Pool Party (Open)

[Minerva Agatha Zipporah]

35th Day of Summer, 512 AV Morning It was hot. It was hoooooooooot! Tock was sweating like she couldn't believe. It had to be the hottest day of the year! She was stripped down to her panties and undershirt, and just did not CARE who saw her! Not that she tended to any other time, but with it being SO PETCHING HOT today, she didn't want to wear any more clothing than she had to. The sun had barely risen, and was already baking her. Summer days in Zeltiva never seemed to get this hot. She didn't know why today was so different. Maybe someone had pissed off Syna, and she was taking her temper out on the rest of them... She heading into her backyard and looked at the deep hole her new baby Diggy had dug over the last few days. It was five feet deep, twenty feet across, and very, very dry. After the first few inches of dark soil it was nothing but dry, sandy, orange and tan dirt all the way down. She had stamped it as tight as she could, until the dirt was hard packed and solid. She needed to fill it with water... and by the Gods, as soon as she did, she was going to jump into the water! It would get a little muddy, but the dirt would easily settle into the bottom like it would in a pond. She stalked down to the general store and bought as many buckets as she could carry. When she stepped up to the counter, the store clerk was staring at her panties. "Oy!" she shouted, snapping her fingers in his face. "C'mon, s'rude ta stare, mate!" He stared a moment longer before pulling his eyes up to her face. He stammered, "Ah-ah-ah... Miss? You're not... d-dressed?" Tock sighed and slapped her money on the counter. "It's 'ot, mate," she said. "Well you... you can't..." he continued stammering, gesturing to her panties. Tock rolled her eyes and huffed. "You can't walk AROUND like that!" he insisted. Tock was sweating so much she just didn't feel like arguing with the man. "Oy, fine, 'ere!" she snapped, snatching some clothes off the racks. If it would shut the man up, it was worth a few more silvers. She could NOT deal with pants today, so she opted for a skirt, purely for the 'ventilation' it would provide her. Though it was way too long, and she ripped the bottom half of the skirt off to convert it into a mini-skirt. She then took the extra cloth and twisted it into a headband that she wrapped around her head to keep her sweaty hair out of her face. "You haven't paid for that!" the shopkeeper protested when he saw her tearing up the merchandise. Tock slapped a few more silvers on the counter, and pulled the new clothes on, right there in front of him. Then she stalked off, carrying her stacks of buckets with her. The new clothes totally weren't her style, but she didn't care. The mini-skirt was light sea-green, as was the headband she'd improvised with the extra cloth off it. She also had on a white vest that left her midriff exposed. She doubted anyone would recognize her, since she normally wore leather pants and dark brown or red shirts. No one in Zeltiva had EVER seen her in a skirt before. She headed home and retrieved a long piece of wood from her supplies, cutting a few notches into it that she could hook the bucket handles over. Then she got Diggy, her baby shovel on wheels, to help her out. He was the only one of her babies big enough for a job like this. She ordered him forward, with one end of the wooden beam braced on his handle, and Tock holding the other end. The buckets hung from the middle. She headed down to the well and filled them all with cool water, dumping one bucket over her head to cool off before getting down to business. Then she headed home, struggling a bit with the weight of the buckets even with Diggy supporting most of it. His large wagon wheels rolled down the street and around the back of the house, until she reached the empty pool in her yard. She dumped all the buckets in, and stared at it. The water didn't even fully cover the bottom, and some of the water was soaking right into the dirt. This was going to take awhile. She headed back for another trip, looking out for anyone she could badger into helping her carry the buckets... OOC : Open to anyone who wants to join, but with two catches. 1. You're gonna get recruited to haul water until the pool is full! and 2. Bring your own bucket or something, please? I don't have enough for everyone... Ledger : Sea Green Peasant Skirt (converted into a miniskirt and bandana): -5 SM White Cotton Vest: -1 SM 10 buckets: -5 GM

[Marin]

Marin was walking through the streets, wondering if it was going to get any hotter. He had already been down by the docks, trying to cool off with the sea wind. It hadn’t helped much. Sweat was still dripping down his body and soaking through his clothing as he walked. I must smell worse than a horde of pigs! Marin hoped nobody else would walk too close by him. A lone tree was nearing as Marin walked; he was getting excited as he neared it, the shade would be cooling. As he reached the small trunk, he rested his body against it. The air was only a bit cooler, and there was no wind to move the stiff, thick, dry air. The leaves helped though, shading Marin from the brunt of the morning sun. It was only morning! How much hotter can it get? It was one of the rare days when the weather never cooperated, the sea breeze silent, the sun spreading its wrath over Zeltiva. Marin sank to the bottom of the tree, as close to the cool ground as he could get. He just watched; there wasn’t enough energy in his body to do anything else. There were few people on the streets, those who were weren’t there for long. They hurried into shops to get out of the sun. Marin had about dozed off when he saw a woman walking out of a shop carrying a large number of buckets and wearing a sea green skirt and a bandana that looked like it came from the same piece of clothing. I wonder what she could be doing like that at this time of day... She walked off. I wonder... Marin was intrigued, and without anything else to do, followed. It can't hurt to do a bit of spying... He followed her trail, just far enough that she wouldn't notice. There were green pieces of cloth falling off of her skirt throughout the street, so it wasn’t too difficult. She then turned into yard. Marin crept up to the yard, watching from around a corner. She left into a shed and returned quickly with a long piece of wood. This she handed to a strange looking wagon, which started rolling in his direction. Oh no! I can't be found! Marin dove out of the way, hiding behind a barrel. The wagon and the woman left and returned with water. Marin crept closer, waiting to find out what was happening. He moved out from behind the barrel, to the yard. His footsteps were careful. SNAP! A piece of wood laying in the yard cracked under his weight, and Marin landed face first into the dirt.

