ᴇʀɪᴋ (metalize) wrote in valloic, @ 2020-08-10 10:02:00 |
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Entry tags: | !: action/thread/log, ₴ inactive: erik lehnsherr, ₴ inactive: noah czerny |
WHO: Erik & Noah
WHAT: Noah seeks out a metalworking teacher, wins over Magneto with Chicken Out
WHERE: Papa's Pride
WHEN: Monday morning
WARNINGS: Nah, bro
STATUS: Complete
The forest seemed to have a mind of its own, something that shifted and changed - without the waypoints (something Erik didn’t necessarily understand, but that was because magic in general was a great big question mark to him), he could easily see himself getting lost, even if he didn’t really wander too far into its arms or go many places besides the markets, the Crossed Quills, and the smithy. Today, it was rainy - not those fat raindrops that seemed to come at you sideways, but misty. Foggy. The mist smothered the green of the trees, leaching out color, turning everything a stony grey. Though it wasn’t particularly cold (not in late summer), that kind of mist still evoked a bit of a chill - he was glad that he worked close to the forge; right now he was working up a sweat, actually. His workday was all steel, fire, anvil - and getting through the list of assignments, farming tools today (hay hooks, broadforks, a heart-shaped spade) meant that he was kept busy for quite some time. He also spent some time up front, since Brigitte needed people to keep an eye on the door - he required a break anyway, and though he hadn’t taken a lunch yet he swiped the canteen of water he brought with him, at least pausing to rehydrate. Now that he was up front he could focus on doing some tidying as well, just doing his part to keep the place neat and organized. Though he thought he heard someone at the door and, well - he glanced over his shoulder, from where he was stacking molds on shelves; this meant customer service, didn’t it? Not usually his forte. But he’d do his best. Noah was a lot of feelings recently. A good portion existed in a low to moderate level of anxiety over various things that had happened recently. He’d been focusing on glitter and just about anything else to avoid people hearing about it because he didn’t want anyone to be upset. Mostly he was just tired. Being a living boy was exhausting sometimes. But under all of that, he knew school was going to start soon and he wanted to look into something more than trying to shape metal from cans into various small things, just trying to experiment with small, easily shaped metal. But he eventually wanted to get into something more. Something bigger. He’d watched video after video about metal sculptures and he’d been thinking about it. But he didn’t know how to get into it. Things that weren’t paper mache or mobiles. He was still going to do those, but he wanted this. He knew there was a smithy, so he made his way there, not entirely sure he could muster the courage to even ask a stranger about how to work with metal, but he’d have to if he wanted to do it. He paused awkwardly when he saw the man at the store front, pushing his hair out of his face only for it to fall back into his face. His posture wasn’t that great, being that he was used to making himself seem invisible, less noticeable. There was a smattering of glitter on his face and arms, due to making a few things with glitter recently. You could never really be free from it once you started, could you? “Um. Hi.” Yes. This clearly showed he had a lot of confidence. “I was…” He frowned slightly. “Um. Do you do lessons? For um. The metal…For making things.” The younger man couldn’t be more than seventeen, eighteen years old - and given the way he slouched, it seemed like an ingrained part of his posture. All of that, plus the quiet tone of voice, the careful choice of words - Erik took all of this in, only in the span of a few seconds. Though admittedly, the request for metalworking lessons caught him a little off guard. Not what he expected - but it wasn’t an unwelcome surprise. “I could,” he replied, turning fully to face the fellow, cool blue gaze studying him. Brigitte had her own apprentice, Connor - so Erik didn’t really see why he couldn’t take on one as well, as long as it didn’t interfere with his work. He’d ask her about it, certainly. Then there were the nagging thoughts about how Charles had asked him to teach at the school and he’d declined - what made him think he could be a good teacher now? Still, that seemed to be a bit different. This was more one-on-one, rather than expecting a classroom full of students to listen to him. And he had to admit, this youngin’ seemed like he could use some...guidance? Help? A place to go that wouldn’t hunch his shoulders further? Alright, decision made. “My name’s Erik,” he introduced himself. “Have you ever done any metalworking in the past?” Noah perked up just a little when he said he could give lessons. He hadn’t been sure it would work, but now that it had, he had a tiny bit of hope about it. There was the start of a small