[If Hinata ever described his smell as "wet", he'd get verbally boxed about the ears for it. That's not even a smell! Don't make it weird.
But...she's not here to bully him about his form. In fact, she's being surprisingly well-behaved joining him on the couch like this while drinking tea crafted by his own slimy hands. The Trish from eight months ago would have done neither of these things, or made it even more obvious than she does now that she finds slime viscerally disgusting.
But she knows well that it's not kind to be rude to someone about their monster body. Especially when he's as worried as she is about control. Half of this is because she had to make sure he knows that. They're on the same page, or ought to be.
She huffs a short laugh at his agreement either way, but sobers up just as quickly, saying:]
No, it wasn't you at all. Don't let this world make you believe otherwise.
[The way he phrased that barest concession was impossible to miss. But she's in a bit of denial perhaps, because she knows everyone had a kernel of truth in their movie selves here and there.
She taps her claws on her cup, then, thoughtful.]
...Unless you mean to tell me you really can put things like that together. Do you recall?
[The traps, the light show. It was like he was putting on a performance within a performance, considering that they were being forced into.]
[Not them at all. Maybe he's just being too indecisive, or too worrisome, but the confidence (affected or not) with the way she can say it's not them at all doesn't feel like it really rings true. A lot of people were thinking like that, and... it was probably better to think about it that way? But Hinata couldn't help but be riddled with doubt.
Which-- just bloomed a bit more, when Trish brings up all the pieces that had been part of the set of his... office. Headquarters? Office made it sound so lame... But he raises his brow a little at Trish, and then... awkwardly brings the tea up to his lips, half-hiding behind the cup as he took a sip to check the flavor.]
W-Well... I did tell you I had a lot of skills. [Eheh. His eyes are a little deadpan, though the rest of his face is awkward, as though he had been caught in a lie.] But fixing lights and speakers isn't that different from setting up other machines. Once you have things set up, it's most just staging, like lining up all the pieces of a trap to go off the right way... Sound and lightboards are a bit more complicated, but I don't think the moviemakers thought about those.
[He sighs.] I-It was kind of flashy, for my taste....
[It's probably fair to doubt. Not everything is smoke and mirrors, but Trish believes in choice, and if any part of the Hinata she saw rang true...it wasn't something Hinata chose to share so much as it was forced out of him.
Which, if such is the case, renders the display hollow. Like a seed that was dug out from its pot before it could bloom and show its true colors. It's a part of Hinata sure, but it's a part of Hinata that is robbed of context, and that makes it less truthful by virtue of that fact alone.
She watches him drink the tea he made, meanwhile, and wonders if it's possible for a liquid person to actually drink. Is it going somewhere in particular, or is he just giving himself more volume? Much to think about.
She remembers his claims too. The boy of many talents.]
You definitely don't like to stand out, do you?
[Hmph.]
I was mostly asking because I think you could put that talent to some use, if it truly exists. I'm no engineer myself, but I think you could do a lot better than traps.
[Not that those weren't also kind of cool, but she's less fond of the weaponry leveled at her person.]
[There's at least an answer to one question, which is that when Hinata finishes his sip, the liquid he's taken in just kind of... floats in there, around his mouth and throat, though it does actually move downwards as though he was swallowing it. The color was tinted a bit by his green-ness, but it was still surprisingly distinct.]
Th-Things don't really work out well for me when I try to stand out...
[He grumbles a bit, more tired about it than really upset. Trying to force his way through HPA's security, becoming the subject of the school's magnum opus, becoming an almost second-in-command of a cult of terrorists, and even every class trial on the island-- not to mention what had just happened with those stupid fucking gremlins in the TV. He'd felt like such a nobody before, but maybe that was at least better than being in the limelight, when you're trying to be a better person.]
Huh--? [But putting his own complexes aside, he looks at Trish with surprise as she continues. Admittedly death traps was kind of where his thoughts went at first, when it came to stuff like that.] Like what?
[Oh, she doesn't like that either, she finds. The way the tea is sort of suspended is interesting maybe, in the way a lava lamp could be, but this is a slime-person with tea floating in him presumably to be slowly digested by his entire being?
She's going to watch and see if it recedes into him or filters around. Call it morbid fascination.
Meanwhile, she can only wonder if Hinata is the type to experience performance anxiety, or to crack under the expectations of others. She really doesn't think so, but he insists more often than not on being as dry as a bowl of rice left out uncovered for too many hours. With a tie on, for effect.]
I suppose some people simply don't enjoy being the center of attention.
[That's more outward musing than a response.
She takes another sip of her tea. It's actually pretty good. Anyways:]
What if I said for rigging lights? Or using smoke machines for dramatic effect instead of obfuscation? Unless you're going to tell me you haven't seen a single live performance in your life.
