Science Rules! The Science and Knowledge Expo Kicks into Full Force!

[stringmods]

▼ Consider the Following......

 

Who: Anyone
Where: The entire city
When: June 8th-15th
Summary: Science and Knowledge Exop in the Leo Ward.
Warnings: That depends who is there. Remember to mark your titles clearly if any warnings need to be issued!

▼ You know what rules?

 

Science. Science and the inquiring mind has kept humanity on the path of progress for hundreds of thousands of years. What could make science rule harder?

A science showcase, of course! What better way spark the curiosity of the young and old by showing off the scientific achievements of the community. You have your things for the kids, your potato batteries and baking soda volcanoes and what-have-you, you have your higher-brow showcases of what the Department of Wands has been working on, your informative panels delving into biology, physics, chemistry and astronomy. There's even free food, including some molecular gastronomy creations for the...adventurous. There are even topics your average Visitor wouldn't think fell under the realms of science.

Such as? Why, like how Personas work (with explanations that aren't just "It's Magic") or discussions about demons, where they might come from, how they're different and similar to humans, how they use magic, and so on.

What kind of things will you and your friends discover? Perhaps you or someone you know is setting up an exhibit?

Regardless, enjoy the science fair and have fun!

[OOC: You are allowed to start a thread if you want your character to have a booth / hold a topic in a private room, or just do threads where you go around visiting. Projects and seminars are varied! Share your knowledge! Enjoy the science! Eat some really strange food! Try not to mix too much baking soda with vinegar!]

Comments

June 12th - Weapon Demonstration: The Silencer

[universebeware]

Brainstorm has taken to standing in a relatively open area, with a sign noting that he'll be showing off a new invention at various intervals throughout the day. A cursory glance shows that it's a pistol of some sort - scaled to his size, however.

The odd part is that he doesn't seem to have anything on-hand for testing...

--

"...so yes - what I've crafted is essentially a pistol that dependably inflicts the 'silence' effect on people, keeping them from using spells or speaking for about twenty minutes at a spread, or until the effect is removed via a healing spell from another party." He gestures to the weapon as he speaks - it's a pretty non-descript light-grey blocky pistol - save for a black speaker emblem on either side of the barrel with a big red 'no' emblem over it.

"Now then - would anyone care to volunteer for a demonstration? I assure you, that barring the silence effect, the device is completely harmless!"

[Feel free to volunteer, or be a heckler, or just ask questions. If annoying Brainstorm is your intention however, please let me know if he can use the Silencer on your character - as he'll take bothersome interruptions to be a means of volunteering.]

[needlefingers]

Chromedome is there of course, mostly out of curiosity. He's standing off to the side and just can't wait to see if anyone is stupid enough to be one of Brainstorm's 'volunteers'. Look at him not speaking and not volunteering. See, he can make good decisions when he tries.

"So how harmless is 'completely harmless?'"

Whoops, scratch that. Dammit.

[universebeware]

"It's as harmless as Swerve is incapable of shutting up," Brainstorm starts, and his optics narrow in a rather sadistic bit of glee. "Or at least as much as he was before I invented this."

[needlefingers]

"Too bad he's not around for you to use it on." Whoops made himself depressed there. It's true though, and he wonders how long until he sees the others again...

[universebeware]

"Perhaps, but there's plenty of others around here to use it on," Brainstorm says with a sly look. "Have I told you about Orpheus yet?"

[needlefingers]

"No you haven't." Chromedome tilts his head and says dryly, "but now I'm curious." The 'plenty of others' thing goes by without a comment. To be honest, if Chromedome had one of those, he'd probably find a few people to use it on no problem.

[universebeware]

"Oh, well," Brainstorm starts, then chuckles in weary-yet-knowing manner. "Let's just say he has Swerve's inability to keep quiet, and a flair for the dramatic and mystical that makes Rodimus look positively boring, and about as much volume control as Siren. And I have to work with this man sometimes."

feel free to demonstrate on him whenever~

[shibuyasmusic]

Joshua had only been wandering around this big exposition full of science equipment to try and take his mind off of recent events... He personally didn't appreciate 'science', considering the mishaps he'd had with it for a year and a half straight. But most of these devices were harmless, or if they weren't harmless, they were downright comical. It was as though he was walking through the lair of a Saturday morning cartoon villain, watching people compete to create the smallest death ray possible. This was childish compared to what Alpha Omega had considered scientific conduct.

What caught his eye at this particular 'booth', however, wasn't the silly little silencer at all... It was the humongous hulking mech that looked like it had jumped straight out of a comic book and onto the floor before him. And it talked.

Joshua followed his words with only half-interest, giving a wave to the large robot towering over him with a smirk. "To be quite honest, I was under the impression you were the exhibit here. I can't say your pistol is very impressive in comparison... A bit of a disappointment, really." A compliment... an insult? Even Joshua wasn't quite sure which he meant it to be.

