This used to be a funhouse

CHULANE

He grins at her response, a soft, genuine one that welcomed and acknowledged her honesty. "Those are wonderful goals to have." And he meant it too - they were in line with the sort of thing he wanted to bring to this world too, only she would use her talents and he would use his. It was comforting to come across a kindred spirit of sorts, one who just wanted to contribute, to be involved, to use their strengths for the betterment of the masses. And Chuy would never discount the strength in the arts - it was necessary to keep the mind inspired, to help people reflect on their past, to relish the present, and to look forward to the future.

He chuckled, accepting her challenge with open hands and a welcoming nod. "I look forward to it." And he truly did - he wondered when she might play next, what she might play next, whether any of the tunes could be likened to those of his homeworld.

"A date." He repeated in confirmation, grinning a stupidly big grin. Then a laugh was pulled from him at her first question. "Explore. Study the local fauna. She's the Guildmistress of the Monster Hunters, and I'm a member too." He shrugged slightly, feigning innocence in the words left unsaid on their other activities. Then he was laughing again, a lower, more controlled chuckle this time. "It was largely luck - I was carrying a bag of vegetables that tore open in front of her, and she found it in her heart to help me. From there… I think it's a matter of making time for those you care about." He could try to explain it, but really, that's all there was to it - making those you care about a priority in your life.

A small frown touches his brow as Hester shuts down a bit after he turns questions back to her. "You might surprise yourself," he offered softly, a smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth. "In your travels, you might find people who want to learn that unique Hester technique."

it is better to know some of the questions
than all of the answers

code shamelessly stolen from Skylark <3

Hester

I've told you time and time again

The heat invading her cheeks only swells under his praise, spreading like a weed to cover her entire face, her ears. Hester can't quite bring herself to meet Chulane's gaze right away, but she manages to look at least a little bit casual about it, a nervous little smile gracing her lips. With a little bit of extra effort, she manages to school it into something cheeky, something overly confident again to reply to his next words. "You better! Not everyone gets to see me practice!" Only her parents, really, and only by virtue of living under the same roof.

It's not quite accurate to say Hester loves gossip (though it's not inaccurate either), but she always insisted, out loud and privately to herself, that she simply loved knowing things. And this was a love made clear by the way she settled in, chin in hand, all of her focus on Chulane's words. Almost immediately though, her brows pull together. "Study? On a date?" She does her best to not scoff, and a good thing too, because more of an explanation comes, and oh, that makes sense. "Monster hunting sounds... dangerous. And what even counts as a monster?"

"That sounds so sweet." Hester smiled wide at the laugh that left her new companion, an almost wistful tone in her voice. "She must be happy, being with someone who thinks like that."

It's impossible for Hester's bashfulness to last, especially in the face of such an overwhelming praise. Gods and spirits, she needed to play for more outlanders. A hand rises to her chest, only adding to the surprise, the joy on her face when she levels a smile on Chuy. "That's a much more exciting way to think about it."

You sing the words, but don't know what it means

CHULANE

He didn't try to push the issue further, seeing the effect his simple kind words had on the girl. He merely grinned when she finally let her shyness turn into confidence, chuckling again with a nod, a silent promise that he would indeed be her willing audience whenever she wanted him to be.

He was enthused by her engagement in the conversation, welcoming the questions, even if they would eventually make him blush. "I think almost anything counts as a monster," he answered thoughtfully, carefully considering it. "Anything considered unusual, fantastic or terrifying?" he supplied with a raised 'brow, presenting his answer as a question as a way to stir up her own imagination on the matter, to see if she might have anything to add to the definition.

Then he was blushing, his cheeks colouring slightly as she called him sweet, as she complimented him. He shrugged nonchalantly, merely offering a quiet "I can only hope she's happy," in response to the words. He didn't do such things to try and be sweet, he was simply acting within his character, and he was a true, honest, decent kind of guy. If that meant he was sweet from the perspective of Hester, well, he wasn't about to deny her.

"Happy to provide an exciting perspective," he said with his hands spread wide, another soft laugh rumbling from him. Then he clapped his hands together, before gesturing to her again. "Another song?" he asked hopefully, leaning back to hear what musical story she wove this time, letting the evening slip away into pleasant memories and new friendships.

--

FIN! Thank youuuu <3

it is better to know some of the questions
than all of the answers

code shamelessly stolen from Skylark <3