[She raises her eyebrows for emphasis.
If he says no, she'll believe him. But also: she will be disappointed.]
That's definitely me, then. [He's dry in his disparagement, making it sound like a particularly sarcastic joke as he touches the side of his face awkwardly. Which, it was!! But it was also if he had to argue in front of another courtroom he was going to have a panic attack.
But, he drops the train of thought, in the hopes that Trish will definitely not worry about that either.]
H-Hey, I've been to a concert before...! [It was, one, when he'd been in middle school, and he didn't really remember anything about the performers, but. Don't worry about it.]
But yeah, I know how they work behind the scenes. The actual look of the lights is usually up to a director, but setting up them up and running them is simple enough. Stage effects, sound wiring and making sure the acoustics are good...
[He just sort of rattles things off absently, as he is wont to do. He had no idea why that other version of him was such a showman.]
[Success! Trish doesn't pursue it further. Hinata is loathe to stand out, and for the moment, that's his prerogative. She has no concept of any baggage behind those feelings, and mostly she's worried about him being too boring to have hobbies.
That? That cannot go unchallenged.
But for now, Trish watches the tea floating around in Hinata slowly disperse, and takes another sip of her own.]
Alright. And what if I asked you to use that knowledge for a scheme of mine?
[She's on a mission, you know! Or two. She has multiple agendas going at all times.
And since Hinatas Georg has zero agendas, he is now being drafted into hers.]
that's fair i think that's how he has most of his friends
[He takes another sip of tea, and what he's already drank is indeed starting to slowly diffuse... in the direction of where his stomach should be, at least. Like it was following the path of his esophagus, but there weren't any walls to hold it inside. Hinata is used to this, unfortunately.]
Oh?
[He does look at her curiously when she seems to have a scheme and her own agenda, all in one. At least it's a quick recovery over his unique brand of stress about... uh, everything.]
What were you thinking? [He's genuinely interested!]
[Trish finds slime are fascinating as long as they aren't touching her. No that she's seen any besides Hinata and the rare glimpses of Rachel, but they share way too many traits with things she finds gross, all combined into a single entity. But the more Hinata just acts like a painfully normal and boring boy, the more she finds herself relaxing a little, although she keeps her fluffy tail swept close and away from his flubbery borders.
She turns her head slightly to meet Hinata's gaze, green versus green, her hands cradling her teacup on the shelf of her knees.
Very prim and proper, because she's all business now.]
Picture this: you assist me in setting up the groundwork for dazzling performances. Contrary to what the movie world showed you, I'm not a brute by trade. In reality, I'm a musician.
[Like, she can go the melee route if she has to. Just like Hinata can be anything and everything people ask of him. As the situation demands. Anyways:]
If you're opposed, I won't pressure you. But I figured there was a kernel of truth in the role you played, and it certainly wasn't the part where you actually had a spine.
[Wow???]
I'll compensate you, of course. Interested?
he'd be a very charming Just a Guy if he didn't have anxiety and wasn't a terrorist
[He doesn't. It's the most easily disprovable lie he's ever said.
But-- he's not surprised to hear she's a musician, given how much interest she obviously had in it. He's still pretty sure she could kick his ass like she should've in the TV world, though maybe that was just when she was full bear? But aside from that he listens to her idea with interests, a small 'oh!' of surprise accompanying her very serious business proposal.]
Sure. Something like that should be no problem. [He gestures with one hand.] Setting up for a musical act is more in line with what I actually know. [Surprisingly, HPA didn't have much of a theater program. Or maybe it's not surprising.]
I might need a few more hands if you end up in a stadium... But I'd be more than happy to help.
[Trish lifts a slim, well-maintained brow at that. She is looking directly at you, Hajime Hinata, and you certainly have no spine to speak of. Not even a single bone! By default he is now and forever the most spineless boy she has ever met.
However, that leaves him with the least kickable ass. Still, she has sway over the other Italian boys by virtue of her strong personality. If she can exert any kind of power over Hinata, it's got to be willpower, and boy, she's more than happy to flex that muscle.
Not that she actually wants to kick his ass. He's a very reasonable guy, in all the ways that matter. And funny, too! She snorts ugly. Thank goodness her tea wasn't anywhere near her face.]
I'm flattered you think I'd ever have an audience big enough to fill a stadium. You can rest easy knowing I'm aiming far smaller.
It's sort of a tentative idea, too. I don't own my own establishment, so I'm not eager to mess with something that isn't mine. But I've thought here and there about what I'd do with a place of my own. I figured you'd be a good person to consult on that.
[She taps her claws on her cup.]
