[PQ] sink deep and breathe

HOTARU

Here's a lesson in Hotaru: she's a stubborn and greedy bitch. And she misses her hotsprings. So if Halo doesn't have them naturally...

Well she's damn well going to build them herself then.

Of course she has to open her spa first (and hadn't that been fun, to have Deimos tease her when she's hassled him into helping her) before she can even think about setting up the secondary attachment of the spring. Snowcloak is the smartest choice, and considering Hotaru is practically living in Halo full time these days, scoping out the perfect starter building had been a much easier task. As excited as she is to get started on the spring, they need to clean up and construct a few different things in the main building. So Hotaru puts up a notice, gathers those she has already asked for help, and sets a date for construction.

Then she awaits them with an eager grin and assorted materials laid out for the tasks ahead. More than her small seamstress shop, this is exciting. A way to help Halovians loosen up and relax. A way to reclaim her own peace, and share the memories of her home with this new one she has found.

- - -

Hotaru is setting up a spa! This is going to be a big undertaking so may have more rounds than normal. If you miss out don't worry! There will be another PQ to set up the big hotspring!

1. Deimos
2. Weaver
3. Jigano

she's a butcher with a smile
cut me deeper than I've ever been

Weaver

So precious is this life, this gift,
this temporary blindness.

A spa. Well that was definitely something she had never imagined Halo might have. Then again, she’d never imagined any of this was possible. There was, of course, a time when it hadn’t been. They’d been trapped in this Tundra, with no one new but the children who managed to survive. Many did not, a fact of life they did not talk about much.

Yet the world was changing quickly. She had a tavern and inn all her own now, and a life that looked so different than the one she assumed she would be living. More friends than she’d ever dreamed of, for that matter, and though Hotaru wasn’t technically a friend, she was a fellow guild member and had been there to help build the Kraai. Weaver helps with many things in Halo for less, and she’d help build a spa simply to have one. If it just so happened she was also helping Hotaru? Well, that was icing on the cake.

Weaver makes her way over to the building wearing just a long sleeve shirt, pants and her cloak. She doesn’t need the cloak, but sometimes she prefers to wear it anyway simply so people don’t stare. There will forever be some mistrust of magic, no matter how many of them have it or the school specifically for it in their midst. She is without her scythe, though her knives are around her waist as normal.

”You know, Halo really could use more pretty faces to call it home.” she says by way of greeting. She could just be like Sunjata, opening places and leaving others to run it, but perhaps the woman would decide to call Halo home. Or perhaps not, but Weaver doesn’t mind leaving the suggestion. Even if Korbin was rather against more Outlanders, Weaver was not. Throwing her cloak out of the way, she waits for directions.

Burn and drown and embrace the false dark,
then grasp the unthinkable height of resulting joy.

DEIMOS

Other than his usual helpful tendencies (now if that was a sentence framed from the Reaper, someone would likely ask if he was feeling all right), nostalgia and Hotaru brought him towards Snowcloak. Hot springs were the ultimate enticement, figments and fragments of the Aurora Basin clambering along meticulous, scrupulous ruminations – memories of after battles, of relaxation and healing wounds, of something beyond invasions, tactics, and devastation.

He followed, bringing his own bag of tools, breathing in the mountain air, the age-old brandishings of something that reminded him of home; granting Weaver an arched brow and a nod, but a makeshift grin at the corners of his mouth too. His eyes riveted back to Hotaru a moment later, the teasing and taunting layered within – too much like sibling manifestations, despite all the wars and tragedies layered between them. “What first?”

You aren't afraid of throwing yourself

in the path of danger

but you're terrified of letting anyone in

"Quality over quantity, I'd say. Though there's no shortage of them here already," Jigano called teasingly from the door as he slipped in, bundled up against the cold. A muffled peep from within his scarf indicated Isuma's presence, and he waved to Hotaru, Deimos, and Weaver as he unwound enough to speak without being muffled.

"Was on my way to see Loren when I saw the notice. I vaguely recall some mention of making a spa in the Hollowed Grounds back in the day, but nothing ever came of it. If I can help make one a reality in exchange for being one of the first clients, count me in!" He grinned at Hotaru, arching a brow as he remembered helping her put together a glass blowing shop as well.

Deimos received a wry grin, a crinkling of golden skin at the corner of blue eyes to find the Sword and the Sage once again teaming up to help with a project for the improvement of everyone's lot.

