Aug 07 19:10:25 <Knave>	Markus receives a text from Emmett, late in the afternoon. <If you still wish to assist me in my endeavours, please, come to my dormitory. I request your assistance in a project.>
Aug 07 19:14:10 <DarnellJermaine>	Markus is there as soon as he can- arriving 10 or so minutes after he gets the text and knocking on the door. "Hey- it's me. You called?"
Aug 07 19:19:48 <Knave>	After a few moments, the door opens an inch very suddenly, revealing a great green eye staring at Markus - which, after the initial shock, happens to just be one of the lenses of the goggles Emmett is wearing. He stares at Markus for a moment before opening the door wider to allow him entry. "Come in." He says as he turns away and walks into the room, settling into the chaos as if he has a place in it. His bed in one corner is unmade and strewn with papers, books, and bits of machinery, just like his floor and his desk. His monogrammed trunks are piled up against his wardrobe, preventing it from opening, and one of the trunks sits open and full of clothes. "Willkomen." Emmett says absently as he crouches in place, focused on a schematic lain on the floor.
Aug 07 19:23:39 <DarnellJermaine>	Markus looks around at the room- his mouth wide open in awe at the various bits of machinery and all of the books- the room may be messy, but it's not too dissimilar from Markus's in the way it seems to be organized. "Woah..." he steps inside, taking a seat as near to Emmett as he can before speaking up, "So, what exactly did you call me here for today? Something I can help with? Or...am I finally going to begin learning about Magic and Science?"
Aug 07 19:27:44 <Knave>	"I have finished designs for apparatus to allow people whose legs cannot support them unaided to walk." He says distractedly, making a sweeping gesture at the schematics at his feet, which appear to be blueprints for some kind of mechanical harness to be worn around the lower leg. "I find myself unable to find appropriate materials, and was wondering where you found the components for your prosthetic?"
Aug 07 19:30:34 <DarnellJermaine>	Markus stares at the schematic- a mixture of awe and... confusion? It seems awfully strange... "Huh? Oh- right! I uh, just sort of dug around the metal shop, different devices and wires lying around, a bit of dumpster diving, and going in to town at an electronics shop to buy some of the chips and wires I needed- I just kinda used scraps. Although now..." he holds up his currently still clumsily made but functional hand, "Soon it's going to be a lot different- much better made- but that's for another time. If you need help finding parts- maybe we could start by looking online?"
Aug 07 19:33:39 <Knave>	"Alas, I have no funding of my own, and would be loathe to ask my parents to contribute. I have been..." He looks off at a wall, "Trying, to them. Yes. Difficult." He casts his goggled gaze towards Markus and grows more present, "It is regrettable indeed that my designs be constrained by limited resources."
Aug 07 19:34:56 <DarnellJermaine>	Markus was about to open his mouth to offer assistance with that- before realizing he himself was nearly broke after his most recent purchase. "Well... that's a good point. Maybe you and I should get jobs? Something to help us save up for what you'll need. If I may ask though- why are you making this specifically? It seems like a great invention that could really help people- but what got you interested in that field of study?"
Aug 07 19:39:32 <Knave>	His mouth sets in a small thin line while his eyes remain inscrutable behind his large, opaque goggles, his arms crossing behind his back. "It is to be a gift." He crosses the room to his desk and finds a notebook from the mess, "Might I entrust you, Markus, to do me the service of scavenging what you can for me?" He produces a pen and begins scribbling, "A functional prototype may garner funding."
Aug 07 19:43:25 <DarnellJermaine>	He nods his head slowly- his interest definitely piqued. "...Give me a list of what you need- I'll do my best to scavenge something up. Who is this a gift /for/ though, if I may ask?"
Aug 07 19:47:08 <Knave>	Emmett finishes scribbling and tears off the page, handing it to Markus. The list is an erratically-written collection of various bits described in varying specificity, from the exact dimensions and material needed for a piece to just 'a pipe'. He closes the notebook and deposits in inside his coat, stepping back towards the middle of the room, "If you must know, it is for Fraulein Elspeth."
Aug 07 19:49:25 <DarnellJermaine>	For someone so clearly gifted and smart like Emmett- this list was... how the fuck was he supposed to know what half of this meant? Nevertheless... he could probably get a majority of these things for him. When he hears the name Elspeth though- Markus immediately perks up, "It's for Elly- really? Well why didn't you say so- I'm more than happy to help, free of charge of course" he seems to have a renewed energy now- and a much greater motivation to gather all of the necessary parts.
Aug 07 19:55:16 <Knave>	Emmett seems momentarily bothered by the nickname, but his mouth twitches back into place. "You know Elspeth?" He asks with naked curiosity. He lowers his head as he mutters, "Not unlikely, of course, shared living space, common acquaintance indicating similar personality, cosmetic similarities, negligible but perhaps interesting." He lifts his head back to Markus, smiles briefly as if to excuse his rambling.
Aug 07 19:58:39 <DarnellJermaine>	"Oh, of course! She's like a sister to me- she means a lot to me, so I'm glad this is to help her out. Does she know you're doing this for her? I think it'll mean a lot to her-" he smiles back- seemingly too absorbed to notice his discontent at his nickname for her.
