[ whether he believes he can be converted... well. but far it be from him to doubt hugo's talents. ]
Would you look at that! Not too far from my ship. Quite convenient. Now, if you say evening's the right time, then evening it shall be. Is there a dress code?
I appreciate you asking, but for now? No dress code! This is an ~exclusive~ preview by which I actually mean that half of the galleries are a mess at the moment anyways since I'm still working on refurbishing.
(Though, honestly, there won't be a dress code when it's open properly anyways. I'll save that for donor dinners!)
[ and as promised, once dusk falls, he heads over to the address given — not too far from the docks where he spends so much of his time, luckily, though recently his moving around has... well. got both stranger and easier, something which becomes apparent the moment hugo answers the knock on the door of his gallery; silver's here, for sure, looking as he normally does, the ocean in his eyes glinting as errant lamplight from the streets catches in them, his plain white shirt covered by a large woollen coat that goes down to... not ankles, no, but rather a solid lower body that very much looks like a snake's, now, coiling under him, the scales catching the light in the exact same way as his eyes.
he seems, at least on the surface, supremely unconcerned by this development as he grins at hugo. ] Thank you for the invitation. I was in for a rather boring evening otherwise.
[ Hugo spends most of the evening working on the first floor so that he can meet Silver, and thus, there are two things of note when Hugo opens the door with a warm, easy smile.
For one, he’s dressed casually! For someone as stylish and seeming to favor formalwear, it’s a bit jarring to see him in simpler clothes for working. It’s still fits him well, since he does get things tailored, but simple slacks, suspenders, and a white shirt are very much out of the norm for his usual style. There’s even a dotting of stray, dried paint on his shoulder.
The second stands in a stark comparison to Silver himself. Hugo looks exactly the same. There’s not even a hint of any changes from when they’d first met, as if he weren’t affected by the Souls at all.
He knows it’s cowardly to use his glamor, especially with company he likes. He even feels that familiar, guilty sting as he glances down to see Silver’s serpentine body. But his expression doesn’t change in the slightest for his guilt or for seeing Silver’s own changes. He can push down his own feelings, and as always, many of the Augmented’s changes would be perfectly at home with the Thiren. ]
You’re quite welcome! And in fact, if you really are close by, you should come bother me more often, if you’re so inclined.
[ He steps aside to allow Silver in, and at least the inside of the gallery is pleasantly warm. Hugo runs cold nowadays, so he’s willing to pay a little more to keep things warmer as a result. ]
I don’t really sleep anymore, so, really, it wouldn’t be a bother~.
[ there's a beat where all silver does is stare at hugo, eyes widening to take in his appearance — not sloppy, not even like this, but... different. casual. he's always thought hugo's clothes seem akin to armour, as if looking perfectly put-together stands there between him and others, perhaps there to warp the way others see him, perhaps deflect whatever opinions they might otherwise have... or perhaps it's there partly for hugo himself, not there to deceive only others but also himself. put together on the outside, put together on the inside, right?
and so, seeing him like this, his armour taken off, it feels — significant. like a show of trust, perhaps.
not enough so for his appearance, though; and silver knows enough spectrals by this point to know their changes, to think hugo's been entirely unaffected. silco uses glamour sometimes, after all. so does aemond. and so he grins, says nothing of it, and shifts his body indoors with a grateful exhale. the cold doesn't really agree with reptiles. ]
You too? Jesus Christ, I swear I'm surrounded by you people. I almost wish this [ a haphazard wave at himself ] would come with a side of no sleep, too... I'd get so much more done. [ he says all this with a plaintive note that's a little too exaggerated to really be truthful. ]
But I may take you up on the offer. I work late, and it gets cold. No indoor heating in a ship, you see.
[ Hugo laughs, warm and open. He can’t help but tease first, but it’s a comment that actually makes him feel at ease. True, it’s not like any other Augmented has so much as batted an eye at him as a Spectral, but… The worry is always there. ]
Ah, it sounds like Spectrals are your favorite, then? Or maybe we’re fond of you~?
[ The lilt is his voice is playfully spooky, because what else would being a favorite of Spectrals be but a haunting? Clearly, it’s not a bad one, though, considering how his voice gets a more sincere right after. He may be joking around, but he wouldn’t want the offer that follows to come off that way. ]
But, no, please do take me up on it. I’m already paying to heat this damn building, so come borrow my heat as much as you’d like. As you can see—
[ With a grandiose gesture, he opens the main door from the little entryway into the much grander lobby. It’s all looking especially fresh and well-maintained, since this is what he’d finished up this week. To his point, though, there are several doors that branch off from the lobby. ]
[ the worry is always there — and though hugo covers it perfectly, silver can't help but wonder if that's the case. he's encountered the sentiment from other spectrals he counts among those he cares for the most, after all... and if anything, hugo is as expert of an actor as he himself is. like calls to like. ]
What can I say? I've always been fond of things that dwell in the dark.
[ there's a wry grin that follows the statement, and silver almost says something about the cost of heating — only, the main door flies open and the words leave his brain immediately. instead, what comes out is an impressed whistle as he takes in the sight and, turning to clap hugo on the shoulder, ]
Damn, if this isn't impressive! If this is what the entire gallery will look like, well, you'll have people showing up simply to admire the interior.
