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| i'm trying not to get burnt by the fire in your eyes [Freyja] | |
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Hakon Odinsson- Blacksmith
PROFIELMessages : 77
RPG SHEET Viking profile Title : Age : 31 Place of birth : Skagen
| Subject: i'm trying not to get burnt by the fire in your eyes [Freyja] Mon Oct 16, 2017 5:44 am | |
| Although Hakon is usually content to stay in his forge, there are some days he delivers his finished products to his clients. To Hakon, this serves multiple purposes. It not only gets him paid faster and clears up room in his shop for new projects, most of his customers are usually grateful for it. He believes it to be something that makes him stand out from the rest--not that there are any other blacksmiths in Skagen at the moment. Not since his old master, Vidar, died. It had been the old man's death that prompted Hakon to open his own forge. Before then, he'd been content to work for the old man, to live with him and care for him. Vidar's daughter had married and moved to Uddevalla, of all places, and his wife had died many years ago. The old man and the orphan, what a pair they'd made. Vidar had someone to teach his craft, someone to care for him in his old age. And for the first time that Hakon can remember, he had a place to call home and someone to look up to, someone who cared about what happened to him. Hakon knows beyond a doubt that Vidar saved his life. Vidar taught him the skills that allowed him to open his own business and buy his own house, and it's more than Hakon ever thought he would have in life. He's grateful to the old man every day. And there are other people he's grateful to, as well, his clients mostly. Hakon loves his work and has a knack for it. Forging is his calling, and he's happy in his life. Today, he's making a few deliveries around town, nothing too large, but he's saved the best one for last. Hakon isn't by nature a very outgoing person. He doesn't make friends easily, and honestly he prefers being alone most of the time. He can be hard to get along with, that quick tongue and those quicker fists. He's tough, but he's had to be. Like everyone, he's a product of his life, and Hakon's life has been nothing but tough until the last few years. But there's one person in particular that he's always happy to see. She's his opposite in some ways, friendly where he's quiet, kind where he can be a little on the gruff side. She was one of his first customers when he opened his forge about five years ago, and much to his good fortune she's been coming back ever since. Of course, that's because she needs his products for her job. He's carrying a leather pouch full of iron ship fittings to deliver to Freyja. Like with all his work, he's taken great care in the making of them. Hakon has been building ship fittings for years, they were some of the first things Vidar taught him to make. He likes the precision of them, the way they need to fit perfectly to function, and he likes that he can add his own small touches to decorate them. He chisels small, intricate knots along them, or sometimes runes for fair wind and good fortune. Hakon knew he would be taking the morning to make deliveries, so he took a little extra care with his appearance. Usually when his customers see him, he's sweaty and soot-stained. Today his black hair is pulled back into a neat braid and there are no soot or ash marks on his tanned, muscled arms. He reaches the shipyard around mid-morning, after he finishes his other deliveries. His face is serious and unsmiling, its usual expression, as his dark eyes scan for Freyja's golden hair. He ignores the foolish fluttering in his stomach as he spots her and begins walking toward her. "Freyja," he calls when he gets a little closer, and holds up the leather sack in his hands. She doesn't seem to be too busy at the moment, but he hopes he isn't disturbing her as she goes between tasks. @Freyja Stafnsdóttir |
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Freyja Stafnsdóttir- Shipbuilder
PROFIELMessages : 136 Country : US
RPG SHEET Viking profile Title : Age : 29 Place of birth : Skagen
| Subject: Re: i'm trying not to get burnt by the fire in your eyes [Freyja] Mon Oct 16, 2017 6:53 am | |
| It was fairly early in the day, though the sun was already warming her back up quite a bit. Luckily the breeze and spray from the ocean helped to keep Freyja relatively comfortable while she worked, and she rarely stopped at all but to take a few sips of water from the skin on her hip.
The morning was moving along quickly for once, as Freyja worked on carving intricate details along the outside of the ship she’d finished yesterday. It was always a more relaxing day or two once the harder work was done, and the finishing touches were all that remained. It meant she could take her time and focus and she often still finished up by mid-afternoon. While she didn’t mind an honest day filled with hard work, she did quite enjoy having an afternoon and evening free to relax every once in awhile.
Earlier she’d contemplated taking lunch for her mother and sister, and tried to recall the errands she needed to run on her way home that evening, and wondered if all of her sisters would be home so they could spend some time together, but these sorts of things were all but forgotten as she continued along steadily, little by little, on the part of the design she was working on. It was almost as if she was bewitched, the way she could tune just about everything out and focus all of her effort on the task at hand.
She was rarely interrupted down at the docks, and was taken by surprise when she heard someone call her name. However, when she turned and spotted Haken walking towards her, waving a leather sack in his hands, she waved in his direction. Putting her tools down and wiping the wood shavings off of her hands, she approached the blacksmith with a grin.
“Thank you! I would’ve come by your shop on my way home tonight,” she announced, reaching out to take the supplies from him. This wasn’t the first time he’d delivered her supplies directly to her, of course, and she said the same thing to him just about every time he did because she appreciated the effort he made for his clients. It saved her a trip into the village when she usually just wanted to get back home for the day. Quickly thinking about what the rest of her day looked like, Freyja knew she had plenty of time to chat for once, and decided to make the most of it.
