banworthy: (34)
father vincent. ([personal profile] banworthy) wrote in [community profile] etrayalogs2025-07-02 12:12 am

[ closed ] you see a man

WHO: Vincent Smith ([personal profile] banworthy) + CLOSED starters.
WHEN: July.
WHERE: Various places.
WHAT: People actually want to spend time with Vincent (he's surprised and suspicious, too).
NOTES\WARNINGS: Silent Hill 3 spoilers, cult indoctrination.
cantilevers: (29)

[personal profile] cantilevers 2025-07-05 11:20 pm (UTC)(link)
[Vander was not bothered either way. He was called either word interchangeably, and he did not find one more derogatory than the other. Of course, Vincent currently wasn't aware and again likely didn't care about the meaning of either name.]

You're a very contrary person, but I'm starting to suspect you're one of those that experiences joy through complaint. [He was with Vincent about the music part though. He thought that music was valuable, which was why it was so prevalent in the Lanes and the upper levels of the city. He had not seen much, if any, advertising for bands unfortunately because he would like to attend a concert.]

I wouldn't be offended to you told me I was dirt under your shoe; we barely know each other currently. [And that was why they were meeting in his opinion. Vincent might want to learn about Kindred, but Vander was more interested in learning about Vincent.] Well, I'm twenty-five percent and fluctuating, I figure.

[He wandered in and set the box on the table then produced a corkscrew from his back pocket.] Well, I'm a dead person, so points for me.
cantilevers: (42)

[personal profile] cantilevers 2025-07-05 11:41 pm (UTC)(link)
You suppose? As in you're not certain?

[Vander worked the corkscrew into the cork of the bottle of white chardonnay that he had brought with him. With minimal effort, he popped to cork and then put the open bottle back into the box that he had been carrying it around in. He pulled out a small bottle of single malt whiskey for himself.

He offered the box with wine to Vincent.]
Your boxed wine. [He then took a seat across from Vincent, looking around the cafe before huffing noisily.] Three perfect? Does my rating reset after each encounter? Or did you just drop me twenty-two percent for calling you out? [He needed to discover these rules of engagement!]

Oh yeah? Practically pals from the grave. How did you die?
cantilevers: (43)

[personal profile] cantilevers 2025-07-06 12:07 am (UTC)(link)
Okay, what does happiness look like to you?

[Yeah, Vander did not bother with glasses. This was one of this early morning meet ups that had to be casual and that meant informal as well. He unstoppered his bottle and took a swing of whiskey from it.]

Oh, thanks for the clarification. I need to learn this behavioral rating system in time. [At least he was currently maintaining a lively twenty-five percent. He knew that Vincent would let him know immediately if he began slipping from his pedestal.] Is anyone here that low for you? No names necessary, but I am curious.

[He hummed in return.] Almost me too. Not exactly a fun way to leave the mortal coil.
cantilevers: (37)

[personal profile] cantilevers 2025-07-06 12:24 am (UTC)(link)
[Vander slowly leaned forward so he could rest his elbow on his knees while his legs were spread. He surveyed Vincent for a few seconds of quiet.]

So you know what it looks like in other people, but you're having trouble experiencing it yourself. You wouldn't be the first to tell me that.

[He was intuitive enough to understand what that meant and perhaps not press further than that. It was answer enough, just as much as knowing that someone existed well below market value for Vincent.]

No, not at all. It was a curiosity to know that such a person existed and maintained dirt under your shoe status. [Otherwise, he didn't care for the details unless Vincent wanted to share.] Sounds like a joyful individual. Hopefully they don't appear here then.

[This was probably the most casual talk about death. Almost felt like home with some people.] I figured that might be the case. I assume it happened just before you arrived here?
cantilevers: (51)

[personal profile] cantilevers 2025-07-06 01:30 am (UTC)(link)
Well, part of my occupation is to be sympathetic to the troubles of others while also maintaining a sense of order and respect in my premises.

[He wondered if Vincent had been to many bars, and he decided that it was probably negative. The man probably didn't enjoy being in crowds of people from his initial impressions, and he was assessing that Vincent didn't care much about personal happiness. Maybe it was a religion thing: people need to suffer to be accepted by God or something.

