Give me a windy day with the white clouds flying

[seventeensir]

Who: Everyone who volunteered to help build the ship and/or anyone who has gotten dragged into it since.
What: CARVING THE BODIES. (aka "building the ship")
When: October 17th until October 22nd, from 8 in the morning until evening. (Your character is not required to be there every day all day.)
Where: On the beach, not far from one of the docks.

Comments

Any day, all day

[noprevaricating]

Archie is so tickled to finally be working on the ship itself, and it shows. Periodically, he'll be offering to teach everyone sea shanties to help pass the time. They're easy to learn, as a rule.

Sometimes, he'll pause and flatten a hand against a wooden plank with clear reverence. There's something almost childlike about it as the wonder shines in his face.

October 17th, midday

[seventeensir]

Guess who will be making himself scarce when shanties are being taught? Certainly not Horatio, no.

But there is currently not much music going on, so he'll join Archie for a moment. "She'll be lovely." It almost didn't seem possible that they were actually building a ship.

10/18 morning

[lists_to_port]

Jack settles himself in the sand not far from the building site with a bottle of rum in hand. He's here to observe for a few moments before setting off on his daily search for Jilly.

[seventeensir]

It takes Hornblower a few moments to realize they're being watched, mostly because he's finally stepped away from his work to go to his plain journal, where a few sketches and mathematical equations wind through the pages. He has something he's trying to solve, but he hasn't got it yet.

But the sight of Sparrow gives him pause with the open notebook, and he watches the man. For just a moment, his expression tightens. On the whole, though, it remains fairly neutral, as if the conversation on the beach a few nights ago had not happened.

He gives a simple nod of acknowledgement and greeting.

[lists_to_port]

In return, Horatio gets a nod acknowledging that acknowledgment and greeting, though not very warmly. At some point though Jack will hail the other captain and gesture him over.

[seventeensir]

Civility is the name of the game, as far as Hornblower is concerned. In public, even around common acquaintances-- civility. It doesn't matter what they think of each other, not as far as anyone else is concerned. He can, at least, play that role. He's played it before.

When Sparrow beckons him over, he nods, joining the other man shortly. He tries to hide it as best he can, but one look at his hands shows the red, slightly raw skin. He went into the Navy as a midshipman. This sort of work? Is completely outside his area of expertise and his training. He's a long way from calluses to make it easier.

"Sparrow." Another nod of the head, voice neither warm nor cold.

[seventeensir]

As the sound gets louder and the person closer, Hornblower has to struggle not to say anything. Words held out too long, minced for the sake of rhythm... It all sounded quite foolish to a man who could not hear notes. Better, though, to be only the voice-- rather than ten men at once or accompanied by ten different instruments that all sounded the same, beating out their own rhythms with no regard for one another or any poor listener.

...Granted, Hornblower was aware that a great many people enjoyed the sound. It would never cease to cause him dismay.

When the man gets close enough, however, Hornblower at least tries to look unbothered by the sound and raises a hand with the crook'd Navy salute he is used to.

[seventeensir]

"Sir."

It's greeting enough, and Hornblower manages to sound civil enough, his fingers twitching against the rope work he's dealing with. He's fast on it, and the knots are secure, but he can't help telling himself that William Bush would have it done twice as good in half the time.

[consultmybooks]

Having already built a boat and in no hurry to repeat the experience with anyone who is not Ami, Giles will mostly be around for what might be called the "miscellaneous" tasks - sails, epoxy, rigging, and the like. Unfortunately, these also happen to be the jobs he needs the most practice in and has the least experience with.

Assistance might be necessary, people.

[seventeensir]

While he will not be in any hurry to climb them, Hornblower did have every intention of overseeing and assisting in the construction of the shrouds. Which means, when he finishes with a series of knots himself, checking on other knots tied.

And sometimes fixing them.

So he eventually ends up at where Giles is working and nods politely. "Doing well, sir?"

[consultmybooks]

"I think so."

Giles looks down at Horatio before looking back at the knot he's currently fussing with. "Unfortunately and...rather oddly, this was the subject that I was able to dig up the least help with. And I'm afraid it might be showing."

19th (why not!)

[straightatem]

It's a few days later but Jack returns to helping Hornblower and Kennedy with the construction of their ship - splendidly coming along.

He would have been happy to somehow help with the framework or (again) heavy lifting. He knows what he's suited for as far as menial work goes and he would like to do what he's good at. If only it weren't for his damn back and his ever hawk-like doctor.

Stephen had given him explicit instruction to not strain his back further. Both wishing to supply some kind of assistance and to not disobey Stephen's stern demand, he could content himself with another skill he could abuse to help along: sewing.

He went diligently at the shrouds, sewing uniform lines to craft them into something respectable. He was humming something as well along the strains of 'Deh Vieni Non Tadar', a bit of music from the Marriage of Figaro.

[seventeensir]

Hornblower tried to ignore the faint traces of blood being left along the pieces of rope as he sewed. The sewing itself was not difficult, and he did not injure himself there. However, the damage was done from working at the wood and twisting rope and tying it