one: this one's for you, rain. [video]

[oncearanger]

[There is a damp-looking teenager on the screen. One might expect him to be miserable from all that rain and cold, and he was for a while, but there's a look of triumph on his face. The reason for this intrudes into the frame a second later, held up by its inventor.]

Hey. I'm Billy, and I've just arrived. I'm a mechanic wondering how much I'll be able to assist here, so I thought I'd prepare for the local climate as a test project.

[The object of his admiration is an umbrella, pieced together from whatever happened to be in his bag and what parts he could buy or find. The fabric is a patched together blue and gray, obviously taken from different items. It's not going to win any Prettiest Umbrella awards. The folding mechanic works, though it looks a little lopsided due to the lack of perfect tools. He tugs on the runner, folding and unfolding it. It works smoothly enough to pass initial inspection and he places it aside.]

I know materials are in short supply, but I brought my own tools and most of this was mine. I'd be happy to work on things and start trading---electronics, vehicles if we have any, or home supplies. I could even build more umbrellas. Is there a market, or have I just reinvented something I could have bought?

[Not that he particularly cares. The way he's glancing to the side and admiring the ugly but functional umbrella, he probably would have done things himself anyway.]

Comments

[oncearanger]

I'll be sure to check out the junkyard.

[He thinks.]

I haven't worked with either, but wheelchairs are easy enough to understand. A motorized one would take more time, but even those aren't too different from other vehicles.

I can't say I'm much of a carpenter, though. I can do it, but I'm better at cutting and connecting wires and working with metal.

[whatsupcroc]

You know the best thing would totally be a hover chair, but man, we don't even have motorized wheelchairs here right now. Can you believe it?

( Okay it probably isn't surprising, though it's an odd conversation for a teenager to have with someone else out of the blue. She's careful about not letting her wheelchair handles ever be part of her backdrop, which usually means creative angles or video-chatting when she uses her desk or the table as a steadying prop.

Today's another one of those days. )

I've got a friend who's looking to get surfing again, so I thought I'd ask!

[oncearanger]

[Surfing? That's a new one. Billy's eyebrow rises in disbelief.]

Where would your friend surf? Isn't all the water polluted?

...though if anyone needs a motorized wheelchair, I'm sure I can do that.

[whatsupcroc]

Polluted waters still have a lunar tide! Besides, we're not always in this time. You never know.

( Collette is definitely interested. )

It'd save my hands from freezing all the time when I need to get around past the buildings right close to the Hold, if you're serious about that.

[oncearanger]

Huh. Well I'll keep it in mind if I find anything suitable for a surfboard. The theory's simple enough.

[He grins, not at all suspicious of anything.]

I am. I'm sure someone will have need of it, and it'd be something new to build.

[whatsupcroc]

( Collette won't bother clarifying she means this in relation to herself. She felt she's been as honest as she needs to be, given what she'd just said. )

Trust me, 'someone' would. Let me know if you ever end up with a working model!

[oncearanger]

I will! Thanks for the advice. This'll be an interesting project.