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Mad Magitech

Scene details

Setting: The party has acquired the second of the four arms of the Crux of Creation from the burial mound of the lost kingdom of Vaeltrandia. Now, unfortunately, they are out of leads. Ivo has thus decided to attempt to adapt his magitech amplifier into a makeshift enhancement device for Kernunnos' detection abilities, so that our heroes may narrow down where in Granse to venture next.
  To that end, Ivo has obtained permission from Zerhem's government to repurpose the abandoned workshop within the nearby Ruined Aqueduct into a magitech laboratory under the pretense of engaging in an archaeological investigation. With this space, the resources acquired on their journey so far, and his stalwart allies as lovely assistants, he is confident that he'll succeed in this magi-scientific endeavor.
  But rumors have spread fast about suspicious goings-on at the aqueduct. Who upon hearing of them will join in his efforts, meddle with them, or simply come to observe? The answer is: whoever shows up to this social scene!

Log

"And... there."

Ivo wipes the sweat from his brow as he straightens, extending his leg to lightly kick the ladder he's just secured a couple times for good measure. The Cosmopolitan has doffed his favorite blue cloak in favor of a sturdy leather apron, his sleeves rolled up and hands sheathed in matching work gloves. His appearance conveys a professionalism typically belied by his feckless demeanor, but if there's one thing Ivo takes seriously, it's science.

"Our laboratory is ready!"

And he's called in quite a few favors to make it a reality. On the party's dungeon excursion into the ruined aqueduct by Zerhem, they'd made their way across a treacherous channel into an otherwise inaccessible maintenance room suspended high off of the forest floor by shaky pillars. Architects under the employ of the Zerhem royal family have shored up that room with timbers and built a simple bridge across the chasm the adventurers had previously had to cross, and for even quicker access, Ivo has just finished adding a ladder. It's not perfect, but it's both close enough to and far enough from Zerhem to be convenient for more advanced magitech experimentation.

"Now then... let the enhancements commence!"

He turns with what would have induced a swirl of his cloak had he been wearing it and strides over to one of the old work tables once used by the descendents of the druidic summoners of the Star-Crowned more than a century ago, now swept of dust, and regards his trusty magitech amplifier tool and his blueprint for its modifications placed atop it. But of course, he's already been busy building out this so-called laboratory.

"Argent, you want anything chilled to drink from the icebox before we get to work?"

The 'icebox' in question is little more than a hollowed-out stone with a matching lid lined with water-aspected aether crystals recovered from the ruins of this aqueduct, once used to purify the water and now used to lend a preserving touch of ice to the comestibles and beverages within.

"Or is that, uh... not really necessary for you?"

  • Character: Argent
  • 1 year, 9 months ago

"It is not required. However, it is possible for me to ingest such a thing." the silvery homunculus says, pausing to smooth a ruffle out of her dress. Despite having access to more practical clothing, she still prefers this fancy thing when combat and exploration aren't on the table. With the additions that were recently installed, it's much more practical for her to wear it than the last time.

Given the way she's just staring, her expression bland and neutral...did that mean yes? It looks like it probably meant yes.

"R-right," Ivo says, like he understands what Argent is trying to tell him, which he doesn't. Is that an expectant look? It's the same look as always, as far as he can tell. But it's not like him to have to ask someone what the subtext, if any, of their statement is.

When in doubt, gallantly wing it.

"Well, since I'm having one," he says briskly, "it's only fair that as friends we both have the chance to partake, yes?" Flashing a grin, he lifts the lid of the icebox and procures several bottles. "How about a little chemistry warm-up, yeah?" He unscrews the lid of a jar, a fizzing sound echoing upon the weathered stone walls. "There's a mineral spring near here that issues naturally carbonated water. The taste is faintly acidic, but if you mix it with some simple syrup and the essence of bitter root..." With evident pleasure, eyes dancing in a lively manner, Ivo fixes himself a fresh cup of root beer, depositing bitters in the fizzy water with an eyedropper, the liquid turning from clear to molasses brown. "Want a twist added to yours? Maybe some acid that would melt my gut, or bases that would turn my tongue to soap?"

Is he joking? Is he serious?

