@ Stone, audio | December 5

[scarsolderthanyou]

Who's shitting great idea was it to show some people something out in the middle of the lake and then kill them when they try to find it again?

[The querulous old man voice is currently very angry-sounding. There's a weird rumbling in the background of his voice. Stone might actually be... growling? Yeah, he's definitely growling.]

Did anyone see what did it? I want to find whatever that was and tear their throat out.

[He's a bit bloodthirsty when he's pissed off. Sorry, kids.]

Comments

[callada]

I'm not talking something that smells bad, like you'd do with insects. There might be something they're intimidated by. Or simpler, a sound they hate.

[They're very sound-oriented, after all. His own ability to manipulate sound is limited more or less to removing it, unfortunately. Can he learn to do more with his devil fruit? That's always been tough, but he can try some more.]

[scarsolderthanyou]

Hmmm. I can make a bigger range of sounds than humans can. I suppose I can give it a try. I probably ought to be trying to learn their language anyway.

[Raksura have tonal aspects to their language, and singing is a big part of their culture, so maybe it's doable.]

[callada]

Worth a try.

[That's that, then. Everyone is all right, despite two catastrophes at the lake in sequence. It's a relief to know they can all move on and keep working at fixing the situation they've found themselves in.]

I won't hold you up any longer. Just glad to hear you're both back.

[scarsolderthanyou]

I wouldn't worry about it. What else do I have to do besides talk to people around here?

[The big project he was working on-- the docks-- is complete, and he's generally useless for things like gardening, and there's nothing to hunt... all he's really got left is talking to people, right? And sleeping, but he's had enough of that for a while.]

[callada]

[And here he was trying to politely excuse himself.]

Dunno. There's plenty that needs doing, though, if you're ever at a loss for projects and feeling bored. Could add to some of the bridges around town, like that one that's still just a felled log. That's got to be tough to cross these days with the ice.

[scarsolderthanyou]

I'm pretty sure you don't want to see something an Aeriat made without supervision. We're universally known to be useless at anything that's not eating, sleeping, and fighting.

[He's only about 3/4 serious, there. Aeriat Raksura are good for slightly more than that, but creativity and building things are not among their common skillset.]

But I guess I could knock down more trees and at least lay a couple side by side, or something.

[callada]

Or just knock down trees in general. Some of 'em are marked, and I don't know what that's about so I leave those alone, but it's nice to have the lumber easily available if you want to take a few down. Could even help widen some of the paths by clearing the sides of them. Or lay down stacks of logs we can use for cover if we get attacked again.

[See? All kinds of useful things need doing, and it'll make him feel less like a one-man army. Of course, that's not really giving enough credit to the others anyway. They're all working hard, those who are interested in doing so, but there's just so much to be done to make this place livable.]

[scarsolderthanyou]

So my new mission is knock down trees and drag them someplace for people to use. I can live with that.

[He sounds amused, anyway.]

[callada]

If you like. I know I could put the lumber to use even if you don't. I'm sure I can come up with other missions for you if you ever get bored of that.

[So the brief delay was useful after all - but again, now, he starts to step away.]

Thinking I might keep onward, though, if that's all right. I wanted to see what I could find around the museum. Don't spend nearly enough time there.

[scarsolderthanyou]

Yeah, that's fine.

[He can take a hint when it's made at him twice, now. Rosinante's just gotten back, he probably has a lot to catch up on.]

Take care, kid. I'll be around.