Voice 047

[shenghuanzhe]

Right, this is First Mate Kage speaking. Since we got all these new folk here, I'm gonna remind you all of the rules we got for usin' the comms. Don't yell into them.

[Kage squints, looking at the far wall of the library.]

That's about it. Awright, kids, be good.

[And Kage turns back to the book he's slowly leafing through. Kage is not a

Comments

[weifengyiyu]

[Meifeng doesn't spend much time in the library. She can read now, but most of these books don't hold her interest for long.

She is, however, wondering where the hell Kage got to, and she makes a surprised noise as she spots him, nose buried into a book.]

Al Mawt.

[shenghuanzhe]

[He looks up, almost guilty-looking when she spots him with his nose in a book. He covers it up with a glance to the side, as if something else caught his attention first. ]

Al Mekto. The fuck're you doin' in a library?

[weifengyiyu]

Lookin' for you.

[She wanders up and nudges the side of his boot with the toe of her own.]

Whatcha doin'?

[shenghuanzhe]

[Kage turns the book around with a disdainful gesture and points to the passage he was looking at.]

Remind you of anythin'?

[oblique_wisdom]

I have not once ever--

[Wait. Has she? Well, no. No, she hasn't.]

I have never actually deliberately yelled into mine. I can only assume this has to do with events as of recent. Surely if you were in his position, Kage, you would have done the same thing.

Perhaps.

[shenghuanzhe]

Maybe.

How you been, girl?

[oblique_wisdom]

I happen to be good, any concerns aside. Thank you.

You sound like you need help. Want someone to translate your reading material for you? I've read lots of books.

[shenghuanzhe]

... really. I'm in the library, girl, come on down.

[psychoticracer]

[Erol's rather large ears pick up Kage's muttered comment. He doesn't often come by the library, but boredom brings him to many unusual places these days.]

Does the great Captain speak to you through books often?

[His reference to Redd is deadpan sarcasm, but it doesn't much matter if Kage sees it or not.]

[shenghuanzhe]

He speaks t'me in a lotta ways.

[Kage flips the crinkly, yellowed page and squints at the text there. He rubs at his temple with his thumb.

He didn't notice any kind of sarcasm.]

Honestly I can't understand his wisdom sometimes, but that just proves he's way smarter than a meathead like me.

[psychoticracer]

[Erol snorts; Kage's uneducated, but Erol knows better than to think he's stupid. But that's a dead-end route for conversation.

Instead, he's got something in his pocket, and he's not just happy to see the First Mate. Erol pulls out a struggling golden frog, dangles it by one foot callously held between two fingers. The frog seems only mildly distressed, throat pulsing as it looks around, little feet waving in the air. How it's stayed alive this long with Erol of all people is a mystery.]

Rumor has it you'll answer a question for this.

[shenghuanzhe]

Rumour has it disgustingly fuckin' true, my man.

[Kage stubs out his cigarette into his empty teamug and watches it struggle. It slowly turns around, and when it sees Kage's stubbled face, it quite clearly PANICS.

Kage laughs to see its distress.]

/rips a scene from Thom's canon

[fetchthestick]

[Thom is chasing a ball. But it's a tricky ball, and it gets away from him. In fact he's so very intent on following it that he doesn't notice that it's headed straight underneath a bookcase, and -

THUMP!!

The puppy sits back heavily, looking dazed after taking a full-velocity blow to the head.]

Woah.

and adorable scene

[shenghuanzhe]

[Kage looks over and flips the book shut.]

Gimme the ball, kiddo.

[fetchthestick]

Um.

[Thom shakes his head, ears flapping, then goes flat on his belly to scuffle beneath the bookshelf.]

I can't reach it.

[shenghuanzhe]

No? Can't reach your arm under, kiddo?

[Kage is fascinated by Thom. The idea of a bred race of pets is morbidly curious to him, and he gets up from his seat and walks closer.]

[fred_cassidy]

[Fred is as comfortable in libraries as Kage is out of place. In fact, he's so intent on his search among the indifferently organized stacks that he doesn't notice Kage sitting there. And he's talking to himself.]

Well, yes, but I'd rather trust a reference text, since you don't have that much experience with human biochemistry.

[Fred reaches up and pulls a thick volume from a shelf.]

[shenghuanzhe]

[Kage hears the man approaching, and quietly sets his cigarette down. Kage is very attentive, and in the silence he can hear Fred's footsteps and then his softly muttered voice. He's talking to someone else, and so Kage's hunting instincts flick on.

He silently rises and walks towards Fred, watching him move and glance through the various books.

Kage's eyes are sharp and he keeps his breathing silent, glittering, predatory eyes calculating various ways to kill Fred--strictly in a theoretical manner, of course.]

[fred_cassidy]

[Fred's not paying attention, but his passenger is. Kage's movement out in the corner of Fred's eye is enough to alert Speicus.

Mid-mutter, Fred stops, frowns, and turns to look right at Kage.]

Yes?

[shenghuanzhe]

Oh, carry on. Hope I ain't disturbin' you.

[Kage smiles and leans against the bookshelves.

Better situational awareness than Kage would expect out of someone like Fred. It must have been his onboard companion who is keeping an eye out.]

Wish I'd have a buddy like that a few times in my life. Would'a saved me a lotta trouble to have someone watching my back like that.