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The theatre district was always a great place to just… breathe.

The sun was shining–even this late in the day, since it was just about summer–and being recognized didn't necessarily come with too many questions. Being an actor, even as well-known as he had become, wasn't necessarily a fascination here. … Sure, it didn't stop the people that still wanted to ask them questions as fans, but…

It was at least less common.

Ignacio had stopped their stroll in front of one of the smaller theatres, looking up to see what was the show currently. Midsummer Night's Dream indoors was an interesting approach, they thought, but they thought it was also an appropriate time of year. It was at least nearly the beginning of summer.

Close enough.

Sometimes Ignacio thought he identified with the fairies. Being a senshi was at least magical enough… even if not in the way they were.

Would life be a bit easier if they were?

Ignacio in their civilian form carried a bit less of the hypervigilance that could dog them, but it didn't necessarily stop them from noticing fairly quickly an approach. At first, they assumed the normal: someone wanted their attention for the usual gamut of either noticing someone famous or to ask about the show running at the moment.

The question came from someone a bit more surprising in that Ignacio might've thought they were an actor themselves considering the get up. He didn't know many people who dressed casually like that. Maybe on TikTok. … Or maybe one of Michelangelo's roommates.

It took Ignacio a moment to follow the question, though he managed to click the pieces enough. One of the things he had noted after the shitshow that was being summoned to a space prison spontaneously was that evidently he needed to learn sign language. He wasn't particularly good at it, but already being multilingual did have its beginning to pick up other languages' benefits. In. They were asking if he was attending.

Normal enough questioning. Maybe they were going, too. “Thinking about it.” Ignacio responded with the charismatic ease that was much easier to tap into like this. “I'm curious to see what's playing here at the moment, the current budding talent. And the show’s fitting the season. One of my Shakespearean favourites.”

If they were asking about Ignacio's attendance, maybe they were considering going if a more famous person might. Honestly, Ignacio would encourage that; even if Ignacio's concentration had long since moved on from the smaller shows, Ignacio wanted to see Destiny City’s theatre community thrive.

… For a moment, they repressed a memory of the exact opposite happening in a place named for a much different season.

“How about you?”

Ignacio likely looked like he was spending a lot of time studying Eles’ hands as he spoke. This was absolutely putting what he had drilled himself through to the test; a worthy one, at least, even if he was only putting together piece by piece at a pace that likely slowed the conversation compared to someone who knew it more fluently.

It was alright, though. A much better response than just shrugging and an inability to understand the plot at all. They needed this one to be able to keep pace during a battle-

Their brain hit a record scratch moment when Eles named Malory, though.

“Ay, dios, Malory?” Ignacio's lips ticked upward in amusement. They had certainly heard of Malory. He was a nepotism baby that hadn't had to try terribly hard to get where he was. “He's in this one, yeah. Plays Puck. Heard he tried to get multiple roles, but,” Ignacio would admit to being a gossip where it suited. Maybe it was still his telenovela origins kicking in. “Puck suits his reputation well, I think.”

And it was one of the ones he wanted, which helped, for certain…

“Malory definitely sells himself well.” And he deserved it to a degree, from what Ignacio had absorbed of him. “How did you hear of him?”

Oh, good, he had gotten that finger spelling right-

When Eles spelled out his own name and gestured to himself–e l e s, Eles, interesting name–Ignacio took the signal and gestured to himself before following Eles’ lead. While it was easy to presume that they were probably known, it was also easy enough to go ahead and introduce themself. The worst it would do would be give unnecessary information.

That and asking him in particular about someone a friend had a crush on gave him the impression that maybe he wasn't a known commodity in this case.

“Yeah, that sounds about right.” Ignacio could see the pieces coming together already. He could also more easily visibly see them, relieved by a slowing of the pace. “Malory manages to get a lot of attention in the more student-level productions for multiple reasons. Attractive, for one, rich for another,” Ignacio's shrug was nonchalant. The rich aspect wasn't necessarily a surprise to him; Michelangelo had mentioned Malory's name in connection to parties he had been interested in.

