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
I wish to notify you that I sent my son, Viktor, to be a member of your guild. I hope that by learning to run a shop of his own, he can explore his craft more, make new friends, and grow up to be a fine man. This letter should arrive the day before he makes his way to the Merchant's District. I leave him in your capable hands. Please take care of my son.
Sincerely,
Luke Croswell
P.S. Please don't tell my son about this letter, it's a tad embarrassing." "...the heck is this...?" muttered Amon. He had literally just finished sorting out Gabriel's paperwork, when the mail boy frantically knocked on his door. After apologizing profusely, the boy then handed Amon a letter, explaining that it was a day late.
"Yesh...I mean, we are in need of members, but when did we become so popular? Well...better check outside to see if this kid has arrived yet..." said Amon as he made his way outside.
"I will destroy you in the most beautiful way possible! And when I leave, you will finally understand why storms are named after people!" - Taryn, Nerf This
Post by Viktor Croswell on Apr 6, 2014 20:27:14 GMT
Today was the day! But Viktor was not so presently excited as his dad seemed to be. As the sun began to hit noon, the whistles in the house began to blow, the engines of machines began to run, and Luke's father was moving to wake his lazy son up. "Come on, getcha arse outta bed, lad! Ya got a big day ahead of ya," his father said as he banged on the door. Viktor rolled over, mumbled a bit, then fell right back asleep. Only a moment later, a whistle by his bed erupted into sound and frightened, Viktor flailed around before landing on the ground. He could hear his father chuckle outside as he walked away leaving his son to groan on the floor.
Several minutes later, Viktor was dressed and rushing down the stairs dodging contraptions left and right. He kissed his mother's cheek, gave his pop a firm handshake then went on his way. Today was going to be the day he'd start his own life, his father had claimed, and although he hadn't been as eager as his father, now that it was in front of him, he couldn't help but grin so wide. His father even let him take the Steam-powered cycle! This lady was a machine to be admired and one day he hoped he'd be able to build something so grand but for now, he'd only have it in his presence to get to the district and back.
When the obnoxious lad reached the merchanic's district, everyone knew. He was speeding down the street narrowly dodging people as he did and hollering at the top of his lungs in excitement. As he approached the square where Amon's shop and several other stores were set up, he brought the bike to a screeching halt, slid it to its side, and planted one foot into the ground to keep from letting the bike fall over. Setting it upright, Viktor then stood and looked around the area, blissfully ignorant to the harsh looks several people gave him. Which shop would be his, he wondered, when he spotted one a bit ways down that was huge and spacious. It appeared to have a sort of garage--that one, he decided, was the perfect one.
"...And that answers my question..." coughed Amon, trying to breathe through the dust kicked up in the wake of the maniac's steam cycle. He glanced down the district, and, seeing the cycle stop in front of a building, started to make his way to the lad. Luckily, the letter had arrived just in time; without the prior warning, he probably would've investigated without having the keys and paperwork in hand, which meant an extra trip back to his shop to fetch the items, which in turn, meant more time and energy that Amon didn't feel like spending.
He finally made his way to the lad, but whatever he wanted to say was lost in the confusion of the boy's attire.
"...um...can I help you with something...?"
"I will destroy you in the most beautiful way possible! And when I leave, you will finally understand why storms are named after people!" - Taryn, Nerf This
Post by Viktor Croswell on Apr 6, 2014 22:04:36 GMT
Viktor left the bike on it's own to hop off and inspect the building that caught his attention. Of course, he couldn't go in so he was left to speculate of how majestic it truly was inside and what sort of work space could be awaiting him, though not strange enough, he pictured it to look much like the garage his father owned. When he'd heard a voice behind him, he quickly turned around before sliding over to the abandoned bike to be sure nothing happened to it while he was distracted, "hey, hey, whoa, watch out. Help? I guess if you got the keys to that place there," he said jutting a thumb behind him at the building he had been admiring, "I guess you can help. I wanna open up a shop for things like this," he patted the bike on its side like it was a good sort of dog deserving of pats though he wasn't expecting Amon to actually have the keys. Turning back with his hand still on the bike, he looked longingly at the building, his head tilted to the side as if he were lost in a dream before suddenly snapping upright when he suddenly jumped away from the bike. "Say! The name's Viktor, who might you be?" As he stuck out his hand for a shake, his eyes soon fell on the mechanic arm attached to Amon's body. The physical change of how wide the young man's eyes got could be considerable as he soon withdrew his hand to take Amon's mechanic arm in both hands. At once he was by Amon's side looking over the beauty. "No way! This is pretty amazing work? Did you do it yourself? What kind of model is it? Can I remove it and open it up? I must seeeeeee it!"