[Minerva Agatha Zipporah]

OOCStill open to anyone who wants to go for a swim! When the wood snapped under the stranger's foot, it attracted the attention of Naily, Tock's baby hammer on wheels. The little Automaton rolled over quickly, squeaking his wheels as if he were barking aggressively. He stared up at the stranger with little glass eyes mounted on his axle, the hammer head bobbing up and down at the stranger. "Baby, git over 'ere!" Tock called out, wondering what Naily was doing. The little hammer rolled back to her obediently, not really having any choice in the matter. He was programmed to obey, after all. Tock came over, standing above the stranger with her hands on her hips. She stared at him for a moment, not having any idea who he was. Then she grabbed the barrel he had just been hiding behind (which certainly wasn't hers, and might have belonged to one of her neighbors, but she assumed it was this man's). She tipped it over, finding nothing but some garbage inside, which she dumped unceremoniously into her neighbor's yard. Then she handed the barrel to the stranger and said, "C'mon, yer on the clock..." She didn't know who he was. She didn't care. He'd crossed the line into her yard, and thus was in her work zone. Anyone in her work zone got put to work. "Les'go," she said, the wooden magical hand strapped to her wrist gesturing at the man to get up. Her own hands were holding buckets and the wooden beam she had attached to Diggy. She started heading back for the well, Diggy the shovel rolling along on his wagon wheels, the buckets hanging from the long wooden beam swaying back and forth gently. Tock glanced back over her shoulder at the stranger and said, "C'mon! Ain't got all day, mate! On yer feet, 'ere's work ta do!" She didn't even give him a chance to say no.

[Marin]

“Wai- Wait? What?” Marin looked up, one of her three hands was beckoning him to get up. Wait? Three?! She has THREE hands!? He watched as she turned and left, still yelling about working. What work? What? “Wait!” Marin yelled after her as she left with her wagon and buckets. Marin decided to sit and wait for her to come back, so he dusted him self off, attempting to remove the now sweaty grime that covered his almost entire body. His hair was a curse, almost now too long for any good. Damn it! Why cant this stop being in the way! Marin thought as he tried to move it from his face. What the hell is that girl doing! She just left! And had THREE hands! How can one have Three! Hands! He looked around, the yard dusty from the summer heat, a shed on one side, a large hole in the middle. Marin gathered himself up, and slowly paced to the hole. It was probably around 5 or 6 feet deep and very long. I wonder what this could be... Marin had now cooled his head somewhat, passing the hand off as another one of the strange things this woman owned. Maybe it is a magic hand... Yes! That’s it! Its magic! Marin knew they had some sort of animating magic at the university...

[Minerva Agatha Zipporah]

OOCIt's funny, I was about to PM you and tell you you needed an avatar, and suddenly you have one! When the man didn't move to help, Tock paused and turned back to glare at him from ten feet away. "Ya bloody deaf, mate?" she shouted. It was hot, she was in a bad mood, and she did NOT want to deal with babysitting someone who couldn't listen! So she pulled Grippy off his holster, hanging by the side of her skirt. She aimed the metal tool at the man, touching the side of his handle to extend the arm outwards. The metal unfolded, the frame of interlocked X's stretching forth as the large gears on the handle and the end claw spun in perfect unison. The entire time, the extra wooden hand strapped to her wrist was wagging a finger at the man admonishingly. She clamped Grippy's metal claw around the man's belt and started tugging. "Pick 'at up," she said, nodding to the empty barrel, "an' git yer ass movin'! Yer in my yard, what means ya works fer me today! Aye? Aye." She refused to let go of the man's belt, and simply started dragging him along by the long, extended metal arm of her Automaton. Tock didn't take no for an answer.

[Nai'shee]

Tock told Nai earlier that she'll make a pond for testing her rowboat in her yard and will need some help to fill it with water. So, obviously, Tock expected her to help. Young woman bought a bucket that morning and headed to her friend, picking up some water by the way. It wasn't hard to carry, but clumsy girl was spilling the water all around the street. It seemed like half will end up refreshing Zeltiva and the other half will evaporate on this annoying Sun. Or at least the girl will evaporate. Why was Syna so cruel?

Walking along the streets towards The Work Zone, it didn't come across her mind that she'll probably meet Tock on the way. Her friend never failed to surprise her on her way here. She was dragging Marin along and he was holding onto an empty barrel, trying to escape. The girl laughed at the scene, spilling even more water. There was probably only half of the barrel left and she might have soaked those two.