"You know, I've been wondering: if your stomach can hold components that would kill a human, can you also experience a taste of flavors beyond our capacities?"

Yes.

  • Character: Fabroxo
  • 1 year, 9 months ago

NOT LONG AGO

IN A SEPARATE, DISTINCT SECRET LABORATORY



"So..." A sinister man eerily lit by a collection of ominously glowing tubes and foreboding blinking lights steeples his fingers. "It seems...we have neighbors. I shall have to give them a WARM WELCOME indeed! Ha! Haha! Ahahaha..."

His laughter trails off as he looks around, somewhat expectantly, only to find nothing and no response, because he is presently very much alone. "Hm."



NOW



There is a knock on Ivo's front door. Then another. It quickly becomes rhythmically obnoxious, and is soon joined by shouting.

"OPEN UP, I KNOW YOU'RE IN THERE! I, FABROXO, HAVE COME TO ASSERT SOCIAL DOMINANCE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD!"

  • Character: Argent
  • 1 year, 9 months ago

Argent's nose twitches ever so delicately as she sniffs at the concoction Ivo is putting together. "It is my understanding that many foods and beverages are enhanced by acidic components contained within. As such, it may be enjoyable to add such an ingredient to this beverage." she says, nodding slowly. "Additionally, it is enjoyable for me to consume things that most would consider unpalatable, or dangerous. My body is fully capable of digesting such chemicals. To some extent, a diet that is considered unusual to most is necessary to maintain my body." she goes on, her pale eyes roaming around, finger coming out to point at a particularly suspicious looking bottle Ivo has sitting on a shelf. It's bright green. It's faintly fizzing even in the bottle. It has a large, prominent skull and crossbones design on it. It's horrible, deadly poison. Nobody sane would let it near their mouth.

"I would like this one."

And then there's all that loud knocking, and the shouting. "...ah. You have a guest." the homunculus goes on, barely seeming bothered by the noise of it all.

"...Neighborhood?"

Ivo, the bottle of noxious green liquid with Big Do Not Drink Energy indicated by Argent already in his hand, glances toward the door, installed only days ago, now knocked upon for the first time. When the party first ventured to this segment of the aqueduct, it had been partially exposed to the elements via a gaping hole, only rendered inaccessible by the pillars that elevated it high off the ground and the precarious nature of the bridge to it from the rest of the aqueduct. To preserve the interior from any further damage from the elements (and definitely not to preserve the exterior from whatever happens inside), they had mostly bricked up the opening and installed a door. But one still must climb a ladder or cross a bridge from the rest of the aqueduct to reach said door, so they haven't exactly had any visitors.

"Wait... I recognize that name."

Brightening, Ivo hustles over to the door and opens it wide, grinning broadly, beaming at his guest.

"If it isn't the famous recipient of the Spirits' Choice Award!" he greets Fabroxo. "I was very curious who-- wait, I know you." He pauses, furrowing his brow. "We've met before."

Yes. In a graveyard, in a lonely fishing village, there was--

"You're that fan of puppetry!"

His grin redoubles.

"I really appreciated your support! To think that you beat me out with your own performance... well, fair enough. Come in, come in. We were just about to have some refreshments. Care to join?"

With one hand, he moves to usher Fabroxo inside. In the other hand, he continues to conspicuously hold the fizzing bottle of deadly poison intended for Argent's drink.

  • Character: Camellia
  • 1 year, 9 months ago

While all of this is happening, delicate footsteps make their way through the aqueduct, on the way to this 'workshop' that she had heard about. After a few minutes, there's voice that speaks up as someone passes through the doorway. "Hm. So this must be that workshop." Says a short statured lady in black, with messy white hair and a red parasol resting against a shoulder.

Oddly, she doesn't look around at all, and merely 'stares' straight ahead, yet it seems like she's getting a feel for the place somehow anyway. It's Camellia. Looking no worse for the wear since the other day. That cut on her leg is long gone. Like it was never even there. She even has a new garter to replace the one that got cut off.

  • Character: Fabroxo
  • 1 year, 9 months ago

"BEHOLD, THE FRUIT OF MY CREATION!" As soon as the door opens, Fabroxo holds aloft what does appear to be a normal chocolate cake. He poses with it briefly before bringing it down to a more normal position. It's about then that Ivo's greeting sinks in and Fabroxo's face twists in consternation.

