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 Posted: Wed Jan 29, 2014 9:24 am
Things were going well and that made Industry a very happy god. People were happy and when they were happy they wanted more and well, he was pleased to aid them in achieving more. Hierarchy of Needs at its best.
The new forge was nearing completion and with a treaty struck up with the dwarves he was hoping to bring down enough ore to put it to good use, glass was all very well and good but to put it to windows you needed lead and really, it was only so useful, was there a glass age? no. Metal was his goal and the current forge was not big enough to support more than trinkets.
"Really Elora, nothing?" He asked, glancing to the petite woman walking beside him.
"Nothing." The djinn replied, lifting her long, red velvet skirts up off the floor as she hopped over a puddle. Really? could he not schedule a proper meeting. She looked rather out of place wandering past the tents and workshops, her pale blonde hair piled up on top of her head with exotic pins that glittered in the sun. Her form poured into a fitted corset, the bodice of which matched her skirts.
"There is apparently some grumbling among the joiners about tools but mostly people are happy to have something to do." She raised a shaped and penciled eyebrow.
"People are never entirely content." Isambard replied ducking the low doorway of the forge and stepping into the smoky workshop.
"They are when they leave The Garden." She replied, a grin on her bright red lips. It grew as she stepped inside the forge, despite her preened looks she was a being of smoke and fire, the heat of the workshop made her feel relaxed , like a cat in sunshine. She followed Isambard up to the main furnace and leaned against its hot exterior. Most of the workers were out on their lunch break, there were just a few working on small projects.
Isambard gave Elora a wry smirk at her comment and folded his arms, studying the furnace.
"I think we can create this on a larger scale, three of four times larger?" He studied it closely, how it was built, what it was built from.
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Posted: Wed Jan 29, 2014 10:25 am
Arctang had learned long ago not to wear his nicer clothes in the forge. They inevitably got smudged, singed, or otherwise sullied so that he was fussed at by whomever was doing his laundry at the time, usually the two little women who tended the rooms. Thus he had set aside his usual dress shirt, slacks, and vest for the more practical garb. His shirt was made of more coarse, sturdy fabric, though it still opened at the throat. His sleeves were almost always rolled up to accommodate the heat within the forge, and his pants were thick and serviceable. He tended to stay away from the fires of the forge, but one never knew when a stray spark might fly. He almost always had a pencil behind his ear as well as in his hand, and a clipboard with many papers clipped to it.
Today he was doing a tally of tools that would need replacing. It was rough work, and it wasn't uncommon to have broken shafts or chipped heads. Some could be repaired, others simply needed to be recycled and replaced entirely. He was doing his work swiftly while most were off eating their lunches. Trying to tally tools when they were being used was completely unreasonable. If he could work quickly enough, he'd get it done before the crowd of workers returned.
His work was interrupted, however, by the entrance of two new faces. Not that this was at all unusual... so many worked in the forge, there was rarely a time when he wasn't meeting someone new. However, it was the nature of one of these new faces that caught and held his attention. It was not at all normal to see a lady dressed elegantly as she come stepping confidently into the mess of a forge... nor was it expected to see such a person leaning on the furnace itself! Frowning in puzzlement, he strode over to the couple. "Excuse me, can I help you?"
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Posted: Wed Jan 29, 2014 12:29 pm
Elora let the heat run through her, she missed the heat of her desert homeland, this was almost as good as the feel of the sun beating down. She had not noticed the other member of the divine appear beside them until he spoke. Isambard had been lost in his considerations too, the voice surprised him and indeed the question. He could feel the weak mana from the god, he was like him, still part mortal. Isambard could not recal seeing this god before at the forge.
"I doubt it." He replied, barely glancing at the newcomer."Isambard." Elora chastised the god, one of the few who could and get away with it. "There is no need to be rude." she pushed off the side of the furnace and stood straight, regarding the new god with a curious interest in her smokey eyes. Isambard sighed and turned to face the god.
"I don't need any help, thank you." His mismatched eyes went to the papers the god had in his hands. Yes, he was curious too, but too stubborn to express it."He's on a research mission." Elora explained as it seemed Isambard was going to be an arse. "There is a bigger forge being constructed the other side of the Pantheon, it's a matter of ensuring it has everything it needs to make it more efficient and well, better than this." She waved a hand dismissively. It was practically stone aged after all.
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Posted: Fri Jan 31, 2014 12:39 pm
Arctang arched one brow, eyes going back and forth between the odd pair. He primmed his lips to avoid frowning in disapproval at the rudeness of this Isambard. "With such an undertaking, I'm surprised you would have no need of Numbers," he replied tartly, stung at being dismissed so offhandedly. He narrowed his eyes and shifted his clipboard. "I will assume from your comments that neither of you were here during this forge's construction?" Both brows lifted in almost mocking inquiry. "Perhaps before you were reborn?" he addressed the other god directly this time. "I can assure you, the best was done that was possible at the time. Be thankful you have the opportunity to do better."
Having vented some of his ire at being so treated, he cleared his throat and centered his hands on the clipboard. "I am Arctang, the Pie Bird. Numbers are my domain." He paused significantly before continuing. "I assist those who work this forge with their inventory count, both raw materials and finished products. As such, we do not suffer from any discrepancies. Ever." The implication hung in the air that this new forge was likely to also need such accurate tallying, but he did not speak of it. "Who do I have the... ah... pleasure of speaking with?" he asked politely, his neon eyes once more shifting between the two, giving as much deference to the woman as the man. Arc was never one to discount the usefulness nor worth of non-dieties, mortals or otherwise.
