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[renegare]

[ the camera finds focus on the ground, a long stick setting unsteady lines to sketch a building. Hibari's skill with the arts is timid at best, unhelped by a tiny yellow bird that takes just this time to land on the drawing and rub against it affectionately. The stick halts its movement - ]

...shhhhhhhhhh.

[ - then is tapped against dirt, once

Comments

[plzcallmemama]

[Jennifer pokes at the mortar with a stick, frowning. It's needed at the Eastern wall now if they were going to move the whole thing. Time was precious after all! But first...]

Does this look right? It seems a little thin...

[umathematic]

That's because it is.

[ Surprise, a bucket of builder's lime is getting dumped in Jennifer's arms! If she doesn't reach for it, it'll drop to her feet. Gokudera's free hand is twitching again as he eyes the mixture, then the maker. ]

Do you even know what it's supposed to be?

[plzcallmemama]

[Good thing Jennifer's surprisingly strong! She catches that easily even if it does get plopped down on the ground from sheer surprise.]

Well... it's just mortar and water, right? It can't be that hard!

[umathematic]

Obviously it is if you had to ask.

[ Cursory observation complete, Gokudera slides on glasses to consult a small notebook. Ladies and... well, okay, just Jennifer, building is serious business. ]

Use that for the next batch. I'll get the sand.

[plzcallmemama]

The next one? Then what should I do with all of this? [Motions to the wheelbarrow]

Oh! Sand! That's what I was missing. I should have known that too, but I was just told to mix the mortar and... [shades her eyes, looking for Hibari somewhere in the mix of workers] I wonder where he went off to...

[umathematic]

[ kind of gives her a Look. ] Leave it to someone with bricks.

[ And, well, there's only one person who's really barging around giving ridiculous directions today. Gokudera's scowl darkens. He snaps the book shut. ]

The woods. A human farm. Who the hell knows with that guy.

[plzcallmemama]

[Jennifer's immune to dark looks. Wasn't it just nice working together as a group?]

I shall! I was just afraid it wasn't usable since, well... you're adding lime and sand to the next one. It's not a good idea to meld the bottom layers with weak mortar is it? But if you think it's fine, I'll take your word for it!

[smiles up at the nice Gokudera. See, she's not a complete airhead! Blink.] What was his name anyway? So I can send him a thank-you card later!

1/2

[umathematic]

[ Ah, exchanging ideas. One of the many reasons to hate working with other people. The other reasons being, of course, other people. ]

The sand's for this batch--who'd want a base from lime and sand?

[umathematic]

You want to send a--

[ ... shit. And now, suddenly, Jennifer has his full attention rather than half-shed brooding. Gokudera stares. ]

--Stick your arms behind your head.

[plzcallmemama]

[But without an exchange of ideas how does anything get done! How does one learn? How does one build on the works of the greats?

... how does one have friends? Come Gokudera! Be Jennifer's newest friend. It's fun! Oh, hey, arms go behind the head.]

Why? Is something wrong? [softening that command slightly as she starts patting her hair. The curse might make her do things, but her mind insists its all of her own free will, still.]

[umathematic]

[ ... well, she may be a pathetic optimist, but at least she's unlikely to be here on a wholly volunteered basis. For which Gokudera is deeply grateful. ]

This entire day's wrong.

[renegare]

[ As it happens, he did go to the woods. And a human farm, two visibly battered young men trailing with logs behind him half an hour later. They report with the brick-makers, and Hibari himself takes the five minutes of his day to investigate the mortar. Surprise, surprise, it - ]

...looks unusual.

[plzcallmemama]

[Jennifer bites her lip.] I was afraid of that. Guess it's back to the drawing board! Who knew making mortar would be this difficult?

[Still, Jennifer takes a moment to lean against the barrel and wipe her forehead off with the edge of her apron]

You picked a good day for this. Nice and sunny and so many new faces! It's nice to volunteer once in a while, don't you think?

[renegare]

[ ...old. And young. She's too old to carry, too young not to use. But she seems willing to work, and the mortar will hold well, once she's mastered it. As for the weather - he looks the sky's way absently, measuring the time (and how much of the day is still left for use) to the best of his lacking ability. ]

I think... I could use another day.

[ And a month after it. ]

[plzcallmemama]

But we've made progress! [beaming smile] You can almost see a wall and by the time we're done today, you might even see an out-line!