July 2021 - Home Sweet Home

[staymods]

Home Sweet Home

Summer is in full swing by now. The days are hot and sticky, the nights are cooler but still a bit uncomfortable. The temptation to spend the days swimming away in the waters near Rabbit Island is strong. After all, everyone has worked hard, so why not take a break? Summer is the best time to go swimming, especially during the daytime hours when you can see straight to the bottom of the shallow areas.

Much has been accomplished in the last month. The food storage building is looking much more secure, and just in time too: it won't be long before the farmland can be fully used to grow food for everyone, and you'll need a place to keep all your vegetables. Cold storage is still a ways off, but this is a good start.

The defenses have improved too. After a thorough check, the island has been verified to be troll-free, which pleases your local NPCs greatly. A safe island is a happy island, after all. And with two of the sea nets fully functional, the islands are that much safer.

Finally, repairs have been completed on one of the houses. It looks a bit too small for everyone to move into, so you'll have to figure out a way to decide who gets to live there. But with the experience of fixing up this house, further houses should be easy to repair too.

All in all, it's been a good month. Even the nighttime screaming from the Silent World seems to have disappeared for now. Hopefully the peace and quiet will last. Maybe enjoy it while you can? Things can change in an instant here, after all.

Comments

[ghoulserrand]

...Krypton...? [His head tilts.]

[maidofmistakes]

It's where I'm from. ...uh, sorry, I guess this is a lot of talking and not much working, huh? I didn't mean to.

[ghoulserrand]

[He jumps a little, then turns back to the job at hand, pulling more boards.]

Sorry... I was... distracted...

[Always missing people and he finally has some to talk to. Turns out he's talking too much.]

[maidofmistakes]

No, no! It's my fault too.

[She goes up to pull boards down again.]

I guess I still just think too much about home sometimes when I need to focus on helping out here. That's all.

[ghoulserrand]

I don't... know if there's such thing...

[Sure, they need to focus on working, earning there keep and all. But...]

Thinking too much of home...? Seems... normal... Wish I could... remember having one... What was it... like? You said... no one has powers? But you do...

[maidofmistakes]

No one had them back home. It's because our sun was different. But when I got to Earth, something about the yellow sun makes me stronger and gives me all these powers.

[She looks down at him from the air and smiles, reassuring, even if it's self-conscious.]

It wasn't perfect or anything. I got picked on at school, since I didn't always have the latest things. And my family's research got ignored until it was too late. But it was nice. I remember the crystal buildings, how the colour of the sky was different. The animals, the food -- some things were like here, but a lot wasn't.

I don't know what I'd do if I didn't remember. I'm probably the only one left who does.

[ghoulserrand]

[A magic sun. Who would have thought? Wait. That meant she was an alien? Magic alien who wasn't before. This whole other worlds thing got confusing, but he could roll with it.

Not so much that last note though. He pauses what he's doing, looking up.]

Did... something happen...?

[maidofmistakes]

...Yeah.

[She sits down on a portion of floor where the wall's been cleared out and looks down.]

There was a disaster. My family were scientists, they found out beforehand, but the council didn't listen until it was too late to do anything but try and get away. My parents got me into a ship with some supplies, and... I didn't realize they weren't coming with me until the cockpit closed behind me. It was just me, flying away to somewhere I'd never heard of as my planet exploded.

My aunt and uncle did the same thing. They didn't escape, but they sent their baby off to Earth alone. But my ship got caught in a wormhole, so even though I didn't age, I didn't get to Earth until Kal was already grown up. So I'm probably the only person left who remembers what home was like. That's why I couldn't imagine not knowing, like you.

[ghoulserrand]

... I'm sorry...

[There's a lot there. It's a fantastical story. But, ultimately, it's not far off from what he knows-- the collapse of a world.]

That sounds... hard... You've lost a lot... [A world, a family, an entire culture and whatever normalcy she had in it.]

You can... talk about it... with me... Remembering... old things... is hard... New things, they're easier... Doesn't have to be... just you...

[He pauses a longer moment, still working, in a sense, but taking his time with it.]

I remember... some things... Places... things... But... other people... they would remember... before... what they had... Made them harder... Rough... Not you though.

[maidofmistakes]

Thanks. Talking to people helps. Sorry, I didn't want to dump it on you.

[She hops off the side of the building and floats back down to the ground.]

I think we can start putting the new walls back now. Do we have enough lumber?

[ghoulserrand]

[He shrugs.]

I asked.

[Not a burden on him. He glances back at what they've got.]

... I think so... Looks the same as... what the plan said... Have you built like this... before?

[He moves to grab a piece, tugging it off the pile and seeing if he can't get it up onto his shoulder.]

[maidofmistakes]

I was helping with one of the houses a few weeks ago. [She pulls out the beat-up measuring tape from the supplies and starts measuring the planks of wood and marking them.] It takes a little getting used to. Can you saw them where I've marked? When I do it, it takes a litle bit since I have to be careful not to break them.

[ghoulserrand]

[He gives a thumbs up. Sawing wood, that's pretty straightforward. And he hasn't got super strength to break anything.

He digs the old tool out and starts to work on that. It's almost mindless work, though he needs to be careful enough not to injure himself. Then there'll be a fuss in town and he'll surely be found out.]

Strange... you know... it never occured to me... to fix a home... to even find one...

[maidofmistakes]

Because it's so dangerous where you are, right? You said there aren't many people to be around.

[ghoulserrand]

... I manage better than ...some... [The living that is.] But, yes... would be pretty lonely... I went... looking for others... big long camping trip...

[maidofmistakes]

Sounds tough, especially if you don't have any powers.

[ghoulserrand]

I think it was... harder at first... was lost... in the world and in my head... Didn't know... what to do... Lots of mistakes... painful ones sometimes... But... Eventually found a... routine, I guess... way to live... Became normal... after a while...

[maidofmistakes]

I guess it would, huh? Sorry... And now you're out here. At least we're all stuck together.

[ghoulserrand]

Out here is... not so bad... It is very, very nice... to see people again... Kind ones especially...

[maidofmistakes]

Yeah, at least the people here are usually nice. I think we can rebuild this place in no time! Or, uh, at all.

[ghoulserrand]

[He makes a noise that is either a laugh or a cough.] A good thing here... Got time aplenty... Do you think... you'll be taking a house?

[maidofmistakes]

I mean, probably eventually. But I don't know where. There aren't very many people, so at least I wouldn't be hoarding.

[ghoulserrand]

I'm not picky... either... Lived outside... ages now... Like the company... in town... but maybe... i'll live further away... What would you... look for?

[maidofmistakes]

I dunno. By further away, do you mean like on the farm? The stuff there seems in better shape, and if you're good at farm work, that might be convenient for you.

[ghoulserrand]

[He makes a noise.] Would be... convenient... but I'm not sure... I'm a farmer... [Rather, he's not sure he should be in charge of the food. But, he gestures to the bow and arrow set he's put to the side. Not exactly an animal caretaker.]