"I am CERTAIN I don't know what you're talking about both because of my MANY accolades and also I wasn't even at that festival and I don't even know what a puppet is and ANYWAY."

Fabroxo pauses for breath then continues. "It is with the utmost confidence that I can say this, the result of the Mk7 Lil' Baker Magitech Oven, is the pinnacle of all my patissier-related works to date!" Fabroxo brushes by Ivo, placing the very ordinary looking cake down on a spare bit of table. "With a survival rate of over ninety-five percent in test subjects under the age of 40, I am confident it will cow you into submission and firmly establish me, FABROXO, in a position of power for all future developmental decisions in the immediate area!!"

He pauses again, then looks at Argent and nods. "Hello again, big hair."

  • Character: Argent
  • 1 year, 9 months ago

Argent stares back, head ever so slowly tilting to one side as she regards Fabroxo and his dramatic entrance. "My hair is not abnormally large." she says after a few second's contemplation. Then another moment passes, and the merest fraction of a frown creases her brow.

"Additionally, I believe that your oven is malfunctioning. A survival rate of that magnitude would indicate that it does not reach sufficient temperatures." she explains, head turning slowly towards Ivo. "However, there is another possible explanation. Is magic designed to protect individuals from extreme heat common in this region? If that is the case, it would be possible for many individuals to survive the temperature required to perform the chemical reactions needed to cook this item of food."

...uh.

"Wow, it looks great!"

Ivo's delight is utterly unfeigned. His usual ironic distance is absent in the presence of a fellow scientist so passionately devoted to the discipline. As he admires the cake, doubtless the product of painstaking research and at least one explosion, he notes a particular phrase that piques his interest, the Cosmopolitan looking back to Fabroxo.

"Immediate area-- then you have a lab near here too!" The fact that someone else is basically doing alchemy in the hills outside of town, Ivo takes in stride. After all, it makes sense. People can be very unreasonable about houses next door to them emitting toxic fumes or blowing up in the middle of the night. "That's fantastic! We can collaborate on our experiments!" Though trained by the most prestigious magitech academy in the world, one inaccessible to any living outside the sealed city of Cosmopolis until mere months ago, Ivo is merely good by Cosmopolitan standards, and not some scientific genius. As far as he's concerned, the more the merrier when in comes to making magitech.

Eh? Wait-- did Argent just make a facial expression?

Ivo stares intently at her face, trying to find some trace of what he's *pretty* sure was the flicker of a frown. Maybe it was his imagination. "Oh, where are my manners? This is Argent, my lovely assistant." Even in a rare earnest mood, he can't resist just a little playfulness. "Her specialty is brewing chemicals in her stomach and, uh, out-of-the-box thinking." To wit. "Putting those who are going to *eat* the cake into the oven along with the cake... I suppose that could skip some steps."

Far be it from him to discourage her.

"And this is Camellia. Camellia, this is Fabroxo. Fabroxo, this is-- Camellia!?" Ivo is so startled at the sight of the maybe-vampire slipping into his laboratory that the bottle in his hand slips from his fingers and crashes onto the ground, toxic fumes immediately rising up from the puddle. "Uhh... Oops."

  • Character: Fabroxo
  • 1 year, 9 months ago

In this it is true; Fabroxo is all too accustomed to local citizens making a huge fuss over the smallest of explosions, like they don't even understand how necessary it is for the advancement of science, and thus by extension, humanity in general. If anything, they should be begging for him to perform his very noble endeavors in the finest areas possible. Alas, there is no justice in the world.



At least, not until the Judge-o-matic, technological harbinger of pure order, reaches full operational status.



But until then, Fabroxo reacts by...beaming, as though he has received an incredible compliment. "Ah, you noticed...Medium Hair?" He's trying, maybe. "Yes, one of the key features of the Mk7 is the automated high-temperature construction in the pressure chamber! After the raw ingredients are loaded into the twenty distinct firing mechanisms, they are not touched again by human hands until your baked good of choice is ejected at a custom velocity, of course to allow for the need for independant high-speed long-range cake delivery!"

