For anyone that hadn't been inside of a Wingnut workshop, this place might seem ominous or scary, especially with all the rumbling and hissing of a metal boiler - one of many 'leftover' items from the construction of the railway and locomotives. This is the domain of Oops and Uh-Oh, the young Titanian brothers responsible for many of Duchess Eve's toys. There are also racks and shelves covered with odd devices which may or may not work, and almost certainly are not safe.
"What do you think we'll need for following the compass?" Eve asks the Lapi and two Akwavi that have accompanied her. Oops and Uh-Oh look up from where they're working on the steam-wagon, their big tails wagging hopefully.
Aviri looks frightened at all the everything, his eyes wide, his hands clutching his worry to his chest. Somehow Eve's question gets through to him, and his eyes flick to her briefly before searching for more threats. "Food? And ... defences?" He starts at a hissing pipe. "Duchess, are we safe in here?"
"Well, nothing has blown up inside the building yet," Eve says reassuringly.
Trilup pokes Aviri in the shoulder, and notes, "Can't you just eat plants and stuff along the way? Or do you mean cookies? We should definitely have lots of cookies and crackers and stuff."
Lin chirps at all of the gadgets and starts looking around. "We deffinitely need rope. Lanterns, chalk, an' grappling hooks would be good too. Some kinda magic maybe fer protectin' against the undead or swords fer hackin' them up. D'ya have some kinda colapsible ladder?" She asks Oops.
"Oh yah," the Titanian pup nods enthusiastically. "Collapse real good! Uh.. you need it stay un-collapsed too though?"
Aviri peers over at Lin during her list, and gives a tentative nod to agree with it, muttering something about botany in the process.
Uh-Oh makes a rude noise at the mention of swords. "Swords! Bah! Gots know how to use those!" he claims. "I got better!"
"Yep!" Lin chirps, "Needs to be light enough to cary 'round too. Who knows where we'll end up so the best we kin' do is make general preperations fer as wide a set of possibilities as possible. We do learn some useful stuff in Scouts, ya know. What'chya got better'n swords?"
The Lapi suddenly perks up, at the mention of lights. "Non-flamable, too!" he adds brightly, relaxing a bit now that the room hasn't tried to kill anyone yet.
The young wolf grabs something from a shelf, and holds it out proudly. It looks like the stock of a crossbow, with the bow removed and replaced by a protruding metal fork, with two tines that end in little copper balls. There is a lot of wound wire, and glass, and the crank on the side isn't for winding the bow any longer, since there's some sort of drum on the side instead. Uh-Oh enthusiastically turns the crank (quite fast actually) to create a whirring sound.. then he offers it to Lin with a big grin.
Lin takes the weapon and turns it over in her hands, getting a feel for the weight. "So, it's some kinda crossbow but with the spring in line with the stock?" She guesses and lifts it to her shoulder, not putting her finger on the trigger.
"Instant Potato Cooker," Uh-Oh claims. "Just poke with it and pull trigger. Potatoes exploded. But that just a size thing."
"It a feature!" Oops claims.
"What does it shoot? Heat?" Lin asks, rather confused. "Kin I shoot it at somethin?"
"No shoot, poke!" Uh-Oh says, and holds his hand out for the device.
Aviri takes a step to the side, getting closer to the group and out of the way of any potential targets. A gauge catches his eye, and he taps it, then stiffs at it, then loses interest and returns his attention cautiously to Lin and the Device.
Lin passes it back to him. "What good's a crossbow thing that doesn't shoot?"
"Here, see?" Uh-Oh says, and then touches the ball-tips to Lin's shoulder and pulls the trigger. The otter's entire body immediately tries to become a clenched fist, and all of her fur poofs out. It's a good thing she visited the privy before coming out as well! There's a zap-pop sound as well, just before she's thrown back a few feet. The muscle spasm lasts for nearly a minute!
"No can miss! No aiming!" Uh-Oh says proudly.
"Can use it on corn too," Oops says.
Aviri jumps and rushes to Lin's side as she twitches, trying to still her, but in his study of plants had never yet come across the effects of electricity on muscles, and so didn't quite know what to do. After a few frantic seconds he wips around to Uh-Oh. "What'd you do?!"
"Gzzznaf." Mumbles the stricken otter. As she regains her faculties and gets back on her feet, she exclaims, "I mush habe one!"
