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

[tea_lover64]

I'm new here myself, so the thought of creating a second village hasn't particularly occurred to me. Are you looking to continue your training in bojutsu, or to expand to others?

Voice

[i_speak_softly]

Continue. Nothing else ever suited me very well.

Voice

[tea_lover64]

Well, I'm proficient with the staff, but it was not something I focused on exclusively. I generally specialized in hand to hand, and of course firebending.

[A thought occurs]

Have you spoken to Aang about staff fighting? The staff is the weapon of choice for the Air Nomad.

Voice

[i_speak_softly]

Firebending...? [He dredges something up from the depths of his memory.] Are you one of those elemental magic people?

Voice

[tea_lover64]

Well, I wouldn't describe myself as such, but if you prefer the term, certainly.

[materiathief]

Is bojutsu some kinda ninja fighting style? It sounds ninja-ish.

[i_speak_softly]

[... This is not the answer he was looking for.]

It's the art of fighting with a bo. ... A staff.

[materiathief]

I know how to fight with a lot of weapons, but a staff isn't one of them.

[i_speak_softly]

[That's surprising - staves are a common starter weapon.]

What's your favorite?

[materiathief]

Large shuriken. I use a few others though...

[Voice]

[knightofratatosk]

Did you mean Brave Vesperia or Blue Rogues? Because that sounds like what Brave Vesperia does.

[Voice]

[i_speak_softly]

... Yes?

[One of those.]

[Voice]

[knightofratatosk]

I'm the head of Brave Vesperia... were you interested in joining it?

[Voice]

[i_speak_softly]

Not joining; more like... hiring? [Is that the right word?]

[Voice]

[knightofratatosk]

You are? Really? That's great! What do you need us to do?

[action]

[semper_cogitans]

[Even if Don is a ninja, he can't avoid Robert forever. Though the man doesn't approach the winter room for awhile, he eventually realizes that there is another presence in the house... and where better to check than the rarely-used winter room?

So Don might hear a knock at that door eventually.]

[action]

[i_speak_softly]

[No answer. Don gave in enough to come home, but he's not exactly eager to talk to his housemate.]

[action]

[semper_cogitans]

[... Oh.

That's enough to make Robert pause. The sting of the past week spent in a silent house has made him wary of pushing boundaries.

He hesitates at the door like it's an impassable barrier. Should he really push himself on his obviously-estranged lover, yet?]

[action]

[i_speak_softly]

[The room beyond the closed door is not quite silent now, as it would be if Don really wanted to be left alone. Sometimes, in the Turtle's circumspect way, allowing his presence to be noticed serves as an invitation.]

[action]

[semper_cogitans]

[After listening to the noise for a few moments, Robert decides to take the plunge. He opens the door slowly and pokes his head inside cautiously like the contents of the room might devour him.]