text; un: darkSlayer / One Thought, Feels Immensity

[kowase]

WHO: Vergil + the network, + alexandria stuff
WHERE: Libra App for the first part, library of alexandria for the second
WHEN: sometime mid-september
WHAT: Vergil talks about his shop, + vergil reads something he shouldn't
WARNINGS: might have talk of violence in the second prompt, as he'll be reading some things about a certain tree from hell he raised in his past life. combining an event prompt on here just so i dont have to keep track of two posts :sweat:


network//.

Vergil Vittore here, addressing Libra for two things:

I am sure at least one or two people may have noticed that the shop I run has been removed from its previous location in Brick Alley. For those who are concerned: this was not done out of a wish to no longer run my shop due to... recent events, but rather, it is because a friend of mine saw reason to help me procure a new location for the shop. It is bigger than the old one--so I can put on display many more things than I could previously--even if it is not in such a high-traffic area as before.

It is an antiquities shop, so traffic was never my concern.
That aside.

A bigger shop also means more to run--and I have been doing so mostly on my own since I arrived in the city half a year ago. Other than my brother and son--I have only one employee who works at the actual shop for me, and one who runs pick ups and deliveries.

Which brings me to the point: I am looking for a few extra hands around the shop. My store is open Tuesday to Sunday, 8am to 8pm. I handle the opening hours myself, of course, but having some workers willing to work for noon onwards so I may go out and handle other business I have would... be a great help.

My shop is mostly focused on weaponry and old items relating to wars and the like--jewelry and old books, as well as century pieces made by hand.
Your job would simply watching the store or completing transactions for people looking to buy. I handle any apprasials and buying off sellers in the morning.

...I am offering this work to Libra App users, so there is no resume needed.
Simply let me know if you are interested and we can work out the details. The shop does not re-open until October 1st, as an aside.

Good day.

----

records room//. library



[ The call of a library named after a certain Giant Of A Man he's already met had been a big enough lure in and of itself--but once Vergil had parted ways from the King of Conquerers, he finds himself turning to what the library had to offer. he turns himself away from the sounds of fighting in one of the areas of the library, and he spends a number of hours in the Literature section, certainly--so finding Vittore surrounded in a literal pyramid of poetry books he so SORELY wishes he could bring home is definitely one sight someone may be able to catch.

but where he finds so many hours of fond entertainment in those books--perhaps going to the records room had been a terrible idea, comparatively.
He keeps himself, at least, from picking up the Records with his Brother and Son's name written on them, but he cannot stay his hand from a few others. One being that of a woman named Eva--and a Devil named Sparda.

Understanding their history properly was a priority, certainly, and at the very least he now understands why Dante seems so haunted by his blood; why he and Nero are such skilled and avid fighters. Necessity. Demons in his past selve's world were a dime a dozen--it was learn how to fight, or become a husk.

...A husk.

That's what the book he holds now calls it. A thick, silver-blue tome that looks as if it were, at one point, torn in half and then re-cobbled together.

It tells a story of a great tree, risen from hell itself, and determined to drink the blood of every human that crossed its path. A bulbous, porous thing that grew from the very earth, uprooting buildings and roads without much care. With it, bringing an army of Blood-drinking monsters that tore apart Redgrave City--a place Dante called home--a place perhaps Vergil did, at one point, as well.

It's not a good story. And perhaps it's the look of slowly dawning horror on his face that makes the almost quiet scene of Vittore standing--reading from the heavy book one hard to look away from. Those slitted, catlike eyes thin with an expression that is nearly frantic as he turns the page.

Again, and again.

Each word writing a testament to what sort of a person he was. Who Dante remembers. Who Nero...


...

....Maybe it's best to tear the book away from him? ]

Comments

library

[fionnuisce]

...Vittore?

[In full honestly, Waver was beginning to wonder if too much knowledge really was a bad thing. This time around the library was starting to almost seem like more trouble than it was worth, with a veritable Pandora's Box of things that might have been best left unknown. He couldn't begin to properly guess what Vergil was seeing, but given his tension and visible stress it couldn't have been any better than everything else feeling like a current trend of misery.]

