Blackstone Foundry and Forge; Tuesday [11/14].

[special_rabbit]

Amaya was, of course, hard at work in the forge, and, even better, she was hard at work on a specific project, which was easily the best kind of hard work! And that hard work meant that there was a work table covered in sketches and ideas and almost comically large anatomy tomes all open to diagrams of skeletons and bony hands in various positions, there were a few prototype bones and mock-ups here and there, as the blacksmith herself took to her anvil and hammered out...more bones.

At some point, there was going to be welding and warping and bending, and she was really looking forward to that part, too.

And don't even get her started on the spikes a little further down the line, too!

Really, it didn't take much to make this woman happy. Give some bones and a little wiggle room on some spikes, and she was pleased as punch, really.

The Forge is open!

Comments

[begmetwice]

While Irene liked to keep herself busy, and preferred to keep her methods for doing so fairly mysterious, she also usually strived to keep Tuesdays free in order to...run errands. Visit coffee shops. Engage in activities that would make her beloved dry cleaner despair.

However, she also never wanted to be predictable, and thus today, in lieu of her actual presence, a neat bundle of books was delivered at some point in the afternoon.

The note attached was unsigned, but why bother trying to disguise one's handwriting when sending such an obvious gift?

Just because.

[special_rabbit]

There were very few things that could completely derail Amaya Blackstone from a project she was thoroughly absorbed and invested in, and about 95.8% of those things were Irene Adler.

Case in point, once those books arrived and were given a surprisingly thorough investigation for what was mostly a cursory glance, her mind had left all things metal and bone.

At least Irene had had the decency to make the delivery an afternoon so the entirety of the day wouldn't have been shot by this newfound distraction and the ever-pressing indecision that went with whether or not to respond.

She supposed she could wait until tomorrow, but Amaya had already had her phone out, she'd already practically chewed her poor lower lip to ribbons with trying to decide which of the incredibly clever retorts she kept typing and then deleting and then retyping again Irene would find the most clever.

And so, finally, with her heart fluttering in her chest with the excitement of finding out if she made the correct choice and her face feelings a bit like she'd just stuck it right into the forge, she presses send.

I knew you had some pretty racy stuff at that store of yours but if i knee you carried anything like that cookbook, i'd have maybe visited more often

[begmetwice]

Irene had clearly been holding her mobile when that text came in, given the speed of her first response.

if it means you'll visit more, then I might have to put in a whole section.

That was, believe it or not, not the only things-on-sticks cookbook Irene had found -- just the one with the most evocative cover. Maybe Dite's needed an incredibly specific cookbook section!

I'm fairly hopeless in a kitchen but for the right stick-using recipe perhaps I could be persuaded to put on an apron.

Observant parties might notice the lack of mention of any clothing that was not an apron. Irene was already forming little plans around that idea.

[special_rabbit]

Had Amaya spent more time in Irene's shop, she might have thought to make such a suggestion herself, but, alas, such a concept went right over her bushy-haired head with innocent ignorance.

I'm honestly shocked it would involve anything more than just popping in an fire and hoping for the best really.

And if a pause could be conveyed in a contiguous text, there would have been a hesitant one between that period and the words that followed it.

I'm sure between the two of us we could maybe muddle something edible out of it, though!

[begmetwice]

Wasn't that an alarmingly domestic prospect? Irene was almost more alarmed at how much it appealed, really.

we're usually quite good at figuring things out together.

This was one of those times Irene was glad that she'd likely be interpreted at her suggestive word, there, even if Amaya's comment roused up a daunting amount of sentiment.

might be fun to try, anyway. what are you up to today?

Not that Irene was sad to be missing it, or anything.

[special_rabbit]

And that was how Irene was then treated to a series of pictures showing just how the forge that day came to resemble a boneyard that week more than it did a workshop, really.

Some jewelry for Liliana! Have to hand it to her, she's definitely got a style!

And in case the hand part was too subtle, it was quickly followed up with a far-too-proud-of-itself

No bones about it!

Amaya wasn't going to let that sit too long, though, in case that just ended up making Irene regret nearly every decision she'd ever made in all of this and just leave her on read (which, let's be honest, would be fair!), and added:

If we do try and put that book to good use, though, we should probably do it in my kitchen rather than yours. That way, if things do go awry, we might be able to just pass it off as an issue with the forge, actually, and then just cash in on the insurance!

And texting exactly that was probably why Amaya would fail terribly at fraud of most kinds, really.

[begmetwice]

Oh, Amaya. At least Irene laughed, if somewhat torn between fond and mildly despairing on multiple counts.

first rule of illegal activity, love: never commit anything to writing, brilliant though that plan is.

Irene had learned that one the hard way. Pretty much the hardest way, really!

But! More importantly, all of those bones needed her attention, and Irene found herself zooming in on a few pieces to get a better, if squintier, look.

you are full of good ideas and a genius otherwise, however. look at all that! Liliana definitely likes her themes.

And, honestly, the list of people who could rock full-on bone paraphernalia on a regular basis was pretty limited, in her opinion. Like, maybe just the resident necromancer? And maybe certain blacksmiths, sometimes.

like your Halloween costume and THEN some.