He shrugged his shoulders.]
So, does your world have a god of death or just the one that rules over everything?

[He nodded his head, and he made a point of taking a drag from his bottle. Seven months and he was still not over his own yet; not his death, of course, but that of his children. It was a wound that still festered this far on.] Yeah, I can understand. Sometimes it's just... worth yelling at someone about it to let the anger out I suppose.
cantilevers: (38)

[personal profile] cantilevers 2025-07-06 03:19 pm (UTC)(link)
You're not one of my patrons at the bar, so why would I be sympathetic to you unless there was something to be sympathetic about?

[It was actually amusing to think this guy would be upset that someone would foist sympathy Vincent's way, potentially legitimate or not. He had no doubt that this man was driving towards something, though he had not yet determined what that was. It seemed like it might be a religion thread.]

Ah, so she had dominion over death and life and everything in between. That's not how it works where I am, at least not the way I've been taught.

[Vander huffed in amusement at the sudden inquiring about food, and he rolled his eyes playfully. Sounding like one of his boys now. Janna, don't think about them at a time like this.] Yeah, I'm a man of my word. I brought you food.

[He reached into second bag that he had brought with him and pulled out two containers to set on them table between them. Inside one was as shrimp dip and the other was chips that could be used to scoop it up for consumption.] I hope you're not allergic to seafood.

[Vander peered at Vincent for a long quiet moment, piqued by the explanation. Maybe he should take a page from this one's book on that front, but his anger tended to be stemmed from pain at this point in his life.] Maybe they deserve to feel bad.
cantilevers: (42)

[personal profile] cantilevers 2025-07-06 08:10 pm (UTC)(link)
So you disagree with empathy directed in your direction. What about empathy for others beyond yourself?

[Vander felt no need to debate on the comment of him seeming nice. That was the point; it was the appearance that he put up, and he did it well. Oh, he was nice enough and knew his way around situations and could pull information out of people and lend an ear to their wants, needs and desires, but there was a selfish element of it as it was with anyone else. The dismissiveness didn't produce a reaction in him either; it wasn't the first disparagement of niceties that he had experienced and wouldn't be the last.

He huffed a sound of amusement as he leaned back in his chair and sipped from his whiskey bottle again.]


Delegation broadens community and disseminates information. It means the house of cards doesn't collapse when the card with all the structural integrity fails. Though, perhaps with gods it's different, who am I to judge as a mere mortal? [There was a hint of sarcasm at the very end. Sorry, inside joke.

A lake town, huh? He knew a few other people claiming the same, one of which he happened to have developed closeness too. Those two also seemed... well, close was the wrong word but clearly friendly. Maybe they came from the same lakeside town. They probably did knowing how Etraya recruitment seemed to function.]


Stranger things have likely happened, I imagine. Nice to see that you'll eat what I cook at least. Made it just for you. [It had been slow the last hour, so what else was he going to do? It wasn't as if he could thieve or curate a black market here since everything everyone wanted was a request away. Food it was.]

That's not an argument to the point.
cantilevers: (66)

[personal profile] cantilevers 2025-07-07 12:32 am (UTC)(link)
I don't think you're in a position to dictate how others feel about you. That's not your right, but I expect you can manufacture the emotional response you want with certain behaviours. [Vander expected that some perceptive folks would see through that though, and they would want to dig into the reasons behind the displays. That's what he would do.] Everyone has their own problems and deal with them; it often takes very little to offer support now and again.

[He set an arm across the back of his chair as he continued to observe Vincent in the dim light of the cafe. Neither one of them had bothered to shut the front door, but he didn't expect anyone out to overhear their conversation.]

Isn't it? I expect their institutions can be, and if they preside over them directly, well... [There were plenty of times in Runeterra when so called gods were stepping into mortal lives for one reason or another. This all seemed convoluted as most religions were. Yet, he was open to debate.

He was waiting for the punchline that was useful for powerful people to be able to loose their anger upon others. He doubted that was the point being made here though.]
Yet everyone experiences anger in one form or another. Bottling it up isn't healthy. [Pot, this is the kettle calling.] What else would you prefer to be doing after someone had made serious grievance against you? Turn the other cheek?
cantilevers: (39)

[personal profile] cantilevers 2025-07-07 02:13 am (UTC)(link)
On the contrary, you don't have to accept anything, but they have a right to feel as they do based on their impressions of you. [The corner of his lip rose in a faint smile at the look that Vincent's expression took on.] Is that so? You honestly are a numbers guy while doubling as a man of faith.

