Ophelia Glasscock and the Explosive Gnome

Ophelia was sitting at a table in the Wandering Moon Inn, waiting for Arjay, who was supposed to introduce her to Fizzle Bizzlebop, the gnomish potion maker he'd told her about on their first meeting.

He was late coming down to the meeting, possibly, no, probably because he'd been busy upstairs with Sune. Which was something that he seemed to do quite a lot. It made her glad that she hadn't mistaken his friendliness for flirtation, clearly he wouldn't be interested in her, not when he had such a delicious looking woman keeping him busy.

Oh well. That just meant that Ophelia wouldn't be distracted from potion making, which was an important and valuable occupation. And hopefully the gnome would be willing to rent her work space, otherwise she'd have to spend more money, securing lab space. So now the best thing to do was wait, and enjoy this rather delightful ale, while she waited for Arjay and Fizzle to arrive in the common room.

Arjay, meanwhile, was enjoying his breakfast at the table in the next room where he was supposed to meet with Ophelia before introducing her to Fizzle. He’d had a quiet night, the sort that everyone needed now and then, and what it had lacked in female company, it had made up for in some relative peace of mind that, these days, the elf quite surely needed. He was just considering calling for some of his letters to be brought down from his office when he started to wonder exactly where Ophelia was.

Now, he didn’t know the lovely human all that well (and certainly not as thoroughly as he might have liked), but she didn’t seem the sort to not be punctual with her engagements, particularly when business was linked to them. So, instead of asking for his work to be brought out, he asked the passing employee whether Ms. Glasscock had left her room yet. Her answer puzzled him for a moment, and he thought back to the message he’d had sent to her. He’d certainly said to instruct her to meet him in this room… apparently, that bit of direction had been lost somewhere in the delivery of the appointment.

“Well, this is a rather amusing start for the day,” he said as he carried the rest of his breakfast into the room with him, setting it down at Ophelia’s table. “Wherever the arrangements to meet diverged from what I instructed, I’ve no idea, but I hope, at least, that your breakfast has agreed with you.” He took a sip of his wine, glancing once at the door. “She should be along presently, I believe.” Unless, of course, some experiment had absorbed her attention… in which case they’d have to go find her, which was possibly something of a hazardous pursuit.

Being one of the greatest artificers and alchemists in the multiverse (because naturally that was precisely what Fizzle was, and she had yet to find or be shown any evidence to the contrary) was by definition hard work. It meant long, long hours in her lab. It meant many, many great explosions. It meant making coin hand over fist.

As profitable and ego boosting as this all was, it meant that Fizzle often lost track of...everything...aside from her current project, whatever that might be. Time, food, herself… Everything simply faded away into background noise until she was finished. Take today for instance; she had known she was meant to meet with Arjay and his human friend today. But she’d been so damn close to a new model of her party grenade for him to try out that she hadn’t realized that it was today yet. Or rather, that it had been yesterday, and that today would be today, considering that she’d started on the project… Some point before the day before she was supposed to be at the Wandering Moon.

But it was finally finished!!! Fizzle emerged from the scorched, blasted, and sizzling laboratory holding a small, shiny ball close to her chest, a look of pure and unadulterated victory on her face before she had glanced toward the odd contraption that acted as both calendar and clock on the wall of her shop and gave a squeek.

She hadn’t forgotten that she was meant to meet her friend, she had simply not realized that today was today already! And… She couldn’t remember what time, if any, Arjay had mentioned, and… She blinked as she tried to remember what the time on the clock had read as, but that could be managed later, right now she needed new clothing and a washrag and… and then she’d get to the Moon right off!

So it was that Fizzle had arrived at the tavern well before Arjay had sat down with his meal and before Ophelia had made her way from her room. She’d ordered her breakfast and scarfed it down with a very large glass of water before she’d laid her head down on her arms. Since Arjay and his friend were obviously not yet ready to meet her, well, she could afford to just… Rest her eyes. She had a corner seat in the tavern, after all, she’d be able to see them when they entered, never mind that her eyes were already closed...

