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 Posted: Wed Dec 21, 2016 10:11 am
Aubrey was pretty excited to get the call from Samir to invite her over to the junk yard so that he could show her how he forged swords. They had talked about it after ice skating and seeing her interest in the subject lead to this invite. Her sisters were at her parents house and she had plenty of time to relax and learn about Samir’s craft.
She glanced at her passenger seat where she had packed a little dinner for them because she figured if they would be working, they might be hungry, and Aubrey never passed up an opportunity to cook and see how people liked it.
Soon she arrived at the junk yard and made her way through the gate and parked, she got out of her car and stretched, then adjusted her t-shirt so it wouldn’t ride up again and glanced down at her black boots and old jeans that would be able to stand a little dirt. She checked her hair to make sure everything was in place then got the basket of sandwiches out of the front seat and went to find Samir. She could already hear the dogs running towards her and grinned, and made sure the basket was well out of the way of prying noses.
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Posted: Wed Dec 21, 2016 4:14 pm
The dogs very nearly reached the basket she held; they seemed dually interested in smelling her, licking her face, and trying to get into the basket.
A sharp whistle from the distance caught their attention and they paused, turning quickly to run towards the source of the noise.
Samir was in the distance and waved, trotting across the junkyard to cross the distance between them. His dogs ran circles around him, and he just smiled when he reached Aubrey.
"Oh, good! You got here in time. The forge is all heated up, It was almost too tempting not to get started! Come on, come on." He was excited, clearly, but paused when he noticed the basket. Tilting his head to the side, he cracked a smile. "Supplies?"
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Posted: Thu Dec 22, 2016 2:03 pm
Aubrey grinned and kept the dogs away from the food successfully until they were called away by Samir. Just seeing him coming towards her brought an instant smile to her lips. It was crazy that she hadn’t known him for very long but already felt so close to him. If it wasn’t for the complication of Lopezite also being in her life she would probably have tried to pursue something already, however she couldn’t really tell if Samir viewed her as anything other than a friend. And as far as Lopezite was concerned, it was all passion and excitement but not a lot of companionship and Aubrey wanted both in her life.
Aubrey grinned at Samir’s excitement level as he reached her and she nodded. “Well I would hate to keep you waiting too long.” She told him with a grin. She stepped closer to him and offered him the basket as he was taller and the dogs were less likely to tackle him for the treats.
“I hear that forging is hard work, so I brought sustenance to keep us going… and just because it’s tasty.” She told him with a laugh when he took the basket. She had gone a little overboard with her cooking, and made some fresh strawberry and feta salad with poppy seed dressing and turkey club sandwiches with a strawberry rhubarb pie packed in on the bottom, they were in an insulated bag in side the basket with a few frozen water bottles to make sure everything stayed cool and safe.
“It will keep for a bit if you want to get started.” She told him with a smile as she pulled her hair up into a high messy bun so that it would be out of her way while they worked. “Now, show me your passion!”
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Posted: Wed Dec 28, 2016 8:31 pm
Samir took the basket without hesitation but couldn't help but peek in the basket. He whistled, obviously delighted with what I saw.
"One of these days, you're going to come over and I'm just going to have to kidnap you. That food sounds irresistible." He couldn't help but wink when he said the word, but the smile on his face made it hard to tell if he was being serious or just teasing.
He gestured towards the forge. "Come on, I'm excited. It gets a little hot in there, so enjoy the cool weather while you can. I work up a sweat pretty fast. Don't judge me," he warned, still grinning.
He began to walk towards the forge even as the snow began to fall a little harder. Truthfully, he was eager to get to the warmth, but something about this snow just kept catching his eye. It looked thicker than usual. When he took a step, he felt something strange beneath his foot. For some reason, the first thing he thought was his keys, so he drew his foot up and knelt down.
While the dogs took the opportunity to lick his face and try to peek in the picnic basket, he wasn't kneeling for long enough to give them much opportunity. He scooped the tiny item up in his hand and stood to examine it.
In his palm was a beautiful, glistening crystal. It looked like a half-dollar sized snowflake, but when he held it in the palm of his hand, it didn't melt.
Not wanting to be too distracted, he tucked it into his pocket for the moment and started towards the forge again.
"So, you know much about weapons? --Any kind? Kitchen knives don't count, no matter how lethal I'd expect them to be in your hands," he teased.
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Posted: Fri Dec 30, 2016 11:38 pm
Aubrey grinned at Samir. "Usually when a guy threatens to kidnap you, your first instinct should be to run for the hills... but for some reason that sounds nice." she laughed and shook her head as they began to walk, she looked at him curiously when he reached down to pick something off the ground, but he put it in his pocket too quickly for her to really see what it was, she shrugged because it wasn't important.
