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       #Post#: 4182--------------------------------------------------
       Re: The First Step
       By: Star Catcher Date: March 13, 2015, 5:08 am
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       Star continued to the door of the bedroom as Hay responded to
       her before stopping and leaning against the doorframe until he
       finished. Then, when she was told to let him get a bit organized
       first, she nodded and stepped into the bedroom before pausing
       for a moment, looking about to try and figure out where might be
       the best place to stash the bits. Finally deciding on beneath
       the bed, Star slid whatever container she'd used to house the
       bits under there as she told herself she'd need to get some kind
       of proper safe or vault later.
       When that was finished, she returned from the bedroom and sought
       Haywire out, a question on her tongue. "Haywire, do you have any
       contacts for the workshop? I mean, I know you don't use magic or
       anything for your inventions, not even to enhance them or make
       them better, but... What about ponies like a carpenter, or a
       blacksmith? Or anything similar? Your work does involve needing
       a whole sortment of parts for your inventions, so don't you have
       anypony to make that stuff, or... offer you some sort of
       discount from where you usually get your stuff?"
       #Post#: 4185--------------------------------------------------
       Re: The First Step
       By: Haywire Date: March 13, 2015, 3:06 pm
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       Like a dog trying to hide under a couch, all Star would find of
       Hay when she came looking for him would be his back end sticking
       out from the pile he'd begun to excavate, the sound of her voice
       though encouraging him to scramble back out from under the junk
       so as to address her. He escaped the collection of stuff and
       things with a few hoofuls of of scrap and a strap in his mouth
       attached to something still hidden, a few smal tugs being given
       to try and pull it free but no success being had before he
       decided to give up for the moment.
       "Contacts?" Hay spoke once his mouth was free, him tilting his
       head a little and then tapping his chin, "Uhmmm... Nnnnope, none
       that I can think of. Well, I guess the ponies at the junkyard
       know my face at least since I go there to scrounge for stuff
       sometimes, but most of what I use is just recycled from old
       projects that didn't pan out. I do remember getting some help
       for the original design of my Thought Theater too, though the
       pony that helped me out I think moved away a while ago and since
       then I kind of hammer and cut stuff out into the shapes I need
       myself as best I can. It... Sometimes works?" he gave a slightly
       forced smile since even he knew that this often times led to
       some "interesting" designs. Then again, sometimes it worked out
       just fantastically, like with Bubo, but that was a very special
       and lucky result that he doubted he'd ever truly recreate ever
       again, "Should we, like, try and find these kinds of ponies?" He
       asked, wondering if this was another one of Star's ideas for
       bettering the shop. It would be useful to get parts that
       actually fit what he needed instead of just reusing old parts
       and pieces.
       "I dunno how we'd start... I don't really talk to many ponies
       outside of the ones that come to the shop since I'm usually
       keeping myself busy with stuff." Bubo landed nearby on the pile
       Hay had been searching, the bird seeming to be glancing around
       at the room as if trying to think of the next place to search
       for what he was looking for.
       "Oh, Bubo! You wouldn't happen to know any blacksmiths or
       carpenters, would you?" Bubo, at Hay's question, gave him a
       blank stare before taking back off to check another corner of
       the shop, Hay then turning back to Star and taking the strap
       he'd tugged on earlier back into his mouth, "I guesh he doeshn't
       know eiter." Giving another few tugs, an old looking camrea was
       pulled free from the junk, it sliding out and to Hay's hooves.
       #Post#: 4187--------------------------------------------------
       Re: The First Step
       By: Star Catcher Date: March 14, 2015, 8:24 am
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       Star hummed quietly as Haywire said that he didn't have any
       contacts like what she listed out, aside from maybe the ponies
       in the junkyard. With the legs, they couldn't afford to just
       'hammer it out' and 'cut it up' as best they could, so she'd
       definitely need to find somepony that could handle something
       like that for them. The legs could hardly be called a success if
       they were unstable, or unsafe. Star then smiled as Hay asked if
       they should find those kinds of ponies, then mentioned that he
       didn't know how they'd start. She opened her mouth to respond
       before cutting herself short when he asked the question to Bubo,
       with much of the same response being given.
