Warmest place in winter

[1stmacleod]

((This is an open post intended for anybody who'd like to play a thread visiting Connor at his forge. I consider any threads on this post fair game for Kai to jump in on, too. Additional similar posts available on request!))



The smithy, Connor's pride and joy, is technically a refurbished shed a little ways out from the back of the house he shares with Kairos. What started as an ivy covered, mostly stone building has since had most of one wall removed and replaced with a set of barn doors, with a sturdy support beam between them. It makes the place drafty and cold in winter, when it's not in use, but once the big forge has been going for an hour or two, it can get hot enough that the open doors let in a welcome breeze.

He has the doors open now, and the open side of the building faces the huge garden plot that takes up much of the back yard. It's covered with snow, now, cross-crossed with doggy pawprints of two different sizes. There's a semicircle of ground before the open doors that's free of snow, although it may be muddy in places. Frequent opening and closing of the doors combined with the heat of the place have melted it away. The sound of hammer on anvil rings out across the yard, and Sorcha is rolling at the edge of the snow with a big stick dragged from the nearby woodsy patch. It's a peaceful scene.

Comments

[slayers_desire]

It is a great day to go visiting. And April holds Jonathan in her arms as she makes her way towards Connor forge. She is amazed by the huge garden, and the large area of their home.

[1stmacleod]

If there was any doubt that Connor and Kairos put together are quietly wealthy, this should lay it to rest. It's a big house for two people, too.

Connor is at work with hammer and tongs, working on a fairly small piece of metal. The leather apron over his t-shirt has plenty of burn marks already, after just a year of use, and he's cast off his jacket over a workbench.

Sorcha squirms up, spraying snow, and bounds in a circle around April as she approaches.

"...Hey!" Connor glances up with a smile, and waves with the hammer.

[slayers_desire]

Both of them are wearing warm clothing. After all, it is November in their world. So the timing nicely lines up.

"Hey!" April waves with her free hand. Jonathan mimics the movement.

[1stmacleod]

It's early February, here, so it's not a bad match for weather. As she draws closer she may see the piece of metal he's working on appears to be a silver heart, about four inches square. He's got three more laid out on a small table nearby.

There's a long wooden bench close by, made just for somebody to sit and visit with him. Kairos spends the most time on it, of course, and that means he's made sure there's nothing sharp and nothing made of iron within reach around it. Connor grins at Jonathon's wave. He's a sucker for kids, all right. "Sorcha, down! How are you two doing?"

Sorcha stops jumping, but she'll still lick them all over when they sit.

[slayers_desire]

April takes her seat, gently ensuring that Sorcha isn't too energetic around Jonathan. Shelby is a little more trained to be gentle around the baby.

"We are doing great. And you? What are you working on?"

[1stmacleod]

She knows that down means she's not allowed to jump, but beyond that she's a little energetic. Sorcha has never been around children before. If she gets too wild, though, Connor is likely to put her in her place.

"You have to promise not to tell Kai about it." He grins, taps on the heart a little more with the hammer, and dunks it into a bucket of water. A nice gout of steam erupts, with a hissing sound.

[slayers_desire]

Jonathan is at his grabbing stage. So he might pull at dog ear's or fur, when Sorcha gets too close.

"Ohhh somethng for Kairos?"

[1stmacleod]

Sorcha puts both paws up on the bench to sniff at the baby, once she's settled down just a little. She may end up getting more than an ear grabbed, but she's a very good-natured dog.

Connor nods in answer, shakes off the heart he's just made, and sets it on the worktable to finish cooling. Rather than explain in words, he takes a moment fussing with the other three hearts he's made, then brings them over held up between both hands. The metal hearts are just a little open at the bottoms, and he's linked them together in a chain. "Not sure what use it is, really, but maybe she could try the same thing on a small scale for jewelry..."

[slayers_desire]

"They are beautiful Connor." April admires the work with a smile.

[1stmacleod]

"It's always hard making things for her, because it can't be iron..." He comes to sit on the bench beside her, close enough to give Jonathon a hand to play with. "Hey there shortstuff." Every time he gets close to Jonathon, Connor seems to melt a little.

Sorcha schnuffs at the child but settles as Connor nudges her down gently.

[slayers_desire]

Jonathan grabs his hand and babbles softly to him. He giggles at the schnuffing from Sorcha. And babbles to the dog too.

"He recognized you."

[1stmacleod]

"Shouldn't he?" Connor gives Jonathon that special smile reserved for babies, and plays with his hand in return. "They're a lot smarter than people give them credit for."

Sorcha whines softly and sits, head tilted. What is that little thing? It smells funny.

[slayers_desire]

Jonathan seems to be telling a story right now. Not that anyone could understand him.

"The older he gets, the more he can do. It is really amazing watching him some days."

