kowase | IC INBOX

[ even an old king can learn a new level of ridiculous bullshit to flip his friend for a loop, because what Vergil needs right now is to be flipped so hard for a (relatively harmless) loop that all of his mind shakes back into the places it actually goes instead of this whole. terribly traumatized and anxious thing it's doing.

in his own weird way, Gilgamesh really wants to help? ]

Yes, yes, and despite your best efforts, you've ended up with blood kin, their partners of varying degrees of pedigree, several children, entirely too many beasts, and only a few couches and beds to house them all. It's ridiculous, Vittore. I keep nearly stepping on your duck.

Also your couch sucked back then and it sucks now. You need a solution to this problem.

[ he crosses his arms again, eyes glittering bright as he leans down to all but lean on his friend's desk. ]

[ he has been trying very hard to develop a better relationship with gilgamesh through the cloud of his own reclusiveness he'd insisted on for years. He is. And while he feels he definitely took a step backward when he whanged a wine decanter at Gilgamesh's head, he's going to at least try to continue going on the slow uptick.

If gilgamesh wants to help, then... shouldn't he let him.

Even if the man is standing here and insulting his house. And his couch. He liked that couch.
Offering a solution though makes his head feel funny. ]

--In my defence.

I moved into this place with no intention of having anyone else living with me. My cousin staying on occasion, perhaps, or a visitor that could use the guest room every now and then.
I had not planned on that room being relegated to my twin brother's bedroom, and now Nero's bedroom, as well.

[ he looks... vexed, but. ]

I am not sure what sort of solution there is. But I do have two ears that are open to suggestion, old friend.

[ your couch sucks, Vergil, and you'll have a kitten if you catch anyone sleeping on the antiques that're for sale.

Gilgamesh continues to stand there, arms folded as Vergil reveals just how deep he's fallen into the tangled weave of bonds; a slow smile crooking onto his face as Vergil looks so full of vexed despair, a warm look in the king's eyes as the man opens himself to wise counsel. he raises a hand in a casual shrug, as if what his absolutely insane ass is about to say makes perfect sense. ]

It's simple, of course. If you find yourself overflowing with bodies and treasure, you merely need relocate to a larger holding. Then you'll have a more appropriate amount of space for all things you've a tendency to acquire--books, relics, weaponry, relatives...

[ simple as that! ]

[ listen most of his antiques AREN'T for sale. Most of it was just a showfloor for his favorite pieces, the stuff for sale could... probably be buffed up if damage was done to them by people using the auguries for a safe haven.

He listens to Gilgamesh's suggestion. He does! But His eyes sort of widen in disbelief as the man suggests. Such an audacious thing--Vergil actually laughs. A loud--Ah, HAH! Complete with a look of disbelief as the other thinks such a thing is... so easy? ]

I am a rich man, Gil. But I am not so rich as to up and buy a new place tomorrow without any mind to how much it might cost me. There would be much to be considered before I dropped a quarter of my life's savings on a new place while already owning this one.

[ he'd have to consider selling THIS place first, then... ]

This place took a quarter of your life's savings?

[ Gilgamesh doesn't mean for his voice to sound quite as--incredulous? as it does? when he looks around at the (relatively, for a man that was raised in nigh on a palace) small space, and then back to Vergil, his eyebrows knitted in confusion. did Vergil not know how to buy property?

... was Gilgamesh really that wealthy? ]

[ he manages to pull his composure back together after the outburst, waving his hand dismissively, as if Vergil's very real and logical explanation were just smoke wafting between them in the air. ]

Yes, yes, that's why I'm going to buy the property for you. I've already selected a few candidates that I think would be to your liking and would better fit your size needs.

[ and then a golden iPad is dropping out of an equally golden portal as Gilgamesh invites himself to sit on Vergil's desk, reaching down to turn the iPad on and pull up his tabs. ]

[ god he looks at gilgamesh like he's a fucking CREATURE as the other raises his voice in shock; hearing that the building he'd bought cost so much. Gilgamesh, it was AN ENTIRE BUILDING? he didn't even try to mortgage it, he just bought it outright, so incredulously, he sits up, shoulders squared-- ]

--How much do you think an entire building with three floors in a well-off part of town costs? It isn't exactly cheap, compared to--

[... and then his mind catches up to what his friend is saying and he's

STARING. With no small amount of utter disbelief. ]

--You.

[ that ipad is so fucking pretentious, it's not even the first time he's seen it. And then it clicks into his mind. Wait, no, he DOES know that ipad and... ...being an appraiser, he knows how much that thing costs. He's seen it online. His stomach feels bad. ]

You are just going to buy me a new home.

When you yourself are living in a magic teapot like some--

Golden Genie.

[ Gilgamesh, meanwhile, has picked his favorite property first and is holding it out for Vergil's perusal, paying no apparent attention to the fact that he's proverbially sprouted four heads if the way Vergil's staring at him is any indication. Vergil starts to defend his property choice, and Gilgamesh continues to wave a hand, 'yes yes, that's nice, look at my thing now--' writ in the casualness of his movements, only looking up when Vergil's bellyaching stops dead and jolts in favor of being incredulous on his own merit. ]

Yes. I'm going to buy you a home.

