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

[crack_shots]

That's right. A sand seal to be precise!

[ She stops short of telling him they're her favorite animal like some giddy teenager. ]

[emet_sulk]

[ He can somewhat tell her bias from how excitable she is about it (also, no-one keeps a creature as a pet unless they love the thing). ]

A seal whose habitat is the desert, I presume? An interesting concept.

[ He brings over a sketchpad and pencil and starts making some rough designs. ]

Would you mind holding the shellphone closer so I can see its shape and proportions more clearly?

[crack_shots]

Precisely! [ It may be self explanatory but she's still pleased to find someone who isn't thrown off by the apparent juxtaposition.

And she's happy to oblige, carrying the phone over to Patricia and pan the video feed over her beloved pet from a few different angles. ]

Just let me know if you need to see anything in particular.

[emet_sulk]

There is little room for fine detail on these mechanical creatures but if there are any unique behaviours I ought to be aware of...

[ Because maybe he can program the action in. As an endearing trait. ]

[crack_shots]

Well they're known for burrowing in the sand, quicker than any other known creature. Patricia here likes roll on her back and clap her flippers after eating.

[ She pauses momentarily trying to think of anything else. ]

Would you like to hear what she sounds like?

[emet_sulk]

Oho...

[ Dutifully noting that down! The burrowing he probably can't reasonably add in unless she'd like to spend every other moment cleaning out the insides of the mammet. The rolling over, however, he can easily do. ]

Hmm, aye, why not? Let me hear how she barks.

[ He just assumes, as a seal, she must bark. Right? ]

[crack_shots]

Come on girl.

[ She picks up a piece of fruit from a bowl in her room causing Patricia to stir and hop to her flippers. She does indeed bark to voice what she wants. ]

Here you go.

[ Patricia catches the fruit it in her mouth as it's tossed her way. After gobbling it down, she responds with a short string of barks. ]

What? No I'm not telling him that.

[ The sand seal huffs and flops back down in her bed, proceeding to clap her flippers as promised. Riju simply shakes her head, turning back to Emet. ]

Does that suffice for your needs?

[emet_sulk]

[ He raises an eyebrow at the exchange. ]

Ah, she can understand speech, can she? I must apologise. But yes, that is certainly enough.

[ He doesn't write this time but takes out...a small crystal? And concentrates on it for a few seconds before putting it down. ]

I can make the mammet's casing out of ceramic or metal. Ceramic will allow for a more realistic facade but is of course a touch more fragile. Metal will be more costly due to its scarcity. What is your preference?

[ A thing with delicate moving parts is going to be somewhat prone to breakage anyway, but it's up to her! ]