“How are you? Business still doing well?” He was the only blacksmith in Skagen, so she assumed his business was the same as it always was, but he was a very talented blacksmith. He might have an interesting story or two to tell that she hadn't heard before. |
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Hakon Odinsson- Blacksmith
PROFIELMessages : 77
RPG SHEET Viking profile Title : Age : 31 Place of birth : Skagen
| Subject: Re: i'm trying not to get burnt by the fire in your eyes [Freyja] Mon Oct 16, 2017 8:34 am | |
| He enjoyed the few moments of watching her work before she placed down her tools and turned to him. Hakon loved watching other people at their crafts, seeing the care and concentration, the skill that went into it. Maybe there's something sentimental in the way he loves watching people create something both beautiful and functional, because that's what he tries to do with his forging. He appreciates good craftsmanship, and there's no doubt that Freyja is good at her job. He enjoys watching woodworking, particularly. He sometimes whittles handles for knives from wood, carves or burns protection runes into the handles he makes. Woodworking isn't his primary skillset, but he's good enough at it that no one's ever complained about it. He's seen Freyja work a few times, but this is the only time he can remember seeing her carving. He's in awe of her skill.
She turns toward him with a grin, and she's so lovely Hakon nearly forgets to breathe. He's been dealing with this for a while now, this weakness she brings out in him, but still it sometimes takes him by surprise. He returns her grin with a smile of his own. It's a rare expression on his normally solemn face, but it suits him. His old master once told him he should smile more often, it's the only piece of the old man's advice he never took. He chuckles a little as she thanks him, saying she would have come by the shop tonight. He knows she would have, and sometimes he doesn't deliver her supplies to her because he wants her to stop by. If her day wasn't too long, she would usually stay and talk with him for a few extra minutes. But he knows she works hard, and he wants to make things a bit easier for her when he can. Besides, she has a family full of sisters to get home to at the end of the day, and he has only himself. He waves his hand, dismissing her thanks because it was no trouble to him at all. "I know you would have, but I thought you might want to get home to your sisters a little earlier today."
He rolls his shoulders absently, stretching out the tightness in his muscles as he looks over her shoulder to the intricate carving she'd been working on before he arrived. His dark eyes slip back to Freyja's face as he answers her. "I'm good, the forge is good. Surprising, you know, with all that competition." Hakon smirks, the sassy little smirk he always does when he's being sarcastic. That's about the extent of his humor. The sarcasm vanishes, though, his smirk turning into a small, genuine smile as his gaze momentarily flits back to the carvings on the ship's side. "That's beautiful work, I don't think I've ever seen your carvings before."
Hakon reaches to his belt and pulls out a small knife in a simple leather sheath. The blade is about the size of his palm, double-edged and razor-sharp. He's etched delicate, looping knotwork down the length of the blade and carefully carved protection runes into the wooden handle. Hakon has known Freyja for long enough that he's confident he's carved the handle to fit her palm comfortably. It's a small, light knife, easy to conceal. He flips it and holds it out to her, handle first, with a sigh. "I helped a girl not long ago who was assaulted by a warrior. I made this for you after I walked her home. A gift." He doesn't tell her that he didn't sleep for the rest of the night. That he'd stayed up well past dawn, forging this knife for her. Etching the knotwork along the blade because he hopes maybe she'll think it's pretty. Carving protection runes into the wooden handle because he wants her to be safe. "I have others for your sisters, in the forge." He doesn't tell her all the things he thinks, because he knows he's just a foolish little orphan at heart, isn't even sure what he did to deserve the kindness she shows him. But in his own way, he's showing her he cares. |
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Freyja Stafnsdóttir- Shipbuilder
PROFIELMessages : 136 Country : US
RPG SHEET Viking profile Title : Age : 29 Place of birth : Skagen
| Subject: Re: i'm trying not to get burnt by the fire in your eyes [Freyja] Tue Oct 17, 2017 8:06 am | |
| Freyja flexed her fingers as she approached Hakon, shaking them out a bit after holding them in the same position for so long. The one drawback of how focused she got when carving was her fingers often stiffened up by the time she was done. So her friend’s visit had certainly come at a good time. Hakon modestly waved her gratitude away and she looked away for just a moment, smiling to herself at that. So much for the gruff exterior he showed to people.
This was proven even further when he mentioned her being able to get home a little earlier to see her sisters. Few people would really trouble themselves to help their clients in such a way. Honestly, she probably wouldn’t. “That would be ideal. I’ll probably finish up early today as it is, so that’s a big help!” she admitted with a smile.
When he answered her questions Freyja laughed at his sarcastic response. “You know what I meant,” she replied, rolling her eyes halfheartedly, before jokingly adding, “you mean you haven’t accidentally burnt the place down yet?”
Turning back to take a quick look at the section he was commenting on, she felt the heat in her cheeks and knew she must have started to blush. Hopefully it wouldn’t be noticeable under her tanned skin. She didn’t receive many compliments outside of ‘well done’ and it was never directed at the detailed work she did to decorate the ships. It didn’t matter how they were decorated if they didn’t float, after all. But having someone take notice of the carvings was new, and she was particularly proud of those skills. “Thank you,” she told him, hoping her voice conveyed how much she appreciated the compliment.
Quirking an eyebrow as he reached into his belt, Freyja tilted her head when she saw him pull out a sheathed knife. She immediately noticed the carvings in the handle and looked up at him curiously. Her eyes widened in surprise when he held the handle out to her. As seldom as she received compliments, gifts were far more rare.
She took it, unsheathing it quickly to take a look at the blade before tucking it back into place. “You did all of this?” she wondered, lightly tracing the designs in the handle. “It’s beautiful.”
She knew her way around weapons, having trained for years to become a shield maiden, but she didn’t normally bother with carrying any around the village. Her fists were usually good enough to deal with any drunk or overeager viking who couldn’t keep his hands to himself. But this would fit nicely on her belt without getting in the way while she was trying to work.