HOTARU

Weaver is the first to grace her doorway, and Hotaru turns at the entrance, a please smile overtaking her face at the woman's presence. Only curling mischievously further at what exactly she has to say. "I'm already halfway to convinced, but I'm sure you could tip the scales." Winking at the beautiful woman in clear flirtation. Halo is only all the more appealing with such a powerful, gorgeous lass in their ranks. Especially one prone to tossing her cloak away in such a frivolous, enticing manner. Of course, as in all things, Deimos is there to cockblock her as his massive form enters the room. Not that she's not pleased as punch to see him, but a girl can be privately disappointed. She moves to greet him with more physicality, a closeness that she will always have with him and few others. Reaching out to pinch gently at his side, glimmering playful eyes skirting up to meet his right as their last helper comes through the door.

Hotaru has not seen the Sage in quite some time, but his presence is met with a welcoming wave of her hand and a smile all the same. His help had been much appreciated in setting up her shop (which is now mostly a disguised home that she makes money out of truly) and she suspects history will repeat itself with such a fine collection of workers coming to her aid.

"Thank you all for coming, and yes you can all get free services for helping me out today." Her laugh is bright and tinkling like a bell, awash with enthusiasm for the tasks ahead. Clapping her hands merrily she spins around to gesture to the available space. "It's going to take a lot to turn this from house to spa, so bear with me. The main room is going to be for massages, so it needs to be cleaned of all debris so we can start setting up tables. There's plenty of unused wood against the side of the house, and I brought fabric from my shop to cushion them." Here she gestures to the hammer, nails, padding, and fabric that she had lumped together beforehand for ease of work. Then with a come-hither motion she walks into the adjoining room.

"This will be the changing area for the mud bath. Curtains need to be hung for privacy, and I bartered the hell out of a large amount of beeswax to coat the floors to protect them from water and mud." Not the only thing that needs to be completed for the room, but all three areas will need quite a few rounds of work. Then she moves into the last area, a large open space. "This is going to be the hard one. I've already removed the flooring to bare dirt in the area we need, but we need to dig down for the bath and the seating and then stone-line and seal it to make a proper bath." Turning, she grins and settles her hands upon her hips, exuding excitement and dedication to these tasks ahead of them. "I'll be taking up the entryway and the check in desk, but I'll come around and help as needed. Take your pick!"

- - -

No posting order! Pick a task and get to it folks! Hotaru will be coming around to help as needed, so feel free to write her in as an extra set of hands when/if you need it.

Round One:
- Entryway Setup (Hotaru)
- Clean Main Room + Build Tables
- Hang Curtains + Seal Floors in Changing Room
- Dig Hole + Stoneline Mud Bath

You only need to get about halfway through for this round and we will roll for success!

she's a butcher with a smile
cut me deeper than I've ever been

With his one requirement met, Jigano made himself as comfortable as he could in Caido's chill, and followed in Hotaru's wake as she led them through the various sections. His blue eyes shone with anticipation for the pleasures promised in the (hopefully near) future, but there was a great deal of hard work and elbow grease before they could get there. His ability to construct wooden contraptions was better than it had been in previous seasons, but still far below Deimos's capabilities. In truth, he barely knew Weaver's talents beyond her wicked skill with the scythe, but he wouldn't have been surprised if her own practical skills with hammer and nails surpassed his as well, so he passed on from the first room into the second.

The bard was equally uncertain how best to apply beeswax in quantity to flooring, though he expected it involved hands, knees, and early-onset arthritis. It was with relief that he followed Hotaru into the third room and his eyes lit up as Isuma finally unburrowed herself from his scarf and shook herself, sending bits of fluff into the air before peeping a cheerful greeting to Deimos. Jigano rubbed his hands together, a grin lighting his face as he glanced at Hotaru with mischief in his eyes.

"Looks like it'll be a dirty job, but I'm just the man for it. Just show me where you want the excess dirt piled up and I'll dig in." A wink for their lovely hostess, and once she directed him to a place to deposit the permafrosted soil he began exercising his earth magic to lift chunks of it from the ground and maneuver it to its new home, growing the hole slowly to the size and shape of Hotaru's specifications.

---

Jigano chooses the bath chamber and gets to work using Mastered Earth Magic to excavate and move the dirt.

DEIMOS

A pleased smirk, a snicker, rampaged along his features, maneuvering his elbow into her side as she pinched his. A snort reeled through there too, whether or not he was infinitely pleased he’d marred something for her remained to be seen – mischief coaxed and flared, but features indicated nothing more. His eyes flicked to the last to arrive – and he should’ve known, really – offering an arched brow and a nod to Jigano and Isuma.

He listened to the tasks at hand and required, gaze wandering to things and ruminations rendered – Jigano taking hold of the earthen wares quickly. It made sense, given his talents in the incantations, less work for any of them, and Deimos’ abilities in those enchantments had yet to greatly improve. Moving pebbles around aimlessly wouldn’t help anyone.