[ Hugo looks at Silver expectantly as he takes it in at first, but it’s quick to become a smile that easily reaches up to his eyes in warm pride. The are parts of this project that he’s not proud of (it’s previous owner, mostly), but he really has worked hard so far to make this something beautiful and worthwhile. He never does things halfway. ]
Ah, if only the rest of the gallery would look as grand as this… That was a little outside of my budget.
[ He chuckles as he steps to Silver’s side, watching curiously to see what details stand out to him. First impressions are valuable as market research, obviously! ]
But this foyer is why I chose this building, absolutely. It needed quite a bit of love to look this good, but I can at least say that not sleeping anymore has its advantages, I must admit.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
[ whether he believes he can be converted... well. but far it be from him to doubt hugo's talents. ]
Would you look at that! Not too far from my ship. Quite convenient. Now, if you say evening's the right time, then evening it shall be. Is there a dress code?
no subject
(Though, honestly, there won't be a dress code when it's open properly anyways. I'll save that for donor dinners!)
no subject
See you this evening.
[ and as promised, once dusk falls, he heads over to the address given — not too far from the docks where he spends so much of his time, luckily, though recently his moving around has... well. got both stranger and easier, something which becomes apparent the moment hugo answers the knock on the door of his gallery; silver's here, for sure, looking as he normally does, the ocean in his eyes glinting as errant lamplight from the streets catches in them, his plain white shirt covered by a large woollen coat that goes down to... not ankles, no, but rather a solid lower body that very much looks like a snake's, now, coiling under him, the scales catching the light in the exact same way as his eyes.
he seems, at least on the surface, supremely unconcerned by this development as he grins at hugo. ] Thank you for the invitation. I was in for a rather boring evening otherwise.
no subject
For one, he’s dressed casually! For someone as stylish and seeming to favor formalwear, it’s a bit jarring to see him in simpler clothes for working. It’s still fits him well, since he does get things tailored, but simple slacks, suspenders, and a white shirt are very much out of the norm for his usual style. There’s even a dotting of stray, dried paint on his shoulder.
The second stands in a stark comparison to Silver himself. Hugo looks exactly the same. There’s not even a hint of any changes from when they’d first met, as if he weren’t affected by the Souls at all.
He knows it’s cowardly to use his glamor, especially with company he likes. He even feels that familiar, guilty sting as he glances down to see Silver’s serpentine body. But his expression doesn’t change in the slightest for his guilt or for seeing Silver’s own changes. He can push down his own feelings, and as always, many of the Augmented’s changes would be perfectly at home with the Thiren. ]
You’re quite welcome! And in fact, if you really are close by, you should come bother me more often, if you’re so inclined.
[ He steps aside to allow Silver in, and at least the inside of the gallery is pleasantly warm. Hugo runs cold nowadays, so he’s willing to pay a little more to keep things warmer as a result. ]
I don’t really sleep anymore, so, really, it wouldn’t be a bother~.
no subject
and so, seeing him like this, his armour taken off, it feels — significant. like a show of trust, perhaps.
not enough so for his appearance, though; and silver knows enough spectrals by this point to know their changes, to think hugo's been entirely unaffected. silco uses glamour sometimes, after all. so does aemond. and so he grins, says nothing of it, and shifts his body indoors with a grateful exhale. the cold doesn't really agree with reptiles. ]
You too? Jesus Christ, I swear I'm surrounded by you people. I almost wish this [ a haphazard wave at himself ] would come with a side of no sleep, too... I'd get so much more done. [ he says all this with a plaintive note that's a little too exaggerated to really be truthful. ]
But I may take you up on the offer. I work late, and it gets cold. No indoor heating in a ship, you see.
no subject
Ah, it sounds like Spectrals are your favorite, then? Or maybe we’re fond of you~?
[ The lilt is his voice is playfully spooky, because what else would being a favorite of Spectrals be but a haunting? Clearly, it’s not a bad one, though, considering how his voice gets a more sincere right after. He may be joking around, but he wouldn’t want the offer that follows to come off that way. ]
But, no, please do take me up on it. I’m already paying to heat this damn building, so come borrow my heat as much as you’d like. As you can see—
[ With a grandiose gesture, he opens the main door from the little entryway into the much grander lobby. It’s all looking especially fresh and well-maintained, since this is what he’d finished up this week. To his point, though, there are several doors that branch off from the lobby. ]
—I have plenty of room.
no subject
What can I say? I've always been fond of things that dwell in the dark.
[ there's a wry grin that follows the statement, and silver almost says something about the cost of heating — only, the main door flies open and the words leave his brain immediately. instead, what comes out is an impressed whistle as he takes in the sight and, turning to clap hugo on the shoulder, ]
Damn, if this isn't impressive! If this is what the entire gallery will look like, well, you'll have people showing up simply to admire the interior.
no subject
Ah, if only the rest of the gallery would look as grand as this… That was a little outside of my budget.
[ He chuckles as he steps to Silver’s side, watching curiously to see what details stand out to him. First impressions are valuable as market research, obviously! ]
But this foyer is why I chose this building, absolutely. It needed quite a bit of love to look this good, but I can at least say that not sleeping anymore has its advantages, I must admit.