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OUTSIDE RESPITE'S WALLS - AT THE AIRSHIP - EARLY AFTERNOON
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Narrator: While having been vaguely on her interest radar since first having heard and then caught glimpses of, The Airship was yet another thing on Teis's backburner. Work, her other experiments, her studies, Catherine's magic. . . Even when has remembered previously and been up for checking it out, the darn thing has up and left! Pah! Annoying. But. . .
Teis: "Today. . .Is the day!" Teis quietly exclaims to herself. She's wearing a nice lilac dress, eyes focused through her magitech lenses on the airship as she approaches, trying to get a read on any magical energy, if any, though she'll need to get closer. Much closer. Once at the Airship's perimeter, she begins to circle around it, continuing to try and get readings.
Robin has spent a good chunk of the day tending to the important task of painting the interior of the airship, having scraped together enough money to coat the inside of the vessel in the brightest whites and light blues he could find, with a handful of darker colors for marking and such, mostly for the benefit of visitors or any temporary crew. He steps back and wipes some paint off his fingertips onto a very shabby powder blue coverall, which is absolutely destroyed with flecks of errant paint. His face didn't fare much better, but thankfully he knew to tie a cloth over his head to save most of his fur. Robin nods at his handiwork, starting to make his way toward the small room designated as the galley when he pauses, spotting movement through a porthole. He watches the lilac colored figure moving conspicuously around the ship, humming to himself. Taking up a brush and small bucket of red paint, Robin makes his way instead to the deck stairs.
Teis doesn't spot the movement of Robin within, expecting those that own the airship to be staying somewhere in town. Was it rude and suspicious to check out the airship like this? Yeah, probably. Could she have found the owners, or rather, asked Rondelethia, whom would have likely known? Also probably. But Teis will be Teis. "No readings. . ." Teis muses to herself. Even though she'd expected to need to get close to the ship's power source to get any finding of actual interest, she'd at least expected a faint something, *anything*, to show up. "Must be shielded?" Teis questions to herself. To prevent intellectual theft? She moves closer, within arms reach of the airship.
Robin reaches the deck as Teis reaches the ship, but before he can make any grand gesture of warning, the cat may hear a loud "Damnit!" following a soft thud. Seconds later, red liquid is dribbling down the side of the airship, and a chipmunk with the front of his clothes soaked in the same appears at the railing, peering down and around in search of that lilac figure. He points the brush in her general direction, putting on the most intimidating voice he can muster over the shakiness brought on by a freshly stubbed toe and bruised pride. "Hey you! Quit bein' suspicious 'n shit!"
Teis: Teis's ears twitch at the thud, taken aback a bit. She backs up a few steps, looking around for the source of the noise. Is someone in there? Ohno. Wait! That means she ca- Drip. Drip. Drip. Why does she feel dripping on her head? Down her dress? She reaches a paw up for her head, while simultaneously looking up. Drip. Red paint, right onto her magitech lenses - and down her dress for good measure. "Ah!" Teis startles, quickly backing up further out of the way of the paint, pulling her paw back from her head, looking down at it. Red. All in her fur. Does that mean. . .? She reaches for her paint-sodden hair with her other hand to investigate further. Yep, definitely wet. She pulls back her second paint-studded hand, having no time to process before being yelled at from above. "Muffin!" She jumps, tail flaring as she pulls back even further, looking up at the figure through the lone unsplattered lens. "Don't do that!" She scolds the figure briefly, taking off her magitech lenses to get a better look, though getting distracted by the paint again, causing her to look down at herself to investigate the damage to both herself and her dress.
Robin scoffs, raising the brush as if ready to fling more paint, though most of the paint on it is soaked well in, and the drips on the invader are mostly from the spill. "Don't do whatever you're doin'! Fuss over the paint, it'll wash off, but what wont wash off is the stink'a you bein' all suspicious! What're you after, cat? And what's with the funky headgear?" He looks over Teis, feeling a little pang of guilt for getting paint on that pretty dress, though he's not showing that since it's owner is more at fault than he for it being in the way of falling paint.
