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Howler Logs - #31, Carline Canopy (part 2)

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Co-written and featuring @spotofmummery

It hadn’t taken long after that. Pipsqueak had been sent on a mission, one he’d surely return back to soon enough. Howler had managed to clear out the deskspace – with help from Igey whenever it seemed like the Duskwight was about to lose their balance again. Some of the earlier treats had been brought up here as well – far away from the desk, just close enough to snack on if a break was needed, but not so close as to cause any unnecessary mess.

Howler had laid the arm on top of the desk, along with the parts they had managed to swipe from the Fallen Neurolink – still so many things they did not recognize, but everything seemed to at least be in working condition.

The woman whom had dubbed herself Howler’s guard was seated across the room, tending to some of her armor. Small intricate tools adjusting rivets, tightening leathers… And some smaller clockwork gears within the gauntlets.

When Amon arrived and started his work, Howler hadn’t wanted to disturb at the start. Merely sitting at the edge of the desk, looking over curiously at the whole repair job – occasionally throwing in a smaller question or two for the sake of upkeep later down the line. It wasn’t like Howler could run in here every time something went wrong, so basic maintenance was something they’d have to be even more diligent about now.

Which naturally led to more personal questions, though Howler's intentions were more innocent in nature.

“So how does one acquire the title of technologist? You made it clear they're a step above technicians, so it must be quite the process…”

Was Howler interested in learning more? Most definitely. Not maybe to a level of technologist just yet, but… well it was good to have goals beyond the current problems, right? That and learning more might actually be beneficial in the longer run… or even now. Mechanics could not be corrupted the same way flesh could be.

“I don’t suppose there’s any place one could be taught, or any reading material those bound to the road could study from?”

Amon paused in his work for a moment, reaching over to wipe his hands clean before taking a sip of his work-time tea. To answer this fully and honestly was almost impossible – at least, not without giving too much of his past away. So, it was time to improv a bit.

“Technologist,” Amon echoed, this time using the Allagan word for it. “I don’t know that such a title has survived the times, much less can be passed to anyone in this day and age. Nor, am I recognized in any capacity amongst the scientific community… anymore.”

He let the final word wane off quietly, a sound of regret lingering in the syllables. Then, Amon shook his head and gave a Howler a bit of a smile. He was not one to stifle someone’s curiosities, after all.

“A title doesn’t represent a mind, friend. To chase one’s dreams, one must find the passion and fortitude. Those aren’t things provided by a book,” the Allagan told them. He then gently tapped his own head, “Nor can you earn much of this kind of knowledge from books or even ancient tomes. Much can only be gleaned through a true mentor and years of hands-on experience. Both of which I was fortunate enough to have.”

Amon’s eyes then fell back on the relic at hand – pun included – with a tilt of his head.

“I’d say you have as good a start as any, knowing the ins-and-outs of partnering with a machine such as this every day.” He then gave a wide hand gesture to Howler, “If you want my advice? Pick up every bit and bob and mechanical contraption you can find along the way. Deconstruct. Reconstruct. Search out the heart of the universal make of machines. Then discover how to make something all your own. Something new. Something with a purpose.

“Technology should always serve a forthright purpose. And when yours does, then you can call yourself a Technologist.”

A wash of feelings – regret being at forefront at first, it was always the negative ones Howler picked up easiest. And yet, there was something else behind it, something that soon overtook it.

Amon’s words told a story, one that Howler would not be privy to – nor did they want to, not without being shared by the man first. That did not mean they couldn’t gleam some parts of it, but far more important was the advice the man gave.

How drive was not found in the books, and that much was true. Motivation was not something one wrote into tomes when it came to learning and finding passion. And while the pen was stronger than the sword so to speak… straying from the topic.

“... You sound almost like my aunt,” Howler finally commented, with an amused smile – hint of loneliness, a pang of pain of missing someone dear in their eyes before it was pushed back with a bashful smile. “Well, aside from the lack of hair-ruffles and a few wrenches being tossed my way.”

