#fenixtj

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(The next day after Tweak sent out word) Making a 'meet Shuri' event actually proved to be a good draw. The folks who love kids will ccome runnning to see her. The folks who hate kids figure this means they'll 'get it over with'. But really, who could hate this little caramel chocolate angel?

Tweak has made some improvements on the swim-goggle safety glasses, and enjoys showing them off. "The onesie gotz a li'l wet-sensor on it, so she get all lit up when she gotta be changed." Normally, she wouldn't have the patience for a bunch of people cooing over a baby...but fuck, it diff'rent when you da mama!

She also asks various crafters what projects they've been working on, and is genuinely interested in the responses.

Baltasar , the master of fuel mixes and boggan smiles at the baby, "She is lovely Tweak.... though I imagine some would be happy just to count all the fingers and toes heh? And so attentive. She's going to be a smart one" At her question, "Oh, you know me, always working on the next fuel and engine solution. I'm afraid my sea water fuel idea didn't work. The build up eventually spews sending shards of rock hard salt out. Nearly shot myself. On the other hand, my new grease formula is so slippery I'm having trouble finding a way to hold anything I coat it with"

"Heh. 'Swhen ya use th' salt...it cut th' grease. Gonna wanna try that lube out on m' next engine, once I gets one goin'."

"It's yours to use, you know that. Consider it a gift to a mother..." He mutters, "Besides, lately it seems harder to sell things if you're a boggan" A glance to Franz

(Oh, Franz wasn't invited back...he had his first visit. If he crashed the party, assuming it was an open invite, that's on him.)

(He did)

Tweak follows the glance, and mutters back, "Yeah, I be gettin' that message. He intimidatin' yer buyers?"

Tweak notices that Franz has a few nockers around him, in fact, only nockers seem to be in his group. One doesn't have to be a boggan to notice the dynamics that they're 'with him' in more ways than one.

She frowns. That's...disturbing. And not entirely what she expected.

"He would not call it that"

"Naw....'course he wouldn'."

She scans the nocker group, and calls over one of the winners of last season's Pennons craft competition. "You gonna come say hi t' this pretty li'l wench, or what?"

Fortunately, only say a third of the Consortium Nockers seem to hang around Franz. A nother section, asking "Where's Bianci?" has boggans mixing freely with it, as does a third group that seems to be more openly happy to see her. The craft winner in that last group tromps up "What, and cheer the furking competition? All I need, your talent in a younger body making me feel old... let's take a look at the little replacement arrival.... furk. She even looks smart."

One thing about the crafter crowd, other groups might tkae about how BEAUTIFUL a baby is, the nockers and boggans alike comment instead on things like hand coordination and apparent brightness. Better an Ugly Elon Musk than a Stupid Kardashian

"Yeahhhhh...." Tweak smiles proudly down at Shuri. "An' check this action....." She holds up her hand about a foot away from the baby's face and wiggles her fingers while moving the hand back and forth slowly. Shuri's eyes track and she even makes a few grabby-kicky attempt to grab the fingers. "Y'see that? She ain' even sposed t' be able t' focus that far yet, nevermind get that close to grabbin' on! Girl gonna be fightin' me for m' tools soon 'nuff."

this nocker and others close by mutter impressed by Shuri's focus and Tweak's boast, "Ha! Better you than me, but then again, she might see the light and join MY specialties. Gears and cogs are making a comeback mark my words..."///"Why wish a furking dead end on the girl... she'll be joining the drone program" //"Nothing wrong with housing construction.." It would appear a squabble is breaking out over shuri's apprentice ship in the future and she's not even out of diapers.

Cursing from outside, Tweak thinks Bianci just got shown the door.

"C'mon, even a drone gotta differential gear. Ain' that right, baby?" Shuri makes a happy raspberry sound, apparently enjoying all the attention.

As the cursing drifts in, Tweak decides to double-down. "Hey, Franz..." she calls out. "When you bringin' back that spanner you done lifted from my bench behind my back?"

Franz glares then "Furking borrowed, now that you're back part time I got it right here," and he presents it foward. Still, some of the other nockers mutter ...taking tools ? /"Shee was furking pregnant, not dead" "When I had my son, the little ingrate, nobody took MY things." it would appear that Franz got mixed results with that shot... making it sound like Tweak was part time, but some of the Female crafters (And there are plenty) aren't sure they like the implications that preganancy equals career death or even diminishment

"Part time? Th'fuck you talkin' bout. Jus' so happens I gots somepin ready t'send up t' the Besdin, what I done make while baby girl here still tenderizin' my kidneys wit' her hard li'l feet. Any of you done hear 'bout th' Moobiv8tor? Yeah, so you c'n bite my ass, Franz. Lemme see that..." She yanks the spanner from his hands and inspects it, then stares at him. "Th' fuck wrong wit' you? Ya fuckin' 'borrow'... (air quotes)...my tool, then returns it like this? Th'fuck, man?"

"It's the same why I found it, your hormones must be rushing to your head." He growls "And you've fallen behind. Things have changed."//"Well, that much we can agree on," Another nocker says "Where's Bianci? She'd have something to say about that very thing.." Looks like a local weapons maker speaking up// Another NOcker looks at both "Shaddup, I'm looking at the kid." And a nod to Tweak after she eyes Shuri "Smart ...most of them are only good for making gas"

"I invite Bianci yesterday. She said no. So she ain' get a second invite. In fact, Franzy-pansy here already been here, an' he ain' even invited t'day. So, ya done brought my spanner, grimy as shit, an' now you c'n go, Franz. Ain' wanna keep you here." A toothy grin. "Don' let th' doorknob get stuck in yo ass."

