[The Infirmary] Helping People Back To Their Feet (Satevis)

[Minerva Agatha Zipporah]

Tock grinned, glad she had convinced the man to bring her the list, considering it likely wasn't what he'd expected when he offered to get her a few things. She couldn't wait to get to work. The Infirmary staff had told her they were out of crutches, thanks to the huge number of injuries since the storm. Well, she wasn't about to stay bed-bound. She'd just build her own! And make them far better than any that the hospital had to offer. "I'm Tock!" Minerva told the man when he asked her name. She wasn't sure why he told her his Dad's name. Must be an Ethaefal tradition or something. She wasn't about to tell him her Dad's name. She would just as soon forget that her deadbeat father ever existed. "I'll be right 'ere when ya get back," she said. "'Ell, ain't like I got much choice, aye?" She sighed, hoping she could change that soon. By the time Satevis gathered her supplies and returned, James had also come back, carrying Tock's tools. She'd been forced to leave them behind at the work site when she got carried off, and she had not been happy about that. She never went anywhere without her tools, and she did NOT want anyone else touching them. "I'd ask what you could possibly need these for in the Infirmary," James told her, "but I don't think I want to know. Just don't do any damage to the building, all right?" She smirked at him and gave him a playful smack. "Oy, no promises, mate," she said, checking her tools over to make sure they were in good shape. Once Satevis got back with her parts, she'd be all set to do some serious work...

[Satevis]

71st Day of Spring, 512 AV

Satevis closed the door to the young boy's room, raising his arms over his head and stretching once to help loosen stiff muscles. His Ethaefal form was hardier than his Benshira form, but he was still mortal. He could get injured, he could get poisoned, and he could very well get tense if he had spent all day sitting down and reading books. But it couldn't be helped. Finals were coming at what seemed like a faster and faster rate everyday, and he found himself spending his days and nights immersed in study.

He lowered his arms, straightening up as he made his way down the hallway. The medical staff had been swamped for tonight, but by now he had memorized which rooms he was to visit, so he didn't need their guidance. There was only one room left for tonight.

Tock's.

The Ethaefal sighed as he thought about the girl, making his way towards her room. He had come in last night with her supplies to find that her friend had brought her more things to build with. To be honest, he was worried about what she could be doing in there, but as long as she stayed in bed, he supposed it couldn't be a bad thing. He wasn't too sure what he would find when he entered her room though. From what he had heard, Tock had been at work crafting all day.

But crafting what, exactly?

Resigned to the fact that he was soon going to find out, Satevis knocked twice on her door. Remembering the incident from yesterday, he stayed out in the hallway this time. "Tock?" he asked. "It's Satevis. May I come in?"

[Minerva Agatha Zipporah]