I intend to continue living in your home in my teapot, by the by. Only I feel that I should be entitled to walk around in my robe in the space, given that I'm funding it.

[ he gives a casual shrug as if it makes all the sense in the world to just. say shit like this. offer shit like this. ]

Anyway, this one has a poolhouse in the back--

[ he's being ignored.
He's being ignored and he can TELL and while normally this would bother him, he has to wonder. He's been thinking a LOT since he'd gotten out of that tiny, hotbox crawlspace from hell. Remembering how many people had come to save him, how many people had been waiting for him to come home.
How that, despite how lonely he's been his whole life.
There's ... so many people around him who care for him. He stares in mute silence as Gil talks, and talks...

And it comes to him.
This is Gilgamesh's way of showing he cares. Isn't it.

An old friend.
The man is... simply an old friend, and this is how he... ]

I do not need a pool. I am more than certain that you -- and Nero, and Dante--would find reason to sit around it naked year-round.
I would perhaps prefer something ... with a yard, for the animals...

[ ...maybe arguing against Gil's decision would upset him. So maybe, if he just... folded into it, and showed interest.
Would this make the other happy. ]

[ Gilgamesh has a strange relationship with love and friendship.

his parents had been... pleasant, if distant people, busy with things bigger than a singular child, and perhaps it's from that (or from some long, half-dormant soulmemory of being a man unlike any other, sat above the rest of the world to peer down and manage it like some gardener seeing to his blooms) that Gilgamesh has come to his conclusions about what care looks like.

he doesn't have tender words, and doesn't make promises he's unsure of being able to keep. he's not a liar, and he refuses to be a failure whenever possible; he doesn't know if he could protect Vergil if something like this were to ever happen again, so he doesn't offer that comfort.

what he can offer, however, is... this. a prohibitively expensive gift that gives Vergil room to grow and flourish, a place to house his treasures--because one must protect and carefully catalogue their precious things.

this is what love is, isn't it?

he looks up when Vergil speaks again, giving a wry smile, eyes full of mischief as Vergil finally takes a leap into the king's madness. ]

Ah! You of all people should know and appreciate the wonders of a good pool of water, and yet you'd deny me? Me, a poor son of the desert, without the pool he so richly deserves? You are a man of wanton cruelty, Vergil Vittore.

[ so Gil opens a new tab. ]

I did, however, find the lawn and garden space on this one to be more interesting; it's more of a failed condominium building with a park-space beside it that was supposed to be a selling point for the residents, but I suppose the developers were idiots. It's an intriguing space, to me...

[ and he's gonna keep talking to point out the amenities. ]

[ friendship is, indeed, strange. he himself was only starting to understand it's a very important part of life--and even slower going is accepting that he's HAD friends already. for years. In the form of Gilgamesh and Zhongli, and he's trying to fix where they sat in his mind as 'fellow investors of the old and interesting', and instead placing them in a different category.

terrible it is to say, being rescued and then picked up by them after the most traumatizing thing that's ever happened to him is helping.

sometimes love isn't parental and it isn't romantic. sometimes love is showing that you care about the people who are close to you, even if they aren't related to you. even if they don't expect much from you but companionship.

he's getting used to that. ]

I do understand the worth of a pool, and the costly expense that comes with maintaining it, as well. Not to mention the constant noise that may well come from people making regular use of it while I am trying to work.

[ he owns a business, dammit. ]

I am also certain that if you wanted a pool, you could install it in the teapot.

[ but he's looking, he's looking.... ]

A failed condo could easily be turned into a many-bedroomed house, and the extra space would be fantastic for storage, or setting up different rooms for working on antiques that need special care before being displayed...

Not to mention the bottom floor, that was supposed to be a set up for a small grocery store, an open concept with few windows that is perfect for a shop...

[ He's making a face. ]

...The price is something, however. [ is gilgamesh really... ]

It is easy to pay to maintain a pool. How much could the service really cost? [ he'll huff and he'll puff but he's still moved on to the next option, rolling his eyes when Vergil suggests that he put the pool in his teapot and giving him a wry look. ]

Ah, yes. Put the pool in my inexplicable magic teapot. I'll blindfold the poolboy and pay him extra not to ask questions.

[ he watches Vergil as he flicks through information, arms folded as he gives the man some peace to observe the amenities and the potential of the failed condominium project. something warm curls in him as he murmurs about this and that, already beginning to visualize out the space, and Gilgamesh thinks that he's done something right.

it's odd to do that for someone else's benefit?

because frankly, if he steps back and weighs everything out; the cost, the returns, none of this makes sense for him to do. he'll barely feel the pain of buying the property in full, and yet, Gilgamesh is usually more guarded about the usage of his money--he spends as he's pleased to spend, but he's always well under the limits of what interest and other investments will bring back to this.

one of his bank accounts might actually need time to recover and be regrown because of this.

it's utterly inane, and yet, Gilgamesh is set that he's going to do it, if only... if only for the chance to see Vergil's pleasure, for just a moment. Vergil murmurs about the price, and Gilgamesh reaches up to tip Vergil's face up to look at him, arching a brow slowly. ]

Vergil. The price is irrelevant. It's my concern, not yours. If the place pleases you, it will be yours to have barring any major issues in the structure.

