[o] [PQ] [SE] Restorations

The lodge had been neglected in his absence. 

Noah exhaled, his breath curling in the frigid air as he stepped onto the porch. The boards groaned under his weight, more from neglect than the cold. He reached down, pressing a gloved hand to the wood, feeling the give beneath his palm. Rot. The kind that came from time and exposure. 

His eyes lifted to the roof, where snow clung in heavy drifts. The overhang sagged, the weight of the seasons pressing down like a burden long carried. He sighed, dragging a hand over his face. Repairs would take time and the demigod’s mind reeled with all that needed to be done. But standing in the hollow quiet of the lodge, he knew he’d rebuild. He had to. For Cordelia.

Taking a few days to gather the necessary supplies and spread the word around, Noah readied for the tasks to come.

---

This is an open PQ repairing the lodge. 

1. Noah
2.
3.

Noah Olson

the forsaken

A machine where your heart once was
Slowly takes the place of you

Liam hadn't really intended to visit Halo this season, but after his spar with Noah, the Forsaken had invited him to the tundra, and he hadn't really had a reason to say no. When his trip coincided with Noah's repairing the lodge, however, Liam was glad he'd come. The soldier could tell that the lodge itself had once been nice, but neglect had rendered it in poor shape. There were areas where the wood had clearly rotted, and the roof sagged under the weight of snow that had banked on top of it.

It was cold, even in Flowerbirth, and Liam had done his best to dress for the weather in a bulky coat, gloves, and a warm hat. Still, the fact that he could see his breath as he made his way up to the lodge was an unwelcome realization. Spotting Noah near a pile of supplies, Liam raised a hand in greeting. He looked forward to getting started, if only so that the movement could warm his frigid limbs.

---

Liam arrives!

Only hold the memories now
Of a love I thought I knew

Liam

JUST STARING AT THE SUNRISE
ABOVE THIS HOLLOW TOWN
BEEN CHASING EMPTY MEMORIES
THE KIND THAT'S KEEPING YOU DOWN

He had been walking through a dream for the past year or so. He had been dreaming ever since that night, when his world broke—when she had died. Goose, the Husky that walked at his left side, had helped wake him little by little. He'd breathed in, and realized all the while that he'd circled up and hid, the world had marched on. His family, his friends, they'd scattered, and he was as alone as he'd made himself. So he'd promised the dog to wake up each day and work. He'd promised to help the frozen city he'd come to call home. He'd even promised the honeybee.

That was the promise that caught in his chest though. It had barely been realized before he frantically clutched all those promises back and swallowed them. He'd run, again, because distance was the only thing that ensured he could not hurt them and they could not hurt him. Then, when he tried to hurt himself, he drank until he was too numb to feel anything at all, pain included.

That had been more than a year ago, and Iskra was tentatively waking up again. The broadcast from Vox had been a peal in his mind, and like a timid groundhog he'd poked his head out of his house and exhaled into the cold; a question that asked, what is going on? The world had plunged on without him again.

Goose barked softly at the two men who had gathered by a familiar cabin. Iskra paused in his thoughtfully thoughtless walk, blinking the residual sleep from his eyes as he realized he knew both of them. They likely barely remembered; a single meeting, and an offer of help that he'd withdrawn abruptly. Self-loathing bubbled inside of him, but he bit it back with a smile, one that came surprisingly easily to him. "Hey." He wouldn't look much worse for wear. That was the trick: to hide it.

THIS SENSE OF INDECISION
AIN'T WHAT WE HAD IN MIND
THE DREAM THAT I ENVISIONED
I AM STILL HOPING TO FIND

Assessing the lodge continually until the men arrived to help, Noah kept his mental check list updated and it kept growing and growing. IT was incredible how much wear and tear could be done in such a short time in the absence of good stewardship and in the presence of the absolute wilds that the tundra and Greenwing were.

When Liam approached, Noah lifted his eyes and offered him a smile. It was warm, despite the depth of grief that gave a darkness to his glacier eyes he could not shift. ”I didn’t expect you to visit Halo so soon!” Noah said, grasping the man’s forearm in a firm handshake.

The next man to approach was such a surprise that it nearly startled Noah. He lifted a brow toward Iskra, giving him a once over without trying to hide it. ”Hey.” He offered in return, mirroring the abandoned’s greeting. ”Far from the Hollowed Grounds, eh?” He said then, head cocking slightly to the side.