"They must have." Ophelia said with a small smile "The ones I received said that I should meet with you in the common room. But no matter, we're both here now, and the breakfast was excellent as always." which was nothing less than the truth, the food at the Wandering Moon was always excellent, and plenty of it. Although that last bit might have something to do with the fact that the cook had apparently decided that Ophelia 'needed to put some meat on those bones'. Regardless, she had no complaints about the food, or her room, or anything else. Well, no complaints apart from the emptiness of her bed, but that was something that it was her own responsibility to solve, and could hardly be regarded as the responsibility of the inn staff.

"Thank you again for arranging this meeting." Ophelia replied "I'm very much looking forward to meeting Miss Bizzlebop."

Arjay just shrugged off the miscommunication. Such things happened, and the day was young. Fizzle wasn’t here yet, and while he could cast a spell and find out what was keeping her, he’d just leave off of that for a bit longer and enjoy the company of the fetching Ms. Glasscock a bit longer. She was apparently rather hungry today, as her table showed evidence of a rather large breakfast, but most people didn’t like to work on an empty stomach, so it was rather understandable, he supposed.

“Oh, it was no trouble to set this up. I haven’t seen her lately, and I’ve always heard that it’s good to make sure that a gnome comes up from their work to breathe or rest every so often, lest they get too involved and something important is inadvertently blown up.” He did, after all, like Fizzle without any horrible burns or missing limbs, so he did hope that she was just running late, stopped for a bite, or had found something shiney and interesting along the way that had diverted her. “So… inquisitive minds wish to know how interesting you’ve found your stay so far?” he asked. “I’ve seen people come here and positively gush over things they’ve found that are absolutely novel to them, but can be bought twelve for a copper on others, but you’ve been keeping your own counsel fairly well.”

It wasn’t as though being late was something completely abnormal for Fizzle; she had an unfortunate habit of losing track of time, becoming wrapped up in her latest project or falling asleep after completing one. Still, she wasn’t forgetful, and she rarely entirely missed a meeting; if she promised to meet someone somewhere, she did show up, even if she were late.

Today, it just so happened she had arrived very, very early.

The little gnome had been early enough that she hadn’t thought to ask anyone to tell her elven friend that she had arrived, or that she was waiting for their meeting. She had simply ordered (and then promptly eaten) her breakfast, drank a glass of water, and had dozed off with her head down on the table.

Now, with Arjay and Ophelia waiting for her, the master artificer slept peacefully, unaware that her friend was seeking her.

At least, she slept peacefully right until the tiny gnome let out a noise that sounded far louder than such a small creature should be able to let out, bellowing out a snore so strong that her whole body moved and twitched, causing her to shift and upset the balance that had been holding her up on her chair.

Fizzle crashed to the ground and awoke with a great start, eyes flying open wide as she gasped and yelped out, “It wasn’t me!!”

"I'm sure she'll be along, I know what its like, becoming absorbed in a especially knotty problem." considering his words she replied "Oh, any number of things. I met a wizard who knows how to enchant objects so that they come alive, not just charms to make them move, but makes them in to living, thinking beings. A cauldron that produces food, and several other items that seem to produce things out of thin air, which in my world isn't believed to be possible. Not to mention a few healing potions that are rather less unpleasant for the person being healed than the ones used in my world, I got the directions for making them, and want to try, if Miss Bizzlepop will provide me with workspace." as she spoke, there was a crash, and she looked over at where the clatter was from "Oh dear." she said "I hope that they weren't hurt."

“Come alive? Now that’s an interesting feat, I don’t believe that anyone on my world has managed that. Well, there are weapons that are able to think for themselves, of course, but that’s usually more a case of applying a mind that already exists onto the item, so probably not the same thing. Although… it’s possible that he’s summoning the spirit that inhabits them from somewhere else and binding their ability to remember their origin…” He trailed off, mulling over the idea. It certainly would be a way to accomplish the feat she described, thought it might be morally questionable to some people.

