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RESPITE GENERATOR BUILDING - AFTERNOON
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Strix hadn't been visible much, but even the most anti-social person needs to talk to another, and ..well, Strix had been missing talking tech. So, he was prowling in the mechanisms of the generator building, not quite ready to come out..but waiting to be noticed, while at the same time having a look around the upgrades that have gone on, and whatever May is doing at the moment.
Maybelline has been... finishing lunch. Stepping out of the spare rooms that were once her house before she moved in with Louma, she wipes her hands clean and makes her way back to her workbench, where she is currently struggling with the designs for the town weather shield, a part of the generator she never really had a chance to examine before the previous generator exploded, and which she's not nearly as familiar with from her studies... it's been a little bit frustrating, to be honest.
Strix was pretty good at what he did, but he had a flaw, which was a struggle to understand tech that wasn't his own. The only reason he got the generator working the last time was because it had been blown up..if it had been more functional, he probably couldn't have done much. He gets closer, until he's almost looking over May's shoulder, trying to work out the machine she's tinkering with does. "Is it a big heater?"
Maybelline shakes her head, "No, sorta the opposite. I guess it does hold a bit of heat inside, but only if it were running non-stop. It's the weather shield, or it should be once it-" She falls out of her chair at the sudden realization of someone behind her, "S-STRIX!?"
Strix looks around, to make sure there's nobody else in the room "May seems shocked"
Maybelline picks herself up off the floor, rightening her work stool, "You've been gone! I mean, hiding, or whatever. I knew you were okay, but just... and I didn't know you were here here, and just... hell... I'm glad you're okay, that's all."
Strix: "Strix good at hiding, but..uh..Strix bored. Not done much inventing, or talking" He tumbles down and lands sitting on the ground "Didn't think Strix liked talking, but..Strix not like not having talking"
Maybelline sighs, "Yeah... I hear that. I was really good at hiding and not talking when I was at the university. That and drinking. I don't much recommend any of them..." She swallows, something weighting very heavily on her mind. "Strix... I'm sorry for all of this."
Strix: "Strix not sure why. May did not try to murderize Strix"
Maybelline shakes her head, "No, I didn't... but the wolf who did try... I was the one who pointed him to you. He said he was just shopping for tech, heard about some of the stuff you'd built, asked where you set up shop..." She slumps a bit. "I should'a known. Hell he was dressed like a damn pirate!"
Strix considers this "Well. May did not say 'Go Murderize Strix', and May wasn't told that they were murderizers, and Strix knows some nice pirates. Strix does not think this May's fault. May shouldn't judge people by what they wear"
Maybelline gives Strix a small smile, nodding, "Yeah, fair... I'm just... I'm still sorry. But you're here, now! Um... anything I can get you? Or do for you? I've got some food in the other room."
Strix: "Strix just wondering what May is working on! May making weather shield? May not want rain in Respite?"
Maybelline turns back to the plans and assorted parts lain out on her workbench, "Rain is fine... I guess it's supposed to be used against sandstorms, and maybe heavy lightning storms and such. It's new to me, honestly."
Strix: "Oh! So..big lightning shield? Lightning can scare sand away. Strix try to make lightning sweeper"
Strix: "...Strix burn down floor"
Maybelline blinks, "Uh... not sure that's what the town wants. I mean... I guess in theory it is supposed to be a big powered energy dome? That's one of the parts that's causing me issues, how to get the output to properly arc this way. I could build something like an array system, but the nodes would be pretty vulnerable, and they say the old one was just projected? But I guess it hadn't been working for years."
Strix blink blinks "..Strix understand some of those words. May has lots of energy here" He points to the generator "And needs to get lots of energy over there?" He points outwards
Maybelline nods, "Basically, yep. And May needs a way to turn the energy on and off, since we don't want the energy over there all the time. That parts easy at least. I can do redirects. And the stuff under the town is really solid, from what I've seen."
Strix: "Needs to be giant lever" Strix has standards! "Well! Giant dome goes around entire town. Yes?" Strix points up "So Dome will be up there?"
Maybelline: "Yes. Dome up there, power down here... lever in here as well. Hmm..." She glances up at the quite tall ceiling of the generator building.
Strix: "Then May can send power up! Then don't need to send power to edge of town"
Maybelline blinks in realization, "Oh! So instead of sending the power over there, and having it go across over to here..." She moves her hands from the left to the right, "Instead we send the power up and let it spread out?" She mimics this process as well. "The dome for this building could serve a kind of... emitter? Would that work?"
Strix: "Yes!" Strix nods nods "Strix don't know how shield work, but maybe floating collector in the air?"
