Elias meets Richard and Mr. Pennebrygg

A dead silence had settled into Bethnal Green,
the thumping of barflies and gentlemen alike who had enjoyed more wine than
they could handle finally dying down far past the dead of midnight. The
Society's doorsteps were known to be flooded frequently by the steps of angry
mobbers, but in a time as undisturbed as this, it would seem unreasonable that
anything could break through the eerie peace that had settled upon the area.
Thump. Thump thump. A hard, rapid pounding against wood.
Scratch that.
The only one on the streets now was a man
amounting to a wiry-muscled 5'11 form, as he stood with an impatient scowl at
the doors of the building. He shivered faintly, his arms wrapped tight around
each other as he waited for his knocks to be identified. Clutched tight in his
hand was a small card, and just behind his feet two half-heartedly packed
luggage trunks. His breath left a stain upon the icy night air as his gaze
remained fixed onto his feet.
Thump thump. He knocked again, with more force. His
scowl deepened.
Tairais: It wouldn't have been the first time that his late
night wanderings directed him to strange happenings, and it was one of these
times that carried Richard to the grand foyer at what his pocket watch decreed
to be two in the morning. As he gazed at the frankly magnificent skeleton
hanging from the ceiling, he was interrupted from his meandering thoughts of
his homeland by a rather insistent knocking upon the door behind him. He walked
swiftly to the door, limbs unhindered for once, cane rapped against the floor
softly, a calming counter-melody to the forceful beat. He pulled the door open,
squaring his shoulders against the sudden wave of fatigue that washed over him
as he drew himself up to his full 6'4" of height in the attempt of making
a good impression.
"Buona sera, signore. Kas t- Ah, laukti." 
He paused for a moment, almost visibly switching languages and certainly
trading accents in order to talk to the stranger, nodding slightly.
"Good evening. My a-apologies, signore. I find it hard t-to speak properly
when night f-falls. May I be of assistance? And for that matter, who are
you?"
He studiously avoided eye contact with the stranger,- handsome as he was- and
instead chose to pick out the details of the two trunks and the man's attire. A
new lodger, most likely. Still, courtesies had to be observed, and questions
had to be asked.
Decipherer:  Elias' eyes widen a significant amount as his cheeks
flood with a rosy shade, visibly embarrassed at his inability to understand the
words that were spoken. He clears his throat and gives a tiny smile, briefly
glancing towards him with half-gratitude. He soon realizes he was staring at
someone who was very tall, and he instantly averts his gaze. It would seem the
impression Richard has given is an intimidating one. "It's really
alright."
He stares upwards at him again and slowly reveals the small Society card.
"I was invited."
Tairais:  Richard
took the card gently, and noting the man's averted gaze, chuckled sheepishly,
leaning on his cane and shrinking a few inches as the rest of his energy left
him in a dizzying rush. He glanced over the card quickly, noting its
authenticity before nodding and offering the card back.
"S-so you were." He paused for a moment, choosing his words
cautiously, the appraising spark gone from his yellow-green eyes. 
"I intimidated y-you. My apologies. T-truth be told, I-I'm about as
harmful as a b-bar of soap; Which is to say, n-not at all, unless it is
a-accidentally."
Brushing a curl out of his face, he sighed, fixing his hat.
"C-could I perhaps assist you in m-moving your belongings inside? I'll
admit, I'm s-still fairly new here m-myself, and recently returned from a
research t-trip, so I'm n-not entirely sure w-where to go beyond that. However,
I s-should think it would be b-better to have them inside. Y-you're welcome to
j-join me for tea as well, if you'd like, d-despite the late hour."
'Strangers,' Richard thought, 'Why do they always intimidate me? Speaking of which..'
"I also forgot to introduce myself. D-Doctor Richard Nicholas Edward
Prince: P-prosthetist, metalsmith, geologist, t-tinkerer, clockwork mechanic,
those s-sorts of odds and ends, and an avid t-tea drinker. A-at your
service." He offered a joking sort of bow, hand twitching at his side
again.
Almost certainly faulty wiring. He was fairly certain that was a spark he saw
flicker. Bloody hell.
Decipherer:  Elias' eyes widen similarly to how they had before, but
for drastically different reasons. The confidence he'd exuded moments ago has
dissipated; he waves his hands with a violent shake of his head. "Nono,
you're quite fine! I'm just, er..." he pauses for a moment to stare down at
his 5'11 frame. "Short, ahah. My apologies."
he looks towards his trunks and begins a rushed, "No-- ", but his
gaze returns to Richard, and then to the luggage, and he releases a small sigh.
A smile flickers across his face again. "All of that sounds wonderful,
actually. Thank you very much, Dr. Prince. I am Doctor Elias Castellanos,
astrochemist... It's a pleasure."
He extends his hand in the offer of a handshake.
Tairais:  Richard chuckled sheepishly once more, the tips of his
ears turning slightly pink in embarrassment as he shook Elias' hand in a firm
grip. Releasing it, he said "I don't b-believe five feet, e-eleven inches
is 'short,' given the average h-height for a man at the s-start of the eighteenth
c-century was about f-five feet, five inches, if my m-memory serves
c-correctly." 
He tilted his head in thought for a few moments before somewhat tentatively
adding, "I also h-have some samples of a meteorite an associate of mine
p-procured while researching meteorological conditions in the Alps, if you
w-would like to take a l-look at it at a l-later date?"
He leaned his cane against the door, considering the two trunks for a moment.
If Elias had brought the both of them this far by himself, it was likely that
he could carry one of them on his own. 
With that thought, he leaned his cane against the door frame before hopping the
few stairs to the ground, landing with a metallic 'tink!' on one foot. He
tensed slightly, chiding himself for his lapse in judgement before grabbing the
trunk, beginning to pull it up the stairs after a brief hesitation.
'Ah, cazzo.' He thought. 'If he asks, I will tell, but I must remember not to
show off. Idiota.'
Decipherer:  The bags are really not too heavy at all -- but it's easy
to see how carrying two might be a struggle, since the actual trunks are rather
large.
Elias lets out a small laugh as he picks up one of the luggage cases himself,
and he begins to say something -- but he stops, stiffening and looking up at
Richard with an almost starstruck gaze. "You would do that?"
He smiles slightly again, but it quickly fades as he remembers his own luggage.
He leans down and scoops the trunk up, and that is when he hears the soft
scraping of metal. He blinks and almost automatically gives a discreet glance
to whatever had created the sound.
He looks back towards Richard and gives a small smirk, and, in a rare instance
where he uses better judgement, Elias says nothing and instead moves to follow
him, frequently casting an amazed look at the grand skeleton above his head.
Tairais:  Richard turned to face Elias once more after setting the
trunk he was carrying against the wall of the foyer. His grin was unseen in his
mouth, due to his scarf, instead seen in the crinkles at the corner of his one
visible eye as he witnesses Elias' awe, both for what he himself considered a
small gesture of professional intrigue, and at the (admittedly very cool)
skeleton.
"But of c-course. I am always t-the first to admit where my i-intellectual
abilities fall short, and m-my branch of geology is focused v-very much on
earthly m-matters, pun intended. You would f-fare much better studying it than
I!"
He chuckled, leaning to grab his cane and lean against it once more with easy
grace, completely at odds to the nerves chittering in his chest. It had been a
while since he wanted to make the effort to be someone's friend. Catt's
friendship was an easy thing, something that had worked its way around the
walls of fear and paranoia that had saved him countless times over. He didn't
resent her for that, but this was different. Not to mention, there was little
doubt his metallic footfall was heard, and yet Elias didn't ask any questions..
He shook his head slightly, shoving his thoughts to the side and lifting his
gaze from where it had fallen on the floor to rest upon Elias, arching an
eyebrow inquisitively.
"I b-believe I offered t-tea, if y-you wish to join me? I understand i-if
you wish t-to find a place to r-rest instead, however."
The hand not holding his cane twitched slightly, and once again he made the
mental note to remember to fix it at a later date.
Decipherer:  Elias' eyes light up with a strange sort of emotion, one
that seems hard to read to even himself -- he didn't know quite why he found
himself so eager to be the in the man's company, but he supposed that was a
fault of his own making. After all, his standards were low, since...
He gave a small shake of his head to dislodge the thoughts, and smirks at
Richard. "Both of those sound like stellar options -- pun also intended.
And, uh, no, I'm really not tired at all."
His voice lingers on the word for a moment, and he shrugs. "Shall
we?"
Tairais:  After a
pause at the second pun, Richard laughed whole-heartedly. Imagine, if you
would, the laughter of a clichéd mad scientist, overlaid with the warmth of a
summer breeze and the clarity and harshness of breaking crystal chandeliers,
completely at odds with the warm chuckles and tones of his low tenor.
Surprising, to say the least, and not entirely unpleasant.
Richard took a few moments to catch his breath, eyes still crinkled at the
corners despite his embarrassment.
"We s-shall indeed, good sir. Follow m-me, then."
He led the way through the winding halls of the Society, cane tapping against
marble, wood, and stone alike. As they rounded the final corner to their
destination, Richard hummed thoughtfully.
"I a-am curious, and pardon my asking i-if you find it rude, b-but from
where d-do you hail? I h-have not heard an accent q-quite like yoursduring m-my
time in London."
He strode calmly through the doorway of the kitchen, then leaned his cane
against one of the many counters as he busied himself with filling and setting
the kettle to boil, absently humming a lighthearted melody as he worked.
Decipherer:  Richard's delightful laughter triggers a grin on Elias'
face, and slowly - and not of his own will - he begins to giggle... and then
laugh, and then snort. The whole of it sounds rather hyena-esque.
He clasps his hands over his mouth with alarmed eyes, his cheeks flushing with
embarrassment. "I don't mean to laugh, my sincerest apologies! Your
laughter is infectious."
His smirk returns, but it appears more genuine and warm, and far less cocky
than before.
Elias follows after Richard, but his gaze remains locked on the Society's decor
as he stares admiringly. As they reach the kitchen, he remains in the doorway,
leaning on it and folding his arms across his chest. "I was born in
Hellas-- or, ah, Greece. But, I traveled here with my mother at a very young
age, and..."
He chuckles softly and gestures to his entire self. "Well, it caused me to
have an interesting dialect."
Tairais:  The corner of his eye crinkled once more, especially when
he heard Elias' own amusing laughter. "It is quite all r-right: I d-do
believe you are t-the first to say such a kind t-thing about it! N-no apologies
necessary."
He rummaged through the cabinets, the corners of his lips turned up in a gesture
now unseen, but light on his heart as he continued humming. A few moments later
he emerged from behind the island, having found his bag of tea leaves and herbs
as the kettle started to steam. Gently pouring a pinch of the mixture into two
cups he grabbed on his way up, he poured the water over the leaves, leaving
them to steep.
After a moment's stretch, Richard continued the conversation, mirroring Elias'
posture by leaning back against the counter, gesturing with his hands the whole
while. 
"I h-have been to Greece on a n-number of occasions, m-mostly for
t-transit, however. I w-was quite fond of the f-food, truth be told." He
chuckled slightly, playing it off by turning it into a small cough into his
hand. "If it interests you, I w-was born in Jurbarkas, in Lithuania. I
s-spent the early part of my life there, and moved to Italy in my t-teenage
years. I have only b-been in fair England for a y-year or so. I d-didn't really
s-stay put t-though. T-travelling is much m-more.. exciting, I f-find!"
He ignored the sudden ache in his chest as memories tried to claw their way to
the surface, instead focusing on their tea. "I b-believe it's f-fit for
drinking, n-now. Do not worry about sweetening it, a-as it is peppermint and
c-chamomile; Plenty s-sweet on its own!" He gingerly took one of the cups
and blew the leaves to the other side of it, taking a deep gulp and humming
quietly, but happily, eyes darting elsewhere.
Decipherer:  Elias
gives a soft chuckle, bowing his head in a gesture of agreement. "That I
do agree with."
His smirk grows as he takes one of the cups carefully, staring down at it and
taking a small sip. "That sounds quite interesting. I wish I could say
I've visited, but I never could quite get around much of anywhere."
His fingers idly trace the rim of the cup and his stare fixes onto the
reflection the tea provides. "Oh, please ignore me. I'm just whining at
this point." He looks back up with a grin.
Tairais:  "I
have all m-manner of stories to t-tell, should you ever get bored. I wouldn't
mind the c-company, truth be t-told. Semi-s-sentient teakettle notwithstanding,
the only p-people I have had such ease conversing w-with would Catt and Hen.
Even t-then..." He trailed off, coughing once to clear both throat and
mind. "At any r-rate, I don't mind the whining, g-given that I do not see
it as such."
He offered another smile in the corner of an eye, the depths of his green and
gold eyes sparkling merrily. He silently thanked whatever powers that be that
had persuaded him to wear a high-collared shirt as he unwrapped his scarf
slightly to drink his tea easier. There were fewer things to explain that way.
Decipherer:  Elias tilts his head questioningly, but he remains silent
for a moment. Eventually, though, he smiles again, and looks towards Richard
with a nod. "Well, I'm here now. Have any interesting tales to
share?"
Tairais:  Richard
set his now empty teacup on the counter and tilted his head back in thought,
eyes twinkling when he remembered something.
"Ah, I h-have a good one. I was in M-Milan some years back, around
Christmas, and w-was trying to earn a little m-money to buy m-my amico Jack a
gift for t-the occasion. Amidst t-the more v-vibrant stores, my little s-stand
didn't quite catch t-the eye. N-now, given that I was m-much younger at the
time, I d-did not have the b-best sense of judgement.. S-so I had the wonderful
i-idea of lighting a small ribbon of m-magnesium i-in hopes of attracting
s-some customers."
He paused to ensure his hand gestures wouldn't knock over any errant cookware,
eyes crinkling with a smile.
"W-well, I g-got attention, just n-not the kind I was hoping for. A..
shall we s-say, older signore h-had the fortune t-to see me set the magnesium
alight, but n-not the match I used to d-do so. He quite loudly b-began accusing
me of witchcraft and d-drew quite a large crowd. He then p-proceeded to throw..
s-something- I cannot remember w-what- at me. Alarmed, I d-dropped the
magnesium, which fell d-directly onto a cloth tent and promptly set it
alight."
Here, Richard paused to chuckle with the air of someone who only found the
events amusing in hindsight, accent becoming more pronounced the further along
he got in his memories..
"As a r-result of the closely p-packed tents a-and flammable goods, a
v-very large blaze began to form rapidamente. H-horrified, I start running in
hopes of f-finding help." The grin in his eyes dances as he says the next
sentence. "I instead bump into J-Jack a-at the top of a h-hill, watching
in astonishment. He sees me, and the first thing out of his mouth is, 'Well
gosh, Richard. You c-certainly k-know how to kick Christmas f-festivities off
with a b-bang! W-we still have another week! However, w-we should probably get
g-going.'"
He laughed for a couple of seconds before finishing the story.
"When I a-asked him, oh, a w-week later if h-he was upset f-for me ruining
t-the holiday, he said 'Not at all! T-there's few things I love m-more than a
Christmas roast!'
At this he began laughing in earnest, though he did his best to keep quiet.
"I-it is, I will admit, not the m-most p-pleasant story, but I f-find it
most amusing." He shrugged, eyes still crinkled with glee.
Decipherer:  Elias bites down on his quivering lip as the story
progresses, a grin forming on his features. Eventually, though, he bursts out
into the familiar and amusing laughter. "My god, that sounds terrifying!
It was Chr-- it was Christmas?" He pauses to try and steady his breathy
laughing. "How long ago was this? Why did you have a magnesium ribbon on
hand?" He snorts, picking up his tea and talking a small gulp. He grins up
at Richard from the cup.
Tairais:  Richard
chuckled brightly, nodding. "It w-was! Both terrifying a-and Christmas,
t-that is," He said wryly. He then tapped his thumb against his chin, hidden
within the folds of his scarf. "I b-believe it w-was about t-ten years
ago? W-when I was m-more or less seven a-and ten years o-old. As for the
m-magnesium.." He paused, shrugging in a sheepish and exaggerated fashion.
"It burns q-quite prettily! I w-wouldn't recommend s-staring at it for any
length of t-time, though." If there was a person who could radiate the
energy of a smile, it would be Richard at the moment. He was nearly giddy with
amusement.
Decipherer:  Elias
grins, placing the glass down again. He observes Richard's tapping of his chin
with a thoughtful sort-of smirk, his head tilting. He remains quiet for a
moment to consider his words, but he eventually questions with a small tilt of
his head, "You do not have to answer if you are uncomfortable, but if I
may... Why do you wear such a large scarf?"
Tairais:  Richard's
smile dimmed slightly, and he sighed. "It is less that I am
u-uncomfortable answering and m-more so I d-do not want the pity of o-others
and.. unpleasant memories interfering with my work and travel. T-to answer your
question, much of my f-face is.. well, I've been t-told it is 'hideously and
terrifyingly scarred' by many."
He made no move to remove the scarf in question, but somewhat hesitantly
offered, "I-if you are truly c-curious, I c-could s-show y-you?" He
did his best to sound casual about the whole endeavor, despite the tightening
of his shoulders.
Decipherer:  Elias
frowns slightly, nodding with a tiny but reassuring smile. "If you are
alright with that, yes."
Tairais:  Richard's
jaw tightened for a moment as he reminded himself of his surroundings. 'You are
safe,' He thought, 'There is no one here who would wish you harm.'
He nodded decisively before slowly unwrapping his scarf and setting it aside.
Shortly thereafter, his hat and the strange monocle over his eye joined it on
the counter.
Richard tilted his chin up slightly after that, unbuttoning the collar of his
shirt in order to show the extent of the damage to his face.
And indeed, the damage was extensive. Most of his neck was covered in the shiny
off-white and pink of poorly healed burns. Scattered among the burns were many
ghastly knife scars, and in a few places it seemed a great beast had chewed out
bites of the man. A thin scar bisected his esophagus, ending in a sharp curve
up towards his jugular.
All those horrors paled next to the lower half of Richard's face. It seemed
like the flesh was still in process of melting, the right side of his face in
particular was a sight to behold.
On both sides of his face, the hollows of his cheeks were pocked with circular
scars varying in depth and size, the flesh seeming to have frozen in the
process of melting. The same knife scars ghosted over his lips multiple times,
towards his right eye.
His missing right eye. 
Swollen scar tissue radiated outwards from where a quartz and metal facsimile
resided in the socket, the scars themselves arranged like the fractures of
bullet-shattered glass.
Both eyes twitched and darted around the kitchen, ears red and burning with
embarrassment.
Decipherer:  A very soft gasp escapes Elias' lips, and in a strange
but habitual move, one hand moves to the other as he drives a thumb into his
gloved palm. His expression seems strange and distant for a very brief moment,
but it dissipates as quickly as it had formed. Taking its place was a
thin-lipped and melancholy smile. "Please, Richard, don't be embarrassed.
I'm... glad you trusted me enough to show me."
Tairais:  Richard
nodded, jaw still tense, the outline of his teeth visible in certain places.
"Certamente, mi amico. You do not seem the sort to mock. Regardless,
you'll have to excuse me, I'm more used to that. It's not like people l-line up
t-to call me handsome."
He smiled, more self-depricating than anything. There was a hint of gratitude
and awe hidden behind the sorrow. He cleared his throat to pull himself away
from memories.
"What was that gesture, if I may ask?"
Decipherer:  He opens
his mouth to speak, but suddenly bites down on his lip hard to keep himself
from saying anything. At the follow-up statement, however, Elias' face seems to
screw up with confusion as paranoia and fear begins to scratch away at his more
straying thoughts. "Hmm?"
Tairais:  He held up his hands in a placating gesture, wincing with
a full body shudder as something in his hands caused shooting pain to spike up
his arms. 'Well,' He thought, 'He has already seen this much. Not much else in
the way of grief can come from this.'
Quickly, as if the gloves were burning him, he peeled them off, exposing the
hands of metal underneath. With an apologetic glance, he began moving the
fingers of each hand in an attempt to find the source problem, his attention
solely fixed on the puzzle before him.
Decipherer:  Elias eyes
Richard with concern, and as the metallic prosthetics are revealed, he absently
repeats the odd hand movement he'd made just moments before. His arms quickly
return to his sides, and he asks slowly, "Is everything alright?"
Tairais:  Richard
offered a smile, fully seen this this time, and just as lopsided as the rest of
him. His voice was tight, the only sign of anything being awry as he turned his
hands palm up, exposing two spots of corroded metal where the radial artery
would be on any other human. "It w-would appear there were d-delayed
c-consequences from a-an experimental procedure of m-mine."
Decipherer:  Elias
slides his arms behind his back, his gaze rattled with disquiet, among other
things. He examines Richard's wrist carefully, before slowly reaching out with
his own gloved hand. "May I?"
Tairais:  Richard
kept a smile on his face for the sake of appearing brave, but his voice failed
him at that moment. Choosing to nod instead, he extended his arms slightly,
unaware of the fact he was now holding his breath in anticipation of...
something. Pain, perhaps?
Decipherer:  Elias
steps forward with a tiny but grateful nod. Carefully and gently, he takes
Richard's arm in his own hands. He runs his fingers lightly across the area of
corrupt metal, frowning deeply. "What type of metal is this?"
Very softly, he presses his palm onto the corroded surface, observing how
Richard will react.
On a different note: If Richard can even feel the sensation -- or notice it
under the pain he may or may not encounter, the feeling of Elias' palm, and to
a lesser extent his fingertips, is quite interesting; due to it's thin and worn
fabric, it's easy to identify that there is very ragged terrain on the skin
underneath.
Tairais:  Richard
let out his held breath with a quick sigh, doing his best to repress his urge
to flinch and not entirely succeeding. Still, it had been quite a while since
anyone had inspected his hands without trying to disassemble or destroy them,
so perhaps he was right to be nervous. That was certainly it. He refrained from
commenting on the state of Elias' hands: he knew all too well the urge to hide
away the parts of yourself you considered flawed.
"B-brass and s-steel, mostly. S-some copper wiring that m-makes it easier
to m-move the fingers, and the c-crystals in the palms," He nodded towards
the items in question, very dimly glowing a faint purple, "Were given to
m-me by an associate from R-Romania who insisted t-that it would provide the
s-sensation of feeling, in addition to providing the w-wiring with a source of
e-energy t-that would seldom run out. He w-was not wrong, a-as it turned out; I
have not had to replace them since I first made my arms.. The, ah, m-melting
was more likely d-due to perhaps making an acidic s-solution while
experimenting for w-work on a better eye p-prototype, t-though I am not
certain. It c-could be any number of things, n-now that I t-think." Almost
as if to punctuate his rambling, the faint flickers of sparking wiring could be
seen behind layers of tubing and wiring. "Ah.. Cazzo. T-that does not bode
w-well." He frowned, scars rippling like sunlight at the
Decipherer:  As soon as
Elias takes note of the very subtle flinch, he draws his hands back, returning
them to their folded position behind him, and, in a movement likely but not
guaranteed to go unseen by Richard, he creates the odd hand gesture again as he
jabs his thumb into his other palm.
His mouth twitches into a frown as he mumbles a tiny, 'sorry,' but as Elias
listens to the list of elements used in the prosthetic, he looks somewhat
hopeful. "I do want to help, uh - do you require any of those
metals?"
Tairais:  Even with only one completely functional eye, Richard
caught the slight shifting of Elias' arms, but chose not to say anything. He
withdrew his arms from their resting position, hands subtly quivering by his
sides, though whether it was due to nervousness or faulty wiring wasn't
entirely certain.
"I-it is.. all right. I f-find it difficult to unlearn years of
n-n-nervousness towards touch, is all-" His tone softened in a grateful
manner. "T-thank y-you f-for n-noticing, t-though. N-not many h-have the
c-courtesy t-to d-do s-so." Internally, he cursed his stumbling tongue as
his chest began to hammer: perhaps he had taken too many risks. What if Elias
turned on him, refused his invitation for friendship? What then? Would he tell
everyone at the Society? He wasn't sure if he could bear it.
Nothing good could come from those thoughts, so he did his best to minimize the
frantic darting of his eyes around the kitchen and inhaled slowly. "I-it
may be t-time f-for m-m-me to c-consider a new s-set of l-limbs. I h-have n-not
c-created an e-entire n-new set o-of l-limbs s-since they w-were f-first
t-taken f-from me." Perhaps he shouldn't have mentioned that last bit of
information. His head was scrambling to shore up the walls he had forgotten to
keep in place, the ones that kept him safe from malicious intent. Gods above,
what was wrong with him? "E-er, at any r-rate, I will n-need substantial
a-amounts of a-all of t-them.. t-to replace e-everything, t-that is."
It was moments like these Richard preferred it was his tongue that was taken
from him.
Decipherer:  Elias seems to be observing Richard with an odd sort of
frown, the gears turning rapidly in his mind. The moment he snaps from the
intense thought is the moment he finally takes notice of his behavior, and he
gnaws on his lip in a strangely nervous way, which is quite unnatural for him.
As he hears the increase of stumbled speech and the gently fidgeting state of
his hands, he, with all the evidence of unsureness found on his face, slowly reaches
out and gently rests a hand on Richard's forearm, if nothing else to calm the
trembling movement. "Richard, you're with a friend here. Don't worry,
please. I would love to help you with this task." He offers a very weak
smile.
Tairais:  Elias' clockwork musings went unnoticed in his hurried
state as he habitually noted all the exits and windows in the room. Jumping and
tensing when he first felt the gentle touch on his arm, his eyes snapped to Elias',
gaze unreadable and intense. After a few tense heartbeats, he visibly relaxed
and sighed wearily, his face blooming into a soft, nervous smile.
He pulled his eyes away to stare at his arm thoughtfully before nodding.
"Si. Grazie. I- er, yes. Right. My t-thanks to you. I a-apologize for m-my
behavior, y-you have done n-nothing to w-warrant it." He seems to realize
something, and chuckles. "Amicos, then? Interessante." He pinched the
bridge of his nose, as if to stave off a headache, with his free hand and
flinched when an errant spark skated across one of the burnt patches of skin.
"W-was that really n-necessary?" He muttered, glaring at the
offending limb.
Decipherer:  A very
tiny smirk graces Elias' features, and he opens his mouth to speak - but he
closes his mouth as he sees the spark skid across. He looks back towards
Richard and purses his lips in thought. "I do feel quite guilty... my
abilities don't really lie in these sorts of situations. I wish I could offer
more help, is there anything I can do?"
Tairais:  "N-no
need to feel guilty: If you h-have any amount of t-the metals I m-mentioned
earlier, you are s-saving me any number of h-hours of work.. and money, for
that m-matter, trying t-to hunt down enough on m-my own." Richard
chuckled, "M-my s-social skills outside of.. c-comfortable environments
are in w-worse shape than my arms. Regardless, y-you are q-quite kind, indeed."
He shifted his weight slightly, and realizing he had been biting on the inside
of his cheek and could now taste blood, made the effort to tap the fingers of
his free arm against his leg instead.
Decipherer:  Elias, who totally feels bad that he gave Richard the
impression he was a decent person, looks almost guilty. His hands fidget
slightly and he begins to make the strange hand movement, but he drives his
hands back to his sides in a very fast motion to stop himself.
He considers Richard's words, and then nods very slowly, "I believe I
should, yes, I..." He chuckles semi-sheepishly, his hands wringing every
so often, "I have a habit of overpreparing myself with materials."
Tairais:  Richard restrains himself from raising a curious eyebrow,
instead tilting his head to ask with a small chuckle, "Over-p-prepared is
the most p-prefered kind of prepared t-to be, in my opinion. S-shall we go
c-check? Or if not, y-your trunks would probably f-fare better in an a-area
more secure t-than the front hall r-regardless.. I am r-relatively certain
t-there is a l-library somewhere, o-or you could use my w-workspace? I
h-honestly do not s-spend as much t-time in there as I should, and t-the door
locks f-for a fact." 
Richard almost seems sheepish for the suggestion, but in his defense, he didn't
know the security of any room but his own, which he had taken of on his own.
"I d-do n-not mean to p-presume, o-of c-course, merely offer
s-suggestions.
Decipherer:  As Richard actually mentions checking his bags, Elias'
eyes fill with shock and horror as he comes to a stupidly obvious realization:
he has more things -- important things -- still outside. He blinks
incredulously at his own blindness, and quickly chuckles back in a more forced
manner. "Anywhere is fine, but while you decide I need to go check on
something!"
Without waiting for an answer, Elias practically sprints out of the kitchen.
After almost eight minutes and a heavy THUNKing sound, Elias returns with a
weary expression. "I'm here, my apologies for the wait. I still had
something outside..." His voice trails off and he laughs weakly. "I'd
lose my head were it not attached."
Tairais:  Richard
decided it was best not to inquire into the matter any further. He rested his
right arm against the counter, and, finding nothing better to do, started
opening hatches in the wrist and near where the limb itself attached to where
his elbow used to be in order to determine the true extent of the damage.
When Elias returned, he looked up to reassure him that all was well, only to
start giggling- actually giggling, not laughing- at the curious expression.
"That is s-something I h-have not heard before. Keheh. R-regardless, I
trust all is w-well now, y-yes?" He returned his focus to shifting around
words and cogs, hissing as an exposed wire shocked him angrily. "Unlike my
a-arm.. Pezzo di merda. T-this-" He pointed at the arm on the counter with
his free hand, "Is much worse t-than I t-thought." He frowned in a
petulant matter that could almost be considered cute, were his face not so unsettling.
Decipherer:  Elias
avoid's Richard's gaze as he begins to giggle, his cheeks flushing a light red.
He offers a soft chuckle instead, but before he can comment, his attention
becomes captured by the more damaged of Richard's arms. He tilts his head with
a concerned frown, but says nothing until moments later. He squints and steps
closer to examine it properly. "Y-- isn't exposed wiring, oh, among other
things, incredibly uncomfortable? How frequently do you check these? How did
they pass unnoticed?"
Realizing his own words, he rubs his neck with a sheepish expression.
"Apologies, I was just concerned."
Tairais:  Richard arched a brow, warm smile still lighting up his
face as he chuckled again. "I h-have not been the subject of a.. ah,
w-what is the word? 'M-mother hen?' For quite some time. C-careful, good Elias,
s-someone might t-think you c-care!"
His teasing tone softened with a flash of gratitude in his good eye, and a soft
frown as he returned his focus "You are q-quite all right, however. As for
y-your questions, I had thought I checked and c-cleaned them a-after the
experiment. It w-would appear the solution made its way d-down the inside of my
a-arm- Oh. My gloves. I wonder..."
With little regard towards the open hatches in one of his arms, Richard rose
and retrived his gloves from behind him, turning them over in his hands until
he found what he was looking for: a gouge on the inside of both gloves, where
his wrists would normally lie. Showing his discovery to Elias, he sighed.
"This explains q-quite a bit. That p-particular spot on my wrist is
e-exempt from the pseudo-n-neurological network the c-crystal provides, hence
the g-gloves. They are as m-much for p-protection as they a-are for
hiding." He was really going to regret offering so much insight into his
person. Later, though. "It would s-seem I put too m-much faith in them
however. Perhaps I should b-be glad the s-solution did not m-make its way to
what is left of m-my arm."
Richard's gaze quickly went from mildly perturbed to troubled. It was looking
more and more like he would need to replace both the arms, if the other arm was
in similar condition.
"It is quite odd t-that I did n-not notice sooner, truth be t-told. I am..
b-better than this, usually."
Mr.
Pennebrygg:  Did someone say they need limb replacements?!
( A thin man slides across the hard dining room flooring into the kitchen,
almost landing on his eager face before the pair. )
Why didn'tcha say so?!
Tairais:  Letting
out a sound akin to a wounded animal's cry of pain, Richard instinctively
dropped into a crouch to hide behind the counter, feeling his pulse in his
teeth as it seemingly tried to burst from his chest.
This was, to say the least, not how he imagined his evening going.
Mr.
Pennebrygg:  Whoa whoa whoa there! ( He rushes to the doctor's side,
gingerly placing a hand on his back. ) It's alright, I'm not going to hurt you!
I can help.
Tairais:  He tried
not to flinch at the hand on his back, he really did, but his heart was still
stuttering from the earlier surprise. The whole situation was eerily familiar
and it was a combination of things that had him casting a panicked glance at
Elias.
Decipherer:  Elias, who was most certainly not anticipating anyone,
releases a small yelp and grabs whatever would be nearest to hold -- therefore,
he snags a tray from the counter and holds it defensively.
He lets out a soft sigh of relief. "... Oh, hello."
His eyes suddenly widen as he remembers he wasn't alone, and he looks down
behind the island at Richard. He frowns deeply and glances around until he
spots the lavender scarf and gently pulls it off, holding it out to Richard.
He looks towards the newcomer with an awkward half-smile as he does so.
Tairais: Richard flashed a quick smile before fastening the
scarf around his mouth, hiding the worst of the damage. Standing up and quickly
turning around, he replaced his hat and eyepatch before turning to face the
newcomer.
"E-er.. Hello?"
Mr.
Pennebrygg:  Hey! Didn't mean to startle you back there. We've been
lookin' all over fer-
.... You dunno me. ( He chuckles, placing a hand to his forehead. ) Wow this is
embarrassing, I'm sorry! ( He removes his hand and extends it, uncovering a
gleaming metal eye patch. ) Mister Hugo Pennebrygg atcher service!
Tairais:  Richard
tentatively shook the man's hand, heart merely thudding instead of galloping.
"D-doctor R-ichard Prince. Y-you m-mentioned a 'we'. W-who m-might 'we'
be? A-at any r-rate, all is w-well, I w-was m-merely... s-startled."
Richard seemed uncertain of how to proceed with the conversation, each muscle
taut as a bowstring, mind still processing the 'fight or flight' mechanic.
Mr.
Pennebrygg:  ( He straightens out. ) Oh, you weren't aware? Do you
know a Hen, by any chance?
Tairais:  Richard
frowned. "I d-do. You'll h-have to forgive m-me if I d-do not r-remember
h-hearing of y-you. Much l-like most of m-me, my memory is n-not what i-it
should b-be."
Mr.
Pennebrygg:  No no, it's alright. It's more likely tha' we didn' 'ave
a chance t'meet b'fore I left. He mentioned to me tha' you might need some
'elp. I'm an Automatonomist ya see, so functioning prosthetics fall under my
specialty.
Tairais:  Richard's
visible eye widened in sudden comprehension, before crinkling at the corner in
a familiar pseudo-smile. "H-he only mentioned y-your name once in m-my mind,
b-but I r-remember n-now, y-yes.. M-much as m-my professional p-pride a-and
wishes t-the o-opposite, it m-may b-be better to h-have t-two minds w-working
on this, if I w-want them t-to l-last longer t-than a- Well. L-longer."
A litany of 'Do not reveal any more!' filled his mind, making it hard to focus
as his heart began to hammer again. He was trying, it was just.. difficult to
understand, for one.
His hands twitched again, and he huffed out a breath.
Mr.
Pennebrygg:  Well, if you wanna work on it solo, that's jolly good.
It's just...erm...you might want some sturdier material. ( He nods towards the
twitching hand. ) I can 'elp with that.
Tairais:  Richard's
eyes darted towards Elias, then back to Mr. Pennebyrgg curiously. "W-what
did y-you have in m-mind?"
Mr.
Pennebrygg:  Well, I see you gots there a nice brass arm, but it's in
need of a little love. (He crouches down, gingerly running his fingers over the
device. )The wiring looks like it's starting to corrode in a few places, and
there's some exposed circuits. Those will have to be fixed. How do ya power
this? with a motor?
Tairais:  Richard
turned the palms of his hands up, exposing the two gently glowing purple
crystals in his hands and frowned in puzzlement.
"A.. f-friend g-gave me these w-when I f-first drafted t-their d-design. I
am n-not certain w-what they are made of, and I h-have n-not heard f-from him
in s-several months at l-least. Regardless I h-have n-never needed t-to
s-switch to t-the auxiliary p-power source. As I t-told Elias, I b-believe a
s-solution from an e-experiment of mine b-burned into it, w-which explains
t-the... mess.
Decipherer:  Elias
carefully observed the interaction with nearly curious intent.
== Obtained From ==
A Nighttime Newcomer
Category:Side Story
Category:Introduction Stories
Category:A Prank Too Far