After Satevis had brought her the supplies the night before, Tock had set to work. She already had an image in her head of what she wanted to build, but she needed to sketch it out first. She started by taking some measurements, measuring her own body. She measured her chest (and wasn't quite satisfied with that number, but oh well), her arms, her back, and her shoulders. Then she tried to measure her legs... but couldn't reach, considering the position she was stuck in. Grumbling, she tried to figure out a way to measure her leg without hurting herself, but couldn't figure out how. "Oy!" she called out, trying to get someone's attention. "Oy, 'ey, I need 'elp!" There was no answer. "OY!!" she shouted. Still nothing. What kind of infirmary was this? She could be lying on the ground in pain, and no one could hear her. Grumbling, she picked up one of the wooden poles Satevis had brought her, and used it to bang on the wall. When there was still no answer, she carefully used the pole to knock over the little end table by the door, which had a wooden basin and pitcher on it. The sound when they crashed to the ground finally drew someone's attention. "What's going on in here?" a nurse asked as she rushed into the room. Tock grinned at her and said, "Oy, ya deaf, aye? I been shoutin' fer 'elp!" The nurse rushed over to check on her, concern etched over her face. "What is it? Are you hurt?" she asked. "Nah," Tock said, handing the woman the leather strip she used as a ruler. "I jus' need 'elp measurin' 'ow tall I am." The woman looked at her like she was crazy. "Miss..." "Tock," she interrupted. "Ain't no 'Miss'. Jus' Tock." The nurse sighed, and planted her hands on her hips. "Fine, Tock," she said. "This is a place of healing. I can't have you making a disturbance just because..." "But I's gonna fail class!" Tock protested. This was a flat out lie. "I's been stuck up in 'ere all day, an' I's gonna be 'ere 'til Gods know when. If'n I don't get 'ese measurements, I'll fail everythin'!" She gave the woman a pouty look, holding up the measuring strip. The nurse finally sighed. "Fine," she said. "But quickly, please, Mi-... Tock. I have rounds to make." Tock nodded her agreement, and guided the woman through what measurements she needed to take, jotting down numbers the whole time. Once the nurse had left, she set about working out her blueprints. She took the numbers from the measurements, and estimated her weight, then started adding everything up to figure out how big the cuts she had to make were. She then etched out the design she had come up with, sketching everything carefully to scale, and measuring the springs and other pieces Satevis had brought to make sure everything would fit. By the time she finished the calculations and had the blueprints drawn out, it was getting late, and she went to sleep. Of course, the next day, she had nothing else to do but lie here all day. She couldn't get out of bed, needed help from a nurse to relieve herself, and was generally grumpy all day. So, to keep her mind off things (and make sure she got out of this predicament sooner rather than later), she kept working. Stuck in bed, she started carving. The poles didn't need much work, just some measurements and cutting to make sure they were the right length. The cutting wasn't easy... she didn't have a proper work table, and couldn't get out of bed to work. She finally convinced the nurse to bring the end table over next to her bed (though she had to promise to keep quiet since this was a 'place of healing, not a workshop'). Well, if'n 'ey'd let me leave I wouldn't need ta work 'ere! she thought. With the poles clamped down to the end table, and a bit of careful (and painful) shifting in the bed, she managed to find an angle that would let her cut. The nurse came back twice to tell her to keep it down, then finally shut her door to block out the noise of sawing. Once the poles were cut to the right length for Minerva's height, she leaned them against the bed, and set to work on the wooden boards. This work was done in her lap, which was easier. She made the measurements and etched the design on the boards, then set to work with her chisels. She had to carve out grooves to fit the joints into, then shape the top edge of each board into a curve that would fit under her arm. Since there was nothing artistic about the design, though, it was done easily enough. She chiseled, then filed and smoothed the boards, and set them on the side of her bed. The nurse who brought her lunch complained about the sawdust and wood shavings everywhere. "What a mess!" she protested. "Young lady, I can't believe you! Can't this... whatever this is wait until you get out of here?" "Oy, I's gonna be stuck in 'is 'ere bed at least two weeks!" Minerva replied. "'Ow's I supposed ta get my work done 'en, aye? I got finals comin' up, an' I can't just lay 'ere all day, wastin' away while 'ere's work ta be done!" "But... you're making a mess. This is..." "A 'place o' 'ealin',' aye, I know," Minerva replied. "But I ain't 'urtin' nobody else. My foot's fine, I ain't gonna get infected o' nothin', an' I ain't botherin' nobody but myself, aye? Aye." The nurse sighed, but finally relented. Through the afternoon, Minerva worked on assembly. The poles weren't needed yet... they actually wouldn't be attached until the very, very end. For now, it was just a matter of getting the rest of the pieces together. Two of the springs were screwed onto the end cap of the wooden boards. The small metal plates were then attached to the springs. For that part, that was it; the metal plates were simply mounted on the ends of the springs so they stuck out just past the arms when the boards were held under the armpits. Next the joints and the rest of the springs were screwed into place. The springs were placed on either side of the joints in alternation (spring, joint, spring, joint, spring). Extra pieces of wood cut off the rest were mounted outside the first and last springs to hold them in place. Once everything was screwed into place and secured, the joints would bend back and forth between the springs, though the springs could handle a decent amount of pressure. They would have to, for the contraption to support Minerva's weight. The copper rod was attached to the back end of each board, along with one of the leather straps. A second strap was attached across the front, and the last two attached to the tops so they would wrap over the shoulders. Once all the straps were screwed into the wood, Minerva tried the contraption on, making a few adjustments until it was a comfortable fit. The final fitting had the wooden boards tucked under her arms, the same way as the top piece of a pair of crutches. The straps fit across her back and chest, and over her shoulders. She was wearing the contraption when Satevis came in that night. Her bed was covered in wood shavings and sawdust, and she had tools scattered about everywhere. When she heard his voice she called out, "Oy, come on in, mate!" She grinned at him as she adjusted the straps on what she was wearing, then gestured to her foot. "Oy, after ya do the foot thing, can ya help me down onto the floor?"

