baby lumberjacks still wear plaid
Johnny!
Clemente Belcourt
Apprentice

Age: 23 | Height: 5'9 | Race: Ascended | Nationality: Outlander | Citizenship: Hollowed Grounds
Level: 2 - Strg: 12 - Dext: 11 - Endr: 13 - Luck: 16 - Int:
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#1
Clemente
Clemente is kind of a stubborn bastard. And yes he's allowed to call himself that since his folks never tied the knot. But listen that isn't what's important here. What's important is that trees are tough fuckers, and they don't like giving up their wood all that much to tenacious young boys. Which has led to this: the war of the century. Clemente versus Cedar.

Or something. He's not sure what trees are what really.

Anyway, back to the battle. He has a tiny hatchet that he'd lifted from the back of the house Rexanna lets him stay in. But he's not entirely, precisely, exactly sure how to use it. Too used to swinging offensively, unsure how to cut bark from a tree or limbs from a young sprout. He just wants to continue his carving, and these selfish fuckers won't give up their flesh.

Ew okay bad analogy. Clem goes back to hacking aimlessly at the poor tree, lip jutting out in a pout as he concentrates, grateful he can't sweat anymore. That would've just been the cherry on top.
Nate Wrenzaok
the Lone (Free) Ranger
"Doctor" / Guildmaster

Age: 37 | Height: 6'1" | Race: Demi-god | Nationality: Outlander | Citizenship: Hollowed Grounds
Level: 10 - Strg: 55 - Dext: 45 - Endr: 50 - Luck: 46 - Int: 1
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#2
NATE
Who could ask to be unbroken
or be brave again?
Or honey hope even on this side
of the grave again?
There are some weird side effects that come from being back in the Hollowed Grounds. Nate finds himself taking more walks, for one. After two and half or so weeks of walking, he finds it’s a little hard to get out of the habit. And it’s not like he really gets tired, so why not spend his nights walking? At least a few of them. The other weird side effect is the urge to only walk in places with a lot of trees. Something about the desolation of the tundra had stuck with him.

Trees at night didn’t usually mean people though, something he’d been comfortable with. So when the dull clunking noise rings out through the trees, it makes him pause a moment. Then, without much thought, he follows it. What’s the worst that could happen to him at this point anyway? If it was a person he could talk his way out of anything, and if it wasn’t then... we’ll he’d figure it out.

As it turns out though, the person responsible for the dull thudding is a person. A familiar one! The boy he’d helped with his whittling skills, a season and a race ago. Nate watches him struggle for a moment, smile playing on his face, then steps out of the trees with a smile. ”Looks like you could use a hand there. Am I going to need to teach you to use every kind of tool you touch?” He called, teasing the kid gently.
And who could ask it to be sound
or to feel saved again?
But stick around until you hear
that music play again
Clemente Belcourt
Apprentice

Age: 23 | Height: 5'9 | Race: Ascended | Nationality: Outlander | Citizenship: Hollowed Grounds
Level: 2 - Strg: 12 - Dext: 11 - Endr: 13 - Luck: 16 - Int:
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Posts: 134 | Total: 6,168
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#3
Clemente
Clem nearly takes a limb off with his axe when a voice calls out, having been too focused on his terrible chopping to rely on his hearing. Which really, really would have sucked because meeting The Voice in person for the first time probably wouldn't go well if he needed a leg replaced or something. But also imagine the cool bionic limbs?

Pulling himself from his distraction, the boy turns with a scowl at the newcomer, only for it to be wiped away in a messy smear of recognition and delight upon seeing Nate. His grin is lopsided and genuine, fangs peeking out the corners of his mouth as he sheepishly shrugs. "I'm keepin' ya sharp by makin' ya teach me, don't be ungrateful!" Nonetheless he bounds over to the other man, already presenting the axe eagerly, ready to learn another skill from the still unnamed man. "I'm tryin' to cut it down so I can carve bigger stuff like you were showin' me." An honest admission, hoping the man will appreciate that Clemente has been continuing his little lessons on his own.
Nate Wrenzaok
the Lone (Free) Ranger
"Doctor" / Guildmaster

Age: 37 | Height: 6'1" | Race: Demi-god | Nationality: Outlander | Citizenship: Hollowed Grounds
Level: 10 - Strg: 55 - Dext: 45 - Endr: 50 - Luck: 46 - Int: 1
PEMOTA - Mythical - Starwhale (narwhal) RAMOTH - Mythical - Dragon (Biopulse)
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#4
NATE
Who could ask to be unbroken
or be brave again?
Or honey hope even on this side
of the grave again?
”Oh I’m the one being ungrateful huh?” Nate laughed, feeling a little bit bad for surprising the kid, even if he was a sassy little brat. He accepted the axe, weighing it in his hand for a moment before looking towards the tree that... honestly barely looked like it had been touched. ”You should just consider yourself lucky you got such a resourceful guy around.” An easy smile stayed glued to his lips, even as he stepped in closer to look over the tree.

