imeeji_frontstage | (no subject)

.... [He takes a breathe and lets it out.] Sorry. I know, you're not someone who backs down from a challenge. Pretty sure that's not a surprise to you. But not everyone has that inner strength.

I just...wanted you to understand I wasn't making those offer idly. [He rubs the back of his neck and shrugs, moving to one of the doors in his room.]

He usually likes being friendly to new people, but if he thinks he can get away with teasing, he absolutely will. He's a pretty good guy, though, very dependable. [There is hesitation as he grabs the doorknob because should he say? He doesn't want to HIDE it, because hiding is usually bad, and also it could give Izzy a complex.] Also he's my boyfriend.

Anyway, here's my forge! [He opens the door and steps inside quickly.]

[ Not someone who backs down from a challenge? Well, it doesn't sound wrong, but still. She unfolds her own arms to offer a wave of her arm with a shrug. ]

I was just trying to say - Nevermind, it doesn't matter what I was trying to say. [ Because he's clearly passionate and she doesn't disagree in protecting people, but!! ] They're your friends. And it sounds like you have a pretty big role in the village, so it's your call. And theirs.

[ She says it simply - it might seem like a touch of trust? Because he seems like he wants to do the right thing, but she's just not so sure what the right thing is, really. But at least! The other topic serves as a distraction and she was listening - but the quick way in which he stops, decides to say something, and then move on is enough to make her raise a brow. ]

...Congratulations?

[ Said as a question, because how does one take that?The only thing she has going on in her noggin about that information is why did he say it so rushed??? Is he Embarrassed? She'll just let him ignore it by talking about his forge more, if he wants. This once. ]

[It might be trust.]

[He'll take it.]

[He is definitely blushing, so it might be embarrassment! Totally valid thought to have!]

[Which, okay, kind of is, because saying someone is a boyfriend or girlfriend can be A Lot because of the rush of feelings, its just even more so when he definitely has Feelings for Astrid and Zero Context for how any romantic entanglements might have gone because even if nothing came of it, they may still have talked about it.]

[Or he sat on his feelings forever.]

...thank you.

[He's not quite looking at her, and gestures around the forge. There are, of course, an assortment of regular weapons. There is is a lack of a final polish on them, more practice and techniques then one he's regularly handing out to use. The ones he'll melt down when he has a real project in mind.]

[There is also more paper in here, those all of it is carefully pin up on the walls, designs for a large assortment of weapons. Some familiar, some very not. Basic weapons, siege weapons that are somewhat familiar, and then there's things larger, cannons and bombs and guns.]

[As well as combined with power tools.]

[There are also half finished weapons around that are looking far more...complicated then a normal weapon.]

Now, I have a lot of projects I'm working on, but there are two weapons I've gathered here that are really interesting and I think I'm getting the concept down.

Edited 2022-09-23 05:31 (UTC)

[ Yep. So we're just leaving it at that for now. At least a forge, in a cave or otherwise, is a little more familiar - even if the weapons aren't all ones she knows. There is still some comfort at just seeing them and her attention may be more torn to them than him.

Those she is listening! ]

Yeah? What are they going to do hit people with lightning?

[ It seems legit after fire, but well - It's an offering, willing to let him go on even if she has her own questions to ask. ]

Edited 2022-09-23 05:39 (UTC)

That!

Is a longer term goal.

I am figuring out how to make wires, and then the lightning can happen. But there is some fun things I'm doing with liquid nitrogen which makes things freeze, and I think I can use dragons with ice breath as a substitute back home. Because if dragon breath has a gas to set on fire, then the dragons who breath ice must also have a chemical compound to freeze things.

[ Is this the part where she nods along like she understands? Yes, it is. ]

Uh-huh. [ At least! She's trying to be supportive(?) ] I see.

[ She does not see, don't call her out on it - just. Keep talking if you want, Hiccup! ]

It would make weapons that could freeze things. [He's going for all sorts of elements.]

Gotta go through test runs, especially want to avoid freezing for the wielder, but the other weapons.

This one I've gotten pretty far with. [And then he pulls out a gun.] I know it doesn't look like much, but this is called a gun. And its basically a super powerful crossbow.

That sounds a little too dangerous - What happens if you accidentally freeze something you don't want to?

[ She can't see it being like. That easy. But the gun is foreign and she gets a feeling - She doesn't like that. Or crossbows. Definitely more of an up close person. ]

Where does the bolt go?

Well, that is what testing is for. To figure out the right mix to be effective in a fight without it just wrecking everything. That's why the fire can burn out quickly if its not getting fuel from somewhere else.

[He opens it up and pulls out the bullet.] This. Is the bolt. [He holds it out.] You see how its not a solid piece, the metal has a case?

Sure, but that's one of those one mistake and that'll be permanent damage.

[ Like dying. Please be glad she doesn't actually remember him making the flight suit or she'd be back to full judging mode considering she knows how his testing goes.

She'll take the bullet and frown at it.]

Looks pretty small.

[ Said in the tone of 'how does it do that much damage'? Definitely a bigger the better kind of person.]

True, but that's the same thing with the fire sword. Or any weapons if you make a big enough mistake.

[A pause.]

I feel I should say losing my leg was not a weapon related accident.

It is, but it definitely packs a punch. And that's because of what's in that casing. [He taps it.] There is an explosive powder in there. With the tight casing around the bullet, that's the part that hits targets, when it goes off, all that force goes sends the bullet flying at a high speed.

[ ... ]

The fact you decided to clarify that is even more concerning.