[Satevis]

Satevis opened the door at her word, stepping into the room. The first thing he noticed was the smell of sawdust and cut wood, a smell that was completely different from the usual antiseptic smell of the infirmary. He stared at her. She was lying in bed, covered in sawdust, with her tools and other items loosely placed on the end table that had somehow found its way to her side. She was also wearing some strange contraption, that upon closer inspection, he found to be crutches, just with shoulder straps that held it in place.

He didn't know anything about carpentry, but the crutches looked sound to him. He was impressed, despite the fact that she had made a mess of the hospital room and had probably driven the nurses crazy. She had built all that in one day?

He frowned at her request, walking up to her. From what he understood, she wanted him to help her get out of bed. His Common was fairly good, but she had an accent, so it made him think hard about what she was saying. He could see her wanting to test her invention out. "I'm not entirely sure that it would be wise," he said. "...Or that I'm allowed to do that." His eyes moved towards the door. There were no nurses in the room and the door was shut. If he did help her, they wouldn't be caught, unless she managed to injure her foot even more. "Did they say you were allowed to move?" he asked.

While waiting for her response, he stood in front of her foot and once again placed his hands in the area around it, closing his eyes and letting the power flow from him. He imagined it in his head like the hands of a clock, making two full rotations before stopping. The whole change happened in an instant, and maybe today she would be able to feel something. After all, he had just turned what should have been a day-old injury into a three-day-old one. He didn't know how long broken bones took to heal, but he wondered if the swelling would start letting up, at least.

He glanced at her, wondering what else he could say to dissuade her. He had seen from the diagrams in the infirmary that the foot was made up of many small bones. He didn't know how firm the cast around her foot was, or whether or not they were easy to displace. "You could injure yourself more if you move before you're supposed to," he said.

[Minerva Agatha Zipporah]

