Audience: Mahito

[probe]

Comments

[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?

[probe]

[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.

[probe]

[they don't take offense to it because they are aware of how they're perceived.]

Hamlet, I think. Or perhaps The Tempest.

[these are two very wildly different answers.]

[touchups]

[They really are wow... He has fortunately read both, so he can pick up on that.]

Huh... What's your favorite part about each one?

[probe]

[...somehow, this is difficult to answer.]

In a sense, I believe I relate to both in two different ways. And in those ways, I feel as though I understand the tale itself.

[which is just a fancy-ass way of saying "both stories have things that are relevant to me but on different levels, so i understand them better."]

[touchups]

[Why is this creature so pinkies-out.

Mahito unfortunately understands this concept too though, from the perspective of "he knows that humans create stories to better understand themselves". The reverse makes sense, too; finding bits of familiarity in the things you consume.]

Ah... I see! I get it. Eh - well, I get it in theory. That's never happened to me before, but I know people really like things they can connect with.