Taking several deep breaths, Fabroxo calms down a bit and remembers part of his original purpose here, although he's still trying not to look TOO pleased. "Yes, well, I suppose collaboration isn't out of the question, sometime, if you wish."

  • Character: Camellia
  • 1 year, 9 months ago

"......"

Camellia is silent for several long moments. These people seem to be going on about ovens and cake and chemicals... Judging by the smell, and the sound that preceded it, it sounds like Ivo dropped something he shouldn't have.

Her lips spread into an amused little smirk at his shock. "Yes, that's my name. Is something the matter?" A subtle step back is taken away from the noxious concoction spreading on the floor. "It seems you need more training. You dropped something delicate, didn't you?" Tsk tsk tsk.

Her attention, at that point, turns to the sound of Fabroxo's voice exclaiming something to the other person in the workshop. "... Is this what you people are working on here?" She asks, sounding bored. "Long range... cake delivery?" A pause. "......" A hand comes up to her chin. ".... No, there is merit to the idea..."

Oh.

  • Character: Argent
  • 1 year, 9 months ago

Pale eyes stare long and hard at the pile of glass shards and the acrid stain that's sure to remain on the floor for years to come. "...you dropped it." Argent says softly, almost sounding disappointed. Almost. But enough about Ivo's utter carelessness when it comes to dangerous chemicals in his lab. There's a new problem to address.

"..." Argent says as she looks Camellia over, leaning in a little to get a closer look. The silence continues for quite a while. It's honestly a little unsettling. And then, finally, the homunculus speaks up. "Your hair requires maintenance. While the condition is acceptable, you have allowed it to become untidy. As such, this will cause it to knot, causing discomfort and potential degradation in quality. Do you require assistance in this matter?"

Ivo is on his knees as Camellia approaches, appropriately enough, but only in a desperate effort to clean up the toxic spill before he takes too much damage. Presumably Argent and Camellia are immune to the fumes and Fabroxo has survived too many experiments to suffer from such piddling effects. "Hey, Argent," Ivo calls to his lovely alleged assistant, "Please pardon any offense, but-- how do you feel about eating or drinking something that's fallen on the ground? Does that just add a little spice?" Normally he'd try to figure it out on his own rather than risk a social misstep, but at this point, he's semi-confident in how Argent will respond.

When he rises, the splashed chemicals safely sealed in a container for emergencies such as these, he can at last gasp for breath again, panting heavily as he replies to Camellia. "Yes, well... I would be delighted to receive... any training from you... oh exquisite beauty... so gracing this unworthy workshop." He considers stopping to catch his breath, but you see, he just has to flatter Camellia as soon as possible. And if he has to breathe heavily while he does so, well, it'll just be a charming sign of earnestness. Right?

His companions are discussing a matter utterly unrelated to the matter of the magitech amplifier which Ivo wanted to concern himself with today. Obviously, the only thing to do, now that he's caught his breath, is double-down and instigate. "But," he gamely supplies, "how will the intended recipient safely *receive* projectile pastries?" This'll be good.

Yet Argent seems distracted with an entirely different matter entirely. He glances between the homunculus and the probably-not-vampire a few times, before looking to Fabroxo with a blithely blank expression.

"Want me to brush your hair too?" he offers. As with the root beer, surely everyone allied here, however momentarily, deserves the same treatment.

  • Character: Fabroxo
  • 1 year, 9 months ago

What's that? The sound of YET ANOTHER distinguished science appreciator? Today is a good day to be Fabroxo, and his attention immediately turns to Camellia, striding over directly past the noxious spill like it's such a common occurance it doesn't even register.

"Yes, you understand! For too long have the advanced needs of modern people gone unmet! I'm confident that soon, once my formulas are perfected, nothing will be able to withstand the sheer ballistic power of the Lil' Baker series, making the cumbersome task of traveling all the way to your local bakery a chore of the past!" Upon hearing Ivo's question, however, Fabroxo goes completely blank.

"What do you..." The weird inventor's face scrunches up, before he brightly exclaims, "Oh, you mean the pastries! Yes, I'm very proud of this, I've engineered them to be able to withstand kinetic force in excess of--" There is a muffled boom in the distance, with only the slightest tremor at the present location, and Fabroxo stops dead again. His head slowly turns toward the door, and visible sweat forms on his brow.