       "Haywire, that's what I'm here for now, silly. I can take care
       of all the technical stuff you need done. Making and maintaining
       contact with ponies who can help you, finding more work for you,
       making sure you stay fed... that kind of thing. I am your
       assistant now after all, in case you've forgotten, and that's my
       job. I think I've heard there's a blacksmith around here in
       Canterlot, so I may actually go look into that after we're done
       here. And the blacksmith might know of a carpenter, so that's
       two for the price of one basically!" She fell silent for a
       little bit then, likely giving him some time to respond, before
       motioning with her head to the camera. "So is that a special
       invention of yours, or is it just a normal camera?"
       #Post#: 4189--------------------------------------------------
       Re: The First Step
       By: Haywire Date: March 14, 2015, 11:42 am
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       Hay of course hadn't forgotten that Star was acting as an
       assistant around the shop now, but what he hadn't realized was
       just how much that job entailed. So far he just thought she'd be
       helping him in the shop, lending a hoof when he needed one while
       tinkering with his machine and cleaning up the majority of the
       mess that might result since she'd already taken to tidying up.
       Everything else though, well, his lack of business sense meant
       that half of the things she was responsible for would very
       rarely ever even cross his mind to begin with. Networking,
       advertising... ugh, it flew right over his head, making him more
       than happy to let Star worry about it since she knew what she
       was doing.
       Meanwhile, with the strap, Haywire had looped it over his head
       so as to allow the camera to dangle from his neck then sat
       himself down and held a hoof underneath it like a bowl. "Nope,
       just a regular camera with some adjustments. My full version
       didn't survive the first photo," he answered, the bottom part of
       the camera then suddenly opening up and letting its innards dump
       out in a hanging mass. It didn't reach Hay's hoof, but what did
       was a roll of measuring tape that fell loose from the camera and
       neatly into his hoof.
       "Ha! I knew I left it in here!" cheered the inventor, him then
       using his other hoof to shove everything back inside the camera
       where it remained. For now. "... It's an old camera," Hay added
       as if to explain it all away before hopping back up to his
       hooves and glancing about for his smaller assistant.
       "I guess Bubo is still looking for the plans, but all I need now
       is a notepad and we can get the measuring and pictures out of
       the way. You really sound like you know your stuff about these
       kinds of things, Star," he complimented, doing a full and slow
       spin on the spot with hopes that he would happen to spot some
       writing materials, "Have you ever been an assistant for a shop
       like mine before? And how in the world did they manage without
       you?" he gave her a chance to respond to his questions before
       asking another quick one, "Also, have you seen my journals
       around? I think they either got buried or might have gotten
       organized when I wasn't looking. Maybe I left them in my other
       camera..."
       #Post#: 4190--------------------------------------------------
       Re: The First Step
       By: Star Catcher Date: March 14, 2015, 2:20 pm
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       At the mention of needing a notepad, Star immediately wandered
       over to a desk at the edge of the store, one of the few places
       she'd managed to clean up at that point in time, before opening
       up the desk's drawer. Giggling a little bit at Haywire's
       statement that she sounded like she knew her stuff, she withdrew
       a notepad and a pencil from inside to carry it back to Haywire
       as he started asking about his journals. She blinked for a
       moment, confused, before asking, "I didn't tell you where I put
       them...? I really thought I did... Well, whatever--they're all
       in that desk over there," she told him, pointing a hoof toward
       the desk she'd retrieved the notepad from.
       "But yeah, I guess I do kinda know my stuff. I've been an
       assistant to lots of things and lots of ponies, like I said
       before... Not necessarily to a workshop like this, but I guess
       you could say similar. As for whether they've gotten on without
       me... I don't really know if all of them have, but I usually
       left to go onto something else when they were well on their way
       to achieving whatever it was they wanted to when I started
       helping, and when I found somepony else who needed my help." She
       paused for a second then, a thought crossing her mind. Unsure of
       why she hadn't asked this question yet since her time there, she
       asked, "Haywire, how long have you had this workshop? And how
       did you pay to have it built initially?"