Now that he had some hands, it was time to divvy out the first set of tasks. ”Well, then,” Noah started, clapping his gloved hands together with a dull thud, ”I figured the two of you could start with the front entry. We need to tear off the old boards and haul them over there to start a burn pile.” He gestured to the spot he had marked with a rock, just slightly bigger than his fist. ”I’ll take care of the snow on the roof.”

Once the tasks were out, Noah gave each of them a firm nod and then shifted. As a griffin, he half-jumped, half-glided onto the roof and began to push snow — on the other side of the building, careful for none to fall towards his helpers. While he worked on his task, he hoped Iskra would stay.

---

Round 1! The first tasks are:

1. Take off the rotten or broken boards on the front entry
2. Haul away the old and broken boards and start a burn pile.
3. Push snow off the roof, which Noah will handle.

Noah Olson

the forsaken

JUST STARING AT THE SUNRISE
ABOVE THIS HOLLOW TOWN
BEEN CHASING EMPTY MEMORIES
THE KIND THAT'S KEEPING YOU DOWN

Iskra liked to throw himself into work. It kept his mind busy so that he could not dwell on the darkened corners of his memories, and it kept him weary so that sleep would come at the beckoning of exhaustion. It made him feel a little bit better too, like he had some value. If he couldn't help himself, maybe he could at least help others, in some way or another. So he'd come when he noticed Noah and Liam assessing this lodge. All this wood and physical labor, it was right up his alley. Perfect, he wouldn't need to think much.

At Noah's greeting Iskra's smile turned lopsided, a slight shrug accompanying the acknowledgement of their past. The Forsaken was not here for idle chatter though and was quick to dole out tasks. "I'll rip off the boards in the front," Iskra said to Liam as he walked towards the crumbling entrance. In a swift motion, his hand slipped to his side pocket and pulled out the axe he always kept there, hauling into a clean swing against the wood without missing a beat. The planks would be easier to manage in smaller pieces, so he hacked away at them as one might an overgrown field. Goose lingered down where they had all gathered, tail faintly wagging as he glanced up at Liam.

Iskra grunted as he yanked at some of the split boards. He struggled against the tacks, but most gave way readily and he tossed the kindling (all it was good for now) into a nearby pile for Liam to collect. Each slap of wood upon wood rang with a clattering that was like music to the woodcutter's ears.

---

1. Iskra yanks the boards off the front using the axe he has on hand. Goose stays with Liam.

THIS SENSE OF INDECISION
AIN'T WHAT WE HAD IN MIND
THE DREAM THAT I ENVISIONED
I AM STILL HOPING TO FIND

A machine where your heart once was
Slowly takes the place of you

Liam took the offered hand. "No time like the present," he said with a smile. "Besides, the Greatwood has been so crowded lately, I figured it wouldn't hurt to take off for a few days." It wasn't like he was stumbling across any roses anyway - no, Maea had (fortunately) had all the luck in that department. He could return to his home - and his hunt for more flowers - after visiting Halo and helping a friend.

The other man to appear was vaguely familiar, but it took Liam a moment to place him as someone he'd seen once years before. He couldn't even remember the man's name, but he offered a friendly smile nonetheless.

They got started on their tasks, with the stranger pulling off boards and Noah jumping to the roof. That left Liam to start a burn pile. As boards came down, he picked them up, hauling them to a clear spot far enough away from the lodge that it wouldn't be endangered by the fire to come.

---

Liam hauls old boards to start a burn pile!

Only hold the memories now
Of a love I thought I knew

Liam

Noah’s griffin form was wonderful for the task at hand. With massive body and paws he was able to move the snow off of the roof. It piled up behind the lodge as he pushed it, the sound of it slooshing across the tiles of the roof music to his ears.

Iskra, on the other hand, had a much more difficult time. Some of the boards were more stubborn than others and, despite his experience with wood and lumber, he would find that not every board would move at his will. Perhaps he needed to use a firmer hand?

Liam did not have as much difficulty. He was able to move the boards that Iskra was able to remove with ease, and the burn pile he made was coming together nicely.

Once all of the snow was pushed from the roof, Noah glided down to the ground and shifted back to human form. Quickly, he assessed the work the two men had already done. Then he detailed the next set of tasks, for when they were ready. ”Once the porch is fully dismantled we will need to rebuilt parts of it and repair other parts. Iskra, while you keep working on that, Liam and I will bring over the new lumber and tools.”

---

The dice say that for round two Iskra will still need to work on taking off the unusable boards. Liam can help Noah bring over lumber and tools for the rebuilding!