[Vander was not at all irritated by Vincent. This remained some polite company compared to the sort that wandered in his door, and if anything, the noisy eating actually more reminded him of home. He did miss it honestly, and to that, he did take a small sip from his whiskey bottle before resting it on his thigh as he continued to watch Vincent across the table from him.

Those names sounded very arbitrary, and he did wonder if the other man was pulling his leg. Vincent didn't seem like a man who had an actual sense of humor thus far, but perhaps it was all a carefully constructed act.]
And what does Valtail look and act like? [He messed up the name pronunciation. Excuse him.] It does sound like the realm of gods is more cluttered than you first led me to believe.

[It wasn't different, but he did value someone that could just let such emotion go. For him, he pushed it down. Way down, and then he had to hope he found a different outlet for it otherwise it might explode out of him.] Interesting. That's a rarity to do, especially given human nature to nurse slights.
cantilevers: (40)

[personal profile] cantilevers 2025-07-07 01:13 pm (UTC)(link)
And I expect you prefer it that way in order to keep people from trying to get to know you and perhaps discover something likable about you. [Vander was once again reminded of the question "who hurt you?" when it came to his interactions with Vincent. From behind his drink, he smirked a little.] I did, yes. However, repeating observations can be a tactic to convince people to offer more.

[He considered, repeating the name several times until he had spoken it correctly. He appreciated the patience on Vincent's end for that.] That sounds like it would create quite the fright to encounter. What is Valtiel a lesser god of? [He expected there were plenty of details, but he didn't mind the evasiveness. Vincent clearly was trying to set a particular impression on him. See? Practically friendship.]

That's because we manipulate a perception of caution to 'other' others and pick out their differences as if they are dangerous. It's a survival mechanism on some level. [He was rather nonchalant about it. He was used to being hated for many reasons, and sometimes from people who had never met him in the first place.] Yet, you contend people have a negative opinion of you. That seems contrary, since negativity can lead down the path of hate easily enough.
cantilevers: (24)

[personal profile] cantilevers 2025-07-11 03:00 am (UTC)(link)
Oh you're not so bad so far. Of course, I assume from now on that you'll do your exceptional best to change my opinion. [There were some rather crusty and rude people in the undercity, and that kind of unlikeable crassness was endearing if one knew how to handle it. He had not yet suffered personal insult from Vincent yet, so that was actually a step up from a few people he had met here.] I wouldn't decline either subject, no.

[Eh, he had the sneaking suspicion that Vincent's version of 'nothing frightening' and everyone else's may be different. Of course, who was he to tell? He was used to things lurking in the dark meant to frighten.] I see. I'll take your word for it, as I highly doubt that I'll have the pleasure of his company in this place. [That left him wondering what Vincent was afraid of, if anything at all.]

You haven't met some truly spiteful people, have you? For some, the ability to hate is like a passion project they invest all of their time and energy into. [He knew at least one in the Lanes that would hate Vincent just to prove that it was possible long-term. People were contrary after all. They didn't like to be told what they couldn't do.] You're rather flippant about the idea of being killed.
cantilevers: (22)

[personal profile] cantilevers 2025-07-12 06:46 pm (UTC)(link)
That's a remarkable amount of self confidence when it comes to degrading yourself. It's too bad you don't actually control my emotions. [He was genuinely curious what it was that Vincent would do to attempt or succeed at turning his opinion. So far, there were mostly contentious potential topics but otherwise, Vincent seemed about as normal as a regular Zaunite?] So let's talk religion. I never was one for easy. [It sounded like there was an option.]

So, here we are, right? Just two guys sitting in a closed café we happened to break into for a middle-of-the-night chat. [And hopefully at no point tonight would either he nor Vincent be visited by any otherworldly entity. It would definitely disrupt the vibe that they currently had at the very least.]

And how is that? [He was delighted to hear that Vincent was nonplussed by such people. This man truly was interesting, if all this talk was in fact also a reality.] Hardly. I assume that you learned something from it and moved on.

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