Editing Chuubo-1:5 (section)

==START==
<@Random_Nerd> You guys are in the control room of the zeppelin.  Everything around you looks like grainy wartime news reels from WWII.<br>
* @deMontreal checks what he needs to fix the ship<br>
<@Random_Nerd> Fighter-planes are swarming outside, shooting at the zeppelin, while some of the crew crank the big gun around.<br>
<@Mrs_Senko> "Gather around, children! This is a history lesson!"<br>
<@Random_Nerd> (Right now, the ship you can see is intact.)<br>
<@Random_Nerd> Natalia, as someone who actually comes from Earth-as-we-know-it, a few things stand out.<br>
<@Natalia> (Alright.)<br>
<@Lili> (Rats are running the ship?)<br>
<Luthien> (O_O point for Senko, right off the bat!)<br>
<@deMontreal> "Yes. Many World War II battles were fought by schoolchildren in imaginary zeppelins."<br>
<@Random_Nerd> (Humans.)<br>
<@Mrs_Senko> "It is probably highly edited with fantastical daring-do, but try to ignore that."<br>
<@Random_Nerd> First, the controls and crews appear to be Russian.  And they didn't have war-zeppelins.<br>
<@Random_Nerd> Second, the planes attacking are definitely WWII-era, and ''nobody'' used them then.<br>
<@Lili> "Senko, what if the children die during the lesson?"<br>
<@Random_Nerd> Third, the planes attacking appear to be British.<br>
<@Mrs_Senko> "Then they fail."<br>
<@Mrs_Senko> "Duh."<br>
<@Random_Nerd> DeMontreal, you can see that in addition to the armor plating, this zeppelin has a lot of metal structural parts, which look to be aluminum.  Those are not to be found on the zeppelin in the present.<br>
<@Lili> "What if you die?"<br>
<@Random_Nerd> Nobody who's there appears to notice any of you.<br>
<@deMontreal> "I seem to recall that they evaluate teachers based on what percentage of their students fail..."<br>
<@Mrs_Senko> "Then I've discovered a challenger!"<br>
<@Natalia> (Do the crew appear to notice us?  And are they saying anything noteworthy beyond the frantic orders and reports you'd expect of a military ship during a battle?)<br>
<@Mrs_Senko> "You must be thinking of an outdated system, Mr. de Montreal.<br>
<@Mrs_Senko> "<br>
* @Lili will wave a hand in front of a crew-member's face.<br>
<@deMontreal> "Indeed. Last week was ''so'' long ago."<br>
<@Mrs_Senko> "Not long enough."<br>
<@deMontreal> "... or don't you read your memos?"<br>
<@Random_Nerd> Natalia, what they're saying all has to do with what is going on around them.  They're asking where their fighter coverage is, yelling to get the gun in position, and wondering whether to drop the bombs early to lighten their load and turn around.<br>
<@Mrs_Senko> "Now you're just making things up."<br>
<@deMontreal> (So, the Russian zep crew is shooting at British fighters?)<br>
<@Random_Nerd> (And vice-versa.)<br>
<@Random_Nerd> Lili, no reaction.<br>
* Mrs_Senko sets mode: +o Luthien<br>
<@Lili> (There is probably a lot of swear words mixed in there in the Russian.)<br>
<@Random_Nerd> (Most of you don't really know enough for this to seem odd.  You know that there are such countries as Britain and Russia, or else there wouldn't be people in Town who came from there, but not much about them.)<br>
<@Lili> (Can we see any of the bombs in the room we are in?)<br>
<@Random_Nerd> Oh, and one other thing.  Shounen appears to be drifting by, outside the window.<br>
<@deMontreal> "Are you willing to take that chance, Mrs. Senko?"<br>
<@Natalia> "This isn't a history lesson.  Those planes, this zeppelin...  They didn't exist at the same time.  And the national markings are all wrong."<br>
<@Random_Nerd> (No.  From what you've heard, they're two compartments down.)<br>
<@Luthien> (What does Luthi know about history?)<br>
<@Random_Nerd> A spray of bullets cuts across the middle of the control room.<br>
<@Mrs_Senko> "At least half of the class is already failing, Mr. de Montreal."<br>
<@deMontreal> "Indeed. I suspect this is entirely wrong...<br>
<@Random_Nerd> (That depends.  Is she from Earth?  Or some anime or fantasy universe that has catgirls?)<br>
* @Natalia hits the floor. "Get down!"<br>
<@deMontreal> "Usually the sign of a bad teacher. But I digress."<br>
<@Random_Nerd> None of you get hit, but the spray of splinters /do/ cause minor cuts and scrapes in all but Natalia.<br>
<@Lili> "They're all still alive, Senko!  Don't get greedy!"  *''waves at Shonen''* <br>
<@deMontreal> "Since this is Wrong, I believe we can destroy it with impunity.<br>
<@Random_Nerd> (XP to deMontreal.)<br>
* @deMontreal grabs a part needed for the present-zeppelin from the past-zeppelin.<br>