"Hey Tock, Marin", she said trough laughter. "I suppose you entered The Work Zone?" She didn't know which kind of magic was casted upon Tock's yard, but it seemed to lure helpless lost people who would just get confused by Tock's demand to work. Well, she didn't consider Marin helpless or lost - much - but it was hilarious seeing him dragged around by a woman while he whined in the background.

Ledger-5sm for the bucket

[Marin]

OOCIt seems your crazy magic works outside of Mizahar too! Marin saw the extending hand come toward him, wiggling its fingers. More hands! What is this woman? Before he could do anything, the hand grabbed him by the belt, and held him fast. "Pick 'at up!” she yelled at him, pointing at the barrel. Marin did as he was so polity asked. What is wrong with this woman? “Care to be careful with this belt? It doesn’t like being tugged on!” Marin spoke as he grabbed the barrel, still being dragged closer to the multi-handed animator. As all of her creations seemed to be glaring at Marin disapprovingly, a girl bounced down the street. "I suppose you entered The Work Zone?" she said to nobody in particular, smiling. “Mgrhghhg.” was all Marin could respond, his face now squished up against the barrel. “Would you Let Me GO?”

[Minerva Agatha Zipporah]

"Oy, Conch!" Tock called out when she saw her friend. She stepped up to her and wrapped one arm around her in a hug, Handy holding the wooden beam steady, and her other hand still holding her new worker tight with Grippy. "Ya know 'is bloke? Musta invited 'im, aye? Tell 'im fer ta quit bitchin', aye? All 'at yappin' done been givin' me a 'eadache..." She led the group, whether they liked it or not, down to the well. She immediately started hauling up buckets by tying the rope to Diggy, then having him roll off to one side to quickly pull up the full bucket faster than any of the humans could. Then she tipped the well's bucket to pour the water into their containers, one at a time, quickly getting them all filled. She finally released the stranger's belt once his barrel was full of water, but she glared at him and shook Grippy at him. "Ya go dump 'at right in, aye? An' whew," she wiped her bare arm across her forehead, "I think what once we fills 'er, I's jumpin' right in an' takin' a dip, aye? Bloody 'ot out 'ere..." Soon enough she was back at the house (and ready to drag Marin along once more if he tried to escape; she didn't like it when people tried to dodge their work!). With the second round of buckets dumped in, there was little more than a muddy slush across the bottom. Tock stared at it, scratching her head. Then she asked Nai, "Oy, ya gots any idear 'ow fer ta git 'is done faster? I ain't wantin' fer ta been all day on 'is..."

[Nai'shee]

When Tock pulled Nai'shee in a hug girl spilled some additional water. She wondered if a drop would survive it's way to the pond. "Erm... Marin..." She couldn't explain Tock, at least not in front of the woman herself. "You don't want to complain", she decided, "grab a bucket and be helpful, we can swim later..." She assumed swimming will convince him if nothing else. She also assumed Tock won't have any problems with that.

"So, I'm gonna go", she pointed at the direction of Tock's house. "See ya there." She hugged the bucket and very carefully carried it to Tock's. The water she saved wasn't even enough to wet the ground in the pond. She sighed. Her clumsiness surely wasn't the benefit in this kind of thing. And her friends already caught up with her.

"I don't know", she responded. "Maybe if you have Filly to carry the water. Or we could make a line, one of us standing and filling one of the bucket, then carrying it to the second one who gives him next bucket, then the second one carries it to the third one who fills the pond and then gives it to the second one who exchanges buckets with the first one. If you understood the word of what I just said." She wasn't very good in explaining things, but Tock always picked up what she meant. But Filly would really be more useful. "The third one wouldn't have some huge job, tho", she added with fake innocent smile. She wished she practiced Reimancy a bit more. Even filling the third of the pond and being exhausted would be worth it.

OOCCan we change posting order to go
Minerva
Marin
Nai'shee
from now on? It's somehow more logical due to the story.. Or Tock, Nai, Marin, whatever, just so Tock would go first, since she almost acts as a moderator to this one.XD

[Marin]

"Erm... Marin..." 'Conch' said, "You don't want to complain, grab a bucket and be helpful, we can swim later..." Marin slowly accepted the pair of strange woman, carrying buckets. 'Conch' left with her bucket, obviously going to dump it into the enormous hole in the er... strange woman's yard. As they all ended up together again Marin started to speak. “Ah! Swimming! So you just like to grab strangers and force them to work? Without any idea of what they are doing until someone else shows up?” Marin looked strangely at both of them, one 'Conch', the other the red-haired insane gadgeteer. They both seemed to know each other quite well. Conch does look familiar.... I wonder where she could have been before... That blonde hair... Its like... And she knew his name.... “Nai-shee!” At this, Marin remembered all of the times before he and Nai-shee had had, as childhood friends. He hadn't seen her for a long time since then, years at least. She had the same face, yet more matured, the same mischievous eyes, and the same blond hair. “Nai-shee!!”, Marin was sure of it now, “How long has it been?” OOCSo its Tock, Nai, then me?