"Look, mate," Minerva said, "I's gettin' outta 'is bed one way 'o 'nother, aye? Aye." She pulled off her creation and set it aside for the moment, then pointed at the floor next to her bed. "Ya can either 'elp me do it, so's as I don't 'urt myself more, o' ya can watch while I climb down and deal wit' ya guilty conscience if'n ya see me get 'urt real bad like an' know ya could've 'elped prevent it, aye? Aye." With or without his help, she would climb down to the floor. Hopefully he would assist her so she wouldn't injure herself further in the process. Once she was situated on the floor, she gestured to the bed and asked Satevis, "Oy, ya mind pushin' 'er up 'gainst the wall for me? Thanks, mate. I need the floor space, I do." Again, if for any reason he didn't want to help, she would (with great difficulty and lots of whining to make him feel guilty) do it herself. Once that was done, she also asked for his help in cleaning the floor. The wood shavings needed to be swept up, then the floor wiped down with a wet cloth and dried. All of which she would have quite a hard time doing without aggravating her foot. Once all that was done, it was time to REALLY get to work. Using borrowed chalk from the classroom, Minerva started carefully etching a pair of linked circles on the floor. The larger one was around herself, and took up a good chunk of the floor space, since she needed room to have her leg stretched out and resting on a pillow. The second was just over two feet wide, and she placed her new creation inside it. Once the circles were drawn and linked, if Satevis was sticking around to watch, she would tell him, "Stay back, mate. Don't touch nothin', an' don't break the circles o' else you'll make a right mess o' the whole thing." She actually wasn't quite sure what would happen if he broke the circles. She was still fairly new in her studies. She had apprenticed to an Animator before coming to Zeltiva, and was in an Animation class right now, but she was still very inexperienced. But hey, what's the worst that could happen? She used one of her woodcarving gouges to prick her palm, and leaned forward to carefully squeeze out a drop of blood onto the line connecting the circles. Then she leaned back, placing her hands gently in her lap, and closed her eyes. One of the big questions her professors kept asking was, 'What is a soul?' It was more than just the astral energies that bound someone's mind and body. It was something that could be pure, or tainted. Something that could be nourished, or starved. Each one was different, and unique, and the first step was getting in touch with yours. This single, first step of the Animation process could take years to learn. Minerva thought of her Granddad. He symbolized everything she thought of as good in her own soul. Compassion, though she sometimes knew she fell short in that. Drive, something you just had to look around her room to see she had, considering how determined she had become to complete this project. Passionate, in her case usually in her anger and stubbornness. Creative and intelligent, though she knew she was far from wise. And then she found it. Deep inside her, that flutter of pride, determination, passion, and even guilt that she knew was the feel of her soul. She opened her eyes and a blue glow shone from them. She wasn't seeing the physical world before her, but rather the edges of the astral plane. In the other circle, her creation sat as a void, a dark spot among the swirling color that only she could see. That void yearned to be filled. Satevis would begin to see a glow emanating from Minerva's body. It expanded into a fluid aura that extended from her on all sides, wavering in the air the way cloth would move underwater, gently billowing as if carried by some unseen force. That force was the astral energies Minerva was now touching. Slowly, from her chest, over her heart, a swell began to form. It grew and quivered like a dewdrop hanging from a flower petal, stretching towards the second circle. It stretched and yearned to break free, and eventually it did, floating through the link into the second circle, and splashing into the awaiting object. Slowly, all the glows faded, as the souls merged with their bodies. Minerva's soul was drawn back inside herself, and the automaton's new Soulcore settled inside its body, nestling in and getting used to its new home. Minerva's eyes fluttered shut, then slowly opened with a tired look in them. OOCThe Animation skill thread is very detailed about the animation PROCESS, but not about the visual effects or incantations, meditation, or other effects used. And from what I've seen there are almost no Animators on the site so far (in searching character sheets I found less than half a dozen 'active' characters using the skill, almost no one who had developed it beyond their starting package skills, and NONE above 'competent' level), so I don't really have a frame of reference for how the process should look or feel. I did my best here to stick with the details listed in the main Animation article, but there seemed to be a lot of room for making things look cool. Thus I've decided to take a bit of creative freedom with making it (hopefully) look cool. I think the visual effects of the process go a long way to adding to the mystique of this rarely used magic. Hope you all enjoy the results.

[Satevis]

Satevis sighed. It was clear that she would not give on this issue. She would be getting out of bed, one way or another. There was a word in Shiber for people like her, but he wasn't sure if it would be appropriate for the situation. At any rate, he couldn't in good conscience let her injure herself more while she did whatever it was that she wanted to do. That would completely undo all of the good he was doing in the infirmary. He obligingly stepped forward, crouching down and allowing the girl to sling an arm around his shoulders. He wrapped his own arm around her waist, gently helping her to her feet. He had to remain crouched for most of this, as he was over a foot taller than her in this form.

He had no idea what she needed the floor space for, but he nodded once as she asked him if he could push the bed against the wall. "Very well," he said. "Just give me a moment." The Ethaefal stepped away from her slowly, making sure that she was firmly on her feet, before bracing his hands on the bed and shoving it against the wall. He sincerely hoped that none of the medical staff came in right now. He had no desire to get kicked out of the hospital.

Satevis straightened up, pushing his hair out of his eyes and turning back to her. She had crouched down, and was now etching circles on the floor with chalk. He watched from a distance, intrigued. The circles had to be magical in nature--there was no other reason for her to draw them. He hadn't guessed that she was a mage. Maybe it was time for him to start learning Auristics. Still, although he could tell that the circles had a magical purpose, he couldn't place what magic they were for. They certainly weren't any glyphs that he had studied.

