Christmas Construction - RPLOG
Participants
Date
24/12/2017
Log
It's a brisk winter day. The wind blows gently from the northeast. It is Chrismahaunakwanzamastide Eve, a fine day. A fine day to work that is. People have gathered around an entire block, removing bits of rubble and making a bit of a mess on the newly cleared roads, but some mess was needed. The call was going out, a new building would be made, where people could live without fear. Properly piped for water and made a specific patrol point for the growing policing forces, it would be a safe place for families to grow in the company of other good people.
Piled on the east side of the block are mounds of wood frames and bags on bags of cement, paid for by generous donations towards the effort, but what good were supplies without them being used? That is what people were being brought for.
The leader of the effort appears to be a bright red latex fox wearing a hard hat with holes to allow his rubbery ears free and a proper high-visibility vest over his glistening chest. He wore no pants, but seemed to not be much interested in that as he shouts orders at others to keep things in some kind of order.
Arthurr didn't have much to do on the eve of the holiday, so why not actually do something useful, he thought to himself. There was that call for some help with building what sounded like an apartment complex. He never saw himself as a mason or engineer, but hey, why not try something new? Figuring they might need some decent hauling of materials, he changed from his current form, that of a dark elf, into a steel hercules. Once he approached the area he noticed the fox shouting at others, probably the one coordinating everything. "Uh, excuse me, I want to help with the building, just tell me what needs to be done."
Colette was one of those volunteers brought in. She wasn't large by any means, but she was no slouch, and it was obvious that this wasn't her first time on a construction site. She woke a pair of hefy leather boots in addition to her regular clothing, with a similar hard-har cut open for her ears atop her head. Hair was bundled up in a large bun, with what wouldn't fit hanging down in a looped ponytail behind her. Looking about for the loudest person on the site, she came to the fox about the same time as Arthurr, nodding as they spoke. "In the same boat! Whatever you need done."
With little to do over this time of merriment, and the return of civilization looming upon the horizon, Wurtzite answers the call for workers. In spite of hir skill at such things as engineering, it would be a lie to call hir strong. Shi approaches the latex foreman, "Uh. Mind if I help with your construction here?"
Ayaka steps up alongside Colette, having quite literally followed her lead in suiting up and preparing for this. She seemed quite unused to the heavy leather workboots she was wearing, and a hardhat that she is presently trying to fit securely to that big-eared head of hers. "There!" She exclaims triumphantly as she sets the strap, and with a quick sprint she catches up to the growing group, ready to be told what to do.
The latex for cranes his neck to look up at the tall slice that is Arthurr. "That's more like it! Alright, you look like you can handle it." He points over to the cement bags. "Dry cement won't help us. They're clearing our the parcel and they'll get to digging soon, but while they do that, empty two bags out and get to mixing with water. Whatever you do. Do. Not. Stop. Stirring! Actually, forget that. Get it going, then I'll send some others over to help mix it up, but if you could get it started, that'd be great, then come back." His eyes dropped back down to the small Colette. "Hm, alright, you'll be on more sensitive duty. I want you to help clear things out. There are smaller things wedged right where they need to not be, so help get it out. Pile it up on the road. We'll do road clearing after this." He looked aside at the middle-sized Wurtzite. "Why don't you help her? Some things are deceptively heavy for their size, and a buddy in case something collapses is a good thing, eh?" He thrust two fingers at Colleen and Ayaka. "You two are the small fingers, he's the thumb, make it happen!"
A call went out, shortly after it was sent in. The little fennec lass felt herself smile, shaking her head. Always work to be done. Whether in the grunt, in the heft, or in the effort beyond. Twas always work to be done now. She didn't wait, lingering for but a drink before heading out after the call. A familiar and old construction had all but been leveled, cutting away the broken and destroyed like a disease. The lass snickered, eyes gazing out across the assembled volunteers, swiftly taking her place for a moment. Arms crossed and a grin present, she nodded to the latex lad up, directing, "Alright. Ya got a cement stirring, clearing duty, what can I do for ya?"
Nodding before disengaging the fox and leaving to do as assigned, Wurtzite walks over to the 'smaller stuff that needs to not be where they are', and starts picking up what shi can carry, then walking those 'smaller things that need to not be where they are' that shi can carry over to the road, setting them down gently. Shi retains the distinct impression that shi wouldn't be able to tell if those things shi was carrying over were what the fox requested be moved.
Arthurr nods and moves towards the bags of cement. That much he knows how to do, he remembers seeing it often enough before p-day. Keep mixing and stirring otherwise it hardens. Being big like he was right now, emptying two was easy stuff. Grabbing a nearby hoe and a bucket, he began the process, dropping water only in the middle, stirring and stirring, leaving the borders dry. He was pretty sure that was the proper way to do it.
