[PQ] [se] we need a new foundation

Sam

I am this great, unstable mass of blood and foam

And no one in his right mind would make my home his home

Siiiiiigh. Sam stared flatly, hands on his hips, as the things he'd taken care to stack nicely fell down onto the ground with loud clatters and bangs. Looking around to see if anyone had noticed (privately hoping, a little, that Amun might come to help, though then he saw the door fall and gave up on that notion) and seeing they hadn't, he began to slowly go around and pick them all up, looking them over for dings or damage and setting them down on a larger, more sturdy table.

Finally, when everything was set back right and he'd ascertained that most of it wasn't damaged, Sam stretched and leaned against the table, looking over to Amun and the doors. "Are you managing over there?"

--
Sam picks up and sorts out the objects and asks Amun if hes doing okay.

When I try to open up to you I get completely lost

Houses swallowed by the earth, windows thick with frost

BASTIEN

Bastien was an accomplished artist with a lot of practice painting buildings. He had decorated his own Sanctuary, after all, and much of the Grounds in turn; many streets bore his mark in hundreds of colours and patterns.

However, he was also a stressed father, a widower and much like everyone else, distracted by thoughts of a war that he would have no power to stop. Perhaps that was why the painting suffered, with gaps and streaks that he normally would have been mortified to see come from his own brush. Cameron's voice took him out of his daze and he stepped back to see the work, pulling a face as he witnessed the mess he'd made of the bricks. "Oh, Gods! Please do. I do not know what has come over me. There is so much to fix-!"

Without another word he would force his focus and lean in to repair the streaks and patches, an utterly determined look on his face.

---
Bastien repairs up the painting.

Still my heart is heavy
With the hate of some other man's beliefs

my whole life is mine, but whoever says so will deprive me,

for it is infinite.

Bastien's face might've been determined, but his work was anything but. Luckily for the single father, he had Cameron to pick up the slack; while his artwork didn't improve much from his previous efforts, their additions filled in the blanks and created a harmonious whole. In the end, while it might not have conformed to Bastien's original vision, it still looked fantastic.

Inside, Amun wrestled the doors back into place while Sam collected, inspected, and replaced or returned the objects in his pile. The potter used some scrap metal to repair and replace the broken hinges. Once that was done, he joined the bookmaker; looking over the pile, Amun grinned, nodded, and clasped the redhead on the shoulder. "After the initial problems, it was smooth sailing. Looks like you've got everything under control here too." Squeezing the other man's shoulder, the potter released Sam to go check on the rest of the Ascended.

Beaming at their work, Amun applauded. "Excellent job, everyone," he called out, speaking loudly enough that hopefully even Sam could hear, if for some reason the bookmaker was still inside. "I'd say we're ready for business!"

---

This PQ is now complete! Thanks all. If you'd like to have a final post, feel free to do so. I'll archive it in a few days.

-FIN

by being moved I exert my empire,

making the dreams of night real

AMUN