Experiment 2 [video, action for people in Lavender Town] [!Event: Wishes]

[imperfectscientist]

[It's been a while since Carlos has made a post to the network. In his defense, he's been running experiments, traveling, and moving in with his boyfriend during this time.

He's currently sitting outside in Lavender Town enjoying the sunshine. His Mareep is curled up in his lap, just visible from the angle of the camera, while his Amaura is peeking over Carlos' shoulder and his Kefkli is hovering about level with Carlos' head.]

Hi everyone. It's Carlos. Carlos the Scientist! I have a lot to say, but first off, it's been really amazing seeing everyone's powers on the network, so if anyone wants to talk to me about them, or even just show them off, I'd love that! Or, if you don't have powers, you can totally talk about the amazing world you came from. I'm always excited to hear about that.

[He grins.] That said, I have important scientific news! I decided to try out the whole 'hanging your wishes on a tree thing' for science, and it totally worked! I'd been working on constructing some of my own equipment here, but after wishing for one of my machines, I actually received it! [He holds up his device, which doesn't look incredibly complex, but he looks pretty proud of it, anyway.] It's called a danger meter, and I thought it up in order to measure the current level of danger in an area at a time. It's been...kind of buggy, but it's better than nothing, right? Anyway, I think this will be SUPER helpful the next time something strange happens around here. Oh, and if anyone else has tried wishing for things, has it actually worked. I really want to learn more about this!

Finally, if anyone at all is interested in science or technology, I'd love to work with you and compare ideas! I'm sure the level of technology of my world is pretty primitive compared to others, but it could also be advanced, or just plain different. So if anyone would like to talk about those things, I'd be really happy to exchange ideas!

Okay, that's all for now! [He shuts off the feed with a dorky little wave. What a nerd.]

Comments

[crackpotcrocker]

Yes. Actually. I, Mr. Crocker got my van.

[imperfectscientist]

A-A van? Wow, that's a very large item, I'd imagine. That's great! Have you decided if you're going to drive anywhere in it?

[crackpotcrocker]

Yes and all of my portable lab devices as well are inside. The only thing is - there's no gas.

Tell me more about your 'Danger machine'

[imperfectscientist]

Wow, that's incredible luck. It's a shame about the gas though. I'm not sure they have any sort of gas equivalent here, so you might have to get inventive.

Well, where I come from, a lot of strange things happen, all the time, and the residents of the town I'm living in are just...used to it. They just walk into danger practically. So I developed the Danger Meter to help me tell whether the weirdness is common place or if it's something I should really be concerned about.

[crackpotcrocker]

Not that I'm aware of. Already - THINKING!

Oh? What kind of strangeness happens where you're from? I can tell you from having been here for over a year that oddness isn't unusual.

But that's besides the point!

[imperfectscientist]

Well, do let me know what you come up with! I'll think on it too.

Ah, well, being here might be a welcome break from strangeness actually, even if it isn't unusual there. In the town I've been studying, strangeness is commonplace. Normal. The people there aren't even shocked when something life-threatening happens. They just go about their day. [He laughs.] It was a real adjustment living there.

As for the sorts of things that happen? Well, librarians are vicious monsters that could eat a kid, there's a glowing cloud that's president of the PTA and occasionally possesses people in order to get them to hail it, and everyone's been exposed to radon a thousand times over and no signs of radiation poisoning.

[thatlittlemoron]

Science!!!! [Oh he is just giddy and animated at the word!]

I know a lot about Science, in fact you can't tell from looking at me but I was once a very, very, important nano bot for aperture labs! Yes a personality core who was assigned the job of tending to a bunch of humans! Hard to believe I know but I was veeeerrry good at my job!

[imperfectscientist]

Were you really? That's absolutely incredible! I imagine it must be very strange for you to be a human, then.

[Video]

[thatlittlemoron]

Oh more then you will ever know! I actually really hate it. Thumbs, and walking! Those are the hardest thing I'll have you know. How do you even flop such appendages around. I used to know someone who was a really, really good jumper and now I can see that even though she couldn't talk and massive brain damage and deterioration, it's a wonder she could jump! Jumping is pretty hard for humans.

[His arms are just going all over the place as he talks. Eyes and head bobbing this way and that.]

[Video]

[imperfectscientist]

Yeah, it takes humans years to get the hang of moving their bodies, so I'm not suprised you're having difficulty with it. I'm sure you'll get used to it eventually!

[Video]

[thatlittlemoron]

How is it that they get used to moving, because I really would enjoy it and like being able to move to my full potential. Is there like some sort of downloadable file I can just upload into my brain socket? Like forcefully feed it into my human cranium? Without...killing me of course. I mean I think it's a great idea to do that, definitely efficient!

