Senecio and Tide

[Mirach]

"Thanks," Senecio said hesitantly, but seriously. 

[VisAnastasis]

A little more freer, gentler smile, adored Han's lips, as he recognized and slowly choose to let himself believe the honesty of that simple word.
" I know it may not always seem like it.. I am not cookie-cut great guy like Tide... I am way too bitchy and proud for that... But I do want you good. " he replied simply. " I don't expect any gain from you in returns. I don't need rewards, for doing right things... I'll keep watch over you regardless, but none the less, I would prefer so, if it was with your permission. So, when you start working at theater, and meeting all those people, be clear to me, please... " he paused, before asking simply. " Would you prefer me to go with you, or not? Because I wish to go, but it's going to be very awkward for *me*, if you don't want me to. "

[Mirach]

"I would prefer you to go, but I fear it still will be awkward. They will certainly think I got the job through someone's bed. And whose, if not the new owner's?"

[VisAnastasis]

" I already have a story for that, if you agree with it. " Hans said readily. " We can say you started dating my best friend, and that by but coincidence, you found out I am writer. As you are actor and have love for literature, out interest matched. We were able to have quality conversations, and I had interest in drama for a while, and I liked your acting, where you liked my writing. We wrote and played little jokes for fun, but we wanted to take bigger bite and do personal projects about subjects we enjoy, like demon wars. I wanted us to have environment where we can collaborate together. I bough theater for profits and all, sure, but mostly because I wanted us to have environment where we can collaborate and make as crazy plays as we want, without worrying about convincing anyone to let us perform them or not. It will sound believable, specially since we will be always working so hard, and since we actually are, in fact, working on a peculiar play right now, both of us, so intently, it almost does seem so, as if we liked each other's interests and felt like doing a collaboration. We will make it clear we are just two people having fun, and not together, as you're together with my best friend. And for those who think you sleep with me.. Well... I do think rumors of it will disappear very quickly, once Tide starts coming around theater, and they see you're in relationship with him. I mean, really - when you have a  cool mountain of a boyfriend that holds and kisses you all the time, do you think people will really keep thinking you and me have a thing going? "

[Mirach]

"No, but I will tell you what they will think. That I saw your money, and started dating your best friend when I failed with you, because you don't want a serious relationship, but are devoted to your friend. That I convinced you to buy the theatre so I could have a high position in it. And while they will be thinking that, it will be hard to get any authority, for both of us..."

[VisAnastasis]

" I am okay and used to people not having high opinion of me at start and having to work for it. It seems it can hardly be avoided, so then, who cares, am I right? If they don't cooperate, but act petuliant, we can always hit them where it hurts most, at their wallets, if nothing else works. People tend to be lot less resisting when you control their livelihood - I just don't want to escalate situation to that point if I can help it and do this gentler way. It's not exactly good name, to just go around suing people that work for you. I mean, I will say a harsher word or two readily, but starting a court case in middle of court case wouldn't be that fun. " Hans smiled a bit." You can't please everyone. Someone will always be pissed off. I don't particularly care what they think about me, but I would like you to be as comfortable as possible on your workplace. With time, sooner than later, they would get used to fact you are in charge and that's it... but is there anything I can do that time can't? I don't know this particular surrounding, so I seek your professional opinion. How should I act, to make this transition easier for you? What should I say of us?"

[Mirach]

Senecio thought for a while. "Not in a way that would make it seem that I managed to use Tide to get what I wanted. They will believe it was my plan all along... So let's take that "revelation" from them and admit it, even if it's not true. Let's say that you wanted to buy the theatre yourself for a longer time already, and I found out so I wanted to get close to you, but you saw through it, and gave me the job not based on anything else but the fact that you think the theatre will bring you profit if you put a famous name in front. You can't get their respect if they belive that I managed to trick you. You must show that you know exactly what is going on, and that you will keep everyone on short leash so that nothing happens in the theatre that you don't agree with. My relationship to Tide can't be the cause of you hiring me, that would be suspicious. It must be the other way round - I tried to seduce Tide, but you saw through it and gave me the job anyways, and only after that we actually really fel for each other with him and started dated. Only if they see that I could not get anything else from it than I already had, will they believe that I'm playing no tricks..."

[VisAnastasis]

" It is reasonable, that I believe you could be useful stunt for publicity. Specilly if I also use you playing Spirit King in my play as part of the marketing, it will work. And let's not say you tried to seduce Tide to get close to me - he is still my best friend, but he would not be owner of theather. Let's say instead you tried to seduce me directly from the start. It would be more believable, as I am nototious on courts for having no issue with *having fun*, as long as other side is willing. But then I sow through your act, bbut still did not dismiss you as I like ambitious people and heard lot about how good you are, having my nephew as your patron. We can say that from Lorenzo as well in first place you found out I wanted to buy theather and made you moves. But as I hired you for publicity, yes, as we focussed on our first play and how are we going to do it and got to like each other more, I introduced you to my shy best friend - and as you got to know him, love has taken you by surprise. It will be more organic, and look less sketchy - you tried to take advantage of theather owner, but instead you was discovered and stopped in the track, and instead of in owner who is writer, has interest in thrather and all that who would in theory be perfect person to seduce, you got swipped away by someone not having aspirations in theather whatever. As it is obvious he has nothing to offer you in field of business and it's such seemingly unlikely match, it will really look as if it was just happy coinvidence with no strings attached to it."

