[OPEN] engineers doing engineering things and other people too

[artifacetious]

Who: Engineers! City Patrol! Other observant folks or misdials, idk come up with a reason to be there if you want!
What: Outside-of-the-city defense systems?! Yup.
When: Day 476, morning
Where: Just outside Asgard, on the other side of the wall.
Rating: PG-13..?

[ Asgard's Engineers will wake up this morning not just to more snow, but also a text from a paranoid redhead pushing up her timetable:

Heyyyyyy if there's anybody free today we could use some help mounting defenses around the city. Since sure, freak snow could be freak snow... or it could be yet another straight to DVD sequel of Crazy Ice Bitch Attacks.

We've got spare gloves and tools and enough cable to circle at least twice but we're short on hands and time, so help would be great.

The plan is to wire clockwise from the gate, and you seriously can't miss us. Just scurry farther around.

Thx!
xoXO


Claudia & Friends

Those inclined to answer her call to wrenches and venture out in the snow will find three people (Claudia, September, and Tony) and several carts worth of supplies and equipment. It's obvious that they've done a lot of work on the devices but mounting them today (right this instant yes now yes Tony we're putting them up today get your ass in gear) was a spontaneous endeavor. They're holding up schematics and pointing at random spots on the wall and ground, and look quite ridiculous from a distance, I'm sure.

They can find something for everyone to do, even if it's just passing tools or holding ladders! (Or fetching cocoa, who doesn't want some cocoa after working in the snow for awhile?)

Since City Patrol didn't get the memo, they'll likely be wondering what the those crazy scientist types are doing out there. The fuck are they burying? What are they putting on top of the wall, it's not guns or lights...? Maybe someone should check that out. ]



(( OOC: The devices being mounted on and around the wall are electric and laser based. If your character wants to mount defenses of their own they must be mod approved and please mention it to me so I can add it to the [WORKING ON IT, I'LL EDIT IT IN] ooc info post for reference. Thanks! ))

Comments

[quantumtangled]

[The poor guy here doesn't like being cold and wet--normal circumstances would mean he wouldn't feel the cold, and this world isn't normal. So he's all bundled up. The less things distracting him, the better.]

[He'll be up and down the wall, generally giving more instructions than receiving. He knows exactly what he's doing, it all seems pretty primitive tech to him. As usual.]

[artifacetious]

[ Usually she'd love snow, but this does not seem right and is also getting in their way. Claudia has declared the weather evil ice bitch snow even though there's no real proof yet that Thiazi is causing it.

Luckily, evil or not, it's not slowing her down significantly. She's dug out her winter gear and is doing her best to ignore the cold while she works. Right now she's running and marking cable for the lasers, a huge coil of it hanging from her shoulder. She pauses and checks her notes, then calls out to him. ]

September! How much did you want in the loop for each one? I thought we were wiring them like lights.

[quantumtangled]

[Oh, lookie there, she used his name. Isn't that special.]

Two feet.

[It's probably marked on there, somewhere. He's all about details.]

[modernmarvel]

[Far be it for Tony to pass up a chance to do something dangerous, like set up laser traps on top of a ridiculously tall wall. Sounds like a fantastic way to begin his day.]

So, is this a normal case of paranoia or do we actually have intelligence that the cold bitch might show up this time?

[Either way, he's doing his part to set up the line, and only occasionally showing off by diving off the wall and then flying back up.]

[artifacetious]

--Tony!!!

[ She keeps forgetting he can fly and panics that he's falling. He gets a whack before she answers because Tony!!! for fuck's sake stop giving her a heart attack. ]

Good old fashioned paranoia accompanied by the even older fashioned 'bad feeling about this.'

[modernmarvel]

Every time I do that, you make this face like "oh god, I've finally driven him off the edge!" It's hilarious.

[He grinned, hovering in the air just over the edge of the wall.]

Hey, bad feelings aren't to be messed with. They're probably at least 50 times more reliable than "magic."