They turned to look back at the arm that had been coming along nicely so far. It had been the said aunts handiwork, which certainly explained quite a few things. “She used to say much the same, or at the very least similar things – technology is here to serve us, and how deconstructing most machinery was an essential skill. Though she did use a lot more colorful language while at it…”

Maybe if things had been different, maybe Howler could’ve apprenticed under her. But alas…

“Never got to the reconstruction part quite fully, aunt wanted to make sure I had my hacking and hotwiring up to par first. Though I think she wanted to rethink that latter part when I managed to get one of her old Reapers up and running…”

“That explains a few things.” Igey’s voice chimed in from the back of the room, an amused tapping of her tools, before the quiet clinking returned. “I’m in agreement with Amon, and your aunt, I believe. A wise man he is.”

Howler looked over to Igey, and then gave a nod – before returning back to Amon, not quite sure why Igey was so amused. “I’ll have to keep what you said in mind.”

“I sound like your aunt?” Amon repeated, giving a soft sound of surprise in the back of his throat. The way Howler spoke of such, that was apparently a good thing. “I’ll take that as a compliment, my friend! If you want hair-ruffles and thrown wrenches with this package, I can provide. I am, after all, a bit of an actor on the side.”

The Allagan broke into a wide grin, hoping that made it clear that he was joking (though he could certainly provide one, the other, or both, if desired). Then, he shuffled his papers and turned to the other Elezen.

“Here. ‘Tis a place you can start on your road towards deepening knowledge,” Amon told them, handing over a small sheaf of papers. “Sometimes, beginning with something close to home is best.”

Upon the pages were the Allagan’s study of the relic-arm – a number of hand-sketched diagrams of individual working parts scrawled in ink that displayed the device from a myriad of different angles, with scribbled thoughts (in common Eorzean), theories, and impressions jotted around the drawings. He also had taken extensive notes on what he’d done for each individual repair, enough for someone with a technical eye to follow should future repairs be needed.

“I gift the complete documentation of my processes to you,” Amon told Howler. “That way, should you need repairs again on down the line, or if you’d like to give it a look yourself, whoever might take up the task next time won’t need to start from scratch. You likely already know a chunk of this yourself, so I’d begin by expanding on that. Mayhaps my studies will be of use to you.”

He then gave a slight bow, as if introducing an act upon a stage, hands flourishing towards the prosthetic that sat waiting on the table.

“I feel the relic should be in suitable condition to try out now, if you’d like. That way, I can make further adjustments based on your feedback, if needed.”

“Please no wrenches-” Howler managed between small laughter – it indeed had been a compliment, Howler had kept their aunt in extremely high regard. Granted, their time together had been cut far too short, but the memories were all the sweeter from such. “My ability to dodge anything flying at higher than moderate speed is currently impaired.”

However that laugh was cut off when Amon offered his research – Howler's eyes widening first, before they oh-so-carefully picked up the papers to look through. Curiosity and appreciation were clear from their face, along with the silent awe, rarely if ever bothering to mask anything of the sort…

Fingers traced lightly over the writing and sketches, memorizing as much on first glance as Howler could – but there were so much, things they hadn’t even been aware of. Sure, Howler had been aware just how much of a work of art that arm had truly been, but seeing it like this…

The corners of their eyes softened, as Howler moved to pull the papers against their chest, with a warm smile forming up. They hadn’t gotten that many gifts before – Howler could count on two hands the exact amount they could recall. One of those hands being among the gifts received…

“Thank you,” they said with a small and appreciative voice, with a little more light in their eyes than there was before – head tilting just a smidge to the side. Howler's true age was finally betrayed, the young adult they actually were showing through for a brief moment. “I’ll make sure to keep this safe.”

And to study hard, went unsaid.

Ah, wait, time to put the arm back on! Howler blinked, expression shifting from that grateful, nearly teary-eyed doe-eyed look into more serious as they nodded – and started removing their jacket for easier access.

