Rebuilding H.O.P.E.

[janus_scholar]

WHO: Open to All
WHERE: The Heropa Organization for imPort Education
WHEN: Throughout mid to late February
WHAT: Cleaning and repairing the old H.O.P.E. building
WARNINGS: There's potential for minor injuries, but warnings will be updated as needed

The passage of time has not been kind to the old school for imPorts. What was once a welcoming, respectable structure now looks like an abandoned castle best suited for for bats, cobwebs, and faded vandalism. Despite its rough exterior, there's still some potential in these old walls. It's going to take a lot of hard work, but even challenges like these are made easier with the right company.

Clean Up
The first step is often the hardest. Before the repairs can begin, the rooms need to be cleaned out. Everyone who takes on this task will be armed with rags, dusters, face masks and brooms. Some of the rooms on the first floor have been cleared out preemptively, but the cleaning will need to continue from the ground level into the upper stories throughout the week.

The classrooms and dorms alike are dusty, creepy, and in some cases, dark. Thanks to a rat chewing through a wire years ago, there are a few areas that don't have any working electricity at the moment, and they will need to be braved with a flashlight.

The hallways are also full of surprise spiders and their webs, and some of the dorm rooms are occupied by wild animals looking for a place to stay. They'll need a bit of persuading to leave, whether that's at the end of a broom or with a small bribe of food.

The clean-up process is not entirely gloomy, at least. You may even get something out of it! Some of the rooms still have old furniture taking up space. Desks, bed frames (you won't want the mattress anymore), and old chairs abound. You're welcome to take anything you like!

Or perhaps you'd rather let off some steam and destroy the furniture that has become unusable? The broken pieces are being collected in a huge trash receptacle near the entrance downstairs. It would be safer to carry the debris down the few flights of stairs, but wouldn't it be easier to toss it out the window instead? Just be careful not to hit anyone outside!

Whatever you're doing, keep your wits about you and bring a buddy!

Construction
It's always nice to see the end results of a freshly cleaned room, but the structural repairs and the fresh coat of paint are what really elevates this project. Whether you prefer a hammer or a brush, there's plenty left to do.

There are some sizable holes in the roof that need to be patched up, but be careful! Not only should you be very mindful of the roof's edge, but there are a couple of places where the roof tiling is fragile. While it wouldn't kill you to fall through, it would definitely hurt. And it wouldn't be a fun surprise for the people below you, either.

Inside the building there are many rooms in need of painting! While most of the classes are going to be a standard eggshell white, there's some creative freedom regarding the dorms. The options are particularly open for those who are planning on moving in or teaching once the school is up and running.

A wildcard selection of repairs are needed all over the building, including replacing windows, patching holes, fixing electrical wiring, and tearing down walls that have been marked for destruction.

Landscaping
Not interested in being cooped up inside? Well, it's a beautiful day to get exhausted outside! The sun is high and there's plenty of yard work to keep your hands busy.

The property is surrounded by overgrown plants that need to be trimmed back or removed completely. Whether it's weeds in the garden, old trees that have turned sickly and hollow, or the vines that are taking over the bricks on the backside of the school; these plants must be stopped!

For those fighting the overgrowth at the ground level, there are a pair of riding lawn mowers. But you'll have to move fast if you want the best one! The old one is hard to control and a bit of a bumpy ride.

Now that all of the old, overgrown plants have been removed, it's time to bring in some fresh flowers and sapling trees. While gardening is hard work in its own way, this chore is a bit less stressful than the others that have come before it. Take a breath and smell the new roses!

... Hey, wait, what's that in the sky? A bird? A plane? No, it's falling furniture from the people cleaning upstairs! Look out!

Take a break!
The student lounge has been cleaned and renovated first. Come get some free pizza, snacks, and drinks! Miraculously, it all seems to taste better depending on how much work has been put in through the day... There are plenty of couches to kick up your feet, maybe even take a well-earned nap.

Make Your Mark
The work is finally winding down. New furniture and school supplies are filtering into the completed building, and H.O.P.E. is shaping up to become a wonderful school. It's all thanks to the hard work that everyone put in, and that deserves to be remembered!

There's a sidewalk that winds around the school, and some of the slabs need to be replaced. Everyone who has been involved in this project is welcome to leave a mark of some kind in the fresh wet cement: whether it be a name, handprint, or even a small message.

