𝐃𝐈𝐕𝐈𝐍𝐄 𝐂𝐎𝐌𝐄𝐃𝐘

"What kind of storyteller would I be if I wasn't able to understand and appreciate multiple perspectives? A world where everyone views things the same and likes the same things would be quite monotonous and boring, wouldn't it? It gets much more exciting when everyone is different," Ghigno hums. Though, he can understand where the artists who wish for their work to be understood are coming from. They worked hard on trying to get their point across, and it's disappointing when people don't get it. But that's the beauty of it all. Everyone has a different perspective and their own way of interpreting things. And if you're really that determined to incorporate a certain message, you can always try again with another project.

Ghigno listens to Ruairi with genuine interest. Learning about the many different ways people choose to experience their lifes and the world around them has always been interesting to him. It's why he chooses not to write any scripts. All he does is travel and capture scenes he likes.

"So you prefer to live the exciting life? I get it, I get it. Why sit arround when there's so much out there and so many people to meet? I'm an independent creator for a reason. Got noone to tell me what to do or how to create what I want to create. No meetings, paperwork, and all that jazz. Just my camera and I, heading out with nowhere specific in mind. Because the spontaneous and unknown is the most fun of all, is it not?"

magenta  gaze  then  flicks  to  his  companion.  lips  press  into  a  thin  line,  a  soft  hum  rumbling  in  his  throat.  ❝  so  you're,  like ...  your  own  boss,  huh?  ❞   ruairi  muses.  ❝  must  be  nice.  ❞  gods,  he  actually  feels  a  little  jealous  about  that.  what  he  wouldn't  give  for  the  freedom  to  do  whatever  he  wanted  ALL  of  the  time.  true,  running  his  own  club  gives  him  a  certain  degree  of  leeway  —  but  he's  still  ultimately  a  puppet  dancing  to  the  whims  of  his  family  and  their  lofty  expectations.  (  though  in  all  fairness,  most  of  the  malebranche  could  say  the  same;  comes  with  the  territory.  )  not  like  he  has  much  to  complain  about,  but  it's  always  uncomfortable  having  a  mirror  held  to  his  bird  in  a  gilded  cage  existence.  ❝  what  kind  of  stuff  do  you  usually  find  yourself  filming?  ❞  ruairi  suddenly  asks,  craving  the  change  of  subject.  ❝  y'know,  even  if  you  are  the  one  calling  all  of  the  shots ...  figuratively  and  literally ...  there  has  to  be  some  kind  of  subject  or  theme  you still find yourself drawn  back to,  right? even if it's all subconscious.  ❞

he's  not  exactly  expecting  to  be  reborn  a  film  enthusiast  or  anything,  but  it  would  be  a  lie  to  say  the  demon  isn't  a  little  bit  curious.  (  more  so  about  the  director  himself,  really.  )

he  rolls  up  his  own  sleeves,  elbow  thudding  dramatically  against  the  table.  a  hand  extended  in  offering,  a  grin  that's  comprised  of  mostly  teeth.   ❝  count  of  three?  let's  fucking  do  this!  ❞

“You said it costs more than life itself?” He took his beanie off to hand it over to him. “Think more about your life than the scruff behind your head, cause angels are ready to pick you up from there if you ever take a plunge.”

with  a  huff,  he  continues.  ❝  i'm  just  going  to  pretend  you  didn't  totally  just  insult  my  fashion  sense.  ❞  well.  it's  more  like  styx's  collective  fashion  sense  —  suits  and  ties  and  all  of  that  pretentious  businessperson  bullshit.  ruairi  just  does  his  best  to  make  it  look  attractive.  (  in  his  toootally  unbiased  opinion,  he  succeeds.  )  really,  if  anyone  is  to  blame,  it's  humanity  for  making  that  kind  of  get  up  synonymous  with  professionalism.  they're  just  trying  to  appeal  to  the  soul-having  masses.   ❝  for  your  information,  the  price  tag  is  half  of  the  appeal.  or,  like ...  thirty  percent  appeal,  thirty  percent  brand  name,  forty  percent  looking  hot  as  fuck.  ❞   yeah.  basic  math.  one  plus  one  equals  he  looks  rich  and  amazing.  ❝  you  wanna  talk  stupid,  overpriced  outfits,  you  should  see  what  some  of  my  so-called  associates  wear  to  parties.  the  red  carpet  is  red  from  all  the  pride  they're  slaughtering  to  unironically  walk  out  of  the  house  looking  that  ridiculous.  ❞

she sighs, heavy and a tad annoyed. just a little. it washes away within seconds, though, replaced with an amused smile. " whatcha doing on your phone that has you soooo distracted? " head tilts to the side, she's on the verge of pouting and whining for attention like a new kitten.

