Forge Post

[ostro_goth]

Teja is in the forge, slowly polishing a silver goblet with gold inlay that is both simple and lovely, with intricate Celtic knotwork around the rim

The cats are sleeping by the fire, and little Egil is playing with his wooden play-forge.

The doors are wide open, and clay cups are ready, as is tea.

Teja is open for business.



[[OOC: Forge post -- friends, strangers, customers and rubber-neckers all equally welcome.]]

Comments

[tu_vas_triompher]

Since the last time he saw Teja, Feuilly has made some carefully-considered requests of the bar. One is a brown frock-coat, not the height of fashion but correct in all points of tailoring; the other is a pair of decent boots. So he's not barreling through the snow with his head down and his hands tucked under his armpits this time when he arrives at the door of the forge.

He knocks politely on the open doorframe, though. "Hello?"

[ostro_goth]

"Greetings," Teja says, looking up from his work.

"'Weetinsh!" Egil echoes, looking up from his toy in a similar manner.

[tu_vas_triompher]

Feuilly bobs his head in a greeting nod. "Good day, Teja. Good day, Egil. --I saw your doors open. I won't be distracting you from your work?"

[ostro_goth]

"You are not," Teja says. "When the door is open, all may come to the forge and speak with me. I can talk and work at one time."

[tu_vas_triompher]

Feuilly nods. He'd expected that answer, but it's still polite to ask. He knows the annoyance of being interrupted. "Thanks. I brought coffee. In a--thermos. I was just tending bar."

He hands it over, an offering.

[ostro_goth]

Teja accepts; he gets up, and pours a cup for each of them, leaving the goblet on the workbench.

[tu_vas_triompher]

Even the quick walk from the bar was cold enough that he's glad to wrap his fingers around the warm cup and breathe in the steam for a moment.

"Is that all your work?" He nods to the goblet. "It's very handsome."

[ostro_goth]

"It is," Teja says, sipping his own coffee, "as is most of what you see in this place. Others sometimes work here, but only I do regularly."

[tu_vas_triompher]

"Is it mostly on commission? Or is there work you do for--for artistry's sake?" His ears were already red from the cold and then the warmth, so it's not noticeable that they go any pinker.

[ostro_goth]

"Both," Teja says. "I make many blades that none have ordered, simply because I take pleasure in their edge when they are finished."

[tu_vas_triompher]

"Yes..." Feuilly looks around at some of the examples displayed. It's quite a body of work. "Yes, I don't know anything about metalwork--very little about swords, really--well, I had one once, but--I've heard that sword-making can be quite a, an art. Is it--do you stick with techniques you learned when you were alive? Or have you studied here also?"

[ostro_goth]

"I have studied here," Teja says, "especially the folded steel made in a country called Japan, that somewhat resembles our own braided rod welding technique, but is even superior in both pliancy and edge. It allows for lighter, sharper, faster weapons."

[tu_vas_triompher]

"I don't know very much about Japan," he says ruefully. "Did you learn from a visitor here? Or from the Library?"

[athelstanthescribe]

Athelstan wanders over, studying the goblet with open admiration.

"A commission?"

[ostro_goth]

"No," Teja says. "It will be a gift."

[athelstanthescribe]

"May I ask for who?"

[ostro_goth]

"Nobody," Teja says. "It is for the church."

[athelstanthescribe]

"Ah." He smiles slightly. "I wish I could say Javert will be pleased, but it is a lovely thing."

[ostro_goth]

"He will be what Gene Hunt would call 'pissed off', but he shall not be able to do anything, if I give it to Father Harman in his presence," Teja says, not batting an eyelash.

Goth kings can make lovely swords to reprimand a vampire; they can certainly make silver goblets to piss off a stubborn policeman.

[athelstanthescribe]

Athelstan laughs out loud.

"No, he would never dare speak out of turn in front of a priest."

[ostro_goth]

"So he will grind his teeth while the priest accepts the goblet," Teja says. "He might harangue me later, but it is worth it."

[athelstanthescribe]

"I don't understand why he's so opposed to others contributing, in their own way."

[ostro_goth]

"Because he thinks he should do every last thing by himself," Teja says, "and never accept help, as he does not deserve it, or it would make him week, or some of those things."

[athelstanthescribe]

"But he can't do every last thing by himself. He'd have a half-built church if he tried, or a very bare one."

[ostro_goth]

"And still, he barely allowed any help," Teja says. "But never mind; Javert is Javert, and he shall do as Javert does. It is his own business; but this church has grown beyond him, and so, the church shall have a goblet for its ceremonies, and Javert cannot do a thing about it. For all that have faith, this will be a rallying point in Milliways."