It was his next comment, however, that really caught her off guard, and her eyes immediately flew to meet his. He’d made knives for her sisters as well? “Why?” It wasn’t as if after knowing him for the last five years she didn’t know he was a good man but it was such a surprise to her that he’d trouble himself like this. And for her sisters, as well. Granted, it was impossible to be friendly with Freyja and not know how important her family was to her, but he was certainly proving that one of them was putting a lot more effort into their friendship than the other. It was him. He was putting a lot more effort in than she was.
Realizing how rude that must’ve sounded, she continued, “It’s so thoughtful! I just wasn’t expecting it.” This was probably the sort of thing her mother was talking about when she told her she needed to think before she spoke. Blurting out the first thing that popped into her head wasn’t always the most polite response. "Are you trying to count how many times I can thank you in one conversation?" |
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Hakon Odinsson- Blacksmith
PROFIELMessages : 77
RPG SHEET Viking profile Title : Age : 31 Place of birth : Skagen
| Subject: Re: i'm trying not to get burnt by the fire in your eyes [Freyja] Tue Oct 17, 2017 9:27 pm | |
| Sometimes Hakon enjoys walking around the village, especially when it brings him to the shipyard. He loves the salt air, the brisk wind off the sea, the sound of the waves lapping against the shore. Hakon appreciates the sea, he has a barrel full of its water in his forge for quenching his weapons. The sea makes his steel strong. He's going to need more water soon. Carrying the barrel full of water from the shore back to his forge is probably his least favorite part of his job. Hakon doesn't mind burning himself in his forge--it happens all the time--but he hates carrying that bucket and spilling water all over himself. He spent enough time as a child wet and cold, he doesn't enjoy replicating that feeling. If he hadn't left his shop carrying so many things this morning, he might have brought his bucket down and saved himself a trip. As it is, he'll probably just do it tomorrow before the sun rises.
"I'm glad I could get you home a little earlier, then." He returns her grin with a genuine smile of his own. It isn't as wide and happy as her grin, but it's a smile nonetheless. Smiling comes easier to him now than it did even a few years ago. People like their blacksmiths smiling. A tall man with huge, brawny arms and a scowl, surrounded by weapons and hammers, can be a bit intimidating. Being too unfriendly is bad for business, but that's the area he's weakest in. He's considered hiring an apprentice if only so they can deal with the customers and leave him free to do his work, but if he didn't deal with his customers, he would probably almost never talk to anyone. His smile grows after his sarcastic little quip, at the sound of her laugh. "Not yet. Came close, though." He rubs his hand ruefully over a shiny burn just above his right wrist. In reality, Hakon never really came close to burning down his shop. His skin, on the other hand, was another matter entirely. Small burn scars littered his forearms, and a cut adorned his index finger where he'd foolishly tested the edge of Freyja's knife on his own skin. Sometimes he made stupid decisions when he stayed up all night to finish something.
Hakon notices the light blush under her tan skin, and he looks away for a moment, unsure of how to respond. He glances back to her after a moment, choosing to go for sarcasm. He doesn't want her to think he admires her too much. He's so afraid of driving her away sometimes. He knows she deserves much better people in her life than he is, people who can offer her something besides simple friendship and small, pretty knives. But then she's thanking him for it and the sarcasm shrivels up on his tongue. He only gives her another small smile, this one a little softer, a little more shy, than his last one. His smile grows, relaxing into something more confident and happy, as he watches her examine the knife. His skill at carving is nothing compared to hers, but something in him lightens as she asks if he did all this. This time, he does opt for sarcasm, brows quirked at her. "You've been buying my work to build your ships for years, and you still do not recognize my work when you see it?" He throws his hand dramatically over his heart, looking for all the world like she's wounded him. This is sillier than he's been in a long time, more carefree. It must be the open air of the shipyard, the tang of salt on his tongue and the gold of Freyja's hair glinting in the sunlight. He drops the act when she tells him it's beautiful, and only ducks his head in modest thanks.
His first response to her question is to snort. "Making knives is easier than helping you hide the body of a man who would dare to harm your sisters." The fact that her first response is to question why he would do such a thing shocks him a bit. Hasn't he been a good friend to her, shown her over the years that he enjoys her company? Hakon puts up a hard exterior, and he knows that. It often gets in the way of his friendships. It's why he's thirty and still lives alone. He's been alone his whole life, except for the few years with Vidar. He doesn't know how to tell people what they mean to him, but he can show it, in his own small, gruff way. She amends her statement, and a smile curves up his lips at her question. He crosses his arms over his chest, smile widening into a playful smirk. "No. But I think you missed a few opportunities." He states, pointing out that she hasn't yet thanked him for the knife. "Don't worry about it, though. Like I said, I did it to make my own life easier." |
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Freyja Stafnsdóttir- Shipbuilder
PROFIELMessages : 136 Country : US
RPG SHEET Viking profile Title : Age : 29 Place of birth : Skagen
| Subject: Re: i'm trying not to get burnt by the fire in your eyes [Freyja] Wed Oct 18, 2017 1:24 am | |
| Freyja nodded happily at his comment about helping out. She thought for a moment that she probably would take a break in the early afternoon to bring lunch to the dress shop, since he’d just given her a bit of extra time to play with. She was certain her mother would appreciate the gesture.
“You came close?” she repeated, laughing, certain that wasn’t true at all. “The trick is to keep the fire in the fireplace, Hakon. I hope that’s helpful. Hey, maybe I should be a blacksmith?”
She was still laughing as she thought about all the times she’d made mistakes in her own craft. Fortunately, her mistakes usually resulted in a cut or bump or bruise for her, and rarely had any ill effects on the ships. She’d even hit herself in the head with a hammer once when her father was still teaching her. She’d been about thirteen, and he’d laughed so hard he nearly fell off the ladder he’d been standing on. She’d definitely inherited his twisted sense of humor.
