"Objection! That is not related to the case at hand."

"Your honor the jury needs to know the defendant's intent to fully evaluate the grievousness of the theft of the beer as a minor."

"Objection overruled. Please proceed." This was a teen court case that Jay was presiding over and this whole process had the defendant pleading guilty.

The process was for deciding the punishment and wasn't boding well for the defendant. The final 'case' of the day was about a teen who stole two whole packs of beer 30 each. Worse he wasn't the most empathetic individual. In the end the young jurors decided on 59 hours of community service and a letter to Walmart as the punishment.

Jay started out as an attorney and winning and even losing and learning through lawsuits had been fun; the depositions were especially exciting in extracting the answers he needed out of his opponents. The biggest enjoyment he had came from encountering various cases.

He still remembered some of the stories his father used to tell them. Apparently one time a client claimed to have no idea why he woke up with all the cars in the neighborhood going off with his car wrecked. He then later claimed that he had been attacked by a raccoon. In his high school days, he envisioned going from attorney to a position as Judge, believing pursuits in the sciences would be more manageable that way. Quickly, he had realized that Judges of good quality would have to pour through past cases for precedent and even the salary of the Supreme Court justices hadn't kept up with inflation. Still, he wanted to fulfill his dream of having actual power within his country beyond the materialism of the dollar. For all he knew he might decide to continue aiming higher. Coming home to a dark and messy house was a little depressing as usual.

Jay woke up in sync with when his alarm usually went off and remembered he had an off week specifically for forging swords. But habits good and bad didn't disappear easily he reckoned as he trudged to his closet. He changed into a pair of athletic shorts and tank top before leaving the house, a single story red brick home with many windows. The neighborhood was dark and quiet which may be even eerie to some but Jay found the peace soothing.

He recalled which houses were owned by whom as he ran by, a routine for maintaining a good name by taking note of everyone and their names. This was one of many essential actions if he wanted to get the attention of the heads of his political party to be appointed to a higher position as a judge. Jay took his usual route, a 10 mile circuit, and ended back home drenched but satisfied at a good run and did a quick push up regime. He would have to compliment Mr. Haywood on his yard since he seemed to have put more effort in its maintenance and provide other similar lip service to people upon greeting them.

After becoming presentable, Jay reminisced when he stood in front of his car. Trying to get his driver's license and failing formed into a large source of anxiety as a teen. He took several tries than normal making himself think himself wholly inadequate. Jay even went as far as to almost despair at ever achieving anything substantial. Luckily he managed pull through and manifest as he was now. He snorted at his own thoughts and wondered why he even went down memory lane. He concluded that the reason was that he was fulfilling a dream from those years.

Jay consulted his navigation app before starting the car; he didn't possess much sense in navigating beyond his area and the sword smith he had an appointment with lived several cities away. After giving one final glance at his route, Jay was on his way.

Without any incidents alongside the way, Jay pulled up into the garage the sword smith had set aside for guests. Jay had to look semi-presentable because this swordsmith was also a Youtuber and planned to take video of the whole process.

"Hey Alex Steele. I am the one who requested to make a pair of swords. I believe you wanted to me to also go over laws concerning swords?"

"Yeah! Aren't you a judge now? Oh well more views probably. Let's get started! ... well after we go over some things of course." A blond man with grey eyes whipped his head around so fast Jay was afraid that it would have flown off if not attached his neck. And it looked like he was heating up the forge?

"First do we need to go over standard procedure?"

"No I don't believe so, I have been watching your posts so I believe I know them."

Upon request for demonstrated, Jay essentially rattled off, but with practiced professionalism, the list of rules Alex had set for himself going on to listing the legalities of possessing swords.

"... First of all, you can't carry swords on your person in public since they are considered as knives surpassing the legal length limit by the law unless as ceremony..."

"Ok! So what do you want to make in particular? A pair of damascus steel swords?"

"I liked to see the forging of those kinds of swords but I want to forge high carbon steel swords instead so I can claim maximum functionality."

Jay saw Alex's disappointment clearly but he would not budge in this. After all, he was a paying customer.

"Ok then, let us crack on to the forging!"

The forge already glowed with heat and Alex cut two portions of the desired steel. The initial stage kept simplicity, only requiring holding the heated steel under a power hammer.

After the third day, Jay decided he would have to eat his words. He couldn't recall the last time he felt so exhausted and filthy. Oh wait every football practice in high school. Ugh more bittersweet memories Jay thought; he did get some sacks but he never managed to become a true starter. Alex found a major mistake in the folds of the first blade, so they had to restart one.

Finally, on the beginning of the 7th and final day before Jay would have had to defer on this specific dream both swords were completed with the blades sheathed in airtight leather. At first glance they might have been mistaken as katanas, sheathed; however, they weren't single edged and nor were they single edged. The European styled blade and Japanese aesthetics clashed a bit, especially the abnormal hilts, but they represented Jay's nature and he liked that. They were his with hilts built to be used. Jay smirked at the thought feeling silly since these would remain as art on top of his fireplace. With a brief goodbye, Jay headed home. He felt closer to making his daily greetings authentic with how much more fulfilled he felt in life.

He was flying down the road when in a flash of light he found himself colliding with a wall still going seventy miles per hour. Almost as if he had been teleported? Inertia and all maintained? Damn he was feeling woozy, was he going to die? The last thing Jay saw before slipping into unconsciousness was a maniacal grin. Shit was he a light novel protagonist? Hey maybe he won't die then...?