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blow things up

How to Blow Things Up - Week 4, Period 1

Aly had set up the main campfire with an assortment of bombs running the field from the classic bombs used in movies to less sophisticated devices.

She waited for everyone to arrive then started speaking. "The last few classes, we've talked about how to blow things up. Which is, admittedly, a lot of fun and also what the class is about. Today, however, we're going to talk about what happens when you don't want the bomb to go off. Disabling explosives is a hugely dangerous task, and in general, it's something you want to call in an expert to deal with." She grinned. "But really if there's one thing Fandom teaches you it's that when you need an expert, one usually can't be found. So today we - and by we, I mean you - are going to work on disarming explosive devices that won't cause quite so much agony is you get it wrong."

Gesturing to the assortment of bombs, she started discussing bomb disposal techniques including the use of a pigstick ~~because I love this word~~ and the ever-popular cutting of the correctly coloured wires.

"Now the trick here is that these devices aren't bombs. But if they are disengaged incorrectly, they will explode." She grinned. "I hope you wore clothes that can get paint on them. If not -" she pointed to a box "-there are some lovely and very fashionable smocks to put on."

"If you have any questions, feel free to ask. Otherwise, pair up and have fun."

[OOC: More information on how this will work is in the OCD threads which ~~I am puttng up now~~ is up like an up thing. Not dirty]

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Setsuna laughed a little at that, blushing, slightly embarrassed because now she felt like she'd tried to cut corners. "You're absolutely right," she said. "Well, let's get this thing open, then, and see what makes it tick..."

Very, very carefully, Setsuna shifted it and adjusted slightly to figure out where to get the right look at the wires.

Since he figured that this was the ultimate 'too many cooks spoil the broth' situation, Neil let Setsuna handle the bomb but he kept close, perfectly willing to take his share of the paint should they set it off.

He also carefully went over his notes out louad as they studied the wires in the device.

"So, I'd think, given my notes here, that the green one runs from the ignition device all the way back, while those two there would cause premature explosions?"

Yes, it was a question, since Setsuna seemed to have just as detailed a set of notes and might have caught something Neil had missed in the lecture.

And, although what Neil had read out loud matched perfectly with what Setsuna recalled from her obsessive review of her own notes, she still lifted her chin enough to glance at the neat rows of Japanese characters on the table. She nodded. "I think you're right," she said. "Would you like to have a go at it, or should I?" She was feeling bad about sort of taking over the situation. Old habit, really, but she had noticed something else. "I do have smaller hands, though. It would be easier for me to get in there."

"I'll pass the tools," Neil offered with an easy going smile.

After all, Setsuna was right, her hands were smaller and better suited to working in the tight space of the bomb. If it were a real explosive device it would not be a good place for ego to get in the way of common sense.

Neil did stick close though, after all they were in this together and he didn't want her to think he was just stepping back so that if there was an 'oops' she'd get all the paint.

Setsuna was about two seconds from giving it a try before she pulled back with a reluctant breath. "Although," she said, "on second thought, since you have the larger hands, it would seem more prudent for you to go about it now on a practise bomb so that if you encounter an actual one, you know better how to handle them."

Putting off the moment of potential paint explosion? Nawwww....

Neil chuckled and held the wire clippers in an easy grip.

"You want me to try it?" He offered, giving her the choice.

Setsuna bit her lip and gave a small nod. "If...if you wouldn't mind, that is."

Smiling, Neil nodded and waited to take her place by the bomb.

With a small, embarrassed smile back, Setsuna shifted over to let him work, hoping to situate herself in a spot where she could get a good look at his work.

Giving his own notes one last check, he smiled goodnaturedly at Setsuna in a here we go manner and then reached carefully into the bomb.

Once he set his hands upon their course of action, he was careful to remain steady and didn't deviate as he set the wire cutters up on the wire he wanted and carefully snipped.

There was a moment when it looked like the bomb was disarmed.

This moment was quickly followed by an explosion of bright red paint across both students.

Perhaps it was a bit strange that Neil didn't even so much as flinch as the paint exploded across him.

But the moment was by quickly and he was left, squatting there, covered in paint.

"Hmm ... it seems we made an error," he pointed out, probably needlessly.

Turning to look at Setsuna, he grinned, teeth white behind the paint and nodded towards the pile.

"Shall we try again?"

Setsuna did jump, a little, as the paint splattered across her white blouse and she blinked at the bomb. "Uhhh..."

Blink, blink. She turned to her notes. "But we had to have done it right. We followed the notes exactly!"

Reaching for another device, Neil let Setsuna go over her notes even as he shrugged.

"Sometimes it's not about what's in the book or in this case, notes."

Setting the device down in front of himself, he reached for his own notebook, frowning a bit as he got paint on it.

"Still, can't hurt to compare and see if we can figure out where we went wrong, right?"

Setsuna nodded. "That's a good idea. Okay, here, I'll read from mine, in English, and we'll see if anything's different from yours as you follow along. Slight translation differences aside, of course. Does that work?"

Setting the tools aside for the moment, Neil nodded and picked up his pencil.

Glaring a bit as his fingers stuck to the wood due to the gluey nature of paint, he shrugged and looked down at his notes.

"Okay, go. If I have something different or notice something you have that I don't or visa vera, I'll give a yip."

He absolutely believed that if he and Setsuna could figure out where they'd gone wrong, they could make it right for the next attempt.

Setsuna began to read from her notes in a very clear, exact, and matter-of-fact fashion so that they would be left with no possible question about what sort of instructions they were following.

Following along carefully, Neil frowned as they got to the end.

"I don't see anything theoretical that we missed so it must have been something in how I applied it. Maybe I bumped something I shouldn't have bumped?"

Setsuna frowned. "Perhaps. Maybe we should try it again, then?"

"Seems our best bet," Neil agreed, getting up and into position. "Maybe it'll be green this time and we can wear Christmas colors?"

Hey, you had to find humor in the situation right?

Leaning forward, Neil prepared to once again address the defusing situation.

Setsuna shifted her eyes over toward Neil in a fashion that directly answered what she thought of his sense of humour and then, shaking her head, she let out a small breath. She took the tools tentatively in her hands and went for another try on a similar bomb.

The bomb clicked for a second then sat still, completely defused.

"Yatta!" Setsuna couldn't help the little burst of excitement, clapping her hands a little. "It worked that time!"

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How to Blow Things Up - Week 4, Period 1

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