The crash from the other side of the room drew his attention, particularly when he heard the surprised yelp that came after it. He didn’t have a good view, but he’d know that pink hair he saw peeking from the edge of the table anywhere. “Oh, I’m rather sure she is all right,” he said, raising his hand and making a little ‘come here’ gesture in that direction. “Oh, Fizzle?” he called over. “Might we have the pleasure of your company?” He gave an amused little smirk as he stood up, pulling out the empty seat for the gnome expectantly.

Sitting up from where she had wound up sprawled on the floor, Fizzle reached up to rub her eyes; what time was it? Where was she? What day was it?! It took her a moment to collect her bearings, but presently she realized that it was morning, she was in the Wandering Moon, and it was… Today.

Hey, she was doing pretty good!

Stretching first, Fizzle pulled herself up and stood, turning to look around and find the elf that had called her over in time to see his come hither gesture and give him a wide and wicked grin, “Never enough of the gnome for ya, is there?” She laughed lightly as she grabbed her bag, throwing a few coins onto the table for the serving wench, and then approached the table with Arjay and the human woman whom Fizzle supposed she had been meant to meet this morning.

“A fine morning to you both! Sorry about all of that. Seems I had a late night.” Or an early morning. Or no sleep. Eh, it happened! That didn’t so much as slow Fizzle down! Instead, she simply grinned widely and took the seat Arjay had pulled out for her, climbing up to sit down, “So… The pleasure of my company is all yours. How can I help you and your pretty friend?”

Ophelia smiled at the compliment, which meant even more coming from such an attractive gnome, and replied "I'm looking for space to set up a small lab-I'm a potion maker, and Arjay would prefer not to have anything smelly or explosive here, and suggested that you might be willing to let me use some space in your lab. I wouldn't be making anything particularly dangerous, just some potions that are common and useful in my world." she smiled again "And I also wanted to meet you because you're also a potion maker, and I always enjoy talking shop with other people who enjoy the art."

He couldn’t help smiling at the gnome’s banter. “Well, I’m not quite sure. We’ve never tried to find out if we could get enough, now, have we?” he teased back as he pushed the chair in for her. “That would be a worthwhile experiment some time, would it not? But unfortunately, doubly unfortunately given all of my present company, this little social call is about business and not pleasure.” He gave a little remorseful smile, then gestured to a passing barmaid. “Something with… oh, what do the Earth-humans call it… caffeine for my dear little friend, yes? Thank you.” Normally he’d worry about the results of giving such a drink to a gnome, but despite her near constant energy level, Fizzle was apparently running on little sleep. Granted, there were some situations where a pretty caffeinated gnome might be a test of endurance, but that just wasn’t in the cards today.

He let Ophelia give her opening speech, then turned his gaze back to Fizzle. “When she told me her profession, I thought that if there was anyone I knew who could teach her a few things to advance it, it would be you, if you were so inclined,” he said, with a little seating bow in the Master Alchemist’s direction.

The moment Fizzle laid eyes on her elven friend and his human companion at the table, she brightened considerably and bounced over to their table, climbing up onto the seat that Arjay offered and grinning to him as he pushed her in, “Thank you!” The little gnome laughed and nodded at his words, “Well, maybe sometime later we’ll give it a whirl, see what’s what!” But as he had said, they were meeting here today to discuss business, not pleasure, though the truth of it was that Fizzle’s business was also very much her pleasure, or at least, it was one of them. The order of caffeine earned Arjay a suspicious look, but accepted the carbonated liquid caffeine with a grateful smile to the serving girl.

She took a few fizzy sips of the drink and let Ophelia speak. Right up till the human called her a ‘potion maker’. That… That was insulting. That was an insult to her profession, her skill, her mentor, her...everything! Fizzle blinked at the women, carefully keeping her calm and her wits about her; the girl couldn’t know any better, that was all, she was sure someone coming to ask to rent space from her wouldn’t insult her right off the bat like that. “Where I hail from, we’re called Artificers. Alchemists to those who think we’re all flash and no boom. I take what I’ve heard some from this city call chemistry and I turn it on its head and marry it with magic. A potion maker, where I’m from, follows a recipe. I create.” Potion makers had their place, but Fizzle… Well, she offered the pretty mage a smile, “But similar professions, yes. Much like a healer and a physician.” Or a doctor and a butcher, but she wasn’t going to get into insults now. Ophelia called potion making an art, and while Fizzle would disagree, she didn’t speak on it; best to assume a potion maker in her world was a bit different than one back home.

