The Other Man.

[Vega]

123rd Trial
Vhalar
Arc 717

She'd been to see her father, practiced and talked with him as much as she could, but then Vega had needed to come home. It was strange, she thought, as she walked into the camp they shared. It was home but where it was didn't matter. In her hands was a bag, full of things that she had brought back from the boat. Things which had been in the chest there, memories and memorabilia, really, but she'd brought them with her. Somehow, it seemed important and Vega didn't quite know why. Still, she brought it back and she put it in the camp, being sure to place Bert where she slept. The thick knitted blanket which her grandmother and grandfather had apparently slept under and which was more than big enough for the two of them to wrap up in was also there and her father had more or less insisted.

Vega knew what he was doing. He was claiming which side he landed on.

Then, she looked around and she considered that yes, she knew what she was going to do now. Get that Immortals-forsaken pot seasoned, again and then, she was going to go about building some storage for him and all the cooking equipment he had. She was doing it, Vega reasoned, because she needed the practice at woodworking. It meant that she'd be useful and it would keep her hands busy. It was nothing to do with anything else and, frankly, if he'd gone off somewhere other than on U'frek's bidding, then that was just fine. Just fine. Damn, but he drove her crazy, she considered. He was doing what he'd told her he was going to do, when he'd told her he was going to and all she could do was damn well miss him. Added to that, she knew what she was doing. She was bloody well making the camp nice for him for when he got back. The tents were sewn together, set up against the wind. She'd brought little touches from home here and really, it was just selfish of him.

Vega grinned to herself as she got the yellow Dragonwood stoked more and then moved over to start the warm water rinse, pat dry and then coat with the good oil that she had grown used to. Once she'd done that with the pot which she'd nearly killed previously and then, by all accounts, kicked while it was down by scrubbing it, she put it in the warm orange sand he kept by the side of the fire.

Whilst she'd been visiting with her father, Vega had stopped at the market and bought something for Arlo. Ironically, she was going to use it now, because she had things to do with it but she considered that it was alright. He hadn't known how long he'd be gone but he'd told her, wrapped up together in the dark and the warm, he promised that he'd come back as quickly as he could. In those moments where her skin and his touched, his arms wrapped around her and his breath tickled her ear as he whispered to her, Vega was more honest, more vulnerable and genuine than she ever was. So too was he, she thought, in a different way and so she knew that he'd be back as soon as he could be. Because he'd promised and even more because he'd promised then in that place where they were just honest with each other.

But the honest truth was? If he didn't hurry up, when he did get back, she was going to pound him.

Ledger deductions

Knitted Blanket: 8gn
Carpenters Kit: 50gn
Wood: 20gn
Total Deduction: 78gn

[Vega]

123rd Trial
Vhalar
Arc 717

Having pottered around and made herself a cup of tea, Vega laid out the small tarp and she put the wood down on top of it. Sitting cross legged, she considered what she wanted to do. Boxes, storage boxes for their things. But equally, Vega thought, maybe she could make something that was useful for more than just storage. So, she began to sketch out ideas. A good box could, quite easily, become a seat. Maybe even a bench. Vega looked over at the cart they had and she moved to take some measurements. If the back of the bench was slats of wood which would, when travelling, attach to the side of the cart... no, that would put too much pressure on them because all the weight would be on the bottom, pulling down. But, she thought, the idea was sound. What if the back of the box itself attached to the cart, with the back of the bench adding height to the side of the cart? That would work, surely? It would also give them more storage in the back itself, especially if they used the extra height for herb boxes and planters.

So, a bench, Vega decided, that was a box. The box would be the part that they could sit on, the seat itself would lift up and reveal the storage beneath. She could make a small one for the two of them, she thought and a pair of single ones, then they could go either side of the cart. Or, if he hated them because they were too much like actual furniture or something, they could use them for boxes and that would be just fine or break them up when they left. That kind of thing really didn't bother her in the slightest.

First things first, Vega chose the pieces.They didn't want uniformity, straight lines and so on was just dull; of course, it was also easier in terms of carpentry so there was a clear payoff here. Her skill wasn't great yet, but she had to admit that she loved working with wood. It might be something that she practiced more, she thought. Maybe. Vega was well aware of her own tendency to jump into things and then change her mind a few trials later. Still, right now, it was fun and she enjoyed it.

