Seventy-Second Theory [Voice]

[i_speak_softly]

[Don has been living in the tunnels since the beginning of the last experiment, and for that time he's been almost entirely absent from the journals as well. Today, he finally re-establishes contact with the outside world.]

Has anyone ever considered building another village elsewhere in the enclosure? [...] Don't we have an organization that's always looking for that kind of volunteer work? The "Blue Viscera"?


[The transmission ends there, but later in the day there's another one:]

If anyone is willing, I would be very honored to have a new sensei. I'm fourth-dan in bojutsu but I haven't been formally trained in two years.


[After dark, he seals up his lair and goes home. When he reaches House 55, he doesn't announce himself, but goes silently to the winter room and re-closes the door behind him.]

Comments

[ voice ]

[herotypical]

You're looking to train up more? [ ... ] What does fourth-dan mean, anyway?

[ voice ]

[i_speak_softly]

It means I'm pretty good. And yes.

[ voice ]

[herotypical]

For a second there, I thought you just knew a lot more Dons. And at that point, I'd hoped you would have at least roughed them up a little.

[ voice ]

[i_speak_softly]

[Don's brothers had thoroughly exhausted that source of punnery years ago - but boy, does he miss it right now.]

[A hitch in his voice as he answers:] No. Just me.

[ voice ]

[herotypical]

...And that's a bad thing?

[ she hears the hitch; she doesn't ignore it. ]

[ voice ]

[i_speak_softly]

[He doesn't really want to joke about this.]

Can we talk about something else?

[ voice ]

[herotypical]

[ it wasn't a joke, but... ]

Sure. Something else. Anything else, really. Pick your poison.

[ voice ]

[i_speak_softly]

Bo training. [A gentle redirect.] I know you have some skills with weapons.

[ voice ]

[herotypical]

[ it's hard to tell if this next line is accidental or on purpose: ] Crossbows? Certainly.

[ voice ]

[i_speak_softly]

[He'll humor it.] Interesting suggestion.

[ voice ]

[herotypical]

I mean, if you think about it, they're exactly my sorta thing. Wooden arrows? Hello, flying fatality.

[ voice ]

[i_speak_softly]

Are you offering lessons? I'm very, very out of practice.

[ voice ]

[herotypical]

I dunno about a regular-type thing, but we could do a refresher-afternoon. If you wanted.

[ voice ]

[i_speak_softly]

I'd like that.

[ voice ]

[herotypical]

Do you have your own? It's no biggie if you don't -- I mean, I have, like, three.

[ voice ]

[i_speak_softly]

A yumi? No, but I can make one.

[ voice ]

[herotypical]

As long as it fires bolts and not arrows, it's what you need.

[ voice ]

[i_speak_softly]

[A calculating pause.] I can arrange that.

[ voice ]

[herotypical]

Just...nothing too big. Obviously, big enough to suit you on account of you not being incredibly short like me. But we're not talking siege-works here.

[ voice ]

[i_speak_softly]

... Yes.

[With just a hint of resignation. Why does no one want him to have missile launchers.]



((Take something to appointments, maybe?))