"...and that answers my other question...as well as the follow-up question to my first question..." thought Amon. Despite the pirate get-up, Viktor was clearly looking for work in the Merchanics guild. Prior to the confusion about the lad's attire though, Amon pondered what Viktor's personality would be like. Mulven was arrogent and in-your-face, but was willing to lend a hand. Gabriel seemed absent-minded and was wordy, but his eloquent speech showed much intelligence, and it was a nice change from what Amon normally heard around the area.
...and then there was this guy...
"The name's Amon; yes, it's amazing; not entirely, my old man first made this for me, though I suggested a few upgrades; a custom model; Yes, it can be removed; No, you may not remove and dissect it, you see it just fine," replied Amon in a monotonous voice, unable to conceal all of his irritation. Gabriel's manner of speech was like a glancing blow compared to Viktor's hyper-activity train.
"And to answer your previous request, yes, I do have the keys to this place," he said, maintaining his composure, "There are just a few things you need to sign before you're good to go; other than that, you seem more than willing to join the Mingo's..."
"I will destroy you in the most beautiful way possible! And when I leave, you will finally understand why storms are named after people!" - Taryn, Nerf This
Post by Viktor Croswell on Apr 6, 2014 23:20:56 GMT
Amon's words visibly deflated Viktor in a comical display. His grin turned downward in an open mouthed frown and his shoulders slumped. "I promise I won't ruin it, I'll put it back just the way it was--unless you wanted me to make some modifications but I'll be honest, I'm more of a man that works on transportation than robotics. My dad was the one who worked on those things-- heh, huh?" He is cut short by the mention of paperwork. He released Amon's arm and took a small step back to let the words absorb and then suddenly, flicking his hands as though he just washed his hands and was getting rid of the excess water, he clenched his face and a stupid grin was replaced on his features. No way! No way it could be this easy! His dad made it sound so much harder before! In one fell swoop, he moved in to embrace Amon in a crushing hug, lifting him from the ground to swing him around before setting him down. "You're really going to give me this shop? Where do I sign? Oh, man, we're going to be such great friends!"
Viktor's sudden mood swing might've raised some concerns in Amon...except the hug and following swing kinda shook those concerns from his mind. What really got to him was the incredulous excitement that emanated from the lad. "Am I making this too easy...?" thought Amon, trying to regain his composure.
"No, we are in need of members after all. Besides, he'll prove whether or not he can maintain a shop and support the guild in time. Better not reject parts without seeing their worth first," he thought.
"Well, we are in need of members, and we could use a vehicle specialist," replied Amon, handing over the paperwork and the keys to the building. "When you're done securing your cycle and filling out the papers, bring them over to the toy shop down the street," he said, pointing back to the way he came. "While you're in the area, we got another newbie you could say 'hi' to, across the street from me," he said, suppressing a smile at Gabriel's eventual disdain.
"In the meantime, welcome to the guild."
"I will destroy you in the most beautiful way possible! And when I leave, you will finally understand why storms are named after people!" - Taryn, Nerf This
Post by Viktor Croswell on Apr 7, 2014 0:41:39 GMT
The weight of being a vehicular specialist suddenly donned on Viktor as he stood there with the paper and pen in hand. While Amon walked away, it was the only time Viktor was quiet. Realizing he had to secure the bike before filling out the paperwork, he immediately went to it. With the paperwork soon filled out and the bike secure, the orange haired man stood and went to go see Amon at the toy store. However, he stopped and contemplated the silver haired man's words. Someone else he should meet? Couldn't hurt. Turning away from the toy store, he went back towards the shop across the street then entered what appeared to be a clockwork store. He wasn't one to really hold time in any importance and so here he felt a little more grounded... but only a little. "Hello," he called out loudly, looking for the owner. "I'm going to be your neighbor. I thought it would be nice to meet." His eyes roamed the store looking over everything in it.
