Making the Shell (Tock)

[Kaeson Dakano]

OOCChocolate Cake? Haha

Kaeson nodded, determined not to miss a single word coming out of the gadgeteer's mouth. Carefully, Kaeson looked over the various equations and dimensions listed by the automaton's designs. The young animator was by far no mathematician, but he was able to discern something from the various symbols. Kaeson mentally reviewed the formulas, redoing what he could in his head, hoping he could find the same solutions Tock had.

Kaeson watched as Tock showed him how to use on of the larger, flatter chisels from his toolkit. "Gouge," Kaeson mouthed the chisel's name to himself as he watched the quirky gadgeteer began to work the wood. He listened carefully as she explained the importance of choosing the correct type of wood, watching as she marked the wooden octagonal shapes. Gathering his own cuts, Kaeson matched Tock's marks exactly or as precisely as he could manage. He was glad Tock reviewed his work, this way he could at least start off correctly.

Switching out his metal hammer for a lighter, wooden one, albeit unwillingly, Kaeson carefully mimicked the way Tock chipped away at the extra wood. Slowly, Kaeson carefully began to chip away at the marked pieces of wood. Holding the hexagonal block between his legs, Kaeson chipped away. He was careful to pay attention to how deep his cuts were, sometimes having to cut away twice or three times at the same place -- more often then not Kaeson's chipped much too shallow.

It took almost half a bell for Kaeson to get a somewhat wheel like shape out of the hexagonal block.

Kaeson frowned, "It's not too bad is it?" gesturing at his wheel.

[Minerva Agatha Zipporah]

"S'awright," Tock said with a shrug. He seemed to have the general idea down, even if he was a bit slow at it. But when she was just starting off when she was a little girl, Tock had been just as inexperienced. She wasn't normally a patient person, but when it came to teaching something like this, she remembered how patient her Granddad always was with her, and knew it was important to be the same way with Kaeson. She progressed through two of the wheels while Kaeson was still working on the one. In between getting Cutty set up on each new piece of wood, she kept an eye on Kaeson as well to make sure he didn't cut too deep. "Shallow's better 'an too deep, aye?" she told him. "Shallow ya can fix. Jus' needs more cuttin'. But too deep, an' ya done gotta starts all over." Once the chiseling was done, all the wood was rounded out into a more or less circular shape. Tock lined up four pieces together again, as before, showing him how they now formed a crude circle instead of an octagon. "See?" she said. "Gonna done puts a 'ub in the middle, an' 'ere's yer wheel." She pulled out the files next, and held a piece of wood up to the light. "Ain't no mallet fer this part, aye?" she told him. "Jus' yer 'ands, real careful like..." She started filing down the wood, getting closer and closer to the lines they'd etched into the surface. "Dun goes too deep, aye? Jus' done gets as close as ya can, an' if'n ya ain't so sure 'bout it, we can sand out the rough spots later." With any luck, they'd have the wheels finished today, which would be good progress.

[Kaeson Dakano]

Kaeson watched as Tock pulled all four pieces of wood together, showing him how they would work as the automaton's 'wheel'. He nodded as she worked the wood with the file, mimicking the motions she used, with his own file.

Carefully, Kaeson began to widdle the wooden wheel down to a more rounded state. Making sure to note the marks, Kaeson slowly filed away at the more uneven edges of the wheel.

It was long a while before Kaeson was comfortable with his work, the circular edges growing considerably more smoother with each pass of the file. Carefully, Kaeson passed his fingers carefully around the edges of the wheel, looking for any rough patches.

"Ouch," Kaeson grunted, pulling his finger back from the wood. The novice wood carver quickly looked over his hand and fingers, hoping to find the sudden source of pain. Finding a splinter sticking out of his index finger, Kaeson pulled it out by his teeth, muttering something about a stupid splinter as he did so.

Kaeson filed as close to the markers as he felt comfortable with, and finishing he looked at Tock, "Done. I think -- all we have left is sanding, right?"