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Posted: Fri Jan 31, 2014 1:39 pm
Isambard regarded the god with a look of calm amusement, clearly he had touched a nerve. Though he could imagine his frustration; around since before this forge was built and still nothing more than half a god. It was all he could do not to laugh at the pause after his introduction, as though he expected Isambard to drop to his knees in supplication, begging forgiveness. There were words on the tip of his tongue though he did not speak them, he merely listened, the flame that burned behind his left eye flickering in the dim light of the forge. When the god was done he clapped his hands slowly.
“Well I must congratulate you my Lord Number, really. Accounting for a whole workshop, such an achievement. How my men manage to rebuild half a town without your accounting prowess shall remain a mystery to me. “ He smirked a little. “I am Isambard, Deus Ex Machina, Industry is mine. And no, I was not here when this forge was constructed, if I had been I wouldn’t still be lurking in its shadows.” He raised an eyebrow and grinned. Elora rolled her eyes and stepped forward.
“Now now boys.” She purred. “I’m sure you could both stand around playing ‘mine’s bigger than yours’ for eternity. Really the male race are the same, god or man.” She gave the Number god a charming smile. She really didn’t want to stand around all day listening to divine bickering. There were things to be done.
“I am Elora, proprietor of the Rose Garden, a charming private members club in the town.” She held a hand out to the god. “You should drop by. I’m sure you’d find my books interesting.” She winked and brushed an ember from her gown. “You gods should be sticking together.”
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Posted: Fri Jan 31, 2014 1:59 pm
Arc pulled in a deep breath and let it out slowly. He would not be baited by this young upstart and his inflated ego. Truly, he would not. He ran a hand through his hair and firmed his jaw, standing straight in his effort to not speak sharp words. "I'm sure Mystery would be happy to enlighten you, if you truly are as puzzled as you pretend," he replied gravely. He would not take this puppy down a few pegs, really he wouldn't. Ha, Industry. What would Industry be without Numbers, he's like to know?! He flexed his jaw tightly, then turned to regard the woman as she spoke.
He took her proferred hand and bowed over it, his face relaxing into a smile as she scolded them. "You are absolutely correct, my lady," he replied warmly. "Cooperation for its own sake, or at least in honor of our Lord Creation." He flicked a glance over at Industry once more, reminding himself how little this new god had experienced. A thoughtful hand reached to touch the scars at his throat. Perhaps he had best remember his own personal struggles as well. He was no lesser being, had fought alongside others in face of the threat to all that was. His speculative gaze rested on Isambard for a time. No doubt all would have to face what he had faced, eventually. He'd rather gotten lost on what he was doing all this work for, losing himself in the daily grind. Had he simply wanted to forget? Perhaps. It was clearly time to recall himself to the task they all faced, however.
"I am sure our Lord is glad to have you returned, Deus Ex Machina, in this time of need." His words were solemn, lacking the biting mockery that had tinged his words previously. "You have been much needed, and will only continue to be increasingly relied upon." There was no hint of ego or ire any longer in his tone. "Should you require me, I am at your service." He gave a little bow to his fellow god, and added with wry humor, "I do understand if you have it all well in hand, however."
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Posted: Sat Feb 01, 2014 2:31 am
Isambard watched the god struggle not to bite back at him. In truth that just amused him more. He enjoyed a challenge. But truly Elora was right, it would be a waste of time and energy. Number did lend a hand to Industry but that did not make him better, as Industry also lent a hand to number, made it more than a few lines in the sand to count a couple of horses. The argument could rage forever indeed.
"I do, I am not one to sit and wait." He replied, matter of factly. "And really it is the Mortals doing the work, I merely made them believe it was in their power." The god shrugged. "If I have need of your services I will certainly come calling." He would not let a grudge stand in the way of progress. "I have met another Number, the goddess Cosine. She is related to you in some way?"
Elora watched the pair of them with a smirk and moved to lean back against the wall of the furnace.
"Oh yes, I know her and her children, they rescued me from imprisonment. I stayed with them. Quite delightful little ones."
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Posted: Thu Feb 20, 2014 3:06 pm
Arctang was blissfully unaware of the narrowly avoided argument. Not that to him it was a matter of which was better. Obviously they would have been of different importances, not things to be compared really. Granted, it would have outraged him to learn how simplistically the god of Industry regarded numbers, but he was spared such outrage. It was growing clear, however, that they were unlikely to be friends, unless something altered the direction of their current relationship.
He bowed his head a tad stiffly at the question. "Yes, she is my twin sister." He glanced from Isambard to Elora as they spoke of his sister. He stifled the stab of jealousy and dismay at how easily his sister seemed to make friends when she and he somehow always managed to be out of kilter with each other. It was as if their twinnish-ness was working against them rather than for them. "I have as yet only met one of her children." A flash of a genuine smile crossed his face, thinking of the boy.
Wanting to shift the subject, he turned back to Isambard. "What else do you turn your hand to, other than rebuilding towns and improving forges?" He kept all sarcasm or coldness out of his voice, ensuring it was a sincere inquiry. He had a thought tumbling in the back of his mind that it was possible Industry might know how to accomplish, regardless of his distasteful demeanor. After all, if he could not get along with his fellow deities, what good would he be to Creation?
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