[Who would have thought that the Captain of the Silvermane guard, the savior of Belobog, would be able to turn those pretty blue eyes on Sampo and flash him the saddest little look? Like puppy dog eyes, like the mere prospect of Sampo leaving is a terrible thing. Sampo Koski is many things, but even he'd have a hard time saying no to those eyes.]
[So! It seems like he'll be staying for a while, because he's a sucker for a handsome man.]
When you ask so nicely, how can I refuse?
[Come on, Gepard-- Sampo hooks an arm around Gepard's, leading him away from his disastrous gardening attempts and back towards his breakfast. You have to eat it before it gets cold, Sampo didn't spend his morning slaving over a hot stove just for you to eat cold bacon and eggs.]
What are your plans for the day, Captain? Since you've got it all to yourself!
[He leads him over to where his breakfast is plated out. Be a good boy and eat, Sampo will refill your coffee for you. Just like a good little wifey would, or, at least, a good vampire man that's agreed to make sure you get three square meals a day.]
[An arm is hooked around his own. Gepard leans into the touch. He can't help it. He tries to not make it weird or obvious, in fact, tries to resist leaning into it; he does so anyway, in the same way a cat would hesitantly curl up around a person that it was still undecided about. Like that.
...ignore the blush. Food's a good enough distraction, anyway.
He's led to the table, and he sits, and there's bacon and eggs and the food looks good. Very good. His stomach gurgles. Gurgle. The blush might be harder to ignore.]
...I haven't really thought about it. [Eating breakfast is normal. He's eating breakfast. Chewing, biting, swallowing.]
In all honesty, if you hadn't surprised me, I might have ended up at work anyway. [It's more than a bit embarrassing to admit. Don't point it out, please. He needs to pretend like he's a functional adult with a functional range of functional hobbies and a healthy work-life balance in order to carry on.
...sigh.] There's just so much to do and not enough hands to do them. To be honest, sitting while others are taking up my work feels...wrong, and it hasn't even been a day. I know.
[It probably isn't all that surprising that Gepard would've just gone right into work if he hadn't been interrupted. Whether it's because of the force of habit or sheer stubbornness isn't immediately obvious, but Gepard's nothing if not a workaholic. Either option is equally viable.]
Wouldn't you have gotten in trouble if you'd shown up, because you're on medical leave?
[Most employers would probably frown upon their employees completely disregarding a doctor's orders, especially when said doctor's orders occurred right after a particularly troubling shift. It wouldn't have been that strange for Gepard to have been told to take a day off after being attacked and kidnapped by their mysterious assailant, just because of the stress. The fact that it was less stressful due to Sampo being the closest thing to vegan that a vampire can be is beside the point.]
You're very dedicated! I'm sure no one minds handling your duties for a day or two while you get a little rest. [Many of them might breathe a sigh of relief, knowing that the Captain had finally taken a little time for himself like a mere mortal man.] And, well, you at least know that I'm off of everyone's plate!
[No more mysterious victims waking up near geomarrow heaters with sore necks and amnesia. That also means no more time wasted on trying to find an elusive perpetrator, no more reports, no more meetings and patrol alterations. A fair bit of work cleared off of their to-do lists, all because Gepard decided to become a people-flavored Capri Sun.]
So don't feel so bad! You might be taking some time off, but it's after saving everyone some work, so doesn't it all kind of balance out?
[Figaro asks if he'd have gotten in trouble, and Gepard makes a noise. It's a vague noise, one that's muffled in some (very delicious) food, a universal sort of fuck if I know noise. Because he doesn't know. Because he's achieved this weird spot in work in which he can probably get away with a lot of things other soldiers cannot, but also does some things that, perhaps, he shouldn't. Would he get in trouble if he showed up?
It'll probably depend on what he tries to do.
...but Figaro's trying to be very convincing, and he's going to just accept it instead of trying to fight what he's saying.]
...I guess so.
[...even if he doesn't like feeling like a liability.
...moving on.]
Even so, I'm not exactly sure what to do with all this time I have. I'm not good at resting - I've gotten on the bad side of more than one doctor, actually. [Fucking impossible to keep him in a bed any longer than they gotta.]
[Well, Sampo's trying to make Gepard feel less guilty about taking a little time off, but the good Captain apparently has a very hard time accepting even that. Just go with it, pal, and don't think about the guards or the Fragmentum or any of that for a little while! It'll all still be there when you go back.]
I'm not surprised. You seem like the type to work until you drop! Or, anyway, until someone orders you to take the time off.
[Mandatory leave. Sampo wouldn't be surprised if Gepard has a long history of being forced to take time off just because he refuses to until it's entirely unavoidable. Really, if he took more breaks on a regular basis, he'd probably have fewer chunks of time that he's forced to be on leave-- the same way that a car that gets regular maintenance doesn't have to be in the shop as long as one that's driven until it falls apart.]
[There is the question, though, of what to do with Gepard's free time. Since he asked Sampo to keep him company, he feels like he ought to have at least some suggestions for how to fill the hours.]
Do you want to go to the florist's? [That's something to do, and it fits with what Gepard apparently likes, even if he's a shit gardener.] Maybe we could pick up another plant for you. Between the two of us, we might even be able to keep it alive!
[He had vague thoughts about how things would go, nothing concrete. If Figaro wanted to do something, great, they'd do it together; if Figaro didn't, he'd probably just try and fail to read a novel, being slowly bored to death. The thing with having a life that revolved around work is that, when work was taken away from Gepard, he didn't exactly have hobbies that filled in the gaps...
This isn't a good thing. Gepard knows it. That's besides the point.
...the thing is, he didn't expect that Figaro would suggest something that he liked so much. What the heck. How is he supposed to turn this into a professional relationship when Figaro up and says something like that.]