The soft fhump of leather and cloth was heard, as it was dropped down from their shoulders to the table, Howler already moving their shoulders just a little to adjust for the lack of-

“It looks worse than it actually is.”

Howler's words had been a response to Igey, whom had turned to witness the reattachment of said limb. With the sunglasses gone and set aside, those odd eyes of hers were almost piercing as they gazed at the stump. They knew she would probably ask questions about it later, but for now, she was merciful… But that gaze the woman held was almost eerie, seeing more than most. As she often did.

Their hand almost reached over to the stump, before they just let out a silent, almost defeated and yet non-judgemental huff.

Those with the aetherial sight were able to see far beyond the surface damage – it was almost like something had ravaged the flesh, tried to eat and rot it away before getting overwhelmed with a different type of force. Fierce and angry, full of fangs and flames.

Rot and burns. What a combination.

Thankfully, there wasn’t anything left that would cause any true concern – whatever residue of that disgustingly dark and decaying aether was left off was merely cosmetic, leaving Howler's scars ugly, gnarled and darkened upon the contact point even after a decade.

“Honestly I can’t even feel it. Nerves got burnt off.”

Amon was taken aback a bit at Howler’s response to handing over the notes and research he’d taken on the relic during the repair process. This was just part of a job well done, after all - helping the owner maintain and understand their tech, especially since the other Elezen seemed to have a knowledge of the machine they lived with every day.

So why did Howler seem nearly emotional about the Allagan passing off this information?

Amon wasn’t sure. He was also not sure how to respond, therefore he chose not to. He didn’t always know the most socially acceptable way to interact with other people in this place and time. So, when in doubt, choose to do nothing – that had become his motto.

It saved him much grief in the long run, although it probably painted an incorrect and emotionally stale picture of himself to strangers. But that’s where his years of acting and performance practice came in.

Thankfully, Howler was preoccupied by other things and did not seem to stop to question Amon’s non-response. Namely, the other Elezen was set on trying out the newly refurbished arm, as the Allagan had suggested.

Amon wasn’t sure what he’d expected to see once the covering cloth was removed from Howler’s missing limb. In fact, he hadn’t even considered it until the moment came. The remains of the wound that ringed the stump of what had once been an arm was a grievous sight, maybe even borderline gruesome – or so it might be to regular people.

The Allagan was not a regular person. He’d seen his share of biological horrors. Created his share of them, too. He’d long since been hardened towards sights such as these.

And so, it wasn’t difficult for him to school his expression to blankness as his eyes studied the other Elezen’s tragedy. Blankness because he didn’t want his true response to seep out.

Curiosity.

Pure, unbridled scientific curiosity.

Amon was emotionally awkward at times, certainly, but even he sensed that curiosity would not have been the appropriate response to display at this moment. Certainly, whatever had happened to cause this had not been pleasant. This wasn’t the normal visage of limb loss. This had been something else.

He listened as Howler offered a little inside information about the wound, fighting back his urge to ask questions. One question still got through, despite his best efforts.

“What was the cause of such a wound, I wonder?” As soon as the words escaped his lips, he cursed himself and shook his head, trying to take them back. “Ah! Forgive me. I shouldn’t ask questions of personal matters.”

Honestly, Howler hadn’t been sure what to expect. So far, when it came to people seeing the damage, the responses had been rather… mixed. Igey’s stunned and silent horror mixed with rage was nothing new, and easiest to pin point for the clone. Regret and pity had been rather strong candidates too back in the day, adding just another reason for Howler to hide their arm more and more.

Curiosity however? Just pure curiosity with no hint of more negative associations?

No wonder it had taken Howler a moment to recognize it.

But, they also knew calling out the emotions others were feeling was far beyond invasive. It had been a source of numerous uncomfortable discussions, even when Howler learned to be quiet about it… What was exactly what they were doing right now, Amon was clearly trying so very hard not to show what they were really thinking, and Howler really didn’t really feel like ruining a potential new friendship-

Or at least that was the plan, until they heard the question, and saw Amon’s reaction, and attempted backpedal.