Noah Olson

the forsaken

JUST STARING AT THE SUNRISE
ABOVE THIS HOLLOW TOWN
BEEN CHASING EMPTY MEMORIES
THE KIND THAT'S KEEPING YOU DOWN

Iskra grunted at the effort to untangle the board and posts from their original structure. For as rundown as this place was, many refused to comply, and it wasn't long before Liam had caught up to him, then passed him as the burn pile roared to life and awaited more fuel. Swearing under his breath slightly, sweat beading along his 'brow, Iskra stood back for a moment to reassess. He shielded the sun from his eyes with a lifted hand, glancing up at the griffin above that seemed to be having a fine time dusting snow from the roof.

"What do you usually hunt?" Iskra made by way of conversation after Noah had redistributed their tasks. Iskra rubbed his hands together, leaning back into his difficult project with newfound vigor. He held the blunt edge of the axe and the handle, using it to help him pry and get leverage over the sticky, indomitable boards. Nearby, Goose huffed as he sat down, a newfound stick rolling between his teeth. He held one end of it between his paws while he gnawed on its length with a ferocity Iskra wished could be funneled into breaking apart the porch instead.

After additional effort, he managed to rip more off, nearly toppling back as he staggered with the abrupt give of it. "Infernal thing," he muttered as he hucked it wildly towards the burn pile and set back in for more.

THIS SENSE OF INDECISION
AIN'T WHAT WE HAD IN MIND
THE DREAM THAT I ENVISIONED
I AM STILL HOPING TO FIND

A machine where your heart once was
Slowly takes the place of you

Liam moved the boards that Iskra tossed to the ground and built a successful burn pile. It grew as they worked, and the soldier was sure they would have a sizeable bonfire by the time they were done. It would probably be a welcome thing; for all that their work had warmed him, there was still a chill in his bones that he couldn't seem to shake. The tundra was a beautiful thing, but he couldn't see staying here for any length of time, much more used to warmer climates.

Noah finished his efforts, but Iskra struggled; Liam listened to the next set of tasks set before setting about gathering lumber and tools to use to rebuild. He'd have been more than happy to offer assistance to the other man, but so, too, was he content to help Noah. He dragged over new lumber, creating stacks of similarly sized pieces, and gathered some tools as well that might be able to assist them in rebuilding.

---

Liam gathers lumber and tools!

Only hold the memories now
Of a love I thought I knew

Liam

As Noah moved to gather the new lumber with Liam, he heard Iskra’s question. Noah turned his head to answer over his shoulder as he squatted to pick up some boards, ”Luxere have always been abundant in Halo, but the presence of wolves and ursur on the tundra always made hunting pretty difficult. We were always compet—“ He suddenly trailed off with a grunt as he stood, the boards slipping right out of his hands as he attempted to place them on his shoulders. Confused, his brows drew together and his forehead wrinkled.

But Liam would see their problem before he would. As the accepted approached, he found himself in the same spot as Noah. He tried to lift the boards, but they slipped from his grasp. What would normally be easy for him to accomplish was made harder by the presence of growing frost across the boards. As Liam inspected, he would find a very large ethereal frostbloom near the pile of lumber.

As Iskra worked and worked to pry each rotten board from the front entry, he would eventually discover that the difficulty did not come from his inability — but, rather, from the ethereal frostbloom  clutch that had started to grow beneath the porch. As they grew they solidified even the most rotten of boards with a deep, unrelenting frost. Ice wrapped itself around and hardened everything, which was why the woodworker had a more difficult time than he generally would have anywhere else. Because it was always the void, wasn’t it?

---

Round 3! The three men have encountered void frost blooms! How will they react?

Ethereal Frostbloom (Common): Once a delicate and otherworldly flower that thrived in the icy landscapes of Halo, the Ethereal Frostbloom has fallen victim to the encroaching void. Its petals, which once sparkled like freshly fallen snow, now emit an eerie, pulsating glow. The frosty fragrance has twisted into a chilling scent that seems to pierce through the coldest winds. Encountering the Ethereal Frostbloom sends a shiver down the spine, as it draws energy from the void, freezing the surrounding environment and everything in its vicinity.

Noah Olson

the forsaken

JUST STARING AT THE SUNRISE
ABOVE THIS HOLLOW TOWN
BEEN CHASING EMPTY MEMORIES
THE KIND THAT'S KEEPING YOU DOWN

Half-listening as Noah half-answered, each man struggling with their own physically demanding task, Iskra did catch the abrupt cut of the voice. He turned to glance over his shoulder as he continued to haul and tug upon a board that simply refused to budge, and that simple break of focus to see if everything was alright with Noah was enough to send Iskra stumbling back. His grip had slipped, or rather, slid just as he'd heaved his body weight back, and so with less resistance beneath his momentum, he toppled backwards, a wail parting his lips as he fell on his ass with a resounding thud.

