Fulfilling a Request (Tock)

by **Rayage** on June 18th, 2012, 8:03 pm

Summer 15 512 AV, Late Night

The tail eating serpent, Ouroboros

The nuit had been hard pressed to book the lab for his own personal use. He found the whole process tiring and rather inconvenient. He much preferred his private lab in Sahova towards this University deal, but it seemed the process and popularity of the labs has not changed at all over the course of one hundred years. It was much the same, and to his dismay, most of what he had observed from the students who had booked the labs wasn’t what he would call ‘Alchemy’, more like ‘Trash’. His opinion did not matter because they were not his students. He hoped his students would have more drive and creativity than this. That is if they survive his brutal classes and challenges.

However, having watched several experiments being performed the lab was now his. The darkness of night had set in and he was likely the only one in this part of the University. The lab of golden decoration made him want to claw his own eyes out. He hated the color scheme, but he was just lucky that he could get the lab this late. Though he was a Professor. Not needing the University’s support, the nuit had bought his own materials for this project.

On one of the tables laid all his supplies, two silk scarves, ten bars of iron, and one square foot of silk. Immediately he went over to the table, and spread the one square foot of silk out. Drawing his dagger, he held the edge over the center of the silk. Swiping the dagger through the air, drawing a line in the air, from the top of the silk to the bottom, he repeated this process a couple times. The dagger going up, stopping, and then slowly slicing the air all the way to the bottom of the material, again and again he did it, building up a muscle and mental memory of the action. By doing this it ensured that his line would be straighter, and when he was confident in his ability and how his dagger was traveling he pierced the fabric, cutting it from top to bottom. Two pieces being the result. Cut in half, just about perfect.

He then took the one of the two halves, and did it again, cutting it in half after practicing the swipe in the air. Then with both of those halves he also cut them too. Now he had four smaller pieces. He repeated the process with the bigger of the two halves. Eventually he had eight of just about the same size rectangular pieces of fabric.

Putting the dagger away now that was done, the nuit looked at the circle. It wasn’t set up how he would have liked it to be. The circle itself only had two founts and two filters. Someone not as skilled as he used it last. Oh well. He didn’t have the time to change it, and besides, things tended to turn out better if one takes it one step at a time. He didn’t see this as a limitation, but rather something to help him keep his pace, a tool to be used.

Clapping his hands together, he thought that time was wasting as he stood there contemplating the complexity of the circle. Besides, he could make it more complex by using glyphing. He had augmented his circles before using glyphs. Why not now? First, however, he had to figure out the polarity of the circle. It would be a shame to waste resources over stupid details like this. Stepping over to the circle, the nuit bent to the keystone and flowed a bit of his Djed into the circle, feeling it out. Once his personal power made a trip or two around the nuit had accurately read the circle, noting the positive and negative sides of the circle.

Getting back up he went and placed a piece of silk in the center of the circle. Going back, he loaded the circle with two iron bars, placing them carefully in the center of each fount. Stopping, he went to the inscribing paint he had picked up and opened the jar. Dipping a couple fingers in the nuit started the process of glyping the circle. In slow, sharp, faithful streaks the nuit slowly began producing the beginning of a rune which would encompass the circle. The beginnings of an arrow, its line traversing the circumference of the circle, the point eventually formed at the end of the square beginning of the arrow. This was just the beginning of it. He needed a good visualization to do this work, to visualize the alchemy and the power it was going to bring him, the change it was going to encourage.

On either side of the arrow symbols of all sorts and shapes were drawn. Slowly one character at a time was drawn. Zig-zags, curves, straight lines, all were used in the creation of this rune. Placed close together as if the nuit was afraid to waste floor space, he crammed them as close as he could without touching, in a seemingly random order. Going around the circle, he made his round, and at the tip of the arrow around it he drew the head of a snake, mouth open, and fangs showing about to bite down on its own tail. The Ouroboros, the serpent eating its own tail. Though it didn’t look that good, nothing but a crude ‘cave drawing’, but that isn’t what was important. What was important was how he could see it and what it would do for his Alchemy. The runes around the arrow, if looked from an aerial view, would look almost like scales, if someone would get the symbolism of the Ouroboros.

Going to the inside of the circle he started a chain of glyphs, almost mimicking the rows of them on the snake. Though he didn’t quite go into that much detail with the inside ring. This was going to form a path, keeping his djed in line, tight, but not only that it would help him accelerate the energy too without having to worry about it bouncing off the ring. With this… he could go faster without too much more strain on keeping the ring under control. This was the power and security of glyphs.

With that done he was finally ready to do the transmutation. Taking out his dagger once more he held it to his left hand, and gently pricked his middle finger. Squeezing the small wound until ichor came out the alchemist put the hand on the keystone, once more creating a connection between him, the circle, and everything inside it. He was now god, controlling the change and altering substances to his will. With that thought he smiled willing the transmutation to take place, willing the djed in the founts to move, willing them to activate, willing them to bend to his will, willing them to create what he cannot alone. Even a god needs something to create out of, his form of ‘something’ just happened to be pure identity.

He was an artist and alchemy was his art. He did not use paint brushes or sculpting chisels, he didn’t craft clothing with bits of thread and animal skin, nor did he smelt metal or blow glass. No, his art was different. His art was unique. His tools were not things, his tools was his mind and his ability to concentrate on the task at hand, and his artwork, well, that was the fabric of reality and identity itself. He changed it, warped it with the power of the circle, his canvas on which his art is performed. He was an artist. He was an alchemist, he was change itself, and reality will bend to his will.

He willed the energy about the circle, stands of pure identity, unhindered by the nonexistent filters, edged about the circle. The flow, as always, started out slow. The nuit hadn’t properly stretched yet, and therefor would take things slow until he got warmed up. Until he can feel the fire within him, that spark of holy creation, the energy trickle will gradually work its way up in speed. The speed itself an indicator of the nuits progress and concentration, a symbol of where his mind was at the moment, but more importantly it showed just how open the door to change was.

