Perspective (Solo)

[Minerva Agatha Zipporah]

60th Day of Summer, 512 AV Tock awoke early in the morning, grumpy and feeling rather sorry for herself. She'd been feeling a bit inadequate lately. Between her boss getting on her about her speech and behavior, Mikey's Uncle dying and leaving her feeling responsible for the well-being of the sick little boy, and Iris telling her off and questioning her ideologies, she hadn't been having a great time lately. She felt trapped. She felt like she didn't know who she was anymore, or who she wanted to be. She wasn't the person her boss wanted her to be. She wasn't the person Mikey needed her to be. And she certainly wasn't the person Iris seemed to believe her to be. So, who WAS she? She didn't have any answers. But the question had been plaguing her for days. She needed to figure out some answers, put everything into perspective. Unfortunately, she had to go to work. She got dressed and trudged through the streets of Zeltiva, her adopted home. She loved this city, but she didn't know if she belonged here. She wanted to; wanted to fit in, to be a part of her new home, to be a true Zeltivan. But she didn't feel like she fit in. The way she talked, the way she dressed, the way she acted... it all made her feel like an outsider. She could change those things... but that would feel like a lie. She had never believed in changing herself, not for anyone nor for any reason. She didn't think she should HAVE to change. She knew who she was. She accepted her flaws and owned up to her vices and her failings. And DAMN anyone who tried to tell her there was anything wrong with her! Except... she didn't feel... good enough. Like she wasn't worthy of being a Zeltivan. If anyone ELSE had tried to tell her she wasn't good enough, she'd have popped them one. But, when she was the one who felt this way, the one telling herself she was no good... she didn't know what to do about that. These thoughts continued to plague her as she moved slowly down the cobbled streets, until she found herself before Jacques's warehouse. She stared at the building, knowing she just could NOT deal with work today. But being a supervisor came with certain advantages. Such as being able to assign her own tasks. She stepped into the building and stuck her head in the door to Jacques's office. "Oy, Bossman," she said, "I's gonna go study some buildin's what fer 'at office job..." She tried to move off before he could say a word about it, but Jacques followed her and caught up before she got back outside. "Excuse me, Miss Zipporah?" he asked. "I don't quite follow..." She huffed and turned back to him, planting her hands on her hips. "I can't does no ware'ouse work today," she said. "So's I's gonna git some blueprints an' sketches done inna city. Gots fer ta git Marshall's facade designed, aye?" She knew the crew was doing nothing but miscellaneous labor today, cleaning and organizing and a bunch of shyke she couldn't deal with right now. She needed to get out into the city, under the sky and the warm summer sun, and lose herself in the architecture. That always made her feel better. "Take Charlie and Nathaniel with you," he ordered. "They need to learn... and they are your responsibility..." Tock huffed, getting ready to argue. She hated her new apprentices. Of course, she'd only met the boys yesterday, and had only worked with them for a few short hours. So maybe she wasn't being fair. Though she wasn't in the mood to be reasonable and give them a chance. She ended up having no choice, however. After a short and fruitless argument, she was forced to take the two teenaged boys with her on her trip through the city. She consoled herself with the thought that at least she could boss them around, and they HAD to listen. She started off with a trip to the general store, where she bought a blank sketch book. She also ordered the two teenagers to do the same. "What for?" Charlie asked. "We're supposed to ne learning carving, not drawing. In the middle of the store, Tock planted her fists on her hips aid started snapping on him, "Oy, what, ya thinks I's gonna done letcha touch a piece o' my good wood what wit'out a proper design first?" The boys exchanged a confused look, and tapped her fingers against Charlie's chest. "Yer work starts 'ere," she told him. "Gotta puts yer 'eart inta 'er. 'En 'ere," she rapped her knuckles against the side of his head. "Ya done gots ta knows whatcha wanna make. 'En ya sketch it," she lifted her book and waved it back and forth in front of them, "'en, and only 'en, when ya gots yer designs done good, ya puts 'er onna wood... Gots 'at?" The boys both nodded, looking as if they were actually giving her words serious consideration and taking them to heart. Maybe they had some potential after all. "Yes, Miss Zipporah," they said, echoing each other in unison. She scowled at them both and said, "Calls me 'Tock.' Next time one o' ya calls me 'Miss,' yer fired." They nodded vigorously and said, "Y-yes... Tock," they said. They both stood up a little straighter, looking like they were going to be on their best behavior. Tock smirked. Being a supervisor DEFINITELY had it's advantages. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad after all... Ledger-3 gm for blank book to use as a sketchbook.

