[Yeah, he had a feeling he’d sulk at that, and Lancia’s grin totally isn’t saying that he gave that exact answer because he knew that Faustino would sulk about it or anything.]
[Also, it’s completely true, and he refuses to recant, so.]
[He gestures for the waitress to refill his drink, waiting until he’s sipped a bit more before he speaks up again.]
Your cleverness and your will are good too, of course. I wouldn’t want you to think otherwise. I know it seems like I fuss over you often, but I know you could do well on your own. It lets a bit of weight off of my mind.
[Ciro and Al, of course, have their own strengths, and Lancia is sure that, in an emergency, Ciro could step up if he really wanted to… But he knows they’d stress if something happened to, say, him, or Faustino.]
[That definitely felt a bit patronizing, but Faustino wouldn't give Lancia the pleasure of seeing him pout over his words. Even though the older man undoubtedly knew the effect he had on him, Faustino wasn't going to let him know how much it sway a few offhand words had on him.
But for his lack of a reaction and argument, it seemed like he was rewarded, and he glanced up from his plate curiously as Lancia continued to praise him. It was a bit unexpected, and despite himself, he felt warmth buoying in his stomach.]
We can all take care of ourselves. After all, we learned from the best.
[He paused, deciding that if Lancia was in such a generous mood, he would press his luck for a bit.]
So does this mean you no longer see us as children?
[What a question… Lancia glances down into his cup, swirling the liquid around in it for a moment.]
[It’s been a very long time since the three of them first joined the Family. He can still remember it clear as day: Faustino first, perfectly charming and hiding things that the Boss had to coax out from him. Then Ciro and Al, together and clinging, their distrust worn on their sleeves in contrast. All young, and scrappy in some ways (Ken more than the others), and trauma clinging to their sleeves and trailing in the wind.]
[There’s no denying what the years have done to them, in the best ways: Ciro’s quiet confidence that has him no longer cling to Al or Faustino, Al becoming focused instead of lashing out at the whole world, and Faustino polishing himself like a diamond.]
[Becoming a man- a made man, especially- usually was one of those ways Lancia has known of that helped judge when a child wasn’t a child anymore, but that’s been made difficult with these three considering Ken tore out a grown man’s throat with his teeth once before he’d even hit double digits.]
I suppose it’s getting harder and harder to say that these days, isn’t it?
[That silence was enough to answer it, really, and Faustino looked down at his plate to help hide his victorious smirk. It was difficult to pinpoint when exactly he had stopped looking to Lancia for approval and when he had started looking at him for an entirely different reason, but it felt like it had been lifetimes. It was a trying juxtaposition, to have memories of what being an adult was like and not fully grasping them.
However, now Faustino could say confidently that he knew what he was asking for and what he wanted.]
So what do we have to do to be acknowledged as adults in your eyes, egregio signor?
[His mismatched eyes nearly burned as he glanced up at Lancia's face in barely concealed interest.]
[Amused, he sets his cup down. It’s not an easy question to answer. Really, he’s yet to find a steady pattern- everyone has their own ideas it seems like. Whether mafia or civilian, his three favorite troublemakers don’t quite fall neatly into either area, and those are the only ones Lancia knows.]
I have a feeling you wouldn’t be satisfied with a lackluster answer, so: the next job the boss sends you on, I’ll take a look at the results and decide then.
Who wants to be seen as a child in this day and age? After all we've been through...
[Idly, Faustino picked up the dessert menu, pretending to consider it, when instead he was using it as a distraction to help ground himself. Children, after all, were expendable. Worthless. Not worth getting in arms over to save. Men, however, would at least initiate that conversation. He was ready to be seen as an adult because he had never been a child, primed only for slaughter or molding. The same could be said of Al and Ciro. He wanted to make sure they were protected, using all the dirty tricks, words, or schemes he could.
He glanced up at Lancia when he spoke again, smirk curling at the edge of his lips slightly. At least he understood that much.]