As an alchemist one will open many doors, but none so as important as that of change, the door of the alchemy circle, and the key to that door, to unlocking the immense powers of change, well, the key is that very energy stream flowing around the circle. It was turning, just like one would turn a key inside a lock, and it was flowing, spinning, gaining momentum and with that gaining the possibility to change. It wasn’t just the process which made alchemy what it is, but it was the djed flux which dictated the many possibilities and how long lasting the product will be.

The circle built and the energy moved faster and faster around it. The nuits mind shifted inwards the mantra of alchemy and the demeanor of concentration coming over his being. This alchemy, this transmutation at this moment, is all which existed now in the nuits reality. He was in a world his own, of his own creation and yet not. He was between creation and imagination, reality and unreality, the waking world and that of dreams, of clear messages and the ones obscured by too much thought. Messages with a simple meaning but complex way of showing it that was the symbolism of alchemy, that was the symbolism of his mind.

In his minds eye he could see the circle as clearly as his could. In his minds eye he could see the Ouroboros clear as day, and within it the energy of the alchemy circle. Ray, however, was commanding that, both the energy and the power of Ouroboros. He was both inside and yet at the same time, outside the alchemy serpent. He was connected to it by the great alchemy circle, but he was also standing just outside it, stepping on the immortal serpent itself.

With this visualization in mind, he had the confidence and power to make the alchemical energies spin faster, faster, and yet faster still! He pushed himself and his concentration, with the help of the stylized glyphed path helping direct the flow, pushed the identity itself to go faster and faster. His mind was on nothing else. The alchemist can feel the energy raise in the circle as it flew around the ring, visibly, emitting a soft light, the energy going so fast as to make the alchemy ring itself glow all the way around. He could feel energy tugging at the circle, wanting to jump off it, wanting to go out of control, and if it weren’t for the glyphs he had set it probably would had happened. Never before had he got the alchemical flux to go this fast.

Faster and faster it went, stretching the power of even the glyphs, and he knew he could no longer hold the energy. This was it; this was the start of something grand. With that he moved his hand off the keystone, and stumbled backwards as the energy was willed to the center of the alchemy circle. The acceleration of power collided with the stagnant energy in the center, awaiting the power of change, and a flash took place, blinding and large, the nuit shielded his eyes, but only for a second. That was as long as the light lasted, a second, before the product was revealed in the middle.

Quickly heading to the center he picked up the product and examined it. The silk had gained the properties of the iron bars. It was cold, it was hard, it was tough, it was no longer silk, but something else. Noting the physical changes the nuit dropped the product into a vat of water, hopefully dispelling most of the alchemical radiation. Leaving it there he reset the circle, placing another bar on the fount, and placing another piece of silk in the center. Taking the product out of the water, he dried it off and set it in the fount slot.

Ouroboros was holding up quite well. Recreating the connection between him and the items, the nuit drew more ichor and placed the same injured finger on the keystone, eventually the hand was flat on the stone as the nuit crouched there. He was again commanding the energies of change, going to open yet another door. Further change was in need. Further change, further evolution, further creation.

Getting back in his groove Rayage continued to will the energy faster, he wanted it to go around the circle. He needed it to go faster, he needed the energy to raise and open the door to change. He needed a further countenance to what he was going to do. He needed to get back into that state again, where he was between reality and dreams. This little meditation, this ritual which he performed almost religiously, helped him be the great alchemist he already was. It was this meditation and will which changed this nuit into an expert alchemist. It was by his own power that the world bended to him and it was by his own hand that he had go as far as he have so far.

Faster the energy went until eventually it got to the same speed of which he had gotten it before, and it was at that time he discharged the energy, releasing his influence and allowing the change to take place. Another Flash, another product, another something that needed to be tamed… Quickly going over the nuit threw the product into the vat of water, trying to dispel most of the radiation.

From there he let it sit in the water while he went over to his desk and wrote down the first formulas to this alchemical equation.

“S+I+I=S1
S+S1+I=S2”

Satisfied with his progress he also noted the new physical properties of the silk used in the experiment. It was quite a long haul from what he wanted, but it was a start.

Now he would reverse the process. Yes. His purpose here was to find an equal medium to the two substances of which he wanted to fuse. He wanted “Ironsilk”, and he knew form past experiments that the silk wouldn’t be silk anymore, nor would it be iron. It would be something between. It would be different, something that cannot be found in this world. An otherworldly material. Yes… that is what he was going to give to Tock to work with.

Writing down the new formula he was going to use the nuit, afterwards, loaded the circle just as described in the formula.

“I+S+S=I1”

Once loaded, iron in the center as the target of the alchemical energies and silk on both sides, the nuit reconnected with the circle and almost gasped, shivering with power. He loved this feeling, the feeling that you get as you connect with everything else. The feeling of complete control, of complete authority, of having no adversary. Shutting, he laughed, this feeling always overcame him as he made the connection. He felt so powerful while doing alchemy, and it was this feeling that drove him to do what he does. He loved this feeling of control. He especially loved it when life was involved in the circle. Just the thought of having control over somebodies fate, if they live or die, that was true power and that is what made him get really giddy. Though, this was for a different purpose, but it still gave him that little high, that sensation of power, and therefore it would be good.

The connection was made, and the energy started to slither about the circle, clockwise. He was into it, and therefore it didn’t take nearly as long to get the energy to optimal level. It was amazing. When Ray got into the mood, when he had a mission in mind, when he had proper time to warm up things were going to be flying out of the circle. The energy now racing around the circle, many times a second, he stepped back, willing it to the center. The flash was made, and now the iron had the properties of the silk in the fount.

