thesettingsun | Recolle IC Inbox

[Now that's a more fun reaction.

Baren ends up grinning, his discomfort forgotten as he managed to push on someone's buttons without even trying this time. His eyes light up - which is probably the wrong response to having someone be angry at him, but also it's easier to stomach than...

Whatever it was before.]

You sound like you had that prepared, too.

Touchy, huh?

It's gotten commented on before. I've pretty much standardized my answer by now.

[He's heard worse than 'a piece of work', and he doesn't even think he's that bad...]

[Baren actually manages a laugh at that, amused.]

Yeah, Z was giving you some shit for it, huh?

[but apparently it's even more than just zoro....]

Well you know, it's hard to say what moves people these days. Actual inspiration or just cheap celebrity shots.

I don't know why everyone's so weird about it. It's not like I'm a creepy stalker.

[because that would just be ridiculous]

I've had a couple. You share some traits.

[honesty]

But it's not like I mind. You're less gross than some fans, at least.

...That's a compliment, right? You just complimented me?

[He's never going to forget this moment for as long as he lives.]

[after calling him stalkery

and the compliment itself was "you are not the grossest person i've met"]

.... Well, if you wanna be optimistic about it, I guess...

Thank you! Thank you so much!

[It's not much of a compliment but it's from Baren Kaiyou so Shuji will absolutely be optimistic about it. His ahoge would wiggle if that were a thing that didn't just happen in anime.]

[ . . . . ]

So would you say that you're easily pleased too?

You make it sound like a bad thing...

[Yes, yes he is, especially if the compliment comes from the right person.]

It takes a certain kind of person to have such a low threshold for happiness.

[how about

answering the question without really answering the question]

...A happy person?

[Why do you have to drag him like this.]

[because baren drags everyone]

Yeah.

Sure, that's what we'll call it.

Now, what does happy person want to eat? I'll treat.

[SPARKLY EYES even though he knows that Baren makes like way more than he ever will, it's still nice of Baren to pay!

It may have been included in the contest details that he'd pay.]

Thank you so much! Um, I'll have... The tenderloin steak.

[Nothing with any fruit that had or has a face on it.]

[Yeah, it's probably required. But. Regardless he'll wave down a waiter to take their orders - ]

Tenderloin steak for him. I'll have... salmon!

[He might've ordered at random. Then just a hum and if he's gotta sit through the rest of this dinner:]

And the finest wine you have.

[let booze make it more bearable]

I'll have a Pinot Noir.

[He wasn't going to be the first to order booze, but if Baren is then he will too. He even sort of knows how to pair wine.]

[no, booze is necessary. and with that, baren will just let the waiter leave

and then

time to figure out how to entertain himself for the next half hour or however long this'll take.... maybe he can cause a little bit of chaos as he carries on conversation]

Is this the part where I suggest you tell me about yourself?

Usually it is.

[And even though Baren didn't actually suggest it, Shuji goes on anyway. Though he really doesn't know what to say...]

Well, I'm Shuji, I'm turning twenty-five in two weeks, I'm an English major... First generation immigrant, my parents moved here from Aomori prefecture in Japan. I'm working on my first novel.

[ask him about his novel because he actually knows how to talk about that]

... You look really young. Good for you?

[Just. Impressed over here.

Anyway - ]

What's in your novel?

[He'll be more thankful for that when he's thirty, and not right now when people younger than him call him 'kid'.]

It's a space drama centered around the theme of moral relativism. A man whose home planet has been destroyed has to live on another planet with an entirely different culture and set of values and starts examining his own values and trying to piece out what's really important to him and what's just a product of his upbringing.

I've always hated that science fiction and fantasy get dismissed as 'genre fiction'. Like a book is somehow inherently less meaningful because it's set on Mars instead of in Massachusetts. Literary snobs are the worst.

[ . . . . huh. That's a remarkably in-depth plot and Baren turns it over in his head a few times. Maybe he'd give it a read if he was especially bored.]

Where'd you find inspiration for that?

Being pissed at literary snobs and purists. Spite is a great motivator and inspiration.

[Something Baren probably won't disagree with...?]

[Actually.

Yeah.

And that's why he actually ends up surprised enough to laugh.]

Ha! Finally, you said something that I can get behind. In that case, I hope for your spite-fueled success.

[Baren Kaiyou is encouraging him with his novel...!

He looks very much like he would be about to babble things like 'thank you so much' and 'do you want an autographed copy' and 'marry me please' except that just then, their food arrives. You have been saved for now, Baren.]

[thank god because he's not ready for marriage proposals

instead it's time for wine and food and baren's having a much better evening. he sure does love food.]

Nice! Dig in.

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