[ She listens, turns the bullet between her fingers after he taps it and considers it. Definitely dangerous, if how he's explaining it is how it works. She moves to it back in his hand - ]

That's. Wow. Dangerous, powerful? I'm not sure how I feel about that.

[ but then she's definitely a more in your face person than projectile person, there's that. ]

I just wanted to be clear that I have never done a major self inflicted injury.

[He takes it and puts it back in the gun.] Its incredibly dangerous and powerful. It's very hard to get the ammo done properly though, so there is some limitations, but also definitely something to be utilized only sparingly.

But it would help a lot for aerial combat.

Yeah, yeah. Sure.

[ It's said lightly, enough. But she'll be the judge of that - eventually, she imagines.

She folds her arms and considers it: ]

Good for long-distance combat, but isn't that what you'd use a dragon for?

A lot of dragons are mid range, requiring to get close to do damage. Things like bows and crossbows are a longer range and that can make dragons vulnerable if they need to fight instead of run.

And firing a bow or crossbow from a dragon in that range between when the arrows and bolts can't hit and when the dragons can fight back isn't exactly easy. The dragons need to focus on dodging and those weapons are too burdensome for most to use well like that. The compact size could make a difference.

So you're planning on trying to take them back.

[ Less a question, more an observation from how he said it. ]

Not take them back.

Recreate. If I can't make anything in the forge myself, it's not worth taking back, and potentially too dangerous. Something that can be made, can be countered. Something that's the sole source can become a bit problem if stolen.

I'm trying it with a lot of things. Plumbing, tools, even certain medical equipment.

[ That was kind of her thought process - What happens if the wrong hands get a hold of it? ]

It makes sense, if you can make a better living quality. [ Though she wonders about it. She's still a bit trying to figure out her own stances, so she'll move - hand on hip as she asks. ]

So is this where you spend most of your free time?

That's the idea. If I can perfect even creating a few of these ideas, I could pull us forward a few hundred years when it comes to quality of living. Steel I've already got down, and honestly, dragons are gonna make that a lot easier then what I figured out here. Tools and weapons that last longer, harder to damage, harder to rust, just the amount of time that saves for all parties involved would do a lot.

Uuuuh, yeah, a lot of it? I also do a lot of flying, so like first step is forge, and second step is...well, call me because I'm in the sky. Unless you want to Warpstrike from roof to roof. Which seems fun, honestly.

Sounds like you've got a multi-year plan going on there.

[ Because it can't be that easy, it sounds like a long process. She snorts. ]

Yeah, that would only happen if you're conveniently dropping swords behind you.

[ she'll be jealous he can fly eventually ]

For implementing back home, yeah. It's a lot of stuff to build, and teach. I'll probably need to take an apprentice myself. I know my teacher is smart enough to learn it. But still, its a lot for two or even three people. Especially with other duties.

That's what the sword making power is for. Make, throw, and warp. At least that's what I've seen people do, there might be more to do within the parameters of the ability. You can find some pretty fun tricks if you think of them outside of the context the ability was made for. Like Wild City's Evolution can do a lot more then just keep us alive if the person has the nerve to invoke it.

Well, I'm sure you can handle it.

[ She's! In fact not exactly sure, but she'll try to be encouraging for the moment. It doesn't seem like he's not thought about it a lot, afterall.

He does have a point, but she hadn't thought much about abilities she wasn't anywhere near purchasing yet (but then perhaps she can be forgiven at two days in). ]

Good to know. [ And it is. She taps a finger on the crook of her arm: ] Do I want to know?

[ because it sure sounds like he's talking about doing something a little bit stupid ]

I can. [And there is that confidence again. He doesn't doubt his ability when it comes to making things and figuring it out.]

[Maybe he needs to fix his danger judgement of some things, but the ability is there!]

[He shrugs.] When a member of Wild City is about to die, if an animal trait can help them survive a fatal incident, they adopt that trait. Usually just enough so they can survive and limp away. That is the context of Evolution.

But then I thought about all the things that are...a person is gonna die or they're gonna survive and there's no inbetween. Such as when a person falls from really high up, like the top of the buildings, they either die or they don't hit the ground.

So I jumped off one. [Casual as can be.] And like I thought, wings sprouted pretty much instantly. Which meant now I could fly without having to sacrifice hands or being able to talk like Frog Materia does. The same concept would apply to doing underwater and staying there. Evolution keeps Wild City alive in bad fights, but it also helps in traveling in ways that are very deadly if you don't have a way through.

Now the hard part of the wings is the landing, so either you always need to land on a balcony or rooftop, because when you get to four stories, you can survive and the wings go away, or you need the Concrete Jungle ability because that allows you to move over more difficult terrain.

[ To her credit, perhaps, she lets him get through it without exclaiming he's an idiot - maybe because he continued with little pause. But she looks slowly less impressed by the second, brows furrowing deeper.

She shouldn't care about the muttonhead before her. But even so. ]

Oh, so I was right. [ She didn't need to ask! The same wry tone as she adds: ] Useful, maybe. But also stupid and reckless.

[ at least that? might be somehow familiar...? ]

Not stupid. Stupid would be if I didn't have back up plans. I timed exactly how long it would take for Frog Materia to take and how much space I would need to pull out of a dive as a bird. I knew exactly when I needed to scrap the fall.

[It was reckless though, he'll give her that.]

Now, let me show you the other tool I've been trying to replicate. I think it will be much more your style.

[He grabs a chunk of wood and sets it on a boulder, before grabbing a chainsaw.] This one has been proving a little more difficult, the inner workings are more involved then the gun.