my friends and i, we got a lot of problems (rp for ihatepuns)

[dagger_dagger_dagger]

The morning after returning to Emon and Vox Machnia is right back where it started. Sort of. They are, thankfully, not still in the Underdark and there's light, real light, spilling in from the window beyond the table and turning the remains of more than a dozen breakfast dishes from silver to gold, but the arguments have started again. Vax really isn't surprised, given the gravity of the situation, the Horn, whether or not they can trust Kima and her people, whether or not they can trust Allura for the same reasons, but they're all going around in circles, now, and anytime someone tries to step up, to say their idea is what they're going with, the end, the others shoot them down in unison. It's the only thing they can seem to agree on, really, and it's getting fucking tedious.

That in mind and despite the fact that he already unofficially excused himself from this conversation long ago, throwing the towel in on trying to be heard over the others, he shoots a sideways glance at Clarota. A glance turns into a thoughtful look, accompanied by a frown, a moment after that, and a moment after that, Vax focuses himself inwards, practically shouting in his own head, even if his only outwards tell is him vaguely tilting in Clarota's direction.

Hey, Noodles. If I think really loud, can you hear me?

Comments

[hunters_mark]

Vex looks mildly mollified by that, though she also keeps squinting at him, sensing something else coming - and then narrows her eyes further when he goes on. "How much money?"

Not that she won't give it to them - Clarota is new to their group and she has no problems lending him money to get what he needs to get settled, but, well. That's an important question anyway.

[dagger_dagger_dagger]

"Probably a lot," Vax admits with a wince. After a second's worth of pause, he barrels into explaining, hoping to derail any argument his sister might be preparing. "We took a trip down to Gilmore's to see if he didn't have something to disguise Clarota with that was a little more permanent than him or Tibs throwing spells around every so often. He had a ring that should do the trick, and I asked him to hold onto it for us, until we came back, but ... "

Well, she knows that Gilmore's work doesn't come cheap.

[hunters_mark]

Vex grimaces, too, though she immediately looks thoughtful afterward. "But it's Gilmore, whose work is worth what he charges for it," she finishes - and then lets out a long-suffering sigh that is a good deal more put upon than it really is. "Alright then. I'll load my purse. Are the two of you coming with me?"

She figures it's best to get Clarota equipped quickly before they run into any problems with the spellwork (considering there's already the one she doesn't know about).

[dagger_dagger_dagger]

"I figure Noodles wants his new toy sooner rather than later," Vax answers, relaxing a little, relieved that he and his sister are at least in agreement, "and we've got kind of a thing going, so ... "

Which is to say that Clarota seems at least marginally more comfortable with him than any of the rest of Vox Machina, so far, and he wants to be there for him, for that very reason. So, long story short, yeah. They'll come along. He shrugs, as if that says it all without him having to say it. They're twins; it probably does.

[hunters_mark]

Sadly, this is one thing she can't argue with him about, and she will save any fuss-making for haggling with Gilmore once they get to his shop.

She also doesn't press for a finish to that sentence, because yes, she does get it without him needing to say it. "Where did you leave him anyway?" she asks as she gets to her feet and steps back out of Trinket's way as the bear stands from his place half under the table.

[dagger_dagger_dagger]

"Back out in the hall," he responds, slipping away from his sister to start in that direction, idly. "I figured I'd spare him potentially getting hit with a plate, if you decided you weren't big into us breaking into the piggy bank."

[hunters_mark]

"You're going to convince him I'm horrible," she complains, reaching over to poke him as she follows after him, Trinket padding along after them. "I'm not actually that tight with our money."

Spoilers: yes, yes, she is. Not that she doesn't have reason for it and not that he doesn't know those reasons, but, well. She has to object.

[dagger_dagger_dagger]

Vax looks back at her, at the insistence and poke, both, and effects a baffled look. He shakes his head faintly, as if to clear it. "You mean you're not?"

Not horrible. Not that tight with their money. Either way, it works, and either way, he's just teasing her because she's his sister and he can. It's his right and royal duty.

[hunters_mark]

She swats him again on the arm with the back of her hand. "You're terrible," she returns, though there's no actual heat behind it and it's really a token anyway. She's just as obligated to fire back as he is to tease her. "I don't know how you always convince people you're not."

[dagger_dagger_dagger]

"It helps that I'm the cute one," Vax informs her seriously, and never mind the fact that they're all but identical. "Otherwise ... " He makes a vague noise and offers her an equally ambiguous shrug. Her guess is as good as his, beyond that.

[hunters_mark]

"Trinket is the cute one," she counters, and the bear huffs at the sound of his name, nosing at her side, and she reaches back to pat him. "But I suppose it's just one of those mysteries."

