MISSION 4

[stealthpun]

Type: Audio
Sender ID: readytogo (Espio)
To: Everyone!
Subject: Music
Warnings: N/A

Good day, all.

As ever, we face all manner of changes day to day. Meetings and partings, new lessons learned...

[He trails off briefly.]

I would like to play music with others here sometime. One final hurrah for my old instrument. Even if our tastes and styles differ, it's something I'd like anyway. Whether you sing, play drums, or something else, I would like the chance to share that with others.

In person is ideal, but I am flexible. I know we all have things to be doing; this in itself, I suppose, is a selfish request of mine.

Thank you.

Comments

[reneggadetinkerer]

Oh spare me your thinly-veiled, sophomoric threats. None of you idiots understand.

Do you truly believe I couldn't have won ages ago? You think me incapable of building weapons of mass destruction? The only reason any of you yet live is because it would be boring otherwise. Any fool can build a nuclear arsenal, press a button and win. There's no satisfaction in that. He understood that.

Know this. If you come at me with such brutal, unimaginative attempts on my life.

I will respond in kind.

[Hey Espio? Do you really want to push that button?]

[stealthpun]

Now you're simply being presumptuous. I thought you would be cleverer than that.

No, we agreed to something more suitable and I am a chameleon of my word, even if we didn't see eye-to-eye on the resolution. When it comes down to it, I prefer to honor the wishes of my dear friends.

Tell me, how do you feel about music?

[reneggadetinkerer]

"MORE CLEVER." NOT "CLEVERER." I DON'T CARE IF BOTH ARE VALID, "CLEVERER" SOUNDS LIKE A VEILED ATTEMPT AT BEING SMART. THE LEAST YOU CAN DO IS NOT SOUND LIKE A MORON WHEN YOU ADDRESS ME.

[He might get around to the music bit. In a minute.]

1/3

[stealthpun]

Excuse you, I know over FOURTEEN LANGUAGES--

[stealthpun]

[No no, he won't be sidetracked, tempting as it is to argue with Eggman.]

You'll see what I mean. Soon.

[stealthpun]

[One last grumble because no, he can't help himself:] And "cleverer" is perfectly fine.

[Espio does go silent in the conversation. After all, he is preparing for an important infiltration. Maybe the more antsy Eggman is, the less he will be prepared for this...]

[reneggadetinkerer]

I assume you mean that you know how to butcher fourteen languages!

Whatever! Fine! See if I care!

I bet you think that your preference is "gooder" than what's clearly correct.

Stupid chameleon.

[With his rage spent, Eggman goes back to playing a self-programmed game on his shellphone because he's depressed.]

action;

[stealthpun]

[Espio is meant to be the stealthy one of the Chaotix; ninja, spy, and infiltrator all in one.

And yet, he's out in the open in Eggman's base, not even trying to hide. He's set up a pair of speakers and is arranged with his shamisen in one hand, his shellphone in another. When he clicks "play" on the shellphone, he immediately sets to playing.

Not only does it come out louder through the speakers, but the additional instruments playing with him pre-recorded implies that Espio not only taught himself the other instruments at some point but recorded it with the intent to perform this on his own.

Well, he's nothing if not dedicated.

Anyway, how about that music question, Eggman?]

[reneggadetinkerer]

[It's like nails on a chalkboard. Enough that Eggman fumbles his shellphone and immediately loses his score, which sets him even further into a malignant rage.]

What in blazes—

[He's up and throwing open the doors to his warehouse.]

WHOEVER IS OUT HERE GUTTING CATS, I VERY UNKINDLY DEMAND THAT YOU TAKE YOUR BRUTALIZATION ELSEWHERE!!

I AM NOT IN THE MOOD!!