Talking even more quickly than usual the grease-smudged man states, "IhavenotyetperfectedmygroomingenginebutifyouwishtoprovideinputatalaterdatethisisacceptableOKAYILEFTTHEOVENONIHAVETOGO" and then, like a flash, he sprints out the door and leaps off the edge of the precipice.

He will probably be fine.

  • Character: Camellia
  • 1 year, 9 months ago

"The idea has merit indeed." Camellia ventures further, looking deeply thoughtful of the matter.

"If you take the propulsion system, and replace the cake with a high velocity explosive... The applications are endless."

Oh. So that's what she meant.

And then Fabroxo is gone. Welp.

Camellia can hear Argent addressing her and she pauses again. She can't actually see the woman so she has no idea what to make of this. "......." Her hands tighten around the handle of her parasol. "My hair is fine." She says, a subtle frown forming on her face at the notion of having her hair combed, brushed, whatever.

Her hair is not fine. The top is neat, but going down from there, it's an utter mess. But it's her 'look', you know?

Camellia takes a side step away from the direction of Argent's voice. Just in case. And then her attention is drawn to Ivo. "......." A minor head tilt. "Are you a masochist?" She just asks it straight out. No frills or niceties.

  • Character: Fox
  • 1 year, 9 months ago

And then truly, as if random chemical spills, passing mad scientists, and vampire grooming were not enough -- midway through the current conversational thread, there's a very conspicuous clearing of the throat, off in the direction of the door. Should one turn to follow the sound, they would find the surprisingly tall figure of the fujoshi from the puppet show at the spirit festival leaning against the door frame, her arms crossed just under her chest. She looks... well, 'bemused' is a start, at the very least.

"So, funny story," she injects into the first available silence, in the somewhat gravelly alto that is her voice. "I was minding my own business coming back from a job when I see what I want to say is a pie fly past my head at a worrying velocity before taking out a nearby road sign, and when I turned to follow what the hell THAT was, I see the most recent winner of the Great Spirit Festival base jumping off a nearby ledge."

She straightens up, now literally blocking the doorway, possibly to keep y'all from escaping or to ensure SHE could get the hell out of here if necessary. "And when I followed THAT trajectory I find a hastily-constructed brick door frame in the middle of some ruins, and somehow -- SOMEHOW -- I knew it was going to be you people I found inside."

"Sounds like the propulsion system *was* the explosive," Ivo quips as Fabroxo hurls himself off of the ledge that serves as the ruins-turned-laboratory's exit and vanishes into the hills. "Well, I look forward to the Lil' Baker Magitech Oven Mk8."

He looks back, only to find that neither woman remaining is likely listening to him, being locked in a high-stakes confrontation over hair-brushing. At this rate, they'll never do science.

"Best to leave her be," Ivo says gently to Argent, smiling again. "Were you to work your magic upon her, Camellia might become so gorgeous I couldn't think straight, and then how would we proceed?" There, that should be sufficiently flattering to both of them. Her hair really is a mess, but it kind of suits her. "Now, let's--"

As he's thinking about that, Camellia strikes him speechless for the second encounter in a row, the young man's jaw dropping, all magitech forgotten.

"I-- what-- why would you-- I don't even--"

And then a new visitor arrives.

"Fox!" Ivo blurts out. "Tell them I'm not a masochist!"

Welcome.

  • Character: Argent
  • 1 year, 9 months ago

"I do not believe you are correct. However, it would be difficult to forcibly groom your hair. As such, I believe it is necessary to allow you to go without proper care at this time." Argent intones slowly, letting out just the tiniest of sighs. Is she...disappointed, or at least as disappointed as she can be? "If you will not properly brush it, perhaps I can recommend chemical solutions in order to maintain the health of it." she goes on, looking around the laboratory. Yes, there's certainly enough supplies here to make something.

"...ah. Ivo. You seem to be acquainted with this woman. You also appear to be infatuated with her." she says, head tilted as she looks in the scientist's direction. "Please explain her identity. Additionally, I do not wish to consume items that have been on the floor, as they are now dirty." ...ah. That's an odd distinction to make, considering what it is. Any microbes that could survive in that stuff must be very dangerous microbes indeed."