the  image  displayed  upon  the  screen  is  fairly  innocuous.  two  figures  standing  amid  an  opulent  gala  —  one  small  and  pale,  the  taller  sporting  hair  the  color  of  molten  gold.  (  beneath  the  image,  a  comment  from  a  verified  account  sporting  ruairi's  name  has  posted  a  veritable  wall  of  disgusted  emoji.  )  ❝  he  has  his  hand  ON  their  ARM.  totally  on  purpose,  by  the  way  —  malacoda  so  staged  this  picture  just  to  piss  me  off. petty bastard.  ❞  and  it's  working.  ugh.  that  just  makes  him  angrier.

❝  i mean, who  the  hell  does  he  think  he  is?  alichino  hates  him.  like,  they're  probably  trying  not  to  gag  over  his  stupid  lemony  cologne.  ❞   stupid,  stupid,  stupid.

Ghigno blinks a couple of times before bursting into laughter, not bothered one bit. "And that is perfectly understandable! You're honest, and I respect that. It's not for everyone. I'm not that into symbolism either, and yet, somehow, people seem to find it in my work." He just enjoys putting random shots he likes together and somehow creating somewhat of a story with them. Of course, he can appreciate some stories with symbolism, but, when there's too much, it can become a bit pretentious.

The man chuckles, hands tucked into pockets. Film has always been a huge part of his life, even during the time where he didn't do much with it aside of watching whatever his younger brother released. However, he doesn't mind it when other people aren't as interested in it as he is. Different opinions make the world way more interesting and colorful, after all!

"Personally, I simply enjoy film as a way of documenting the many ways people experience life. . . The universe is full of interesting stories, heh." Relaxed grin on his face as he turns towards Ruairi. "What's more your thing, then? You've got me curious."

the  question  does  bring  him  pause,  however.  ruairi's  eyes  narrow  —  and  for  a  moment,  it's  as  if  the  perfectly  mundane  concept  of  being  asked  something  as  ordinary  as  his  preferences  is  entirely  foreign  to  him.  well,  it's  not  like  anyone  ever  really  cares  about  what  the  SPARE  HEIR  thinks,  right?  the  only  people  who  ever  pester  him  about  that  kind  of  thing  are  interviewers  who  want  some  snazzy  quip  to  slap  in  an  article  completely  out  of  context  —  and  that's  when  they  aren't  pestering  him  about  his  older  brother.  the  calcabrina  son  everyone  ACTUALLY  cares  about,  eugh.  really,  he's  only  expected  to  stand  around  and  look  pretty  —  which,  sure,  ruairi  does  a  damn  good  job  at  but  it  gets  a  little  patronizing  after  a  while.  (  he  CAN  be  more  than  that,  the  malebranche  just  hates  taking  chances.  )

❝  uh ...  i  guess  i'm  a  pretty  hands  on  guy,  myself.  ❞  the  demon  says  after  a  long  pause.  ❝  living  the  moment  —  instead  of  living  in  the  audience,  you  know?  i  need  the  stimuli,  the  adrenaline,  all  of  that  exciting  shit.  night  clubs,  good  food,  getting  lost  in  a  place  you  don't  recognize  with  someone  you  don't  know.  ❞  yeah.  anything  less  is  too  watered  down  for  him.  he  needs  to  feel  his  heart  racing  or  it  doesn't  count.  ❝  sitting  around  makes  my  skin  crawl.  i  can  barely  stand  doing  it  long  enough  to  get  my  damn  paperwork  done.  ❞

oh. he was one of those demons. traditional wasn't the correct word, you think. very 'the devil went down to georgia' was the only connection you could make. sighs spill from your scar split lips. ❝ aw, y'think your th' one here with evil powers. did your daddy tell ya' that? ❞ a sadistic tone sewn deeply into your words.