Post by Gabriel Sinnett on Apr 7, 2014 2:03:54 GMT
Gabriel looked up from his work, and sighed. He would not be officially open for a few days, but he had left his door unlocked should he be needed for guild business. As he put down the pocket watch he was currently putting the finishing touches on, Gabriel glanced through the door of his workshop into the storefront. His mood fell considerably. He could tell from the man's look that they would only get along through considerable effort and restraint on Gabriel's part. Before going to greet his visitor, he paused, and after a moment's consideration picked up a finished hopper from his back shelf, in case he needed something to end the conversation prematurely. As he pocketed the small clockwork insect and entered into the the showroom, he could only think to himself. Please, just let him be lost and in need of directions.
As Gabriel entered the main room to greet his guest, he adopted a slower more stately pace to better disguise his limp. Eyeing the newcomer wearily, Gabriel made a quick scan across the room, taking in the display cases still only partially full of pocket watches, and the still moderately barren walls dotted with various larger clocks, taking special care to see if anything was missing. Seeing nothing amiss, Gabriel turned to the peculiarly garbed man and greeted him.
"Good afternoon, and welcome to my shop," Gabriel uttered, "Allow me to welcome you to the district. It is always gratifying to have a new neighbor take an interest in my time pieces. Have you selected one you like?"
Post by Viktor Croswell on Apr 7, 2014 2:27:08 GMT
Amon must have been telling the truth judging by how barren the place seemed. As he waited for the other man to make an appearance, he walked around the show room and eyed all the watches and clocks he could see. They brought a small smile to his lips and just as he was about to reach out and take one to look over, a voice cut in. At least Viktor had the decency to appear embarrassed. Caught red handed, he shoved his left hand into his pocket while his right went to rub at the back of his neck. A tinge of pink even colored his cheeks as his green eyes met the one's of a more fair skinned man. "Uh, hello," he said a bit nervously. This man looked so well dressed and he was quite aware how he himself looked to others.
"Uh, oh, no, I don't really... well, I'm--I don't quite have any coin on me at the moment but maybe later." Or never, he thought. He didn't like to be tied down by time unless an occasion called for it... like a date, or his mother's birthday. After his first words were out, he seemed to return back to normal until he realized he still held the papers in his left hand that he recently crushed into his pocket. Oh no! Oh no, oh no, oh no, he quickly withdrew his hand and held up the crumpled papers with a grimace before neatly folding them to place in his pockets. With a bit of a troubled expression, he waltz over to the man present and extended his hand. "How do you do? The name's Viktor Croswell. I'm a vehicle engineer and was hoping to meet the others working this part of town. Pretty cool stuff you got here," he said and whether or not Gabriel took his hand, Viktor moved passed him after to peek into the room he'd just come from. "Is this where you make the magic happen? Looks pretty neat? Do you only work on clocks? Hey--" Suddenly he turned back around with a fairly large grin. "You know that big clock tower? Maybe you can fix it!"
Post by Gabriel Sinnett on Apr 7, 2014 6:04:11 GMT
Gabriel took a moment to size the man up, and couldn't find it within himself to be surprised at the Orange haired mechanic's lack of money. He certainly looked like the sort of rogue who would spend a coin as soon as he hadd earned it. As the tan skinned young man introduced himself, Gabriel began to extend his hand to shake but could only manage a slight raising before Viktor had moved past him. "I am sure the merchanic's are glad to have you Viktor," Gabriel began,"My name is Gabr-..." Gabriel's introduction trailed off mid sentence as Viktor began speaking, leaving Gabriel both stunned and in a state of discomfit by the veritable torrent of queries.
"I'm not sure about that," Gabriel replied, recovering from the verbal bombardment, "The clockwork I specialize in tends to be somewhat smaller." A thought suddenly struck Gabriel, If this ersatz corsair has no money, why is he even here?
Though Gabriel generally prefers subtlety and finesse, his next words seemed to come out with little revision, or filter. "I must ask, Viktor. How did you know this was a mingo's shop? You didn't wander in for a clock, and I am clearly not open for business." Gabriel was simply not used to the brash natures of Mulven and Viktor and dealing with with them both so soon after the end of his self inflicted cloistering had left Gabriel vexed. Though upset with himself for his breach of manners, Gabriel could do nothing about it and so resolved to just get the conversation back on track and hope the mechanic would not notice the breach of etiquette.
