Open Vulpinsula & Surroundings The Docks The Age of Machining

[Kaii Nashirou]

(OOC: This is an open thread built upon Swift and Kaii exploring and fooling around the Naval workshop and all the tools within.)

Today was a rather special day for Kaii. It was a free day. One he had no plans for, duties or jobs inbound, just nothing. He however had an idea how to spend it, and it would be in the workshop, working the tools. This time however for his own project and his own pleasure, which obviously made a whole lot of difference when compared to doing the same, just with given tasks.

Getting up from his bedding, Kaii didn't haste with his morning routines. He did his morning kata, added some more training by cleaning up some more of the rubble, cleaned his fur and groomed it. Then he clothed up and finally he was ready to leave the very improvised shelter he called home. All in all it was a mansion, just one razed to the ground and abandoned for about thirteen years.

The marble fox did go around the overgrown terrain that surrounded it. It was his lot and he was responsible for it after all. After finding no problems, making sure that the crypt was still well sealed, being the only place that somehow survived the war, and checking out what fences still stood, Kaii moved on and left this place to walk into the Slups, seeking a place to eat something.

Passing them, he had plethora of options, but Kaii, despite his love for experimentation, liked some consistencies. He opted to go for one place that offered what was decently close to the Fyadoran food he remembered from his kithood while staying affordable for a beast of common wealth.

After sating his hunger, he started padding purposefully towards the Imperial Docks, aiming to visit one of the many workshops that were present there for naval works. He never did so just after eating. Usually he had some other task or odd job to do first. Now however, he was aiming straight there, knowing that he had full right to use their tools and equipment, as long as it was for naval purposes. His usual excuse of "Refining the engine parts" worked well as most beasts had little clue what his mechanisms were for.

Lost in his mind, pondering on what project he should work on today, somewhere in the Trenches he snapped out at the sound of the hammer hitting the anvil. It was one familiar to Kaii, because it was weird. Master blacksmith under which Swift was working really liked to cause reverb for some reason.

Opting to see his friend, Kaii stepped to the alleyway that ended with a smithy. One where the platinum fox was working at. Kaii came closer and entered it. He was an usual, making sure that Swift could earn that extra gilder when Kaii needed something done. And since the local Smith was busy, Kaii just asked with no hesitation.

"Swift? Are you there today?"

 

[SwifttailTheFox]

The forge had been lively at dawn, bellows wheezing and iron groaning under the one-eyed weasel’s steady paw. Swifttail had spent the hours before breakfast hauling firewood, sweeping ash into bins, and fetching water... tedious tasks, but honest work. He didn’t mind. Not when it bought him a pallet upstairs and kept him in the weasel’s good graces.

But the day soured quick. By mid-morning, the last of the coke had been shoveled into the fire, and the heat guttered out in a hiss of sparks. The weasel cursed the name of his supplier loud enough to rattle the rafters, spitting fury about broken schedules and feckless dockhands. No fuel meant no forge, and no forge meant no coin in his purse. Swifttail was waved off with an irritable flick of claws, told to make himself scarce until the next load arrived.

It was a strange kind of freedom, sudden and undeserved. Swifttail had lingered upstairs, pacing the creaking boards of his little loft, ears still ringing with the weasel’s tirade. For once, he had nothing to do but stare at the street below.

That was when a familiar voice drifted up from the alley, calling into the smithy with easy confidence. Swifttail’s ears twitched at once, the sound cutting clean through the boredom. A grin tugged at the corner of his muzzle before he even thought to move. He crossed the loft in two quick strides and shoved the shutters wide.

The window creaked as it swung outward, and a platinum-furred muzzle poked through. Swifttail leaned out, brushing a forearm across his brow. His tunic was rumpled from a morning spent hauling firewood and sweeping soot, and a stray lock of fur stuck up where he’d run a damp paw through it.

When his eyes landed on the marble fox below, the weariness fell away in an instant. His ears perked and a grin split his muzzle.

"Kaii, mate! What are ye doin’ here!?" he called, voice bright with surprise, tail tip flicking behind him in excitement.