[Minerva Agatha Zipporah]

Notebook and art supplies in hand, Tock led her 'minions' through the city, taking a random path. After a few minutes of wandering, the blond one, Nathaniel, cleared his throat and asked, "Uhh, M-... err, Tock, where are we going?" "Studyin' buildin's," she muttered, looking around for a good one. There were tons of pre-Valterrian buildings in Zeltiva, and she didn't know where to begin. The boys remained silent for a time, which Tock was glad for. She hated it when people talked too much. After a few more minutes, Charlie asked, "Umm... why?" Tock turned to face the both of them, crossing her arms and holding her notebook against her chest. "Whaz 'is?" she asked in a huff, nodding to the building they were next to. They stared at her blankly for a moment, then Nathaniel replied, "Uhh... a house?" Tock scowled at him, and gave him a light smack upside the head. "'COURSE she's a 'ouse, ya wanker!" she snapped. "What's 'is?" She tapped her fingers on the carved support bracket above her head, which held up the eaves of the house. There was a line of identical brackets along the top of the wall, keeping the eaves firmly in place. Each was carved in a gently curving shape, with fluid lines across their curves. The boys just stared at the brackets blankly. Tock snapped her fingers in their faces and said, "'At's what's called Zeltivan Waves," she told them. "Lotsa 'ouses what uses 'at design. Real popular-like. But 'ow's ya done s'posed fer ta know what's popular-like, if'n ya ain't even know what's in the buildin's 'ere, aye?" The boys shared a glance, then Nathaniel muttered, "I think we have those on my house..." Tock glared at him, and Charlie snickered. She glared at Charlie until he stopped, shutting his mouth and standing up straight. Tock rapped her knuckles on the house again and said, "We's gonna done been buildin' 'ouses an' offices an' stuff, aye? Gots ta knows what 'ow she's done. An' gots ta knows what yer customers gonna want. Whatcha do, if'n a customer says ta ya, 'I wants fer my 'ouse ta 'as Ravokian Tile'?" They both stared at her blankly. Then Nathaniel raised his hand, as if he were in school. Tock scoffed and grabbed his wrist, pushing it back down. "Ain't no classroom, bloke," she told him. "Spit 'er out..." He cleared his throat and said, "Well... if they wanted that... I'd just ask you..." Tock rolled her eyes and threw her arms up in the air. "Oy, great, ye'll ask me!" she said with a sneer. "I's a busy girl, bludger! Ya gots ta LEARN 'is stuff! I ain't done gonna 'old yer 'and the 'ole way... I's done gonna teach ya, an' 'en ya can does 'er by yerself... gots 'at?" The boys nodded, and after a moment Charlie asked, "So... where do we start?" Tock looked up at the brackets and gave a shrug. "Might as well start 'ere..."

[Minerva Agatha Zipporah]