Howler blinked, just as surprised first – before a light chuckle escaped from them. “No offense taken, worry not.”

They then turned towards Igey for a second, trying to catch her eye – almost like asking permission to share, before realizing… Howler was the one who had lost the arm. And while Howler had wanted to avoid a panic, not to mention how a lot of their tale didn’t have much proof… Well Amon had been rather non-judgemental so far.

Still, it was good to get confirmation for Igey first.

Though judging from the feelings coming out of her… she was curious as well.

And on cue, Igey nodded her head gently, waving into the open air with one hand still holding her winding tool. “These walls hold no ears, other than ours. I share the curious sentiment of Amon.”

Howler smiled a little at that, relaxing just enough.

“It’s a bit of a complicated story, so apologies for the lack of proper terms,” Howler started, closing their eyes before letting out a soft hum. “... Where I’m from, we’ve been fighting against… something. Aetherial entity of sorts, corrupt from inside out. No one ever bothered to name the root cause, didn’t have a form to name you see.”

Howler's gaze landed back on the darkened bits, eyes narrowing ever so slightly. “Not sure what it wants, either… I do know it latches into sources of aether, twisting it into its own. Not at all a pleasant experience, I can tell you that much- Thankfully in Eorzea, it doesn’t seem strong enough to latch on to people. Voidsent are a different story, same with tempered beast-tribe members.”

That certainly explained how Howler had broken the arm, if they had been fighting against a suped up Voidsent.

“This however… This is what happens when it tries to infect a humanoid, if it becomes strong enough. I was lucky it went for my forearm first, and that my godfather had the reflexes he did… Losing an arm and looking like I lost a fight to a mascara bottle was a far more favorable option.”

Howler let out an awkward laugh, hoping the joke at the end would alleviate some tension in the room. Honestly that whole encounter was more embarrassing to think about, in hindsight. As long as they stuck to the facts and didn’t think of the things that lead up to that moment… or what happened after. It would be fine.

And now that Howler started to talk it was almost impossible to stop – but stop they did, not wanting to overwhelm the poor scientist.

Igey meanwhile was keeping an eye on Howler… and Amon.

Amon felt himself tense slightly at first, until he realized Howler had taken no offense to his question. Something that might have been relief – though he wasn’t sure why – washed over him, and he regained his previous composure, shaking himself out of what could have led to a minor faux pas.

He watched the interaction between Howler and Igey, curious as to why the Elezen seemed to look to the woman for some kind of permission to speak. The Allagan also took note that Igey did not appear to know all about Howler’s situation, despite being a travelling companion.

But none of that was Amon’s business, so he let it slide off of his thoughts.

Instead, he focused on the tale as it was told with a growing sense of unease. Two points he took away from Howler’s revelations, both the Allagan chose to address – since the other Elezen didn’t appear to mind this topic of discussion thus far.

“So, you are also not of Eorzea?” Amon asked, dropping the word “also” in there as a way of subtly sharing a little about himself. Howler had offered so much personal information thus far, it was only fair to exchange a bit in return.

Whether or not it would be noticed, the Allagan wasn’t sure. After all, his next point would likely stand out more.

“The creatures you describe… not Void you say,” Amon pursed his lips with a sharp glint to his eye. “I’ve not heard of something as notorious as such in this time and place. Any beast that seeks to manipulate the nature of the aether of another and succeeds… well…”

He shook his head as if to show his disapproval.

“Aye. It sounds as if something quite specialized would be required to take up a battle against such. I’m sorry for your loss… but celebrate the fact that you have survived.”

At least Amon seemed to be taking the news relatively well – something that managed to ease any remaining fears Howler had. It wasn’t easy finding a balance between how much they could reveal, but at the same time… well they had been told bottling things up wasn’t exactly healthy.

