Wrenches and lugnuts

[Julianne & Model Jw]

June 13, Open to all, Mod day, in Julianne's garage, the main door is wide open

Covered in grease and oil, Julianne was elbow deep in the engine of her truck, replacing one of the belts and the radiator hose while she also did basic maintenance.

Her bike was several yards away, neatly tilted on it's kickstand by the wall, waiting for it's turn. She kept glancing to it and pondered the design for a possible bike for Promy, which she'd try to teach him to build without blowing up the house. She didn't know why she just gave up on him, he was like a rebellious teenager, but maybe it was his hidden innocence to the real world that made him endearing. Who knew?

Tightening the headband around her forehead that was keeping her hair out of the way, Juli continued to work on her truck, cursing occasionally as she either hurt herself or struggled with the belt.

[Model W Pandora]

<sub>Pandora herself was occupied herself. Mostly with trying to read. She only had fifth grade level of education, so she was trying to read out loud, wondering if that would help her. Books were fascinating to her, the words on paper! She'd only seem them on big billboards or on a computer.

There's no art... To find the mind's const... const... constrooction... in the face... He was a gentle...man on whom I built... An absolutly... trust..."

How the hell Macbeth is still around in the year 2521 nobody knows, but hey, it's still famous now hundreds years later so ha. Yes, Pandora was trying to read Macbeth. She had no idea what she was reading and usually spent awhile trying to figure out the meaning of it all.

"... Juli? What does... art have to do with... face construction... and gentleman?"</sub>

[Nomine and FZ]

Nomine had decided he'd at least come visit today. Hopefully there was no crazy psychopath brothers around to try and murder him today. Hopefully. He was sitting next to Pandora as she tried to read Macbeth aloud. None of it made sense to him, but he stayed silent as she read it. He wasn't too sure himself what the statement she read meant either, so he couldn't give her a good answer. Hell, he has no clue what kind of reading level he had, let alone if he could interpret anything she just asked Juli.

[Julianne & Model Jw]

Juli lifted a grease covered face from the engine as Pandora was trying to read Shakespeare. "'There’s no art to find the mind’s construction in the face. He was a gentleman on whom I built an absolute trust'." Juli recited from memory. "He's basically saying that you cannot read a person's mind from looking at their face, and that he had trusted him."

Her father was a mechanic and a guardian, but her mother was a patron of the arts and insisted that Juli sit down and read all of Shakespeare's works, and then some. For a woman so rough and brash, she was surprisingly well read.

She looked over to Pandora and Nomine. She didn't approve of Panny being in the company of a male that wasn't Aven or her psychopathic brother, but Promy had gotten up and bolted for some reason, leaving Panny in her care.

[Model W Pandora]

<sub>The young reploid girl swung her legs as she waited for a reply from Julianne, and she did get one! Pandora was surprised at Juli's explanation of it, and she read the sentence again, before repeating what was said.

"You cannot read a person's mind from their face... Oh okay..." That sort of made sense now. Shakespear was strange about that. Either way, she would go back and then read out loud some more, before pausing.

"... Did they really believe in witches back then...?" How strange, peopple now considered Pandora a witch, so did that mean she was a bad person?</sub>

[Nomine and FZ]

Nomine just gave a shrug at that explanation. "If it was that easy to read people's minds it wouldn't be such a difficult trick. Right?"

He gave Pandora a confused look. "A . . . witch? Those . . . old ladies with the . . . pointed hats and flying brooms? Right?"

He was only asking to make sure he got the term right. Amnesia kinda stinks like that, having to relearn almost everything and all.

[Julianne & Model Jw]

Juli was skimming through a rack of tools as Panny asked her next question. "Actually, witches were quite real. Not to the extent that they flew on broomsticks and communed with crows, but there were witches." Juli explained. "They were actually practitioners of a religion called 'paganism', which was considered hearsay and satanic by early man. Those who practiced it were called 'witches' and typically considered evil. Actually, though, the pagan religion is focused more on communion with nature and spirits, and is a very peaceful religion that prides on life and freedom." She'd stop and pick a wrench, going back to the engine. They have elaborate ceremonies and a lot of little traditions that were considered magic. They saw power in crystals and stones, and even some metals, and used them to cure illness, heal injury, and even ward off bad spirits and avert disaster; or so they believed." She said, unhooking some things as she did.