Aug 07 20:02:40 <Knave>	"I intend to surprise her." He fiddles with the fall of his coat and straightens his back, seeming to have noticed his hunched posture again. "I was not aware the two of you were so close."
Aug 07 20:04:23 <DarnellJermaine>	He nods his head- his demeanor much lighter and happier, "Of course- she's almost like family to me. I didn't know you two were close though- what a surprise! How do you know her?"
Aug 07 20:07:06 <Knave>	Emmett's mouth hangs just slightly open for some time, his prominent front teeth visible, as he thinks on this question for just slightly too long. Finally, he decides that the appropriate answer is, "We have danced."
Aug 07 20:08:06 <DarnellJermaine>	"Danced?" he raises an eyebrow before he slowly starts to put things into his head, "Waaaait a minute..." he lets a mischievous grin show on his face as he quickly moves closer to Emmett, "Is it possible that- you like her?"
Aug 07 20:09:32 <Knave>	He adjusts his goggles, and says humourlessly, "I like her a great deal. That is one of the reasons I have devoted my time to this project."
Aug 07 20:11:06 <DarnellJermaine>	Markus sits up next to Emmett now- his smile much more genuine. He doesn't really know Emmett all that well- but he seems alright. At least hopefully less sexually deviant than Sebastian. "Well- I'd be more than happy to put in a good word for you- I think you two would be cute- then again, I don't know all that much about you" he leans in closer though- his face looking much more serious, "If you hurt her though, we'll have a problem- you being my teacher aside"
Aug 07 20:17:10 <Knave>	"None of that vill be necessary." He says levelly without turning his head to Markus. A hand that had moved inside his coat comes out again, and Emmett sweeps across the room and picks up what looks almost like a syringe, but thicker around and tipped with many very fine needles, rather than a single point. He whirls around and shows it to Markus, "Tell me, Markus, what do you make of this?"
Aug 07 20:20:56 <DarnellJermaine>	"Huh? Looks like some kinda...creepy, weird medical syringe thingy you might see in a horror film. Lotta pointy needles- in fact- what /is/ that thing?"
Aug 07 20:23:07 <Knave>	"This is a phlogiston extractor." He turns it over in his hand, admiring it from behind the goggles. "Designed based on failed prototypes I found on the internet." He returns his attention to Markus, and asks in a teacherly way, "What do you know of phlogiston?"
Aug 07 20:23:54 <DarnellJermaine>	"Phlogiston...?" he repeats back, tilting his head to the side. It was pretty clear he /didn't/ know anything about it. "What the heck are you talking about, man? I'm so confused right now"
Aug 07 20:26:36 <Knave>	"You wished to learn from me, did you not?" He asks, one hand behind his back as he stands before Markus, "This is the first of your lessons."
Aug 07 20:27:49 <DarnellJermaine>	"First of my lessons? I'm learning about Phlogiston? Ok... sure- what is this? And why is your hand behind your back...?" Markus shifts a little bit in his seat- seeming somewhat confused and the taddest bit uncomfortable.
Aug 07 20:34:13 <Knave>	Emmett pulls his hand from behind his back and looks at it for some time, flexing his fingers and turning it over, apparently lost in consideration of his hand. Finally he seems to notice the extractor in his other hand and continues, "Ah. Phlogiston. The essence of flammability, a substance present in anything flammable. A demonstration." He marches to his desk and plucks up a piece of scrap paper, then gently applies the needles to it and pulls the plunger of the extractor, very slightly, filling the main body with perhaps a few dozen millilitres of a translucent buff liquid - presumably phlogiston. The paper seems dryer and crisper than before, and he tosses it off hand to Markus and holds the extractor up to be seen, "The paper is rendered incombustible, while pure flammability is drawn into the extractor's chamber."
Aug 07 20:38:36 <DarnellJermaine>	"What the hell..." that seemed unreal- that had no scientific founding or made sense with the laws of the Universe as /he/ knew them- unless... "Is this... Magic and Science working together, like you told me about?" he stared wide-eyed and dumbfounded at the paper in his hands- what the hell? This was... this was amazing! Did the world know about something like this? "How did you..."
Aug 07 20:43:58 <Knave>	"It is a simple matter." He turns away, waving a hand to dismiss Markus' amazement, and sets the extractor back where it had been. "Too easily men of learning are eager to discard the ideas of those who came before them, to make their own name." He turns back around, "So eager are they that they will deny their intuitive understanding, their common sense." He steps forward, crosses both arms behind his back, "These are the men that cast phlogiston from their view of the world so hastily. But flammability is plainly in evidence. It is a quality possessed in some things and absent in others. That it does not exist in precisely the way first anticipated is not evidence that it is not so." The lecture sounds very prepared.
Aug 07 20:45:57 <DarnellJermaine>	"But things aren't flammable because of what they are- it has to do of what they're made of... isn't that basic Chemistry?" Markus looks confused- he was still in awe, after all- he /did/ just see Phlogiston right before his eyes- but the explanation Emmett gave made absolutely no sense to him.