Tock found a barrel sitting nearby and hauled it over, then plopped down on top. She crossed her legs, leaned her book on her knee, and started sketching. After a few moments of blissful silence, save for the background noise of passerby walking down the street, she was interrupted by Nathaniel's whiney voice asking, "Uhh... what are we supposed to do?" Tock shot him an annoyed look and said, "Ya gots a sketchbook, ain'tcha?" She gestured to the building, "Start sketchin'." She turned back to her work, starting off with a sketch of the eaves, making sure to note the angle they came down off the wall, and the spacing between each bracket. The spacing was important, not only for making sure the brackets gave the eaves enough support, but also for the way the building looked. They had to be spaced evenly, giving a sense of balance. If the brackets were too close together, it would look clumped and cluttered, but if they were too far apart, it would look dull and empty. Either was a sign of sloppy, amateurish architecture, just like uneven carvings would be a sign of poor craftsmanship. "Umm... Tock?" She looked up at Charlie, starting to get annoyed. "What?" she asked. She had told them what to do... why weren't they doing it? "I don't know how to draw..." he said. "Me neither," Nathaniel added. Tock rolled her eyes. "Oy, whatcha boys done been DOIN' wit'cher lives?" she asked in irritation. Charlie gave a bashful grin and said, "Well... my Dad's a professor, so lots of reading and writing, mostly..." Nathaniel timidly added, "I play the clarinet..." She stared blankly at the both of them. Finally she huffed in irritation and asked, "'En why fer ya wanna been carvers?" She didn't get these boys. They shuffled their feet and stammered a bit, neither one able to articulate an answer. Finally, her patience worn out, Tock huffed and said, "Oy, ferget it. Jus' pulls up a seat. I's teach ya..." If she was going to be saddled with these fool apprentices, she was going to teach them right. "There's no chairs," Nathaniel said. "What are we supposed to sit on?" Tock scowled at him, then glanced at the barrel she was sitting on and asked, "Is I sittin' onna chair?" He blushed in embarrassment, then found a log stacked with some firewood in front of the house, turning it on end to make a seat. Charlie did the same, and Tock sighed, gesturing for them to scoot closer so she could begin the lesson. This was going to be a long day...

[Minerva Agatha Zipporah]

Tock spent some time going over the basics with the boys, showing them how to use a carpenter's square to lay out the outline for the brackets, and how to measure out the arches of the curves for symmetry. She taught them to use light, thin marks for outlines and measurements, then how to fill in the details with darker marks once the intricacies of a design were worked out. They were surprisingly attentive, listening to every word she said, and not giving her any arguments. She was shocked to find them so well behaved. It must have been because they both came from a better upbringing than her typical coworker. Of course, they asked the stupidest questions. "Why do they call them 'eaves,'" Charlie asked, tapping a finger to his lips and staring up at the building. "Bloody 'ell should I know?" Tock snapped. "Does I look like a bloody word-maker? Why's 'ey call it yer arse? I unno, but sit on it, an' git back ta work!" "Why do you have to yell so much?" Nathaniel asked. She glared at him, briefly wondering if Jacques would notice if she only came back with one apprentice... "I mean..." Nathaniel said shyly, "it's not like we can't hear you, or aren't listening... Can't you be nicer to us?" She could slit his throat from here. She wouldn't even have to get up. She pictured herself doing it, then pushed the thoughts away. She remembered what Jacques had told her about watching her language and her attitude. Though he had also said he didn't mind if she talked that way to the crew. "Jus' does yer drawin's," she muttered, lowering her head and focusing on her own. She was moving on to sketching the building itself, checking the placement of the support pillars and estimating the length of the walls. "Just do your drawings..." Nathaniel corrected her. She snapped and shook a fist at him, "Ya makin' fun fer the way I talks, Bludger!? Dun ferget, what as I's the one teachin' yous!" Both boys lowered their heads and focused on their work, too timid to argue with her. But Tock's face turned red with shame. She realized they didn't respect her. They were following orders because they HAD to, and because they were too hoity-toity polite to talk back and speak their minds. But she could tell from the looks on their faces. They thought she was dumb.