The beast would likely be better suited to removing the debris and constructing tables, putting their latest debacle of refuse ousting out of his mind (only pondering briefly if dark corners here contained stone golems too). He’d had plenty of experience in timber-work too. “I can clean and build tables.” With a note of the volunteering aspect, the Sword set to work, collecting fragments of waste, rubbish, and rubble, and placing them outside. He could destroy them later with some well-orchestrated fire.

--

Deimos picks cleaning/table building, and goes to start removing debris and putting it outside.

You aren't afraid of throwing yourself

in the path of danger

but you're terrified of letting anyone in

Weaver

So precious is this life, this gift,
this temporary blindness.

”Well you already have a bar to be a regular at, and of course, me to serve you,” she says with a wink, hoping to recruit more new faces to Halo. The woman was certainly pretty, and while Weaver may prefer men, she could certainly appreciate a seductive woman. But soon Deimos and Jigano arrive, and she gives them both a nod and smile in greeting. So many Grounders here to help build something in Halo. Strange, but nice all the same.

Hotaru leads them through and lays out the tasks. Jigano takes to digging and Deimos to building, both of which make sense. That leaves Weaver to work on the changing room, a task that she is well enough suited to. The beeswax will be interesting, but for now, she starts on the curtains. Weaver begins by stringing thick rope along where the curtains need to go, attaching them to one side and pushing the curtains on before attaching the rope to its destination. She’ll continue, creating as many ‘rooms’ as Hotaru directs.

Burn and drown and embrace the false dark,
then grasp the unthinkable height of resulting joy.

HOTARU

"Well if you're part of the deal, it's practically a given," she teases back to the dark-haired woman, more than capable of admitting that she would certainly not turn down any kind of offer the bartender would give. Ah, but there is much work to be done and only so many light hours in the day when it comes to Halo. They all set to their tasks with aplomb, and she is confident enough in their abilities to leave them unattended as she begins to work on the reception area. Of course she is immediately met with contention from the large panel of wood she'd been intending to use, and she curses under her breath at the rot that has accumulated on the backside. It certainly won't be fixable. Not to be disheartened, the blonde goes back out the door to find another smaller panel, and begins the arduous task of lugging it inside. It works up a sweat, and she begins to attempt to lever it upon the base that had once been a kitchen counter of sorts.

Luck seems to be relatively lacking as they set to work. Weaver has an initial bout of good luck, and the curtains hang cheerily in the air as she sets to work. Only for the rope to start giving way in three sections as she moves along, sending the fabric hanging on each length sliding off and pooling to the ground. The entirety of the rope is not lost, but it would need to be knotted back together and re-strung, with two of the ends nailed to the wall having come off. Deimos efforts are effective, the debris tossed out and cleaned up summarily. Only once he takes a step over the floorboards, he'll find - whether it's his large form or the old wood - that one foot breaks through, snagging at pants and potentially skin and leaving a hole to be mended (or cursed at).

Of all of them, Jigano is by far the most successful. Nothing impedes his efforts as his magic begins to shape and form the bath area. There is still much more to be excavated of course, not to mention the two necessary depths for both seating and the deepest parts, but he has made a sizable dent in the time provided.

- - -

Rolls will be done according to the following order from initial post sequence: Hotaru, Weaver, Deimos, Jigano

Not the best rolls! Hotaru's wood is rotted and she must try and re-fit a new piece, Weaver has rope to repair and re-hang, Deimos has crashed through the floorboards, and Jigano is smooth sailing! Keep at it folks!

she's a butcher with a smile
cut me deeper than I've ever been

DEIMOS

The debris hurled out, everything cleaned up accordingly, the General had been set towards coming back and constructing tables. No sooner had the thought crossed his mind, either because of his distinctive mass, rotted timber, or a combination of both, then his left foot went careening down through the floorboards. He blinked in rapid surprise, the uneven keel of his figure mauled and mired, before devolving into some rough, rumble of laughter. The whole notion was utterly ridiculous as he dislodged himself, indifferent towards scratched skin and ripped fabric (just one of the many), shaking his head, but carefully placing his heel on each floorboard thereafter, testing their mettle, their grit, their persistence.

So instead of marching directly to making the tables, he went to replace the rotted plank, nailing portions of wood over the hole, and smoothing it out so it went along evenly with the rest of the flooring. Snorting, he then set about to his initial task, grabbing hold of more timber to manifest the required counters.

--

Deimos attempts to repair the hole in the floor, then goes towards making some tables.

You aren't afraid of throwing yourself

in the path of danger

but you're terrified of letting anyone in

Blissfully unaware of the troubles besetting his companions in crafting though he'd likely have his own soon enough, Jigano continued to shift the permafrost, eyes narrowed in concentration as he wrestled the stubborn, frozen earth of Halo from the place it had rested for uncounted ages and moved it to wherever Hotaru directed him to place the excess. It was easier, he discovered, to lift a shovel and mark the edges of the pit in advance as he cleared down to where the first level of seating would be, combining muscle and magic to make the work go faster and to help direct his focus.