I'd like that. And I could use all the help I can get. [It's a joke! Laugh. He knows he's got a black thumb. He can mock himself.] We're also doing something you like sometime soon, today or tomorrow or...whenever you feel like it. I don't want you to feel like you just have to do things I like.
[Sometimes, Sampo has good ideas! And right now, he's pleased that Gepard's going along with his idea so easily. Why can't he be so easy to convince all of the time?]
[He even makes a joke! The good Captain is in a particularly fine mood this morning, even though he's had to show his dead plants to his vampire acquaintance. See, this is what a good night's sleep and a break from work can do for you, Gepard, it gets you some company, a nice outing, and a better mood.]
I'll hold you to that! Maybe tomorrow we'll do something that I want to do. We'll get you set up with new plants today.
[He leans his hip against the table, casual and cavalier.]
And, hey, now you have someone to look after your plants for you while you're busy on the front lines! I can always pop in and make sure they're watered while you're away. Plant-sitting is just one of the many services that I have on offer.
[Sure, it's not that tough of a job - it's just watering plants. Gepard might have a black thumb, but he knows other people don't. But also, it's strangely...generous? It feels generous. More generous than it actually probably is. Probably.
Maybe.
But it's nice. Gepard flashes Figaro (what is his name, this is driving him nuts) a smile. A small thing. A little sheepish, maybe.]
You're cooking for me, you're helping me with my plants...if I had more room, I'd ask if you wanted to be my roommate. [...sure, roommate's a safe word. And Figaro's safe house was rather lonely. Barren. His underworld one is better, surely, or maybe he sleeps somewhere else, surely. It can't just be barren apartments with aggressively okay hot water and aggressively okay heating. He shouldn't be wondering about replacing his couch with one that has a pull-out bed.] I could clean and do the laundry in exchange for your cooking and plant-sitting. [When he's around, at least. He'd try. He'd make an effort. He'd do his best.]
But I have only one bedroom and I'm not sure about the couch, so... [So.] Maybe it's for the best.
[To be honest, there is something ever-so-slightly tempting about Gepard offering the roommates thing. He'd have a place to go that has better than aggressively mediocre amenities, the safety of living under the same roof as a relatively powerful man. But it would make it harder to run his scams literally right under the nose of the Silvermane guard captain, even if he spent decent chunks of time out of the house.]
[And there's the only one bedroom thing. While Sampo has slept on worse than a couch-- his Underworld safehouse is objectively worse and more concerning than his Overworld one-- he can get why Gepard wouldn't be comfortable with shacking him up in the living room while he sleeps in a bed. And as for splitting the bed, well. You don't share a bed with your buddies, and Gepard isn't going to be upgrading his new acquaintance to live-in fuckbuddy any time soon.]
[That's probably just called a sugar baby, actually. Might not be the worst job, being Gepard Landau's sugar baby. Sampo has heard that the Landau family is pretty much top dog on this little backwater planet, and there are worse things in life than paying for room and board with your ass. Gepard's easy on the eyes! Just also not interested in asses if they're attached to men.]
It's a generous offer! But your pal Figaro lives a bachelor's lifestyle. You'd get annoyed with me coming and going at all hours.
[So they'll stay acquaintance-friends. A perfectly fine thing for them to be! Nothing wrong with recognizing a good thing and keeping it as it is.]
This way, I only bother you when I'm sneaking into your place! [Like a stray tomcat.] You should make a habit of leaving a window open for me so I don't have to keep picking the lock.
[And at that, Gepard laughs. It's a startled little laugh, and he blinks after that noise escapes his lips because oh. Oh, he laughed. Figaro made him laugh. It's the first time in months that he laughed, and, of all the people, it was a mysterious man who drank blood (a criminal, someone he should be arresting) who surprised it out of him. He shouldn't be laughing.
But he is.]
Wouldn't it be easier for me to just give you a copy of my key? [Doesn't that make more sense?] Normally, I wouldn't even consider it. I barely even know you. I don't know your name. But you're- well. Here? It's not as if locks show any signs of stopping you. I might as well make it official.
[He takes a moment to take a drink of his coffee. (He shouldn't be happy about this. But something about how absurd everything is makes Gepard happy. It's absurd. Everything that's happening is absurd. It makes it easier to surrender to it and say things that Gepard-the-soldier shouldn't say, but Gepard-the-man can.)] But something tells me you'd prefer the challenge of a locked window to a front door and a key. Promise me that if you do decide to spend the night, you'll do your best to warn me ahead of time so I can get extra blankets for the couch.
[A laugh! It's Sampo's lucky day, he managed to get a laugh out of the stoic Captain. Gepard's face looks sweeter when he does, and he really is very handsome when he isn't being stern.]
There isn't a lock in Belobog that I can't pick. [Really, there isn't. Lock technology on this backwater planet is antiquated, stuff that's been cracked out in the wider galaxy for a few centuries. It's kind of fun, getting to pick these old styles rather than having to break through more advanced digital safeguards.] I'll try not to break any of yours!
[There will be more than one morning where Gepard will find some lock that he'd placed sitting on his kitchen table, just to let him know that it was no match for Figaro. Even if it wasn't a lock that he'd put on his house.]
I'll give you a heads up. It would be rude of me to surprise you first thing in the morning! Besides, you might hit me, and you've got a good arm on you.
[If that bottle swing when he'd tried to subdue Gepard in that back alley is any indication.]
[He tips his head at Gepard, pondering something he'd said-- a little curious gesture.]
Does it bother you that much that you don't know my name? You asked me for a fake one. [He would've given Gepard a fake one anyway, it's only sensible, but at least it wouldn't have been so out in the open.]
