@ everyone

[theidlemaiden]

𝘏𝘪 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘰𝘯𝘦, 𝘸𝘦 — 𝘈𝘭𝘵𝘢ï𝘳 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘐 — 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘭𝘺 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘣𝘦 𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘢 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘮𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘩𝘴!

[A combination of deep exasperation and resignation doesn't show in Altaïr's 'handwriting', but if it could, it absolutely would.]

We discovered a pair of mated lizards in the woods of Solvunn some time ago. One appears entirely normal, the other is half-mechanical, with gears in its midsection. It should clearly be dead regardless of where those gears came from, and yet it both lives and has fathered eggs.

[Unspoken: 'That's fucked up, right?'

Hilda's handwriting interjects, clearly addressing Altaïr. ]

𝘐 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘐 𝘵𝘰𝘭𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘢𝘺 “𝘤𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘭𝘺 𝘥𝘦𝘢𝘥” - 𝘝𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘪 𝘪𝘴 𝘢 𝘮𝘪𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘭𝘦! 

[He feels as though he should be too dignified and composed for internal bickering in front of others but he absolutely is not.]

Miracle implies the presence of divinity. This is clearly something else. I would like to know what, and to know whether any other Summoned have encountered anything similar.

[ Somewhere Hilda is rolling her eyes and mimicking him but thankfully everyone else is spared the theatrics. ]

𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘪𝘰𝘭𝘰𝘨𝘪𝘴𝘵 𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘶𝘴 𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘢𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘔𝘢𝘭𝘪 𝘪𝘴𝘯’𝘵 𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘝𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘪 𝘮𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮. 𝘏𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘧𝘢𝘪𝘳𝘭𝘺 𝘤𝘦𝘳𝘵𝘢𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘢𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘦 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘴 𝘥𝘰𝘯’𝘵 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘈𝘣𝘳𝘢𝘹𝘢𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 – 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘤𝘩 𝘪𝘴 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘸𝘦’𝘳𝘦 𝘩𝘰𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘚𝘶𝘮𝘮𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘥 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘱 𝘶𝘴.

 

𝘐𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶’𝘥 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘢 𝘤𝘭𝘰𝘴𝘦𝘳 𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘬, 𝘸𝘦’𝘭𝘭 𝘣𝘦 𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘚𝘢𝘳𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘢 𝘮𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴. 𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶’𝘥 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘶𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮 𝘵𝘰 𝘕𝘰𝘤𝘸𝘪𝘤𝘩 𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘦𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘩, 𝘸𝘦 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘥𝘦𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘺 𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦 𝘢 𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘵𝘭𝘦 𝘧𝘪𝘦𝘭𝘥 𝘵𝘳𝘪𝘱. 𝘞𝘦 𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘰𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘱 𝘪𝘯 𝘢𝘥𝘷𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦!

( ooc: visit the lizards here! and you may get replies from either one of the new parents or both! don't worry about posting order, thread jacking is encouraged ) 

Comments

[theidlemaiden]

𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘥𝘪𝘥𝘯'𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘴𝘦𝘦𝘮 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘪𝘵 𝘧𝘦𝘭𝘭 𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬 𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘨𝘰𝘳𝘺 𝘴𝘰 𝘸𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘪𝘵'𝘥 𝘣𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘶𝘨 𝘺𝘰𝘶!

[techmaturgy]

It's as if you don't know me at all!

[aquilus]

I also assumed you would be busy with your other projects.

[techmaturgy]

This is unbelievable. Show me the lizard immediately.

[aquilus]

[Sentences Altaïr never expected to hear directed at him.]

Should we come to your workshop?

[theidlemaiden]

[ If no one else is going to take the opportunity to make a joke, Hilda will. ]

𝘝𝘪𝘬𝘬𝘺! 𝘐 𝘥𝘪𝘥𝘯'𝘵 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘴𝘰 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘸𝘢𝘳𝘥.

𝘒𝘪𝘥𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨. 𝘞𝘦'𝘭𝘭 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘱. 𝘋𝘰𝘯'𝘵 𝘣𝘦 𝘮𝘢𝘥 𝘢𝘵 𝘶𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘳𝘺𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘦, 𝘱𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘦?

[techmaturgy]

I'll reserve judgement for now. Bring them here.

[aquilus]

[It's a short time before Altaïr and Hilda enter the workshop, not bothering to knock. Hilda carries a cute littel covered basket, the contents of which should be obvious.

(The contents are also wearing little hand-sewn hoods, for which Altaïr will take no responsibility.)

He stands back and allows her to present them and for Viktor to examine them as closely as he likes.]

You'll see they're both quite lively.

[techmaturgy]

[Viktor appreciates the house call--not that he wouldn't haul himself to the Sarstina to see a weird lizard, but ultimately this is much easier. More expedient.

He's eager to get a look at the subjects, his brows furrowing when he sees, as promised, a half-mechanical lizard.]

You've dressed them up.

[Why.]

[theidlemaiden]

[ Hilda purposefully left the hoods on. The lizards don't seem to mind - if anything they seem to enjoy it. They look up curiously from beneath their Altaïr-replica hoods at the new face. ]

Do you like them? Don't they look adorable?

[ The question sounds a little more pointed than it might otherwise. Hilda even shoots a side glance towards Altaïr who moments ago had been on the receiving end of a punch for his declaration that the lizards weren't cute. ]

[techmaturgy]

They are-- [Slightly disturbing, though of course they did not ask for this.] --very cute.

[Viktor, surprisingly, seems to mean that because he genuinely likes lizards, apparently. He gingerly reaches into the basket and removes, first, the fully organic animal, holding it gently to give it a cursory inspection.]

