[ Luckily for Guinaifen, Koromaru loves getting scritches. He leans in to tilt his head towards her, panting contentedly as she gets a great spot right behind his left ear.
Minato frowns, a thoughtful expression settling on his features. Guinaifen mentioned she's a street performer, so the fact that she's a different sort of performer too isn't that far off the mark. Right now though, he's not quite sure what being a performer has to do with a network. ]
Like... the internet?
[ He doesn't know whether she'll recognize that term, but it's the first thing that comes to mind. Maybe he should try to elaborage? ]
There's something like that in Aldrip. That's the network you mentioned earlier, I think.
[ Back when Guinaifen asked if he thought a photo or video of her might end up on Aldrip's network. ]
Right! [Okay, frame of reference established. They can work with this. There's no way this can go wrong. They come from two completely and totally similar places, no way this can backfire.]
It's like that. So the way it works- where I'm from, it's called the Xianzhou. It's a bunch of giant ships, sailing aimlessly, and, well, because there's a bunch of ships, that means it's hard for performers like me to get from one ship to another.
So what we do is have these channels and chat groups. I'm on there as Lil Gui Guinevere, and sometimes I stream stuff like-
[Streamer voice:]
Hey! Can you hear me, fam? Little Gui here, with my guest Minato! Say hey to the chat, Minato!
[Normal voice again:]
And then you say hi and we see people reacting in real time on our screen - sending us superchats so we'll definitely see what they have to say, or maybe throwing some tips? And then after that we put on some kind of show. Sometimes it's things like catching bullets or breathing fire, a few times it's investigating ghost stories and tall tales, whatever gets people interested?
[ He's imagining water ships, some absolute boat units. He's imagining them traversing the oceans, sailing aimlessly across the sea. It's why Minato nods as Guinaifen explains the difficulties of performers moving from ship to ship. ]
Oh. Like... a livestream.
[ Minato definitely recalls some people putting up streams of content and video in real time, but to hear that it became a major form of entertainment in some places? That's wild. ]
I think we had those where I'm from, but not like the kinds you're describing.
[ Guinaifen's ability to swap from streamer voice to normal voice is genuinely impressive. Definitely the stuff of a street performer. Even Koromaru seems a little dazzled, sitting up straighter as Guinaifen turns her streamer voice on.
Minato returns to staring at the bonfire. A life spent trying to stay on top people's interests? That sounds exhausting. In fact, he's a little weary just thinking about it. Instead of making a comment in that vein, he asks: ]
[There's a half-second hesitation, a moment's pause - not that much of a hesitation, just a little, a breath inserted there - before Guinaifen answers.]
Sure it is! [It's said easily enough, at least, as Guinaifen stares at the bonfire and not at Minato. Don't read too much into things.]
I get to go to different places, try new things, and hang out with my friends. As jobs go, it's not the worst way of passing time, you know? I've learned how to breathe fire, swallow swords, dance with umbrellas and smash a boulder with a hammer. That's not stuff I'd learn if I did what my family wanted and learned...I don't know, accounting.
[Accounting.] Or something respectable like that. [Respectable.] And sure, it's not for everyone. My friend, Huohuo, gets a little scared whenever we turn on the camera. I haven't thought about what I'll do if it ever ends up not being my thing, but that doesn't seem like it's gonna happen anytime soon, so why worry about it?
[ That's a lot of stuff?? Guinaifen confirms it's a lot of fun, but all Minato hears is how exhausting it must get at times. Given the sidenote about Huohuo, it sounds like she's well aware it's not everyone's cup of tea. ]
Yeah. That's a good point.
[ No point in worrying about something that may or may not come to pass. ]
I don't... think "streamers" were that big where I'm from, but... maybe in the future that's something people will do.
[ Or at the very least, it seems like the natural progression of livestreaming.
Minato's gone back to staring at the bonfire again. He doesn't know much about his current company, but he does respect her decision to chase her own dreams. Reminds him of a person or two that he used to know. ]
Why isn't streaming "respectable"?
[ It sounds like a reasonable and harmless career to him. People have done worse things for money. ]
[She makes a noise. It's the universal noise understood across cultures and civilizations, the universal fuck if I know confused noise that everyone makes. Because why wouldn't it be respectable. She knows why, but also...]
Uh...
[Regurgitating it just makes her sound...old, huh?]
...I guess it's just that it isn't steady work...? [Well, that's not it exactly.] Some people say I can't keep on doing this forever, which I guess is true? [Maybe. She doesn't sound like she believes it. Even if she can't do it forever, she'll do it as long as she can.] I don't plan on quitting doing what I love, so... [Shrug.] So!