And if the results aren't something easily understood or seen?
[There were many things that Faustino wouldn't mind doing with Lancia in public or private, and he picked the menu up again to consider the desserts instead of saying that aloud. Instead, after a few moments, he said idly:]
My, my, say it that way and I could easily misconstrue it.
[Still, Faustino might have puffed out his cheeks slightly in annoyance, but the sound of dessert ( though not the one he was gunning for ) was acceptable.]
Ha. It’s amazing you can say that with a straight face, considering how much you like to be spoiled.
[Still, he guesses something sweet now and then isn’t that big of a deal. Budino or something… Small and simple. There’s no need for anything complex.]
I haven’t gotten the details yet, but I’ll probably be staying in the territory for a while. From what I’ve heard, there’s a small Family testing the waters on the edge of things, so the Don will probably keep me around just so they don’t get any ideas.
[Al and Ciro had no complaints at least, and M.M. only had ones about his personality that were quite frankly, white noise.
Faustino made a small noise of interest at the knowledge that Lancia would be staying longer, keeping the sly smile off of his face, but just barely.]
If you're staying here longer, perhaps we should set up a daily sparring session. I'm afraid no one else here has proven to be a good enough sparring partner.
Really? I can’t say that’s surprising- your use of illusions isn’t something a lot of people can keep up with easily.
[It’d be interesting and probably better for him, Lancia has to admit, if there was someone who could do that- Faustino won’t advance if there’s no one to challenge him.]
Still, I would have thought Al would try to keep from lagging behind.
Even when I strip my illusions away, I have few peers.
[It was another reason that Faustino had started searching far and wide for ways to hone his skills, having already exhausted his avenues here. There was always the thought of joining the Varia and learning under their famed illusionist, but Faustino found the uniforms to have a terrible color scheme and too much fur. Besides, it would be a place that would force him to listen to a tyrant.
The mention of Al's abilities made Faustino shrug slightly, stirring at his drink idly.]
Al is gifted physically, but he's far too easy to read. He also has a bad habit of holding back when it comes to sparring with me.
I’ll have to crack down on him for that when I see him again, then. He’s my replacement in the event anything happens. [A dry smile.] I can’t have him be too obvious in a fight.
[Because he’s already decided on that, in his head. Faustino can be just about anything he cares to be; it’s impossible to deny his skill both in quality and range. Ciro is a clever fight, but it’s not something he really has an aptitude. Lancia would feel more guilty about it if the boy hadn’t said so himself, years ago, a child who knew his limits even back then. That’s a sharp mind better for going through the technical details of keeping a Family running. It’s intelligent minds like Ciro’s that keep a Family funded and secure, not the vicious strength of someone like Lancia.]
[And that leaves Al. There’s a lot of potential in him. Even unaided by his channels, he’s good at just about anything physical. With those, however, he becomes an army knife of ability, and the only thing that really is a problem is getting him to be as protective of other people as he is those he’s personally invested in. Lancia isn’t naive when it comes to this dark underworld he’s made his home in. He won’t make promises he can’t keep about surviving every encounter. Someone needs to be there if he’s gone, and he thinks Al fits the bill perfectly, once he's polished up his fighting skills.]
Anyway, since you’re so eager for a challenge, I guess there’s no helping it, huh?
[While death shouldn't be a big deal, not in the mafia where it was as commonplace as bread and butter, a small chill skimmed through Faustino's blood at the thought of Lancia needing to be 'replaced'. It was silly, an almost juvenile and childish reaction, but Faustino's movements stilled, his eyes narrowing dangerously.]
Replacement is a bit premature, isn't it?
[His voice was soft, chilly, with almost as much teeth as Al had. He had done his best to keep tabs on anyone who might be a threat to them, and had paid special care for Lancia. He'd been working on dispatching them as quietly as possible without catching anyone's interest, but to think of all of his hard work being in vain, well.
