[Action/Voice]

[skulljokelol]

[It has been a difficult week, and Brook is finding it difficult to sleep. As he is wont to do when this happens, Brook is looking for distractions. Around four in the morning he leaves the house for a long walk, so if for some reason you happen to be out near the edges of the forest, you might run into a skeleton. He'll probably be out there well

Comments

[threeswordsoul]

[Zoro is doing early-morning weight-lifting in the backyard when Brook comes home, ignoring the bandages covering wounds from the fight with Hazama wrapped around his head and various limbs.

He's only hefting a few measly tons, but he still looks briefly arrested when he spies movement out of the corner of his eye. Then he relaxes minisculely when he sees it's their skeleton rather than their reindeer doctor (FROM HELL), and keeps lifting.]

...Oi.

[skulljokelol]

[There is a power limit here. And Zoro is injured. He will possibly never stop being in awe of how much strength their swordsman has.]

Good morning, Zoro-san. Our doctor is still asleep, I take it?

[threeswordsoul]

Morning. [grunting as he lifts with a sidelong look back at the house] ...Hopefully. [then glancing back at you] You're out early.

[skulljokelol]

I had difficulty sleeping, so I decided to go for a stroll to pass the time.

[threeswordsoul]

Ahh.

[Zoro always sleeps most soundly after a fight-well, if it's even possible to sleep more soundly than he normally does, which is debatable-but there's also a catatonic, unresponsive girl laying doll-like in their house on top of all the other things that have been going on lately, so he doesn't wonder at you.]

Did it help?

[skulljokelol]

That's debatable, really. It brought a few unsettling thoughts along with some enjoyable discussion. Whether or not I'm tired remains to be seen.

[Keeping the pleasant conversational tone going here. He actually is in a marginally better mood than when he went out, though.]

[threeswordsoul]

Met some friends along the way, huh. [Zoro isn't one to pry at another man's unsettling thoughts or the contents of other people's discussions, though, so pleasant conversational suits him just fine.] ...The ones here mostly aren't up, if you wanted to try out that 'sleep' thing again.

[skulljokelol]

That probably would be the wise thing to do. [He taps his jaw bone, then makes as if to go.

Only to change his mind. He's not sure how long it'd take him to fall asleep, and he'd rather have company for the time being. Zoro's as good of a choice as any in this regard - maybe he can draw a little of that inner strength the other swordsman has too.]

Perhaps in a bit then. Do you mind if I stay out here for the time being?

[threeswordsoul]

Nn? Nah... Do what you like.

[As they speak, Zoro picks up steel bars heavily weighted down on their other ends and begins moving through slow katas, sweeping the weights as if they were his own swords. Each pass moves at a fraction of his normal speed, but still smoothly, and his eyes are nearly closed. He'll still respond normally to conversation, but he's good with quiet company, too.]

[skulljokelol]

[Quiet company was the original idea of The Plan. He takes a seat on the grass and is content with just that for a while.

But Brook is Brook, and he can never keep that up for too long.]

You should pick something to talk about. I'm fresh out of conversation starters. [Just you know. A SUGGESTION. It's not like Zoro's busy, right?]

[threeswordsoul]

[Zoro keeps moving without speaking for a few moments, ruminatively. Picking something to talk about, huh. :|a Not Zoro's forté. Their recent fight, the girl in the house, Nami's near miss...naaaah.]

...I woke up to seagulls and waves this morning.

[skulljokelol]

Ah... Now that is a sound I miss.

It was just a sound, yes? Or are we having seagull for dinner? [Now that really would be something to wake up to.]

[threeswordsoul]

[a brief grin at that]

Just a sound. Have to ask the cook if you want seagull. Dunno if the market stocks it.

[skulljokelol]

I think that I shall pass on that! Chicken is much tastier.

But to go back to that subject... Was that your first experience with this experiment? It's been going on for some time now, I know, but it hasn't given me much trouble until recently.

[threeswordsoul]

I've heard some other stuff. [He pursued the familiar sound of wooden bokken clashing and young voices shouting their kiai a while back, but found nothing. He would've been more weirded out if these sort of things hadn't been reported all over the journals, but still.] Nothing tangible.

...What kind of trouble?

Okay, I lied. NOW I'm going to bed. >.>

[skulljokelol]

Objects I haven't set my eyes upon in years. [No skull joke here - last time he saw them, Brook actually did have eyes. The bony fingers of his right hand twitch for the inner pocket of his suit pocket, but he sets it over his leg instead.]

[Then almost like an afterthought:] The entire house smelled like cola the other day. I'm not certain if you were here for that or not.