Vittore. [A little quieter, with a hand light and fleeting on the other man's shoulder.] Breathe. Are you alright?

[kowase]

[ he doesn't hear the first call of his name. so it's fortunate that Waver decided to call twice, because otherwise he may not have heard him.

He blinks--his eyes feeling, odd? Dry. As if he's just now blinking for the first time in the longest of minutes.

He lets go of a breath he didn't realise that he'd been holding.

There's a hand touching him, and there's a feeling--like he should knock it away, because who in their right mind would--

He turns the book over in his hands, and he squeezes his eyes shut, for just a moment.

Breathe. Center oneself. Speak evenly. Think. ]

There are some things that are as a siren's call. You cannot help but to turn your ear.
...But listening is something you should not do.

[ he... tries to close the book, but he doesn't quite... manage. ]

[fionnuisce]

The pursuit of knowledge can be a perilous one, my friend.

[Waver reached over with a branded hand to ease the cover closed, where Vergil seemed to be hesitating.]

Just as important as the resolve to start is learning the sense to know when to stop.

network; un: violetsmoke; text

[infezione]

It'd have to be after school on weekdays, but I'd be very much interested!

[kowase]

I would be quite content to have you working at my shop, Fugo.

If you would like to have shifts that span, perhaps, between the hours of 4pm and 8pm on weekdays, would this suit you?

un: velvet | text

[gotbadblood]

Seriously? Damn, just when I finished casing the old place.

[Now she has to start all over!!]

[kowase]

Must you announce your crimes before committing them.
There are far better shops for you to steal from than mine, you know.

records

[bebest]

[Zulius has been spending plenty of time here. The siren call of learning about a family who actually gave a shit about him was far too strong to ignore. He's already got plenty of notebooks, filled with names, and stories- some have sparked memories, some have not. It doesn't matter- he has them now, names to the faces of the picture Vergil took with his magic camera and it means...something.

Aside from the unwelcome tome about the Nowhere King which was a deeply unsettling read, it's been a pretty pleasant experience. A little sad, a little yearning for something he never really had in this life, to be sure, but still pleasant.

It's clear when he comes across his friend that he is having far from a pleasant experience. He frowns softly, crossing over to where Vergil is reading. Despite his propensity for gossip, he doesn't look at what's on the page, keeping his focus on the man instead. ]

Verg?

[He reaches out, putting a hand on the other man's wrist, trying to steady him. Stop him from turning the pages of that bitch ass book that's clearly causing him pain.]

Hey. Look at me, what is it?

[kowase]

[ it certainly is a bitch-ass book. Maybe once he's more in his own head--he'll be asking if Zulius' own reading was better than his own, but for now, he doesn't even look aware that Zulius had actually been wandering around the great library, too.

No, he barely even registers that the other says his name--it's only when the other touches him that his head flies up. Eyes laser-focused on the other with a quiet look, as if he'd just returned to reality.

He immediately snaps the book shut, as if to protect Zulius from seeing what's inside it, but.

He's asking. Of course Zulius would ask--it wasn't that long ago that Zulius admitted he was worried about the silver-haired devil, so why would this be any different?
He wants to withdraw, to hide the look on his face--but it's too late for that, isn't it?

He lets go of a breath he didn't realise he'd been holding. ]

....What am I supposed to do. [ he asks--genuinely. Quiet, a hand moving to cover his mouth, then move up into his hair, dragging his fingers through it. ] What am I supposed to do, knowing what's been written here.

Dante and Nero...
They talk about 'Vergil' with such a desparation to be close to him.
Despite the fact that he. I?
Have killed thousands. For power.

[ he laughs, breathlessly. ]

Maybe more than that.

Library

[prunedworlds]

For Ritsuka, her one real excursion of attempting to delve into the Records had mostly been just a bit of disappointment. But no real surprises, and certainly no earth-shaking truths.

She's starting to notice that isn't at all true for many of the people she's come to know here.

"... Are you sure you should be reading that much?"

