----------------------------------------------
THE THIRSTY MINNOW - AFTERNOON
----------------------------------------------
Narrator: Morning. The sun began its shining over Respite Falls. Seemed like a perfectly normal day...just until the darkenss fell. Something big and unwieldly was floating in the air, in front of the sun, leaving a shadow beneath. A large...balloon? An extremely large one, and it was errantly weaving back and forth in the sky, not unlike a dragonfly searching for a broad place to land.
Narrator: Fortunately, there was a patch near the city limits, and the vehicle made an unceremonious landing, the undercarraige leaving a long furrow into the ground as the upper balloon collapsed like a flan, flopping flap over the structure. There was silence, then...a shrill sound pierced the air.*
Rikard: "MONTAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAG!"
Victoria is idly doing a wall patrol when something... rather unusual interrupts her daydreaming. She stares at the unceremonious landing, slightly too dumbfounded to really do anything about it on the second. After a moment or three of staring, she springs into action, leaping down from the wall despite its' decent height, but the leopard doesn't really care.
Narrator: After a while, a head pops out of the carraige, canine-head covered by a mask. Back, forth, back, forth, like a meerkat looking around at the surroundings. Then...the voice again.
Rikard: "MONTAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAG!"
Narrator: The figure looks back into the carraige, then ducks back in. Anyone outside could only hear the voices clearly.
Montag "Are you stuck, Herr Rick? I did say we were going to meet the ground soon. You cannot blame me for that."
Victoria runs enough to get near, then starts cautiously walking. She's been near enough explosions to not really need any more in her life, but both guard obligation and curiosity have her approach... just not with too much hurry. Whatever this all is, needs to be found out.
Rikard: "I can CERTAINLY blame you for that! When I told you to lessen the heat, I didn't mean turn it off entirely! I still needed power to steer!"
Montag "But any hotter and you would have yelled at me for putting in too much steam. The bag needs the steam to make the air rise, Herr Rick. That was the entire process of..."
Narrator: There is silence, as if detecting the prescence of another. Soon, two heads pop out of the carraige like meerkats. The masked canine is now joined by a grease-smeared badger, who squints, looking around the surroundings, then make eye contact with Victoria.
Victoria pauses some steps away still from the collapsed contraption, holding her hands on her hips as she calls out to the pair: "Is everyone okay in there?"
Narrator: The two look at each other, then back to Victoria. The badger speaks for the two of them.
Rikard: "Ah...yes...yes, indeed. Part of the perils of test-flying, the odd crash and malfunction and miscalculation. Nothing injured but my pride. Thank you for asking..."
Victoria lets out a relieved sigh. At least she wouldn't need to haul anyone to Clinic today. Her eyes move from the pair to what she can see of the crashed vehicle: "I can see that... what on earth were you even doing? Shouldn't flight be left to those who can already do it?" Part incredulous, part amused.
Rikard gets out of the device, dusting off his trenchcoat. "If we contented ourself to be kept to the ground, we can never expand as a society, dear. That is natural law." He looks back to the canine, gesturing for him to get back into the craft, which he does. The badger then gives a gentle smile. "Please forgive my sudden curiosity, but...where are we?"
Victoria frowns: "Don't 'dear' me. And you're in Respite Falls-" she motions at the town walls behind her: "...which makes me think you managed to fly quite the distance."
Rikard raises an eyebrow. "Respite Fa...you mean we...travelled THAT far from the coast? Heavens. That's actually a record." He turns to the craft. "MONTAG! Respite Falls! Make a note of it!" He then looks back to Victoria. "So...are you a resident?"
Victoria nods: "That I am." She then tilts her head, admiring the sizable furrow the crash created: "I suppose I should welcome you here..." She pauses, realizing this isn't even the first time she's guiding a crashlandee towards Respite, and lets out an inward sigh.
Rikard rubs gently behind his head, giving a chuckle as he notes the...rather large furrow.* "Y-yes...not the first impression I wanted to make. I suppose Montag can clean up the site a little as I find some...lodgings." He smiles to Victoria. "Rikkard Dresden. Aeronautical Technician, by the way."
Victoria gives a toothy grin: "Victoria, one of the Guard here in Respite. You can probably find willing help in the town if you need it."
