The Gig, Saturday morning

[waytoomanynames.livejournal.com]

Yesterday, Minsc had helped her carry the gates in. Today, Rosie was repairing the loose bars and replacing those that were missing. Noise and heat rolled out of the smithy. Rosie, in thick leather apron and gloves, welcomed both.

He had, all unwitting, reminded her of why she was here and of everything she'd left behind - the good, the bad, and the terrifying. As a result, she was slamming the hammer down a little bit harder than was strictly necessary to hammer-weld the iron. Not from anger - he had meant no harm - but to drive the memories away.

The sign was out the front and the horses were grazing in the relocatable woods paddock. The sparrows, who'd decided Rosie needed their guidance, were perched on the roof of the smithy.

[ooc: Open and there's still a Wednesday available if you want a job! I'm sleeeeepy and must nap, but will be awake later.]

Comments

[shiniernyours.livejournal.com]

Bender, who pretty much existed permanently in a state of belief that other people needed to listen to him, was drawn through the open gateway by the strike of metal on metal.

He didn't have a problem watching someone else working, so Bender stopped a short distance away to look on, eyes on the iron. He could always tell the guy in the oldfashioned outfit how Bender was right and they were wrong in a minute.

[waytoomanynames.livejournal.com]

The sparrows warned her he was there, though she had no idea what their cries of metal man, metal man, metal man meant until she turned around and saw him.

Her jaw dropped and she stared at him. "A metal man."

[shiniernyours.livejournal.com]

"And you're a bag of meat," Bender said bluntly as he nodded at her. Well, if they were going to take it down to the major components...

[waytoomanynames.livejournal.com]

Her mouth snapped shut. "I guess I am," she finally said, completely bemused. A man made of metal was just too surreal for her to do anything but accept it. "I'm Rosie. Do you need something fixed?"

[shiniernyours.livejournal.com]

"Bender. Do I look broken?" he axed, a reflexive grab to his antannae as he eyed her hammer. "Unless I got a dent on my ass."

He swivelled to check.

[waytoomanynames.livejournal.com]

It surprised a laugh out of her. "There's no dent in your ass," she reassured him. "It's very shiny. What can I do for you, Bender?"

[shiniernyours.livejournal.com]

"I heard the noise," he said, sidling forward to take a closer look at the forge. "What's the project?"

[waytoomanynames.livejournal.com]

"I'm repairing the gate." She stepped back so he could get a good look at the forge. It made sense, once she thought about it, that a meta man would be interested in the forge. If you could get past the lack of sense a metal man made. "Have you ever worked with iron?"

[shiniernyours.livejournal.com]

"Worked with it? I'm 30% iron," Bender snorted absently, his finger twitching a little. "I prefer a carbon steel mix if I can get it; the angles are better."

[waytoomanynames.livejournal.com]

Rosie considered that, and she saw the finger twitch. After a moment's thought - after all, if he hurt himself, she could fix him easily enough - she held out the hammer.

"That bar," she pointed at it, lying next to the forge. "Needs to have the end heated until it glows cherry red, then hammer-welded into the empty spot on the gate. Would you like to try?"

[shiniernyours.livejournal.com]

Well it wasn't quite bending, but, "Sure."

He picked up the metal bar and looked around before it clicked. "Oh! The old-fashioned way." Moving the rod he watched the end begin to glow while the hand holding it warmed up a little.

[waytoomanynames.livejournal.com]

Rosie was staring again. It was rude, she knew it was, but she couldn't quite stop.

He was just holding the bar in his hand.

In his hand.

"What other way is there?" she asked absently.

[shiniernyours.livejournal.com]

"Well, you could try shoot it with lasers," Bender suggested, taking the bar up. It looked red enough to him, and moving to the gate frame he held the bar to it.

He looked around for the hammer.

[waytoomanynames.livejournal.com]

Rosie held the hammer out to him. "Lasers?"

[shiniernyours.livejournal.com]

"High powered single wavelength light," Bender said, taking the hammer.

The first hit barely missed his other hand. Bender yanked it out of the way before he continued, "Enough energy and you can heat up anything," the sentence punctuated by clangs.

[waytoomanynames.livejournal.com]

She had no idea what he was talking about, but she knew he was doing a good job with the gate. A natural affinity, she thought bemusedly.

Between clangs, she asked, "Ever thought of working in a smithy?" He was simply too good an opportunity to pass up.

[shiniernyours.livejournal.com]

"The year 3000 was more production line work," Bender told her, standing back from the gate. The join was solid if it could have been neater. "But I'm a bending unit, we adapt."

[waytoomanynames.livejournal.com]

"Then let me offer you a job." She leaned back against a workbench and nodded to herself. It was a good idea. "You can be responsible for the forge when you're here. If people want to hire horses, you'll have to look after them, but I can show you how to do that. Minor repairs, like the gate, can be most of your work, though." She smiled. "And you'd be able to use it if you did need any repairs."

[shiniernyours.livejournal.com]

"I can do that," Bender said, nonchalantly ducking a hand into the nearest source of water. It sizzled.

Then, a pause, and less confidentally he added, "These horses, you say, does their food come in cans?"

[waytoomanynames.livejournal.com]

Rosie's eyes went wide with surprise. "It comes in sacks and bales," she explained. "Have you ever met a horse?"

[shiniernyours.livejournal.com]

"I've seen them race," Bender offered. "I just haven't got up close with one before."

[waytoomanynames.livejournal.com]

"Then it's time to fix that if you're going to work here." Rosie waved a hand at him in invitation and headed out of the smithy, whistling for the horses as she did so.

They came trotting out of the woods, and Bold hung his head over the edge of the fence. Rosie?

I want you to meet Bender. Be warned, he's made of metal, like your shoes.