You're a scientist how did you figure it out?

[video]

[infinityunlimitedflame]

Of course, your device fails to render an accurate reading. No doubt it is somehow detecting the true power of I, Gundam Tanaka, and as such is attempting to blind your eyes to the horrible truth!

[...there was no real reason for him to do this. But to just go back to his nonsense seems like the right thing to do after the...everything that was the last weekend and now this crazy wishing thing.]

[video]

[imperfectscientist]

I see! Um. So, if that's the case, you must be very strong! What sort of things can you do exactly? [Bless your heart Carlos. He is totally taking this response at face value.]

Re: [video]

[infinityunlimitedflame]

[Oh god, no, don't ask him what he can do.]

The things I can do are beyond mortal comprehension!

[Gundam, no they're not. All you can really do is raise Pokemon and animals. Gundam, stop.]

To name them would be to invite madness itself into this plane!

[video]

[imperfectscientist]

Oh! Oh well, I guess I better not do that then! So you can't even talk about your abilities? ...You must be really incredible then!

[video]

[infinityunlimitedflame]

I am indeed. I am being beyond your comprehension! I am Gundam Tanaka!

[video]

[conquersworlds]

[Well, then.]

This "danger meter" of yours - it's an interesting thing, very fascinating indeed! Though now I'm wondering what other machines you've made; tell me what your ambition looks like, my friend, I'm interested in hearing about your ideas and your creations.

[video]

[imperfectscientist]

Oh, well, it's nothing special, just a little something I came up with. I'm a scientist not an inventor after all, but I did need equipment to augment my studies. And it's not so much ambition as it is well, necessity. So many of my machines are tied to particular situations. That said, I only have this one because I wished for it. I've been trying for months to construct one here, but the level of technology around here and the materials are somewhat different from those of my world.

[conquersworlds]

Do you find them inadequate, or just hard to work with?

[imperfectscientist]

Hard to work with, I suppose. I haven't been here all that long, so I'm still trying to adjust to the methods that work around here. Having an electric type certainly helps. I wouldn't say inadequate, per say, just very different then what I'm used to.

video;

[in_praetego]

I can't help but think one of the legendary pokemon is at work with all these wishes that have been coming true.

[ Hi there, Carlos. This kid doesn't have any powers to speak of unlike his flaming blue brother but he knows about the wishes! ]

I couldn't really think of anything specific I wanted to wish for but... it reminded me of a tradition we had back home. Are you familiar with tanabata? The star festival?

video;

[imperfectscientist]

A legendary pokemon, huh? You might be right! I don't know much about legendary pokemon, but if a pokemon is behind it, I'm certain a regular pokemon wouldn't be capable of this.

Tanabata? No, it doesn't sound familiar, but I'd love to learn about it!

video;

[in_praetego]

It was the most logical conclusion. After all, it looks like this is happening all over rather than just in one place.

[ Not that he's made any wishes, after all... or met many legendaries but it's the smartest guess. As for tanabata, he has some really good memories about that. ]

Tanabata's celebrated around this time, actually. Back home, we used to write wishes on little strips of paper and tie them to stalks of bamboo during the festival.

[ And there's a sigh with the smallest smile as he goes on. ]

My dad used to tell us the story of Orihime and Hikoboshi... which is supposed to be where the festival comes from.

video;

[imperfectscientist]

That makes sense. And it doesn't seem malicious, at least not that I've heard, so it would make sense that it would be a Pokemon rather than an organization.

That sounds really interesting. I wouldn't mind hearing the story, if you don't mind telling it.

video;

[in_praetego]

None of the legendary pokemon seem to be malicious... but once you think about it, I don't think any pokemon is really malicious to begin with.

[ But he's grateful for a topic like tanabata. It brings him back. ]

Sure.

[ Now how did the whole story go again...? Ah yes. ]

You see... Orihime was the daughter of the sky king and she loved weaving by the Amanogawa river. Her father loved the cloth she made so she worked hard every day to make clothes... but her only regret was that she'd never fall in love with anyone because she worked so hard.

So her father arranged for her to meet Hikoboshi, a man who herded cows on the other side of the river. They fell in love immediately and got married soon after. But when they did, Orihime no longer weaved and Hikoboshi no longer tended to the cows. This made the sky king angry and he separated the two lovers.

Orihime cried for her husband so her father took pity on her, finally declaring they could meet on the seventh day of the seventh month if they both finished their work. Though the first time they tried to meet, there wasn't any bridge across the river. Orihime's tears summoned a flock of magpie who made a bridge and allowed her to see Hikoboshi.

[ That sounds about right. Definitely not how Father Fujimoto used to tell it but that's the idea. ]

It always sounded like a tragic love story to me.