Private Footprints in the sand

[Jesse Organa]

Seren Gwyn

Jesse looked at her and offered a nod as she patted her shoulder. "That is the plan, now if we could just get you to want to participate and get your hands dirty over watching all of the time. You help when you can but you have this habit where you just watch us do all of the work and comment and don't even offer to make fresh squeezed juice or some food." She said it with a smile. "I know I know we are building something here and you are a big picture person but come on Seren, you got to want to build something around here. Ginger and Mari made a little love shack and despite her promises that it is soundproof." She said the last loud enough to be heard. "It totally isn't."

 

[Seren Gwyn]

Seren did not react immediately to the pat on her shoulder, though her gaze shifted toward Jesse with a quiet, measured awareness. The comment settled, not dismissed, not deflected, simply…considered.

Her glowing amber eyes held Jesse's for a moment, calm and unreadable.

Then, slowly, the faintest hint of amusement touched her expression.

"…You are not incorrect," she admitted, her tone even, though not without a subtle warmth beneath it.

Her gaze drifted briefly across the camp, taking in the movement, the effort, the way each person contributed in ways that were tangible, immediate. Then it returned to Jesse.

"Observation is…a habit," she continued, more thoughtful now. "It ensures efficiency before action."

A small pause. Then, quieter. "But it does not build anything on its own."

She stepped forward slightly, the shift subtle but deliberate, as if the decision had already been made before the words caught up to it.

Her gaze flicked toward the nearby work, then to the materials stacked not far off. "Show me where I am needed," she said simply.

Then, after a brief beat, her eyes returned to Jesse, that same faint, composed calm now carrying the slightest edge of dry humor. "…And I will refrain from commenting on the structural integrity of the 'soundproof' shack."

Jesse Organa

 

[Jesse Organa]

Seren Gwyn

Jesse looked at her and offered a nod. "Well it just so happens we do haave a few other projects that Mugen has been working on. Specifically." She said it and was looking as she brought her towards the workshop and it haad a press that was being worked on. "The other reason why we want some sound proofing." She said it as there were dozens of rocks, mesh netting that had been finely threaded to make a sift and Mugen spoke. "I need some components and to do that I need to get some ore to melt down in the kiln. It will have a lot of imperfections but for storing the energy to power a transponder and communicator. Just need to do it the old fashion way. we smash rocks together... safely."

 

[Seren Gwyn]

Seren allowed herself to be led without resistance, her gaze shifting over the workshop as they entered. Where the beach had been structured and open, this space felt more focused, more deliberate in its purpose. Her glowing amber eyes traced the press, the mesh, the gathered stone, each element placed with intent, even if the method itself was…less refined than what she was accustomed to.

She paused near the edge of the setup, observing rather than stepping in, her attention lingering on the netting and the way it had been threaded.

"…Crude," she said at first, not dismissive, simply accurate.

A brief pause followed as she looked again, this time more carefully.

"But effective," she added, quieter now.

Her gaze shifted to Mugen as he explained, then to the stones that would be broken down, her expression remaining composed, though a faint tightening set in at the mention of smashing rocks together.

"Old methods tend to endure for a reason," she said, her tone even, observational rather than directive.

She stepped a little closer, crouching near the materials, her fingers hovering just above the mesh without touching it, studying its construction and how it would separate finer particles from larger debris.

"Where would you prefer the material sorted?" she asked, glancing up toward him, not taking charge, but offering herself into the process now that she understood its purpose.

Jesse Organa

 

[Jesse Organa]

Seren Gwyn

"Once there is enough smashed into the sift. Which will get the rock and dust into the collection basin while what is left will be larger and should have enough of the metals within it." He said it and there was a look. "It isn't the greatest and it is crude but barring finding a real mine with tools something to help make the finer pieces. We can heat up and make the molds that we need which will work a lot better." Jesse had moved with Guilia as the pair of them lifted several rocks... "Also, frustration aid... getting to smash stuff is a great way to work out issues without it turning into something bad." That got a small chuckle but Guilia was showing some of it while she moved to a side and adjusted parts. "There are small ventilation slits you won't want to cover up but it will circulate the air so no dust only in the air."