  • Character: The Capo
  • 1 year, 9 months ago

A famous philosopher once said, "Why do they call it oven when you of in the cold food of out hot eat the food?"

Another, unrelated famous philosopher once said, "The danger of having a thigh gap is all the things that can get through it."

Even as Fox looms in the doorway of Ivo's lab, another presence looms behind her, a harsh backlight casting a long shadow over her and into the room. "Well, well, well," rumbles a deep voice from behind her, dripping with menacing energy and projecting floating purple kana of onomatopoeia into the air.

The presence draws closer... and then passes smoothly between the legs of the woman in the doorway, in the form of a capybara walking on its hind legs, wearing a double-breasted, pinstriped suit and a fedora, and carrying a boxy device with a long stem on it in one of his paws.

He stops a few feet in front of Fox and pauses, turning slowly to survey the laboratory and its current inhabitants. As he does, he raises the device in his hand to his lips and takes a long suck on the stem; a moment later, he exhales a thick cloud of watermelon-scented water vapor, and then finally speaks again. "Look who it is trying to horn in on the Capo's turf."

  • Character: Fox
  • 1 year, 9 months ago

"I don't know. When we met, you were doing puppetry of your own free will. I don't think that's helping your c--"

In an evolutionary sense, humans developed a sort of sixth sense when it comes to menace. Trained warriors say they can feel bloodlust in the air like a form of pressure, but even the most mundane person can sense eyes upon them; a vestige, perhaps, of ancestors reacting with simple monkey brain to incoming tiger-borne death. Someone standing right behind you is sure to trigger that as well, and so Fox is cut off mid-sentence.

To say that a capybara in a suit waddling adorably between her legs was not the looming predatorial beast whose aura precipitated said reaction is not what she expected is an understatement of epic scope.

"Honestly I feel like that 'masochist' label gets increasingly appropriate every time someone opens their mouth, by now, and I am generously including my entrance in that evaluation."

  • Character: Camellia
  • 1 year, 9 months ago

Ivo's reaction to the question is enough that Camellia can generally discern how he must look even if she's never actually seen his face. She cracks an amused smirk at his general direction. But then, Argent says something concerning about chemicals... She stops, her expression dropping. ".... Stop." She frowns momentarily. "... Just this once. ...You can brush my hair." Just once. She didn't feel like starting a big fight. This time anyway. Today was just a random whim of curiosity after all.

Then comes the sound of a new arrival that reaches Camellia's ears. ... Make that two.

She shifts her body to face the direction of the voices. Unfortunately, the fact that there's a capybara in a suit is entirely lost on her. However, Camellia does arch a brow at what he says.

"... Unauthorized construction on someone else's turf?" A small smile forms. "... You might have potential yet, Ivo."

Of course.

  • Character: Argent
  • 1 year, 9 months ago

"I do not understand why you have changed your decision. However, I will accept it." Argent says quietly, suddenly producing a large, expensive looking hairbrush out of nowhere. Where was she keeping that thing, anyway? She rises up from her seat, brandishing it as she steps slowly towards her victim. It's a happy coincidence that Camellia turns at exactly the right moment, giving the homunculus the perfect opportunity to pounce.

A few seconds later and she's slowly teasing the knots out of Camellia's hair, gliding the brush through all those long, white locks with the utmost of care. She doesn't say anything as the odd, clothed capybara makes his entrance, but the fruity scent in the air reaches her nose. "...ah." she says, eyeing the device in his hand. "Please take care with such a device. The chemicals contained within are often considered addictive to humans. However, I am unsure as to whether the same is true for..." she says, blinking those pale eyes slowly. "...the manner of creature that you are."

The color in Ivo's face, quite bright the moment that Camellia began her interrogation, abruptly drains.

"Ah... Boss..."

The young man won't make the same mistake twice. Upon first encountering the tough-talking rodent and his human daughter, Ivo asked around and soon learned just how much weight the Capo's words carry, to say nothing of his bullets. The government of Zerhem is weak. So long as the underworld is governed reasonably well, the guards are frequently content to look the other way in matters of illicit trade.