And, if that place were to exist in the future, that you would help me make those plans a reality.
[Neither of them have any clue at this point that Abbacchio is about to make this all very possible on a whim predicated entirely on wanting some good goddamn pizza in these trying times.]
charm points: the violent murder of thousands of innocents
[Hinata just ends up chuckling awkwardly when Trish was.... clearly calling his bullshit. He could have a spine! If he wanted! He's not standing up to her right now about it but. He could!!]
Hey, you never know. But the acoustics would be way worse anyway. [Even when he was like, normal, he didn't prefer the huge stadium concerts. That may have also been crowd anxiety though.
But the idea does genuinely sound interesting-- there had been the music venue in the simulation, but it's not like they'd had the ability to spend much time in it. Even so, the stage set-up had been sort of charming, even without all the realities of theater tech and sound mixing in his head.]
It sounds kinda fun, actually. [He takes another sip to add to the strange cloud of flavor floating through him, and when he pulls the cup away he's even grinning.] We could come up with some layout ideas in the mean time, if you have anything in mind. If you ever get your own place I can even draw something up to match the venue... We'd at least have to add a stage and the sound system.
LISTEN JUNKO SAID IF U KILL WHILE UR CUTE UR VALID, RIGHT
[HINATA, THE FACT YOU'RE NOT STANDING UP FOR YOURSELF RIGHT NOW IS LITERALLY PROVING HER POINT? But she's bossy, so bending to her whims is saving them both energy, probably. Hinata knows how to pick his battles at least.
Trish snorts again.]
Oh, absolutely. If I were ever that popular, I'd perform indoors no matter what anyone said. My show, my rules.
[Despite herself, she finds herself getting...excited?! She's genuinely coasting on wishful thinking at this juncture, but Hinata actually seems to like the idea quite a bit. Has he ever grinned like that before? If he has, it certainly hasn't been around her!
It's refreshing to see in him, and he even says the word "fun"! What the fuck. Trish smiles, the sort of smile that crinkles the bridge of her nose, the change in the atmosphere infecting her too.]
You really are getting into this, aren't you? In my dreams, I always thought a venue with customizable stage design would be the best. I don't know how feasible that is, but I enjoy the idea of themes. I try to put that into my shows at Nai'a, but there's only so much creativity I can foster there when the stage is geared towards mermaids and nothing else. I want something that can be as flexible as it is inclusive.
But it's hard to determine how feasible that would be without an actual building to consider as a basis. I'll be the first to admit I don't know a damn thing about architecture.
[Hmmmm....her thoughts filter around in her brain like Hinata's tea filters throughout his body.]
are we really gonna use junko's standards here is this what you wanna do
[Listen...................... Sometimes you just gotta know when to pick your battles.
Still, stubbornly staying in doors when you were an up and coming star was pretty gusty, and Hinata can't help but laugh happily at the declaration. It kind of reminded him of the way Ibuki might perform... though she'd probably insist on a stadium even if she only had an audience of twelve.]
Even if you're not able to change the stage itself, there's still a lot you can do with lighting and backdrops, or other kinds of props. The best kind of building would just need an open enough place for the stage and the equipment. And hopefully thick walls. [Soundproofing wasn't impossible, at least!! Of course he hopes for her sake that she ends up finding a place she wants. She looked pretty excited about it too, to be fair!]
I told you before, I just wanted to use my skills to help people, didn't I? [He's a bit bashful at that, though when he tries to scratch his face, his finger sort of globs together with the rest again, at least at the point of contact.] So as long as my friends are happy, I'm at least doing something good with it.
On the flipside, Trish could be convinced to perform outside, but as it stands, the weather here errs on miserable, and for all they know...they might be here for years until they either make it home or vanish into the unknown. Which is a sobering thought, so she doubly appreciates his good humor.
She takes a deep drink of her tea, a dangerous bid when he's making her own shoulders shake with laughter. It's dumb. Laughing is dumb. Why is it so funny when other people laugh?!]
Okay, you make several good points. The hard part is finding a place, the easy part is making you do all the work to make it functional.
[She's joking, but she's got to be a little facetious in the face of how sweet he's being? Trish's smile turns a bit softer at the corners, and she regards Hinata brightly. His fingertip melds with his cheek, but the motion is recognizable. He's just a humble slime, with small dreams. But you know...if he's passionate about helping people, that's good enough for her.
Maybe you're not so boring after all, sir, but she'll never tell you that.]
I suppose that's true too. All your skills work best when they're paired with other people and what they can do. I'd say you're someone who builds foundations. You build other people up. I've had trouble pinning you down, but now I think I've got you all figured out, Hinata.
[She fucking does not, but let's pretend she does.]