Maybelline: "Would the collector be vulnerable? That was my fear with the relay idea... take out one relay and the whole shield goes down. Like, a weak link in a chain. But having something floating overhead to 'catch' the energy I send up and redirect it would be ideal."
Strix thinks "Maybe, but collector would be under shield, and ..uh..Strix had shiny that shocked badguys if they hit it. Strix not sure if can make it as safe from inside town, but it would be in the air, and up high! So..Strix think it safe-ish"
Maybelline thinks. "Well I'm more concerned of it being harmed by weather or such... but if it's inside the shield, probably safe. I would hope no one would try to harm it! It would be tethered here, right? Like, tie a rope to it. Well, not a rope. Probably one of the..." She pauses, suddenly smiling wide. "One of those mana filiment cables I got from Bracvar. Oh that could work really nicely!"
Strix: "Well. Strix does have floating disks. Strix could make big ones for it. Then there's no rope needed. Need to get energy up there, but May not needing tether make that easier"
Maybelline chuckles, "I'm just worried about getting it back down if we need to repair it, or modify it! Can the disks be controlled remotely? Or uh, once it's up there it's just up there?"
Strix considers this "Control. From Distance? Strix don't see why not. Strix need to think about that"
Maybelline: "May too, err, I mean me too. This would solve one of my biggest issues with this if we can make it work!"
Strix: "Strix will get back to May about that! Does May have any other problems?" He's eager now, to have something he needs to solve
Maybelline turns back to her workbench and steps up on the stool. She grabs her drafting pencil and makes a few quick notes, "Okay! Let's see... a central power source above the generator. Channeling energy up." She glances at the ceiling. "Might need to remodel one way or the other. Ah! Here! Maybe you can help me with finding the best way to cut off power to the town uh... lets call it 'gracefully', if there's an emergency. We don't have the most efficient control of the power flow."
Strix: "Uh..Strix is ...good at making things notexplode. Strix has lots of experience with explodes"
Maybelline shrugs, "I've only had the one experience with the very big explode, but I'm trying to avoid that happening again." She grins at Strix, "But if it does, I just need to learn and keep going, right?"
Strix: "Yes! Yes! That's right!"
Maybelline gives Strix a thumbs up, "I'm a good learner, I can tell you that much."
Strix: "Strix knows! May learn lots to make generator work. Strix not understand half of it"
Maybelline blushes a bit at the praise, but nods, "Yes, but Strix is... I don't know. You're brilliant, creative, and quick-thinking. You came in here and fixed a problem I've been struggling with for a week now."
Strix shook his head "Strix not solve anything. Strix just told May stuff May already knew. May still going to build machine, not Strix"
Maybelline nods, "Well... sure... but I still appreciate your help."
Strix: "May is quite welcome! So, May have any other ideas?" Strix is hankering for an inventorin'
Maybelline shuffles through some blueprints, "I've... got some here we could just talk about, if you want. I don't have anything fantastic though..."
Strix: "Strix is sure there is something there"
Maybelline grins, "Who knows what might give you a new idea, right? And... I've never really talked through these ideas... they're just silly... personal little things I made."
Strix: "No ideas are silly! Strix is interested in hearing them out!"
Maybelline: "Okay... well, this one was just a silly thought I had about my tools..." She goes on to discuss a few simple, if at least original ideas that she has been doing on the side. They're much less complex than the generator or the attached projects, but they're her own ideas, and May's passion for her work shines through.
Strix was always interested in what was going on, and may well ask permission to work on them himself, with his own little twists and turns on them...only good things that can happen.
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LIBRARY - MID-AFTERNOON
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Aurelius: The library was well set up now, and Aurelius had the time to give it the ambience he wanted. Inside was warm, quiet, with soft light that almost seemed to be ambient to the bookshelves, and small couches dotted around, there was even a distinct scent of paper, and ink. While there were windows pointing out to the street, tinted glass had been installed so the entire interior almost felt like it was disconnected from the inside, and that a door on the other side of the room could easily lead to a stately university (Rather than the storeroom, which was what was actually through there)
Enver hadn't been to the library for his reading lessons in a couple of weeks, having been distracted with certain... other things. The guilt having built up enough to gnaw at his brain, he made the decision to come over right after his post-lunch performances today. Upon arriving to the library, he opens the door and peeks inside, not wanting to interrupt the loremaster if he's helping someone else already.