Then again that advice came from the worst bottlers imaginable, so pot meet kettle.

“No, not exactly,” Howler admitted to the first question with an embarrassed chuckle. “I’ve visited when I was younger, and I have some family-roots here… But generally speaking, no. Had to take a few weeks to myself just to travel and learn the lay of the land, old stories can take one only so far.”

That and the completely changed landscape. Trees where there used to be none, buildings that were still standing, people. Gods, the people. There were so many and they were constantly on motion and there was just so much going on at once-

Nope, hopping out of that slowly developing enochlophobia train and going to the second topic. Howler listened, and nodded, with far more serious expression than originally intended.

“One of the scholars mentioned it was almost like over-exposure to a Primal’s influence, or of elemental aether – but it was too fast to be that. Most of those changes take weeks, months, even years… my arm was gone in seconds. Granted, I was a lot younger, and that is more of an extreme end.”

Howler turned to look towards Igey, who had most likely understood now why Howler had told her – and their little Viera friend – not to get touched by their quarry. “Thankfully they are easy to take out if you have the firepower… and if you catch them early on. Which is what I’m mostly doing. Weeding out the smaller problems before they become big problems, and tracking down the main issue.”

And there laid the true purpose for the urgency of these fixes… and the secrecy. Howler was quiet for a moment, before letting out a small snort. A thought had struck, and for once the clone didn’t bother hiding their inner thoughts. “I don’t think being the bloodhound tracking down an aetherial parasite was on my fathers mind when he named me ‘Howler’, but the irony does not escape me-”

Now that got a muffled snort from the hyur woman across the room, even as she collected herself once more. Not often that they got her to react thus, but it was always a golden treat when done. “You’ve quite a knack for such, maybe more accurate than we realize… But, your tale, does explain quite a few things. Thank you for sharing such details.” Her gaze flicked towards Amon then, letting the young Elezen no longer feel the weight of that gaze, a brief mercy. “I myself am also not technically from Eorzea, so to speak, but here long enough to feel relatively native. This tale is as much fascinating for me as it may you… Which is saying something, Howler.”

Howler grinned lightly in return, before looking back at Amon. “Oh, Igey and I haven’t known for long. Apparently someone who knows of my situation sent her on my way some weeks back. They forgot to fill in a lot of the details however, as we discovered a couple days back.”

Amon’s mind raced with interest and possibilities. The more he heard about these aether entities, the more he wanted to put one in a capture pod and study its unusual nature – for science, of course. Though, he wasn’t even sure that the creature had crossed over into Eorzea… and if it hadn’t, he wasn’t sure he wanted it to. So, he quietly shoved the thoughts of science and research out of his mind, refocusing on the conversation at hand.

“Well,” the Allagan remarked with a bit of a grin at Howler’s final statements about his traveling companion. “Only a few weeks known and you’re already being quite generous with personal information. ‘Tis those who have known me for decades that hardly knew a thing beyond the outer surface. But we all chose who we trust, do we not?”

Despite his outwardly friendly disposition towards almost anyone who did not rub him the wrong way, Amon held his cards and knowledge tightly to his chest. He’d offered these individuals more than most about himself… but only because they’d done so in kind.

Still, this was not a topic he wanted to linger on overly much, so he shifted the focus with a wave of his hand towards the relic arm.

“All that being said, you were to try on the arm so I could see if it needs further adjustments, aye?”

There was a part of Amon that was eager to see his handiwork in action. Though he’d done nothing to modify or enhance the relic in any way – he sensed that with such a valued machine, that would not have been welcome – there was still a sense of pride in the refurbishes that left a tingle of anticipation over his body.

“I hope that I’ve done your relic justice, my friend. But please do not feel the need to keep quiet if you sense any flaw in the repairs,” Amon advised. “‘Tis such a complex thing that even a small issue could lead to something bigger on down the line.”

