exsilium | Video;

[Coming on video, Coby wore thick-lined clothes with a hood along with thinner gloves, which looked more like they were inlaid with rubber. His skin, where visible on his arms, had been a bright blue.]

It's swiftly becoming clear to me... [Coby sat, reviewing notes from a pad he had scribbled things in over the course of his studying. Artisan-work wasn't something he put as much time into as he thought he would when he first arrived in Exsilium, but fortunately his ridiculous amount of diligence had paid off.

Somewhat.]

Maybe more of us should get into service-based trades. There are many technicians around, but that involves ... electronics. I think. Would that make them electricians...?

Ah, nevermind. [Flipping through a few marked pages, Coby stopped and started reading again. There were small, scripted spots with basic blueprints and concrete analogies of existing techniques for setting pipes into walls.]

To be as curt as possible, I believe we should institute areas of work in which a number of us may learn a trade. As it stands, our relationship with the people here is flimsy at best. There should be at least a few among us who can manufacture workable plumbing, for example...

[Grumbling, Coby hunched over his notepad and breathed warmth into his gloved hands.] Since no one in the residential area felt like helping me with plumbing, after all.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ Really, she's not sure that she could argue any of those points if she wanted to. The mundane, trade-based jobs were what laid most of the foundations for most of the larger ones.

For now, though, Mami simply regards him with a quiet, shuttered look of apology. ]

Ah... I'd help you with the plumbing, but I'm afraid I wouldn't know where to start.

It's no fault of your own, miss. [Coby gently tapped the notepad he had been holding.]

Rather, I've been learning for myself. Comforts sometimes take the longest to secure. [He was proud of his oven heater, at least. A gigantic cast-iron piece that stood in the corner of the room, radiating warmth.]

'Mami' is fine, but thank you.

[ Dealing with things like honorifics was a mess here -- it still vaguely galled her personally to eschew them entirely, but it was far from the most difficult thing she'd had to adjust to there. ]

How have you been learning?

I haven't been learning very long at all, though originally I'd taken numerous notes in the Exsilium Library and left them on my tablet. I'd taken initial notes, but it had actually been outside of the parameters of my usual education to study these fields more intensely.

[He had read military strategy and attempted to memorize it much more astutely than anything else.]

It seems more practical to learn this, really.

Electrician and technician are two very different things. If you don't know what you're talking about with occupations, then don't tell people to do them. Stupid.

There's no need to be rude.

All the same, I don't believe I was taunting anyone, so please refrain from doing the same yourself.

I'll taunt whoever the hell I want. You're no exception.

... I see. Direct it elsewhere, then.

[Disconnect.]

[Even after Coby disconnects, Sollux still replies. Because he has to have the last word, obviously.]

Hey athhole. Don't just hang up. Or maybe you're too coward to actually talk to me.

Young man, I don't mind what you think of me.

[Since, well, Coby believed he was already wasting time.

Trying to fish for material-artisans was tough work. This time, he blocked Sollux.]

[Aaaand, unblocked, because Sollux is a brat like that.]

Don't just block me either! Is this how you deal with problems? Run away from them? Maybe I was going to help you if you just talked to me, you know.

[And so, Coby was confused. He could have sworn he blocked Sollux. In fact, it said that right over his status in the window. Figuring it was some sort of mistake, he decided to just turn down the volume as Sollux responded again and move Sollux's window out of frame.]

...I wonder what I said to provoke him. Ehh, maybe someone else'll have a suggestion.

Whatever fucker, have fun diving in shit since you already stink like it.

[He can tell he's being ignored and blocks Coby in return.]

Wouldn't you still need enough materials for that?

Of course. Though admittedly, I need to do research on where it would be best to secure such things without damaging anything in the past.

Try not to mess up anything for us over here, while you're at it.

I'm under the impression that, so long as no one loses their job or dies, we'll be in the clear, ma'am.

Fortunately, I imagine more involvement than that would cause us problems.

[ Chrys doesn't look that much happier about the weather either, though he's managed to scrounge up more total cover in terms of his choice of snowclothes. First and foremost: ]

I have some experience in plumbing work; where are you currently located?

[ A sneeze, followed by an irritated scrubbing at his face. ]

I agree as well that it would be useful to have more among the Transports trained to some degree in a tradeskill or two. We seem to have far more in the way of soldiers and warriors than in support crew.

Where, indeed. I hadn't actually thought to put up any identifying markers in front of the home, but--

I'm certain you can find it. I've actually carved a home in stone around the outlying parts of the town.

[Smiling, Coby added--]

I'd be so grateful to have your help that I'd certainly be willing to let you use my space-heater, sir.

.....you've made a cave...?

[ Flatly and just a touch incredulous, in the manner of one not entirely sure where to begin addressing the several problems he has with that statement. ]

Look here, boy. Your space-heater won't be of much help if you've not insulated the space it's in. [ Stone and in these temperatures no less? ]

Don't call me boy. [The smile persisted. Coby shrugged, touching his chin.]

And, until you see the structure's layout and interior, I'm not certain such an assumption would befit you. I've helped build structures for the Navy before--many, many times. My experience is only lacking when it comes to plumbing and electrical lining.

[ A quiet huff. ]

Fair enough point. [ Gruff and irritated, though it's more at himself than at Coby. The cold's burning at his fuses. (He's still pretty sure he's got years on him, though.) ] I'll drop by today. Give me a few hours. What do you have in materials? Tools?

I've exhausted what we've collected for wood--everything that's dry, anyway. We have shingles left from the roof, since we collected uneven amounts of it. The remainder of our stone is going to be left aside in the event we could use it for repairs or other projects.

[Off of the top of his head, Coby couldn't remember too much else.]

Oh, and I'm down to one chisel, now. The next time I go to collect supplies, I'll need newer tools.

Though, fortunately, now I can use electrical and gas powered tools. That should be a considerably shift of our resources.

[ He makes a mental note to bring a number of key tools of his own; there's a tap-tap-tapping on the keyboard as he drafts out a rough list. ]

Piping, wiring; what of those supplies? And what do you have for power, there? A generator, or else?

Video;

[video]

[video]

[video]

[video]

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

video;

video;

video;

video;

[ video ]

[ video ]

Re: [ video ]

[ video ]

[ video ]

[ video ]

[ video ]