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Post by Fish the Tinkerer on Mar 17, 2024 21:24:45 GMT -5
"Fish was not taught a...traditional form of signing. Fish mostly learned codes and short signals." From what Astrid had read of the book and seen from Fish that much would be obvious. "Fish had to fill the gaps as best as Fish could."
Fish does look at the book with a quiet reverence for a moment. It was one of the few true gifts they'd been offered. It wasn't coming with any strings attached, just something shared with a friend to help them. They flip through a few pages for a moment just to look over the pages.
"Names are hardest for Fish....Fish normally just uses code words that Fish knows....Astrid is H-A-M-M-E-R." They opt for spelling this time because otherwise Astrid would just see the same sign twice with no context."
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Post by Lady Astrid Stormstone on Mar 17, 2024 21:34:16 GMT -5
“I think ya’ve done a good enough job a’ that,” Astrid says with kindness and understanding. “I’ve kinda had ta do that with speakin’ ta dwarves. I only learned a bit a’ their tongue when I was little, an’ the rest I had ta piece together from listenin’ ta folks while I was out on the streets.” A mirthless chuckle rattles her shoulders. “Stuff was tough fer kids like us, huh?”
Astrid watches them flipping through the book, turning pages slowly between diagrams of all the different steps to hand signs. “Ya know, I was kinda confused when I was learnin’ with that book. It was real weird comin’ across hammer. I thought that the sign fer looked familiar.” This time, her chuckle is amused. “I think it fits.” She looks at them before she decides just to ask. “How did ya get yer name, Fish? Did ya pick it fer yerself or did someone give it to ya? Ya don't have ta tell me if ya don't wanna, a' course. Just thought I'd ask.”
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Post by Fish the Tinkerer on Mar 17, 2024 21:47:13 GMT -5
"Fish used to only be able to mimic but..that hurts for long conversations if Fish has to use a lot of different voices. Vidros taught Fish some basic sign language so that Fish could communicate simple things with other guild members."
Fish was already memorizing some of the signs and the basics. Their photographic memory was a big reason why learning new things was easy for them. It was extra easy if they had a book to read, such as the case here.
"Technically it is **mimicked noises of a sword FWSHING through the air** but people cannot pronounce that. They thought Fish was saying fish and because Fish is a bird they believed that Fish was asking for food. Fish chose the name....Fish is not sure what Fish's parents meant to name Fish....that part Fish does not remember."
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Post by Lady Astrid Stormstone on Mar 17, 2024 22:11:01 GMT -5
Astrid crosses her legs, tucking her hand into her lap while she watches Fish’s hands move with interest on her face. “Is that someone who was in the guild with ya?” she asks. While she isn’t exactly sure of any details about the guild, but it must have been some collection of people who work in the shadows given Fish’s current skillset in the field. “Did ya have friends there?”
She stifles a giggle when Fish suddenly makes the noise of a sword slashing through the air, having not expected that. “I s’pose that sounds close enough ta Fish. Maybe I’d describe it more like a ‘fwish’!” As she makes the noise, she slices an imaginary sword through the air. “Probably more elegant than a hammer goin’ ‘fwoosh’ through the air.” Then she stifles another giggle. “Imagine if yer name were Fwoosh instead a’ Fish.”
Seeing the hesitant movement of Fish’s hands at the end, Astrid’s head tilts thoughtfully before her eyes drop down to look at her hand in her lap. “Kinda hard not ta think about folks ya don’t know much about, huh? Like… somehow knowin’ ‘em might answer questions fer ya.”
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Post by Fish the Tinkerer on Mar 17, 2024 22:29:41 GMT -5
Fish nods to the first question, but the second one gives them pause. It was certainly a complicated question. On one hand, the guild used Fish and manipulated a child into doing dangerous work and teaching them nothing but a life of crime. On the other hand, they did technically care for, feed, and shelter Fish. It may not have been great parenting, but it was better than the year they spent on the streets.
"Fish thinks so."