"So being a witch is actually not a bad thing. It's actually a stereotype that they're bad, broom riding people who steal children from their homes. It's a religion thing and when opinions differ, things get out of hand."

[Model W Pandora]

<sub>Pandora glanced over to Nomine as he spoke. Oh yeah that's what witches usually were, with the warts and the pointed hats and everything. She then glanced over to Julian as she spoke up again and the young reploid just stared wide eyed at her when she explained what it was.

"... So the ugly witches with brooms are stereotypes?" She paused. Paganism. What a weird thing. "That's... a strange thing to believe in... I thought everything was made of atoms..."

Yes, even 5th grade intellect Pandora knew what an atom was, but she absorbed everything like a curious little child, quietly listening to everything and asking questions when she wasn't too shy to.</sub>

[Nomine and FZ]

What's even more amazing is that despite the information loss that happened in the Maverick wars and Elf Wars that we're still able to explain the origins of witches/shot

Nomine listened as well, only asking at the end of Juli's explanation, "...So if witches saw the power in stones...Does that mean we're witches for seeing power in Biometals? Even the people out to use the power of biometals?"

He looked around the garage trying to find a Broom, if there was one in there. "...I don't get how one can ride a broom. I never saw any kind of ignition button on a broom. ... Maybe I should find a witch and ask her how she does it."

He was very serious about that last thought.

Then Pandora brought up atoms. "...What are Atoms?"

Obviously the girl with the 5th grade education seemed to know more than her amnesiac of a boyfriend. One who was a part of the very Ruin Hunters Guild that gave Pandora that label of 'witch' to begin with. But then again, Pandora never told OmnomNomine about the witch thing yet.

[Julianne & Model Jw]

"Yep. Don't know exactly how THAT one started, but it is a stereotype." Juli said, selecting a tool and moving back to the truck. then Panny mentioned atoms. "It's religion, Pan. It doesn't always make sense. We'll talk about that later, okay?" Like when her AI matured some. This was not a conversation that Juli was prepared to have.

Wait, that was a good question Nomine. "Uh, No, I think it's just a coincidence." Aw geeze, whole new can of worms.

Hopefully Panny could answer the atom thing. Juli would stick her face back in the engine.

[Model W Pandora]

<sub>Pandora absorbed all the information from the conversation Nomine and Juli had. Okay so there was no ignition on brooms, they used 'magic' like in those TV shows. She'd feel a bit better but Nomine spoke up about seeing power in biometals and all.

"... I wonder if that's why people called me the Witch." She murmured to herself. Oh well. She'd glance over to Nomine when he asked about atoms.

"I learned they are... the tiniest particles known... They're made up of protons, neutrons, and electrons and they all have a charge except neutrons... that's all I know..."</sub>

[Nomine and FZ]

Nomine looked at Pandora when she murmured. He's been sitting next to her after all, so it would be kinda hard to not hear the murmuring. He didn't say anything about it right now though. He felt like he wanted to ask her about it more when they had a chance to be alone.

...Wait, why when they were alone, he thought to himself. Why did such an idea come to his head?

He listened as she explained atoms. Something however didn't make sense. "...Wait. If they are the smallest particles known...how can they be made up of 3 other things?"

[Julianne & Model Jw]

Juli returned to her work and let Nomine and Panny chat, fighting with the engine and wishing Promy hadn't taken off. She could use his help, despite the fact he was a pain in the butt. She could call Aven, but he might be busy[or at work].

Hmm. She could call her father. Nah, she could do that if she really needed the help.

[Model W Pandora]

<sub>Pandora herself thought to herself about her being the witch. Did she tell Nomine about that? She forgot. Maybe she'll explain later, just as well. She figured he would ask eventually anyway. For now she would try and look down at the book, wondering if she should continue reading.

"... I don't know." She tapped her chin. "They say the 3 particles cannot stand alone..." Which totally isn't true as the three particles are all dependent on other things, but that's all complicated chemistry stuff that Pandora wouldn't know.

"Hmm..." She would go back to trying to read Shakespear out loud, though, trying to word out everything.</sub>

[Nomine and FZ]

"...That's just weird." Science is weird Nomine. It's probably a good thing you have a job as a Ruins Hunter instead.

As Pandora began reading aloud again, Nomine leaned closer to look over her shoulder and read along in the book. He's probably invading quite a few levels of personal space, but it's not like he even remembers what personal space is. He was just curious about the book, that's all.