He forced himself to relax, turning his gaze away from Lancia, even though knowing the other man was right there and still breathing should have been comforting enough.]
None at all. [It was lighter, though his eyes were still burning.] Please continue to spoil me as you always have.
[Better to be prepared prematurely than leave his Family or his charges without someone and floundering. Yet a blind man could see the way Faustino is aggravated at merely the idea of him one day dying. In that way, Lancia supposes, he’s still a child. While it’s always painful, there’s still an understanding that any of them could die one day among the older members of the Family.]
[Although, in a morbid way, he guesses it’s sort of funny. He’s only in his 20s; when did that qualify as ‘old’?]
[Either way, it’s best to get Faustino’s mind away from that dark matter. Lancia nods back at the server to get their attention.]
Then I suppose I should start spoiling you with dessert, shouldn’t I?
[Though dessert wasn't enough to mollify him, not by a long shot, Faustino could accept the change in conversation. This was why forming bonds with people was so unnecessary and frivolous. People died, there was no escaping that, and in the mafia it was an every day occurrence. Faustino had been to more funerals than he could count, in this lifetime and the others that had been foisted onto him, and while it had deadened him to the deaths of people who didn't matter, he knew with certainty that for the people he had come to care for... Well. He hoped that Lancia managed to live a long life and die peacefully in his old age surrounded by those he loved and cared for. Any other options would not be pretty.
He made a small face, fine with playing the part of a spoiled mentee for now, leaning back in his chair casually.]
What will you do when dessert isn't enough to satisfy me, I wonder?
[It came off as a rather unsubtle purr, but Faustino could be pretty shameless when it came to his own desires. If it was someone else who he couldn't trust, he might not be as open, but he had little to fear when it came to his family. Wasn't that the whole point of having one?
He glanced upwards in thoughtful amusement, canting his head to the side.]
[It was said with a small smirk and a flippant toss of his hair out of his face, but Faustino was sure his heart was pounding treacherously loud in his chest. He would be surprised if Lancia didn't mention it, exposing a truth about himself always enough to make him a little anxious and wary. Still, he'd made sure the tone was joking enough that he could wave it off it the response wasn't satisfactory, but a small part of him wanted to see what kind of reaction he would get out of the other man.]
Having sparring sessions during the day isn’t enough?
[But it’s a careful deflection as he looks over his charge, wondering. Before, the kiss to his face he’d been willing to dismiss as simply another thing Faustino did to rile or tease other people by stepping over the usually accepted lines. Something to throw him off during a spar.]
[But… This isn’t fighting. This is having a meal together, on their own and away from anyone else. If it’s a joke, he can’t see it.]
[...Maybe he should see what this really is.]
Still, if that’s all you want… Although does that mean you’re forfeiting dessert tonight?
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badliifechoiice22016-01-08 10:36 am
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[Yeah, he had a feeling he’d sulk at that, and Lancia’s grin totally isn’t saying that he gave that exact answer because he knew that Faustino would sulk about it or anything.]
[Also, it’s completely true, and he refuses to recant, so.]
[He gestures for the waitress to refill his drink, waiting until he’s sipped a bit more before he speaks up again.]
Your cleverness and your will are good too, of course. I wouldn’t want you to think otherwise. I know it seems like I fuss over you often, but I know you could do well on your own. It lets a bit of weight off of my mind.
[Ciro and Al, of course, have their own strengths, and Lancia is sure that, in an emergency, Ciro could step up if he really wanted to… But he knows they’d stress if something happened to, say, him, or Faustino.]
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But for his lack of a reaction and argument, it seemed like he was rewarded, and he glanced up from his plate curiously as Lancia continued to praise him. It was a bit unexpected, and despite himself, he felt warmth buoying in his stomach.]
We can all take care of ourselves. After all, we learned from the best.
[He paused, deciding that if Lancia was in such a generous mood, he would press his luck for a bit.]
So does this mean you no longer see us as children?
