Does Anybody Really Know What Time it Is? (Open)

[bridge_princess]

Who: Parsee Mizuhashi bridge_princess and You!
What: Parsee Builds a Clock and tries to keep time
Where: Near the Bridge to Nowhere and Parsee's Shrine
When: A pretty lady looked at me and said her diamond watch had stopped cold dead....
Content Warnings: None other than Parsee's usual surly behavior is expected. Will update if necessary

(OOC: Note - Because the flow of time is not stable or normal, any attempt to measure time is doomed to failure. She's experimenting with that fact here.)

1) Do I look like a Horologist?
Parsee was standing there with a pile of what was quite literally just trash in front of her. Among these were a piece of long bamboo that she was adding a weight to and using one half of a pair of scissors to cut to a wedge on the other side. It kind of looked to anyone who might be paying attention like she was getting a small miniature aqueduct of running water ready to come from the stream, though what the point of this entire exercise might be was probably not immediately apparent.

Unless you were from Japan. The bamboo piece was sort of telling there. She was trying to make one of those Deer chaser fountains some people used as water clocks of a sort.

2) It ain't pretty, but...
The Shishi Odoshi was complete. Ok, the truth was that it looked awful. The bamboo piece, even cleaned up, clearly had seen better days but there wasn't any fresh bamboo. The whole construction was made with pieces that were not really designed from it. Old half rotten wood and rusted metal culverts did the job of coaxing water from the creek into position, and it was just kind of ugly to look at. But as the water started to flow down, trickling at a steady pace over the tip of the bamboo, the whole process began to work.

The water that filled the bamboo gradually changed its center of gravity until it pivoted, dumped the water into a channel leading back to the river and then fell back into position with a 'tonk' sound that scared a nug chicken in the distance away with a sqwuack. She put her hands on her hips and nodded in satisfaction. Only... about an hour later, if it was an hour later, she was staring at the thing with a look of mounting consternation.

"That's... That's not right."

3) The Doctor is In
Frustrated with the whole affair but unwilling to get the water clock to stop working, Parsee sat down with a thump beside her shrine, cleaning the scissors she'd used to help slice the bamboo and putting them back together before setting them in the shrine where they'd been offered originally. She squatted down next to the shrine and rubbed her forehead, the irritation apparent in her features. It wasn't adding up, and she didn't like how it was adding up.

But sitting beside the shrine, ostensibly doing her 'job' of waiting for prayers that would never come or people crossing her bridge was soothing in a way, so that was what she was going to do. And hey, these people were crazy enough that she could believe they might actually come to her looking for advice. One or two had already, god help them all. So, yeah... she'd wait and see.

Comments

1

[anciently]

Hey, Parsee. What're you up to?

[ Enter: Aerith, head tilted curiously, though still smiling as she watches from a short distance away. ]

Need any help with anything?

[bridge_princess]

Making a water clock. We don't have a sun or moon so there's no easy way to tell time. Figured someone'd like that.

[She lifted her head from the middle of the work, pulling the bamboo piece into view and continuing to clean at it while she looked back at Aerith curiously.]

Won't say no to help. This's gonna be a pain to put together.

[anciently]

Whoa... That's actually pretty smart! How does it work?

[ She'd have guessed it had something to do with the moon, but... ]

Sure thing. Just give me your directions, captain! [ Aerith salutes Parsee from where she stands, snapping her feet to attention. ] What first?

[bridge_princess]

Ok, so the idea is you get water to cycle at its own pace, so I have to get a trench or something that helps draw the water up, and lets it trickle down at a steady pace.

[She held the bamboo piece where it had been sliced at an angle, tapping the open, angled side.]

Water fills this slowly, until it gets heavy enough that it tilts on a pivot, pours the water out, and it makes a sound when it falls back. The pace should be consistent, and you can keep time. If you're gonna help... uh... Can you find me some sheet metal or the like that can serve for the water?

(OOC: I totally forget how they manage to get the water to cycle without an actual pump. There's a trick to it, but I'm just going to pretend that part works.)

[anciently]

( ooc ; no worries!! that sounds great to me! )

Got it. [ Aerith listens intently, nodding as Parsee explains. ] Sheet metal, huh? Let me see...

[ It doesn't take terribly long, considering how much trash is on the beaches. The flower girl returns with a piece of sheet metal, holding it up for the other to judge. ]

How's this? Or is it not the right shape?

[bridge_princess]

yeah, that should work. Ok, we're going to want to pound it into a sorta wedge, so it serves like a trough. Get a couple of those and we should be able to coax the alter out of the creek

[She handed her one of two hammers. That one was pitted with rust and hers was missing the claw, broken off years ago, but they'd work in the meantime.]

Tedious, but ... if it works, it's something.

[anciently]

Okay. I'll do my best!

[ She's not exactly a portrait of arm strength, but Aerith takes the hammer, examining it only for a second's time before starting to hit the metal with it. ]

This is harder than it looks... [ Comes the slightly winded, but almost amused remark as she straightens up after a while, wiping her brow. ] Any chance there are any better tools around? Mine's...kinda rusty.

[bridge_princess]

We're kind of stuck with the trash we found over at the beach or whatever's in the bar. I could try asking the void to pop me out a hammer, but it doesn't really listen to me. [Snort.]

At least it's pounding slowly. it's not tough metal, so that's good.

[anciently]

Have you checked the bar? They might have it lying around for repairs. I can head over there and ask, if you want!

