Audience: Mahito

[probe]

Comments

[touchups]

[He is so glad Maus isn't the pom that got involved in shenanigans somehow. God.]

Mm! Not a common perspective, either. [UNFORTUNATELY HE IS A FAN OF UNCOMMON THINGS.] How's it working out for you so far? Or is it a recent decision?

[probe]

[mood.]

...I suppose it's working out well enough, to say the least. I've received answers to some questions I've carried for years, and I've had to take the time to decide what I really want to do going forward. It was a decision made a few years ago, but I had wondered if it would be a decision made too late.

[touchups]

"You're never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream"... was it? That's not bad at all, though! Makes me wish I could get a look at your soul.

[Alarming.]

[probe]

[what a cheesy quote.]

I wonder what you would find there.

[equally alarming.]

[touchups]

[A cheesy quote for a cheesy inspiration.

Anyway unfortunately Mahito is not at all deterred by this ominous statement. IF ANYTHING HE'S JUST MORE INTERESTED. Look, he likes Sebastian the fuck demon, he can like literally anyone and their weird state of soul.]

Hah, half the fun is not knowing, right? Though I do wanna see how much it flickers.

[probe]

[who the fuck is sebastian.]

How does it benefit you to see a person's soul anyhow?

[touchups]

[can't believe greed is also sebastian.]

I can see how calm or agitated someone's soul is, what sort of emotions it's metabolizing, whether or not they're lying - stuff like that. So it tells me more about them, and it's usually more honest than someone's words.

[probe]

...remind me to send you off with a book of psychology before you leave. [i.e. they do not see the benefit, exactly.]

[touchups]

[HE JUST LAUGHS...]

I've read plenty of books on psychology; it's not really comparable. [It's not the same as seeing a fresh human soul with his own two eyes!] Plus! I need to see souls to be able to shape them.

[probe]

All the more reason I can't say I mind that you've been denied access to my own questionable soul.

[touchups]

Wow! Maybe I'd leave yours alone.

[He can say this and mean it genuinely, because not even he can predict his own fanciful whims when it comes to turning people into play doh...]

[probe]

The maybe is hardly a satisfactory guarantee...

[touchups]

Would you believe me if I said "I'd definitely leave it alone"? We could make a binding vow.

[Said teasingly. Hehehe.]

[probe]

Hilarious. [absolutely the fuck not.] But I think I prefer that you leave what's left of my soul alone for now.

[touchups]

[WHEN WILL SOMEONE MAKE A CONTRACT WITH OL' MAHITO MAHITOSON who's just here vibing... He laughs though, and waves a gentle hand.]

Alright, alright. Not like I can do anything about it anyway. So! New books?

[probe]

[NO.]

New books. Perhaps a bit of fiction will do you some good?

[touchups]

[He'll never reach true demon status at this rate... Sad. But he'll lean up against the desk, head canting to the side curiously.]

What've you got?

[probe]

[give them a second to pull out crime and punishment, 1984 and les miserables.]

These should keep you busy for some time.

[touchups]

[GLEEFULLY PICKING THESE UP, though he pauses at Les Miserables, hilariously.]

Oh! I've read this one before.

[With a title like Les Miserables, is that really surprising...]

I've seen the play a couple of times, too! And the movie back when it came out.

[probe]

I. See. [OF COURSE YOU HAVE, YOU FUNKY LITTLE WEIRDO. so they take that book and trade it out with the legend of sleepy hollow instead.]

I haven't bothered with the film, though the play isn't a terrible retelling.

[touchups]

[He is indeed a funky little weirdo, but he will happily gather up the new third book into his demon arms.]

Huh... I thought the film was pretty good! Javert made a really funny sound when he hit the dam after his last scene.

[THANKS AGAIN MAHITO FOR THIS VALUABLE INSIGHT AS ALWAYS.]

But I like the play more, mm.

[probe]

[there's an almost-amused sort of sound. what a strange curse.]

Perhaps I'll review it on my own another time then. Plays are always an interesting medium.

[touchups]

[JUST A FUNKY LAD... VIBIN. Unfortunately Mahito genuinely enjoys discussing plays, books, movies and the like, so he's still perked up like an interested dog.]

They are! Hey, do you have a favorite play, then?

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[what a terrible way to trap greed.]

...I've a fondness for Shakespeare.

[touchups]

[!! HE'S SUCCEEDING AT SOMETHING AT LONG LAST.]

Ah! Yeah, that makes sense. [He doesn't even mean it in a rude way... God bless.] What's your favorite? I haven't read all of his works, but I've read most of them and seen a few.