[ That's weird. Now that Guinaifen's specified the job is something she loves to do, it feels even clearer to Minato that she shouldn't pursue a different career path. Going one's own way to pursue something they enjoy, that's something respectable in Minato's books.
He's still staring at the bonfire as he speaks, pensive expression settling on his face. ]
Most people die before they figure out what they want to do in life.
[ A small, noncommittal shrug. ]
If you're doing what you love to do, I think that's a good thing.
[ And so, she should keep doing it if that's what she wants to do. ]
[Bestie! Buddy! Pal! Guinaifen scoots in close- not too close, not stranger invasion of space close, but close enough where she can, if but for a moment, give Minato a slight nudge, definitely playful.]
I know too many people with, if you ask me, way too much time and not enough to do with it. I'm not gonna let that be me. But now I gotta ask- what do you do for fun? [C'mon bestie, bestie, they could do whatever-it-is for fun, future logs hinge on this, bestie, the world is their oyster.]
[ Not to worry, Guinaifen. Minato's quite used to getting his fair share of friendly nudges. However, he doesn't react to the physical contact because he's fallen too deep into thought. "What do you do for fun?" asks Guinaifen, and Minato's taking way too long to come up with a response. ]
I don't... really know.
[ Go king give us nothing!!
But it's true. He spends most of his time bouncing from one job to another, getting tugged into one person's shenanigans, and then another, and another. People have been asking him what he wants out of life though, so he supposes he really should have an answer to a question like Guinaifen's. ]
...I'm trying to figure that out. I guess it means I have to do all different kinds of things.
[If she was with Sushang, or maybe the Trailblazer, or maybe Huohuo- maybe not Huohuo, but point being, if she was with someone she knew and trusted, this might be the point in which Guinaifen would lean against them and say something mildly despondent and vaguely tired. Not too tired? But something pointing out that, from her perspective, it looks like they'll have plenty of time in the future to figure whatever-they-want out.
But she doesn't know Minato like that. So she doesn't lean. She just hums to herself and leans back, looks up, looks back at him.]
At least you know what you should do. Not everyone can figure out that much. Or they look at something and they tell themselves that they shouldn't try it for whatever reason, but that reason might not actually be a good one. [Respectability, something like that.] But it doesn't sound like you'll let something like that stop you.
[ Trying to do something. That's always step one, isn't it? It's why Minato shakes his head. ]
No, I don't think that will be a problem...
[ That's how it's always been for Minato. Rarely can he think of reasons not to do things, and it's how he inevitably ends up getting pulled into others' shenanigans.
Guinaifen gives his foot a friendly nudge. It leaves Minato glancing down at their feet as he carefully returns the gesture, slowly poking her foot back with his own toe. ]
I'm not very good at thinking of reasons to not do things.
[ This, of course, may be extremely dangerous information to disclose to a complete stranger. ]
You don't look like the adventurous type, but you're full of surprises.
[Extremely dangerous information! She will exploit this! And everyone will win, but also everyone will simultaneously lose in the process of exploiting this info...but they'll have fun (maybe) so it's not a bad thing, right?]
So...what's the wildest thing you've ever done? Me? [Oh hm.] I'd have to think about that, actually.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
expiationmods) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
expiationlogs2024-06-10 07:58 am
no subject
Minato frowns, a thoughtful expression settling on his features. Guinaifen mentioned she's a street performer, so the fact that she's a different sort of performer too isn't that far off the mark. Right now though, he's not quite sure what being a performer has to do with a network. ]
Like... the internet?
[ He doesn't know whether she'll recognize that term, but it's the first thing that comes to mind. Maybe he should try to elaborage? ]
There's something like that in Aldrip. That's the network you mentioned earlier, I think.
[ Back when Guinaifen asked if he thought a photo or video of her might end up on Aldrip's network. ]
no subject
It's like that. So the way it works- where I'm from, it's called the Xianzhou. It's a bunch of giant ships, sailing aimlessly, and, well, because there's a bunch of ships, that means it's hard for performers like me to get from one ship to another.
So what we do is have these channels and chat groups. I'm on there as Lil Gui Guinevere, and sometimes I stream stuff like-
[Streamer voice:]
Hey! Can you hear me, fam? Little Gui here, with my guest Minato! Say hey to the chat, Minato!
[Normal voice again:]
And then you say hi and we see people reacting in real time on our screen - sending us superchats so we'll definitely see what they have to say, or maybe throwing some tips? And then after that we put on some kind of show. Sometimes it's things like catching bullets or breathing fire, a few times it's investigating ghost stories and tall tales, whatever gets people interested?
no subject
Oh. Like... a livestream.
