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

[i_speak_softly]

[Don drops the point. Jack probably doesn't understand, and since a lot of people in Luceti would agree with him, Don won't press the point.]

I'm... glad you're happy with him.

[herotypical]

That makes two of us right? The pair of us, happily paired off. Ever find your way into that puzzle box?

[i_speak_softly]

[In response, Don pulls a small flashlight from his belt, moves forward, and shows Buffy the silver chain around his wrist. Threaded onto it is an infinity charm, with an amethyst geode set in either loop.]

[herotypical]

[ her lips quirk into another smile; bold as ever, she reaches out and gently touches the silver. ]

It means forever, right?

[i_speak_softly]

[Don has read the note from the puzzle-box enough times by now to have memorized it. I hope we have infinity together.]

Yes. We hope.

[herotypical]

[ comfortingly, her touch stays to don's palm. sympathy abounds. ]

It's a tough hope to hold onto, here.

[i_speak_softly]

[He sighs, and takes away his gaze but not his hand.]

I'm used to it.

[herotypical]

I'm not ready to lose him. Not again. But -- there are no promises, here. Just inevitabilities. I'm guessing you know that feeling, too.

[i_speak_softly]

[He nods.]

As they say, hope for infinity but live for now.

[herotypical]

[ he glance is sly. ]

Carpe diem.

[i_speak_softly]

[A flash of a smile. Then he clicks off the light and the orchard is dark again.]

Carpe noctem too. Should we walk around?

[herotypical]

...Seize the night. It's a little embarrassing how you only learn the dark-sounding Latin when you work in my biz. [ but she's happy to pick a pace by his side and walk peacefully forward. ]

[i_speak_softly]

I only learn science-textbook Latin. I don't know what a lot of it really means.

[herotypical]

A lot of spells are in...some form of Latin. Not that I do the spells. I'm not a spell-doer. More of a spell-watcher. Spell-spectator.

[i_speak_softly]

Why Latin? [A moment's thought, then:] You speak English, right?

[herotypical]

In theory? Yes. But most of my teachers said otherwise. I like a little linguistic creativity with my cornflakes.

[ a pause. ] Latin's old, I guess. Old things have power. The magic in my world is way, way older English.

[i_speak_softly]

[He nods.] Sometimes old things are the best.

[herotypical]

Old things have their appeal, yeah. I guess it's all about striking a balance -- right? Between the old and the new.

[i_speak_softly]

Yes. [Says the Turtle who fights with a bo staff and missile launchers.]

Were you studying spells, a while ago? [A careful way of circling back to his original question.]

[herotypical]

Me? No. My best friend's a witch. She's the hot magic mama of the group. I'm just the...muscle.

[ she's a little more than that, of course. but it fits. for now. ]

[i_speak_softly]

[So it seems like the meeting in the library didn't really happen. He's glad he didn't ask.]

What do your other friends do?

[herotypical]

Help. Fight the good fight. Try and live normal lives on top of it all, I suppose. Willow's beyond a genius when it comes to the sciences but she chooses to help the cause with her mojo, instead.

I think, though, that you're confusing me studying spells with me studying sailing.

[i_speak_softly]

[Spells. Sailing. Similar words. Could be.]

Beyond a genius?

[herotypical]

...Early admission to both Oxbridge, top secret recruitment initiatives -- the whole shebang. But she stayed and went to UCSunnydale with me.

[i_speak_softly]

[Don is not up on the comparative status of colleges, but he will assume these are impressive credentials.]

What did she study?