SYNFLUX INBOX

[immortalpoet]

ACTION ✗ TEXT ✗ VIDEO ✗ AUDIO ✗ HOLOGRAM ✗ DATAVERSE

@

red gaze

✖

NAME

Vergilius

CIVILIAN_NAME

Red Gaze

TEAM

Brimstone

HOUSING_NUMBER

11

❤

Comments

[ignoreher]

You sure feel like it

[ april fools......

though. on the topic of wanting something. they... argued about that, didn't they? or she got offended about it... kind of fuzzy. ]

What do you think I want for all my trouble with you, then? If anything.

[ stop questioning this, she'd said, frustrated and drunk, looking up at him with the same bright eyes. ]

[immortalpoet]

[Why do I need to want anything? You really can't imagine someone might want to get to know you because they're interested? Just because they want to, not because they want something from you?]

[Unlike her, the words ring out clear in his head. He never really was able to answer that directly, too distracted by the words she used after. Roland's words.]

[He opens his mouth, closes it.]

[He turns his gaze away.]

I should ask you that, I suppose. [...] I don't know.

[ignoreher]

I'm interested in you.

[ simple as that. ]

In who you are, what made you this way, what you want to do in the future -- all of that and more. I'm not expecting anything out of this, Vergilius.

[ just. she likes to get to know people, now that she has the chance. ]

[immortalpoet]

[He actually does look back at her with that, with eyes bright - like candles flickering behind grimy windows somehow in a forgotten house.]

...There's a fine line between getting to know me as a person and wanting to know me as a subject of study, Miss Weiss. Take care you don't tread into the latter.

[ignoreher]

[ they really are pretty. her hand itches, feels heavy in the rung, and she drops it to her side to clutch at the hem of her shirt instead of

what? instead of what? ]

Can I?

[ get to know him. ]

[immortalpoet]

[For a moment, his mind takes that question and helpfully supplies it with the added statement of she's asking if she can touch your face.]

[No. No, can't be that. Why did he think that? They were drunk. She literally doesn't remember.]

[He breathes out a sigh between gritted teeth, before relaxing slightly. She's looking up like its the easiest thing to stare into his eyes.]

[She should stop that.]

....Not like I could stop you if I tried.

[ignoreher]

If you were firm about it, I'd stop. You can't force someone to change how they feel about you -- I've tried.

[ and failed, again and again and again. elijah did, anyway, and she moves her gaze to the scrolling words of their next destination. shinjuku feels so far off suddenly. ]

But you've made the mistake of relenting, [ back to a lighter tone, near teasing, ] so I'll take it. No more grumping about me wanting something from you, got it?

[immortalpoet]

Have you.

[Then again, this seems to track with her. Miss Malkuth trying her best. Throwing herself at the wall. Again and again. Paddling hard.]

[He shakes his head - his bangs move with it, like he's a shaggy dog who hasn't been brushed in ages.]

I'm as stubborn as you, though. I can do what I want. [There's a light edge to his tone - also possibly teasing.] Miss Duck.

[ignoreher]

[ it sounds almost like a nice nickname rather than a disparging one and she giggles, the train slowing and more get off; she takes the chance to slip into a seat and pats the one beside her. ]

Then, if you want, take a seat. We've still got another to go... Mr. Goose.

[ less of a chance to bump into each other, but he'd better take the seat before someone else does. they are quite popular. stand in front of her for all she cares. ]

[immortalpoet]

[He might be in extremely good condition for an old man, but old men do like sitting. So he does, shifting over with a little sigh.]

[His posture is horrible, as he's leaning over with his arms resting on his legs.]

Goose doesn't even fit.

[Just saying.]

[ignoreher]

It so does! Goose are extremely aggressive waterfowl, but it's all about respect. If you understand their boundaries and let them get used to you, you'll eventually be able to sit right next to them with little issue. Feeding them helps too.

[ he's a goose...! ]

Or so I've read. Too bad there's no cute goose merch though, or I'd get us matching waterfowl.

[ look, she's taking his inch and stretching a mile. ]

[immortalpoet]

[Now he's getting a little grumpy again with that. Wow. Feeding them helps, huh.]

I don't agree with that. [A OFFENDED HUFF.] You still have a lot of ways to go than just giving me dinner.

[also]

You want matching...merch. Really.

[ignoreher]

[ wooooow he's getting grumpy again? watch out everyone, scientists just discovered that water is wet! ]

And I'm happy to learn them! It'll give me new ideas for befriending others, too.