They tilt a head as Astrid goes through her thoughts on what the name could be. What if their name was Fwoosh instead of Fish? This was an existential crisis they were not ready for. Thankfully, it was a really short lived one. The question is inherently a little silly which makes it easier for Fish to move past.
"Fish is not sure if they looked for Fish.....but Fish also knows that if they had found Fish then Fish wouldn't be Fish....Fish has decided that worrying about what could have been is not a useful thought exercise. Fish cannot change it, so Fish should not worry about it. Fish likes the life that Fish has now."
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Post by Lady Astrid Stormstone on Mar 17, 2024 22:37:53 GMT -5
They seem to really ponder the second question, and Fish’s answer about having friends in the guild isn’t something they seem sure about. Astrid decides not to press it. They aren’t in that guild anymore, and their reasonable response that there’s no use thinking about things they can’t change feels familiar to Astrid. She’s thought similarly about her past, but that doesn’t stop her from wondering. Still, things are different for both of them now.
“Me too,” Astrid says with a smile. “Sometimes the stuff that weren’t so good at the time led us ta be way better than we were before. I’m happier now, an’ ya seem ta be too. We both got lots a’ folks that care a lot about us. An’ we get ta do a lot a’ cool stuff that other kids don’t get ta do. I’d say thin’s are pretty good.” She looks at her shoulder lacking an arm and wiggles it before giggling. “Even without this. When the two a' us are done, I'm gonna have a way better arm than that lump a' flesh!”
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Post by Fish the Tinkerer on Mar 18, 2024 21:12:14 GMT -5
"Fish was thinking we could add what Fish is calling a 'machine gun' to the arm." They dig through their bag to pull out a notebook.
In it is a detailed drawing of how the arm could transform and turn into a belt-fed machine gun. Of course, there is no thought put into how it would work at the moment. The design is just in the beginning phases. There are a lot of designs in the book giving Astrid a rare look into Fish's process for building.
Many of the ideas are crossed out or circled with a question mark. Fish seems to start idea first and draw until there is something that looks right. After that it is about finding out how to make that drawing into a reality. Some ideas clearly never would've worked and don't get this far, but others have theoretical possibilities.
Each page is also filled to the brim. There are notes, equations, and drawings everywhere. The chaos of it does make it hard to ingest in a single sitting, but that's part of the point. Fish knows how things connect, it wasn't meant for others to read.
"Fish was also thinking of making it heat resistant so it can shoot fire."
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Post by Lady Astrid Stormstone on Mar 18, 2024 22:17:22 GMT -5
When Fish produces their notebook and shows it to Astrid, her eyes do well not to cross while she tries to take the information in. A lot of her sketchbooks look something like this, an amalgam of scribbled information and doodles with rough ideas. Usually she cleans them up in a separate notebook when she’s ready to start producing a final product.
“Fire? An’ a firin’ mechanism fer a gun?” The idea of trying to work that into a prosthetic definitely makes her wonder how the heck they’re going to get that to work. But this puts her down a path of thinking of other things. What if it were armored? What if it could take the form of other weapons? What if it could cast magic? Or transform? Astrid’s eyes sparkle with inspiration when she looks at Fish again.
“That’s givin' me some ideas,” she says with a grin.
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Post by Fish the Tinkerer on Mar 18, 2024 22:30:21 GMT -5
"Fish would not do both, the fire and heat could set off the gunpowder which would be bad." They do similarly start to buzz when Astrid gets the flash of inspiration.
"Should we go back to building?" Another small and subtle sign of growth, but not calling it work was big for Fish. This was truly just for fun.
They skitter out of the fort if Astrid is game to dive back into it. Admittedly, the break was needed as Fish does come back with a bit clearer of a head to power through their work. Whatever energy they spend working tonight feels well spent when Fish thinks about it. The flurry of invention and design is a rush that the bird had never stopped to appreciate this before.
Tinkering was no longer a tool in Fish's arsenal of skills. It was slowly become something Fish really, really enjoyed doing. They always had, but never with this much freedom. Working with Astrid, they aren't afraid of being scolded for failure or reprimanded for going off-script to make something. This was where Fish would flourish.