She doesn't attempt to touch him, nor raise her voice, though she does put one hand on the book in question. Enough to obstruct his reading and distract him, but hopefully without startling him too much.

[kowase]

The records are a disappointment--in a number of ways. Being that they told a story that Vergil really should NOT be reading; but yet, here he was. Letting his eyes scan the pages like a madman, pausing when Ritsuka's fingers touch the book he's holding. There's... concern in her voice, which is baffling to him.

His eyes do separate from the page--blinking twice, as he tries to... get his thoughts together as his head slowly rise up, to look at the orange-haired girl who's stopping him from continuing.

An apple burning bright, being the last words he read--cutting him off from what he's already read.

"...It's a habit of mine. Devouring every book I lay my hands on.
Regardless if the contents are something that I should be reading or not."

He clenches his teeth a little.

And he slowly, gently closes the book around ritsuka's hand. his grip on it is... loose.

Library

[admonishinginstruction]

[After reading his own book, and Willow's notes, Abasi found himself wandering through more of the library, trying to find as much knowledge as possible before the library closed itself off again.

That's how he ends up finding Vergil, reading a book... too quickly to be actually absorbing information, and more of a panicked action.

He walks across the room, placing a hand on the next page to stop him from turning it and continuing his torture.]

There comes a time where one has too much knowledge.

Re: Library

[kowase]

[ he doesn't recognise this man, certainly, but that does not mean that Vergil's going to have an objectively negative response to his interruption.

No, perhaps it was actually a good thing that he was interrupted--he's being given a chance to breathe. Tearing his eyes away from the pages to fix this man with a cutting gaze.

...before realising exactly how lost in the pages he'd gotten. And how much information he'd taken in, when he should have cut himself off hours ago. ]

I would disagree. [ he doesn't believe there is any such a thing as too much knowledge. But. ] ...But perhaps some things are better left as ignorance.

But there is no taking back information once it is found.

un: captainkenway

[jackdawvision]

I've a job at the Vogue Theater already most days, but would you mind if I watched the store on Sundays? [An extra source of income never hurts, and Edward won't lie, he'd love to get his hands on some of those antique weapons.] I'm interested in laying eyes on those weapons myself. I suppose you could say I'm a collector as well.

[He just, ah, left most of it on the Jackdaw.]

[kowase]

Vogue, hm. Be it that the owner of that particular establishment is counted among one of my few close friends, I can already assume you are a trustworthy sort.

Here is just hoping he does not assume I am poaching his stock, so to speak.

Interested collectors do make for good employees, I suppose. You'd be interested in what you will have to be looking at all day.
Sundays work fine for me--most who are interested are likely going to be shifted on weekdays, so far.

'Captain' Kenway, is it?

text | un: laluna

[crisantemo]

I'm a bit of a night owl, but I'll be able to help out late afternoons and evenings if that's okay?

[kowase]

I prefer taking care of the mornings myself--it is the afternoon and evening that I would mostly be looking for cover, for.

Would the hours between 4 and 8 be acceptable to you?

Library

[drewthetower]

[August has two books on the man his mother claims was his father in his hands, one from each life, looking for a place to read when he spots Vittore. He starts to call out to him.

And then he sees the name on the book.

And he sees Vittore's face.

And August just sets the books down on the table next to him before turning into a bird to land on Vittore's shoulder and start preening his hair. He wants to take the book away from him but he knows better.]

[kowase]

[ maybe its the exact sort of touch that he needs. Quiet as he is, stiff and standing as he flips page after page, he's started to lose track of time, exactly how much he's read--how much he didn't know, and what part drags up so many questions about his past life and the people in his current life--

he doesn't startle when the bird suddenly lands on him. He's used to Gryphon doing this, back home--the little round pokemon... creature that Dante brought home for him.

But the difference was, this bird had a familiar scent to it. And it doesn't take vittore long before he's drifting his attention up; the bird's beak pulling and tugging through his hair in a nearly gentle, but persistent action.

It drags him away from the words, where his eyes were lingering on An apple blooming bright.

