ORIGIN - the self is not so weightless

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The Overseer- Master- had instructed him years ago on just what a bow was. A curved wood, a strong cord- he had those gathered, ready to use, after so many failed attempts. With the upcoming confrontation, perhaps he'd need to use a new weapon.

That being said, he didn't even know how to use it. He'd take it one step at a time- first, he needed a bow to even learn with. And so, with the wood in hand, he turned it over and over as he tried to figure out how to tackle it. Notches were made to tie the cord about, and it was a good height, he assumed. Caves, it even had a bit of curve to it already after his working on it.

The elf held the bow frame carefully as he strung the cord from one end to the other. It wasn't a stretch- he had extra of the tendon prepared, just in case, but as he tied each end about it seemed... right. It wasn't a bad length, it was taut, and it made an odd pluck like his instrument. That must mean it'd work, right?

Now, he just needed the ammo. Arrows, he was sure, with a hard point. Gems? It didn't look like they'd fly straight- maybe he could make some sort of wings for it. But what about it passing along the wood?

He rumbled as he continued to pluck the weapon. Bow. He had to remember that, the name somehow unfamiliar yet intrinsic to him.

@Null

Well, Null had been wandering, as she was wont to do. She hadn't seen Hargrave in cycles, and the diamond she carried weighed hard in her mouth after all this time. It was tiring to carry it around, hide it, hunt, find it, and continue on- the cycle was just too much.

She needed a place to stash it, or some way to use it. Or, just, some way to give it to Hargrave. Would she want it? It could be like a trophy, like her blade!

Ahh, Hargrave. She was cool. Null grinned over the gem in her teeth as she trotted along Eridanus, her triplet tails swaying with her hop-walk. The wolf saved her life, even, and the fox missed her so much. Sighing in, Null lifted her head and stared up at the bright cave lights, letting out a quietly happy hum.

When she came to an abrupt clearing, she stopped. This was new. Well- it didn't look new, but she hadn't seen it before- she didn't really frequent Eridanus. Too woodsy, usually, but it was a nice place to hide something of yours for a while, at least. If you didn't want it back, maybe. No, Null tightened her grip on the diamond, and pressed on.

What was that noise? Her ears pushed forward as she came around Attikias, silently peering up at him like an obedient dog.

@Attikias

Attikias was engrossed in the weapon as he strung it back, testing the strength of the wood and cord together and making sure it didn’t slip. It felt good, at least, not like the other tries. Well- other tries had felt good, but this one felt right.

He lowered it as Null’s head came into view. The elf blinked- ”Ah, hello?”- as he placed the bow beside him.

There was no response. She had only continued staring, with something in her mouth and her eyes expectant. ”Um- can I get you anything?”

Null cocked her head one way, then the next. Who was this creature? Upright, not a lot of fur- she hobbled around to face him fully, squinting. No, she didn’t want anything. She shook her head somewhat in denial, only getting a bit too close for comfort with Attikias’s bow. The elf’s hand dropped, but not before she managed to press her nose against it, looking up to the man with an unspoken question.

’What is that thing?’ It looked like it had no use, but perhaps it did, for someone who didn’t have teeth or claws or fur. What an odd creature.

this thread is gonna suck

Attikias’s tail curled around himself. ”Uhh-” One hand stayed on the bow as Null had backed up and stared more. What was with this person? … Were they like Vivilene? Ah, boy. Did they know telepathy, at least? Probably not.

”What- do- you want a bow?” He held it up and in front of him, at Null’s level, for her to inspect. ”I just made this one- I uh.” He glanced to Null’s missing arm, then to her paw. ”I don’t think you could use it without hands.”

He turned it over in example, curling two fingers in the middle of the cord and pulling it back experimentally. ”I haven’t used this one yet, but you kinda hold it like this- I think?” One arm raised and the other pulled back, accentuated by a twinge of pain across Attikias’s face. ”And you pull it back with an arrow. I can’t really hold it there for a long time, or it hurts, uh-” he patted his gem for emphasis. ”I can get you something else, though? Food, maybe?”

Null only shook her head again. She didn’t need any use of weapon, not when she had magic. No, she instead watched the creature’s hands move as he talked, the way they held the bow and pulled it back and the way they worked. They were fascinating. Some part of her was envious- though, perhaps, she could ask for use of them if he was so adamant about doing something for her?

No. She didn’t want to ask anyone for anything, and instead she sat, watching and waiting, tails swaying behind her as she held the diamond chunk in her mouth.

Attikias had no idea how to handle this being. She didn’t seem to talk, but she didn’t put any effort into conversation either, and he made a strangled noise out of his throat. ”Um- Can you talk? Or, uh- use magic, for telepathy? My daughter, she doesn’t talk either, but uh- maybe you can use magic-” He was interrupted by a vigorous head shake, accentuated by a return to absolute stillness.

He sighed. ”Well, what do you want then? The- bow, do you want something related to that?” A thoughtful head tilt, then a shrug. ”What do you want?” As much as he hated to say it, he was losing patience, simply due to how much this being just wasn’t like Vivilene.

The fox let out a chuff of a sigh and a quick breath in. Fine, she could maybe give him some semblance of conversation, if he was going to get so mad about it. It wasn’t that she could even talk, anyways- she didn’t want to, even with finding reason for it.

But, she could play charades. Shoving up, Null spun and hopped away from Attikias a few steps, before turning back around and holding up her scarred shoulder. Something about this. Could he do something about this? Maybe attach a stick or something, something she couldn’t do with just a paw and a mouth? Her ears folded back as her tails swayed harder in unease, hard eyes staring up to him.

For emphasis, she nudged her nose at the patch of skin, not breaking eye contact with the elf for a second.

”A- leg?” He guessed, to which he got a hard, angry nod. A leg. ”I can’t just make you a new leg.” That earned him a squint, and he sighed, standing up. ”Unless you want, like- You want a replacement?” And that was a nod, and he let out another, more exasperated, sigh. ”It won’t work good, probably. Here, just, stay put,” he told her, standing with his hands on his thighs.

A leg. He wouldn’t know how to make that- he could make a stick and tie it there, but it wouldn’t hold well, probably. ”I can make a pad for it, anyways, uh-” and he made his way to his workbench, carrying the bow and placing it on the side of the table. ”So stuff doesn’t damage the skin, y’know?” He pulled close some leather strips he had created and a thicker patch of leather, placing them together before turning back around to face Null.

”If that’s what you want, of course.”

She thought for a moment, following behind Attikias. Something to cover that may work, but what about something temporary. She let out another breathy noise. Couldn’t he just make a stick? Working bad would be better than not working at all. The fox huffed out through her nose as she sat again, staring at him. It was a moment of the two of them staring, Null slowly squinting some more and Attikias looking more and more desperate.

Eventually, she nodded, pushing her head forward with the gem in her mouth. Fine. He could take those to make sure the leather was actually good and that he wouldn’t just scam her for showing up at his doorstep and barging her way in for the day.

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