       #Post#: 4191--------------------------------------------------
       Re: The First Step
       By: Haywire Date: March 14, 2015, 5:29 pm
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       Had she told him? He didn't think so... Then again, he probably
       had his head in a toaster or something at the time so who knows.
       Desk. Got it.
       "Thanks!" he said as he accepted the materials, him flipping
       though the pages in search of a good spot to start jotting down
       some new notes while keeping his ears angled towards Star to
       listen to what she was saying. Halfway through he'd decided on a
       page and had set the journal down next to him then looked back
       to Star with an attentive smile up until she had turned the
       question back his way.
       "Oh, I didn't build it, I just fixed it up," he began to
       explain, "I've been in Canterlot for a few years now and when I
       had first shown up and really started looking for a space to set
       up a shop I couldn't find anything I could afford with how
       pricey the city can be. This building was actually falling apart
       and was scheduled for destruction before I happened to come
       across it. Used to be a warehouse I believe and stored...
       Barrels of something... they were never entirely clear about it
       but I do remember them saying that the previous owners had lost
       their business or got bought then shut down or some such and
       that caused the building to be ignored for so long that it had
       become too expensive to fix up. Anyway, I was lucky enough to
       bump into the right people who I guess got stuck with it by then
       and who happened to be overseeing everything that day and they
       figured it would be cheaper for them to just let me give them
       whatever bits I had at the time and drop it on me than to go
       through with removing it. I think I payed less than fifty bits
       for the whole place.
       "I spent a while fixing it up myself with what i could get
       afterwards, and I think I did a pretty okay job patching all the
       holes and the like!" Over Hay's shoulder was a clear view of
       Bubo gliding through the air in his quest for the schematics
       only to have his flight cut short by a small piece of debris
       falling onto him from above. The bird was knocked off balance
       and flapped erratically for a few seconds until managing an
       emergency landing on a shelf holding up what looked like an old
       tesla coil left "stored" out of the way. Having regained control
       of himself, Bubo gave a shake of his head then continued
       onwards.
       "What do you think? Oh, and we can start the measurements now if
       you're ready," Hay unrolled the measuring tape a bit, holding it
       up as if it was proof of his claim.
       #Post#: 4193--------------------------------------------------
       Re: The First Step
       By: Star Catcher Date: March 15, 2015, 6:34 am
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       So... She was staying in a workshop that had been previously
       condemned... Her ears folded down a little bit at the thought as
       she glanced about, questioning for a moment the integrity of a
       building patched up by somepony unfamiliar with carpentry. This
       train of thought was only fueled as Bubo was struck by a piece
       of falling debris, the mare unable to help but swallow a bit
       nervously as she started to wonder if the whole place could come
       crashing down at any moment now that she knew its status.
       "Yeah... I'm ready if you are," she replied distantly, sounding
       as if she was distracted as she spoke. She looked to him after
       however, seeming a little skittish. "You're, uh... You're sure
       this place is gonna hold up? Have you had anypony inspect it?"
       #Post#: 4194--------------------------------------------------
       Re: The First Step
       By: Haywire Date: March 15, 2015, 9:54 am
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       "Alrighty then!" Hay closed his notepad on top of his pencil to
       save his spot then scooped it up in his hoof. He put the
       measuring tape between his teeth so as to free up enough hooves
       to walk then made his way closer to Star so as to set it all
       right back down onto the floor. At her nervous question Hay
       removed the tape to make way for an ensuring grin.
       "I promise!" he started his measurements, recording how long
       Star's legs were first just so he'd have a base to start with
       before shrinking it down to fit Jazz's wife's height, "It's
       stayed stable for as long as I've been here, and after all the
       stuff my inventions have done to it I'm confident it could take
       anything and still be standing!... Inspected... like, by who?"
       While his promise was true, genuine and - in his opinion -
       sound, his response to her second question could have very
       easily caused anypony to continue questioning the building's
       integrity.
       Regardless, he kept up his smile until he had to start measuring
       the circumference of the mare's legs. His smile went from being
       it's usual gleaming self to becoming a little unsure with his
       work now requiring to actually touch Star a little, this making
       him feel nervous just as he had many times before. The reason
       why was still slipping right past him, but he hoped she didn't
       mind.