[One day, Gepard will find himself buying a box with an unusual lock, solely so that he can provide his...vaguely strained professional acquaintance-friend with lock enrichment, and when that happens he'll wonder about his life and his choices, where he started, what he's doing, and what he expects from surprising Figaro with a box with a weird lock. But that's in the future.
For now, Gepard lives in blissful ignorance, eating some eggs, perfectly content in being happy.
Then, Figaro asks that question, and Gepard freezes. The fork is halfway to his mouth. It indecisively hovers. Then, the captain puts it back on his plate. This is what happens when he lets down his guard. Figaro/Ringo/whatever else he might become asks a question, and Gepard's left feeling a little too seen.
But it's too late to run from the question, and he hates running, so...]
A little. [More than a little, but, a little. He can admit to a little.] But I did ask you for a fake name. I expected a fake name. I have no doubt you've committed crimes besides the ones I know about, so it would be stupid for you to give me your real name.
[And all of this makes total sense, and all of this is said in a reasonable tone of voice, and all of this is practical and is part of their arrangement. No problems here. Absolutely none.]
So it's not as if I'm...offended. [...it would be easier if he was offended, actually, anyway, fork goes up, food's shoved into his mouth, he can't talk, he's chewing.]
[One day, Sampo will find himself on the receiving end of a box with an unusual lock, bought for him because a man who should be a strained professional acquaintance-friend thought that it would interest him. He'll deal with the emotional fallout of that when he gets to it.]
[Gepard, as expected, is honest in his answers. An honest man, what a novelty. It's new to have a man who actually tells him the truth when he asks a question.]
It would be. Not that I'm confirming any crimes, mind you, but it would be silly for me to give my real name to a man who should want to arrest me.
[It's silly for him to hang around with a man who should want to arrest him, but right now, their acquaintanceship has more benefits than detriments. The arrest risk is worth having a willing juice box. Never let it be said that Sampo Koski isn't willing to risk it for the biscuit!]
[And speaking of risking it, he smiles at Gepard as a fun little idea comes into his head.]
Well, Captain, if you're not offended, how about we play a little game? [Don't you like games, Gepard? Sampo likes games.] If you can figure out my name, I'll owe you a favor. Whatever you want!
[He'll even walk himself right into a jail cell for him, fair's fair.] But if you're wrong, I get one from you.
[Figaro smiles at him; he frowns, reflexively. Instinct. He can't say he hates the idea, actually, far from, there's something about the sheer recklessness that appeals to him, of taking a favor and putting it into Figaro's hands. All for the sake of learning his name.
Gepard knows he should hate it. He really should. It's giving someone he doesn't know too much power, because he'd do his best to live up to it (at least, so long as it doesn't put the safety of Belobog in harm's way) but...
But he licks his lips, instinctively, reflexively, unconsciously.]
I have a condition before I can agree to something like that. Whatever you ask for can't harm Belobog: I can't put my duty before any games we play. [This is not a no. This is the exact opposite of a no. This is a measuring condition, said in a measuring voice. Testing the waters.]
...and wouldn't that mean I'd owe you countless favors if I constantly get it wrong?
[That answer? That answer is very definitely not a no. That's a yes in all but the most explicit terms, because Gepard is negotiating with him rather than rejecting him outright. All for the sake of learning his name! See, he knew that the good Captain could be fun, if he just had the right opportunity.]
I suppose I can agree to that! I won't ask you to abandon your duties to our fair city just for my little whims. But only for things that are a real threat! Your wounded pride doesn't count.
[There are other things that he could ask for that probably wouldn't be good for Gepard's reputation or for his pride, but also wouldn't be a direct threat to Belobog. It's still a very large leeway for him, plenty of room for him to play in.]
Of course not! That wouldn't be very fair, would it? [Sampo waggles a finger at him. Silly Captain.] You only get one shot at guessing, and if you mess it up, that's it! No name for you, and you owe me the favor. So make sure you do your homework and make it count!
[There you go, Captain-- fair's fair. Gepard can't just make endless guesses of every name in Belobog's registries until he gets a hit, and Sampo can't keep collecting favor after favor for every wrong guess.]
And you're really not worried about what I might ask for should I win?
[This is...actually kind of concerning? They're strained acquaintances. Then again, there's always the chance that Figaro-Ringo-Something Else will end up cheating, despite his promises to play fair: Gepard should probably be more worried about that.
He's not. It's more exciting than anything else. Ignorance is bliss. Willful ignorance is no less blissful, though the self-awareness that comes from knowing he's duping himself only makes it so sweet. It's like he's a new guard again and taking his chances on something a little too reckless, all for the cause of proving himself.]
Anyway, my pride doesn't matter [...probably] so I can accept those terms. It wouldn't be the first time I've lost a bet, at any rate.
Nope! Not really. The Captain is too honorable of a man to ask his good pal Figaro for anything scandalous.
[It’s unlikely that he’ll ask Sampo for anything too detrimental, since he has a vested interest in helping Sampo be the best little citizen that he can be. Sampo’s his little charity case right now, his personal passion project. Why risk all of that just for the possibility of getting him in jail for some petty crimes? Then he’d be stuck knowing about Sampo’s little dietary issue and that he’d be stuck with no option but to feed from other inmates.]
[Sampo’s interested, anyway, in seeing if Gepard is clever enough to find out his real name. It’s a good test of his resourcefulness! Whether he can root through all of the different aliases, with all their forged backgrounds and paperwork, to locate the truth amidst the lies. He has some very well forged identities in there. It won’t be easy to suss him out, even if Gepard does track down every name that he’s used.]
