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It's an average day. Nick the fairy is poking at one of his little electronics projects, paying attention to the incoming summons with half a brain, trying to grab one. But while a lot of fairies get summoned, equally many are looking out for summons. It takes a while unless you're really focusing on it.
He starts an automated test and gives the stream of summons his full attention, and gets one a moment later.
impetuous_force
"I can ask. They probably want to sound you out a bit more before they summon up lots and lots of you, but the resource is too big to ignore long-term."
impetuous_force
"Sure." She pulls a radio off her uniform belt and frowns at the controls and eventually figures out how to radio Roxbury and relay the thing about makers. Roxbury says she'll take it under advisement. And then Bella pulls a book out of her bag, keeping half an eye on Nick, and reads.
Nick is focused on his tablet, taptaptapping and sometimes muttering at it (apparently it does voice input just fine), and sipping at his coffee. He frowns at it when it's gone but doesn't ask Bella to get more.
"You might as well get the whole pot, really. And I'll have a list of landmark tech for Roxbury in another hour or so."
impetuous_force
"It's possible they're taking it apart or something, they didn't tell me. Do you want me to track it down? Isn't aiming a light at a coffeepot a really inefficient way to heat it up?"
"Yeah, point, but the thing you mentioned is tricky and messy. I don't like trying to finagle liquids. I would like the flashlight back if they can be sufficiently reassured that I'm not permanently denying them a resource."
impetuous_force
"I'll see what I can do, but I'm not even out of initial training yet so I doubt it anybody'll listen to me if they have different opinions on the subject." Up she gets.
Nick keeps working on making his vague, scribbled UV flashlight plans less of both things, of course.
impetuous_force
Bella's gone for four hours and comes back without his flashlight but with a tray of dinner and a pot of coffee. "Roxbury's in meetings, I got blindsided by paperwork she deferred when she enlisted me, and it's surprisingly hard to find out who else is even allowed to know you exist and I'm supposed to go home now. If there were a power outlet in here I'd bring you the whole coffee machine to keep it warm, but..."
"Oh well, thanks anyway. Cold caffeine is still caffeine. I'd appreciate it if you communicated that, what's a good phrasing... I don't want to have to threaten not to share the rest of my tech to get my flashlight back."
The plans take shape. He produces a materials list broken down in a very sensible and organized way, with space left for switching things around if a particular thing can't be had from an average hobbyist electronics or hardware store. This machine is going to be somewhat expensive, if he builds it the long way.
And since you can only work on one thing for so long, he plays video games for a while and does actually sleep for a couple of hours.
And since you can only work on one thing for so long, he plays video games for a while and does actually sleep for a couple of hours.
impetuous_force
Bella's back at seven in the morning, uniformed up and carrying breakfast and coffee.
"Hello again. As long as you're stuck hanging around me, d'you want I should try to explain the UV tech?"
impetuous_force
"Go for it if it suits you, but I've got a 2004 high schooler's engineering background."