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Ailward AspectPermalink Reply by ✓ Argent Kara Ailward on February 20, 2019 at 0:49

When they came to a stop she helped to set the motorbike down in a relatively stable position and she gave it a once over trying to figure out which parts were broken and how they would fix them, unfortunately the redhead was pretty clueless when it came to any kind of mechanics “Good to know” she commented thinking about the pretty major differences between a plane and a motorbike, though she supposed the danger was all the same if you screwed the job up. She cut that thought where it started and shook her head, nope she would not be thinking about plane crashes right now. When he offered the toolbox out to her she took it without questioning it before pulling a confused look though it made more sense when he told her he was going to show her how to fix it. Argent rolled up her sleeves and followed him back outside, she liked learning new things so she was game.

As he explained how to fix it she nodded a little taking each part that he passed to her and studying it, the sizing of the screws and the wheel itself made enough sense to her. She watched as he demonstrated the action and tightened the bolt into the wheel, she heard it click into place as he threaded it through before he tightened it. “Okay here goes” she commented as she took another of the long metallic bolts and threaded it through into the hole. She then took the wrench and affixed it onto it, she paused for a moment as she tried to figure out which way to turn it to tighten. She tried one way but that seemed to do nothing to she reversed it and much to her relief the bolt started to move and tighten “Damn now I know what they mean by elbow grease” she mused realizing it took quite some force to get it to tighten, her arm pushing down hard to finish it off before she hooked the metal tool.

His question made her laugh softly, yeah she didn’t really look like the fighter type she supposed “A little boredom and a little want to protect myself I guess” she answered honestly with a shrug of her shoulders “I’m small but I am mighty” she teased with a bright smile, she didn’t tend to use it in her day to day life but she liked the assurance of knowing she could if she wanted to. Continuing, she started to place in another bolt “How did you get into mechanics?” she returned his questioning curiously.

HumanPermalink Reply by ✓ Caleb Eli Segal ~Mod~ on March 10, 2019 at 17:24

As time passed, Caleb was beginning to find it easier to relax. He didn’t have much of a way with strangers, but clearly they didn’t bother his new friend. Granted, it was something he’d been trying to work on since middle school and although he’d seen some improvement, in some ways, Caleb had become content to live his life as a man who had many acquaintances and a few close friends. Moving to a new places made it difficult to acquire those first few good relationships and perhaps that was why he had a tendency to travel solo if necessary and move on before others and their difficulties became obvious. Everyone had a story, he knew that, but he’d also come to understand that life was very unpredictable and despite if you tried to make plans, it often went as it wanted. Trying to control that was pointless, but choosing to stay within the boundaries of a happy few seemed easier than exposing himself to more people he could care about and eventually lose. Luck, as it seemed, didn’t side with him often in keeping those he cared for in his life.

He carefully balanced the bike on his knee while the redhead attached the bolts and screws. It was a tough job if you’d never done it before, but she seemed to take to it naturally, bearing stronger hands than a lot more of the adult men he had worked with. That must come in handy with pickle jars. Caleb raised an eyebrow and carefully rubbed a wet cloth between the nobs to wash them clean. Their conversation seemed to flit between moments of silence and work. He had never taken self-defense classes, truthfully, although after having been in his share of secondary school yard fights had figured out how to throw a decent punch. “Sir Argent the Brave?” He interjected with a hint of a smile. Mechanics was certainly messy, despite how entertaining it could be. Before long the wheel was standing on its own.

In a different era, he could see her taking up a sword and her brother’s armour and running off to war. Honestly, Caleb was not sure why. Perhaps, it was a bit of the cheeky spirit and the red hair. He bent down to begin investigating the wheel rim. It may take replacing, there were some areas that he just didn’t feel confident in his skills. “Ai, well, I’ve always enjoyed repairs, but I started getting into it when my Aunt Celeste broke her kitchen mixeur...er, blender in my second grade. It turns that one should never try to blend a peach with the pit inside.”

He chuckled, shaking his head. The elderly and bright, modern kitchen equipment always made things interesting.