He looks back up to eventually reach Fox's face, meeting her gaze and urgently raising his eyebrows a couple times in what amounts to a 'don't piss this guy off, I'm not *that* much of a masochist' expression. It's surprisingly specific for only taking him a split-second.

"Ugh."

His groan isn't actually due to The Capo's presence. Rather, it's that Camellia has finally paid him a compliment, and now he has to undermine it to preserve the integrity of this laboratory. He's so tempted to pretend like he *did* defy The Capo to impress her. Such brazenness might even work. But he's not confident that he can out-gangster a gangster, and he can't risk losing this place and undermining the whole party. He looks longingly to Camellia.

*kira kira kira kira*

He looks back to The Capo.

*GO GO GO GO GO GO GO GO*

Ivo sighs.

"My sincerest apologies for so rudely failing to notify you in advance," he says, forcing a beaming smile at the vaping capybara, blinking through the cloud of steam. "After securing these ruins, we received permission from the Zerhem royal family to engage in archaelogical preservation efforts here, as well as magitech development for personal use. We will not be selling anything produced here, so no markets will be affected." Given the rumors about the weapon The Capo wields, Ivo has no doubt the capybara has his, uh, paws in certain trades that it would not do for them to disrupt.

And then Argent opens her mouth.

"Ha ha ha!" Ivo laughs in a distinctly strained manner. "Every man enjoys a vice or two! Ha ha! Perhaps focus on the *brushing*, my dear..."

  • Character: The Capo
  • 1 year, 9 months ago

When Fox speaks, the Capo startles, practically popping into the air with surprise. He glances back over his shoulder up at the woman, seemingly noticing her for the first time, and studies her appraisingly for a moment before looking back at Ivo. His attention lingers there only for a moment before it's drawn to Argent when she addresses him. His gaze slides quickly from her, to Camellia, and then back to her. "Don't ya worry about me none, toots," he assures her, waving a hand dismissively. "And ya shouldn't believe everything ya read."

As if to make his point, he rips another sick cloud of watermelon-infused cotton, blowing it almost aggressively at Ivo before finally addressing him. "I'd heard 'bout the oil," he says slowly, before lifting one hand to gesture broadly at the women in the room. "But girls, too? The youth today ain't got no respect for the natural order o' things..."

  • Character: Fox
  • 1 year, 9 months ago

There's a lot getting telegraphed in Ivo's expression, right now. Equal parts dire warning, desperate plea, and perhaps a soupcon of... guilt? Certainly, even if she can't read his thoughts, Fox can intuit the 'please don't upset the animal mascot' bit enough not to antagonize the Capo if he does something like, say, ogle her from knee height.

In fact, she's all smiles as she turns to Ivo and says, in as pleasant a tone as possible, "I truly have no idea what the hell is even going on anymore."

Honesty: a sound policy.

Having said that, she FINALLY steps out of the doorway and into the one-step-above-makeshift lab, glancing around with an appraising eye that an onlooker might easily interpret as an 'expert gaze'. It's alchemy, alright, though perhaps not the kind of alchemy she herself imagines when the word is uttered.

  • Character: Camellia
  • 1 year, 9 months ago

Camellia, meanwhile, merely stands there and looks subtly mortified as some crazy lady brushes her hair.

"........."

She should not have come.

One day, she will have her revenge, and it will be swift, ruthless, and involve cakes propelled at high velocities.

Yes. That is what she will do.

Girls?

Looking somewhat startled, Ivo scans the room. The Capo makes an excellent point. Now that Fabroxo has departed and Fox has arrived, the laboratory is populated by Ivo himself and three beautiful women. The young man's expression goes carefully blank for a few moments before a smile slowly begins to bloom, his eyes sparkling with an enthusiasm a little different from the scientific curiosity kindled there before.

"Yes, well, as I said," he casually replies, "every man has a vice or two. Ha ha ha." That laugh isn't forced. "These are my lovely assistants, Argent and Camellia." He gestures to the grooming woman and the woman being groomed, who is hopefully too zoned-out at this point to notice she's being referred to. "And this--"

He walks over to Fox, who has wisely stepped back from the chaos to examine the workshop proper. Actually, though the magitech that Ivo has brought in is Cosmopolitan in origin, involving techniques of miniaturization and micro-crafting of which druids could only dream, the workshop that they'd occupied is one built originally by druids who fled the remains of Vaeltrandia after the rise and fall of the Star-Crowned. The construction techniques and some of the remaining tools will be all too familiar to her, mostly likely, even if many remain sadly covered in dust. But it seems that the party has begun a meaningful cleanup and preservation effort, despite the dangerous experiments the evidently also intend to perform here.

