fandomhigh | Blacksmith Basics; Thursday, Second Period [05/26].

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Blacksmith Basics; Thursday, Second Period [05/26].

"Morning, everyone." Amaya nodded her greeting once everyone had gathered in the shop. "I've been pleasantly surprised to see that you all, especially you, Irene, ~~assuming she was there~~, have been showing up with the intent to learn and get to work." Which wasn't at all what she'd intended to say, especially with the personal call-out, but, well, that was what had come out of her mouth, so, apparently, she was just going to be rolling with it. "So let's keep that up today as we get started on the project to take us through the remainder of the workshop.

"Now, last week," she continued, "you had the chance to learn about some of the basic blacksmithing techniques when shaping your metal. We'll actually be switching to steel now, as well, not only to get a feel for how different types of metal react to forging, but because we'll be making daggers, and if you're going to be making a dagger, might as well try making it the best you can. Why daggers? Daggers are smaller, so they won't take as much time to heat and forge, but they're also small, so there's more attention to detail and more attention paid to what you're doing because there's not a whole lot it's being done to. Within the restrictions of the class, a dagger's perfect, though, of course, if there's anything else you really had your heart set on building in this class, come see me, maybe we can work something out.

"But first? A recap, especially on tapering because that's what we'll be working on most today. Amaya pulled a piece of steel she'd been heating in the forge and went over some of the finer points of tapering and rounding that would be useful coming up, being sure to go over the various angles and pressure point, surface contact ratio, so on and so forth, stopping occasionally so that she could really show the students the results of what she was explaining.

"And now the fun part," she said, gesturing to the steel and hammers, gloves and goggles and tongs on each of the makeshift workstations. "Actually making the knife. Now this should be a lesson in using the tongs to hold your piece while you're forging it, because the pieces we'll be using are too small to really hold with our hands. These pieces are still too big, though, so go ahead and get them in the forge to heat them up, and then you'll take turns trying to shape them. Be sure to watch the others while waiting, too; you might learn something just from watching. Case in point, while you're waiting, I'll hammer out the sort of shape we're looking for, and the way to forge the tang--that's the term we use for the handle, basically--so you can have an idea as you try to work it out yourself. Today is entirely just hitting and shaping, really, so let me know if you're having trouble and we can see what needs to be fixed, or if you think you've got it, just keep working, go in for a few more heats in the forge if you've got the time. And remember, the nice thing about steel and heat is that once you get it hot enough, it's malleable, meaning if you mess it up, just heat it up and try again, though if you do mess up, try and see if you can figure out how to just pound it back to where you want it to be, first. You might be pleasantly surprised.

"There's also plenty more where that came from, so if you keep messing up to the point where the integrity of your steel is compromised, we can just start fresh with a new rod. Anything you'd like me to go over again before getting to the anvil? Or shall we just quit the yammering and start hammering?"

...yes, she was still stupidly proud of that one, and would use it as often as possible, shut up.

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Knives!

Irene Adler

Graham Cracker

Steph Gingrich ~~look the edge of a cymbal is the closest I got~~

Stark

There's a (not so brief) recap with a focus on tapering to help spark up everyone's memories, but as she said a few times last week, the real lesson comes with the doing!

Not that she minds babbling on about the technical aspects of blacksmithing, either, though!

Well. Not usually.

Although maybe babbling about that'll prevent her from babbling about other things.

And now it's the students' turn! Heat up your metal, take turns at the anvils, and watch your fellow students as they work their daggers, too. Figure out just how you are supposed to hold those tongs and work a hammer at the same time, work on rounding that tang on the one side and shaping the blade on the other. Basics!

Was Irene absolutely beaming at that praise? Maaaaaaybe. It helped, too, that she'd once more turned up in practical clothes, with her hair tied back simply, and ready to work.

Now, the whole tongs-and-hammer thing was a bit awkward at first, and not exactly a motion she was used to -- but then, abruptly, it fell into place, and Irene found a certain familiarity in...holding something still and beating it repeatedly.

