Prepare for the #LodanRespawn2024 Existing characters may choose to be displace from/have memories of different timelines, thereby allowing returning members the option to retcon their whole character. These changes are the result of the "Unnatural Fog" plot device that is running between now and the Respawn. The plot is simple: no matter where your character is, that place is shrouded in a thick fog that suspends time, but not thoughts or memories, so even if they're repeating the same day over and over again, they continue to remember, so each time feels like a new day. For those retconning OCs; this is where new versions of themselves have the opportunity to replace the old versions. Official lore and tree updates will be announced asap
Post by Viktor Croswell on Aug 22, 2015 18:25:34 GMT
Open to Alice and anyone in Merchant's District
Only a couple weeks back in the city and Viktor could already feel the intense punishment for his neglect of his shop and all of the work that still awaited him. As fate would have it, both Amon and Gabriel were also vastly busy and with no time to spare, had dumped off simple tasks onto him in case of any potential recruits wishing to join the guild. After spending hours looking through several piles of work orders, he let out a groan and rested his forehead on his desk. A sound of something crashing outside of his shop caught his attention, and he sat upright once more before his eyes went wide.
Bolting out the door, muttering a curse, Viktor went to help up NK-5 then looked over the fallen motorcycle left to him by his late father. "Dammit!" He could already see several pieces busted and then with a heavy sigh, he turned to look over NK-5 while the bot went to gather the fallen items from his box of groceries. "What happened, Nikolai?"
"Apologies, brother, I was bumped into."
"Bumped into, huh," he questioned as he struggled to get the bike upright again then eyed the doll. From where the doll had fallen, the faux skin had caught and ripped open clearly exposing the framework beneath.
"Dung, that's going to take forever to fix again." Already he was lamenting the added work to his schedule.
Post by Alice Wulfgang on Aug 22, 2015 19:49:07 GMT
Alice was weighted down with a big trunk of tools and metal bibs and bobs. This place was a treasure trove of goodies just waiting to be used. Lodan. Somehow she didn't imagine the buildings would be this big. Just wait until she showed Kalum all this stuff. Or better yet, what she'd MAKE with this stuff!
Alice wasn't looking where she was going and walked smack dab into someone, causing them both to fall over with a clattering bang. Oh no... no no no no no! Things were spilling everywhere and someone's bike was falling over and just, no! Alice scrambled to get her stuff and keep it all together while quickly blurting out "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. I wasn't watching where I was going and-"
Wait. Alice stopped mid sentence and looked closely at the man she'd bumped into. Specifically at the giant cut he had. There was metal in there. She looked up as a pirate stepped out of the building she'd been passing, then looked back to the man she'd run into. Metal. He wasn't a person. He wasn't a person! Alice dropped all of her things a second time and bounced to her feet with a giddy giggle. Oh, this was what she'd been hoping for! She quickly stepped up to the man with the torn skin and pulled back the edges of the hole to peer inside.
"What are you made of? How did you make this?" She stuck one of her fingers inside the hole before taking it out and immediately clasping the man's hands. With what could only be described as sparkling eyes, she spoke to him. "Let me take you apart."
Post by Viktor Croswell on Aug 22, 2015 19:56:19 GMT
Quietly Viktor grumbled to himself as he inspected the bike until a high pitched sound caught his attention. Oh no. His eyes went back to NK-5 who was looking to him, and if he could display emotion, the red head was certain it was helplessness. "What do I do, big brother...?"
"Hey! Hey, hey, hey, no you can't take him apart," Viktor blurted as he moved to try and separate NK-5 from the girl. "And I can't tell you any of that other stuff... s'a secret. Who are you anyway?" Once Viktor got a look over the girl, he could see she wasn't too bad on the eyes.
Post by Alice Wulfgang on Aug 22, 2015 20:00:39 GMT
Oh dear. The pirate was talking now... what did he say? Something something who are you? She looked at the pirate for a second longer and let her mind catch up with what he said. Big brother? Couldn't take him apart? That wouldn't do... no no. That wouldn't do at all.
"What about just an arm? I'll put it back together! Promise! You can even help." She nodded as she was separated from the mech man. She was already reaching for a wrench and a screwdriver she'd dropped in the shuffle.
Post by Viktor Croswell on Aug 22, 2015 20:06:49 GMT
"No, no, no," Viktor replied firmly while waving his hands in front of him in a cross motion. "You cannot take any part of him apart. I only have one of him and don't trust anyone else to touch him."
From the background, NK-5 spoke up quietly, "I do not wish to be dismantled."