smile, fingers moving to attempt to move his hair out of his eyes again. “My name’s Noah. It’s nice to meet you.” As for the other part, he shook his head. “I’ve tried to make small things, but mostly out of easy stuff. Like soda cans? Mostly I just do paper mache and try to make like...mobiles, I guess.” But he wanted to try. “I’ve been thinking about it for a while, but I didn’t know anyone to ask.” And he’d been nervous about it. He wasn’t Gansey or Ronan or really most of them. He was just himself and so he was quieter and more uncertain of himself. It was a bit of anxiety. “I never had to think about things I wanted to do before.” A pause. “Well, before here. I was dead and ghosts can’t do much but be ghosts and keep an eye on things, I guess.” He shrugged. “But I’m trying to go to art school and I just...like the idea of metalwork and being able to create something permanent and I’m not afraid of not doing well. I mean, with this.” He didn’t want to be a disappointment, but that wasn’t tied to this. It was tied to just about everything else. “You can’t know if you don’t try.” It took everything in him not to add ‘i think’ to the end of the sentence. Well, that was all quite a bit of information. To be a ghost and then not be a ghost - Erik had to wrap his head around that. Not to mention he had about a thousand questions - what could you feel, or sense, or taste? Could you touch anything? It also brought up inquiries about what lay beyond this world, but that wasn’t something that should be wrestled with now; that rattling box could stay closed. “Noah,” he repeated. “A pleasure. I suppose the nice thing about this world is that you can pursue what you want to pursue. Metalworking is certainly a form of art too. We’ll start at the beginning - you’ll need tools.” Tongs, vises, chisels - smaller tools as well, for the more precise work (which he usually used his powers to achieve, but he hadn’t always. Not in Poland, after all, when he’d been trying to blend in). “Though you can use the ones here, we have a few sets, until you get your own. You’ll also need safety glasses - and long sleeves, for the work. Sparks can go flying rather unpredictably. Do you want to come on back and see the forge?” Noah had plenty of answers and he was used to people asking about it. He’d never really thought too much about it when he was dead. He’d had some people wonder about stuff and he’d explained that being a ghost for so long sort of affected the way you existed. You could only go on for so long before you stopped being you and started to be more of a shadow of what you were. A ghost of a ghost of a boy that was once alive. He hadn’t wanted to become that, so he did what he’d done before he even knew what he was doing: sacrificed himself for Gansey. It was how he could, in a way, stay with them all and be a part of them all and the only way to feel useful. Like he’d done something for his friends. “Yeah. It’s weird to think of it. Back home, I wanted to have a chicken take out place called Chicken Out, but that’s...not important.” He looked a little sheepish in that moment, fidgeting with the hem of his shirt. “Okay. I’ll um...is that stuff you can get at an art store or...um...do you have to go somewhere else?” And he’d have to consider cost, but he had some money saved up. And if he made enough things to sell, then he’d manage probably. “But I can get the goggles and I have long sleeves.” Not today, but he had some. He’d figure something out. There was a nod when he asked if he wanted to see the forge. “Yes, please.” Chicken Out. That actually made Erik smile a little, just a twitch of one - it was so pure, that intention, he couldn’t help but be a bit charmed by it. “You can find the safety equipment at most hardware stores in the city. I’ll make you a set of tools though,” he promised. He hadn’t been going to, but Chicken Out pushed him over the edge. “By the time you come for your first official lesson, I’ll have them ready. And if I need to make any adjustments, just let me know.” Tools fit differently in different hands, after all. They should feel comfortable, a solid extension of sorts. Then he turned and headed toward the back - stepping into the forge was like stepping back in time, a little; it was rustic, and you were plunged into the scent of coal of fire and that burning metal aroma. Fumes were created when metal was heated above its boiling point - for Erik, it was something of a familiar, comforting smell. He’d grown used to it, anyway. “This is where we make most everything,” he said. “Out back is Brigitte’s workshop, that’s from her home world. But here’s where I spend most of my day. Most recently I’ve been working on farm equipment - apparently a lot of farmers here lost quite a bit, with the attack of those rabbits.” It would be interesting, teaching someone who didn’t have metal-shaping powers how to properly mold something - a challenge for himself, and he was up for it all. Noah’s eyes widened when Erik said he would make him his own