[Says the man levitating 50 feet off the ground.]

[alternia_strength]

No specifics, but the woman has used unseasonable cold in the past. I expect her to make her presence known.

[He was there along with the others, looking over the walls and scratching at the back of his head.]

Ballista. We require ballista.

[modernmarvel]

[Tony wrinkles his nose at the mention of the medieval weapon.]

Next you'll be suggesting we make a few catapults and fire a giant boulder at her. I mean, I appreciate history as much as the next guy, but do we have to go completely back to the stone age.

[allpurposescarf]

[A fantastic way to start any day, yes. Not that Four is much aware that's how Tony's thinking, but if he had been, he'd have been generally inclined to agree.

Instead, it's the comment that catches his attention.]

I really wouldn't know. But if this sort of thing has happened before, it might not be unreasonable to assume that she might show up.

[He... might only have the barest of ideas of who the 'she' in question is, but that's never really stopped him any.]

[modernmarvel]

[Tony chuckled at the other man's vague response, waving his hand in a dismissive gesture.]

Thiazi. The witch that wants to destroy literally every universe in existence. ...and this really isn't her sort of thing-i-its a bit too... Mundane.

She has quite a flair for the dramatic. Like most super villains.

[allpurposescarf]

[Four still isn't sure he really likes having to help out with this sort of thing. But wiring things up is definitely something he can do, even without his sonic screwdriver. Better still, for once his usual coat-and-scarf outfit are finally proven useful, given the weather and if he's doing a lot more climbing up and down than one might expect of someone in a scarf that could best be described as "far too long" at least he seems to know what he's doing.

Besides, it's not as if it's an attempt to rewire the TARDIS console, and it has the added bonus of giving him something to do.]

[artifacetious]

[ As long as he doesn't trip on the scarf and fall off the ladder to his doom, all's well in engineerville. Since people are helping out with the wiring, Claudia's moved back to one of the carts and is prepping something else, laying out and fiddling with what looks like little spiked domes.

On Four's next trip down she waves for his attention. ]

Hey! Thanks for coming out.

[allpurposescarf]

[Fortunately, he has a good enough hold on the ladder, and doesn't end up making an unplanned trips ground-ward. He does occasionally have to stop and disentangle his scarf from various things, but he'dhave had to do that even if it weren't the middle of a snowstorm and in any case, he's used to needing to pay attention to where it goes.

And once he does make it back down he turns at the sound of Claudia voice once she calls. He might be more than willing to work on what needs to be done, but he's not so wrapped up in it that he can't spare a moment for a little conversation.]

You don't need to thank me. It was the least I could do, and better to have at least something like some sort of protection, for when we might need it next.

OTA

[alternia_strength]

[Have a sweaty man-troll, Clauds. You know you always wanted some overgrown, over-muscled, surly asshole with broken sunglasses on shouting about wanting to put ballista on the wall. It's just the topper of the day.

Well, fret no more engineers, that's exactly what you have. Equius arrives with a cart of parts. They're generic, but all are basic, useful gears, pulleys, wires, and spare parts that are sorted into various boxes. They look like the tools for setting up larger objects. Equius has been making arms, supplies and stock-piling for months, so having the chance to offer them for actual use is more than a good thing.

It's also keeping him from thinking about Nepeta leaving, though he's definitely on the growly side. Then again, when is he not?]

[artifacetious]

[ Oh, yes, it's. Erm. A lifelong dream of hers.

More seriously, though, all help is welcome no matter the species. Claudia waves from her perch halfway up the wall and tries to see what's in his cart... it's too far away, though, and the snow fuzzes detail. Curiosity gets the best of her so once she's done securing that stretch of cable she returns to the ground and approaches the newcomer. He's currently shouting at Tony about-- ]

Ballista? Who's going to operate them?

[alternia_strength]

An excellent question. I can only operate one gigantic bow in this fashion. We will require trainees from the natives I suspect. Whole large forces of them capable and willing to shatter their ranks with gigantic missiles. We will hurl the very trees at them!