<@Luthien> (I believe that she is from ... the outside of Town)<br>
<@deMontreal> (For what, specifically?)<br>
<@Lili> Lili is fascinated by the cuts for a few moments, but after making sure that Chuubo is fine, forgets about the hurts.<br>
<@Random_Nerd> (The "Since it is Wrong, we can destroy it with impunity" gave me the requisite emotional reaction to him.)<br>
* @Natalia grits her teeth, rolling to her feet next to deMontreal. "In what universe does it work that way?"<br>
<@deMontreal> "Nightmares, Natalia.<br>
<@deMontreal> "Only the parts I ''make'' real can hurt you."<br>
<@Mrs_Senko> "Part of this history lesson is learning about first aid! Everyone gather around while I show you how to clean a wound!"<br>
<@Random_Nerd> A plane is about to fly into Shounen, but at the last moment, the pilot seems to see something, and swerves.<br>
<@Natalia> "Of course.."<br>
<@Random_Nerd> (And one to Senko.)<br>
<@Random_Nerd> Suddenly, there's a cheer from some of the crew, and several point out the window.<br>
<@Mrs_Senko> (invoking Practical Teacher to have a first aid kit for the lesson)<br>
* @Natalia nods distractedly at Mrs. Senko, her eyes checking each corner of the room, looking for somewhere where they would be in relatively less risk from the battle outside.<br>
* @Lili will go up near the captain and copy his pose, as if to gain insight as to what is going on in this strange language.<br>
<@Random_Nerd> A new group of planes, these ones built along different lines, are coming in.<br>
* @deMontreal continues harvesting parts.<br>
<@Random_Nerd> Even to those who don't speak Russian, it's relatively clear that this is their fighter escort, and about damn time.<br>
<@Random_Nerd> And with that, the world returns to normal.<br>
<@Luthien> "Lili, what is language are they speaking?"<br>
<@deMontreal> (Inasmuch as anything here is Normal. :) )<br>
<@Luthien> "Were?"<br>
<@Natalia> (Anything noteworthy about the fighter escort that I notice before it all goes back?)<br>
<@Lili> "I don't know, Luthi.  But Natalia knew it!  But then again, she knows quite a lot."<br>
<@Random_Nerd> (They don't look ''exactly'' like Russian fighter planes of the world you know.  Different engineers, or something.)<br>
* @deMontreal sticks the harvested parts on the present ship.<br>
<@Lili> "Do you often steal from the past to create the future, deMontreal?"<br>
<@Natalia> (Is the flag the Russian or Soviet one?  If they have flag marks.)<br>
<@deMontreal> "It's the heart of science."<br>
<@Random_Nerd> (Russian.)<br>
* @Mrs_Senko is totally believing this to be actual historic events.<br>
<@Lili> "Bah, it just makes you a parent.<br>
<@Lili> "<br>
<@Random_Nerd> (But the technology was definitely WWII-era.)<br>
<@deMontreal> How torn up is this ship?<br>
<@deMontreal> (Which means it should be Soviet)<br>
<@Random_Nerd> Pretty bad.  You can see the damage done by the bullets you saw, but also a lot more damage.<br>
<@Lili> (Use Diagnosis to see what's wrong with the zep and Tinker for fixing it.)<br>
<@Random_Nerd> Clearly, more happened after the part where the dream cut out.<br>
<@Natalia> "I think it was a...  What do they call it, alternate history?  Because Mother Russia only used that flag before the Revolution, and those fighter planes were definitely from after..."<br>
<@Random_Nerd> (What's your Diagnosis?)<br>
<@deMontreal> (The ship has Lupus.)<br>
<@Random_Nerd> (it's never Lupus.)<br>
<@Luthien> (x_x)<br>
<@Natalia> ((Wasn't it one time?))<br>
<@Lili> (1 in Diagnosis.)<br>
<@Lili> (Yes, once.)<br>
<@Lili> (And if it was Lupus, I would get it a lightbox schedule, plenty of platelets and some rest.)<br>
<@Random_Nerd> Lillimund, you discover that: 1, the zeppelin got shot up a lot.  2, most of the less heavy metal parts, as well as a great deal of the skeletal support around the gas envelope, has been taken.  3, the engine (a diesel) hasn't been used in at least a century, and looks to have taken some damage as well.<br>
<@Lili> (I use Tinker (2) on the engine!)  "Meh, someone has scavenged the skeleton of the ship.  That is not how predators act!"  *''pulls tools out with a sheen of light catching on them!''*<br>
<@Random_Nerd> DeMontreal, you notice that Lillimund has a really nice set of tools.  Not quite as nice as yours, but still pretty nice.<br>
<@Random_Nerd> Shounen is still off somewhere, napping.<br>
<@Mrs_Senko> "You believe in alternate histories, Miss Koutolika?"<br>
<@Lili> (Does he snore?)<br>
<@Random_Nerd> (Yes, but in an adorable rather than annoying way.)<br>