[Minerva Agatha Zipporah]

Tock was quiet for awhile after that. She continued studying and sketching the building, while the boys just peeked at her work and tried to copy her efforts. They seemed unwilling to push her again, and she didn't have anything to say to them just then. This whole experience had her feeling completely inadequate, even more so than she had this morning. Not only was she not the person her boss wanted her to be, but she didn't even have the respect of her apprentices. She was a failure as a supervisor. After a bit of time, she got up to go off in search of another building to study. The boys followed her wordlessly, though for all she cared they could petch off. She wandered over to West Street and found a rather interesting looking building with marble pillars out front. She sat down on the back of someone's wagon and started sketching them. Finally, the long silence was broken when Nathaniel asked, "Whose wagon is this?" Tock huffed a sigh and said, "Dunno. Dun care. We's 'ere fer pillars." Charlie climbed into the back of the wagon next to her, seeming not to mind. But Nathaniel apparently took himself a bit more seriously. "I think it belongs to that man there," he said, pointing to a middle-aged merchant who was talking to someone in the doorway of another building. He handed over a package of some sort, which looked similar to some others in the back of the wagon. Tock reached over and grabbed Nathaniel by his sleeve, steering him over to the wagon. "Sit," she said. "Draw." "But won't he become angry with us?" Nathaniel asked. Charlie was just looking back and forth between them, seeming curious about where the dispute would go. Tock continued sketching the pillars, trying to get the shape of the decorative heads right. They had a design like spreading leaves, almost as if a tree were growing out of the top of the pillar. She knew from previous studies that the pattern wasn't random, but she'd never studied this particular pattern in enough detail to know the specifics. She ignored Nathaniel until he protested again a bit louder, "But Tock, this isn't our wagon! We can't..." The merchant finally came over, waving his hands to shoo them off his wagon. "What?" he asked, "What are you people doing? Go on, get away from my merchandise!" Tock got up and scowled at the man. "Weren't 'urtin' nothin', bloke!" she said. "Don't git yer panties in a twist, aye? Actin' like the end o' the world o' somethin'..." The man started checking his packages and said, "That's not the point! You can't just... oh..." he paused and looked Tock over, paying attention to her appearance for the frst time. "It's you..." She stared at him for a moment, having no idea who he was. Then it hit her. She had repaired this very wagon last spring. She crossed her arms and stared the man down for a moment, then asked, "'Ow's she runnin'?" She leaned over to check the axle, frowning in dissatisfaction. Had she really done this sloppy of a job? She needed to redo the whole damn thing. As she was kneeling down and fingering her tool belt, the merchant said, "Fine! It's... it's running fine! Ahh, thank you again for the repair work. But I've got a rather busy schedule..." He was in the driver's seat and pulling away before Tock had the chance to unhook the wheel. She grumbled, then stood back up, turning back to the pillars. Nathaniel stepped up to her and said, "See? He was mad! You shouldn't have..." "Listen, bloke!" Tock snapped, jabbing a finger hard into his chest. "I ain't need ya ta done been tellin' me what ta does! 'Ow much ya done gots drawn o' the pillars?" she waved to them impatiently. Nathaniel looked at the pillars, then at his blank page, his mouth working silently. Tock growled and said, "Ya were so damn busy bitchin' an' moanin' at me, ya didn't git nothin' done, didja? Who cares what if'n 'at bloke done said fer ta git off 'is wagon? What 'til 'e done said it, ya coulda been workin', couldn't ya?" Charlie cleared his throat and held up his sketch book. "I got some work done," he said. Tock rolled her eyes and scowled at him. "Nobody likes a kiss-ass, bloke..."

[Minerva Agatha Zipporah]