 

[Seren Gwyn]

Seren listened without interrupting, her gaze moving from the sift to the collection basin, then to the larger fragments that would remain behind. The process was simple, almost inelegant, but it had a logic that did not require refinement to function.

Her glowing amber eyes flicked briefly toward Jesse and Guilia as they lifted the rocks, then back to Mugen.

"…Separation before precision," she said quietly, more observation than commentary.

She stepped a little closer to the setup, this time lowering her hand to the mesh, not testing it, but feeling the tension of its weave, the way it would hold under repeated strain.

At Jesse's comment, there was the faintest shift in her expression. Not quite amusement, but not entirely neutral either.

"A controlled outlet," she murmured. "That is…practical."

Her attention shifted toward the ventilation slits, taking note of their placement, the way airflow would move through the space. She adjusted her position slightly, ensuring she was not obstructing them, a small but deliberate correction.

"Understood," she added.

A brief pause followed as she looked back to the rocks, then to the sift.

Then, without further commentary, she reached for one of the smaller stones, not the largest, but not insignificant either, and turned it once in her hand as if gauging its weight.

Her gaze lifted briefly toward Mugen.

"…Like this?"

Jesse Organa

 

[Jesse Organa]

Seren Gwyn

"Yes like that." He said it with a look as he, Jesse and Guilia were all working on it and smashing the rocks into other rocks was... well Jesse snickered with it. There was something she could feel from it and it wasn't contentment but she got to have a little fun that would work out some of her muscles where it was needed. She was looking at more as the stones smashed together with several of them going for a moment, Mugen finished but he stepped out only for the moment to keep working on some of the other collectors. Switching out one that was made for the dust while putting it into a container for Mari to be able to use and she was using it with the sap to make the seals and areas.

 

[Seren Gwyn]

Seren gave a small nod and adjusted her grip on the stone before striking it against another. The impact cracked it apart, fragments scattering toward the sift.

She paused, observed, then struck again.

The motion steadied quickly, with less hesitation and more control. Not fluid, but purposeful.

A faint shift touched her expression as she continued, something just short of satisfaction.

"…It is effective," she said calmly.

Another strike followed.

"And direct."

Her gaze flicked briefly to the sift, noting how the finer material fell away while the larger pieces remained.

"I see the progression."

Then she continued, quiet and focused, working without further comment.

Jesse Organa

 

[Jesse Organa]

Seren Gwyn

Jesse looked at Seren and that woman was a rock... she observed everything and seemed to think twenty steps before taking an action but the woman looked at her as she cracked another rock into the ones there. She could feel the work out and the burn with a grin. "Have some fun with it, let it all out. The frustrration, the anger, the annoyance. Made it pretty good that whoever sabotaged the ship did something that is either preventing them from knowing we are here or they messed with the trransponder and sent a ghost image of the ship into a sun... only way they aren't searching for us and that maakes me annnoyed and when annoyed." She said it and held two rocks for a moment. "JESSE SMAASH."

 

[Seren Gwyn]

Seren paused mid-motion, the stone held steady in her hand as she glanced toward Jesse's sudden outburst. Her glowing amber eyes lingered on her for a brief moment, calm and entirely unhurried despite the enthusiasm in front of her.

Another beat passed.

Then she brought the stone down in a controlled strike, precise rather than forceful.

"…This is not how I was raised to act," she said evenly.

There was no judgment in it. Just a fact.

She adjusted the fragments with her foot, then lifted the stone again, her movements measured, deliberate.

"Though," she added after a moment, quieter now, "I understand the intent."

Another strike followed. Slightly harder than the last. Not quite a "smash." But closer.

