Out with the old....

[sundead]

Who: Everyone
What: New Year's.
When: Dec. 31st, New Year's Eve, to Jan 1st, New Year's Day.
Where: Everywhere
Summary: It's New Year's, and the people of Luceti have a lot to reflect upon, and to look forward to. And on a more meta level, new journal names.
Rating: We'll see...

New Year's brings images of crowds, and songs, and fireworks; staying up til midnight and watching balls or bells being rung. But Luceti is a different time and place. Whether you're partying with friends or watching the sunrise, what are you doing today?

Comments

[ever_deceptive]

[He nods a bit stiffly. The topic of the Don is something he indeed doesn't really want to get too far into.] They were. Barbos and I got along very well--in a personal sense as well as a business sense. He got too ambitious for his own good, however. Brought it on himself.

I fear that's something I see with my clients over and over again. They become too confident in their resources, create some grandiose plot to get rid of their enemies, and then find themselves in trouble. Personally, I try not to stay aligned with any side for long to avoid that fallout. Much safer to outsmart and utilize my enemies than to eliminate them.

[He laughs.] They're adopted. Though, for the record, I'm thirty-six. Not old.

[immamartillo]

I'm sorry.

[ He nods quietly, letting that be his only reply. Even Firo can understand that the death of friend's and personal destruction isn't a subject to ask too many questions about. Besides, it's New Years. He's already feeling homesick, so he doesn't want to touch on too many heavy subjects tonight. Firo plasters on a smile and tries to hop to the next topic. ]

Okay, maybe not as old as some a' the guys in my Family... But that's still pretty far out there. How old are your kids?

[ever_deceptive]

Sixteen. They're twins. [Yeah, if they were his biological daughters, they would have had to been born when he was twenty. Small amount of squick?] Both very fine students and fighters for their age, too. I commissioned transforming gunblades for them a few years ago, and they've been advancing marvelously in their use.

[immamartillo]

[ He perks up a little when it's mentioned that they're good fighters. Their weapon- whatever it is- sounds rather interesting, too. ]

They do sound like pretty neat people. What's a gunblade?

[ever_deceptive]

Exactly what it sounds like. It's a weapon that can take the form of a long dagger or a pistol. There are some on the market where the change is aer-triggered, but my girls have the kind that switch forms at the touch of a button.

[immamartillo]

Wow... Now that's pretty nice. So, about how good are they at fightin' with those, would ya say?

[ever_deceptive]

It'd probably be a good weapon for you, I imagine. [He'll have to keep his eye open to see if one comes into the shop. It's not a terribly common design, but there's always a chance.]

I'd rate them as intermediate. Not as good as you, but definitely not bad. I don't spar with them often myself, but I have watched them in training with one of my bodyguards, and they give him a fair amount of challenge.

[immamartillo]

Definitely sounds handy.

[ Sounds like Yeager knows how to raise some cool kids. ]

If they ever wind up here we'll hafta spar sometime. What're their names?

[ever_deceptive]

Gauche and Droite.

[He reaches into his suit pocket and pulls out his wallet, withdrawing a small picture from it and handing it to Firo. In it are two girls in formal dresses, smiling brightly.]

Gauche is the one on the left there, Droite on the right. That picture is from about a year and a half before I came to Luceti, but they looked much the same before I left.

[immamartillo]

[ Looks like everyone in Yeager's family has strange hair. Firo glances from the picture to Yeager, laughing a bit. ]

...They still kinda look like you.

[ Then his eyes are drawn to the weapons; they do look cool! ]

[ever_deceptive]

[Strange hair? It's a shame Yeager doesn't have a picture of Zagi with him. XD]

You think so? [He smiles and shrugs. He's probably gotten that a couple times before.] I don't know. But ja, it's unfortunate that they're not here. Not that I'd wish for them to be experimented on, but...

[He lets that trail off into a sigh. He misses them, that's what.]

[immamartillo]

Same hair.