But unfortunately, despite exuding an eternal Done sort of energy, Hinata thinks laughing is pretty cool. He lets out an exaggerated sigh as his shoulders droop (literally?), though it's a bit undercut by the smile still sticking to the side of his mouth.]
Somehow I knew it would turn out this way... [A truly serious lamentation. But it feels good, to make her laugh; to just talk, as if they were normal. For once.
Curiosity interrupts his affectation, as he listens to Trish's... summation? He supposes?]
Oh, you think so...? [There's a bit of mischief to his voice, but the additional chuckle is still a little self-deprecating. Figured him all out...? It... Well, it sort of makes him feel bad. Or, not bad, but... wistful? No, that wasn't the right word either, but-- it's something in that valley, knowing he's sort of lying by omission, in a way. It's not like he wants to avoid who he was, but... it was kind of nice, still being seen as... harmless, and normal by someone.
But he sets that thought aside; though the almost-wistful smile sticks to his face.] I-I only wish I could be as good of a foundation as you say... but I appreciate it. [Well, it's more like, he can't stop smiling about it, actually.] You're not so bad yourself. You're the one that always seems to show up to smack some sense into me when I'm thinking something stupid. I appreciate it.
[Oh, come now, Hinata. He's being dramatic, she knows, but she still rolls her eyes at him very exaggeratedly in return!
Woe unto you, her newest minion.
Of course, he could say no, and be firm about it. Well, as much as a slime boy can be firm. But Trish has reminded him again and again she wants him to want to do something, and it would drive her mad if he agreed only to placate her. But he wants to help, because...they're friends. That's a nice feeling, and every time she runs into it, she savors it more and more. She didn't have many, purely because of her personality, she knows. Sharp, rancorous, unappealing. But Hinata laughed with her, and she knows just from that he doesn't feel that way about her at all.
Just like she knows nothing about him, but from his attitude to his appearance, her assumption is that he's a normal boy with some strange experiences under his belt. A weary soul, but a kind one all the same. If he's got demons, she can't fathom them. Indeed, he can enjoy this from her forever, if the world were kind. There's no reason to drag Kamakura to the forefront, when Hinata ought to be all that's left. Trish believes what she sees, because Hinata doesn't act like he's got anything to hide. That's good enough for her.
As for his comment, she sits up a little straighter, puffing out her fluffy chest.]
Really now? Well I'm glad you feel that way, because I've made it a lifelong habit.
[Hinata henceforth will never know peace.]
Like right now. Stop calling your thoughts stupid. I'll let you know if you say something truly harebrained, but what we've talked about today isn't something you're going to know off the cuff, and it would be stupid to expect you to.
[Even for how this conversation had started, Trish was by far one of the people that made him feel the most... normal. Horatio, Steve, all the girls at the arcade, too. But Trish really did just treat him like a normal guy who she felt free to bother in the morning as if before school, and didn't have any idea of how much was wrong with him. A lifetime ago it would've filled him with despair, being someone so normal. But by now, it was a refreshing relief.
Here's hoping he can keep it that way.
He lets out another chuckle at Trish's bold declaration of everlasting anarchy-- though maybe he was foolish to not expect her to smack some sense into him here, now, and he looks a bit surprised when the track comes back.]
R-Right... sorry. [She was probably going to yell at him for apologizing too much too, actually. It kind of reminded him of Koizumi, but way more aggressive.] I feel like I should be used to terrible, unpredictable chaos by now, but I guess you can never really get used to it.
[In many ways, Hinata really is someone she can simply come and bother when she feels like it. He certainly doesn't seem opposed, and even appreciates her presence. She can't miss that for how obvious it is, and it makes her feel good in a way that's hard to describe. Probably because she misses normalcy too. So if she can impose it this convincingly on others, enough that start to feel as normal as they couldn't imagine before, well...she starts to believe it herself.
It's nice to pretend, basically.
But she hasn't forgotten why she came here, and she's not about to let him slip up where she can see it. She won't bite him for apologizing at least (yet)! Instead she scoffs, but her expression is hardly severe.]
It wouldn't be "unpredictable" or "chaos" if you could get used to it, now would it?
[She takes a long sip of her tea.]
That's a lot to expect of anyone, including yourself. But we've been over that. As long as you're as kind to yourself as you are to everyone else, I'll be pleased.
[He doesn't have to like it, though!! Once upon a time he would've thrived on the inherent unpredictability of the world; but it turns out having empathy again makes him far too tired to deal with that kind of bullshit anymore.]
...But I guess I can try. [They could take a lot of things out of him, but they sure couldn't take out the anxiety and self-esteem problems. Maybe he was so used to having to juggle his entire class, desperately trying to keep it all together while their numbers got fewer and fewer. Now that it's in the past, it's easy to think about all the ways he'd fucked up.