Jesse Organa

 

[Jesse Organa]

Seren Gwyn

She gave her a look and spoke. "We'll work on it, I mean I got you to laugh once can totally get you to smash rocks together. The real trick, my crown jewel will be getting you to go and help fight one of the sharks so that we can have some more teeth and enough fins to make soup." She said it with a smile on her face and some gusto though for everything that they were going to be able to do. Jesse had ideas and the rocks continued to be smashed together as Mugen came in and replaced the sift and collection trey. THey would make it even if they had to get particles from every spare rock on the island and rbeyond they would make what they needed.

 

[Seren Gwyn]

Seren's next strike faltered at Jesse's suggestion, her hand pausing mid-motion as her glowing amber eyes settled on the other woman with a slow, deliberate look. A beat of silence passed, then another, as her expression shifted into a subtle, unmistakable recoil.

"…You intend to fight a shark," she said evenly, though her tone carried a clear thread of disbelief. "And then… make soup from its remains."

She adjusted her grip on the stone, as if grounding herself against the mental image. Her nose wrinkled in a rare display of visible distaste as she exhaled softly. "…That is an exceptionally unpleasant proposition. The texture alone would be…" She trailed off, wisely deciding not to finish the thought.

Her gaze shifted briefly back to the rocks in her hand before returning to Jesse with dry finality. "I will assist with the infrastructure, but I will not be participating in that endeavor at any stage of it."

To punctuate the statement, she brought the stone down in a controlled strike—noticeably harder than the one before.

Jesse Organa

 

[Jesse Organa]

Seren Gwyn

"I intend to do a lot of things and we are trying to use all of the pieces. The fins are tough but can be cooked." She said it while smashing some more rocks with a look. "We have been saving the few we get from each one along with the meat. Stews and soups can be more filling and communal.... ALso they are great for dipping some of those fried strips we have made in." She said it and the idea wasn't the greatest, a cracker or something like bread would be better but the crispy skin would be nice to have. Jesse was looking at it as Guilia laughed a little. "We hunt when and what we need but the bigger it is the longer it can last and with eight of us we need a lot for everyone. We are just lucky there are different creatures otherwise we might have overhunted by now."

 

[Seren Gwyn]

Seren listened, though her expression did not fully recover from the earlier suggestion. The logic was sound; she could not deny that. Efficiency, sustainability, use of all available resources. It aligned with everything she had observed so far.

That did not make it any less unpleasant.

Her glowing amber eyes shifted briefly toward the shoreline, as if reassessing the ocean with a new and far less agreeable context, before returning to the task at hand.

"…Your reasoning is consistent," she said calmly, even if her tone carried the faintest edge of reluctance.

She adjusted the stone in her hand and brought it down again, controlled, deliberate, the crack of impact sharper this time.

"And necessary," she added, quieter now.

A small pause followed.

"Though I suspect my appreciation for the…culinary applications will take longer to develop."

Her nose wrinkled faintly again at the mention of fins and texture, but she did not comment further on it.

Instead, she focused on the work again, striking the stone with more confidence than before, letting the physical act ground her rather than the imagery Jesse had just described.

Jesse Organa

 

[Jesse Organa]

Seren Gwyn

Jesse gave her a nod at least. "THat is fair and if we could make it better then I would be the first looking to do it." She said it while smashing more and Mugen came in with a small look while Guilia was getting some more rocks that they would be able to use. He had more work that was being set up though. "We have some other things, those shells that Guilia was able to recover. We have them drying but they work with the raft and if the seals work we'll be able to have a few more that will function as additional rafts for Etain and Ru. THey have been finding debris but also older crashes furtther out in the shallows. We might be aable to get it into a good place to salvage areaas of it."

 

[Seren Gwyn]

Seren slowed her motion slightly as Mugen spoke, the stone in her hand lowering just enough to show her attention had shifted. Her glowing amber eyes moved from the shells to him, then briefly toward the shoreline as if trying to picture what lay beyond it.

"…Older crashes," she repeated quietly.

The thought lingered.