''<@deMontreal> (Hang on, phone poll...)''<br>
<@Lili> (Tell them that you plan on voting for Stephen Colbert!)<br>
<@Random_Nerd> Lili, you're pretty sure that if you spend a few hours, and get or make a few spare parts, you can get the engine working.  It's a big sucker, nearly as big as the actual mechanical part of the Wishing Engine.<br>
* @deMontreal is trying not to start at those ... tools ...<br>
<@Random_Nerd> Oh, you notice something else.  Someone siphoned the gas.  You can see where they knocked a hole in the fuel feed to do so.<br>
<@deMontreal> (makes sense if they were mothballing the thing)<br>
<@deMontreal> ... wait, they wouldn't have to make a hole...<br>
<@Lili> "Hey Luthi, I need your detective skills to find some stuff for me, please?"<br>
* @Natalia chooses her words carefully. "I believe that the experience just now resembles one."<br>
* @deMontreal examines the gas bag. On the zeppelin.<br>
<@Luthien> *''Ears perk''* "Yes?  What do you need?"<br>
<@Random_Nerd> Leonardo, it looks like it will need a lot of work, and some extra materials, both for the bag itself and for the scaffolding.<br>
<@deMontreal> We're in a huge room with random junk lying around, right?<br>
* @Lili pulls some paper out of a back pocket and spreads it out and then pats herself down.  Finally pulls a pencil out of her cleavage and sketches the spare parts that she needs, along with a couple of feet of hosing.  <br>
<@Mrs_Senko> "Well, it was altered for dramatic effect."<br>
* @deMontreal checks out Lili's drawing...<br>
<@Random_Nerd> Some appears to be eaten by moths or ninjas or whatever, some appears to have been torn by bullets (some parts of that are patched, some aren't) and large patches of it seem to have been cut out with a knife.<br>
<@Lili> "Take a look around for stuff liek this and anything big and metal-pole-like that we could use for getting this up and going."  *salutes Luthi*  "We are counting on you, Detective!"<br>
<@Luthien> "Yes Lili Ma<br>
<@Luthien> 'am!"<br>
<@Luthien> *goes off Stuff Hunting*<br>
<@deMontreal> (Lili's the Engine and I know it, right?)<br>
<@Random_Nerd> deMontreal, you are relatively confident you could make everything that's needed from one good nightmare.  Also, her design work is a little too showy and impractical in some ways.<br>
<@Lili> (*''shifty''*)<br>
<@Random_Nerd> (Yes, although you aren't quite sure of the details of how exactly that works.)<br>
<@Lili> (Hey!)<br>
<@Lili> (Showy and impractical?!?)<br>
<@Luthien> (I don't actually ''have'' any Stuff Hunting abilities, btw.)<br>
<@Luthien> (Luthi just thinks she does)<br>
<@Lili> (I know, but you're a detective and you were already looking around for your bunny.)<br>
<@Random_Nerd> What parts are you sending her out for, Lili?<br>
<@Random_Nerd> (Feel free to make up what you need.()<br>
<@deMontreal> "Hm. Tell me, have you ever dreamed about being trapped... or cocooned... then woke up and discovered you were merely tangled in your sheets?<br>
<@Lili> A left-flanged flywheel, a really big metal fan, a small pocketwatch and an alternator.<br>
<@Lili> (Who are you asking, deMontreal?)<br>
<@deMontreal> (everyone. I can grab that from the dream and use it to patch the bag.)<br>
<@Random_Nerd> Shounen snores, in the background.<br>
<@Luthien> (teddy, not bunny :P)<br>
<@Mrs_Senko> (Mrs. Senko does not approve of dream-grabbing.)<br>
<@Lili> (Ah yes.  My apologies for being so mistaken in the choice of your stuffed companion.  *''bows''*)<br>
<@deMontreal> (deMontreal doesn't give a rat's ass.)<br>
* @deMontreal sneaks up on Soun...<br>
<@Lili> (Ehh, like anyone ever grabbed ''your'' dreams, Senko.  :P  )<br>
* @Natalia grits her teeth, a vivid daydream coming on. "I hadn't until you brought it up."<br>
<@Mrs_Senko> (Hehe)<br>
<@Lili> "What's sleep?"<br>
* @deMontreal tucks Soun in.<br>
<@Random_Nerd> Luthien, you've found a pocketwatch.  It's in the waistcoat pocket of a large stuffed aligator.  Not as in a plush toy, as in a dead animal that a taxidermist set to work on.<br>
<@Random_Nerd> And the suit looks to have been hand-tailored for the alligator.<br>
<@Random_Nerd> Soun rolls over in his oddly ornate bed.<br>
* @deMontreal whispers in Soun's ear: "Midterms are to-daaaaaaay!"<br>
<@Mrs_Senko> (Where is our class president?)<br>
<@Random_Nerd> Soun rolls over, but doesn't seem sufficiently upset.<br>
<@Lili> (He had left a while back.)<br>
<@Random_Nerd> (He went back down after you guys saw the zeppelin.)<br>
<@Lili> (Before the nightmare.)<br>
<@Lili> (Would the suit fit Luthi?)<br>
