[He hesitates, momentarily, because it's one thing to act on some strange impulse Gepard can't quantify or name (and doesn't, in fact, want to give voice to it) and it's another for it to basically work pretty fucking easily.
But it's only a moment. The fear of Sampo saying, actually, lol, nvm, sorry was greater than any worries that he's doing the wrong thing. He hands his phone to Sampo; he takes the flowers from the florist, and, while Sampo does whatever he's doing, Gepard closes his eyes, buries his nose in the bouquet, and takes a deep breath.
It smells...
Relaxing. His eyes open again.]
A tattoo? Not everyone wants one. Or, if they want one, can decide on what it should be. Or set aside the time to get one. But if you want me to talk you into it? [And why would he, really, Gepard knows that he's not the sort of artist to move mountains - he's good, sure, his teacher's better, there's world renowned artists and he's not one of them.]
I'll keep drawing until you find something you like. [...heck with it.] And I'll set aside time for you. You won't have to wait a year before I can book you.
[Even if he's not serious, though, it would be fun to pester Sampo with a drawing, day after day, like some 30 day art challenge except the challenge is to, uh. Make a friend.]
[Sampo puts his number into Gepard's phone with an absolutely obnoxious amount of emojis with it-- 💐🌹❤️❤️🔥❤️Sampo Koski❤️❤️🔥❤️🌹💐-- and sends himself a text message so that he has Gepard's number in return. He feels his phone vibrate in his pocket, confirming that he got it. So there's no escape, Cute Blond, he's got your information and there's no escaping his incomprehensible gif memes.]
[He looks up from the screen and hands the phone back.]
Wow, that's a lot of preferential treatment! I feel special. [He puts a hand over his heart, like he might swoon.]
I guess you'll have to try your best, so you can come up with something that'll impress me! Otherwise you'll never get the chance to put some of your flowers on me.
[Isn't that something, Gepard? The idea of putting an eternal mark, flowers that never wither. Something that Sampo will look at and always remember you.]
[...was that a lot of preferential treatment? Was he giving too much preferential treatment? He doesn't know. He thought he'd been giving Sampo a friendly amount of treatment. Gepard just takes the phone and, without looking at it, puts it in his pocket - he's sure that the florist had put in a normal amount of emoji and didn't do anything too excessive with his name. Besides.]
Well, first things first - as much as it's been nice talking to you, I should be getting back to my shop. [It feels like things are slipping and he got more than he ever intended on having, and it's a good way to reestablish control...and also, work. He's got a client coming soonish. Probably. Maybe.] How much do I owe you?
Ah, of course. Business is business! I can't keep you from your clients forever.
[Gepard has to get back to his clients and make that bread, as the kids say. Can't keep somebody waiting for their appointment, that's just bad customer service. And speaking of customer service...]
Let's just say the first one is on the house. But I expect you to come back another time and get something else!
[Let him just tie that bouquet up with a ribbon to keep it all together-- a pretty emerald green color, because he likes it-- and slip one of his business cards in there. Rosemary for Remembrance, like that line from Hamlet.]
[He's 3/4ths of his way to grabbing his wallet, and then Gepard freezes like a deer in headlights, and he stares, and his mouth slightly opens, and he thinks he's blushing again- why is he blushing again, why does it feel like every single time he knows what he's doing Sampo just knocks him back on his ass and he's left floundering. Sampo's a florist, for goodness sake.]
I-
[The flowers? Beautiful. The rose, also beautiful - one's destined for his shop, the other for his bedroom.]
That's very kind, thank you. [What the heck.]
I'll be sure to come back again.
[A sheepish smile, a wave, a glance at his phone - it's that time, he's late, probably - and Gepard pleasantly smells the flowers because it's either that or screaming a little scream (both at whatever's happening here as well as the time), and he leaves just walk, walk, walking out the door, heading towards his shop, fuck fuck fuck.
[Sampo sticks one hand in his pocket and waves Gepard out the door with the other. He's, like... seventy percent sure that he'll come back again. Maybe seventy-five. It just depends on whether he's the kind of guy who keeps his promises, or if he'll be too weirded out by Sampo being overly friendly.]
[Well. If all else fails, Sampo still has his number.]
[After he's gone, Sampo's tempted to start texting him, maybe send him a gif or a meme or something, but he should probably let the guy process everything for a minute. Texting him now would totally be coming on too strong, and you can't overplay your hand, right?]
[Play it cool, Koski. Go sort some flowers or something.]
