Work Text:
“Would you join me in painting?”
Zooble knelt before Gangle with their tools in hand, moving skillfully, hyperfocused on their craft. If you didn’t know them, you would have thought they hadn’t heard a thing. Gangle however, could tell their friend was merely deep in thought.
“I mean- It’s not as if the king would notice…”
“Huh?” Zooble replied.
The scribe looked away, fiddling with the amulet that held her cape together. She sat across the room, watching Zooble work. The heat from the furnace was a little too abrasive on her own body.
“Well… There’s a summoning today, Caine- I mean the king, is meeting with some distant royalty. He said he’ll be travelling thousands of paces away. There was mention of Bubble covering for him while he’s gone, but I doubt he’ll be doing anything productive in his place.”
Gangle looked to see if the blacksmith was still listening, before making her case. They were tirelessly shaping what looked to be yet another sword. Between the arid workshop and their effortless movements, it was hard for her to focus. She balled her hands into a knot before continuing.
“So apparently, I’m ‘not to be scribing’ for it.”
Zooble audibly paused, confused, before looking at their companion.
“Why not? Seems pretty important, don’t you think he’d want you present?”
“Do you think I want to be there?”
Zooble hummed in response, as if to say ‘fair point’. Gangle put her head in her hands and sighed.
“Sorry… what I meant to say is I asked, but he told me not to pry. I can’t imagine what could be so confidential about it. Not that I’m complaining though, I’ve been seriously needing a break.”
“Tell me about it. He really knows how to tire us out,” Zooble exhaled, wiping the beads of sweat forming at their brow.
Before they could continue, Gangle got up from her seat.
“That’s exactly why I think you should join me!”
“In…?” They urged.
“In painting with me. If it’s not any trouble of course.” She said it plainly, but there was that hint of nervousness that often accompanied her words.
Zooble put down their smithing tongs, stumbling to their water to take a swig. They seemed somewhat irritated, facing the heat and leaning against the table for support.
“I don’t know, Gangle… I’ve never really done it before. I’ve sketched here and there, but painting… it’s really more of your thing. Besides, I’ve got my hands full. Caine put in a request for even more weapons, god knows why.”
There was a stillness, prompting Zooble to look up from their drink. There she stood, staring past them with a sense of disappointment, and an expression underneath that they couldn’t quite read.
“It’s not like I don’t want to paint with you, I just don’t think…” they began mulling over their next words carefully, but their friend in blue had begun to stir.
She sauntered towards the shelf of metal trinkets behind them, and the blacksmith felt a wave of guilt wash down as she passed. Maybe if they could find the time… They cleared their throat as they watched her ribbon delicately touch a meticulously crafted metal bird, with its beak agape and wings outstretched.
“Hey. You okay…?”
“Your work is beautiful,” she said breathlessly.
Zooble’s body felt warm, warmer than one should already be when working in a forge. Gangle continued.
“I can almost feel each careful thought you put into every piece, not to mention the countless hours it takes.”
Zooble’s eyes were wide open now. It wasn’t often they received such genuine words, hard work often going unnoticed by their monarch. They forced their eyelids to settle before responding.
“Thank you. But if you think all this flattery is going to convince me, you’d be wrong.”
If they had a mouth, they would have smiled. The scribe merely simpered back as if to say ‘I mean it’, before looking down in thought.
“How has he not asked you to put together a tapestry or something, anything that isn’t meant to just be… practical?”
Zooble shrugged off the praise, but not minding the way it lingered in their mind. They had wondered the same thing so many times.
“It’s not my job.” They said it so matter-of-factly, yet still looked as if they ached, arms tightly crossed.
Gangle pouted. Reluctantly, they continued on, waving their clawed hand as they spoke.
“Plus, you know how he is. Hellbent on making us miserable and all.”
“Sometimes he listens… he’s allowed me to allocate a few scrolls to myself for my art. He said it was a waste of resources, and something about not understanding the point, but I could tell he got some joy out of seeing me happy.”
Her friend let out a huff in disbelief. They’d seen how overworked she had been, the many festivals and events that she’d been forced to attend, it was too much for any normal person to bear. Their antennae twitched the more they thought about it.
“Under all that tyranny, he’ll still do what it takes to seem benevolent in our eyes,” Gangle finished with a sigh, rearing around to stand beside them once more.
Zooble forced their horns to relax as they looked at her, then to ceiling. In that case, maybe they’d ask him for some time off, or more allocated breaks. Their knightly duties took up enough time as is, they didn’t want to spend the rest of their days melding appliances. Perhaps they just needed more inspiration, instead of his needless orders…
Suddenly, they had remembered something. A certain request from a certain ruler. They let out a breathless laugh, and Gangle looked intrigued. She tilted her head inquisitively, urging them to speak. That simple gesture was all it took for their words to spill out.
“He did ask me to make a sculpture of him, once.”
With this, Gangle spun to face them, with a look almost incredulous.
“And you said no, right?”
Her friend chuckled in response, planting their elbows on the ledge behind them.
“Of course. You really think I’d make some kind of perfect porcelain statue for that guy? But…” they reached for a drawer underneath their cabinet of wares, pulling out what looked to be a mock-up figure of Caine, their royal highness. They held it out in their hand for her to inspect.
However, the closer Gangle got, the more uncanny it looked. Instead of a heroic visage, he lacked his usual kingly attire. More evidently, he seemed to be cradling himself with his thumb between his… head? Mouth? She wasn’t sure, but the imagery caused herself to be sent into a quick fit of giggles.
“This is impressive! He’d definitely have you beheaded for it though.”
Gangle snorted at it once more, as they tucked the figurine away and rolled their eyes.
“Oh come on, I do so much work for him as is. He wouldn’t know what to do without me. I think he’d sooner promote me for ‘so graciously carrying out his request’.” They both glanced at each other, before sharing a final laugh. The room went silent once more, as Gangle tapped her ribbons together patiently. Zooble pushed off from the table with a newfound vigor.
“Alright, why the hell not?”
Their friends mask shot up, eyes suddenly glistening.
“Really? Only if you want to, that is.”
“What’s the worst that could happen? The castle could really use some of your artistic talent anyways.”
Gangle smiled bashfully at the sudden compliment, a ‘yours too’ on the tip of her tongue as they went on.
“Some of the halls feel so… empty, you know? It’s just creepy.”
“To be fair, he himself can be pretty creepy at times.” She pointed out, and shivered as the thought of his large veiny eyes beamed into her mind before shaking the vision away.
“‘It’s a shame, really. If he wasn’t such an asshole, maybe I’d enjoy bringing his freakish form to life.”
Gangle sniffled, smiling once again. The knights body relaxed as they began to clean up their smithing area, storing their various tools, but not before looking back to their clearly captivated visitor.
“What if you tell me about your own paintings while we get together some supplies? There’s a lot I need to learn from you.”
The scribe leaned towards the burning coals, not minding its abrasive nature for the moment. Right now, it felt almost like a fervid hug.
“I’d like that.”