Still, it's kind of easier having someone to bust your chops about that in particular.] At this point I feel like I'd disappoint you if I didn't try, and I don't wanna do that. So I'll do my best.
[His expression is warm despite the japery; maybe it's not the best way to mentally frame things, but it makes improvement feel a lot easier if it's for someone else.]
[Having empathy as an ability means chaos is just a death knell for any peace for himself or his friends, so honestly? Relatable.
Just like having an external motivator also helps. Trish understands it very well, really. Anything Donatella did, she did for Trish.
Just like Trish had curled up and accepted her death, but when people reached out to her and cared about her and her feelings, she found something to keep going for. She found people to care about, and keeping herself alive meant keeping them alive too. Because caring about oneself can be hard, and easy for an individual to talk themselves out of when the effects are visible to everyone but them. But if it's affecting other people, it becomes impossible to ignore. If you're not a total bastard, anyway.
That's how she feels, and if Hinata is anything like her, this frame of reference ought to work for him too.
She's clearly pleased with herself in any case, returning his smile enough that her fangs poke out that much more. The way she preens is reminiscent of a proud cat more than a bear.]
Mhm. Disappointing me is a serious gaffe, you know. I won't forgive it. But I'm not worried at all, if that helps.
[She believes in you, sir. That's the unspoken words there.]
Anyways...I think I ought to step out before Steve stumbles in here.
[She'll be doing Steve a solid by not seeing him with eye crust and mussed up hair, she is. With that, she finishes her cup, offering it to Hinata.
Once he takes it, she'll stand, smoothing out her clothes and giving the slime a cheeky wave.]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
honestly good for him
But...she's not here to bully him about his form. In fact, she's being surprisingly well-behaved joining him on the couch like this while drinking tea crafted by his own slimy hands. The Trish from eight months ago would have done neither of these things, or made it even more obvious than she does now that she finds slime viscerally disgusting.
But she knows well that it's not kind to be rude to someone about their monster body. Especially when he's as worried as she is about control. Half of this is because she had to make sure he knows that. They're on the same page, or ought to be.
She huffs a short laugh at his agreement either way, but sobers up just as quickly, saying:]
No, it wasn't you at all. Don't let this world make you believe otherwise.
[The way he phrased that barest concession was impossible to miss. But she's in a bit of denial perhaps, because she knows everyone had a kernel of truth in their movie selves here and there.
She taps her claws on her cup, then, thoughtful.]
...Unless you mean to tell me you really can put things like that together. Do you recall?
[The traps, the light show. It was like he was putting on a performance within a performance, considering that they were being forced into.]
no subject
Which-- just bloomed a bit more, when Trish brings up all the pieces that had been part of the set of his... office. Headquarters? Office made it sound so lame... But he raises his brow a little at Trish, and then... awkwardly brings the tea up to his lips, half-hiding behind the cup as he took a sip to check the flavor.]
W-Well... I did tell you I had a lot of skills. [Eheh. His eyes are a little deadpan, though the rest of his face is awkward, as though he had been caught in a lie.] But fixing lights and speakers isn't that different from setting up other machines. Once you have things set up, it's most just staging, like lining up all the pieces of a trap to go off the right way... Sound and lightboards are a bit more complicated, but I don't think the moviemakers thought about those.
[He sighs.] I-It was kind of flashy, for my taste....
killer office worker hajime hinata
Which, if such is the case, renders the display hollow. Like a seed that was dug out from its pot before it could bloom and show its true colors. It's a part of Hinata sure, but it's a part of Hinata that is robbed of context, and that makes it less truthful by virtue of that fact alone.
She watches him drink the tea he made, meanwhile, and wonders if it's possible for a liquid person to actually drink. Is it going somewhere in particular, or is he just giving himself more volume? Much to think about.
She remembers his claims too. The boy of many talents.]
You definitely don't like to stand out, do you?
[Hmph.]
I was mostly asking because I think you could put that talent to some use, if it truly exists. I'm no engineer myself, but I think you could do a lot better than traps.
[Not that those weren't also kind of cool, but she's less fond of the weaponry leveled at her person.]
that's his entire brand tbh
Th-Things don't really work out well for me when I try to stand out...
[He grumbles a bit, more tired about it than really upset. Trying to force his way through HPA's security, becoming the subject of the school's magnum opus, becoming an almost second-in-command of a cult of terrorists, and even every class trial on the island-- not to mention what had just happened with those stupid fucking gremlins in the TV. He'd felt like such a nobody before, but maybe that was at least better than being in the limelight, when you're trying to be a better person.]
