def request_type(self):
        """Retrieve the type of the request, by fetching it from
        `xenon.proto.xenon_pb2`."""
        if self.static and not self.uses_request:
            return getattr(xenon_pb2, 'Empty')

        if not self.uses_request:
            return None

        return getattr(xenon_pb2, self.request_name)