<@deMontreal> "Aren't you flunking everything?"<br>
<@Mrs_Senko> (He...was taking us on a tour of the school and abandoned us in storage?)<br>
<@Lili> *to deMontreal*  "Attack his coolness, deMontreal!  What is school to the greatness that is Shonen?"<br>
<@Random_Nerd> (People got excited when they saw what was in here, and he said that he could arrange for you guys to have access to it if you had a use for it.)<br>
<@deMontreal> (An obvious plot to eliminate the school's biggest troublemaker. Senko should complain to the school board.)<br>
<@Lili> (Yeah.  But that's because we started talking about using it instead of the bus you wanted to request.)<br>
<@Random_Nerd> (And, let's face it, you are not prying Lili and DeMontreal off of a zeppelin that needs fixing.)<br>
<@Lili> (Miiiiiiine!)<br>
<@Random_Nerd> Speaking of mechanical geniuses, it becomes apparent that Chuubo has wandered off somewhere.<br>
<@deMontreal> (Like hell)<br>
<@Mrs_Senko> (Senko hasn't broken him yet. He still has potential.)<br>
<@Random_Nerd> When Lili says the word "coolness," Shounen smiles.<br>
* @deMontreal has never boon "Cool".<br>
<@deMontreal> Cold, yes, but not cool.<br>
* @Lili will let Chuubo wander in the hopes that he will bring back something unexpected or useful.  And hopefully he will not fall out of the storage and into the girl's locker room.<br>
<@Random_Nerd> But Shounen is the sort of pathetic weekling who keeps his heart in his ''torso''.  Meanwhile, you were removing your heart ''before'' it was coo... uh... the obviously rational course of action.<br>
<@deMontreal> to Soun: "Is that... a zit?"<br>
<@Random_Nerd> His face contorts in horror.<br>
<@deMontreal> "... I think it is.<br>
<@Random_Nerd> He rolls over onto his side, and curls up in a protective ball, hiding his face.<br>
<@Lili> (His hair!  It is imperfect!  Go for the hair!)<br>
<@Random_Nerd> deMontreal, you can tell that he's got a good nightmare going now.<br>
<@deMontreal> "Shame it's right before your big performance to the cheer squad."<br>
<@deMontreal> "... You'd better get medicine on it right now!"<br>
<@Random_Nerd> He curls up tighter.<br>
<@deMontreal> (Reminding you he's well tucked in)<br>
<@Random_Nerd> (The suit on the alligator would only fit Luthien if you somehow transformed her into an alligator.)<br>
* @deMontreal checks out Soun's nightmare.<br>
<@Mrs_Senko> While Leonardo is focused on Shounen, Mrs. Senko will use the Bleak Method to make minor repairs to the zeppelin...like making a call to a fuel supplier and stuff.<br>
<@Lili> (Ah, good, Senko.  I will nto have to render down rancid pigs for their fat for use as biofuel...)<br>
<@Random_Nerd> He has a zit, and it's midterms, and he's being surrounded by people who want him to help them study, get them a date, and make it so the sun's glare isn't quite so bright all the time.<br>
<@Random_Nerd> (Let's see, you don't have any Mystery issue points yet, right?)<br>
<@deMontreal> (Nope)<br>
<@Random_Nerd> (That was to Senko.)<br>
<@Mrs_Senko> (I don't think so...)<br>
<@Random_Nerd> (Okay, so the Bleak Method produces effective but mundane results under such circumstances, right?)<br>
<@Mrs_Senko> (I believe so.)<br>
<@deMontreal> "Let's see, the world's spinning around him... (grab!) one flywheel..."<br>
<@Random_Nerd> Senko, you work out a more efficient means of structural support for the zeppelin by use of mature and adult methods of architecture, and then to solve the fuel problem, make a call to someone else to exchange money for his goods and/or services, as an adult human will.<br>
<@Random_Nerd> It's a good flywheel, too!  Self-lubricating bearings!<br>
<@deMontreal> "Ah yes, the part of the dream where things change too fast to deal with... (grab!) Alternator."<br>
<@Random_Nerd> Moments later, all of you hear a knock on the door to the storage loft.<br>
<@deMontreal> "Fan... ah. Wind screwing up his ''wonderful'' hairstyle. (grabs fan)"<br>
<@Random_Nerd> Shounen turns over, but stays asleep.<br>
<@Lili> "Oy, Senko!  Go get that!  I've got my hands in the middle of this beauty's guts!"<br>
<@Mrs_Senko> "Miss Cartaign! I'll have you know that I'm busy as well!"<br>
* @Mrs_Senko answers the door anyway<br>
<@deMontreal> "And while I'm at it... this impossibly long hallway between him and his objective would make an excellent fuel hose. (Nab)"<br>
* @Lili is flat on her back under the engine, getting oil and dirt artistically smeared about her face and clothes but it only makes her look more glamourous.<br>
<@Mrs_Senko> "Yes?"<br>