"--is our visiting scholar, Fox," Ivo is continuing cheerfully, moving to try to put his arm around Fox's shoulders in a friendly way, though even if he succeeds, he has to stretch rather awkwardly to do so. "She's an alchemist with knowledge of Granse's noble history!" He's riffing off of what he gleaned from their conversation and the star-powered pistols she possesses. "With her, and the occasional support of the Great Scientist Fabroxo, there's no feat we won't be able to perform."

He's just eager to add her to the party.

  • Character: The Capo
  • 1 year, 9 months ago

The Capo looks downright disgusted at Ivo's ongoing explanation. "Listen, kid, you're puttin' in too much effort," he scolds. "They don't need backstories; people know what they come for, they just wanna pay the bill and get on with it."

"But it don't matter," the capybara continues, waving a hand dismissively. "You can keep the girls. They'll come to me on their own eventually anyways. But the oil... that's my culture, capisce? I got PRIDE in that. So I'll give ya one warning."

Another long drag from his magitech vape pen follows, and another long, slow exhale, before he says, voice dripping with malice, "Shut down all ya olive oil production. Get outta the game. Or else."

  • Character: Fox
  • 1 year, 9 months ago

What is even happening right now.

It's not as if Fox is a particularly violent woman who would smack Ivo's arm off her shoulder, but it doesn't hurt that the current state of the situation is so thoroughly, unbelievably indecipherable that she only just barely processes that his arm is there AT ALL, meaning she doesn't react to it. She's about to open her mouth to opine, when two things happen:

1.) A talking capybara just called her a whore

2.) Said capybara thinks Ivo is muscling in on... an olive oil racket.

And this is when the foxtail-haired woman joins the current trend of "everyone thinks this person is nuts" by just turning and slamming a fist into the brick wall, laughing her ass off. Like a good, throaty, she's-probably-tearing-up laugh. How the hell else do you respond to any of this.

When she's done, she straightens and dabs at the corner of her eye with her hand. "Haha. Ahahaha. Yes. Visiting alchemy scholar. That's me. Not at all involved with edible oil of any form."

  • Character: Frankie
  • 1 year, 9 months ago

It's been a long day of gangstering and hissing and fantasizing about cakes in the shapes of animals, so Frankie figures her father has surely finished up his business. She doesn't know what this dump is for or why he precisely didn't pop by for a "quick and pleasant chat with zero murder occurring," but she's got those cakes on her mind and no time to waste on all that other "thinking." She sidles on up to the place and gives a quick glance around. From atop her sturdy pony, who is very pony-like in terms of size yet strangely muscular for even the most athletic horse, she holds out a strange device and with a simple touch, it honks like an enraged goose.

"Hey, pops! We got a train to catch! By train, I mean we got the the reuben spaghet on the menu tonight and they're going in hard on the corned beef! I can't afford to miss it!"

Ivo's weight shifts noticably against Fox's shoulders. He went from showing off to slumping almost bonelessly against her. If he hadn't been leaning on her, he would have actually fallen over.

He tries to say something, anything, but the young man's jaw just works uselessly for some time in the face of the capybara's glower. First of all, you can't say stuff like that, Capo, Reize is going for an E rating. Ivo's already pushing it by making every other scene on this MUSH T rated at best. As soon as we have logging evidence, I'm the one who'll be in trouble when you introduce prostitution into Reize-world canon. Second of all, uh, second of all, uhhhh.

An angry goose honks.

As though in a trance, Ivo walks over to the open door and sees outside it Frankie sitting astride a very ripped pony. Sure, why not?

Finally, he looks, not to the Capo, nor to Fox, nor to the other ladies engaged in hardcore hairbrushing, but into the middle distance, as though he sees something no one else does.

"OK," he says, deadpanning to the camera. "I promise."

And the laboratory Looney Tuneses to black.