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 Posted: Fri Nov 01, 2013 2:48 pm
Roger could only watch him go, one brow arched up. Alright then. A blacksmith didn't have much use for a gentleman's handkerchief, but the fact that it had been left certainly made this all interesting. Nic was an attractive young man, and a giving one. He would be an excellent friend, if nothing else.
Perhaps this rasp was more important than he'd imagined.
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Posted: Fri Nov 01, 2013 3:01 pm
Nicholas didn't like leaving something unfinished, but for the moment he was stuck. He'd just have to wait until that night, that was all. For now, he had another order to begin filling, and getting the wood cut for it was going to be the hardest part. There had been many a times he'd ripped a perfectly good shirt doing this, too much movement, he thought, so today he was going to do it without.
Back and forth, back and forth, that was how the saw went. Nicholas was already working up a sweat in the morning, Riven in her usual spot under the stairs. He wasn't expecting anyone, but that didn't mean someone wouldn't show up...
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Posted: Fri Nov 01, 2013 3:07 pm
When asked if he could be trusted to stay at home alone, Farthir's sense said 'yes.' Roger's said 'no'. For this reason, the unruly Guardian was left with the task of protecting the neighbors' daughter, who was ill with a cold and would presumably not be leaving the house.
It had only taken a short time to find Nic's shop with the help of the locals. It appeared that Roger himself was rather behind in the times for the frequency with which people recognized a large blonde carpenter.
He entered the shop without his usual companion and was struck for a moment by the image within. A large man, flesh out, back and forth.
You know what? It had been far too long.
He laughed slightly to himself and waved.
"Surprise!"
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Posted: Fri Nov 01, 2013 3:18 pm
Nich was so absorbed in his work he didn't even here him come in, breathing heavily as he continued to cut the pieces, muscles showing even more as he used them. He nearly jumped at the sound of Roger's voice, turning quickly, sweating a little as he caught his breath.
"Oh! This is a surprise! A good one!" He laughed, rubbing the back of his neck a little. "What brings you here today, friend? I hope you don't mind, I usually end up ripping my shirts otherwise..." He couldn't help but flush a little, glancing to the side.
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Posted: Fri Nov 01, 2013 3:30 pm
"Ah, right. I almost believe that." Roger smirked and lifted a new rasp, fitted into an old, reinforced handle.
"I had some free time, so I decided to finish your tools. Best to not let your business fall apart over a missing tool, hm? At least, I like to pretend my work is that important." He peered around the shop, admiring the samples and works-in-progress that littered the floor. So not only was Nic a generally nice guy, he was pretty talented too. Roger might have been able to fix a table leg, but he was no craftsman.
...err. Not with wood, anyway.
"So you're pretty fantastic at this, huh?"
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Posted: Fri Nov 01, 2013 3:39 pm
"It's true! I'm not about to demonstrate though. Money has been the little tight lately, after all." His face lit up at the rasp, and he didn't hesitate in coming over to look it over.
"Oh really? You're seriously the best, I can't tell you how much I've needed this..." He breathed, seeming truly grateful for his hard work. "It broke right in the middle of me finishing that table up. You wouldn't mind if I tested it out would you?" He was a little eager to show off his own craftsmanship, having seen Roger's yesterday.
"Oh, I wouldn't say I'm that fantastic at it." He laughed, smiling. "I just don't like things being half-arsed."
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Posted: Fri Nov 01, 2013 3:45 pm
"Maybe I should leave before you do?" Roger joked, but made no move to leave. He put his hands on his hips and watched, following Nic where ever he moved through the shop. He's like to watch someone else's craft, especially something so similar and yet entirely different from his own. He nodded appreciatively at the half-arsed comment. There was always that!
Of course, this time the carpenter was acting... different. Had he scared him off from familiarity, maybe? He had been so... strange the day before. He was at work, of course, but Roger wished there was a way to check his own observations. Maybe he'd offer a bar trip later. They certainly both deserved it.
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Posted: Fri Nov 01, 2013 3:48 pm
"I wouldn't mind if you stayed to watch, you know." He joked back, testing him out the slightest bit. It was worth a shot, a long shot, but it wasn't that bad...He guided him to a table which, for the most part, was detailed, except for a spot near the corner. "Want to watch this, at least?" He offered, holding his hand out for the rasp. "I'll show you a trick or two."
A bar trip would certainly be welcome, especially after such a hard day of work! Nicholas always thought he could use more friends, and having some that were also craftsmen could be interesting....Didn't hurt that Roger wasn't that bad of a looker either.
