bravenewworld | 1st Wrench: A Fateful Trip [Action/Video]

Action, the Verdant Forest:

[Okay, so she'd taken a wrong turn on one of the paths. She had to have, because she should totally be back in Union by now! All she'd intended to do was poke her head out into the forest to get some basic reconnaissance and some preliminary training of Gato done. But without a map it was a bit easy to get lost in that sea of green. Especially for someone who'd never really been outside of Caldera before. Smart and competent she might be, but Lucca most definitely new to the whole exploring on her own.

That said, she's not exactly panicking if anyone happens to come across her. She seems perfectly calm, perfectly rational. And that's probably because she has yet to actually notice that she's gotten lost! She's casually inspecting just about everything. Rocks, trees, streams, berries, basically just anything she comes across. On her back is a small pack that seems to be bulging, and the little Golett running along behind her is similarly weighed down by a backpack of his own. Periodically, she pulls out a notepad and scribbles something, too.

But in the midst of this scientific rampage, something Weedle this way comes. Lucca's search has attracted the attention of a local, an annoyed little creature who's just popped out from a rotted log she'd disturbed with a kick...and the instant she catches sight of it, Lucca lets out a piercing shriek.]

Ahhhhh!

[Apparently the intrepid scientist...has a fear of Bugs!]

((ooc: Tag before the Weedle if you like too!))

Video, Nightfall

[A video comes through the Warp Band, and it's a young woman, clearly. She's dressed...oddly. Almost haphazardly. A scarf around her neck, a tunic visible in the video, and a helmet. With an actual antenna sticking up from the right side. She adjusts her glasses before speaking, and opens with a long sigh.]

Right, so. My name's Lucca Ashtear. Recently of Caldera, and I've set up shop here in Union for the time being. Gotta say, these warp band things are pretty incredible An Aligning tool, communication device, and a homing beacon all at once? Ingenious. I couldn't have designed them better myself. At least...not and kept them this small.

[A pause as she removes her glasses and wipes away some fog.]

Couple of questions for you. First, because I'm new in town, where's a good place to pick up spare parts? Wires, copper, steel, that kinda stuff. Also are there any glassmakers around. Definitely going to need that. I have trouble making that myself.

Second, a more...heh...normal question. Is it just me or is it chilly around here? I don't know how you guys stand it in the lowlands. When does the weather usually shift? Or is this what passes for spring?

And one last thing. The Old City. I'm planning on going down there to nose around soon, but a guide or escort would be nice. More a safety precaution than anything. I'd pay, of course.

And...yeah, I guess that's about it.

[And off goes the feed.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Wow, you're amazing to be doing all that. Bet you got, like, a thousand inventions already, huh?

Not quite that many, but enough for now. I'm only 19, after all.

Still pretty neat. [He then turns to Gato.] And I bet you're her partner in science, huh?

[The Golett's head bobs in affirmation. Indeed. He is in fact Miss Lucca's partner and sometimes experimental device.]

...Experimental device? But you're a living being!

Not technically.

[Lucca interrupts, putting a protective hand on Gato's shoulder. The automaton nods.]

He's a Ghost, actually. And a Golett at that. A sentient machine, as much as anything living. [And then a pause.]

And relax, I'm not doing anything to him he's not okay with or doesn't volunteer for. Mostly he's my lab assistant, and sometimes he helps me test devices. Like, for example, added devices to his body. Plating for protection, or tools he can use.

Edited 2015-03-22 19:13 (UTC)

[Right's about to protest at the first part until Lucca explains the second part. Only then does he calm down...a bit.] Oh...well, I guess that makes sense...

Does it hurt?

[She taps Gato's head.] He doesn't feel pain like we do, you know. But I'd never do anything to him that'd seriously hurt him. [She points to a couple of small bolts that seem affixed to his shoulderplates] Worst I've done, and that's like an ear-piercing to him, he tells me.

[And then she adds.] They're mounting bolts for armor. That's all.

Well, if he's okay with it... [The look that Right's giving her, though, is still a little wary.]

Why not ask him yourself?

[Hands on hips, Lucca looks down at Gato.]

Golett. Gooooooool

[Madame Lucca does only what I allow. She is my friend. She takes care of me, and makes me harder to hurt.]

And you let her know if it's something you don't want, right?

[Gato nods a couple of times. He seems unphased by the bolts in his arms, even proud of them.]

Like I said, earrings.

[Only after hearing Gato's confirmation does Right fully relax, his smile leaning towards sheepishness.] Just wanna make sure. After everything that's happened lately...

What do you mean, happened lately?

you heard about the Enhanced folks, right? And how they came to be that way?

I heard something about that word, and Gigas? But I didn't get the whole story.

Well, I didn't hear all the details...but from what I heard, Gigas forced people into these experiments to become the Enhanced - man-made Enlightened. Only it messed up those people's heads and they went out of control for a while.

That's why several areas had crazy stuff going on several weeks back. It was because the Enhanced went nuts - or so they said. The worst part is that the reason why they went nuts? They didn't ask Gigas to do that to them!

Edited 2015-03-24 03:22 (UTC)

That...

I...

[Lucca clenches her fist and slams it against her leg, making a metallic sound.]

That's a perversion of everything science stands for! Those Gigans...they're...monsters!

AS if it wasn't bad enough that they tried to starve you guys last summer! Don't you just wanna...go up and punch 'em?!

I want to do more than that.

[She is not a warrior, but she is very capable of violence and aggression.]

I want to wipe them out. Make them pay.

[That shocks Right out of his anger a bit. Every inch of his Union upbringing screams how terrible that idea is, and yet...]

...maybe we just hack a limb off of each instead... [Good compromise.]

Ultimately, it doesn't matter. I just want them to remember what it was they did.

And make sure they never forget it.

Yeah...yeah, I can see why you wanna do that.

Were you involved in any way?

Yep! I was helping out with the relief effort here in Union - mainly making sure everyone got their food and water, but I made sure that all the kids especially could feel safe and happy here. They taught me a lot of new games that I never heard of before, and their Pokemon friends were really fun to play with, too.

[His smile fades, though.] There...there were a lot of them that lost a family member or two during the conflict. And many of them were just so grateful to even get some basic food....

Edited 2015-03-25 18:18 (UTC)

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