Post by Viktor Croswell on Apr 7, 2014 7:12:48 GMT
"Gaber? That's a weird name," he commented, shoving his hands into his pocket and walking about the work place Gabriel set up. "Or is it Gabe? Short for something?" Despite his ruffian look and how obnoxious he could be, Viktor was respectable in other places, the name being one. For him, he hated when people shorter his own to Vik or Viky, but what was worst, was when people spelt his name with a C rather than a K. He found the K to be unique. As he strolled along the shop, he delicately touched everything. "These look so finely crafted, I don't see why you couldn't fix that clock tower? Why be so modest? Say, if you need any help, I don't really do much with clockwork but I'd..." his words trail off as Gabriel inquires of his person and purpose. "Me? Oh. That nice guy across the street in the toy store told me I should meet you and since I'm new, and you're new I thought it would be a great idea! That is... unless you want me to go? Oh! I probably should go, I do have to turn in my papers," he said and quickly hurried toward the door. "Hey, maybe you and I can get a drink together someday," Viktor added, turning back for only a moment to show him a grin.
Post by Gabriel Sinnett on Apr 7, 2014 23:42:10 GMT
"Gabriel," he replied, "My Name is Gabriel Sinnett. It is a pleasure to meet you."
Gabriel watched Viktor turn to leave his shop with a sense of chagrin. Seemingly at odds with his attire, the mechanic was more socially astute than Gabriel had first expected. Viktor had not been rude despite his hasty nature, and had been quick to excuse himself when Gabriel's unease became apparent. He might not be partial to Viktor, but perhaps he had misjudged him, and certainly he had not been as courteous to the man as he should have.
"It was kind of you to come introduce yourself; the company was welcome. Perhaps when you are settled I will come see your shop, and we can talk about that clock." Gabriel turned to go back into his workshop, mulling over the conversation with victor. After putting his hopper back on it's shelf he sat at his work bench, wincing slightly at the pain in his leg. It had not gone as well as he would have liked, but then Viktor was not his normal type of acquaintance. He mused idly to himself as he picked up his current project, Everyone I have met has been exceedingly eccentric. Why did I let my uncle talk me into apprenticing under him? I should have been a doctor, like Father. Giving the gears in the incomplete watch a spin gabriel resolved to think about such matters later. Though as he slotted a winding spring into the mechanism he spared one last thought for his new neighbor. "Maybe," Gabriel muttered to himself,"I'll take Viktor up on that drink."
Post by Viktor Croswell on Apr 8, 2014 0:15:29 GMT
"I knew a Gabriel once," Viktor piped up. "He wasn't proper though like you. I'll see you later," he finished before popping out of the shop. Oh, this one would be a tough one to win over, he mused to himself. Amon on the other hand he felt would be more difficult because despite that he didn't seem too bothered with Viktor, the orange haired lad suspected his loud nature would be an irritation. As he crossed the street he wondered if that meant he had to change. He'd hoped not. He tried it once, after all, and it wasn't great. Viktor just couldn't see how people liked to be so quiet and closed off to themselves. Oh, well, there was no time to think anymore on that as he reached the doors of the toy store.
"Hey, Amon," he announced loudly and with a large grin. "I brought the papers!" Said papers were pulled out of his pocket then waved about above his head. "I said hi to that guy like you said to. He seems nice. We're going to have a drink sometime," he grinned. Despite that Gabriel had not said that or even hinted it in the slightest, Viktor was determined to get to know everyone in the merchanics well. "Maybe you can join too."
Amon snapped out of his thoughts. He was in the back room, pouring over some notes, when he heard the unmistakable sound of the guild's newest new member. He quickly put the notes away and made his way to the front, closing the door behind him.
"Thanks," replied Amon, reaching out for the papers. It surprised him a bit to find out Viktor had somehow convinced Gabriel to go drinking with him. Amon had assumed that Gabriel was a little like himself: reclusive, and interacting with people only when necessary. And while he found Viktor's chipper personality a little grating, it sorta reminding him of his childhood. Plus, his mom was constantly hounding him to get out of the shop more often.
"As for that drink...we'll see."
"I will destroy you in the most beautiful way possible! And when I leave, you will finally understand why storms are named after people!" - Taryn, Nerf This
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