Teis: "I'll fuss over whatever I muffin well please!" Teis huffs and glances back up at Robin, stomping her feet. "I'm not even in the ship! You're not allowed to just attack people, even if it is just paint! Do you know how much these cost? You'll pay for this!" Maybe back in Sarn, Teis. But not here. She takes her magitech lenses off. "Think, Teis, think. . .Cleaning spell. . ." When was the last time she had to clean!? She has servants for that! Even if she's never wanted them to! Frustrated at her lack of remembering such a simple first-year spell, she opts instead to click her fingers and levitate the glasses. At least, without her actively holding them, she won't spread additional paint onto them. "You're lucky these are the cheaper ones!" Teis shouts up at Robin.
Robin watches Teis trying to remember her magic, blinking at her as she levitates the goggles. "Oi hey! You're some kinda mage? What do you even want here, we ain't got any magic crap for you to fiddle with!" His own tail is twitching about at her accusations. "And also I didn't attack you, I tripped!! If you weren't skulking about, none of this woulda happened! I'll ask ya one more time; why ya snoopin' around here for?"
Teis: "I'm not snooping you red muffin!" Teis yells back. "I was just curious! I didn't expect anyone to be here! Who lives in a ship when it's at port!?" Teis pauses, "You've got this thing shielded pretty good though, so not like I learned anything anyway!" Was that praise? Anger? Pranger?
Robin frowns, scratching his head with the brushless hand. "Shielded? Whaddya mean shielded? There's nothing like that, it's just wood and metal. And if you were curious, you could'a booked a tour! It's all posted up at that market board!" He sighs, shaking his head as he steps back from the railing out of sight and walks down toward the stern. A few seconds later, a section of the railing swings outward, and a steep set of stairs is slid out and swung down to the ground. "Whatever, come on up, you. I'll clean up your fancy glasses, since yer all worked up about it."
Teis tilts her head when the Chipmunk leaves, startling once more when the stairs swing to the ground, entering a defensive 'posture', that is to say, raising her hands like some sort of ninja at the stairs, tail flared. She glances up at Robin, then back at the stairs, then back up at Robin. "Ahem." She clears her throat unceremoniously. Nobody saw that. She decides to reset, calm down, and tentatively climbs the stairs.
Robin waits for Teis to climb the stairs, stepping back to give her room once she's up. "There ya go, don't slip on the paint, yeah?" It's not near them, but the bucket and slowly expanding pool of red at the top of one set of stairs tells it's tale pretty clearly. "Come on, I got paint cleaner and rags in the work room. Lets get it offa there before it dries." He leads the way, avoiding the red stairs and heading for another staircase on the opposite end of the ship. "So what, you want a tour? Fine. This is the deck. Ain't much here, just two old ships bolted together." He pauses, glancing at her. "Sorry if I'm kinda short, Shirley usually does most'a the telling, and I just keep her from rambling tech for hours on end."
Teis glances down at the slowly expanding paint once she's up. "Uh. . ." She voices, looking to Robin and following behind. Once she's settled a bit further, she begins to let her eyes wander and be distracted by the ship here and there as they walk. "Uh, thanks. Who's Shirley?"
Robin shrugs at the mess, shaking his head. "I'll clean that up later, ignore it. Shirley's the one who designed pretty much everything what makes this ship go. She's kinda brilliant. Come on, this way." He gestures to follow him down the second staircase, which deposits the two in a central hall below deck. Robin finally stops leaving red paw prints partway down the hall, holding the door to a work room full of tools and materials on the port side. "Normally the tour don't take you here, but I 'spect you ain't gonna leave me alone with your floatin' glasses, how upset you are 'bout them." There's only a couple magitech lanterns sitting dark on the shelf, their crystals completely discharged. Everything else is hand tools, except for a large tarped-over lumpy thing that takes up most of the hallway-adjacent wall. Robin wanders over to the work bench, opening a drawer full of rags, and fetching a tin of paint remover. "You wanna do it, or shall I?"