[He waits two days before he sends a text. It should be considered a truly remarkable example of self-restraint on his part. What he sends is this--]
[He's tempted to text the florist back almost immediately, and then Gepard decides no, that would be weird and needy, and then all thoughts of texting are obliterated from his mind when his client shows up and Gepard realizes he forgot about references.
...but he's got a lovely bouquet and it's fine.
...the rose ends up in his apartment, in a vase, right on his dresser.
...this means nothing.
And time goes on and he forgets about the passage of time, and then he gets a gif which startles a noise out of him, and someone asks, "Gep, are you okay over there?
I'm fine. My apologies.
[And then he starts furiously typing and stops typing and then starts typing again, and stops typing, and then backspaces a bunch, and then there's silence for a moment.]
WAS that what I looked like?
[Also, that's a lot of emotes around Sampo's name, when did that happen...he'll keep them. For now.]
[Oh! Look at that, a text in return. Sampo hadn't expected to get one so quickly, if he even got one at all. It's a nice surprise, though.]
A little bit! Don't people give you gifts very often?
[Honestly, with a face like that? Gepard should be getting gifts left, right, and center. He's the kind of good-looking who should never have to pay for his own drinks because someone else will buy them for him. Should never have to buy his own dinners because he's too pretty to pay.]
[Sampo has enough cash to pay for dinners, for drinks, but he's also too old for sugar babies. Though Gepard is gainfully employed, so he wouldn't quite be a sugar baby, right? Even if Sampo did decide to buy him things just because he's pretty?]
[He could definitely get him a lot of flowers. Maybe he should get him more flowers? Drop them off at his parlor as a surprise? No, no, that's getting way ahead of himself, he can't just start dropping presents off at Gepard's doorstep before they've even gone on the first date. That's definitely a second date kind of thing.]
[...he knows he should be getting ready for his next client, but Gepard settles in a couch. He can allow himself a few minutes of whatever-this-is. (He knows what this is, but denial makes things easier.)
So, there he is, snuggling on his couch, acting like he's a boy who has nothing better to do than to text a florist he only met once. (Had it been only once?)]
Food, if anything. Sometimes my clients like to bring me snacks?
Ah, so I have competition! How do my bouquets stack up to snacks? You can't eat them, but they're pretty, and that has to count for something.
[It's only been a few days, so Gepard probably doesn't need any more bouquets, but that doesn't mean that Sampo couldn't give him one... a tattoo parlor could have more than one bouquet in it. Or Gepard could take it home and liven up his apartment with it.]
I got some gladiolus in. They're pretty spectacular!
[There's maybe a minute or so of a break while Sampo goes and gathers up some of the new gladiolus flowers, gathering up a bunch of them in his arms of various colors. Then he takes a selfie with them and sends that over, because if he's going to send a picture to Cute Blond, he might as well include his face in it. The flowers and leaves frame his face out pretty nice, too.]
[His response is to send a screenshot of Sampo's contact info, now with that selfie for a photo, still with the ridiculous number of emotes attached to it.]
Excuse you I used just the right amount of emotes!! It's not my fault that you aren't hip with current trends.
[That was probably the least cool thing that he's ever typed, but he did it ironically so it comes back around to being cool again. That's how things work, trust him.]
You know, you need to send me a picture now, so I can have one for your contact info. It's not fair otherwise.
[After an appropriate amount of time, Gepard sends two things.
First, a Gepard da Vinci, a work of art done in a few minutes. And the second is a selfie.
The selfie is of him looking faintly embarrassed, unconsciously so, because- well. He's not good at taking selfies of himself. But it's fine. He can send a selfie of himself to his...
Buddy. His eager buddy.]
If the drawing isn't enough, here's a selfie.
My client is here so I won't be responding for a while. Sorry.
[He doesn't have a client (yet) this is a lie, but it's a white lie so it's okay.]
[How's he supposed to choose which one to use as Gepard's picture in his phone? The little Gepard da Vinci is adorable, a cute little caricature of Gepard himself, but the selfie is equally cute. He looks faintly sheepish in the picture, as though he isn't aware of the fact that he's handsome in any light.]
[Is he not aware of the fact that he's handsome? No, no, that would be ridiculous. Hot people know that they're hot.]
[Sampo's left on read for about a half hour, and during that time Gepard draws and sketches, and doodles, and draws a bunch of eyes not for any reason - it's to give his fingers something to do as he ignores the fact he sent Sampo a selfie, and then he very determinedly tries to ignore that. Trying really hard to ignore it!
...he ends up with a page full of eyes, which looks either unfortunately creepy or fortunately artistic depending on one's perspective.]