Taking the product he set it in the barrel of water ready just for that purpose. A sploosh and water would fly out as it was carelessly dropped in. Droplets marking the floor… Giving it time to ‘cool off’ the nuit waited to take it out. Reloading the circle with a piece of silk as a fount, and an iron bar in the center, he went over to his notes and wrote the formula out, right under the others.

“I+I1+S=I2”

Taking out the product of his last transmutation he carefully dried it off. He did not want any ‘water’ in the equation. That would ruin the experiment. Or… would it? He didn’t have time to think of the possibilities. He had an experiment to finish and the products to ask… Gah, he was getting frusturated with himself, getting so off task.

Loading the circle he placed the product “I1” into the circle and connected again. He had no time to waste. He only had this laboratory for so long. He had to get this done. The energies move with a sudden jump, exploding their identities over of the circle, spreading it over the wire of which it traveled. He was opening yet another door. Behold, young mortals, the power of change.

Building and building and building to its climax, the energetic flux surged being propelled by the will of the alchemy master, and god. The slight hum of power and the warmth of djed could be felt radiating off the circle as the energy was forced to velocities unheard of for this nuit. He was using quite a low-powered alchemy circle, but though his power and his glyphs he was able to transform it into something more. His art will equal more than the sum of its parts that is the beauty of advanced alchemy.

Feeling it was time, the nuit completed the transmutation. Ending it, the circling energies collided with the object in the center, and changed it likewise. Repeating the process, the nuit quickly placed the product into the purifying water. Now, he had a bit more work to do.

Looking at his notes he wrote out the rest of his plan:

“I2+S2=IS1
SC+IS1=SCIS1”

That was the product he wanted. Setting product “I2” in the center of the circle, he fished out “S2” and dried it off, loading the circle with only that. Ichor still staining the keystone, the nuit placed his hand on it and once again felt the connection to the alchemical circle. Willing the energies around, he made them go faster and faster. With every transmutation he did the more warmed up he got, the faster he could do the transmutations.

Soon getting to the peak of what he could he will, the nuit was at his limit. Sending the energy cascading at the center, another flash accrued, and changes were made. Everything was going according to plan thus far. Now he had to do was one more step.

Putting the product into the water, the nuit worked more quickly, and loaded the circle once more. This will be the final transmutation for this experiment, and this will end it all. This item will be what he had sought from the beginning.

Placing one of the silk scarves in the center of the circle he grabbed his latest product and placed it in the fount slot. Connecting once again to the circle the nuit smiled, this was going to be it. This was going to be the product he was out for. It all ended here. This will be the final door he would have to go through to arrive to the destination of which he had traveled. Willing the energy around, the nuit was hasty in wanting to be done with this. It seemed that the elementary concepts were the ones of which he used the most. He would be sure to note that to his class.

The energy didn’t take long at all to get to its peak, as was said before Rayage was at his peak and he could easily manipulate such a small circle. Feeling the power of change build up within him, and within the circle the magic was now visible, and even tangible. Sparks were coming off the circle, hitting random places in the lab. This was where the shielding of the laboratory showed its power. The shields glittering with power for a second as it absorbed the stray alchemical energy. It seemed that Ouroboros has had enough. He would have to redraw it for the next set of transmutations. Yes, that was right he was making two of these unique scarves.

Letting the energy go, it collided with a spark here and there, making a flash and changing the scarf to something more. He had successfully elevated its existence with Djed. Crossing the circle the nuit took the scarf in his hands and smiled. What had he created? It was unique. It felt like silk, but was a bit stiffer in its movements. It felt cold to the touch and had a metallic shine to it. It was both silk and iron, but yet not. It was something more, it was different, and in its difference it was unique, unable to be crafted by any other means. Gently he placed the scarf into the water, keeping it there for a couple chimes before retrieving it. Going over to his notes he looked at them and smiled, it worked.

The whole page now read:
“S+I+I=S1
S+S1+I=S2
I+S+S=I1
I+I1+S=12
I2+S2=IS1
SC+IS1=SCIS1”

Now he would have to do that entire process again. Noting that he only had 3 good sizes of silk left, he would have to make do with what he had. That meant cutting it smaller. Oh well. The nuit would continue on throughout the night finishing the second scarf.

receipt :

Summer 16 512 AV

It was early morning when the nuit had finished his experiment. Both scarves had been successfully crafted, and now the nuit was on his way to the person who he sought. Of course he cleaned up the lab, scrubbing up the Ouroboros and making sure everything was just as it was lent to him. That took some time, but now, now he was on his quest to see the particular someone, a student of his. Both scarves were carefully wrapped and bound. He didn’t want anything to happen to them before he made it to Zipporahs residence.

He had heard rumors of her being crazy, but that didn’t matter… More importantly he had heard she was quite the rising star in the subject of Animation. That mattered. It was that skill which he was wanted. He wondered, if he provided a substance of which she could not have the opportunity of working with anywhere else, if she would animate it for him. If that didn’t work, gold was always a good addition to any job. The nuit was willing to pay twenty five gold rimmed miza an automaton. This plan was perfect, how could she reject him? Not only that, but she would get experience too, and much needed practice. It was a win-win for the both of them, if he did not say so himself.

Arriving at the place of residence Rayage prepared himself, and knocked on the door. He would wait, and if no answer came within a chime or two, or whenever his patience would run out, he would knock again. If or when an answer would come the university professor would hold up the bound package, containing the two transmuted scarves, and smile, a fake and forced one, but nonetheless practiced, ”Miss Zipporah” he started, ”Im sorry for bothering you at your place of residence, but I think I have a proposition of which you might be interested in.” he explained, moving the package a little as if to grab her attention. He stopped right there, and waited for any sign. Was she worried her new professor was at her doorstep or would she be more interested in exactly what was in the package. He didn’t know, he could only make guesses at to how she would react.
[/spoiler]

by **Minerva Agatha Zipporah** on June 19th, 2012, 7:19 pm

Tock wasn't a morning person.