"Well, lookee here, the miss of the hour. You trying to make us working folk look bad?" The fox had a shiny grin on his latex face. "Naw, just messing. Mmm, you wanna help?" He pointed up. "See the wires? Tear them down. Not like the electrical grid's a thing besides an old fantasy. Pull them down, ask for help if one's stubborn, but most practically WANT to come down, so just keep tugging and clear 'em out.
Colette instantly sturdied her posture, nodding with a quick "Got it!" She looked to her partners, smiling as Wurtzite beat her to the punch. She motioned Ayaka with her, then moved away from the fox and got to work. "Look for debries, nails, smaller pieces of wood that can't be reused." She raised her voice as she looked to Wurtzite, "We'll call you over if we find anything we can't lift! Alright?"
Ayaka nods quickly as she's given her task, and follows Colette's lead as she assesses the area trying to figure out what to move out. There's certainly a lot of -stuff- here, a lot of it just detritus on the floor. She picks herself a few bits of masonry and detritus, picking them up with her right hand and piling them onto her cradled right arm. "Where should we drop this off Colette? Maybe over on the other side of that street there?" She started heading in that direction, meaning to drop off the debris near another ruined building for the time being.
"Of the hour? Ha! I just did what needed to be done." A smile shines across Mokou's lips as she shoots back to the latex lad. "Besides. What kinda terrible thing would it be to start this, but not support it? Terrible, that's what kind" She smirks, shaking her head as before those ears flicked sharply upward. Electrical wiring. Hmm. Taking that down shouldn't be too bad a problem. She quickly runs a few numerical possibilities, stepping on over towards the old power lines that littered the sky. Claws dug in, and up and up she went! "Let's see... Pulling down these ol' wires..." Bright and shining above the scope of others, a brief chuckle falls from her lips. "Goodness... Now isn't this something..." But, There will be time for rejoice soon. Now... Now is the time of breaking metal prongs to support the wires... Get them down, work with them later.
:blinks...
With the goal being clarified to being debris removal, Wurtzite feels more confident in hir ability to identify that. With a deeply unpractised eye, shi looks about on the ground, picking up the smallest stuff, wishing for a broom and dustpan, also for the ground to be concrete, but it takes relatively little time for hir to notice what shi had nearly mistaken for the landscape, the pieces of debris larger than a few inches in all dimensions. Things that can fill a hand, pieces of wood and metal from a building long since collapsed by the relentless degredation induced by hungry nanites.
Shi sighs, feeling as though shi might have trailed off into hir own thoughts, then picks up a nearly rotten plank of wood, delivering it to the side of the road.
Go to town, pick this up, make that call, visit this guy, tell that guy he's a real piece of work, drop this off, make this call, remember to make that payment, stop by to settle this issue... It was a busy day for Otto, a very busy day indeed. He bounced around town like a pinball in play. Once he figured everything was done, it was time to- OH GOODNESS, LOOK AT THE TIME! GUN IT!
For many that would mean unfolding their wings and leaping into the air, the preferred method of getting around town, according to many of Otto's friends. The jackal however was challenged, in that regard. He'd busted through enough windows to take a hint and just run. Run run run, as fast as his legs would carry him, until he FINALLY arrives at the rendezvous, panting up a storm. His eyes scan over the various mutants, and the supplies found there. "Phew... god damn, am I late?" he asks, seemingly no one...
"Hoi, anyone have some of that nanite magic and want to shave a few days off the cycle?" The latex fox looked left and right over the masses, his eyes lingering on those that wore obvious badges or other marks that made them easily known as agents of a faction. "A little earth hoodoo would be just the thing about now to keep this going. He jumped as a larger, but not huge, person landed nearby. "Hey, plenty of work to spread around. You have earth magic by chance?"
"So long as it's at the road and consolidated! There should be a pile already started!" Colette shouted back, quickly getting to work herself. She darted about, specifically paying attention to where ground had been levelled and areas of high foot-traffic. She kept herself out of the way, darting around others as they went about their assigned duties. As she came to a larger metal beam sticking out of the ground, she testingly pulled on it, then looked over to Wurtzite. "'Scuse me, Miss! Think I could get your help pulling this out?"
"Earth?" *wheeze* "Nano... yeah..." Otto leans over and presses his palms against his knees, still gasping for air. "I got it! I got... god damn, I need to lay off the blini." he chuckles softly under his breath. Rising back up, the canine looks towards the materials, then scratches the nape of his neck. "I can pitch in with Earth Nanohoodoo, but... I mean, do we have schematics? A floor plan? Or do I just work as I see fit?" Otto asks of the red one.