”So... you can pick this tree, if you’re really set on it, but I wouldn’t recommend it. Look.” Nate reached out to poke at one of the deeper marks made, swiping his finger through an oozing bead of sap as he did. ”Unless you dry the wood, this will be all over you.” He straightened up then, only barely resisting the urge to wipe his hand on his shirt, and looked around. It only took him a moment to find what he was looking for, and he strode over to a different tree, a little wider than the first, with a white papery bark. ”Something like this doesn’t ooze as much. And the wood is a little softer, so it’ll be easier for you. As for the actual chopping.”

Nate gestured for Clem to back up, then demonstrated a few swings, exaggerating his gestures to make them easy to follow. Once he’d put a notch into the tree, he handed the axe back. ”Try it on the other side. Keep in mind that the tree will fall in the direction of the first notch made, so keep yourself clear of it.”
And who could ask it to be sound
or to feel saved again?
But stick around until you hear
that music play again
Clemente Belcourt
Apprentice

Age: 23 | Height: 5'9 | Race: Ascended | Nationality: Outlander | Citizenship: Hollowed Grounds
Level: 2 - Strg: 12 - Dext: 11 - Endr: 13 - Luck: 16 - Int:
Played by: Brit Offline
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Posts: 134 | Total: 6,168
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#5
Clemente
Clem smiles impishly at the other man's gentle ribbing, unoffended by his own leechlike tendencies. Being a pretentious teenager has its advantages sometimes. "Yeah, 'm so grateful for ya, now hurry up." His grin is fang-filled and delighted, practically bouncing in place at Nate's side. Stuffy libraries and memorizing letters with Amun may have its own benefits, but it's not nearly as interesting as the things Nate has already shown him. Clem is definitely more the type to work with his hands.

Clemente peers closer as Nate points out the tree he'd been pitifully hacking at, nose wrinkling at the sap on display. It looks like it's bleeding, and he feels briefly regretful before the other man is moving away to another, apparently better, option. The bark is definitely prettier, though he wonders how he will differentiate these in the future. "So, the drier the better?" Maybe he can make a career out of being a weird, forever young lumberjack. And carver!

The boy hides his pout when Nate hands the axe back, taking it in hand and repeating the motion the other Ascended had made but much slower. When he feels confident in the swing, he aims a hard chop at the tree, making a whooping noise of celebration when it is far more effective this time. "I'm gonna be carvin' this stuff forever," he crows as he begins chopping, rhythm sloppy at best but the hits at least better than his pitiful first attempts. "What should we do with it?"
Nate Wrenzaok
the Lone (Free) Ranger
"Doctor" / Guildmaster

Age: 37 | Height: 6'1" | Race: Demi-god | Nationality: Outlander | Citizenship: Hollowed Grounds
Level: 10 - Strg: 55 - Dext: 45 - Endr: 50 - Luck: 46 - Int: 1
PEMOTA - Mythical - Starwhale (narwhal) RAMOTH - Mythical - Dragon (Biopulse)
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#6
NATE
Who could ask to be unbroken
or be brave again?
Or honey hope even on this side
of the grave again?
"It's not really the dryness you're looking for. You don't want to be too far in either direction, too dry will be splintery and hard to carve." This is all knowledge from long ago, summers spent with a stern and disapproving grandparent finally paying off apparently. If teaching a brat of a kid counts as 'paying off'. "You're looking for more of a soft wood. Trees with leaves, rather than needles usually."

Nate watches the kid swing with a critical eye, reaching out to correct him just a little before finally nodding. He doesn't answer the question of what they'll do with the wood yet, waiting a moment for the tenuous balance the tree is maintaining the fail, and send it crashing down to the ground. When it's quiet again, he simply shrugs. "You can cut it into smaller pieces for individual projects. Let the rest season until you need it."