Tock looked up at the pillars once more. She really needed to get a closer look at the tops. She looked around for a moment, then pulled Grippy from his holster and aimed him at the top of the building. "What are you doing?" Twitch. Tock slowly turned to face Nathaniel, still aiming Grippy upwards. "Bloke," she muttered in a cold voice, "I done 'ates 'at question, aye?" Something in her voice made him take a step back. She returned her attention to the building, and touched a finger to Grippy's handle, extending the arm upwards. She clamped his claw around an outcropping above the pillars, and said, "C'mon..." She then hit the command point to retract Grippy, raising her feet up to the wall before her. While Grippy pulled her upwards, she planted her feet on any available footholds, climbing upwards until she was above the pillars on the stone awning over the doorway. "Are you crazy!?" Nathaniel shouted. He then turned to Charlie and said, "She's crazy!" As Tock was getting herself settled on the stone outcropping, she leaned over and saw her apprentices still standing down below. "Git yer arses up 'ere, o' yer fired," she told them both. Charlie looked to Nathaniel and shrugged. "She's... 'unorthodox,'" he said. He was grinning, and stepped up to start climbing the building. Nathaniel stayed on the ground, waving his arms in protest. "But... we'll get in trouble!" he shouted. "People are staring!" Tock situated herself belly-down on the outcropping so she could lean her head over the edge and study the tops of the pillars. She set her sketchbook next to her, propping herself up on her elbows and started to draw. This was a MUCH better perspective. "Ain't gonna git nothin' done what if'n yer too much o' a prissy posh weiner fer ta does sommat wit'out askin' first," she called down to Nathaniel. "Can't always what been worried 'bout what people think. Takes too dang long. We gots work fer ta do! Now git yer arse up 'ere..." Charlie managed to haul himself up as well, taking up a position next to Tock. He seemed to be enjoying himself. He chuckled as he started sketching and said, "I can't believe we're doing this!" Tock snorted and asked him, "Oy, what, ya ain't never climbed a buildin' 'fore? I does it all the time..." "Really?" he asked in surprised, looking impressed. "Hmm..." Nathaniel was still down below, while Tock started showing Charlie some of the intricacies of the carvings just below them. "See 'is?" she said, reaching down to run her fingers across the leaf pattern. "See what 'ow she goes left right left right left right..." The leaves, upon closer examination, looked more like a series of vines. Each vine had alternating leaves pointing in each direction, with a slight overlap to the vine next to it. The criss-crossing pattern was symmetrical and balanced. "We can measure 'is," she said, "she's a pattern. Once ya knows the pattern, an' the sizes, ya can duplicate 'er anywhere. Even what if'n we does 'er on sommat what's a different size, the pattern can whatchacall, adapt it, aye? Works fer any size, long as ya done follows the pattern..." Charlie nodded along, and she noticed he was actually taking notes about what she was saying. "How'd you learn all this?" he asked. She stared at him for a moment. Maybe he didn't think she was so dumb after all. "My Granddad taught me," she said. "What been learnin' since I were old 'nough ta walk..." "What are you two talking about!?" Nathaniel shouted from down below. "I can't hear you!" "'En GIT YER ARSE UP 'ERE!" Tock shouted back, then turned her attention back to the cool one. "I's up at the Uni now, though," she told him. "What studyin' magic..." He nodded, looking at Grippy, back in his holster. "Pretty neat..." he said. Tock smiled, continuing to draw the leaf pattern, bending her legs at the knees and crossing her ankles. This was starting to be fun.

[Minerva Agatha Zipporah]