[universebeware]

Brainstorm raises an eyebrow at Joshua, then narrows his optics a bit. "Yes, well, it's handy for precision applications of silence without the need for using effort on a spell that may or may not be successful," Brainstorm says, idly doing some adjustments to it before pointing it towards Joshua. "And of course, for putting overly snippy detractors in their place," he adds, and then pulls the trigger. A weak-looking blast of white energy flies out from it, and the only feeling associated with its impact will be like a gentle poke.

Until Joshua tries to speak or use magic.

[shibuyasmusic]

Well, Joshua certainly hadn't been expecting Brainstorm to simply demonstrate on him like that in an instance. And he hadn't said anything particularly awful this time around, either! It was outright rude... He takes the blast square in the chest, cursing his inability to effectively teleport out of the way due to it being the middle of the day and nowhere near the Thirteenth Hour. It didn't hurt, but it wasn't a pleasant feeling, either.

Folding his arms across his chest, Joshua wonders for a few moments whether or not it was even worth attempting to speak his complaints. If the thing had failed to work, however, he would just be standing there in silence for no reason and would appear very silly. So he decides to go with the off chance that maybe the gun was ineffective and opens his mouth to voice something along the lines of 'Nice try.'

He seemed to be taking these kinds of dumb gambles quite often lately...

[universebeware]

It takes a fair bit of restraint for Brainstorm to not just start cackling at Joshua, but one can tell by the way his optics have closed a bit that he's very pleased with the result. He does see the boy's mouth move, and at that, Brainstorm squats down, and puts a hand up to the side of his head.

"I'm sorry, I didn't quite hear that - could you repeat that?"

Of course, the delightedly malicious amusement in his voice shows that he is indeed not sorry.

[shibuyasmusic]

Well, it appears that the stupid thing had worked. He can feel himself forming words, and he knows that those words are coming up through his throat, but only sheer silence escapes his mouth. How irritating.

When the robot makes his amusing little gesture of squatting down beside him, Joshua takes a moment to ignore him, inspecting his fingernails on one hand, the other shoved into his pocket. He then looks back at Brainstorm and flicks out his wrist suddenly.

A very small burst of blue energy smacks his face plate, what would probably feel like a childish flick in the nose to him.

[universebeware]

The bit of energy flying out surprises Brainstorm enough that he wobbles in his crouch, but he doesn't quite fall over. He does, however, narrow his optics for a moment before flicking a switch on the gun. Joshua will find himself on the receiving end of another shot provided he doesn't move, and then Brainstorm speaks up.

"Okay, smart guy, what the hell was that?"

[terra_nullius]

The whole thing seems fascinating - really, how does one prevent magic in a world that seems rife with it? Does it extend to Persona usage as well? A whirl of questions rise in his head, but really, there's only one suitable way to answer them all with ease.

He steps forward, raising his hand.

"Try it on me. It'll be interesting..."

[universebeware]

Someone actually volunteering was not something Brainstorm expected. Hecklers that he could shut down, yes. However, a volunteer is a volunteer, so he takes aim at Terra.

"I'd say no complaining about it, but it's not like you would be able to," he remarks before pulling the trigger, sending a white bolt of energy at the organic - the sensation of impact is like a light touch, and it would indeed keep one's Persona from being called.

[terra_nullius]

Of course the first thing Xehanort does is go to reply, but no words come out. He attempts to call up magic, to activate his Persona, to do anything - he even stomps his feet, surprised when they make no sound.

It's quite fascinating in its own way, and he can't help but smile a little even if it's vexing.

[universebeware]

And so, Brainstorm gestures to Xehanort for the onlookers. "There you go folks, the proof is in the sound - or the lack thereof, in this case," he says with a coy chuckle. He flicks a switch on the weapon before using it again - after all, Xehanort was decent enough to step up and actually volunteer, so Brainstorm figures he's earned having the silence taken off.

[terra_nullius]

It's almost disappointing to have the effect removed, but it gives him his voice back which means he can ask a very important question...

"How does it work?"

[universebeware]

"Weeeeell, using some of the knowledge I picked up in crafting the COMPs to merge technology and magic, it was a matter of crafting a device that can consistently replicate the effects of the Makajam and Mutudi skills. And then wrapping a gun around that for functionality."

In short, MAGIC! And also science bending this magic stuff to its will.

[electricyousei]

"Can it also be used to stop idiots from talking?"

[universebeware]

"Well, that's not the intended use," Brainstorm starts, doing his best to sound professional. "but it certainly could be used to certainly do that, though for not too terribly long." If Ruri's been hanging around long, she may have seen Brainstorm using it on hecklers and annoying civilians.

Truth be told, he invented it as something to use to shut Orpheus up whenever he opens his mouthgets excited.

[electricyousei]

"But long enough to notice that they had lost the ability to speak, and may loose it again easily. Correct?"

[universebeware]

"Oh, yes. Roughly about twenty minutes, give or take, barring they don't have something, or someone around who can negate the effect."

[electricyousei]

"How quickly can you go into production? I have a full mecha repair facility that isn't being used for much right now."

[universebeware]

"Well, these are intended to be used by the Hinoto-Ri law enforcement types. I'm not sure how they'd feel about giving access to them to Visitors as a whole, really. I could find out, however..."

More users means more people appreciating his work, so...