[He looks more than a little pleased with this idea. Hands on his hips, he was surveying the territory and imagining countless ballista.]

OTA

[selfmadman]

[ Over by one of the carts Don pulls on a borrowed pair of gloves, squints through flurrying snow at the supplies. In the brief interval before they melt snowflakes stick to his slicked-back hair like flies to flypaper. If they're allowing themselves shifts he's in time for the second one. ]

I'm from 1968. [ He'll say to whoever else is rummaging through equipment. Matter-of-fact, his focus on the tool he's turning over in his hands. Then his gaze snaps up. ] If there's a way that could kill me, I'd appreciate hearing about it in advance.

OTA

[true_renaissance_man]

Well I am from 1488... but I believe you would be safe enough with that screwdriver.

[The mirthful answer came not from someone helping to dig through the cart but by a man just passing by who had overheard. His attention now drawn away from the work going on along the walls to the cart he glanced through the bits and pieces of things there before offering his suggestion.]

Those wires however, I would make certain they were not attached to anything that would give them power before touching those.

oh god sorry for the delay

[selfmadman]

I learned something today. [ Don smirks slow and lazy, smile built like a porch swing. Easy to imagine a cigarette tucked into it. His speech too is unhurried, almost relaxed enough to disguise the way his interest has sharpened. Eyebrows shooting up: ] They had wiseasses in 1488.

[ His smile widens momentarily. Then, splitting the difference between wry and sincere: ] I hope you're not speaking from experience.

[allpurposescarf]

Oh, there's probably a way you could injure yourself with it.

[This is offered from the rather tall man in a scarf that's best described as a little (or maybe a lot) overlong and... he isn't even really looking at the weapon in question. In fact, he's not really looking much in Don's direction at all, but that's mostly because he's still descending the last few steps of one of the ladders up to the top of the wall.]

But you'd have to actually work at it. It isn't going to just up and kill you because it feels like it.

[artifacetious]

[ The original three are going to be out here until the job is done, but he's second shift of volunteers and much needed! Claudia is currently on the ground, trying to work circulation back into her fingers, and grins at Don. ]

They had both screwdrivers and electricity in 1968... don't put the two together and you'll be fine. [ She offers a gloved hand; hers are purple and rubberized. ] Thanks for coming out. If you're worried about your tech prowess, I could use some help digging holes for my mines.

[selfmadman]

Your invitation left a lot to the imagination. [ Don removes his own glove before clasping her hand. Matching her to the message isn't hard: they teem with the same energy. ] I thought I'd see it for myself.

[ At the mention of mines his smile goes slack, his posture rigid. ] Landmines. [ Dread trickles through his voice. His bare hand closes in a loose fist. ]

For Claudia, as promised.

[bonnypiperlad]

[The weather doesn't seem to be getting any better - in fact, it looks as though it's starting to get worse. With the temperatures falling and the snow starting to pile up, Jamie finds it's necessary to cover up the small box gardens he'd set up after the flood, trying to keep the plants from freezing completely. He's not at all sure it'll work, but it does mean he's out and about when he catches sight of some of the activity outside the gates, and it's not too long before he can be found out there, too, watching what's going on with a faintly puzzled expression.

That clears a little as he catches sight of Claudia, because it's fairly obvious she's working on something, but he still isn't sure what it is. There's only one way to find that out, however, and the moment he gets a chance to, he heads over to do just that.]

Hey, what are ye doing?

[artifacetious]

Jamie!

[ She looks awfully happy to see him... there's a little bit of mischief in her smile, like he has no idea what he's getting into by wandering over. ]

We're setting up some perimeter defenses. Wanna help?

[bonnypiperlad]

[Oh, he has no idea, really. Which is why even though that mischievous smile gets him to arch his eyebrows ever so slightly, he doesn't think too much of it and stays right where he is.]

Me? Aye, well, I suppose it's a good thing to put those up, but what can I do? I'm not an engineering type, ye know.