After classes yesterday, she had headed down to the beach and met a strange and annoying person. He'd put her in a foul mood, and she had decided to head out drinking. Usually anytime she went out drinking, it turned out to be excessive drinking. It was part of the mixed blessing and curse of being a perky redhead in a city where her appearance and her accent were seen as exotic. Men liked to buy her drinks, and she liked to encourage them to do so. Any who got fresh earned themselves a smack across the face; she had a boyfriend, after all. But those that only flirted, she remained friendly with in order to keep the free ale coming her way.

So when a knock came at her door early in the morning, she usually wasn't happy about it. She ignored the knocking at first, having no interest in talking to anyone. When the second knock came, she groaned and shouted, "Go away!" Whoever it was could go to hell, and come back later in the day when she was actually awake.

Of course, there were certain flaws to living with nearly a dozen semi-sentient magically animated constructions. They all had, to one degree or another, minds and wills of their own. Some were better behaved than others. Grippy, her reaching tool, couldn't move himself without her giving him a specific command. He therefore remained inert, unaware of the knocking that was interrupting his mother's rest. Her crutches, as well, merely sat in the corner. They wouldn't move unless she touched the controls that guided their motions. Her beloved puppets sat on a shelf above the bed. They sometimes moved without her intending them to, but they were programmed only to move when giving hand motions to direct them. That was why they were on the shelf; if she left them lying on the floor, their glass 'eyes' sometimes picked up her movements and interpreted them as commands. The puppets would therefore sometimes get up and start moving, following her hand movements even when they were unintentional. She'd once been sitting in her chair, reading, and humming to herself, not consciously aware that she was waving her hand at her side in time with the tune she was humming. When she'd looked down, she had seen the puppets dancing in time with the motions, following the commands that she hadn't realized she was giving them.

Most of the others obeyed verbal commands. Choppy and Cutty, for their own safety and that of all the others, were standing in the corner. She'd order them to 'stay,' and thus they wouldn't move until given another command. There were always potential hazards, however. Had she called out the words, 'Come in,' instead of, 'Go away,' the Automatons would hear the word, 'Come,' and walk over to her. She hadn't programmed them to ignore commands that weren't directed only to them individually. Asking one to come would bring them all to her side, unless she was more clear and specific in what she wanted.

There were three Automatons, however, that were somewhat more independent than the others. The first was Bitey, her Animated spider. He wasn't programmed to obey any commands. Tock had no real control over him. He was only directed to be drawn to and soothed by her. The sound of her voice drew him, and so when she shouted, 'Go Away,' he did exactly the opposite. He couldn't understand the words at all, not even in the basic dog-like way that the others would obey the commands without understanding the language. He just knew her voice. The wooden and metal spider crawled across the floor, and climbed up onto the bed. His instincts were those of a spider, though he didn't have the physical structure needed to climb walls. He did, however, have long enough legs to reach up onto the bed and simply pull himself up. He crawled onto Tock's back and curled up there, content to be with his mother. And just as her presence comforted him, feeling one of her babies on her comforted Tock. Even the light touch of the sharp fangs casually touching her skin gave her comfort, and she hugged her pillow tighter, drifting back to sleep.

Naily, the Animated hammer on wheels, also had a slightly stronger independence than some of the others, mostly because of how Tock treated him. She had programmed him with a puppy's mind, and she treated him accordingly. He would come, or stay, just as the others, but she tended not to give him those commands. He was usually allowed to wander the house. Thus when the knocking came, he responded in the same natural way any dog wood, rushing over to the door. He sat on his wheels, aiming his little glass eyes up at the source of the sound. He didn't have the intelligence to understand what was out there, but the sound drew his attention and he followed it on instinct.

Last was the most recent, most advanced of Tock's creations: Handy, the Animated hand. Of all of them, he was the only one that had actual intelligence, instead of simply programmed instincts and reflexes. His intelligence was crude and simple, not matching that of a man. Instead it was more like a child's intelligence. She had taught him some basic things about the world, and he could understand the functions of basic objects. Such as doors.

And like a child who wanted to know who was knocking, he decided to go over and open the door.

Tock had fallen asleep still 'wearing' Handy. He was designed with a leather belt that was strapped around her wrist, mounting him on her arm right next to her natural hand. But he had been given full autonomic control over the belt, and when the knocking started, he undid it, slipping the leather out of the buckle and dropping to the floor. He braced his fingers against the floor like legs, and scurried over to the door, the leather belt swaying behind him like a sinuous tail.

He reached the door and looked up with the glass eyes mounted on the back of his palm and on his wrist hinge. He had also been taught how to climb. So after studying the door, his simple mind churning, he came up with a solution. Automatons made with the level of skill Handy had been made at could 'respond to challenges with a minimum of intelligence if they are taught how.' Opening a door was just such a challenge.

He moved over to the wall and gripped one of the beams that made up the cottage's simple construction. With careful flexes of his fingers, he began to climb up it, until he was at a height on level with the door. Then he whipped his leather tail over to the door handle, wrapping it around it. He then let go of the wall beam, and his body swung over to hand from the door handle. He twisted around and gripped his own tail, climbing up it until he could grip the handle. Tock had also taught him how to flip his body to use his momentum, so he could do things like flip himself from his back onto his palm. Using that same sort of motion, he flexed his fingers and thrust his body weight down, repeating the motion several times until he managed to twist the door handle. Once unlatched, the door swung open just a few inches.

When Ray looked inside, he would see the wooden hand hanging from the door handle, staring at him with its gem-like glass eyes. Down on the ground, the little hammer was staring up at the stranger, and would roll back a few inches away from the intruder's presence. And to the left, lying on the bed, was the redheaded gadgeteer. Her sheets had been tangled up in the night, exposing her smooth, bare legs and plain white panties. The wooden spider was still curled up on her back, staring at the intruder with four bulbous glass eyes.

