[STORY] A custom shop?

[Vangeek]

Firstly, I haven't been paying much attention to Fenspace recently (mea culpa, mea maxima culpa), so I'm sure something to this effect has been suggested or toyed with somewhere already.
Secondly, I want to write a story or some scenes featuring my character, since she hasn't come to light yet (again, my own fault/laziness). I dunno, maybe also develop the idea of the Pratchett group of fen in a little more detail...anyways, I'm rambling. I'll throw this up here and y'all can mud sling as necessary
***
I sighed and stretched the back of my neck.
I wasn't a soldier like KJ, or a boss man like Mal, or heck, even someone like the real pioneers of fenspace like Scott or the other big names. True, I was crew on one of the damn best ships in the system, and one that was famous in and of itself.
But I'm just a pilot...and I'm the quiet type, not big on the hype or the fame, kind of lazy and perfectly content to just sit back, do the driving, and let everyone else get on with the hero work and mind boggling discoveries. Also, I've got one of the more...distinct hair-do's around, and quite frankly, I think I'd be known as one of the more recognizable fantasy characters of the Pratchett world if I got out more.
Gorram 'wavium. To be honest, as crazy as the fen are, I very much doubt I'd get mobbed if I was better known- I feel embarrassed for thinking it. I certainly wasn't back at *the* convention, heck, I was just another biomodded fen who got lucky. But things have...progressed a little. Again, probably my own fault for not getting out as much as I could. I'm not as upset about the hair anymore, in fact I'm pretty entertained by it, certainly I've learned to live with it. The Voice is something I haven't dropped to anyone yet, KJ's guessed, Kat knows, but that's it. I'm sure Mal has an inkling, but it wasn't there at first and it's gotten worse? better? over time.
I've just, I don't know. Felt the urge to wear black more often. Haven't been able to tan very easily, when I used to be able to brown like cooked beef. (yeah, I caved and went in for a tanning salon). And maybe the whole "not getting out" thing is a symptom itself, who knows. Well...okay, I do tend to behave rather oddly when I get out to parties. Apparently I keep demanding curries when I get really, really drunk.
What all this leads up to is that I don't mind doing the long hauls, and as they say, idle hands are the devil's tools. In fenspace, this is true and incredibly dangerous. I'd be sitting there, on some boring long supply run, and start wondering what I could with this, or if I could make that.
The results of this sort of thinking are immediate and obvious; I've got a Strohl plasma gun strapped to my back. It's...mostly a false device. Then there's the Mace[tm] and the foam Mace I use for crowd control. Then I started to really think...what about a staff? Or a sword- thought about those katanas the Shinigami had in Bleach. There were any number of things I thought of, small objects, weaponry, clothing, heck, even common household items, that there just might be a market for with the fen. Basically, custom crafting items, using 'wavium if needed, for things the fen might want. Actually, having 'wavium in paticular as part of the creative process.
Oh, of course there's already companies, shops, what have you that do that sort of thing. Reproduction zampukto, costumers, etc. But I was thinking of trying things that *weren't* reproductions, I wanted to create the real thing. Or, at least as close as I could. For instance, maybe a paticular nutjob wanted one of Cloud's swords from FFVII: AC. Y'know, the one that could part and be pulled into two different weapons? I could try and make that.
I grinned to myself. Okay, that was an extreme example. I was getting in over my head...ye gods, 5 more hours on this trip. But seriously, maybe some standard stuff, 'wavium cosplay costumes for senshi with bits that actually waved mysteriously without the need for wind...then there was the Pratchett stuff (my main focus, my being a fen of that genre). I grinned again, feeling paticularily mad. *Surely* no one was nuts enough to try and recreate the Luggage. Or heck, Death's sword. I had been trying to stockpile titanium, after all. Or...the grin got wiped off my face, fast.
I can't *seriously* been considering that. To me, it's just about the final step down a path that this biomod has smacked me into. One I'm not entirely sure I want to go any futher on...but.
A scythe would be really cool.

[Bob Schroeck]

I'm sitting here grinning like a madman. That's all I have to say.

-- Bob
---------
The Internet Is For Norns.

[Kokuten]

if you run into any difficulties working the metal, feel free to drop by.
wait.. you've turned into _DEATH_?!?!!!
dude, SWEET.Wire Geek - Burning the weak and trampling the dead since 1979Wire Geek - Burning the weak and trampling the dead since 1979

[Foxboy]

Death's Daughter/Niece, actually. Miss Sto-Helit.
''We don't just borrow words; on occasion, English has pursued other languages down alleyways to beat
them unconscious and rifle their pockets for new vocabulary.''

-- James Nicoll

[Cobalt Greywalker]

Granddaughter, actually.
Which, given the way the Discworld works, makes her considerably MORE scary than our favourite permanently grinning Anthropermorphic Personification.
When she starts remembering tomorrow, that's when we should get worried.
(Given the discussions as to Haruni's nature, it might be fun to put the two of them together.
I, of course, recommend standing well back if we do.
How many people can Starbase 2 take by the way?)

[Norgarth]

I found this rather amusing, especially since I just read 'Mort' a couple weeks back. __________________
I bet that if you cooked an elephant, you'd have a lot of leftovers.
___________________________
"I've always wanted to be somebody, but I should have been more specific." - George Carlin

[robkelk]

---

How many people can Starbase 2 take by the way?