"What do you need all the wood for anyway?" There hadn't been any surge of woodcarvings in the market that he'd noticed, and while he wasn't exactly tapped into the pulse of the community, he hadn't heard of many gifts going around either.
And who could ask it to be sound
or to feel saved again?
But stick around until you hear
that music play again
Clemente Belcourt
Apprentice

Age: 23 | Height: 5'9 | Race: Ascended | Nationality: Outlander | Citizenship: Hollowed Grounds
Level: 2 - Strg: 12 - Dext: 11 - Endr: 13 - Luck: 16 - Int:
Played by: Brit Offline
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Posts: 134 | Total: 6,168
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#7
Clemente
Flaxen eyes move from Nate to the tree over and over, scowl growing deeper as the explanation continues on. "Damn, that's like...a lotta criteria. Sorry tree," he says offhandedly to the one he'd kind of murdered with the axe, feeling bad now that it wasn't going to be used for anything and was just listing a little to the side with a chopped up side. It in no way stops him from giving another tree hell though, because Clem doesn't have time to feel bad for his choices. He's a teenager. Forever.

Nate adjusts his technique every few swings, and Clem isn't enough of an asshole to disregard the advice just for the sake of being contrary. It's a close thing, but still. The crash of the tree makes Clem leap into the air in fright, and then as it collapses and goes still, he drops the axe to lift both hands into the air and gives a whoop of victory. "Hell yeah! Suck my electric dick, tree!" He gives a jaunty little kick at the trunk and nearly falls on his ass, but it does nothing to diminish his excitement. When Nate's words finally register, he frowns at the man. "Season? What?" Turning back to his victim, felled and on the ground, he shrugs a shoulder as his shyness swoops upon him viciously. "For uh...wanted t'make Rex and Bas some cool furniture...stuff fer the Guild too," he mumbles. Nothing too fancy, though he wishes he had the skill to make a beautiful settee of some sort since beds aren't useful. Easels for Bastien had been his primary goal, but there are so many options he's unsure where to start.
Nate Wrenzaok
the Lone (Free) Ranger
"Doctor" / Guildmaster

Age: 37 | Height: 6'1" | Race: Demi-god | Nationality: Outlander | Citizenship: Hollowed Grounds
Level: 10 - Strg: 55 - Dext: 45 - Endr: 50 - Luck: 46 - Int: 1
PEMOTA - Mythical - Starwhale (narwhal) RAMOTH - Mythical - Dragon (Biopulse)
Played by: Johnnie Offline
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Posts: 2,792 | Total: 4,183
MP: 0
#8
NATE
Who could ask to be unbroken
or be brave again?
Or honey hope even on this side
of the grave again?
Nate claps and gives the younger ascended an approving smile, barely managing to keep from laughing at the outburst and stumble. Though, if he really tried, it could probably be excused as laughing with and not laughing at. Stepping past Clemente, Nate takes the axe back again, chopping off branches along the length of the log, throwing away anything too small to work with until he got a decent sized branch.

"Seasoning is just letting it sit until it's nicer to work with. If you're going to be making furniture, you'll want to give it some time, since the wood changes shape as it dries out. But little things," the axe and branch are both held out to Clem, a bright smile on Nate's face, "should be fine. I can help you take all this back to where you're staying, if you want?"
And who could ask it to be sound
or to feel saved again?
But stick around until you hear
that music play again
Clemente Belcourt
Apprentice

Age: 23 | Height: 5'9 | Race: Ascended | Nationality: Outlander | Citizenship: Hollowed Grounds
Level: 2 - Strg: 12 - Dext: 11 - Endr: 13 - Luck: 16 - Int:
Played by: Brit Offline
Change author:
Posts: 134 | Total: 6,168
MP: 0
#9
Clemente
Clem happily gives up the axe when Nate reaches for it, watching raptly as the older man swiftly and precisely lops off the limbs of Clem's chosen (and now vanquished) foe. Sitting at Nate's side like a loyal dog with a wagging tail, the teenager listens intently as seasoning is explained to him, locking it away in his memory with everything else he has been learning since his arrival in Caido.

The smile is returned tenfold, practically starry-eyed as plans and shapes form a hyperactive amalgamation in Clem's mind. "Yeah! 'm stayin' in Rex's old place." Though he visits her and Bastien all the time, he still clings stubbornly to his teenage independence. Plus it's easier to hide gifts when you aren't living in the same house as them, and none of you sleep. Grabbing the wood and axe offered to him, Clem jerks his head in the right direction and begins to lead.

- Fin (if you want!)


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