He ... slowly closes the book. His hand reaching up to press two fingers under August's beak, dragging his fingers down along his neck. ]

... the stories here. They are not just 'tales', are they.

library

[advivo]

[ he knows vergil, give the guy a giant library full of information about various things and he'll make camp there for the foreseeable future, give him the fabled library of alexandria and there will be no seeing him ever again. ordinarily dante wouldn't worry, he'd let vergil go have his fun without batting an eye, but something nero said to him some months ago sits uncomfortably at the forefront of his mind, unsettling him to his very core.

something about the library holding books detailing their lives, from birth to unfortunate end, and all the messy bits in between.

everything to do with sparda and eva isn't the worry, he hasn't been secretive with those details whenever they were brought up. but everything after? they talked about mundus, about what vergil suffered under the former king of the underworld's thumb, they talked about mallet island. but he hasn't spoken about how vergil ended up trapped in the underworld, he hasn't talked about temen-ni-gru or the qliphoth. he didn't see any reason to bring it up, to tell vergil about the destruction he wrought in his eternal quest for power. if vergil didn't remember it why would he talk about it? why bring up a subject that would shatter their hard-won happiness?

it's a bad feeling that has him entering the library today, a stone that sits heavily in his stomach and forces his feet to move. vergil's in here, he knows his brother has come to the library, that he's got his hands on something that he shouldn't have, that their fragile peace is going to be shattered once again by the uncaring press of reality. that feeling only grows as he continues further in, following the familiar pull of his brother's presence, the invisible thread that binds them to one another. when he finally does find vergil that stone in his stomach sinks even further, blue eyes fixing on the book in his head before flicking up to his twin's face.

well, shit...

he's too late, isn't he? too late to stop vergil from reading something he's better off never knowing, never remembering. ]

Doing some light reading, Verg?

[kowase]

[ He doesn't see dante when he approaches. Maybe if he did, he'd pull away a little quicker, maybe he'd close the book and pretend he was just reading his father's, or his mothers'.

But he's so drawn into what's written here. It's like a bad car crash--he can't look away, despite the horror that's written on the page--it may as well be written in blood.
He didn't expect Dante to ever just... infodump him on things unprompted. There was a certain understanding they'd gotten to in their last six months together--Vergil would remember something. Ask about it, Dante would fill in details, up to how much he thought would be appropriate for Vergil to hear.

Never once had he felt Dante would lie to him. And while he certainly hasn't...

The things written in this book. It explained some things about his memories. Why sometimes he felt like his vision was split in half. Like he was seeing out of two pairs of eyes. 'V', a half of himself split by his prized sword. And 'Urizen', still a part of himself--having done the unthinkable and...

Dante calls his name.
Verg.

The shortening of his name that was ... somehow, always oddly playful.
Only ever using 'Vergil' when there's a need to be serious, or when taunting. His brain is clouded by confusion--between the things here, and the way Dante acted towards him.

His head slowly rises, and there's a look on his face.
Like pain.

But also like... guilt. He understands it now. Why, with every memory he gained, there was always a feeling of Guilt. ]

I am not certain if this is what one would classify as 'light' reading. Dante. [ the book is far too heavy. In his hands. he feels like he could drop it. ]

I understand why there are things you have not told me.

But truly. How do you continue to act like this towards me.

Knowing the things I've done.

...The thousands I've killed.

text | UN: Thorn

[poisontippedcure]

I'm already employed at the Vogue, but I can also help with your shop. When I'm free, of course.

I must admit, I'm curious as to what antique jewelry and accessories are like in this world.

[kowase]

Ah, that's right. You and Takame both work at the Vogue--I remember Zulius mentioning back during.

Anyhow.
I certainly hope he does not think I will be poaching his workers.
Would the hours between noon and 4 work for you? Let me know what days are best for you.

text; un: ndwolfwood

[asipofbride]

are you about to give a bunch of weirdos my number, bossman

[kowase]

Will that be an issue for you? I will still be working the morning hours, of course, but if there are any deliveries that come up during my new staff's hours, well.

Perhaps it is time you made a few new friends.