My appologies if I end up butchering French in this little bit. Yes, I have no clue about the laugage and was kinda just hoping it makes sense and it is amsing to those who do know the language. So I hope it was done well. Oh, and I actually have links to buy this kit, if anyone is interested. Toki
Jinx bound, Velma was the one who was going to have to push open the door to the kitchen. It could be a dangerous job, due to the fact that is was not uncommon for food to take after birds and soar around the room. Though unlike the avian species, they didn't come equipped with natural landing gear to help make it safely to a flat surface… without some unforeseen consequences. Being prodded from behind, the younger girl signed in acceptance of her fate. With a quickly shot cynical look behind her at the awaiting two, who seemed to be several steps safely behind splatter range, she turned to the gateway to the beyond.
The urge to just thrust open the door passed across her thoughts, but being one of sound reason and logic she pushed the chaotic idea aside. A woman of her intelligence would not just brashly push open a possible dangerous situation. So she crouched to wards the bottom of the door and eased it ajar enough for one bespectacled dark eye to peer cautiously inside.
It was silent… Too Silent.
The kind of silence that is right before a really nasty storm, a kind of eerie absence of sound. Through the crack she only had a limited vision range, but it should have been enough to see someone. Straining, she pushed it a bit more open when a familiar sound seemed to be emanating from deeper within. One might be able to describe the sound like a long creak, or groan of something under great pressure. Velma's eyes widened as the noise seemed to grow as the strain got worse. What came next were three clear sounds.
SNAP!
TWANG!
CLACK!
Pushing the door, Velma pressed inside to catch the contraption in the works, or more so the result of it. It was clear, as the distress on Velma's face showed; that the sound was something familiar to her… If not in fact, belonged to her.
"My Mauvais Voisin!" Velma yelled, looking unhappy for the mal-use of what ever the contraption was. She had made it, and the guys were not exactly putting it to its proper use… Well sort of. Following behind Velma, since she had charged into the room unafraid, Fred figured it was safe enough to follow. He then paused, as Velma cried out. With brows furrowed, he puzzled over the exclamation.
"But Beverage?" He turned to the younger girl with a look of confusion on his face. Not understanding her reasoning for choosing such an odd name for her work. Shaking her head as she entered, Daphne found herself amused at Fred's lack of skill in the French language. Sure he was smart and all, but French wasn't really his forte. Putting a hand on his shoulder, she patted it.
"Mauvais Voisin, not Mais boisson… She called it 'Bad Neighbor'. I think you should continue with those language tapes a bit more Fred." Turning to the shorter girl, she did agree with Fred's puzzlement for the odd naming. "Why DID you name it 'Bad Neighbor'?"
With her attention diverted from another round of noises coming from the machine, the guys didn't seem to stop what they were doing as Velma turned to explain to the other two her reasoning.
"That was what King Louis of France called it. It was a Petraria Arcatinus, which can be roughly translated into "Bow powered rock hurler". During the Third Crusade, he used siege weapons against the Town of Acre. It was said that Mauvais Voisin, or to which he shortened it to Malvoisin as a nickname, succeeded in demolishing a long section of the city wall…." She turned back to look as Shaggy and Scooby continued unabated in their actions with her siege weapon.
"Not…." She made a fist and it shook with aggravation at the misuse of her machine.
"Not…. Flinging bread across the room!" She scowled at Shaggy.
The Petraria Arcatinus was like an offspring of a Catapult and a Ballista. Its basic structure looked like that of a Catapult, but its propulsion was that of a Ballista or crossbow. In this case, even in a scale model, the steel spring bow was attached to a winch to draw back the arm or shaft of the machine. This had the scoop or bucket that the ammunition was held upon or inside. When locked into position, a simple lever was the release mechanism.
As the machine sat on one side of the kitchen, Scooby was found loading it with a piece of bread. It was toasted, for as they found out with the first experiment of the weapon that un-toasted bread had to much give, and did not do well for aerodynamics against the more ridged toasted bread that tended to flip in the air better. So toasted it was. Loading the newly stiff projectile, Scooby placed the bread upon the bucket at the top of the long shaft and cranked the winch. The mechanism pulled back the spring steel bow till the arm reached a full ninety degree angle. With a pull of a lever, the arm was released and yet another fundamental building block of a sandwich went hurdling across the room. Awaiting the spinning granary grenade on the other side of the room was Shaggy with a platter situated between both hands. It had enough surface space so that when he caught the toast, it had enough room to slide to a halt and not crumble upon impact. Once it arrived at Shaggy, he then made quick work to apply both a side of jelly and a side of peanut butter on each piece of bread. Then, using at least half of a banana, he made little slices and laid them upon one side before placing the two halves together for a complete sandwich. With the culinary master piece finished, Shaggy moved to catch another piece.
SNAP!
TWANG!
CLACK!
"Velma, like' this thing is great! Though it took us a bit to figure out how to use it… I hope you don't mind we used it to help make lunch!"
Velma gave him a disapproving look, but the grumble in her stomach said otherwise. She would have opened her mouth to object, but feared an untimely and ironic situation due to her unhappy stomach so she thought against it. Hanging her head in defeat, she resigned herself to a rather oddly created meal. Walking up next to her, Daphne gave a shoulder nudge and patted her on the head before moving to get herself a plate. She looked up to see Fred moving as well, he shot her a smile and a shrug as if to say 'if you can't beat them, join them.' Sighing, she shook her head once and moved to get herself a plate as well.
Shaggy had a triumphant grin, since food sooths the savage Velms. Plus he finally got to play with Velma's new kit she had ordered online and had been constructing in her basement for the last while. It was no fun that she just built it and not played with it. (Though unknown to Shaggy, the basement walls had a few dents and dings due to thorough testing from the 'mad scientists' new toy.) Moving up to Shaggy, Fred placed a hand upon his shoulder.
"You know… This still doesn't get you out of this. After lunch, we are now going then clean this kitchen and you're going to help."
With that said, Fred made way to the tower of sandwiches and helped himself to a few before visiting the fridge to grab a soda before sitting down. Shaggy was stock still, not enjoying the fact Fred was still going to have to make him clean. He looked about and knew there was a lot of dishes he had left from the night before sitting in the sink. And a lot of other things he had been to lazy at the time to properly organize and straighten up. Looking at Fred, he got a deep pang of fear in the pit of his stomach… GULP.
Today was going to be a long day…