"I can't say that I have much experience with weapons, my brother used to take me shooting when we were growing up, but that was mostly 22 rifles that wouldn't even hurt a squirrel, and the only sharp equipment I ever used was with farming, though I will admit to being pretty handy with a scythe, even if I am a bit out of practice." Aubrey responded as they walked towards the forge.
She kept seeing flashes out of the corner of her eyes, as if something was catching the dying light of the sun and throwing it into her face, with a frown she tried to pin point where it was coming from as the snow fall began to increase.
"Ouch!" she exclaimed as suddenly a giant snowflake hit her in the face, but it didn't melt or stick and she instinctively caught it when it fell, she examined it and shook her head. "Seriously.. what is with the weather in this city? why is it snowing rocks?" she didn't want to admit to herself how beautiful it was, mainly because it was sharp and she didn't take kindly to things that clobbered her when she was walking.
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Posted: Sat Dec 31, 2016 10:25 am
Samir couldn't help but laugh--not at her pain, but her surprise. "In Destiny City, you're insane if you haven't already learned to expect the unexpected. Raining rocks probably isn't even the strangest weather phenomenon, here. Are you all right?" he asked; he cocked his head to see if the crystal had left any mark. He didn't see a welt or anything so assumed she was probably fine--he couldn't help but ask, "A scythe though, really? That is not what I would have expected!"
He should have expected, though. Like Destiny City, she was full of surprises.
"One day, would you like to learn how to use a sword? I perform with them, sometimes. When I'm feeling flashy. --Really, though," he reached out to gently brush at where the crystal had hit her.
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Posted: Mon Jan 02, 2017 9:45 pm
"I guess I had forgotten having lived in another state for 3 years, one with normal weather." the last part her voice was raised as she glared up at the sky before shaking her head. I guess there really was no accounting for the weather.
"I'm fine..." she grumbled rubbing at the spot, it stung slightly but there wouldn't be any bruising or breakage of skin so she wasn't harmed. Annoyed she shoved the crystal into her pocket and glared at the sky again. "Well, we had some heavy duty farming equipment, but really the place wasn't big enough to need all that, and swinging a scythe around can be kinda fun sometimes." She shrugged and turned her attention back to him.
"I mean if you are offering to teach me I am always down to learn new skills, and sword play sounds fun...." her voice trailed off when he touched her skin. They were close together and for a second she thought about closing the distance and kissing him. It was spontaneous and something that she would do as Fortuna, but Aubrey didn't make the first move so she simply smiled at him.
"I am fine, don't worry... but maybe we should get inside before we get pelted with more rocks?" she suggested to break the sudden tension.
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Posted: Mon Jan 02, 2017 10:05 pm
Samir laughed and nodded, gesturing for her to follow him inside. The forge was open and it seemed like Samir had done everything in his power to get it set up for the both of them. His supplies were out and the fire seemed to have been recently stoked.
"Come, stand close to this for the moment, heat up. You'll have to move away before I start, so enjoy the heat while you can. I left out a few swords," he nodded to a few that he'd laid out. They were fine specimens--clearly he'd put a lot of time and effort into them. He'd picked out the ones he was most proud of--and a few that he was still working on.
Truthfully, he wanted to distract her while he examined the crystal he found; he extracted the crystal snowflake and tossed it around for a moment, tried to melt it, played with it.
If he didn't know better, he would have thought it was carved glass.
"Sword play, by the way, is fun. I shall most certainly teach you. Tell me, which of those swords do you like the most?" he asked
He had already made up his mind and reached for a thin strip of wire as he began his impromptu craft project.
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Posted: Tue Jan 03, 2017 8:35 am
The temperature difference was severe and already she felt her cold hands start to thaw out and her face flush from the sudden heat. "I don't get how you can stand working in this, but then I've always been partial to cold." Aubrey mused as she held her hands out towards the forge briefly to warm up before she moved to examine the swords that he had laid out.
Her fingers reached out to touch them but she did not quite make contact just hovered over them. "You really do have a talent. I'm not familiar with swords besides what I've seen in movies." she told him as her hand hovered over a short sword before moving past a rapier.
"I feel like this short one would be easy to handle... you just slash at stuff right?" she asked glancing over at him briefly. She noticed that he was fiddling with something but didn't ask. Her hand went back towards a rapier and hovered a moment before her hand lowered to touch the smooth hilt.
