'CAUSE I'M BROKEN

[axegirlfriend]

characters: Remington, Matt, Quentin, Coraline, Aziraphale, Jason Grace, Wanda, and OPEN to anyone!
location: the church
date/time: Throughout September, following the announcement of the church’s desecration.
content: Everyone’s working together to get the church back in order!
warnings: N/A

[Entering the church, you’ll see that Remington is already assessing all the damage firsthand. As he moves around, he places damages pieces of furniture in groups depending on what appears to be their level of damage: minor, moderate, and major. There’s plenty of head-scratching, of course, and if you’re carrying any supplies, he gestures to one area he seems to have set up as a makeshift tool bench.]

Hey, um, hi! Thanks for coming. This is really a mess, isn’t it? So it’s…kind of all hands on deck at the moment. Let me know if you have any questions or need help getting started.

[He’ll advise anyone who needs direction based on their expressed skill level or areas of expertise from anything to sorting through debris to determine what is or isn’t usable in its current state, to minor fixes, to marking items that need complete reconstruction.]

Don’t throw out anything; I already know what I want to do with any leftover scraps. Just put them all in that empty crate over there.

[He must’ve managed to commandeer one from the general store.]

((OOC: Feel free to make your own toplevels! I’ll be placing my own for Remington, so it can be handwaved that he’s already given your character a task if they need one to get themselves started.))

Comments

eliot waugh | ota

[itselbitch]

[ eliot's here mostly to help with sorting. kinesis makes quick work of it after all. also he's bored, and q came, and he can't leave q alone for too long without bad shit happening for whatever reason.

since there is a lot to sort through though, for once he's not really finding every excuse to chat, almost like he hasn't had the chance to stretch his muscles properly in a while and really wants to do it (which is exactly the case). he does well in making nice neat piles for others though, like tetris but with debris. he has three main sets going on, unusable, repurposable, and reusable, the latter two free for others to pick through. but again, it's debris tetris, so maybe you should ask him for help if you find a particular piece wedged in an inconvenient place. or if you want to debate his tetris decisions.

alternatively, he'll boldly offer at the start to hold things in place for people if they need a hand. he is tall after all. but really the magician part helps the most.

and yes, he did come to help in a tie and vest. thank you for noticing. ]

[moderatelymaladjusted]

[Overlooking one of the piles Eliot has managed to make, Quentin let's his hand hover just above it - feeling it out, trying to find that one specific piece that he's missing from his own pile further inside the ruined church.]

Do you have a door knob somewhere? Like, did you see one?

[itselbitch]

[ eliot glances to q then back to the piles. he flicks his wrist upward, gesturing with two fingers. a broken door knob snaps toward him from the unusable pile, stopping short a couple feet. ]

This one?

[moderatelymaladjusted]

[Letting his hand hover over it for a few seconds, fingers twitching through a small tut, Quentin shakes his head.]

I think that one might be for one of the east facing doors? It really likes sunrises. But it should kind of look like that, only-- it should want to look at, uhm, the pews?

Quentin Coldwater | ota

[moderatelymaladjusted]

[Yes, finally. Something tangible to sink his magic in to and to just focus on, that isn't going to feel as unsatisfactory as punching a pillow repeatedly. Research on this place was going nowhere, and not fast, because those books the librarian had provided were huge. Well, some of them.

But this, rebuilding something. Getting to mend things, that would be actually useful to people (and maybe to that spirit that apparently lived in the basement). That was a idea he would get behind, and after getting the task of starting the fixing in the far west corner, Quentin starts sorting through the rubble. Sitting crossed-legged on what's left of the floor and in a little cleared circle, he starts sorting through everything near, placing it in neat piles depending on what the piece tells him it wants to be.]

[catholicisms]

( Matt, for his part, finds repairs of the church more frustrating than empowering. and not just because he can't ultimately do that much, he hates that it's in such a state in the first place. his sad catholic boy soul can't handle the destruction of a church, though he's admittedly warmed by so many people determined to fix it.

he can hear Quentin at work, and while he can't admit to understanding what he's doing, sorting through rubble feels vaguely like something he could help with. ) What are you doing? ( he wonders, standing just beside Quentin and frowning like he's trying to make sense of what he can't see. ) I don't suppose you need a second pair of hands.

( not eyes... but hands he's got. )

[moderatelymaladjusted]

Uhm.

