throwmoreswords | [ic inbox]

[ which is weird as hell because most people in his teapot just barge in since they're invited.

he'll answer the door after a moment, expecting one of Sampo's raccoons or Vergil trying to avoid seeing him pantsless and instead there's just a twink. ]

Hello. How did you get in here?

[A twink with a dog that looks like dough, a tiny pink toddler with a tiny hammer, a Pod, and a Normin riding that Pod.]

It's a teapot, it wasn't that hard. You're "AUO" on the Libra app, right? I have something that might interest you.

It's a magic teapot inside of an antiquities shop full of teapots. It's not easy.

[ there are so many things to look at it and it takes the Sharp Look that Gil was wearing at having someone barge into his space to a much softer, more inquisitive tip of his head. ]

I am AUO, yes. If you were clever enough to get here in the first place and evade the devils upstairs, I suppose you could be worthy of hearing out.

Eh, he wasn't paying attention. Mind if I come in, or do you want to talk about this out here?

[Maru the Fidough is sitting at Yuuki's feet, all polite.]

He's going to be very cross when I inform him of that, later.

[ Maru is very cute and Gil looks thoughtful and then pauses as he starts to step back and open the door. ]

Is that a dog? Does it get along with cats?

[And in they go! Chibi waddles after Maru, who leads the way.]

Maru's a Pokemon called a Fidough. She gets along with anything that doesn't try to eat her. I'm with POKEGO, by the way. Yuuki Shinomiya, username "shinope".

[ most of Gil's house looks like it could be showcase for some sort of antique catalog--except for a set of couches and chairs around a large screen TV with a variety of gaming consoles in the cabinets beneath it--which is where Gil leads them, as if out of habit. ]

I have cats. I've seen a Pokemon before--I didn't know they came in shapes other than 'vaguely otteresque'. Or that there was an organization named after them.

[ Siduri the calico is gonna stay up on her tree, thank you, but Enkidu is a ghost cat and so he will continue to lazily envelope the TV remote. ]

[And Yuuki knew this was a good guy to talk to about funding for the app.]

Yeah, we're dedicated to researching the Spirit Realm and all that. It's harder since most of the funding dried up, but we're making do. Are these sofas safe to sit on--Chibi, leave the shiny golden stuff alone.

[The Tinkatink pouts but sets her hammer down.]

Sorry. Her type likes to play with metal.

[ Chibi is shaped like a toddler and Gil is settling in the bigger of the chairs, arm up on the back while watching her poke at his knick-knacks (EX) with a charmed expression. ]

My friend brought them home so that 'something in here didn't suck to sit on' so, yes. They're comfortable enough, and if you tell him I admitted that you're dead to me.

[ the mention of funding and Spirit Realm catches his attention, at least. ]

Hoh? Has there been some sort of scandal or failure to deliver on projects that's disgraced your organization?

[ what the fuck is a Willow ]

Yeah, back when all this stuff started in Kaisou, we sent one of our professors to help out.

[Yuuki takes a seat. Maru jumps up in his lap.]

And then he decided to try and restore the world his last life was from, tried to kidnap a god, failed, and we lost pretty much all our funding. If you've seen or heard us talking about Willow, that was him.

[ that gets a raised eyebrow out of him. ]

Audacious, even if it is psychotic, one supposes. It also seems heavy-handed to deprive a research organization of all of its funding for the actions of one man--presuming, of course, that the rest of you weren't co-authors on the proverbial paper.

[ oh no maru is
maru is loafing

the bread dog is loafing send help ]

[She is, in fact, loafing. Her head is even on her paws, looking all cute.]

Nah, anyone who was was ousted from the group. [If they didn't die but we're not talking about that.] Everyone here is trying to fix what Willow did. I'm here today, though, to talk about something else.

[ dogs are so good and wait wait the boy is still talking look attentive ]

Sometimes a cleaning of ranks is in order. [ headtilt, legs crossing, trying not to go back to looking at Yuuki's dog. ] But what is it that brings you to my door--which is also a form of audacity, for your part.

[He shrugs, and the poor Normin mutters that she did say as much but Yuuki never listens.]

I want to get everyone who uses Libra off Libra. It's not safe, not anymore, and I don't think it was safe to begin with it. I have most of the new app coded, I can show it you if you want, but I need hardware and the stuff for a server.

[And that's expensive.]

[ there's no rest for the wicked, little Normin friend.

Gil listens to the wind-up of the pitch with a surprisingly stern, smooth face, propping his cheek on a hand as he takes on the full pose of a king on his throne, hearing a report from a kneeling subordinate. ]

And so you seek me for what? Connections to people who sell bulk technology of that sort?

[ he's gonna make him spell it out. time to shoot for the moon, Yuuki-chan. ganba. ]

[Typical. He shrugs again.

Chibi is going around inspecting everything and nodding like a little safety inspector.]

No, that I can do. I need funding, and I don't want to risk getting it outside the app or from someone who knows POKEGO and hates us for what Willow did. They'd screw me over.

