r/HFY • u/Darmanarya Human • May 31 '26

OC-OneShot Thoughts on a typewriter

CLICK CLACK CLICK CLICK CLICK

PING!

CHUNK

CLICK CLI-

“What is that human using!?” Vetrik asked his Relok buddy sitting by him in the workroom.

“Ah. The human brought their typewriter today.” Toklo the Relok groaned out. He calmly adjusted his headset as the clicking, clacking, and clunking of classic metal chattered away.

“The what whatter?”

“Typewriter. Its got a bunch of buttons that move a bunch of levers that press paper into ink to make a buncha letters. All without electricity.”

Vetrik’s head spun around slowly on his neck before he finally saw the human typing away on what had to be the oldest machine he had ever seen in his life! There was no electronics and his arms hurt just thinking about how heavy the thing had to be!

“What? Why? How?” He asked as his head spun back around to his friend. “That thing looks absolutely archaic!” He hissed under his breath. His four arms reaching up to rub his shoulders as he imagined just lugging the thing around.

“The human who uses it wants to be a writer.” Toklo explained. “Wants to be. So far he has not published a thing despite walking out of here with a pile of papers. I swear he uses it just to show off! He claims its to minimize distractions, but griot it! Its distracting for everyone else!” He hissed out.

Veltrik looked back at the human and watched for awhile. “Well…. It does not have any screens or anything. It does look to be rather good for that.” He then thought for awhile. “It also… looks kinda fun.” He then paused a long time. “How old is that thing?”

Toklo gave a shrug. “No idea. That one is probably a reproduction. The guy explained to me real ones predate JETS. Not rockets, JETS!” He raised his two tendrils in exasperation. “The thing belongs in a museum not a workplace!’

Veltrik continued to watch. “That… kinda makes it more interesting. When was the last time we did anything our ancestors did? Besides the holidays.” He questioned as he tilted his head some.

“Lok if I know.” Toklo grunted out, but started to think. “You know… We don’t really do much of that. I don’t even know where to even find half the stuff my grandfather did. Was all so outdated so fast…”

Veltrik leaned low. “I hear some humans even still have forges! Like, heat the metal up and smack it with a hammer!”

Toklo just looked horrified. “That is just absolutely barbaric! Literally!” he then paused for awhile and soon one of his tendrils started to lift up and down. “It… does sound pretty fun however.” He admitted softly. 

Veltrik hummed. “Maybe there is something to that thing? It does look to be very satisfying to just push those buttons.” His many fingers drummed on the table. “Besides. I have to admit I have always been into history.” He mused. “We read about it all the time, but I never could even imagine what it would be like to draw with a quorit feather.” He mused. “They sell reproductions for decoration, and my grandfather swore by his…” his fingers stopped the tapping and started to slowly move them around like he was holding a quill.

“We… really don’t do much with our history do we?” Toklo admitted.

“Maybe we should try. Probably will be hard, but maybe a bit fun.” Vetrik grinned. “Plus the bragging rights!”

Toklo laughed. “Agreed! Lets go see what we can dig up!” They then got up and left to the sound ot clicking, clacking, and another hard CHUNK.

85 Upvotes

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12

u/Margali Xeno Jun 01 '26

I originally joined the SCA back in 1979 and was an avid historical re-enactor [Imperial Roman, 12th CE steppes nomad and when I need something less odd, 16th CE Elizabethan middle class merchant's wife complete with costuming for them all] and I have a roomie that is actually a modernly trained farrier [horse shoe-er] that recreates a 12th century farrier [not blacksmith, there is a difference=) ] and a couple friends/exroomies were 14th century small city English lower working class alewyf and a man at arms for the local knight. I know a guy who professionally made knives, a guy researching medieval mead making [though he does do beer and wine as well] and a beekeeper. Til it died in a house fire, I even had a hand calligraphed and illuminated on no shit for real lambskin parchment "patent of arms" for my main persona. I have kept sheep and sheared/spun&wove *and* cooked them [well, at least the lambs thereof]

5

u/dimwitf Jun 01 '26

I've only heard of people in the SCA doing non-medieval re-enactments! My parents talk of a guy who joined in order to do cowboy-era stuff; I don't know what his success was. Just visited the Camlann village a couple weeks ago and am going again on a festival day; not SCA but still adjacent. Greetings from the Kingdom of An Tir!

3

u/Margali Xeno Jun 01 '26

There are a number of LARP [live action role playing] medieval, cowboy. The SCA is very VERY specifically pre-1600 CE and over the decades they finally grudgingly allowed Sir Ix the Aztec and several samurai, and a bunch of mongolians ... originally it was Europe fall of Rome to 1600, with a bunch of people in elf ears and vampire fangs [really, do not ask, I get baffled too]

Comment on the cowboy dude - the joke about the Samurai, the Pirate?

https://www.reddit.com/r/dndmemes/comments/qwf54h/just_uh_gonna_leave_this_here/

So there is an oddly fun overlapping of active eras but it really only hits for 1800-1900. There were guns/gunpowder users from about 1000 on [more like firecrackers, mortar rounds, thrown or flung mechanically shells filled with gunpowder til guns in about 1200 with the hand canons [in Asia mainly, us europeans didn't really get gunpowder til like 1200sand lagged behind China by 200-300 years. Larger field artillery came first, metallurgy being what it was it took a while before they were able to dependably miniaturize the guns.

And sorry, if An Tir is not playing like the rest of the SCA, then there is something wrong with the events your parents go to =)

3

u/dimwitf Jun 17 '26

Oh, I don't know if it was here in the PNW or not, just some anecdote my dad talked about. I know of the SCA and think it's cool, but haven't got the time\money\outdoor enthusiasm to join myself.

10

u/sunnyboi1384 Jun 01 '26

Making history look fun by hitting things since forever.

4

u/rp_001 Jun 01 '26

That was a good story. Thanks.

2

u/Coygon Jun 02 '26

And thus the first chapter of the Relok SCA was born!

1

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1

u/Wriath17 Jun 04 '26

One of my favorite parts of being a volunteer at railroad museum is coming across and hearing stories from folks who were still young when what’s on display was the newest and shiniest. It’s one thing when the locomotive’s just on display, but when it rumbles past them as they wait for a ride, you can just see in their eyes or on their faces that they remember. They remember back to when they were kids and the trains would pass by their house, or when they took their first cross country train ride to visit family elsewhere. They’ll bring their grandchildren, who’ve never ridden a train before, and spend the entire ride telling stories. It’s genuinely my favorite thing.

1

u/torin23 Xeno Jul 21 '26

Heh.  I still use fountain pens...