(no subject)

[claudiometer]

So, question. Does anyone have a thing that charges things up? I need to figure out if I've made a functional lightcycle or if it's just a pretty but useless baton.

It was that or find a salad to laugh into. [That part's quieter; she probably didn't mean to broadcast it. Either way, Claudia would like some help with a thing pls.]

If it's working, I'll start taking requests. Only a couple at a time, though, I need to make sure I have time to... you know. Eat and sleep.

Comments

[claudiometer]

It's worth a shot, sure.

Something I brought from home, named after its inventor. If there'd been more electricity in common use last jaunt it would've fit right in - it's a gun that shoots lightning, basically.

[neverfeltthatway]

All right. I'll find you.

Oh - something like that wouldn't be out of place in Joseon. Modern world Korea, I think? They're the ones that focus the most on electromagnetism.

[claudiometer]

I'm in the workshop. Door's open.

Yeah, I still had it on me, just as a significantly less awesome prototype. Things I'm glad didn't stick around, I'd hate to have to upgrade it all over again.

-> [Action]

[neverfeltthatway]

[Armin doesn't respond, but shows up in person not three minutes later.]

Hello. You're... Claudia, right? I don't think we've ever actually met. I'm Armin.

[claudiometer]

[He works fast, but she's not going to question it right now. Time for that after SCIENCE.]

Good to meetcha. So how's this channeling electricity thing work?

[neverfeltthatway]

It's a form of color magic, which I learned in Dolorosa, a jaunt we went on a little more than a year ago.

[claudiometer]

All kinds of interesting tricks on these things. Do you need anything in particular to start?

[neverfeltthatway]

...Do you know anything about how much it usually takes to charge it up?

[claudiometer]

[After some thought, she rattles off a number. It may be the first time she's made a lightcycle in meatspace, but infiltration memories are a handy thing sometimes.]

And seriously, don't worry about it if you fry it. I can always make another - I'm not promising anyone anything yet for a reason.

[neverfeltthatway]

[Until recently, such a number would have been meaningless to him - but fresh off infiltrating as a scientific prodigy from Joseon, he has at least some idea of what it means.]

All right. [He looks around.] Umm. You m-might want to stand back a little.

[claudiometer]

Probably did worse to myself in high school. [But she steps back anyway.]

up to you whether he fried it or not

[neverfeltthatway]

[Armin's eyes narrow as he focuses, and electricity begins to spark out from his hands, around the device. No matter how he tries, though, he can't seem to direct it inward like it needs. After a couple minutes of this, he sighs, frustrated, and sets it down.]

I'm sorry. I can't seem to direct it well enough to get it to charge.

[claudiometer]

Ahhh, balls. [Claudia sighs.] Thanks for trying, though. It was worth a shot, and know we know one thing that doesn't work.

[neverfeltthatway]

There was a skill from back during the digital frontier that might work - a way of redirecting energy. You'd need a different source for it, but if anyone's kept it as a skill, it should be able to power the device, from what I remember of it.

[claudiometer]

I remember the one. And I have a source of electricity that should work nicely, if anyone kept it and is willing to get zapped for science.

[neverfeltthatway]

I can always provide the electricity, if someone does have the ability to direct it.

So... you do this sort of thing a lot?

[claudiometer]

I've been mucking around with electronics and computers since I was a kid. Give me a cave and a box of scraps and I'm set to go. [...Is that reference going to be lost on him? Probably. Oh well.]

Next to that, now that I have the tools? A lightcycle's a piece of cake.

[neverfeltthatway]

Liminal space is usually better than a cave, that's true.

[It is entirely lost on him, sorry. Armin knows nothing of pop culture.]

...I should learn more about how electronics and computers work sometime.

[claudiometer]

Not actual caves, it's from a movie.

Hey, all you gotta do is ask. And stop me if I get too technical. The problem with knowing this stuff back to front is that I don't always know when I'm talking above someone else's level.

[neverfeltthatway]

Oh! [Armin smiles, a little self-deprecatingly.] I come from a world without electricity. So like with references like that, pretty much everything is above my level.

[claudiometer]

And here's me fluent in meme. --You probably won't know what that means either. Anyway, the important thing here is that I can help fill in the electricity gap if you want.

[neverfeltthatway]

Not right now, I think - but sometime, I'd like that.

[claudiometer]

Sounds like a plan. Just let me know when you're ready.

[neverfeltthatway]

Thank you - I'll be sure to do that.