He nodded absently as he told her to stay back, making sure his feet were well out of the way of her chalk circles before going back to watching her. Satevis forgot his irritation and concern in the face of a new form of magic. He could feel a familiar sense of excitement running through him, the memories of his past lives reminding him of other times he had dabbled in the arcane. This wasn't the first time, but the Benshira he had been before had never touched magic. Taras had always felt guilty, knowing that it was against the beliefs of his people in Yahebah. But it seemed like no matter what body Satevis's soul inhabited, it was drawn to forbidden and powerful things...

It disturbed him, because not all of his incarnations had turned their gifts towards good.

The thoughts were dark, and he pushed them away, his eyes turning from the magic to the mage. Tock worked with stubborn determination, and although he was concerned that she would injure herself and slightly annoyed that she had bullied him into this, he couldn't help but admire it. Her foot had to be paining her terribly, but he recognized the drive. It was the same drive he felt when it came to learning magic, the very reason he had been given such stern lectures on the dangers of overgiving. It was why he limited himself to one magic class at a time. He wasn't sure if he trusted himself with more.

He didn't move as she pricked her palm, knowing that some magic needed blood. Certainly, his Reimancy initiation had been worse than this. Satevis watched curiously as she dropped the blood onto the line. And then the magic began. He stayed silent through the glow, the display, and the aura, feeling now the djed swirling around her and bending to her will. He didn't know what she was doing, but he was starting to get an idea. He forced himself to stay still as a part of her own energy left her, knowing that to interrupt now would probably be fatal, although he was concerned that something might have gone wrong.

When the glow faded and she opened her eyes, he let out the breath he had been unconsciously holding, exhaling slowly. The crutches lay on the ground, unmoving, but something had changed in them.

An animator. She was an animator.

"That was..." he finally said, searching for the words in Common. He resisted the urge to barrage her with questions, knowing that she was still injured and healing. "...quite the display. What properties have you given to your invention?"

[Minerva Agatha Zipporah]

Minerva leaned back on her hands, letting out an exhausted sigh. Her butt was sore from having to sit on the cold, hard floor the entire time. Her leg was stiff from being stretched out to rest her foot on the pillow. And her foot hurt from moving around so much. She idly wondered whether that pain had been transferred to the Soulcore. Would it, now and for all of its existence, have an ache in one of its springs? A false, phantom pain that mimicked its creator's pain at the time she 'gave birth' to its soul? She wasn't sure. But it probably didn't matter. The automaton wasn't going to have a full mind or personality. Just a minor set of directives and instincts, with no more consciousness than an insect. Still, it was something to ask her professors about. She looked up at Satevis, feeling drained. "Ain't no properties yet, Guv," she told him. "Jus' gave 'er a soul, 'at's all. Ain't no overnight process, 'is 'ere. Gotta work on 'er more tomorrow..." "Mind 'elpin' me up?" she asked, holding her arms up so he could lift her. She pointed to the motionless, newborn automaton, "'At can't move from 'at spot, under ANY circumstances, aye? If'n she moves, the 'ole thing's a screw up. Might 'ave a stray soul floatin' 'bout without a 'ome then, aye? An' be real REAL careful like what not fer ta touch the circles while ya 'elpin' me. I don't wanna die or nothin'." Once again, she wasn't actually sure what would happen if there was a screw up at this stage. She'd never tried something like this without experienced supervision before. Once she had gotten carefully situated back in the bed, she smiled at Satevis and said, "Oy, thanks! You's one mighty fine 'elpful bloke, ya is. I sure do 'preciate all ya 'elp." OOCDepending whether Satevis has more questions for her about the animation process, you can feel free to skip to another new day, either in this post or the next round after. Whenever you like.

[Satevis]

OOCUnfortunately, you can't just show magic to Satevis and expect to get away without a couple of questions. This probably won't take too long, though. He knows she's healing.

So animation is an extended process... he mused as she explained that she had simply given the machine a soul. ...Or is it just extended at her level? He knew that some things became easier with time. His own reimancy had originally been fire alone, but now he could extend his control to both fire and water. He nodded absently as she asked him to help her up, his mind still focused on the magic she had just shown him, already trying to work out the details. He had enough presence of mind to not disturb the circles or the invention as he leaned down, gently pulling Tock to her feet and trying not to disturb her foot. Satevis had a soft touch, so he would hopefully manage to do it without paining her too much. Still, she was moving, so a little pain was only to be expected.

