A Pocket of Time (Deshi)

I stretched my arms as I walked down the Market Lane. The hustle and bustle of people were everywhere, merchants were shouting out their wares and customers bartering at every nook and cranny. This was almost like a second home as the familiar chatter filled my ears. I remembered the first time I walked down this lane with the Old Man and emotions well up as I realized how much as changed. I take a deep breath as I stop in front of a booth with a giant cloth over it. I nod to the shopkeep next door. He was big... like really big and resembled minotaurs from legends long past. Apparently, he was an acquaintance of the Old Man and watched the shop while I was away.

I unveil the cloth and wrap it up. The myriad of clocks, parts, and scrap metal lining the walls and hanging from the ceiling rattle as the stall lurches a bit as I get it ready to open. The layout in front was much like a regular stand. There was the big sign saying "Mementos" up top built from scrap metal and 2 layers of counters, a higher one facing the lane and a lower one inside where I did my work. I turn my head back to the shopkeep next door as looks at me expectantly. I pull a small CD player out from my toolbox and hit play. The minatour smiles as the section of the Market fills with music. Mementos was officially open for business...

The hustle and bustle of the place called Market Lane was nothing unfamiliar to the demon who had been in places just as packed or even more packed than this place. Much like a bazaar or any other open market there were tons of shops and booths selling this and that on the street. His competition so to speak, but the demon was not worried as he moved down the street without his pack to blend in as much as a man such as himself could that is. He found that what he saw was a health environment to test new waters and perhaps even expand. Though before he did that, he needed to do a little shopping of his own. To be precise, he was on the hunt for something particular. Something that only a nick-nack shop or shops that specialized in old machinery tended to have. He was down here looking for gears, but with all that was being offered here, he did not find the exact pieces he was looking for and honestly wonder if what he sought was too old to be found anymore. Hmm...if only he could find a--Oho? Hello. What was this?

The demon would wander down the street even more pausing a bit as his sensitive hearing caught the sound of music drifting from a particular section of the place. While the music was curious what caught his attention even more was the look of the shop he saw. The way it was built and that sign...He associated such work with either mechanics, sellers of the odd, or perhaps nick-nacks. Maybe he had finally found the answer to his problem. Feeling a bit hopeful once more, he’d wade through the crowds until he was finally in front of the shop. He’d glance up at the sign name. Mementos huh? Alright. Well then Mementos, let’s see if lady Luck favors me one more time, the demon would think before lowering his eyes to look over at the store owner from behind his mask. He wouldn’t give a verbal hello, but if the other looked up he would give a nod of greeting before moving closer to see exactly what sort of wares this one had to offer.

I was already hard at work with my pair of magnifying goggles on my head, a screwdriver in one hand and a pair of tweezers in the other. The client's pendant watch had stopped working and I was carefully inspecting the inner workings, trying to find the fault. Of course, it was hard to see all this from the raised counter between me and any customers so all they could see was my figure hunched over. It was at this point that my neighbor, having noticed that I was ignoring a customer gave a loud snort from his nostrils.

I immediately looked up, forgetting that my goggles were still in, the man's mask was enlarged twice fold in my vision as I jumped back. "Welcome to Mementos, sorry about that I was a bit preoccupied with my work" I say with a smile as I removed my goggles. "What kind of repairs can I help you with today?"

The demon took note of the hunched over figure, but wouldn't be able to make out a face or anything thanks to the high counter. Sure he could've perhaps tip-toed to get a better look, but the demon was more interested in what this shop had to offer versus the one working right now. He would glance at any displayed goods, but not finding exactly what he was looking for he would frown behind his mask and was on the edge of disturbing the person behind the counter, but it seemed the neighboring shop owner would do it instead.

As the person behind the counter turned his attention to him, the demon held his ground well enough against the googled face as the person who wore them jumped a bit upon seeing him. Remaining calm and more or less unphased by this, the demon would shake his head lightly with a soft chuckle. “No worries. Perhaps I should’ve made my presence more apparent. I didn’t mean to sneak up on you like that.” He would raise a hand to scratch at the side of his mask in a sheepish fashion before hearing the question posed and letting his hand drop back to his side.

“I was actually looking for parts for a rather old music box I have. They’re design is a bit tricky to find a match for due to age though,” he would begin before pausing to dig out a piece of parchment and a pen from his multilayered clothing. Using the counter as a table, he’d draw the gear he sought on the paper marking down its measurements before showing it to the other. "It is a rather small piece, but perhaps a gear for a clock around the same size could work too. Do you have anything that would do the trick?”

