We'll light up the sky [open]

[bearshermark]

WHO: Eleven & OPEN
WHEN: After dragon shenanigans to mid-month-ish?
WHERE: Taravast's gardens, artisanal district, canals
WHAT: A catch-all?
WARNINGS: None so far, will update if needed



1. garden magic (late morning)

His spirit was no longer a fragile, shattered wisp so weak he barely felt it even when he sought it. Now, soothed and nurtured over the course of two months, it sat warmly in his chest, resonant with the light of the sun and the breath of life in the grass and leaves around him. The next step was as simple as it was taxing: regaining strength much like a weakened limb. Meditation was no longer enough.

Eleven shifted up to his knees and folded his hands together in an echo of prayer. Slowly, a band of runic light circled into being- at first close to his body, then gradually expanding outward. His brows furrowed, hands clasping tighter in concentration as sweat beaded his brow and the flicker of holy energy wavered, then blinked out.

He breathed a hard exhale, settling back down in a daze. Eyes slotting open, unfocused until movement snapped his awareness to his more immediate surroundings, onto someone he hoped hadn't been there before (or for too long)- but then, his eyes had been closed since he'd begun to meditate some hour or so ago.

He blinked, a sheepish smile spreading over his face. "Ah, good morning.."


2. forging (late afternoon)

[With a handful of tasks to get through and a decent amount of coin to manage it with, Eleven manages to broker a deal to rent the forge for a span of hours a day. Most of it in extra work, but it's wonderful, simple, honest work and in another time, another dimension, it could have been the beginning and end of his worldly concerns.

In the present moment, dressed down in a blacksmith's practical wear, thoughts of politics and the undead take a backseat to the heat of the forge and the shape of molten metal beneath his hands.

Given that this isn't his forge however, he blinks to attention whenever he catches the shape of someone hovering nearby. With his hair tied back and soot stuck to his face, Eleven spares a thought to wonder if he'd even be readily recognizable if anyone from court were to spot him. Concerns and a thread of backstory to think about weaving later. For now-]

Can I help you?


3. ferrying (early-mid evening)

As the sun set and the sky darkened, Eleven donned his half-mask and the familiar comfort of his coat for a quiet evening on the water.

He drifted down the canals, a practiced hand now with near-silent strokes of the oar and ripples of a gentle wind left in the gondola's wake. Something that felt near-to an artform, and a point of quiet, insignificant pride as he slowed up to a spot at the bank where he'd made out the silhouette of someone waiting.

Eleven called out with a friendly voice and a smile lit by the edge of light from the single lantern hung from the prow.

"Where would you like to go?"

4. wildcard

[ooc: anything we've spoken about before, or otherwise adjacent to these prompts that you think might work better is fine! hit me up if you'd like to thread something else! also happy to match formatting]

Comments

2

[lancifolium]

With a basket hanging off the crook of her arm Lily entered the forges, glad she had apparated at least some of the way to preserve her cover. It wouldn't do to be spotted - a socialite in the forges was unlikely to be that common a sight, and she had spent a good deal of the way there composing a story as to why she was in a place like that at all.

She had lingered in the periphery, not wanting to startle him and risk him injuring himself - deciding when he reached a stopping point she would make herself known. When he finally did halt his efforts, it was obvious he was aware of her already. Eleven seemed so engrossed in what he was doing she almost hated to pull him away from it - but there were important matters she was increasingly certain he hadn't given enough attention to.

"Yes - though not while you're covered in soot," a grin played across her features as she took the basket off her arm and held it out. "For right now, you can stop and eat a meal, because I'm willing to bet a fair bit of gold it's been a while since you had one."

[bearshermark]

Eleven laughed, wiping the sweat from his brow with a sleeve. He took the basket with a grin and set it up on an available bit of workspace.

"You'd win that bet."

He turned for a rag and a splash of water, wiping off the layer of sweat and soot from his face, then stripped off his gloves and turned back toward her with a roll of his shoulders- not quite stiff yet at least.

"Thank you. Um." He glanced about, only just seeming to realize there wasn't really much available clear space to eat at.