"Lin, you alright?" Aviri asks quickly, eyes still glaring at Uh-Oh.
"Wow," Trilup says. "Can we see what it does to corn?"
"She okay, plenny big!" Uh-Oh says. "Not even catch fire or bounce!"
"I'm fine." Lin chirps then pokes Up-Oh to drop the static charge out of her fur.
"Try not get it wet though," Oops advises.
There's a spark between the otter and the Titanian, and Uh-Oh giggles.
"Corn go 'pop' and turn into candy," Oops also explains to Trilup.
Aviri quivers with something that, for once, isn't fear, his fingers contorting in frustration as he can't seem to actually say anything. Finally a strained keening growl emerges, and he storms off, back the way they'd come, flupming down just outside the door with his back to the wall taking deep breaths.
"Are you alright?" Eve asks Aviri. "The boys don't always realize that other people aren't Titanians, I'm afraid. But they mean well! The first time I got zapped, my tail stayed poofed out for a few days."
Lin pats down the rest of her fluffed fur and grins at Uh-Oh. "So what does happen if ya stick the end in water?" She asks, "That felt like lightnin in miniature. Not that I've been hit, myself, but I've heard stories an' everyone gets a little slark offa metal an other people sometimes." She looks over her shoulder at Aviri's departure. "Aah, he'll be fine in a few minutes once he figgures out no one got hurt or nuthin'."
"It no work if wet," Uh-Oh explains. "Keep dry! Can use on kindlin' to start fire, too."
The Lapi stares ahead, breathing heavily, for a few moments before he takes one breath and holds it another few, letitng it out with a woosh. "Could've told us what it did," he muttered to Eve. "Demonstarted on someone else. On me. Or something, not person...." Another deep breath. "Then she's fine, and I can't stop ... can't calm ...." He seems to be working himself into another rage, and clenches his fists again taking deep breaths.
"Well, she's the one that asked for a weapon," Eve reasons. "How else would she know what the effect was if she didn't experience it?"
"So, does this mean you don't want the magic talking sword, Lin?" Trilup asks.
"Shiny!" Lin chirps, "Have ya tested 'em on undead stuff? 'Cause if that doesn't work on 'em, we might need somethin' that does grevious physical harm. I'd appreciate a demo of somethin' like that on a target that isn't me."
"A weapon!" Aviri says loudly, turning to Eve. "Don't stab someone with a fishing-spear before giving it to them!"
"Need a zombie to test on," the Titanian claims. "But.. uh.. they gots muscle. So.. should work?"
"This is a non-lethal weapon though," Eve notes. "Well, technically it's not a weapon.. it's just too big to be very useful for starting fires and baking potatoes."
"Alright. I kin test it for you." Lin waves a hand at Trilup, "That sword talks too much an' it's been up butts. Somethin fer just in case this sparkey thing doesn't work right would be good though. What do you call this thing anyways?"
The brothers look at one another, then back to Lin. "Wind Up Corn Popper Deluxe," Oops claims, while Uh-Oh says, "Crank-O-Zap."
"Could've said that!" Aviri mutters again, turning back to his knees. "Just see Uh-Oh attack Lin. What'm I supposed to think? All my worrying, and she's fine, but the day I stop is the day it'll actually matter." He sighs again. "Just ... frustrating. I'll be fine, Duchess. Can go back if you like. I'll be along."
Eve pats Aviri on the shoulder, and says, "It's nice that you care. But isn't Trilup your girlfriend?"
Lin cringes at the bad names. "How 'bout just call it a Zapper? Ye kin hardly say "Quick, pass me the Wind Up Corn Popper Delux!" in the middle of a fight. Talkin' takes time. Zapper's a little of both an' way shorter."
Aviri blinks and looks at Eve. "Trilup? No. Neither. Don't have one. Still don't wanna see them hurt, though." He hugs his knees tightly. "I'll be glad when we're home. Worst happens there is get into poison ivy."
The Titanians seem slightly disappointed with the too-practical sounding name. "We got Frog-Lights," Oops notes.
Lin gives them both a light punch on the arm and says, "Hey. The name doesn't change what it is. Ya just don't want someone gettin' killed in the middle of sayin' it... Frog lights?"