Tock herself just snored in her sleep, unaware that she had a visitor.

by **Rayage** on June 19th, 2012, 9:24 pm

Another knock. He waited before knocked again and again. Doesn’t anyone know how to open doors? Though he was on the verge of losing his patience he heard a muffled response from the other side. Not quite being able to make it out, the knocking continued before he subsided. The nuit was sure that the woman would not be disappointed with the material that he brings her to do her craft on. Nothing but the best for himself, of course, and his alchemy was the perfect outlet for such endeavors. He has successfully made himself a material, unique in every way, but possessing a mixture of qualities from the source of its creation. The perfect medium. Just thinking about the art he made sent shivers through him as he waited for the door to open.

Ray rambled on as the door was opened, not really noticing that no one was actually there. Well, no one human that was. He had been expecting and prepared himself to face Miss Zipporah. The strings of sentences and forward, predicted apologies that came flowing from the nuit were pre-planned and automatic. It was a reaction to the action of the door being opened. Cause and effect, ah the subject which he liked to preach about, but now wasn’t the time to think about that. Creatures, weird and animated, opened the door, but only a few inches. The hand of the nuit reached out and opened the portal the rest of the way. Strange things awaited him inside. Indeed, this was the house of an animator. The place had a magical presence about it.

His hand would lower the package it carried to the nuits side. It crinkled in his grasp, the parchment he used to wrap it with and the rope he bound it were prone to not saying quiet. Stubborn things, he half cursed it all. Walking in the door, not just inviting himself in, the animated creatures did open it for him. Though as he walked in he felt watched, the cold glass eyes were upon him, watching, thinking? Waiting… They all seemed to be looking at him as if expecting him to do something. He had met animations before, used them in Sahova, but never had he seen anything quite like these. Though he wasn’t an animator he was an alchemist. He knew of animation though. He had talked to many an animator and learned the basis of the art, though he did not perform it himself. Alchemy was more his style, but nonetheless he found them fascinating, and it was this fascination that drove him to inquire about this project he is wanting done.

The little animated hammer fascinated him the most; he didn’t take any notice to the hand hanging from the doors knob. Bending down to get a closer look at it he made sure to keep his distance, ”What do we have here?” he asked, talking mostly to himself but also to the Hammer. It didn’t seem nearly as complex as the automation he have had the opportunity of interacting with in Sahova, the automata named Arkidius, presumably made by the legendary Rupert Pycon. This, he guessed, this is the gap in power and ingenuity between a rising star and someone who had already reached the stars and onward into immortality and legend.

Still, it was quite the piece of work and this only confirmed his suspicions that she will be able to accomplish the task at hand. A rolling hammer just had to be more complex than an animated scarf. Good. That settled it. He had to talk to the animator. The package crinkled as the nuits grip tightened on the parcel.

A rather loud snore drew the nuits attention to the bed on the left of the room. In sight came the animator, all too comfortable in her own house as the white panties showed. Humans. That was all he could say. Rayage was glad that he didn’t have to waste his time with sleeping anymore. That was one of the grand perks of being undead. The need for sleep was below him, and was below the animator. He was about to open his mouth to speak, but then his attention was caught by the spider atop the animators back. How had he not noticed that before? Its glossy eyes watched him, and he counted them, one, two, three, four… four in total. Seeing that, he kept his distance as he spoke, ”Miss Zipporah,” the nuit called to her, hoping to wake her up, ”this is Rayage, your professor of Alchemy.” he announced, bringing the package up and held it with both hands. ”Wake up.” he said, sounding like an order. He did not want to be kept waiting.

by **Minerva Agatha Zipporah** on June 19th, 2012, 11:13 pm

Once he had the chance to look around more thoroughly, there were a few more things that might draw Ray's attention. Tools and parts were scattered everywhere, so much so that he would have to watch his step. There was even a set of wooden blocks still nailed to the floor which, unknown to him, had once held down a struggling man who had later been vaporized by the magic pearl Ray himself sought. Should he look closely enough, and if he had the knowledge and training needed to recognize the substance, he would even be able to make out the dry ashes that were all that remained of the man, though it could just as easily be mistaken for normal dust.

The walls and even the ceiling were covered in papers, with complex sketches and diagrams of all sorts. If he searched them he would find the blueprints for most of the Automatons here. Many of them showed a progression from sketches to detailed drawings to complex diagrams. The spider, for example, started with sketches of the Golden Orb Weaver that Bitey was based on. Some of the drawings were quite artistic, depicting the spider's natural, biological body. But then the drawings took on a progression that became less natural, and more mechanical. Looking at the drawings all lined up showed the evolution from the living template to the artificial construct.

Then there was perhaps the most dominant piece of decoration: the stone statue of the man Ray himself had transformed with his alchemy magic. Unknown to him, Tock had taken it from Anselm's tent the next day, and had been studying it for weeks. That very statue was the reason Tock was taking Ray's alchemy class. She wanted to learn what magic could do such a thing.

But before he got a chance to examine it thoroughly, Tock woke with a start. In her sleepiness, she didn't at first recognize who it was, nor would she be so forgiving to find her teacher intruding in her home. So when she saw the dark figure towering over her, she screamed.

She snatched Grippy up and thrust him forward, the extendable arm lashing out and the metal claw snapping down over Ray's collar. "Choppy, Naily!" she called out. Resounding to her voice, the Automatons hurried over, Naily raising his hammerhead in anticipation of pounding something, and Choppy's axe drawing back, the springs in his axle flexing and coiling. His axe blade gleamed deadly in the light, and all it would take was one more word from Tock for him to start chopping. It didn't matter if it was wood or flesh in front of him.

