Date: Early Reneca, 798 ------- Location: St Loomis, Silver Street Wagonyard, Wagonwright & Farrier
It is mid-afternoon in Otty Smythe's farrier's shack, and amongst other work taking place there, the artist Ighlaf and the smith Yasin seem to be engaged in working on some kind of wax-etching design on a metal, curved blade.
(GM): OOC: Yasin just rolled finesse and painting, coming up with 37.
(Yasin): Yasin arches both his eyebrows, impressed at Ighlaf's clear expertise of the chisel against the wax, and as strips of wax begins to peel away as the design forms, Yasin takes another chisel and says cautiously, "I... think I'm going to work a little slower than you, Ighlaf. Perhaps we can meet in the middle."
He begins to press downward at the opposite end, and the young man's lack of precision in this artistic endeavor is plainly obvious. The chisel scrapes against the wax, sure, but the lines are noticeably uneven, and with a grimace he admits, "...maybe I'll, uh... let you do this part," lifting his chisel away from the wax and looking around with a sheepish expression, his eyes flitting to any other workers present as though wondering if anyone else saw that mild blunder.
(Ighlaf): Purses their lips together as they continue their movements, eventually managing to amusedly murmur, "If you don't mind holding it so I do not press it into the table and damage the wax of the other side. We were ambitious doing both." their amusement shifting to alert focus as they continue scraping sections of wax.
(GM): OOC: Ighlaf just rolled finesse and painting, coming up with 121.
(Yasin): "Holding, I can accomplish." Yasin says with a nod-nod-nod of his head, and very eagerly (it seems) he relinquishes his chisel to instead simply hold the blade steady.
As Ighlaf works their own chisel against the wax, his brows arch, clearly impressed. "I'm not certain I could ever get my work that steady," he muses while he observes. "Perhaps after years...."
(Ighlaf): Ighlaf begins to make further progress on the patterns of wax a little more steadily and quickly with Yasin's assistance holding the blade. They give a smile amidst their focus at Yasin's words. "And I do not think I will be able to do the smith work you manage after years. Smaller portions I am pleased to learn, of course or help with."
Eventually half of the wax cover has been removed to the pattern, looking to mostly follow alongside.
(Yasin): "Maybe..." Yasin murmurs, shifting the hold of his hands upon the blade. While Ighlaf nears the end of the wax carving, he comments, "But maybe we're both selling ourselves a little short. Years of practice should allow us both to get better at--" his hand-hold shifts very slightly in his distracted commentary, and perhaps that causes Ighlaf to falter, or perhaps it does not. He winces, and murmurs an apology.
Yasin more attentively holds onto the wax, and continues, "...theses skills," sheepishly. "After this, we carve the other side, and then it is into the vinegar?"
(GM): OOC: Ighlaf just rolled finesse and painting, coming up with 73.
(Ighlaf): Ighlad manages to continue their carving in the face of that shifting, enough they murmur a distracted, "No worries." as they continue to the end as they reply eventually, "Practice on my part doesn't entirely allow for that you may simply are able with your arms more. Although the projects that beckon need a mix of both...or we recruit Ziyad to figure a better way."
Lifting the chisel they look down consideringly at their current work to answer, "The other side and then to the vinegar, yes."
(Yasin): Yasin watches quietly as Ighlaf works towards the end of the current side, then says, "I have a feeling the answer will be a... combination of all of those things. Practice, shared work, and then having Ziyad tell us precisely what we can do to make this a faster process." He chuckles in amusement. "I suspect he'll find plenty."
He then takes a moment to examine the carved out wax, sharing in Ighlaf's consideration. "This is good work. I think you even fixed the imperfect portion that I uh, started." His thumb points towards a section near the blade that the young man had initially carved unevenly, now made more precise by Ighlaf's handiwork.
He then carefully flips the blade over, revealing the charcoal marked other half of the blade and hilt. "I think once this project is done, it will have been well over... a year, since Firouzeh placed the order." Sheepish amusement graces his expression. "I should think we can find ways to promise a faster turnaround for future customers."
(Ighlaf): Tilting their head in consideration at Yasin's words, their lips twitch. "I agree entirely, although I think having some more tools on hand alongside." shifting for the blade to be turned over and staring working on the wax pattern with focus.
Their words are a tinge distracted as they reply, "Well...we will now have an idea towards what is needed, rather than searching for beeswax and all the rest."
(Yasin): "And having to fetch the wax from a trip through the woods, up the mountains and down, and across fields? And then paying for the vinegar, too, and trying to explain to the market sellers that this was not for cooking?" He asks Ighlaf, the question rheotrical of course, amusement floating through his tone of voice. He holds the blade steady as Ighlaf works, and gives an approving nod as the work takes place. "Oh, that's coming along well," he murmurs.
(Ighlaf): Sounding amused they add, "And need to ask after the wax, although a good portion of vinegar I bought was for cooking..." they trail off distractedly as they progress further through the wax with more confident movements. "Thank you."
(Yasin): "You are welcome." He replies quietly, his eyes focused, in spite of his rather small contribution to this part of the work.