❝  nah,  i'm  just  taking  inspiration  from  my  mile-long  list  of  nefarious  demon-deeds.  ❞   wait,  are  they  actually  buying  this  bullshit  —  or  are  they  just  playing  along?  (  damn,  he  must  be  a  better  liar  than  he  thought!  )  ❝  i  have  a  page  on  the  villains  wiki  —  the  LONGEST  one,  by  the  way.  you  might  not  realize  it,  but  i've  already  got  my  claws  in  your  brain.  every  time  you  pull  on  a  door  labeled  push?  yeah,  that's  toootally  my  malicious  influence.  ❞  uh  huh.  just  a  taste  of  his  dark  power.  like  a  costco-style  free  sample.  ❝  i've  got  millions  of  sleeper  agents  worldwide.  every  jackass  filming  themselves  doing  something  stupid  in  public  is  actually  just  another  marionette  dancing  along  to  my  tune.  i'm  basically  the  pied  piper,  but  twenty  times  hotter  and  with  better  hair.  ❞

please bore someone else with your questions.

details of your incompetence do not interest me.

you know, i rarely say this to people who aren't me, but you have got to calm down.

something funny?

i'm still learning about this stuff.

you think this has nothing to do with you.

i think we need a jacket here.

my god! you look so chic!

is there some reason that my coffee isn't here?

has she died or something?

you thought i didn't know.

i've known what was happening for quite some time.

i never thought i would say this, [name], but i really see a great deal of myself in you.

you can see beyond what people want, and what they need, and you can choose for yourself.

i don't think i'm like that.

i couldn't do what you did to [name].

that was different. i didn't have a choice.

you chose to get ahead.

you want this life.

those choices are necessary.

what if this isn't what i want?

what if i don't wanna live the way you live?

don't be ridiculous.

everybody wants this. everybody wants to be us.

let me know when your whole life goes up in smoke.

learned a lot. in the end, though, i kind of screwed up.

you must have done something right.

find me that piece of paper i had in my hand yesterday morning.

my flight has been cancelled. it's some absurd weather problem.

i need to get home tonight.

let me see what i can do.

oh my god. she's going to murder me.

could i do that?

by all means move at a glacial pace. you know how that thrills me.

that's my problem because... oh, wait. no, it's not my problem.

i don't know what else i can do because if i do something right, it's unacknowledged.

so quit.

i don't want to quit.

that's not fair.

you are not trying. you are whining.

what is it that you want me to say to you?

you have no idea how many legends have walked these halls.

wake up, sweetheart.

i see your point.

that's all.

you have no sense of fashion.

that wasn't a question.

do you have some prior commitment?

i don't understand why it's so difficult to confirm an appointment.

you went upstairs?

i don't know what you expect me to do.

we're doing this for you.

you'll take what i give you and you'll like it.

can we adjust the attitude?

i love that. will that fit me?

you have some very large shoes to fill. i hope you know that.

who is that sad little person?

wish me luck!

you're already late.

i hope you two are very happy together.

that's an interesting choice.

you don't deserve them.

oh god, you're still there.

i thought you were kidding.

i'm out of excuses.

who's there? who are you talking to?

i'm sorry, what's your name?

do you have anything fun planned for this weekend?

i wouldn't care if you were out there pole-dancing all night, as long as you did it with a little integrity.

baby, i don't have a thing to wear to work.

how many times do i have to scream your name?

quietly, she listens to his tales and information about the place she was in now. there was an awful lot to take in from all this. twelve families ? all for one region that was too small for a league ? and she thought she had it rough. every once in awhile, she gives an affirming nod, to confirm that she's still listening to him. ( what little long hair she had left on her head seems to fall into her eyes each time – she really needed a haircut. ) after listening to everything he had to say, she sits back a little, hearing the booth creak slightly under her weight. a puff of air escapes her lips as she runs a hand through her hair, eyes wide, before looking back at her new found… friend ?      ❝ well, i guess i wasn't wrong about the interesting life part, eh ? ❞      she'd picked up on a few times where he let his happy demeanor crack just a bit, and while it intrigued her, she decided not to press. the mention of his brother causes her to frown a bit, though. she didn't know much about this deal they wanted to strike, but as long as it was beneficial for rareita, she'd consider it.     ❝ thank arceus you won't be quizin' me on this. i don't think i could even get half the questions right there. i'll try to keep up, though. ❞

she looks to the side a bit, looking everywhere but ruairi's eyes as she ponders what to tell him about herself. despite being out in the open after all these years, she often still found it hard to speak about herself and her region. it had certainly gotten easier, but all those years of running took their toll on her sometimes. she still doesn't look at him as she speaks.      ❝ yeah, i'm the champ. first and only. ❞     she pauses, running a finger along the table in front of her idly, deep in thought.      ❝ it's a beautiful and distant island region. basically in the middle of fucking nowhere. for a really long time, it had been removed from every map in existence. literally ! there wasn't a map at all that had us on it. ❞     a small smile starts to tug at her lips, as the more she speaks, the more content she seems to get. like a deep love for the place she called home was trying to seep through those hardened features. 