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[It’s been a very long time since the three of them first joined the Family. He can still remember it clear as day: Faustino first, perfectly charming and hiding things that the Boss had to coax out from him. Then Ciro and Al, together and clinging, their distrust worn on their sleeves in contrast. All young, and scrappy in some ways (Ken more than the others), and trauma clinging to their sleeves and trailing in the wind.]
[There’s no denying what the years have done to them, in the best ways: Ciro’s quiet confidence that has him no longer cling to Al or Faustino, Al becoming focused instead of lashing out at the whole world, and Faustino polishing himself like a diamond.]
[Becoming a man- a made man, especially- usually was one of those ways Lancia has known of that helped judge when a child wasn’t a child anymore, but that’s been made difficult with these three considering Ken tore out a grown man’s throat with his teeth once before he’d even hit double digits.]
I suppose it’s getting harder and harder to say that these days, isn’t it?
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However, now Faustino could say confidently that he knew what he was asking for and what he wanted.]
So what do we have to do to be acknowledged as adults in your eyes, egregio signor?
[His mismatched eyes nearly burned as he glanced up at Lancia's face in barely concealed interest.]
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[Amused, he sets his cup down. It’s not an easy question to answer. Really, he’s yet to find a steady pattern- everyone has their own ideas it seems like. Whether mafia or civilian, his three favorite troublemakers don’t quite fall neatly into either area, and those are the only ones Lancia knows.]
I have a feeling you wouldn’t be satisfied with a lackluster answer, so: the next job the boss sends you on, I’ll take a look at the results and decide then.
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[Idly, Faustino picked up the dessert menu, pretending to consider it, when instead he was using it as a distraction to help ground himself. Children, after all, were expendable. Worthless. Not worth getting in arms over to save. Men, however, would at least initiate that conversation. He was ready to be seen as an adult because he had never been a child, primed only for slaughter or molding. The same could be said of Al and Ciro. He wanted to make sure they were protected, using all the dirty tricks, words, or schemes he could.
He glanced up at Lancia when he spoke again, smirk curling at the edge of his lips slightly. At least he understood that much.]
And if the results aren't something easily understood or seen?
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Are you telling me you wouldn’t be more than content explaining it all to me in private?
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My, my, say it that way and I could easily misconstrue it.
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Only for someone with their mind in the gutter. Parfait today?
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[Still, Faustino might have puffed out his cheeks slightly in annoyance, but the sound of dessert ( though not the one he was gunning for ) was acceptable.]
Do you want anything?
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[A soft, teasing smile crosses his face, and he glances down at the menu himself only a moment.]
Tiramisu, maybe.
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[Faustino gave a wide eyed look of innocence. It wasn't that he wanted to just draw out the meeting, nope.]
Besides, I want to hear more of your stories. What is the Don having you do next?
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[Still, he guesses something sweet now and then isn’t that big of a deal. Budino or something… Small and simple. There’s no need for anything complex.]
I haven’t gotten the details yet, but I’ll probably be staying in the territory for a while. From what I’ve heard, there’s a small Family testing the waters on the edge of things, so the Don will probably keep me around just so they don’t get any ideas.
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[Al and Ciro had no complaints at least, and M.M. only had ones about his personality that were quite frankly, white noise.
Faustino made a small noise of interest at the knowledge that Lancia would be staying longer, keeping the sly smile off of his face, but just barely.]
If you're staying here longer, perhaps we should set up a daily sparring session. I'm afraid no one else here has proven to be a good enough sparring partner.
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[It’d be interesting and probably better for him, Lancia has to admit, if there was someone who could do that- Faustino won’t advance if there’s no one to challenge him.]
Still, I would have thought Al would try to keep from lagging behind.
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[It was another reason that Faustino had started searching far and wide for ways to hone his skills, having already exhausted his avenues here. There was always the thought of joining the Varia and learning under their famed illusionist, but Faustino found the uniforms to have a terrible color scheme and too much fur. Besides, it would be a place that would force him to listen to a tyrant.