For the artistically minded imports, or those who have a bit more they'd like to say, there's a mural wall on the first floor of the building. Write a message, paint a picture, do whatever you want! As long as it's nothing too inappropriate, in which case it will be painted over. This is a school, after all!

Comments

Alphonse Elric | OTA

[sonofgold]

[If you'd rather do brackets I will match!]

Cleanup

Al sees the potential re-opening of the imPort school as a good thing, as well as a good PR opportunity. Aegis worked for the people, after all, and so Al puts on some old clothes and sets to work with gusto. He refuses to use alchemy for this part, reasoning that it's good for him to rely on elbow grease once in a while, too.

However, he has to stop when he sees a pair of glowing eyes in one corner. He uses a flashlight to reveal an oppossum, and he smiles, leaning down to extend a hand toward it.

"Hey, little fella. Sorry we're disturbing your home. Why not come with me and we can get you into the forest?"

He doesn't see several more moving into place behind him.


Repair

As time goes on, Al swallows his pride and starts using alchemy when it comes to making some of the more serious repairs. He also takes some time to approach people who have hurt themselves.

"Here, do you need some healing?"

Otherwise, he can be found taking down unstable walls, shoring up the roof, and other assorted tasks, knitting broken things back together with a handclap.


Rest

Al takes breaks when he can; his body still isn't as strong as he would like, and he needs to take care of it. However, that doesn't stop from from looking around for people who are injured and offering his services. In the meantime, he wolfs down pizza with gusto.

Cleanup!

[pharmaka]

Circe, meanwhile, has found something aside from gardening that she knows she is good at and that has not changed in the past millennia.

She makes a shooing motion at the gathering opossums, sounding very like a scolding mother as she says, "Come now, none of that. You may come home with me if you wish, but you will be pests here, and leave him alone."

Her chiding is bizarrely effective, as if the opossums can understand her. They chitter in response and shy away to gather behind her. Which means when Al turns around, he will probably see Circe surrounded by a previously unseen small horde of marsupials. They seem very strange to Circe, but in a way that fascinates her, so she is not reluctant to invite them back with her.

Repair

[janus_scholar]

[Walter turns in surprise. His trick shoulder was acting up again after repeatedly lifting heavy pieces of furniture throughout the afternoon. He had paused to massage at the old injury while he thought he was alone.

He chuckles and lets go, making light of his perceived moment of weakness.]

Oh, just a bit sore, that's all! Though I do appreciate the concern.

[Despite his acting, there's a visible stiffness to his posture. He won't be able to let his arm rest straightly at his side without it hurting again, so he's trying to stand in a way that doesn't make that so obvious. Keepin' it casual.]

Repair

[andtherevolution]

Utena doesn't need any healing, but she can definitely use a hand. She's up against one of the unstable walls, pressing her bare hands against it, but she's no alchemist. Repairs and destruction are out of the question; all she can do is use her powers to keep it steady and stable while other people work.

She spots the real alchemist out of the corner of her eye, and while she doesn't really know the guy, she's seen his work around here. The wall doesn't feel like it's about to collapse, so she lifts one hand to give him a quick wave before placing it back in position.

"Hey there! You're..."

Ah, uh, crap. What was his name again?

"...uh, the magic hands guy, right? Could you come over here for a sec?"

Rest

[minorgod]

Al's not the only one putting away his fair share of pizza slices, and Yato grabs a seat up next to Al with a grin. "Pretty good of them to feed us like this, huh?"

construction (wildcard)

[planetary_bonds]

[Hey, you know those hallways where it's so dark that you can't see a thing? Don't worry! There's a guy who's volunteered to do the wiring in that place, so it's fine! You just kinda have to deal with the sound of someone climbing around in the ceiling. Without knowing who it is, because Yusei's a loner who doesn't really bother people unless he needs to, but that's fine. It's not creepy or anything.

It's also totally not creepy when he's hammering out something or other in the walls, or when he manages to get a circuit connected and the lights start flickering on and off while he's testing it.