<@Random_Nerd> A man in the Town Zeppelin Fuel Suply Co, which you have never heard of before today, is carting a big metal tank that sloshes.  You are not precisely sure how he got it up the ladder.<br>
<@Mrs_Senko> "Ah! Is that the fuel I ordered?"<br>
<@Random_Nerd> As a rational adult, you know that this tradesman will give this product to you if you give him certain colored pieces of paper which you carry in your wallet.<br>
<@Random_Nerd> He nods, and tips his hat.<br>
<@Mrs_Senko> "Wonderful! Will this cover it?"<br>
<@deMontreal> "What else do I need..."<br>
* @Mrs_Senko hands over something that looks like money, but really she has no clue if it is or not.<br>
<@Random_Nerd> DeMontreal, you begin to suspect that Lilli is part of a sinister plot by Chuubo to distract you.<br>
<@Random_Nerd> He takes it without looking at it, and says "Yeah, that'll do."<br>
<@Mrs_Senko> "Thank you very much!"<br>
<@Lili> (Bah.  A beautiful young woman with cleavage and large...tools.  How sinister is that?)<br>
<@Random_Nerd> He heads back down the ladder.<br>
<@Mrs_Senko> "Children! Fuel!"<br>
<@deMontreal> Is Soun dreaming his feet are stuck to the floor?<br>
<@Random_Nerd> Not yet, but a little sinister whispering about it later, and yes he is.<br>
<@deMontreal> "Perfect." <br>
<@Random_Nerd> Senko, you see deMontreal blatantly violating the laws of physics over by the bed.<br>
* @deMontreal grabs the sticky surface for gas bag repairs.<br>
<@Random_Nerd> You're pretty sure that he shouldn't even be able to reach into Shounen's head like that, let alone pull out pieces of machinery and adhesive.<br>
* @deMontreal hands it off to his spiderbot.<br>
<@Mrs_Senko> "Mr. de Montreal! Have you been installing holographic projectors again?"<br>
* @Lili sings to the engine about how wonderful it will be to be useful again!<br>
<@deMontreal> "When exactly was I installing projectors ''before''?"<br>
<@Random_Nerd> Lilli, you find a large bullet where it came to a rest inside the engine.  ''There's'' the bit that did the damage...<br>
* @deMontreal sends his spiderbot off to fix the gas bag<br>
<@Random_Nerd> Chuubo, in the distance: "Eight months ago.  The thing with the scorpion and the ballerina."<br>
<@Mrs_Senko> "Obviously, you're the only person around who uses technology to a degree which one would suspect you of harboring holographic projectors."<br>
<@Mrs_Senko> "Therefore, you have installed them before."<br>
<@deMontreal> "And yet you and the 'authorities' insist on my attending school. Strange."<br>
<@Mrs_Senko> "A shame, isn't it?"<br>
<@deMontreal> "So, you admit what you do is shameful?"<br>
<@Mrs_Senko> "I was using sarcasm, Mr. de Montreal. It is often used by those of greater experience."<br>
* @Lili awws and pats the engine.  "You poor ''thing!''  Don't worry, I'll get that right out of you and you'll get up and running and flying again and it'll be ''magnificent!''"<br>
<@Random_Nerd> Luthien, when rummaging through the stored stuff, you find an old sepia-toned photograph of a man in a frock coat, with cat ears poking out above his immaculately groomed hair.<br>
<@Lili> *removes the bullet*  "Natalia, can you please take this for me?"  *waves it out from under the engine*<br>
<@Luthien> "ooo..." *grabs*<br>
<@deMontreal> "Yes, I'm sure you've seen it in action."<br>
* @Natalia takes it. "This was in the machinery?"<br>
* @deMontreal continues pulling out parts.<br>
<@Random_Nerd> It's a big one.  At least .50 caliber, probably larger.<br>
<@Lili> "Indeed.  It was probably the cause of the hole in the fuel line which spelled a speedy stop for the poor thing.  Starved it."<br>
* @Mrs_Senko resumes working on the zeppelin.<br>
<@Lili> (Oh, I was wrong.)<br>
<@deMontreal> to Lili: "New fuel line here."<br>
<@Lili> (Change to 'cause of the death of the engine.  Right into its heart." instead.)<br>
<@deMontreal> "I think that is enough stuff to pull out of Soun's head..."<br>
<@Random_Nerd> Lilli, the fuel line in question is oddly warm, organic-looking, and appears to have been made from a hoop snake.<br>
<@Lili> "Alright, deMontreal.  We'll add that before filling the tank.  I want to get everything attached first before I get to partying..."<br>
<@Mrs_Senko> "Miss Cartaign. Please don't confuse the children. This is engineering, not anatomy or medical science."<br>
* @deMontreal grabs the parts and goes to the engine.<br>
<@Natalia> "That's a heavy duty gun, that fired this.."<br>
<@Lili> "''You'' do not have the soul of a engineer, a scientist, an ''inventor'', Senko.  They know that there is a heart in every machine."<br>
