[video; webcam]

[boredallready]

[The first thing Lloyd is seen doing is turning his head to stare at his closed bedroom door, almost as though he's trying to make sure no one is standing right outside. Finally, he turns back to face forward and sighs a bit.]

Okay, I know for a while that a lot of people who know this number have been talking about learning how to fight and stuff. I've just been wondering, do we really need to? There has to be some other way we can fix whatever's wrong here, right? It's just...I know violence can lead to worse stuff you might not have wanted to happen.

Actually, about that...

[At this Lloyd stands and opens the door to his closet. He reaches in, but suddenly stops and runs to the first door he was staring at. He opens it a crack and sticks his head through for a few seconds before closing it again and returning to the open closet. He goes in as far as he can, exiting the shot for a few moments. When he's next seen, it looks like he's trying to drag something heavy out. Finally, it's obvious that he's actually dragging two somethings, a pair of different-looking swords. They're fairly large and obviously too heavy for him to lift both with each hand.

He leans toward the computer, his voice now a harsh whisper.]

Why did these things show up in my room a couple weeks ago?! All I can do with these is hide them from my dad!

[And now he's going to work on putting them back in his closet before the wrong person sees them...]

Comments

Voice. Cellphone. 1/2

[flamberge]

I believe I've already explained to you the necessity of knowing any form of self defense.

Voice. Cellphone.

[flamberge]

[As for the swords, what you can try to do is not poke your eyes out with them. Hmm... wait... that reddish sword. Something about begins to draw his attention more and more. Richard can't help but continue eyeing it a moment longer.

...Flamberge.

Yes, that's right, it's called the Flamberge. Not only that, but it... belongs to him?]

Lloyd, would you mind giving me a better view of the red blade?

[boredallready]

Yeah, but you like shooting stuff for fun.

[Lloyd rolls his eyes at that request. Seriously, he just got it back in his closet. He plods back over there, and it seems much easier for him to just carry one out with two hands. It's still obviously pretty heavy for him, given how he accidentally slams it against the floor.

Shit...!

[One sec, let him make sure he didn't leave a really deep gash or something. And then give him a moment of silence to be sure there aren't footsteps approaching.]

You...you can see it now, right?

[flamberge]

For practice.

[The fact he finds said practice relaxing only serves as an additional bonus. Any further thought on the difference between fun and practice derails the sudden noise and then finally the sword being nicely displayed. Silence comes from Richard's end due to taking in every deal about it.

Yes. He's certain. That's the Flamberge, an ancient sword with no small amount of power, a sword which belongs him.]

Yes, thank you.

[Now only one question remains: why did Lloyd get it?]

You said you discovered it in your room?

[boredallready]

You wouldn't practice it if you didn't like it, though!

[Lloyd stares at his door again. He reeeeeally hopes his dad doesn't see this ugh...]

Yeah, the sky looked really weird, and then there were just two swords sitting in here. I thought somebody might have broken in, but you usually take stuff if you do that...

[flamberge]

Ensuring the safety of yourself and those around you has little to do with enjoyment.

[So Lloyd had received those swords for some reason. This is enough to get Richard to muse aloud about the oddity of someone else receiving a sword that is supposedly his.]

I see. How odd...

[boredallready]

There are other ways you can do that, y'know...

Right? But I guess it's pretty normal for anybody with this number... Normal weird, at least.

[flamberge]

Few as effective as a firearm.

No, that isn't what I meant. The red one, I [pause] I believe it belongs to me.

[He honestly sounds unsure of it himself.]

[boredallready]

But they're still better than killing somebody!

[Lloyd has a nice unsure pause after that himself.] ...Wait, seriously? So you use swords and guns? And if this is yours, then why is it in my room?

[flamberge]

Guns do not equate to killing.

[Yes, guns DO kill, but not ALWAYS.]

The knowledge how to wield one had been the first pulse I'd acquired and... I've no answer to that, however I'm almost certain.

[boredallready]

[I'm Kratos and I am the NRA.]

Yeah, but they really help a lot...

That's kind of a weird thing to remember first. Or...whatever it is.

[Lloyd would share his, but he's pretty certain it's remembering this guy still being a jerk. Even though it wasn't but he hasn't figured that out yet.]

[flamberge]

[He does lunches with Charlton Heston.]

Yes, they do, which is why it is necessary to learn how not to further help that.

Pulses aren't particularly sensible, as you've no doubt by now realized.

[Unless you find swords popping up in your room at random sensible, Lloyd.]

Would you be opposed to giving me the sword for the time being?

[boredallready]

So what, you think we should use them so people don't kill people with them?

[He lives over a sword garden, what are you talking about?]

Umm, I guess not. You could probably take them both if you really wanted them. I dunno if my dad ever looks through my stuff or not when I'm not here.

[flamberge]

I think we need to learn about them, about what they do and about what they cannot do. Knowing is the first step in preventing needless deaths.

[Lloyd would try to water that garden, wouldn't he?]

If you would like to ensure your father doesn't find them then I don't mind taking both.

[Not like anyone lives him who could find them, after all.]

[boredallready]

Huh. Does that mean we could have wars where nobody dies if we trained soldiers more?

[Lloyd scratches his head.]

Yeah, it's not like I've had much to hide other than presents and M rated games, so I dunno if he looks around in here or not. That would prolly help.

[flamberge]

Wars are different and a topic I know little about. Furthermore, those are based more on human greed than ill trained soldiers.

[He's a cop, not an army man.]

All right. I can come pick them both out next time your father is away to avoid him potentially seeing anything.