[shiniernyours.livejournal.com]

Bender followed her out, and looked up at the nearest horse. "Hi there," he said, turning to count how many were there.

[waytoomanynames.livejournal.com]

Bold stretched out his neck to sniff him while the other three hung back. "That's Bold. He's the leader," Rosie explained. "You can scratch him under the chin. Horses like that."

[shiniernyours.livejournal.com]

Bender reached over to scratch Bold. "So did the horses come with the place or with you?"

[waytoomanynames.livejournal.com]

Rosie leaned on the fence, absently scratching Kally when she came over to nuzzle her hair. "Everything was here when I got here. I don't even know who owns the place, just that I'm supposed to run it." She glanced at him. "I'm actually a horse-leech by training. Everything else I'm figuring out as I go along."

[shiniernyours.livejournal.com]

Bender shrugged. "If you haven't blown up the place you must be doing something right." Working for the professor had left Bender with some skewed standards.

[waytoomanynames.livejournal.com]

"True." She grinned and pushed off the fence. "Welcome to The Gig, Bender."

[shiniernyours.livejournal.com]

"Yeah," Bender offered a handshake, "So. When do I start?"

[waytoomanynames.livejournal.com]

"Monday?" she suggested, reaching out to shake his hand.

His metal hand.

She was never going to get used to that.

[shiniernyours.livejournal.com]

"That works," agreed Bender, glad he'd found a job he only had to show up for once a week.

[notqueenyet.livejournal.com]

She'd been getting better about actually getting out, and Aravis was doing her best to enjoy the cooler weather before it turned to the damned cold weather.

Which was why she paused some short distance off to take in the all-too-familiar sights, sounds and smells, and actually allowed herself a small smile. She hadn't known there were more horses here now.

[waytoomanynames.livejournal.com]

Bold nickered when he saw her and craned his neck over the fence, practically begging with his ears for attention.

Rosie heard him, but she was mid-hammer on hot metal, and she couldn't stop right then. What is it? she asked him.

A girl, he replied. All is well.

[notqueenyet.livejournal.com]

Aravis slowly approached, offering the horse her hand before stroking his nose and neck lightly. "Hello, there. Aren't you a handsome --" she went on her toes and peeked over the fence "-- boy."

[waytoomanynames.livejournal.com]

Bold was obviously enjoying the attention, and Kally came up beside him to peer at Aravis curiously.

Rosie, giving the bar one last strike, set her hammer down, rubbed a hand through her hair, and walked out of the smithy. "Hi," she called. "Did you want to hire a horse?"

[notqueenyet.livejournal.com]

"Oh! Oh, um, no thank you. I've my own," Aravis said, smiling and a little flustered. "They're beautiful, though."

[waytoomanynames.livejournal.com]

"Thanks." Bold preened at the compliment, and Rosie shook her head at him. "If you have a horse, you might need me at some point." She offered her hand. "I'm Rosie, horse-leech by training, running this place by circumstance. I also do some blacksmithing."

[notqueenyet.livejournal.com]

She was pleased she actually remembered how to properly shake hands. "Aravis. What's a horse-leech?"

[waytoomanynames.livejournal.com]

"I care for sick animals," she explained. "All of them, not just horses, but it's horses I was trained for. It would be better if you never needed me, but if you do, I'm here."

[notqueenyet.livejournal.com]

"Oh!" She understood that. "I've never had to care for a sick horse, myself. Or a sick animal at all -- I've a dog, as well. So if I should ever need your services, I'm grateful to know they're available."

[waytoomanynames.livejournal.com]

"Never? You've been very lucky." Rosie reached out to scratch Kally's forelock, because the mare was nattering at her. "What sort of horse do you have?" she asked.

[notqueenyet.livejournal.com]

"He's a chestnut palfrey, about fifteen hands high?" she said, gesturing. "And a gelding. He was my roommate's, but I inherited him when he was unable to ride him any longer. I've always had horses, though. I'm good friends with two at home who can speak with the tongue of Man."

[waytoomanynames.livejournal.com]

If she hadn't been here for a week, and hadn't met a man made of metal, horses that could speak would have thrown her. As it was, she just nodded, accepting it. "He sounds lovely," she said, leaning against the edge of the fence. "How do you do with horses that can't speak?"

Bold looked offended. Rosie, we can all speak.

That's not what I meant, and you know it. I meant talk as humans do.

[notqueenyet.livejournal.com]

"Quite well," she assured her. "I was raised with them. I've been riding since I was born."

[waytoomanynames.livejournal.com]

What do you think? she asked Bold.

She smells of truthfulness, and she has clever sensitive hands.

Good enough. "Aravis," she said out loud. "As I said, I'm a horse-leech by training. Everything else I know about horses is what I've learned from them. I can't ride unless the horse is making a real effort to keep me on. Someone with your level of experience would be a godsend. What would you say to a job?"

[notqueenyet.livejournal.com]

"A...job?" she repeated. She thought about it. Ladies didn't work. But...horses. And it would give her something to fill the days. "I've never had a job before. I...certainly. I'd love to."

[waytoomanynames.livejournal.com]

...never had a job before? Rosie did her best not to stare. "It would be hard work," she warned. If she'd never worked before, Rosie thought a warning was necessary. "Four horses to be cared for, and customers to look after, if someone comes to hire a horse. Stalls to be mucked, tack to be cleaned. It won't be easy."

[notqueenyet.livejournal.com]

"I'm not afraid of work," she said, waving a hand. "I just wasn't raised in it. But I care for one horse, and when I was younger I'd sneak into the stables to watch how to care for them. I don't imagine I'll have any trouble."

[waytoomanynames.livejournal.com]

"Good enough." Rosie nodded once, then grinned at her. "Welcome to The Gig."