Oh, don’t be like that! You have a chance to win, it wouldn’t be any fun if you didn’t. What’s the point of a friendly game if you’ve rigged it so that it’s only in your favor?
[A friendly game isn’t the same as a business deal. Those he makes sure are always to his benefit. But a little game? The uncertainty is part of the fun.]
You’ve got all your resources to work with, too. Plenty of busy little bees over in your intelligence department! Surely you can pull together enough information to take a good stab at ol’ Figaro’s real name.
[And there's a part of him that wants to threaten Figaro with sex, say that if he wins their little whatever-this-is, he'd demand sex, but...Figaro's right, damn him, damn them both, he can't use their game as leverage for sex. Right? He's got standards. He can't just pin Figaro to a wall and ravish him. That would just make things uncomfortable for the both of them.
So, Gepard just makes a face and lets it pass. It's fine.
But, then, Figaro chides him. Don't be like that, he says. It's not rigged, he says. Gepard makes even more of a face at him. Not an angry face? Not mad. Just a little sour. Like he was forced to swallow something somewhat tart, like a lemon.]
I'm not saying I don't think I can win. [...maybe. The trickiest thing would be trying to throw Pela off of the scent as to why he's asking about dark-haired thieves with a strange appetite. He'll have to think of something.]
What I'm saying is that I'm not afraid of any of your favors. [...probably.] In fact, living up to my side of the bargain might be... [Yeah, he'll admit it.] ...fun? Only if I lose, of course.
[Uncomfortable! Sampo would be anything but uncomfortable if Gepard outright stated that he’d cash in his favor for sex. Saying it out loud would clear up several different misconceptions all in one fell swoop, which is, of course, why that wouldn’t happen. It wouldn’t be a slow burn if the leads hooked up too soon and too easily.]
[Sampo will have to think of what he’d want from the good Captain for his victory prize, too. Money? The key to the vault in Qlipoth Fort? A priceless relic from the Museum? A kiss, if he was feeling cheeky about the whole thing. He’d expect one on the hand, like how a gentleman would. Maybe the cheek.]
That’s the spirit! It’s just a friendly game with your pal. We’re just having fun!
[It’s all fun and games, nothing to worry about.]
I’m glad that the Captain has such an easygoing outlook on losing. I thought you might be more competitive.
Anyway! You should eat up so that we can get those plants for you and get them all settled in.
[His eyes narrow, and Gepard thinks two very dangerous thoughts in a row: what might Figaro ask for if he wins, and, if it's fun enough, what would he have to do to convince Figaro into a second round? Then again, it's just as likely that Figaro would ask for money or treasure. Or blood, straight from the hospital.]
You're right. [He should absolutely wolf down the food, and Gepard turns his attention to doing just that- well, he tries to, there's a few moments in which he has to close his eyes and savor the taste, or look up at Figaro - blue eyes wide and astonished-]
This is really good? [And also-] Where did you get this...?
[As if he should be surprised at this point, and times in which he's caught up in-
...well, anyway. Gepard finishes his plate and winces, as he remembers the plates from the night before-] I'm really sorry about not cleaning up and leaving that for you...
[Maybe he'll ask for money. Maybe he'll ask for blood. Maybe he'll ask for sex. Who knows! That's part of the fun of it-- not knowing what the other person will ask for if they win. And isn't it telling about yourself what you hope they'll ask for?]
[But as far as things that are happening right now goes, Gepard seems to be enjoying his breakfast quite a lot, especially because it isn't anything all that special.]
The bread? [It's a nice, crunchy sourdough that goes well with the eggs and bacon. The eggs and bacon themselves are just standard Belobog fare.] There's a bakery that isn't too far from my apartment. They make some nice bread in the morning... or, well, I assume it's nice.
[Because he can't taste it. Sampo really misses carbs.]
Oh, it's fine. Gave me something to do. And I don't really do that kind of thing much anymore, so it's, like, kind of a novelty?
[A guy doesn't really have to do dishes when all of his meals either come out of someone's neck or from a blood bag. So doing dishes is sort of a brief trip into normalcy, which is kind of nice when your life has taken a hard left turn into a vampire novel.]
But don't expect me to be so nice all of the time! If I keep having to do your chores, it'll cost you.
[The bread is nice and crunchy. The sourdough has a rich flavor which pairs well with the eggs and bacon - nothing special, but also special in that someone made it for him. Gepard has to remind himself that he's just paying for it in blood instead of shield, but it's still a transaction.
(He still feels special.)
Gepard can laugh as Figaro brings up a cost, though. A cost would make things feel more...normal. A cost would tilt them back towards- friendly acquaintances, maybe friends at some point, some day, better not overthink it. Gepard can smile, because he's not a businessman, he's a guard, but he understands transactions and deals. This is just another deal. That's all. A deal with a mysterious man with a nice smile and green eyes, who challenged him to figure out his name, and Gepard needs to figure out if he wants to win or take his chances with a loss.
But he can do that later, when he's on the front lines, with nothing better to think about.]
I'll try not to end up too far into your debt, I promise. [He can at least gather the dishes. And leave them in the sink. He'll wash them later. There's no problems here- oh.]
There won't be any problems with people recognizing you, will there? Our games aside, it would be...complicated if someone recognizes you as a mugger or a thief, to say the least.
[Gepard finishes up his breakfast and puts his dishes in the sink like a good boy, presumably for him to wash later. Or for Sampo to end up washing later, but things would really have to deteriorate before he gets his hands back into soapy dishwater for this man again.]
[There's the question of his identity, and Sampo just laughs him off and hooks an arm through Gepard's, guiding him towards the door.]
Don't worry about it! I'm usually in disguise when I'm up here on the surface for business, and you're the only one who's seen my face when I've gone out... looking for dinner, let's say.