Ailward AspectPermalink Reply by ✓ Argent Kara Ailward on March 11, 2019 at 22:54

Argent could tell that Caleb probably didn’t keep many people around, he was pretty quiet and the things he did say were sometimes a bit disjointed but she didn’t mind, she was just trying to look out for him more than anything, after finding him out cold and helping him to get better she felt a little responsible but more than that, he seemed like a nice person and if you kept talking he seemed to open up. Thankfully, Argent had a lot of experience with people, especially because she lived in the Ailward manor which currently housed all her siblings and most of the guards, she was always surrounded by people and she would call most of the ones she knew a friend. Either way, the silence wasn’t weird for her as they interacted, in fact, it was more of a comfortable silence that allowed her to think more clearly about what she was saying and doing.

She was a really fast learner, always had been, she was good at paying attention and replicating actions, she wasn’t always successful the first time but she also had the resilience to keep trying until she got it right. A lot of it went back to when she was young and she had begged Thomas to teach her how to fight and read, she had always tried to be ahead of everyone else around her, which was very difficult being a woman back in those times. His summary of what she told him made her laugh “Something like that” she responded with a shrug, she liked being able to handle herself, it gave her confidence when she needed it and considering who and what she was, she often needed it.

Argent raised her eyebrows curiously as he explained how the first thing he had managed to fix was a blender, imagining how difficult a small fiddly device like that might be to repair and also how little they cost to replace compared with bigger things like cars and planes they had been talking about earlier. As she inspected the wheel she narrowed her eyes a little “It doesn’t look all that sturdy” she commented, doubting the safety of the motorcycle at that moment. “You know there’s a bunch of old parts in the basement of the manor, it’s become a bit of littering ground, to be honest but there might be some things you can salvage” no one else was using them so she figured she’d offer, who knows, he might be able to get some of the things working again.

HumanPermalink Reply by ✓ Caleb Eli Segal ~Mod~ on March 12, 2019 at 0:35

"Really?" Caleb grinned at the idea. He loved salvaging his own parts. Not only did it spare the expense of buying them new, but it was an adventure! He enjoyed adventure. It had been a while since he'd gone on a tinkering one, but if there was anything that made him truly excited, it was creating new things out of old ones. "I would love that." He propped the bike up against the porch and finished wiping the motor oil off his fingertips. He didn't want to track it inside the house. His hosts had been kind to him and oil was a pain in the ass to get off anything, especially fabric. He'd gotten used to it over time. It was like how he'd grown up with his Mama and her hands always covered in paint. Only, paint smelled a lot nicer, even by comparison. The Parisian took the toolbox and carefully set the wrenches that they'd used back inside, after wiping them down with care. It seemed that perhaps the Ailwards were not much that fond of mechanics as they were at their other skills, but he could tell even just by talking to Argent that they were a varied and talented group of people who enjoyed learning. 

He came back from the tool-shed with an old flashlight in his hands. "I thought this may come in handy." After a bit of encouragement in the form of a few whacks against the fence, the old battery clicked to life. Caleb had a real appreciation for the mechanical wanderings of the past. They were built to last!  "Lead the way." 

Ailward AspectPermalink Reply by ✓ Argent Kara Ailward on March 12, 2019 at 21:55

“Sure, it’s not like anyone actually has any use for them otherwise, I keep telling Ven we need to clear the place out but no one has any time lately” she shook her head a little, it was a very busy life for an ambassador she supposed and all the other aspects kept busy with their own elements too, hers was more simple, she could look after light from wherever she was for the most part and there never seemed to be a lack of it, in that was she supposed she was lucky “And you never know, I might find something down there that I do actually want to keep” she imagined there was a lot of valuable stuff in there, to be honest, it was all things that no one really knew what to do with, things that were broken or belonged to people who were no longer with the guard.

She lead the way into the house giving him an appreciative nod as he pointed out the flashlight he had found “Knowing our luck the built-in light won’t work down there so good idea” she stated with a laugh and then started walking the familiar halls of the manor, it didn’t feel as familiar as Skye to her but she’d lived her for over 2 years now and it was beginning to feel like somewhere she might be able to call home. They made it down to the basement and she opened the door to it and stepped inside, the first thing she noticed was just how cold it was and then how packed, even without the lights on she could see the clutter all around them. She tried the light switch but she wasn’t all that surprised when the switch did nothing “Told you” she teased as she moved inside and climbed up onto one of the old couches in the corner as she looked around the room.