[Minerva Agatha Zipporah]

Tock took Kaeson's pieces and lined them up, all flush in a stack with each other. She clamped them together like that so that all four pieces were in a row. Then she held them up together like that and squinted, looking over the way the wood lined up. Since each piece needed to be symmetrical, looking at them like this was a good way to check the alignment. She showed Kaeson what she was doing and said, "Not bad, aye? Jus' check 'em like 'is what fer te be sure 'ey's all the same, aye?" She filed down a couple of minor spots that needed a slightly steadier hand than Kaeson had just yet, then proceeded with guiding him through sanding them down real smooth, working on her own pieces while offering him advice and pointers on his. After the rim pieces were ready, they used similar methods to make the round hubs for the center and the wooden spokes that would hold each wheel together. Tock also carved up a series of little wooden pegs. By the time all the pieces were ready it was getting late in the day, but they'd have enough time for assembly before it was quitting time. "Awright," Tock told Kaeson, "'ere's 'ow she goes together..." She started showing him how to assemble the pieces, first using a hand drill to carefully drill a small hole every place the parts would fit together. She then showed him how to use a wooden mallet to gently tap the spokes into the holes in the hub, and then align and tap on the wheel rims on the other ends. The wooden pegs she'd carved got inserted into the ends of each rim piece, so they would hold the rims together. Once everything was finally assembled and she'd helped Kaeson make sure the pieces were firmly secured and nailed down tight, she said, "Done gonna need a strip o' metal 'round the rim, if'n we wants 'em ra done been durable. Ya done metal 'fore?"

[Kaeson Dakano]

Kaeson watched as Tock pushed all the his pieces together, lining them up to the best of her ability. He frowned as he realized how uneven the wooden cuts were, more ovalur then the desired circular shape.

Kaeson watched attentively as Tock began to sand down the wood, careful to listen to her offered instruction. Slowly, Kaeson sanded down his wheel, making sure to note how closely he was getting to the marked margin. The wheels needed to be perfectly, or close enough to, identical. If any of the wheels differed dramatically in size, it would leave the automaton defective and unable to maneuver even the easiest pathways.

Using their previous method as an example, Kaeson was able to carve a couple of hubs for the center and several wooden spokes they would use to hold the wheel together. It was still taking Kaeson much more time to carve then Tock, but he was slowly getting more confidence as the day stretched on.

Kaeson carefully constructed the wheels, following Tock's method.

Nodding, Kaeson said, "Uh, yeah. I spent a little under a year studying under some blacksmith in Riverfall. I'm no expert or nothing, but I know the basics." Still putting together some of the pieces, Kaeson continued, "So who taught you all of this crafts stuff? Did you travel much before getting over to Zeltiva?"

OOCAhhh work is such a time killer! I'm off tomorrow though, so I should be posting much more often

[Minerva Agatha Zipporah]

While they were working on the wheel assembly, Tock delegated a simpler task to a few of her babies. The base that the wheels would be attached to was mainly just a flat connection of boards. She lined up and clamped down the boards with a series of cross struts that would not only hold the boards together, but serve as frame pieces for the wheel axles. Then she marked a series of points on the wood and set Handy down on it. "'Old the nails fer Naily, aye baby?" she told him, setting down a pile of nails. The wooden hand picked one up and held it in place where Tock had marked. Naily then rolled over and banged the nail into place, securing the boards. Once Tock had them set up, she was able to return to the wheel assembly, keeping an eye on them and giving them verbal instructions here and there to keep them on task. Since the base didn't need any more delicate work than simple nailing, she could trust them to perform the job satisfactorily. She then continued guiding Kaeson through the wheel assembly, checking the balance of them by placing each wheel atop a log she placed on the table. With the hub centered on the log, using it as a sort of pedestal, she placed a small rock from her collection on the wheel at either end, directly opposite each other. She continued placing more rocks at different points to check the balance, and ensure that the wheel wasn't heavier on one side than the other, or misshapen in any way. "See 'at?" Tock said, pointing to the wheel. "C'mere," she grabbed his shirt collar and pulled him down, crouching next to her to study the wheel from its own level. The weights were tipping it just slightly to the right. "'At's what done been a wee misbalance. She'll throw the 'ole thing off. But lookee 'ere," she indicated one of the spokes that, upon closer examination, was just slightly crooked. "She's throwin' 'er off..." She gently pulled apart the pieces on that wheel, adjusted the spoke with a few passes of the wood shaver, smoothed it out again, and adjusted the assembly once more. With the spoke straightened out, she checked the balance again, and this time the wheel sat perfectly level. She gave an approving nod, and nailed everything down for the last time. "My Granddad done taught me all 'is," she told him. "Done taught me everythin' I know. 'En I done traveled the 'ole world," she had been to almost every city she knew about, and as far as she was concerned, that was the whole world. "Mura, Syliras, Ravok, Nyka, Sahova, 'en 'ere..." She shrugged. She'd been wandering for four years, and wasn't entirely sure yet that she was staying in Zeltiva forever. Though as far as she knew, there weren't many places left to see.