Rikard seems to be relieved, then stops.* "G-guard? Oh, you're part of the constabulary? I don't need to present any papers or anything? We did seem to travel over a few countries on our way here."
Victoria shakes her head: "No. Just behave and probably go clear this incident with one of the Captains. I'm pretty sure they want to know what's happened here, and my account of it is going to be pretty short since I can't even tell what that thing of yours is."
Montag peeks out again.* "It is the mighty prototype zeppelin Palamedes! We had planned to call it the Icarus but Herr Rick did not approve. He said there was too much irony in the name!"
Rikard rolls his eyes, staring back at Montag.* "Will you shut up and get our diplomatic papers, Montag? We are in prescence of the law! And don't say you burned them! I made triplicate copies and put them in the airing cupboard!"
Victoria blinks: "Uh huh." She frowns as she looks over the wreck: "At least you didn't plow over anyone's farmland, or you'd have bigger problems."
Montag would emerge with a sheaf of papers, walking over to Rikard's side. He presents them to Victoria.* "Anything for a lady in uniform." He pauses, looking over Victoria's...rather exotic gear. The eyes behind the mask barely hide his surprise. "That...IS a uniform? Forgive me, but we did not wish to make assumptions as we are well-documented foreign nationals who only seek to further the courses of science."
Victoria glances at the papers, but doesn't take them. "Yeah, paperwork like that is not my job. But I'll take you to the barracks. I'm sure Louma will be thrilled." She pauses, humming over the second part: "No uniform for the Guard here. Most wear whatever they need to survive the heat, and combat in it."
Montag nods, satisfied at the explanation, but...can't help staring as his tail wags. Rikard gives Montag a firm elbow to the engineer's ribs. "Montag! Secure the site. I'll take care of the rest. Just make sure none of the locals touch the Palamedes unduly."
Montag oofs, rubbing his ribs, then gives a salute. "As you wish, Herr Rick. Should not be too hard. Thanks in advance and apologies as needed, Guard Victrola!"
Victoria lets out a soft laugh, then turns around, motioning the badger to follow towards the town. "I suppose... welcome to Respite Falls, then."
Rikard puts the papers underhand as Montag goes to creating a perimeter. The badger waits until he is out of earshot to talk to Victoria.* "You must excuse my colleage. He is a bit single-minded with his tasks and is prone to a bit of mischief on the side. It's not like I want to keep him on a short leash, just...I want to make sure he's not making too much of an ass of himself."
Victoria nods, smiling: "One ass in every delivery, it seems. I find a good claw-assisted persuation makes them keep most of their comments to themselves." She flexes her claws just a bit as she walks, clearly enjoying the thought.
Rikard laughs nervously, seeing the claws. "Yes...well...I'll advise him to be on his best behavior around you, then." He will keep silent, just...humming as the two head into town to be processed.
----------------------------------------------
THE THIRSTY MINNOW - AFTERNOON
----------------------------------------------
Maybelline stretches, walking into the bar and ordering a coffee and some lunch. Things have been relatively peaceful around the generator for some reason, and she'd like to keep it that way as long as possible, especially with recent incentive to go home to Louma as soon as she's able.
Mia was in the bar too! She was starting to actually sort of enjoy the company. She wasn't quite forward enough to actually approach strangers, but she found she liked the ambiance. When she saw May her ears perked up, and she waved "May! Hey! Over here!" She's in a corner of the bar, with a good view of the bar as a whole.
Mia is about the same, abet with that little mark on her shoulder with 'Mia' on it.
Maybelline nods to Strix, taking her coffee over towards her table to join her. "Hey, Strix. You uh, seem to be doing well." She tilts her head at the new metal added to her shoulder. "...Mia?"
Mia: "Ah, yeah!" She nods "With all the changes, I was thinking I'd go with that here on out. Strix is still fine though, but Mia's a pretty name, don't you think?"
Maybelline shifts in her seat, nodding a little awkwardly as she mouths the name. "Mia. Oh uh, yeah. Yeah, it is. It just might take me some getting used to it..."