[His condition necessitates some precautions when it comes to his business dealings. There are plenty of money-making opportunities that he's had to pass on or approach in a much more cautious manner than he might have if he didn't have such a big secret to keep. He wants as little heat as possible on the Sampo Koski name, wants to avoid interactions with the Silvermane guard as much as he can. So-- different disguises, different aliases, faces and names that can be easily discarded if anyone starts getting suspicious.]
I think we'll be fine for a little shopping trip!
[Really, it's risky that Gepard knows his real face, even if he doesn't know his real name. But that cat's already out of the bag, there's no putting it back in again.]
[Gepard knows that he shouldn't, he really, really shouldn't, but-
He leans into Sampo's arm, his touch, ever so slightly. Just ever so slightly, because he can't indulge himself that much, but there's a small handful of people who'd touch him like this, and he's related to most of them, and is it bad to indulge? Just a little?
It probably is, but he's off for the next day or two. He can indulge a little. Right? Maybe not, but what's done is done.]
If you say so. [But he lets himself be guided to his door. Doesn't resist at all, really.] But if we're seen- that's fine, but what should I tell people if they ask me about you afterwards? There's no sense in-
[Why does it feel like he's doing something illegal. Immoral. Gepard makes a face, like he swallowed something vaguely unpleasant and is dealing with the aftertaste, and that 'something vaguely unpleasant' is considering what he's getting into in a new and more horrible way.]
-not agreeing on the details ahead of time. Just a friend, or...?
[How could it be bad to indulge, Gepard, when Sampo initiated the contact? If he didn't want to touch the good Captain, he wouldn't be touching him-- the fact that he's hooked an arm through Gepard's like they're bosom friends means that he at least doesn't hate the idea of it.]
[Really, there are a lot of things that he'd hate more than being touched by a handsome blond.]
Just a friend, that works. You do have those, right?
[He must. Gepard's a regular adult man, he must have at least a few people that he'd call friends. People that he'd go out with, someone he'd share a beer with after work or whatever it is that strapping guardsmen do on their downtime.]
Don't overthink it, I doubt anyone will even give you a second glance. We're just two normal people doing normal things!
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timeasmymeasure
no subject
Date: 2024-06-14 04:20 am (UTC)[So! It seems like he'll be staying for a while, because he's a sucker for a handsome man.]
When you ask so nicely, how can I refuse?
[Come on, Gepard-- Sampo hooks an arm around Gepard's, leading him away from his disastrous gardening attempts and back towards his breakfast. You have to eat it before it gets cold, Sampo didn't spend his morning slaving over a hot stove just for you to eat cold bacon and eggs.]
What are your plans for the day, Captain? Since you've got it all to yourself!
[He leads him over to where his breakfast is plated out. Be a good boy and eat, Sampo will refill your coffee for you. Just like a good little wifey would, or, at least, a good vampire man that's agreed to make sure you get three square meals a day.]
no subject
Date: 2024-06-14 05:00 am (UTC)...ignore the blush. Food's a good enough distraction, anyway.
He's led to the table, and he sits, and there's bacon and eggs and the food looks good. Very good. His stomach gurgles. Gurgle. The blush might be harder to ignore.]
...I haven't really thought about it. [Eating breakfast is normal. He's eating breakfast. Chewing, biting, swallowing.]
In all honesty, if you hadn't surprised me, I might have ended up at work anyway. [It's more than a bit embarrassing to admit. Don't point it out, please. He needs to pretend like he's a functional adult with a functional range of functional hobbies and a healthy work-life balance in order to carry on.
...sigh.] There's just so much to do and not enough hands to do them. To be honest, sitting while others are taking up my work feels...wrong, and it hasn't even been a day. I know.
no subject
Date: 2024-06-16 03:00 am (UTC)Wouldn't you have gotten in trouble if you'd shown up, because you're on medical leave?
[Most employers would probably frown upon their employees completely disregarding a doctor's orders, especially when said doctor's orders occurred right after a particularly troubling shift. It wouldn't have been that strange for Gepard to have been told to take a day off after being attacked and kidnapped by their mysterious assailant, just because of the stress. The fact that it was less stressful due to Sampo being the closest thing to vegan that a vampire can be is beside the point.]
You're very dedicated! I'm sure no one minds handling your duties for a day or two while you get a little rest. [Many of them might breathe a sigh of relief, knowing that the Captain had finally taken a little time for himself like a mere mortal man.] And, well, you at least know that I'm off of everyone's plate!
[No more mysterious victims waking up near geomarrow heaters with sore necks and amnesia. That also means no more time wasted on trying to find an elusive perpetrator, no more reports, no more meetings and patrol alterations. A fair bit of work cleared off of their to-do lists, all because Gepard decided to become a people-flavored Capri Sun.]
So don't feel so bad! You might be taking some time off, but it's after saving everyone some work, so doesn't it all kind of balance out?
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Date: 2024-06-16 03:39 am (UTC)It'll probably depend on what he tries to do.
...but Figaro's trying to be very convincing, and he's going to just accept it instead of trying to fight what he's saying.]
...I guess so.
[...even if he doesn't like feeling like a liability.
...moving on.]
Even so, I'm not exactly sure what to do with all this time I have. I'm not good at resting - I've gotten on the bad side of more than one doctor, actually. [Fucking impossible to keep him in a bed any longer than they gotta.]
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Date: 2024-06-16 03:49 am (UTC)I'm not surprised. You seem like the type to work until you drop! Or, anyway, until someone orders you to take the time off.
