pslplz | Ship-testing catchall

"Boarding school." Hak repeated, his eyebrows raising with interest. "That's unusual. What was that like? Sounds pretty stuffy." And sheltered. Like the kind of thing Mamoru might have done, had the option been available to him. It wasn't bad, just very different from what Hak had known, relocating at least once every two years, often yanked from school to school in the middle of the year and having to confront the realities of war with an intimacy most kids never had. Hak pictured it as an experience that was safe and predictable, stable, with chess clubs and study halls, a 24/7 cafeteria. Enviable in a way, though he didn't think he'd have fit in there.

Fussy though he may be sometimes, Mizuki was a very social type of person who enjoyed being around people. The closeness and constancy of a boarding school was well suited for someone like him, who thrived on the energy of those around him. (Of course, this also meant he got lonely easily, but he wouldn't admit to such, if asked).

He snorted softly.

"Stuffy? Well, I suppose there were rules, as well there should be. How else do you imagine a school full of live-in teenagers would function?"

A brief smile warmed his face as he remembered those days. Antics there were many (not really of his doing, except inadvertently), but somehow everyone he cared about graduated and were doing rather well for themselves now.

"Er, not that I was a troublemaker, or anything. I enjoyed my time there. When you live and study with the same people for so many years, you form bonds that stay with you long after." He tilted his head with amusement at Hak. "I gather your schooling was the less stuffy sort."

Yeah, you probably did. Hak hadn't thought of it like that before, but it wasn't so different in concept from the source of his own unusually strong bonds: going through an extended trial together. Boarding school was pretty prestigious, and probably came with classes, teachers and course loads that were more brutal than the typical school experience.

"I don't remember any of my schools. There were too many of them to keep track. My dad served in the military; we relocated all the time. Don't worry: I got into enough trouble for both of us."

And if the grin on his face was any indication, he wasn't a bit sorry, either.

From the wily grin on Hak's face, he probably thought himself rather clever. Mizuki had a feeling this one was a troublemaker. (Possibly a heartbreaker too, but he didn't allow himself to think that far ahead yet).

He got a strange thrill from that though, if only because Mizuki was quite the opposite of that. There's some merit to the saying that bad boys have all the fun.

"And do you still find yourself in trouble these days?" he ventured curiously.

Whether he was clever or not wasn't Hak's concern. He was simply being himself: honest, self-assured, and disinterested in pleasing authorities.

"Only the kind I want to be in." Usually. Hak didn't go out of his way to be in trouble, per se, but he couldn't deny he still got into some forms of it: brawls, gambling, generally trolling the hell out of people. Sometimes the law might squint at him. All the same, he was pretty good at staying on its good side. Jail was no fun, after all.

"I don't have a criminal record if that's your worry."

"I'm not worried," Mizuki said quickly. Because why would he be, right? This was just a first date, and there was no guarantee that they'd ever see each other again. It shouldn't matter one way or the other.

But maybe it would matter, if Mizuki did want to pursue ... something. This was absurd. It was blind date, and these things never amounted to anything.

"But good, you shouldn't be getting records. It could hinder a lot of things you might want to do in life."

Mizuki's answer seemed to amuse Hak; he snorted and grinned.

"Your concern is touching."

It was a fair point if Mizuki meant as a consequence of losing your freedom. Hak didn't think he'd ever be the sort of guy in a career path where a criminal record was a big black mark. Finance? Compound disinterest. Law? Objection, Your Honor. Schoolteacher? 'Ugh' to the infinity power. He was actually pretty happy in the kind of work he had now. It didn't pay all that much, but it was enough to cover expenses and have a little left over for fun. And it was easy, a combination of his two favorite things in the world: relaxing and kicking people's asses.

He took a final look at the menu options and dismissed it. "I'm ready when you are."