       "Um... I-is that going to be another one of those c-contacts
       we'll need?" he asked, hoping to keep them both talking and
       maybe prevent Star from noticing his current awkwardness that
       was resurfacing, "Somepony to come and- Oh!" Welp! Accidentally
       dropping the tape, Hay snatched it back up with a short and
       nervous laugh in a vain hope that he'd somehow become lighting
       fast and done so before the mare could see, "... Somepony to
       come and look around?"
       #Post#: 4196--------------------------------------------------
       Re: The First Step
       By: Star Catcher Date: March 16, 2015, 8:34 am
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       At the very least, Haywire had a point when he said the building
       had yet to collapse on him, even though that was a small
       comfort. She still felt like it was highly possible for it to do
       so any time in the future. But, of course it hadn't been
       inspected. It was a little silly of her to ask. Something like
       that probably hadn't even crossed his mind. Making sure to
       remain still for Haywire, her thoughts continued to race around
       the idea of the workshop being unsafe, the probability of it
       coming down on top of her as she went about her day-to-day or
       even while she was sleeping, and the notion of being crushed and
       buried alive and suffocating before being able to be found.
       Left to her own devices for long enough, Star's breathing grew
       lighter and quicker as she tuned out everything around her, her
       eyes wide and body trembling. With her second panic attack since
       nesting under Haywire's roof, Star remained unable to answer
       Haywire's question; in fact, unable to deal with the thought of
       staying under a roof that could collapse on her any longer, Star
       finally bolted for the front door, scrambling to get
       outside--and, once there, likely dart down the street and out of
       the workshop's view.
       #Post#: 4198--------------------------------------------------
       Re: The First Step
       By: Haywire Date: March 16, 2015, 11:02 am
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       Hay was too caught up in his nervous work to notice the slow
       start to Star's most recent panic attack, her sudden departure
       causing Hay's mane to blow in her direction with him leaning
       that way as well and having his notepad flip through several
       pages. He jumped back a bit in surprise once he was able, the
       stallion then blinking and staring at the door she'd darted out
       of. He attempted to follow, however Star's height over him and
       panicked state meant he stood little chance in catching up with
       her. Outside he could only look off in the direction he was sure
       she'd disappeared in and plop back down onto his rear in
       confusion.
       ... Did he do something wrong? He did something wrong didn't
       he... Maybe she didn't like how he was measuring her? That
       didn't seem like the case since she hadn't objected until the
       very end there. But then again he hadn't fumbled until the very
       end too. Hmm...Or maybe it was something else?
       Inside, Bubo returned to where he'd last seen the ponies of Tech
       Tock, a thin binder of papers weighing him down as he made his
       way down to the floor. Nearly toppling over upon landing, he
       dropped the binder onto the floor then fell to the ground
       himself where he rolled over onto his back, claws up in the air
       and wings spread out next to him. For a few seconds he rested
       until eventually cracking his eyes back open to notice that he
       was suddenly alone in the shop, the bird hopping back up onto
       his claws and then tossing his view around to see where they had
       gone.
       ... Or maybe it was that thing they were talking about? Hay was
       still running through theories, too deep in his thoughts on
       trying to figure out the problem and how to fix it to notice
       Bubo flapping his way outside and in his direction. Contacts,
       right? Had she run off to find contacts? Maybe? Carpenter,
       blacksmith and inspector, right? She seemed mostly interested in
       the inspector towards the end there so maybe she'd gone off to
       find one. He hoped so... Thinking back she seemed a little
       worked up just before leaving and just running off in the middle
       of things didn't seem like her... He could try to help by
       looking for a carpenter or something while she's gone since he
       couldn't finish his measuring without her anywho.
       Shrugging and hoping things were okay, Hay started off in a
       sprint in the direction Star had gone hoping he could get lucky
       and maybe find her somewhere along the way and both check to see
       if she was alright and ask her what had happened. He left before
       Bubo could reach him, leaving the bird with only more and more
       questions as he hovered in place and watched his creator rush
       off to who knows where.
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