~Jill's Heart~

[dramatispersonae]

Red dimness, like light seen through eyelids; rhythmic pulsing; the sensation of traveling forward and upward at an immense speed, with perfect steadiness—the world is reduced to this. And then stillness, and you can open your eyes . . .

A clanging clatter rings out– metal against metal and wood, the whirring of a drill, voices calling . . . everywhere, the sound of diligent construction. Smoke and sawdust and autumn leaves scent the air, carried on a crisp and cool breeze. The sun is dazzling bright.

Comments

[the construction yard]

[dramatispersonae]

You are standing in an open space amidst a group of tents, under the half-naked frame of an enormous zeppelin. The aircraft is suspended thirty feet above the ground from a sprawling dome of scaffolding. At least a dozen ladders reach up to it. Its skin has been stretched and fastened over most of the frame, but strips of heavy duty fabric still hang loose, exposing the skeleton within. The gondola, a sixty-foot-long construction of shining wood and sparkling windows, has already been completed and fixed in place below the belly of the balloon.

Bustling activity surrounds you. Workers rush to and fro: cheery fauns wearing soft emerald green caps, gabbling away to each other as they push wheelbarrows across the camp; talking pigeons fluttering by with messages gripped in their feet; dogs and apes and horses; humans dressed in anything from beautiful but practical clothes that look like something out of a fantasy novel, to school uniforms accented with amethyst purple, to greasy old-fashioned coveralls. Everyone sports at least a flash of some Aather team color, if only a scarf or piece of jewellery. . . amethyst, sterling, emerald and jasper are most prevalent. Everyone seems intent on their work, and for the moment, nobody has noticed you.

The site of the construction camp seems to be a demolished train station. Beyond the tents, railway tracks stretch to the north and south; across them, to the west, is the station, more or less a pile of brick rubble, with an open and partially intact stairwell leading into what must have been the basement. The zeppelin lies at the center of the camp to the east of the tracks; tents of wildly varying shapes, colors, and sizes surround it.

Beside you is a signpost, with five labeled arrows pointing along the paths that branch away from the zeppelin construction yard itself, towards the tents. They read: HQ, Mess Hall, Stores, Engineering, and Sanitarium.

Re: [the construction yard]

[twilight_boy]

[approaching a construction worker who doesn't look too overwhelmingly busy] Do you guys need help with any of that stuff?

Re: [the construction yard]

[justaking]

Hmm...

[gonna head for the sanitarium first]

[the construction yard]

[detectivewonder]

[headed straight for Engineering]

Re: [the construction yard]

[roomforhope]

[ it takes her a moment -- so much color, so many . . . animals. it's not a city, so it's like nothing she's ever seen before ]

Oh...wow...

[ wandering towards the Mess Hall though, still staring . . . ]

Re: [the construction yard]

[idkmybffnirvash]

[ooooh, to someone in amethyst]

Where is Jill?

Re: [the construction yard]

[uneulogized]

[makes a thoughtful noise before heading for HQ]

Re: [the construction yard]

[roomforhope]

[ reappears.....hrm ]

[ stopping a sterling person who doesn't seem to be too busy: ]

What's outside of the camp? On the rails?

Re: [the construction yard]

[antreegonist]

Oh wow --

*stands very still a moment, to reorient himself to being in the middle of a crowd, then waves down the nearest person*

'Scuse me! What's all this?

[debossy]

[I heard talking pigeon. talking pigeon!

APPROACHING A TALKING PIGEON . . . ]

I beg your pardon! Excuse me!

Re: [the construction yard]

[brotagonist]

[STARES AT IT]

Whoa...! What is this?

Re: [the construction yard]

[stigmateyes]

[ WHOA SO MUCH STUFF. SO MUCH TECHNOLOGY. Is probably going to gape for another moment before going to check out that in-construction zeppelin! ]

Re: [the construction yard]

[artificialcommand]

[addressing the nearest person...or animal thing, they are all people]

Excuse me, can you tell me what's going on?

[HQ]

[dramatispersonae]

The HQ is a round, peaked tent like a circus tent, striped in silver and purple. A sign outside the door reads, "Appointments Unnecessary." Inside, the central space is occupied by a low round table; two scrivener's desks are pushed up near the tent walls at the back. Papers, beautiful paper-weights, pens, stamps, and inkwells litter every surface, and the ground is covered in lush carpeting and piles of colorful pillows. On the pillows encircling the central table lounge two huge cats, the size of leopards, one blue and one with rainbow fur. Three Irish Wolfhounds sit alertly across from them, evidencing no animosity—they seem to regard each other as colleagues. The dogs are distinguishable by their collars. One wears red and gold, the next silver and jasper, the third white and green; the first two are wounded, bearing bandages over their forepaws that are stained with bright blood. The animals are engaged in a lively conversation, but stop and look up when you enter.