Eventually they climbed back down, Charlie complaining that he couldn't use Grippy to lower himself to the ground. But for one thing, Grippy only responded to Minerva's touch and no one else, and for another, she'd never let someone else handle her baby like that. So he had to climb down by hand, while Tock attached Grippy to an outcropping and used him to lower herself while she braced her feet on footholds. She slipped once, but her tool's firm grip kept her from plummeting until she managed to find another ledge to plant her foot on, and she continued climbing down. Once her feet were on the ground again she retracted Grippy and holstered him, then advanced on Nathaniel. "'Ow's ya s'posed ta learn from down here, Guv?" she asked him, smacking the back of her hand against his chest. "We's builders. We gots fer ta build the 'igh parts, too," she gestured up to the rooftop. "Yer lucky what as I dun fire ya right now..." "You wouldn't fire me," he said, raising his chin. "My father--" Tock cut him off by shoving a finger under his chin to push his mouth shut. "Yer Da ain't 'ere, an' 'e ain't matter," she told him. "'Ere, is yous, an' me. An' I's yer Bosslady, aye? Ain't fer ta git yer Daddy what ta solve all yer problems out 'ere inna real world, bloke. Whazza gonna does if'n yer in the middle o' carvin' sommat an' she dun come out right? Go ask Daddy fer ta buy ya some new marble? O' ya gonna learn 'er, an' does 'er right?" Charlie snickered a big, but Nathaniel looked uncomfortable at being put on the spot like that. He was no doubt a rich boy... Tock guessed that his dad must have been one of the more well-to-do merchants that ran imports and exports through Zeltiva. The sort of person who was used to throwing money around to solve all of his problems. Except that didn't work in the real world, and there were some problems money couldn't solve. Better for her to explain that to him, here and now. "You don't need to speak to me like that," he protested, giving her a stern look. Tock snorted, and laughed. "Aye, I don't," she said. "But I's gunna... 'less ya earn ya some respect, aye? 'At's what sommat ya can't buy, Guv. Out 'ere," she gestured around to the busy street, and the building they were studying, "ya gots ta earn it..." He stared at her for a moment, then said, "Well, YOU aren't doing anything to earn our respect..." Tock paused, caught off guard by that retort. There was a long moment of stunned silence, while Charlie glanced back and forth between the two. She had to think about what Nathaniel meant. Her gut reaction was that he thought her a bad supervisor... like the way she saw Eavin. The thought made her frown, and Nathaniel flinched slightly, no doubt expecting an explosion. Tock looked down at the ground for a moment, scratching the back of her head. Then she looked back up at him, sucking on her teeth as she tried to find words. Finally, she said, "Fine. 'Spect goes both ways, aye? So c'mon," she turned and walked away. "Where are we going?" Nathaniel asked. "More studyin'," Tock replied. "If ya still wanna learn?" she gave him a challenging look. He nodded, keeping his mouth shut. Charlie then eagerly asked, "Are we going to climb another building?" Tock nodded, scanning around until she found a nice tall one. "Aye," she said, pointing at it. "'At one..." Both boys' faces went pale.

[Minerva Agatha Zipporah]