Also totally not scary to suddenly hear a CLATTER because he accidentally dropped a screwdriver through a ceiling vent and it falls in the (very dark) hallway or a CLANG because he casually kicks out the vent lid to poke his head through it; and it's totally not creepy to see a humanoid silhouette stick its head out from the hole in the ceiling and slowly descend upside down and maybe it looks kinda horned because again, it's dark and his hair spikes just look Like That, and also his eyes are glowing rainbows because he hasn't been getting sleep again and is literally running on fumes but it's FINE he's totally not making a creepy impression or anything!

Don't mind those eyes staring unblinkingly at you or anything it's not a small rabid animal or anything it's just yusei it's fine]

Oi.

[it's fine]

[darkpants_warmfeeling]

[Jacob shines his flashlight at the rainbow-eyed apparition descending out of the ceiling, squinting and tensing because why wouldn't a monster attack an abandoned school? It honestly wouldn't surprise him.]

Who are you?

[janus_scholar]

[After a near heart attack (or at least a near eye-flash of panic), Walter claps his hands together and takes a breath in. Oh, boy.]

Yusei... I can't tell you how grateful I am for all your help, truly. The work you're doing is so important to the success of this school.

But could you try to do it in a manner that's not quite so horrifying?

[andtherevolution]

[If Yusei has spent any time on bluetube or bwitter, he might have seen a few prank videos. Specifically, the ones where somebody dressed as a ghost or a monster sneaks up on someone. Sometimes the victims screams and runs away, but sometimes flight or fight instincts settle on fight, and they end up punching or throwing things at the poor fake ghosts and monsters that got the jump on them.

This is what's happening right now. Utena's not normally a jumpy person, but the past few months have left her on edge, so when Yusei pops down she does what anyone would do in her situation: yell, and swing her flashlight at his head]

Tina Belcher | OTA

[continuousgroaning]

[If you'd rather do brackets I will match!]

Cleanup

This is just the kind of distraction Tina's been looking for, and if there's anything she knows how to do, it's clean. She goes at it with perhaps a little TOO much energy, fueled by her anger at this place for taking her mother with her, and she can sometimes be heard grumbling to herself under her breath.

"I don't know why I'm doing anything nice for this place, it's not like it's done much nice for me, aside from all my friends and being able to improve my cooking skills and- alright, getting off that thought train."

At one point, she runs into a group of raccoons, and sighs, squatting down to watch them.

"Are you Little King Trash Mouth? Because if so, I know just what'll get you inside a trap..."


Repair + Gardening

Having grown up in a city near the beach, Tina's not had much of a chance to develop a green thumb. However, she still feels like she's more suited to landscaping than to repairs, so she takes the opportunity to dig into the weeds. However, she nearly gets hit by a piece of flying furniture, and ends up falling on her bottom, or else running in the other direction in terror.

"Ahhhh! I'm okay!"

Afterward, she contents herself with painting, even though she ends up spilling paint all over herself and doing a rather messy job. However, for the first time since her mom's vanished... she's smiling for prolonged periods.


Break

Cooking is what she does best, so after a few days of helping out elsewhere, Tina sets up a burger stand in the break room with a sign reading thus:

Free burgers! (but donations gladly accepted; all proceeds go toward the school)
All burgers available with vegetarian or vegan patties

It's A Nice Day For A White Chedding (topped with white cheddar cheese)
Intersteak Love Song (topped with steak sauce)
Goat Your Own Way (topped with goat cheese)

Her demeanor has significantly improved since the start of the project, and she's now happily chatting with everyone; when not serving she's working on homework or writing in her diary.

Break

[darkpants_warmfeeling]

[Guess who's putting away burgers with gusto (after contributing a sizable donation, of course)? This guy, who's still covered with plaster dust and wearing his hard hat after a hard shift in the school.]

Damn. These burgers are something else.

Re: Tina Belcher | OTA

[monster_san]

[Fuu knows that Tina's mother was returned home--she didn't manage to say anything to the network post, but she'd like to say hello nonetheless. Missing people who the Porter never touched is one thing. But to have your parent, and then lose them--even if Mrs. Belcher is all right at home, it obviously hurt a great deal.

So it's nice to see that Tina is looking relatively cheerful as she flips burgers. Fuu looks at the list of names and laughs a little.]

Hello, Miss Tina. I see you're as culinarily creative as ever.

