{"id":22334,"date":"2024-07-03T08:00:40","date_gmt":"2024-07-03T15:00:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sylumclan.com\/sylumblog\/?p=22334"},"modified":"2024-07-03T09:34:00","modified_gmt":"2024-07-03T16:34:00","slug":"seven-days-of-summer-2024-day-three","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sylumclan.com\/sylumblog\/seven-days-of-summer-2024-day-three\/","title":{"rendered":"Seven Days of Summer 2024: Day Three"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Title:<\/strong> Elemental <\/span>
\nAuthor:<\/strong> Ladyjax <\/span>
\nCharacters<\/strong> Paul Bunyan\/John Henry, original characters <\/span>
\nClan:<\/strong> Serenity <\/span>
\nSummary:<\/strong> Their folk legends loom large. The life that John and Paul build together is greater still.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

Elemental I: Home<\/span><\/p>\n

Serenity Clan<\/span><\/p>\n

Sitka, Alaska<\/span><\/p>\n

March 2012<\/span><\/p>\n

The small house took shape slowly but steadily, the wooden frame glowing naked in the sun like a whale skeleton. As elementary school projects went, this was a big one. And it all started with an idea.<\/span><\/p>\n

Clara Waller, one of John’s quieter students, had been thinking on it a while. The sixth grader, who’d moved from Anchorage to live with her grandparents after her parents died in a bush plane crash, had been taken with Sitka’s history and those who’d come to call it home; from the Tlingit who were the area’s original inhabitants, through the Russians, then the Americans, until where they were today. A culture that was uniquely itself.<\/span><\/p>\n

During a lesson covering the city’s architecture, Clara raised her hand. “Mr. Henry?”<\/span><\/p>\n

John turned around from the blackboard and dusted the chalk dust off his large brown hands before he answered. “Yes, Clara?” He moved around his desk to sit on the edge facing the young girl<\/span><\/p>\n

“You said that we could do almost anything we wanted for our class project, right?”<\/span><\/p>\n

John chuckled. “I did. Did you have an idea to share?”<\/span><\/p>\n

The sixth grade class project at Sitka Elementary had become a tradition when John took over teaching the class over ten years before. He’d modeled it roughly on the float building classes that were held by Cal Poly Pomona and San Luis Obisbo; a year-long module that enabled all of his students to take part to create something together.<\/span><\/p>\n

His kids had been kicking ideas around since the beginning of the school year but nothing had really taken root.<\/span><\/p>\n

Clara shifted in her seat nervously. “I do but…” She looked around and saw she had the full attention of her classmates. The majority of them had grown up in Sitka and moved through the primary grades together. John was particularly proud of the ways in which they worked to include newcomers but Clara hadn’t really said much until now. It was the first time she displayed real enthusiasm for a subject so he waited quietly for her to gather her thoughts.<\/span><\/p>\n

“How about a house?”<\/span><\/p>\n

“A house?” John folded his arms across his chest as he considered her idea.<\/span><\/p>\n

Clara swallowed and nodded. “Yeah, like, could we build one? Together?”<\/span><\/p>\n

Murmurs rose and fell as John held up a quelling hand. Well, he thought, I didn’t see that coming. “Tell us more,” he encouraged.<\/span><\/p>\n

“It says in our book that different people helped building everything up here, and I was thinking maybe we could do something like that.” She glanced around the room then dropped her gaze to her hands folded on her desk. “Never mind,” she muttered. “‘s a stupid idea.”<\/span><\/p>\n

“It’s not stupid,” Jamie Roubidoux pipped up. He pushed his glasses up his nose and turned in his chair to look over at Clara with a smile. “It’s kinda cool.”<\/span><\/p>\n

A small chorus of “It would be fun” and “yeah, we should do it” permeated the air briefly before John held his hands up for quiet again.<\/span><\/p>\n

“First of all, Clara?” He smiled at her when she lifted her head. “That’s a great idea.” John got to his feet. “And, it’s not impossible.”<\/span><\/p>\n

He went back to the board, he made two columns, topping them with the words, “Pro” and “Con.” John tapped the two columns and said, \u201cHere’s what we’re going to do. You’re going to identify the type of structure you want to build then the size. Think about what materials you need and where you intend to build it. Identify your pros and cons now because that can make or break your project. And we’ll get some help to determine whether or not the plans can work.”<\/span><\/p>\n

Another boy, Jacob Whitehorse, nodded. “My uncle Reuben, he works in construction and stuff in Juneau. I’ve heard him talk about getting permissions or something.”<\/span><\/p>\n

“Permits, yes,” John also wrote that on the board. “I know just who I can ask about that.”<\/span><\/p>\n

**<\/span><\/p>\n

“Your kids want to build a house?”<\/span><\/p>\n

Paul sipped his after dinner coffee then kicked back from the table in his chair. Dakota had retreated to the kitchen with Book on her heels and everyone else had gone off on their own business after helping clear away the dishes. John rubbed his eyes tiredly.<\/span><\/p>\n

“Honestly, I couldn’t say no,” he replied ruefully. “Crazy right?”<\/span><\/p>\n

