Welcome to Gaia! ::

The shop was slow today and with that free time, Luciana rolled out a fresh piece of schematic paper. Thinking of the large clock face that had been on the floor in Spasskaya, she sketched up what she thought might be the underlying mechanisms. Her notes weren’t in English, just in case someone walked in. She would need to figure out the rest as she went, and she would have to meet up with Aaru again to learn how to fight a bit more.

Keeping an eye on the door, she knew that Kinsey might show up, they’d popped over a few times and she was getting used to the boy. At least they were smart enough not to test her patience and always had questions that avoided being repetitive and stupid.

But she couldn’t let him know about this or what that new ring she’d started wearing really was. It looked different when she wasn’t in uniform and she preferred its disguised appearance. It had a level of antique beauty to it.

Hearing the bell ring as the door opened, she rolled up her schematic and slid it beneath the workbench into one of the drawers. Rifling around for a moment as she heard someone walking in, she set one of her orders back up on the table and pulled out a notebook with the particulars of what needed to be done. It was a simple enough order, replace a few parts and make sure it worked again.

The sad-looking clock had seen better days, its glass was cracked and from what she was told, it had lost a few gears and springs over the course of a few moves. At least it was one that had been produced enough to have a repair guide, one that she had already printed and had tucked into her notebook so she could get to making the parts.

“Good timing, I have to make some things here today that might be of interest for you.” Finally looking up as Kinsley made it to the main part of her shop. They’d come directly from class again, something she’d noticed more than once at this point. As long as it didn’t get in the way of her work, or that he forgot things here, she didn’t mind too much.

“Since it’s a wall clock, more of the parts are normally hidden behind the face but with the glass broken, you can see some of them. “ Pulling her light down so they both had a better view, she opened it up and laid things out next to the guide she had found. Already she’d gone and marked the things missing and what needed to be fixed.

“One of the main gears was missing as well as the spring that keeps the hands from dragging on the face of the clock. The pendulum seemed to be missing some of its pieces as well but those were more to make it look pretty than making it work.” She then pulled it out carefully and set it down, slowly taking it apart piece by piece as she took note of things and double-checked what needed to be done.

“Not something broken but something I plan to work on is the mount to hang it on the wall. The original divet is worn down to the point it seems to fall off the nail or screw that would hold it up. I would guess that’s how the glass broke.” There was also a bit of a rounded corner on one of the wooden edges which she had assumed was where it made contact with the ground.

“I can make them, it’s not terribly hard to be honest.” It was one of the easier things given it was handled almost completely by a machine she had then she could cut it to the proper length for tension purposes. It was fun in a way as well, especially when her cat growing up would paw at the ones that had rolled off the workshop table.

Nodding with a slight smile, she liked the way he thought. It was true and something she thought about when doing her work. “True though there are things that people know wear over time that wouldn’t be seen as something I messed up. They’ll have to come in if they want to get it revarnished eventually since that dulls and yellows over time.” Even now she knew the wood was more cherry colored than it looked on the outside where it had a yellowish-brown tint to it, something more apparent on the edges where the glass had once been.

“It’s a backup on clocks that have more moving parts or decorations and the Main gear is hidden behind the face and a few other gears.” Pointing to a worn gear that was missing more than a few of its teeth. “This one has seen better days and since I have it I can use it to help make a new one. Some I can resurface and finish from the old parts but this one looks like it’s been through that a few times.” Pulling it out and turning it in the light, she showed them how it had marks on the back of it from where it had been thinned on a grinder and repaired once before.

“I usually do that when I contact them for updates since sometimes things come up and I need to ask if they want something salvaged or replaced depending on things. It’s part of the process for older antiques, some people want all original parts while others want it fixed and fitted with newer and longer lasting parts.” This was the case for this order considering they wanted it to run. Tapping the edge of the worn-toothed gear, she half wondered if this kid’s father was a businessman with how they were talking.

“Melt, re-tooth, repurpose for something unrelated, there’s always a use for metal. I have a few canisters of gear just in case. It's probably how your grandmother has a tin of buttons instead of cookies.” It was common enough in most places so she figured that was the case here as well and she started working on the updated sketch of things on a fresh sheet of paper next to the clock and its manual.

“I like that too but most people don’t want to see it, this clock will have the face hiding things and then once the new glass is installed it will be ready to hang back up in their kitchen." She figured that’s where it had been considering the fact it had the slightest feeling of oil on it when she’d first cleaned it on arrival to her shop.