[OPEN]

[69problems]

Who: The Signless and YOU!
What: Signless braves the wild and scary world of shopping.
Where: The Capitol shopping district.
When: Now-ish, during the day.
Warnings: None that I can think of.

The Signless hasn't really done much shopping in the Capitol -- none at all, as it happens, except for when he accompanied Karkat on his last trip but paid for nothing that was bought. He doesn't really trust the credit cards; he doesn't like the idea of being in debt to these people. But this is a special outing. Karkat got him a tribute token doubling as a sign of their moiraillegience, and he can't very well not return the gesture.

So far it's been a wild ride, out alone with all the Capitol people. Many are still wearing horns, some of them disturbingly like his own little nubs, and three of them already have stopped him and asked him to write his name in Alternian script on their arms or faces in glittering red pen. It's strange, as confusing as it is flattering for someone who lived most of their life only interacting with the same three people and expecting only skepticism or violence from strangers. So far the worst thing that's happened to him out here has been a human with blue and red glasses and two sets of horns in honey gold giving him a rather dirty look as they walked past each other. The thought that people he doesn't even know have been watching his relationship with the Helmsman crash and burn and might be angry at him about it is a deeply disconcerting one.

Still, he can't just ignore everyone around him. He likes Peeta and Cinna, and despite all his efforts Effie is growing on him, and he knows it'll help them tremendously if he presents a gracious and open public persona.

Also, he needs a second opinion. He's found a ring he likes, but he's never had jewelry and doesn't have much of an eye for whether it looks good or not. Whoever your character is, they are being recruited for the cause!

"What do you think of this? Too garish?"

(Of course, if your character isn't one he'd ask the opinion of, they can feel free to butt in and give it anyway.)

Comments

[lessthanelementary]

Luxury has always been a dream of Neffa's. He's never been poor, but magic, for him, has always been a means to an end - an end involving a manor in the Palace District, and spirits housed in gemstones instead of cedar, and a pleasure boat named after a woman, with blue-and-gold sails.

For a fledgling magician still trapped under the Guild's wing, it had been a maybe in thirty years kind of goal; here, he defiantly makes the absolute most of his celebrity, because the Capitol is in debt to him for his life, his livelihood, and his magic, and so far as he's concerned, there's nothing more they can reasonably ask him to pay. So he uses his credit card with abandon, mostly to buy his own clothes - ridiculous they might be, but they're better than what his Stylist inflicts on him without his consent.

He's examining gold pendants at one of the jewelry counters and wondering idly if a commission for one in the shape of the Lady's sigil would put him on any kind of watch list when the Signless approaches. Neffa sees him from the corner of his eye, controls the sudden nervous urge to take a pointed step away. He's learned his lesson about engaging trolls. Ignore him and he'll go-- Damn.

He considers, for a brief, desperate second, ignoring the question-- but no, the troll addressed him, he can't very well pretend to be deaf. He puts on alertness and interest, and it barely wavers at all as he leans closer (not too close) to look at the ring.

"Well-- that depends on the context, I think," he says, with the gravity of professionalism. "As the brightest piece of a quieter ensemble, I think it would do very well - certainly, it'll flatter you." Red's never flattered him, personally, but he can imagine it working better against the Signless's grayish skin.

[69problems]

Any insincerity is completely lost on Signless, who's unused to expecting it except from people he already knows are insincere.

"It's not for me, actually. Though he does look a lot like me, and what he wears is usually subdued for the clothing here." He looks thoughtful. "I mostly want to make sure it's not too flashy for a gift."

[lessthanelementary]

Neffa makes a decision. "Not at all," he says, raising his eyebrows, guileless. "It's beautiful. Clearly a thing of value." After his last encounter with a troll, he's resolved to keep his dealings with them as positive as possible - he's had enough pointed teeth flashed at him to last him a lifetime.

"Of course," he adds, "It depends just as much on what you intend to say with it. A ring is quite a personal gift."

[69problems]

"Oh, well." He thinks. What does he intend to say? "This is for my moirail -- which doesn't mean anything to you, I'm sure. But it should say something like 'I care for you, and about your emotional wellbeing, and I'll always be there to make you feel better', or something to that effect. And it has to be bright red, because that's my color."

[lessthanelementary]

"In that case..." Neffa examines the ring a few seconds longer. In all honesty, he does find it pretty-- more ostentatious than anything he would wear, but attention-catching in a good way. "I'd recommend saying as much, when you present it. Write it down, even. The meaning's as much a part of the gift as the ring itself-- don't let it be misunderstood."

His tone has turned professional without his realizing it, like the Signless had come to him asking for business advice. And, well, he's given similar advice before, if in a different context-- symbols are important. They make excellent gifts, too, in his experience - a shared symbol is its own kind of solid contract, a meaning exclusive to two people, secret and safe and more precious for being so.

[69problems]

He nods. He'd planned to do something like that anyway, a little speech, a special presentation because this was something special.

"You sound like you have experience giving these kinds of gifts."

[lessthanelementary]

That draws a smile from him, with more than a little relief in it. This troll's a good deal friendlier than the one he'd tried to bond with over honeycakes, and a good deal less intimidating.

Neffa's not in the habit of giving gifts, personally, but he takes it as a compliment-- as proof of advice well-taken. "Close," he says, with a shrug. "I have experience judging the worth of things."

He glances at the rows and rows of silver and gold pendants, bracelets, gem-set brooches, in the display case. "They're fond of measuring value purely in coin expended here, and letting expense carry meaning. But real meaning - the kind that can only be granted, never bought - that's worth more than the ruby inlay, wouldn't you say?"

[69problems]

"I think so. I never had very much wealth, before I came here, and I'm not sure I trust this card, because the only way to make money is to kill and I won't do that."

He still isn't sure how he's going to pay back whatever he ends up spending on this ring, either. It's been a niggling doubt in the back of his head all day.

"The thought behind it is all I really have."

[lessthanelementary]

"I was taught that without thought behind it, a gift is worth near nothing." Not quite the phrasing of the First Contract; magic has more to do with determining how much coin the thought behind something is worth than trading thoughts for thoughts. But it's a pretty platitude, and so he delivers it blithely, without irony.

He's not given much thought to the limits of his own card. It's like its own kind of magic, really - he doesn't know what well of coin it's drawing from, and he doesn't particularly want to know. "But-- buying alliances with gifts," he says, eyebrows raised, this time with a hint of humor-- "You're a radical. Death has rather a higher exchange value here than affection, I've noticed."