<@deMontreal> "Indeed. Mrs. Senko worked hard to get a monopoly on confusing people."<br>
<@Lili> "A hoop snake!  How wonderful!"  *pets it to get it to relax, even if it is dead*<br>
<@Random_Nerd> Luthien, as you're poking around, your left foot is grabbed by something.<br>
<@Natalia> "Really?  The market is pretty saturated here in Town though."<br>
<@deMontreal> "I didn't say she ''succeeded.''"<br>
<@Random_Nerd> A large snake, apparently, is coiling around your shin.  It's dust-colored, clearly to remain unseen.<br>
<@Luthien> "MRRROWF!"<br>
<@Mrs_Senko> "I know that inventors and..." she waves her hands, "Artists love to use anthropomorphic metaphors, but this is a school, Miss Cartaign."<br>
<@Luthien> *pounces on the snake thing*<br>
* @deMontreal puts his parts in the engine...<br>
<@Random_Nerd> With the parts scavenged from the dream and the attic, the two of you have everything you need to get it working again.<br>
<@Lili> "Ooof.  And do you deny...watch your hands, deMontreal...that even this school has a heart, Senko?"<br>
* @Mrs_Senko drops and looses a bolt because that's a normal thing that one does when assembling things.<br>
<@Mrs_Senko> "It has a metaphorical heart."<br>
<@Random_Nerd> Luthien, the snake has your leg, but now you have it by the neck, too.<br>
<@Mrs_Senko> "Which I will test, when the time comes."<br>
<@Mrs_Senko> "Now where did that bolt go?"<br>
* @deMontreal retrieves the bolt, because watching to make sure Senko doesn't screw things over is the intelligent thing to do.<br>
<@Mrs_Senko> *loses<br>
<@Lili> (Sometimes things just need to go sproing off into corners, deMontreal.)<br>
<@Luthien> *bites hard and shakes, 'cause that's what predator types do!*<br>
<@Random_Nerd> Lillimund, you're pretty sure the parts that Leonardo came up with are blasphemous abominations in the sight of Engineering.  Still seem to work fine, though.<br>
<@Luthien> (she isn't thinking about what that'll do to her leg.)<br>
<@Mrs_Senko> "Thank you, Mr. de Montreal. Even if your methods are absurd, you are quite dependable."<br>
<@Random_Nerd> Luthien, the snake is ''delicious''.  It tastes like it's been slowly barbecued with a mix of hickory and cherry wood.<br>
<@deMontreal> "Thank you, Mrs. Senko. Even if your methods are dependable to the point of monotony, you are quite absurd."<br>
<@Random_Nerd> Still fights, though.  Your foot is going numb.<br>
<@Lili> (Perhaps you should call for Natalia, kid?)<br>
<@Mrs_Senko> "That is not how you pronounce 'practical,' Mr. de Montreal."<br>
<@Random_Nerd> (Oh, and I'm giving Luthien a point of... Complex, I think.)<br>
<@Luthien> *nomnomnom*<br>
<@Mrs_Senko> (Is Luthi alright?)<br>
<@Mrs_Senko> (I mean....numb!)<br>
<@Random_Nerd> Luthien, while your foot continues to go numb, the snake seems to be losing strength the more you eat its delicious slow-roasted flesh.<br>
* @Lili tings the nightmare pieces with a fingernail a couple of times to test them and listen to the metal.  Shrugs, if they work, cool, if they don't, the engine won't work at least.  Unless they're only good for a bit and will drop them all out of the sky later.<br>
<@Random_Nerd> One last mouthful, and it stops struggling amd relaxes.<br>
<@deMontreal> (Luthien, you need help, or just barbeque sauce?)<br>
<@Lili> *tinker fix switch tools be awesome tinker*<br>
<@Luthien> =^_^=<br>
<@Luthien> *tries to move walk back with the dead snake to give it to Lili, but falls because of numb foot*<br>
<@Random_Nerd> A bit of work later, and the engine doesn't look all that much like it once did, but you think it'll start.<br>
<@Luthien> (this probably clatters and crashes, and makes a big noise)<br>
<@Mrs_Senko> "Oh dear!"<br>
<@Lili> "Was tht Luthi or Chuubo?  I couldn't hear screams..."<br>
<@Natalia> (Oh no, poor Luthien!)<br>
<@Random_Nerd> (And there, Luthien gets her XP.)<br>
<@Random_Nerd> Are you still dragging the snake when you get back into sight?<br>
* @Natalia rushes over to the source of the noise. "Luthien, are you alright?"<br>
<@deMontreal> (Er, doesn't she have the watch we need for the engine?)<br>
<@Luthien> (yep!)<br>
<@Luthien> *drops it at Lili's feet*<br>
<@Luthien> *happy cat face*<br>
<@deMontreal> casually: "We didn't ask for a snake."<br>
<@Random_Nerd> It's a pretty big snake!  Probably weighs at least twenty, twenty-five pounds.<br>
<@Lili> "Are you okay, Luthi?  That's a big snake!"<br>
<@Random_Nerd> And that's ignoring the part that appears to have been gnawed off.<br>
* @deMontreal puts the watch in place.<br>
