A bird chil- you know what? That's not something I wanna look into. [He waves it off and goes back to work as slowly as he can, checking to see if she's observing. God, if he found one of the less than tech savvy people here who can actually build a bomb he will be both proud and also a little concerned.
But mostly proud. They're generally not very smart and he recognizes intelligence even if he has a high bar for what he considers intelligence.]
[Nott doesn't push the subject of her bird daughter, since going into too much detail about Kiri around a dangerous stranger is just inviting bad things to happen.
But she watches intently, mentally noting what he's attaching and where. This wire goes to that... the battery powers that...
When he addresses her again, she snaps out of her near-trance with a start.]
Wha? Me? Make one of those?? I'm not very good at... well, anything, really. I mean, I could try?
[She does not believe she could recreate it, even if she's endlessly curious about how it's made.]
[Rocket's ears flick a little bit. Yeah, he's gonna... Be a captain today, apparently.] Okay... I'm gonna give you some unsolicited advice. When someone asks you "can you do something?" Just say yes. And then fake it 'til you make it. Otherwise people'll think you're a complete chump.
[He squints.] ...Unless you're hustling me right now. In which case... You're pretty convincing. Good job.
...Okay, yes, I can make it. Probably. Maybe. Nope, definitely, can definitely make it.
[But she's not Caleb, she doesn't have his keen mind. She can't memorize every step he took to put together a complicated weapon. She could maybe approximate something similar, maybe, if she doesn't blow herself up in the process.]
He sighs.] Yeah, okay. You can work on that. Meanwhile, I'm gonna take this apart again and start over.
[He's proving his point, because while it sounds like he's doing it for her benefit, it's really because he fucked up a step somewhere and has to do it again. See? The system works.]
[Oh. He's starting over? Maybe he's going to let her follow along. That's nice of him. And would make it way easier to replicate.
She hurriedly scrounges through nearby wreckage to find something that looks like the battery he showed her, and things that have wires, and other parts she noticed as he went. She carries all of them at once, a sight with her small stature and the machine parts stacked high in her arms as she walks around, and unceremoniously drops them in a big pile nearby, given the time allotted by his need to take the thing apart first.]
[Yes, all according to keikaku. If his plan was to cover up his embarrassment and turn a weird green chick into the unibomber. Whatever, man, if you're clever enough to make explosives, you should automatically be clever enough to know when to use them.
So he walks her through the steps, bit by bit, in his own abrasive way, and this time does it correctly so his own bomb doesn't blow up in his face.]
When we move on, it's gonna be harder to find things worth their weight in boom, so you might wanna scavenge a little while you're here. [a beat] Once I'm done. I don't teach people shit to make competitors outta them. This is purely 'cause I'm occasionally a nice guy and there's a lot of crap around here that will kill you if you're not competent.
im so very glad nott ended up teaching herself explosives in canon now..... bless
[So far, Nott's track record with explosives involved blowing up a poisonous troll's tree stump house and mostly causing property damage to the things she definitely wanted to steal instead, so she may not have the greatest ability to find the right opportunity, but uh... at least no one important was hurt? Even if the one she was trying to hurt was barely hurt at all??
Nott nods fervently in response to Rocket's instruction, because what is she going to do? Say no to the guy shoulders deep in a chemical explosive and a gun the size of himself strapped to his back?]
You get the good stuff and I get the dregs, got it.
[Without a crossbow, though, making an explosive can prove to be extremely useful in the future. If she can use it to protect Molly and Caleb, then she'll be pleased with herself.]
Smart broad. I definitely won't have to kill you, now. [He gathers up all of his things and turns his newly created bomb over in his hands with gleeful expression. Despite how this ordeal started, his new toy seems to be brightening his mood. Having someone who is deeply afraid of him helps too. It's a nice ego boost.]
Whelp. I'm off. [He tucks the bomb under one arm, walks behind her and gives her a sardonic pat on the head, because how often does he get to do that?? Not enough. No one is ever the same size as he is.] See you around... 'Cause, you know, I see everything.
