Crankshaft Memory [Crankshaft Rafflesian Rework}

[ThreadLurkingComorant]

 You are Dotty, legendary hero from another time and robot extraordinaire.

You and Lex are currently off running errands with Targe and Spice respectively.

Both you and your moody rabbit friend ramble in the car while you drive off to get things done.

You always wanted to get to know Targe better anyway so this is a perfect opportunity.

Dotty: So you used to run the shop at a Swap Meet?

Targe: Only on weekends but yeah, had a little tent set up selling our wares. Place doubles as a drive in theater at night so sometimes we’d stick around late for a double feature. You ever been to one of those?

Dotty: Nope, neither.

Targe: Really?! Never gone to a swap meet?!

Dotty: Not once! Lex gushes about them sometimes though…

Targe: Well you’re about to find out then. It’s got bargains, scams, street food and mariachi. Once you’ve had a taste you’ll get it. We can’t hang out there for long but we got some stuff to pick up from there.

Dotty: What exactly do you need?

Targe: Few things. Got a couple of seasonings for our meats that are a little hard and expensive to find at stores but we can get cheap from this place. Got a guy who knows the spices. Lovely stuff.

Dotty: Okay for a moment I-

Targe: Thought I was talking about Spice?

Dotty: Yeah. Had to process that for a sec.

Targe: Trust me that happens a lot, nah. Besides that there's a few things I just gotta handle in general. Witch stuff.

Dotty: Witch stuff?

Targe: You know.

Dotty: No.

Targe: We got a holiday coming up, one that you gotta be wary of.

Dotty: First time I’ve heard of a witch holiday in spring.

Targe: Got two of them but this one’s the big one.

He gives you a bastard grin.

Dotty: I don’t like where this is going.

Targe: Oh no you’ll love it. You ever heard of the Scholar’s Lament?

Dotty: The what?

He snickers at you.

Targe: Don’t worry about it.

Dotty: Okay no, you can’t tease me like that and not say shit.

Targe: So every year on a Sunday in spring, the Scholar’s Lament casts judgment on the magical folks of this island.

Targe: Used to be a bit of a brilliant alchemist, wanted to figure out how to make the sea water into riches. Philosopher’s stone stuff if you will.

Dotty: Is that a real thing?

Targe: Hard to say, if it was nobody would share it.

Dotty: That’s a good point…

Targe: The moment you tell everyone how to make rubies and silver you end up losing your meal ticket. Riches are relative after all, and the dragons of this world only horde and value what they can keep out of the everyman’s reach.

Dotty: So this alchemist is real but the stone is fake?

Targe: The alchemist is very real, one who flew too close to the sun. Found out how to use bones and blood to see into other worlds, seek the secret of immortality. But…

Dotty: But?

Targe: But one day while gazing into the void, something waved back. A dangerous entity who offered a deal. The knowledge of many worlds in exchange for his peace of mind. Needless to say it went miserably.

Targe: THe curse of seeing so much left one of his eyes marked forever with a ghastly glowing color and restlessness he couldn’t cast away.

Targe: His body crumbled under the strain rapidly until it had enough. It tore its own consciousness out and buried all of its documentation of a world beyond ours.

Dotty: So what exactly is the part that makes this a holiday?

Targe: I’m getting to it. But it might be spooky.

Dotty: I’m already a little spooked but go on.

Targe: The remaining shell of a person still had residual cravings and ambitions. It went around looking for bones to conduct its experiments, perhaps a wish to salvage its original studies and undo the suffering it went through.

Targe: It goes around looking for candidates to dust, every part of that person accounted for and drip fed into its experimental concoctions. It continues to seek knowledge despite being what destroyed it in the first place. Every piece of iron in your blood, the bones in your body, and the fibers of muscle become twisted into homunculi that become the source of its power.

Targe: And this sunday is the day it’s said to happen…

Dotty: None of that’s real though right?

Targe: It particularly targets those who’ve dabbled in witchcraft in particular. Knowledge of its existence only makes it stronger when it manifests.

Dotty: Please tell me it’s fake.

Targe: I mean… I wouldn’t worry too much, they sell deterrents for it where we’re going.

Dotty: …That doesn’t make me feel better?!

Targe: Would be good to pick up some protection too I think.

Dotty: Targe! Oh my fucking god!

Targe: I'm kidding, mostly. Anyway we're about to enter the parking lot. You coming with me?

Dotty:  You think I want to be alone in the car after that?! Take me with you.

Targe: Good answer. We'll try to keep things quick so we don't leave the others hanging too long. We're picking them up on the way back.