The spider on the bed, fueled by fight or flight instincts, raised his forelegs and readied his two inch long fangs. Even the hand by the door curled into a fist, ready to fight.

If Ray had been an actual intruder, he would have been surrounded by the madwoman and her beloved creations. This was no scared little girl to be assaulted by an intruder. Sunberth born and bred, Tock was a dangerous, unpredictable woman.

Thankfully, she blinked and cleared her vision before giving the command for her babies to attack. "Teach?" she asked, looking up at Ray, confused as to why he was in her home. Not yet releasing him from Grippy's grip, she asked, "Whatcha done doin' in my damn 'ouse?"

by **Rayage** on June 20th, 2012, 1:08 am

The more the nuit took the time to look around the more and more odd the place became. The drawings were interesting and paper scattered about. Bits and pieces of things, yes things, cluttered the floor, and everything was so alien to him. It was definitely not his place of comfort, but yet to this human it was home, and by the looks of it this place was pretty comfortable to her as well.

Scuffing his gaze shifted from the papers to the automata to the stone statue to the rest of the room before going back to the statue. The guy looked familiar. The stone looked familiar. He took a step closer to observe it. His hand almost touched it but stopped and he stepped backwards, almost stumbling. He felt it. The familiar sensation you get when holds a transmuted item. The slight tingle, the air around it, the djed radiating off of it. What… what are you doing here? He recognized the person, the sword half drawn. This was his magic. It had to be, but what? He turned to his sleeping student, making note to watch her closely. Ray would be sure to inquire about it. It wasn’t healthy to jump to conclusions, especially when you could be wrong.

Coming off the topic of the statue and admiring his handy work he turned back to Zipporah and was going but then she jumped to life, as if waiting for a que. A scream came from her which both surprised and amused him, but what happened afterwards did not. The automata lined up like her own personal army and readied themselves to attack. He wasn’t scared, no, fear did not enter his heart. Smiling, this was fascinating, that is how they worked. Though he could only observe their movements, he could see how they are able to react. A metal claw came to gripping his collar and then the investigation began.

”Worry not, Miss Zipporah.” he said, ”I have come with an offer I don’t think you would turn down.” he said holding up the package, and answering her question at the same time. The package crinkled and the nuit threw it on the bed, ”Open it if you are interested.” he said leaving the contents a mystery, ”A chance to work with materials that you can find nowhere else.” he said, as if advertising his cause and trying to get her attention.

He meant no ill will towards her and tried to convey that, ”forgive the start, but this is important, and I heard of your… skills.” now rambling because he didn’t know what else to do. As an ageless nuit he has been in many situations, but none quite like this one. It caught him off guard but he was frantically trying to restore his sense of peace within himself. He needed to know, to reassure himself that he is still in control of this situation, even though all the cards pointed to Tock. ”Your ability in animation that is” he said smiling waiting for her to open the parcel. He thought he had given just enough information to get her interested, not even mentioning the gold he planned to pay her for her services yet.

by **Minerva Agatha Zipporah** on June 20th, 2012, 2:19 am

When he made no aggressive moves she released him, retracting Grippy but keeping the tool in her bare lap. She didn't make any move to put pants on or cover the thin undershirt that clung to her chest. She wasn't a modest sort. Though when he mentioned hearing of her 'skills,' she briefly wondered what skills it was that would bring him here to proposition her in her underwear. What were the other students saying about her?

Before she got too much of the wrong idea, he clarified the area of his interest. "Oh," she said, visibly relaxing when she realized he was neither here to buy her virtue nor take it by force. "Oy, yeah, I's the best darn Animator you's ever gonna meet," she said with no lack of pride. "O' workin' ta it, anywho." She wasn't quite smug enough to think she was the best in the world (though she WAS smug enough to know that she would be one day).

"Whatcha got?" she asked, picking up the package. She noticed that it was quite a bit heavier than she'd have expected. "Corner, all o' ya," she told her babies. Choppy and Naily obediently moved to the corner. "Stay!" she told them. Then she called out, "'Andy, c'mere baby." The wooden hand scurried across the floor when summoned by name, and climbed up the sheet into her lap, which was currently occupied by Bitey and Grippy. Grippy couldn't move on his own without direct manipulation, so Tock just set him aside. Bitey, however, was fully independent, and had thus ignored, in fact not even understood the command to go to the corner. Handy started shoving the wooden spider away, like a child wanting to claim Mommy's lap for himself. When he flicked the spider with a wooden finger, Tock bopped him with her left hand and said, "Be nice ta yer brother!"

Not counting Grippy, who didn't have a true personality, Bitey was the oldest brother. Handy was the youngest. Ahh, sibling rivalry...

She set Bitey aside, and the spider curled up next to her on the bed. Then she set her right wrist next to Handy. Her right hand was still aching and sore from being recently broken, and she preferred not to use it for fear of aggravating the still healing injury. This was the purpose she'd made Handy for. He slid his leather tail around her wrist like a belt and strapped himself in place, then she raised him to the package. "Let's see what Teach brought, aye?" she told him.

With a bit of poor coordination between the left hand, controlled by Tock's mind, and the right, which had a mind of its own, she opened the package. Her own right hand she held still, letting the artificial hand strapped to her wrist do all the work. When she got the package open, she gaped in awe at what was inside.

She held the iron silk up in her hands, marvelling at it. Handy started tugging on it, wanting to hold it himself, and she had to yank it from his grip. "Don't 'urt it, baby," she told him, though she doubted he could damage this material. It was soft, yet hard, smooth, yet strong like metal. Curious, she slapped it against her bare leg, then yelped in pain at the surprising force behind it.