"It's alright, I get a bit absorbed in my work so usually someone needs to snap me out of it," I say with a grin. Upon further inspection the figure had very strange clothing on, nothing like what you usually see around these parts but once again this was Junction. "Sure I could take a look" I say, taking the illustration that was drawn. "Hmm, let me see around here..." I begin to rummage through the myriad of bits and pieces strewn around the stand. It took 5-10 minutes of rigorous searching as I cross checked the dimensions of the part with gears of different models of clocks. Finally, I had 8 different candidates lined up on my counter.

"The picture you drew is detailed but there are some things you can't mark down on paper. The contours of the gear bits, how two pieces would grip together, and their ability to work cohesively within the system. Do you have the music box here? If you did I could give you a more accurate appraisal."

The demon would give a soft chuckle of amusement. "I can understand being absorbed in things that are fascinating or perhaps just require focus. Such things can make one quite forgetful of time. Though if you don’t mind me asking, what are you working on?" He knew this from experience how projects and other things could eat away time. Though in his case, he didn't have someone to snap him out of these sorts of zones and when in a town, he focused on the potential customers versus the things he could become distracted with. Either way, the demon was not offended as the other seemed to recover smoothly enough and transitioned well into his attempt to help him find what he needed. The demon was patient enough as he watched the other work, quite impressed and pleased the other had found a few pieces that could potentially work. Though which of the eight before him now would actually work was the problem. Even more so, when the other made his request.

The demon would hum hesitating for a moment. It wasn’t that he didn’t have the music box. No he carried that thing with him everywhere. The problem was trusting a stranger with it. He typically bought the items needed and fixed the old thing himself. He would hate to have it be broken if mishandled….but then again maybe if he let a professional look at it, perhaps more pieces could be found and thing wouldn’t go out as often. It was hard, but after a few seconds of debate, the demon’s shoulders slumped slightly as he let out a soft sigh. “I suppose you are right. Let’s see here,” the demon would pause to dig through his many layers of clothing before producing what appeared to be a well cared for box of odd black material engraved with dragons and phoenixes, turtles and tigers around the sides all created by gold. On top of the box was a yin/yang symbol one half gold and the other half black. There was a small latch on the front to open it. Looking over at the other, the demon would hand the box over. “It is quite old. If you open bottom you’ll see just how ancient is. Please be gentle with it,” the demon said and then if the other took it he’d just have trust the other to heed his words cause if he didn’t…..well let’s hope that bridge would not be crossed.

In any case, the box itself would reveal itself to be made out of something similar to metal and yet not, the black parts smooth and cool to the touch despite being close to the demon's body. It also had a bit of weight to it suggesting it was not exactly designed to be lugged around despite its small size.

"Oh, a clock pendant that someone came in with. It seemed to have jammed and I was just inspecting it for faults. One of the regulars that come here requested it to be fixed, the parts in it are quite old so something usually breaks after some time. I offered to replace the inner workings as it would be cheaper but the owner said that it added character." I said chuckling as I was handed the music box. Immediately my eyes lit up, this wasn't like anything I had ever worked on before and I set it down gently on the work counter. Moving the pendant to the side I put on my goggles and began to inspect it. I switched between different magnifications and took out 'the book.'

It was left to me by the Old Man. He tried to write down as many of his teachings as possible as well as records of all the strange gadgets that were brought to his shop in the past. From all his years working on Junction there were entries on many rare pieces he came across and even one of kind works that may never be seen again. But within it held many teachings that would help when working with a new piece that you haven't seen before. The first step was always careful disassembly. From my probing, there didn't seem to be any way to open it from the outside. It seemed that further questioning would be required before proceeding. "Do I have permission to open it? Could you also describe to me how the music box is supposed to function when it is opened when everything works smoothly and consequently what the issue is now with the gear that needs replacement?"

Siku would let out an amused snort at that one.“Ah so it seems there are others that like the ancient and I don’t blame them for not wanting to change what makes the device itself. It is almost like ripping out a heart, but then again sometimes to save things a new heart is needed.” One could preserve something, but once things went past a certain age pieces became harder and harder to find and soon became obsolete forcing the owner either to upgrade the pieces, store the item to be viewed from a distance, or to replace it entirely. All options that could be a bit damaging to the soul depending on how attached one was to said item. In any case, the demon would hand off his own precious item to the other watching as he took interest in it, excitement in his eyes and yet...the guy was pretty gentle when it came to handling the item. Well at least he was showing respect so that was good.

He would watch as the other pulled out some form of book. Perhaps a reference guide or something, he wasn’t sure and wouldn’t have time to poke at the matter as the other began to ask him questions. To what he heard the demon would look off to the side in thought before sighing inwardly as he reached into his clothing and pulled a very small dragon from one of his various pouches. Unlike the rest of the box this dragon was jade green and looked like it would fit perfectly in an indention right under the latch. He would hold it for only a few seconds not exactly feeling comfortable by this, but knowing resisting would never get the item fixed properly. He...would allow someone else to open it this time..... Besides it wasn’t like the guy would understand the meaning of the thing within once it was open anyway.