Mia: "There's no problem! Take as long as you need" She smiles "I'm still happy to go by Strix. I'll just use Mia for my shop, and when introducing myself. That's all. I'm sorta..extra understanding for you, since I know you sort of still have hang-ups about all this"
Maybelline flinches a little, "I... y-yeah. Sorry. I don't mean to. It's just... you know, magic and stuff." She waves her hand about a little aimlessly. "I'll... figure it out. The important thing is you're doing well. Right?"
Mia: "Well, yeah. It's magic, and I know that it's weird..but the way I see it" She rubs her arm, where the prosthetic was..or perhaps still is "I was always sort of magicy and techy. Just..a bit more now, and yeah! I'm doing well. I'm working with Vix now, on the whole 'Cat' and 'Girl' stuff. You know, climbing, purring, meowing. That sort of thing. It's fun!" She drums her fingers "But enough about me. What about you?"
Maybelline blushes when the tables turn to her. "I've been... really, really good honestly. Louma proposed, and that's kinda occupied all my thoughts lately."
Mia: "You did!" Mia brightens. Literally, her eyes glow brighter! "That's wonderful! I'm so happy for the two of you!"
Mia actually gets up, and gives her a hug. Complete with purring.
Maybelline giggles, blushing brighter as she lifts her hand up to show Mia the ring, only for the cat to hug her. "Hehe. Thanks! It's kinda hard to be bummed out about anything when I'm with her."
Mia: "I'm glad! You get in your own head a bit too much" She pauses to coo at the ring. She might not be a kobold anymore, but a love of shiny shiny remains "It's so pretty! But.." Where was that last train of thought. She'd disembarked at 'Ooh Shiny' station..and back on..Oh! "Right! Louma is really great at getting you out of that, and back to happy! If she wasn't so good for you, I might be jealous"
Maybelline: "I try to do the same for her. I'm just really, really excited to live the rest of my life with her." She pulls her hand back to examine the ring herself, turning it slightly along her finger with a smile. "Hmm? Jealous?"
Mia blushes a little "Well, ah..I'm really glad we're friends, and..I've got a ton of confusing feelings, especially about the romantic stuff.." She coughs, actually caught awkward for once "But ..friends! That's it! I don't even know how I feel with all that stuff. I tried kissing Vix, and that was nice, but..too early to tell, right?"
Maybelline blinks, "Oh... Oh. Well, trust me, it takes time... I had a lot of false starts and bad relationships through my time at the University. Louma and I just... we found each other when we both needed each other most, I think. That's hard to just make happen."
Mia: "Oh! I don't want to force anything. I'm still having fun with the experimenting stage. That's the most fun bit when inventing, so why would it be any different for this sort of stuff" She settles back a bit, sitting down again "So~ Want to talk more about Louma?" She's picked up that often that sort of thing makes people happy!
Maybelline giggles, "I don't have to... but asking a new fiance about her engagement is a bit dangerous. With things running so smoothly at the generator, I've been spending as much time with Louma as I can lately."
Mia: "Oh!" Hmm, still learning those social stuffs. This is tricky "I'm glad that the generator is still working, so..uh..are you getting a replacement amplifier? I feel kinda bad about..well, technically I think I stole it"
Maybelline scratches her head, "Well, that's the thing... since the accident, the generator is running past expected output. All the abnormalities have sorta leveled off? So the amplifier... sorta isn't needed anymore?"
Mia: "That's...good, but, don't you know why? That feels like a thing you should understand why"
Maybelline nods. "It does. I was trying to track down the cause of the initial rejection... I left with Louma one day, and came back and... everything was optimal. Near as I can tell, nothing changed?"
Mia: "But...the generator has a defined output for the given engine and area. It's not like the ambient mana well has changed, has it?" She holds up a finger, and pulls out a small device, poking it a few times "Uh..Nope..There's a bit of weirdness, but nothing that would do what you're saying..."
Mia frowns! She doesn't like not understanding stuff like that.
Maybelline leans back in her seat. "No change's that I saw there either. It shouldn't be possible, but the data is all right there. The output is all there." She sighs. "I'll take it, if it means things calm down, but I still want to know WHY it's doing it."
Mia: "Yeah. That sounds like something I wouldn't be able to stand. I'm getting jitters thinking about it, and it's not even my shiny!" She's flustered, clearly "Ahhh, I'm sure you'll work it out" She just resists 'offering' to go off and look into it herself. Just. Since that would be rude
Maybelline helps her out, extending her hand, "I'd appreciate it if you could take a look of course, you tend to see stuff in shinys that I can't. That I don't even think of."
