[Hopetoun] Priorities

[Vega]

4th Ashan 721

Following: this

Vega and her father had spent some time the trial before talking about things and Vega had gone from the idea of making arrows to something quite different. Now, she was seeing things differently and she figured that, what Hopetoun needed ~ or, in fairness, wanted ~ was ways of making life easier. So, now, she had a whole bunch of things. Things which she'd made, or pulled out of their storage. Then, Vega made her way to where they'd been the trial before. There'd been some people there and Vega wanted to catch up with them again.

Once she had got there, she saw them. They were where they'd been the trial before, working on the same area where they were growing some fruits and Vega walked up with a smile. "Hey," she said. "I wonder if I could take a bit of yer time?" The four of them looked up and the woman who had spoken to Vega the trial before nodded. "What do you need?"

"I've got all the ideas," Vega said with a grimace, "An' I don't know which ones are good an' which ones are daft an' quite what is best. I were wonderin', would you help me?" There was a time when asking for help would have been a big step for her. Now, however, things had changed. Storms Edge taught her that things got done best when working in a team and, although Vega didn't ask for help, more and more she understood the need to do so in order to make sure that people worked in unison, as a team. Coupled with the fact that she'd realised that she wasn't alone in not liking to ask for help, she had come to the conclusion that she needed to be the change she wanted to see. So, with a smile, she gestured to the area where she and Arlo and their clan had set up their campe and where, this morning, she'd put out her things ready. "I put all the stuff out over there, an' I'd really appreciate it if you'd take a look, an' maybe we can talk about what this place needs?"

The woman, whose name was Allie, nodded. "I can." Vega nodded and smiled to the other three, giving a nod and exchanging pleasantries, as well as she could.

"Alright," said Allie. "What's the issue?"

"Right, so, the thing is," Vega explained. "I've never once lived in a house. Arlo an' I we camp or we sail. An' so we're really used to things havin' to be multi-functional. An' I want to do that here." Vega nodded her head. "An' I'm goin' to try an' create things, an' teach people how to do it, things what are beyond handy an' are useful. So, I want to talk to you about ideas, can we do that?"

Allie grinned. "So, wait. You're telling me that you can make useful things, and will take into account what we need and want here before you make them?"

Vega nodded, a wicked smile on her face. "Yeah, that's almost exactly it. You wanna help me?"

Allie smiled. "Yes. Yes, I do." That worked for Vega. She wanted to do this - to make things which helped. But in order to do that she needed to talk to someone who wasn't as used to living in a camp as she and Arlo were.

[Vega]

4th Ashan 721

Following: this

Allie, Vega decided, was exactly her kind of person. Straight-talking, down-to-earth and generally a happy individual. "So, what are we thinking?" Allie asked.

"Well, honestly," Vega said. "Arlo an' I have lived in the wilderness always. An' before I met him, I lived at sea. So, space is always a premium an' more than that, you've got to think about storage an' stuff. When we moved, we took the cart so, if it didn't fit in the cart, we didn't take it." Allie nodded. As they arrived at the camp, Vega smiled at the tall biqaj male who was there. "Allie, this is my cousin, Reese." Reese nodded and shook Allie's hand. "A pleasure," he said. "So what we're lookin' at here, is stuff that we've used ourselves, or that me or Reese cobbled together yestertrial." Allie lowered her head to examine things.

Reese, who was a solid and well-skilled carpenter, was there because he was also a decent builder and, some of these might need a build. "So, like, for example. I'm thinkin' that we could build up some chimineas. I mean, Arlo an' I have always done it like this." She pointed to their own built up area where there was a fire pit and a semi-circular stepped wall around it. "But this wood, here, this wood is fire retardant. We can make Hopetoun safer, an' more efficient, if we make chimineas an' chimneys, even boxes an' pits out of this stuff. Also, it's lighter than the stones what are currently the best bet, an' it will work in houses, too. Imagine a fireplace, in your home, what is yellow dragon wood inside a box which contains the fire safely. A heat source what doesn't risk burnin' your home down."

Allie nodded. "I reckon," Vega said, "That we can adapt this, too." She showed Allie the cold-box Arlo had, which he'd made arcs ago. "It's got a snowcrystal in there, an' a layer of cold-sand. But we've got the same thing, with the warm sand. Now that we're in Ashan, we could take one of the ships an' go round an' collect the different coloured sands, yes?" She said that to Reese and he nodded. "Yes, no problem." She smiled. "So, a bowl that's warm, or a plate that is, things like that."