"..Let me.. clear a table.."

[lancifolium]

"Oh don't say that - you've been at this nearly all day," Lily shot him a disappointed frown before she drew her wand, using a Wiping Spell on a few seats near a table that didn't look as cluttered as the scant rest dotting the forges around them.

"I brought you hand-pies, don't worry too much about a table - I assumed I'd find you like this." She smiled fondly at the thought as she crossed to one of the seats she had cleared off to settled onto it. Hopefully, if there were any marks left behind on her dress she could notice them before anyone else did.

"Are you still working on the wire for Wangji?"

[bearshermark]

Eleven paused, then watched Lily wave her wand with a smile. He often forgot she could simply do things like that. He plucked up the basket and made to follow suit.

"You're very thoughtful," he said fondly, noting how out-of-place she looked in a forge. But she was all the more radiant for it.

Eleven peered into the basket and retrieved a pie, biting into it with a soft, satisfied hum. "Thank you for this. I would have forgotten."

[lancifolium]

Flushing slightly at the compliment she shook her head at him. "I remember how you were during the siege, even though the circumstances are less dire now I still can't picture you being the sort to tear yourself away from your work."

Conjuring them a pot of tea along with a pair of cups and saucers Lily poured herself a cup and sat back. "You don't have to thank me, it's partly for selfish reasons. Don't want you falling asleep at the end of the day before I've had the chance to talk your ear off first, after all." Lily smiled at him with a shrug. She liked their evenings together. He was excellent company after all.

[bearshermark]

Talk. Eleven laughed shortly, then had to catch himself to finish swallowing before he choked. He cleared his throat, face dusted with color.

"Of course," he managed with a smile. "I'll need plenty of energy to stay awake for that."

He polished off the first pie in record time, not having realized just how hungry he was until there was food sat in front of him. Pouring himself some tea, he sat back and let that settle before he'd think about reaching for a second.

"But I'm hardly complaining." How many other smiths were visited for lunch by lovely ladies? "Your company is a gift."

[lancifolium]

Noticing the color that rose on his face Lily smiled, somehow managing to look both smug and sheepish at the same time, her eyebrows rising as she nodded. "Naturally. It would be awful if you started snoring out of nowhere - I'd take it personally."

The tops of her ears turned pink when he referred to her company as a gift and Lily stuck her foot out, nudging his calf lightly. Just because he was incredibly sweet to her as a rule, did not mean she was any better at listening to him praise her.

"Shut your face, you're delirious from the soot."

Lily reached for the basket and retrieved a punnet of blackberries, settling them on the clear part of the table between them. "Are you going to tell me what you're working on yet?"

[bearshermark]

Eleven grinned and sipped his tea. He glanced over at his workspace, then shrugged and reached for a few berries.

"Wangji had two requests. His wire is a particular thing, so I'm practicing a bit now that I have time. Then I want to make your bracer and a small knife or two.. I've also taken on some work to pay for my use of the forge, so I think I'll be here for two or so weeks."

[lancifolium]

Smiling back at him from behind the rim of her teacup Lily had another sip before she straightened in her seat, cocking her head to the side. "I suppose I'll have to find somewhere comfortable so I can catch up on my reading when I visit you." Certainly, he didn't expect to be busy every day for weeks on end and not have to contend with her visiting.

"Besides, you can't be trusted to remember to eat a proper meal," Lily added fondly, instead of mentioning that she would start to miss him otherwise.

[bearshermark]

Eleven's heart softened, smile sweet with affection.

"You don't have to do that," he assured, flattered all the same to think she'd even consider it. "It isn't the most comfortable place, and I'll be a bit too occupied to talk much."

[lancifolium]

"I know I don't, but you look cute with your hair like that, and listening to you work while I read is a far nicer way of spending the afternoon than going to court," she made a face.

"Especially since that fishing tycoon showed up, the whole bloody place stinks of old fried shrimp, it's terrible."

[bearshermark]

His nose wrinkled even as he reached back to touch his hair, a little self-conscious. Eleven smiled.

