It takes more than hour to move around all the racks. Vera and Krael were each stuck on the racks the held the arrow tip designs and the throwing knives, respectively. Still undecided about the weapon I should take, I ask Obrecht for advice but he just tells me, "Go for the one that makes you feel like 'Uwa~' or 'Wooaah' type of feeling", to which I answer with silence.
Obrecht was the same at practice, he'd describe moves similar things with 'Wham', 'Bam', 'Hup', or the like, but with his demonstrations and unexpected perfectionism as a teacher, I could absorb most of what he teaches. But if we were to talk like this with other things verbally, I doubt my own ability for comprehension. Or rather, maybe I should doubt Obrecht's ability to communicate smoothly with other people that didn't involve fighting.
In the end, I had chosen to try using two curved-tip daggers that was a length longer than my arm. I wanted to try using a spear but it felt as if I wouldn't be able to jump through branches silently. I'd have to practice my mobility a lot more with it since it might snag on braches and trees with its length. I was a bit sad that I wouldn't be able to do long range, but then again, I do have my domain to back up such a short range weapon.
While I was dithering, Obrecht noticed my disinclination.
"How about this", Obrecht says as we walk to the middle of the cobbled street, near a fountain. "I feel like you can handle a chained weapon. Maybe a shoge?" Obrecht says while in pondering for a minute. "I think we can try teaching you dagger techniques but if you really want a long range, then we can just adjust the range the dagger can reach."
"…How?" While trying to imagine what a chained dagger would look like, I didn't notice myself tilting my head a bit sideward.
"Vera wants magnetic arrows in her design—she wants to create a formation inside her quiver so that after launching, she can onset and control the return of her arrows by attracting them to the quiver."
"…That sounds a bit hard to realize. Is that even possible?"
"Well, I'd love to give it a try. It's just a matter of material availability and design. Besides, I have about two years until Vera comes of age. I could use the practice in making yours first."
"…Oh."
"I was thinking—I could design two daggers for you, with one having a retractable chain at the bottom. If I could create a strong magnetic tip on that chain so that it can connect to the other dagger on its own. I'd have to design an inner locking mechanism inside? Perhaps it's simpler to just synthesize a few formations so that the tip doesn't leave the other dagger and the…", Obrecht starts to mumble more to himself.
Sitting by the edge of the fountain, I study the outline of the boy beside me.
"Mm. I'll leave it to you then." I tune out the noise of the crowd, letting the little white and blue scribbles squirm in reverse as they move to have themselves unwritten. Nothing but the black canvass remains and I sigh at the temporary peace.
In my obliviousness, Obrecht looks to me before he gazes around us, studying the expressions and mannerisms of the people around us. Very seriously, he is people-watching.
Half an hour later, Vera and Krael meet up with us by the fountain. They apologize for having spent such a long time, well better to say that Vera did. Krael is just unapologetic. Vera had decided to the design of her quiver while Krael had decided to try practice with knives, as he had a knack for throwing things accurately and precisely.
We all stand to leave; Krael and Vera chatting up at the front while Obrecht and I walk side by side in comfortable silence.
"What are you looking at?" I glance to the two men Obrecht was looking at. The two people looks as if they get along really well, with one person having his arm around the other, whilst the other held the person's waist.
"A live tutorial."
"…" Was there something so interesting between two guys who got along well? "A tutorial for what", I ask when I couldn't help my curiosity.
Obrecht turns to me with a flirtatious smile. "I'm studying the ways of attacking with love", he confidently answers.
"…" A—Attack? Was there such a fighting technique?
One of the two men in question finds me staring at the direction of his companion. His face turns sour and he tightens his hold on the other person, efficiently hiding him away from my sight despite the other person's questions and protests. He then pushes him away, but never forgetting to leave a sour look with squinted eyes at me.
What did I do?
I turn to Obrecht to ask how I had offended them, and ask what kind of tradition I think I had violated, but I freeze at his obviously bitter expression pasted on his face too.
"…What", I asked, partially offended, and partially stunned. It's my first time seeing such an expression on him, though this should be the cutest one by far.
"Nothing", he indignantly said.
He walks away fast and I quickly follow but he turns around so abruptly that I bump on his chest and bounce back to place, my nose aching behind the mask.
"Why are you even ogling that guy's boyfriend?"
I flinch as Obrecht blows up in front of me. A male friend? Was it wrong to look at other people's male friend here? But Vera doesn't seem angry whenever I look at Krael? Perhaps if I looked at another male's male friend?
"…Did I do something wrong?"
Noticing my confusion, Obrecht chooses not to enlighten me, but rather, to drop a bomb-shocking information.
"You shouldn't stare at other people's lovers."
He flicks the forehead of my mask, and though I feel no pain, I feel as if my heart is itchy. And just like that, I forget to the questions the rights and wrongs running though my head about other people, retaining only the memory of Obrecht's adorably unhappy face, but never thinking why.
Unable to come up with response to his honesty, I kept quiet as we head home.
It is probably best not to guess what runs through Obrecht's head.