Aug 07 20:48:38 <Knave>	"I do not see your confusion." Emmett lifts his head, "In flammable materials there is phlogiston. Things that are flammable are made of flammable materials. This follows."
Aug 07 20:50:39 <DarnellJermaine>	"But what makes something flammable is that whatever part of it is capable of releasing heat by oxidation has to do so quickly enough to overcome heat loss to the surroundings. That can mean having a high internal surface area, a high energy density, a low flash point, or even just really excellent insulation to retain heat/prevent cooling." (totally not copied from somewhere else cuz I'm stupid) Markus said rather matter of factly- after all, he /did/ pay attention in school. "So unless Phlogiston has to do with the magic and science you were telling me about- it makes absolutely no sense..."
Aug 07 20:55:00 <Knave>	Emmett shakes his head, "There is more to science than accepting what you are told. Science is investigation, repeatable effects." Emmett seems only mildly flustered, "I invite you to attempt to ignite the paper, and observe that it will not catch." He stands up proudly, turning his face upward, "Learning by rote is anathema to the mind. True intelligence comes in experimentation. I invite you experiment."
Aug 07 20:58:25 <DarnellJermaine>	Markus reluctantly gets up and moves towards the syringe, taking it in his hands. Emmett could be right, but Markus was really doubting his explanations right now... he's /seen/ Emmett's work though- he wasn't sure what to believe. Perhaps he was one of those people that was incredibly intelligent, but didn't know how to put it to work? Either way, Markus didn't really believe this device would actually work as he picked it up in his mechanical hand.
Aug 07 21:02:49 <Knave>	Emmett snatches the syringe away immediately, taking it in both gloved hands with a face like thunder. "Don't touch that! Pure phlogiston is volatile. If not handled carefully you could cause untold destruction. Do you not know better than to leave equipment you are untrained in alone?" He stands breathing heavily in the aftermath of his outburst, his posture hunched and his already-wild hair in pronounced disarray. "My apologies. Zhat was for both our safety." He attempts to smooth his hair down with one hand.
Aug 07 21:05:08 <DarnellJermaine>	"But you just invited me to experiment..." Markus stood confused- but he could tell Emmett seemed worried, so he felt he should at least apologize, "Err, sorry- you're right; I'll try to be more careful. In any case though- how should I go about experimenting then?"
Aug 07 21:07:19 <Knave>	"I told you - attempt to ignite the dephlostigonated paper." He simmers, putting away the extractor in his coat, "If you are to remain my student, you must listen to me carefully." Emmett retrieves the paper he had drained of phlogiston and offer it to Markus, "Here. You will see that it does not, and can not, burn."
Aug 07 21:08:22 <DarnellJermaine>	"Uhh..." Markus pats down his pockets and looks around the room, "You have a lighter or somethin? I don't really have anything to start a fire with on me..."
Aug 07 21:09:38 <Knave>	Emmett looks over his desk, sifting through detritus and retrieving a disposable lighter, then offering to to Markus in solemn quiet.
Aug 07 21:10:45 <DarnellJermaine>	Markus takes it and nods his head- flicking it on and slowly bringing it to the paper- making sure to hold the paper out in his other hand and lighting the far upper corner so the fire wouldn't spread to his body before he could stop it. He closed his eyes- and touched the fire to the paper.
Aug 07 21:13:31 <Knave>	The fire plays over the paper's surface, the heat making the light thing flutter slightly. Otherwise, it has no effect, like a flame being run over metal. "Observe carefully. Absent of phlogiston, the paper cannot be flammable. In losing phlogiston, it has lost the property of flammability. The two are identical."
Aug 07 21:17:54 <DarnellJermaine>	Markus is still confused- but he did see the syringe at work and can't deny the effects now as his eyes open. "Well I'll be... damn, looks like I gotta relearn a lot of things then, huh?" he turns his head to Emmett- a bewildered smile on his face and a look of disbelief.
Aug 07 21:20:52 <Knave>	"The /world/ has much yet to learn." Emmett nods sagely in agreement, "We all have much to learn." His gaze drifts off distractedly again as he stands with his hands behind his back. Absently, he says, "You may keep the lighter and the paper."
Aug 07 21:21:59 <DarnellJermaine>	Markus shakes his head and puts them down- "I appreciate it- but I've seen enough. I'm sorry for doubting you- I won't question you from now on. I can begin searching for the materials you need immediately, if you'd like" Markus holds up the list of things Emmett asked him for.
Aug 07 21:23:07 <Knave>	"Thank you. That would be much appreciated." Emmett gives a very small nod of approval. "I believe you have much potential as a student, Markus."
Aug 07 21:24:47 <DarnellJermaine>	Markus smiles and nods back- appreciative of the compliment, "Right away then, Emmett- err, I mean, sir" and Markus is off- (You can count on Emmett getting most or all of the things on that list by tomorrow, but they'll be in broken or old/rusty condition from various garbage dumps and spare devices lying around)
Aug 07 21:25:48 <Knave>	-Scene dephlostigonated-