For a moment she felt bad and started to apologize when he acted hurt, but when she finally looked at him and saw the dramatic way he was clutching his hand over his heart, she shook her head and rolled her eyes at him. “You’re just so funny today!” she told him, trying her hardest to maintain a straight face when she added, “Are you ill? Did you hit your head on something?”
She couldn’t help the sharp laugh that escaped when he told her making knives was easier than hiding a body. “I suppose that’s true! But I probably wouldn’t even try to hide it.” Honestly, as soon as he’d told her about the girl who’d been assaulted, she’d wanted to know who had done it, so she could find him and break his jaw, and she didn’t even know who he’d attacked. She couldn’t imagine what she’d do if anyone tried something with one of her sisters.
“Oh I did, did I?” She answered with a slow grin. “So you have been counting?”
She slipped the knife onto her belt and took a moment to adjust it on her hip before smiling up at him. “There!” She thought it looked nice, and it was definitely a good size, so it wouldn’t be bothersome while she was working. “Does this mean I do need to come by your shop soon? To grab those knives? Or you could just come by the house sometime. If you wanted. When you’re not busy, of course. I’m sure they’d all want to thank you themselves. They’ve all got far better manners than I do, I bet you’d even get exactly the correct number of ‘thank you’s.” |
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Hakon Odinsson- Blacksmith
PROFIELMessages : 77
RPG SHEET Viking profile Title : Age : 31 Place of birth : Skagen
| Subject: Re: i'm trying not to get burnt by the fire in your eyes [Freyja] Wed Oct 18, 2017 2:25 pm | |
| Hakon is in a rare playful mood today, and he has to admit to himself that he enjoys this easy banter with her, this silliness that he almost never indulges. He thinks for a moment that maybe he should try to lighten up more often, but he dismisses the thought quickly. He's almost afraid of being carefree, afraid that the instant he relaxes into the life he's so thankful for, something will go wrong and he'll lose everything. It's hard to shake that feeling when you grew up with nothing, not even a family. But he pushes the dark thoughts away, determined to just enjoy this carefree moment in the shipyard with Freyja. He knows she's the reason for it, this lightness in him right now, and that terrifies him. He saves that worry for later, when he's alone and Freyja isn't laughing at his stupid little quip about nearly burning down his shop. He snorts, looking mildly scandalized. "Fireplace? Fireplace? Fine blacksmith you'd make, it's called a forge." He only shakes his head, a deep chuckle rumbling from him. His dark eyes assess her quickly, and he shrugs one shoulder. "You probably wouldn't be a bad blacksmith, though."
Then he's clutching his heart and he sees her realize when he's joking. He isn't generally one for joking, for playing around like this, but today he's decided that, for just this once, he's going to let himself have fun. In response to her question, he fakes a cough before answering, a small smile turning up the corners of his full mouth. "It's hard to breathe in the salt air. I'm used to smoke, this fresh air is scrambling my head."
He sighs heavily when she says that she probably wouldn't try to hide the body if anyone tried to harm her sisters. "She couldn't tell who it was, didn't see his face." He doesn't add that she didn't see his face because she was blind. As far as he knows, there's only one blind girl in Skagen, and he doesn't want to give her away as the victim. His voice is hard, devoid of all the warmth and playfulness of just a few moments ago. "He was long gone by the time I found her. The girl is okay, though." He'd wanted to find the man and smash him to pieces, grind his bones into dust, make him feel the same fear he'd seen in Ylva's eyes. He doesn't need to say it, it's obvious from his clenched fist and cold, stormy dark eyes.
Then a slow grin is spreading cross Freyja's face, and she's teasing him as she speaks again. Slowly, slowly, the walls lower, the clench of his fists lessens. Hakon has a temper, but there's no need for it right now. He lets her question slide by with no answer other than a smirk, watching as she tucks the knife into her belt. He thinks it suits her, that small, sharp knife and nods in satisfaction as she smiles up at him. The final bit of tension melts out of him. "I should have made that for you a long time ago." He tilts his head to the side as she speaks, pretending to be thinking hard about what she's saying. He smiles at her, playful once more. "Maybe that was all part of my plan to get you to come see me." He gives her a quick wink before continuing with a shrug. "Whatever's easier for you, either way is no trouble for me." He fights to keep a straight face as she continues teasing him. "The correct number of thank you's is very important to me. It's the whole reason I became a blacksmith." Finally a smile cracks his mask, another deep chuckle rumbling from his chest. "I'm certain they have better manners than you--you don't have a terrifying older sister to teach you." |
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Freyja Stafnsdóttir- Shipbuilder
PROFIELMessages : 136 Country : US
RPG SHEET Viking profile Title : Age : 29 Place of birth : Skagen
| Subject: Re: i'm trying not to get burnt by the fire in your eyes [Freyja] Wed Oct 18, 2017 9:57 pm | |
| Freyja was honestly surprised by how much fun she was having, bantering back and forth with Hakon. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d interacted with anyone like this. Not even her sisters. It wasn’t exactly great for her productivity but she wasn’t worried. When he scolded her for using the wrong word she just laughed. “Sorry, forge,” she repeated back immediately. “I guess I’ll just stick to what I know,” she added, gesturing towards the ship behind her.
“Oh yes? It’s the fresh air that’s given you a sense of humor? That explains a lot actually.” She paused, once again trying to keep a straight face. “Like why I’m so funny all the time.” Freyja liked to think that she had an excellent sense of humor, but she often found herself laughing at things other people didn’t find particularly funny. But that was their loss. She loved to laugh.
“It sounds like you might need to get out of your shop a little more often. All that smoke can’t actually be good for you.” She wasn’t even joking about that. She thought her sister was cooped up in the dress shop all day, but at least the air there was clean.