As Vega spoke, Ali saw what the young biqaj was thinking and she tried to consider it further herself. "This sounds," she paused slightly, searching for the right word. "Exciting. Cool boxes for keeping produce fresher, things like that?" Vega nodded. "But also, things like this," she said. As she did, she showed Alli a box which, again, they'd had a long time. As she showed her the pieces of it, Vega exaplained. "We keep our water in here, it's always warm. Then, if we're wantin' to make tea, it jus' goes on the fire for a moment." There was a lid to the box, but when Vega opened it, it revealed a deep box with a metal pot in it. "That's the orange warm sand, see, what it's nestled in?" Allie nodded. "But this is what we use for makin' tea so here, at the bottom, look." The bottom of the box was small drawers of different depths and widths. Allie opened each one, one at a time. "Different types of tea. A small container of honey, some dried fruits. Spoons in this one. If only you kept the... oh, but you do." That was said when Vega slid the side of the box open to show that, indeed, there were two hooks in there, nestled back just far enough that the box could be closed with no jagged edges. "When we're travellin', the pot in there is empty, so we keep the cups in it, an' the handles to the drawers an' things. When we're camped, the cups hang here."

Allie frowned and asked, "Why do you keep the handles to the drawers in there?" Vega showed her how the drawer handles came off. "So that when we're travellin' there aren't stickin' out bits what make puttin' things away awkward, an' they don't get bashed an' knocked off or broken."

"It's a whole new way of thinking, honestly." Vega nodded. "It is. What do you think?" She asked and the woman smiled. "I think it's potentially incredibly useful."

"Where would we be best starting?" Reese asked, and Allie looked around. "So, in terms of what we have here, what can it help? Like - cooking, eating, tea. Anything else?" Vega nodded. "Sleepin', too. Livin' generally." Allie looked at all the things and, she had to admit, she felt a little overwhelmed.

"If you're still going to teach us, then I think pick three things," Allie said. "Three things, complete sets, which will help."

Vega considered that, and she nodded. "That I can do. Ok. So. Arrows an' a bow, the tea set, an' a cool box." Allie listened and asked. "And how will you do that? Will people get to watch you make it?"

"No," Vega said, immediately. "I learned the hard way that I'm rubbish at teachin' like that. Everyone gets a whole bunch of resources, an' then. We make them together. So, by doin' it you get to learn how to do it, an' you get your own set of the items." Allie grinned. "I like it," she said.

Vega looked at Reese. "We need to get gatherin' supplies, then."

He nodded. "Tell me what you want, and we'll take out the Dreamer. Maybe both, one go one way round the island, other go another?" Vega nodded.

"I'll put together a list. An' I'll ask Sir Chip an' Darius if there's anythin' they want."

Allie looked between the two biqaj and smiled. "So, when will these classes happen?"

Vega considered it. "Ok, so I can be doin' the arrow-makin' one in a few trials, while the boys are off collectin' resources. An' then, when they come back we'll do another for the tea-set, an' another for the cool box. Sound about right?" Allie nodded. "Righ' then," Vega said. "We'll do the arrow-makin' on the 6th. Then the tea-set on the eleventh, an' the cool box on the thirteenth." Glancing at Reese and Allie, she turned to the woman. "Thanks, Allie. I really appreciate it."

She meant it, too. She did appreciate it. But equally? The thought of teaching people was terrifying.

[Doran]

Vega:

Knowledge:
Fieldcraft: Consider the uses of every item
Fieldcraft: Maximise storage possibilities
Fieldcraft: Keep surfaces flush in order to ensure ease of travel.
Fieldcraft: Use the natural properties of a resource and how it can be best used efficiently.
Logistics: Gathering resources for teaching.
Teaching: Plan your teaching to your own strengths

Loot: -
Lost: -
Wealth: -
Injuries: -
Renown: -
Magic XP: -
Skill Review: Appropriate to level.
Points: 10

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Comments:I love how Vega went from thinking about making arrows to trying to come up with different ways of making the lives of the people in Hopetoun easier. I didn’t know that there had been a time when asking someone for help would have been a big step for her, so, I found that bit quite interesting. I like it when readers get such an insight into a PC.

I thought that asking Allie for advice was an excellent idea. Allie does sound like a down-to-earth and generally happy person, like Vega observed, and it was a good idea to involve Reese who is a skilled carpenter as well. I’m glad that Vega’s relatives are with her now!

I’m impressed with how creative Vega’s ideas are. I don’t think I would ever have considered making a chimney out of fire-retardant wood, for example. And those boxes sound as if they would be useful, too. I’m really curious about how things will go now, and if teaching people will be as terrifying as the thought of it. I look forward to those threads!

Enjoy your rewards!