Ahem.

It was, again, pretty soothing and more than a little rewarding when the metal started actually rounding under her hammering.

Edited 2022-05-26 11:37 (UTC)

Amaya was definitely doing her best to put aside any sort of confusing and conflicted thoughts she might have had about seeing Irene picking this all up as well as she had been, and she actually, foolishly, though she'd had a good grip on it when she went to say something. Credit where credit was due, and all that, and she'd intended to say as much, but what ended up coming out of her mouth instead was:

"Zounds, you look incredible working like this."

....erm...

From a professional standpoint! is what her brain was trying to scream out to cover that up, but, of course, her horrible betrayer of a mouth gave the opposite, but far more truthful: "And I do not mean professionally.

"Ahhhhhhhh...." At least her head and her mouth were quite in agreement with this next part: "zards."

Irene had, somehow, not yet quite realized what day it was. (And it was famously her least favorite Fandom event, so she was in for a fun surprise!) But the compliment was unexpected, delightful, and lacking in Amaya's arms-length professionalism enough that Irene actually wondered whether something was wrong for a moment.

All the same, she paused what she was doing with a bright, pleased smile. And while what she meant to say was nothing more than a cheeky 'Thank you,' what actually came out was, "I'm glad you noticed, since I took this class hoping to impress you."

...oh, shit. "Shit." And now she knew what day it was.

That shit was all Amaya really needed to confirm her own suspicions, but that "well, it's working" that just decided to tumble right off her lips certainly sealed the deal, didn't it?

She immediately followed it by sucking in a long breath through clenched teeth.

"Well!" she declared, probably louder than necessary, as if doing so would ensure nothing but what she intended to say came rushing out, "I have definitely got to start my days with lying to the lobsters. Really, I should know better by now. I--"

Whatever that was going to lead into was sharply cut off with a tight jaw and a stubborn lift of her chin, because it might make her speak the truth <>when she spoke, but if she just kept her big betrayer mouth shut...

Edited 2022-05-26 12:30 (UTC)

"I'm enjoying myself," Irene told her, not looking quite so shocked at that coming out of her mouth -- though maybe a little surprised at how true it was. "I've always liked watching you, and I didn't know if I'd be able to do it but it's actually fun. And quite a lot of the work of it reminds me of when I used to beat people up professionally and oh my god, I did not mean to tell you that, but there it is."

Well. That was something she had intended to eventually share with Amaya, but...perhaps not like that.

"But at least the knives don't -- " She clasped a gloved hand over her mouth, heedless of the soot, and through it mumbled, "I hate today."

"Well, that," said Amaya, brows lifted, eyes gone just a bit wider, "is something I have got to hear more abo--"

She stopped, closed her eyes, as if clamping it down and forcing herself to focus on truths that were more general and agreeable and didn't make her want to weld her jaw shut for good.

"Oh, it's the worst. I'll just say, then," and hopefully she could keep it on track, she was definitely putting a lot of focus on keeping it to the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the safe and obvious truth, "you're doing an incredibly fine job, Irene, I've actually been very impressed and, if I'm honest, which of course I am, I can't not be honest right now, thank you, you son of a snarling snorlax island,....pleasantly surprised. I'm actually--"

She sucked in that breath again. Nope! No, but nice try.

"Keep...up," she managed to squeeze out instead, "
...the good work."

Her jaw was going to hurt so much tomorrow.

Everyone send up a little thank-you to your chosen deity or fate or the universe itself that that jaw comment had stayed in narrative, because that could have only led to Irene saying something colorful.

"Your praise means everything," Irene told her, absolutely sincere -- she didn't have a choice, did she? -- to the degree that her face, for once, was heating slightly (and not from the forge.) "I figured you thought I just took this class for a lark and to see if I could get in your pants again -- fucking hell --" She cut herself off, blowing out a breath. "Honestly -- ha -- Amaya, I really don't lie to you much, but I hate today."