Start from the beginning. How did you come upon them?

[aquilus]

[What is with everyone (two people) suddenly considering lizards cute? Altaïr doesn't think they're ugly but they're...lizards.]

If you say so.

[He is being both bullied and outvoted.]

We discovered them in Solvunn during the kidnappings after following several leads that point to the area. This one was...notably unusual, so we followed it.

[techmaturgy]

Lizards are cute.

[He'll say it out loud, again. Just in case there was any doubt about where he stands on this side of the debate. Viktor replaces the regular-type lizard and then very gently holds up its cyborg companion for inspection.]

Unusual is one way to put it. And you say it's behaving normally?

[Well, as normal as a half-mechanical lizard can behave, he supposes.]

[theidlemaiden]

[ Vindication! She'd throw her hands in the air in a cheer if it were appropriate but instead she settles for a smug little grin over Viktor's shoulder aimed directly at her co-parent.

Mali seems more than pleased to be picked up, skittering around the small circumference that Viktor's hand provides. Veliki looks on, unconcerned but wary about his mate being plucked from their comfy basket until they swap places. ]

Yup. Eating normally, sleeping normally - at least as far as we can tell. Dr. Rutherford had been keeping a close eye on them both. I guess it helps that there's one of each so that he can really compare. I'm sure he'd tell us too if there was anything strange about his behaviour.

[ Apart from the constant ticking and whirring of his gears. ]

[techmaturgy]

Intriguing.

[Viktor is not a vet. Or a zoologist. Or anything that regularly deals with animals, but he does know machines. His foray into autonomous robots might be nascent, but he thinks he can apply what he already knows to matters such as this.]

I don't see an obvious power source, but it does look like the machinery is...integrated. [In that it might be replacing various bodily functions. He frowns.] Have you noticed any other behavioral patterns?

[aquilus]

[He will not agree with the assessment of lizard cuteness but he also will not argue. Enjoy your pseudo-victory, friends.

Anyway.

It grows sluggish if kept away from sunlight for too long. No one has tested the extremities of its tolerance.

[techmaturgy]

Well. Lizards tend to do that even when they aren't made of metal.

[Generally speaking. They are cold-blooded, after all, but of course with the unique condition of this creature, there's no way to tell what's natural and what isn't. Viktor doesn't see an obvious battery or power source.]

I wonder, then, if it's, eh. Solar-powered. [Not out of the question, he supposes. The Free Cities would probably like to hear about such technology.] Dissection would give us definitive answers, I think, but I don't consider that a viable option at this time.

[He's sure Hilda, at least, will agree.]

[theidlemaiden]

Absolutely not.

[ One of Dr. Rutherford's assistants had almost suggested such a thing during one of their follow-up visits. Needless to say, it had been promptly shut down with a ferocious glare from Hilda. There's less heat and more firmness in Hilda's tone now, but that also has more to do with the fact that Viktor isn't actually suggesting it and thinking aloud instead. ]

You know how if someone tries to tickle your knee or elbow? Veliki doesn't seem to react to it when people handle the mechanical parts of his body.

[aquilus]

[Altaïr nods in agreement. It's not that he's become sentimental about Veliki all of a sudden, but he the uncertain chance of more knowledge is not worth killing the creature and removing all future opportunities.]

Likely it has no sensation there. Like an extremely advanced prosthetic.

[techmaturgy]

Likely.

[He can do some tests for that—-not so much subjecting the creature to any pain, but some minor discomfort, just to see what happens. In the meantime, he doesn’t want to continue stressing out the creatures, so he places Veliki back in his basked.]

Where is the clutch?

[Presumably, being incubated properly. Maybe under the watchful eyes of Academy officials. Viktor has only done a cursory inspection, but he can tell that the creature has no means by which to breed, given its mechanical lower half—another mystery to solve.]

[theidlemaiden]

[ Once Veliki's feet touch down in the basket he skuttles directly for Mali giving the other lizard a little nuzzle. ]

They're at the Academy in Dr. Rutherford's office. Honestly it's a good thing they are - I don't think I could have done anywhere near as good of a job at setting things up for them. It'll probably be another month or so for them to hatch.

[ She reaches out to give both lizards a little pet on the head before looking back at Altair. ]

We haven't really thought about what to do with all of them once they hatch either. Or what they'll look like.

[techmaturgy]

Okay. Keep me posted.

[He would like to see the babies.]

Mechanical enhancements are not genetic. In case you were looking forward to that.

[They're just going to be normal lizards. Right. Right?!]

[aquilus]

[What's a genetic?]

I'd still be interested to see whether the hatchlings are healthy or malformed, given what's been substituted in their sire's body.

[He still can't wrap his head around how the conception even worked.]

[theidlemaiden]

[ The brief puff of Hilda's cheeks definitely gives off the impression that a part of her was hoping. A girl can dream - and they still had two months to go, so who knew what could happen between now and then? ]

Time will tell I guess. But did you see anything that looks familiar from your world, Viktor? Or even from here? The engineer was pretty insistent but maybe it was from way before their time.

[techmaturgy]

Ah. Well, the sexual organs of reptiles are internal. It does appear that the creature's circulatory and respiratory systems are at least partially mechanical. Perhaps it has a suitable replacement that we can't see.

[Congratulations, you got Viktor to say "sexual organs". That said, he does not anticipate half-robot lizard babies. To Hilda's question, he shakes his head.]

No, this is unfamiliar to me. What do you mean, before his time?