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TEXT; USER: JT

If there are any other engineers or tech-savvy Drifters among us that aren't waterbound, Viktor and I won't dismiss the assistance with the generator. We're doing our best to get it running, or at least construct temporary vehicle augumentations to reinforce our defenses in the mean time. They'll be bare bones and have a short life span, but it's better than nothing. That being said, my current projects will be temporarily postponed until further notice. If I'm not working parts, I'm gathering wood, and I can only step outside at dusk.

[ or if he snows in the damn place but uhhhh no thank you! ]

Donnie and Danse, you'll hear back from me when your respective requests are finished. I haven't forgotten any of them.

In the meantime, if you come across any generator parts, bring them to us as soon as possible, please. Any remnants of metal, elements, chemicals or hands to help with the wood would be valued if you can find or offer— I'll trade my work for it, if you have the patience for a queue. I can do minor fixes where needed.

Any questions, you can ask them here or come to the forge. It's hard to miss.

[ it's the only lisa frank pick up for miles. the thing is hard to miss, especially when jayce is working the little cargo bed forge he's built over the last two months. characters are welcome to come visit directly while he's working at night; smoke signals and his hammer (hand sized, not the big one) pounds throughout the late hours, while he's asleep or within the convoy from sunrise to sunset. ]

— JT

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Generator gets priority, agreed.

Need any assistance with fixing it? Working on finding the parts.

We won't turn it down if you're offering.

Personally I'd be offended if you left me out.

You at your truck now?

You're not exactly easy to leave out of something like this, Don.

Forge alcove, as always.

Are we that shorthanded for engineers and the technically minded?

I'll stop by before having a look at that power plant. Be there shortly.

Now you're just selling yourself short.

[ he'll be at the truck, though! burning wood for coal. ]

GASP! I would never! That was an honest question though; I am curious.

[Turns out? He can totally text and fly!! -andddd only slightly overshoot his target, but he doesn't mind a bit of extra airtime as he swings around to make his descent.]

I can help you gather wood!

You don't have to worry about payment. I'm happy to lend a hand.

[ if it comes from an earnest place, ]

Thank you. I'll keep it in mind, regardless.
I'll have to fell some trees and buck the logs. If you can gather those, it'll already save time.

Sure! I won't even break a sweat!

Do you often work with these kinds of limitations? It sounds rough.

What, sunlight?

I do now. All a matter of adaption.

[ and just kind of building his way past his disabilities&mdas; bad leg? brace. getting worse? cane. viktor's back needed surgery? he made a back brace. maybe amputation was more suited for jayce? fat fucking chance and he went off to make a better brace. ]

Fair enough!

It'd never hurt to have a pair of helping hands regardless. Did you get other volunteers?

[ Everyone's got their own struggles. ]

[ There's probably only one iridescent sparkle truck with a forge in the Convoy. If there's a second one- forge that is- Vincent hasn't spotted it.

He comes by at some point Jayce is taking a break from working on the generator and whatever other projects he might have. ...Jayce is that sort right? To actually take breaks?

Night works just fine. The sun is even more annoying than normal these days. ]

Can you fabricate firearm parts from salvage?

[ No greeting. Only the question. He's been here since the avian storm and his vehicle sort of stands out. Guns would also ring a bell even if his appearance doesn't. That guy who seems to have appointed himself a sort of firearms quartermaster. ]

[ what is a break lmao. that being said, no. when it comes to work, especially something their safety depends on, jayce only takes breaks when he's shutting down. with his time outdoors heavily limited to dusk, he uses as much time as possible to buck wood outside as well as creating a cover for shade when they're stationed, to work past sunrise should the convoy stay put. the night's coolness gives him the freedom to wander for more wood past the convoy's boundaries. surely, viktor is nearby to offer some defense. jayce hears a car and footsteps coming his way— perks and curses of his ears now being cervid and highly sensitive, so he finishes a strike to rift a log with a splitting maul, put together with recently forged metals before fixing his hooves to stand, and use the maul as a brief crutch to lean his weight on and relieve his braced leg, when the sleek head of the blade rests on top of the chopping block.

matter of fact: ]

Better question would be if you want stopping power or speed.

[ he doesn't take pride nor pleasure in creating weaponry, even if it wasn't hextech embued. their survival was on the line, though. he can't say no. ]

Edited 2025-06-14 16:21 (UTC)

[ Caution is always good. And yet so are breaks. Vincent's approach invokes no sense of danger to the senses. Calm and ordinary approach, no subterfuge. His eyes are red and seem to glow. His skin, as much as it can be seen between the high cloak collar and the crimson scarf wrapped around his brow, is pale.

He'd been like that since arriving though. The night ensures signs of fatigue aren't plaguing the gunman and his new fangs? Easily hidden. What changes Vincent has suffered probably aren't evident to ordinary senses.

Acute smell might pick up the hint of blood. But it's not human and given the fights with monsters, that's probably ordinary. ]

That comes later. [ Vincent's gaze studies the components of the forge then return to give Jayce a similarly observant once over. ] Given our circumstances, capacity and skills came first.