[Mandatory leave. Sampo wouldn't be surprised if Gepard has a long history of being forced to take time off just because he refuses to until it's entirely unavoidable. Really, if he took more breaks on a regular basis, he'd probably have fewer chunks of time that he's forced to be on leave-- the same way that a car that gets regular maintenance doesn't have to be in the shop as long as one that's driven until it falls apart.]
[There is the question, though, of what to do with Gepard's free time. Since he asked Sampo to keep him company, he feels like he ought to have at least some suggestions for how to fill the hours.]
Do you want to go to the florist's? [That's something to do, and it fits with what Gepard apparently likes, even if he's a shit gardener.] Maybe we could pick up another plant for you. Between the two of us, we might even be able to keep it alive!
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Date: 2024-06-16 04:22 am (UTC)This isn't a good thing. Gepard knows it. That's besides the point.
...the thing is, he didn't expect that Figaro would suggest something that he liked so much. What the heck. How is he supposed to turn this into a professional relationship when Figaro up and says something like that.]
I'd like that. And I could use all the help I can get. [It's a joke! Laugh. He knows he's got a black thumb. He can mock himself.] We're also doing something you like sometime soon, today or tomorrow or...whenever you feel like it. I don't want you to feel like you just have to do things I like.
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Date: 2024-06-17 03:08 am (UTC)[He even makes a joke! The good Captain is in a particularly fine mood this morning, even though he's had to show his dead plants to his vampire acquaintance. See, this is what a good night's sleep and a break from work can do for you, Gepard, it gets you some company, a nice outing, and a better mood.]
I'll hold you to that! Maybe tomorrow we'll do something that I want to do. We'll get you set up with new plants today.
[He leans his hip against the table, casual and cavalier.]
And, hey, now you have someone to look after your plants for you while you're busy on the front lines! I can always pop in and make sure they're watered while you're away. Plant-sitting is just one of the many services that I have on offer.
[As of right now.]
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Date: 2024-06-18 01:45 am (UTC)[Sure, it's not that tough of a job - it's just watering plants. Gepard might have a black thumb, but he knows other people don't. But also, it's strangely...generous? It feels generous. More generous than it actually probably is. Probably.
Maybe.
But it's nice. Gepard flashes Figaro (what is his name, this is driving him nuts) a smile. A small thing. A little sheepish, maybe.]
You're cooking for me, you're helping me with my plants...if I had more room, I'd ask if you wanted to be my roommate. [...sure, roommate's a safe word. And Figaro's safe house was rather lonely. Barren. His underworld one is better, surely, or maybe he sleeps somewhere else, surely. It can't just be barren apartments with aggressively okay hot water and aggressively okay heating. He shouldn't be wondering about replacing his couch with one that has a pull-out bed.] I could clean and do the laundry in exchange for your cooking and plant-sitting. [When he's around, at least. He'd try. He'd make an effort. He'd do his best.]
But I have only one bedroom and I'm not sure about the couch, so... [So.] Maybe it's for the best.
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Date: 2024-06-18 04:11 am (UTC)[And there's the only one bedroom thing. While Sampo has slept on worse than a couch-- his Underworld safehouse is objectively worse and more concerning than his Overworld one-- he can get why Gepard wouldn't be comfortable with shacking him up in the living room while he sleeps in a bed. And as for splitting the bed, well. You don't share a bed with your buddies, and Gepard isn't going to be upgrading his new acquaintance to live-in fuckbuddy any time soon.]
[That's probably just called a sugar baby, actually. Might not be the worst job, being Gepard Landau's sugar baby. Sampo has heard that the Landau family is pretty much top dog on this little backwater planet, and there are worse things in life than paying for room and board with your ass. Gepard's easy on the eyes! Just also not interested in asses if they're attached to men.]
It's a generous offer! But your pal Figaro lives a bachelor's lifestyle. You'd get annoyed with me coming and going at all hours.
[So they'll stay acquaintance-friends. A perfectly fine thing for them to be! Nothing wrong with recognizing a good thing and keeping it as it is.]
This way, I only bother you when I'm sneaking into your place! [Like a stray tomcat.] You should make a habit of leaving a window open for me so I don't have to keep picking the lock.
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Date: 2024-06-18 05:10 am (UTC)But he is.]
Wouldn't it be easier for me to just give you a copy of my key? [Doesn't that make more sense?] Normally, I wouldn't even consider it. I barely even know you. I don't know your name. But you're- well. Here? It's not as if locks show any signs of stopping you. I might as well make it official.
[He takes a moment to take a drink of his coffee. (He shouldn't be happy about this. But something about how absurd everything is makes Gepard happy. It's absurd. Everything that's happening is absurd. It makes it easier to surrender to it and say things that Gepard-the-soldier shouldn't say, but Gepard-the-man can.)] But something tells me you'd prefer the challenge of a locked window to a front door and a key. Promise me that if you do decide to spend the night, you'll do your best to warn me ahead of time so I can get extra blankets for the couch.
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Date: 2024-06-19 04:17 am (UTC)There isn't a lock in Belobog that I can't pick. [Really, there isn't. Lock technology on this backwater planet is antiquated, stuff that's been cracked out in the wider galaxy for a few centuries. It's kind of fun, getting to pick these old styles rather than having to break through more advanced digital safeguards.] I'll try not to break any of yours!
[There will be more than one morning where Gepard will find some lock that he'd placed sitting on his kitchen table, just to let him know that it was no match for Figaro. Even if it wasn't a lock that he'd put on his house.]
I'll give you a heads up. It would be rude of me to surprise you first thing in the morning! Besides, you might hit me, and you've got a good arm on you.
[If that bottle swing when he'd tried to subdue Gepard in that back alley is any indication.]
[He tips his head at Gepard, pondering something he'd said-- a little curious gesture.]