* @Natalia looks carefully at Luthien's leg, checking for anything worse than a flesh wound.<br>
<@deMontreal> (Thanks for the Monty Python flashback)<br>
<@Natalia> "Be more careful next time, okay?"<br>
<@Random_Nerd> It's already starting to bruise, but the bone isn't broken.<br>
<@Luthien> "But ... you can't explore carefully!"<br>
<@Mrs_Senko> "Miss...Little Cartaign. How many fingers am I holding up?"<br>
* @Mrs_Senko isn't even holding up her hand.<br>
<@Natalia> "If you get a hairline fracture on your leg, you won't be able to walk."<br>
<@Lili> "It will be harder to sneak up on evil-doers."<br>
<@Natalia> "And if that snake had hurt you any more, you could have."<br>
<@Luthien> "If I were deMontreal, I would answer yes, because not holding up your hand logically means all of them are up!"<br>
* @Natalia tries at first to make sense of Luthien's sentence, then quickly abandons the effort.<br>
<@Lili> (It's to Senko.)<br>
<@Natalia> (I know.)<br>
<@Mrs_Senko> "But you are not Mr. de Montreal, but I assume that answer is sufficient enough to tell me that your fall did little to your brain."<br>
<@deMontreal> "Technically it means they're all ''down''."<br>
<@Natalia> (Just heard it, and a bit nonplussed by it, since it's usually Mrs. Senko who says that sort of thing.)<br>
* @deMontreal tightens all the bolts.<br>
<@Random_Nerd> Natalia, the more you look at the zeppelin, the more something about it looks oddly familiar.  You can't quite place it, though.<br>
<@deMontreal> How's my spiderbot doing?<br>
<@Random_Nerd> Whta did you have it doing, other than holding the parts?<br>
<@Mrs_Senko> "Please rotate your feet, Little Miss Cartaign."<br>
<@Random_Nerd> (Luthien, what's your Shine?)<br>
<@deMontreal> Using that sticky 'floor' to patch the gas bag<br>
<@Luthien> (Shine 4)<br>
<@Luthien> (Shine "everyone is operating at near godlike ability around me")<br>
<@Random_Nerd> Senko, you find examining Luthien for signs of injury to be oddly easy.<br>
<@Random_Nerd> Clearly, this doctor stuff is a ''snap''.<br>
<@Random_Nerd> DeMontreal, Lillimund, the engine is ready to start.<br>
* @Lili crwals out from under it, with oil smears accenting her cheekbones.<br>
<@Luthien> (technically, they get to repair the ship better if they're doing it to rescue Luthi, too.  But they're not)<br>
<@deMontreal> "Everyone stand clear..."<br>
<@Random_Nerd> Lillimund, you have made an interesting discovery.  Everything is easier to fix when you have someone on hand who can conjure up by creepy means any arbitrary replacement parts you happen to need.<br>
* @deMontreal would really like Chuubo to see his aMAZing engine-repair skills...<br>
<@Random_Nerd> Chuubo is off somewhere else.<br>
<@Random_Nerd> In fact, he wandered off ''just'' as you were really getting into your stride.<br>
* @Lili will have to remember that the next time that she is running low on parts and has a need to order deMontreal around.<br>
* @deMontreal makes a note to see what a machine has nightmares about.<br>
<@Lili> "Chuubo!  We're done!  What are you doing?"<br>
* @deMontreal fires up the engine...<br>
* @Mrs_Senko continues treating Luthien, explaining what she's doing so maybe anyone who's paying attention learns from the experience.<br>
<@Random_Nerd> Chuubo: "I found a cat!"<br>
<@Luthien> "Mrrow?  But I'm right here!"<br>
<@deMontreal> "I'll be sure to alert the media."<br>
<@Random_Nerd> The engine shakes for a moment, belches out black smoke that smells of burning oil, but then starts running smoothly.<br>
<@Random_Nerd> It's detached from the turbines, so the end just spins in the air.<br>
<@Random_Nerd> But the noise that it makes running, even with everything going correctly, is deafening.<br>
* @Luthien covers her ears<br>
* @deMontreal does a smooth shutdown.<br>
<@Random_Nerd> Like if you're in the middle of a third-world textile mill where The Who are playing.<br>
* @Lili pats the engine, talking soothingly to it and praising it.<br>
<@Lili> *loudly because she's gone a bit deaf*  "So, hearing protection ''will'' be needed..."<br>
<@deMontreal> "Wusses."<br>
<@Random_Nerd> There's a banging at the door.<br>
<@Random_Nerd> Natalia can actually distinguish it from the sound of the engine.<br>
<@Random_Nerd> The rest of you can't.<br>
* @Luthien hops up and runs to open it!<br>
<@Luthien> (or not)<br>
<@Natalia> (Is there a porthole or a peephole on the door?)<br>
<@deMontreal> I shut down the engine<br>
<@Random_Nerd> (There is not.)<br>
