(2023-04-07) Mecha-what?

Details

Author:	Alli
Summary:	Anareline and Imrolane head up to the Fizzcrank Airstrip and find themselves completely out of their depth.
Rating:	T for Teen

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brief references to romantic relationships and (unrelated) nudity

Anareline runs into Imrolane in the central area of Valiance Keep.
[Anareline]: Imrolane.
Imrolane rumbles at Ana.
[Anareline]: I was planning to head north, to investigate this airstrip Caspis and Azizia find distressing. *There may be an invitation implied there.*
Imrolane always assumes an invitation at this point for Ana is her pack…er…pride.
They ride north. They are elves of few words.
[Anareline]: These spiky red plants are the strangest things…
[Imrolane]: What is…arshep?
Imrolane fumbles the Common word.
[Anareline]: Air strip. I believe for… flying machines?
[Anareline]: I do not know why they need stripping.
[Imrolane]: Will we need to strip there?
Anareline frowns. "I do not know gnomish customs around that subject. I do know humans are quite tense about the whole thing."
Imrolane snickers
[Imrolane]: They are funny.
Anareline smiles. "An animal needs no clothes. I, however, do need armor. It can be time-consuming to don and remove."
They arrive at the airstrip and enter the inn. There’s an odd gnomish elevator.
Imrolane eyes the lift warily.
Imrolane growls.
Anareline rides it up and down.
[Anareline]: It seems safe. You could fall this distance and be fine.
Imrolane paws at the platform
Imrolane leaps on!
Imrolane roars!
They find Fizzcrank Fullthrottle upstairs.
[Anareline]: Are you the leader here?
Fizzcrank Fullthrottle says: I am! Are you here to help or to insist on more lab safety?
Anareline looks at him, puzzled. "I do not know what that means."
Fizzcrank Fullthrottle says: If you're here to help, let me give you the gist of what's going on.
Fizzcrank Fullthrottle says: We built this base, and we pumped up a lot of sand and oil for the machinery using our nearby pumping stations.
Fizzcrank Fullthrottle says: But then… apparently one of our people pumped up a mechanical creature that called itself Gearmaster Mechazod!
Fizzcrank Fullthrottle says: They fixed it up, because of course they did, and the Gearmaster started right away trying to fix them up. By turning them into robots.
Fizzcrank Fullthrottle says: Cobalt Company's done a lot to try to rectify the situation, but there's still gnomes wandering out there all metalfied.
Fizzcrank Fullthrottle says: If you head on down to Jinky Wingnut, she can let you know what you can do to help.
[Anareline]: I confess that a lot of that sounded like a foreign language.
[Anareline]: But I will talk to 'Jinky'.
The two women head back to the lift.
[Imrolane]: What does he say?
Imrolane hisses at the lift.
[Anareline]: The gnomes have been… turned into metal? By a creature from under the ground?
Imrolane frowns.
[Imrolane]: That is terrible.
[Anareline]: I do not understand how it could happen exactly.
[Imrolane]: A curse, maybe?
[Anareline]: It might be.
By now they’re outside, and get hailed by another odd gnome named Jinky.
Jinky Wingnut says: Hey, elves! You're the latest help out here?
Anareline nods.
Jinky Wingnut says: I assume you're up to speed - I need you to help re-cursing our friends out there with flesh! There's still some people missing, and we can't just leave them like that!
Anareline blinks, but extends her hands to accept whatever device it is that Jinky is offering.
Ana turns to Imrolane and speaks in Darnassian as they head into the geyser fields.
[Anareline]: Or a curse removal? This one says flesh is a curse.
Imrolane wrinkles her nose.
[Imrolane]: That is stupid.
[Anareline]: Well, we are asked to re-curse.
Sentry-bot 57-K says: Warning: night elf incursion detected!
Not for long, as the Sentry-bot is turned to scrap.
[Anareline]: I do not think flesh is a curse.
[Imrolane]: Because you are not stupid.
Anareline gives a low laugh.
Sentry-bot 57-K says: Activate counter-measures. Repel intruder.
Intruders are not repelled. The robot’s face would have been eaten, if it had one.
[Anareline]: Let's see if we can find some of these… metal gnomes?
Imrolane growls menacingly at Fizzcrank Mechagnome.
[Anareline]: Aha!
They defeat the metal gnome.
[Anareline]: Hold it down, I will try to use the… the thing.
[Imrolane]: Metalgnome?
Imrolane pounces and pins the mechagnome down with her paws