Things turned serious for a moment, and Freyja was sorry to hear that the girl hadn’t seen the face of the man who’d attacked her. He should be made to pay for his actions. But she saw the way Hakon clenched his fists and knew they were of like minds on the issue. This was one of the reasons she’d wanted to become a shield maiden, to learn to fight. With a family full of women, she wasn’t about to let a lack of men in the family mean anyone could bully or take advantage of them.
“Well she’s lucky to have you to keep an eye on her,” Freyja told him with a nod. There was nothing anyone could do about it now, no matter how badly either of them might want to give the wretch a beating.
She quirked an eyebrow when he said he should have made it for her a long time ago, but when he didn’t explain any further, she didn’t press the issue. At the very least, she knew it was rude to question a gift someone had taken the time to make for you.
His next reply had her shaking her head as she laughed. “That’s not a very sound plan, if you ask me. You saved me a trip to your shop, by coming to tell me I needed to come by your shop? Either way I would end up in the shop. This is what I meant by the smoke not being good for you. Maybe start taking walks or something? To clear your head.”
She grinned in response to his ‘reason for becoming a blacksmith’ but gasped and feigned outrage at his next comment. “Terrifying? Quite a charmer, aren’t you? Forget taking walks, I’m about to clear your head with my hammer.” She laughed again, knowing full well he hadn’t meant it in a mean way, but couldn’t resist teasing him a bit. “Really? Terrifying?” she repeated, shaking her head at him.
“Well to be fair, it’s not the worst thing I’ve been called,” she told him, almost cackling a bit. She’d been on the receiving end of a number of rude comments, but Freyja could shrug off just about anything. She wasn’t easily offended, and she wasn’t the type to hold a grudge.
“Where are you headed next?” She wondered, assuming he had other deliveries to make, and not wanting to hold him up if he had to get on with his day. But she grinned, unable to resist adding, “Or did you save the best for last?” |
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Hakon Odinsson- Blacksmith
PROFIELMessages : 77
RPG SHEET Viking profile Title : Age : 31 Place of birth : Skagen
| Subject: Re: i'm trying not to get burnt by the fire in your eyes [Freyja] Thu Oct 19, 2017 2:33 pm | |
| Hakon is surprised to realize he likes the shipyard almost as much as he loves his shop: the openness, the sound and smell of the sea. Better than all that, though, is joking around with Freyja. She's beautiful, Hakon has always thought so, but it's her easy laughter that causes a strange tightness in the pit of his stomach, like the clenching of muscles the moment before you know a blow is about to land. He only shakes his head again when she apologizes and repeats back the proper term, but he can't stop the small mutter, scandalized mutter of, "fireplace," even as he's smiling at her. He can't resist teasing her this way, listening to her laugh, watching the happiness that flits across her pretty face. His dark eyes turn to the ship as she gestures at it, and he considers his next words for only a moment before he speaks them. "Would you teach me to carve like that someday?" He points at the intricate carvings in the side of the boat. He loves working with his hands, crafting weapons both lethal and lovely. Handles are an important part of that, but he's never felt as comfortable with the wood as he does with the metal, and he wants his work to be flawless. He never stops striving to improve.
He merely raises his eyebrows at her statement, somehow managing to keep a straight face. He even manages a look of mild alarm. "Oh.... No one's told you yet. You aren't very funny. I hate to be the one to tell you this." He shakes his head sadly, looking anywhere but at her face so his composure won't break. And then he can't resist, wanting to see the expression she's wearing, and a smile breaks across his face like the sun through a storm. When she says he should get out of his forge more often, he shakes his head. "It's not as smoky as you'd expect, really. You've been in my shop before." Hakon is meticulous about his forge. Everything is neat and clean, the walls free of soot, the back door cracked open to let in fresh air. The only messy place is his worktable, and even that is a sort of comforting, organized chaos. In the forge, everything makes sense to Hakon.
Hakon shook his head when Freyja said the girl was lucky to have him around to keep an eye on her. "If she was lucky, I would have been there a few minutes earlier." He's grumbling, some guilt gnawing at him. He knows it isn't his fault that he wasn't there, couldn't protect Ylva. He's doing what little he can to help keep other women safe--gifting knives to Freyja and her sisters. He thinks about offering to walk her home at night, but isn't sure how she'll react to it. He files the idea away for later, for a different discussion maybe, and ignores the beast grumbling in his belly to protect her. He knows Freyja can take care of herself, and he's afraid of driving her off. Hakon doesn't believe he deserves good people in his life, not really. Not people like Freyja, who are strong and kind and funny, who see the darkness in the world and choose to laugh anyway. Hakon has seen the darkness for so long, he almost forgot what the light looks like. He's thankful it didn't consume him completely, that there's still some part of him capable of carefree moments like this.
The sound of her laugh draws an answering chuckle from him, he can't help it. "It's a very sound plan, actually. I get the pleasure of your company not once, but twice." He taps one long, blunt finger against his temple. "Always thinking. But maybe this fresh air isn't good for you, since yours is the mind that clearly isn't working right now." Her feigned outrage has him outright laughing, and he hasn't felt this light in ages. "Of course I'm a charmer, but you're another case entirely. I give you a knife and you don't even have the decency to threaten me with it. Clear my head with your hammer, really? The least you could do is threaten to cut out my tongue with your knife." He grins, sticking his tongue out at her like an overgrown child. His tongue disappears back behind his lips as he nods his head, dark eyes wide and serious, but he can't stop the edge of mirth in his voice. "So terrifying I'm shaking in my boots."