[ His joking smile fades as Yeager sighs. He can understand just how he feels. Nodding slowly, he glances away. ]

Yeah. It's... not fun to be away from your family.

[ever_deceptive]

At least I know that they're not getting into any trouble while I'm away. Or missing me, for that matter.

[He takes back the picture, glancing over it once before replacing it in his wallet. He would rather have himself be the one that's lonely, not them, but it hurts all the same.]

[immamartillo]

R-right. It's good that everybody's safe.

[ For now, at least. Firo fiddles with his glass nervously as he thinks about Ennis. She was still kidnapped when he left.

He looks up and attempts to smile, though it doesn't really work. ]

And who knows? Maybe you'll wind up back home soon.

Totally almost posted with the wrong account, wow XD

[ever_deceptive]

Maybe. The Malnosso haven't been doing much with me, so perhaps they will lose interest soon and send me back.

[Yep, he's not had to worry about mallynapping or experiments thus far because his mun gets busy and distracted. Lucky for him.]

[immamartillo]

[ Firo falters. It's selfish, but he wouldn't want to lose a friend so soon. He quickly tries to cover up that by nodding and faking another smile. ]

Yeah, maybe you'll get lucky. Seems to happen every so often.

[ever_deceptive]

I should like to be around here for some time yet, though, if I had a choice in that. Just for the people I've met.

[Yeah, he wouldn't want to leave you or Lindsay right now, Firo. That would kind of suck, even if he personally wouldn't remember you afterwards.]

[immamartillo]

[ Firo gives a small smile, and this time it's genuine. ]

And you've still gotta try makin' that deal with the Malnosso, right?

[ever_deceptive]

[His gaze flits aside to make sure no one else just heard that. He takes a moment to sip from his drink, then smiles back.]

Once I practice making a good filter, ja. I'll give that a try.

[immamartillo]

[ Firo's not so good with the secrecy thing. He glances around quickly, looking slightly embarrassed. ]

Oh, right... Uh, sorry.

[ He leans in closer, lowering his voice. ]

How come it's gotta be a secret?

[ever_deceptive]

Some people might take it the wrong way. Consider it collaborating with the enemy. I'd rather not incite any arguments over that.

[Technically speaking, that's exactly what it is, but Yeager was never one to ignore the potential benefits of switching sides.]

[immamartillo]

[ He scratches his head. ]

Huh. I guess that makes sense... Didn't really think of it that way.

[ He didn't really think about it all, like most things. Sure, he hates the Malnosso and would rather beat them bloody, but Yeager's his friend so the alliance almost wouldn't seem wrong. ]

[ever_deceptive]

[Yeager leans towards him a little himself, smiling as though they're discussing some kind of private joke instead of a secret.]

Let me offer you a little advice. Next time you say something loudly that should have been concealed, don't get closer to me like that. That only makes it obvious to everyone around us. It's better to just look without turning your head, busy yourself with something...

[He leans back, throwing a brief glance at the people around them by way of demonstration, and sips from his drink for a few seconds, gesturing idly with the glass as he finishes it off.]

...And then you change the subject after I have the chance to respond. That way there's no obvious breaks in the conversation, nothing to attract attention.

[Not that anyone seemed to have reacted to Firo's too-loud question before. Just a good teaching moment.]

[immamartillo]

R-right. Sorry. That was stupid.

[ He takes a quick step back. Subtlety and secrecy are unnatural to him, because of his Family's lack of a code of secrecy, and due to his own typical carelessness. Nothing terrible may have come of it for the moment, but he still feels bad for not realizing his foolishness sooner. ]

[ever_deceptive]

It's all right. You didn't know.

[He gives him a comforting pat on the shoulder. He knows their backgrounds are similar, but not the same, so he can't expect Firo to be practiced in such things. Heck, most guildsmen aren't that subtle--Yeager picked up most of such techniques while doing business illegally in the empire. Totally different situation and culture, there.]