HumanPermalink Reply by ✓ Caleb Eli Segal ~Mod~ on March 15, 2019 at 18:22

Caleb stashed the flashlight in a crook in the wall. The basement was fairly dark and he had to admit that it would be nice if the central electric was working, but without a clue as to what was causing it to fail, he probably wouldn't be the best at fixing it. As Argent said, it didn't appear that people had been down here in a very long time. Most likely there were rusty breakers and old light bulbs that needed replacing. He got the gist that the Ailwards were a diligent family, always hustling from one place to another; but, there was something about exactly what they all did that Caleb hadn't quite figured out. There was more than once that conversation had halted when he entered into a room.  He was a guest and they certainly had their right to both privacy and confidential conversations. It didn't make him suspicious or angry, simply curious. They called themselves protectors, but he didn't understand what the people in Evermore needed protecting from. It seemed on the outside like a normal city with routine habits and rules, yet his mind couldn't help but go back to the unusual tornado that had brought him into town. He'd traveled a lot and had never seen a storm so sudden. 

Caleb wandered in the half light until he found a pile of discarded items that suited his interest. It was mostly wood with a few bundles of old newspapers and was close to where the beam of light from the electric torch ended. "So, how old is this house?" He asked, peering at the date on the top of the first headline of the Evermore Daily. It was over ten years old, but he reckoned a house this large must have been in the family for much longer. His family was a little different. He knew nothing of his family history on his father's side and despite meeting him recently — it was abundantly clear that Spencer Segal had very little interest in being in his child's life after over twenty years had passed. Caleb knew that he bore his father's name, but it was his mother who had raised him and so often he felt his his ties to her were weakening. He had never had much when it came to family and friendships were always the stronger of the two relationships that he'd built. This manor was an interesting place, with so much history, it made him wonder what it was like to know so much about where you came from. 

Caleb got to work and used his fingers to sort through the mass of eclectic objects in front of him. To someone else it may seem like junk, but to him it was a fascinating set of old memories that could be forged into new experiences. He reached for a piece of wood and was surprised to see it come out of the dust attached to more. It was an old Victorian doll house. One of the walls was missing the roof was half caved in, but the rest of it was still intact. It had six small rooms, an attic, and a few pieces of tiny furniture were littered underneath where it had lain frozen in time.  "Argent?" He scanned the flashlight over the discarded child's plaything. "Was this yours?"

Ailward AspectPermalink Reply by ✓ Argent Kara Ailward on March 17, 2019 at 16:06

She had to commend his inventiveness as he placed the flashlight in the wall causing it to send out a tunnel of light which was just about enough to allow them to see over the basement “Clever” she commented with a laugh, it was interesting to see someone think out of the box instead of just going with the obvious action of holding on to the thing while they looked through the piles of stuff. As she watched him move across the room she had this strange feeling inside of her, it was really odd for her to be around someone who had no clue when it came to the supernatural world, his aura was veiled with a certain level of innocence that the aspect of light recognized as someone who had never been tainted by the supernatural. She knew it was risky to bring him back here because of that but she got this feeling like he could handle it if he did find out, not that it was her place to tell him, but she didn’t feel the need to worry and her gut feeling tended to be right.

When he asked how old the house with she paused for a moment and pondered it “Not sure entirely, we only moved here a few years ago and I never really got heavy into the details” truthfully she hadn’t wanted to admit to herself that her real home, back on the Isle of Skye was gone, this felt like a little like a cheap replacement. She knew that wasn’t the intention but she couldn’t help the way she felt about it. “We’ve been in and out of Evermore for several years though, it’s a city that somehow keeps drawing you back in” mostly due to the fact that everyone supernatural seemed to be drawn here like it was some kind of beacon that pulled them in “So you’re from France?” Argent suggested noting the accent he held and how he often slipped into the language.

The aspect also started to look through the piles of stuff curiously, she didn’t really remember getting rid of a lot of her stuff because she didn’t keep a lot really, her only thing she was often a little materialistic about was her clothes but any of those she no longer wanted she always gave to a charity. She did find one of her old journals though, which made her smile, it contained some of her many attempts at writing poems or songs of sorts, they weren’t especially good but the memory of writing them was nice. She was midway reading through one of them in the flashlight, light when she heard Caleb. Seeing the dollhouse he had force she smiled brightly, pretty impressed that had managed to make it here without getting majorly damaged. She knew who’s it was but she had to be careful how she worded it “No it was Illiana’s, though I do remember getting to play with it fondly” the redhead nodded as she pointed to a box next to the structured toy “I imagine the collection of dolls are in that box” she prompted as she came in a bit closer to study the house, wow that had been a long time ago.