He lets it slide when she says she's been called worse, but in his head he's thinking he would gladly gut anyone who insulted her, if she asked him to. He pushes the strange, protective thoughts away, reminding himself that Freyja is fierce and doesn't need his protection. He rolls his eyes at her statement, unable to resist teasing her again. She isn't wrong though. He did save the best for last, but he can't let her know that. He's so afraid to show her any ounce of vulnerability. "The best for last? More like the farthest away." |
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Freyja Stafnsdóttir- Shipbuilder
PROFIELMessages : 136 Country : US
RPG SHEET Viking profile Title : Age : 29 Place of birth : Skagen
| Subject: Re: i'm trying not to get burnt by the fire in your eyes [Freyja] Fri Oct 20, 2017 1:38 am | |
| Because almost all of their conversation had become the two of them joking and teasing each other, Freyja was caught a bit off guard when Hakon asked her to teach him to carve the way she did. She hadn’t been entirely sure he was being serious at first. But it became clear immediately that he meant what he was asking and she shrugged at him. “Sure! If you’d like. You already seem to know what you’re doing?” She answered, pointing towards the knife on her hip. “The trickiest bit will be finding a few hours of daylight when we’re both free.” They were both busy people, after all, and daylight hours were working hours.
Freyja watched his face closely and saw the slightly alarmed expression cross his features, not sure what he was about to say. So when he started talking, saying she wasn’t actually funny, she couldn’t even pretend to be outraged for a moment. Freyja immediately started laughing, especially at his whole demeanor, watching him shake his head and look away sadly. “Oh well, thanks for letting me know that. You’re a true friend,” she told him, still chuckling to herself.
She knew he was right, his shop wasn’t dirty or full of smoke but she still firmly believed working too long indoors was unhealthy. Of course, her opinions on the matter were somewhat bias, considering she detested staying indoors for very long. “Yes, it’s a very tidy shop. More walks wouldn’t hurt, though. I tell Visna the same thing all the time,” she said with a nod.
It was clear that Hakon was still upset by what had happened to the poor girl, and Freyja wasn’t sure how to comfort him. If this was one of her sisters, she’d pull them into a hug but this was not one of her sisters, and unfortunately, she had little experience comforting anyone else. “I think you’ve done more than most people would to help.” She gestured again to the knife he’d given her. There were plenty of people who wouldn’t even help if they were watching someone being assaulted. He didn’t have anything to feel bad about, from where she stood. “If you happen to speak to her again, let her know I could show her a few tricks to help… discourage unwanted attention,” she added with a wink. Freyja was helpful like that.
He tapped his temple, explaining his plan meant she’d see him twice and Freyja nodded at him, acting as though she realized just how smart his plan was. “I see! Well, I certainly don’t blame you. I’m lovely company. Though, it’s recently been brought to my attention that I’m not as funny as I believed.” She was unable to resist the pointed look she sent him to let him know she hadn’t forgotten that part of their conversation. “I’m very funny,” she couldn’t help but add quietly, almost as if she were reassuring herself that she was, in fact, a funny person.
Freyja sent another shocked look at Hakon, now that he was saying it was her mind that was faulty. “You know, it’s rude to insult people,” she informed him, as if their entire conversation hadn’t been the two of them slinging jabs back and forth at each other. “And I’m almost certain one of the rules of being polite includes not threatening someone with a weapon they’ve just given you as a gift. That just sounds like something you really shouldn’t do.” Another gasp passed her lips when he stuck his tongue out at her. “Do you know, no one’s stuck their tongue out at me since Tóra was about three? You’re acting like a three year old.” It wasn’t as if she minded in the least. In fact, immediately after the admonishment, she returned the gesture, sticking her tongue out at him.
“It’s fine,” she replied,pointedly ignoring what he’d just said about how she was simply the farthest away from his shop. “I know I’m the best. I bet you’ve had no reason at all to insult or stick your tongue out at any of your other customers, and really, where’s the fun in that?” |
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Hakon Odinsson- Blacksmith
PROFIELMessages : 77
RPG SHEET Viking profile Title : Age : 31 Place of birth : Skagen
| Subject: Re: i'm trying not to get burnt by the fire in your eyes [Freyja] Fri Oct 20, 2017 8:50 pm | |
| He gives her a fleeting, grateful smile when she agrees to teach him to carve the way she does, noting that he seems to have some idea what he's doing already. He nods. "I know the basics, but woodcarving isn't as easy for me as etching the designs in metal. I want to get better at it." He tilts his head for a moment, considering, when she says the trick is finding some free daylight hours. "We will meet whenever works for you. I can forge at night." If she's going to teach him, he wants to make it as little of a burden for her as possible. Hakon rarely asks for favors like this. He likes to believe he's independent, needs no one to help him with anything. But this, he can disguise as being good for his business if he improves his woodworking skill. He knows he can always find a woodcarver to do the handles for him, but he doesn't want to depend on someone else to finish his work for him. He wants to be able to make his own handles, and better than they are now.
Freyja's laugh is a sound Hakon loves, especially when he's the one to draw it from her. He wants to make her laugh again, and he considers once more maybe lightening up a bit. He's lived in a house and been blacksmithing for nearly fifteen years now, and he's had his own house and own forge for five. He's never once gone hungry since the day he became Vidar's apprentice as a teenager. Maybe this good fortune isn't going to run out. He allows himself to think that maybe, the gods will allow him to keep the blessings they've bestowed upon him. Maybe moments of laughter and joy won't make the gods think he's ungrateful. A slow smile curves up his lips as Freyja tells him he's a true friend. "I do what I can. I'm still sorry I had to be the one to tell you." He reaches out, resting one callused hand lightly on her shoulder, the way someone might do if they're consoling someone after giving them bad news. The touch is quick, and within a few seconds his hand is dangling back by his side.