tools. It was another moment where he had to forcibly stop himself from something, but this time it was hugging a stranger who probably didn’t want him to hug him. No one wanted some strange kid they didn’t know to hug them the first time they met them. Maybe later when they’d known each other more than a few minutes? “Woah. Really? Thanks so much.” It was as close to giving a hug as he could get without it. His fingers fidgeted again with the hem of his shirt for something to do. When they stepped into the forge, there was a lot of new stuff. First the heat, then all the smells. It wasn’t anything that he’d experienced before. He’d have to get used to it...and in a long-sleeved shirt. But it was for safety, so he’d deal with it. Better than getting burned. His friends would not like that. Neither would he, to be fair. “Oh yeah. There was that attack. They came to the Barns and we had to go save the animals from them. It was super bad for a minute, but the defense teams came to help us out.” He shrugged. “There were also the goblins before that. They attacked the farms, too.” “The goblins, yes - I’ve heard of that too. Not sorry to have missed it,” Erik shook his head. But at least there was plenty to do in the smithy now - standard tools, plus the custom orders that came in. There were some interesting weapon schematics that he’d seen - he really didn’t mind making most anything, however. Whatever assignments he could get his metal-bending hands on. Whatever he could learn. “But here, I’ll give you a tour of the place.” It was a well-stocked forge, and true to his word he showed Noah around - the bellows, the various anvil stands with tools attached, the walls lined with equipment as well, ranging from beginner to advanced. He was also trying to think of a good beginning project to work on, for Noah’s first foray into everything - a knife, perhaps. Or a bottle opener. Start simple, work their way up. “Well, any other questions?” he wanted to know. “And when would you like to start?” “Yeah. I’m not actually super skilled at fighting, but I was a swimmer, not a boxer. Should have rethought that, I guess.” He shrugged, not sure if he should laugh at his own jokes. “Or taken up baseball.” He’d still gone with his friends to fight in the forest, though. He paid close attention to the things that Erik pointed out, hoping he’d remember and do an okay job with it. He didn’t want to prove impossible to teach. And he found he kind of wanted to prove himself to Erik. Especially since he’d suddenly gone and decided to make his tools for him. “Um. Not right now, I guess. Maybe if I think about it a bit, I’ll have some. Will it be okay to write them down and come back?” He hoped so. “Um. As soon as you’re okay to start. I want to learn some before classes start and then I have to work around it.” Erik liked people who were inquisitive, and who wanted to learn - he didn’t have the patience Charles did, and if someone was going to goof around, well. That was that. But Noah made his way all the way out here, with a goal in mind - so he respected the drive. “I think that’d be alright,” he replied, with another one of those hidden smiles - like the Mona Lisa, almost. A puzzle. You could spend all day trying to figure it out, and not come up with many answers. “I’ll give you some time to find safety equipment too. And I’ll need to talk to Brigitte - it’s technically her space, anyway.” She’d want to know if someone else was here, working in the forge even if it’d be when Erik wasn’t officially on the clock - he’d teach during off hours, he didn’t mind. Not like he had a ton of other activities going on. “How about Wednesday?” he suggested. Noah was determined to figure this out and learn how to do things. He may be awkward about it and being around other people, but he’d be fine after a few days. “Okay! Well, um. I’ll bring money for the tools since that’s probably a lot of work, too.” He didn’t want to assume it was free just cause he’d said he’d make them himself. “And yeah. I’ll get all the other stuff soon.” It was probably going to be very shortly after he left here. He wanted to be ready and not have to think too hard about it later. And then he’d talk to the rest of the Gangsey even if he was a little anxious about it. “Oh. Yeah. If she wants to talk to me, too, that’s fine. Whatever I have to do to be allowed.” Because he really super wanted to do it and he wasn’t sure how else to be able to. “Okay. Wednesday sounds good to me.” “It’s a deal, then,” Erik extended his hand for a shake, as if to solidify the partnership - all of it, time and money included. He had to admit that he hadn’t anticipated this happening, well, ever - but it wasn’t a bad thing at all. Maybe Charles was right. Perhaps he could be a good teacher, and connect with a student - really make a difference for them, yes? At first Erik hadn’t thought so, which was why he’d declined the invitation to teach at the school, but things changed. People could change. At the very least, he knew that much. |