Jonathan Walsh | OTA

[drivesadesk]

Clean up

Jonathan starts out helping with clean up. Gathering up furniture, taking it outside, and making full use of his enhanced strength. He enjoys being useful and, of course, he enjoys showing off as well.

That's why, when he sees someone struggling, he doesn't hesitate to walk up to them, asking, "Need some help with that?"

Construction

Of course, once the clean up is done, there's still plenty of work to do. Jonathan soon finds himself climbing around the building, patching holes, ripping out rotted wood, and putting in new boards in it's place. Of course, it's easy to get complacent with the steady rhythm of nailing down board after board and not pay attention to where he's putting his feet. The floor gives out under his step, and while he manages to catch himself since the other foot was still on solid ground, chunks of broken plaster fall down to whatever or whoever is below.

"Oops! Sorry, my bad!"

Break

After working, Jonathan's all too glad to take a break and get something to eat. He grabs a few slices of pizza before sinking into a chair, his sore muscles suddenly registering in his brain now that he's slowed down enough to be aware of them. Sure, he might be stronger than most of the humans here, but he's been taking full advantage of that strength far more than he's used to.

Make your Mark

Why not? He put a lot of work into this, he might as well make his mark. Sliding off the glove of his skin suit, Jonathan puts his hand, his real hand, in the wet cement, creating a permanent sign that he was here that would last long after he's ported out.

Break

[fireandhoney]

Finn's fought monsters, climbed the highest mountain in Tamriel, trekked all the way across Skyrim multiple times, and yet this is what he considers hard work. But hey, it's all in the name of a good cause.

He grabs a chair next to Jonathan, two bottles of water in hand, one of which he holds out to the Reptilian. "How're you holding up?"

Construction

[darkpants_warmfeeling]

Peeking up through the new hole in the floor, Jacob waves off Jonathan's concern, smiling when he recognizes who it is. There's a bit of white plaster dust on his face, but he's wearing a safety helmet, goggles, and dust mask so none of the falling chunks caused him any problems.

"I'm good, Jonathan!" He calls upward, voice muffled by his mask. "Are you okay?"

The Gray Man | OTA

[tenofswords]

Clean Up
Mr. Gray of course volunteered to help repair the school. Anything to support education.

He starts by taking out a few old chairs, ones that are far too broken to possibly be of use anymore and taking them outside.

"Does anyone know if there's a spare ax or sledgehammer nearby?"

Construction
Painting the walls is oddly calming and therapeutic. He's just doing the standard classrooms, meaning he's sticking to eggshell white. Interestingly, any paint that gets on his clothes doesn't turn gray, but remains white. Guess his power doesn't work on stains.

Make Your Mark
After all that work, of course Mr. Gray's going to leave a little something.

That's why he makes his way to the mural and writes a little quote:

Education is the key to unlock the golden door of freedom. -George Washington Carver

[andtherevolution]

Utena has the same idea as Mr. Gray. She's outside, safety goggles on her face and a pair of work gloves on her hands, and she picks up the sledgehammer she found just as she hears him come out.

"Sorry," she says. "I think I took the last-"

Wait a minute, does she even need this? She stops for a moment and thinks better of it, before she walks towards him.

"Here," she says. "You can have this one."

Construction

[minorgod]

Yato's also on painting detail after the cleanup, and he actually looks pretty happy to be doing it. It's nice to think that something he's helping with will be enjoyed by lots of people when it's finished.

He's almost finished the gallon of paint, so he checks with his painting neighbour. "Hey, I'm almost out, you need another can yet while I'm over there?"

kairi | ota!

[heartslight]

clean up;

[ Kairi isn't the type to harm animals — not even those that tend to be easily exterminated when people don't like them around. So she's been careful about most that she's come across, but this room has ... quite a few little mice running around in it, most of which are rather small, like they're still children.

She's unafraid of them — even thinks they're cute — as she slowly moves further into the room, bits of cheese in hand that she'd obtained from the student lounge's snack area. And she kneels down and holds one out on her hand, toward the small little family that's ended up in a corner, afraid of her. ]

Come on, I won't hurt you. It's okay. [ She's speaking softly, but it doesn't seem to be working. She can't do much in this room until they're out, though. They'll probably get hurt, either from something falling or her stepping on them ...

Hmmm ... ] Maybe if I make a trail ...

