Make yourself a home (tag Vincent Meian)

Vincent was mostly as clueless as Ari. He didn't admit it, but much of the furniture in the Western world had no place in his home in Japan (mostly because it was too small to accommodate such bulky items). Still, he assumed Ari would have some idea of what he wanted in his home, and from there they could talk about what would work best.

Seeing Ari's list, however, made his hopes sink a little. Still, there's always a beginning, and Vincent was determined to start there.

"I do not," he answered politely. "I left a list of supplies at home and will be shopping tomorrow for groceries. Today, I am here to help you."

He looked up at the mall, trying to discern actual letters among some of the brightly colored signs. He looked to Ari and shrugged. "We should walk inside," he replied. "Perhaps find the paint for your home first. We can find colors, and then match them to possible furniture additions."

And, if Ari liked something that didn't match, they could always choose a different paint color. They had nearly four hours - it shouldn't take too long.

The taller of the two chuckled at the observation, shaking his head. An optimist? He didn't think so, but it was amusing nonetheless. He didn't really know what 'googling' was, but he understood roughly that it meant searching. Probably on the internet, if he had any guess on it. Either way, it didn't really matter much; he thought the idea of an accent wall was a good idea.

"That sounds reasonable," he answered, nodding. "You will not need much paint then, and picking furniture will be less specialized."

He waved his hand as if batting away the gratitude. "There is no need to thank me, Ari. As I have told you before, we have settled in well enough and class does not begin until September 4th. I have more than enough time on my hands."

Glancing over the paint colors, Vincent nodded as he viewed them. "Those are indeed soft colors and will look fine in either bright or dark settings," he agreed. He pointed at the slightly brownish-pink color and pale rose. "I am more inclined towards these, but we should test them first."

He was not above giving his opinion on the matter; Ari had chosen these colors because he liked them, so having a second pair of eyes was probably exactly what he was looking for. If he had trouble picking between colors, Vincent had just narrowed options for him a little. Either way, he was happy to help.

"We are doing well, thank you. Appoline seems a bit unsure, however Cassi and Nakia are adapting well," he clarified. "Nik seems to be happier now that she is home with our daughters more often, and they seem happier to see her."

Vincent nodded at Ari's description of the room and what he was able to do to it. It made some sense and was (in fact) much more lenient than many of the apartment rules they had seen when they looked in the area years ago. He must have found a single loft for rent, or the landlord was very lax. Either way, his friend had found a good investment. "One wall at a time is a good idea," he offered.

At the furniture idea, Vincent shook his head. "Unless you plan on having few visitors," he warned, "white fabrics will not stay clean. If you desire something paler, something off-white would be much better. White will also blend with your remaining walls." He thought for a moment, then shrugged. "If you like plants and can keep them healthy, I would suggest wicker with green and white - I have seen it work well even with pale yellow, blue or rose walls."

Mostly, he was thinking of a friend of his back in Japan specifically - Suuichi loved plants with a passion, and every wall was painted in either pale green, soft yellow, or rose. He even had ocean blue tiles in his kitchen. And the plants... you couldn't go into a room without seeing one anywhere, and the wicker only complimented it. It may have been because Vincent missed him a little or that he saw some of him in Ari, but in either case, it was the most he could offer.

"Dr. Kenjutsushi, actually," Vincent answered dryly, an ironic smirk on his face. "She took my name for legal purposes, but she is known by her maiden name as a doctor. She keeps it for her practice, though she lets most..." He almost said 'foreigners' but corrected himself quickly. "...most Westerners call her 'Dr. Ken'. I am sure she is telling her students much the same."

He pondered the second half the question for a moment before shaking his head. "I do not know," he answered honestly. "Appoline has never enjoyed school much, and I doubt that will change. Cassiopeia, on the other hand, seems happy knowing that she will not be separated from her sister aside from grade. Other than that, they are quite the mystery to me."

He listened to Ari ponder out loud for a moment before answering the question with a smirk. "I do not think you will want people jumping on it, if that is what you mean, but it is quite resilient. It will last many years so long as it is not mistreated. It also cleans up very easily, as the wicker is usually finished like wood is."

He nodded in agreement with keeping few plants. All of their plants at home were outdoors and were tended to by his wife, but they were still seasonal. Things indoors needed to be cared for at all times.

Vincent chuckled, agreeing completely. "Yes, I believe it was to save them the embarrassment. She does not suffer fools gladly." Despite his still somewhat formal and stiff grasp of English, he had learned a few amusing quotes from books he was reading, namely classics. He found that this particular anecdote fit his wife very well.

Once again, Vincent marked Ari's use of slang - someone who is "in the same boat" is party to the same situation. It made more sense than other slang terms he'd heard - this one actually had a similar saying in Japan. "I agree. I hope she makes more friends here than at Eisai." He didn't mention her schools previous to her manifestation - it was not something they talked about openly, even to friends.

"They are very close, yes. Appoline has doted on Cassi since she was born, and the two are rarely apart at home." Though, he had to admit, his oldest was seeming more distant lately. He had guessed that it was something to do with growing up, but Nik had told him not to get involved. So, trusting her word, he didn't.

Ari's mention of a brother startled him slightly. "Oh really?" he asked. "Is your brother living in Pilot Ridge as well?" He assumed not, otherwise Ari would surely have asked him first, but it always polite to ask rather than assume. Besides, aside from watching people around him interact with their siblings, Vincent had no idea what having an involved sibling was like. He grew up believing he was an only child.

Vincent shared the grin at the joke, and added one of his own. "Be careful that they do not launch themselves through the ceiling, my friend. How would you explain that to your landlord?"

Vincent blinked, unsure of the reference. He almost asked who this person was, but refrained from doing so. He would find out if he researched it, he supposed.

Then, as Ari spoke of his brother, he smiled; a sad, wistful smile that seemed to soften his features while making him seem older. He saw such feelings when Appoline was younger, remembered how energetic and happy his girls were when they played together. There was so much life that he had been privy to, and his only regret was that he could have been more of a part of it.

And Yuki...

Breathing a slight sigh, the Asian man looked back up to the wall swatches and glanced them over. No use looking for more now that Ari had chosen one. One of a deep cerulean caught his eye, however, and he picked it up to study it. It seemed like it would be a nice color; he would show it to Nik when he returned home. He tucked it unceremoniously into his shirt pocket, then looked to Ari.

"Should we find an employee to mix the paint for you?"

"Indeed it can be," he agreed, musing over the subject a little. The topic had gone on, however, and so did he.

Vincent checked the can of paint, turning it over in his hands as he examined it. Would this really be enough paint? He hadn't seen Ari's apartment yet, but he assumed the man knew what he was talking about. "Do you have primer as well?" he asked, looking back to the man. "Even if the walls look clean, there can still be traces of oil or dirt that will flake the color-"

"Hello gentlemen!" The sudden voice at Vincent's opposite elbow made him jump, nearly dropping the paint can on the floor. He turned suddenly, startled to find a young woman there beaming up at them. "Doing a bit of painting tomorrow? It's been a great summer for it - not a lot of rain, so you can keep the windows open to air out rooms."

The girl spoke almost as fast as Ari.

"Ah... yes," he stated calmly, glancing back at his companion. "So it has." He was a bit lost with this; was it common for American salespeople to be so talkative?