Teis: "Shirley. . ." Teis makes a mental note. Once in the workshop, she takes a brief look around, noting the distinct lack of readily-apparent magitech tools. Maybe they're just hiding or something. "I mean, you could have. But. Thank you." Teis thanks. "Uh, I'd prefer to do it. Sis'll be mad if they're scratched, but she'd be even more mad if someone else scratched them. . ."
Robin shrugs, setting the rag and thinner down. "Sis, hm? Alright, I mean fair enough. Don't try an' use that stuff on your dress though, it'll destroy silk in no time flat. I got paint on my fingers anyways, gimme a minute while you're dealin' with that and uh... No snoopin' while I'm gone." He sets off through the door, perhaps inadvisably leaving Teis alone in the work room while he scampers off down the hall to the sleeping quarters. In a few minutes, he's scrubbed his hands and some of his fur out, changing out of the soaked coverall into one of his more basic sundresses, expecting he may bump into some damp paint. Returning to the work room roughly ten minutes later, Robin enters and holds up a similar lilac sun dress. "Here, take off yer dress and put this on. Don't want yer movin' around to grind that paint into it any worse."
Teis tilts her head at Robin. Snooping? She sets to work on her glasses with the rag and paint remover, trying to be as careful and gentle as she can. Thankfully, she's able to clean them satisfactorily, though she's reluctant to put them on with the paint still on both her paws and on her head, leaving them floating before her. She rubs what she can out of her fur, though without a proper shower, she's not getting too far. She stalls for a minute, skewing her lip briefly, before using her magic to soak the rag in water to help get more of it out. It's the best she can do, though ultimately she ends up looking like she's just poorly dyed her hair pink and accidentally dyed her paws in the process. When Robin re-enters, she's taken aback. "Uh. . .Sorry?" Teis questions, looking at the dress.
Robin waggles the sundress, as if that emphasizes his point. "Take off your dress, put this one on. I got lots of experience cleaning grease and paint out of dresses, I c'n fix yours up before it stains." He looks at her pinkened fur, stifling a bit of a laugh. "You'll wanna bath up proper once you get home, though."
Teis: "What, just. . .Strip? Infront of you?" Teis questions. "It's. . .Fine, right? I. . .Uh. Know people who'll get it out." Teis sounds unsure. Probably. Maybe. Actually, maybe not. They also might be mad at her. Teis eyes the dress, skewing her lip.
Robin blushes, blinking. "What? No no! I-I didn't mean that, geez! If you don't want me to fix it, that's fine, it's your choice!" He drapes the offered dress over a stool, looking a bit away. "You got 'people'? S'pose you must have money then. What's so special 'bout those goggles?"
Teis can't help but crack a little smile at Robin's brief embarrassment. She supposes that Robin is helping to fix the paint issue, taking up the replacement dress in hand. Whose even is it. . .? "Uh. They let me see. . .Wait." Teis pauses. "If I tell you, can you show me what powers the ship?"
Robin blinks, looking to Teis. "Uh... Sure! I'd be happy to, if you tell me first." He's not going to tell her that the entire ship is open during tours, except their private sleeping area." He grins, nodding to her before turning away and going to stand just outside the door. "So what do they letcha see? Through walls? That'd be helpful..."
Teis is pleased. A worthy trade, assuming Robin keeps the promise- But it isn't like Teis has much to bargain with anyway. When Robin leaves, she begins to change, struggling a little with the smaller replacement dress, but ultimately getting it on. "No. Well, sort of? I guess. They don't really 'see'. Not light anyway. Or. . .Maybe. Can magic be considered light. . .?" Scientific questions for someone smarter than her. "They're used to see magical wavelengths. Basically to see magic things. But not directly? More of an analytical tool. Like. . ." Teis pauses to find her words properly, leaving the room, glasses still hovering beside her. "You can see the energy of an area, basically. But it doesn't like, see the magic thing itself. So, yes, they work through walls, no, they don't see through walls. Ah. . ."
