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Are Jormsson
Cobbler / Leatherworker

Age: 31 | Height: 6'4" (193cm) | Race: Accepted | Nationality: Outlander | Citizenship: Hollowed Grounds
Level: 3 - Strg: 20 - Dext: 12 - Endr: 20 - Luck: 6 - Int:
Played by: Wiggen Offline
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Posts: 301 | Total: 311
MP: 0
#1

Are
The days past seemed like a fevered dream now that he had time to contemplate on them. At least I feel alive. Are mused as he toiled away, sweating in the still air that had yet to let go of the last bite of winter. It was a welcome change of pace, hard, but honest work that kept him occupied and staved off the last threads of doubt. Up 'til even the day before, Are had not been able to stop seeing his place in the new world as temporary. A small respite before thing's returned to the way they where supposed to be. At any moment he would be back in the lake, soaked to the bone and treading water, but home.

"Home..." he said out loud, his voice felt familiar but the words disconnected from himself. This is home, now. I will make it home, our home. He thought to himself as he pitched another armful of crumbled plaster and cracked bricks out the gaping hole in the side of the low house. It had looked perfect from the outside, at least from the angle Are had approached. Although the damage was extensive, a boulder the size of a cow had crushed the south wall and broken into the cellar. The thatch roof had followed along and not much livable space remained, yet it was one of the few standing structures that had caught his eye.

He knew it was only a matter of time before his racket attracted onlookers, and for that he was prepared. Shirtless, but belt still in place on his hip, a comforting weight kept prodding him when he bent and moved. From a frog held together with chewed sinew and the hope, his axe dangled as he worked, providing what little comfort it could and assured Are that even dead he would not give in. Cautious, prepared. It pays off. His train of thought was cut short by the sound of footsteps and made his heart sink. Somewhere in his slow mind he had hoped to go by undisturbed, to be left alone to make his mark.

"Heill og sæll!" Are shouted from what little roofed space he had managed to clear. With a hand on the axe anxiously awaiting an answer.
Roana Steadman
Soldier

Age: 35 | Height: 5'8" | Race: Accepted | Nationality: Outlander | Citizenship: Hollowed Grounds
Level: 6 - Strg: 24 - Dext: 26 - Endr: 24 - Luck: 11 - Int:
Played by: Grant Offline
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#2
Roana had been out training again. She had yet to catch Remi at the Guildhall but it was only a matter of time. So, since her afternoon had not panned out as hoped, she ran out to train. A nice long run would be good, and it had been refreshing. Monotonous, which allowed her to think a bit more clearly. By the time she was passing back through the settlement towards her home, her tunic had sweat stains and her breath was short but she looked reinvigorated.

She usually passed by the broken down houses but today she heard something unusual. Lots of movement. Odd. She pulled to a stop, brow furrowing. Who was working on what appeared one of the most destroyed buildings in the whole place?

The former captain approached, curious now and wanting to investigate, but making no effort to hide her approach. She ducked under a low hanging beam, looking around for who might be making the noises. That's when she heard the strange words and familiar voice. A smirk curved her lips and she turned down a hall, poking her head in a room. "Whatcha doin' friend?" she said, a brow raised in curiosity. "Did you try and find the most unstable structure to go poking around it?"
Roana
May your past be the sound of your feet upon the ground
Carry on
Are Jormsson
Cobbler / Leatherworker

Age: 31 | Height: 6'4" (193cm) | Race: Accepted | Nationality: Outlander | Citizenship: Hollowed Grounds
Level: 3 - Strg: 20 - Dext: 12 - Endr: 20 - Luck: 6 - Int:
Played by: Wiggen Offline
Change author:
Posts: 301 | Total: 311
MP: 0
#3

Are
Are breathed a sigh of relief and took his hand off the axe. Tension he didn't even know was there ran out of him with a shiver. What where you expecting, a fight? He chuckled to himself, truly a warrior worthy of Valhall, covered in dust and in nothing but braies and hose. Suddenly aware of his appearance, Are brushed off the worst of the caked on dust and glanced at the pile of rubble he had barely impacted.

"Nothing but the best! he said, beaming with pride over the ramshackle hut he had claimed. "It might not look like much, but you'll see once the worst is cleared. Far enough away from most also, wouldn't want to bother the neighbors with the smell." Are said, tapping his nose. He sat down on a pile of mostly whole brick, sorted from the rest and put aside for later. A quick glance at the gaping whole in the wall and the path it had made through the wood floorboards into the cellar made him chuckle again.

