Send me "alt!" and I'll introduce you to a characterI've rped in the past, want to play in the futureor are currently playing somewhere else!
"Hullo!" Mark liked answering the phone. It was like a privilege, especially since not every business could afford one. "West 3rd Mechanics. Markus Fayeton speakin'. Anythin' I can help ya with?"
He paused, waiting for the woman on the other line to finish speaking. He cradled the phone in the crook of his neck, reaching into his pocket and producing a cigarette. He lit it and took a quick drag before the woman finished.
"Well, we can't really make anythin' custom-ordered until ya come in to get fitted, miss. If the finished prosthetic isn't the right size, it don't work right. It's gotta be just the right weight too, or you'll be feelin' it. It's not fun, ma'am, take my word for it."
He paused, taking another, longer drag, and resisting the urge to bite down. The woman on the other side was raising her voice. "Ma'am, we make custom auto-mail. M'not gonna bore you with all the specifics, but the mechanics are real particular and bodies jus' aren't suited to have a random metal leg. I can get ya fitted with a fakie no problem, but if you want any of the good stuff, it takes time and a lotta care."
The woman hung up on him. Apparently part of the reason she had come to Central in the first place was for a vacation, but if she really wanted a quality prosthetic, she would have been at least a little more patient...
Mark sighed, putting the phone away and walking back to his desk and sitting down. It was so disheartening when people misunderstood his passion, and even worse when they thought that he didn't know. How could he know what it was like to have lost a limb? He was only sixteen. How could he understand the pain of stumbling out of bed, having to use every wall to support their weight just to make it to the kitchen for breakfast?
His index finger scratched at his thigh; where the metal met the skin. Maybe he was growing again. He might have to get refitted...
It would hurt, but it was worth it.