It wasn't hard to put 2 and 2 together and get 10 (when dealing in base four), and so she asked Rayage, "Whatcha want me ta Animate 'em ta do?"

by **Rayage** on June 20th, 2012, 3:56 am

Rayage was glad when he was released from the mechanical grasp of the automata. Though he was hardly threatened, his sense of danger had been worn by the many centuries of which he lived through. When you survive the Valterrian, then you kind of get the confidence that you can survive it all. Besides, to survive such an event and then dying here… no, that would be a cruel joke of Fate. So he had his vibe, his aura of complete confidence in himself and in his own fate, his own power. He couldn’t die yet anyways, he hadn’t completed his life-long goal of creating his own child.

A small smirk came to the nuits lips as he heard the woman before him talk about herself. She reminded him of himself many, many years ago. She brought him back to when he was still alive, to his mortal existence. Though he didn’t have time for remembrance or recollecting, why must he remember things at inopportune times? This part of him frustrated him to no end, but he was careful to keep his composure on the outside, his face observing Miss Zipporah’s. He too will be the best alchemist, and he knows that he is close to the breakthrough he needs.

Watching her open it, looking for the reaction on her face, he got it and captured it in his memory. He smiled, pride building up inside him as she marveled over the product of his hard work. He told her that she could work with a material like no other, he brought that promise. A bit shocked when she hit herself with it, but nonetheless he laughed at her yelp, ”Interesting, isn’t it?” he asked, admiring his own work, ”I made it myself.” he said, bragging. It wasn’t the most advanced formula ever deduced, but it was made by a very advanced alchemist and therefore its quality was better than those of lesser skill than himself could ever produce. ”I thought you would like it.” He went on, liking the sound of his own voice.

He was about to go on, but he was cut off by a question, he had paused for just a moment too long. ”What would I like them to do?” he asked himself, absentmindedly looking at the sketches she did, ”I haven’t thought about it.” he admitted, his eyes falling on the spider ‘blueprints’ and doodles. He cut off for a minute thinking about how best to solve this situation and the spider was his answer. No, not a spider scarf. That would be silly, but something similar in structure to the scarf as she could not build a body for the scarf like she did the automata spider. The scarf was already made and transmuted. ”Ah!” he said smiling, acting as if he had no idea of what he wanted. In reality he had planned this, to make it look like a sudden and spontaneous idea. How would it look if he just went to the animators house and asked her to model these scarves around the actions of a snake? Yes, he had planned this. Though he had no idea how well Miss Zipporah’s room would come in handy.

Pointing to the pictures of the spider automata, ”It seems you study creatures.” he said, smile on his lips, ”Since the scarves body cannot be modified.” he said his eyes looking over the progression of spider to machine spider, ”how about something fitting its form?” he suggested, shrugging, ”Perhaps a snake?” he asked, looking back at her, waiting for a reaction, ”A constrictor?” he suggested. ”Of course,” he said waving a hand in the air as if it was obvious, ”loyalty to its owner and perhaps able to follow commands. Tell me, are they teachable?” he asked wondering how much of his own work he was going to have to put into this thing before it is done.

by **Minerva Agatha Zipporah** on June 20th, 2012, 5:18 am

As he studied the drawings, Tock looked up at them with pride. A few of the sketches were of things that weren't built yet. There was a huge section of the wall covered with plans for a mechanical wolf, though it was too advanced for Tock to actually begin building yet. That one was one of her big dreams, though. She'd been planning it for months.

When he settled on a snake, however, Tock grinned and snorted. "Aye, easy peasy, Teach," she said smugly. "Kid's stuff. Teachin' 'em's a bit tricky, though. I can done makes 'em smart, but ain't gonna be like, people smart. Like 'Andy, 'here," she petted the wooden hand lovingly. "'E can open doors and use tools an' stuff, but ain't like 'e can done plays music o' nothin'. Mostly, ya done gotta teach 'em most all what 'ey done needs ta know, right at the start, aye? But 'ey can be smart 'nough ta done learn a wee bit, an' figger stuff out on 'eir own. 'Ere, watch,"

She lowered her arm to the bed, and knowing what she wanted due to programmed knowledge, Handy unstrapped himself and perched on his fingertips. "I ain't done taught 'im 'is one, but 'ere," she turned to Handy, pointed at her waterskin on the table and said, "'Andy, bring 'at 'ere..."

The hand turned and peered at the table for a moment, then scurried off. He hopped off the bed and scampered over to the table, wrapping his fingers around the table leg. He slowly climbed up, until he was perched on the table. He grabbed the waterskin and tried to pull it, but he had no leverage. So he stared at it for a moment, his simple, child-like mind working through the problem. He could only work with the skills and understanding Tock had imbued into him, but within those pieces, there was enough for him to come up with a solution. He turned around, wrapping his tail around the neck of the waterskin, and buckling the strap into place. It was the same motion Tock had taught him to strap himself to her wrist, so he wasn't doing anything he hadn't been programmed to do. But he was just intelligent enough to figure out that he could use the same method to carry something.

With some difficulty, he dragged the waterskin over to the edge of the table, and dropped it off the edge. His fingers splayed wide when he got yanked over the edge with it, and he landed atop the waterskin with a light thud. Then he continued walking across the floor and dragging the skin with him. When he reached the bed, Tock leaned over and thrust her wrist at him. He obediently unstrapped himself from the skin, wrapped his tail around her wrist, and attached himself firmly. Then he grabbed the skin in a normal grip, and Tock pulled her arm back.

"See?" she said, uncorking the waterskin and taking a drink. "Ain't super smart, what wit' fallin' off the table an' all, didn't ya sweetie?" she giggled and kissed the back of the hand. "But 'ey can do simple things, aye? Jus' gotta done teach 'em as much as possible. The more ya done teaches 'em 'fore ya wake 'em up, the more ya can done 'as 'em do, aye?"

