sixthiterationlogs | A village gift (Text post AND log) OTA

WHO: Foggy Nelson
WHERE: South Village Inn
WHEN: Jan 10th ish
OPEN TO: OTA
WARNINGS: None at present

Text post
UN: haventthe

Hey people, Foggy here. I got a couple of those boxes that seem to happen to people and while it's addressed to me, I get the feeling that it's meant for the collective. I've got a bunch of woodworking tools here, including chisels, files, a saw and a hand drill with drill bits.

I'm taking this a hint that they approved of my amateur forays into carpentry and want that to continue, but I want to make sure everyone knows they're welcome to use them. For now, I'm keeping everything at the South Inn, but maybe we can set up one of the houses, or the mill as a workshop at some point.

Even had an idea for making paper from the sawdust and shavings. That's probably going to need experimentation though.

South Village Inn

True to his word, Foggy has set up in the large front room. He's moved a table to a far corner and he's set out the tools, checking them over to see if they're all fine. He does know all these tools, he did high school wood working, but it's been a while.

A long while.

But the main reason for sitting here is so that it's apparent he is here, and the tools are here, and they can work something out for making useful things and teaching people to make useful things.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

"Oh god Kilgrave, I do not envy you that one." She settles back in her seat, and after a moment a little smokey grey and white kitten hops into her lap and nudges his head into her hand for scritches, which she obliges.

"Well, I'm not about to pull numbers out and compare, but if this village ever needs representation, I think between the two of us they won't have anything to worry about." She smiles. See what she did there? It was intentional just mentioning the two of them.

"I met her well after it, didn't have to get involved in any of that. Thankfully. Though I did really admire the work Jeri Hogarth did on it. Marci was involved in that one, in the back ground." Not in court, but she was part of building the defence case.

He watches the kitten for a moment, a faint smile on his face. "Well, I know you were with the Life Foundation for a while. Did you always want to go into corporate law?"

"Marci is a lawyer too?" She can't remember if it's come up in their past conversations.

"Law at least, very early on; have you ever seen the TV show "Mr. Belvedere"? That's where I got the idea. Then I learned about how much corporate lawyers make, and that was very appealing." She wanted to be comfortable. She didn't want to have to worry about where her next meal was coming from, or what would happen if she had a medical emergency. "Seems a little moot, now. How did you get into it?"

"Yeah, that was how we met. Same year at Columbia, we shared classes." He can't remember if he's mentioned that or not.

"I... might have? I have an awareness of it, not sure if I actually watched it or just osmosed information about it." The way that happens sometimes. "I didn't want to be a butcher. My father is a butcher. His father was a butcher. My brother is a butcher. I wanted... like you. To a degree. I wanted to be able to buy things I wanted to for other people without having to count pennies. I wanted people to respect me. I like performing, but I'm terrible at acting and singing. It was a lot of things that just sort of..."

He shrugs. "My family said that I was always destined for something else. Too smart to stay in the shop. Too interested in debate and world issues and ethics."

"Sounds like they were right, from what I can tell." She smiles at him, then her expression sobers somewhat. "You're back to butchering here, right? This place has really thrown a wrench in our lives. I wonder how many other Marci's and Dan's were left behind, how many other goals are now made fruitless."

She stops for a moment and looks down at the kitten before continuing, "Mr. Belevedere was about an English butler in an American household, and the mother of the family was pursing a law degree. That was all I wanted. House, husband, career, maybe kids down the line. Maybe just a couple of cats." Her expression sombers and she tugs the kitten up against her, where it licks her chin. "I got so close with Eddie. I guess, it's a blessing that things happened when they did, and not after the wedding." When it would have been harder to cut ties. "Is it foolish to hold onto that endgame here? When - the people here might leave at any moment, is it worth trying to chase that dream anymore?"

"I am back to butchering and I still hate it, but it's a skill I have that's valuable here. Necessary. And I met Bobo through it, so it's not all bad. He's a bit unhinged, but he's basically a decent guy."

The talk of Hell, damnation and demons aside.

"I don't think I'm the person to talk to about holding onto foolish things," he comments softly. "I'm not good at letting go of things when I should. I think? You need to do what will make you happiest for the circumstances. If what made you happy was hanging onto that dream and getting back to Dan? I'd tell you to go for it. If you want to chase that here with someone else? You need to go with that. Do what's right for you."

"Maybe I should a little mroe soul-searching, try and find out exactly what that is. At least I have a cat, though. Mysterious box-cat." She's used to being so sure, but so far surety in her world wasn't exactly transferring here.

"How have you been, Foggy? How're things with Matt?"

"You do have a cat. She's a very cute little thing." Foggy isn't really a big 'pet' person in general. He likes animals well enough, but he's never felt a need to have one (arguably, looking after Matt was a full time job).

"Me? I spent days with a miserable hang over and now I have random wood working tools. But Matt's getting back and forth from the Inn with more confidence. We spent a full day just walking back and forth, letting him get used to how it felt, what he could hear, making a map."

Yes, it's a total lawyer answer.

"'He', actually. I think, it can be kind of hard with cats and I'm not exactly an expert. But, Lynn Belvedere was the butler and I already had 'Mr. Belvedere' at home." See how great she is at naming pets?

"Foggy." Anne gives him a look. "If you don't want to tell me, that's one thing, but don't think I can't see through deflection when it happens."

"He, right." Foggy makes no promises to remember.

He sighs softly. "Sorry. I think it's just habit. I'm coping, same as all of us. And things with Matt are things with Matt. He's struggling, but he'll get there. I try and go over most days, make sure he doesn't help getting anywhere. Or help him get where he needs to."

"You don't have to cope alone. You're there for Matt, I get it ..." Not quite, perhaps, because her own conviction in not letting other people drag her down, but that's her decision; this is Foggy's, and she's not trying to pull him off.

It's not healthy to hold things in. She'd struggled with that a while, but had found ways to manage it. Dating someone like Eddie had made it more necessary; holding in all of your own baggage while having to deal with theirs.

"These little ... sessions? They go both ways. Maybe you don't need them at all, but you are human, just like the rest of us."

"I just miss Marci," Foggy finally says. It's not the entire truth, but it's part of it. "She's become my best friend, don't let Matt know that, but since he left and then appeared to die after that, she's been my support. And she very kindly tried not to slag off Matt too much."

Marci had never been Matt's biggest fan. Recent events had not helped.

"I'm very aware that I'm human." He's confident on that. "I just don't need to dwell on things that happened. Things are happening now that need that energy."

"Your secret is safe with me. And the offer stands, Foggy, if you need to talk, or - need a break, my door is open."

A village gift (Text post AND log) OTA

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