[Mirach]

"It seems we can make the plot of this play believable as well, even if it will be more about improvising," Senecio smirked. "Yes, that should work..."

[VisAnastasis]

" You know what works on this particular stage and can give me good skeleton of story... And I am good with adding needed nuances and details. We really can make it work seemlesly." Hans shook his head quietly " It will even explain why you lost your patronage, without discriminating you... I will speak with Lorenzo to go along with this and not ruin our cover... It will fit like perfect piece of puzzle in our story, that he found out that you tried to take advantage of his uncle based on what he felt was harmless info that he gave you, and that that is why he is so angry with you and felt it would be improper to stay your patron any longer. It may even look to some like you accepted Lorenzo as a patron, in ambitious try to get closer to me... I like that adaptation. " he admitted quietly with some sadness." It is better than the original..."

[Mirach]

"If he agrees to confirm that story..." Senecio murmured.

[VisAnastasis]

" Don't worry, I'll have an uncle-nephew talk with him. He is an honorable person, and cared deeply about his family. " Hans whispered quietly, seeming contemplative himself as well. " When I tell him that this is best way to not implicate king and treason in all this, to explain why he wants nothing to do with you, and when I explain him Tide will really have it bad in theater and that people would frown upon him for your relationship with him and make his suffering for it - well... It will be strong enough argument, that this is not about you, but Tide's happiness, and that Tide would be miserable if he didn't agree to this. I will also explain him that your main assignment in theater is given to you as insider who will help me protect young people just starting out acting, and that better cover you have, better you can help, and it will seal the deal. " he whispered little tiredly and matter of factly, with tone of someone who knows to pinpoint weaknesses of people around him to use them to his advantage as best as he can, though biggest weaknesses running in Sage's family, seemed to be weakness for protecting children, and soft spot they all had for Tide they adored dearly.

[Mirach]

"I see you can be very convincing..." Senecio said quietly. "Are we going to the theatre toomorrow?"

[VisAnastasis]

" Yeah, my words are pretty much only power I have left - so I took time to refine it. " Hans smirked, and there was some silent misery, in that look, despite it was confident and firm. " Yes, we go to theater together in the morning, to start getting things done. You will go to Benito first, to give him the glasses, while I stay to see if I can use that additional time to scramble up as much of script further on as I can - and when you get back, we then go to theater together. "

[Mirach]

Senecio nodded. "I already finished the list of characters, if you have the first page raedy, I can ready it while you work on the next one."

[VisAnastasis]

Hans nodded, and he gave a page and a half that he had currently written to Senecio, and while actor read, he went writing further on, being much quicker now that he knew exactly how they wanted play to go.

[Mirach]

Senecio made notes about places he was not sure about and those that needed some more work to be as interesting on the stage as in writing, but he did not interrupt Hans in writing.

[VisAnastasis]

With better idea of what was before him, and with better inspiration, when he and actor came to better understanding, Hans was writing with much more enthusiasm and it was delight, to see that change in him. He was fully immersed into it, and soon enough, he had couple more pages, pausing at point where Spirit Messenger was just around point of going to meet Grendel, handing them to actor's revision, while he was taking back first page to check on the notes he received.

[Mirach]

Senecio made the notes quite short, just for himself to not lose the idea he had when reading the pages, and so, rather than giving them to Hans, he discussed the uncertain places with him.

[VisAnastasis]

It was indeed, much better that they worked on this together, where they could more quickly be passing through uncertain places, and where Hans could have better understanding of why and what needs to be refined to work better on stage, and grow more experienced in it. In second draft of those pages, that Hans made together with actor, the flow and exchange was already much better, and in third draft, Spirit made subtle little changes to perfect rhymes and language to make the biggest sincerest impact.

[Mirach]

Senecio already found the 2nd draft perfect, but when he saw the 3rd, he had to admit that it was even better. He never before took a direct part in creating a script, and quite enjoyed to be a part of the process, not just getting something finished to learn.

[VisAnastasis]

Both got rather swept away, as, focused on working, the fun almost sneaked its way into the act - being so creative and coloborative, and having finished product to look forward to, pushing them to seek to fo more and more, getting lost in enjoyment of it. Hans himself had a bit of same vanity actor had, and loved to be comlimented for his mastery, and that made him twice as eager to fo more, sharpening his mind. They did not finish just first few pages in surge of inspiration - they finished around fifteen pages and decent part of ffirstact, before they realized how caried away they got in enjoyable process and that they grew hungey anew.

[Mirach]

Senecio stretched his back, as it got stiff from long sitting. "What time is it?" he asked wonderingly.

[VisAnastasis]

" About.... right time for you to hop along to garden." Hans bit his lip as his eyes grew unfocused." I would say sun came down a little while ago... damn it... I told Tide I would send you to him at sundown. "

[Mirach]

"I should be going then," Senecio nodded. "When will you need me tomorrow?"