Some rummaging in a box produces a set of clay frogs. Each frog has a glass ball in its mouth that is filled with some sort of liquid. Oops then demonstrates by shaking one of the frogs violently until the liquid starts to glow greenish-yellow. It's only about as much light as a candle would produce.. but it's sealed so can't be blown out or snuffed by water and such.
"Very important lamp be frog-shaped," Uh-Oh points out.
"That would have been so handy when I was scouting that underwater cave!" Lin squeals, somehow more excited about the lamp than the lightning gun. "We had to put out the lanterns to go under water an' any light would have been awesome! We must work out some kinda trade deal between Stonebarrow an' Blackshire. Waterproof lamps would just be too cool."
Aviri remains outside for another minute or so, staring at the ground, chewing on his own teeth, before getting up, brushing his pants, and returning inside. He casts a sharp look to Uh-Oh, then at the frog-light. He nods. "Those'll be handy."
"Got straps so can wear on head too," Oops says. "Nobody mess with person wearing glowing frog hat. Glow attracts bugs. Frog scares 'em away. Hide frog if you want bugs."
"Sounds good!" Lin chirps, "We should bring one fer each of us an' a spare just in case. So, kin ya spare five?"
"We gots three," Oops notes, looking in the bag. "Not make more than that. Hard to get the frog milk."
Aviri blinks. "Frog milk?" He shudders. "Don't ... don't explain, please. 'D rather not know."
"Then plug yer ears. I must know." Lin says and looks expectantly at Oops.
The Titanian blinks at Lin. "Frog.. milk.." the lad says slowly. "Y'know.. milk.. from frog. Frog milk."
"But, just any frog? Some kinda special frog?" Lin leads.
"Uh, big glowy frog," Oops says.
Lin gives the titanian a flat stare then chirps, "I'll keep an eye out for them."
"Climby stuff!" Uh-Oh shouts as he opens up another chest. Many things come out of this, including odd pulley arrangements and boots with springs on the soles.. until finally the Titanian reveals.. climbing spikes. One set that straps to feet, and another for hands.
Aviri tilts his head as he can't not think about what frog-milk would mean, and shudders and tries to bring himself back to the now. "Alright ... three lights, four people...." He looks at his companions trying to find a way to say "Who doesn't get one" that doesn't sound like "Who doesn't get one" but fails, and decides to say nothing.
"Those look.. uh.. normal?" Trilup comments on the climbing spikes.
Lin looks over the plethora of climbing gear and bouncy shoes. "Yeah. Let's go with the tried an' true one fer dealin' with hights." She takes a quick inventory of the group, "So me an' Trilup kin climb alright an' I'm pretty sure kitties don't need any help climbin or sein' in the dark. Aviri's kinda not so good at climbin' that's why I was hopeing fer a grappling hook."
"Climb up, drop rope down," Uh-Oh suggests.
"I can climb trees well enough," Aviri claims. "The right type of tree," he adds under his breath. "Though ropes and some of those metal stake-things would do just as well. You two could climb, stake the stake, tie the rope. A hand-delivered grappling hook!"
"Sure." Lin chirps. "Climbing spikes an' rope. Anythin' you know of in the direction that ring's pointing? An obvious dungeon or somethin' so we've got a better idea what we're up against?"
"We don't even know how far away it is," Eve points out. "Since the Upheaval, most maps are no good."
"Might wanna bring a normal compass, too," Aviri notes. "To find our way back. Or at least note which direction it's pointing from here."
"An' maybe some kinda faster transport? Somethin' tells me you've got a machine fer that." Lin looks over at the steam carriage.
"Well, the carriage requires roads.." Eve notes.
"Mebbe.. uh.." Oops says, then starts whispering with Uh-Oh.
"Hokay!" Oops says, and smiles back to the others. "Stilts! Make legs longer. Bigger steps!"
"Airship then?" Lin asks, "That's how all this got started. Just keep flyin' until the ring points straight down."
"Stilts?" Aviri asks warily. "Might prefer just regular walking. Never really used stilts before..." He looks down at his legs and frowns.
"Airship no good," Oops claims, and points up through a hole in the roof. "Can't see. Get lost. Also don't got one."
"Then we'll... Walk." Lin says, somewhat sad that they didn't get a cool mode of transportation.
"Got inflatable boat!" Uh-Oh offers.