With the pieces laid out, Vega go about the labor-intensive job of sanding it all down. She had to do that now, though she would also do it at the end. Before she started, she checked the damn cast-iron pot and, finding it cool enough, washed it carefully, patted it dry and treated it with some oil. It was about the tenth, maybe fifteenth time she'd done that and she knew, somehow that she was either doing it wrong or he wouldn't notice but still. Once it was seasoned, she put it on to the fire to warm through, repeating the process she had time and time again.

Sanding was repetitive, back breaking work but even in that Vega found enjoyment. The tops of her arms were aching by the time she finished the first half of the sanding and she stood, stretching out her arms. Having stopped, Vega went and moved the pot she was growing to hate off the heat and into the warm sand to let the seasoning take effect. Then, once she'd moved around and loosened up her muscles, she got back to it. Right now, she didn't need to sand it down to fine detail, but she needed to get it to the point that it was smooth enough that she could work with it, without getting a hundred splinters in her hands as she did.

[Vega]

123rd Trial
Vhalar
Arc 717

If there was one thing that Vega had learned about carpentry, it was that it was much, much easier to take more wood away than it was to put more wood on. So, as she got to putting together the box itself, she was careful in her measurements. "The thing to do, Bruce," she said, falling into a habit long since forgotten, "is to make sure, absolutely sure of yer measurements." Now, whilst she was sure that it might seem odd to be talking to a stuffed bear who was currently in the tent, she was very sure from arcs of experience that Bruce, in fact, had super-powered hearing. It was magic, and so, therefore, he heard her. Vega grinned to herself as she remembered her father telling her that, that Bruce could always hear her and so, if she was ever sad, or worried, then she should talk to Bruce and, no matter where he was he would hear her.

Sitting there on her own in the camp she shared with Arlo Creede, Vega lowered her head to look at what she was doing. Putting together these joints was fiddly work and she knew that it would be easier if there were two of them, but she pushed that to one side and focused on getting the job done. Thank goodness for the tarp and, she considered, next time she did something like this she'd put some wood down in order to ensure that the ground she was working on was flat and even.

The trick now that she had all the pieces was to get the joins just right and so Vega focused. It was fiddly work and she had to go back and make minor adjustments with the rasp more than once, but that was fine, that was what she knew was needed. It was easier once she had one corner to work from, she discovered and so she finished the joins for that corner then moved it so it was upright and got to work there.

It was the final joins that were tricky and Vega had to use the sandparchment and the raft more than she'd like to, but there it was. She stopped twice from the eye-straining work to go and season the pot, and it took her a good four breaks in total to get done. Once the main piece was put together, it looked finished and there, Vega discovered, the devil was in the detail. That was the difference between a piece of poor craftsmanship and a functional piece. Sanding, varnishing, filling in any gaps -varnishing again. All of these were things which needed to be done, and then done again. At least, she considered as she walked back from the campfire where she'd just applied a thin layer of oil.. again, it wasn't seasoning his damn pot.

As she put the cast iron pan away again, for the night this time, and she finished the last of the varnish touch-up applications, Vega smiled to herself. It wasn't beautiful, it wasn't artisan but it was functional and for that, she was delighted. Once she had put all of the tools away, Vega decided that life was too short to eat the muck she'd cook and, making sure that everything was safe (and all pans were out of hot coals), she went to bed in a tent that was far too big. "G'night Bruce," she whispered, before dropping off to sleep.

[Pash Raj'oriq]

Thread Rewards

Another introspective but also keep-your-hands busy solo. For the skills. Yes. Talking to the stuffed bear—cute and comforting but not the same. Arlo will be home soon so you can pound him. And he should be in one piece, too.

Vega

Points

XP:
10 | These points cannot be used for magic.

Fame:
N/A

Loot

Thanks for keeping your ledger! Some fun storage benches. Yes.

Injuries + Overstepping

N/A

Knowledge

Skill Knowledge:
Endurance: Pain from repetition of movement.
Carpentry:Putting together the pieces for a project first
Carpentry: Sanding before you start any close work
Carpentry: Use of varnish
Carpentry: Easier to take more away than to add more on
Carpentry:Start at one corner and move out

Other Knowledge:
N/A

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