For the nocker who told the others to shut up, she holds Shuri up close enough so she can grab onto the nocker's finger and squeeze.

Baltasar pulls a boggan, and whispers to Tweak, "I don't think Grindstone Jill is happy with her daughter following Franz" Indeed. Grindstone Jill, a quiet hardworking sort (It's the quiet part that's amazing for a nocker) is eying her daughter, Sorethumb Jenna. It's parental disapproval. As a woman who had a child herself, Grindstone clearly disapproves of Franz comments on pregnancy disqualifying. And the look to her daughter is an all but unspoken 'I didnt raise you to put up with sexist blowhard let alone side with them'/// Sorethumb is almost wincing under the glare

The Squeez has the nocker grin "Sure she's not furking sothead? Nah, too smart to be trollish...." a trolll in the guild, and there aren't many, sighs

Some of Bianci's crew is looking unsure what to make of this... without their leader in, they don't have as much nerve.

Franz is sputtering but trying to gauge if he should challenge this banishment

"Mighta done spent too much time talkin' t' Flamefree while this one was cookin'." Tweak smirks. "Oof, she gettin' heavy, though. Hey, Sorethumb, your back hella younger 'n mine...come hol' on t' perfection fer a sec." And she goes to the girl and all but thrusts Shuri into her arms. This is possibly one of the most terrifying things she's done since the baby was born. "Jus' support her damn head, like a strut...yeah, like that. Oh, she be likin' you." She sighs as if her back feels better, but stays CLOSE.

She has turned her back on Franz in the meantime, pointedly so.

Sorethumb mutters "I..what the furk? I ..." She takes the baby and looks in her eyes. Shuri's gaze back seems to say "wasn't I worth it? Are you really going to great me like a hindrance?" And Sorethumb Jenna looks a shamed for a second then says "She's... she's really well made."

"All o' you's gots somepin t'eat?" She nods at a worktable that's been cleared off...the boggans have crafted cookies in the shapes of gears and tools and various vehicles, and there's plenty of alcohol and high-caffeine soda.

"Ain' she?" Tweak beams at Jenna's compliment. "All kinds o' craftin' I done, an' ain' never tried biocraft before. Go figger!" It's clearly intended to be a joke, for Tweak brays a laugh.

Others do join in the laugheter, but Tweak notices both Franz and Biancia's circles are shrinking, more the former than the latter. Mostly among genderlines, women... who are starting to realize tthat if Franz hates along liines of kith, maybe their sex is next... Franz turns "Sorethumb, where you going? Furk, so what if your mother disapproves, she doesn't own you" //Sorethumb turns and snaps, "I ain't no damn apprentice, Franz. Dont' you tell me what to do. Maybe I thought we were losing something spreading out so different.... but if that's what others want to do then I ain't gonna stop em... just like you sure as hell aren't going to furking tell me what the worth of motherhood is. YOu ain't got the specs for it!"

Shuri blinks at the rising noise level

And Grindstone Jill shows a flash of something Tweak already knows despite her newness to it, Motherly pride!

Tweak mutters, "You tell 'im, Crafter." The title a clear compliment, then a sneer at Franz. "You still here?"

"Fine, any other Nockers who want to keep craftin streamlined and pure follow me! Damn kid is half Naar and we're acting all a fuss over thel ittle mudblooded ..." And he leaves. Only a few follow, a very few. Indeed one Nocker, that Tweak knows doesn't like Boggans pauses at the door way undeciding to go on after or not. he looks...troubled.

Tweak catches his eye, and gives a head jerk to invite him back into the room.

The guy looks at her, and says "I.. don't know what my daughter will be. What if she..she doesn't turn out tobe a nocker?"

A shrug. "She still yer girl. Hell, I dunno what babygirl here gonna be, either. Might end up all chompers, or wanderin' every chance she get...but she still my babygirl. We figger it th' fuck out."

Shuri starts to cry...And Sore thumb says "Sorry, sorry...Furk furk furk...//the Father who was unsore his own daughter says "its the noise and yelling near her ear, just...calm, sway her a bit, they like light rocking motions lest .. my little girl does. Give a pat on the back, gentle, case it's gas."

And Hammer Hernadez moves to Tweak and looks at the boggans "Sorry. I just...worry my kind is getting pusheed out, you know I... don't have a face to be angry at"

Approval as they treat Shuri right. Then to the group. "Right, so...we gotta sort this. Right? We figger shit out. So, yeah, some shit went sideways while I been down. Part o' that my bad. Din't set up enough backup systems. Greasemonkey here," she nods to Symone, "she done good an' she done what she know, but ain' none of us 'spectin' what happen, an' she get steamrollered. So....here, lemme get her back...." She gently reclaims Shuri and then sits atop her worktable where everybody can see her...and whips out a boob to start breastfeeding as if it's nothing while she talks.

Some of the guys avert their eyes, a few don't bother, but none are going to oggle.... Nec has a gun.

"Look, here be my take on 'pure' craftin'. Ain' no such thing. If it 'pure,' it be limited. You try t' keep it 'pure' that mean you cuttin' out possible resources, possible inspiration what ain' what you 'spectin'. I ain' care what shape they be...a Crafter a Crafter. Yeah, a'ight, I talk shit an' give fuckers hell, and I gonna be hella skeptical if'n a big blue bumbler be comin' tellin' me he a fuckin' watchmaker!" She snickers a bit. "But we ain' gonna get nowheres if'n we limit th' chance t' find out what others be doin'!"

A lot of the boggans look relieved, and a few of the few other kith as well, "Gracious" mroe than a few say "We just want to make" another says