[ an expansion on her three step plan... still three steps but more options... ]

Why not? I'll make sure yours is discreet if you'd like, I just figured I'd do something like a headband or clips for myself. To keep my hair out of my face.

[immortalpoet]

Ugh.

[UGH!! FRIENDSHIP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!]

I don't want any merch. [>8/] You don't need to get any duck merch, either. That's silly.

[ignoreher]

I like ducks, so why wouldn't I want some?

[ she is in her midthirties let her have duck stuff. she'll look so cute... let your heart doki, verg. ]

[immortalpoet]

I didn't mean it as a nice thing.

[More like a neutral thing but who's counting, right.]

[ignoreher]

I know that. But I was kind of happy you compared me to one, because they've been my favorites since I was younger. I even had a pen back home with a duck's head on it!

[ so joke's on you, old man, she's always loved them. and while "younger"... isn't wrong, it still isn't right. the thought lingers in her mind as it always does and she pushes it away with a soft smile. ]

Only my book came with me, though. It's not a very special book, by the way, I just use it to keep track of this and that.

[immortalpoet]

[fucking hell]

I really can't win with you, can I...

[The mention of book gets him to squint - of course it does. It draws back to that concept of the Library, once more. And this woman being so squarely in that concept, like a muddled painting he can't understand.]

That so. A regular journal, then?

[ignoreher]

You couldn't have know, Mr. Gaze. I'm sure you wouldn't have said anything if you did.

[ ... maybe. but from any other angle, he's really being sweet on her. ]

Yup! It has my three step friending process, recipes I'd like to try, notes about the people I know... plans, hobbies, projects -- anything and everything under the sun. It might sound like it's a mess, but I make sure to keep it all outlined neatly and labeled properly.

[ it also has every name of the people they've booked, the abnormalities she'd suppressed, and the general timeline of the city across pages of research, but dwbi. ]

[immortalpoet]

You got that right.

[HE IS WORRYING ABOUT IT. HE SHOULD WORRY ABOUT IT. OPEN UP THE LISA FRANK ABNORMALITIES BOOK]

How diligent. Just like an office worker. [A beat.] Guess that means you have notes on me.

[ignoreher]

[ and, reciting it by heart: ]

General description: A stern man who's more business than a suit, "Mr. Red Gaze" is one of the top of his class and has a kind of presence that speaks volumes to it. He likes his coffee taken black and seems to enjoy sake, but he dislikes pointless activities and having fun.

Physical description: Very tall, lanky, and always seen with a frown or neutral expression. He tends to wear clothes that would be classified as business-casual, leaning on casual for style, and avoids bright colors. His titular gaze is sharp, cutting into any who'd dare to look back, and stops those he catches in his sights short in both terms of steps and words. His eyes are a remarkably beautiful crimson color, alive in the way a fire consumes brush when struck with a match. [ a beat. ] Scarred.

Relationship: At the moment, I can't call us friends, but I can't say we're on bad terms either. I'd like to get to know him more.

[ ... ]

And then I drew a little mean face!

[immortalpoet]

[TRYING NOT TO MENTALLY TRIP AND MENTALLY HIT THE MENTAL WALL AND MENTALLY KNOCK HIMSELF OUT. WHAT WAS THAT ABOUT HIS EYES AGAIN]

...You memorized it....?

[ignoreher]

I remember everything I write down.

[ like it's hard? ]

That's why I write so much! Because... otherwise, I'd forget something. I've always been this way.

[immortalpoet]

I see.

[That's a real powerful memory.]

There were some poetic moments there. You'd think you'd be more factual.

[ignoreher]

[ yeah. it is. but she does have to physically write it down, she's found; it doesn't work with recording things through her implants, and she still does need to study hard to grasp other things. but writing reports was a skill she honed, and this was just another report in the end. ]

I was plenty factual! But facts only go so far to really get a feel for something or someone, Mr. Gaze. It was important for our employees at my old workplace to understand the sort of danger they might face when working with what they did, and if it was through facts only they wouldn't be half as careful.

[ ... and if they died regardless, well. that was just how it was. ]

Simply saying you're strong doesn't give anyone an idea of how strong you are, right? But saying that you're strong, and you have the kind of presence that would leave little room for doubt... that shows you know yourself and have a kind of confidence that comes from experience. It's not fake or a bluff.