Mia takes the hand, almost like she's going for a lifebouy, and settles herself "Yes. Maybe I will. I've never been great at the Sarn tech stuff, but I've been studying more now that ..well, I am one" There's a pause "I think I'm mostly just a Sarn Amplifier, with a bunch of extra stuff that's..uh..the me bits, I suppose?"
Maybelline frowns, squeezing Mia's hand slightly. "You're still 'you' though, right? The amplifier, the extra bits, that's all just on the outside... right?"
Mia flicks her nose "If you keep saying that, I'll make an airship out of used teabags. So help me"
Maybelline sighs, but manages to laugh, "I... sorry. I worry, that's all."
Mia: "Look. I'm still me..I just had a big change in my life, and..I'm adapting" She smooths out her skirt and goes to sit down "Some of it is just..not fighting what I've become and sort of..leaning into it"
Maybelline nods, "I get that, I just... Well, I'll just say you're adapting better than I would be in a similar situation."
Mia: "Well, I considered moping about the place, but that's just borrrrring. Why would I do that when I can explore! I get to learn new stuff about myself! That's so cool! I've got entire body bits I didn't have before! Bits that go in where they used to go out!" There's a pause "Which doesn't make it a storage compartment. Learned that one the hard way..."
Maybelline cringes sympathetically, "Oh uh, no. It doesn't... I'm glad to hear it though. The exploration bit. That does seem very... you."
Mia: "Well, I'm me. So me doing things me is pretty normal" She boops May's nose again "You know, if I didn't know better, I'd say you just can't handle a Strix that's cuter than you~" She's just being a brat now, but she feels that May deserves it!
Maybelline blushes at the boop! "What? No! You're not! I mean, I'm not cute! I mean, I guess some might consider me cute, but that doesn't mean I uh..." she sits back and crosses her arms, pouting. "No, you know what, fine. You're cuter. See if I care."
Mia: "Oh, I think you're as cute as I possible can think you are, while keeping it socially acceptable. So that means that was a really big compliment!" She claps her hands together happily "See! Everyone wins"
Maybelline sighs, uncrossing her arms, but she laughs despite herself, sticking her tongue out at Mia. "Yeah, yeah. Fine. You win. I win."
Mia: "And Louma wins, because she gets you all to herself!"
Mia: "I need to find someone cute, so you know how I feel...."
Maybelline smiles, "Louma wins, and I win there too. Ah, I will wish you luck, Stri-err... Mia."
Mia smiles as she hears the name. For all she's said she doesn't mind what May uses..it's important to her that May accepts the changes.
Maybelline is managing, bit by bit. She reaches down to sip her coffee. "So then... You went to Vix, hm? Guess she would be an expert on cats... what all did you learn from her?"
Mia: "Oh, all the cat stuff! Like climbing..with claws!" She wiggles her paw, and the claws shink out! "I didn't even know I had them. They're on my feet too. I'm gonna buy different shoes so I can use them to climb. Then ..uh..meowing, purring. Oh! And tongue baths. Then we practiced some kissing"
Maybelline does hesitate at that last one. "You did mention the kissing... unsure if that was your idea or Vix's... not sure I need to know."
Mia: "Uh..." She shrugs "It was sorta mutual? I liked it. I need to compare it to kissing a guy though. I can't really make any decisions until then"
Maybelline nods slightly, "Uh, yeah. Understandable. Kissing is pretty nice, yeah. I will say, and this might be a bad data point to give you but, when you find someone you really love, it's different even than any of those initial tests."
Mia: "Oh well! People keep saying that, but it would be bad science to just not do my own research. I can't know if its different unless I've got the control sample to work from"
Maybelline pauses again, "Well... I can't fault your approach in that regard?"
Mia: "Also. It's lots of fun!"
Mia: "Besides. If I meet someone I really like, then all the better"
Maybelline nods, "Sorry I can't contribute to the data set, doesn't feel right of me anymore. Especially now."
Mia: "Oh, that's fine! The rules around who can kiss who are very complex"
Maybelline chuckles, "Well... actually, yeah. They are kind of complex, aren't they?"
