cruisin' for a bruisin' {OPEN}

Tracing the soot covered desk inside his father's workshop, Aegil pursed his lips and considered the mirror in front of him. Smudges of soot had been left behind from his parents' finger prints, giving the glass a somewhat smoky visage. Squinting past the smudges, Aegil stared at a heart-shaped boy that peered curiously back at him. Releasing a slow sigh, the sixteen year old watched in fascination as the boy in the mirror did the same thing he did. At the exact same time.

Hmm. His father would be expecting him in the workshop. Feeling a frown tug at the corners of his lips, Aegil bent over the bucket in the corner and scooped up a handful of water. Washing his face was a pointless endeavor, he knew. Especially when he would be working with his father. He would do it anyways, as he loved the feeling of water. Splashing the water against his face, he felt a few strands of black hair become slick with liquid.

Drops of water dripped down his chin, while long, tapered fingers made sure all soot had been washed off of his face. Now that he looked into the mirror, Aegil could see pale skin reflect back at him with the candle's light. Releasing another slow sigh, Aegil grabbed a worn towel placed on the table and rubbed it furiously against his face. Rough bristles slid reluctantly over his skin, blocking every sign of water from falling onto the ground.

The wood beneath his feet was already stained with water though, and at the sight of it, Aegil winced. Well, he couldn't do anything about it, really. His mother was about to clean their bathroom soon anyways. Untying the band of leather around his wrist, Aegil swiftly scrubbed the soot from it and tied his shoulder-length hair back with a determined scowl pulling at his lips. Blast this stupid place!

Beneath his skin, Aegil could feel the itching urge to simply go out. Glancing longingly out the windows, Aegil forced himself to head into the forge. As he headed in, the heat washed over him like a flame welcoming a log of wood. Ignoring the uncomfortable feeling, Aegil wiped the back of his hand against his forehead and leaned over the anvil with an irritated expression. A long piece of molten metal in hand, Aegil raised the hammer above his hand and struck the metal with a resounding clang! 

He was at it for several hours until his shoulders and upper back ached from bending over. With a slow sigh echoed from earlier that day, Aegil stretched his shoulders upwards until his fingers twined together. Arching his lower back forwards and the upper part of his torso backwards, Aegil let the muscles in his arms strain until he felt an aching relief spasm down his body.

" Ma, can I head out? " he called towards the kitchen, where he could smell left-overs from the night before heating up. 

"Be back later, Aegil. Dinner will be ready in a few hours." the older woman replied sternly, a mass of black curls shading a pale face leaned out of the archway to his right. 

" Sure, sure. " he replied back, wiping his knuckles across his mouth and ignoring the tangy taste of sweat dripping onto his lips. Wetting them, Aegil strolled out the front door and pushed his hands into the pockets of his baggy pants. Bare feet pressed into the hungry soil, toes threading through the loose clumps. Frowning mildly, Aegil sat on the ground and observed the area around him with a curious expression.

Guess he could simply people-watch.