Huh--? [But putting his own complexes aside, he looks at Trish with surprise as she continues. Admittedly death traps was kind of where his thoughts went at first, when it came to stuff like that.] Like what?
i love him
She's going to watch and see if it recedes into him or filters around. Call it morbid fascination.
Meanwhile, she can only wonder if Hinata is the type to experience performance anxiety, or to crack under the expectations of others. She really doesn't think so, but he insists more often than not on being as dry as a bowl of rice left out uncovered for too many hours. With a tie on, for effect.]
I suppose some people simply don't enjoy being the center of attention.
[That's more outward musing than a response.
She takes another sip of her tea. It's actually pretty good. Anyways:]
What if I said for rigging lights? Or using smoke machines for dramatic effect instead of obfuscation? Unless you're going to tell me you haven't seen a single live performance in your life.
[She raises her eyebrows for emphasis.
If he says no, she'll believe him. But also: she will be disappointed.]
but Should you tbh,
But, he drops the train of thought, in the hopes that Trish will definitely not worry about that either.]
H-Hey, I've been to a concert before...! [It was, one, when he'd been in middle school, and he didn't really remember anything about the performers, but. Don't worry about it.]
But yeah, I know how they work behind the scenes. The actual look of the lights is usually up to a director, but setting up them up and running them is simple enough. Stage effects, sound wiring and making sure the acoustics are good...
[He just sort of rattles things off absently, as he is wont to do. He had no idea why that other version of him was such a showman.]
no but i do anyway and no one can stop me
That? That cannot go unchallenged.
But for now, Trish watches the tea floating around in Hinata slowly disperse, and takes another sip of her own.]
Alright. And what if I asked you to use that knowledge for a scheme of mine?
[She's on a mission, you know! Or two. She has multiple agendas going at all times.
And since Hinatas Georg has zero agendas, he is now being drafted into hers.]
that's fair i think that's how he has most of his friends
Oh?
[He does look at her curiously when she seems to have a scheme and her own agenda, all in one. At least it's a quick recovery over his unique brand of stress about... uh, everything.]
What were you thinking? [He's genuinely interested!]
hinata just has strong dweeb energy
She turns her head slightly to meet Hinata's gaze, green versus green, her hands cradling her teacup on the shelf of her knees.
Very prim and proper, because she's all business now.]
Picture this: you assist me in setting up the groundwork for dazzling performances. Contrary to what the movie world showed you, I'm not a brute by trade. In reality, I'm a musician.
[Like, she can go the melee route if she has to. Just like Hinata can be anything and everything people ask of him. As the situation demands. Anyways:]
If you're opposed, I won't pressure you. But I figured there was a kernel of truth in the role you played, and it certainly wasn't the part where you actually had a spine.
[Wow???]
I'll compensate you, of course. Interested?
he'd be a very charming Just a Guy if he didn't have anxiety and wasn't a terrorist
[He doesn't. It's the most easily disprovable lie he's ever said.
But-- he's not surprised to hear she's a musician, given how much interest she obviously had in it. He's still pretty sure she could kick his ass like she should've in the TV world, though maybe that was just when she was full bear? But aside from that he listens to her idea with interests, a small 'oh!' of surprise accompanying her very serious business proposal.]
Sure. Something like that should be no problem. [He gestures with one hand.] Setting up for a musical act is more in line with what I actually know. [Surprisingly, HPA didn't have much of a theater program. Or maybe it's not surprising.]
I might need a few more hands if you end up in a stadium... But I'd be more than happy to help.
that only makes him more charming
However, that leaves him with the least kickable ass. Still, she has sway over the other Italian boys by virtue of her strong personality. If she can exert any kind of power over Hinata, it's got to be willpower, and boy, she's more than happy to flex that muscle.
Not that she actually wants to kick his ass. He's a very reasonable guy, in all the ways that matter. And funny, too! She snorts ugly. Thank goodness her tea wasn't anywhere near her face.]
I'm flattered you think I'd ever have an audience big enough to fill a stadium. You can rest easy knowing I'm aiming far smaller.
It's sort of a tentative idea, too. I don't own my own establishment, so I'm not eager to mess with something that isn't mine. But I've thought here and there about what I'd do with a place of my own. I figured you'd be a good person to consult on that.
[She taps her claws on her cup.]
And, if that place were to exist in the future, that you would help me make those plans a reality.
[Neither of them have any clue at this point that Abbacchio is about to make this all very possible on a whim predicated entirely on wanting some good goddamn pizza in these trying times.]
charm points: the violent murder of thousands of innocents
Hey, you never know. But the acoustics would be way worse anyway. [Even when he was like, normal, he didn't prefer the huge stadium concerts. That may have also been crowd anxiety though.