[dagger_dagger_dagger]

"Trinket is the cute one," he echoes, dutifully. If he thinks to mirror his sister and give Trinket some love, it's all forgotten as they step back out into the foyer, however, and he takes a few steps further beyond the both of them, to meet Clarota.

[hunters_mark]

Trinket tilts his head, huffing again at Vax's use of his name but doesn't seem too disappointed when pets don't follow.

Clarota looks up as they approach, nodding a greeting to Vex. "Again, I thank you for this."

Vex waves a hand at him. "You're welcome, of course, but I can't very well argue against anything that will keep people from coming to the wrong conclusions and trying to kill one of us." She gestures past them all, to the entrance of the keep. "We shouldn't keep him waiting."

[dagger_dagger_dagger]

"Definitely not any fun," Vax agrees, nodding. Thankfully, that won't be a problem for long, and so he continues on, leading the way back out. He glances back, even if he expects Clarota and his sister to follow, and offers a, "But yeah, c'mmon. Shaun's waiting."

[hunters_mark]

Clarota, Vex, and Trinket follow along as Vax leads the way back into Emon, back to Gilmore's shop. Once they arrive, Vex turns to Trinket. "Wait out here for me, okay, buddy?" She scritches the bear behind the ears as he grumbles at her but wanders over to plop down in front of the shop obediently.

"Shall we?" she asks the others, gesturing for them to proceed her into the shop.

[glorious_goods]

"Let's, yeah," Vax allows, leading the way.

Inside, Gilmore is loitering by the counter, pretending to be busy and -- mostly failing. Sherri might buy that he's actually being useful, if only because she's pointedly not paying him much attention, very busy with her own, real work and only partially because the boss is right there, but he's not fooling anyone else. The fact that he straightens when he sees them and immediately heads over doesn't help much with the illusion.

"Vex'ahlia, darling," he drawls, as he meets them. A nod to Vax follows, then one to Clarota.

[hunters_mark]

"Gilmore," she returns warmly, leaning in to press a kiss to one cheek and then the other before she steps back. "How're things here?"

She could get right to business, but a little small talk won't hurt first considering it has been a while since she's seen him and does consider him a friend beyond just a business associate.

[glorious_goods]

Gilmore returns the peck with one of his own, smile a little more real as he pulls away. The small talk helps with the stress of the very interesting day he's been having. "Oh, you know. Same old, same old." A beat. "You?"

[hunters_mark]

She hums, amused, considering she can figure the kind of day he's been having thanks to them. "You know. Getting lost underground for what seemed to be an interminable amount of time, making new friends..." She trails off to gesture in Clarota's direction, who blinks at her. "Barely making it back alive, the usual."

[glorious_goods]

"Have I mentioned how glad I am that I never got into the adventuring business?" Spending long periods of time underground doesn't really seem like his idea of a good time; almost dying on the regular definitely isn't. He's very grateful that the most stressful thing he has to deal with on the daily is -- well, this. Today has been enough for him to last a lifetime.

"Though, speaking of," he continues after a beat and almost apologetically. He hates to change the subject, but, "I take it you're here about the ring I showed your brother, earlier?"

[hunters_mark]

Vex chuckles in response to Gilmore's question. "But it's such fun," she returns with more than a touch of sarcasm. It's not like she has a real problem with their lifestyle, but yes, not nearly dying once a week would be nice.

"I am here about the ring," she agrees, turning a little more serious in turn. "They said it might cut back on... unfortunate timing and discoveries."

[glorious_goods]

"That's the hope," Gilmore answers. The look he levels her with suggests it's more than just a hope, however. He knows this will help -- or at least work better than wasting spells every few hours and hoping for the best.

Either way, that said, he produces a ring box from the sleeves of his robes, holding it out to Vex to open, inspect. If she's happy with it, they can talk money. He expects Vex'ahlia to try and talk him down from the quote he gave her brother.

[hunters_mark]

Vex does trust Gilmore's work and knows it will do what it's supposed to without fail. She takes the box when he offers it over, opening it. "Oh, it's lovely," she says lightly. "And I would ask what sort of magic it has on it, but that means more to Tiberius or Scanlan than it would to me.

"What did you say the price on this was?" she asks, looking up from the ring and back to Gilmore.

[glorious_goods]

Warring with a sudden smile, deliriously thrilled by the normalcy of the moment, compared to the rest of the day and regardless of how much he was expecting it, he quotes her the same price he gave Vax'ildan, earlier. A pause follows, and then he adds, "And that's with your discount, of course."

[hunters_mark]

She frowns at him a little. "Is it?" she asks, clearly disbelieving. It's not that she thinks it's a ridiculously high price, but, well. She wouldn't be Vex if she didn't haggle. Which she does, now, countering with a slightly lower price that's not insultingly low but makes it obvious she knows she won't be able to talk him down too much on this one.