She had Handy pick up the metal scarf again, turning it over so she could examine it. "One thing though," she said. "If'n ya want 'em ta done been able ta obey ya, 'ey gotta be able ta see an' 'ear ya. Gotta slap some eyes an' ears on 'em. But I gots tricks what fer 'ow ta does 'at, what wit'out 'avin' ta cut the cloth. Can strap 'em on a strip o' leather an' hook it on right good, aye?" The metal silk would need to be woven through the attachment in a way that created a permanent seal, rather than a simple knot. But it was quite doable.

She studied the silk for a moment longer before she looked up and said, "'Course, ain't so easy what fer not ta need no time an' supplies, aye?" She suddenly studied her teacher with a consideration she hadn't had a moment ago. "Needs 'ose couple o' parts, first off. An' a snake, a real live one, if'n ya done wants 'em ta 'as proper snake movements. An' time... days at least, maybe more, if'n ya done wants 'em ta learn more, aye? Everythin' done takes time..." Her time was quite valuable to her. She had her own projects, after all.

by **Rayage** on June 20th, 2012, 9:07 am

The nuit listened to the explanation, slightly amused with the animator snorted in response to his question. She was amused too it seemed. Though he was glad to hear that it was going to be easy, that meant that she could do it, and do it well while she was at it. Everything seemed to be going his way, almost exactly as he had planned it. Perfect.

When she started to show off ‘Andy’ the wooden hand that she had crafted he was first of all impressed that the hand was made so well. The hand was a complex structure after all and she mimicked it well with wood and bits of stuff here and there. Really it showed that she knew her craft just by looking at the automata, he wasn’t in need of any examples, only work, but he indulged her and watched the hands travel across the room and solve the basic problems to get ahold of the waterskin. It was quite the journey for the little guy and the nuit was patient to watch, for this was most likely the intelligence his scarves were going to have.

Finally the little automated hand that could made it back to its owner. The water container in its grasp, and he watched the small process of it hooking back onto the wrist and even to Tock taking a drink. It was all fascinating, which was why Ray was here. If she could make him something half as good as that he would be fine and it would be well worth the trip, but not the materials. No, these scarves had to be something great, had to be something useful to him, and he knew that she could make it happen, she could give them souls. How fascinating to even think about, the ability to give objects souls, granted they are homemade, but still. The words of the animator he had met so long ago he carried with him. The curiosity leading him to this point.

Ray nodded at her words; the teacher had now become the student as she explained that the scarves would need eyes and ears. How in the world would they have that? He had no idea where to begin but before he could ask any questions she reassured him that she could do it, easily at that, if not with a bit of work. Yes, yes… then she talked about materials and the things she would need and Ray just smiled at the subtle hints, ”No worries,” he said reaching into the folds of his cloak. He produced from it a bag of prearranged miza, exactly fifty gold rimmed miza, ”Fifty gold rims” he said setting it on the bed by the animator, ”That should cover costs for materials and labor.” he said, automatically hiring her, binding her with the miza, ”Would you accept that price?” he asked, ”If anyone knows how valuable time is it is I.” he said, ”Im sure that will pay for any materials you need, and you can keep the rest for the labor you put into making them just perfect.” he said, having prepared the money for just this occasion. It seemed the professor had come prepared for just about anything she could throw at him, and he was leaving her no excuse to refuse him, ”So, how about it?” he asked, ”Fifty gold miza up front, a chance to get to work with that unique material, and an opportunity to test your skills and see how great you can really make these scarves.” he said making it sound like a challenge than an offer in an attempt to inspire her. Time, well that can be bought.

OOC :

by **Minerva Agatha Zipporah** on June 20th, 2012, 5:12 pm

As soon as the pouch was dropped on the bed, Handy started reaching for it. It was programmed instinct for him to want to pick up things that were nearby. Tock couldn't control that, unless she commanded him to stop. She liked making her babies happy, though, so she lowered her arm towards the pouch so that Handy could pick it up, and work clumsily at untying the strings. He pulled out a coin and tried flipping it with his thumb, but he lacked the coordination for such a complex and careful movement, and ended up fumbling the coin.

Tock considered the money. She had never been paid for something like this before. It almost felt... wrong. Dirty. But she was young, and she needed the money.

In truth, she had all the raw materials she needed. She could make a clip easily enough, she had the leather and glass needed for eyes and ears, and assembling the parts would take her no time at all. The only part she was lacking was a snake to use as a source.

And she certainly didn't want to buy a snake. Using one for a single animation was one thing, but keeping and caring for one long term was something she didn't want to deal with. Her creations didn't need to be fed, but a living creature would. She wasn't inclined to waste some of this payment money on buying such a creature when she only needed it for a few days.

So she smiled up at Ray and said, "Awright, Teach. Gotcher self a deal, aye? Jus' needs one thing from ya. Done gotta brings me a snake. I think 'ey done gots some up at the Uni. Done keeps a bunch o' animals fer studyin' an' fer magic stuff. But ain't like 'ey's done gonna let a student run off wit' one fer a couple o' weeks, aye? If'n I done were doin' 'is up at the Uni, I could use 'er I bet, but 'is ain'tcher sorta 'official' thing, aye? I mean, people wants a iron made snake like 'is, I done betcha want 'er ta been able ta choke people or summat, aye? 'At ain't no problem what fer me, but Profs up at the Uni, 'ey like ta put stupid crud like 'non-violence' Directives in 'em." Not a single one of Tock's creations had such a directive. She respected and understood the need for Automatons to be able to hurt people.

"So's as if'n ya done wants me ta do 'er wit'out 'em Profs makin' me make 'em safe-like," she said, "I's gonna need a snake brought down 'ere, not up 'ere," she nodded towards the general direction of the University. "Easy peasy, though, aye?" She was sure Ray would be quite capable of getting her a snake down here without much trouble. "I's start up on makin' the eyes an' ears, an' be done by the time ya get me the snake." She pulled the strings on the pouch to close it, signifying she'd accept the payment.

OOCLedger adjusted +50 GM.