[That last part wasn't necessary. He just... had to be a little scary. It doesn't really have much effect since he walks out snickering as he says it.]
[The snickering doesn't do shit to ease Nott's frayed nerves, thanks! She freezes up when he pats her on the head, keeping her mouth shut the whole time he makes his exit.
When he appears to finally be gone, or at least no longer visible, she lets go of the breath she was holding and brings a hand to rub circles into her forehead.]
Oh, gods.
[Still. Even despite the horrifying encounter with a hyperintelligent potentially rabid raccoon, she got something out of this. She finishes up the last few adjustments she remembers from his demonstration and picks up the finished explosive. She made this. Huh.
Pretty cool.
She pockets it, and then... pointedly leaves in a different direction than he did.]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
I'm not going to bite you! I have a bird child! I know how this works!
[I.e., she knows some people are just animalistic enough to look delicious, but they're still people so she does not touch that.]
no subject
But mostly proud. They're generally not very smart and he recognizes intelligence even if he has a high bar for what he considers intelligence.]
Think you can recreate this?
no subject
But she watches intently, mentally noting what he's attaching and where. This wire goes to that... the battery powers that...
When he addresses her again, she snaps out of her near-trance with a start.]
Wha? Me? Make one of those?? I'm not very good at... well, anything, really. I mean, I could try?
[She does not believe she could recreate it, even if she's endlessly curious about how it's made.]
no subject
[He squints.] ...Unless you're hustling me right now. In which case... You're pretty convincing. Good job.
no subject
...Okay, yes, I can make it. Probably. Maybe. Nope, definitely, can definitely make it.
[But she's not Caleb, she doesn't have his keen mind. She can't memorize every step he took to put together a complicated weapon. She could maybe approximate something similar, maybe, if she doesn't blow herself up in the process.]
no subject
He sighs.] Yeah, okay. You can work on that. Meanwhile, I'm gonna take this apart again and start over.
[He's proving his point, because while it sounds like he's doing it for her benefit, it's really because he fucked up a step somewhere and has to do it again. See? The system works.]
no subject
She hurriedly scrounges through nearby wreckage to find something that looks like the battery he showed her, and things that have wires, and other parts she noticed as he went. She carries all of them at once, a sight with her small stature and the machine parts stacked high in her arms as she walks around, and unceremoniously drops them in a big pile nearby, given the time allotted by his need to take the thing apart first.]
no subject
So he walks her through the steps, bit by bit, in his own abrasive way, and this time does it correctly so his own bomb doesn't blow up in his face.]
When we move on, it's gonna be harder to find things worth their weight in boom, so you might wanna scavenge a little while you're here. [a beat] Once I'm done. I don't teach people shit to make competitors outta them. This is purely 'cause I'm occasionally a nice guy and there's a lot of crap around here that will kill you if you're not competent.
im so very glad nott ended up teaching herself explosives in canon now..... bless
Nott nods fervently in response to Rocket's instruction, because what is she going to do? Say no to the guy shoulders deep in a chemical explosive and a gun the size of himself strapped to his back?]
You get the good stuff and I get the dregs, got it.
[Without a crossbow, though, making an explosive can prove to be extremely useful in the future. If she can use it to protect Molly and Caleb, then she'll be pleased with herself.]
we are the best
Whelp. I'm off. [He tucks the bomb under one arm, walks behind her and gives her a sardonic pat on the head, because how often does he get to do that?? Not enough. No one is ever the same size as he is.] See you around... 'Cause, you know, I see everything.
[That last part wasn't necessary. He just... had to be a little scary. It doesn't really have much effect since he walks out snickering as he says it.]
no subject
When he appears to finally be gone, or at least no longer visible, she lets go of the breath she was holding and brings a hand to rub circles into her forehead.]
Oh, gods.
[Still. Even despite the horrifying encounter with a hyperintelligent potentially rabid raccoon, she got something out of this. She finishes up the last few adjustments she remembers from his demonstration and picks up the finished explosive. She made this. Huh.
Pretty cool.
She pockets it, and then... pointedly leaves in a different direction than he did.]