❝ for a long time, actually, we didn't even know our region's name. it had been lost to time. we just became known as the forgotten region. isn't that weird ? could you imagine ? ❞      she chuckles a little. she could certainly imagine it, she lived it !     ❝ well, eventually, the ruins that contained our history were opened, and we learned we were living in the rareita region. it was a massive event. the person who opened the ruins became a hero in the region. the press and everyone was all over that, it was chaos honestly. of course, some of this information was brought to the outside world, but not many believed it. ❞      it's kind of obvious she's left something out of the story. for some reason, she gets a slight edge in her own voice when talking about it, like it's a bad memory.      

❝ i suppose long story short, i became champion and no one has ever reached me since the first day i was champ. i left the region for awhile, and when i decided to come back, i managed to get us completely back on the map. i had this crazy battle where i showed myself to the world again. now, it's rare to find a modern printed map without rareita on it. ❞      in what should've been a prideful sentence, there was instead a touch of sorrow – as if she still blamed herself for how the region  ended up, where it ended up. she finally looks back up at ruairi, part of her expression masking the strange pain hidden behind her eyes.      ❝ actually, the look of this city reminds me of honaru city, the capital of rareita. it's where the league is in the region. we call it the tower of memories. i don't know who came up with that name. ❞      a little scoff.      ❝ each section of the tower is the room of an elite four member, and the roof is where i reside. the champion's seat. the roof has a roof of it's own, it's basically a giant glass dome, so i can always see the city around me. when the sun goes down at a night, i watch the neon light up and the city comes even more alive. ❞      she smiles for a moment, a look of fondness on her lips, before it slips away and contorts into embarrassment. nervous laughter escapes her as she waves her hand a little.      ❝ sorry, that was a lot ah-ha… ❞

she straightens herself and tries to look a tiny bit more professional as she looks at ruairi, putting on her most bureaucratic tone she can. ( though that tone threatened to break at any moment. )      ❝ so… any idea what this deal of your brother's is ? ❞

it's  only  relatively  recently  that  they've  managed  to  turn  things  around.  from  some  gloomy  rock  to  a  trendy,  neon-drenched  hotspot  for  aspiring  trainers  to  make  their  fortune  on  the  grand  stage.  still  run  by  criminals,  though  —  they  just  have  the  courtesy  to  dress  a  little  nicer  and  wage  most  of  their  extortion  through  contracts  with  deceptively  fine  print.  ❝  sounds  like  an  interesting  place ...  ❞  ruairi  starts  to  say  aloud.  unfortunately,  the  mention  of  his  brother's  prospective  deal  has  the  calcabrina's  mouth  going  uncomfortably  dry.  gods,  what  is  wrong  with  him?  not  like  he  hasn't  seen  dozens  of  starry  eyed  trainers  suckered  into  styx's  trap  —  the  difference  is,  he  never  actually  chatted  them  up  long  enough  to  RELATE  to  any  of  them.

before  he  can  say  anything  else,  their  food  arrives.  the  simmering  broth  is  placed  at  the  indent  at  the  center  of  the  table  —  one  half  mild,  one  half  eye-burningly  spicy.  several  plates  loaded  with  ingredients  follow;  ruairi  gives  the  server  a  nod,  still  lost  within  the  confines  of  his  own  head.