Anareline uses the strange device. Shockingly, it works when she hits the button.
Imrolane leaps off in shock as the gnome returns to flesh!
Fizzcrank Survivor says: Where am I? Who are you? What's that strange feeling?
Anareline stares at midair when the gnome disappears.
[Anareline]: What in the…
Anareline looks down at the device in her hand.
[Anareline]: What did I do?
Imrolane looks up at the sky.
[Imrolane]: Elune…?
[Anareline]: This thing… did something?
[Anareline]: Or Elune… I couldn't say…
[Imrolane]: Oh.
[Imrolane]: He would be better with Elune.
Another mechagnome approaches.
Fizzcrank Mechagnome says: Come be perfect with us, sister.
[Anareline]: I am not your sister, little one.
[Anareline]: Let me try again, let's watch carefully.
They try again, and watch carefully.
Fizzcrank Survivor says: Where am I? Who are you? What's that strange feeling?
The gnome vanishes.
[Anareline]: What… how?
Imrolane sniffs at the spot where the gnome was.
[Anareline]: This may be the strangest thing I have ever been asked to do.
[Imrolane]: I hate this.
[Anareline]: The metalgnomes?
Sentry-bot 57-K says: You have been detected. You will be assimilated or eliminated.
Someone is eliminated. It is not Ana and Imrolane.
[Imrolane]: Metalgnomes. Clanky things. Smelly black oil.
[Imrolane]: LOUD WARNING WARNING THING!
Imrolane growls menacingly at Sentry-bot 57-K.
[Imrolane]: I hate it all.
[Anareline]: Unsatisfying to fight. Unclear why they are fighting at all.
[Imrolane]: I cannot even eat them! And some have faces!
[Anareline]: I would not recommend eating metal, no.
[Anareline]: Nor the gnomes, after we… repair? re-curse? them.
[Anareline]: Here is another.
[Imrolane]: Do you think metalgnomes still taste like metal after you unmetal them?
Imrolane licks her chops.
Fizzcrank Mechagnome says: The Gearmaster has plans for your weak flesh.
[Anareline]: You could try to catch this one, before he vanishes. *Anareline chuckles*
Fizzcrank Survivor says: Oh no, not the transmatter… it'll probably malfunction!
Imrolane pounces! …and misses.
Anareline laughs.
Imrolane kittypouts.
[Anareline]: There are so many machines.
[Anareline]: I can see why Caspis was distressed.
[Imrolane]: It is awful.
[Imrolane]: Look what they do to this place.
[Imrolane]: Big metal vines…
[Imrolane]: Roots?
[Anareline]: It is almost like plants, but… wrong. Non-living.
[Imrolane]: Listen…
Imrolane puts her ear near the pipe.
[Anareline]: As if the gnomes are some kind of metal seed, sprouting tendrils where they land.
[Imrolane]: Maybe…metal is alive?
Anareline falls silent and kneels to listen at the pipe.
[Anareline]: There is something… flowing through it?
[Imrolane]: Like blood!
[Imrolane]: Or…sap!
[Anareline]: Metal sap.
Imrolane frowns.
[Imrolane]: I do not like these thoughts.
[Anareline]: If the gnomes can be made metal.
[Anareline]: Can this be made flesh? This… complex of tubes and liquids?
[Imrolane]: Do not tell Staghelm. He will try to build a metal world tree and turn it into plant flesh.
Anareline sniffs. "That might finally lose him the esteem of the Circle, I would imagine."
[Imrolane]: Staghelm will always have some who think he farts moonlight.
Anareline laughs. "You may be right."
[Anareline]: I knew little of the goings-on of the Circle, years ago. Cerelar always said it was not my business.
[Anareline]: I value that, with you and Caspis. That you do not shut me out.
[Imrolane]: Cerelar?
[Anareline]: My… *Ana considers what to call him.* The father of my children.
Imrolane nods.
[Imrolane]: Once, maybe, I am more secretive. But…you are my…my family.
Anareline nods. "And anything that needs to be kept safe, any secrets, I will keep them."
Imrolane nods solemnly. "Thank you."
[Anareline]: I don't even know where he stands with the Circle, now.
[Imrolane]: Cerelar?
[Anareline]: Yes.
[Imrolane]: I will listen for his name.
[Anareline]: Thank you.
[Anareline]: I think this has been disturbing enough. Should we turn this… whatever this is… back in?
[Imrolane]: Yes. I do not like it.
[Anareline]: Jinky? Take this back, please. We have cursed gnomes with it.
Jinky Wingnut says: Great! This is one curse I want all our people to have.
Jinky Wingnut says: If you see any other weird constructs out there, feel free to take them down!
Anareline nods, backing away after handing over the odd device.
The two women have had enough weirdness for one day. They head home.