“But as much as he's a nepo baby, he is skilled, for what it's worth. Your friend is right there.” Now was this asking for a friend–that friend was him kind of thing, or?

It didn't necessarily matter either way, and Ignacio was quite willing to entertain the gossip. Asking about the up-and-coming actors and the theatre district and about crushes was a welcomed distraction from his own mind.

“Wanting to know something?”

Ignacio's face lit up at the reference, perhaps even more at the way Eles seemed almost embarrassed by it. Sweet. He knew the poem being referenced well enough; Ignacio did enjoy reading poetry as part of a way to disconnect himself from … Well, everything.

But sometimes lines particularly resonated. He died particularly well.

Ignacio liked the play on words too, idly playing with a strand of his red hair. “Perhaps not as often as I used to,” admitted Ignacio, in an amused show of honesty. A younger Ignacio would've delighted in being something of a maneater. … Or maybe a rompecorazones, which might've still had some accuracy to it even if he wasn't as acutely aware of it.

Eles was all but assuming Ignacio would follow. Perhaps it was fortunate that Ignacio didn't have a prior commitment and had also been considering dropping in anyway. The curiosity of the gossip here–and the fact that Eles legitimately didn't seem to recognize him–had been the piece that cemented Ignacio following along.

If anything, maybe it would help encourage someone away from getting mixed up with the wrong people.

“A while, for sure,” if Ignacio were to be entirely honest, with a few years of his life lost to a traumatized daze, plotting an exact timeline got messy. He did know, “Started acting when I was young, said it was part of making me more well-rounded.” Mostly because his father thought Ignacio's interest in acting, like a lot of things, was too effeminate. Couching it as a well-rounding thing let him get away with it. “Eventually realized it was one of my favourites of the bunch for the diversity of what I could do, so trained more specifically in that. I'm a bit more on film now, but I still love the theatre, especially the local community here. Talk to the local actors, agents, and directors a lot still; try to make it out to performances pretty regularly.”

He supposed this would count as a performance he was making it out to fairly regularly now-

“I'm also familiar with the whole arts community here.” Ignacio glanced up for a second as he thought about it, but only one, careful to keep his eyes on making sure Eles didn't actually fall or smack into someone. “Married a dancer, my father-in-law’s currently dating a musician, my sister is a fashion designer and into aerials,” he was digressing, “in any case, definitely familiar with how those can all be disguises. Run into enough. There's certainly multiple reasons why I think Puck suits Malory.”

Puck being playfully maliciously compliant and Malory did … relate well, at least, from what Ignacio had gathered.

Eles wasn't wrong, really. There was a reason why Ignacio and Lucas had developed the reputation they had, even before they had been abducted accepted into Barren Pines. And there had been reasons why that had carried even through his dazed state, instinctually charming coworkers and customers like it was his job.

To a degree, it had been, hadn't it?

Ignacio supposed his sister echoing his younger path by working at a cafe herself was both amusing and worrisome. “Like to think I was,” Ignacio shot Eles a grin. “And still am to a different degree.” The Twitter commentary said it for itself Ignacio was fairly sure.

He should probably drop his last name later, and likely the most recent movie he was currently part of filming. There was, on the other hand, a comfort in not being so known. The conversations could feel more casual, and the gossip was perhaps the most casual part of all. Ignacio just read like someone who was willing to entertain questions and see a play with someone he just met rather than someone famous appealing to a fan. Ignacio didn't mind the way Eles sat himself, easily sitting next to him and sitting back in the chair.

The theatre had recently gone through some renovations. He could tell. The seating felt particularly plush now-

It took Ignacio a moment, but when he realized it was not just a life but quite a life, he couldn't help a quiet chuckle. “It is. I love being surrounded by creatives, honestly.” They knew it was quite a life for not only the family they had been adopted into, but also everything around it. They couldn't casually drop that they had a whole second life to a civilian, but the concept that it went a lot deeper than Eles knew made that statement unexpectedly loaded.

