Fifty-Eighth Theory [Voice/Action]

[i_speak_softly]

Open Voice

The person who made the little wind-up dragon... can I have another?

Action for Nezumi

[The reason Don needs another dragon is because he took the first one apart to make a camerabot for someone he doesn't even know. He hopes this was a good idea.]

[He heads to building three, floor one, room five, as he was told, and knocks five times.]

Action for Isamu

[After making that delivery, Don circles southward to the home of one Isamu Nitta. Allegedly some other people live here too, but Don has never met them. Hopefully, if they exist, they won't mind too much that a giant turtle is climbing in their window. Isamu did say to surprise him.]

Action for Buffy

[Around sundown, Don makes his way to House 7. He knocks here too, though he doesn't count how many times. He has a question to ask...]

((Housemates of the people Don is looking for are welcome to tag in, and of course the Voice part is open to anyone pinged by clockwork draconids.))

Comments

[herotypical]

[ she knows enough to notice when a joke sinks... ]

Donnie?

[i_speak_softly]

Yes.

[Part acknowledgement, part highly-simplified answer to the question. Are you going to press him for details?]

[herotypical]

[ for a moment, she looks as though she might be nosy...

but then? ] I double-dog-dare you to jump straight to the next roof.

[i_speak_softly]

[It's disconcerting how Buffy sometimes seem to channel Don's brothers, and he can sense her settling inexorably into the Sister Zone. It's disappointing to have that happen again, but it's probably better this way. Given the whole 'happily attached' thing and all.]

That roof? Barely worthy of a single-dog-dare.

[He stows his bo, paces back the way they came, then sprints across the roof and easily clears the jump.]

[herotypical]

[ she soon follows -- clearing the gap with startling ease, now that she was limbered up. ]

Last time I did this...[ she confesses with a flush of adrenaline in her cheeks ] a town was collapsing behind me.

[i_speak_softly]

[Sideways glance. Couldn't you pick a more agreeable subject?]

Nice to just run, without the for-your-life part.

[herotypical]

I have you to thank for that. [ a beat. ] So? Thank you.

[i_speak_softly]

[He tilts his head.]

You weren't going anyway?

[herotypical]

Not up so high. I was thinking of heading out into the woods, actually. This is less...lonely.

[i_speak_softly]

[He looks away again.]

I've spent a lot of time on the roof of your bar, you know. Not being lonely.

[herotypical]

How does it rate? [ she kicks at a loose bit of concrete. ] Roof-wise? 'Cause I used to know a guy who did a lot of roof-chilling. Or roof-brooding, I guess. In his case. But he never properly reviewed the bar.

[i_speak_softly]

I like it. I can hear all the conversations. [He glances over his shoulder.] Anyone I know?

[herotypical]

He was...here a few times. Generally stuck to the rooftops at night. Went by the name Angel? Tall, dark, and broody...

[i_speak_softly]

[Don shakes his head. He doesn't know any guys named Angel.]

[herotypical]

Yeah. Didn't think so. He isn't exactly...social. But he's good at this stuff. Roof-running stuff.

[i_speak_softly]

Sorry I missed him.

[He turns and takes the next jump.]

[herotypical]

Don't be.

[ she follows, pushing off the ground with more power than a tiny blonde ought to have. and this time, she doesn't stop -- following through on the next few runs a jumps.

the adrenaline builds; her smile grows. ]

[i_speak_softly]

[Cryptic. Don raises a brow as he catches up.]

[herotypical]

[ when buffy ran out of roofs to jump, she dropped quietly down to the soft, new grass below. there was still a path to follow and a bridge to cross before the stand of cherry trees would even come into sight. ]

[i_speak_softly]

[Hm, okay. The night is beautiful, the company isn't bad herself, and Don doesn't mind if they do this in silence.]

[herotypical]

[ besides, there will be plenty of time for smalltalk when they reach their destination. although...perhaps it's a shame that neither of them packed a picnic. ]

[i_speak_softly]

[Don is beginning to think that maybe he should have made some kind of plan for dinner before knocking on Buffy's door. Well, there's a reason he's not the strategist.]

[Anyway, maybe Buffy was smarter, and ate something before heading out. Running on an empty stomach is no big deal to Don, so he'll just ignore it.]

[herotypical]

[ her boots scrape and scratch down the gravel paths until she veers off, towards the empty trees. no matter. she comes to a pleasant halt in the dead centre of the grove -- stretching her arms above her head and basking in the steady beat of her own pulse. ]

When do they bloom, anyway...?

[i_speak_softly]

April. I think.

[He looks at the trees, but the only petals are already withered, clinging stubbornly to their stalks.]

[herotypical]

[ she locks her fingers behind her head -- staring upwards still. ]

So we just missed'em. That's unfortunate. Did you at least get out and catch them while they were in the prime of blooming?