Robin blinks, tilting his head a little as she explains them and looking to her when she steps out of the room. He grins a bit at the fluffy cat semi-squeezed into the sundress. "Sorry, I ain't got much bigger, and Shirley's stuff is... Well, not mine, and much larger. So the glasses are spectrum viewers, then? Seen 'em in a tool shop once or twice, even the 'cheap' ones are pricey... So yeah, sorry 'bout the accident? Ya get 'em clean enough?"
Teis: "I've squeezed into worse. . .It's fine." Teis smiles at Robin, handing him her dress. "Yeah. They're clean enough. Sis got me these ones after I kept taking the more delicate ones out of the lab. So. . .Yeah. Good foresight on her I guess?"
Robin purses his lips, nodding. "The cheap ones, huh? Didn't know there were any rich science-y folk out this far. Here, bring that dress, I've got a tub ready ta soak it for a bit, and I can hold up my end of the bargain 'n give you a tour." He leads her back to the sleeping quarters, just a small room with a bed and a hammock, a couple trunks, a wardrobe and a tub of cloudy looking water sitting on the floor in the middle of it all. "That stuff'll take most of the paint out without hurtin' the silks, just drop it in there."
Teis: "Mm. Mm." Teis nods twice, "We moved in a while back. 'Sis wanted to prove herself, or something. Guess it's working, since we haven't been asked to return to Sarn?" Teis tilts her head, thinking on it momentarily as she follows along. Once they get to the tub, Teis' ears flick as she looks at the water. Sis'd probably yell at her if this didn't work. Well, she'd probably yell anyway over the paint. She drops the dress in.
Robin picks up a heavy dowel and pokes the dress down into the water. With his back mostly to Teis as he does this, he makes a "TSSSSSSSSKCHHHSSSSS" noise, as if the tub was full of strong acid and melting the garment before he turns his head to glance at Teis a moment later, grinning and sticking his tongue out. "Kidding~!"
Teis: Teis' ears flick at the noise, more confused at first than fooled. "Har har." She pokes her tongue out back at Robin. "I work with chemicals too. They only make that sound when there's a high amount of heat from the reaction forcing any water to flash evaporate. So unless you were planning on super heating the paint out of the dress. . ." Teis lectures.
Robin tsks, setting the dowel down against the wall. "You're too smart to be fun, then. C'mon smartie, lots to look at! He gestures to follow out into the hall, leading the way towards the stern. "So yeah, this tub doesn't use any magitech to run. It kinda exists because of that. Shirley's brilliant, and also determined ta prove we don't need to rely on magic for everythin', even if it usually looks like the easier way ta do things. And I like that, cause magic can be dangerous, right? I mean, mechanical stuff can be too, but 'least it's usually predictable in it's danger." He stops at the end of the hall, looking to Teis. "Didja know that someone accidentally made elementals in this town? I heard 'bout it. How do you accidentally make living beings? Aint no wrench or steam motor spawned life before!"
Teis: "I think you mean too smart to *make* fun of." Teis pokes her tongue out a second time. "I can be plenty fun. But this is uuuh. . .Business, I guess? Yeah. I guess it is. Business." Teis hums to herself, following along. "No magitech? . . .You sure it's not just shielded?" Teis doesn't quite grasp the concept of 'no magic'. "Oh. . .Yeah. Ah, yeah. Them. I kinda, helped? Not create them, that is. But I know who did? Accidentally. . ." Teis sighs, suddenly looking rather down as she remembers her former mentor, and her lack of being able to do more to help.
Robin hums, nodding along, "Oh, well ya should've destroyed 'em first chance ya got. Dangerous things, living, breathing magic." He turns to leave the hall, entering the engine room. A huge boiler sits center and cold, pipes snaking out of it, through other machinery. Two large turbines are also at rest, driveshafts leading through the back of the airship.
Narrator: The statement takes Teis aback, snapping her back into the moment. She's not initially sure how to respond, her mouth agape, simply watching Robin walk away for a moment before rapidly moving to catch back up. "Well. . .Sure. They're dangerous. But they're also living things. . .They think, feel. Like the rest of us. Should I be destroyed because I use magic?" Teis questions Robin as she enters the engine room.
