[video]

[blastiafreak]

[The video's not very clear when it comes on; it's dark and gloomy, showing hints of thick dust and cobwebs--a glimpse of a window reveals deep fog--and then it shifts to Rita's wide-eyed face. When she speaks, she's trying very hard to pretend she's calm...and failing pretty horribly.]

I-is anyone else stuck in this weirdo place? I mean, it's not like I need help or anything, but-

[A loud creak and sudden clatter of footsteps interrupts her, the shutters to the window abruptly blowing open, and she jumps with a yelp.] Aah--! Uh--it's not sc--just where's the exit, already?!

[Maybe realizing that the video's still recording her little freak-out, she quickly shuts it off.]

[ooc: Tags slow forever. ._. Sorry!]

Comments

action; ♥!

[blastiafreak]

[So miraculous, it might just be left a mystery!!

Nobody ever does!]

[She waits and watches Tyr take his sip before she lifts the cup to her lips and takes a cautious sip...followed by a gulp.]

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[stargathering]

[ !! I hate when that happpens!!

No even weirdos! ]

[ He smiles when she does. Delicious hot chocolate. ] ...But I would make this for you whether you were going to burn your tongue or not.

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[blastiafreak]

[I know right!!

It's just too weird for them!]

[She's caught between tsun and dere...! So she ends up blushing and mumbling a slightly indignant reply.] As if I'd burn my tongue, anyway...

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[stargathering]

[ How can they do that?! :_;

It's just that bad!!]

[ Both tsun and dere? That's an accomplishment! ] Right, right. You'd never do that.

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[blastiafreak]

[To be cruel!! ...Or lazy.

It really is!!]

[Is he proud?!] O-of course I wouldn't... [Abruptly, she puts her half-empty cup down a table and heads over to the grinder.] Anyway, it's been long enough.

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[stargathering]

[ ...They should stop being both. :<

It shouldn't even be mentioned! ]

[ He is!! When she abruptly changes, he remembers that they were actually working. ] Ah, right... Is it time to add the metal?

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[blastiafreak]

[Down with plot holes...! :<

Right! Shhh....]

[She nods and indicates another beaker of liquid she left next to it, while she moves to a small, lit burner where she left the metal to melt down.] Yeah. Go ahead and add that base to neutralize the acid, and then we'll add this.

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[stargathering]

[ Yeah-! >:'< They're terrible!

...! Also class soon... ;_; ]

...Okay. [ It takes him a minute to understand what she means, but soon grabs it to add in. It still feels like something childish. ] What exactly is all this, though?

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[blastiafreak]

[Awful...! :<

!!! Aw, okay! Have fun! ;3;]

[She uses a pair of tongs to swirl the hot metal, glancing back at him curiously.] What is it? Well, the machine and acid grind up the leaves. They should be ready by now, so we don't want it to stay acidic. We'll mix the metal in, flatten it, and let it dry.

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[stargathering]

[ Horrible...

Sh! Thanks! ;v; Wasn't bad at all! ]

...Oh. [ Nope, not getting it. ] Right. [ Well, he'll just add it. Not like he wants acidic paper. ] They don't take that long to dry, either, do they?

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[blastiafreak]

[The worst...:<

Aw, good! And welcome back! :3]

[...She kind of has a feeling he might not get it from the way he answers. She puts on some thick, heat-resistant mittens, turns off the flame, and comes over with the metal.] Just a couple hours.

Is there something else you want to know?

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[stargathering]

[ And gross, too.

Thanks! :D I hope your exams are just as easy-! ]

[ Since she's asking- ] ...How does it work? What does all this have to do with mana?

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[blastiafreak]

[Just all-around terrible. :<

Thank you~ I hope so, too!]

Oh, that... [She goes ahead and starts adding the molten metal while she tries to explain.] The leaves we put in are from a plant that's especially sensitive to mana, so even after we mix it up like this, the paper fibers still react. They react with the metal, change the number of electrons in the metal, and change the way it absorbs light. So we see a colour change.

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[stargathering]

[ And very unpleasant at that. :(

Good luck!! ]

[ Somehow, that actually makes total sense. ] Ah, I see... That makes sense. I should have thought it was something like that.

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[blastiafreak]

[And so cruel...

Thaaanks!! :3]

[She nods with a smile. She probably should've explained it in the beginning instead of just barking orders, but she's pleased that he understands it.] Yeah, that's how it is. We can pretty much tailor the paper to change colour at specific mana levels by changing the percentage of metal.

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[stargathering]

[ So let's not have that!!

♥ ]

[ And now it makes even more sense. ] Ah-

So do you make different ones for different cores you wanna make?

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[blastiafreak]

[Not unless we want to be jerks!!

♥~]

[And another nod as she finishes her slow pour of the metal to let the machine do the mixing.] Pretty much. I can use the same one for any cores that need about the same level of mana, but I still need a bunch of different ones.

action; ♥!

[stargathering]

[ Yeah! But then that's our call!

♥! Except now my internet is being weird again. ]

[ He nods. ] I get it. That sounds like more of a pain than just waiting for them all to finish.

action; ♥!

[blastiafreak]

[That's right!

Aww, internet...:<]

[He gets a sigh in agreement, too.] Yeah, it is. But it works for now, until I can develop some kind of probe...

It's probably been long enough, so we can shut off the grinder now. Then push that lever; it'll press everything down to drain out the water and flatten the paper.

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[stargathering]

[ And we'll keep each other up-to-date!!

ikr ;_; I can only get onto google sites for some reason. Even ones I don't use... Oh, here we go! ]

[ He nods again and goes ahead and turns it off. Does he need to put force onto that lever? He guesses it looks sturdy enough that he can if he has to. ] Are you working on a probe now? Not that this system doesn't work well, but... [ Shove shove lever. ]

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[blastiafreak]

[No surprises!

That's so weird! ;_;]

[Thankfully, the lever is sturdy but also doesn't need much in the way of force. Rita would have issues if it did...] Hm...Actually, I haven't thought about it much. It's hard to work around these curses.

action; ♥!

[stargathering]

[ Unless they're good ones!

IT IS. :< I was about to give up... ]

[ It would figure it was easy to move... But just to be sure they're completely flattened, he had to do it. ] Yeah... And we spend so much time worrying about them and trying to fight them anyway.

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[blastiafreak]

[Yeah! Good, fun surprises~

Man, I don't blame you. :< That must be so annoying!]

[She lets him go at it, since that's what they need.] It's a pain...But it's not like we have a choice when it's that or just give up.

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[stargathering]

[ Yes~♥

It was! And I'm tired anyway! ...But this is fun so I don't wanna stop. :< ]

Right... Almost anything is better than just giving in. [ He stops now, sure that they're as pressed as they're going to be. ] There should be a way to beat the deities, though... [ and a yawn that he doesn't even try to hide ] Since there's already things outside their control.

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[blastiafreak]

[♥~

Aw! It is a cute thread, though. ;v;]

[Dangit Tyr, that yawn makes her do it too...though she does try to hide hers.] ...If...If we could figure out the extent of their powers, or how to get around them...

[And now that he's stopped, she leans down and flips another switch which opens vents at the sides, allowing the paper to dry, and then she pulls a tray from the bottom that contains all the drained liquid.]