"Do you? ..Well, I can't blame you for not wanting to spend more time at court. Of course, I'd be happy to spend time with you if you think you wouldn't mind."

[lancifolium]

Recalling the various other times he had checked in like this, confirming that she didn't mind made her smirk again.

"Have I ever minded?" One day, perhaps, Eleven might stop entertaining the thought that she possibly could. Until then she would likely find ways to gently tease him about it.

"It'll keep all the other lovely ladies coming to the forge away."

[bearshermark]

He laughed, charmed by the idea of her potential jealousy- that she thought he might be so desired.

"As you like. Though I can't promise the soot won't travel some, I'm grateful that you'd be so considerate."

And she liked his hair? Messy and inadequately tied as it felt just to keep it out of his face. The thought warmed him.

[lancifolium]

"Keeping you from starving to death is hardly so considerate," she laughed, prodding at his shin with the toe of her shoe lightly, unable to do more and risk getting sooty.

"If I won't be a bother, then yes, I'd like very much. Spending time with you is preferable to spending time without you."

[bearshermark]

"It's very considerate," Eleven countered with a grin, deciding he'd like another pie after all.

"And of course you won't be a bother- rather a pleasant surprise each time I catch sight of you."

[lancifolium]

Silently floundering under the compliments he seemed all too keen to aim in her direction, Lily puffed out an awkward laugh and squared her shoulders.

"I already told you - it's selfish, entirely," she said dryly, barely able to conceal the grin fighting to spread across her face.

"So tell me," Lily began, eager to steer the topic away from his flattery and back to safety where she wasn't at risk of turning colors. "Have you run across any of the local forgers while down here? You're going to start to get a reputation as a man about town. Gondolas, forges–" Her eyebrows rose amusedly as she added– "alcoves."

[bearshermark]

It was difficult to keep the color off his face then. Eleven glanced down with a sheepish smile.

"I'm not that noticeable, I think." It was sheer ridiculousness to wear a mask while forging of course, but he worked with a partial one in the evening on the river, and his clothes certainly changed. "There's a lot more interesting people and rumors to chase than me and mine. Anyway, it's on this side of town mostly, so it should be."

[lancifolium]

Rolling her shoulders in a shrug when he said there were more interesting people Lily tilted her head from side to side, considering.

"I don't know El, you're pretty interesting. I've barely spent fifteen minutes here and I'm quite invested."

[bearshermark]

He grinned, then rolled his eyes with a shake of his head.

"We were already friends," Eleven reminded her fondly, "After some months. There's plenty more interesting than a ferryman and blacksmith to most everyone here, I imagine. ..Not to say I don't appreciate your attention, of course."

[lancifolium]

"Thankfully we were - though frankly, you'd have been in the right never to speak to me again after being witness to my efforts at horsemanship." She wouldn't have been able to look at him and keep a straight face for a while, had their places been reversed.

"Well," Lily smiled at him and shrugged a shoulder. "You have it. Don't be surprised when I pick up forging."

[bearshermark]

He laughed, eyes bright. Witnessing her struggling on the back of her steed had been wholly entertaining.

Eleven hummed lingering amusement. "You aren't going to pick up much more than the process from watching. Like horse-riding, it's more demonstration and practice than observation but if you find yourself interested.."

[lancifolium]

Humming in consideration her grin widened as she leaned across to gently flick at his ponytail with a fond little laugh, willingly forgetting about the risk of soot.

"I'm interested but I fear my hair's too long to do this and look nearly as endearing as you do." Righting herself in her chair Lily chuckled again before she gave him an earnest nod. "I would love to look on and have you teach me about it, in all seriousness."

[bearshermark]

Eleven reached back for his tiny burst of a ponytail, worried it might have fallen out, but it was still there. He grinned.

"I guess I can talk you through what I'm doing if you want, then. ..Or ask, if I get too involved and forget. I don't mind."

[lancifolium]

"You'll have to, at least once, so I feel comfortable trying."

Though she might have jumped in with both feet on her own, or with anybody else - she wanted an excuse to listen to him talk about something he liked doing more than she wanted to try her hand at forging.