[ He finally focuses on Jayce in a manner that is more conducive to conversation than pure observation. His tone remains calm and without much emotion; his manner suggesting the pragmatism is guiding his words than enthusiasm. ]

Ammo is limited. Even if molds are made, there's the chemical components to worry about. Better to modify guns so they can use and handle the power of the most common calibers that get salvaged. And repair some of the parts from firearms.

[ He snorts slightly; for a moment breaking the realist's stance with the resigned disapproval of many salvaged guns' condition when they were in the hands of those raiders. ] Most aren't in great condition.

[ jayce stares blankly for a moment. two. his stare goes frigid. to distract any possible interjections, he returns his attention to a log, picking it up by the base and setting it on the chopping block. it is a very brief flicker in the dead cloudiness of his eyes, lacking proper bloodflow to make them shimmer with life: his eyes roll up. blink back into place. they've been on the generator for nights. rolling through formulas. the convoy rejecting everything that wasn't the specified parts (rigged, if you ask him). he's a bit irritable, now with the weather, the chronic pain as blunt as ever. getting a stranger who quite clearly just got here to doubt his efficiency in this particular situation, and tell him about everything he's already known for months doesn't help his mood.

he takes a breath, thinks and nearly retorts as he chews on cracked, scarred lips don't know why you're asking me, then. you can make your own artillery at this rate, go ahead. by all means. i'll even let you borrow the forge. but he holds his tongue between his teeth. ]

Like I said, [ jayce empties his bloodless lungs and replies, with fabricated calm and an almost cervid snort, complete with a flick of a single ear: ] stopping power or speed?

[ he'll guarantee the rest. ]

[ Vincent is not unaware. Jayce may look more like a corpse than a human being, yet he still has human shape...roughly. And human emotion. Vincent is trained to watch for inconsistencies and ready body language.

He doesn't know what exactly has triggered the irritation but he can suspect the workload plays a part.

There is little of Vincent's expression visible. In fact, very little flesh remains unobstructed by fabric, metal, and leather. Ruby eyes are sharp and attentive and the elegant brow rests level and calm. There is an impassive set to his pale cheeks and perhaps Jayce's comparative height- the gunman himself standing at six feet- could allow him a glimpse of lips which seem to neither smile nor frown under the high, wrap-around collar of the cloak. Even when he speaks they barely open, giving only the minimum of effort needed to do so.

That might be to minimize display of fangs but given how hard it would be to see them normally, it does appear to be a form of apathy that runs through his bearing and manner.

For all intents and purposes, there really is nothing that seem to be behind his words other than calm statement of intent. It's unlikely it's Jayce's skill that's in question despite a 'can you' but is it possible with the tools at hand. ]

It'll depend on the individual. I'll bring the order and weapons later.

[ He's not a fool to have done so right now, when Jayce's efforts should be focused on the shield's restoration. That matter seems settled in the gunslinger's mind. After a moment of watching the rote action of wood chopping, Vincent then asks. ]

You're also researching the symbols and powers of this world. Blake informed me. What else do you do?

[ An engineer, a scholar. What other hats does the man before him wear? ]

[ after coming out of that ravine, jayce frequently found himself in a pit of blame or sticking others in it when it was too much for him to handle. on top of everything else, he is not the man he used to be— periodically, his maddened calculations and violent outbursts were echoes from within the fractures of his mind. his leg had not been the only victim of breakage and . . .

he'll eventually regret his tongue, sharp as blades ready for war, and his mood so on edge. vigilent, even at times where he needn't be. for now, vincent helps deter an escalation. jayce is left chewing the insides of his cheeks, and resisting the urge to scratch at his wrist and the gem within it. it takes a moment longer for him to respond, his taut shoulders to rest and his tone to change, considerably. the tightness in his jaw eases a little. ]

I build. Design tools, test theories. Run the numbers until something breaks, then figure out why. [ with a drop in his shoulders once more, but a considerable lack of breathing in between his pauses; he only inhales when he notices, or when he needs the words. ] Harnessing the Arcane was my foundation.

[ Vincent knows little and perhaps nothing of the terrors this man has gone through. Whether those apply to the world he came from or the one he's in now or both.

As cruel as it may seem, he is not here to learn about it either. Though he remains watchful for signs of anxiety, unease and tension. Or its lessening that suggests there won't be an outburst, an attack... At least, not in the moment. Perhaps the next.

His head tilts in thought. The Arcane. With its expressed capitalization it might be a specific rather than general conceptualization. Like the Lifestream. Is it something he needs to know about? Would it help? ]

Sounds like that is its name.

[ It's almost a question. It invites Jayce to elaborate more if it's important to give the context. If it's not then they can move on. While he gives the man space to respond, Vincent will reach under his cloak. There's plenty of belts; and where there's belts there's probably pockets or utility pouches. From one of those is drawn a stoppered test tube. At the very bottom, there is about half a teaspoon's worth of a slightly red liquid. It's not the ichor from the thornscrub, though. Something else. ]

Working on retrieving parts. Will return with whatever salvage I can manage.