<@Random_Nerd> It's Mrs. Rosewood!  She's at the top of the ladder, and she looks irritated.  More so than usual, I mean.<br>
* @Natalia steps quickly to the door, cracking it open just a bit and looking with one eye through the crack.<br>
<@Random_Nerd> The Ogre Teacher: "What's all this?  I'm trying to teach a class down there."<br>
<@deMontreal> "To be expected from an old engine."<br>
<@Mrs_Senko> (during club time?)<br>
<@Lili> (Night time students.)<br>
<@Random_Nerd> (Indeed.  It would not normally be time for the night classes to begin.)<br>
<@Lili> (Oh.)<br>
<@Mrs_Senko> (Ah!)<br>
<@Lili> Lili waves happily at the Ogre Teacher whom she has never met!<br>
<@Random_Nerd> Zoe: "What's all this noise, Natalia?"<br>
<@Mrs_Senko> (Oh)<br>
<@Natalia> "Ah, sorry ma'am, the club was just restoring this engine, and..."<br>
<@deMontreal> Can we lube the engine and make it less noisy?<br>
<@Lili> "Do you have some lube, deMontreal?"<br>
* @Natalia thinks of something.<br>
<@Random_Nerd> Somewhat.  But it's still an immense diesel engine.  It's never going to be ''quiet''.<br>
<@deMontreal> "Always. It's very useful."<br>
<@Natalia> "Aren't classes over at this time in te afternoon?"<br>
<@Lili> "I'm sure you're popular with the ladies, then."<br>
<@Random_Nerd> Zoe: "It's ten o'clock at night, child."<br>
<@Lili> (I didn't wreck time!  Honest!)<br>
* @deMontreal douses everything in penetrating oil.<br>
<@Mrs_Senko> (We did go through a nightmare and then an assembly montage...)<br>
<@Natalia> "We took that long?"  Natalia is taken by surprise.  "I'm sorry!"<br>
* @Natalia bows 90 degrees for Mrs. Rosewood. This is not a Russian tradition, so either she picked it up since moving to town or she saw it in an anime.<br>
<@Lili> (And no doubt that the zep nightmare could have messed with time perception.)<br>
<@Random_Nerd> (It was the montage.  The Loft, I have decided, functions as a Region with a rule that allows for montages.)<br>
<@Random_Nerd> Zoe Rosewood: "Well, will there be any more noise tonight?"<br>
<@Lili> "Should we leave Shonen sleeping?  He might not..sleep well tonight."<br>
<@Random_Nerd> Oh, and Shounen ''did'' manage to sleep through the engine running.<br>
<@deMontreal> "Then perhaps I ... we should watch over him"<br>
<@Natalia> "Ah, Mrs. Senko?"  Natalia tries, as diplomatically as possible, to step away from the door, smiling nervously.  "Are we... going to keep working on this tonight?"<br>
<@Mrs_Senko> "Tonight?"<br>
* @Mrs_Senko checks watch.<br>
<@Natalia> "In this meeting, I mean."<br>
<@Mrs_Senko> "Goodness, no! Turn off the machine! Everyone go home! We'll clean the Sky next time."<br>
<@Random_Nerd> Senko, your watch shows it as being 10 PM.<br>
<@deMontreal> (It. IS. off.)<br>
<@Mrs_Senko> (Oh? I missed that in all the noise...)<br>
<@Natalia> (Irony there.)<br>
* @Lili will pick up Luthi in her arms.  "Chuuuuuuubo!  Bring your cat over!"<br>
<@Natalia> "No more noise tonight.  Sorry for the trouble."<br>
* @Natalia bows again to the Ogre Teacher.<br>
<@Random_Nerd> (Oh, and I'm going to say that that was an Exploration scene with getting the parts, and a Science/Faith/Sorcery scene in getting the engine fixed and then trying it out.  But what should the nightmare be?)<br>
<@deMontreal> "No promises for tomorrow though."<br>
<@Random_Nerd> She smiles, showing sharp teeth that look to be made of iron, and goes down the ladder.<br>
* @Natalia gives a nervous grin.<br>
<@Lili> (Mystery?)<br>
<@deMontreal> "But, you may see the maiden voyage of the Deus Ex Machina!"<br>
<@Mrs_Senko> "Tomorrow."<br>
<@deMontreal> "Assuming we find the helium."<br>
<@Random_Nerd> (Hmm.  What are the elements of that?  Let me check.)<br>
<@Mrs_Senko> "I will make a call and bill it to the school."<br>
<@Luthien> (Snrk @ deMontreal)<br>
<@deMontreal> (Do I get anything for Snrks? :) )<br>
<@Natalia> (I think Trouble fits.  Page 424.)<br>
<@Random_Nerd> (Actually, I think Foreshadowing.)<br>
<@Random_Nerd> (And since all three scenes had everyone participating, that's thirty destiny, or two XP.)<br>
<@deMontreal> (So we should get the ships weaponry going?)<br>
<@Random_Nerd> (Let's see, Lili got the last one?)<br>
<@Lili> (Yep, RN.)<br>
<@Random_Nerd> (None of the weaponry is in anything like functioning order.  It'll need a lot more work than the engine.  And the bombs aren't here at all.)<br>
<@Random_Nerd> (So, one for Luthien, one for Senko.)<br>
<@Random_Nerd> (Mind if we call it a night here?)<br>
<@Mrs_Senko> (Works for me)<br>
<@deMontreal> (OK)<br>
<@Luthien> (good for me.  Midnight!  Stupid home being so far from work :( )<br>