Concern? Mizuki arched his eyebrows with amusement but didn't exactly deny it either. He nodded and swiped his hand over the call panel for their waiter to come by. One thing he did appreciate about establishments such as these was that they still employed the human touch. Half of the restaurants in town were completely mechanized, which in Mizuki's mind, defeated the purpose of a dining experience.

"Go right ahead," he said generously to Hak. You may order first.

Hak took the cue and looked to the waiter.

"I want the grilled salmon and the overstuffed steak and cheese sub, fries on the side for both and the house beer to drink." Probably only with the steak, but he didn't want just water the whole meal.

Salmon AND steak sub? Mizuki can't help but stare for a moment as he watches Hak order a meal enough for two. He supposes that someone with that sort of musculature would need a lot of calories...

"And for you?" the waiter turns to him smilingly.

"Er. I would like the cornish hen with the vichyssoise. And the house-made grapefruit juice, please."

The waiter takes down the order and leaves, setting down a plate of warm bread and salted rosemary butter to share.

"So, what sort of trouble do you like to be in?" He has a feeling Hak parried that question earlier.

Hak helps himself to a piece of that bread, spreading a carelessly sliced slab of butter over the top and taking a big bite and it's really quite difficult to not lean back in his chair and put his feet on the table. That would be so much more comfortable. But this isn't home, and he might be irreverent but he's not that rude. He chews his bite of bread thoughtfully as a stall while thinking over that question. What kind of trouble did he like to be in?

It's a bit of a misrepresentation, and one he's entirely responsible for. He can take this chance to clarify what he really means is that he believes in being himself more than he believes in climbing the social ladder.

"I'm not the kind of person who dresses up what I think to be pleasing to the ear. People who are used to being brown-nosed don't like me very long. And the kinds of people who are used to being brown-nosed are the people that enjoy elevated power. Couple that with all the hobbies of your typical rogue and you've got me in a package." Drinking, brawling, gambling, the occasional fling, and good long naps. That was the life. It was his life, and he was happy with it that way.

"I guess you'd be a model of high citizenship?" Mizuki certainly looked the part, and sounded as though he had the background best-suited for rubbing shoulders with those people in power. That would be interesting, if possibly catastrophic... the two of them together in Mizuki's social circles.

It's a good thing Hak doesn't throw his feet on the table. Mizuki would be horrified. Feet on the dining table, where you put your food!

But regardless of Hak's inner thoughts about unsanitary relaxation, at least what comes out of his mouth is interesting. Mizuki tilts his head thoughtfully as he listens. Mizuki might be prim and proper, but he takes a lot pride in his work. It would annoy him exceedingly to be overlooked because he hasn't kissed up to the right people. He works hard to get where he is.

"I don't know about that," he says as he twists a lock of hair between his fingers. "I tell people what to do for a living. I could hardly get anything done if I had to handhold everyone all day."

He pauses for a moment.

"What sort of hobbies do typical rogues have...?"

"Oh yeah? What do you do?" Had he just put his foot in his mouth? Oh well. Hak meant what he said, and if Mizuki was in such a position as to take the statement personally, it was probably well enough they found out as much early.

On the other hand, the answer didn't necessarily mean anything. There were plenty of people that gave orders who weren't upper class babies. Supervisory roles were necessary in nearly every social ecosystem, from the military to companies to families. Hak has to admit, though, Mizuki's fancy tastes in clothes and food and the boarding school background make him wonder more than he otherwise might.

"I'm a film director," he says, straightening up a little. Mizuki is proud of what he's accomplished, after all. It's not easy to make it in this business. Being at the helm of a movie is a lot of responsibility. And he likes the control he has over the artistic vision. He has the talent to make all the moving parts work together, too.

"So you see, making people listen comes with the job."

"That's not what I'm talking about." Film director, huh? Artsy. That could be a pretty prestigious job, if you were good and got lucky enough to make a blockbuster or win an Oscar.

"Do you have fun with it?" The job, he means.

"Oh."

Well, okay.

