Making do and Making Messes

[Varian]

January 11th, Year 1

There wasn't exactly a proper place to actually try and set up any sort of lab to work, at least not one that he'd found yet, so he was doing the best he could sitting criss-cross on the floor in front of a mish-mashed array of equipment. He'd tucked himself into a fairly out of the way alcove to avoid anyone possibly bothering him while he worked. He'd only been here a short time and he wasn't exactly keen on making any enemies by getting underfoot, but he figured if they were fighting a war they'd inevitably need his expertise. Everyone needed a little alchemy sooner or later.

He snapped his goggles over his face as he held the two different colored glass flasks up close, using all the care he could manage as he started to carefully drip the contents of one into the other. He only needed to mix a little, but when a heavy door slammed somewhere nearby, it was enough to startle him into dumping half the contents in WAY too quickly, which only gave him approximately half a second of reaction time before he was sent rolling from the loud blast.

The alcove that he'd been fussing around in, as well as the surrounding area, was flooded with smoke as he sat up, waving it out of his face and letting out hoarse coughs, grinning to the side at the dazed raccoon, "well, that was not what I had planned...But perhaps we can chalk that up to a happy accident?" After all, explosions could be useful, if one could learn to contain and control them...He glanced around when he realized what a smokey, charred mess he'd made, cringing a little as he half hoped that no one was around...Or anywhere within a fifty foot radius...

[Shanty]

The door slamming, Shanty had expected. It was her, after all, that had done it, though not intentionally. Having only one of five limbs calibrated to understand pressure made it a.. bit hard to know how not to slam a door, or shatter a glass, or snap a pencil. That was what her articulated hand was for, not the large grabbing arms that could sprout from her back. But that hand was a bit busy carrying a box of heavy metal scrap. But the door was thick and heavy! It'd survive one good slam, of course.

The explosion, however.. Now, Shanty hadn't expected that, and sincerely hoped she hadn't been the cause of it. Hopefully no one's gone and rigged explosives to the doorways... There's a short rattle of metal as the box shifts, and Shanty makes to follow the sound.

She nudges a second door open, only to be met by a plume of smoke billowing through. She gives a forceful puff of air in an attempt to blow away smoke, before cracking a small smile. "It smells like something oxidized too quickly in here. You should probably crack a window, before someone catches on~"

[Varian]

He'd pulled his shirt up over his nose and mouth as he waved away the smoke and coughed, only realizing that someone was there when he heard a voice. His eyes widened and he got an incredibly deer in the headlights look on his face, he could probably have denied his involvement were he not covered in mess from the explosion, "yes...Uh..That is probably a good idea!" He scrambled to do as she suggested, forcing open a window and coughing as he tried to fan it out, glancing back at her, "Yes well...That would be because it did!" That was not his fault.

He could breath easier once the worst of the smoke was cleared, and he pulled a handkerchief from the front pocket of his apron as he started to wipe his face off, "now if only I could devise a way to control such a blast! No one would know what hit them!" He laughed, already blueprinting dozens of different ideas in his head, "ah...Uh...C-can we...Keep this between us?" The last thing he wanted was to have all the higher authorities breathing down his neck, he didn't need to have another kingdom against him.

He glanced down when the chubby raccoon scaled his leg and perched on his shoulder, looking curious when he realized he didn't recognize her, "I don't think I've seen you around...What's your name?" Even as he asked, his attention was suddenly drawn by her arm, looking fascinated, "What is this? It's very impressive! I have never seen a piece of machinery like this before!" He was like a kid in a candy store, drawn to anything that provided an opportunity to learn.

[Shanty]

Shanty can’t help but let loose a laugh at the scene, setting the box down beside her, “Captain Shanty, at your service! And your secret is safe with me. Maybe we should find you a proper workspace, though. Whatever you mixed could make a stunning propellant...” Bright blue gaze tilts about, But is brought back when Varian seems to show interest in her arm.

A smile creases her face, and she offers the gunarm forward. One, two, three, four mechanical arms stretch out from her back, holding the weapon in place as her articulated, gloved hand twists the junction and separates the two pieces, “You’re more than welcome to look, if you’d like. I’ve pulled this thing apart and put it back together a million times if I’ve done it once.”

The weapon is impressively heavy for its size, and shows years of wear, tear, and repair. It’s also fashioned to look like an old ship’s cannon.

“I’m not surprised you’ve never seen this before. There’s only one of me.”

[Clopin]

“A secret? From who?”

There was the sound of movement, as Clopin emerged from the shadows of the pillars that held the small alcove up. He had a brow raised, but wore an amused smile on his face. The mess was of no concern—that could be taken care of rather easily.

But he was curious to meet the young man who had accidentally caused thick clouds of smoke to spread throughout the alcove, and the woman who was currently showing her robotic arm to him.

His royal purple cloak billowed out behind him as he approached the two of them.

“What have we here?” Clopin asked, as he knelt down to pick up a piece of broken glass from one of Varian’s flasks. The alcove reminded him of the first few times he had tried alchemy under the tutelage of Melquíades, years before he had finally mastered it.

“If I’m not mistaken, this looks like a failed attempt at some sort of alchemy, no?” Clopin asked, turning his attention from the glass shard to Shanty and Varian.