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Post by Lady Astrid Stormstone on Mar 19, 2024 16:51:41 GMT -5
The need for sleep suddenly fades from Astrid as her mind starts generating new ideas, and before she’s even considered how to argue that they should, Fish is up and ready to get back to it. Admittedly, so is she. “Aye! But only if we get ta sleep in the fort!” Astrid says, crawling out after them. The two of them get settled back in the workshop, working on new ideas and things that they’d like to implement into the final version of the prosthetic if they can.
Before long, they have a list of viable options that utilize different magical enchantments that could be applied with golemancy, but they require the structure of the arm to be able to shift in shape, which risks the ability to add any intensive mechanics in the basics of the prosthetic. It’s not going to be easy to make, but the two of them can make it happen. This might be a different kind of fun than building the pillow fort, but these kids are fully engrossed in their project until the dark of night makes it hard to see in the workshop, and Astrid’s eyes struggle to stay open.
“We should–” She yawns, as much as she tries to fight it. “We should go ta bed…”
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Post by Fish the Tinkerer on Mar 19, 2024 17:19:42 GMT -5
Fish was all in on creating most of the intricate machinery before they did start to fall asleep as well. They wanted all of the making done so they could do the building in the morning. This was going to take the longest so knock as much of it out now as possible.
The bird is startled awake, instinctually reaching for a weapon. Thankfully, they don't carry any weapons while crafting so a finger gun is all that's drawn. Fish wants to protest and keep working, but even they have no argument when they are that tired.
They just nod and head towards the fort. Even tired, they still mimic some drawbridge noises though they are much slower and not as convincing as before. Fish has no energy to pretend to be kingly. They sploot into the cushions, laying down flat on their back.
Fish does set aside their alchemical equipment to not roll that around in their sleep. They then rustle out their cloak, flapping it out to serve as a blanket. It wouldn't quite cover the both of them, but it was close.
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Post by Lady Astrid Stormstone on Mar 19, 2024 17:44:46 GMT -5
Astrid tiredly pulls her hand away from Fish when she wakes them up, too sleepy to process the temporary but immediate danger. The two of them trudge back upstairs, and Astrid waits patiently for the “drawbridge” to let them in before hobbling inside and collapsing in the pillows and cushions beside Fish. After Fish flares out their cloak as a blanket, Astrid reaches over and pulls another blanket up for the two of them to use.
It takes little time for the two kids to pass out in the comfort of their friendship fort.
The next few days go similarly. Waking up, eating breakfast, spending hours in the workshop to work on parts of a prosthetic, and by the end of the day, having another working prototype that they can break down or repurpose to try to get the additional magics to function. Stress tests become more and more intense each day, and they make adjustments to each version’s golemancy runes to add more functional movement. Astrid makes use of each prosthetic to practice with it and provide feedback for the next iteration.
Within three days, they have a prosthetic with a full range of motion that can act as a magical focus and disguise itself. By the end of the week, they have one that can change its density and form into basic weapons. With a final refinement, the two of them have created a prosthetic that operates with almost the same motor function as Astrid’s real arm with as many features as they could pack into a limited amount of metal. It can be easily removed with some magnetic features powered by Astrid’s inherent lightning magic.
Throughout the process, Astrid’s mood improves significantly each day as they make progress. Finally, she’s feeling like things can go back to some kind of normal. It isn’t perfect, but the abilities of this prosthetic will not only make her day-to-day easier, but it’s a perfect tool for crafting and adventuring. Plus, spending time with a friend and showing Fish other fun activities besides their shared hobby, has been a lot of fun for her. She treats them to every fun kid thing she can think of.
Once they have the prosthetic finalized, the two of them spend time in the yard running the most intensive tests yet, ensuring that each ability of the arm functions as smoothly as possible. And to neither of their surprise, it does. Flexing the metal fingers and watching the magic dance between the gaps in the material, Astrid grins at Fish. “I think it’s about as perfect as we’re gonna get it!”