[grimholdkeeper]

Balthazar sends a warning by means of a PINpoint text, just to let Connor know he's about to visit, but whether the busy smith will notice is hard to say. In any case, he arrives five minutes later, carrying a grocery bag and a six pack of Guiness. He whistles to the dog and waits patiently to see how she'll react to his sudden arrival, before advancing closer to her master.

[1stmacleod]

The PINpoint sits neglected in his jacket pocket, as Connor is oblivious to any little beeps over the sound of hammer blows. What he's working on at the moments is just a nice shelf bracket, fancied up with some metal curliques.

The deerhound rolls to her feet and charges for Balthazar, but stops short six feet away and goes into a few play bows, hopping around in between. A guard dog she is not. She does give a quiet 'whoof!' that makes Connor look up, and he gives a smile and a nod, then whistles like a shephard. Sorcha turns so hard she sends snow spraying and races back to Connor.

[grimholdkeeper]

The charge is a little intimidating, but it's so immediate and exuberant that Balthazar figures it's not an attack. Obviously his assumption is correct. He laughs at the play bows, bending and ducking a bit in response, and then lopes over to Connor once he sees he knows he's there.

"Afternoon! I come bearing gifts. How have you been?"

[1stmacleod]

As he gets closer to Connor, Sorcha runs out again to run a circle around him, then darts back behind Connor's anvil and workbench playfully. It might be worth noting that all of Connor's tools and projects are up on benches and tables above waist height and just out of her reach.

"I'm all right. Kai got me to take a trip for my birthday." He smiles and sets the awkward metal piece aside at the edge of the forge. Part of it is still glowing red hot.

[grimholdkeeper]

Balthazar chuckles again at the dog, but hesitates to get her more riled up than she is in the middle of Connor's workspace. "Hello, Sorcha. You're a good dog."

He sets his burdens down, glancing at Connor's work curiously, then back to his friend. "Oh? Where did you go? I'm sorry I haven't been in touch much."

[1stmacleod]

Sh play-bows from under a bench, tongue lolling, but then it all becomes too much and she has to make a charging run after the stick she left lying at the edge of the snow, flinging it into the air and racing around the yard. She's a good dog! This is awesome!

"Japan. To Mount Niri. I... had an old teacher there. He's gone and it's not the same, but it's still beautiful there. I let Kai have a day of shopping in Tokyo, too." He wipes an arm across his brow and sets his tools aside, letting the metal cool for the moment. "You brought beer!"

[grimholdkeeper]

He may have to run off and play with her later. Saint isn't nearly so exuberant. Reflecting that she's a good match for her master's physical endurance, he turns back to Connor. "Japan? It's been a long time since I've been there."

He pushes the six-pack forward gently. "A specialty store opened up a few blocks from me. Help yourself; it's chilled."

[1stmacleod]

Connor definitely picked the right dog, or she picked him. Even when she settles down as an adult, she'll be the running type. It's what they're bred for, and that makes her excellent company on his morning exercise.

"It was just a few days, but it was... relaxing." Connor nods toward the bench his jacket is thrown across. It's long enough to seat several people, and in a spot just close enough to the forge to be nicely warm, but not uncomfortably so. "If you get far enough away from the cities, though, things haven't changed too much." Like Balthazar, he can appreciate how hard it can be to see how much the world has changed.

[grimholdkeeper]

Balthazar sits gamely and picks up the grocery bag. "I also brought some dog treats for the pets, and some candied violets for Kairos."

He pushes the bag at Connor, then retrieves a beer for himself. He brought them to share, after all. "I keep thinking I could go back to Wales. I'm not sure I'm ready, but...maybe if I drag Maximus along..."

[1stmacleod]

"I... don't go back home to Glenfinnan very often." He admits quietly, sitting and taking a beer too. "It's not the same anymore. Might be easier with a friend..."

He pops off the top and takes a swallow, watching Sorcha flinging snow and her stick around in the yard. "Thanks, Kai'll like that. She's up in the house." She works on jewelry, and he works out here on larger pieces of metal, so they each have their hobbies. "I'll see if Regina wants to come out and play in a little while."

[grimholdkeeper]

"Oh?" He looks at him. "I'll go with you if you'll go with me."

He might still drag Horvath along. He doesn't think Maxim and Connor would be best of friends, but they shouldn't clash badly, either.

Smiling, he nods at the suggestion. "I couldn't remember the little one's name. Regina seems about right, though."

[1stmacleod]

"Heh. I'll go with you, anyway." He and Horvath are both serious types, with a wry sense of humor. They might be wary of each other, but they're not likely to get in a fight.

"She's Sorcha's big sister, but she can't keep up running." Regina is Kai's dog, but Connor does adore them both. He's just a dog person.