This Is The House That Tock Built (Solo, Job)

by **Minerva Agatha Zipporah** on April 27th, 2012, 11:07 pm

Jacques double checked her measurements himself, and after comparing them to the plans, agreed that she was right. "Well," he said, "it wouldn't be the first time Eavin made a mistake like that. Before he started drinking, he was quite the craftsman."

"Well now 'e's a bloomin' fool," Tock said, crossing her arms and leaning against the half-built wall. "If'n I was you--"

"You're not me, Miss Zipporah," Jacques cut her off. "Now, why didn't you just report the mistake, instead of starting a fight with Eavin? I'm not going to say I don't sympathize with you for your anger towards him, but regardless, workers on my crews cannot strike their supervisors."

Tock bit the inside of her cheek to keep herself from snapping. She needed this job. After a few moments, she took a breath and said, "Look, 'e's useless. When I tries ta ask 'im somethin', 'e says, 'I don't care, jus' git 'er done,' so 'at's what I were doin'. I ain't got no time ta waste on 'im jus' tellin' me 'e don't care. So I were jus' gonna fix 'er up right, easy peasy. No need ta get 'im involved when I can fix 'er myself."

Jacques nodded and said, "I appreciate your initiative. But we can't just make spot adjustments like that. We're following the same plans for the whole block. If there was a mistake here, it no doubt affects all the other houses we're working on as well. So in the future, I need any such mistakes reported. If Eavin doesn't listen, bring them to me. Understand?"

Tock nodded her agreement, and Jacques added, "And no more fighting. I'd hate to have to fire someone with your potential just because you can't keep your temper in check." He then left her to go take care of whatever other business needed his attention. She got back to work calculating the adjusted measurements for the door, her earlier anger replaced by a swell of pride that he had said she had 'potential.'

by **Minerva Agatha Zipporah** on April 27th, 2012, 11:44 pm

Once the adjusted measurements were shared with the other crews, and confirmed by the lead woodcarver, Minerva was back to work. As with most of her projects, there was an easy part and a harder, more detailed part.

The easy part was the carpentry. The door was assembled from a few thick boards, measured and cut to length, and attached to each other to form the main body of the door. A hole was drilled for the handle, and the edges all around were sanded and smoothed. She checked that everything was straight and level, and double and triple checked the measurements against the new specs. She then fit it into the frame in the nearly completed wall to ensure it fit.

Once the body of the door was complete and she was sure it fit, she carried it back over to her work table and set about the detail work. The door was complete as far as its function was concerned, and could be installed as-is, just a plain rectangle of wood. But a little style went a long way towards turning a house into a home.

She etched the design for the carvings on the door, and used her gouges to mark all the places she would need to cut. Then she used her chisels to cut out the grooves that made up the design. It was a simple design, nothing overly artistic. Just two parallel columns of diamond shapes, each shape two feet tall by a foot and a half wide. That fit six of the shapes into the face of the door. The hardest part was the measuring, and calculating the angles to make sure they were correct. The lead woodcarver checked all her angles before she started the actual carving. After that it was just slow, steady, careful work, keeping the chisels in straight lines as she carved out the pattern.

When the door was complete, the locksmith came over to install the door handle and lock. He was an older gentleman, and clearly well practiced in his trade. "Mind a lil help?" Minerva asked him. "I wouldn't mind learnin' 'ow 'at's done."

"Certainly, Miss," he said. "I'm always glad to help teach the trade."

by **Minerva Agatha Zipporah** on April 28th, 2012, 12:25 am

The locksmith had the parts he needed already made, and just needed to assemble them. He took the time to explain what each one was, and how they worked together. He demonstrated how the tumbler would prevent the movement of the locking bar while it was in a lowered position, and showed her how the key would push the tumbler away when it was turned, allowing the bolt to move freely. He also explained the process of cutting each key uniquely, and showed her the interior of the lock where the shape of the correct key would allow it to slide through the grooves in order to reach the tumbler.

Minerva took notes the whole time, examining each piece in detail. Then she helped him assemble the parts. He directed her where to slide the bolt into the side of the door, and how to align it properly. He made some adjustments and then showed her how the tumbler fit in, connecting to the bolt. Precise alignment was crucial, he explained, to ensuring the lock would function properly.

Once the parts were assembled, the locksmith double checked their alignment for a proper fit, then had Minerva screw everything in place. Then they tested the lock a few times to make sure the key turned smoothly.

Since Eavin was passed out again and not paying any attention to her, Minerva decided to follow the locksmith around to the other houses Jacques's crews were working on. He let her do the lock assembly on each one to get practice, while he directed her and made minor adjustments for her. After doing it half a dozen times, she had a fair idea how the parts went together.

By the time they were done, the work day was at an end. The locksmith bade her goodnight, and headed home to his family. James found her shortly after. "Come on," he said, "a couple of the guys want to buy you a drink for decking Eavin."