[This next piece is just a piece of a wall, and there's just so many of those and they all just give off the magical vibe that they want to be a wall again. Which is-- not at all helpful when the whole church was made up of them and Quentin puts it in the pile of bricks to his left before craning his neck back to look at the stranger.

Frowning and hands by his side, this looks like someone who might be helpful. And Quentin waves his hand at the rubble.]

I'm trying to get all of this sorted in to things that I can actually do something about? But-- there's just so much of it, you know? But yeah. Sure, I could always use a hand. Or two. Any hands you'd want to lend would be appreciated. Very much.

[He says that last part with feeling, because magic really isn't the fix-all he'd thought it would be. Usually, it ruins more than it helps. But he can do the minor mending as long as he has the pieces to put together and more hands, means more pieces.]

It's easier if you sit, but-- you don't have to?

[catholicisms]

( Matt has nothing against sitting, for the record, he was just figuring out if his help was wanted before plunking down next to Quentin. though, frankly, Matt is not above sitting down and rather forcing someone to allow him to help by sheer social pressure, it's just that he figures he doesn't need to play mind games in a situation as simple as this one. thanks for that, Matty...

sitting on the floor actually seems pretty natural to him — it's the position he takes whenever he meditates. besides, he doesn't have any of his fancy lawyer suits here in the afterlife, the simple slacks and button-ups he's found for himself won't be any worse for the wear for sitting on the ground. )

What piles are you making? ( Matt is carefully picking up pieces from each pile to observe the feel of them, and while he can sort of gather without touching that there's certain sizes and materials in each pile, he can't just admit that. so Quentin will have to explain it to him, despite the fact he can figure it out on his own. he's still playing the blind act, at least for now. )

aziraphale | ota

[lunchbreaks]

[ Aziraphale is here to help in any way he can, and often brings whatever he's been trying to cook to share with all the volunteers, though it quickly becomes apparent that he's not very good at cooking.

He is, however, somehow extremely good with repairs, apparently. Anyone who passes him anything broken will get it handed back about ten minutes later, with some vague and slightly incoherent rambling about how oh it just needed a little sanding or yes just putting this over there did the trick, have to get back, but it's fixed, excellent, goodbye for now!

Usually there since early morning, he tries to find a little time alone to cast minor miracles-- splinters smoothed away, slightly crooked bench straightened, inexperienced carpentry or masonry from the day before still riddled with character but structurally very sound. They're little things that, perhaps over a night's rest, anyone might naturally assumed they'd misremembered in a worse state when they'd left off previously. Nothing that couldn't be explained by magic. Maybe a helpful Klabautermann, perhaps even the appreciative watchful gaze of God Herself.

With his sleeves rolled up, he brushes sweat off his brow and outside on the lawn, he continues repairing the decorative altar. ]

Yes, what do you think so far?

[ He's... well, he's managed to place a bunch of broken pieces together. ]

[ OOC: Feel free to come up with your own scenario or hmu at assemble for a personal starter. Aziraphale will be here during the entire rebuild/restoration unless he is off doing an expedition. ]

[notthatjason]

[Jason strolled outside with a box of pieces. It was easier to work outside, as the church was rather crowded, but it also seemed that he wasn't the only one with that idea. Jason paused and looked over the altar.]

I think...it might be missing a few pieces still. But, otherwise, it looks pretty good. Here.

[Jason sets the box down, digging through and pulling out a few crosses he had noticed earlier.]

These look like they might have snapped off.

[lunchbreaks]

Oh, yes!

Thank you very much, Jason, I think these were exactly the ones I was looking for.

[ And you know, he was going to miracle them in and then have to explain why they had so many extra, which would have been no good. ]

--And thank you, by the way. For volunteering to help.

[notthatjason]

You're welcome. If you need some super glue or something to attach it with, I grabbed a few things from inside you could use.

[He starts rummaging through the box. With Eliot's kinetic magic Jason didn't see much need for using his strength, but that didn't mean he wasn't going to help in other ways. Today he'd decided to repair some of the broken sconces and maybe polish them up as well. Of course, first they needed the repairs. He wasn't Leo's level of handy man, but he could assemble stuff as well as the next guy.

But first, sorting pieces.]

I just wanted to put my skills to use. It may be a different house of God than I'm used to, but it seemed wrong to let a temple--er church--stay messed up like that.