There are people who have jobs in this world who are vaguely magical. I am sure you could invite a magical landscaper in to make you a magic pool in your magic teapot. [ he rolls his eyes with a huff to his lips, but he doesn't offer any contrary advice beside that--he's already too busy thinking about a new home. A new place to put his store. the listing has photos of the floor plans and it's nearly twice as big--he could set up a number of different show tables he had put in storage before, and...

he'd hate to admit it, but he's growing a little excited at the idea of a new place. Even if he had happily settled into this one.

He looks up at gilgamesh with an expression somewhere between... uncertainty and gratitude.

actually reaching out to touch his arm, vaguely, as his fingers tap the tip of his chin.

what an odd feeling this is. Hm. Time to think about it for a week. ]

If you are truly willing to go forward with something like this, then I would accept. On the basis that I do certainly need something bigger with Dante and Nero in the picture. ...And if they are going to have common visitors all the time. I had not planned on getting two new family members upon arriving here.

[ and another pause. ]

Nor did I count on getting quite so many friends who would also need a place to stay during their visits. Long or short.

So with grace, I will accept--and thank you.

I wouldn't even know where to begin to attempt to locate a magical landscaper. Do you put requests into an online forum in code? What if you accidentally hire, say, a hitman, or an escort? [ the concept is delightfully absurd, and Gilgamesh entertains himself with that as Vergil goes through a sort of internal, emotional journey, something like pleasure swimming through his veins.

he hides a smile and closes his eyes, preparing to stand up, to excuse himself with some grand, inane declaration, having done what he'd come to do, and what with Vergil needing his time and space to recuperate...

... so it's strange when the man touches his arm, and Gil's not quite fast enough to hide the look of bafflement that crosses his expression at the unexpected contact. Vergil tries to give him an out, and he rolls his eyes, giving the most imperious, put-upon expression he can muster. ]

I do not make offers I do not intend to honor. You should know this of me by now. I've already had my brokers on standby, waiting for me to pass word of what property I intend to purchase--it's the least I can do, as you've metamorphosed into such a social butterfly.

I do reserve the right to wander around in a small robe, however. There'll be plenty of space for me to do so without offending your delicate sensibilities in a space like that, after all.

[ because every gift has to have some small, however playful, hook. sincerity chokes like black mud, or silt-rich water. ]

I believe I have hired a hitman as my gopher, as well as a modern day Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. So I have no idea. Hiring people off the Libra app is always rolling some sort of Dice, Gil.

[he turns his head to look at him, then giving a small, vague shrug with one shoulder.

He doesn't move his hand off of the man right away, but after the man assures him that he plans to go through with this--there really isn't any stopping it, is there? He would have to make plans to start moving. ...And he'd be able to let Nero he's welcome to come stay with them for the forseeable future.

He scoffs, though, at the implication that the other would be able to do as he pleases. He sighs and shakes his head. ]

I have not metamorphosed into any such thing. I will never be a social butterfly. But I suppose I will have to prepare to have...

....friends.

[ what a huge step forward, honestly. ]

And I suppose if you are buying me the entire space.
I can tolerate you walking about in your unfortunate choice of daywear-- Or, rather, lack thereof.

Just think; if anyone ever reneges on payment, you can send your dark, mysterious preacher and his ridiculously large gun to politely inform them as to the terms of your contract.

[ it's--hilarious, really?

he's still as Vergil touches him, permitting it without much of a fuss--letting Vergil realize just how much space he'll be coming into, how much that will enable him to grow, to spread his wings metaphysically and literally..

he smirks at the roll of the eyes, arms folding over his chest as Vergil acquiesces, and doesn't, and everything feels... all right. ]

Perhaps not a social butterfly. Perhaps some sort of agreeable moth.

[ a massive step forward. it's so odd to hear the man say that word of his own volition. ]

As you should. My presence is a present, as is my general appearance. Some people have begged me to pay me for such a privilege, you know.

I am partway certain, that when Wolfwood shows up to deliver or pick up items on my behalf, it is an unsaid suggestion that my delivery man looks enough like a hitman that they do not consider pulling anything shady.

[ that may have been partially why he'd hired wolfwood in the first place. People who dealt in old, precious items could be sketchy and underhanded sometimes, after all. ]

...Agreeable moth suits. I actually quite like that metaphor, all things considered.

[ old clothes and books, it suited him well enough. ]

I could make a snide quip here that if people would pay you to walk about in the mostly-nude, why not go stay with them.
I am sure it is because their personae are irritating to deal with, compared to mine.

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