Minerva rolled her eyes and said, "Oy, I ain't been punished enough for 'at already? Ya gotta throw more o' 'at swill down my throat?"

by **Minerva Agatha Zipporah** on April 28th, 2012, 2:15 am

By the time she was on her fourth Kelp Beer that night, Minerva said with slightly slurred speech, "'Is stuff is... almost startin' ta grow on me."

James grinned and slipped an arm around her shoulder, raising his mug to clink against hers. "Yeah?" he asked. "You like it?"

Minerva snorted and laughed, "Like it? Ha! Nah, but by the time ya get past the third, ya taste buds 'r so dulled 'at the rest's easy!" She downed the fourth in a long swig, barely even flinching at the horrid aftertaste.

Fermented seaweed? Really? she thought, staring at the thick sludge at the bottom of her mug.

By her fifth, someone in the room had brought out a wooden flute and started to play. The whole tavern started to sing, and Minerva joined in, struggling to keep up with the unfamiliar words. She stumbled over her singing a great deal, but she had enough beer in her not to care how horrible her voice sounded.

The old sea man's wrath
Will take your head!
Don't cross his path
Or you'll be dead!
The old sea man's wrath
Turns his face red!
When he finds his wife
With you in bed!
Oh don't draw his wrath
Just flee instead!
Or a deep sea bath
All chained in lead
Will be your path
Down to the seabed!
When the old sea man's wrath
Finds you, Lunkhead!!

Later, James walked her home again. She had enough beers in her just then to be quite... vulnerable. She was clinging to his arm and leaning quite heavily on him, a big, silly grin plastered on her face. When she got home, it took her three tries to get her key in the door. She then grabbed James by his shirt and pulled him inside with her.

"Tock... you've had a lot to drink," he said, looking around the single-room home. Every available inch of wall space was covered in blueprints and diagrams. There were drawings of clocks and wolves, and mechanical arms and legs. They were all preliminary work only, and nowhere near complete. She had a lot more studying to do before she could actually accomplish any of what she was hoping for. But the images in her head sometimes insisted on being written down and sketched.

"Aye," she said with a slur, "'at I 'ave..." She stumbled into the room and plopped down on her bed, pulling off her gloves and heavy leather apron.

"You going to be all right?" James asked, looking around the room uncomfortably. Tock looked up at him and grinned. He was really cute.

"I'll beeeeee... fine," she said, kicking off her boots and pushing her way off the bed and back to her feet. She sauntered across the room to him and slid her arms around his waist, still grinning. "'Ow 'bout you, aye? Ya all right?" She pulled him a little closer, humming to herself and tracing her fingers across his shirt.

He cleared his throat and turned red. "I'm all right," he said. "But I really should be going. Just wanted to make sure you got home safe, and all." Tock pouted, slipping her hands up to his shoulders.

"Ya can't stay a lil?" she asked. He looked tempted. But the gentlemanly side won out and he gently pulled her hands off him.

"I really need to go," he said, with a fair bit of regret in his tone. "You've had too much to drink. You really need to sleep it off..." After he left, Tock shut the door and leaned against it, sliding down to the ground. She really hadn't wanted to let him leave.

by **Minerva Agatha Zipporah** on April 28th, 2012, 2:33 am

Work progressed slowly but steadily on the house. Minerva had grown bashful around James, remembering her recent inebriated behavior. She spent most of the next day working on shingles. The basic structure of them was done, but she still had to add the decorative touch. She started two piles, the shingles in each pile being carved in mirror images of each other. One pile had a simple, gentle curve that started long on the left side and curved up high on the right. The others were high on the left, and low on the right. When held up in a line, alternating from one to the other, they formed a sinuous curve that would run the whole length of the roof.

The lead woodcarver came over at one point to examine the shingles. He lined a few of them up to point out some places where the curves on each weren't quite identical, and showed her a few tricks with the chisel to keep a more steady line. For the most part, though, it was just steady, repetitive work. It was good... steady work kept her mind from wandering.

Late in the day she finished both piles of shingles, but the roof wasn't up yet and so they weren't ready for them. It was getting too late for her to really start on her next project, so she spent the remainder of the time helping the workers who were assembling the walls. They'd gotten themselves a bit disorganized again, and she just shook her head at them when she saw what they were doing. Four men were working on four different parts of the walls, hammering planks in place with no coordination between them. "Tch," she groaned, and pulled the men off one side of the building to go help on the other side. Where the hell was Eavin when this sort of thing needed doing?

"Oy, 'ere," she guided one man over to the lumber. "Sort 'ese 'ere out by size. Wider ones 'ere, thinner ones 'ere," she gestured to some empty spaces nearby. She then got the other three gathered together, working on one wall.

