VIDEO | un: hythlodaeus

[nomoresharks]

[The feed opens to a rather disheveled looking Hythlodaeus, his hair slightly undone from it braid and the sleeves of his robes pulled up and bound somewhere behind his elbows. Behind him sits the failed remains of his attempts to create a bow for himself, lopsided and uneven, some splintered and cracked, some scarcely begun before being given up on in a sudden burst of frustration.

He tries to keep a bright, cheerful, pleasant expression, but his efforts look plastic at best, not helped by the irritation that occasionally slips into his voice]

I don't suppose anyone has any advice when it comes to making a bow by hand?

I've attempted to do so in the manner I'm used to but--

[He raises a hand, and light gathers before it, starting to pull together to form the shape of the bow Hythlodaeus so dearly desires only to suddenly dissipate at the last second, tiny motes of magic dispersing and dissipating into the air.

And he has to take a moment to catch his breath, a bead of sweat rolling from his temple down to his chin.]

As you can see, that's going splendidly.

[The last thing he needed: to become even more useless than he already was]

Comments

voice. @kaveh

[fussiest]

[ with a thoughtful hum: ]

In all honesty, what you can do with your powers is more than what a lot of us can say - but you're used to doing far more, right? What sort of tree did you pull or cut that wood from? Is it one of the ones in the park, or a plank of wood from one of the stores?

voice

[nomoresharks]

Indeed. And while it's never come easy to me, exactly, I've never had this much trouble with it before.

As for the wood, I've been searching through stores mostly. Given my current woes, I'd rather not dwell on what it would take to fell a tree, much less turn it into something usable.

voice; un: theredgaze

[immortalpoet]

Still having trouble, huh.

[thank u captain obvious]

voice

[nomoresharks]

Indeed. I'm beginning to realize just how little credit I've given to those who prefer to create by hand.

[immortalpoet]

It's not easy, for sure. And looks like this place isn't exactly going to give you an easy way to do things in general.

...Why a bow?

[nomoresharks]

While I'll not win any contests of strength anytime soon, and my aptitude for magicks was poor even before my arrival here, my vision has ever been exceptional. With both staff and blade out of the equation, it only makes sense to reach for the bow when one is forced into conflict he would otherwise have been happy to avoid.

...Or so has ever been my thinking on the subject.

[immortalpoet]

So you're more of a sharpshooter than anything.

[give hyth a sniper rifle]

Maybe you'll have to elect for getting a slingshot.

[nomoresharks]

[oh god hyth with a sniper rifle]

A slingshot? Hm... I suppose it could be useful depending on the type.

[And he can think of a few non-weaponized uses for a slingshot too, but that's if both opportunity and individual present themselves]

What are you using, might I ask?

[immortalpoet]

Me? Nothing at the moment. My bare hands.

[A pause - you can almost see the shrug.]

I usually use a gladius, but it was taken from me. It's a big sword.

[nomoresharks]

Ah, a gladius! I've heard others profess their love for the weapon far more than I've ever seen it in action myself, but I've heard much about its versatility.

Would that I could make a new one for you, but if my skill with metalworking is anything like my current woodworking ability...

Well, perhaps opportunity for someone else to do the honors will present itself eventually.

[immortalpoet]

I think it's not likely someone will just come across a bunch of metal to use, but you never know.

That gladius of mine had a self-heating mechanism, so it wouldn't really be the same either way...

[nomoresharks]

That, I'm afraid, is entirely outside my technical expertise. Not that I wouldn't mind seeing something of the sort in action--preferably on an object rather than an individual.

[Because he's learning that this probably needs to be clarified...]

[nutbuckets]

it's just a curved chunk of wood and a string right? how hard can it be?

[Now she's definitely curious whether there's a book in the library about this.]

audio

[nomoresharks]

Surprisingly so, it turns out. And filled with a great many more splinters than I dared hope to imagine.

[Otherwise he'd be responding with text in kind.

text;

[nutbuckets]

looks like it

[A long pause while she decides what she's going to do about it.]

ooh I wonder if a sports store has a bow! you want me to check?

[nomoresharks]

[He doesn't bother to hide how eager he is]

Would you please? I have had my fill of woodworking a lifetime. Several lifetimes, I think.

[immortalpoet]

...It's been used on individuals.

[b luntly]

But yeah, sure. If I ever get something like it. You'll be the first to know.

[nomoresharks]

[s i g h]

I suppose I should have expected as much. Dare I hope that it was self-defense?

[immortalpoet]

[If he lived in a Normal Place he would be coy about it, but given his kind are a dime a dozen-]

Sure. If it helps you sleep at night.

[nomoresharks]

[why]

...And if I happen to find a similar weapon first, I fear we are going to have some sort of talk before I make an offering of it.

[immortalpoet]

[live in hypercapitalism horror eldritch world and YOU can get your brain baked at 300 fahrenheit for FREE]

[And with the same dry tone:]

Sure, sure. I'll be good. I promise.

[nomoresharks]

[free distortion or your money back...]

Please do. 'Tis a dark day indeed when I of all people am forced to be the responsible one. I daresay my heart won't be able to take it.

[immortalpoet]

And yet here you are offering to make a sword for me. I think you're the type to step on your own rake, there.

[heh]

audio; un: camille

[cinaedus]

[ The voice that comes on the other end is light and, if one were to pay attention, a little amused. Still, he'll be helpful, insofar as he actually can. ]

I seem to recall the use of some basic device to bend the wood and spot inconsistencies in the curve to ensure the stress is evenly distributed: a length of wood with a notch in the top for the bow to sit on, and other notches along the length to stretch the string. Unfortunately, I remember nothing else from what little I observed. I hope that might be of some use.

[nutbuckets]

alright! gimme a sec.

[There's a decided pause here, maybe 15 minutes.]

nothin
you'd think they'd stock up on weapons if they were gonna pull in a buncha fighters