he  grabs  a  set  of  disposable  chopsticks,  mindlessly  snapping  them  apart.  ❝  emmerich's  deal...  ❞  the  calcabrina  finally  says,  snatching  up  a  piece  of  thinly-sliced  meat  and  dipping  it  in  the  spicy  broth.  ❝  styx  is  a  lot  like  rareita,  you  know?  we're  both  finding  our  footing  after  AGES  of  everyone  just  forgetting  we  exist.  he'll  present  it  through  a  bunch  of  paperwork  and  business  speak,  but  chances  are,  em  probably  wants  to  buddy  up  with  you  guys.  ❞  it  only  takes  a  few  seconds  for  the  meat  to  cook;  he  pulls  it  out,  blowing  on  it  gently.  he  doesn't  meet  her  eyes.  ❝  knowing  him,  he'll  make  it  sound  enticing.  cross-island  tournaments,  tourism,  trade  deals ...  everything  to  make  it  seem  like  you'd  be  a  massive  idiot  NOT  to  sign.  ❞  probably  play  off  six's  love  for  her  region,  too.  the  malebranche  are  ruthless;  they  sniff  out  weakness  like  they're  HUNGRY  for  it.  even  among  their  own  —  ruairi  has  been  lectured  enough  times  about  looking  vulnerable  in  front  of  the  other  families  that  he  can  practically  recite  the  usual  scolding  by  heart.

❝  off  the  record ...  ❞  ugh.  he  shouldn't  even  say  anything.  ❝  off  the  record,  no  matter  what  he  tells  you,  don't  take  the  deal.  don't  tell  him  i  told  you  that  either  —  he'll  fucking  skin  me  alive  for  treason.  ❞  there  goes  his  one  good  deed  for  the  century.  he'll  probably  get  blamed  for  this  regardless,  because  everything  in  the  world  is  CLEARLY  his  fault.  whatever.

『🔧』 "See... I wanna tell you— I wanna say that those two sentences can coexist, but-... to be honest, yeah. As soon as I see a fedora or, like-... a Punisher t-shirt, or something, my brain stops taking anything they say seriously." It's only after that, when she purses her lips in apprehension, that she thinks that the two of them might have a different idea of people who aren't worth their time.

speaking  of,  what  were  they  even  debating  about?  (  eugh,  what  weren't  they  debating  about  —  he  HATES  that  guy  and  everything  he  stands  for.  )   ❝  stupid  shit,  basically?  there's  a  group  in  our  city  making  trouble  and  he  thinks  stale  bread  and  rickety  circuses  will  smooth  everything  over.  and  that's  when  he  isn't  pretending  they  don't  exist  altogether.  ❞  it's  all  fun  and  games  until  ruairi  is  the  one  getting  attacked  in  his  own  damn  club  and  magnus  malacoda  is  cackling  from  his  gold-encrusted  tower.  safe  and  sound  and  completely  unbothered.

                after all, those golden orbs immediately widened with a spark as her ears perked at the mention of food.

well,  whatever.  talking  about  food  is  infinitely  more  appealing  —  only  the  question  that  follows  still  manages  to  bring  him  pause.  ❝  credits ...  like  IOUs?  currency  here  is  called  penance.  ❞  or  maybe  she's  talking  about  credit  CARDS?  they  certainly  do  accept  those  —  though  the  ridiculous  interest  always  guarantees  one  ends  up  paying  through  the  nose  sooner  or  later.  yet  another  way  styx  endeavors  to  stack  the  odds  against  those  it  wishes  to  exploit.

❝  name's  ruairi  calcabrina.  listen  —  why  don't  i  save  us  both  the  headache  and  foot  the  bill?  talking  about  food  makes  me  want  to  get  some  anyway ...  ❞

❝  whaaat?  no  way,  i  was  TOTALLY  going  to  try  to  make  a  bargain  for  your  immortal  soul.  ❞  what  was  he  here  for  again?  eh,  he'll  worry  about  it  later  —  this  is  WAY  more  important.   ❝  what's  your  poison?  riches?  unconditional  love?  some  guy  you  reeeally  hate  spontaneously  bursting  into  flames?  i  obviously  have  dark  and  evil  demon  powers,  y'know  —  i  do  all  that  and  more  on  the  average  tuesday.  ❞

speaking  of  which,  ❝  you  know,  i'd  totally  offer  to  demonstrate  —  but  i  just  did  my  eyeshadow,  like ...  objectively  perfect  and  this  outfit  costs  as  much  as  a  house  mortgage,  sooo ...  ❞  so  he's  definitely  not  volunteering  anytime  soon.  (  it  isn't  cowardice  —  he  has  a  totally  valid  reason!  )  ❝  but  think  of  how  cool  you'd  look  if  you  pulled  it  off!  ❞