Chaz pulled his wagon to the lakeside. It was loaded with metal buckets filled with tools, some boards and paper, and a cyndrical object wrapped in rags. When he got there he rested a moment, then pulled the object off the wagon and set it on the ground, unwrapping it.
IT was a metal cylinder two feet long, with a handguard and handle on the back end, a cone on the other end, a handle on the top and a pedal underneath. Cobbled together from the goblin welder and some random scraps of metal he'd found, he hoped it would do as he planned. He set up the boards, sticking them into the ground as targets, and then screwed in the metal canister of fuel. He took a deep breath and put the weapon down, nose to the ground, and put his foot on the pedal. He hesitated, then kicked down on the pedal while pulling up on the weapon. There was a loud click and a spark, and when he pulled up the weapon there was a tiny flame on the end of a wick in front of the cone at the nose of the device. He grinned widely and pulled down his goggles, checking and double checking the device before pointing it at the boards and pulling the top handle-trigger.
A good scientist is a person with original ideas. A good engineer is a person who makes a design that works with as few original ideas as possible.
A bolt of flame jetted out, engulfing the boards in flame, instantly blackening them. He gritted his teeth and set his feet, the power of the flame trying to push him back.
He pulled down the handle after a few seconds. The boards still burned, one of them falling over, disintegrated. He pulled up his goggles, lowering the flamethrower as it smoked from the muzzle. There was a long second as he stared. Then he smiled. Then grinned, wide. Then he laughed.
And cheered, and danced. He held his flamethrower high, hopping around a little as he cheered. He walked to the edge of the lake and looked over it, grinning.
I am Charles Xavier Hire, and I have created... He lifted his flamethrower above his head.
FIRE!
Suddenly the flamethrower got hot, and there was a burning smell as his hair caught fire. He screamed and panicked, jumping into the water, ducking himself under and putting his hair out.
He stood up, rubbing hair and looking miserable. He hoped no one saw that.
A good scientist is a person with original ideas. A good engineer is a person who makes a design that works with as few original ideas as possible.
Chaz picked it up, once pulling his hand back with a hiss as he touched a part that was still hot. He sucked on his finger and looked at Simeon triumphantly.
Magic? No. Science. He checked the flamer over, putting it on the wagon to tweak some things.
I don't use magic. So I have to get around it. No magic here.
A good scientist is a person with original ideas. A good engineer is a person who makes a design that works with as few original ideas as possible.
((Just so you know, you need points in Fire magic to get this to work (properly, without burninating the countryside). Thankfully, you have 3 of them. It might be possible for you to use the magic subconsciously--via will power.))
"Fascinating!" Simeon was truly impressed. "How does it work? I assume it's fairly different than your heart." Simeon was showing sincere interest and meant no jest or jibe.
Chaz could see that the pilot flame had gone out and it appeared that the fuel tank was already empty. However, the devise had indeed worked spectacularly! Replacing the fuel and making a few modifications would make it into a viable tool--if you ever needed to burn something that is...
(Yup, we've talked about it OOCly; Chaz uses magic without knowing he's using it. In the hands of anyone else, the flamethrower wouldn't work, but it works for him because he believes it does. The 3 fire magic is just there to justify it in game mechanics terms.) He looked down sheepishly, lifting it and adjusting the handle.
Y-yeah...it's...not as mechanical. It used to be a spot welder. See, it takes a common oil mixture and compresses it, firing it through an existing flame and spreading it over a large area. As he spoke, his voice went from nervous and subconscious to excited and confident.
A good scientist is a person with original ideas. A good engineer is a person who makes a design that works with as few original ideas as possible.
"Wow." Simeon stood with his hands on his hips, nodding his head in approval. "That's very impressive. I've already told you that I don't know much about technology, but the results of this one are quite spectacular."
After a moment, Simeon added, "What is your final goal with this project? What are you wanting to be able to do with it?"
"Very well done then," he smiled. "You were also able to make it fairly small and apparently light enough to carry around. That will make it much easier to pull out in a high stress situation. Although, there's a question: How fast can you pull it out and fire--well, fire?"
"Hm. I suppose it's not quite for quick reactions. But if you are ever being surrounded you could easily get it ready while they're circling. Then, if they didn't back off, you could--well, I think you can guess how that might end..."
Simeon nodded for a moment before adding. "I'd say that's a very effective tool. even if you didn't actually hit your assailants, they would still back off in fear."
I do need to work on the quick heating and reaction... He pulled the handle, kicked the starter, and the pilot light came on. He smiled softly and watched it flicker.
But it's scare tactics. Shock...and awe. Shock and awe. Hahaha. He looked to Simeon again.
I don't know if we've met, have we?
A good scientist is a person with original ideas. A good engineer is a person who makes a design that works with as few original ideas as possible.
Simeon smiled, "We have. But I understand if you've forgotten. I'm not the most memorable person. We met at the hot springs a while back. That's how I knew about your heart. My name is Simeon."