1) Use the following 5 words: pillar, instable (I guess that can also be "unstable" or "in stable"), next, degree, properly
"You're not doing it properly."
"Shut up."
Batty rolled his eyes and took a step back. "Suit yourself."
The pillar listed at a 20-degree angle, and nearly touched the next one over, which was tilting almost as much in the opposite direction. No matter how many shims he added, they just wouldn't stand up straight. Cory sighed, and pounded another wedge underneath the spray-foam pillar. You'd think something that light would be easy to line up.
He looked over at Batty, who was watching him from his perch on another one of the props. "The stable is instable, but how will the inn stand up?"
2) Write about making do when there's a shortage of something.
Cory shook his head and turned back to his work, then grabbed one of the shims and whipped it at Batty - who was already on the move, and dodged the projectile handily.
"You just don't have a proper foundation," Batty said.
"It's a stage floor."
"Your pillars, I mean." Batty disappeared into the shadows, and came back with a spool of wire. "Here, use my foam saw and make it good and flat."
Cory shook his head again and stuck another shim under the edge of the pillar, tilting it upright. He sat back on his heels, satisfied, then noticed that the pillar was now leaning away from him.
He heard a clatter beside him, and looked over. Batty was crouched over the pillar, sawing away with a length of wire stretched between his hands, and the shims attempting to level that pillar were scattered.
"Hey! What are you - "
"Fixing it, boy. Spray foam doesn't spray into a flat shape, you have to cut it flat after it's dry." Batty straightened up and unwound the wire from his hand, exposing a red groove in the back of his hand where the wire had been. He pitched the irregular chunk of foam behind him, and stood up with a grunt, leaning on his knees for support.
Cory watched with a frown as Batty picked the pillar up, kicked one last shim out of the way, and set it down.
Why hadn't he thought of that?
3) Fill in the blanks: "You need a ___________ to get _________"
"You're new to this, aren't you?"
Cory looked up.
"It's ok, boy. You need a bit of experience to get good at this sort of nonsense. Your first stage?"
Cory nodded.
"You learn things that seem so obvious in retrospect. Don't fuss, it'll come with time." Batty handed over his length of wire, suddenly not seeming as batty as Cory had been led to expect.