"Call it 'well ventilated' for now. It's mostly sound though, none of the bearing walls seems damaged. It will take a while, and I'll need tools, but if I'm trapped here I might as well make myself a workshop, and a home."
Roana Steadman
Soldier

Age: 35 | Height: 5'8" | Race: Accepted | Nationality: Outlander | Citizenship: Hollowed Grounds
Level: 6 - Strg: 24 - Dext: 26 - Endr: 24 - Luck: 11 - Int:
Played by: Grant Offline
Change author:
Posts: 758 | Total: 5,479
MP: 0
#4
Well. At any rate he could make the best of a questionable situation she supposed. But Roana also knew little about construction if it wasn't makeshift fortifications. She still wasn't sure she would call it the best. More like it'll do or could be worse. "How considerate of you to think of your neighbors." she said with a smile as she stepped into the 'room'. Now that she was more in view, he would see the scars that littered her arms, most impressive amongst them being the giant bite mark on her one shoulder that dipped under the collar of her sleevelss tunic.

"Well-ventilated...I suppose that is one word for it." she said with a dry chuckle. "Well tools I can help you get your hands on but I am afraid I am a useless builder. I am much better at breaking walls down than building them up." she said with a grin.
Roana
May your past be the sound of your feet upon the ground
Carry on
Are Jormsson
Cobbler / Leatherworker

Age: 31 | Height: 6'4" (193cm) | Race: Accepted | Nationality: Outlander | Citizenship: Hollowed Grounds
Level: 3 - Strg: 20 - Dext: 12 - Endr: 20 - Luck: 6 - Int:
Played by: Wiggen Offline
Change author:
Posts: 301 | Total: 311
MP: 0
#5

Are
A grin for a grin, as if Are knew there was more behind the remark than what was apparent at first. None of his business. Although it gave him food for thought. People seemed agreeable, they always did at first. Could have been because of his slow, yet friendly, demeanor. There's more here i reckon, nah, I'm reading too much into it. He filed that thought away for later. Another worry to rear its ugly head when he needed it the least.

"A sledgehammer, chisels, and enough thatch and wood and nails to make it less of a ruin and more of a hovel." he said and chuckled, looking around at the dilapidated building. It would have been simple even when it was all in one piece, one story and a dirt floored cellar wouldn't impress royalty, especially not now. "It'll take time, but that I have. She won't be coming tomorrow." Are stated with a forced chuckle, smile still on his face but leaving his eyes searching the rubble for meaning.
Roana Steadman
Soldier

Age: 35 | Height: 5'8" | Race: Accepted | Nationality: Outlander | Citizenship: Hollowed Grounds
Level: 6 - Strg: 24 - Dext: 26 - Endr: 24 - Luck: 11 - Int:
Played by: Grant Offline
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Posts: 758 | Total: 5,479
MP: 0
#6
"The thatch and wood you're better off sourcing from the woodlands." she commented. Trying to trade for those goods when you were just starting out would be difficult at best. They'd be expensive for the convenience of not having to go out and procure them oneself. But Are seemed capable enough to do that on his own and not need to put himself in any great debt just for a roof and some walls to call his.

The tools on the other hand..."I have some of those tools at my place you can borrow while you need them. The others I am sure we can find someone to borrow to you as well." At least amongst the Outlanders they all did their part to lend a helping hand when and where they could. They all were in the same boat really, trying to make a life out of the ruins of the war that still held Caido in its clutches. But something Are said...it made her pause. She tilted her head at him, watching him curiously.

"Who won't be here tomorrow?"
Roana
May your past be the sound of your feet upon the ground
Carry on
Are Jormsson
Cobbler / Leatherworker

Age: 31 | Height: 6'4" (193cm) | Race: Accepted | Nationality: Outlander | Citizenship: Hollowed Grounds
Level: 3 - Strg: 20 - Dext: 12 - Endr: 20 - Luck: 6 - Int:
Played by: Wiggen Offline
Change author:
Posts: 301 | Total: 311
MP: 0
#7


Are
Occupying one's mind was as good a defense mechanism as any. A tool Are had polished to a mirror shine and honed to a razor's edge. Having nothing but hard work and barely a roof over his head was almost a blessing in this case, and Roana's pertinent advice helped push less practical things away. Are nodded and glanced out his "window", treetops barely visible in the distance. He had put it of for as long as he could, but he couldn't deny that any life he was making he would need to carve it out of the surrounding land. Trading could only get him so far, especially when you barely had enough to clothe yourself.

He had started to ponder how he would go about breaking down what rubble he could not move on his own. Methodically working away at the boulder in the basement til he could just simply brush it out the door. Any tools would help. The issue still remained, to have a workshop in place before the first harvest, he'd have to enlist help. Skilled and strong. He smiled and scratched his hair underneath the hat. Content with just letting ideas and plans roll around like loose marbles in his head.

