Audience: Yuri Leclerc

[probe]

Comments

[probe]

Pretty much! You can still learn about us and about this place and indulge by talking to each other so it's not a huge thing, but...some of us are more interested in talking than others.

[indulge them by talking! but they shrug again.] What gave you that idea?

[aubins]

I've noticed. [ said with the drollest tone he can manage, as he finishes up hand.......2! and pauses for a moment to let the coat dry fully. ]

Could just be a personality thing, I suppose. Some of you are willing to share things, others aren't. And not just about yourselves. I mean, about this place and what's happening. It's to a point that suggests outside interference to me.

[probe]

Yuriii. You're thinking about it too much. Some of us are just...not very chatty. And some of us don't like sharing at all because we don't have to, so they choose not to.

[aubins]

[ squints. ]

Allow me my healthy dose of suspicion. [ he's picking up the pink nail varnish now. ] Some of you are cagey about literally everything.

[probe]

Some people just like their secrets. You're cagey about stuff sometimes too, aren't you?

[aubins]

[ don't call him out like this ]

When it matters.

[probe]

And you don't think maaaaybe some of the others feel the same way?

[aubins]

[ verbally this time: ]

Don't call me out on my hypocrisies, Lust. I have the fate of your nails in my hands. [ but he is teasing. that much is clear. ]

Alright then, how do you feel about games?

[probe]

I have to! It's only fair. [it's equally teasing at least.]

What kind of games are we talking about?

[aubins]

[ bleh. he's making a start on that pink coat now. ]

Question game. Shi Qingxuan and I did one earlier in the week -- normally you'd have to drink if you wanted to skip a question, but I'll just allow you to skip. You ask something, I answer and vice versa. Anything you want, but you can't force the other person to answer if they don't want to.

[probe]

Ooh...like twenty questions, but you can go more than twenty. Sure. Sounds like fun. Do you want to start?

[aubins]

I can do.

[ he is going to say this with a grin in his voice as he paints pink on lust's nails: ]

Favourite colour?

[probe]

Pink! [they wiggle their fingers very slowly.] Which made my tattoo a lot better for me. But I like blues and white a lot, too.

Favorite food?

[aubins]

Probably a good thing, I don't think you'd have fit Despair very well.

[ hmmm. ]

Top three alright? [ hopefully, because he doesn't wait before saying: ] Saghert and cream, grilled herring, and onion gratin soup.

Same question back to you.

[probe]

You sure about that? [cheerfully. but hmmmm.]

Those aren't bad choices. I'm almost embarrassed about mine now though. [they are not embarrassed in the slightest.] But if it's three? Pizza, chocolate, and omurice maybe? I like a lot of different things but those are foods I'll never get sick of.

You're technically at an academy which is like a school, right? What's your favorite subject to learn about?

[aubins]

If not, then your acting is superb, and your public mask is keeping well in place. [ he'll move on to the other hand now. ]

-- I know chocolate, but not the other two? Three's a bit of a small sampler, I could probably name ten things I really like, but then I just seem greedy.

[ ... ]

The subject is war, Lust. Whichever way you look at it. But I like learning my sword fighting, and I have a way around authority, so I guess those two.

And you? You mentioned school, so... do you have any topics you liked studying more than others?

[probe]

Thanks. I've had some practice. [are they kidding? who knows!] Next time we hang out, we can have a picnic and share our favorites. The vending machine isn't the same but it'll have to do.

[but lust shrugs at that.] I know. But even with something like that there has to be something good in it, or at least something you're proud of. So that's what I wanted to know and those both fit you.

I think the things I learned in school are way different than yours, but I like art and music a lot. And I don't mind gym.

Favorite animal?

[aubins]

[ it's a valid answer. ] The food tasted fairly similar when I've had it -- enough that I didn't feel culturally offended. That's a good idea.

If you can do it well, it's hard not to be a bit biased towards it. [ ... ] You're an artsy type then? I knew a singer from one of the other houses at the monestery. And then there's a couple of people in my house who are kind of artsy -- one of them just straight up paints and the other has some kind of knack for making jewelry, even though she spends half the time acting like picking up pliers would be far too much for her delicate little hands.

[ he glances up, with a little conspiratorial grin. ] When she's not hefting a battle axe around.

... Not sure I really have one. [ ... ] Maybe a type a bird?

[ he doesn't SAY mockingbird... but he does owe a bit to that little bird letting him wield its name with some hefty clout. ]

Male or female or other? [ is he pushing his luck? maybe. ]

[probe]

It'll be fun. Like a potluck? We'll each bring a few things and we'll do a tastetest.

[but they nod.] I like other things, too, but those are the ones I'm best at and I like spending time on. I've never thought of making my own jewelry but I like singing, too.

[wow. hilda is incredibly valid actually. but they hum to themselves at that.]

Birds are cute...they always sound so pretty and have the best colors anyway. I've never owned a pet bird or anything and I'm not big on birdwatching but they're nice to see.

[this time, they laugh.] Are you asking about me or what I like?

[aubins]

Sounds good to me. What do you rate pizza, on a scale of one to ten anyway?

[ hilda's perfect. ] ... Mm. They have choir practices at the weekends but it's not really my thing. Other than that it's just the usual battle or tactics oriented classes, and sometimes we take care of the horses or pegasi if you draw the short straw.

[ hmmmmmmmm. ]

You, but you can answer the other one as well if you like.

[probe]

An eleven? But only if it's really, really good and while it's still hot. And you make it sound like taking care of animals is a bad thing. They seem sweet.

[lust has possibly never interacted with a horse in their life. but hmmmmmmmm.]

I thought you knew this whole time I'm a girl, Yuri. [teasing, but there's your confirmation.]

[aubins]

Eh. I'm not great with them? Never really been able to get the knack of being comfortable on horseback, that kind of thing.

[ he's working on the second pinnnnnk coat now. ]

Better to confirm than assume, right?

[probe]

I've never really tried it, but it always looks so easy. Guess it's not. But traveling on foot sounds tiring, too.

[they wiggle their fingers again, just a bit.]

I wouldn't mind so much if you assumed anyway, but I get it. And now you know!

[aubins]

Are you somewhere you can't really go horseriding? It's... pretty much the only way to travel long distance where I'm from. Unless you're on the ocean.

[ the nails are coming together. ]

And now I know! [ now to come out swinging? ] What's your real name?

[probe]

It's not really common, no. Maybe out in the country but I haven't visited a place like that.

[but...they point with their free hand, index-finger out.] Objection! Lust is my real name.