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Posted: Fri Nov 01, 2013 3:54 pm
Roger wondered for a moment if Farthir's impulsivity had perhaps rubbed off somewhere down the line. He had reached out on a whim and was now surprised to find words coming out of his mouth as he held Nic's hand, palm-up, in his own.
"You have remarkably soft hands for a carpenter," he said, running a thumb up the thick of Nic's palm. Eye contact soon followed.
Either he had lost a friend, or he had found a delightful pastime for a loveless old man. Of course, he could also go to jail if the carpenter decided he didn't like this at all. He preferred to think that Nic was a gentleman of honor, not frightened tattling a the first sign of an alternative lifestyle.
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Posted: Fri Nov 01, 2013 3:58 pm
Nich didn't seem to mind, a little surprised, but looked down at Roger looking over his hands before smiling. It wasn't that bad, actually. And that being said, Roger's hands weren't so rough either.
"I try to take care of them. Yours aren't so bad either, you know. I've met many smiths who have such rough fingers, but yours haven't gotten there yet. It's a rare find, I think." He smiled, glancing up to meet his eyes.
Seeing as he hadn't reacted badly, it seemed he wouldn't be going to jail today, or losing a friend. Not yet anyway. Nich wasn't stupid, he'd been picking up the tiny little pings of perhaps a kindred spirit in this lonely quiet town. He'd have to wait and see though. Who knew.
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Posted: Fri Nov 01, 2013 4:06 pm
Roger's ears colored and he cursed himself internally. Silly old man, what were you shooting for? He'd gotten a smile, at the very least, and his impulsive experiment seemed to have brought conclusive results, but there was a limit to that. He felt as if his gentleman's mind had been taken over by some other faculty, and he wished he could take it back.
Still, Nic hadn't recoiled or lunged away. There had been a fleeting moment of eye contact. Maybe that trip to the pub would be alright after all.
"Ah, yes, well. Burn scars are rather smooth," he nodded, offering his hands palm-up. He cared for them in the way one had to when working around such heat, lest you lose your work to cracks and callouses. They were smooth indeed, but sometimes marked with little lines. He smiled, but his ears were still burning.
Silly, stupid old man.
"So. The table?"
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Posted: Fri Nov 01, 2013 4:14 pm
Nich seemed to relax the slightest bit as Roger continued to thumb over his hand. It felt good, in an odd way. Like a massage. Certainly he knew how hard this kind of work could be on his hands, he wouldn't have minded if he had continued....
But then he took his hand away, and showed his own. Returning the same favor, Nicholas lightly pressed his own thumbs into the various pressure points, tracing over old scars delicately. "You've worked so hard....And yet you manage to take care of yourself so well. There's times I just want to flop into bed, and forget my cuts, but you take such special care..." He didn't seem to realize he was looking so fondly at Roger's hands, tracing the lines gently.
Well, until he brought up the table.
Nicholas let go rather quickly, cheeks flushing the slightest. "Oh I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to!" He breathed out, taking the rasp quickly before going to where his work was unfinished. Carefully, he started to work, being delicate as he made the design.
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Posted: Fri Nov 01, 2013 4:23 pm
Roger's eyes went wide. He was... touching him? That was... new. Yes, "new" was a word. There were all sorts of weird twirlings in his chest and scalp as Nic ran his thumbs over his palms.
Oh, oh boy.
Right, the table.
"No, it's... it's fine," he assured the carpenter and cleared his throat, straightened his shirt. What was he even supposed to think now?
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Posted: Fri Nov 01, 2013 4:27 pm
Nich was slightly worried he'd gone a bit too far, especially at the clearing of the throat, though kept his eyes on his work. Carefully, carefully now...Even with all of his focus, he was still smiling, finally finishing up this last bit of work.
It didn't even take him that long, 5 minutes at the most, before he pulled back, blowing the shavings and dust away. "There we go! All thanks to you." He proudly stated, showing off the last little addition. It was perfect, smooth, and beautiful. "Now I'll just let it dry out a little, then put on the varnish..."
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Posted: Fri Nov 01, 2013 4:31 pm
Roger saw the carpenter's smile and couldn't help but return it, only a little. He watched curiously as Nic worked, and then cocked his head to one side when he was finished. It seemed like such a short amount of time to finish something as elegant as that table. He rounded Nic and crouched, almost as if skeptical, and ran delicate fingers down the curve of the wood.
Huh, look at that!
"That's pretty great, actually. I'm impressed." He grinned to Nic, offering an appreciative nod. He might need to change where he got his handles from...
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