“Yeah. You can open it,” he said handing the final piece over. “When the box is open, it is suppose to open the flower revealing the dancer inside; however, it currently doesn’t do that. I’ve looked over the pieces and everything is fine except for the gear near the center that makes the whole thing run. I am not sure exactly why, but every replacement I’ve had since the original just quits after a year. The original lasted me 10 years, so I am not sure if it quality or what that makes them give out, so fast." It was annoying to be honest considering the demon didn't want be replacing the same thing over and over again. It would be nice to find a piece that lasted for a long time and not harm the box.

"Hmmm" I mumbled as I used the piece to open the music box. As I slowly lifted the lid I was greeted by a closed flower, a lotus maybe? Either way, the craftsmanship was outstanding. Sadly though I had to take it apart. Using my goggles, I poked around until I found a couple of screws to remove the top and reveal the inner workings. I gently unscrewed and dismantled the flower, removed the intricately crafted dancer inside, and then proceeded to remove the entire top. That would prove a bit difficult as the material it was made out of seemed a bit heavier than I expected. "Now that was a bit heftier than I expected" I croaked, putting the piece down as I took a peek inside.

What I found delighted my eyes and sent a shiver down my spine. So many gears, beautifully crafted interlacing with each other. Although the music box was beautiful, just looking at the way it worked was a marvel in itself. "Gorgeous, absolutely gorgeous" I murmur, having to pry my eyes away to focus back on the top. Taking one of my gloves off I ran my hand on the surface of the piece as well as the rest of the box. "This metal... It doesn't feel like anything I've worked with in the past..." I tell him as I put my glove back on. Brandishing my tools once again I removed a single gear from the mechanism as a specimen. Holding it with my tweezers I put a towel under it with my free hand and set it down. After placing it, I also gave it a thorough inspection. It seemed the gears also had engravings on them, truly this was a piece of art inside and out. Taking a tiny hammer I gave the gear a light tap as I put my ear close to it. "Yeah, this doesn't sound like regular material either. Whatever this thing's made out of I'm not sure if those regular parts over there can handle the strain of the mechanism but I'll give it a try. It's just a theory but I think the difference in the material may be affecting the longevity of the new addition."

The flower was indeed a replica of a lotus highly detailed and build with the odd material the box seemed to be made of. The dancer inside was a ballerina that made that flower her stage when the box was working that is. Speaking of that it seemed the other was taking the whole thing apart. The demon would watch the other work quietly, taking note of what he removed and the way he handled the box. At first the demon didn't like the idea of this occurring, but the more he watched the more fascinated he became at the way the other worked and took delight in what he saw. While he would typically have a freaking fit if someone did what the other did, the demon found himself relaxing a bit as he smirked slightly behind his mask.

"It is quite the piece of art and is the only one of its kind. The one who made it was a true master of their work." the demon said softly as he fondly remembered the one who gave it to him. A master of many things indeed, but that was a thought for another day. In any case, as the demon heard the assessment of what the problem was he would give a low hum as he folded his arms in thought.

“Well that explains many things if it is true; however, if you can get something to last along side those pieces for longer than a year, it would be much appreciated,” the demon said not wanting any of the original pieces replaced or damaged in the process. He wondered if there was a way to keep the new piece from taking such a beating when pitted against other pieces. On that note. “...How long have you been in this business and what do you plan to do to make it all work?”

I sit there for a couple seconds in contemplation before answering his question. "I don't know about before but I've taken over the shop for 6 years now." I give a sharp whistle as the minotaur next door walks in. I gesture to the part of the music box I had removed and he gives a sharp snort before leaving again. I begin to work on the piece that needed replacing, trying a couple of the candidates. "Nope the grooves are too small... the base of this one is too big..." I mumble, eliminating half of the gears on the counter before even beginning to try to use the box. After that, I inserted one of the pieces and screwed it in and then immediately removed it after inspection. It fit, but the diameter and size of both the base and the pieces were sitting way too close to the other gears, if I tried to spin the box the entire mechanism would probably crush the replacement in a couple tries.

As I experimented with that the minotaur came back with his own set of tools and begins a separate inspection on the metal of the original parts of the music box. "I hope you don't mind, if you want the part to last we could try and craft a new one. The metal's probably not going to be the exact same but an alloy that's close to what the whole structure is made out of. This should allow the part to last a longer amount of time but it is going to be a lot pricier" I say, looking back over at the other shopkeep. He looks at me and gestures '5.' I shake my head and gesture '3' back. He gives me a '4' as I shake my head and nod in agreement. "So we've agreed on the price to make it and it's definitely not cheap. Whoever made this knew a lot about clockwork but also metallurgy. I could probably hook you up with a temporary replacement and you can come back once the new gear is made. Sound good?"