Robin pauses mid-gesture as he's about to start explaining the engine in the room, tilting his head a bit. "You? Nah. Maybe the ones here're different, I dunno. I did say magic is way unpredictable, yeah? So what's special 'bout your emotional elementals?" He drops his hand to his side. "Cause I don't buy they all feel like us. My pa'd be no less dead, but at least the thing that killed him woulda looked a little guilty."
Teis takes pause at that. "Oh." She mutters quietly, "I'm sorry. That's-" Teis glances away, the will to argue the point sapped from her.
Robin sighs, not feeling great about throwing that at the curious cat. "It's not like you knew, sorry. I got a little worked up." He looks aside, shaking his head. "Far as I know, whatever you got goin' on is perfectly safe..." He shakes his head again. "Shouldn'a brought it up. Steppin' back, maybe?"
Teis gives a sheepish nod, turning her attention onto the engine, remaining silent while she waits for Robin to begin explaining.
Robin gives a slightly forced smile, though his mood improves the longer he describes the workings of the mechanical engine, from the boiler making steam to the clever pump system used to increase the pressure of that steam as well as generating electrical power to run lights and controls, how the controls adjust everything remotely from the cabin at the bow, as well as having many mechanical redundancies in case something major fails. There are quite a few areas where magitech could easily substitute in to save space and materials, and Robin doesn't shy away from pointing out the most obvious ones, as it's all part of the tour pitch he's worked on.
Teis: As Robin explains, Teis carefully floats her magitech lenses close to her face. She doesn't put them on properly, to keep whatever residual paint is left in her fur from getting on it, but it's enough to note, "Wait. . .You were being serious? It's all mechanical?" Teis clarifies, shocked, "No magic at all?"
Robin bounces a bit on his heels, grinning. "None at all, 'cept whatever residual stuff is just bouncing around. None that we harness, I guess is most accurate."
Teis: "It's. . .Beautiful." Teis replies. While she may be a mage, she's a scholar and scientist first. "Innovations outside the field of magitech could circle back. . ."
Robin blushes a bit, scratching his head. "Awh, maybe just a little, yeah? It's gonna get kinda messy over time, cause like... Mechanical crap fails and ya can't always get a perfect replacement. Only reason it all looks shiny an' matching right now is cause I spent the last couple weeks sanding and cleaning and painting. I know how it all works, and Shirley knows how it all works, but if we take on any crew it helps them figure thing's out when like..." He gestures to how things linked together are painted with the same base colors. "Artistic organization."
Teis: "I mean, magitech stuff can fail too. . .Even sabotaged. I mean I guess mechanical stuff can be sabotaged, but usually that requires like, getting close to it with a hammer or something." Teis pauses. "So, what is this then, like a mobile. . ." Teis rolls her hand around as she searches for the word, ". . .Investment showpiece?"
Robin smiles sweetly, holding his hands behind his back and swaying a little bit. "Maaaybe~? This one was actually more of an... Emergency hackjob to get ahead of our competition, and get back to Vamas for funds, tools and materials." He shrugs. "I'm prettying it up, but it's proof that we can take near-garbage and make a functioning airship." He dramatically waves his arm as he turns toward the engine. "Imagine what we'll produce with purpose built parts~!"
Teis: "Mm. Mm." Teis nods. "I'd love to imagine it, but honestly, I only understood maybe half of what you said earlier. But I imagine good? Yeah, good." Teis pauses, "So why's it here? In Aephix?"
Robin blinks, turning back to Teis. "Oh that. I guess we kinda made this the unofficial home of this airship. Kinda gives it a mysterious air, yeah? And also because this is where Shirley decided to crash the other one we had." He chuckles, "The only one we had."
Teis: "Wait. Why was that one here?" Teis questions confusedly.
Robin laughs. "Well Vamas had a blizzard, and Shirley was on the tethered ship when it hit."
Teis: "So. . .They up and decided to fly it here to get away from the weather. Makes sense." Teis blinks. "Actually, no. That doesn't really track. You know what? Forget I asked. It's beyond my comprehension, evidently." Teis concludes.