[Sampo replies about ten minutes after Gepard sends his text— he does sometimes have to do work, even when he has pretty blonds texting him.]
that’s a lot of eyes
[If he didn’t know that Gepard’s an artist and thus would draw random body parts as part of the general practice of his craft, he might think that was pretty weird.]
Have you been doing the same kind of tattoos lately? Oh have you been getting a bunch of those cybersigilism tattoos??? It’s been blowing up on TikTok lately. Kids these days!
Personally, I don't like them very much, but that's just me! I think they look like those tribal tattoos that people got thirty years ago but with the middle not filled in.
[Trends go in cycles, they say. So maybe even in the world of tattoos, if you wait long enough, tribal will be back in style in one form or another.]
Not that you shouldn't give the customer what they want, but, well. We all know how well tribal tattoos aged! [Horribly.] You sound like you need some inspiration.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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But it's only a moment. The fear of Sampo saying, actually, lol, nvm, sorry was greater than any worries that he's doing the wrong thing. He hands his phone to Sampo; he takes the flowers from the florist, and, while Sampo does whatever he's doing, Gepard closes his eyes, buries his nose in the bouquet, and takes a deep breath.
It smells...
Relaxing. His eyes open again.]
A tattoo? Not everyone wants one. Or, if they want one, can decide on what it should be. Or set aside the time to get one. But if you want me to talk you into it? [And why would he, really, Gepard knows that he's not the sort of artist to move mountains - he's good, sure, his teacher's better, there's world renowned artists and he's not one of them.]
I'll keep drawing until you find something you like. [...heck with it.] And I'll set aside time for you. You won't have to wait a year before I can book you.
[Even if he's not serious, though, it would be fun to pester Sampo with a drawing, day after day, like some 30 day art challenge except the challenge is to, uh. Make a friend.]
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[He looks up from the screen and hands the phone back.]
Wow, that's a lot of preferential treatment! I feel special. [He puts a hand over his heart, like he might swoon.]
I guess you'll have to try your best, so you can come up with something that'll impress me! Otherwise you'll never get the chance to put some of your flowers on me.
[Isn't that something, Gepard? The idea of putting an eternal mark, flowers that never wither. Something that Sampo will look at and always remember you.]
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Well, first things first - as much as it's been nice talking to you, I should be getting back to my shop. [It feels like things are slipping and he got more than he ever intended on having, and it's a good way to reestablish control...and also, work. He's got a client coming soonish. Probably. Maybe.] How much do I owe you?
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[Gepard has to get back to his clients and make that bread, as the kids say. Can't keep somebody waiting for their appointment, that's just bad customer service. And speaking of customer service...]
Let's just say the first one is on the house. But I expect you to come back another time and get something else!
[Let him just tie that bouquet up with a ribbon to keep it all together-- a pretty emerald green color, because he likes it-- and slip one of his business cards in there. Rosemary for Remembrance, like that line from Hamlet.]
There you go. Don't be a stranger!
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I-
[The flowers? Beautiful. The rose, also beautiful - one's destined for his shop, the other for his bedroom.]
That's very kind, thank you. [What the heck.]
I'll be sure to come back again.
[A sheepish smile, a wave, a glance at his phone - it's that time, he's late, probably - and Gepard pleasantly smells the flowers because it's either that or screaming a little scream (both at whatever's happening here as well as the time), and he leaves just walk, walk, walking out the door, heading towards his shop, fuck fuck fuck.
What just happened, just-
What just happened. Much to process.]
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[Well. If all else fails, Sampo still has his number.]
[After he's gone, Sampo's tempted to start texting him, maybe send him a gif or a meme or something, but he should probably let the guy process everything for a minute. Texting him now would totally be coming on too strong, and you can't overplay your hand, right?]
[Play it cool, Koski. Go sort some flowers or something.]
[He waits two days before he sends a text. It should be considered a truly remarkable example of self-restraint on his part. What he sends is this--]
this u?
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...but he's got a lovely bouquet and it's fine.
...the rose ends up in his apartment, in a vase, right on his dresser.
...this means nothing.
And time goes on and he forgets about the passage of time, and then he gets a gif which startles a noise out of him, and someone asks, "Gep, are you okay over there?
I'm fine. My apologies.
[And then he starts furiously typing and stops typing and then starts typing again, and stops typing, and then backspaces a bunch, and then there's silence for a moment.]
WAS that what I looked like?
[Also, that's a lot of emotes around Sampo's name, when did that happen...he'll keep them. For now.]