Aurelius: There was a few people around already, browsing the shelves, but Aurelius himself wasn't visible. Which wasn't uncommon, he often would be out the back, or behind some shelves, managing some aspect of the library. In many ways he really 'fit' there, and indeed, when making the library, he had gone to pains to make it feel like an extension of himself, or more accurately, that a loremaster should always feel like a library personified. Enver was, however, quiet welcome. One earnestly seeking knowledge would never be rejected.
Enver makes his way inside, giving a polite nod to the others he passes on the way. Not seeing the loremaster, he moves over to one of the shelves that has been sectioned off for various regular patrons and finds the writing workbook and book of stories he had last been working his way through. He takes them as well as one of the pencils from the jar on the main desk and finds his way to a little personal desk in a quieter corner and tries to get back in the flow of where he left off a few weeks back. Luckily, he's had some practice reading, as there are always books to peruse around the Bouquet estate, even if their topics are very dry for the most part.
Aurelius didn't sneak up, simply at some point, Aurelius was present. He had simply walked from around a bookcase, but he was part of the entire vibe of the library that he didn't draw attention until he spoke "How are you finding your studies Enver?" His eyes would scan over his work from his standing position briefly "Is there anything you need help with?" He could see how well Enver was doing..but he was much more interested in how Enver felt he was doing.
Enver still starts a little when Aurelius speaks. "Oh, hello Loremaster. I'm sorry that I haven't been by in a while... a lot has been going on..." He wiggles the fingers of his (still gloved) prosthetic hand in demonstration. "But uh... reading is good. I've done some reading. Haven't really had much chance to write though, so I'll probably focus more on that once I'm finished this story..." He smiles at the kindly bird, feeling a touch embarassed at not coming by, but glad to not feel judged for it. "Um... the library is looking better. I like the glass at the front. Makes it feel less... like a cafe or something I guess?"
Aurelius: "The town is getting busier, and a library should always be a slow, and comfortable place. I had to take some additional steps" There's magic here, every little bookcase, and chair, and couch with small little glyphs, each glyph the barest wisp of power, but together producing an ambience to the air. It was hard to notice for what it was, but Enver had been around enough magic to pick up on it by now, after a while at least "Of course" He peers, noticing the fingers "I never stop seeking more knowledge, so, a question. You are learning to write for yourself, not as a favour for me, why do you feel you need to apologize?" He didn't need to hear an answer, it was very much a question he wanted Enver to answer for himself.
Enver ponders the question. "Because I want to be better, and I feel bad for letting it slip." He places the bookmark in the storybook and closes it, too distracted by the talk to pay it any focus at the moment. He looks up at the loremaster and smiles. "What about you? What made you want to help people like this?"
Aurelius tilts his head gently, considering the question "Because helping people learn is a fine, and satisfying calling in life" A somewhat incomplete response, in return for a somewhat incomplete response. "I cannot quest out like others, or do mighty magic deeds, so I help in my own way, and in my own time" He taps the large tome at his side, bound in leather "And I gather stories from people, so that they can be told. There's books and books of history on many things, but so little on the little common stories" He steps over, and takes down a book, a rather popular heroic tale, Enver would likely know it, even if he hasn't read it "This story is about some grand Prince, but I want the tales I tell to be their own stories, not just..bit parts in another's tale"
Enver listens, rather rapt in the bird's words. "Wow... never really thought about things that way. It makes a lot of sense." He looks down at the simple storybook and workbook full of juvenile, malformed writing in front of him. "I don't think I'll ever be good enough at this to write those stories down, but I can share them in my own way. Folks will listen to a lot more than they'd ever read about."
Aurelius: "Of course" He nods "Though, there's no such thing as not being good enough, the way you write can tell a story" He considers "Indeed, a task for you. You should try and write a story of your life now. I won't read but you should keep it with you. Then, in times to come, you can look at it, and read it, and you can see the person you are now. What you are worried about now, your wishes..your desires. A letter to your future self, if you will"
Enver cocks his head. "I'll try. I need to get better at making the letters first, though..."
Aurelius: "Not at all! Writing it now will also let you know how far you've come later on"
Enver opens up the writing book and turns to a fresh page. He picks up the pencil in his good hand and looks down. "Well, I can at least try, if nothing else, right?"
Aurelius: "Of course" He nods again "Shall I leave you to it then? It is rather a private idea, I imagine"
Enver nods a bit. "For now, yes. But we should talk more about these ideas. I'd like to explore them more deeply, I think." He smiles up at the loremaster before setting down to write, albeit still very slowly and clumsily.
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VIX'S HOUSE - LATE EVENING
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Vix naps among her piles of junk, merchandise, and other sundry things, having made a small blanket fort to make things more cozy.