"Might be useful for our trip back to Stonebarrow," Aviri says to Uh-Oh, his eyes still sharp at the Titanian. "But ... might not get it back, so probably not a good idea."
"Are there any bodies of water big enough in the direction we're going?" Lin asks.
"Just.. uh.. swamp.." Eve notes. "Lots of swamps in this region.."
"Hard not to think there's anything but swamp," Aviri says with a chuckle. "How does the boat inflate?"
"Foot pump!" Uh-Oh says.
"Is it light?" Lin asks, "An' is it easy to pop?"
"Oh yeah, real light and poppy," Oops says, tail wagging. "Poppy important?"
"Light's good!" Aviri says. "Poppy isn't. I'd hate to break it."
"Not poppy would be better. Monster teeth an' branches kin scratch up a regular wooden boat right proper." Lin explains.
"Prolly not what need then," Oops says. "How 'bout decoys?"
"Wat kinda decos?" Lin asks, "Some kinda magic projection to make monsters think we went in one direction but really went the other way?"
"Rubber blow up copies of you," Oops says. "Just need make plaster molds of you. Fur grow back."
"Remember, Lin, I do have that..." Aviri says, his eyes going wide as Oops' words flow over his ears. "N-no, I'm good without a decoy, thanks."
"Mysterious magical monster repellant that I've never seen work." Lin finishes for Aviri, "An you guys shuold work on a better moulding system. My fur keeps me waterproof an' fluffy. I've seen a 'Quavi shaved as a prank before an'... Well... Nope."
Trilup tells Lin, "I've seen it work! Well.. probably.."
"Those moss-things sure didn't like it," Aviri says. "Remember that?"
"Sure." Lin says, still not convinced. "Could be you just smelled bad too."
Aviri chuckles and shakes his head. "Alright, next time the undead things attack us, you can go waltzing away from the talisman."
"You guys gots magic?" Oops asks.
"Maybe magic." Linyala says, "There may or may not be anti-undead magic in some funky crystal Aviri has."
Aviri nods and pulls the necklace from his pocket. "Supposed to make undead things stay away. Worked well enough the times we've needed it."
Oops leans forwards to sniff at the object. "Smells like Lapi! Bunnies keep away monsters.. maybe that why rabbit feet lucky?"
"If you got bunnies you throw them at monster, everyone know that," Uh-Oh claims.
Aviri stuffs the crystal back into his pocket and glares at them. "Feet only fast," he says.
"Sorry, ya can't go cuttin' up Aviri fer his bunny parts. There was a trade in that sort of thing a while back an we had ta... Put a stop to it." Lin claims with a wink at the Titanians.
The two wolves stare at Aviri, then laugh! "Ah! You not a bunny, you a Lapi.." Oops finally points out after catching his breath.
"Yah, bunnies is little monsters that are all mouth and bite your legs off," Uh-Oh points out.
Aviri glares at both the Titanians and Lin, and takes a nervous step back in case someone got clever with a cleaver.
"Where do yer legs go if they're all mouth?" Lin asks, not aknowledging Aviri's skitishness, "We ran into, and from, them on the way here."
"We saw some in the woods," Trilup notes. "The ones we have back home are just cute and cuddly and hardly ever bite off bits of you. Hardly ever."
"'Cept the vampires," Aviri mutters with a wry grin.
"We ain't allowed to cuddle things," Oops notes. "Until we're bigger." Since they're already both bigger than Aviri, Oops is probably referring to age.
Lin waves a hand at Aviri, "But they've got vampires here too. That's nothin' special. They made one sherrif! Fer once, Stonebarrow might actually be less threatenin' than other places."
"No it ain't," Oops says. "It's full of mad inventors and invisible murder monsters that collect severed heads and drain all the blood from their victims so they don't leave stains on the bedsheets!"
"We call that 'Blood Day'," Aviri offers with a chuckle. "But no, discounting the debacle with this box ... well, we don't need machines to sweep our swamps clear of monsters."
"That's what we're for!" Lin chirps hapilly, baring her little fangs.
"So you hunt them down and eat them then?" Uh-Oh asks, wide eyed. He looks nervously at the otters now.
"Naw. The invisible monster population is way down." Lin claims, "Though the sneaky lapis in the night might leave more'n a couple stains on your bed sheets." She elbows Uh-Oh in the ribs.