[Bad things tended to happen and Jason figured they were in enough trouble without pissing off any local deities for busting up a church. He looked up from the box, he wasn't sure if Aziraphale was the type to prefer working in silence or not, but Jason felt now was as good a time as any to have a friendly chat with someone he'd really only encountered in passing.]

Why did you decide to help?

elena gilbert | ota

[otrazhenie]

[ Despite having helped with a few repair projects around town since she'd arrived, Elena really doesn't have much skill with all of this. Her strengths lie in, well, strength, and so she makes use of her considerable ability in that area by moving the largest and heaviest pieces depending on where she's directed to take them. Some things might be repairable, but it's pretty easy to tell which ones are beyond help.

No matter how heavy or large something is, she doesn't struggle with moving it, not even breaking a sweat after working for a considerable length of time. And whenever anyone looks to be struggling themselves with something, she's quick to ask: ]

Do you need some help?

[catholicisms]

( Matt, for his part, carries things admirably for just a normal human. he's stronger than he looks. is he vampire strong? for sure not. so the especially long broken pew he's standing in front of is probably too much for him to carry alone, though Matt wasn't exactly trying to lift it so much as figure out if it was broken through, and calculating how many people they'd need.

at the voice near his elbow, he turns toward it, pausing just long enough to make sure it wasn't aimed at someone else. no, must have been him, he's the only one particularly nearby. )

That'd be great. I have this end, but you might want to take the front. I'd be a bad navigator. ( he leaves her to fill in why that would be a problem. he's been helping with the work at the church long enough that she's probably noticed he's blind without him having to really spell it out, anyway. )

[otrazhenie]

[ She's definitely noticed. The fact that a blind man is helping to rebuild the church says a great deal about the sort of person he might be — perhaps he's religious and the church provides him an emotional connection to the life he's left behind; perhaps he's a good person who simply feels a moral obligation to help with such a project; or perhaps he's just bored and in need of something to do in this place that doesn't provide many satisfying pastimes. Whichever it is, she wears a kind smile that can be heard in her voice as she moves to the front of the bench without hesitation. ]

Yeah, I think the church is broken enough without our adding to the rubble. [ An attempt at a joke? Not a very good one, but she's trying. ] I'm ready when you are.

[catholicisms]

( or maybe it's d, all of the above! matt is in dire need of distractions in his afterlife, especially considering there's no law to harangue or mobsters to punch. he's mostly avoided seeming particularly capable in front of strangers, but the destroyed church is worthy of his efforts. it's not a catholic church, he knows that. still, it was a place of worship and reflection. if people could find any kind of solace here, then it was worth the effort to put it back together.

he smiles; apparently it was funny enough for Matt. ) I suppose we can rest assured I can't make it any worse. ( there's something bittersweet about that particular joke; it just reinforces the shambles the place is in at present. she mentions she's ready whenever he is, so he dusts his hands along the side of the pew in the appearances of finding a hand hold. ) I'm ready.

b o n d i n g !!!

[hext]

[ wanda has actually just taken a momentary break from lifting a good deal of Too Large/Unwieldy pieces with her powers and separating them into more organized piles for either salvaging or disposal. what she's noticed since the beginning, being here for ten weeks now... this place takes a toll on her for using her gifts, at least for an extended period of time, and she finds herself breathing a bit hard as she takes a seat on the edge of a broken pew.

she thinks back to sitting in this same pew, staring at the blessing candles with jesse, questioning her faith, all those weeks ago.
smoking a cigarette with him, something she hadn't done since she was a pre-teen in sokovia, trying to survive amongst her peers.

the two of them sat here, feeling a little more okay being not okay, together.
he's gone now, someone she barely knew.

she's far from okay now—

and someone asks her, so kindly, so easily...

help— ]

—Oh. I'm. I just need a minute. A break.

[ wanda glances up at the young woman, thinking she looks familiar, one of the newer residents. she doesn't know her name, and doesn't reach for it. presses a shoulder against her walls so it doesn't hit her accidentally. it's an imposition, and she's tired. ]

super late bonding!

[otrazhenie]

[ At first, the darkness of the church swallows up the signs of someone using magic, for lack of a better term for it. Objects moving are heard, not seen, and any flickers of light are covered by the oppressive blackness that covers every inch of the town. Even with all their lanterns combined and perhaps the occasional torch, it's hard to see what might be happening on the other side of the room. So when Elena does finally notice it... Well, she notices.