Narrator: While Teis doesn't feel back to one-hundred percent, the majority of the guilt surrounding the elemental has been alleviated at least, allowing Teis to focus her mind back on her more personal projects once more. One such project is getting her mana condenser ready, as she suspects it might become less of a 'side project' and more of a necessity in coming days. To that end, she's finally made time to visit Vix's abode to collect the benefits of their arrangement. She's followed the directions the black cat had given, her, approaching and knocking if need be.
Vix takes a few moments to get to the door, this time being extra careful not to topple any of the perilous stacks or ruin her blanket fort. She opens the door and smiles at her fluffy visitor. "Oh hey, Miss Teis. Come on in!"
Teis smiles politely. "Please, simply Teis is fine. There are enough. . .Ah, proper people in my life as it is. How are you, Vix?" Teis questions, taking a brief glance inside at the junk. It's weird, she hates the staff of the estate keeping her room clean, but now that she's actually looking at someone else's messy mountains, she's finding herself rather thankful. She steps inside.
Vix dives under her blanket fort and retrieves a bowl of nuts she had been snacking on. "Oh, uh, welcome to my little storehouse. Or, just my house. Don't worry, this is normal for a merchant, I think."
Teis: "I. . ." Teis starts to correct Vix on the subject of normality, though then thinks better of it, hesitating and back-pedalling. ". . .Wouldn't know, I suppose." Teis smiles, continuing to glance around. "So long as you're getting good use out of it all, I suppose?" Teis tilts her head briefly. "Ah, could you please take me to where my Mana Condenser is? I need to take some notes of it's specifications."
Vix nods as she munches on her snack. "Oh, sure! I kept your stuff over in this side room here. The living room is for everyday merch, you see." She leads Teis through a doorway decorated with an arch of scrap metal.
Narrator: Admittedly, Teis finds the rustically decorated doorway to be adorable and an interesting change of pace. She nods, following behind Vix, pulling out a notepad and a pencil as she does so. Once inside, she wastes no time finding and identifying her broken prototype. "Excellent. Thank you very much, Vix. I'm liable to be a while documenting this all."
Vix sits atop a sturdy and not at all sensitive-looking piece of equipment as she watches Teis work. "What are you working on, anyways?"
Teis holds her pencil briefly between her middle finger, ring finger, and thumb. She clicks her finger and points at her broken mana condenser to levitate it into the air, such that she may walk around each part fully, then returns to holding the pencil normally so she may begin sketching as she walks around. "Oh, just my mana condenser. These things are normally either so large, or so expensive, that they're only typically useful in industrial applications back in Sarn. Sis can't justify buying one of the smaller models, and a larger model would cost just as much to be shipped to Aephix anyway, not to mention we don't have space for it. . .I mean, we do, but. . .Sis doesn't want to lose an entire room of the estate." Teis explains. "So. . .I'm making my own. I've got so many projects at the moment that even with our family's copious supply of mana crystals, they're simply recharging too slowly for my work needs."
Vix blinks as she watches the strange machine levitate. "If it's so useful, why'd they make you throw it out?"
Teis: "Because this one exploded, and Sis doesn't like me keeping junk. . .Or things that are prone to exploding for that matter. Apparently I'm more productive when both myself and the lab are in one piece?"
Vix munches her snacks for another moment. "Wait, hold on. This stuff won't explode again while it's in my house, will it?"
Teis: "After it's already exploded? No. Not unless I repair the parts, connect it all back together. . ." Teis rambles. "But that's why I'm taking detailed notes, so I can re-create it all back at my lab, with a different approach as well, so hopefully the next version won't fail so catastrophically."
Vix taps her chin. "You engineer types sure have a thing about explosions, huh? Isn't this work really dangerous?"
Teis: "I've got a good. . .Five more lives? Yeah." Teis jokingly blows off the observation. "Innovation comes at a price sometimes, and I bet Sis'll forget allllll about the explosions once this device revolutionizes the industry and puts our family back on top as the leader in mana crystal technologies."
Vix chuckles. "That's a pretty lofty goal!"
Teis: "Less of a goal, and more of an uhh. . .Side effect if this succeeds? Honestly, I don't really care about all that, but Sis does. If I can convince her, then I get her full support in continuing, which'll certainly make it easier to work on this. All I really want is to be able to work on my projects without limitation. Sometimes, Sis is a limitation. But uh, don't tell her I said that?"
Vix nods. "So you really just like making stuff, huh?"
Teis: "Mostly I really like learning new things. I make things primarily in pursuit of that goal. This device will allow me to recharge my mana crystals faster, mana which can then be used to learn new things. . .So it's less about the making of the thing and more about how the thing will aid me in learning more things." Teis rambles. "If uh, that makes sense?"
