[He'd hesitated to answer this at first, because he remembered another version of this girl and Starscream had managed to make her very... upset with him. But this wasn't the Keep, and this was probably not the exact same version of her, so...]

Hmmm... unless you have canvas that oil-based paint can stick to, I believe you might need another type of paint if you wish to paint the walls of your room.

[Frowning thoughtfully, Jetfire rubs his chin.]

Which oughtn't be much of an... ah, difficulty to procrure for you, either by looking through the junkpile or, with some more effort, making some.

[Hello little lady.]

I don't see why you wouldn't be able to find brushes there, though it might take a bit of searching.

... I can't say I'm very... ah, well-versed in painting techniques, but using plaster on the metal seems like a bit too much work. On the other hand, you could probably make use of a precision torch and melt patterns into the metal, painting in the pattern if you'd want a more... er, textured finish for the picture?

[Optics narrowing, Jetfire considers the options.]

Actually... if you do wish to make your own paint, finding what we use for pigments here and the raw materials to create the finished paint might be simpler than trying to scrounge up the shades you want. [He smiles faintly as he gives Rapunzel a once-over.]

However, in that case you might need some more protective clothing.

[Might also be an issue with making something small enough that would be safe for her to use.]

Might be just as well, then, especially if you haven't worked with it before. [He smiles a little and then nods.]

Ah, paint isn't my area of expertise by far, but better safe than sorry considering that, while most of the minerals you might find here would probably be the same as on Earth and thus safe, others might not be, especially when in the liquid form.

[He shakes his helm.]

It might not be, but it would be better you don't get hurt if we... er, misjudge something.

Liquid after they've been mixed. [He smiles slightly awkwardly at the misunderstanding and then shakes his helm.] Both after and before could be dangerous...

And I am not an expert on organics and what is toxic to them or not, which is what I mean by misjudging, since something could be toxic to you and I wouldn't necessarily know.

[That sounded far better than he thought the situation might be, though lead was only one thing to worry about on Cybertron.]

That's good. I have less extensive knowledge of human biology than what might be safe in extended circumstances, so I prefer to take some... ah, care rather than not. And I'd trust you'd know what to eat and not.

[He smiles a bit dryly at that, and then tilts his helm.]

You wouldn't? Not for reasons pertaining to normal human... er, immune system or your body repairing itself, I take it?

[Jetfire would believe so, yes.]

Considering you're aware of the need for caution, I believe you are already a step ahead from others I... could name. [he won't give any names, though, just a faint smile.] But yes, the possibility of certain elements or chemicals being present here that aren't on Earth is my greatest concern.

[Then he nods. he's a faint bit disappointed, but it's her body... ability... power? Either way, he won't push.]

That's perfectly understandable, but I'd be... interested, if you'd ever be willing to explain.

Don't worry about it. [Jetfire smiles with a tilt of his helm.] Scientists just happen to be curious about everything.

As for if you end up with a toxic substance... removing it from your immediate vicinity would be a start, and since it will most probably not be toxic to any given cybertronian, ask one of us to toss it away.

If it proves enough to affect us too, there's ways to discard hazardous materials without leading to injuries, so don't worry too much about it.

It's... ah, quite useful in a few instances, yes.

And I doubt it will. Better to have a plan for the circumstances if things do go wrong rather than stand there not knowing what to do, even if the chance that they would go wrong are minimal.

[That makes him laugh softly.]

True. Curiosity is rather... er, bearing in any inquiry.

Precisely, and it'll raise the chance you can act promptly, and thus don't waste what might be precious seconds in acting. Experimenting can be both very useful as well as interesting and even fun, and with a... ah, safety net it allows you even more freedom.

I'm sure you will. And even with a few mistakes?

[He shrugs, still smiling.]

Mistakes are learned from, which helps in not repeating it later.

As a scientist, I would have to. But even so, admittedly, I probably have the type of... ah, personality that even if the sciences weren't my chosen profession, there would probably be experimenting and inquiries involved.

[Tilting his helm, he gives Rapunzel a thoughtful look.]

You seem to have something of an inquiring mind as well.

Indeed.

[He smiles and then chuckles at her reaction.]

Had a... ah, caretaker? that was far too protective?

[He stares for a moment and slowly starts to frown.]

That sounds... ah, a tad excessive, unless the climate and atmosphere outside was lethally dangerous and you had no protective gear or vehicle.