Magic really is the only thing she can think it might be, and for her that means normalcy, as strange as it is. The weird is the new mundane and she'd rather be surrounded by strange occurrences than listing through the everyday.

The other woman finally sits and Elena takes the opportunity to approach, noting the answer before responding in a purely conversational tone. ]

You've been using a lot of magic today. I can imagine that's pretty draining for you.

[ It would have been for Bonnie. ]

hope mikaelson ; ota

[tribridfreakshow]

[She looks a little out of place here, honestly. She's a face that doesn't seem to leave The Invincible too often, outside of a few instances here and there, but she's here today because someone asked for her help.

Specifically, Coraline asked her to come. She doesn't know the girl that well, but they've both been around for a while now, and she felt guilty saying no, so she's here to help.

She's considerably stronger than she looks, able to lift things that would usually take an extra person, though the more unwieldy pieces she might need help just for balance.

Eventually, she also sits down to rest, more so because it feels natural than her actually needing it.]

vanitas | later in the month | ota

[evulsed]

[ Vanitas doesn't turn up until it's closer to the end of the month, and he tries to be as inconspicuous as possible. Obviously people are still going to be working on things, but he's tried to time it so that he's here when nobody appears to be. He steps in through a dark corridor in a side room and stops, listening.

When he doesn't hear anything immediate, he creeps out and moves through the shadows of the church— until he's wound his way up toward the wall of candles.

If he's impressed by the work done, he doesn't seem to spare it much of a glance. Instead, he sits down next to the sealed trap door, cross-legged with his back to the big empty room. One of his Unversed, one of the rats he'd left in this church weeks ago, climbs into his lap and sits there as he scrolls through his tablet ]

Remington Swann | ota

[axegirlfriend]

one

[Taking charge is really, really not something that he's good at. He's done his best at making his little welcome speech, and that's about all that he's anticipated. So when he sees someone who looks like they may need more direction, it takes most of his willpower just to drag himself over.]

Do you, uh...need somewhere to start?

two

[Most of the time, though, he's tackling some of the bigger work. He knows that he's the only one here with any real, technical experience in this kind of work, so he's been sure to give the others the easier pieces of construction and repair. Right now, he's working on patching up a pew that's been smashed to pieces, nails balanced between his lips as he murmurs measurements under his breath. It seems that he's finding where he wants to place the support beams to keep this piece of furniture together once he's re-attached the pieces, but...ah, it's a bit awkward.]

Could someone, uh...

[He removes the nails, keeping them between two fingers as he points toward the opposite end of the broken pew.]

Just hold that up for me for a moment?

three

[When he's taking a break from some of the more time-consuming tasks (and, honestly, socializing), Remi can be found at the crate where he'd asked for scraps to be kept. Going through it, he selects a few small pieces at a time and begins to bind them together with a roll of twine he's picked up from the general store. It looks like he's making some kind of hanging charm.]

two

[otrazhenie]

[ Elena's been keeping a general eye out for people who need help with their tasks whenever she's working in the church, her own skills mostly limited to strongman activities — like holding and carry heavy things from one place to another. So it's without hesitation that she hurries over, setting her lantern off to the side before taking hold of the pew and lifting it to hopefully be what he needs. ]

Like this?

[axegirlfriend]

Oh thank you that's--

[He glances over, giving a lopsided and somewhat apologetic smile that he had to stop and help her at all.]

--just perfect.

TRES

[hext]

[ wanda has just finished hauling a collection of wreckage through the air with calculated orchestration of her hands into a disposal area and is making her way back to the main site for more when she spots remi having paused, fiddling with some trash.

...making it into treasure, of some kind?

she hasn't felt very secure in socializing lately, but her curiosity gets the better of her. it looks like a necklace she made for rastus, once. ]

Jewelry...? [ she probes quietly, after hovering a few feet away for a few moments. ] Dreamcatcher?

[axegirlfriend]

[Remi almost drops it, he's so absorbed. Fortunately, he manages to contain his surprise at being spoken to and glances up, smiling awkwardly and adjusting his glasses.]

No it's, um...a marker. For the forest spirits. I thought...if we need to do a lot of building, we should be careful not to ruin their homes when we need wood. I'm going to see if they'll be willing to hang these up on trees they'd like to make sure we keep untouched.