His mate placed his coffee cup on the table then leaned forward, resting his forearms on his knees. “I think it’s kinda brilliant.” Paul chuckled at the incredulous look that John favored him with. “It’s not any crazier than some of the other ideas the kids have come up with over the years. Remember, you had the one kid who wanted to build a trebuchet.”<\/span><\/p>\n

John laughed at that. “Darren Brown. He was dead set on it.”<\/span><\/p>\n

“What ever happened to him?”<\/span><\/p>\n

“He’s studying medieval warfare and tactics at Oxford,” John replied. “He sends me a letter now and then.”<\/span><\/p>\n

Paul finished off his coffee then got to his feet. “C’mon,” he said softly. He held out a hand and John let himself be pulled up. The pair walked outside into the gathering dusk before they stopped and turned around to look back at their Clan-home.<\/span><\/p>\n

“We built this,” Paul said. “Our home. You, me. Mal and the rest. Beam after beam, you put so much of yourself in this place.\u00a0 It\u2019s part of what bound us all together.\u201d He bumped his hip against John\u2019s. \u201cMaybe that\u2019s what Clara\u2019s reaching for.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

John shoved his hands in his pockets as he thought back to his first years in Sitka.<\/span><\/p>\n

**<\/span><\/p>\n

Serenity Clan-home worksite, Sitka, 1895<\/span><\/p>\n

John placed the last beam for the day on top of those he’d already placed along the roof line then took a smaller hammer to knock it into place. He straightened up, balancing carefully on the roof line as he fished a rag out of his pocket and wiped his brow before admiring his work. The main house was almost complete; with any luck they\u2019d have it finished before winter set in. Word in Sitka proper was that they might have a hard one if one listed to the elders in town.<\/span><\/p>\n

John didn’t know much like the type of cold here but he knew that he’d rather have a place that was snug and warm to ride it out in. They\u2019d lived in canvas tents long enough.<\/span><\/p>\n

The sound of chains jingling caught his attention and he turned just as a large blue-ish colored ox pulled a sledge to the edge of the work area. John’s vampire perked up when Paul appeared; the other man’s bracers were hanging off his shoulders and his hat was tipped back from his forehead.\u00a0 He carefully made his way to the edge of the roof then dropped down to the ground to meet his mate.<\/span><\/p>\n

Mate.\u00a0 Still new, still fresh.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cGot the last of the wood till the end of the week,\u201d Paul called out.\u00a0 He slapped Babe gently on the neck before freeing him from his traces so he could graze.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cStill got a ways to go,\u201d John opined, \u201cbut we\u2019ll get it done.\u201d He looked at the wood on the sledge and ran a hand over the topmost plank.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI was wonderin\u2019, you think there might be a little bit more wood left over when the clan home\u2019s done,\u201d he asked absently.<\/span><\/p>\n

Paul scratched his head.\u00a0 \u201cMaybe. Why do you ask?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

John\u2019s lips lifted in a ghost of a smile.\u00a0 \u201cA small house,\u201d he said.\u00a0 \u201cFor you and me. A little a ways from folks.\u201d\u00a0 His fingertips traced the grain of the wood back and forth.\u00a0 He hadn\u2019t meant to ask until the words popped into his mouth.\u00a0 A low chuckle preceded a warm and heavy hand on his shoulder.<\/span><\/p>\n

Paul stepped in and drawled,\u201cA little hideaway, husband? For us?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

John\u2019s laugh rumbled in his chest as he tipped his head back.\u00a0 \u201cJust so,\u201d he replied.<\/span><\/p>\n

**<\/span><\/p>\n

Present Day<\/span><\/p>\n

An uncharacteristically warm Saturday morning was filled with the sounds of sawing and hammering.\u00a0 The weather finally decided to take a break from the early spring cold and gifted John\u2019s class with dry enough conditions to finalize the exterior walls.<\/span><\/p>\n

A few parents had joined to the work party and between Dakota and one of the cafes in town, a nice lunch was in the offing.\u00a0 But that was a few hours away.<\/span><\/p>\n

John pulled a hammer out of his pants and lined up the nail. One tap to set it, another to drive it in.<\/span><\/p>\n

He felt it then: the ghost of his mighty hammer in hands, his muscles bunched before striking.\u00a0 A half-remembered work song whispered in\u00a0 his chest as he moved along the wall, securing the boards to the frame.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cJohn.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Paul\u2019s voice caught him, strong and sure, and lifted him out of those memories. John blew out a breath and placed his hand on the wall before he tapped it lightly and dropped his hammer into the loop on his pants.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI hear you,\u201d he said as he walked over, pulling his gloves off his hands.\u00a0 \u201cI think maybe I\u2019ll let the kids take over.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Paul handed him a cup of coffee and the two vampires watched the kids swarm over their worksite.\u00a0 Clara stood at one table, carefully painting a sign.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThey\u2019re going to call it Ora House,\u201d John said.\u00a0 \u201cStrong name.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cStrong kids built it,\u201d Paul replied.\u00a0 \u201cYou helped build them.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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