Does it bother you that much that you don't know my name? You asked me for a fake one. [He would've given Gepard a fake one anyway, it's only sensible, but at least it wouldn't have been so out in the open.]
no subject
Date: 2024-06-19 06:30 pm (UTC)For now, Gepard lives in blissful ignorance, eating some eggs, perfectly content in being happy.
Then, Figaro asks that question, and Gepard freezes. The fork is halfway to his mouth. It indecisively hovers. Then, the captain puts it back on his plate. This is what happens when he lets down his guard. Figaro/Ringo/whatever else he might become asks a question, and Gepard's left feeling a little too seen.
But it's too late to run from the question, and he hates running, so...]
A little. [More than a little, but, a little. He can admit to a little.] But I did ask you for a fake name. I expected a fake name. I have no doubt you've committed crimes besides the ones I know about, so it would be stupid for you to give me your real name.
[And all of this makes total sense, and all of this is said in a reasonable tone of voice, and all of this is practical and is part of their arrangement. No problems here. Absolutely none.]
So it's not as if I'm...offended. [...it would be easier if he was offended, actually, anyway, fork goes up, food's shoved into his mouth, he can't talk, he's chewing.]
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Date: 2024-06-25 01:58 am (UTC)[Gepard, as expected, is honest in his answers. An honest man, what a novelty. It's new to have a man who actually tells him the truth when he asks a question.]
It would be. Not that I'm confirming any crimes, mind you, but it would be silly for me to give my real name to a man who should want to arrest me.
[It's silly for him to hang around with a man who should want to arrest him, but right now, their acquaintanceship has more benefits than detriments. The arrest risk is worth having a willing juice box. Never let it be said that Sampo Koski isn't willing to risk it for the biscuit!]
[And speaking of risking it, he smiles at Gepard as a fun little idea comes into his head.]
Well, Captain, if you're not offended, how about we play a little game? [Don't you like games, Gepard? Sampo likes games.] If you can figure out my name, I'll owe you a favor. Whatever you want!
[He'll even walk himself right into a jail cell for him, fair's fair.] But if you're wrong, I get one from you.
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Date: 2024-06-26 02:42 am (UTC)Gepard knows he should hate it. He really should. It's giving someone he doesn't know too much power, because he'd do his best to live up to it (at least, so long as it doesn't put the safety of Belobog in harm's way) but...
But he licks his lips, instinctively, reflexively, unconsciously.]
I have a condition before I can agree to something like that. Whatever you ask for can't harm Belobog: I can't put my duty before any games we play. [This is not a no. This is the exact opposite of a no. This is a measuring condition, said in a measuring voice. Testing the waters.]
...and wouldn't that mean I'd owe you countless favors if I constantly get it wrong?
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Date: 2024-06-26 03:22 am (UTC)I suppose I can agree to that! I won't ask you to abandon your duties to our fair city just for my little whims. But only for things that are a real threat! Your wounded pride doesn't count.
[There are other things that he could ask for that probably wouldn't be good for Gepard's reputation or for his pride, but also wouldn't be a direct threat to Belobog. It's still a very large leeway for him, plenty of room for him to play in.]
Of course not! That wouldn't be very fair, would it? [Sampo waggles a finger at him. Silly Captain.] You only get one shot at guessing, and if you mess it up, that's it! No name for you, and you owe me the favor. So make sure you do your homework and make it count!
[There you go, Captain-- fair's fair. Gepard can't just make endless guesses of every name in Belobog's registries until he gets a hit, and Sampo can't keep collecting favor after favor for every wrong guess.]
Satisfied? I'll play fair if you will.
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Date: 2024-06-26 03:56 am (UTC)[This is...actually kind of concerning? They're strained acquaintances. Then again, there's always the chance that Figaro-Ringo-Something Else will end up cheating, despite his promises to play fair: Gepard should probably be more worried about that.
He's not. It's more exciting than anything else. Ignorance is bliss. Willful ignorance is no less blissful, though the self-awareness that comes from knowing he's duping himself only makes it so sweet. It's like he's a new guard again and taking his chances on something a little too reckless, all for the cause of proving himself.]
Anyway, my pride doesn't matter [...probably] so I can accept those terms. It wouldn't be the first time I've lost a bet, at any rate.
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Date: 2024-06-28 03:06 pm (UTC)[It’s unlikely that he’ll ask Sampo for anything too detrimental, since he has a vested interest in helping Sampo be the best little citizen that he can be. Sampo’s his little charity case right now, his personal passion project. Why risk all of that just for the possibility of getting him in jail for some petty crimes? Then he’d be stuck knowing about Sampo’s little dietary issue and that he’d be stuck with no option but to feed from other inmates.]
[Sampo’s interested, anyway, in seeing if Gepard is clever enough to find out his real name. It’s a good test of his resourcefulness! Whether he can root through all of the different aliases, with all their forged backgrounds and paperwork, to locate the truth amidst the lies. He has some very well forged identities in there. It won’t be easy to suss him out, even if Gepard does track down every name that he’s used.]
Oh, don’t be like that! You have a chance to win, it wouldn’t be any fun if you didn’t. What’s the point of a friendly game if you’ve rigged it so that it’s only in your favor?
[A friendly game isn’t the same as a business deal. Those he makes sure are always to his benefit. But a little game? The uncertainty is part of the fun.]
You’ve got all your resources to work with, too. Plenty of busy little bees over in your intelligence department! Surely you can pull together enough information to take a good stab at ol’ Figaro’s real name.
no subject
Date: 2024-06-29 04:56 am (UTC)So, Gepard just makes a face and lets it pass. It's fine.
But, then, Figaro chides him. Don't be like that, he says. It's not rigged, he says. Gepard makes even more of a face at him. Not an angry face? Not mad. Just a little sour. Like he was forced to swallow something somewhat tart, like a lemon.]
