Audience - Jacopo

[holyspirits]

Comments

[holyspirits]

[ hi. in the bar today, gabriel is busy rearranging stuff behind the counter such as moving glasses, adding more bottles to the stock, cleaning up, etc. today's music is keeping them occupied, and when they turn and see jacopo entering they pause. ]

Look what the cat dragged in. [ it is 100000% a joke because the emotions are a tentative kind of excitement and relief he's back in one piece. considering the last thing he saw was just a head. hi. ]

[obdure]

Is that how you say "hello" now?

[ He's back and they're still JUST LIGHT AREN'T THEY. That's fine, he looks like he hasn't slept much. ]

[holyspirits]

[ haha yeah they are still light, though the glow is slightly less so jacopo can see their eyes and general vague features. ]

When you look like that? Maybe. Have a seat. [ already turning to get him some coffee... ]

[obdure]

[ A slight annoyance above you know. Depression, but the emotion share lasts so short. ]

I think I put myself together well enough every morning.

[ He approaches, leans over the counter, then grabs their collar or whatever their wearing, and kisses them. ]

[holyspirits]

I mean sure, I guess, in that you're actually dressed and functional and-- [ they do not get to continue because yeah, jacopo manages to grab them by the shirt and kiss them?




what the fuck????? they sort of just pause like they're trying to figure out what is happening and they're a little too ??? to pull back so this is fine. also they kiss back on instinct? except they seem to realize it's instinct without actually meaning to so they stop again to go ????? hold the fuck up. ]

What. [ the emotional feedback is incredibly flustered because that came out of nowhere, jesus. ]

[obdure]

[ i will write an actual tag after but i must know does it feel like they haven't shaved ]

[holyspirits]

[ this is such a question even though I know why you're asking anyway they have probably shaved as of extremely recently. like yesterday. ]

[obdure]

[ Okay, well he is also flustered and confused when Gabriel kisses back? Like his mind is trying to process what has happened.

And why he's in this position. Slowly, he pulls back and lets go of their shirt, scowl on his face... And, well, obviously, his face is flushing incredibly fast as an eyebrow twitches.

TRIES TO COLLECT HIMSELF, BOTH HANDS ON THE COUNTER AS HE HANGS HIS HEAD, one set of fingertips drumming against the surface. ]

I'm going to walk out the door and come back. None of this happened. Understood?

[holyspirits]

[ IT WAS A REFLEX!! THEY DID NOT MEAN TO!!! jacopo pulls back and gabriel leans back to stare at him. ]

We are pretending this never happened. [ please leave, they are still very ?! about this as they go back to fixing this man his coffee for some reason. ]

[obdure]

Good job on shaving.

[ Says this before he leaves... And he will try to compose himself outside. You know like how those people BREATHE IN DEEPLY, drag a hand down their face, then punch something to calm down.

Okay, he will come back. ]

Hello.

[holyspirits]

[ THANKS?

jacopo leaves and gabriel sort of stares off into space, plays back the last two minutes before deciding that is for the suppression box since they are ignoring it, and by the time he comes back gabriel is pouring him a cup of black coffee. ]

Hey. Welcome back to this side of things.

[obdure]

[ JACOPO IS A MESS OF A MAN BECAUSE HE CAN BE AN INCREDIBLE LIAR AND AN INCREDIBLY BAD LIAR. Right now he can fake it until he makes it.

His face is no longer red. It really is like earlier didn't happen, except that is a better greeting. YEAH. ]

It's good to see you again.

[ He'll take a seat on the stool by the counter. Hello. ]

[holyspirits]

[ this is so funny, why. anyway, jacopo looks calm and gabriel hears that thought and he really kind of goes "damn, this man actually does just want me to talk nice to him?" this is not a shared thought though. instead, they're pouring coffee for themselves before leaning on the counter. ]

It's good to see you, too. A weird Thursday without you, to be honest. [ teasing, but also real. ]

[obdure]

[ okay, gabriel, why SHOULDN'T HE want to be treated nicely? That should be proper conduct? Even though he's kind of shitty and prickly to people generally? ]

Was it? The tavern seemed popular like usual.

[holyspirits]

[ what makes you think gabriel is a proper person. ]

You missed the Gabriel interrogation hour, for one. [ it's definitely a joke, but... kind of not. ] To her credit, Shadowheart did tell me she was going to talk about me like I wasn't there because they were trying to figure some things out. I can respect being told before people talk about me.

[obdure]

[ that doesn't give you a pass ]

Right... We were quite curious about you on our side as well. How did it go? What did they talk about? Did you like the attention?

[ lmao ]

[holyspirits]

No. [ he tries to say it like a joke again but uh, the emotional feedback does come off as vaguely uncomfortable. ] It's fine, I get why everybody asked. I have coveted information that's in high demand.

They talked about their dreams, asked me about the old God a little more, and I think I heard about them trying to decide if contacting Satan was a good idea.

[obdure]

[ A snort. Okay. ]

... You can say it made you uncomfortable, you know. Even though you understand why we were asking.

[ Offers a hand. ]

Do you feel like it led anywhere?

[holyspirits]

It's not... [ he stops and seem to consider what to say, a little spike of frustration. again, it's not like he doesn't get it. but. ] I know I don't really have a right to be uncomfortable about it when I have answers people want. But I also don't have all of them that I know they're looking for, and it's just going to disappoint them all over again. And while I am, in fact, an expert at disappointing people, I was hoping to do less of that here.

[ staring at his hand...kind of poking at it a little, like he's not sure if it's just for show or for paw-holding or what. ]

I think it gave them some answers and further confirmation that the New God's the one in charge of this shitshow. Does that count?

[obdure]

You can't provide what you don't have and you can't prepare if you don't know what to expect. Their disappointment doesn't mean you failed.

[ He grabs their wrist after the poke. This is more of a secure hand-holding kind of. A wrist-hold like wanting to pull someone up and out from somewhere. ]

I think that counts. What shape do they even take? Another aquatic animal?

[holyspirits]

[ sorry, he laughs a little, more out of disbelief than anything. but he allows it, which means jacopo's probably actually wrapping his hand around a wristband. something kind of soft and almost worn, at least. ]

I don't know. [ i think people might agree later. but he moves past that, because jacopo's asking a question and he shakes his head. ]

No, not an animal. Not like that, anyway. If I ever had to see another giant amphibian I might lose my mind.

[obdure]

[ They can hold onto his wrist if they want. He doesn't realize it's happening. ]

The old god gave you that much grief? [ He finds it a little funny if he didn't also have to keep in mind that it could be depressing for Gabriel


Also just unrelated ] Do you have another bedroom in your place?

[holyspirits]

For one thing, I spent my life thinking God was, like, a person and not a salamander. [ so yeah, grief. ] How am I supposed to explain that to people? It sounds crazy.

[ but hm? ]

I don't, no. Why?

[obdure]

[ not ideal. ]

I wanted to sleep.

[ THE ENTITY MAY BE TRAPPED BUT THESE PEOPLE ARE STILL FREAKS ]

[holyspirits]

Oh. I can always crash somewhere else.

[ don't just? offer your apartment?? ]