No payment necessary, this is for all of us. Is there a way to monitor the shield generator’s energy in the future?

I'll be using some metal salvage personally, so I'd exchange for something anyway.

It's in the system. Donnie may know his way around screens better than I do, so I'll ask for his input.

Alright. I’ll think of something. Probably for a vehicle. My systems are best left alone.

Hopefully we can maintain a view on it. Possibly improve its efficiency.

The vehicle would be yours or someone else's, for clarity?

I'm thinking of basic repair kits. An emergency measure that we can hopefully maintain.

[Serph's already inclined to help Jayce, so when Jayce requests wood it's a simple enough task to load whatever he can find in the back of his truck. But it's not not also to indirectly apologise for Heat taking a bite from Jayce, either.

When he pulls up a few hours after dusk, the back of his orange pickup truck is loaded with branches of varying sizes. Some of them have been snapped into smaller sizes with his demon in order to fit (he did not use his blades, only brute strength; he didn't want to end up stuck). Serph kills the engine and steps out, calling above any noise that Jayce may be making at the time-]

Jayce.

[His arms are covered in scales instead of his usual feathers, the same bone white carapace of his demon snaking down them. Over his usual clothes, a grey cloak with a cross in the same orange as his truck falls over his front and right shoulder. The cloak belongs to Heat, though the red-head wasn't wearing it at the time of their altercation.]

[ there isn't too much to listen over and nothing jayce ears won't pick up; even with the methodical striking of metal to metal, a single ear swivels at the sound of an engine powering down. there's a bit more hammering he can get done before it's off to the water box for cooling. with his chest injury, jayce isn't crazy enough to smith without a shirt on— he's even adopted an apron made from the leathers of some monster they've once hunted. pulling off thick gloves made with the same materials, jayce a step back and pulls for one of his stationary stools to give his hooves a break. ]

That's new, [ he gestures, with a tone that repeats from when serph first got his wings. recognizing the cloak's stench, jayce's nose gives a twitch— he snorts, stag-like in behavior, but keeps the bitter memory of who it belongs to himself, occupying his hands with the second glove. ]

Edited 2025-06-14 22:03 (UTC)

I went for a dip. I came out like this. It's better than last time.

[When he had turned into snake-like monster, resulting a loss of his legs... and the rest of his armour.

He nods towards the wood that he'd brought for Jayce.]

Where do you want these?

[ jayce has to double take as he comes closer, looking between the wood stacked on the cargo bed and back to serph— his ears seem to follow by swiveling in those general directions. ]

—You, ah, [ can't put it on the floor to soak up the humidity from the soil. ] back here, [ jayce has no room left at the back of his own pickup— or at the very least, minimimal space left. his cargo bed is home to his portable forge and storage for the scraps of metal and tools. uh maybe on to? the space is big. . . it'll have to do, he'll have to put it all somewhere before chopping anyway. on top of the scraps, then! ] thank you, I— this is more than I imagined.

[Serph just wasn't sure how much Jayce needed...]

I can hold onto this if it's too much.

[Serph folds his arms, the bottom pair of wings curling around his waist.]

And I wanted to apologise for Heat attacking you. He only knows the ways of our original world, where violence and aggression are useful traits to have. But he answers to me. He won't do it again.

Oh oh! I want to help with vehicle augmentations and boosting defenses!

I feel like we could use some more guns and blades around here.

Easy, sport.

More weapons don't always mean more saftey.

Okay.

Good point.

But have you considered that they might look cool?

So you're saying it needs to be a weapon to look aesthetically pleasing.

Is there something wrong with that?

[Someone took the time to help Edward set his device to automatically do text-to-voice, so he was able to listen in on this. When he responds, he uses the voice feature, having not realised yet that it can also do voice-to-text.]

I'm no engineer, but I'd be happy to assist in other ways, if I can. Perhaps I could work on sorting and organising parts for you?

[ the best thing about that is that jayce can continue working, uninterrupted. bliss. ]

That's generous of you.
Got steady hands?

[Sigh. There's going to be a slight delay as Edward transcribes the text to audio.]

I do. I also have nothing but time these days.

[ what jayce didn't say about the generosity is that he's inwardly suspicious of it. rationale tells him to quit being an ass, the larger, more fractured parts of him fights to be right about so many apparently kind things. from strangers. still deliberating which wins out. ]

I don't usually let people around my materials. [ he's quite possessive of his lab, his things, his work— more importantly, around things that might and could blow up in your face. ] If you have the patience, I can show you around.

Edited 2025-06-18 15:59 (UTC)

[Having had something proverbially blow up in his face recently, Edward will give Jayce's materials all due respect and caution. He's already lost his eyes; he'd like to keep everything else.]

I will be respectful of your materials and your work. If you have the patience to teach me what needs to be done, I'm happy to assist.

It will be good to be doing something worthwhile again.

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TEXT; USER: JT

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[Action] A Guy That Just Shows Up Without Calling First

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[action with apology wood-]

apology wood walked so that apology booze could run

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