"We're not supposed to do this..." Tock looked down at Nathaniel from her perch about five feet up. She wanted to snap at him, and tell him to just do what she said because she said so... but that was what Eavin would do. She wanted to be a better supervisor than him. She just didn't know HOW. She thought about what she would want her boss to do, if she were in Nathaniel's place... She'd want to be listened to, and to be offered value explanations that made her understand the orders. The way Jacques did it. Fine. She'd do that. "Look, mate," she said, "we ain't 'urtin' nothin', aye? If'n someone tells us fer ta git down, we git down. But 'ere's some real wicked shiny bas reliefs an' marble arches up 'ere, an' we gots ta study 'em..." "We could just go look them up in books," he said. Tock snorted and laughed. "Aye," she replied, "we could... But books ain't so good as the real thing, aye? Ya wanna learn ta BE a carver, o' jus' read 'bout one...?" He thought about that for a moment, then sighed. "Fine," he said. "I guess you're right..." "Course I is," Tock said, turning her attention back to the climb. "'At's why I's the Bosslady..." They started climbing, Tock telling the boys, "Step where I step, aye? Can't 'ave ya lads fallin' on me..." She led them up, stepping on decorative ledges that likely hadn't been touched by human contact in centuries. The building was old, and likely no one else had been up on the walls in ages, unless a repair had been needed. Halfway up, she spotted something interesting, and moved to straddle an outcropping of stone so she could examine it. "Take a seat boys," she told her apprentices, pointing to a twin outcropping to the one she'd claimed. "Rest yer arms a bit, an' check 'is out..." She pointed to a section of red brick just under a curved section of white marble. From down below, it hadn't been noticeable, but up here, it stood out strong. "Whazzat tells ya?" The boys got themselves situated, Nathaniel nervously looking down to the ground and clinging to the building for dear life. Charlie looked at the wall and said, "Theyre bricks..." When Tock shot him an annoyed look, he cleared his throat, returning his gaze to the wall. He thought about it for a moment, searching for an answer that would satisfy her. "Umm... Well, they uhh, don't fit with the rest. Everything else is marble. So... it's a facade?" he asked hesitantly. "Ain't no facade," Tock corrected him. "Look, 'ere's two ways ya can tell. 'Ere," she ran her fingers along the outline if the bricks. "'Ey's flush wit' the stone, aye? If'n were a facade, the brick'd be back be'ind 'er, wit' jus' a thin layer o' marble in front. No more'n a few inches, aye?" The boys nodded thoughtfully, looking over what she pointed out, though Nathaniel kept looking towards the ground. "Second," she explained, "ain't no facade cause fer she goes too deep. See?" she indicated a depression in the stone above the arch, which went back more than a foot. She stuck her arm in it and said, "'Is's the original. All solid. No seams." She gestured to the other identical depression on the opposite side of the arch, where the boys were. Charlie reached inside as she was, feeling around at the smoothness of the stone. "No seams, no mortar 'ere what means 'is's all one solid piece, from 'ere ta 'ere..." She showed them how the arch, the depressions, and some of the surrounding carving were all one solid piece, and pointed out the seams along the edges of the outcroppings they were sitting on to show how they were separate blocks. The seams were invisible from down below, since the building have been quite masterfully made. But up here, she was able to point out to them each spot where one block ended and another began. "'At means 'is 'ere's patchwork," she told them, knocking her knuckles against the red bricks. She shifted and moved to the corner of the building, carefully moving to straddle another outcropping there. She nodded and pointed, "'Is side, 'at same spot on the arch is a carved design. Naked ladies laid out under the sea God..." It was a well-made design, though some of the details had been worn off by time and weather. The women were laid out on their sides, reaching up to the figure of Laviku rising above them, holding a trident up over his head. She settled into a more comfortable perch and pulled out her book to start sketching it. "Should be a 'dentical one on the other side," she told the boys. "Check 'er out..." While Charlie started shifting himself over, Nathaniel just clung to the building and said, "I'll wait right here, thanks..." His face was pale and he looked like he might throw up. Tock just shook her head at him and said, "Yer loss mate. Ain't like we's 'at far up. An' 'ese old buildin's is easy fer climbin', dun see what'cher problem is. Lots o' wide ledges an' stuff. Can't fall, 'long as ya pay attention..." She focused her attention on sketching the carving, taking extra care to note the exact position the women were laying in. Their poses were neither lewd nor in any way sexual, indicating the purpose of the design was different. Their position indicated vulnerability and humble worship. They reached up to Laviku not in need, or suffering, but in thanks. They were relaxed, comfortable, because they had his protection. It said something to her about how some Zeltivans might view the sea God. Like a loving father, caring for them and shielding them from danger. It have her ideas for her statue, and made her really stop to think about the city. About how dependant it was on the sea and its spoils. How their lives were all connected to it. Contemplative, she did her best to capture each line of detail in her drawing, from the poses of the women, to the looks on their faces, to their upturned eyes; even their full, bare breasts seemed carved to indicate nurturing and life, rather than anything sexual. It was a subtle difference in design, and one she wasn't sure how to capture in her own work. So she sketched it out with great care, considering the meaning of it all.

[Minerva Agatha Zipporah]