Oops- Amon’s note was on point, causing Howler to laugh – pulling head down between their shoulders, embarrassed flush decorating their cheeks. Couldn’t help themselves from scratching the side of their nose, while at it,

“Ahaha- Ah, Igey did mention I trust too easily… Something I need to work on.”

Certainly explained why Howler had looked towards Igey for a permission first. Not that they were displeased that Amon was willing to share in return, nor did they think their trust wasn’t fully unwarranted. It just… felt right. To finally talk with people again, after spending so long alone and focused on the task at hand. Quiet, they might’ve been, but that hadn’t made those first couple of weeks oh so lonely.

“I had mentioned, yes. But also noted you should make more friends. Even if they are in unexpected places… Now then, the arm, I believe?” Igey was putting the focus back onto the limb as well. Finally did the woman stand up and move closer, to take stance at Howler’s other side. Her arm held out as an offer to hang onto.

Howler turned back towards the man, offering the stump so the arm could be attached again – their currently only hand taking hold of Igeys just in case. Usually putting the arm back on didn’t cause any issues, but it had been off for at least a couple of days. And from their experience, being hooked off that long usually came with at least a little jolt.

One, two-

Yeap, there was the jolt, right after the click and hiss – causing Howler to jump a little with a tiny ‘hik’ sound, though it seemed they relaxed right after. A soft exhale escaped from them, before they turned to look at the arm again.

The lines gave their soft glow, as the arm was powered back on. There was the sensation of ceruleum moving inside the arm, the familiar little clicks that indicated systems coming back on. But more importantly, Howler could feel the soul crystals – it was a hard sensation to describe, but it was almost like being greeted by an old friend. No words, no sounds, just a distinct sensation of something passing through them.

Too faint to be the emotions of someone alive but… close enough.

Slowly, Howler moved their arm to look at the contact point where the metal covered the scars.

“I missed you too.” they said quietly, with a soft and appreciative smile, while patting the arm a couple of times. A little odd maybe, but nothing out of the ordinary with Howler. Still, they had to make sure the arm worked – and so, they stretched the arm first, flexing fingers in and out before testing out how well the arm rotated.

“The joints work fantastic,” Howler gave a tiny smile after a couple of seconds of testing, shaking both hands quickly. “No delay compared to the other hand either. I do want to do a proper stress-test, but so far so good.”

Amon watched the connection – both literally and figuratively – of Howler’s arm, and the welcoming response the other Elezen had towards the relic. The Allagan couldn’t help but think about his own emotional connection with machines, namely his one special Node, completely understanding the interaction between an individual and their tech.

A slight smile curved his lips as Howler brandished and appreciated the workings of the limb. Even if there were more tweaks to do, the recognition was more than enough to tickle Amon’s ego, making it all he could to suppress the desire to preen about in pride.

When the words “stress-test” reached his ears, which perked slightly as they did, his golden eyes focused sharper on Howler with growing interest. He was curious to see what the other Elezen did to carry out such a stress-test of his tech – one could learn something new from any observation, after all. And he said as much, not even attempting to cover it up.

“What do you have in mind?” Amon asked, leaning forward, tapping his chin. “I’d very much like to watch, if you’d permit me?”

“Previously, I had a sparring match with one of my mentors,” Howler admitted, fingers tracing over the casing of the arm. Namely the spot where there used to be a very specific gash. “But that isn’t really an option now, on the count of him not being here. That and I doubt I'd be able to keep up with him in my current state… he’d just throw me through a wall.”

So instead, they turned to look at Igey. “I don’t suppose you’re willing? At least the hide-tanning I’d get would be manageable.”

Such a request had the woman standing next to him perk her brows in mild surprise. “You truly ask that of me?” It was a genuine reaction from her, which did not await an answer. Her voice humming with a slight shift of stance as she took space away, a pondering expression crossing those features. “I suppose I could… I am well versed in many styles, and am quite familiar with Allagan technology. At least, enough so that I shall not cause accidental damage… Nor throw you through a wall, as concerning as that comment is.”