And what an odd question, he thinks. Though perhaps it's trickier than he first suspects. The practical side of him would say 'fun' is irrelevant. And yet at the same time, he finds it hard to apply himself so deeply to something he wouldn't find fulfilling somehow.

"I suppose I do," he says thoughtfully. "It's very meticulous work. And yet, you do get a great degree of freedom to shape the outcome. It's very satisfying in that regard."

"Sounds like a lot of trouble."

By which Hak means 'effort.' Way more than he was interested in exerting, anyway. Too much planning and examining details. It was funny that Mizuki thought of the work as coming with freedom. His description, though in reference to a different aspect, still sounds to Hak like it's the very opposite of the word.

"Anything worth achieving surely takes some effort," Mizuki says with some confusion. Isn't that how one gets what they want? Of course, he doesn't expect most people or even a handful of people to want to do what he does. It is a lot of trouble. But if you do what you love to do, then it's not so bad.

"You know what I mean, right?"

For example...Hak must believe achieving a good physique is worth the effort. One glimpse at his body is ample enough evidence.

"Sure," Hak agrees easily. "But some kinds of effort are more trouble than others, depending on who you are." It takes effort for Hak to train his body, but it isn't taxing the way crossing every T and dotting every I on a creative project would be to him.

And naturally, Mizuki would be different from him. Hak flashes him an irreverent grin.

"Which is good for humble ruffians like me. Saves us from having to do your kind of work."

He grins well, Mizuki can grant him that. It's the dangerous sort, that can turn rational folks like himself into fools if he's not too careful. Mizuki snorts softly.

"Clearly you have a good idea of where your own talents lie."

Hak may take that as an invitation to elaborate further, if he likes. Looks aside, he must surely have other virtues to recommend himself. No one who knows Mizuki half so well would set him up with a beautiful bimbo.

Hak half-shrugs.

"Fighting. Military tactics... Taking naps."

Trolling was the real last answer, but he wouldn't be very good at it if he directly admitted it.

"When you grow up around people who live in combat, you come out of it with a different view of what you need to know in life, probably."

"I see," Mizuki says, feeling slightly sobered. He has studied the military before of course, for a film he once made. But he's never actually served in combat himself. It's not the sort of thing he would be very good at. (Though he might be an excellent tactician ... in another life).

"What sort of view is that?"

Hak pauses for a moment to think on how to answer that. It's a heavy subject, and Mizuki seems to both appreciate the gravity and be earnestly curious about what he means. He deserves a serious answer.

"...Some people have lives that benefit more from book smarts. Jobs that require that kind of higher learning, and homes that are well removed from war zone horrors.

"That kind of knowledge wouldn't serve me the same way. Growing up with no sense of constancy, and having regular exposure to broken people and places at the hands of broken systems, what was more valuable was having a sense of worldliness. To understand the different political and cultural environments around; to quickly adapt to the unexpected; to be able to analyze a risky situation; and to read a person's intentions well enough to avoid getting outsmarted. And, worse come to worse... to be strong enough to protect yourself and anyone you treasure. Even at a cost."

Which in essence also meant understanding the potential to lose who knew what at any time, being ready for it and not letting the fear of as much cripple you.

Suddenly, Hak was looking 1000% more attractive than he did when he first showed up, if that was at all possible. Mizuki once again found himself opening his mouth and not being able to find the right words.

"Er."

He nods and takes a brief sip from his drink.

"That's very sobering. But I should think that anyone under your protection must be fortunate indeed."

Hak grins wryly, his head slightly lowered.

"Well, thank you very much." There's a strange humility in his acceptance of the compliment. He hardly has need for it; he's certainly no slouch in the department of being strong enough to protect. With two little brothers to look after, he'd made sure of that much from a young age indeed.

"At any rate, at this age I'm set enough in my ways pursuing something more academic is bound to end in disappointment for everyone involved." Not for lack of intelligence, but simple lack of motivation. Hak was content and comfortable in the life he had.

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