After the sketches were done (with Charlie producing a far more amateurish drawing that was VERY focused on the bare breasts, and Nathaniel having just a blank page and a sense of vertigo), Tock led them the rest of the way up. The climb got a bit more challenging, so they had to move very slowly, none of them being the most experienced climbers. Tock paused frequently, scanning the ledges and decorative outcroppings, planning out the easiest route before proceeding. When Tock finally reached the top, she swung her legs with difficulty over the marble railing, finding herself in the alcove of a steeple. She had to aim Grippy down and use him to snag Nathaniel's belt, giving him balance and support during the last few feet of the climb. She finally hauled him over the top, and they all sat and took a rest after the exhausting climb. The steeple was quite high up, the breeze quite cool and refreshing. Old bird nests sat up in the arches that bordered the steeple, and an ancient, grime-covered glass bottle indicated this perch had been used before by someone seeking solitude. A wooden hatch in the center of the floor offered access to the building's interior, though it looked as though it hadn't been opened in ages. Once she'd caught her breath, Tock stood up and looked out over the view below. It was absolutely breathtaking. She grinned, and smacked Charlie on his arm to get his attention. "Wouldya lookit 'at?" she whispered, gazing out over the city. The view from the ancient steeple was unlike any she'd ever seen before, probably unlike any other in the whole city. It made her heart race, looking down on the rooftops from above, seeing all of Zeltiva spread out below her. Most of the buildings below were small cottages, or buildings of perhaps two or three stories. Though here and there, some pre-Valterrian buildings like the one they stood atop rose higher than the rest, built using architectural techniques lost to the ages. It was a stunning sight, looking down at the people below, going about their lives without ever realizing the true beauty of their city. Down there, you could only see a small piece of it at a time. From up here, they could see everything. "Wow..." Charlie whispered, standing next to her and looking over the view. "Beautiful," Nathaniel added, still looking a bit dizzy from the height, but appreciative nonetheless. "Guarantee ya, ain't nobody alive down 'ere what's ever seen 'xactly what we's seein' today," Tock told them. It was clear no one but the birds had been up here for many years. People were too busy surviving day by day, worrying about storms and famine and all their troubles and sorrows to go and seek out something like this. Likely enough, even whoever used this building only occupied the first two or three floors, leaving the upper structure of the steeple empty and untouched. It was purely decorative anyway; the part they were standing in now was only about seven feet wide, and likely all they'd find below the hatch would be a narrow shaft with a ladder. Maybe there had once been a bell hung up here, or some such. Either way, the perch served no practical purpose, leaving it empty and useless, except for the amazing view. It really made Tock stop and think. Being up here served no purpose, but it was still beautiful. She thought about all the issues she'd been having lately; the way her boss disliked the way she talked, dressed, and acted. She hadn't considered such things important. What difference did it make if she combed her hair, or wore pretty clothes? It served no purpose. Yet, neither did this place, but she still found it amazing. She leaned against the railing, looking down at the people walking by below. People with things to do, places to be. And here she was, just staring at them. She wasn't even thinking about work for the moment, nor worrying about the architecture around her. She was just absorbed in the moment, appreciating the beauty for it's own sake. She couldn't remember the last time she'd done that.

[Minerva Agatha Zipporah]

They stayed up there for a couple of hours, eating the lunch Tock had packed, and enjoying the amazing scenery. When the initial wonder wore off, they resumed drawing, Tock showing the boys some of the intricacies of the steeple's arches, such as the twisted knot design poking down from the peak of each arch like a hanging piece of fruit. They took measurements of the arches themselves, and Tock recorded all the numbers so that she could research more about the strength of marble. She measured all of stone blocks in the arches and the roof above, certain that with a little work down at the library, she could figure out the weight of the stone and how much this arch design could support. Then they studied the building they were in as viewed from above, sketching the sweeping curves that ran from the main width of the building up to the far narrower steeple. There was a symmetry of design there, one that added a great deal to the beauty of the building. Learning how to find the balance between the artistic beauty of the design and the functional purpose of the structures would be a big help in designing Marshall's office. And it got Tock wondering if she could achieve such a balance in her life. All she had right now was function and purpose. She had always considered things like beauty, etiquette, proper clothes, and manners to be unneeded frivolities that had no place in her life. But maybe they didn't really take anything away from life. Maybe she could add those niceties, the things that would make Jacques happy, the things that would make a good impression on their clients, without really losing anything. Just refining what was there. Adding that artistic touch, but without the pointless, unnecessary frills that the rich and powerful seemed so focused on. Just a touch of beauty to soften her around the edges, and make her fit in better. Not reaching to her core, not affecting her strength or taking away from her function. But enhancing it with a touch of class. She sat on the marble railing for a time, thinking on it, while the city moved about its business far below.