[Closed] Gunpla 101

[vintage_magic]

Characters: Keroro and Lily Ivory
Location: Metokkori R/Hikan Cafe
Rating: G
Time: July 24, morning
Description: Before the sandstorm, Keroro made Lily promise to build a Gundam model kit with him. Things have been a bit crazy since then but the alien frog hasn’t forgotten and he’s making the witch make good on her promise.



[A lot had happened since that day a few weeks ago when Lily saw Keroro with his model kits in the park. The sandstorm, cleaning up afterwards, being a Weapon for a week, and all of the strange things that had appeared in the city. That pinky promise she had made with the alien to build one of those models when she had time had been pushed to the back of her mind like an old trunk of clothes shoved into an attic corner.]

[But Keroro hadn’t forgotten and insisted on having her put together one of those strange plastic toys. (Or making her swallow a thousand needles…)]

[So, this morning she opened Yesterday’s Magic, leaving it in her employees’ care, and then climbed the stairs to the third floor where the alien ran his shops.]

Keroro?

Comments

[starfruitfrog]

[He stands up on the stool so that she can have a better view of the puzzle (without his big head in the way).]

We do, de arimasu! They're fun on a rainy day, de arimasu.

[vintage_magic]

I remember one from when I was young. [Bought for a quarter at a garage sale and missing a couple of pieces.]

[Leaning over for a better look, she notes it seems to picture one of those robot things.] Are they popular in Japan?

[starfruitfrog]

Aren't they popular everywhere?

[That being said, Keroro carefully pushes the puzzle to one side to make room in case anyone needs to use the table later.]

So, what brings you here, de arimasu?

[vintage_magic]

[Lily blinks, her lips parting in surprise. Did he really forget after making such a fuss?]

...You insisted I should make one of those model things with you.

[starfruitfrog]

Y-You're here for that? Really, de arimasu?

[Yeah, he really did forget.




.......He has a lot on his mind, okay........Like gundams. And food.]

[vintage_magic]

Um, yes? ...But if you're busy now, I won't bother you.

[She takes a step back, as if considering leaving.]

[starfruitfrog]

No, of course not! I'm not busy at all, de arimasu!

[vintage_magic]

You're sure? No new inventory to put out? Or paperwork to handle? Or tidying up to do?

[Those are the types of things she handles when there aren't customers around.]

[starfruitfrog]

That's what my employees are here for, de arimasu. Now, have a seat, de arimasu!

[vintage_magic]

Well, okay, if you're sure...

[She sits down, wondering if it's really okay for him to just leave everything to his employees...]

[starfruitfrog]

Of course, de arimasu!

[He looks so sincere as he says this because he thinks it's perfectly okay to leave everything to his employees. His job here was to "supervise" after all.]

Where were we last time, de arimasu? You haven't done the first build yet, right?

[vintage_magic]

Um, no. We didn't do the— What did you call it? the pre-build yet.

[Actually, she hadn't even separated out all the little plastic parts yet.]

[starfruitfrog]

Then there's no time like the present, de arimasu!

[And he drags the kit from under the counter (where he's taken to storing other people's things...]

I'll help you, de arimasu!

[vintage_magic]

[She watches as he pulls the box out from under the counter. There's some kind of manual, too, isn't there? She hadn't really looked at it last time.]

I reckon I'll need it... I have no idea where you start with one of those things.

[starfruitfrog]

[Keroro opens the box with a flourish and sure enough, there's the manual right on the very top. He hands it to her and starts pulling tools out from another box.]

That's okay, de arimasu. Everyone starts off as a beginner, de arimasu!

[vintage_magic]

[Lily takes the manual but instead of opening it and perusing the contents, she watches as he takes the tools out.]

Is all of that stuff really needed for this?

[She kind of thought all the little pieces would just snap together somehow. This seems to be more complicated than she was expecting!]

[starfruitfrog]

Of course it is, de arimasu. A set of good tools are what can make or break a build, de arimasu. That and skill, de arimasu.

[Cheesy wink.]

And I am as clueless as Lily when it comes to Gundam models... XD;

[vintage_magic]

So, bad tools can make it come out all whomperjawed? Is this kind of thing hard to learn for beginners?

[She's going to open the manual now but she's still skeptical on how well this will go.]

S'okay! Keroro will help her!

[starfruitfrog]

Maybe not, but it will make it much more difficult for you to make it look nice, de arimasu. It's not hard though, de arimasu. Since you're a beginner, all you really have to do is line the parts and put it together, de arimasu. No one expects you to be able to start doing modifications or anything, de arimasu.

[vintage_magic]

[She picks up one of the sets of stuck together parts and looks between it and the manual, trying to figure out what corresponds to what.]

Modifications? Like what?

[starfruitfrog]

Like recolours, weathering, that kind of thing, de arimasu.

[Keroro leans over and points to the numbers written beside the parts.]

The numbers correspond with the ones in the directions, de arimasu. See? This is from sheet B and the number is beside it. 21. That makes it B-21, like the part here [Points.] that you need for the foot, de arimasu.

[vintage_magic]

Kind of like dyeing a shirt you don't like the color of?

[Lily looks between the little plastic parts and the directions. Okay, that makes sense.] I see. Just how many parts are in this anyway and how are you supposed to separate them?

[starfruitfrog]

[Keroro crosses his arms and thinks about that analogy for a bit.]

Ki...nd of, de arimasu.

[But he was sure that you didn't admit to not liking the color of Gundam model kits. You simply said that the colours weren't "accurate" enough.]

You separate it with this, de arimasu. [He holds out a small pair of cutters.] This way, you won't have pitting on the plastic or bits that you have to file down later, de arimasu.

[vintage_magic]

[Okay, that sounds simple enough. She reaches out to take the cutters and picks up one of the parts sheets with her other hand.]

So, is the first step just to cut out all of these little pieces?

[starfruitfrog]

Only cut out the parts you want. Otherwise you'll just make a mess and forget which is which, de arimasu.