Book Smarts (Augustina)

“So this is where you live when not at the tailor’s shop” came the voice of Tevron as he entered your workshop. You were in the process of writing a page for a book.

“Yes, I’m currently writing” you comment, taking your pen off the page and dipping it in some ink. You were writing at a lectern so as not to have gravity pull the ink from your pen.

“And some fine calligraphy that is too” Tevron complimented, looking over your shoulder at your work. While you might have gifted yourself the ability to write as Solus, as Augustine, you decided you would attempt to learn all your skills the hard way.

“It’s still not that good” you say, casually brushing off the compliment.

“What exactly is this place?” Tevron asked as he turned away from you and began looking around the room. You took a moment to finish up your work before setting down your pen and standing up to give the governor a tour.

“This is uhh, well it’s my workshop” you say sheepishly. “I’ve been experimenting a lot with writing and stuff like that” you explain before looking over at the ‘linen tank’ as you call it. “This here, is where I make something called ‘Paper’” you say enthusiastically as you practically skip over to it. “Inside is pulverised linen, you take one of these trays” you say, pausing to acquire a wooden rectangle with fine holes in it. “And you dunk it into the mixture, shaking it around a little until you have a nice even coat of sediment” you instruct, demonstrating the process as you speak.

“Wow, that actually looks solid” Tevron commented, his eyes ablaze with a keen analytical light.

“Yup, you then deposit the sheet on a surface like so” you say, demonstrating on your pressing bench. “And then press it for a while” you say, wrapping a cloth over the sheet of paper and putting a weight on top of it. “If you do it right, you can make several sheets of paper in one go for the low price of a bit of linen” you tell the man who nodded thoughtfully.

“Seems much easier to make than parchment, but completely relies on the crop of flax to be any good” he commented as he walked over to a pile of completed sheets.

“It’s also nowhere near as durable” you throw in. “It makes for a great writing surface, but it’s definitely a quantity over quality good” you say and Tevron nodded, running his thumb over a sheet of paper.

“So what got you into calligraphy and codex making in the first place?” Tevron asked as he turned around.

“Well, Calligraphy just seems like a very feminine skill” you say with a shrug “we use the word elegant to describe it, and I can’t think of too many men that like being called ‘elegant and graceful’” you add and Tevron chuckled.

“Very true, perhaps you’ll set a trend then” he replied, giving you an easy grin.

“No, I’m not really a trend setter” you say, shaking off his words.

“Oh?” Tevron asked, raising an eyebrow “coming from someone who runs a store specifically designed to set trends?” Tevron asked rhetorically.

“No, my store is meant to display trends ‘other’ people set” you reply. The whole point of your tailor ‘shop’ was to take in the height of fashion and reproduce it, putting it on display so that people could walk in and see it. It was sort of a medieval fashion magazine. This business model actually brought in plenty of money from young women who weren’t so good at the various clothing decoration skills, and thus needed to purchase those services.

“Fair enough, but I still think you would be the one to set this trend” Tevron told you, walking forward and taking your hands in his. You met his gaze and melted into his burning, passionate eyes, while his thumbs rubbed circles into your hands. You could feel your heart begin to race and a throbbing in your loins. Slowly, agonisingly slowly, Tevron leaned forward, moving to claim your lips in a kiss. The expectation had you rising subconsciously to meet him.

“So there you are Tevron!” called out the male version of you. You and Tevron both whirl around at the sudden, and rather loud intrusion. You only just managed to keep from scowling as you are violently ripped from what would have been a magical time on the floor of your workshop. “I have a project I’d like to discuss with you,” Solus said, walking into your workshop.

“Is it important? I was just taking care of some projects of my own” Tevron asked in a calm and rather dignified manner.

“It could pertain to the defense of the city, so I’d say it’s important” Solus replied, giving you a brief glance before returning his attention to Tevron.

“Very well” Tevron replied without even the slightest hint of annoyance. “Augustina, we’ll have to continue this later” Tevron told you, as if what you had just been about to do was important city business. “See me at my mansion this evening with those papers of yours so I can review them” he commanded. You merely nodded, already in a titanic struggle to not smile. You do, however, make damn sure that Solus has no idea what you and Tevron were doing.

With that Tevron left with Solus, and you were left frustrated and unsatisfied.

“Did I just cockblock myself?” you ask the empty air as you turn back to your lectern and the story you had been writing. It was a story about a Roman legionnaire in Briton. It was mostly based off of the book by Rosemary Sutcliff, but with some differences and some added spice. It was this last part that drew your attention. You needed something to distract yourself from the fact that you had somehow managed to cockblock yourself with your own projects. “Yes” you mutter absently as you take the already completed page off the lectern and slip a fresh sheet of paper onto it. “A nice sex scene between Marcus and a wild haired Celt in the Scottish highlands” you mutter, already envisioning the scene.