But the idea does genuinely sound interesting-- there had been the music venue in the simulation, but it's not like they'd had the ability to spend much time in it. Even so, the stage set-up had been sort of charming, even without all the realities of theater tech and sound mixing in his head.]
It sounds kinda fun, actually. [He takes another sip to add to the strange cloud of flavor floating through him, and when he pulls the cup away he's even grinning.] We could come up with some layout ideas in the mean time, if you have anything in mind. If you ever get your own place I can even draw something up to match the venue... We'd at least have to add a stage and the sound system.
LISTEN JUNKO SAID IF U KILL WHILE UR CUTE UR VALID, RIGHT
Trish snorts again.]
Oh, absolutely. If I were ever that popular, I'd perform indoors no matter what anyone said. My show, my rules.
[Despite herself, she finds herself getting...excited?! She's genuinely coasting on wishful thinking at this juncture, but Hinata actually seems to like the idea quite a bit. Has he ever grinned like that before? If he has, it certainly hasn't been around her!
It's refreshing to see in him, and he even says the word "fun"! What the fuck. Trish smiles, the sort of smile that crinkles the bridge of her nose, the change in the atmosphere infecting her too.]
You really are getting into this, aren't you? In my dreams, I always thought a venue with customizable stage design would be the best. I don't know how feasible that is, but I enjoy the idea of themes. I try to put that into my shows at Nai'a, but there's only so much creativity I can foster there when the stage is geared towards mermaids and nothing else. I want something that can be as flexible as it is inclusive.
But it's hard to determine how feasible that would be without an actual building to consider as a basis. I'll be the first to admit I don't know a damn thing about architecture.
[Hmmmm....her thoughts filter around in her brain like Hinata's tea filters throughout his body.]
are we really gonna use junko's standards here is this what you wanna do
Still, stubbornly staying in doors when you were an up and coming star was pretty gusty, and Hinata can't help but laugh happily at the declaration. It kind of reminded him of the way Ibuki might perform... though she'd probably insist on a stadium even if she only had an audience of twelve.]
Even if you're not able to change the stage itself, there's still a lot you can do with lighting and backdrops, or other kinds of props. The best kind of building would just need an open enough place for the stage and the equipment. And hopefully thick walls. [Soundproofing wasn't impossible, at least!! Of course he hopes for her sake that she ends up finding a place she wants. She looked pretty excited about it too, to be fair!]
I told you before, I just wanted to use my skills to help people, didn't I? [He's a bit bashful at that, though when he tries to scratch his face, his finger sort of globs together with the rest again, at least at the point of contact.] So as long as my friends are happy, I'm at least doing something good with it.
even an evil mastermind is right twice a day
On the flipside, Trish could be convinced to perform outside, but as it stands, the weather here errs on miserable, and for all they know...they might be here for years until they either make it home or vanish into the unknown. Which is a sobering thought, so she doubly appreciates his good humor.
She takes a deep drink of her tea, a dangerous bid when he's making her own shoulders shake with laughter. It's dumb. Laughing is dumb. Why is it so funny when other people laugh?!]
Okay, you make several good points. The hard part is finding a place, the easy part is making you do all the work to make it functional.
[She's joking, but she's got to be a little facetious in the face of how sweet he's being? Trish's smile turns a bit softer at the corners, and she regards Hinata brightly. His fingertip melds with his cheek, but the motion is recognizable. He's just a humble slime, with small dreams. But you know...if he's passionate about helping people, that's good enough for her.
Maybe you're not so boring after all, sir, but she'll never tell you that.]
I suppose that's true too. All your skills work best when they're paired with other people and what they can do. I'd say you're someone who builds foundations. You build other people up. I've had trouble pinning you down, but now I think I've got you all figured out, Hinata.
[She fucking does not, but let's pretend she does.]
i mean i GUESS.jpg
But unfortunately, despite exuding an eternal Done sort of energy, Hinata thinks laughing is pretty cool. He lets out an exaggerated sigh as his shoulders droop (literally?), though it's a bit undercut by the smile still sticking to the side of his mouth.]
Somehow I knew it would turn out this way... [A truly serious lamentation. But it feels good, to make her laugh; to just talk, as if they were normal. For once.
Curiosity interrupts his affectation, as he listens to Trish's... summation? He supposes?]
Oh, you think so...? [There's a bit of mischief to his voice, but the additional chuckle is still a little self-deprecating. Figured him all out...? It... Well, it sort of makes him feel bad. Or, not bad, but... wistful? No, that wasn't the right word either, but-- it's something in that valley, knowing he's sort of lying by omission, in a way. It's not like he wants to avoid who he was, but... it was kind of nice, still being seen as... harmless, and normal by someone.