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Post by Fish the Tinkerer on Mar 19, 2024 19:03:18 GMT -5
Fish had rarely been so focused on a single project before, but this warranted it. Usually they could work on something else while another project was cooling down or they needed to wait for chemical reactions. Astrid had the bird's full focus which probably helps them get through it even faster.
The mechanics of the arm actually come together pretty quickly, the trick is the golemancy. The Desert Rose didn't see too many patients with nerve damage, but the few they have helped build the basis for Fish's tests. Get the gross motor skills down first, then work on the finesse. Every little step Fish works to cut down on the latency and improve the mobility.
Honestly, some of the models they decide to move on from could work for someone else. They just weren't going to work for someone who was going to be swinging around a big hammer and fighting monsters, that version of the arm had to be flawless. Fish wasn't going to risk Astrid's life with something that was "good enough." Took forever for the bird to find a true friend, so they weren't going to settle for anything less.
Outside Fish sets up the series of tests that range from everything from picking up a fork to taking a small battering ram to the shoulder and knocking down targets with the hammer. Meticulous notes are taken at every step of the test along with Astrid's personal experience to adjust, refine, and test again. When they get to the last test, Fish's shoulders drop a moment.
In a way they are sad to have finally perfected it because it meant this project was over, but it's also good to see Astrid in such high spirits. Plus Fish knew that this project wasn't something Fish would sell off and never see again. Astrid would still be around and Fish could see it in action.
They look over the arm one last time before nodding, "Alert Fish if there are any problems with it. We should be able to figure out the issue together."
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Post by Lady Astrid Stormstone on Mar 19, 2024 22:07:36 GMT -5
Fish’s tests are intensive, but Astrid appreciates that about them. It really tests the full scope of what this prosthetic can accomplish, but it also tests its durability. Some of the older iterations would have broken, but this one stays intact, plus anything that gets heavily damaged should be easily replaced with the way the components are modularly designed. The prosthetic has to survive a god if Astrid keeps adventuring the way she does.
After the final inspections by Fish, Astrid smiles. As she speaks, she signs back to them as if to show off how well she’s managed to get control of the thing. “A’ course I will. The two a’ us can figure out anythin’,” she says proudly.
Turning her new hand over and looking at it, Astrid is practically beaming. “This is really incredible. I bet we could make different versions like legs or tails or wings if we wanted ta. Ya know, in case ya get bored an’ need a new project. Those’ll have their own challenges ta overcome.”
Dropping her metal hand, Astrid looks at Fish. Not only is finishing this project a huge relief, but she had a great time doing it too. It was a perfect opportunity to spend time with someone she considers a dear friend. Fish is perfectly capable of taking care of themselves, but she would still fight the world to help keep them safe. She’d keep adventuring to build a world where Fish doesn’t have to do less than savory work and could focus on the things that bring them joy the way she’s seen them have fun this week.
Astrid drops down to her knees, the smile still on her face. “Can we do one last test ta see how well this thin’ does at givin’ hugs?” she asks.
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Post by Fish the Tinkerer on Mar 20, 2024 10:00:00 GMT -5
"Other limbs will take some work, but now that we have this blue print down, it should be much easier to build different limbs." Fish nods as they give their positive assessment of the arm.
Honestly, this week was the first time Fish had truly seen a path forward that wasn't still doing crime for good. Working with Del and Cyran helped funnel their activities into a more positive route, but this was something different. It was something that was much more intrinsically Fish.
They do blink at Astrid's question. There is a long and silent stare at the half-dwarf for a moment before Fish sets their notebook down. They adjust a few of their belts to move anything fragile out of the way before just standing still in front of Astrid. It was the sign Fish would accept a hug....and by accept a hug they mean Astrid will be allowed to squeeze them and Fish will not stab her in response. It wasn't much of a hug, but it was more than most got. H*ck, Fish has known Morrigan for years and they still risk a stab every ill-advised hug.
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