I'm not saying I don't think I can win. [...maybe. The trickiest thing would be trying to throw Pela off of the scent as to why he's asking about dark-haired thieves with a strange appetite. He'll have to think of something.]
What I'm saying is that I'm not afraid of any of your favors. [...probably.] In fact, living up to my side of the bargain might be... [Yeah, he'll admit it.] ...fun? Only if I lose, of course.
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Date: 2024-06-30 03:44 am (UTC)[Sampo will have to think of what he’d want from the good Captain for his victory prize, too. Money? The key to the vault in Qlipoth Fort? A priceless relic from the Museum? A kiss, if he was feeling cheeky about the whole thing. He’d expect one on the hand, like how a gentleman would. Maybe the cheek.]
That’s the spirit! It’s just a friendly game with your pal. We’re just having fun!
[It’s all fun and games, nothing to worry about.]
I’m glad that the Captain has such an easygoing outlook on losing. I thought you might be more competitive.
Anyway! You should eat up so that we can get those plants for you and get them all settled in.
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Date: 2024-07-03 03:32 am (UTC)You're right. [He should absolutely wolf down the food, and Gepard turns his attention to doing just that- well, he tries to, there's a few moments in which he has to close his eyes and savor the taste, or look up at Figaro - blue eyes wide and astonished-]
This is really good? [And also-] Where did you get this...?
[As if he should be surprised at this point, and times in which he's caught up in-
...well, anyway. Gepard finishes his plate and winces, as he remembers the plates from the night before-] I'm really sorry about not cleaning up and leaving that for you...
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Date: 2024-07-04 04:03 am (UTC)[But as far as things that are happening right now goes, Gepard seems to be enjoying his breakfast quite a lot, especially because it isn't anything all that special.]
The bread? [It's a nice, crunchy sourdough that goes well with the eggs and bacon. The eggs and bacon themselves are just standard Belobog fare.] There's a bakery that isn't too far from my apartment. They make some nice bread in the morning... or, well, I assume it's nice.
[Because he can't taste it. Sampo really misses carbs.]
Oh, it's fine. Gave me something to do. And I don't really do that kind of thing much anymore, so it's, like, kind of a novelty?
[A guy doesn't really have to do dishes when all of his meals either come out of someone's neck or from a blood bag. So doing dishes is sort of a brief trip into normalcy, which is kind of nice when your life has taken a hard left turn into a vampire novel.]
But don't expect me to be so nice all of the time! If I keep having to do your chores, it'll cost you.
no subject
Date: 2024-07-05 12:25 am (UTC)(He still feels special.)
Gepard can laugh as Figaro brings up a cost, though. A cost would make things feel more...normal. A cost would tilt them back towards- friendly acquaintances, maybe friends at some point, some day, better not overthink it. Gepard can smile, because he's not a businessman, he's a guard, but he understands transactions and deals. This is just another deal. That's all. A deal with a mysterious man with a nice smile and green eyes, who challenged him to figure out his name, and Gepard needs to figure out if he wants to win or take his chances with a loss.
But he can do that later, when he's on the front lines, with nothing better to think about.]
I'll try not to end up too far into your debt, I promise. [He can at least gather the dishes. And leave them in the sink. He'll wash them later. There's no problems here- oh.]
There won't be any problems with people recognizing you, will there? Our games aside, it would be...complicated if someone recognizes you as a mugger or a thief, to say the least.
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Date: 2024-07-06 02:29 am (UTC)[There's the question of his identity, and Sampo just laughs him off and hooks an arm through Gepard's, guiding him towards the door.]
Don't worry about it! I'm usually in disguise when I'm up here on the surface for business, and you're the only one who's seen my face when I've gone out... looking for dinner, let's say.
[His condition necessitates some precautions when it comes to his business dealings. There are plenty of money-making opportunities that he's had to pass on or approach in a much more cautious manner than he might have if he didn't have such a big secret to keep. He wants as little heat as possible on the Sampo Koski name, wants to avoid interactions with the Silvermane guard as much as he can. So-- different disguises, different aliases, faces and names that can be easily discarded if anyone starts getting suspicious.]
I think we'll be fine for a little shopping trip!
[Really, it's risky that Gepard knows his real face, even if he doesn't know his real name. But that cat's already out of the bag, there's no putting it back in again.]
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Date: 2024-07-10 04:38 am (UTC)He leans into Sampo's arm, his touch, ever so slightly. Just ever so slightly, because he can't indulge himself that much, but there's a small handful of people who'd touch him like this, and he's related to most of them, and is it bad to indulge? Just a little?
It probably is, but he's off for the next day or two. He can indulge a little. Right? Maybe not, but what's done is done.]
If you say so. [But he lets himself be guided to his door. Doesn't resist at all, really.] But if we're seen- that's fine, but what should I tell people if they ask me about you afterwards? There's no sense in-
[Why does it feel like he's doing something illegal. Immoral. Gepard makes a face, like he swallowed something vaguely unpleasant and is dealing with the aftertaste, and that 'something vaguely unpleasant' is considering what he's getting into in a new and more horrible way.]
-not agreeing on the details ahead of time. Just a friend, or...?
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Date: 2024-07-11 03:26 am (UTC)[Really, there are a lot of things that he'd hate more than being touched by a handsome blond.]
Just a friend, that works. You do have those, right?
[He must. Gepard's a regular adult man, he must have at least a few people that he'd call friends. People that he'd go out with, someone he'd share a beer with after work or whatever it is that strapping guardsmen do on their downtime.]
Don't overthink it, I doubt anyone will even give you a second glance. We're just two normal people doing normal things!
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