Robin shakes his head a bit. "Actually, according to her it broke the tethers, and our southward wind just kinda blew her out this way. I think she ran out of fuel, and tears in the envelope just ended up dropping her in the ocean. We need to find a light material to use as a second envelope layer to avoid that, but it's kinda stumped me. Something very light, but inexpensive and not easily flammable..." He shrugs.
Teis: "Oh. Well, that sounds significantly less delightful." Teis blinks. "Something inexpensive? And not magical also I guess? Yeah. Got me stumped there." Teis pauses, skewing her lip. Her eyes fan over the engine again. She was really hoping to learn something today. It's cool that this exists, and she respects it, but she can't learn anything from it.
Robin shrugs, looking to Teis. "Hey, why ya lookin' so down for?"
Teis: "Hm?" Teis snaps out of her thought, looking at Robin. "Sorry. Just, I'm an arcane scholar of sorts. Not really much for me to learn here, yeah?"
Robin hums, tilting his head a bit. "Yeah, probably not? So you're more'n just a rich mage with so much free time you can just go snoopin' around?" He sticks his tongue out at her.
Teis: "Uuuhh . . .Yes? I guess so." Teis chuckles. "I just like learning new things. That's all. Sis gets me to use what I learn to make money. So I guess I'm RnD?" Teis hums. "Thanks for showing me this anyway."
Robin nod nods. "Yep! Next time, though, maybe just sign up for the tour? Normally it ain't free, but I did paint you. I can drop that dress of yours off after I get it all cleaned up, where'bouts do ya live?"
Teis: "I didn't really know there was a tour. I don't. . .Really news. I can still pay you though?" Teis sheepishly rubs her ears. "The Bouquet Estate. Big place up near the south wall. Can't really miss it."
Robin blinks, whispering. "Wow you really are rich..." He giggles. "Yeah, I know it, seen it from up high. Big gardens out front, yeah? Don't worry about paying, it's whatever."
Teis nods. "Yeah. That's the one." She chuckles. "I'll, uh. Guess I'll give you your dress back when you come visit then?"
Robin gives her a flat look. "Nope, you can walk home naked." He smirks, then laughs. "Of course! Sorry it might not be as fancy as you're used to."
Teis blinks a little. I mean I guess she could use her nature magic to- Oh. "Har har." She pokes her tongue out at Robin. "Less of a big deal than you'd think. God, some of the things Sis has made me wear. . ."
Robin giggles a bit. "I'd like to see, honestly. Guess I'll spot ya in some of them 'round town eventually."
Teis: "Ugh. Just come to her wedding then. . ." Teis' ears perk up and she covers her mouth with a paw. Whoops.
Robin: "Why'dya look like that? Is it supposed to be some big secret or somethin'?"
Teis: "Uuuh. . . No! Yes? Muffin!" Teis panics.
Robin laughs again, shaking his head. "Don't worry, I ain't got anything I could do with that info... Probably."
Teis: "Good! Because I'll. . .Uh. . .Curse you!" Teis wiggles her fingers at Robin, letting a spark of darkness flicker from each clawtip briefly.
Robin pales a bit, seeing the magic. "Ah uh... R-really?"
Teis: "Yep! My old mentor taught me some before she left." Teis grins, moving her hands behind her back innocently.
Robin clears his throat a bit, nodding. "Yeah, I-I wont tell anyone about the wedding then!"
Teis: "Excellent." Teis nods. "See you at the Estate then?" She questions, turning to leave. ". . .Wait. I need you to guide me out."
Robin laughs quietly, nodding. "Yeah, it's this way." He leads the way to the stern stairs, up to the deck and to the boarding steps. The shock of being threatened with a curse over the wedding wears off pretty quick, as he can't be sure she's kidding about that.
Teis follows along. Once at the exit, she gives Robin one final wave, before unceremoniously jumping off the edge of the ship instead of using the stairs, landing on all fours. Cats, man.
Robin watches Teis leap down, shaking his head a little. "Weird kid." He heads off to clean up the spilled paint before Shirley gets back.