 

[Kaii Nashirou]

After waving his paw to ever enthusiastic Swifttail, Kaii to couldn't hold his tail from slightly wagging. Not that he tried to now, he had no need to lock emotions today so far so he allowed them to be. He was already thrilled at the prospect of what he will be doing today and now, with added joy of seeing a friendly muzzle, it was adding up to make his mood far better than usual.

Thus with soft look and a small but honest smile, Kaii replied. "Greetings Swift! I for once come not to ask for another 'impossible' connector as your kind and respectful master would call them. I have a free day, thus I have decided to do some prototyping at the naval workshop. Just so happens your place was along the path I had chosen today, thus I have stopped by to see how are you faring."

Then he realised that talking to a beast in a window with such warm voice could be seen in a weird way by some. Yet Swifttail had a lover already and Kaii wanted no misconceptions here, so he requested politely. "Do you mind coming down? It will be easier to converse that way!"

 

[SwifttailTheFox]

"Aye! One moment!" Swift called back, voice carrying down from the loft.

The floorboards above creaked as he hurried across them, then a scrape of boots on wood as he swung onto the ladder. He didn’t bother with careful steps, instead choosing to ride the poles down in a rush, landing with a thump that stirred up a cloud of dust from the smithy floor.

He broke into a grin as he stepped out into the daylight, brushing soot from his tunic as he crossed to Kaii. Whatever weariness lingered from the morning’s chores was gone, replaced by a bright spark in his eyes.

"Surely ye didn’t come ’ere t’ jus’ say hi, mate!" he laughed, reaching out a paw in greeting.

 

[Kaii Nashirou]

Taking his friend's paw into a firm shake, Kaii followed by patting Swift's shoulder with the other one.

"As much as I know I can be overly pragmatic, I did honestly took this small detour to just see you."

He spoke genuinely, after all he did anticipate that Swift would be hard at work this time. Whatever was it that gave him a break was however a welcome addition, one that actively made Kaii consider his next words.

"However if you insist of me being grounded in rationale again..." The marble fox added with a playful squint of his eyes. "Say, is it that you have a break? Or are you perchance done with work for today. If it is the latter, you could join to me to do some work that is more aligned with your skill set."

Kaii let go of his friend. And pointed down the road. "It is not far from here to the Imperial Docks anyway. So if you just have a break, you can still join me. I have a batch of ideas to prepare and for sure I could use your skilled paws, even just for a while." He then lowered his voice and moved his muzzle closer to Swift's ear, whispering. "And I want to help you to sate that itch of artisanship. It is a shame you are not trusted with hammer here as much as you should have been."

 

[SwifttailTheFox]

Swifttail barked a laugh at the marble fox’s quip, ears tipping back with amusement.
"Nah, mate, I’d rather see you smile!" he teased, still grinning as he shook his head.

At Kaii’s question, his expression softened, tail flicking once as he explained,
"Forge ran outta coke this mornin’. Supplier’s not due ‘til tomorrow, so Clinker’s been cursin’ up n’ down the rafters. Means I’ve got the rarest of treasures...an unexpected day off!"

The offer of the docks caught him mid-thought. His ears pricked tall, eyes widening with sudden, boyish energy.
"Gates, did I ‘it me head on the way down? This sounds like a dream, mate!"

He didn’t get more than that out before the shop door slammed behind them. Clinker Rottail emerged, fur bristling, his one good eye flashing murder as he muttered curses about suppliers, shipments, and useless dockhands. He stopped short when he saw Swifttail lingering outside.

"Oi! I though’ I tolds ye ta be off!" the weasel snapped, voice rough as gravel. "Git up in yer loft or scram!"

Swifttail winced, ears pinning back, then cast Kaii a quick look. His grin returned, sharp and conspiratorial.
"Don’t need ta tell me twice… Let’s get outta here!"

 

[Kaii Nashirou]

Kaii gave a sharp nod to the weasel before gesturing Swifttail to follow him. After walking away just enough so that Mr.Rottail would for sure not be able to hear them, the marble fox's expression stilled as he very plainly stated. "This bastard deserves not an ounce of your help."

After shaking his head, his muzzle softened again. He started going over the more mundane topics of what happened to them since the last time they spoke. The two todds were for sure looking like a pair mismatched by their clothing alone, yet their conversation was almost brotherly.