[ Would they follow it out of the room? ]

landscaping;

[ She's not overly artistic, but Kairi has a lot of fun with things like arts and crafts. So planting flowers and making the school grounds pretty is appealing to her.

She's in the process of planting a cute little lily when pieces of a chair land not far from her or her flowers. It's lucky they didn't crush any, but there are going to be flowers in the area they fell in soon enough ... And she's not super happy about it. ]

H-Hey! Watch where you're throwing those!

[ Maybe it's you who did it, or maybe you're just as annoyed? ]

make your mark;

[ Kairi is all about this. She's spent a lot of time drawing on cave walls as a kid and it feels kind of nice to make her mark on another wall, in this world. It feels even better knowing that she's been able to help with the reconstruction project — another sort of mark on the school.

So she can be found sitting at the mural wall, painting a little picture of her and her friends' faces together. Her, Sora, and Riku. She's finished Riku and herself, and now she's on to Sora. That way, all of them can be with her in this little mark. It's perfect.

Even if her artistry in terms of drawing is not super great, so the drawings are very crude, like a child drew them. She's doing her best though!! ]

landscaping

[monster_san]

[The restoration of the school seems like a worthwhile project to Fuu, and she's happy to join in on doing something she knows and enjoys: gardening.

Or she was, until someone started defenestrating fragmented furniture. She jumps back as a chair leg thumps down, scattering topsoil, and looks up at the window with a most displeased look on her face.]

That is extremely careless. And it's littering, too. Why don't they just use a trashcan?

landscaping

[andtherevolution]

[Hey, breaking down the furniture was a lot easier than she expected! All you have to do is take the sledgehammer, and WHAM! There go the legs! Once it's busted down completely, she starts to clear the space away, throwing one of the legs over her shoulder...

...and into somebody else's work space. WHOOPS. Utena nearly chokes when she hears the other girl yell, and she rushes over]

Sorry, sorry!

[Kairi will see a girl with safety goggles on her face running towards her, with bits of wood still stuck on her work shirt and her jeans.]

Are you okay? I didn't hit you, did I?

Catra | OTA

[plentystrong]

Make Your Mark But NOT LIKE THAT, CATRA

[ So. Catra's been in this world for a while now, and she has an awful lot of free time.

Recently, she has discovered spray paint and pretty much took to it like a fish takes to water.

This school project? Catra could not possibly care less about it. But she is aware who is helming the project, and she's just petty enough to show up with a can of black spray paint and put a doodle on a wall that's definitely not the one designated for murals. ]

[janus_scholar]

Ah, Catra! So good of you to join us. I see you've volunteered to clean up. How thoughtful.

[To punctuate his point, he sets down a bucket full of soapy water and a sponge. Would it be easier to just paint over this? Maybe. But that's not what matters right now.]

Circe | OTA

[pharmaka]

Circe had not exactly intended to help. A mortal school is no place for an immortal witch, she reasons, and she has little of use to teach, despite everyone continuing to think she is suitable to teach them 'magic'. Circe remains unconvinced.

But she does... well, she likes Walter, and in a way trusts him, at least a bit, and she has few things to do with her time and so very much to explore that she may as well explore here.

She is mostly less anachronistic now, although she has unconsciously taken on a fairly witchy appearance: long dark skirts and a loose sweater, with a handwoven bag slung across her that holds herbs, stones, and other spell ingredients. Circe wears soft practical boots and has her hair pinned up in braids to her head to stay out of her way. For a while, she just observes, largely unseen, and then realizes progress has been made enough that she now sees a way she can contribute.

As she approaches the cleaned, roughened soil, Circe reflects that somehow she has become the unofficial gardener for all the world. She swears she does other things with her time, but so much has changed in these thousands of years, and it seems perhaps only plants and rocks and the seas that have stayed the same. So that is where she goes: to pull seeds out of her bag and coax what lays in the soil already up into healthy growth.

Since this is a school, she focuses first on something she rarely, if ever, does: aesthetics. Flowers in first...

Circe gets so lost in her work that she habitually starts singing quietly to herself, used to being alone and without an audience. It's in ancient Greek, and sounds utterly natural to her tongue, though there is no unearthly beauty to it. Just a woman singing while she ruthlessly pulls weeds and gently nestles roots.