At least inside they couldn't glance up and see the prison.

“How much do you know of Midsummer's?” It was probably the most important start of the question. “Puck is one of the fae of the play. If you're not familiar with the whole story I won't spoil it, but he's playful. In that way he's devious and the whole plot is a lot of malicious compliance manipulation.” Ignacio crossed one leg over the other, foot wiggling as they spoke. “Being a nepo baby means that Malory seems very used to making sure he gets what he wants. Some of the directors and casting agents I talk to find this … frustrating. Especially since he wants very specific roles and makes certain he gets them.

“But he's good. Hard to reject a talent when you know it's there.” Ignacio didn't necessarily envy directors. Dealing with drama queens on a daily basis was intriguing from the outside but would exhaust him on the inside. Ignacio already had too much s**t to deal with. “And I think he knows it. Puck’s good at what he does, too, in a similar way.”

From the way Eles was dressed and the references he had already made, Ignacio could gather he was likely a creative himself. Ignacio didn't quite understand the word divine, but there was something to the way Eles seemed enchanted by the concept that told Ignacio enough. “There's a lot of places in Destiny City where you can find fellow creatives. I recommend it.” Ignacio paused, before adding, as an example, “Cafes can be good to find open mic poetry nights.”

It was a bit different than how they had ended up in their grouping. Sadie had been a fellow powered person who shared an interest in space. Livie was someone who had purified and lost everything. Richard had been relentless in convincing Ignacio to break out of their pattern. … It was an equally valid one.

Since Eles had forgotten most of the play, perhaps it was best to let them play out instead of telling all the elements that made Ignacio think there was a reason why Malory had been so attracted to the character in the first place. … That seemed especially true the more that it definitely seemed like he was asking for a friend. That friend was himself.

Ignacio was curious as to how Eles and Malory had crossed paths.

“For sure. A lot of push back from both sides until they eventually land on something Malory likely wanted anyway, like being Puck. But Malory makes himself hard to not like. It’s part of why he gets away with it.”

Ignacio shifted in his seat, tucking one leg under himself this time. Even at performances, he had trouble keeping still. “I think watching Puck might give you more insight into the man underneath him, too.” They glanced at the show before looking back toward Eles. Hard to take his eyes off him for too long. There were enough gaps in his understanding that if he missed one gesture he might miss the whole sentence.

“The type of person to be careful around for sure.”

Ignacio made a mental note to get together all the places he knew that did open mic nights to pass off to Eles. They got the sense that Eles might appreciate them. Ignacio did themself, in any case, though they were cautious about going to some if just because they didn't want to draw attention away from the poets.

They liked them for the same reason he liked when Arra had read him poetry. … And still did, sometimes.

Frustrating definitely vibed with what he had been told. Malory was as frustrating as he was promising and it was a double-edged sword. There seemed to be a dual trend in the directors he talked to locally. They either hoped school would tame him or they hoped it would at least refine his talent-

“Frustrating, yeah,” agreed Ignacio, talking lower now that the play had started. Perhaps he should try his hand at signing further responses…

There were advantages to sign beyond the obvious ability to communicate at all, they supposed.

Ah, Malory. The one they were talking about, as Puck. Ignacio had to admit that the impressions that he was good at what he did weren't wrong, and perhaps that just reinforced why it seemed the feelings on him were complex.

More like a … nuisance than a danger. This answer was a bit more complex. Maybe he wouldn't sign this one. Ignacio let out a quiet sigh as he thought of the way to word this.

“It comes down to the vibes, honestly. There is something innately dangerous about someone who has both monetary power and the power with words, especially decent enough to convince people to do what he wants them to do.” Which included at least getting one of the roles he wanted in a play not necessarily aiming to employ students. “Frustrating can quickly evolve into problematic. I guess just tell your friend,” a careful wording, though an intentional reinforcement to show that he had gotten the vibe, “to make sure she's being careful she's not being manipulated.”

Did they know for sure? No.

But Ignacio knew the type.