Mia: "Loads of rules. Nobody really understands them, but they sort of do? It's hard coming into this blind. But annnyway. Do you know any cute guys that would be up for some kissing? Or more than kissing. I've got the whole set of romantic stuffs to learn about"
Maybelline shakes her head, "Cute guys were never realy my thing? Sorry. But I guess... I can try to keep an eye out for you?"
Mia: "They seem hard to come by" She ponders "Well, there's that smith I got this tag with. They sorta looked like a guy? Sometimes. I think they're learning too" She nods "Okay, maybe I'll ask him for a group study"
Maybelline sips her coffee, "Well, feel free to share whatever data you find with me and I can uh... compare it to my experience? My experience does kinda suck, I admit... but it's there."
Mia: "Yes. Sucking is part of the stuff I need to test, so I'll check in with you for that for sure"
Maybelline blushes in embarrassment, "Err, I meant, um, my experience is bad. I didn't have a whole lot. It's uh... yeah, never mind. Um... good luck, Mia!"
Mia: "Thanks!" She smiles, visibly perking up. "Ah..by the way, it's...nice to feel accepted. It's not been that quite as easy as I'm making out, but..I'm feeling more comfortable now, so..Thank you May"
Maybelline takes a second to compose herself, nodding a moment before slipping down to give Mia a hug. "Hey, uh, I know I've probably not made it easy for you either, so my apologies for my... y-you know. My own fears and such... but I really want you to be okay. So anything I can do to help."
Mia hugs her back "I want you to be comfortable for yourself. If you were just acting like it was okay for me, then it wouldn't mean anything" She detaches from the hug "Besides. You know the best thing? Since I've got an amplifier in me, I can power stuff really easily just off my body!"
Mia: "It's making testing stuff way easier, since I don't have to hook any of it up"
Maybelline files that fact away, slightly concerning. "Uh, just... don't overdo it with that. I guess you know best if something is going wrong though." She sighs, "And I still don't know why the generator rejected it in the first place. Or HOW. Too many damn mysteries around this whole thing."
Mia: "Oh. Well within safety parameters. I think all the Sarnite safety protocols are built in, so I don't think I can hurt myself. Now they weren't designed to be operated with a Type వ sentience behind it, but I'm faaaairly sure that it would just knock me out. Not eager to test that theory though! Even within safety limits I've got plenty to work. Even more if I hook myself into the Manawell"
Maybelline nods along a little uncertainly. "All sounds... mostly correct? Correct enough to my knowledge, but I've never heard of anything even close to this ever being done before, so yeah, just be careful with it. I trust your skill."
Mia: "Well, the Mana well stuff is mostly the same as what a mage does, except I don't have the blood that mages usually need to carry the mana, and the mana circuits usually don't have a..uh.." She gestures "Mind, Soul..Prana? That one I don't know the word to use. It's a mess. I might do a lot of experimental stuff, but I do study the theory too, and I'm pretty much totally off the standard theory models. Like..more than usual"
Maybelline holds up a hand, "Okay, I sorta get that? Like, the gist of it anyways. I don't know much for mana wells, other then measuring them. Definitely don't know how they interact with uh... b-blood." She shivers a little. "Guessing by mana circuits you mean standard conversion ciruits? Or... maybe not. And the rest... I guess your adaptation potion really did some fantastic work..."
Mia: "I've been working through it, and I don't think the potion was that good. It just worked because it was given a massive surge of power, and got to interact with all the other crap I had on me..it just had so much power and materials to work with..and I was there" She hmms "It's missing some small details. There needed to be a sort of..guiding force. Maybe I did it subconsciously, but there was something else to make it all fit together"
Maybelline tilts her head, then sighs, "Okay... then what was it?" She pulls out some notes, laying them on the table. "Okay. So we have the generator, literally spitting the amplifier out for no known reason." She pauses, recalling another detail, she pulls out a pencil to draw up some notes for Mia, "And another thing that makes no sense, the exit direction... the fact that it hit you. Look at the angles of the generator layout."
