019 ± [location: langwe & gale's] [visual: for Tony] down to a science

[aintnoconvict]

As it was on most days (barring apocalyses) the workshop was open for business, a handpainted sign over the door inviting one and all to pop in for all their mechanical needs. Of course social calls were also more than welcome, as the shop provided a much more informal setting than the Northern Island.

Today, however, Glitch actually did have some business to attend to and so sent a locked video message to one Tony Stark.

"Hi Tony, it's Glitch." As opposed to one of the other zipperheads in Taxon. "I I think I've got something with the compound, but we won't know for sure without some more testing. Think you can stop by?"


ooc: Open post for all your Glitch needs! The rest of the staff may or may not be present at Cheryle and Emma's discretion.

Comments

[Location: Speares]

[tailblade.livejournal.com]

"What is mauritanium?" Ax muses as he steps through the door and heads north. He moves strangely, as if laser-guided; in fact, he is, since he has a nearly eidetic memory and an excellent sense of direction.

After a few minutes' walking, a tunnel mouth yawns ahead, wide enough to accommodate three adult humans at a time. It descends nearly vertically to the horizontal tunnel below. The walls of the tunnel are slimy and exude a foul smell.

"I have not yet installed a tunnel at this entrance. It is freshly dug, and therefore slippery," Ax apologizes. "The smell and the slipperiness will abate with time. I can go down first and assist you if you believe that will be safer."

[Location: Speares]

[aintnoconvict]

"An element from my world," Glitch replied, quite happy that Ax seemed to know where he was going. It gave him brain-space to remember-- "It's one of the magical metalloids - magic's a a a fact of life where I'm from - and it was used as a...power-booster in a few of my inventions."

Damned if he could specifically name any of them at the moment. Not consequential, especially once they reached the tunnel entrance. Glitch's sensitive nose wrinkled as he grimaced, but he set the reaction aside, squared his shoulders, and nodded.

"It'd probably best if you go down first, then," he replied. "I'm kind of clumsy these days, s-so help would be appreciated."

[Location: Speares]

[tailblade.livejournal.com]

"Magic?" Ax just boggles at him a little. The so-called vampires he observed earlier already stretched his credulity to the breaking point; his only reaction now is pure bewilderment. Even with direct proof of a multiverse (which had heretofore been only a popular speculation among Andalite physicists) it was hard to believe that one such universe contained magic. This attitude will probably seem contradictory to Glitch, since Ax can morph and is a blue four-eyed space centaur.

"Yes," he says, changing to a more comfortable topic, "I will go down first. First-tuh." He stops to contemplate which morph best suits the situation. "I will morph a chimpanzee. Zeeee. They are excellent climbers, and very strong. I will climb down the tunnel. You will throw down your toolkit, then you can jump, and I will catch you. I advise you to look away now, as most people find the morphing process disturbing to watch."

First he demorphs. A pair of Andalite legs bursts out of his chest. The knees in his human legs reverse direction, and he falls onto all fours. His spine shoots outward from the small of his back, the vertebrae bare and white, then becomes encased in flesh and fur (except for the blade.) His arms become thinner, and extra fingers sprout from his hands. Waves of blue fur wash over his body. Finally, the stalk eyes appear from the top of his head.

His next morph is slower, as he's only used it once and therefore lacks experience. It would seem logical for his morph to chimp to be almost a mirror of his demorph, since humans and chimps are similar, but morphing is never predictable. His fur changes first, from soft and blue to coarse brown-black. His face bulges out into a rubbery muzzle. His front legs migrate up and twist around his arms like spaghetti until the four limbs become two thick, muscular arms. His tail is retracted into his spine; the hooves on his hindlegs melt into the foot-hands of a chimpanzee.

Then he scampers down the tunnel entrance as if it were a climbing wall at a gym, not a treacherously slippery, nearly vertical slide. «Toolkit first, please. It is safe to jump. This morph is genetically almost identical to humans, but it is far stronger than a human. I will have no difficulty catching you.»