[Varian]

Varian could only laugh a little awkwardly and brush a hand up through his hair, looking a little embarrassed that his experiment had failed so miserably, "yeah well...That would be nice!" Not that it would provide different results, just a place to blow up that wasn't the middle of an alcove.

His eyes widened a little in awe when she not only detached the piece like it was nothing, but produced more limbs from seemingly nowhere, he strolled around behind her to get a look at where those came from, "just what are you?! I have never seen such complex machinery...I mean...That I haven't built!" He added the last bit with a sidelong cough, because he was on his way to being the greatest inventor there was! Of course.

He was running his fingers over the metal of the arm when he heard another voice, immediately yelping and ducking behind Shanty when he noticed who had just decided to join them. He was dead for sure now! Just great!

"Secrets?! No secrets! Just a...uh...well..." He fumbled for excuses, and then when Clopin seemed to pick up on the cause of the chaos, he cleared his throat and puffed out his chest, strolling out from behind Shanty with a sense of importance, "Right...Well you say failed...I however believe that there is no such thing as failure! Only unintended successes!" He laughed, then rubbed at his chin, "as Shanty here so brilliantly put it, I may not have achieved the intended effect, but I have stumbled upon a genius propellant!" He laughed, and then rubbed the back of his head where he'd bonked it on the far wall when the explosion sent him rolling, "genius indeed..."

[Shanty]

Ruby lips curl up in amusement, the pirate unable to keep down a soft laugh. This young lad was curious, adventurous. Something that should be encouraged, as far as Shanty was concerned, "The arms are nothing. I'd show you the rest, but that generally means I have to blow out of my skin, which is startling, to say the least... Maybe you'll get to see it one day, though."

At Clopin's appearance, a bright gaze turns to the King with a hint of amusement, "Ah, one for dramatics, aren't we? I love it. Though... failed attempt, learning experience, a rose by any other name still smells like rocket burnout. I think I have a use for this, really."

Gloved hand taps her lower lip, and she tilts hear head back in thought. Her hip shifts, pushing her form between Clopin and Varian. She didn't think he had much to hide, really. Messes could be cleaned up, they were temporary. But the younger seemed nervous, and.. call it an instinct. She'd stand up for him, if push came to shove.

"I've been considering setting up a secure means of communications, for our agents, but to spread it out far enough to cover our territory, I'd need to set up relay spots. If I set them up on buildings, they'd attract attention. I've considered mixing some magic and science, and this lad right here might have just shown me the means! Ah, more stabilized, of course, and a little less prone to be an, ah.. mess."

[Clopin]

The amused smile on the king’s face remained, brown eyes looking from Varian to Shanty. The two were interesting, to say the least. But once Shanty stepped forward, with an idea to set up communications that would span the entirety of their territory, he listened intently.

“Perhaps I can help with the stabilization end of it. If anything, the boy needs a little more training, although he’s doing quite well for someone so young.” Clopin said, as he gently stroked his goatee.

“A mixture of magic and alchemy. It sounds like a stretch, but if you can manage to make it work, Shanty, then I’m curious to see what happens.” Clopin declared.

“Come then. I have another alcove in my throne room that I use for my alchemical experiments. We can have the unicorns clean this—their magic will take care of the mess quickly.”

He then began to walk back towards the door, before pausing to wait for Varian and Shanty.

[Varian]

Varian's eyes widened and he let out a string of sort of nervous laughter, the idea of someone...Blowing out of their skin...Sounded relatively horrific...She was a robot though right? So surely it wouldn't be a bloody process, still though, "ehehe...That's...It's fine! You do not have to show me that!" He lifted his hands with a grin that was just a little bit nervous, before he turned to the king, "quite well? I will have you know that I was responsible for creating a new element entirely back home!" He didn't even try to hide the proud boast in his voice, before he coughed and looked to the side, "I-I mean my invention did also nearly swallow Corona in a vortex...B-but...Uh...D-details aren't important!" He was quick to add the second bit.

He scoffed and rolled his eyes when the topic of magic came up, "magic...Anything done by magic I can figure out how to accomplish by science!" Still...He mentioned having his own space for this sort of thing, and Varian was eager to see that, so he put his distaste for the concept of magic aside and sighed in resignation, "but I suppose I would like to see your work space..." He knelt down to let the chubby raccoon climb up to his shoulder before sharing a glance with Shanty and following the king.

[Shanty]

Shanty can’t help but give a hum of a laugh, observing the other two with a smiling gaze.

“We never stop learning. As inventors, scientists, alchemists... those who feel they’ve got nothing more to learn will find they know the least~” She hums, rustling her gloved hand through Varian’s hair slightly. With that said, she carefully shifts, snapping her cannon arm back into place while her smile turns... proud? Mischievous? Such an odd look.

“I’m positive it’s possible. You’re looking at and speaking to the evidence of it. And if someone can bind a human soul to a magic-charged, walking, vengeance-smelter, I can make a communications relay.”

She gives a smile to Varian, seemingly unaffected by his obvious distaste for magic, before moving to follow Clopin. She glances back though, giving a thoughtful hum.

“Do thank your unicorn friends for the assistance. I know all too well how hard singe marks can be to get out.”