HumanPermalink Reply by ✓ Caleb Eli Segal ~Mod~ on April 5, 2019 at 3:17

It took Caleb a few minutes of rummaging throughout the piles of strewn about possessions, some broken and others well-cared for, before he found what he needed. Growing up on family vacations, he had always preferred shell hunting to wave surfing. He’d brought collections of wild sea life to show and tell more than once. As he spun his flashlight across the pile of abandoned toys, Caleb couldn’t help but wonder why so much of it had been thrown away. He turned towards his tour guide and handed her a basket of tiny things that had once belonged inside the dollhouse and had become strewn across the floor. Maybe, he was too sentimental. Not everyone like to keep objects that reminded them of the past.  With his curiosity abated, he picked up the wooden house and pointed to the door. “Ladies, first.” 

Once they were back in the sunlight, Caleb could see that the house for toys had once been painted a pale pink, but any color of old had faded into a murky grey. The shingles on the rooftop had seen better days and it appeared a rodent had made the bottom floor a home sometime in the last decade. Still, with a lot of cleaning, a fresh coat of paint, and a little love: he could see it becoming something special. Caleb set the rummaged goods on the crafting table and switched off the flashlight. Perhaps, he would find friends here after all.  

Ailward AspectPermalink Reply by ✓ Argent Kara Ailward on April 5, 2019 at 20:29

Argent didn't really go through the stuff, just scanned her eyes over the different things in the room and remembered who they belonged to and memories that involved said item. A lot of the stuff down here belonged to the guards they had lost on the isle, no one seemed to be able to throw anything out and yet no one seemed to have any actual use for it either. It was a little painful if she was honest, especially as her eyes fell on the teddy bear which had belonged to her previous personal guard Ayra. She pursed her lips as she moved towards it and picked it up, she remembered her guard telling her it was the only thing she held onto from her previous family, Donovan's family. The redheaded aspect was standing there a little dazed and hugging it to her chest when Caleb had spoken and the green-eyed girl snapped out of it “Yeah, sorry” she excused though she didn't put the bear down instead continuing to clutch it to her chest as they headed back up the stairs into the manor.

When they got back up to the ground level she scanned her eyes over the dollhouse that he had decided to retrieve, it had certainly seen better days, she remembered them fondly but it was still standing all these years later. “Are you planning to fix it up?” She asked as she leaned closer and inspected the damage, it definitely looked like a rat or mouse had gotten into the bottom and gnawed a little on the walls but aside from that the structure was sound and honestly the idea of some other little girl getting to love it and play with it was kinda beautiful to her “I could help, I'm not an artist but I do play with a paintbrush” she offered excited by the idea of a project to work on.

HumanPermalink Reply by ✓ Caleb Eli Segal ~Mod~ on April 8, 2019 at 15:57

Caleb leaned over the table, investigating the tiny structure. It was what appeared to be oak wood or maybe pine. He couldn't be certain with several years of dust, dirt, and peeling paint hiding the bones of the tiny house. It was clear that it wasn't something manufactured, however, and had been carefully constructed by hand. Despite the missing shingles and yellowed wallpaper, it was a toy that any child would find many hours of delight in. There wasn't a clear place to start, but he was happy to have the help. Distracting himself seemed the best way to deal with his emotions and Argent's company had been good for him in the last few days. Caleb reached into the toolbox and began removing some of the paint with the end of a flathead screwdriver. If he was careful to peel off only the biggest pieces, it shouldn't damage the wood underneath. He handed her a tool to work with and they worked in quiet solidarity for the next few minutes. He always worked best in the outdoors and the afternoon air was crisp with the soft scent of spring just waiting on the horizon. Further out in the woods, birds called to one another and squabbled over the feeders that he'd seen on the pathways during many of his longer walks. As the last piece of white paint fell from the tiny porch that he was mending, Caleb set down his tools and stepped back to get a good look at the wooden walls. They were pale wood with delicate rings around the center. 