The mention of Al's abilities made Faustino shrug slightly, stirring at his drink idly.]
Al is gifted physically, but he's far too easy to read. He also has a bad habit of holding back when it comes to sparring with me.
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[Because he’s already decided on that, in his head. Faustino can be just about anything he cares to be; it’s impossible to deny his skill both in quality and range. Ciro is a clever fight, but it’s not something he really has an aptitude. Lancia would feel more guilty about it if the boy hadn’t said so himself, years ago, a child who knew his limits even back then. That’s a sharp mind better for going through the technical details of keeping a Family running. It’s intelligent minds like Ciro’s that keep a Family funded and secure, not the vicious strength of someone like Lancia.]
[And that leaves Al. There’s a lot of potential in him. Even unaided by his channels, he’s good at just about anything physical. With those, however, he becomes an army knife of ability, and the only thing that really is a problem is getting him to be as protective of other people as he is those he’s personally invested in. Lancia isn’t naive when it comes to this dark underworld he’s made his home in. He won’t make promises he can’t keep about surviving every encounter. Someone needs to be there if he’s gone, and he thinks Al fits the bill perfectly, once he's polished up his fighting skills.]
Anyway, since you’re so eager for a challenge, I guess there’s no helping it, huh?
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Replacement is a bit premature, isn't it?
[His voice was soft, chilly, with almost as much teeth as Al had. He had done his best to keep tabs on anyone who might be a threat to them, and had paid special care for Lancia. He'd been working on dispatching them as quietly as possible without catching anyone's interest, but to think of all of his hard work being in vain, well.
He forced himself to relax, turning his gaze away from Lancia, even though knowing the other man was right there and still breathing should have been comforting enough.]
None at all. [It was lighter, though his eyes were still burning.] Please continue to spoil me as you always have.
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[Although, in a morbid way, he guesses it’s sort of funny. He’s only in his 20s; when did that qualify as ‘old’?]
[Either way, it’s best to get Faustino’s mind away from that dark matter. Lancia nods back at the server to get their attention.]
Then I suppose I should start spoiling you with dessert, shouldn’t I?
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He made a small face, fine with playing the part of a spoiled mentee for now, leaning back in his chair casually.]
What will you do when dessert isn't enough to satisfy me, I wonder?
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[Secrets, something nice with Al and Ciro… Well, he’ll figure something out. Amused, gestures at him.]
Do you mind giving an old man a hint for when that time comes?
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[It came off as a rather unsubtle purr, but Faustino could be pretty shameless when it came to his own desires. If it was someone else who he couldn't trust, he might not be as open, but he had little to fear when it came to his family. Wasn't that the whole point of having one?
He glanced upwards in thoughtful amusement, canting his head to the side.]
Can I ask for anything?
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So long as it’s not some priceless treasure that’d cost me an arm to get, I don’t mind hearing you out.
[Not that it’ll happen, since riches don’t seem to catch Faustino’s attention besides as a means to an end, but he should understand what he means.]
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[It was said with a small smirk and a flippant toss of his hair out of his face, but Faustino was sure his heart was pounding treacherously loud in his chest. He would be surprised if Lancia didn't mention it, exposing a truth about himself always enough to make him a little anxious and wary. Still, he'd made sure the tone was joking enough that he could wave it off it the response wasn't satisfactory, but a small part of him wanted to see what kind of reaction he would get out of the other man.]
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[But it’s a careful deflection as he looks over his charge, wondering. Before, the kiss to his face he’d been willing to dismiss as simply another thing Faustino did to rile or tease other people by stepping over the usually accepted lines. Something to throw him off during a spar.]
[But… This isn’t fighting. This is having a meal together, on their own and away from anyone else. If it’s a joke, he can’t see it.]
[...Maybe he should see what this really is.]
Still, if that’s all you want… Although does that mean you’re forfeiting dessert tonight?
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fudge thought i replied to this
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end scene??