[ never help your opponent in a negotiation. not unless it plays them into your hand. it's probably some scumfuck business 102 thing. ]

I see. [ there is, however, a little crinkle of amusement in his stony facade--his pupils were round before. they're slit now. ]

So you've identified me as a source of funding, then. [ he says without a trace of irony, sitting next to a TV big enough to kill an adult man from a good enough height, all of the newest generation game consoles, and Chibi in the background staring at something that's probably pure gold. ] And what's my stake, should I invest in your independence project?

[Typical rich people.]

Other than getting to stick it to Zodiac and any other jackasses the Black Order sends our way?

[He shrugs.]

This is a non-profit sort of deal, because I'm not charging out the ass for subscriptions to a free service, so I can't promise you'll get any monetary investments back. Other than that, I was hoping we could negotiate.

[ so incredibly typical. ]

How are you going to keep the 'wrong' Black Order members from getting ahold of it? What are your plans for security--the application as it stands is full of people who are lax in their speech; do you trust them to vet every new magical stranger that comes trotting into the city?

[ time to get his grill on--one Shark Tank experience coming up, though he will give Yuuki one small advantage by not bothering to play coy about needing to make his money back, as a reward for being the most interesting thing to happen to him today. ]

Money is more of a hobby than a necessity. I seek interesting things and new experiences--so what do you have to offer?

I've spoken with the head of the Order members here. He's trustworthy, and he's agreed to screen all new Order arrivals before I send them the application. As for making sure people don't blab, that's admittedly still a work in progress. We're probably looking at either something magical or a general moderation tool until I can get something better worked out.

[...threats of Zulius, maybe? Or Dan Heng? Eunie? He'll figure it out]

It's a concern, but not the biggest right now since safety won't matter if I can't get this app on phones.

[But interesting things....hm.]

Do you have any Pokemon?

[ a magical piece of code that informs Kaisou's Personality Powerhouses of people talking about Shit They Shouldn't would solve all of Kaisou's problems violently (and in a shower of glitter in the case of Mama Zu). the answer Yuuki has so far seems satisfactory, though--the king remains relaxed. ]

That's a start, but I would be curious as to if you intended to do something that--perhaps prohibited people from speaking on the matter magically. I don't care to submit to such controlling measures myself. Why trade one uncertain option for another?

And take heart, boy--act as if I'm already onboard with your project. Confidence is the key in getting what you want.

[ the fact that Yuuki didn't get thrown off the side of the island into whatever happens when you fall into the skybox for long enough should be heartening enough. ]

I do not have any Pokemon. I've seen them in passing, but I truly believed the animals around here were just strangely affected by the magic of this place as the people are.

[Confidence. Got it. He's pretty sure he's got this, but he will admit he is going to leave this and promptly keel over. Too much being social.]

They're not, not really. They're not native, at any rate, and you usually can't find them outside of specific Spirit Gates in the wild. We have a stable one here that leads to their native region. It's pretty dangerous, without Pokemon of your own. If you want, I could escort you to Johto to get one. Or get you one myself.

[ and all at once, Gil goes very, very still. eyes narrowing, focused on Yuuki as if he means to take him apart and examine each piece, moving to sit up straight and then leaning in towards the other man. ]

Let me get this straight.

You think that giving me the obligation of the care of a strange, just-this-side-of-magical beast is a reasonable trade for an ongoing blank check for an entire social media platform.

[ his voice? flat. deepest part of his register. he's not blinking like the snake he wishes to fistfight out back. ]

[Yuuki just gives the guy a look.]

One, not an obligation. They're perfectly capable of taking care of themselves with very few exceptions and they're great protection and companions. Two, I'm trying to protect the people in this city by getting us out from under Zodiac who'll sell us out to the Black Order to save their own skins.

[Also? Fuck it.]

Three, you're filthy rich and I haven't had enough time to play the stock market to even come close to your level of wealth. My apps only sell for so much, college in the States is stupidly expensive, and I work for a science-magical organization that lost all our funding two years ago. Three-point-five, this isn't even going to be a POKEGO project so even if we hadn't lost all our funding I'd still be here. I'll tangle with the black market but I'm not stupid enough to offer a blank check of "pay this guy back some day". Pokemon or custom apps or mobile games are all I can offer right now.

[ and for a moment Gilgamesh just continues to stare at him with that same flinty-eyed, sharp look, his viper's mouth twitched in the barest edge of a smirk as Yuuki takes a breath and lets it rip with both barrels

he sits back when the tech genius stops speaking, hands on his lap, looking like he's seconds away from bursting into a fit of temper, or like there's another round of mockery to follow

but instead he chuckles. and that chuckle turns into a full-belly cackle of a laugh, tipping his head back with his hands over his eyes as he gives Yuuki the full Gilgamesh laugh treatment, exhaling with a wry little hum when he finally remembers to breathe, smile plain on his faced and mirth in his narrowed eyes. ]

Beautifully spoken. I admire the candor and the sheer guts that it takes to walk into a negotiation near-completely unarmed, and even if this whole thing crashes and burns, I am interested enough to want to see the wreckage from a VIP spot as it blazes away. You're a bleeding heart fool, but you're fun.

[ time to settle back into that kingly pose, but even more relaxed than before. ]

Very well. Find me a Pokemon, and I will take that as proof of your bond. [ a thoughtful, calculating look. ] And if it's particularly interesting, I may also be persuaded to fund POKEGO.

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject