Mecha Show Expo! (Open)

"AW *YAY*" sandy took cover as the blob exploded. 
"AND the blobs can exploded any thing else world, anything else?"

"Oi! We're just here ta help ya out, people. I ain't planning on cashing in your checks, but that don't mean I'll do your job for ya!" Horn Abs spoke authoritively into the microphone, which then was transmitted over to the speakers that, in turn, transmitted his words over to the ears of those close enough to listen. And those speakers weren't exactly short-range, unlike the crystal radios.
The trio were making good progress, the minotaur thought, and in his mind he was entertaining a fantasy about Ampere and Ford buying the design for the mech and selling it to some big company, ending with the three of them on some beach near the Rainbow Falls, sipping pina coladas or something.

As Indicus walked pass the hangers he felt a little nervous seeing that he did not want to encounter the mare that was almost ready to try and kill him for the cores he stole. He remembered the conversation they shared and did not want to deal with them again though he probably would seeing that they were planning on looking for cores as they did contracts or between them. He shook his head of the thoughts he was guiding a dragoness with such a high sex appeal that if it weren't for his memories of his dead marefriend and the refusal to let her go, he would feel quite awkward. He shook his head once more pushing the thoughts of his dead marefriend and brothers and sisters in arms further back inside his head.

Alpha stayed low, looking at the dire situation around them. "Who the heck is running this place?" he asks nobody. He didn't have anything that could make a spark. He didn't even have any weapons on him to speak of. "Can't really help you there. We'll just have to run for it."

Worst exoskeleton ever.
" Well then, let run like heck and try not to blow up. That sounds like fun."

Indicus wrote:

As Indicus walked pass the hangers he felt a little nervous seeing that he did not want to encounter the mare that was almost ready to try and kill him for the cores he stole. He remembered the conversation they shared and did not want to deal with them again though he probably would seeing that they were planning on looking for cores as they did contracts or between them. He shook his head of the thoughts he was guiding a dragoness with such a high sex appeal that if it weren't for his memories of his dead marefriend and the refusal to let her go, he would feel quite awkward. He shook his head once more pushing the thoughts of his dead marefriend and brothers and sisters in arms  further back inside his head.

Kiryuu was genuinely fascinated with the entire display, taking in all of the sighs and sounds, recording them for deeper study later, after the emotional high of being able to wander around without people panicking finally wore down.

Razz's jaw hit the floor. "Wait. You can talk to mechs? I didn't think that was even possible!" She squeed happily, clapping her hands. "Oooh! What did she say?"

She then immediately blushed as Divine responded. She looked up at her mech with a teary smile. "Oh, uh... y-you're welcome, 'Lu. It's always a pleasure." She stammered, twiddling her fingers in front of her. She blinked, suddenly realising something, and turned towards Divine. "Oh, she can't understand me, can she? Could you please tell her that for me?"

"A-and, uh... could you tell her that I'm really, really sorry for getting drunk with Saxxie that one time, a-and spilling ice cream on her control panel?" She quickly forced out, her entire face flushing red. "It was really silly of me, and it can't have been fun for her either..." She trailed off, her bottom lip trembling.

The area that Alpha and Sandy had taken cover in soon began to break up when a large blob flung onto it and broke it when it blew up, leaving them more exposed as chemicals were still sparking up trouble. If they were planning on running, now was as good a time as any when a rain of chemical mixtures flung about overhead, though they might need the help of a passerby in the area to fully avoid them all and keep following the signal direction North... A unicorn perhaps...?

As for those conversing around the hangars and their mechs, they may or may not be interested in another mech on unusually bright colored threads being rolled by under huge cover of a mantle and carefully escorted by a group of young scientist and students, with the exception of one draconic looking androgynous chimera swearing a thick suit sitting on top and talking to something on its wrist with its three heads. "... Yeah, yeah, we'll be keeping an eye out for giant monsters, Nobel."

"And hurry your drunk flank back to the hangar! We ain't got all day!"

"Oh, and could you please buy us a snack along the way? That'd be real nice of you." The chimera would then sigh and focus on the machine they were on as they gave directions and orders. "Alright, just a little further, and we'll have this one back with the others."

"Don't bump into anything either! The last thing we need is for the combination process to be compromised!"

"It's okay, lads, Professor Spudger isn't gonna be mad at us for running final tests anyway." And as the machine rolled, it was headed for a rather huge hangar, easily among the largest ones in the entire Expo with 4 other machines of varying large sizes under cover within.

As for a certain daydreaming Horn Abs, he was lucky that his own distracted mind was being covered by a certain Professor and her husband, still handling the controls of his machine with relative ease. He'd also hear a chuckle from Ford's end while his wife took notice. "Honey, what's so funny?"

"I just think this sort of mech suits me."

"Oh...! Sorry I still haven't gotten around to making more for construction than protection, dear..."

"It's fine. The tools at the institute are more than enough."

"Well, if that's how you feel about it, I've been thinking of making improvements on the super welder! Hot enough to cut through stone with ease!" Another chuckle from the stallion, and the couple would then spend some time chatting happily with the other about tool specs and designs until they realized they were probably chatting Abs' ears off. "Oops! There we go, rambling again. Mister Abs, how're we holding up? We're almost done, but just checking with you." And indeed, they were almost done as those around the trio had been working diligently to keep up to earn their pay.

Dust created via magic as large a glass-like barrier as she could over the affected area, being sure to concentrate it over the ponies in the area. She quickly ran under it herself to protect herself. Once all the chemicals had landed, she made the barrier slightly concave so that they didn't run over the sides.

Indicus looked at the covered mech that easily dwarfed any other in the hanger area and briefly wondered what it was made to do and who made it. "Damn the money required to get the stuff to make that damn thing just damn."

Indicus wrote:

Indicus looked at the covered mech that easily dwarfed any other in the hanger area and briefly wondered what it was made to do and who made it. "Damn the money required to get the stuff to make that damn thing just damn."

Kiryuu examines the mechs dimensions, unable to get a good reading beyond that. Comparing it to her databse of other mechs she's seen, ranging from Gypsy Danger to Addramelach, she comes to a simple, yet surprising conclusion,.

"I've seen bigger." Her tone is so unimpressed it's almost physically painful.

"There!" Alpha says, pointing to Dust and her magic barrier. "Run for in on three... One... Two... Three!" He ensured Sandy was with him before he took off running towards the unicorn and her mafig shield. He weaved between the blobs, trying not to get too close to any of them.

Sandy followed alpha, till they got to the barrier.
"I know what I'm doing for the next few mouths."
Beating the crad out of all those scientist.

Indicus's enthusiasm deflates a bit at Kiryuu's comment but it was still there, he never saw a mech that could be near it's size in all the time he had been to the conventions and certainly not on the battlefield. Sure he had heard about mechs that sometimes were tall enough to dwarf mountains but he had never seen one so seeing a mech as tall as the one he just saw was quite a big thing.

"Well I really don't know any other place besides the marketplace so I guess I could show you that." Indicus then headed to the marketplace as a final destination for the little tour.

Indicus wrote:

Indicus's enthusiasm deflates a bit at Kiryuu's comment but it was still there, he never saw a mech that could be near it's size in all the time he had been to the conventions and certainly not on the battlefield. Sure he had heard about mechs that sometimes were tall enough to dwarf mountains but he had never seen one so seeing a mech as tall as the one he just saw was quite a big thing.

"Well I really don't know any other place besides the marketplace so I guess I could show you that." Indicus then headed to the marketplace as a final destination for the little tour.

"Sounds like fun to me." She still was curious about the covered mechs, one never knows what interesting ideas are hidden behind simple shrouds.

Abs was indeed having a bit of a daydream, but was thrown back into the real world by the realization that the two were not simple retired pilots, but part of an institute!
"Excuse me? You said something about an institute? A technology-related institute?" He said, realizing at the same time that he'd already finished the pool digging and was now clawing at nothing but air now. The few workers who came back were ready with water hoses to start filling the hole up if not for the daydreaming minotaur. He promptly moved the claw back into it's original position when he'd first unveiled the mech.
"Sorry guys! Ahem, anyway, I've been looking for an institute who would help me get a patent for this design and allow it to be worked with and improved upon by those who know this kind of stuff better than I do. You wouldn't happen to be those ponies, would you?"

As far as the large hangar went, the machines were being cared for were mostly being handled by what looked to be many younger students and interns in technology aside from several technicians keeping watch. Not much to look at aside from near constant moving and note-taking with test after test. At least the marketplace was as lively as ever with varying wares left and right; Some could even be sampled... And some were barely safe enough to sample...

The trio caught in the explosive area should hurry to move along, lest the fumes start getting to them instead of the odd blobs charring the area around them. It wasn't safe to just wait out to see what effects would occur... There also seemed to be some unusual activity further up North stirring up for that matter...

Back in the cockpits of the Brass Scorpion, a certain couple were heard humming to themselves, and as one would expect, Ampere would be the one to voice her thoughts out loud. "It's about time someone here recognized my academic prowess! Yes, I run an institute in Vanhoover along with my husband and some colleagues of mine. Getting a patent is an odd request, but one we could handle for you... But are you sure you wanna come along back with us? I tell you this: I will refuse to take in this machine of yours if you won't try to work on improving it yourself as well!" She sounded serious over the radio, but not unkind.

Divine nodded simply in response to Syn's question, going quiet for a moment, before smiling at Razz. "She forgives you, though she asks you don't spill anymore ice-cream in her controls."

Ruby giggled and patted the leg of the machine before yawning. "Anything else Divine?"

"Well... I told Lulu about Asp. And she agrees with me. You should pilot him again. He misses you behind the controls," she said, rolling over to her and nuzzling her hand.

Ruby frowned. "That is a discussion for another day. Shall we head to the Pilot's Lounge?" She asked, turning to Razz.

"Well of course I'd come back with the two of ya! Even though you have a lot of skill in operating mechs, I still wouldn't quite leave you to figure out the whole thing by yourself! And improving this thing? I said it was capable of various fittings but I'm sure I can come up with more things!" Abs said with a beaming smile as he began to turn the machine off, seeing that they had finished up with things here. The heads of the mech began to recede back into their original positions until it was in the same shape as it was when it was first unveiled. He then opened up the cockpit and walked down, making a mental note to add some air conditioning in there at a point.
"Question is though... Do I call you two Boss or partner?" He said, grinning as he held out hands for the elderly couple who he was pretty sure he was going to love working with or for, whichever the situation would end up as.

While others in the Expo dealt with things on their own terms, Ampere and Ford casually got down from the Brass Scorpion as well, the mare examining along the way its design up close while the stallion lit up his pipe again and saw the work done before joining Abs on the ground; Each one would shake arms with him gingerly. "We can talk about that when you actually decide to come to our Institute. Just call me Professor Spudger in the meantime, I didn't go to an Academic course for nothing!" Meanwhile, her husband just quietly offered their rather bright but easy to read calling card of red, blue, and gold.

Razz nods at the question, smiling brightly "Sure! Let me just, uh..." She trails off, patting her jacket's pockets. Her lip creases unhappily when she turns up short of bits. "Drat. I was sure I brought my purse with me..."

Razz pouts for a moment, her arms crossed. Her eyes brighten suddenly as she whips her head towards Lulu. "Oh! I've still got some bits left in my handbag. Excuse me a moment." She said, before scurrying up the entry ramp and into the pearl white mech's cockpit.

When she was inside, she grinned as the door slid shut behind her and the room was illuminated by a dim blue light. She took a few steps towards the plain tan handbag sitting on the side before stopping, the wardrobe in the corner catching her eye. Inside hung the outfit she wore when she performed for her band. She took one look at the tank top and the combat pants she wore currently. She grinned, and sauntered into the wardrobe.

A good five minutes later, Razz was walking back down the entry ramp, dressed in a red pencil skirt, a white blouse, and of course, her signature bright red jacket. She smiled at the two mares, handbag in hand. "Shall we?" She asked, gesturing towards the short path towards the lounge.

"Sure thing, 'Fessor Sputnik. Just gotta bring the mech back to it's spot. We can get this thing to your institute as soon as the expo's over." Abs said, grinning as he intentionally mispronounced the name of the good professor and took the calling card.
"Oh, and for good measure..." He said before opening the hatch to his part of the cockpit before diving in for a moment. He came back out with two little action figures. "I originally intended to give these to some kids that would come to look at the Scorpion, but it has so many little parts, I don't wanna be the person to blame when some poor foal chokes on em." He tossed two of them towards the elderly couple.

Ampere lightly scrunched her muzzle at the name change, but didn't mind it too much. However, she would actually giggle like a filly when given the toy model, quickly testing out the little moving parts while her husband just hummed in appraisal of the one he held.

Afterwards, they'd put their toys away, and once again shook arms with Abs. "Such a nice gesture! Thank you! We've got work to do still, but I'll be waiting for you to come around as soon as you can at the institute! Contact us if you have trouble getting the though!" The mare would gingerly wave farewell, while the stallion waved more slowly and casually, and the two wandered to their next destination...

Sir_Knightmare wrote:

"Sounds like fun to me."  She still was curious about the covered mechs, one never knows what interesting ideas are hidden behind simple shrouds.

The Marketplace was booming with activity shopkeepers and customers trying to beat each other in a game of haggling, people trying to get to a stall before the item they wanted was out of stock and even some auction like sales were going on for some things of various value to different people. One could smell different foods from another section of the Marketplace and if somebody was to go over there they could see that it was split into a few sections catering to different diets or tastes. The most notable was the omnivore and herbivore sections while another catered to gem eating dragons.

Abs chuckled on the inside at the scrunched muzzle but he shook his head out of amusement when the couple began to move to their next destination at the expo.
He looked back at the mech and how the small amount of grime and the scrapes of paint that had come off only suited the mech even more than the coat of paint it had originally. Now he just had to bring the thing back to it's designated spot.
"Never a dull day with these ponies..." He said as he stepped into the cockpit and fired up his Brass Scorpion. The rest of his day would go by swimmingly, and soon enough he would be on an extra-large truck loaded with the mech in it's dismantled state, moving towards Vanhoover.

(And with this, I shall now extricate myself from this thread. Adios, fellow mechromancers! o3o/) )