Once that first push was done he turned his attention to the edge of the seating, marking out how wide the platform would be with the shovel, making it a little irregular to accommodate different heights and shapes before he began the next phase, again using the shovel along with his mastered earth magic to try and free chunks of earth in a size that could be fit through the doorways and guided outside. He would poke his head back into the front room from time to time to get his hostess's guidance on width and depth.

---

Jigano hopefully gets the first level of dirt excavated and begins on the deeper center of the pool, using a shovel as well as his earth magic to try and dig down to the depth Hotaru wants.

Weaver

So precious is this life, this gift,
this temporary blindness.

Building things never used to go so poorly until the portals opened. Could she blame the portals for this sudden hardship? Honestly, she could just blame it on the fact she’d never had much reason to actually build. Fix up the house? Certainly. Help a neighbor? Totally. Build a bar or a spa or whatever? Nope. Not a once. Fine, so that’s probably the real reason, but she’d rather blame her poor luck on the portals. Even though it doesn’t make sense.

The curtains pool on the floor as the rope gives way. At least she hadn’t started with the beeswax, because then she’d just have a mess. Stifling a sigh, Weaver begins to knot the rope where it’s broken, restring the curtains, and hang the ends that had come loose. Maybe the second time, and not the third, would be the charm.

***
Weaver fixes the ropes and rehangs everything (well, she tries, lol).

Burn and drown and embrace the false dark,
then grasp the unthinkable height of resulting joy.

HOTARU

It's a good thing they're separated by rooms, because Hotaru and Deimos are not doing well in the main room. Hotaru is far too hopeful in her efforts with such a large piece of wood, considering how petite she is. It slides off to the side and, in her attempts to catch it, she gets caught beneath it as it comes off and gets half-crushed beneath it with a yelp of a rather colorful array of curses. The wood cracks at the edge as it hits the floor, and she falls backwards beneath it, barely catching it from hitting her in the face. She manages to lever it off, huffing and climbing back up to her feet to glare down at it.

Whether it's her shout that startles him or just bad luck, after Deimos succeeds in fixing the floor he gathers the timber for the tables and trips over a stray tool. While he remains upright the timber does not, crashing to the floor. From where she stands Hotaru gives him a pained look. "What is with our luck lately, huh?" She gestures to the wood that had nearly crushed her. "If you help me lift, I can hold the wood while you nail it for the tables?" Maybe two hands will be better than one at both tasks.

One the flip side, Weaver and Jigano are excelling at their tasks. Weaver is quickly successful at rehanging the curtains, and they hold sturdy even when given a few testing pulls. Perhaps this gives her the encouragement she needs, but the rest of the curtains are hung without any further problems at all, and the wax in the meantime has started to warm and melt a little in the insulated area of the house. It is primed and ready to be spread, leaving her at an advantage for the next step.

Jigano is still at least partially successful, Hotaru pops her head in after the counter debacle to give her approval on his staggered idea, suggesting a sloping floor for safety to accommodate the height differences. The deeper he goes however the harder the earth is, and with many more rocks of larger sizes to have to move. He will find that he is moving at half the speed of the initial effort, but still making a dent in the deepening pit.

- - -

Deimos and Hotaru suck but don't give up! Weaver is doing fantastic and can move on to sealing the floors! Jigano has made about half his anticipated progress for the flooring portion of the pit, but still has some hard dirt and stones to move.

Hotaru still needs to get the counter on and has asked Deimos for help. Deimos has fixed the floor but needs to start building the tables, which Hotaru has offered to help with.

she's a butcher with a smile
cut me deeper than I've ever been

Weaver

So precious is this life, this gift,
this temporary blindness.

Thankfully the curtains hold this time. She gives them a few tugs, sliding them back and forth on their ropes to make sure everything is in working order. Nothing falls and the curtains slide to allow people to easily move in and out of the changing rooms. With enough rooms built to suit Hotaru’s needs, Weaver moves on to the beeswax. Shockingly, it has already warmed and begun to melt some. She’d expected to need to make a fire to get the wax soft enough to work with, and she’s almost disappointed that she doesn’t need to use her magic. Now that she has it, she enjoys an excuse to show off (even though there’s no one in the room with her to witness it).

Well, at least it saves her a bit of time. Starting in the far corner of the room and working toward the door, Weaver begins to coat the floor in the beeswax. She works slowly, wanting to make sure the coating is even and complete. More importantly, she also wants to make sure she works herself out the door, so she doesn’t get stuck on the far side and unable to walk over the still warm beeswax.

***
Weaver starts in the back corner of the room and works on spreading the beeswax.

Burn and drown and embrace the false dark,
then grasp the unthinkable height of resulting joy.