to rest. To think. To grieve. His obsessive workaholicism ensured his rapid decline in health. Hence, Yulian quit school to help his father in the shop. Learning all he could and easing the physical and financial burdens from his back.

Before he knew it he had started taking orders and managing things all his own. He had taken everything his father could provide, his wisdom, his experience, and mixed it with his own creativity and modern new age technique and combined the best of both. Whether it was an old-fashioned hammer and anvil or plasma cutter, he could forge and shape metal with the best of them.

He knew though that they couldn't survive off of making swords, shields, and armors like the "good old days" as his father and his father's fathers would like to say, and so he learned to make other things. To work with numerous materials both organic and artificial. He made letter openers, paperweights, bows and arrows. He made sculptures and custom pieces.

Those were where the real money came in. 

From statues of themselves to commissions of cosplay pieces, he had etched himself a small corner in the online community. Charging good money for those hobby enthusiastic people. Yulian then started to promote himself online. His name was now gaining traction as a local brand, but he was far from achieving his ambition. He wanted to spread their name across their small county. He made tutorials and blogs. After all, what better medium to get people's attention than the internet? Once he used up his local learning resources and libraries he asked questions online from forums such as Reddit. Anything and everything he could think of. Reading and experimenting, trial and error, all to improve himself and the image of their shop, and before he knew it the years flew past.

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It was during a convention that he had met his now wife. Sarah Jones. It was one of the rare times he left his shop to go and show off his fares and self promote. He had made a power armor from the recently released Superhero movie. She was obviously new to the scene with her outfit having poor stitching and loose seams, but Yulian could tell she had put in a lot of effort. She browsed his selection and asked questions and tips. We talked about our favorite shows and other hobbies, bonding over shared interests. A pair of nerds with too much time on their hands. 

Their relationship hit off from there.

It wasn't long before they had their first date, followed by many more. Soon they were spending almost every free minute together and before he knew it they started living together. Every day was bliss and the honeymoon was eventful to say the least. She even got along with his old man! Grumpy as he was, he still enjoyed the additional cheerful company.

His father was older now and rarely left the house anymore. While he still doesn't laugh and smile as much as he used too, he now seemed more at peace with himself. His son had grown up a fine man, and business was booming. They had expanded the shop, gotten new equipment, and now had hired workers and apprentices. It was far from the lonely and empty place it used to be.

 But like all things in life, especially the good ones, it soon came to an abrupt end.