"Is that why you put up with me, I remind you of your sister?" His pained look switches to one of mischief in the blink of an eye. "It's because I'm so beautiful and small, isn't it?" There are some who might consider Hakon a good-looking man, with his dark hair and eyes, angular face, and small, trim beard. There are none who would ever consider him small. Hakon is on the taller side of average, with broad shoulders and lean hips, his entire frame is packed with muscle, and biceps that are probably the size of Visna's head. Freyja might give him and Visna the same advice, but it's certainly not because of their similar size or appearance, and Hakon knows it, but can't resist. Hakon nods when Freyja tells him she can teach the girl tricks to discourage unwanted attention. "I'll tell her, if I see her." Hakon has thought about going to check on her, since he walked her home and knows where she lives. But the girl is nearly half his age, and he doesn't want anyone to get the wrong idea of his intentions with the girl. He has no interest in her besides her wellbeing, and even that only because he found her injured. He finds himself thinking that Freyja might be a good one to ask about such things, actually. She has sisters, but the idea of asking Freyja for advice regarding how not to seem like he's interested in women mortifies him. He decides not to ask.
A deep chuckle rumbles from him as she agrees his plan is in fact very smart. When she mutters to herself that she is very funny, Hakon nods, his usual solemn expression on his face. "You are very funny. It's why I wanted to see you twice." The small smile on his face is almost shy, and he looks briefly away from Freyja. His instinct is to let his walls slam into place, to say he has to return to his forge, to escape from this woman who makes him want to open himself to her with no visible effort on her part. Hakon struggles briefly with himself, but then Freyja is telling him insulting someone is rude and he laughs. The internal battle is over. He raises his brows at her. "No, being polite is threatening someone with the weapon they gave you as a gift. I'd rather you not need to use it at all, but since I did blood it for you, it will not fail you if you ever need it." He grins, holding up one hand and pointing to the thin red line across the pad of his thumb. "If you're going to threaten me with anything, I would rather see how the knife fares in your hands than the hammer." He laughs as she tells him he's acting like a three-year-old, and bites back the urge to point out that it makes sense, in a twisted sort of way, since he was probably little more than three when he lost his parents. The thought doesn't hurt him anymore, but there's no room in this conversation for things like that. "First I'm small and beautiful, now I'm three years old. You really know how to make me feel like a man."He gives her an amused smile, even as he's shaking his head and acting hurt. He holds his hands out, a gesture of mock surrender. "Fine, I admit it. You're the best, the funniest, and the rudest of my customers." |
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Freyja Stafnsdóttir- Shipbuilder
PROFIELMessages : 136 Country : US
RPG SHEET Viking profile Title : Age : 29 Place of birth : Skagen
| Subject: Re: i'm trying not to get burnt by the fire in your eyes [Freyja] Mon Oct 23, 2017 1:21 am | |
| Freyja nodded, understanding the desire to constantly improve your skills, especially when they were the skills you depended upon to live. Freyja had been lucky, because her father had travelled all over, going from village to village to perfect his skills, and she’d simply had to learn it all from him. She liked to think she’d have been as dedicated and determined as her father had been to excel at his trade, but all she could do to prove that was to build the best ships she was capable of building with the knowledge and skills he’d given her.
“Oh, well that’ll be a bit easier then. I’ll let you know,” she replied with a smile. She didn’t think it would be a problem to set aside some time in the mornings to carve with him for a while.
Shaking her head at his ‘reluctant friend’ display, Freyja continued to play her part as well. “Yes, well, I’m sure I’ll recover from this terrible shock eventually.” She was a little surprised by their interaction today. While she certainly considered Hakon to be one of her few friends, and she was used to his sarcastic sense of humor, his normally stoic nature seemed to have evaporated. She rather liked it.
“Ha! Definitely not. If you reminded me of any of my sisters, I probably wouldn’t put up with you.” It wasn’t as if she didn’t love her sisters, but they could be a handful at times. And she didn’t need friends who were anything like them. Why make friends like her sisters when she could just go home to her sisters? “Yes, you just need one of those fancy hair pieces she always wears and I wouldn’t be able to tell you apart at all.” As she said this, Freyja gestured in a circle around her own head to illustrate what she meant.
When he answered that he’d pass along her offer if he saw the girl, she nodded her head once. There wasn’t much else to say on the matter, and she knew the subject didn’t sit well with him.
Freyja smiled to herself a bit, deciding she liked when Hakon laughed. It wasn’t a sound she’d heard very often outside of this very conversation, and she hoped it was something she’d begin to hear more frequently. “Well, I’m glad someone appreciates my sense of humor. You may be the first.”
He looked away quickly and Freyja tried her best to read his features, to figure out what he might be thinking. She was a very open and honest person. You never needed to wait to find out what she was thinking, she’d tell you before long. She often wondered why more people couldn’t do the same. It would certainly make her life easier, at least. But it was only a moment or two before he was laughing with her again, and her eyes darted to the hand he held up in front of her. She took a small step closer to inspect his thumb. “You cut yourself? Deliberately? Or are you just a bit clumsy?” She asked with a smirk, retreating back a step after just a moment. “Besides, I’m used to the hammer. But I’m sure I’ll get used to the knife in no time. And I’ll remember you wanting me to threaten you with it, if I’m needing practice.”
She couldn’t help but laugh when he pointed out she’d compared him to both her sister and a toddler. “Sorry, just about the only experience I have is with sisters who are children,” she answered with a shrug and a smile, not feeling bad about the comparison at all. Freyja was fairly confident he didn’t need her help in that department anyway. And when Hakon told her that she was the best, funniest and rudest of his customers, she could only laugh again. “Thank you! I shall wear the title with pride,” she joked, holding her hand over heart, as if she was touched by his kind words.