Alexey had little experience in construction, but heard that large individuals are welcomed and she responded. She prepared before coming to the meeting: took her trusty medkit andfocould not think what else she could bring to the event. A lot of thoughts - a lot of time wasted, she lost track of time foand was almost late. When she arrived the latex fox was giving commands to agents and other agents were already busy working. She was late, but she know what to do.
Polyethylene dragon approached the fox and said in loud voice - "Agent Alexey reporting for duty, sir!", that was not she wanted to say, she blushed, she cursed recent training courses and her anxiety.
Wurtzite nods towards Colette, "I'm big, but not strong. But here we go."
Wurtzite joins Collette and Ayaka in lifting the metal beam out of the ground, struggling a fair amount to lift the beam out of the ground.
The fox claps his rubbery paws with a squeak. "Fantastic! Great. As soon as we have the lot clear, I need you to dig us a foundation and shove the bits of the old foundation out of the way. You ain't building with that, we aren't putting people in rock igloos, but for a foundation? Perfect. We got the cement mixing up already." He turns to the rest of the crew. "You hear that! This big guy'll dig out the foundation as soon as the land's clear, so get moving!"
Ayaka quickly dumps out her load of debris and dusts herself off, before dutifully running after Colette to assist her and Wurtzite. She slips under the big metal beam and lifts it with a shoulder carry, using her back to put as much strength into it as she can muster.
Being a giant hercules beetle, mixing the cement with water felt more like playing with one of those 'sand gardens' that existed before p-day. It was a bit boring, but given his size and strength, it was trivial. Looking around, he wondered when, or if, someone was going to take it over for him. "Hey, uh, boss, the cement's ready here! Want me to keep stirring?" He shouted so the fox would hear him.
"Dig out the found, OH! Right. Yes!" Otto clasps his paws, apparently a bit out of the loop by the look and sound of things. He wipes his brow and takes a moment to recompose himself. Deep breaths, damnable air was so frigid. "Anyway, just point the way, boss." the jackal beams at their red-coated manager "I can help out in other ways too if you need me."
The fox lets out a little curse at hearing Arthurr. "Sorry, hey, help the guy out!" He points over to the mixing cement. "He got the hard part done. Meanwhile, you--" He pointed to Arthurr, then Otto, "Grab the biggest things on the lot and get them out onto the street and out of the way. Let's get this place clear within the hour so we can get to the next part."
Colette grit her teeth, pulling alongside Wrtze while Ayaka pushed from below. With enough effort, it came free, and the smaller woman let out a cheer! "Don't matter, so long as we're workin' together! We'll help you with it, following your lead! Let's finish this up quick!" She said, nodding to Wurtzite and giving Ayaka a quick grin.
Mokou scampered along those blasted power poles, grumbling the last squirrls that came along. Seem like they could do it on reflex. Sure sure, easy stupid squirrls. Blast them and their whole nut gathering shick. Each time, each pole was soon under her hand, wires shlumping and falling towards the ground as though snakes that gave up standing. Did snakes even stand? Er... maybe... She shook her head. Another hundred or so pounds of wires to move. Dang... They really did fill the sky with these things, didn't they?
Alas, her ears caught a familiar voice, another shouting out that the foundation will be dug, that it will be scooped out and get it clear... Once all was said and done! The fennec's eyes widened as she tossed a glance back, a familiar jackal in their gaze. "Heh... Cour'se he would." She shook her head, setting off towards that final powerpole, giving an all mighty heave as the wires came clattering to the ground. Not forever, but enough to section off this block at least. Handy. "OIY," she shouted, gazing down to any who'd listen. "Anyone got something to cut the blasted wires? Then we can move 'em, and not have em hanging and falling on us! Mah claws aren't good for that."
With the power of friendship and teamwork reaffirmed, Wurtzite assists Ayaka and Colette finish clearing the area around the site of the new foundation as best shi can. After a short time, they've gotten it cleared and produced a pile of scraps on the side of the road.
Ayaka plops down on a pile of stacked wooden beams, looking exhausted. That was a lot of heavy lifting, dragging around, picking up and setting down in a short amount of time. Still, there's work left to be done, and the 'sune picks herself back up and dashes after Colette, ready to keep carrying her weight around here.
