Wind-up Mammets

[emet_sulk]

Type: Video
Sender ID: emet-sulk (Emet-Selch)
To: Public
Subject: Wind-up Mammets
Warnings: None save for it being the spoopy time of year

[ Greetings, Escordvi. It's your resident recluse, sorcerer, and magitech tinkerer, Emet-Selch. He has two mechanical figures on display in front of him, about the size of one's open hand: a bluebird and a tortoise. The bluebird goes through the motions of pecking at the ground strutting a few steps whilst the tortoise ambles at a more sedate pace. ]

As All Hallow's Eve is approaching, so too does the end of the year. I've developed these mammets lately together with the clockmakers of the Forge. Should you wish to commission a gift, I suggest you do so sooner rather than later.

[ The bird and tortoise abruptly go scattering as a copper, clockwork T-rex jumps on to the table and begins playfully snapping at them. ]

Oh, for the love of--

Comments

[empyrean_mirror]

...Are they all quite this playful?

[Sorry, Emet, Kaveh thinks this is hilarious.]

[emet_sulk]

[ Mr Dinosaur is getting picked up bodily before it can cause any more destruction whilst Emet-Selch responds deadpan. The T-rex wriggles in his grip. ]

This one isn't my creation. But I did consider adding a simple personality to their cores to make them more appealing.

[empyrean_mirror]

[Mehrak leans into frame behind Kaveh and makes a curious Beep-Boop?]

...I'm not sure anyone I know would want one as a gift, but I'm quite curious to see how these clockworks are made by your design, as opposed to what I'm used to.

[Because clockworks and robots are something Kaveh's very familiar with, but his world--and Emet-Selch's world--are so different. How different, then, is their technology? Their clockwork? How similar is it?

He's not been around the Forge as often as he'd like. Then again, he's an architect first and a machine specialist a distant second.]

[emet_sulk]

[ The T-rex perks up and voices a metallic rawr, wriggling harder to get out of Emet-Selch's hands like an excitable cat (it's about as big as one too). He carefully places it down and the T'rex's snout immediately fills the camera's view. ]

They are called 'mammets' on my star. Each has a core which is vital to its function, serving as a power source and a...'soul' of sorts.

[ There are tinkling sounds as he picks up the scattered bird and tortoise before Emet-Selch reclaims hold of the T-rex. ]

I haven't scribed any instructions on these one's cores yet save for simple movements. I could demonstrate for you now, if you like.

[empyrean_mirror]

A soul...[...] If it's not too much trouble, I'd love to see it.

[A 'soul'...full sentience. Even he hasn't gone that far (If Mehrak's core already had that spark of sentience, that was there when he got her core, and Kaveh didn't do shit, okay?)

But Kaveh understands that such things are banned by the Akademiya because of the damage caused in the pursuit of it. If the danger isn't present here...then he has no reason to object, either.]

video;

[phoenixdominant]

[Oh... How cute. Joshua is very charmed. He tries not to laugh at the antics.]

Might it be presumptuous of me to request one for myself?

[emet_sulk]

Not at all.

[ Excuse me, Mr Dinosaur, you stop ruining his promotional video! He pulls it back and keeps one hand on it as he sets up the two fallen mammets. ]

Do you have a creature in mind?

[phoenixdominant]

[On the contrary, Joshua thinks the little mechanical dinosaur is absolutely a plus for the advertising effectiveness.]

Hmm... A bird of some sort comes to mind at first.

[How typical of him!]

[emet_sulk]

Let me guess: a phoenix?

[ Smiling wryly here. ]

[obliviscere]

You made those? That's very impressive! I think they'd make such a unique gift!

[emet_sulk]

Why thank you.

[ He lifts the wiggling clockwork dinosaur away and sets it down off camera. One can still hear it click and whirr as it tries to 'roar'. Ironically, it isn't even one of his creations... ]

To be clear, 'tis the bird and the tortoise which I made. Not that misbehaving thing which interrupted me.

[obliviscere]

You're very welcome!

[ she's... Going to try to not laugh at that. Unsuccessfully. ]

They're all cute. Who made the mischievous one? Are they programmed to have different personalities?

[emet_sulk]

That little bitey fellow hatched from a bronze egg I found, if you can believe it. I'm still unsure how or why when it clearly isn't a living thing.

[ He sets the bird and tortoise upright and checks to make sure they aren't broken. ]

I haven't added a 'personality' to these just yet but I can add something which mimics it, if you were interested in something for yourself.

text; un: makoglow

[makoglow]

[ Pfft ]

You really like keeping busy, don't you?

[emet_sulk]

'Tis either I keep busy or I keep very still indeed, six fulms under.

[ ... ]

You didn't think your motorcycle was the only thing my workshop was developing, did you?

[makoglow]

Nah, I knew better than that. It was a side project.

It just feels like you always have something new for people to try out.

[emet_sulk]

Yes, well, I've been feeling rather creative lately. I suppose not needing to plot the demise of so many worlds does free up one's mind.

un: reindered

[reindered]

Toys? They're cute...!

[He's about to consider asking how much they might be, before.....well. That's....???!!]

Aaaahhhh?! A dinosaur?!

[emet_sulk]

[ Emet-Selch grabs the T-rex and hauls it back from the camera. He keeps it tucked against his chest as he tries to right the two demonstration clockworks it tipped over but the T-rex wriggles like an excitable cat. ]

Mammets, the people of my world call them. But the behaviour of these ones will not be so erratic.

[reindered]

Mammets? They're so cool! Even dinosaur ones!

[Was he more scared or excited initially? Probably both.....]

[emet_sulk]

You call this one a 'dinosaur', do you?

[ He seems amused by the epithet. Well, since Chopper likes it so much, he'll put the T-rex down closer to the camera (still keeping a hold of it so it doesn't butt its head against his phone again). ]

I didn't make it. It hatched out of an egg I found many moons ago. Although I must confess it did serve as a useful template to make the others.

video;

[crack_shots]

How much would you like for the bitey one?

[ Sorry Sir. You can't just let the coolest one out like that and not get an offer. ]

[emet_sulk]

Unfortunately, that one is not for sale. 'Tis not mine to give away.

[crack_shots]

Oh... [ That's not disappointment you're hearing. It's just a neat little toy after all. ]

But you could take orders for something simila--

[ Scratch that! She's just thought of something. At the camera goes for a quick spin until it settles on a creature currently snoring from its bed. ]

Or could you make something based on her?

[emet_sulk]

[ He certainly could replicate the-- oh. My. ]

Is that a-- Ah, what was the common vernacular for them...? A seal?

[ A creature with a lot of round shapes will be tricky but it's not impossible. He did make the tortoise after all. ]