I guess I see why you gave me the bouquet.
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A little bit! Don't people give you gifts very often?
[Honestly, with a face like that? Gepard should be getting gifts left, right, and center. He's the kind of good-looking who should never have to pay for his own drinks because someone else will buy them for him. Should never have to buy his own dinners because he's too pretty to pay.]
[Sampo has enough cash to pay for dinners, for drinks, but he's also too old for sugar babies. Though Gepard is gainfully employed, so he wouldn't quite be a sugar baby, right? Even if Sampo did decide to buy him things just because he's pretty?]
[He could definitely get him a lot of flowers. Maybe he should get him more flowers? Drop them off at his parlor as a surprise? No, no, that's getting way ahead of himself, he can't just start dropping presents off at Gepard's doorstep before they've even gone on the first date. That's definitely a second date kind of thing.]
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[...he knows he should be getting ready for his next client, but Gepard settles in a couch. He can allow himself a few minutes of whatever-this-is. (He knows what this is, but denial makes things easier.)
So, there he is, snuggling on his couch, acting like he's a boy who has nothing better to do than to text a florist he only met once. (Had it been only once?)]
Food, if anything. Sometimes my clients like to bring me snacks?
[Does that count?]
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[It's only been a few days, so Gepard probably doesn't need any more bouquets, but that doesn't mean that Sampo couldn't give him one... a tattoo parlor could have more than one bouquet in it. Or Gepard could take it home and liven up his apartment with it.]
I got some gladiolus in. They're pretty spectacular!
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[He...thinks. At least.]
Can I see them?
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[There's maybe a minute or so of a break while Sampo goes and gathers up some of the new gladiolus flowers, gathering up a bunch of them in his arms of various colors. Then he takes a selfie with them and sends that over, because if he's going to send a picture to Cute Blond, he might as well include his face in it. The flowers and leaves frame his face out pretty nice, too.]
What do you think?
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Did you really have to use that many emotes?
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[That was probably the least cool thing that he's ever typed, but he did it ironically so it comes back around to being cool again. That's how things work, trust him.]
You know, you need to send me a picture now, so I can have one for your contact info. It's not fair otherwise.
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[Also, very camera shy, so.]
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[You're an artist, Gepard, surely you can whip up a cute little doodle of yourself to send to your new friend, right?]
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First, a Gepard da Vinci, a work of art done in a few minutes. And the second is a selfie.
The selfie is of him looking faintly embarrassed, unconsciously so, because- well. He's not good at taking selfies of himself. But it's fine. He can send a selfie of himself to his...
Buddy. His eager buddy.]
If the drawing isn't enough, here's a selfie.
My client is here so I won't be responding for a while. Sorry.
[He doesn't have a client (yet) this is a lie, but it's a white lie so it's okay.]
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[How's he supposed to choose which one to use as Gepard's picture in his phone? The little Gepard da Vinci is adorable, a cute little caricature of Gepard himself, but the selfie is equally cute. He looks faintly sheepish in the picture, as though he isn't aware of the fact that he's handsome in any light.]
[Is he not aware of the fact that he's handsome? No, no, that would be ridiculous. Hot people know that they're hot.]
Don't worry about it! Go make that bread.
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...he ends up with a page full of eyes, which looks either unfortunately creepy or fortunately artistic depending on one's perspective.]
I think I'm in a rut.
[And sure, Sampo can see the page of eyes.]
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that’s a lot of eyes
[If he didn’t know that Gepard’s an artist and thus would draw random body parts as part of the general practice of his craft, he might think that was pretty weird.]
Have you been doing the same kind of tattoos lately? Oh have you been getting a bunch of those cybersigilism tattoos??? It’s been blowing up on TikTok lately. Kids these days!
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[And he can take that as he will.]
I thought I'd add to my flash sheets, but, as it turns out, I don't have any ideas of what to draw.
I know the tattoos you're talking about and I thought I'd start there, but as you can see I didn't really go anywhere with this.
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[Trends go in cycles, they say. So maybe even in the world of tattoos, if you wait long enough, tribal will be back in style in one form or another.]
Not that you shouldn't give the customer what they want, but, well. We all know how well tribal tattoos aged! [Horribly.] You sound like you need some inspiration.
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I could use some inspiration.
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[It's not a date. Really! It's just a friendly dude helping out another dude with his problem. Totally dudebro things. Nothing to see here.]
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[Wow, it sounds like Sampo's doing a lot for him. Wow. He's going to give Sampo an out.]
I wouldn't want you to to go out of your way if it's too much trouble.
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