"Nikolai, hush, you won't be." Turning back the girl, he eyed her over and her belongings now. A screwdriver and a wrench, huh? His pierced brows lifted in amusement and a small smile crept onto his lips. "Are ya a tinker, girlie? If so, that's pretty swell. Don't see too many interested in the art--but you still can't touch Nikky here."
NK-5 simply stood where he was and now lifted his arm to mimic the girl's prior actions in dipping a finger into the tear of his faux flesh. "Peculiar..."
Post by Alice Wulfgang on Aug 22, 2015 20:25:23 GMT
"C'mon... what about just a hand? I can take a peek at the hand, right?" Her eyes flicked between Nikolai and Viktor. She let out a sigh and began spinning her wrench. "Tinker? No. Not really. I'm a robticist. Why, are you a tinker? What do you work with? Got a specialty?" Alice crouched down and started picking the rest of her stuff up. She wouldn't get a shot at the metal man today... but eventually. Eventually.
Post by Viktor Croswell on Aug 22, 2015 20:29:49 GMT
"No, not even the hand. You can peek with your eyes, not your hands." Viktor passed a quick glance to NK-5 to be sure he was still in tact then had to do a double take in seeing the doll wiggle his finger a bit in the tear. There was a slight twitch to the red head's right eye as he extended a hand out to bat the doll's hand from the tear. "Stop that," he muttered and NK-5 lifted his head. With a huff, Viktor looked back to the girl.
"Eh, I guess you can call me a tinker. I'm more of a vehicular mechanic--that's my specialty. I can do other things here and there but--wait, you said a Robotics? Hm, got your on shop yet? Made anything yet that you got on you?"
Post by Alice Wulfgang on Aug 22, 2015 20:36:47 GMT
Alice replied a little huffily. "Can't look if he's got skin..." Alice finished gathering her stuff up quickly and walked into the building the pirate came from. She dumped her stuff in a corner unceremoniously and started walking through the place. "Really? Like cars and stuff? That's kind of awesome. How long have you been working on them? And what kind of engine setup are you using?" Alice leaned around to try and peek into the garage itself, where she was sure all the work was hidden.
"Shop? Why would I have a shop? No no, I'm just coming to the city. I live with my uncle, Johann. What about you? This is your shop I take it?"
Post by Viktor Croswell on Aug 22, 2015 20:46:37 GMT
As the girl walked into his shop--still without giving her name--Viktor's brows shot up, his eyes went slightly wide with bewilderment, and his mouth hung open. Was this really happening? "Hey," he called after her and scrambled to rush into his shop with NK-5 leisurely following behind. In one corner of the garage, Alice could find a bike mostly finished though not complete and over the course of the year it had been abandoned, it had gathered dust. (Sorry Stephen Leland.)
"Yes, it would be my shop," he answered, neglecting the other answers as she seemed intent at not always answering all of his. There was a slight sigh and a pinch of his nose as he glanced over the paper work still sitting at his desk. Another sound drew his attention and he looked back to see NK-5 had tripped. Fantastic! However, it was unlike the doll to do such things, he was far more coordinated for that. "Nikolai, you alright?"
"I think in my fall, a component to the knee joint may have sustained damage." A dismayed sound left the red headed mechanic. Amon was too busy to give NK-5 a look over and Viktor never advanced his robotics skills enough to bother trusting himself with taking a look. Slowly, he closed his eyes and inhaled through his nostrils before peering at the girl. He was going to regret this. He knew he was. With a resigned sigh, he called to her," Hey, girlie, give his knee a look over. Don't take him apart... just a look over. If you can set him back right I'll see about getting you your own shop." As he spoke, he was already over to the doll's side to peel away the clothing and faux skin to expose the framework of the knee.
Post by Alice Wulfgang on Aug 22, 2015 20:55:45 GMT
Alice spun on a dime, completely abandoning whatever it was she was doing beforehand and making a beeline for her tools. "Really? You mean it? I can?" If the girl looked any more excited she'd probably be shooting off fireworks by now. With her tools in hand she crossed the distance between her gear and Nikolai in the span of a single breath.
Alice crouched down and laid her tools out beside her in a neat and orderly fashion. She took a close look at the knee in question before speaking to the pirate. "Go find me a knife and a pair of scissors, please." She reached out and started probing the soft polymer between the rivet and the robot's kneecap. She also checked how the other knee felt in comparison. There was something definitely off. The damaged knee seemed too lumpy... like there was something that had popped out of alignment maybe.
"Oh, I don't need a shop. Not yet, anyways. Just a place to study and learn about all of this." She looked up and spoke, hoping to catch the pirate before he walked off. "I'm Alice, by the way."
