aefenglom | Audio; UN: username

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For those that might be interested, I have through considerable effort figured out how to tweak these devices into allowing the display of color video and images beyond sepia.

[There is a steady tap tap tap, like a claw on metal.]

Which I would demonstrate, save that this is a physical change to the device and requires me to put in several very small items to function. Thus if you have interest in seeing each other in color, I can be found at the Second Time's The Charm shop, which sells these communicators, for the next several days. Make an appointment. As I am generous, I will not charge for my considerable time and efforts in this, though I will not refuse donations. You will have to turn your device over to me for a bell or so, there's no way around it. If you refuse, you may purchase another, I can update that one, and you may turn in your old one for recycling.

Technically I can't refuse anyone who asks for my aid. But if you are rude, violent, or otherwise not on good behavior something unpleasant may happen to your device while my talons are in its guts. Try to at least feign civility.

[OOC: The first watch update is here, IN LIVING COLOR. Lahabrea absolutely must get his hands on a watch in order to upgrade it. While this interaction can be handwaved!! you may also come visit Lahabrea and have it done in person for delicious CR! He won't refuse anyone, and he'll take into account rude people at least making an effort at being polite. Upgrades are freeeee! Make an appointment (in this thread or inboxes or etc I don't mind~) and come get your color upgrade!

Although he didn't mention it in this notice, he's willing to teach others how to do this as well, so other people can do upgrades! If you're interested, find an excuse to ask him! I welcome any and all assistance; the more hands I get the faster I can do future upgrades too!]

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It does seem so. Amazing that there are so many.

Fine. I will be there shortly.

[And true to his word, Jiang Cheng was going to leave presently and head to the store that the other had mentioned. Since this would be a good upgrade to his device, he did have something to leave as a donation once the work was done.

As he walked in, if he didn't see the other, he would knock... partially because he didn't know the other's name]

[There's no response - after all, he's on his way, what else is there to be said?

As it's a public shop, and the sign on the door declares it Open in big bright letters, knocking might well be extraneous. There's no harm in politeness though, and the clerk behind one of the counters immediately beckons with one hand. By her register sits a large jar labeled DONATIONS. She looks perfectly ordinary, but also not like she's set up to do any sort of delicate work on a communication device.

The shop itself has row upon row of other watches, varying in design mostly in the case's material, color and ornamentation, each neatly displayed inside glass cases for easy viewing but not so much easy stealing. The lights are warm and generally comfortable to those with ordinary vision, the general atmosphere fairly comfortable instead of sterile. Little photos and paintings dot the walls, some obviously by childrens' hands, some very much not.

By the large front windows, stained glass all and etched with the shop's name, is presumably the man doing the work, a towering figure who might well be over eight foot tall if he were standing - but he isn't, seated instead at a longish table with a neat white tablecloth, on it an array of instruments, delicate tools, velvet boxes, and contrasting cloths of varying colors. It's here several lights have been moved to, to provide ample lighting to precise and tiny work. It's pretty clear the craftsman in question is a dragon even with no obvious wings, for no other species has what looks awfully like reptilian claws, branching curved horns and a long, thick reptilian tail - but all of it, from head to toe, including that long tail is shrouded in black. Wrapped, in the case of hands, toes and tail, hooded robes otherwise, a pair of goggles festooned with moveable lenses fixed over his eyes - all it leaves bare to be seen are the talons, and his chin.

There is a lone chair in front of the table, comfortable enough without being luxurious. For a long moment the shrouded dragon studies Jiang Cheng silently, weighing what alterations a merrow might require. It is at least obvious what he's dealing with - a relief compared to guessing at the proclivities of witches. He gestures with one black-wrapped hand towards the chair.]

Pray sit. Do you take your device into the water with you? If so, do you frequent salt or fresh?

[Yes, there certainly wasn't anything wrong with being polite, he figured, especially when the person he was going to seeing was going to do something for him. He wasn't just walking in here by chance.