But he sets that thought aside; though the almost-wistful smile sticks to his face.] I-I only wish I could be as good of a foundation as you say... but I appreciate it. [Well, it's more like, he can't stop smiling about it, actually.] You're not so bad yourself. You're the one that always seems to show up to smack some sense into me when I'm thinking something stupid. I appreciate it.
LMAOOOO
Woe unto you, her newest minion.
Of course, he could say no, and be firm about it. Well, as much as a slime boy can be firm. But Trish has reminded him again and again she wants him to want to do something, and it would drive her mad if he agreed only to placate her. But he wants to help, because...they're friends. That's a nice feeling, and every time she runs into it, she savors it more and more. She didn't have many, purely because of her personality, she knows. Sharp, rancorous, unappealing. But Hinata laughed with her, and she knows just from that he doesn't feel that way about her at all.
Just like she knows nothing about him, but from his attitude to his appearance, her assumption is that he's a normal boy with some strange experiences under his belt. A weary soul, but a kind one all the same. If he's got demons, she can't fathom them. Indeed, he can enjoy this from her forever, if the world were kind. There's no reason to drag Kamakura to the forefront, when Hinata ought to be all that's left. Trish believes what she sees, because Hinata doesn't act like he's got anything to hide. That's good enough for her.
As for his comment, she sits up a little straighter, puffing out her fluffy chest.]
Really now? Well I'm glad you feel that way, because I've made it a lifelong habit.
[Hinata henceforth will never know peace.]
Like right now. Stop calling your thoughts stupid. I'll let you know if you say something truly harebrained, but what we've talked about today isn't something you're going to know off the cuff, and it would be stupid to expect you to.
[Harumph!]
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Here's hoping he can keep it that way.
He lets out another chuckle at Trish's bold declaration of everlasting anarchy-- though maybe he was foolish to not expect her to smack some sense into him here, now, and he looks a bit surprised when the track comes back.]
R-Right... sorry. [She was probably going to yell at him for apologizing too much too, actually. It kind of reminded him of Koizumi, but way more aggressive.] I feel like I should be used to terrible, unpredictable chaos by now, but I guess you can never really get used to it.
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It's nice to pretend, basically.
But she hasn't forgotten why she came here, and she's not about to let him slip up where she can see it. She won't bite him for apologizing at least (yet)! Instead she scoffs, but her expression is hardly severe.]
It wouldn't be "unpredictable" or "chaos" if you could get used to it, now would it?
[She takes a long sip of her tea.]
That's a lot to expect of anyone, including yourself. But we've been over that. As long as you're as kind to yourself as you are to everyone else, I'll be pleased.
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[He doesn't have to like it, though!! Once upon a time he would've thrived on the inherent unpredictability of the world; but it turns out having empathy again makes him far too tired to deal with that kind of bullshit anymore.]
...But I guess I can try. [They could take a lot of things out of him, but they sure couldn't take out the anxiety and self-esteem problems. Maybe he was so used to having to juggle his entire class, desperately trying to keep it all together while their numbers got fewer and fewer. Now that it's in the past, it's easy to think about all the ways he'd fucked up.
Still, it's kind of easier having someone to bust your chops about that in particular.] At this point I feel like I'd disappoint you if I didn't try, and I don't wanna do that. So I'll do my best.
[His expression is warm despite the japery; maybe it's not the best way to mentally frame things, but it makes improvement feel a lot easier if it's for someone else.]
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Just like having an external motivator also helps. Trish understands it very well, really. Anything Donatella did, she did for Trish.
Just like Trish had curled up and accepted her death, but when people reached out to her and cared about her and her feelings, she found something to keep going for. She found people to care about, and keeping herself alive meant keeping them alive too. Because caring about oneself can be hard, and easy for an individual to talk themselves out of when the effects are visible to everyone but them. But if it's affecting other people, it becomes impossible to ignore. If you're not a total bastard, anyway.
That's how she feels, and if Hinata is anything like her, this frame of reference ought to work for him too.
She's clearly pleased with herself in any case, returning his smile enough that her fangs poke out that much more. The way she preens is reminiscent of a proud cat more than a bear.]
Mhm. Disappointing me is a serious gaffe, you know. I won't forgive it. But I'm not worried at all, if that helps.
[She believes in you, sir. That's the unspoken words there.]
Anyways...I think I ought to step out before Steve stumbles in here.
[She'll be doing Steve a solid by not seeing him with eye crust and mussed up hair, she is. With that, she finishes her cup, offering it to Hinata.
Once he takes it, she'll stand, smoothing out her clothes and giving the slime a cheeky wave.]
Thank you for the tea, Hinata.
[Ciao, slime man.]