(08.15.2761) Extra Lessons ( attn Fesset / Ozmyr )
mike hornsby
Ozmyr looked about the Smithy to make sure everything was in readiness. The forge was prepared and all the tools laid out and ready. Metal was set out for them to use as was a small slate and chalk. He had been instructed that Fesset was deaf and needed the chalk to write out replies for anyone who didn't understand his sign language. Ozmry also had been told that the older man could read lips which struck him as an amazing skill to have. Rather than being put off by the other man's disability he found himself oddly fascinated. He hoped to make a good impression and to not make Fesset uncomfortable.
Their meeting had been arranged when Ozmyr had requested some additional lessons to learn how to do some decorative type work. Thus far all he had been entrusted with was repairing simple tools, horseshoes and pounding out recycled metal for reuse. Something inside of him wanted to learn more though and he had been pestering the older smiths for some additional instructions. That was when they had made arrangements for him to study with Fesset.
As he mused on this he saw the other man arrive. Ozmyr turned to face him and offered a smile and a respectful bow as befitted his rank. With luck he could learn some of the secrets the other man had locked up inside. Some part of him wanted to make artistic things just for the sake of it rather than only the simple jobs he was usually assigned.
"Hello sir," he said, taking care to speak plainly instead of mumbling or any such thing. He didn't know if that would help with lip reading but it seemed that it might. "Thank you for agreeing to give me extra tutoring. I really do appreciate it."
Aaron C.
Fesset smiled in return and nodded, waving a greeting and a welcome. He would have signed his own appreciation for the opportunity to push beyond his own insecurities about communicating, but it likely would have been little more than additional hand waving to his new student. He had a bit of an introduction already written out, though, and he hoped that this would suffice.
"My name is Fesset. I will write as little as possible and show instead. Please ask any questions you may have, and I will do my best to answer. Please be patient with me. You are only my second student." He counted Talana his first, as he taught her to sign.
Fesset offered a hand to Ozmyr. He was trying to be a bit more tactile now that Talana had helped to bring him a bit more out of his shell, as much could be communicated through touch and body language.
mike hornsby
Ozmyr read the notes on the board and nodded his understanding even as a smile came to his lips. He remembered to look squarely at the older man as he spoke to make the lip reading easier as he took the offered handshake.
"Thank you sir, I'm sure it will be fine. You'll only be my second teacher to be honest...well, third if you count my father. No one has shown me how to do anything more than the most simple of smithing work though....and I hope to learn more."
He looked about the smithy to make sure everything was in order before looking back towards his new teacher.
"I've taken the liberty of banking the fires and setting some tools out already."
Aaron C.
Fesset smiled appreciatively and nodded. He was very grateful for how understanding Ozmyr was about the need to enunciate and speak clearly - and to look at him. Some people forgot that he could not hear after getting used to his ability to read lips and looked about while talking to him or tried to address him while facing the other way.
Knowing or suspecting that Ozmyr had a pretty firm grasp of the basics, Fesset set about to demonstrating the lesson he wanted to teach. He wrote on the board, "These are the signs for, 'do you know this?'" and showed both the sign and the board to Ozmyr.
He then showed him the forging dies he used to make strap buckles of various sizes and repeated the sign, ::Do you know this?:: The process of closed-die forging was fairly simple if not precisely easy. The real talent was in creating the dies themselves.
mike hornsby
Watching carefully Ozmyr's lips turned up into a bit of a smile at the demonstration of the sign language. He repeated them as Fesset watched and nodded his understanding. Learning new things had always excited the young smith and this was no different. Turning his attention to the dies he waited till the older man looked back at him.
Aaron C.
Watching carefully Ozmyr's lips turned up into a bit of a smile at the demonstration of the sign language. He repeated them as Fesset watched and nodded his understanding. Learning new things had always excited the young smith and this was no different. Turning his attention to the dies he waited till the older man looked back at him."I've seen them used but never used them myself. At least not on my own. You could say I understand the idea but haven't got to practice it on my own yet."
mike hornsby
Watching carefully Ozmyr tried to commit everything the older man did to memory. He had always enjoyed learning new things and there was certainly a lot of opportunity for that here at the Weyr. Back home, as the youngest in a large family there was seldom time for much one on one learning. Even traveling with the more experienced smith there had been his brother and other apprentices. This just made learning that much easier for him.
When directed to he took up a second set of tools and tried his best to duplicate what Fesset had done before. It didn't look quite the same and Ozmyr studied it with a perplexed expression. Then he glanced over and waited a moment till Fesset looked his way so he could see his lips.
"I hope practice will make perfect on this," he said nodding towards the buckle he was trying to make. "It's not as easy as it looks, is it?"