Her grip tightened again around the stone, but she did not immediately strike.

"That suggests others made it this far," she continued, her tone thoughtful rather than alarmed.

A brief pause.

"Or tried to."

Her gaze drifted back to the work in front of her, though her focus was no longer entirely on the rocks.

"If there were survivors," she added more quietly, "it makes me wonder where they are now."

Then she brought the stone down again, the crack sharper than before, her attention splitting between the task and the question she had just raised.

Jesse Organa

 

[Jesse Organa]

Seren Gwyn

He gave a look. "Well this far might be more positive thinking, they could have had their ships damaged in the crash and the magnetic seal engaged." Which would make then caskets but they had more things now. "But I am looking for their systems and reactor, even without power it could give the materials to cannibalize for improvements." He said it while smashing some rocks with Jesse looking at him. "Do we have a plan to move it or somehow explore... I know most of us have gotten pretty good at swimming and holding our breath but that isn't really an ideal time." She said it and Mugen gave a nod.

"I have been thinking about that, we'll have some struts we can use like a ramp. With better pull and leverage we can move it into the shallows and if it is sealed there won't be any water, if it is not then we can drain it slowly and in a more secured location. We might even be able to brace it close by and set it up like an observation area area." He said it and smashed rocks while he was laying out the idea of it or what they might be able to make. "The reactor might still have fuel or there might be intact communications systems and an array would make distance easier." Jesse was thinking about parts of it and gave a nod of her head for it. "Well I like it.

 

[Seren Gwyn]

Seren slowed her motion again as Mugen spoke, her attention shifting from the stone in her hand to the shape of the idea he was building. Her glowing amber eyes moved between him and Jesse, then briefly toward the ocean as if measuring the distance in her mind.

"…If it remained sealed," she said quietly, "then portions of it may still be intact."

She turned the stone once in her hand, considering, then brought it down in a controlled strike. The crack followed, but her focus remained on the conversation.

"Which would make it more than salvage," she added, "it would be infrastructure."

Her gaze returned to Mugen, thoughtful but not directive.

"The ramp would need to account for uneven weight distribution," she continued, her tone even. "If the hull is compromised, shifting it too quickly could cause collapse before it reaches the shallows."

A brief pause.

"Gradual movement. Controlled leverage."

She adjusted her grip again, then struck once more, the motion steady.

"If it can be stabilized near shore," she said, quieter now, "it may serve as more than an observation point."

Her eyes flicked once more toward the water.

"…It could become a fallback position."

Jesse Organa

 

[Jesse Organa]

Seren Gwyn

He looked at her and spoke. "Better, if it is sealed and intact. We might be able to do more then fallback. Granted my starship mechanics are not the highest but I can fix a few things and we have Ru who knows his ships. If we could restore it or use its equipment we will be able to jump a lot of the work that I have going exponentially. Also it might be nice to get some of those neutralizers for the fresher for breaking down biological materials. The enzymes are helpful." He said it and Jesse looked at him. "It is alright, we'll make it something useful either way and have to do it carefully, Those lenses you made for us are useful and we can see more debris in the shallows we might not have been able to get before."

 

[Seren Gwyn]

Seren listened, her attention shifting between Mugen and Jesse as they spoke, the stone in her hand momentarily still. Her glowing amber eyes flicked toward the shoreline again, as if tracing where those submerged shapes might be.

"…If it is intact, it changes the scale of what is possible," she said quietly.

She turned the stone once in her hand before bringing it down in a controlled strike, the crack punctuating her thought.

"Recovery would not just support what you are building," she continued, "it would accelerate it."

A brief pause followed as she glanced toward Jesse at the mention of the lenses.

"Then mapping the debris fields becomes more important," she added, thoughtful rather than directive. "If there are multiple crash sites, even partial ones, each may offer something different."

Her gaze returned to the work in front of her.

"…Even if none are whole."

She resumed striking the stone, steady and deliberate, contributing while leaving its direction to them.

Jesse Organa