Private Story Quest Isulus Whistle While You Work

[Bluebird]

Getting Camp Nisus fixed would take more than singing and motivation on Bluebird's part - it would require work, the sort that needed her to kneel in the mud and pick splinters from her fingers as she set about the rough and surprisingly complicated business of rebuilding. She was no stranger to it. The way of such repairs were ingrained into her childhood, to the point that she felt she could repair a fence or roof with her eyes closed.

Back then, the latter had been more dangerous, but in Terrasphere she had no need to fear falling. Thus, she remained happily at work as she nailed shingles to the roof of a wooden hut, whistling as she went. It wasn't a grand adventure, but it was surprisingly relaxing...

Relaxing, that was, before a peal of distant thunder startled the young woman and caused her to drop her hammer, which knocked into her little stack of nails and shingles and sent them cascading downwards. She covered her mouth, feathers on end, as she slid down to the edge of the roof and looked down. Hopefully no one had been struck by the falling equipment.

Ah, I'm sorry! Is everyone okay down there?

@Kakao

 

[Kakao]

He'd been too focused on picking up spare parts to notice as nails rained upon his childish body, shingles coming down on him not too long after. Wincing slightly, he was relieved that he'd only gotten a few bumps and scrapes from the debris that mysteriously fell upon him. When a woman called out, apparently worried for the safety of those down below, he yelled up to her.

"I'm fine! My body is pretty sturdy, after all!"

He glanced upward with a big grin on his face, goofy as it was. "Better question! Are you alright? I doubt those fell without a reason. You didn't get hurt beforehand, did you?"

Kakao had already been crouching down to pick up parts- so now, he just had more to pick up. Starting with the shingles, he began to pile them next to him as neatly as possible, collecting the nails in a drawstring bag he happened to have brought in case he found small parts he could use for himself- which, of course, he hadn't.

As he picked at the debris, he found parts that didn't belong and piled them together on his opposite side. "Say, can you come down for a bit, miss? I don't know how many shingles and nails there were. I don't want to give you anything you don't need, or to not give you enough of what you do."

@Bluebird

 

[Bluebird]

Bluebird peered over the edge at Kakao. He seemed okay, but she couldn't shake off the terrified and embarrassed expression on her face.

Ah, yes- in a moment!

With a whistle and a flutter Bluebird dropped off the edge of the building. The wind caught her just before she hit the ground, allowing her to land safely next to Kakao. She immediately bowed sharply, wings folded tightly as she straightened up.

Once again, I'm quite sorry! I was startled by the thunder, and dropped my tools as a result...

Her eyes darted from the bag of nails to the objects on the ground. The nails, being iron, were likely fine, but the shingles had been fragile wood, and quite a few had snapped on impact. Bluebird bent down to pick up her hammer, examining the little pile of unrelated trash in the process. Remnants from the building's construction, probably.

Thank you, sir. It was generous of you to help collect these parts, especially after I dropped them on you!

Are you sure you are well? I can do some healing in case you have any wounds...

@Kakao

 

[Kakao]

The woman up above looked scared beyond belief. Had she just seen a ghost? He knew spirit magic was a thing, after all. He took a look around carefully, then back up at the woman. Nope, he didn't see any ghosts- so unless she could see things he couldn't (which he admitted was highly possible)... Well, he didn't really have much sense but to think she was scared for him still.

"Ah, so it was the thunder!" His boyish voice stated, a soft laugh leaving his lips. He beamed a warm smile up at her. "Thunder can be scary if you're not expecting it... That's why I always try to expect sudden noises. Harder than it sounds, I know, but..."

Standing up for a moment, he held out his hand. "It's not 'sir', by the way. The name's Kakao. It's nice to meet you, Miss. And really, I'm fine. A few scratches are nothing to worry about."

@Bluebird

 

[Bluebird]

Still, for me to be so clumsy...

Bluebird inhaled and exhaled slowly. The man named Kakao seemed to be fine, and though she wasn't sure if he truly was unbothered by her accident, she could do nothing but take his words for granted. She forced a smile and took his hand, pushing her concerns to the back of her mind.

...it is good to meet you, Kakao. I am Bluebird.

She withdrew her hand once the handshake was finished and folded her hands behind her back. She didn't recognize the man's face, and she'd seen quite a few on the caravan and during the battle with the Matron. Perhaps he was one of the Travelers called to the camp in the aftermath.

She took the bag of nails, opening it for a moment to peer inside. She wasn't going to try and count them, but it looked like there were still plenty. Both it and the hammer soon vanished into her inventory, and she started on the shingles next.

Hmhm... I suppose I will need to go get some more of these soon.

Are you also here to help repair the camp? I have noticed many new faces recently - all the additional hands are greatly appreciated.

@Kakao

 

[Kakao]

"Trust me, I've seen plenty of clumsiness in my days. Something like this is nothing."

Giving her a reassured smile, the boy pondered over something for a moment before taking out a small leather journal and beginning to write in it. He scribbled furiously some design ideas for noise cancelling headphones of sorts, the main component being a pair of earmuffs he already had. Putting 'Bluebird' on the page, he packed up the notebook and returned it to his pocket. Then, he pulled out the same earmuffs he'd drawn and held them out to her.

"Would these help by any chance? They're a bit warm for the weather, but I added some insulating fibers a few days ago... I'm not a hundred percent sure, but it might help cut down the noise. Ah, but it won't help if it's just that the thunder is too sudden... Hm, I forgot to think about that part..."

The boy fell to the ground and crossed his legs, beginning to think things over. Looking up at the woman, he smiled. "Well, either way, you gave me another gadget I want to make and perfect now. I owe you my thanks, Miss Bluebird. I guess the rumors are true. Bluebirds do bring happiness."

With a soft laugh, he finally caught her question and gave an answer.

"Yep. I've heard about what happened around here... Pretty crazy stuff. I don't think I even started the game when it was happening, but... The least I can do is help out, right?"

@Bluebird

 

[Bluebird]

Bluebird blinked as Kakao pulled out a pair of headphones. She hesitated a moment before taking them, and considered them carefully. She didn't quite have ears the way a person did - there were instead holes there at the base of her wings. In truth, it was something she tried not to think about.

I could see these working. Normally thunder is not a thing that bothers me, but after that battle...

After that battle, she could still remember the Kurungar's parting cry, and the thunder had briefly drawn those memories from the darkness. For a moment her gaze went distant as her wings folded tight, but the moment soon passed. She took the earmuffs and slid them over her head. It took a bit of adjusting, but eventually she managed to get them into alignment. The sounds of the camp grew muffled, and she kept them on a moment longer before removing them.

They work quite well as is. You made these yourselves?

She squatted next to Kakao, wings fluttering slightly as she fidgeted with the headphones.

If you are the sort who can invent things, then you can certainly find something to do here! They would gladly welcome ideas that go beyond salvage and repair.

@Kakao