Replacement Coils

Log Info

• Title: Replacement Coils
• Emitter: Schara
• Characters: Schara, Warrick
• Place: The Junkyard
• Time: March 8th, 2023
• Summary: Schara is scrounging for spare parts in the Junkyard and ends up finding Warrick there as well, he himself looking for a replacement coil for a heater. They get in a bit of a miscommunication of intentions, but end up getting it settled, and Schara takes an offer to help fix a faulty heater.

The Junkyard, late afternoon.

For the more frugal engineers in Alexandria, the junkyard was a frequent haunt when project, new or old, needed a more particular part. Which meant that a certain bronze clad figure often found themselves in the area. Schara was halfway up one of the several mountains of metal scrap, bent over and picking through the debris. Ocassionally they stopped to pick up something particular, a gear or metal plating and various other things, only for it to be set aside.

This man, for better or for worse, knew the ins and outs of The Junkyard. So much could be found here: good deals, deadly explosives, fugitives, children playing, as well as-

"... maybe... this can fit...?" a gruff voice grumbles to himself as they look over a door hinge. The man, in his grey overcoat, flips the latch over. Groans, and throws it onto the pile in front of him. Seems to have a crude drawing on the hinge.

Hearing something up high, he tilts his head up. "... Uh. Schara? Is that you up there?" Warrick calls out.

Schara stopped their search, and the armored figure stood up and turned around to find the source of someone calling their name. She raises one hand and waves, her usual equipment accompanied by a satchel that by the look and sound of it, already had more than a few finds in it. "Oh, hello mister Warrick. Yes, it is me up here, I wasn't expecting to find you here. How are things going for you?" They ask.

Warrick waves back, his other hand shading his eyes against the dropping sun. "I'm well," he answers honestly. "I... used to be stationed in Goblintown quite a lot. But now, I'm just looking for spare parts for my parent's heating element in this house is all. What are you doing?"

"You're well? That's good, I'm glad to hear someone is doing well here." The artificer responds as she begins her careful descent back down to ground level. "You mentioned knowing this area well, I tend to do most of my shopping here since it's much more inexpensive than other areas, in spite of not having much reason a lot of the time outside of the location." They answer as they continue down. "I'm looking for parts for myself, and metal scrap that's similar to what miss Slatesteel uses so I can keep practicing. And, I guess I'm offering to help if you need with parts for your parent's heating? If you need help, at least, that sounds important and something that should be dealt with as soon as possible."

Warrick quirks at brow at Schara's word choice, but he doesn't comment on it. He does, however, offer a hand to help her down once she gets close enough. "I see. How is that work faring?"

He ponders the offer. "Considering I've seen you use heating elements to shoot fire at targets, I don't see why not. The old wood heater is being used right now, but my sister got them a better one. The coils burnt out in them though."

Schara stops to ponder the hand offered once she nears the ground, and takes it, but puts almost no weight on the former guard out of fear of hurting them if they stumbled. "Oh, the work is going well! At least, I hope it is going well, sometimes it's hard to tell with miss Slatesteel, but the fact she hasn't stopped asking me to show up or paying me makes me think things are going okay. It's a lot of work, but I'm happy to be helping, too." The elf answers as she stops to look at her arm. "Oh! You got them one that functions with Artifice? I figured you might have given you mentioned a heating coil, but okay! I'd be happy to help you find some new parts, that shouldn't be too hard." They continue, tapping their left arm a few times. "I go through a lot of parts like that, sometimes when I'm working I stress the parts in my arm too much and they break down, so I know what to look for. I didn't know you have a sister, but that was nice of her to do for your parents, and for you to help too."

Warrick doesn't seem to mind helping her, in fact, he's prepared to catch her should something crumble and fall. Which is.. good safety, considering the state of the junkyard. "Good. She hasn't been complaining to me, which means you're doing fine. If she's cursing and working, things are fine. Don't overthink it."

Once she's on solid ground, he releases the arm. "I didn't. My sister did," he reiterates before nodding and looking to the arm. "Just a regular heating coil will do, nothing miniaturized for personal use. It just heats a room is all."

At the mention of his sister, he nods. "Yes. My sister Vanessa helps my parents out at their shop. They run a general store."

"Well, I have a tendency to overthink things, so, it's weird, I don't know many people like miss Slatesteel, so it's hard to think about how she is acting. I don't know if I'll get used to it, but maybe I can understand her better as I keep helping out." The artificer half sighs, only to stop and shake her head. "Is your sister picking up this heating coil? You're helping, aren't you?" The elf wonders as she looks around. "No, I wasn't thinking about something for one person, I'm just thinking about what material would be best. I could ask mister Clunk about where they keep their nickel scrap metal and artifice conductors, and take a look their for them. Most of the stuff is actually sorted pretty well if you know where to look for it."