It wasn't that she wasn't normally fairly honest with Amaya. It was that truth day had a way of making sure she left nothing to the imagination, and not in the way Irene usually preferred.

"Makes it hard to flirt," she added, which was entirely true. "I'm too bloody obvious."

Amaya's jaw was incredibly strong; wearing it down was impressive.

But Amaya herself might not exactly have survived something...that colorful today.

She was honestly barely managing to survive Irene in front of her right now being genuinely somewhat flustered.

"I think I'm starting to get the appeal," she muttered, almost managing to keep it to herself before admitting, "And I did think that, which didn't make a whole lot so sense, really, considering it's not like you even need to take the class to get--"

Amaya was going to wind up sucking in so many breaths she might as well be in Diaz's yoga class right now.

"Zards, and it makes me too fucking sincere."

At least her face got in on that honest action with an expression that left no question about what she truly felt about sincerity.

Flustered and verging on vulnerable, which was exactly why Irene hated this day. She'd happily tell all kinds of sordid dominatrix stories that she normally kept close to her vest rather than admit to these particular feelings.

Not romantic feelings. She could own up to those just fine. Insecurity, though....

"I like your sincerity," Irene blurted out, before she could stop herself. "I like most things about you. You're brilliant and pretty and passionate and so fucking good at -- "

Okay, her turn for a deep, deep breath, before she said something destructive.

"But I can never tell whether I'm a bother." You know, like that, and now Irene was looking literally anywhere she could besides Amaya's face, because Irene Adler did not admit to a lack of total confidence, ever. Nor did she like admitting that Amaya was hard for her to read, considering how she prided herself on that skill. (But it was also part of what she liked about her.)

Edited 2022-05-26 14:17 (UTC)

"Boy," Amaya actually breathed out, finally, a slow exhale as her eyes widened to nearly perfect circles and she shook her head lightly, "am I both simultaneously relieved you cut off where you did and also desperately wishing you hadn't, all in one."

And Amaya was sure hoping that a focus on that particularly fun conflict of emotions pulling at each other would prevent her from saying anything else, but...nope. That tongue just kept going.

(And how was that for something colorful?)

"It's always a bother," she said, throwing up her hands a little, though whether that was frustration or just surrender, it was hard to tell, "but that's not you, that's me. You are incredible. I mean, just look at you! And just when I start thinking there no way I could possibly find you even more attractive, you throw something out there like 'beating people up professionally' and prove me wrong! I hate being wrong. And I hate having feeling."

Any specific feelings? Nope. Not really. Just feelings. Full stop.

God, so much color in the narrative today!

"Feeling is hard." Irene could agree with that easily, with full-hearted honesty. "And terrifying. And...messy. But you make me feel."

And right now she made her feel uncomfortable, but almost in a good way? She hated feeling exposed, but she did love when puzzles came together, and Amaya had just provided quite a few of her missing pieces.

And she'd also called Irene incredible, which was...you know. Everything she'd wanted for awhile.

She gave a little shrug, thrown off her usual poise enough to be almost awkward. "And I'd love to keep proving you wrong, if you can stand it. I have lots of stories about my beating-up days."

Uncomfortable was definitely the word for it, but Amaya was less inclined to see much good in in it.

"I actually don't mind it as much," she found herself murmuring, and it wasn't great, but it did almost feel like a respite considering what could have come out, "being proven wrong...by...you..."

Did that contradict what she'd just said. Maybe. Maybe not. That was the fun of truth day when you honestly weren't sure what the truth was.

And that frustration came out of her now in a low growl as she ducked her head to pinch the bridge of her nose.

"Zards, this the worst. I would really like to just go back to hitting things that I understand and make sense and pretend that I can actually manage to go bury it all deep as I can out back."

