knowing a trifle about everything

[patration]

In the time since Zhuge had arrived on the island, he'd managed to learn a great deal in a number of subjects. Language had, of course, been his very first priority upon discovering the magical bookshelf in the rec room, which was handy in supplying countless dictionaries and other aids for his perusal. Though he wasn't a great fan of limiting

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[lastof_five]

Helen had never really been the sort to get into engineering, her talents laying solely in the biological sciences and genetics. Henry, however, had been a very clever engineer and created all sorts of weapons on behalf of her and the Network. Prior to Henry, there'd been Nikola, and there had never been a reason for her to learn it herself.

"Ni hao, Zhuge," Helen said in greeting, wondering how the man's English was coming along.

[patration]

As soon as Helen stepped out from the distance, Zhuge's face split into a glad smile, his hands slowly lowering his crossbow to the ground- while he doubted that Helen would feel half as intimidated by the crossbow as most of the people on the island, it was still a sign of trust from his end, one he wanted to offer a friend.

"Hello, Helen," Zhuge replied in turn, slowly sounding out the words, hoping to practice and better his English. "And how are you today?"

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"Your English is really coming along!" Helen said brightly, pleased with his progress. She'd know Zhuge was intelligent but she'd never picked up on a language herself quite so quickly and it was astounding to see in someone else. She drew a little closer, intrigued by the crossbow.

"You made the bolts from bamboo?"

[patration]

"My English is really..." Zhuge paused, tilting his head in confusion, wondering if he'd heard the last part of the sentence incorrectly. One of the greatest shortcomings of dictionaries on the whole, and one that Zhuge had certainly expected when he decided to take up the second language, was the fact that they could only help so much with turns of phrases, with sayings which didn't directly translate from one language to the next. "Coming along. Coming along? I'm not sure what that means, precisely. Your expression and your tone tell me that I've just received a high compliment, for which I am ever grateful, my lady, but I'm afraid my progress isn't quite so great yet."

Watching her draw close, he held out the crossbow for her to hold. "I fashioned these myself. Some from bamboo, others out of wood, some a combination of both. The type of wood available here is very different from what I am accustomed to."

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Helen smiled and nodded, switching to Chinese to help explain what she'd meant.

"It means you're making great progress. I shouldn't have dropped a vague expression on you to confuse you. I'm lucky, though, because you give me a chance to practice my Chinese."

Helen took the crossbow, examining the workmanship. It was beautifully done and it seemed Zhuge was capable of a great many things.

"It's exquisite. Do you often build things? I confess, I don't have a head for it. I'm a doctor, not an engineer."

[patration]

"Hardly," Zhuge laughed then, a soft chuckle as he shook his head, pulling his feathered fan out from his sleeve and letting it pat gently against his arm. While it was indeed humid on the island, more than Zhuge was necessarily accustomed to at all times of the year, he fanned more as a force of habit than anything else. "The vague expressions and colloquialisms are what I most need to learn, and sadly, what they cover least in dictionaries. And, unlike asking for the directions to the grocery store, I find saying your Chinese is coming along, too much more rewarding."

Fanning himself still, he tilted his head to the side in a show of humility.

"You flatter me, Helen. But yes, I build things on occasion, things that I feel could help in my job, or simply when I have time to spare. I think most people could, though it does take some practice."

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Helen couldn't help but smile when he used the English phrase. She'd never had a desire to be a language teacher before but if she did, Zhuge was exactly the sort of student she would have loved.

"Just weapons or other sorts of things too? An inventor is never unwelcome on the island, in spite of the conveniences we are lucky to have."

[patration]

Considering how briefly they'd been in each other's company, Zhuge couldn't help but feel gratified that already, Helen had recognized his need to spread his efforts across any number of subjects and trades. His gaze lowered humbly, his head tilting in a way that neither affirmed nor denied.

"I've delved into some other areas, a few trinkets and tools for farming in specific- the trade I began in. But I'm not certain I would call myself an inventor, on the whole. There are surely more talented minds to put to the task," he grinned.

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"We all can change who we are, Zhuge. I didn't start out as a doctor, not to begin with. I'm certainly learning something new every day on this island. Are you finding the people friendly, then? And helpful?"

Helen couldn't imagine what it would be like to come to the island without speaking English and as admirably as Zhuge had come along with the language, it still must have been frightening at first.

[patration]

Zhuge considered Helen's words, letting his gaze wander for a few moments as he pondered life as an inventor, as a man of any trade other than his own. What he had discovered, in the short amount of time he'd been on the island, was that he actually missed his job. Zhuge didn't miss war, or carnage, or the hardships which came from states being at odds, but there was something about the energy that he missed. Building weapons on the side kept him alert and thinking, but it paled in comparison.

Perhaps it was time to look into medicine.

"The people here are very welcoming on the whole," Zhuge replied pleasantly. "Some aren't sure how to engage with a man such as myself, particularly when that language barrier exists, but no one's caused any trouble for me since my arrival, which is more than I can say of the Eastern Wu."

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"There are occasional crimes committed. A few months ago, a man planted a bomb in our scrapyard. On the whole, though, the island is very peaceful. Very...tranquil. It's a relief after a long and busy life."

Helen laughed a little. "At least, that's what a normal person would say. I personally need something to stimulate me almost constantly."

[patration]

While Zhuge had attempted to take a peek or two at the Council records, he hadn't managed to get very far yet- it didn't seem to be the smartest use of his time, to pore over situations which required such a deep knowledge of the language, of customs, even simply of the individuals who walked over the island, when his efforts could instead be concentrated in ironing out a method of communication that would help him better assimilate in the long run. Hearing of a man planting a bomb, that caused his brows to raise in light surprise.

"A man planted a bomb. What was the punishment that the governing body dealt him, if you mind my asking? Or did the bomb kill the man in the process?" Zhuge asked curiously, hand resting at his chin. "I probably should not feel half as surprised as I do, hearing that such an incident has taken place here."