The wax-cutting progresses with Yasin watching on, helping mainly by holding the blade in place and moving it as Ighlaf indicates. As it nears completion, there's a palpable excitement to his posture, as though if he were able to without disturbing Ighlaf's work, he'd bounce on the heels of his feet.
When Ighlaf reaches a pause point in the wax-cutting, he lets go of the blade to shift towards the bucket in the corner. The distinct scent of vinegar wafts throughout the workshop to join the scent of the forge and the scent of horses, and he pours a rather hefty amount of the stuff into the bucket. He brings the bucket over, and his eyes flit between Ighlaf and the wax-covered blade-and-hilt. He sets the bucket down with a thunk, and grins. He jests, "Perhaps those at the market thought I intended to make a rather large meal."
(Ighlaf): Offering the blade to Yasin, Ighlaf begins laughing as they peer into the bucket. "Yes, perhaps a good amount of relish to go with it all." then they gesture towards the vinegar, "I think the blade is ready as it can be?"
(Yasin): Laughing as he takes the blade, Yasin replies in jest, "A meal to compete with the Dolphin's pickled eggs..."
Then, he quiets, nods to Ighlaf, and holds the wax-covered blade above the bucket. He doesn't quite lower it in just yet -- for whatever reason, he just holds it there, and offers Ighlaf an excited grin. "I think the blade is ready. Are we?"
(Ighlaf): Ighlaf looks further amused at that reply, "A meal that would..." then they quiet and nod back with a smile tugging at their lips. "Yes and no, so I suppose that means it could be set in."
(Yasin): "It could," Yasin replies with a nod, and there's a small degree of gravity now to his words. "Seems silly to take it so seriously, as its just a simple task really, but... it has been a long time coming, this project in particular." The young man chuckles then, a nervous expression, and shrugs his shoulders. "Suppose best to stop wasting any further time and ah, set it in." He begins to lower the blade into the bucket, but then pauses, and says, "Here, you may as well do this with me." He adjusts his grip on the blade such that Ighlaf may have a hand-hold on it as well, if desired, that they might set the blade into the vinegar jointly.
(Ighlaf): Ighlaf repeats, "A long time coming." with a renewed smile, "And not so silly when it is the last steps."
Their hands reach out to join that grip on the blade, shifting with Yasin's movements. "Once there is further time, I was thinking to what art could be settling on a thing sheet of metal or similar alongside designs."
(Yasin): Yasin smiles, and then says warmly, but quietly, "No. I suppose... it is not."
Perhaps an odd sight in the farrier's shack of Saint Loomis. The curved blade is simple, but lovingly-made, and its blue-grey steel would shimmer slightly in a catch of the afternoon light if it wasn't for the odd-looking (and sweet smelling) beeswax covering the entirety of the thing. Covering, aside from the pattern of flames and jasmine buds dancing along either side, carving a clean pathway out of the wax and exposing that steel, and that steel only, to the elements.
The elements being, of course, the bucket of vinegar that Ighlaf and Yasin then jointly lower the blade into. He murmurs conversationally while it lowers, "You could start a whole new trend, once we're in Omrazir. Art by Ighlaf, on metal canvas, to last long and resist scratch or marring. Or... something like that."
The blade lowers and then settles into the vinegar, where it sinks below the surface. A very faint, barely audible fizzing sound might be heard as the vinegar begins to react and interact with the steel.
Yasin retracts his hands from the bucket, and his smile grows even wider when he says to Ighlaf, "Well. It is done. Now all we need to do is give it time."
(Ighlaf): Ighlaf lifts their hands from the bucket while smiling back at Yasin, "I think the metal canvas art may be a fair workshop idea." gesturing down towards the bucket. "Metal sheets and other works."
They slowly shift to stand upright looking contemplative at the bucket, "Blades are one, and the other design for little keepsakes. I imagine those could be easier being smaller."
(Yasin): Yasin takes a long look at the contents of the bucket. His eyes, too, grow distant and contemplative, though the smile on his lips persists. He's quiet for a length of time.
He breaks the silence eventually with: "I can picture it." He makes a sweeping gesture with his left hand, towards the bucket, but then outward. "A container, for the vinegar or other acid. Chambers of different ah, sizes, for different sized artwork. Not being blades or armor, much less would be needed... it could almost be nearly flat."
He finally looks up from his bucket-examination, and says to Ighlaf, "We should speak to Ziyad about this idea. Smaller, yes, and easier."
(Ighlaf): Eventually lifting their ontemplating gaze from the bucket Ighlaf agrees, "Different shapes, and something flatter would save us on vinegar for small or thin works, and give us a better view."
A smile pulls at their lips as they add, "Ziyad I think may have many good ideas for some projects."
(Yasin): "Exactly!" Yasin replies, animatedly, gesturing towards the bucket as though it represented this new project idea. "We could produce more works at the same time, as well. I suppose we might even have samples of different works, to ah, advertise..."
He trails off here, a grin that had formed on his face fading as his words fade away. A light sigh escapes the young man, and he says more neutrally, "Well... I suppose that will all wait, for the future."
He gives a sweeping look around the workshop, and then says to Ighlaf, "I suppose that's all we can do, for the moment. Shall we give it a rest? I'll have to fight my urge to lift it from the vinegar and check on it tomorrow morning, I think."
(GM): OOC: The scene fades to black.