"But you can't," Irene countered, smiling very slightly. "Burying it doesn't do anything. Believe me, I've tried. The last time I liked someone this much was Shhh--"

Irene actually puffed out her cheeks in an effort to keep that word in, and thank fuck, she did not actually say his name. That was just -- that would be too much to deal with today, and would muddy the waters in a way she did not feel like addressing right now.

"I have learned the hard way that you can't always bury it all," she finally landed on, willing her words to come out carefully. "It'll just squish out at the edges. I wish I knew what you were so -- Amaya, I'd never hurt you."

A pause, and then an unbidden, "'Less you asked nicely," slipped out, and Irene's smile widened a bit as she gave a helpless, unrepentant little shrug.

"Now don't you go mentioning things last time you liked someone since and never hurting anyone, because that's not....something you can know," which hadn't been at all what she was going to say, she was going to say that wasn't possible, and yet, "and that's just going to my mouth try to bring up Ffffffpppffthhhh--"

Yes, she was squashing that right down into a flubbled raspberry of a veto, which worked much better than she thought it would.

So she was just going to forge (ha) forward with another attempt with just sort of barking out, "So! Work! Class! Blacksmithing! You're very good, and I'm glad you're here and I am going to try," emphasis, unfortunately not hers but there all the same, "to be professional because that is what...most of us are here for!"

Pffffff. Irene would have ignored that even if it hadn't been truth day. You couldn't cut her off now, when she was actually getting some of the good stuff, Amaya!

Even if she was, apparently, going to have to give up some of her own good stuff in the process. She did at least glance at the other members of class, before deciding she was just going to keep going. Whatever. Enjoy the show, everyone.

"I," she started, trying to think through her words as best she could so she could maintain something of a rein on them, "I have been hurt so badly, Amaya. My last -- breakup's not even the word, really, but my last entanglement ended with my execution."

She held her hands up helplessly at her sides (having, intelligently, set aside the tongs and hammer but still wearing the gloves, so...that was probably an image.) "I am so sorry for whatever happened to you. But I've been fucked over, too. I lost everything. Not just him, but my career, my...home. Everything."

She blew out a breath, hoping nothing much more came out but bracing for impact all the same. "But -- sometimes it's worth the risk. I think you're worth it."

And now she'd have to set herself on fire or something if she was rejected outright. Fucking hate truth day.

Amaya sucked in a breath, biting down on her tongue almost as soon as Irene started talking again. Because truth day kind of worked both ways, and she didn't want to hear this, any of it (except that she did), she didn't want to know, because if she knew, then she'd care, and if she cared...

She tasted a burst of copper, right where her teeth dug in a little more into her tongue, and she wondered if she could manage to be bold enough to just bite down hard enough that saying anything more wouldn't be a concern any more at all.

Swallow her own tongue to avoid talking about feelings, indeed.

But when Irene finished, Amaya's jaw unhinged despite herself.

What she wanted to come out was some safe, easy quip about how well Irene had recovered from that execution. But of course that's not what came out.

"I'm not." It was hoarse and caught in her throat a little. She shook her head as if that wasn't quite right. "No one is. Look, it's nothing bad as all that, it's just everyone I've ever cared for just leaves, and so I'd rather just save myself all that trouble and energy. Or....try to, at least. I'm...." her nose wrinkled, "not very good at it."

"I think you are," Irene said quietly. It was as simple as that. Or at least, she thought it was. Honestly and truly and not even hidden in a phone passcode. "And for what it's worth, I'm not going anywhere. I...can't. I'm dead back home, legally."

So it was sort of...Fandom or bust, at this point. Fandom or another foreign city, and at least she had friends and something of a lonely little life here.

"So you're rather stuck with me, anyway. As an island," she added, more lightly than she felt as she gestured idly to their surroundings. "Not you, personally."

Thankfully truth day was allowing her to keep a fraction of her dignity, apparently.