Mia nods "Well, even considering that I nearly got killed...if it had hit the generator walls, it would have exploded, and leveled the center of town..but if it had just been tossed out, it would have..well..exploded, and destroyed a chunk of the town" She idly licks her paw, and rubs her ear, trying to think "The only option remaining that makes sense is that someone ejected the amplifier, hit me...and then made it so I survived...but did it by making me into this. So..it would have to be someone that was more comfortable with technology than organics, or else they would have just like..rebuild me the way I was"
Maybelline sighs, "Yeah... but that doesn't make sense at all. It's not like the generator can 'aim', right? And I don't believe in ghosts." She points to the rest of her notes, "After the accident, the generator has record instability. But then we reach this point last week and suddenly record stability. Not just record stability, but record-breaking, impossible stability that has her operating at levels that shouldn't work."
Mia: "Well..I'm very similar to a generator now, and I'm quite the thinking person, sooooo" She leaves that hanging
Maybelline blinks. "No. No? What did you call it? Type-something something sentience? Is... that possible?"
Mia: "Type వ?" She shakes her head "That would be a technological sentience that believes it has an organic origin. The system doesn't really account for people that actually did start off organic" She adds that last bit for May's benefit "But a different type. Maybe ఖ? If it started acting up after the accident, then it could have been a ర type, which is a pre-sentience form. Just sort of quirks of an engine. Anything old enough usually qualifies. Then the amplifier is put in, there's a surge of power through it, enough to kick it up to a ఖ, and at that moment it makes its first decision...which is to throw an amplifier at me" She pauses "It fits, and would demonstrate benevolence..so long as it wasn't able to see a route for me to live that wasn't making me into what I am..because..uh..an artificial sentience that desires to make further artificial sentiences would be type భౄ" May might not be well up on her esoteric sentience classifications, but she'd know enough to know that's bad news.
Maybelline tries to keep up, not knowing where these classifications are coming from, or their definitions, other then what Mia is telling her. It's still deeply concerning, especially that last part. "Hopefully you're right..." She pauses, piecing together the timeline of events in her head. "But no matter what, if any part of that is right... shit."
Mia: "It's probably fine? But..you may want to make sure. Just in case. This is something you don't want Sarn to find out about first. Oh, and there's books on the library on it too. Lorekeepers have an uncanny knack for having the research material on hand ahead of time"
Maybelline nods slowly. "Yeah... probably fine... but worth further research and outside verification... and more to leave out of the reports I send to the Sarn Engineering Authority."
Mia: "Eh. If they wanted accurate reports, they'd help the town out more, right?"
Maybelline lets out a bitter laugh, "One would hope, but that's not always the case." She sighs. "Okay, so, I might be in direct control of or responsible for the creation of two wholly illegal entities under Sarn law, with varying degrees of sentience. But we're all fine here now. We are. We'll figure this out, yeah?"
Mia: "Oh, it's much worse than that!" She adds brightly "Under Sarn law everything I make is your fault, so way more than two!"
Maybelline 's expression drops, and she face palms. "So much worse..." She sighs again.
Mia squeezes May's shoulder "Don't worry. If it ever comes up, I'll sort out the legal stuff"
Maybelline peeks up, a hint of a smile on her face, "Heh... I appreciate that, but, well, we're in this together. And I've worked with less and made more before."
Mia: "Well, maybe..but Sarns laws around non-organic life is really bad. It wasn't something I thought about before..but..well, no I am one, so I'm a bit concerned" She chuckles "And yeah, this is small fry compared to everything else we've faced"
Maybelline nods, face determined. "I don't abandon friends. I've had precious few of them in my life... I'll be there for the real ones."
Mia: "Well. Lets not worry about it until it happens, okay?"
Maybelline: "About that... yes. I think you're right about doing research though."
Mia: "And, if you get too worried. Go and snuggle Louma, okay?"
Maybelline giggles, "That's a given. That's going to happen if I'm worried or not... just... maybe a bit more when I'm worried."
Mia: "Hmm, you're saying I should find a snuggle target for when I'm stressed"
Maybelline nods, "I... do recommend it, yeah."
Mia chuckles "I'll keep that in mind~"
Maybelline continues to talk with Mia over lunch as they continue to discuss some of the technical details around the possibilities of the generator, as well as such in-depth topics as how nice snuggles are, and different types of hugs, with the knowledge barrier in the topics causing just a bit of confusion in both directions depending on the topic.