[ Minato definitely recalls some people putting up streams of content and video in real time, but to hear that it became a major form of entertainment in some places? That's wild. ]
I think we had those where I'm from, but not like the kinds you're describing.
[ Guinaifen's ability to swap from streamer voice to normal voice is genuinely impressive. Definitely the stuff of a street performer. Even Koromaru seems a little dazzled, sitting up straighter as Guinaifen turns her streamer voice on.
Minato returns to staring at the bonfire. A life spent trying to stay on top people's interests? That sounds exhausting. In fact, he's a little weary just thinking about it. Instead of making a comment in that vein, he asks: ]
Is it fun for you?
no subject
Sure it is! [It's said easily enough, at least, as Guinaifen stares at the bonfire and not at Minato. Don't read too much into things.]
I get to go to different places, try new things, and hang out with my friends. As jobs go, it's not the worst way of passing time, you know? I've learned how to breathe fire, swallow swords, dance with umbrellas and smash a boulder with a hammer. That's not stuff I'd learn if I did what my family wanted and learned...I don't know, accounting.
[Accounting.] Or something respectable like that. [Respectable.] And sure, it's not for everyone. My friend, Huohuo, gets a little scared whenever we turn on the camera. I haven't thought about what I'll do if it ever ends up not being my thing, but that doesn't seem like it's gonna happen anytime soon, so why worry about it?
no subject
Yeah. That's a good point.
[ No point in worrying about something that may or may not come to pass. ]
I don't... think "streamers" were that big where I'm from, but... maybe in the future that's something people will do.
[ Or at the very least, it seems like the natural progression of livestreaming.
Minato's gone back to staring at the bonfire again. He doesn't know much about his current company, but he does respect her decision to chase her own dreams. Reminds him of a person or two that he used to know. ]
Why isn't streaming "respectable"?
[ It sounds like a reasonable and harmless career to him. People have done worse things for money. ]
no subject
Uh...
[Regurgitating it just makes her sound...old, huh?]
...I guess it's just that it isn't steady work...? [Well, that's not it exactly.] Some people say I can't keep on doing this forever, which I guess is true? [Maybe. She doesn't sound like she believes it. Even if she can't do it forever, she'll do it as long as she can.] I don't plan on quitting doing what I love, so... [Shrug.] So!
no subject
He's still staring at the bonfire as he speaks, pensive expression settling on his face. ]
Most people die before they figure out what they want to do in life.
[ A small, noncommittal shrug. ]
If you're doing what you love to do, I think that's a good thing.
[ And so, she should keep doing it if that's what she wants to do. ]
no subject
[Bestie! Buddy! Pal! Guinaifen scoots in close- not too close, not stranger invasion of space close, but close enough where she can, if but for a moment, give Minato a slight nudge, definitely playful.]
I know too many people with, if you ask me, way too much time and not enough to do with it. I'm not gonna let that be me. But now I gotta ask- what do you do for fun? [C'mon bestie, bestie, they could do whatever-it-is for fun, future logs hinge on this, bestie, the world is their oyster.]
no subject
I don't... really know.
[ Go king give us nothing!!
But it's true. He spends most of his time bouncing from one job to another, getting tugged into one person's shenanigans, and then another, and another. People have been asking him what he wants out of life though, so he supposes he really should have an answer to a question like Guinaifen's. ]
...I'm trying to figure that out. I guess it means I have to do all different kinds of things.
no subject
But she doesn't know Minato like that. So she doesn't lean. She just hums to herself and leans back, looks up, looks back at him.]
At least you know what you should do. Not everyone can figure out that much. Or they look at something and they tell themselves that they shouldn't try it for whatever reason, but that reason might not actually be a good one. [Respectability, something like that.] But it doesn't sound like you'll let something like that stop you.
[She nudges his foot with her own. Nudge!]
no subject
No, I don't think that will be a problem...
[ That's how it's always been for Minato. Rarely can he think of reasons not to do things, and it's how he inevitably ends up getting pulled into others' shenanigans.
Guinaifen gives his foot a friendly nudge. It leaves Minato glancing down at their feet as he carefully returns the gesture, slowly poking her foot back with his own toe. ]
I'm not very good at thinking of reasons to not do things.
[ This, of course, may be extremely dangerous information to disclose to a complete stranger. ]
no subject
[Extremely dangerous information! She will exploit this! And everyone will win, but also everyone will simultaneously lose in the process of exploiting this info...but they'll have fun (maybe) so it's not a bad thing, right?]
So...what's the wildest thing you've ever done? Me? [Oh hm.] I'd have to think about that, actually.