---

I'd guess "all that survive"...

-Rob Kelk
"Read Or Die: not so much a title as a way of life." - Justin Palmer, 6 June 2007
--
Rob Kelk
"Governments have no right to question the loyalty of those who oppose
them. Adversaries remain citizens of the same state, common subjects of
the same sovereign, servants of the same law."

- Michael Ignatieff, addressing Stanford University in 2012

[Vangeek]

Wow. Just...wow. Not quite what I was expecting, and thanks for the support, guys.
Anyways, yeah, my char is the biomodded fen version of Death's granddaughter. And yeah, she's considering starting up a custom shop for fen who want rather unique items. I figure since she's had a good deal of luck creating her own items (with KJ's help, mostly), she figures she can pull it off with others. And nooo....no Haruhi. Bad Idea.
Well, I'll doodle some more and see where this goes. I'm slightly frightened of the implications of a custom fen shop in the middle of this Boskone war season, especially given the fact I suspect there *might* be a working version of the Strohl somewhere out there.
Kokuten, if you're willing, we can try something out. I want to start of with a few personal projects that might require certain metals and fair amounts of handwavium, and then see what happens.
***
"Okay, where is it..." I dug around in my quarters, searching. KJ had been a hell of a lot of help designing the Strohl, but I wanted to do something on my own. I figure I needed to learn if I wanted to get this custom shop idea of the ground. Besides, there was an idea or two I wanted to try, and how hard could it be to make a cricket bat? I had the diagrams here somewhere...
"Ah, there they are. God bless the Watch." I jerked out the plans from under a pile of who knows what. Hrm. I *could* tell the others about this, but it was just a piece of wood. Ish.
I obviously didn't just want a typical slab- this thing was going to be 'waved for proper Zombie fighting capabilities. Needed some of that first. And...well, maybe I could incorporate metal in there for added stregnth, or, I could just get some for my special stockpile.
"Time to hit the radio...hey, yeah, can someone get me through to the Hephaestus?"

[Bob Schroeck]

In case it helps any, here is a link to the photo gallery for the live version of Hogfather done on British TV a year or two back. I happen to think their Susan is right on the money... Oh, and the downloads section off the page has a very nice wallpaper of her...

-- Bob
---------
The Internet Is For Norns.

[Kokuten]

VG - drill the handle to the tune of 11/16" (a hair shy of 3/4") inside diameter hole. Insert threaded 3/4" OD rod of 'waved Aluminum. The head would be a simple wood barrel or solid drilled out and filled with a lead alloy (possibly integrating 'dead blow' features) or tool steel facing (behind the wood, of course).
Anything you can imagine, we can help.Wire Geek - Burning the weak and trampling the dead since 1979Wire Geek - Burning the weak and trampling the dead since 1979

[Sirrocco]

Wouldn't a working version of the Strohl rather violate rule 1d?

[Vangeek]

A working version, yeah, but the version I have is essentially an over-glorified hair drier.
Also, thanks Kokuten

[Vangeek]

Here's some more doodling, lemme know if anything needs tweaking.
***
I managed to get through to the Hephaestus and order the metal I needed. I wasn't looking for anything fancy, mind- just some quality aluminum or steel to form the core of the cricket bat. I figured it'd add strength and weight for extra hitting power. I also debated giving the bat an edge, making into more of an atlatl, but that kind of ruined the image I wanted.
I thought carefully...I figured I'd basically have two bats, a metal one that would form the inner handle and core, and a wooden one that would form the outside. I wasn't sure if I'd just wrap the handle with leather or some such, but that could be played with. Wood would be costly too, but in the end the project would definitly be worth it.
The cricket bat would be my first real "display" project. The Strohl was a personal item, I hadn't been thinking of this shop idea when I created it, but it definitly had some major selling points. I really wanted the cricket bat too, but I guessed I could dress it up a little with advertising, maybe set up a little kiosk or some such at the next convention or at the next major station we docked at.
"Hello...yes, Hephaestus? This is B from the Ptchika...yeah, nice talking to you too." I grinned and went over my list. "Yeah, and a shipment of 'wavium too...you wouldn't happen to have any rosewood on hand, would you? No? Oh, ow...yeah, I figured it'd be pricey. It's okay, I can get my hands on some pine or summat...yeah, thanks. A couple pounds should do it, I can also save more of the goop for later. Yeah, thank you." I hung up and grinned. Thank heavens fen took things in stride, but I'm sure I wasn't the oddest order they've ever had.
I got up and made sure the auto pilot was ticking away...now, I better let Mal know what I was up to. I didn't think I needed to ask KJ for advice...he'd already helped and taught me a lot, and besides, he probably was busy.
After all, how hard could it be to make a 'waved cricket bat?

[Norgarth]

Suddenly I'm picturing a huge cricket with bat wings. __________________
I bet that if you cooked an elephant, you'd have a lot of leftovers.
___________________________
"I've always wanted to be somebody, but I should have been more specific." - George Carlin

[Cobalt Greywalker]

---

Suddenly I'm picturing a huge cricket with bat wings.

---

A Count Duckula style vampire cricket bat?