"A general store? That sounds nice. Is it near goblintown, or somewhere else in the city?"

"You'll get used to her," Warrick chuckles, putting his hands in his pockets. "She's a good sort."

The man idly inspects a different pile. "Huh? No. It's just broken and I'm running the errand for them."

"He might know, yes," he nods, turning back to the bronze clad woman. "It's in the Trades. Retzner General store. Nothing fancy, just supplies a lot of basic materials and goods. Though, if you don't know Handspeech and my sister isn't working, make sure you have a list written out or some paper, my folks can't hear."

"And aren't there other things you could be doing instead?" The artificer wonders out loud, tilting their head again. "Unless I'm mistaken this counts as helping, does it not? Unless I'm mistaken which I could be, but it's strange to act like you aren't helping at all."

"Regardless, it isn't important, and I can think you are even if you don't." The artificer shrugs as she wanders further into the yard to look around. "And, oh. I don't know handspeech no, I only have one functioning hand when I'm wearing this armor, and it isn't precise enough for many fine movements, along with others I haven't figured out yet. But I can write, so I could bring a list if I need supplies and I'm in the area."

"I... am helping?" Warrick raises a brow. "I don't understand what you mean, Schara. I don't do much these days except adventuring or applying where my expertise methods. You're probably mistaken. Helping my family is just a near daily thing."

He shakes his head, following along behind the artificer in a slow amble. "Got it. Well, I can show you a few signs just so you can understand things. Helps a lot on jobs, honestly."

"But now you are saying you are. I don't get it." The artificer huffs as she stops to peer at one of the areas. "No, the flow of energy is going to be too accurate with that cabling to be functional for a heating element, need to keep looking." The artificer notes before continuing along. "You kept saying how you weren't helping or weren't doing much, so it seemed like you were being dismissive of what you're doing. Not everyone helps their family or people they care about expecting nothing and it's important to recognize that." Schara continues after the interruption. "It wouldn't hurt to at least know aa few things when people can't talk, that would have been helpful to know and I really should have realized the value of that beforehand."

Warrick scrunches his nose, the minute difference of helping and not helping, as he's thoroughly confused by Schara's enigmatic thought process. "You're overthinking it," he states plainly. "I used to do nothing but guard work, but now I don't, so I have a lot of free time. I suppose it is kind of me to help my family out, but it is the norm for me, and it is of little effort. We help each other. Just the way it is for us; taking care of the family."

"I can show you some signs later, basic ones for the jobs we go on and what not. When we're not looking for parts, because I know you'll want to write it down."

"Maybe I am overthinking it, but I'd at least like to try to understand what is making someone act some way." The artificer huffs again. "I'm just trying to be supportive and say what I think I'd like someone to say but you aren't me and I need to know what to say to other people better."

"Later then, I'd still like to learn so I can say something if something is happening unlike last time." Schara sighs. "But lets just find those parts for now."

Warrick rubs his face. "Alright. I'll keep it straightforward. I love my family, they mean a lot to me. I appreciate your support, you just don't have to get hung up on the specifics is all."

He nods, casting his gaze about the lot and putting a boot on a box, carefully tipping it over to look underneath. He blinks, reaching forth to take it and push it aside. "Hrm. Might've found one," he mumbles, kneeling down to clear away debris before yanking out a spiral shaped piece of metal.

Schara stops, and at least seems satisfied with the answer. "Well, alright. As long as you're happy with things, that's probably most important." the elf nods, before crouching down to take a look. "Metal and shape look right at a glance, not sure if that's exactly what it was made for, but if everything's right, you should be able to make it work. I don't know what the heating unit is like, but you probably had something in mind for the installation." Schara notes. "Guess sometimes things still end up in the wrong place here too, that's why it's important to look."

The man rolls the coil over, inspecting it. "I am happy with things, for the most part. Just some days are harder than others. And that's okay," he mentions, voice growing softer near the end, as if he was echoing another's words. He shakes his head.

"We can fiddle with the heater to take it," Warrick nods along with Schara. He kneels down, grabs it, and gives a slight huff as he lifts the hunk of worked metal up and onto a shoulder. "Appreciate the help. Can meet my folks too when you get this put in. Who knows, maybe you'll get a discount for helping them," he chuckles, smiling wanly.

-End Scene-