The canine raises a hand and salutes, "Aye aye, cap'n!" the jackal nods and glances towards Arthurr "Hey there! Let's go get this done, then! Name's Otto, by the way. Nice to meet yah!" There were plenty of things to clear out, this much was perfectly clear. "Right, I'll handle this spot, and you..." What's that sound? Wait... his glance snaps onto Mokou once he hears her voice, a grin playing at his lips once he spots her. Heh, ofcourse she would. He gestures towards Arthurr and asks "Hold on a sec, I'll be right back!" before moving over towards the fennec lass. A touch of focus, a wave of the hand, a grunt and a grumble as the flaws are ironed out, and the canine moves in with a pair of *clank* Well... with two sharp blades. Meh, a knife by any other name. He hands one piece of the former wire cutters to Mokou and uses the other by himself, to start doing the work they were needed for. "Gonna take some force, but... I could try putting em back together. Not used to this nano yet, hon. Fancy seeing you here, by the way."
"Ho Ho Ho," came a sudden new voice. A skunk girl strode towards the scene, her assets jiggling beneath her festive attire. "What is this? A bunch of good boys and girls and other?" She purses her lips as she shakes her bottom. "Such hard work... And on Christmas Eve no less? Don't you have families to be with? Maybe you need something warm to cuddle with." She bats her lashes. "I could arrange that..." It seemed the site was under attack.
Arthurr smiled once another mutant took over the stirring of the cement. Surprised with the jackal, he smiled and nodded, "Oh, hi there. My name is Arthurr. Alright let's clean this place." Stretching the best he could, he moved began grabbing as much junk as he could to get out of the way. Damn, even with 13ft and over a ton of metallic muscle some stuff was damn heavy! On his way back to the lot, he noticed the fox up the poles and Otto giving her something to cut the wires. Looking at his own hands, he wondered if those talons could actually cut through. Probalby not. Anyway those concrete slabs won't move themselves! Work, work!
Fenris trots up to the scene, drawn both by the call for help and the general commotion. "Am I too late to help?? the hefty tanuki asks, looking around with interest. His usual attire has been replaced by a hard hat and reflective vest over a white tank top today. These, along with sturdy work gloves and boots set in stark contrast his lack of trousers. He is rather small compared with many of the workers here. . .
"Oh yeah?" Wurtzite says to the the skunk, "Well, we're working to build a home for someone. So that they'll have a warm place to sleep. Cuddle or no."
Shi turns away from the skunk, returning to cleaning up the lot.
Colette clapped her hands together, looking over the area with a content smile. There was a glance over to the skunk girl, and she began moving in that direction. "We're all working to make every Christmas a bit nicer for everyone. You might want to stay back a bit, though! The space can be dangerous, and distraction shares with disaster."
The skunk pouts, a pursing of her thick lips. "That's no excuse to just ignore me." She raises a hand to her generous chest. "I'm here to help spread the cheer of the season." Her ears perked at Colette. "You're adorable! I bet you were a good girl this year, weren't you?" She reaches right out to pinch Colette's cheeks. "What are you hoping for?"
The jackal was still cutting the wires, when he spots and hears a familiar voice. He waves to Fenris and yells out, "HIYA FEN!" a smile cast and a tailwag added for good measure, before his attention returns to the task at hand, these karfunkled wires!
Fenris waves back when he hears his name called, but is instantly distracted when he overhears the mention of Christmas! ?Did someone mention holiday cheer?? he asks, trotting over to the skunk and those around her, ?I have that in spades! And maybe some cookies to share!?
The little fennec felt a smile pull at her lips as she looked back down to the lad that approached... simply making knives out of the air. Crazy stuff that. She shook her head briefly, quickly scampering back down to the ground. A smile was shot back to him as she grabbed the tools, looking over them. A little off, not exactly on center, but more than enough. She'd need them more for leverage than for raw cutting force... but that does help. "Heh, wouldn't miss this for the world hon! Now shoo, you've got plenty ya are needed for."
Setting about cleaving those wires from their blasted hold, the lass set about stripping some of the rubbery matte across them firstly. Would help more than anything else. Figure what needs to be brutally cut, and what can be snipped away at... Yet those sharp ears of hers caught a few voices out across the way. Her smile was brief as she looked up, gesturing to the tanuki, "Of course you can help! Here, go over there and ask the latex lad about it. Waiting on the foundation before setting about the building first." Her eyes turned though, looking back to the skunk lass. A growl at her lips, and a shake of her head before shouting back. "Oiy! Ya, we're spending time away from family so we can spend more time with them later. Ya can act as moral support if ya want, but try to not get in the way, okay?" A grumble and shake of her head, a stuborn wire snapping under her hands. Blasted... One down, a dozen to go.