[ She's friendly with Tifa and Ren, after all, and would feel comfortable asking strangers for favors even if she didn't know the people running the place. ]

I'm happy to just keep at it, though. We'll get it done sooner or later, right?

[bridge_princess]

Yeah, you can do that if you want. There's probably better tools over there, and knowing Ren he won't say no. He might get fussy and wonder what I'm doing over here. Always in my business, that one.

[It could be hard to tell if she was really complaining there.]

[anciently]

Well, I don't have to, if you'd rather I not. I'm happy to keep at it!

[ And she'll demonstrate by continuing to try and hammer the metal out with their semi-functional tools, brow knit again in focus. ]

Phew. [ She takes another pause after a bit, glancing again to Parsee. ] So, do you build much back home? This was a really great idea, and it seems like you've got a knack for it.

[bridge_princess]

Let's not put them out. If we need it later, we can get proper tools then.

[If she had a choice between doing it and not putting people out with her wishes, Parse was going to angle towards the latter. It avoided too much hassle.]

A little, but not much. And really, it's just a matter of stamina. It's not that big of a deal. These clocks are popular. They keep animals away by scaring them.

[anciently]

Okay by me! [ She doesn't mind the effort, after all. If they need to, they can always ask later. ]

I've never heard of these kinds of clocks before. [ Aerith comments, shrugging lightly. ] Is it the movement that scares the animals off?

[ Could be useful, if they not only tell time, but also keep possible fiends and things away! ]

[bridge_princess]

Yeah, they're not actually that great for telling time. They work, but the time between sounds is usually too short to really keep a big record. Folks use sundials and the like. But...

[She waved a hand to the featureless sky of white over their heads as the two of them worked.]

Without an hourglass, our options are thin, and I want something to start figuring this out. They're used for meditation back home. The noise scares little animals away.

[anciently]

[ Aerith, pointedly, does not look upward when Parsee gestures toward the sky. ]

Well, it's all really interesting to me! Never heard of 'em before. [ She'll just keep working, glancing across their handiwork with a polite interest. ] Even if it doesn't work, it'll have been worth it if there's a chance, right?

[bridge_princess]

[A rare sight. She smiled a little at that statement. It wasn't a big smile. she was terrible at those.]

My life is one string of futile efforts after another, so what's another one? And if it accomplishes something, just an added bonus. Besides, this is keeping me out of trouble.

[anciently]

"Keeping you out of trouble," huh? Should I ask?

[ She's laughing a little, good-naturedly. ]

I didn't know there was trouble here that you could get up to!

[bridge_princess]

Oh... Keeping my mind busy means that it's not dwelling on the usual things it would be. And if my mind is occupied, I'm less likely to cause problems. [She shrugged.] Can't be jealous if I'm too focused on figuring out what the heck is going on, can I?

But you'd be surprised probably. There's plenty of people here for me to get jealous about.

[anciently]

Fair enough! [ She does tilt her head curiously at that last bit, though, setting down her 'hammer' for a moment. ] Should I ask what you're feeling jealous about, or would you rather keep that to yourself?

[ It's probably pretty sensitive, after all! ]

[bridge_princess]

... Are you really sure you want to know?

[She looked at Aerith for a moment and then closed her eyes and sighed.]

I get jealous very easily, over a lot of things. So, why don't we play a little game right now. I'm jealous of you. And the more I think about that fact, the more I remember the things about you that make me envious. So, tell me. What do you think I might be envious about when I look at you?

[Hah, that list would get even longer when she saw her handle Don Corneo, just saying.]

[anciently]

Why wouldn't I? [ They've spoken a few times, of course, but she isn't terribly familiar with Parsee, either. So, when she begins explaining, Aerith is visibly surprised. ]

Envious of me? [ Color her confused! ] Um...well, I like to think I'm pretty good in a tussle, but I don't think you've seen me do that!

[ aerith pls ]

Is it that you've always secretly wanted to be a florist?

[bridge_princess]

Fiiiine. For one, you're probably a better fighter than I am. You seem a lot smarter and better put together than I usually do. You're calm and confident in difficult situations where I'm not, and put up with bad situations better. You're a hell of a lot prettier than I am, I might add. But I tend to think that's pretty obvious.

...

You're not used to thinking about this sort of thing about yourself, are you?

[anciently]

[ Aerith listens, but the more Parsee goes on, the less she actually retains of the compliments she's being paid. At the question, she does smile after a pause and shake her head, but she also adds: ]

…You know, you're pretty amazing, too. You had this really great idea about keeping time, and you've told me some incredible stories before. I can see just from the few times we've met that you're really special. You just need to start turning that-...hm, that appraising look inward, you know? Start seeing your own worth first.

[bridge_princess]

Heh, being optimistic really is easy for you isn't it?

[She chuckled dryly and shook her head.]

In a sense, I always have it turned towards myself. It's how I know my inadequacies. seeing the positive's a lot harder, but then again I suppose I draw something from the experience.

Though around here, not so much.

[anciently]

I'm just trying my best! [ She does look pleased to have it pointed out, though, clasping her hands at her front. ]

Well, I hope being here can help you to be whatever kind of person you want to be, if you couldn't really do that back home. Think of it like a whole new opportunity!

[ It's like that for everyone, isn't it? This is a chance to make new choices. To have the kinds of experiences that wouldn't be possible in their own homes.

It's...an uplifting thought, for her. ]