10th Taunt | Video (Backdated to July 1st)

[misterbrief]

[He's not going to beat around the bush. When the video pops on, it's clear Vegeta is in his workout clothing, in the Battle Dome, and looking HORRIBLY ANGRY because SOMEONE has been pranking him for the past week with Justin Beiber.]

Alright, I'm only going to say this once. Whoever the prankster is that continues to play that hideous music during my training sessions is going to pay with their life. When I find you, I'm going to rip both of those arms of yours right out of their sockets.

And if any one of you know who it is, you had best tell me now. I might even consider letting you get out of this scot-free if you turn in the clown that continues to elude me.

[And with that, he slams the journal shut in anger. He'll check it again later that night, when he's cooled down a bit.]

Comments

[misterbrief]

You're pretty confident. [He takes a look at the shamisen again.] Music has power, huh. Guess I'll just have to learn to play it and make you dance around like a fool, I would certainly be entertained by that.

[windandrain]

I've got centuries of experience, and millenia of memories of playing music. I compete in the same arena as the god of music.

[Confident? Yes.

And at that suggestion, she lifts it up and offers it to him.]

Try each string. Carefully.

[misterbrief]

[He takes it with a bit of surprise. He wasn't being totally serious when he said he'd want to learn to play, but now it's in his hands and he's trying to hold it as she had been.

Um.]

[He plucks each string, lightly enough that the volume isn't loud at all. Looking back up at her, he narrows his eyes.]

Okay, now what?

[windandrain]

[She passes over the paddle.]

Use this, gently stroke the strings further down, near the base.

[misterbrief]

[He does as instructed, making all the strings sound at once.]

You know, you don't have to explain this to me as if I were a child.

[windandrain]

I'm not. But you're a beginner at this.

[A child wouldn't be allowed to touch the instrument.]

Now, try playing this chord. First, third, first, third, second, first, third strings, top to bottom.

[misterbrief]

[He quints at her.]

If I do that I'll just make the same noises as before. Don't I have to put my fingers somewhere?

[windandrain]

Each string is tuned differently, you're just learning what sounds they make. The goal of that exercise isn't to make anything complicated. But, try moving your fingers up and down after the first chord, so you can get a feel for different positions.

[misterbrief]

[He only continues to look back at her for a second, before he makes the chord as she told him to the first time. Then, pressing a finger to the board, he depresses the first string and attempts to make a chord out of that, though it sounds terrible.]

This is far too complicated. That sounded horrific.

FOOOOOOOOOOOOOOD, be back soon.

[windandrain]

[She doesn't make a face. She expected it, after all.]

Well, it takes practice. You have to learn the right way to do things, just like fighting.

KAY

[misterbrief]

[He looks back down at the shamisen in frustration.]

It would take far too much time to learn how to play this. I can think of far better things to do than that. Unlike you, I don't have an eternity. [Not to mention NOT that interested anyway.]

[windandrain]

[She covers her mouth to hide a laugh, because she knows something you don't!]

Only to play it like me. It's something you could do well at practicing just a little every day. And it might make your fingers more dexterous.

[misterbrief]

I don't see what good that does me. [Music. Just...not something he think is worth it, nor something he thinks he'd be good at anyway. He's a terrible singer...]

[windandrain]

Dexterity is key to swordplay, you know.

[misterbrief]

Learning to play the shamisen will not better my sword skills. [He refuses to believe it.]

[windandrain]

Did you ever meet my friend Makie? She felt that there was a correlation, and I don't disagree. Not only was she good at both, she trained them together and was stronger for it.

[misterbrief]

No, I did not, and still sounds like a load of nonsense.

[windandrain]

And yet, Makie could keep up with Souji. And was far above your ability right now.

[misterbrief]

And learning to play a stupid instrument surely was the cause.

[windandrain]

Dexterity, dearest. Though she was something extraordinary, like watching a storybook character in the flesh.

[misterbrief]

[It's because she probably was, he thinks, but keeps it to himself.]

It's probably just that, gifted with a sword. Hand to hand combat is my specialty, you know, and I needed nothing more than countless hours of training.

[windandrain]

[She was not all that kid-friendly, Vegeta.]

Well I'm sure she put in just as much work as you did with her swordplay.

[misterbrief]

You just want me to play, that's it, isn't it.

[Why else would she advocate for it]

[windandrain]

I have very little investment one way or another. Personally I think you'd be better suited to playing guitar.

[misterbrief]

[Hey, he knows what a guitar is!]

Yeah, right. There's no way I'd play an instrument, ever.