Grumbling and muttering under his breath, Iskra got back to his feet after a moment of soaking in the defeat. He paused to stretch as he stood, rubbing absently at the dull ache that settled around his tailbone, Noah's woes forgotten in place of his own, especially as there did not seem to be distress from over there. Grabbing for his axe again, a certain fury lining his movements now, he took an extra step as he went to swing, intending to put every bit of power her had into that crack of metal against wood. He'd send that sharpened edge over and over again against this absurdly stubborn board if he had to. He'd cart it away splinter by gods damned splinter—he would not yield to any bit of lumber. Yet, before his blow connected, the glitter of something caught his eye. His arms jerked, and the axe slowed. He brought it back to his side, leaning in to scrutinize the board. Liam found it first, with Noah, but it was here too.

Nearly growling under his breath, Iskra aimed the metal edge of the hatchet towards the plant, angling it to try and dislodge the icy armor.

---

Iskra hacks at the plant with his axe

THIS SENSE OF INDECISION
AIN'T WHAT WE HAD IN MIND
THE DREAM THAT I ENVISIONED
I AM STILL HOPING TO FIND

A machine where your heart once was
Slowly takes the place of you

The task was a struggle, and Liam was the first to see why. The ethereal frostbloom might once have been beautiful, but where pretty petals might have grown, now there was a strange, pulsating glow that set Liam's teeth on edge. This was not his first encounter with the Void - indeed, it had taken over the Greatwood for a time, leaving him to navigate its flora and fauna with care - but he disliked it just as much on the tundra as he had in the woods.

Cold clawed its way up his spine as he gazed at the flower with distaste, taking a few steps back to assess the situation. Without magic or other means to assist him, Liam was left to attempt a more physical approach: hunting down an axe, Liam set to work hacking at the flower's roots, trying to dislodge it from its icy vantage.

---

Liam finds an axe and tries to cut away the frostbloom.

Only hold the memories now
Of a love I thought I knew

Liam

Iskra would prove the most effective of them all thanks to a 19. He hacked and hacked and, within a few swings, the frostbloom cluster was nothing but remnants and memories of the void-touched abomination. Having worked through the void bloom so quickly, Iskra would also be able to remove the last of the rotten boards from the porch.

Liam, having found a weapon almost too generous for the task at hand, made light work of the damned flowers. Pieces of void-touched petals and hunks of violent purple stalk flew around, landing in the snow in its silent death.

Seeing that the once-dragoon needed no help, Noah worked to brush the frost and ice off of the boards, making a new pile of them. ”Let’s move these boards and just lay the first foundation of the new porch, so people can safely come in and out. That will probably be enough work for today.” He said, brushing loose frost from his gloves. ”Thank you for the work you’ve done. Drinks on me at the Kraai after we finish this.” Then he set to work starting to move boards for the others to set.

---

Round 4 to lay just the foundation of the porch and then drinks at the Kraai!

Noah Olson

the forsaken

JUST STARING AT THE SUNRISE
ABOVE THIS HOLLOW TOWN
BEEN CHASING EMPTY MEMORIES
THE KIND THAT'S KEEPING YOU DOWN

Finally Iskra made progress as he hacked and hacked until the frost bloom and its clutch on the rotted wood were in scattered pieces. Like a man possessed Iskra finally lurched back from his task, panting as he surveyed the wreckage with a smug sense of satisfaction. It was always this way whenever faced with a particularly daunting piece to chop. His perseverance, and at times his wits with certain sets tools for specific woods, always won out. Kept him fit too, so that he could cleave the woods that much easier the next time.

Dragging a weary hand through his hair, sweat streaking there, Iskra finally holstered his axe. As Liam and Noah neared, no less successful in their endeavors, Iskra nodded at the new task. "That's all the motivation I need," Iskra admitted with a grin as drinks were promised. He leaned down to gather the splintered planks, fragmented ice, and nefarious weeds, chucking them into the toss pile where they belonged. He heaved and hoed with the new planks, glancing up at the other men as they worked to confirm placements and plans before fitting and hammering and shaping the gangway into place.

Content in a job well done, Iskra stretched up to his full height, grunting into a sideways lean before dusting his hands off on his dusty pants, ready for the bar's embrace.

---

Iskra helps move the broken shit and lay down the new foundation!

THIS SENSE OF INDECISION
AIN'T WHAT WE HAD IN MIND
THE DREAM THAT I ENVISIONED
I AM STILL HOPING TO FIND