Then memories came crashing down. A tidal wave he'd try to shut out. "Her..." was all his suddenly tight throat could muster before Are had to swallow the growing lump. "Yes, she'll come, and our home will be ready when she does." he nodded and laughed nervously, the panic setting in. Holes where memories used to be, holes where his soul was slowly leaking out. He twisted the ring on his finger, trying to remember her in the glint as the silver caught the light. "My wife, she went in as I did, she'll be here too, any day now."
Roana Steadman
Soldier

Age: 35 | Height: 5'8" | Race: Accepted | Nationality: Outlander | Citizenship: Hollowed Grounds
Level: 6 - Strg: 24 - Dext: 26 - Endr: 24 - Luck: 11 - Int:
Played by: Grant Offline
Change author:
Posts: 758 | Total: 5,479
MP: 0
#8
Roana's brow furrowed at first. Her? Who was her? It hadn't exactly answered the question she had asked, leaving her just as confused as she had been before. He spoke as if there was someone he had met and was waiting on...a roommate or tenant? If so, why were they not here helping him rebuild this...shanty of a house Are had found? Perhaps his kindness had gotten the better of him and whoever this 'her' was was benefiting off of it. The thought that this might be the case instantly made her angry. There were too few kind people in this place as it was, especially with tensions growing, and the thought that one of the few genuinely nice people in the settlement was being taken advantage of deeply bothered her.

That is, until he revealed who 'her' really was.

The former Captain's features softened immediately. "Are..." she said quietly, feeling badly for the news she was about to break. "Outlanders who arrive here without their spouses...none of them have ever appeared here later...not even my husband." she said, breaking the reality of the situation as gently as she could.
Roana
May your past be the sound of your feet upon the ground
Carry on
Are Jormsson
Cobbler / Leatherworker

Age: 31 | Height: 6'4" (193cm) | Race: Accepted | Nationality: Outlander | Citizenship: Hollowed Grounds
Level: 3 - Strg: 20 - Dext: 12 - Endr: 20 - Luck: 6 - Int:
Played by: Wiggen Offline
Change author:
Posts: 301 | Total: 311
MP: 0
#9


Are
He just shook his head and chuckled, what a fool he felt like. Assuming Roana felt the way he did, knew what he did, had seen what he'd seen. No, Are should've known better than expect anyone to see it from his perspective. They had their own outlook on things, the people he had gotten to know had all dismissed his knowledge as false, but they where all wrong. It would be apparent, as soon as he found the strength to seek it out.

Are swallowed hard, but held on to the image in his head for a moment longer. An image without a name, but it would come to him as soon as she did, that he was certain of. "Yes, of course, I was just thinking..." he laughed nervously and tried to find calm in the chaos, something to keep the worries at bay, at least 'til dusk. "A home worthy of a family is a good a reason as any to keep at it, right?" he said and finally met Roanas eyes. His face contorted in a smile without happiness, a skin-deep mask to shut it all out.

"If I am stuck here I might as well find something to keep me going. Be it truth or fen-fire." Are said with uncharacteristic bitterness to his voice, the harshness of his dialect much more apparent than with his normal jovial tone.
Roana Steadman
Soldier

Age: 35 | Height: 5'8" | Race: Accepted | Nationality: Outlander | Citizenship: Hollowed Grounds
Level: 6 - Strg: 24 - Dext: 26 - Endr: 24 - Luck: 11 - Int:
Played by: Grant Offline
Change author:
Posts: 758 | Total: 5,479
MP: 0
#10
Roana’s expression fell a little, realizing where she may have made a misstep. She was fairly accustomed to setting aside her emotions and powering through – most soliders were. If they didn’t they would be ineffective. But most people were not like that. Most suffered when the suffering was happening, not years later out of the blue during a quiet evening over tea with friends. While what she said might have been factual, it wasn’t particularly sensitive to his struggles.

”I am sorry, yes that is very true.” she said, acknowledging that building a home for family, whatever that family might be, was indeed an honorable task to undertake. ”But I do hope you find reason to keep going in this world…it isn’t healthy to live for the past.” she said quietly. ”You should meet my sister-in-law some time. She is a sweet girl and much more…personable than I.” she said with a light laugh.
Roana
May your past be the sound of your feet upon the ground
Carry on
Are Jormsson
Cobbler / Leatherworker

Age: 31 | Height: 6'4" (193cm) | Race: Accepted | Nationality: Outlander | Citizenship: Hollowed Grounds
Level: 3 - Strg: 20 - Dext: 12 - Endr: 20 - Luck: 6 - Int:
Played by: Wiggen Offline
Change author:
Posts: 301 | Total: 311
MP: 0
#11


Are
Her laugh gave him the ounce of strength and distraction needed to pull away from the abyss. It was far too tempting to dwell on the past, to relieve it in hopes that it would catch up eventually. Are had seen great women and men alike destroyed by grief and slowly torn to shreds behind steely facades.

With a soft imagined click he did what she'd wanted him to do. Push it away and keep going, the memories would always be there, but the present was fast escaping. He laughed with Roana. The thought of someone else equal parts laughable and worrying, what if there came a day when hope left. No, such thoughts where best left to the waking hours of the night.

"Oh, I don't do personable as you've seen." Are remarked and chuckled. "Took the only daughter of a blacksmith to set this pig-headed oaf right, you should've seen me before!" he said, the chuckle rising to a hearty laugh. "Both caring and fiery, but the worst was when she was quiet with that stern look on her face, oh the calm before the storm was always the worst."


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