[voice]

[by_your_leave]

[ The police officer's voice, which hasn't been heard on the network in a while, is impossibly dry, throaty and low with an out-of-character lassitude ]

It is remarkable what household implements people are capable of converting into deadly weapons, given sufficient motivation.

[ In other words, guess who had to go break up a blossom-fueled

Comments

[Voice]

[southernreaper]

[In the background is the sound of a torch.]

Back home, we had a self-defense class, jus' one, talkin' 'bout how anythin', in the right hands c'n be a weapon.

[He's not touching that "no deadlier armament than their own body". Nope.]

[by_your_leave]

[ A torch, hmm? The curiosity lends a little of itself to his voice. ]

I wasn't aware one could offer instruction on a subject that unusual. Perhaps they should teach one of those classes here.

[southernreaper]

[Yep. Oxyacetylene torch.]

Weren't so much instruction as it were somethin' 'bout how never t'discount an enemy. Were just a single class.

[by_your_leave]

Would you say it was time well-spent?

[southernreaper]

I dunno. It was interestin' at least?

[by_your_leave]

I suppose as long as the main gist of it was not forgotten, then it served its purpose well enough.

[southernreaper]

Cain't ever ferget. Might save m'life one day. An' I'm right fond o' livin'.

[The torch finally cuts out, and there comes the sharp scrape of a file against metal.]

[by_your_leave]

As are most of us, I imagine. [ As though the sound is registering for the first time, he tips his head at the scrape of metal. ]

Not that I mean to pry, but am I disturbing you in your work? My apologies.

[southernreaper]

Naw ya ain't disturbin' me. Like talkin' while I work. M'name's Kevin Ford, by the way.

[by_your_leave]

What are you working on, if I may ask?

A pleasure to make your acquaintance, Sir Kevin. I am Fratley.

[southernreaper]

Don't rightly know. M'room mate done left me some instructions an' asked me t'do some weldin' fer him. I like doin' it an' it passes the time.

Oh, ain't no 'sir' in front o' that, sir. Jus' Kevin's fine.

[He's lying about the welding, but he's not ready to talk about his art over the open network yet.]

[by_your_leave]

[ It seems an unusual situation to Fratley, and he doesn't quite catch the lie-- it's mentally filed under "weird things people apparently do sometimes," and he'll consider it later. For now: ]

Kevin it is, then.

[southernreaper]

It's right nice t'meet ya, Mr. Fratley. Take it ya a cop?

[by_your_leave]

That is correct. I have been a member of the SPPD for nearly as long as I have been in this city.

[southernreaper]

Ya been here long? I jus' got here back in May.

[by_your_leave]

I arrived in this city last September. In two weeks, I will have lived in this city for an entire year.