The Titanian jumps at the prodding. "B-but you gots.. them," he notes, lowering his voice and whispering, "Kadies." He says it as if saying it louder would summon one.
"Yeah. They make fun traps." Lin chirps, "But those are mostly like complicated pranks fer when we try an' sneak into their workshops. They're not really so scary, they're just crazy enough ta get some decent machines workin' in one of the most magicey parts of the swamps. Never seen somethin' like yer lightnin' crossbow though."
Aviri freezes, wide-eyed at Uh-Oh. "Y-you m-m-mean ..." he looks around carefully and says quietly "Guthner?"
"Is that the head demon?" Uh-Oh asks, cringing. "They never come through this part, but lots of places in Sylvania got stomped flat when they passed through! But they stopped in Stonebarrow and now there's Akwavi there too that ain't anyplace else so they must be really nasty to be able to hang out with squirrels!"
"Well, we're more fluffy and cuddly than scary an' dangerous." Lin admits, "But, as ye kin see, we're really fluffy an' cuddly."
"Except when they just get done swimming," Aviri points out. "Then they're more ... gross and slimy. And wet. Not so fluffy or cuddly."
"And they don't drag victims down and drown them, then bury their bodies in the mud to make mud zombies?" Oops asks. He looks more excited by that notion that scared though.
Aviri shrugs. "I wouldn't know; I rarely go swimming. But don't I've never heard of that happening."
Lin is stuck speechless for a whole three seconds at the absurdity of Aquavi preforming necromancy. "No. Even I haven't heard that one an' I live there!"
"In all honesty," Aviri says, "we fish. And farm. I pick plants. We don't need monster-traps because there aren't too many monsters. The one we do have is mostly legend."
"We just make mud-babies underwater," Trilup notes. She may not understand completely how baby Akwavi are made, however.
"How you keep from being invaded then?" Uh-Oh asks, holding a finger up.
"Apparently our reputation," Aviri says, a bit amused. "Nobody can work up the courage to attack us."
"They already were," Eve replies. "They're a Gallisian protectorate now, under the rule of Chevalier Montagne von Richebeau. Although rumor has it he was turned into a pig."
"Gunther." Lin claims, "He's our one kadie army. That an' we just prank the invaders 'till they leave. Swap their water casks with barrels of spiders a couple times an' pretty much anyone will pack up an' go home."
"Ewww.. who collects the spiders?" Eve asks.
"Scout Initiates." Lin chirps, "But it's been a while since we've had a good invasion."
"Yeah, we just sorta let everyone camp out now," Trilup says. "It's because of Erik, wanting 'trade' and 'relations' and weird stuff like that. Except we had that necromancer attack! And those bandits we messed up.."
Aviri shrugs and frowns. "I don't know much history, admitedly. Doesn't factor much into plants."
"Good thing you met me, Aviri, or you'd have taken root by now yourself," Trilup says with a grin.
"Oh, no, that'd never happen," Aviri says with a grin. "Can't study plants if I took root! I'd just ... sit there. It'd be boring."
"Anyways, we've got the zapper, climbing gear, an' lights." Lin chirps, "Let's grab some more rope, I've got some aside from my belt but you can never have enough. We kin also use somethin' in case the zapper doesn't get us through all the creepy crawlies we run across. Anythin' else before we head out? An' why don't y'all come out to Stonebarrow later an' we kin show you 'round. You'll see it's not nearly as bad as the stories say."
"Can we bring our fireworks?" Oops asks.
"NO!" Eve says quickly.
The two Titanians whine a bit.
"Aww." Lin pouts as well.
"Fireworks?" Aviri asks. He shakes his head. "I mean, yeah, no."
"What are fireworks?" Trilup whispers to Lin.
"I don't know, but if they're that excited about them, they must be fun!" Lin whispers back.
"Well.. let's all get some lunch, then dig up the maps and see what might be out there, alright?" Eve suggests.
"That," Aviri says passionately, "sounds like a plan. The maps are a good idea, too."
Lin looks at Eve like she just sprouted Lapi ears. "There are maps? Why didn't we check the maps before we got kitted out?" She whines and clutches the end of her tail, "We did this backwards!"
"Everyone says you think with your backside anyway, Lin," Trilup teases. "So this should be just fine!"