"You may want to explain the situation to the medical staff, so that they don't make the mistake of disturbing it when they come to check on you," he said as he helped her back into the bed. "In fact, why don't you write a note so that I can post it on your door on the way out?" He found himself invested in the process of keeping the automaton safe until it was completed. He wanted to see its effects of the magic.

If Tock was perceptive, she might notice a change in his manner. Whereas earlier he had been calmly detached, if a little exasperated, now he seemed almost...excited. His manner was still as polite as usual, but it seemed a little more involved now, and there was a slight gleam of curiosity in his eye. "What are you hoping to do with it?" he asked, once he was safely in bed. "And how long will the overall process take? Are you imbuing it with your own personal djed, or is this a form of world magic?"

He paused, realizing that he was asking too many questions. Satevis gave her a slightly sheepish smile, taking a step back. "My...apologies," he said. "I am...interested in the arcane. I've never seen anything like that before. It's quite different from Reimancy, for sure."

[Minerva Agatha Zipporah]

Minerva snapped her fingers at the man's suggestion and pointed at him as she said, "Good idea mate! 'Ere, one sec..." She scrawled a simple but direct note: Keep out!!! Work in Progress! No entry without express permission!!!!! AND DON'T DISTURB THE CIRCLES!!!!! As she got settled in and he asked what the automaton was, she replied, "Animated crutches. I need somethin' ta get me 'round the next couple o' weeks. Should be able ta walk on 'er own... well 'nough ta get me 'ere an' there, anyway. Should jus' take a couple more days. Tomorrow I'll program 'er up real good, 'en the next day, teach 'er ta move an' wake 'er up. 'En I can git out 'is damn bed an' back ta work!" She was quite excited about that prospect. "Ain't no personal," she said, then scratched her head and thought about it. "Well, it's a WEE bit personal. Copied off a piece o' my own soul, I did. But it's all just buildin' stuff. Jus' need the right parts. Wood parts, metal parts, soul parts. Ain't no diff," she shrugged. It was all the same to her. Hammer and nails, or blood and spirit, it was all just parts and process to make a whole. "Ain't no need ta 'pologize," she told him with a shrug. "'At's what 'is 'ere Uni is fer, aye? Learnin' stuff. Teachin' stuff. We all gots ta learn somewhere..."

[Satevis]

Satevis sighed inwardly as he stared at the sign. He had a feeling that the infirmary staff might have some issues with the "No Entry Without Express Permission" part, but arguing with Tock would take too much time. He would post the sign up on the way out and explain the situation to the nurse's before he left. His mind was already working through what he would say. He would probably say she was working on an assignment that wasn't to be disturbed. It was close enough to the truth.

He listened intently as she explained that the contraption would become animated crutches, looking between her and the newly formed automaton. So it would take three days total, one to animate the machine, one to program it, and another to teach it necessary skills. He wondered if it took less time when she was whole, or if it always took this much time. He supposed it took more time for more complex projects.

He nodded once in a while as Tock explained that animation wasn't quite personal magic. So it was a form of world magic, but it did make use of one's soul as...what? The magical equivalent of blueprints? The whole process was intriguing, and if Tock weren't injured and he wasn't in a hurry, he would probably ask her more questions. As it was, he had to restrain himself, reminding himself of his glyphing homework that was due in...oh, thirteen bells.

He smiled, nodding once as she mentioned that the University was a place of learning. His smile had an almost embarrassed note to it. He didn't mean to go off on a tangent like that. But honestly...when it came to magic, he could be like a child with a present. "True enough," he said. "Well, it's a very intriguing process, and I think I'd like to watch you complete it, if it won't take too long." He chuckled softly, shaking his head. "Although I really can't afford to learn more magic right now. I'm already behind in glyphing."

"At any rate, I should be going. I'll post your sign up on the door on the way out."

And inform the nurses... he added silently to himself, picking up the sign. "See you tomorrow," he said.

OOCFeel free to change the day in your post if you want. Otherwise, I'll change it in my next post.