Vix nods again. "Yeah, just about. You hungry?"
Teis: "A bit hungry, yeah. Why do you ask?" Teis questions. I mean, it's obvious why, but she'd rather not assume.
Vix: Wanna snack? I've got a bunch of stuff
Teis: "A kind offer, though I should hold off until after I've finished taking the notes I need. Did you know that your brain works better when you're hungry? Biology is weird like that." Teis replies.
Vix: Oh, perfect, that gives me time to prepare something warm for ya instead. I'll be in the kitchen!
Vix slips out of the room.
Narrator: Fair enough. Teis continues scribbing down on her notepad for roughly fifteen more minutes, clicking her fingers once more to gently levitate the objects back down to the ground and cease her telekinetic hold over them.
Narrator: A sizzling sound emanates from the kitchen during the time in-between, accompanied by a sweet and savory aroma~
Narrator: With Teis finished, she contemplates where it is she should wait for Vix to finish cooking. Would it be ruder to look through her junk or to enter her kitchen? Hm. She figures it's simply best to wait where she is, studying her freshly made notes in the meantime until Vix has finished.
Vix appears a few minutes later with a steaming plate of delicious-smelling fried flatcakes, which seem to be filled with bits of dried fruit and topped with a little honey. "Heh, I bet you're hungry now, eh~?"
Teis smiles at Vix, with a soft nod. "This is very kind of you, Vix. Thank you. I imagine that you enjoy cooking?"
Vix grins as she sets the plate down on...well, on one of the less important looking devices. "Only more recently. Nesseth got me into it!"
Teis: "You're friends with him?" Teis tilts her head. She supposes she shouldn't be surprised, small town and all. "And he likes to cook? Hm. Guess I don't know him as well as I thought. . ." Teis muses to herself, sitting down on the floor next to the plate of flatcakes.
Vix sits across from Teis and takes a cake for herself. "Oh yeah, we're real good friends. I always sneak up on him when he's on patrol!"
Teis: "I'm all for a good sneaking up on someone, but should you really be messing with someone on patrol?" Teis questions, taking up a cake herself and beginning to nibble on it. She finds it enjoyable, as she typically has most of the cuisine on Aephix so far.
Vix waves a paw dismissively. "Nah, it's fine! He loves the company, and it helps keep him on his toes!"
Teis: "Um, ah. If you say so. God, is this what it's like to be Della. . .?" Teis questions herself.
Vix tilts her head at the odd musing. "Hm?"
Teis: "Nothing, nothing." Teis dismisses, quickly changing the topic, "So. . .Um. Why do you have so much stuff in your house?"
Vix looks around at all her stuff. "Well, I make the most money selling stuff that folks throw out. This is the easiest way to store it all~"
Teis: "I'm surprised you don't like, operate more of a. . .Public scrapyard type of deal. Certainly that'd be more convenient for both yourself and prospective customers?"
Vix blinks and tilts her head, gears turning. "A...what?"
Teis: "You know, like. . .Buy out a plot of land and use it to store your stuff instead. That way, people can more easily walk amongst everything also if they're looking for something. Muffins, some people might even pay you to take their stuff, rather than litter it."
Vix thoughtfully nibbles on her cake. "Do you think I'd get any complaints about ruining the scenery?"
Teis: "That would entirely depend on where it was, I suppose. You'd certainly hear it from Della if it was in view of the estate. Well, maybe not, she's not openly confrontational. But she'd complain." Teis replies. "But, an organized junkyard of sorts is kind of. . .Well, ah, stuff has to go somewhere, right? Better it all be in one place, instead of small bits of it everywhere, or having to pay to have it carted out of town."
Vix grins. "I like the idea~! But...I don't think I have enough money to buy land..."
Teis: "You uh, could try convincing the. . .Actually, I don't know how the town is run? But you could try convincing whatever the equivalent of the mayor, or council, or. . .Person in charge I guess, that it's an essential service?" Teis suggests. "Then they might let you rent the land, or work out some other form of arrangement."
Vix: Mmm, I am pretty convincing~
Teis nods, continuing to eat for a moment of silence, before swallowing and adding, "Just a shower thought, is all. If your business works as it, then it works, right?"
Vix grins. "Fair, but I'm always looking to try new things! Thanks for the advice~"
Teis: "You're, ah, welcome!" Teis replies, continuing to eat.
Vix enjoys Teis's company over the steadily diminishing plate of food while the night draws on, until the other cat inevitably returns home.