Soon they have passed the walls protecting the military part of the port, their badges from Urk, as heavy as they were, not just physically, enough of a proof to grant them easy entry. After crossing the district, they got to the docks themselves. Here, Kaii went to the largest machine shop. They did have to prove they were both engineers from The Hide to enter, but once they did, the two were welcomed into the giant hall filled with newest and most advanced tools and machines known to beasts.

The air smelled of lubricants and fillings as countless lathes, drills, metal shears and kneaders. The room itself was hot from many forges, blowtorches and furnaces. Here, all metal parts for any ship could be made, fixed or redone. This was an engineer's playground.

And Kaii couldn't be more excited now, his tail was truly wagging, his expression was almost ecstatic, which in case of this fox was once in a blue moon event.

"I love the smell of progress in the morning..." Kaii said before turning to Swift. "Have you been to this place Swift?" He asked with kit-like excitation dancing in his eyes.

 

[SwifttailTheFox]

Swifttail gave a small, solemn nod at Kaii’s sharp words. He couldn’t deny the truth of them. Clinker had given him a roof, but little else; the loft above the shop was the only berth he’d managed to find during shore leave, and he’d clung to it even if it meant sweeping floors instead of shaping steel.

Still, as they walked, his muzzle softened. Their talk slipped into the familiar rhythm of shared stories and small jests, the kind of easy back-and-forth that made the hours feel shorter. For all their differences in bearing, they might as well have been brothers.

When the walls of the military quarter rose ahead, Swift felt his stomach tighten. He slowed, ears tucking as the sight of armed sentries and iron gates stirred old unease. But Kaii strode forward with such calm certainty that Swift found himself following close at his side. Their badges from Urk opened the way without question. The guards waved them right on through.

By the time they reached the machine hall itself, Swift’s doubts had dissolved into astonishment. Heat, hammer, and hiss filled the cavernous space, every corner alive with invention. Rows of lathes, drills, and shears gleamed under lantern light, while the hiss of torches and the roar of furnaces gave the air its own living pulse.

His ears perked high, eyes wide as a kit’s. He turned in a slow circle, taking it all in with a grin stretching wide across his muzzle.

"Oh, Kaii… This is the most incredible place I’ve ever seen!" he breathed, tail flicking as if it might carry him off the ground. "I didn’t know such wonders even existed!"

 

[Kaii Nashirou]

With a warm chuckle, Kaii gestured Swifttail to follow him deeper into the hall. As they navigated between the other engineers that navy had employed, Kaii explained to his friend with unconstrained enthusiasm what he knew.

“I have not seen the Innovation-owned industries, but I do believe this is the most advanced workshop in the whole Harbour! Made specifically to supply all the parts for newly modernised ships.”

The excitement shared between two todds was akin to what two regular kits would show when presented with tastiest of treats or most interesting toys. Something that did not go amiss by other beasts working at the site. Kaii for sure cared not as much for looks of those who associated this place with just menial work. Not even because he didn't know how it felt, he worked after all quite a lot doing just that. This fox simply had other things on his head now. Namely speaking, prototyping!

Getting to one of the drawing boards, he pulled out a design sheet from his bag and unrolled it to show it to his friend. Before however he could say a thing, there was a small interruption as one of the head engineers came by.

"Gentlebeast Nashirou..." The particularly chubby, and rather old hamster spoke with something between disapproval and care. "Good day to you and your friend. I would like to actually know what you have in plans today and approve it before you start doing anything."

The marble fox on the spot turned into marble. His expression stilled and all of his excitement was gone in an instant. "Good day Mr. Pawminton. If you would mind giving us a moment to decide upon it, I would appreciate it." He then turned to Swift and gestured at him. "My friend here Mr. Fairpaws is my fellow engineer from The Hide. Mr. Fairpaws, this is Mr. Pawminton, one responsible for managing this place." Kaii did the introductions, with his flat baritone.

And the hamster raised his eyebrow looking at the platinum fox. "A pleasure to meet you Mr. Fairpaws." He said, offering his paw, while looking at him with anticipation, trying to gauge if he was going to be as much as Kaii already was.