Turning that smile to Arjay, who ought to know better, she’d have thought, “Mmhmm,” she nodded slowly, “Indeed. Well, I certainly have a bit of space that might be appropriate...” She looked to Ophelia again, “How much workspace are you looking for?”

Ophelia smiled at the pink haired woman's enthusiasm and cheerful mood, which encouraged her to speak in a relaxed and informal manner. Which, in turn, resulted in her putting her foot into it. Bugger.

"My apologies, I didn't mean any offense. " Ophelia said hurriedly "It seems that the terms are quite different between our worlds. In mine 'alchemist' is a term used to describe people who don't innovate or conduct original research and who are content to walk in the same paths as everyone who preceded them. While 'potion maker' " she smiled wryly "Is the term used by those like myself, who prefer to engage in original and creative research." the question of terminology settled, Ophelia decided it was best to follow the gnome's lead and move onto practical matters.

"I won't require that much space, just a good sized worktable, and a cabinet to store supplies and finished products." Ophelia replied thoughtfully.

“You know,” Arjay mused, “Whenever a bard corrects people who call him a singer or a musician or a good-for-nothing fop, people just roll their eyes at us.” His eyes were mischievous as he teased the gnome, but he didn’t push it too much. Everyone had a point of pride, and he wouldn’t want to rob her of hers or diminish her expertise… but then again, everyone could do with a bit of taking themselves a bit less seriously. “Besides… I could have expounded upon the way you can create objects that are no less than wondrous, if not miraculous, but I felt that it would simply seem like I was embellishing on behalf of a very lovely friend. Hardly an impression that I need to risk creating when the truth of the matter can’t help but be seen by her once she’s spent the briefest of time in your workshop, hm?” Turning his attention back toward Ophelia, he smiled pleasantly. “I’ve dabbled in alchemy and enchanting, enough to understand the principles of things that are beyond my skill, but I can safely say that only Fizzle has created objects that truly baffle me. I trust that you may have a better grasp of what she does than I would.”

Well, didn’t her elven friend and his human lady friend know how to talk to a gnome? Yessir, they most certainly did! Fizzle smiled to Ophelia, the sort of smile that was wide and deep and honest, “Nah, don’t you be worrying. I know we’re from different worlds, but seemed to me that we should clear that up, because much as I like to think I’m an understanding gnome, that would grate on me, and we’d end up really having words, and neither of us want that, I don’t think.” Considering that Fizzle’s knee jerk reaction to things that upset her was to blow them up, she was pretty sure neither of them would like how that scenario would have played out. Arjay would likely have been cross with her if she blew up his friend.

Arjay, who was talking about bards being mislabeled, and Fizzle waggled a finger at him as she laughed, “Aw now, when have I ever called you a fop, let alone a good for nothing one?” Sure, Fizzle had spoken because of her pride, but she wasn’t one to stay hurt or upset, not at all. Not this gnome! It was so much easier to be happy when you let insults roll off your back like it would a well oiled cloak! And besides, she knew that the pretty human hadn’t meant any insult - she didn’t seem the type. Besides, it would have been bad business thinking to insult the person you were going to rent space from before they’d so much as quoted you a price! Ha!

The continued niceties from Arjay however earned another laugh from the little gnome, “You trying for a discount on my party bombs?” She winked to make sure he knew she was just joking, and then nodded as though having reached a decisions, which she had, “Well then, once we finish our drinks, we’ll head over to my shop and have a looksie. See if it’s to your liking.” Pausing, Fizzle looked to Ophelia, blinking at her, “What were you hoping to give as rent?”