Re: [HQ]

[uneulogized]

... You all talk.

Of course you do.

Re: [HQ]

[idkmybffnirvash]

[going to the wolfhounds :|a]

Would you like to be petted?

Re: [HQ]

[twilight_boy]

Hi, guys.

[seeing the wounds] Are you okay?

Re: [HQ]

[twilight_boy]

[coming back with Grace and a basket of food] Hi, guys. I got it.

Re: [HQ]

[artificialcommand]

[giant cats]

Hello.

[the mess hall]

[dramatispersonae]

A long, utilitarian, rectangular canvas tent stands before you, labeled with a simple wooden sign reading "Mess Hall." It's mostly empty, although a badger wearing an amethyst-striped cap is hard at work cleaning with a brush and dustpan.

Rows of long wooden tables and benches take up most of the room; a cafeteria counter takes up one of the shorter walls, clean and simple, with big metal tureens and ladles laid out and room for servers to stand behind. At the end of the line are huge coffee and tea carafes, and towering stacks of plain metal trays, cutlery, and enamel mugs.

A dryad with willowy green hair and a jasper scarf is refilling the carafes; two young cats with grey collars are gossiping on a bench.

Re: [the mess hall]

[roomforhope]

[ let's attempt to talk to the bbbbadger :|a this still feels weird to her ]

You don't need any help, do you?

[stores tents]

[dramatispersonae]

A wooden sign planted in the ground reads "Stores"; beyond it stand rows of square grey canvas tents. The flap of one stands a little bit open. In front of it, on a squat three-legged stool, sits an ape. He is carrying a wrench and wearing overalls. Also, he is staring at you in an unmistakably challenging manner.

Re: [stores tents]

[detectivewonder]

"A monkey?"

He's mostly muttering that to himself.

[engineering]

[dramatispersonae]

The engineering tent is an unlabeled and sprawling green canvas affair, surrounded by its own little satellite work yard. Fauns and dwarfs in heavy aprons, blacksmith's gloves and goggles bustle about, smelting and hammering.

Inside, the whole tent is filled with all sorts of strange apparatuses, some plausibly mechanical but some clearly magical in natures. Wires and gears and bubbling flasks are suspended in the most unlikely places. A few drafting boards and desks are shoved into the corners; Jill, as she appears in Aather, is bent over one of these, scribbling something with a glowing blue pen.

A muscular stag with stately, spreading antlers stands in the center of the room. Wires, silver and copper and gold, connect his antlers to a dozen or more of the strange machines around the room. His chest glows and pulses with a visible heartbeat.

Re: [engineering]

[silverbulletkun]

[this is. . . odd. . . but Jill is here so approaching her]

Jill?

[the sanitarium]

[dramatispersonae]

The sanitarium turns out to be a plain, white, nearly cubical tent with a pyramidal roof peaked over a central pole. "Sanitarium" has been sewn in big black silk letters above its front door, which is, in fact, a real door in a free standing wooden frame. It even has a shiny brass doorknob.

Inside the tent is undoubtedly the most peaceful place in the camp. It's also bigger than it appeared to be on the outside. The light that filters down from the gently glowing ceiling has a slow, honeyed quality, like evening sunlight; the air smells lightly of lemon and mint. It's quiet, the bustle of the work yard completely muffled.

Everything is decorated in shades of green. A number of cot-beds line the walls, although nobody is at rest in them currently. An elaborate cabinet stands against one wall, filled with drawers and cupboards. A young man who looks like this is rummaging in one of the cupboards.

There are a few comfortable looking armchairs in one corner, and a lanky, froggy looking man with flat reed-like green hair is conversation there with a younger-looking version of Jill. A young dwarf and a tall blond man in silver mail are compounding some kind of medicine at a counter in another corner.

A bow and quiver full of arrows hangs beside the door, along with a fire extinguisher.

Re: [the sanitarium]

[justaking]

[well I guess I should've expected this, but—]

Eustace?

[the train station]

[dramatispersonae]

The rubble of the station still smells of smoke. No walls or even beams still stand; it's nothing but a mess of brick and rebar and charred wood. The stairwell leads down into yawning darkness, but its wedged open with a substantial chunk of concrete overhead . . . a cave-in doesn't look imminent, at least. The shadows at the bottom are impenetrably dark.

Re: [the train station]

[brotagonist]

...Jill...

[heads down there fearlessly, though]

[the zeppelin]

[dramatispersonae]

A rope ladder, well pegged down, leads up to the gondola under the zeppelin's belly. It sways a little in the breeze, but it's not a difficult climb, and the hatch at the top is open. Warm lamplight shines from within.

Re: [the zeppelin]

[idkmybffnirvash]

[climbing up, rather agile and comfortable with the breeze too]