June 2021 - Under Construction

[staymods]

Under Construction

Most weekly shipments contain the bare essentials for survival: food, clothing, scant amounts of medicine, and so forth. The Finnish government provides the Otherworlders with what they need to survive, but it's pretty clear that it is on them to thrive.

This week is a bit different, however. Along with the usual foodstuffs, a couple palettes of lumber are dropped off as well. Plywood, 2-by-4s, you name it. There are also things like nails and basic tools to assist with the building process, though they are all manual tools. It's not a lot- certainly not enough to build something brand new- but it is plenty to aid the ongoing repairs.

When it arrives, Mauri is the one who claims responsibility for it. "I thought this would help you fix up some of the homes," he says, "I even got them to send a couple construction manuals, since you lot seem kind of...eh..."

What he's actually thinking is probably best left unsaid. But it's the thought that counts? It's one less step towards serviceable homes, at least.

Comments

[relictus]

I don't know about where you're from, but you don't become a wizard. You're either born a human or a wizard, regardless of your parentage. Though humans outnumber wizards these days...

[maidofmistakes]

So you're not technically different species, but you don't consider yourselves the same, because you're either born a wizard or you're not. I always thought a wizard was more like a job, but then again, I know basically nothing about magic.

[relictus]

We may appear the same, but there are significant differences between us. We live much longer so we are destined to outlive any human family, and we turn to stone when we die... and of course, humans often view as us something frightening to be hated, controlled, or cut down. That's how humans are.

[He doesn't make any attempt to hide his bitterness.]

[maidofmistakes]

[She frowns and shrinks into herself a little, focusing on cutting the wood.]

I'm not gonna say there aren't any people out there like that. They definitely exist. But only some of them are human, and a lot of humans are nice. ...Sorry. I guess that explains a lot.

[relictus]

...

[He seems to soften just a little.]

I suppose there are some half-decent humans out there... I wouldn't know anything about them on other worlds, either.

[maidofmistakes]

It is hard to get used to. New places and all this other-world stuff, I mean. So I get if it takes a while.