He entered and nodded to the young lady at the register. He glanced at the space around her as he entered and noticed that she did not seem to have any setup capable of doing what had been discussed so he proceeded to look around, looking at the various offerings that had been set up.

As he spotted the dragon who clearly seemed to be more likely the one doing the work, he stepped closer. As much as he tried to hide it, his scales from being a merrow, and the gills were always visible under the clothes that he wore, plus that his hands were partially webbed not permanently. Certainly obvious to others. Even though he was less bothered by it now, he still hid most of the changes.

He walked over to sit down when the chair was offered, giving the man a nod]

I have not taken it into the water. Someone said that I shouldn't so I didn't. If I was able that would be more convenient. Mostly fresh water.

[Lahabrea can hardly complain about someone else hiding their changes given what he himself tended to wear in public. If Jiang Cheng found this whole affair as utterly shameful as Lahabrea did, they would be of one mind about the matter, even if for different species. But there wasn't much to be done about it, and he certainly wasn't going to mock anyone else's forced change.

What it meant for the devices carried, on the other hand, was another matter.]

Is that so? I know not how they would handle considerable depths, but it should be simple enough to be certain water cannot get into the inner workings.

[Though it isn't ... yet.. volunteering that extra work; Lahabrea's dislike of pretty much everyone reigned supreme, but the calm politeness he's dealing with so far was a pretty solid contender for at least being unobtrusive.]

The base changes I intend should take a little under an hour. I have no objections to your remaining, but keep in mind it is delicate work and disruption may cause ... accidents.

[Something in his tone suggests he really doesn't think Jiang Cheng is suddenly going to jump up on the table and begin dancing or anything, but a blanket warning that needs to be handed out thanks to other, less savory types.

A hand is held out, palm up.]

Your device.

[He did indeed find the whole changing into a monster thing rather shameful. Just name of it... "monster". Of course, that did have a different meaning in his world, but it had been difficult to find out he was going to change physically]

I see. That would be helpful if I was not intending to go very deep into the water. One less thing to have worry about.

[He nodded his head once, removing his device and offering it to him without hesitation]

I will likely remain, but I won't interrupt your work.

[Yeah, jumping up on the table to dance was not his style unless he was not in control of what he was doing]

[The device is taken neatly and ... immediately Lahabrea sets to work disassembling it.

Inside is a myriad of tiny power conduits, glowing minute things, gears and levers, and every single one needs to come out, plucked loose with very small tweezers and set out one by one in a neat and careful row.]

Given the number of aquatic folk, I admit I am surprised you were not offered a model that already has such protections built in.

[Unless of course, it was given to him before changes began, which would require a more generic sort of thing than something that might withstand the rigors of monster life.

As embarrassing as such a life was, it required some ... adaption.

Disassembly is the easy part, and follows with swift and practiced ease. The hard part will be putting it all back together, and with different components.]

Perhaps they were not aware at the time I was given this one. Or perhaps I was given bad information from someone that did not know this one would work in the water.

[Which was also possible. Given that he now had a weakness to electricity thanks to being a merrow, he had been warned about electronic devices near water.

After this comment, Jiang Cheng rose and began to peruse the store. He didn't want to interrupt while he was working on something so delicate and while it was interesting, there was only so much "interest" in it and didn't want to exactly spend the entire hour or however long it actually took watching every single detail]

[It's waved off; one way or another things could be done to prevent it in the future. And without too much difficulty. With Jiang Cheng browsing the other models of cases and designs, likely for lack of anything else to do, Lahabrea simply focuses on what he's doing.

Some of it requires soldering, by the ozone stink that rises after a while.

There's at least plenty of nice variety to pick from, should Jiang Cheng choose something decorational to go with his watch. Some are even carved of high end, more expensive materials such as jade and blackwood, but most are more akin to what the average person might be interested in, or be able to afford.

The clerk however watches with interest, if there's a sale to be had..!]

[It was certainly true; it didn't matter now anyway. If he was actually able to make it better still and keep water out of it, Jiang Cheng would certainly pay him for that as well.

