Open Post: Curiosity

[sporesprouter]

Tress is, as she often is, in her workshop. However, what she is doing in her workshop is not even close to her usual activities.

Instead of her usual array of spores and sprouter's gear, she has found some more standard tools which are sitting on the table next to a rubber mat that is holding... a toaster. She secreted one from a kitchen that isn't particularly used. To the side are a couple books from the library as well as her open notebook.

She turns the toaster upside down and starts undoing some screws on the bottom of the case.

After all, the best way to figure something out is often to gain practical knowledge.

Comments

[wickedwit]

"Oh? Do tell."

[sporesprouter]

"It's just... there's one that we each came up with independently. You know when you have a pair of really good gloves, and as long as you take care of them and keep using them, they just fit better and better? Like you almost completely forget you have them on?"

[wickedwit]

"I do know," Claudius says softly. Appreciatively -- he's always admired Tress's dedication to Charlie, always wanted to help her get back to him. But the metaphor helps him understand how much they mean to each other. "It's the thing that you aim for, whenever you get a pair of new gloves. Even the finest ones, perfumed ones, fresh from the tanner. You don't want to remain like new forever. You want to become comfortable in them."

[sporesprouter]

She nods. "Exactly. I just... I knew Charlie was my gloves, and then when he had to leave the Rock... he told me the same thing. I wouldn't see him again for over a year, and didn't know it was him for even longer."

[wickedwit]

“It’s worth the wait, to have one’s favorite pair of gloves again.” Claudius smiles fondly. “But thou didst more than wait. Thou didst scheme thy way aboard a ship — dost thou know, that was the first thing to make me impressed with thee? Before I even knew what a clever inventress thou wert.”

[sporesprouter]

"Oh. Well, you might be giving me a little more credit than I deserve with that one. I had a lot of help. My parents, basically everyone who was working on the dock that morning... I don't think I could have done it if it was just me scheming."

[wickedwit]

Claudius laughs. "Must I tell thee thou deserv'st more credit, not less, for wrapping so many others in thy scheme? Thou shouldst know how determined I am to praise thee, and how long I can spend conjuring praises. And we've a list of metals to find."

[sporesprouter]

It's all she can do not to bury her face in her hands. "Okay, fine, you win. I'm clearly amazing. Let's go find some metal."

[wickedwit]

Claudius grins in victory -- and, quite frankly, he's been enjoying all his scientific adventures of late. "Let's," he agrees.

[sporesprouter]

She nods. "All right then. ... Also, I think I'll take a coffee maker from the kitchen I got the toaster from while we're looking for metal."

[wickedwit]

"Oh, the praises your crew will sing for you if bring them instant coffee," teases Claudius¹. "I approve of this plan."

¹ That one Claudius has used, though he really shouldn't. He doesn't need the caffeine with his insomnia.

[sporesprouter]

"Oh. Not for coffee, actually. I just thought it might be useful to figure out the method it uses to dispense water. For the spore toaster."

[wickedwit]

Claudius laughs. "One project at a time, I see.Well-thought. We'll focus on the spore toaster."

[sporesprouter]

"Well good. If I start doing too much at once, I'm fairly sure I'll get scolded a handful of times."

[wickedwit]

"That's why you have three first mates," Claudius says fondly¹.

¹ Claudius is, of course, the first mate of enabling.

[sporesprouter]

"I have four first mates," she corrects quickly. "Only three of them are here, though."

[wickedwit]

"A balanced number," Claudius says approvingly. "One day I should like to meet the fourth."

[sporesprouter]

"I'd like if you did too. Salay is... really wonderful. Even if she can kind of jump to conclusions sometimes."

[wickedwit]

"I'd like to travel to other worlds, once a way out of this world is open," Claudius admits, for the first time to someone other than Crowley. It's a bit of a pipe dream, when even a way out is something so far out of reach. "Perhaps you can introduce me to yours, and to this First Mate Salay. You'll have to brief me on local etiquette so I conduct myself appropriately."

[sporesprouter]

"Oh, I'd love to! I'd introduce you to everyone. My crew's wonderful, and you could sail with us for a while if you'd like."

[wickedwit]

Claudius laughs. "Why not? I don't know the first thing about sailing. It's not a life I've ever envisioned for myself, but the lives I envision for myself always pale in comparison to the life that is."

[sporesprouter]

"It wasn't a life I ever envisioned for myself either, so we'll have something in common." She grins. "I'm sure we'd find something for you to do on board."

[wickedwit]

"I must have some useful skills. My upbringing as a prince provided me with any number of useless ones."

[sporesprouter]

"They're probably useful in...prince duties?" What prince duties actually consist of, she's a bit nebulous on, but she figures they'd probably train a prince in them.

[wickedwit]

"You can't think of a single one, can you?" asks Claudius with a wry smile. "There's a young man here, Enjolras, who has me reading a book that's made me question the whole purpose of monarchy. More than you had already, when you solved so many of the problems I thought central leadership would solve with common sense suggestions and a sign." Dryly, he says, "It still won't make me very capable on a ship, unless you think your crew needs a supply of cutting judgments of people in power."