"Six years, huh. Who was the owner before you?" the demon asked as he continued to watch the other work. When he heard the other whistle, he would blink a bit confused before seeing the strange creature from next door give a reaction before leaving again. Not sure what that was about, violet red eyes would return to the boy as he began to try the pieces he had chosen...only to discard a good chunk of them, but wait! Did the guy actually find one that fit? The demon seemed to take more interest in this, but soon found his shoulders slumping in disappointment as the kid took the thing out again. Not..not that one either. Then did this mean this shop didn't have the right item either? Was his music box to never play again this time? That wasn't very pleasing.

And neh? What was this? The demon went from slightly disappointed to highly alert as the creature from next door came back and over to the kid's booth armed with some form of tools to inspect the original pieces of the box. The wolf demon's hair ruffled slightly as his protective instinct tried to take over, but he calmed himself quickly telling himself it was alright to let this happen. It would help get the fixed or at least diagnosed correctly. Anyway, his attention would turn back to the boy as he spoke. To what he heard, the demon would fold his arms with a hum thinking before his eyes narrowed a bit with the numbers flying about.

"Mmm. Indeed the creator was one of kind when it came to gadgets and metals. The work was unmistakable and not something that can be replicated; however, if you can create a gear that can last I would be quite pleased, but there is one thing I must know before we seal anything. What is the asking price?" Yeah. The deal sounded nice and all, but if he couldn't afford it what would be the point?

As the customer asked about the previous owner I couldn't help but feel a slight tinge of remorse in my heart, but continued working nonetheless. "He was an old man. One of the greatest clocksmiths I had ever met. He took me under his wing and taught me all that I know now." I explain, continuing to work on the music box. Meanwhile, the Minotaur packed up and walked out of the shop.

"Well the regular replacement would be 20. If you were to go for the custom replacement the cost would be around 250. If you do go for the custom I'll throw in the regular replacement for free." I propose while I tried the second last gear in the list. An audible click could be heard as the piece slid into place as a grin spread across my face. I was pretty confident about this one as I screwed it into place. Using my tweezers I placed it on one of the grooves and pushed downward, giving it a little test turn. It seemed to work pretty well. I roll my neck and take a little stretch before hunkering down again. "I think I might've found a fit, guess the only way to know is to put it together again and give it a whirl"

The demon took note of the silence that came in the wake of his question and wondered as he waited if perhaps he had unintentionally stepped on a nerve. He wasn't trying to pry into personal business or be rude with what he asked. He was honestly just curious of the history of this spot. When he got his answer a few moments later, the demon would watch the other with a thoughtful stare from behind his mask for a few seconds before blinking and looking off to the side. "It seems you and the one before you were close.” The demon would say the statement and then just let whatever happened after that happen. He would stay mostly quiet afterward his view coming back to the stall when the Minotaur grabbed his stuff and left. As the extra left, the demon’s eyes would return to the boy as he gave his price.

Hmmm...The demon would consider his offer quietly for a moment before shifting in his spot with a slight hum. “ 250 huh?” he began. “Let me consider it for a moment..” The demon would say before falling quiet for a bit to contemplate the price. It wasn’t exactly cheap and he had no proof that this one was as good as he--eh?. He would glance over at the other as he seemingly found the correct piece for the box for now. “Oho? Well then, let’s see what you have done,” the demon would say as he moved to lean against the counter to watch the other put the box together. A demonstration would be nice to see if the guy knew what he was doing and if so perhaps he would take the guy's offer without haggling him if he was impressed.

Slowly and carefully I reassembled the music box, making sure each piece fit in snug and occasionally testing the moving parts to be sure that nothing was being caught. This was definitely one of the most challenging builds I had ever done, no manual, no blueprints, no knowledge of even the metal that was in between my fingertips when I gripped the next part. However, it was almost as if I could envision it, cranking the handle and the lotus opening up to reveal the dancing figure inside. My work was a lot more fluid now, after disassembling it I had a general mind map of where everything belongs. As I tightened the last screw and checked the entire piece one last time I gently placed it on the customer counter in front of my patron.

"Welp here it is, I'll let you do the honors" I say as I bent down eye level with the contraption, my eyes looked expectantly as to what will happen next. I could feel great deal of nervousness, after all there was almost zero room for error in a job like mine. But at the same time I felt excitement at the prospect of restoring a machine to what it once was.