Pine. Once the rest of the dirt was removed, it would still have some of the classic holiday smell. He had to admit that he was curious how a toy like this, which could be an heirloom, had been stashed away in the dark.  His brows knit in confusion, before the expression disappeared. Everyone had reasons for getting rid of things. He had left his home with nothing but a suitcase and vaguely wondered if the possessions of his and Ava's that were stored there would someday be found in a storage locker up for bidding. He certainly had no plans to return. He was far from an artist; being an artist took dedication and pride in your craft. Artists were people like his Mama. He could never seem to stay in one place long enough to choose a path that provided for more than his basic necessities. Although, Caleb had to admit that Evermore was growing on him.

"I'd welcome the help." He wiped his hands off on a nearby towel. "And I don't mind the company."

Ailward AspectPermalink Reply by ✓ Argent Kara Ailward on April 9, 2019 at 11:03

Argent nodded a little, she didn’t know all that much about fixing doll houses but she had done some painting on model ships before and she figured it was quite similar, she was excited to have something to work on, to be honest, the aspect of light enjoyed having hobbies and keeping herself busy, it meant that she didn’t focus so much on the darker parts of life, she supposed that’s why she was never sitting still, always moving, always full of energy. When he said he didn’t mind the company she smiled though, he didn’t say much at all which she respected but she figured he didn’t hate her because he let her tag along most places he went. She knew what it felt like to feel a little lost in the world so she didn’t pressure him, just kept talking like her usual bubbly self and listened on the occasions where he would say something, even if it was just an offhand comment “Okay, well no time like the present right?” they were still standing in the hallway of the manor while Caleb inspected the state of the dollhouse.

The redhead jerked her chin “This way, I have an idea” she stated as she lead the way through the halls of the manor, she checked on him over her shoulder every so often to see if he was struggling with big item but having seen him carry the motorcycle earlier she wasn’t too worried. She followed the winding halls under they reached the craft room, she opened it and stepped inside, flipping on the light switch, there were a few easels with paintings on them, probably done by Tatiana and the light to the dark room in the corner was on which meant someone was in there developing photos. She pointed out the crafting table “There’s some tools we can use and I can try and find some model paint” she nodded as she moved over to the cupboard and started searching through it for things they might needed. Argent really liked having a project but also the idea of having someone to do said project with was fun too.

HumanPermalink Reply by ✓ Caleb Eli Segal ~Mod~ on April 26, 2019 at 0:51

Pulling out a set of paintbrushes and splashing paint on a palette, whether it was proper or just the back or a cardboard box like they were using now, would always remind Caleb of his Mama. She'd made a living as an artist and while he'd never once considered following in her footsteps, his childhood had been permanently touched by spending hours on a Chalet dock during the day handing his mother materials as she quickly and accurately depicted the changing sun on a canvas. There were plenty of times when they did art together, but there were also many when he would just sit and watch her brushes bring light and scenery to life. It was fascinating to him. Adalie had always told her son that there was a time she nearly quit her art and it was a huge mistake that she had been saved from making. Even after his Mama died, Caleb knew that she'd want him more than anything to follow his dreams; but, he struggled for many years to find them. His friends in secondary school seemed to know what they wanted out of life: whether it was starting a business, or a career in politics. Despite attending college along with them, he often found himself twiddling his thumbs when it came to choosing a major and dropped out before turning twenty-one. 

If there was anything that he truly wanted to do in life, it was travel. As much as Caleb loved Paris, he couldn't stand to think that there were endless things out there that he hadn't seen. He felt lucky that his Aunt were so good to him and let him trot across the globe for a year. It was only upon returning to Paris in meeting Ava that he'd found something that was worth settling for and when the news came of her plane crashing, he couldn't find a lot of reasons to stay. 

Caleb took a medium sized brush and dipped it into the lavender splotch of paint. Using light upward strokes he began painting the window shutters. Little girls liked purple, didn't they? He thought so. Granted, he'd never been around a lot of children. The most was probably at his Father's ranch. His half-brother had two daughters, but they were only toddlers. It was odd to him that his younger sibling, despite their lack of connection could have two children; but what did he know about kids? 

Dipping his brush in water to wash it after finishing the downstairs shutters, Caleb tilted his head. "What was your favorite color as a kid?" 

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