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

[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."

[sporesprouter]

She shrugs. "People in power can probably always use cutting judgments, really, even if it's just a ship's captain. But remember. I was just a window washer when I went to sea. I only didn't get tossed overboard because I panicked and started scrubbing the deck. You don't have to start capable."

[wickedwit]

"Wise words, for princes and window washers." Claudius considers all the things he did to become king -- the poison was the least of it, though it takes year to develop and commit to the plan. He also spent years making connections, learning the political landscape at home and abroad, memorizing points of policy, crafting speeches, poring through budgetary reports. If he was going to do this, he decided, he needed to be better than capable. He had to prove himself.

It's a strange thing, to be making idle plans for the future, with nothing in particular to prove.

[sporesprouter]

Tress shakes her head. "Sensible words, really. It's just that people don't pay attention to sensible things so often that when they do they seem wise instead."

[wickedwit]

Claudius laughs. "Fair enough. Sensibility can be hard to come by. We should resume our search for metals, since we'll probably find those first."

[sporesprouter]

"Also sensible!" She smiles. "Where do you think the best place to look would be?"

[wickedwit]

“We could open various drawers and hope. That’s what Laurel — Galahad’s old personae — used to do in search of needful items.” Claudius interrupted himself midsentence and realized the only way forward was through, so hopefully that suffices, off-handedly referring to his beloved’s old personae like the names of relations. “But I have another idea you might like. We could select other devices like this that run on channeled lightning, take them apart, and see what metals are stored there. If we’re uncertain what metals we find, we could subject them to a flame test. If you’ve never seen the color of copper fire, you really ought to at least once. As a child, it was the first thing that convinced me alchemy could be worthy of the name of natural magic.”

[sporesprouter]

Tress did at least have the benefit of having interacted with Galahad during his memory loss, so she does let the first statement go without comment, figuring correctly that it's probably related. The actual suggestion, though, intrigues her. "That would make sense. Whoever invented them would have had to have tested possibilities already and decided on the best option."

[wickedwit]

Claudius laughs. "That's why you keep me. I will always tell you how to make your work easier by relying on the work of others."

[sporesprouter]

"Of course. If everyone always started from scratch on everything, everything would be... well, a whole lot worse, really."

[wickedwit]

"Well-said, as always." And if it's also an excuse to take something apart, pull out the pieces, and set pieces of it on fire to produce pretty colors, so much the better. Something can both be a step towards scientific progress built on the work of one's forebears, and an entertaining diversion. Claudius ushers Tress on to help look for the next toaster, or victim.