Post by Viktor Croswell on Aug 22, 2015 21:06:46 GMT
At her request, Viktor sighed once more and turned to snag the tools from his own tool box in the garage though he paused before entering when he heard her name. Turning to look at her, he smiled softly and shrugged lightly. "Nice to meet ya, Alice. Name's Viktor. If you don't want a shop, then I can see about getting you to meet our district leader. I'm part of the guild Mingo's Merchanics, if you never heard of them." He had a feeling she was out of town with how much stuff she was lugging around. "He specializes in robotics too. Hell, he's built two dolls--smaller and different, though. He and I have special models." He paused to grab the scissors and the knife before returning to offer it to her. "He could teach you a lot I'm sure. You interested in that?"
"May I stand now," came NK-5's voice after a short pause when Viktor was through speaking.
Post by Alice Wulfgang on Aug 23, 2015 4:39:29 GMT
Alice was nodding along as Viktor spoke until she caught 'robotics specialist'. She accepted the two tools and went about cutting through the polymer to see what was messed up in the robots knee.
"I'd love to meet him! It'll be wonderful... I'm sure he knows all sorts of things to boost modular efficiency and get better balance for bipeds. He'll also know about the programming aspect to working with a robot.. that's something I need some help with." Alice finished opening the polymer knee and looked at the joint with more than a little disappointment.
"The belts to smooth movement have just jumped their tracks is all. Just a pull here so the sspring system releases some tension annnnnnnd... there! All better?" Alice slipped the pulley track back in place as she spoke.
Post by Viktor Croswell on Aug 23, 2015 5:17:51 GMT
"Ah, well, he knows a whole lot more than just all that fancy stuff," Viktor stated then chuckled as he offered his little brother a hand to which the doll accepted and moved to stand. While holding Viktor's hand, the doll balanced himself then lifted the injured leg to bend and unbend his knee. "Levels of performance seem to be acting on a normal scale," replied NK-5 before setting his foot down flat and releasing Viktor's hand.
Moving away, the pirate looking lad plopped himself down on a seat then gestured to one of the other seats for customers. "You're welcome to sit here and chat though I can't promise you'd be that interested at what I'd have to say. If not, just come by and check in every now and then, huh? Amon's the name of our Robotics specialist--the one I mentioned, so I'll tell him about you and when he's not so busy we'll get something worked out for ya."
NK-5 stared down at the girl then lifted his head to look over at Viktor who was leaning back casually in his seat, brow now raised at the doll. Again, NK-5's glance returned back to the girl who he now studied before taking a generous step away from her. Another chuckle left Viktor as he swiveled around in his chair to face his drafting table. "I bet if he had feelings, you just made him uncomfortable," the red head teased lightly as he took up his pencil to begin his latest sketch.
"Preposterous. I do not feel."
"Did your hearing functions get messed up in that fall too, Nikolai?" Viktor snorted lightly. NK-5 only stared back at the red head before shuffling about to face Alice. "Do you prefer coffee or tea?"
Post by Alice Wulfgang on Aug 23, 2015 6:21:04 GMT
Alice shoved all her tools off to the side and wandered over to take the offered seat. "I'm sure it'll be fine. Tell me about your work. Or about your robot. I'm sure there's all kinds of ways to apply what you know to something else." Alice settled comfortably into the chair and smiled at Viktor. "Coffee, please." She looked at the robot again and stared at him. What she wouldn't give to take even just part of him apart. There had to be some interesting ideas playing in the robot.
Post by Viktor Croswell on Aug 23, 2015 18:39:13 GMT
"There are always a lot of ways to apply anything you know. As far as my work, it's fairly straightforward. I make machinery for those who can afford it. Fancy stuff for nobles, less fancy for the not nobles. That robot isn't just a robot, Alice. His name is NK-5 AKA Nikolai. He prefers Nikolai. Like the two you will see from Amon, he is one of the unique models none have ever seen and for awhile, Clockwork Dolls hadn't been seen for a long time until Nikolai was finished. Then Amon's two came about though I'm not sure yet what their programming is meant for. Nikolai was meant for pure combat, but as you can imagine, he does not see that often and so his data has been tediously gathering information about our world and how things function. Odd really, the more he seems to know and understand, the more human he seems--but he's not. He still can't feel and there are things he'll never understand." The explanation was a touch lengthy but while he spoke, he continued to work on his sketch and made amendments to Stephen's design while NK-5 had taken up the task of retrieving the girl and Viktor both a cup of coffee. The doll offered Alice her's first and watched her in silence. "Tell me about yourself some, Alice."