[janus_scholar]

There is nothing supernatural to Circe in this moment, but she is inspiring regardless. Despite his regular lessons with Bean, it is strangely comforting to hear ancient Greek in this context. It gives him pause. There is something so human, and so primordially powerful, to the simple act of singing and gardening. He has witnessed so many small, unremarkable vignettes of care and beauty throughout his very long life... Just as she has, and just as she continues to do in this moment.

He leaves a moment to toss the last of the garbage he was carrying from upstairs, and returns to work in a flower bed nearby. He does not strike up a conversation, though he does give a quiet nod as he passes. With their backs to each other and hands in their own work, it is easy to fall into companionable silence. When the quiet stretches on a bit longer than before, he joins in softly with another song.

Ὅσον ζῇς φαίνου
μηδὲν ὅλως σὺ λυποῦ
πρὸς ὀλίγον ἐστὶ τὸ ζῆν
τὸ τέλος ὁ xρόνος ἀπαιτεῖ

Walter Strickler | OTA

[janus_scholar]

A - Cleanup
[Walter decides to focus his attention onto the highest floors, where a number of wild animals are already trying to hide. They've been frightened by the sounds of construction and human chatter downstairs, and that increases the risk that they'll lash out and hurt someone.

He’s armed with one of the brooms, and an animal carrier that he purchased from a pet store in town. But he won't be able to do any catch-and-release by himself, particularly in the darker corners of the building. He waves to catch the attention of another volunteer.]

Pardon, could you help me for a moment upstairs? I'd like to take care of this pest problem before it gets too far out of hand.

[When he’s not on his animal-catching crusade, Walter will be helping others move the heavier pieces of furniture downstairs, and reprimanding those who are taking the easy method of throwing them out the window.]

Construction
[Once the rooms are clear, Walter is kept busy with a flurry of minor repairs, painting classrooms, and directing the others who are unsure of what to do next. After it seems that everything is on the right course and everyone knows what to do, Walter goes off to work on his own living space.

He can be found in his dorm apartment for most of the day. It's a bit larger than some of the student dorms, and he seems to be busy installing a new door in the entrance to the extra bedroom. As he tests the hinge, it's clear that it's not a door at all - it's a bookshelf! He's making a secret entrance to his study.]

Make your Mark
[He leaves his initials in cursive in the cement outside, but he does something a bit more poetic on the mural wall. In black and gold ink, Walter writes “Ignis Aurum Probat” in calligraphic letters in the upper left corner of the wall.]

Make Your Mark

[tenofswords]

[Mr. Gray has just left his own little quote on the wall, looking over the bit of Latin that the other man wrote down. He needs to brush up on his Latin, but he has seen that before.]

"Fire tests gold.". How lovely.

Kasia Nyx | OTA

[iliveidie]

🞛 CLEAN UP
[Kasia has never had a problem with going into the dark and dirty places, places filled with wild animals, creepy-crawlies, and, back home, murderous aliens ready to kill any Guardian that wanders into the area. Nox, her Ghost, acts as a torch and lights the area for her leaving her hands free to work.

She almost feels like she’s back home as she works her way from room to room, banging on the walls to run out any beast that’s hiding. Normally she’d be stealthy about this but she’s armed with cleaning supplies, not deadly weapons.]


🞛 CONSTRUCTION
[Kasia has no fear so she takes the roof to help patch the holes. It’s all going pretty well until she manages to find a weak spot in the roof and falls right through to the floor below. She’s in her armor, helmet and all, so she’s fine. Really, she’s fine.

She lays there for a moment, staring up at the hole with a glower behind her mask.]

Maybe we don’t do that again...


🞛 BREAK TIME
[She's taken a few spills over the course of the day and specifically instructed her Ghost not to heal her, at least not until they got home. So she's covered in dust, her cloak more tattered than before, and walking with a bit of a limp as she makes her way into the lounge.

She removes her helmet and gloves before taking up a few slices of pizza and a drink. Rather than dirty up a chair, she decides to settle on the floor in a corner to eat.]

Construction

[darkpants_warmfeeling]

[A head pokes itself through the hole Kasia just fell through, wearing protective hat and goggles. Jacob frowns behind his dust mask, then calls down:]

Kasia? You all right?