“So, am I really your last delivery? Or were you just unable to miss a chance to be mean to me?” She was enjoying spending this time laughing and teasing him but didn’t want either of them to fall behind in their work. She was a very responsible person, after all. |
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Hakon Odinsson- Blacksmith
PROFIELMessages : 77
RPG SHEET Viking profile Title : Age : 31 Place of birth : Skagen
| Subject: Re: i'm trying not to get burnt by the fire in your eyes [Freyja] Mon Oct 23, 2017 2:06 pm | |
| Hakon inclined his head to her with a smile. "Thank you." The thought of improving his carving skills lightened his mood even further, and he began to consider if maybe there was some merit to Freyja's suggestion of getting out of his forge more often. He was far from chained to the place. He left whenever he pleased, especially in the early mornings before his customers began coming, or in the evenings after most people were home for the day. He didn't have any family to keep him company at night, so he was a frequent customer at the tavern near his forge, especially on nights when he didn't feel like cooking. But unless he was making deliveries, Hakon was generally at his forge all day during daylight hours. He liked to be there in case a customer dropped by, and he had work to do. When he wasn't creating something for a customer's order, he was busy crafting things that were always in demand: nails, small knives, door hinges, ship fittings, decorative pieces. He liked the freedom to create whatever he pleased, but he also enjoyed making things for specific customers. Plus he had to care for his tools and clean up around the forge. There was always something for Hakon to be doing, so he seldom left the forge during daylight. He would gladly complete his work later and adjust his days for the chance to learn carving from Freyja.
She's so good at playing her part in their little game that Hakon has a hard time keeping to his part. "Well if you ever need someone to talk to about how terrible it is, you know where to find me." He throws his head back laughing when she tells him she probably wouldn't put up with him if he reminded her of her sisters. "So it seems I'm forging myself a hairpiece today. Next time you see me, you'll be confusing me for Visna." He had never paid attention to the specifics of Visna's hairpieces, so he couldn't actually remember what they were made of. He'd only ever seen her a few times, she wasn't a regular customer of his like Freyja was. For a brief moment, he considered using some of the bronze he had in his shop to actually forge a hairpiece to continue his joke with Freyja, but he decided that was too far to go for a joke. He wouldn't waste his bronze on it, that would be wasteful. He looks offended on her behalf when she says he may be the first one to appreciate her humor. "Their loss, then." He shrugs.
He watches her, one eye bright blue and the other a light, warm hazel, as she steps forward to inspect his thumb. His smile isn't the slightest bit embarrassed by his own clumsiness. "Danger of the job. I wanted to see if the edge was sharp enough. Usually I just scrape off my arm hair to test the sharpness, but I ran my thumb along the edge this time. Clumsy, definitely clumsy." Hakon chuckles as she offers to threaten him some other time. "I'm sure I'll do something to earn the threat when you're teaching me to carve. Remind me to always laugh at your not-funny jokes." He smiles to show her he's kidding, then inspects her face as she apologizes for comparing him to her sister and to a toddler. "You're not sorry." He shakes his head sadly before smirking at her as she laughs, her hand over her heart. He gives her a deep, mocking bow. "I've given you a great honor, I know. Try not to be overwhelmed by it."
Hakon looks quickly up at the sky as she speaks again, assessing the position of the sun. He set aside the morning for deliveries, but he has some work to do in the afternoon. He has a knife to make, a handle to carve, and a new shipment of bronze he needs to decide how to use. He turns his gaze back to Freyja with a slight smile. "You are my last delivery, but I do need to get back to the smoky air of my forge so I can breathe properly, and I'm sure you have other people to threaten. Just do me a favor and threaten them with the knife." |
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Freyja Stafnsdóttir- Shipbuilder
PROFIELMessages : 136 Country : US
RPG SHEET Viking profile Title : Age : 29 Place of birth : Skagen
| Subject: Re: i'm trying not to get burnt by the fire in your eyes [Freyja] Wed Nov 01, 2017 1:27 am | |
| Now that the idea had been planted, Freyja was really looking forward to the idea of having someone to spend a bit of time with, especially when carving. “It’ll be fun,” she told Hakon with a nod. She really did enjoy carving, and she was clearly enjoying bantering back and forth with him.
She’d actually been talking to her mother a lot recently about taking on an apprentice or two in the not too distant future, but Freyja was worried she wouldn’t make a very good teacher. Her sisters rarely appreciated her bossy attitude, but that was probably a little bit different. But having an apprentice around to help share the workload certainly wouldn’t be a bad thing.
Laughing again at his silly responses. “Yes, I know where to find you. That’s the only way I’ll know for sure it’s you and not Visna, obviously.” That joke would probably be old by the next time they saw each other, but Freyja still thought it was funny right now. And it was really his reactions that she enjoyed. Hakon’s sense of humor seemed to match hers quite nicely.
Listening to his explanation, Freyja shook her head at him. “That sounds dangerous. You really shouldn’t do that again.” People shouldn’t go around cutting or injuring themselves! What was he thinking? Obviously she knew he was good at what he did, and maybe it was just her overprotective nature, but the idea didn’t sit well with her.
Freyja was unable to hide her grin when he told her she wasn’t really sorry. “No, I’m not,” she answered, grin widening. She was an honest person, after all. When he said she was in fact his last delivery, Freyja nodded, agreeing she too should probably get back to work. “That’s smart. If I don’t get back to carving, I won’t actually be going home early tonight.” She pushed her hair behind her ear, and held up the leather bag of fittings. “Thanks again! And thanks,” she repeated, pointing to the knife on her belt. “I’ll talk to the girls, and send them round, or come by with them or… something. To get those knives. We’ll figure something out. And yes, I promise to threaten loads of people with this one.” That was the sort of promise she could keep. |
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