But this was first and he wouldn't distract the man working. So he did indeed take the time to browse the shop. There were a lot of interesting things there, he would agree. Of course, the merrow part of him that wanted fancy things was attracted the jade decorations for the watch. Not to mention that jade was common for them where back home. So the combination of the two had him very interested. Alas, he had far fewer credits to his name here than he did back home. But he did study it in quite a bit of detail. He'd have to check his accounts and possibly do some more quests and come back for it.

The problem with merrow part of him having become interested in that: no one of the others appealed to him]

[And time chews on, relentless and slow.

After an indeterminate amount of time, the dragon sits up, frowning, then takes out his own device and sets it on the table. Then Jiang Cheng's is set near it, guts exposed, a wire or two dangling out like neglected vines, and back to work, this time with the display connected. There is, in the reflection off tools and visible light, definitely something more colorful than sepia going on.

But instead the colors are all distinctly blue-toned, to a degree that seems unnatural.

A tiny crystal is plucked out and it all goes pink instead. The dragon sighs, and then begins a series of tests with different tiny crystals; his corner of the shop flickers and flashes with bright, vivid hues. That's surely progress!]

Pray remember once your upgrade is finished, only those who have likewise received said upgrade will be able to see anything you send in their proper colors and not sepia.

[It has an absent tone to it, an idle reminder.]

[Jiang Cheng continued to look, of course, spending part of the time debating if he could spare the expense for the jade piece right now... like right this exact moment. Could he... just get it now?

The clerk would probably see that despite the number of times he went to look at something else, he ended up going back to look at the exact same item, a clear sign that he was interested in it.

As the other spoke, he turned to look at him]

Of course.

[And he said that actually having had no experience with technology before here so he hadn't actually known for sure until he had told him this]

[A nod. It might not have been advertised, but acknowledgment is enough for Lahabrea!

Who is taking his time to carefully run a bead of ... something strange and slightly glittery along the entire edge of the open case.

Meanwhile, the clerk is definitely interested in making a sale, glancing between the dragon and the merrow, unwilling to interrupt but still keen on getting what she can out of all of this!]

There's a sale on for anyone getting sir Dragon's upgrades, if you're interested. That particular piece is one of only three Mastercarver Caloren crafted that year, they're very sought after. But if you're a patron of these upgrades..!

[Is that true or is she just saying that, right now, out of nowhere, to see if he might bite on something and make a purchase?

Lahabrea glances up but doesn't interrupt, returning to his work. There is a short, sharp POP, and he works on getting the case back together carefully.]

[Oh, she was good. She could definitely tell that he wanted it and not only made it more special and that it was a good bargain since he was getting the upgrade. All the things that a merrow wanted to hear when his mind was set on something. And right now, his mind was set on that jade piece.

Of course, being a sect leader, he knew that there was a high likelihood that some of that was made up to try and get him to buy it. But, there was really no talking down the merrow's need to collect pretty things]

Hmm... [He was quiet for another few moments before speaking] Then I suppose I will have to get it.

[She was pretty close to making the sale without hyping it up, but that definitely helped]

Edited 2021-04-29 19:25 (UTC)

Ah, that's wonderful to hear, sir, you've made a good choice. Would you like to add it to the finished project or take it now?

[She'll fetch it out - but handing it over of course would require payment, a price named that is indeed reasonably lower than the listed price tag, as benefits the claimed discount.

It could just be hoping for further patronage in the future, or pouncing while the opportunity is hot. Either way, the dragon pays it brief attention, only to hear the response of whether or not it's being integrated before returning to his task. It's quite nearly finished, at least; he won't have to wait terribly much longer.]

Added to the finished project once it is done would be fine.

[Not like he could use it now anyway since he didn't have the device. Also then he could make sure it was put on correctly. He could probably do it, but loathe was the person who damaged a piece of jade or similar stone.

It will certainly get him to patronage the location again or at least recommend it to others. Maybe Nami would like something from here...]

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