"Unless you w--" Irene was really making a mess of her face with all this glove-over-mouth action today, but she was looking more resigned than embarrassed at this point.

If it was any consolation, Amaya rather liked the mess on her face. Or just her face in general, although it might be hard to tell as much in the next response. Irene might not have needed to cover her mouth there, even, as it came out almost before she'd have gotten the chance to finish.

"Nope," she said. "Don't care for the idea of bein' stuck to anything. Just ask--"

But she was just going to cut that off with a cough. A clearing of her throat. Swallowing it down and willing her tongue to go along with it.

Thank fuck Irene had her hand over her mouth still, since she mumbled a single-syllable name into her glove there. It came out as, "Mrigh?" but Irene really might have had to leave if she admitted she was a little worried about being in...competition.

Because then she might lose, you see.

She inhaled slowly, wiping her gloved hand across her face (and just smearing ash along her nose and up her forehead in the process. "Me neither," she said slowly, as though making sure the words were going to stop there before continuing unbidden. "I'm not very good at this part. Sex? Top marks, I'm amazing."

No truth day needed there.

"But I just -- I don't want anything you don't want to give," she said, blowing out through her nostrils with an air of finality. "And I'd hate to see you talk yourself out of something fun because you don't want to get too close."

Amaya gave a faint groan at that, pinching her nose again, so now both of them were definitely adorably smudged.

"This conversation's making me wonder if I probably should talk myself out of more, buy it's not like I can say there's been anything I regret."

Like, literally, she could not.

There was another grumble, on that, if listened to closely enough, sounded an awful</i[ lot like "Quite the opposite really."

"Then good," Irene decided, her confidence bolstered enough to return the squareness to her shoulders and the smirk to her lips. "Then don't talk yourself out of anything. You keep being your lovely self, I'll keep being my lovely self and try not to spend my life staring at your tits and your biceps like an animal, and we'll all just...know how everyone feels, then."

Some of that just sort of slipped out, but to be fair, Irene might have said the majority of that anyway.

Irene's smirk widened slightly, teasing. "Like how I'm incredible. Right?"

"I'd rather we just keep all of it except the part about how everyone feeeels," said with incredible dryness up until the extra sneer thrown onto the that last word. "And as for the last part, you know that's not fair because you already know that's true."

Look, this day had put her through the wringer pretty hard already, there had been back stories, she was absolutely putting a foot down and obfuscating while she could, dammit!

Don't mind Graham. He was just going to be over here, pretending like he was actually working on his dagger and not completely trying to eavesdrop on the dramatic conversation unfolding right now between the teacher and one of the other students.

Which was a damn good way get your fingers smashed by your own hammer.

"Ouch!" Graham pulled back his hand, shaking it a little before tentatively tucking it protectively against his chest.

"Ooohhhkaaay," he said, "not as subtle as I thought..."

Hopefully, they'd both be in too deep to have noticed, at least.

Steph was mostly focusing on working on her own dagger, and doing pretty well at it, but every now and then she couldn't help looking over at Irene and Amaya because come on, how could she be privy to this conversation and not get kind of invested?

... could you make popcorn in the forge? She kind of wanted to know.

Stark was trying not to overhear any conversations being had elsewhere because they were not his business and was instead trying to concentrate on forming a blade.

It took a bit to establish a rhythm but he was fairly satisfied with how things were going. It was working mostly the way he intended, in any case.

.....oh boy.

Look, I just want to have a day where I'm not working by myself for a good chunk of time, is that too much to ask for?

((spoiler alert: yes.))

I am very concerned that the person in the linked video is not wearing gloves???????????

I feel like that came up the last time I used this video, too, and I forgot, and ohmygod, now I'm going to be bothered by it all day. Sir. SIR. This fictional character and the random person behind her is very upset by your actions.

This song, which is from an incredibly graphic work safety video circa 1980, is going to be stuck in my head the rest of the day.

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Blacksmith Basics; Thursday, Second Period [05/26].

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