Howler gave an awkward grin in return, especially at the tail-end. There were things they could add, but, well…

“Hm. Yes, I shall spar. And in fact-” Her head turned then, towards the other Elezen in the room. “-permission granted. I’d even extend an invitation to watch, if you hadn’t asked. Would be wise to see how the work holds up. Wouldn’t you agree, Howler?”

Howler nodded at that, giving Amon a slightly brighter grin than the previous one. “I know I’ll be tossed to the ground a couple of times, but there is no better test than some hand-to-hand combat. Might be entertaining enough to bring in snacks, too.”

With that, they patted the uppermost ring that connected the arm to flesh. There was a shift, the gears turning silently – and the job-stone, the monk, clicked in place.

Igey had already stopped Howler's attack once with her foot. They were going to need every advantage they could here.

“The soul crystal switcher seems to be working too-”

Yes they did have to report that real quick, while they could.

Amon wasn’t sure what he’d imagined a stress-test to be for such a relic – perhaps a bio-aetheric signature analysis, anomalous acceleration reboot appraisal, or maybe a ceruleum deltaflow evaluation. So, when the Allagan was made aware that Holwer intended to one-vee-one Igey -- of all people -- to test out the functionality of the refurbished arm, he had to suppress his initial surprised response.

“Sparring match?” One eyebrow lifted quizzically. “Very well!”

Though, if the relic was meant to endure battle, then sparring to test it made enough sense. Being first-hand witness to such a performance was not on his to-do list, but then, this appeared to be a day of unexpected pleasure that kept on giving.

Cadu’s head popped up over Amon’s shoulder, small pink tongue tasting the anticipation in the air. The serpent was not wont towards battle or violence, but he had a sense that something exciting was about to happen, and his ever-curious nature was there for it.

“It appears you have captured Cadu’s interest, so who am I to turn down the invitation. Or maybe ‘twas the mention of ‘snacks’ that drew him,” the Allagan chuckled. Then he gave a more serious nod, “’Twould be prudent, indeed, for me to observe in case further changes are required.”

Amon removed his working smock and folded it over one arm, careful that the messier parts were kept internally and not smearing grime over his sleeve. He then gave a wide smile over one shoulder as he did a typical hat and sake check – all was in order.

“By your leave, my friends!”

Howler gave a bright smile in return, flexing the fingers of the mechanical arm quickly. “It is the fastest way of getting the tactile feel. Even if the arm is restored perfectly, some things will always feel different.”

The clean-ups would make the arm lighter, system restoration made it more responsive, and new parts meant Howler wouldn’t have to stress the arm as much for the same results. Which was a good thing! Absolutely! It just meant that Howler wouldn’t be able to notice any underlying issues without doing a proper test-drive first.

All those thoughts were forgotten when Cadu popped his head out of Amons shoulder, causing another grin to appear. “Great! Maybe they have some uh… what was it called? Popcorn? … Can snakes have popcorn?”

“Usually, they can not… But I imagine Cadu is a special one, yes?” Igey’s response was almost playfully amused. Her form moved away from Howler now that they were capable of movement on their own, just so that she could remove something from her travel bag. The young elezen never did get a good view inside whatever might be inside the thing, so it was ever the mystery what might be removed. This time, it was merely a pair of thick leather gloves, with metal knuckles stitched atop them. “Lead the way then, for your preferred sparring ground. And somewhere comfortable this time, Howler. Less cliffs. More seating for our… Friends?”

“I was not planning on leaving to the outside of the city!” Howler replied, scandalized at the implications.

And thus the bright banter continued, even as Howler tried to hide the smallest of happy ear-twitches at the mention of the word ‘friends’ upon exiting the room…

#Howler Logs #Howler Kore #Igey Shemhazai #Amon of Syrcus #It was so much fun writing with you both - thank you for inviting me!#Awesome RP!#Be sure to read the Howler Logs!

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