ic inbox || ruby city

[whatitis]

Hey, you've reached the voicemail of Carlos [heavily distorted feedback punctuated by sharp clicking noises], leave a message after the collective screech of eight different kinds of buzzards.

Comments

text, 1/25;

[digiorno]

Buona sera, Carlos! Avete tempo per insegnarmi la scienza?

[whatitis]

Todo el tiempo is el tiempo de ciencia, amigo.

[digiorno]

See, that wasn't as hard as I thought it would be, was it, because they're both romance languages.

I can bring you coffee. And pudding.

[whatitis]

You're very smart!

Not sure about the pudding, unless that's what you want to investigate? Coffee would be great, though. I haven't slept in thirty-five hours and I'm starting to drag.

[digiorno]

Thank you wait what

CARLOS SLEEP IS IMPORTANT

[text] when is this happening? who knows. but it's at like 4 am tho

[unholey]

why are you always so nice?
clarification: it's confusing in general but also specifically in relation to me
because I've gone out of my way to be rude to you and in general am not a nice person
so from my point of view it doesn't make much sense and I just

I don't get it. I just don't get it

[whatitis]

[The reply is suspiciously instant.]

i try and be nice to everyone that i talk to because i know that it's good to receive! even rude people like to have someone that's nice to them

[unholey]

well I don't get it and I don't like it because that's not rational
most people are nice because there's something they want or a goal they want to accomplish.
what about you?

[whatitis]

i want to accomplish being nice to people! or i don't want them to hurt me. but i don't think i have to worry about that with you specifically!

[unholey]

ha ha.
when I told giorno, once, that you told me that you didn't lie because it was "morally wrong"
(which still sounds like bullshit, by the way)
he confirmed it was true. and I believed him because I trust him not to lie to me about subjects of that nature

but what you said just now that has to be a lie, or at least a very bad joke

I saw you, once. In a dream I had about killing Massimo Volpe.

[tonic]

[ On Carlos's lab's doorstep, someone has left a basket of flowers!

Except it's a basket of totally normal flowers... a little queens lace, a little bit of carnations, and one slightly wiggling plant. This plant doesn't do much aside from wiggle and occasionally spread its blossom to reveal its dripping purple insides, but other than that, it's completely benign. Even playing venus fly trap by sticking your hand in the middle will just get your hand all sappy.

The little note on the card says 'it feeds on sugar. A tablespoon of honey every week is fine.'

The other side, in sloppy calligraphy, reads 'From Kurama's Flower Shop'. ]

pre-20s event

[digiorno]

[There is a fancy new plant waiting for Carlos outside his lab! It's a little potted cactus under a portable heat lamp, and it hasn't been out for long, don't worry--and there's a little note stuck in the soil at the front of the pot. It's not in Giorno's handwriting.]

DONT OVERWATER
HARDY
GOOD FOR SCIENCE?
HA VE FUN DAD

voice; semi-realtime

[digiorno]

Carlos?

[Except it's more like: Carlooooooos? He's in Need of Assistance.]

Can I talk to you about something. [somethiiiiiiiiiiiing]

thhis fuckin icon.

[whatitis]

Any time.

[There's something faintly amused in his tone.]

What is it, Giorno?

[He draws out the name to a matching degree--something that could be seen as mocking if it were anyone else doing it, but since it's Carlos, he's likely trying to be sincerely funny. Bless his heart.]

grumpily wrys

[digiorno]

[Carlos is a cute . . . not-dad thing. Stupid Carlos. Giorno sighs.]

I have to tell you something. [A beat. And then he draws it out:] Somethiiiiing.

[whatitis]

Yes, but what is the something? The suspense is killing me.

[digiorno]

[SIGHS...... SIGHS?]

The something is.

This boyfriend thing.

I have one now. That's the thing.

action | backdated to powerswap event

[saccades]

[Hey, Carlos! You're having a great day, right? You've been working hard doing important science all morning. It's a perfect time of day for a visit from your boyfriend. Here he comes, with a cup of coffee and a scone from the coffee shop, an excellent science helper.]

[Unfortunately, he's also crawling across the ceiling to deliver them. So. You win some, you lose some? On the plus side, the coffee isn't spilling because he's holding it with the opening towards the ceiling. And handing it down like that. Still an okay boyfriend.]

Good afternoon.

[whatitis]

[Carlos very genuinely loves his boyfriend more than anything else in the world, including science, but he also happens to love a few other things, like the sanctity of his workspace, and peace and quiet, and people not crawling on his ceiling like cut footage from the Exorcist. He's a simple man, really.

Luckily, he manages to control his reaction enough to not smack the coffee across the room or ruin his Very Important experiment, but he still jumps, craning his neck to give Cecil a Look.]

Babe.

[He's not mad, just disappointed.]

[saccades]

[Guess who doesn't look sorry at all? This guy. This guy doesn't.]

Hi, honey!

[And he's just. Gonna scuttle across the ceiling, down the wall, until he's walking along the floor again. Somehow he doesn't spill the coffee. He's doing his best.]

Look what I can do now! [HE'S NOTICED I THINK.]

[whatitis]

[Carlos keeps his eyes trained on Cecil for the entire duration of the journey to the floor, equal parts horrified and curious. He's spent the better part of this relationship equal parts horrified and curious, really.]

I see that.

[Gingerly, he takes the coffee, drawing a shaky sip.]

So this is--it's a new thing? Right? Thanks, by the way.

[saccades]

You're welcome! I thought you wouldn't have eaten since earlier. Morning-ish, if morning is a thing here.

[An effusive shrug, which if nothing else indicates that he does not actually have spider limbs.]

I just woke up and I could climb walls. Neat, right? Up a wall, down a wall . . . across the ceiling . . . It was too bad you'd left already or I would have woken you up from above the headboard. It would have been pretty surprising.

action; backdated to like the 19th??

[naeggs]

[Entirely out of the blue, there is a firm knock at the library door, as though whoever is waiting outside has forgotten you can generally enter libraries as you please.

In his hands is a small makeshift pot plant, and a jar of coffee.]

[whatitis]

[Carlos doesn't...quite understand why someone is knocking on the door to the library, and his first thought is that it's probably locked. Darn. This is why he doesn't trust doors! He opens it with ease, though, stepping aside to hold it open and let Naegi in with a smile, not realizing that he is the end destination of the visit.]

Hi! It's not locked, don't worry.

[There's an alarmingly large dog snoozing under the table nearest to the door--or, rather, pretending to snooze. The wagging tail gives her away.]

[naeggs]

[Oh. Yeah. This isn't just a home. With his need for a favor in mind however, Naegi still feels awkward about just casually stepping inside.]

Ah, right. Sorry, could you hold it open for a moment?

[Curiously, he sits the coffee and plant down on that same table, and then steps back outside to retrieve something he'd left on the ground so that he could knock: a large fishbowl with an oddly small koi fish inside. She seems to be curiously watching the dog with big eyes.

Naegi nods towards the gifts.]

Giorno-san said that you like plants. I sort of need a favor with something, and he said you were a good person to ask... I hope this isn't weird.

[Now it feels weird.]