"'Ere," she said, waving one of them to help her. "Let's 'old 'is up there for 'em, aye?" With the man's help, she lifted one of the boards into place, the two of them holding it up together. Then she nodded at the other two, "Aye, you blokes nail 'er on." The board got in place far quicker this way, rather than one man struggling to hold a board up and nail it in place himself. They continued on down the line this way, finishing up the one wall before it was quitting time for the day.

by **Minerva Agatha Zipporah** on April 28th, 2012, 3:25 am

"Hey. You didn't come out last night...?" James asked, kneeling down alongside Tock to help gather up an armful of shingles. It was the morning of a new day, and with it a new set of tasks to be completed. The shingles needed to be loaded up into boxes that could be raised up to the roof later.

"Don't mix 'em!" Minerva said, smacking James on the hand. She had the shingles sorted into two piles based on the designs, and he had been throwing them all in one box.

"Oh... sorry..." he said, clearing his throat and keeping his eyes down. There was a bit of an awkward silence, and then he asked, "You gonna come out tonight?"

Minerva bit the inside of her cheek. She didn't know how to answer. She'd never been much of a drinker, until she started this job, and her coworkers had started dragging her to a tavern every night. She wasn't really very 'lady-like' any day of the week, but she felt down right... bad when she was drunk.

"I'm sorry," James said. She scowled at him.

"Fer what? Ya ain't done nothin'," she said, standing up and lifting her box of shingles. James grabbed the other box and followed her as she crossed over to the building. A few men were working on the roof right now, and they'd need the shingles soon enough. They set the boxes by the ladders, and looped ropes through the handles so they could be raised up to the roof. Then Minerva went back to her work area to work on carving the shutters.

James followed her, scratching the back of his head and looking generally uncomfortable. Minerva cast an irritated look at him. He was acting weird. "Oy, whazzer deal, mate?" she asked. He cleared his throat and struggled for words.

"I guess I just wanted to make sure I haven't done anything wrong..." he said. Minerva couldn't help but smile. She leaned up on her toes and planted a kiss on his cheek.

"Mate, ya ain't done nothin' wrong," she said. "You's a gentleman, an' I likes 'at, I do. Now, get yer ass back ta work 'fore Eavin wakes up from 'is nap." She shook her head as he walked away, and turned back to her work.

The shutters were a simple task. Just some very simple decorative carving around the edges, shaping and cutting grooves in a plain border. Then she measured the spots for the handles, and cut into the wood with the chisel, cutting out little grooves. It took a bit of effort angling the chisel in to dig out the wood on the underside of the handle, making a place where people's fingers could grip. She had to be extra careful not to crack the handle part itself, or the whole shutter would be ruined.

Once the work was sanded and smoothed, she attached hinges and mounted the shutters on the windows. Most people couldn't afford glass for their windows, as it was a luxury. The shutters would be closed at night, or in poor weather, to protect the building's interior. She measured and checked the fit, mounting the shutters, and double checking to make sure they would close tight. Then a small latch was screwed to the inside so they could be locked.

Her main work on the job was done then. There were still places she could help out, but the detail work was pretty much complete. Attaching the shingles was just hammering, which anyone could do once they'd been cut and carved. She still helped out, for lack of anything else to do with her time. She climbed up on the roof with the other workers, lining up the shingles and nailing them down. They chatted a bit, several of them asking her if she was coming to the tavern tonight. After the fourth person asked, she finally consented. Maybe she'd just drink water. Choking down the first couple of Kelp Beers was never fun...

by **Minerva Agatha Zipporah** on April 28th, 2012, 3:33 am

She managed to not make a fool of herself that night, and was up bright and early at the job site the next morning. The construction was more or less finished, and Jacques was checking things over, pointing out a few minor corrections here and there. Then everyone got recruited for painting.

"So, you gonna stay on for the next job?" James asked her. They were side by side, painting the rear wall of the house. Once this was done, all that was left was to clean up the tools and clear out. The other crews working for Jacques had finished the rest of the block, and there were some grateful families eager to move back in to their rebuilt homes.

"Aye," Minerva said. "Why wouldn't I? I need 'is job."

"Well," James said, "some folk lose interest after the first time on the job. They figure it's not for them, or they get sick of the hard work. Hauling rubble, lumber, and tools around all day isn't for everyone."

"Lazy bludgers, 'ey are," she said. She wiped the sweat from her face, not realizing she'd just smeared paint across her cheek.

James laughed, "I guess so. Here..." He pulled out a handkerchief and reached out to gently wipe the paint off her face. She blushed, and turned her eyes back to the painting.

With everyone working together, the painting didn't take long at all. Minerva stood back to look over the house once it was complete. She'd only had one small part in the overall construction, but still, she'd helped build a house. That was surely something to be proud of.

by **Paragon** on May 6th, 2012, 11:54 pm

Adventurer's Loot

Minerva's Loot :

Great fun as always, I really enjoyed reading - especially the bits with Minerva and James - if you have ANY questions or concerns about this grading, don't hesitate to PM me.