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It was hot. It didn't matter what degree it was this time of year, but it was hot. People had their tasks for the day and things to do, and yet that didn't stop the massive amounts of sweat that Jean herself was giving off.
With her hair tied into a bun, her cheeks already flushed with red, she takes one of the many brooms she brought with her as she uses this point of time and broken shade inside the ruined hut to begin to sweep it out. It was a push broom, large, catching every dirt, debris, and dead animal which was shoved out the door to burn further in the heat and -away-..
She had a plan at least, once this hut itself was cleaned out, then she could settle back and see what repairs need be made and how to better fortify it. Or.. maybe the men had ideas. At least the ones she hung around usually did when it came to construction.
I mean, Logan built a frickin cabin for christsake!
*
Logan had learned to build cabins because he spent a lot of time living in frigid wastes where a cabin was the difference between freezing parts of you right off and staying warm for the winter. This place, of course, was hot as sasquatch balls and so shelter didn't seem to him to be the most necessary of issues, outside of the occasional torrential rain. And he kinda liked standing in the rain, himself, although it played merry hell with his stogies.5
He approaches just as she's shoving some of the debris out of the doorway, stepping aside and raising an eyebrow, "Seems like most folks come down here would rather settle down somewhere with maid service."
*
Julian has plenty of experience in places not so unlike this; hot, humid, and destitute. His time in the Peace Corps, short though it may have been, had exposed him to war-torn regions and villages all but destroyed, so the state of things in Rio de Janeiro isn't entirely unfamiliar. He's outside, moving rubble with his telekinetic powers to clear the space and make it safer to traverse the terrain. Large rocks are lifted with green energy, and piled carefully well away from any of the nearby residences; any kids who might be around will no doubt think it's a good idea to climb around on the piles later, but there isn't a lot that can be done about that right now, only try to make sure that the hills are stable enough that they won't come down at the slightest movement.
*
From her time in places humanity largely thinks are non-existent, Scarlett proves capable of building herself a reasonably good shelter. Or hauling lumber or firewood, after finding the firewood that's bound to burn instead of be soaked. Mind you, some of those travels take her ridiculously far, but there's something to be said for having skin mosquitos and flies have an awfully hard time biting through. The last one she squished gave off bright green ichor; maybe the rest conceded defeat but she's actually doing fairly well. The pile of wood to be used for whatever reason behind said hut of ruin is starting to get about the same height as the building. The other redhead needs something else to occupy her hours with, given the idle moments reveals her fraught, weaving shadow, and restless with wanderlust.
The soul thief flits through the undergrowth, having bothered with her usual routines of tai chi and yoga, a pair of ferns tucked into her hair and a distant look in her eyes. The heat induces an unhappy indolence, and her padding footsteps pause as she yawns. Equatorial summer, hard indeed. "Not rustic enough?"
*
Both shrugs, well, a singular shrug went to both commentators in the moment. The desolate village was decent enough to have a wheel and an underground catacomb to carry water from the nearby rivers, but needed polishing and fixing so that it's use could continue.
Jean herself leans against the door, allowing the broom to settle at her side as she lets out a slight sigh. "Maybe. But it seems like something ran them out after a first look of the village itself. Maybe if we were to fix it up, they'd come back."
At least that was the hope. She grins faintly towards Rogue, her hands striking outright and into herself to give her friend a faraway hug, though her ears turn towards the loud noises from Julian's direction. "What's he doing?"
*
Logan had spent some time clearing away brush, his claws making short work of even some of the thicker tangles. "I dunno, places like this are usually best left alone. The outside world just tends to ruin it, in my experience," he says. He regards the other mutants helping out and snorts at Rogue's comment, "I ain't real comfortable anywhere don't have pine trees," he admits.
*
One more boulder lifted and placed atop the heap, and Julian feels like he can call that job done. Dusting off his hands, which is something he does purely out of habit and for show, since he hasn't actually had to use his hands for much, he moves toward the hut where the others have converged. "Just clearing up the mess," he says having heard Jean query his activities. "Taking a quick break from it, then I was thinking about crushing the rocks down, and maybe taking a crack at re-gravelling the road.. I'll need to do that the old fashioned way, though." Shovels and manual labour, that is. Julian's telekinesis doesn't lend itself so much to small things, unless you want him to just make the place an even bigger disaster area.
*
"I could fetch you one, but that means I will be gone about…" Mental math, engage. Scarlett tips her head. "Two hours, if I hit the Andes, seven if I cut towards Conception. That's assuming we are where I think we are in Brazil. Would it make you happy to have a pine tree? I can fetch you one, though it's going to be Paraguayan or Bolivian." As if this matters for pine trees? Might as well humour the gentleman with a genuine interest to making him content. "I'm not sure what else I can do around here. I haven't ever built anything as far as I know, other than a competent shelter or a riot." The redhead scrubs at her shoulder with her bare hand; gloves are still peeking from her pockets, so there's that.
*
"But, if we could bring a local tribe back, or anyone back who would rather live off the land, I call it a win in my book." Jean confesses, finally stepping outside and into the sun which has her hand lifting to wipe at her brow.
As Julian emerges, there was a smile upon her lips, her head bowing a little in thanks. "I think that would be a wonderful idea. It was hell getting here.." Even just by walking, hopping over fallen trees and branches, and other things that look as if something large had come through and gone. "I trust the animals didn't bother you that much? They're still watching, but at a distance."
With that said, Rogue's commentary towards Logan has her grinning, with a shake of her head she moves towards the pack that was near the hut to retrieve a few bottles of water for their drinking usage. Too bad Bobby wasn't here, he could have cooled it a lot more instead of drinking it lukewarm..
"I don't know much about building either, but.. I guess that's what Logan is here for."
*
Logan snorts, "I ain't no engineer, darlin'. Anythin' much bigger'n four walls an' a roof's goin' way over my head," he says. Not entirely true, he'd seen enough over the years to know good construction when he saw it and he was a practical man true enough. But he didn't consider himself much of an expert on anything except the obvious.
"Takes a lot to spook the animals down this way. They see plenty o' trouble, between fires and downpours. Not to mention half of 'em are venomous as hell. Watch yerselves ya don't get bit."
*
"No trouble for me," Julian says about the wild creatures who seem to be, for the most part, keeping their distance. "Expect they're more afraid of us than we are of them, as the saying goes. Besides, I don't think any of us would have much trouble fending them off if they got aggressive," he says with a smirk. It's almost like the animals know. Could be Logan, giving off the ultimate 'alpha male' vibe that tells them not to step out of line. "I've got some experience building temporary shelters, but permanent structures.. not without an experienced builder to oversee things." Julian's involvement was more often as an extra hand, and while he learned a lot about construction in the process, he couldn't take charge of a building project like that. Roads, on the other hand.. especially gravel roads, he can handle. "But, if we can get some basic shelters that can withstand the wind and rain, might be a good start to things. Bring in heavier materials later on, and set up more permanent buildings."
*
No answer on whether they want a pine? So be it. Pine tree it is. "Make sure to keep a watch over the north side. We're closer to a river that way and I have the feeling there are better towns. I'll get the lay of the land later." Her toes wriggle and Scarlett takes to the air, her clothes stirring as she does and then, without a word, she spins on her axis for the west. It's easy to find with the sun over her shoulder, and the sharp angle of her ascent becomes essential to avoid the intense sonic boom rattling their ramshackle homes. She waits until she's about six miles off before that happens, and the distant crack of thunder warns that she's reached her cruising speeds. To the Andes, and beyond!
*