[Kaeson Dakano]

Kaeson watched as the gadgeteer placed rocks on the wheels, not quite understanding what she was doing. Tock was meticulously placing rocks opposite each other on the wheel, removing them after a few seconds, and then preceded to redo whatever she was doing; the only difference between each placement being the actual location of the rocks.

Opening his mouth, hoping to ask Tock exactly what she was doing, Kaeson was answered by Tock pulling him down to the wheel's level. The young animator noticed the small rocks tipping the wheel, if only slightly. He nodded as Tock continued to explain the reasons behind the tilt, careful to take note.

"Sahova?" Kaeson asked excitedly, eyes widening. "Did y -- you meet Zarik Mashean?" All thoughts of their current project completely dissapeared, his only focus his own dream. Apprentice for Zarik Mashean. He had already gotten a way in with the undead animator, but if Tock had apprenticed for the master, then that would only help.

[Minerva Agatha Zipporah]

"Zarik who?" Tock asked distractedly as she collected the assembled base from Handy and Naily. Believe it or not, she had never heard of the man. Despite the fact that he was mentioned frequently in Animation texts, she didn't know who he was. She never read the books about the history of the magic if she could avoid it, preferring to focus on the ones that offered practical knowledge. And even when those had introductions that spoke of the great masters, she tended to skip those chapters to get to the good stuff. She didn't give a damn what people had done before her; she just wanted the tools she needed to do what she wanted for herself. "Only done spent a few days in Sahova, 'tween ships," she said as she flipped the base over and started fixing the axles in place. "Weren't 'ere long 'nough what fer ta done much. Didn't get much past the docks." It had been a short visit, though it had had some... interesting moments. Nothing she cared to share, but suffice go say, her one and only visit to Sahova had been a memorable one. "'Ere, 'old 'is up 'ere," she said, lifting one of the wheels to attach to the axle. Then she snapped her fingers in front of Kaeson's face and said, "Oy! Bludger! Wake up, aye? No daydreamin' on the job!"

[Kaeson Dakano]

"What do you mean, 'Zarik who?'" Kaeson asked, "The Archwizard of Sahova, greatest animator of our time and centuries past?" Kaeson started at Tock, well, like she was crazy. How could she not have knowledge of one of the greatest talents, if not the greatest talent, in animation. "The creator of the fourth supervisor? Dranira?" Kaeson asked again, hopelessly trying to stir something in the gadgeteer. It was well beyond his ability to believe that Tock had studied animation for so long without reading even the slightest mention of the great master animator. It was impossible. Well, it was nigh impossible -- with Tock one could never be certain.

Kaeson was only vaguely presence as the possibilty of someone, least of all a fellow animator, had not heard of Zarik Mashaen; his hero. Since his first animation, Kaeson had idolized the undead legend. He had sympathized with his situation. Zarik Mashaen had no choice but to become undead, he had no choice other then to watch his loved ones die as he moved on.

Like Kaeson.

"Huh? Oh, yeah, 'course," Kaeson mumbled incoherently, holding the wheel aside the axel, albeit the wrong way.

[Minerva Agatha Zipporah]

Tock's right hand was starting to seriously ache again, and she held her wrist down to Handy. He immediately strapped himself back to her wrist where he belonged, though even with his help, Tock was going to need to call it a day. She was going to need to dunk her hand in some cool well water soon to ease the throbbing (if only it were winter and she could just thrust it into a pile of snow). She snorted and laughed when Kaeson called this Zarik guy the greatest Animator ever. "Oy, sure," she said, shaking her head, and Handy wagging a finger at him. "'Ey can done thinks 'e's the greatest, if'n 'ey want, but when I done builds my magic city, ye'll see! Dun care 'ow famous ol' Pigjam thinks 'e is, dun make 'im better'n me! Ain't done nobody been better'n anybody else, y'ear?" she pointed her hammer at him to drive the point home. Despite not sharing most Sunberthans' hatred of magic, Tock still held onto her homeland's belief that no wizard should be lording over her, or anyone. She didn't worship any Gods, she didn't bow to any lords, and she wasn't going to be impressed with some wizard just because he had a long list of accomplishments. She'd accomplished plenty on her own, and she was just getting started. Tock then scowled when she saw Kaeson couldn't even hold the wheel the right way. She smacked him upside his head and said, "Oy, Bludger, ya gonna done stands 'ere an' 'as wet dreams 'bout Pigjam the Magnificent, o' is ya done gonna 'elps me build our own golem what so's as we can git our own great stuff done, aye? Pay attention!"