"This one is beautiful... what is it?" she questioned, feeling a little silly that she didn't know basic swords, but hey it wasn't her hobby and it was doubtful that he could recognize different Aikido moves.
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Posted: Fri Jan 06, 2017 10:49 pm
Samir glanced over for just a second, hands still working even as he threw his attention towards her. "That? That's a rapier I made earlier this year. It's one of my absolute favorites. Not because of how it came out--though I am pleased with that!--but because it was such fun to make. I was lucky, it's like the metal wanted to take that form."
He seemed pleased that she had taken an interest in one, and as much as he told himself not to say anything, he couldn't help but laugh softly. "No sword is designed just for slashing, though. Swordplay is...like a dance. It should be beautiful, elegant. A dangerous performance, certainly, but there is nothing like it. It is exhilarating."
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Posted: Sat Jan 07, 2017 10:39 pm
Aubrey smiled as he described his sword. "I guess I can understand that, sometimes a sketch will take on a life of its own, as if it knew what it wanted to be before I even start, but I guess any art form can be like that, whether it is with a pen or becoming a sword."
Her hand lingered a moment longer on the hilt before she turned to face Samir. "Well then maybe you will have to give me lessons, the way you talk about it it seems like it would be a lot of fun." She told him as she watched him fiddle with whatever it was in his hands.
"What were you planning on making today?" she questioned glancing around the forge to see the tools laid out to try and guess what it was he would make.
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Posted: Mon Jan 09, 2017 8:59 pm
"Well," Samir laughed quickly, fingers moving deftly as he tried to finish the necklace he was making before she ruined the surprise, "I was thinking about making something small. A dagger. Or, at least--get started on it. These things rarely happen quickly and take a few hours of work. I have a few unfinished pieces out, so it depends on where you want to start. Do you want to help me finish a piece, or shall I start a new one from scratch, and you can just keep coming over, maybe once a week, until we finish it up?"
He was still tugging at the wire on the necklace. This sort of crafting wasn't exactly his selling point, but it took only a few more quick loops. Satisfied, he flashed her a quick smile. "Actually, before we get started."
His voice trailed off for a second and then he shrugged, crossing the distance between the two of them before he held out the necklace he'd just crafted. "Will you do me a favor? Try this on. I want to make sure it sits right. If you don't mind?" he prompted, flashing his sweetest smile.
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Posted: Mon Jan 09, 2017 9:10 pm
"Well, I like the idea of having to keep coming back here and making something new from scratch. That sounds really neat." she told him as she watched him fiddle with whatever was in his hands for a moment before glancing back at the swords wondering if she really could create something out of a chunk of metal. All art forms must be like this, his median was just a piece of metal while hers was a canvas and some paint.
When he spoke again she glanced over at him to see that the project he had been working on was a necklace made from the crystals that had tried to kill her earlier. With a grin she nodded, a blush coloring her cheeks as she turned her back to him and lifted her hair up and out of the way so that he could fasten the necklace. Her heart thudded and her breath caught in her throat having him so close behind her and feeling his fingers on her neck. It wasn't fair that he could give her nervous butterflies so easily.
Once the necklace was on she released her hair and turned around to face him with a smile. "Well? What do you think?" she asked him.
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Posted: Mon Jan 09, 2017 9:27 pm
He was careful with the necklace, both because he was particularly nervous that he would do something awkward like drop it down her shirt or scratch her with it. He had done a good job of smoothing it off so that it should have been a comfortable wear, but in that moment of closeness, he couldn't help but worry he would mess something up.
Thankfully, he didn't, and it seemed to fall perfectly into place over her chest.
He took a step back to admire it and nodded approvingly.
"It looks like it was meant to belong there. Seeing it there..." His voice trailed off and he faked a shrug. "I couldn't possibly ask for it back. I suppose you'll just have to keep it."
His words were light and teasing, but the message was clear--he wanted her to have it.
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Posted: Mon Jan 09, 2017 9:35 pm
Aubrey smiled up at him, the gratitude that shone in her eyes could never be expressed with words as her fingers lightly touched the crystal snowflake.
"Well, I mean if it was meant to be, who am I to question fate?" Aubrey teased lightly and she grinned. "I'll wear it, and remember this day, when I will probably ruin an attempt at making a dagger." She joked trying to lighten the sudden tenseness inside. It was just a gift, it was nothing to get choked up about.
But it was more than that, she couldn't remember the last time someone had done something for her just because they wanted to. It was a nice feeling, and it was a beautiful trinket. He truly was an artisan and she really would treasure it.
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