KHR Hell because fuck

[warmskies]

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[ballandchained]

[Funnily enough, he’s thinking more about philosophical kinds of discussions- things like intent, morality, all of those kinds of things which he thinks Faustino loves to pick apart. There’s a time and place for those (usually when a little drunk, in Lancia’s opinion), but it’s not when a trident is out and his body is humming with energy.]

[Which isn’t to say he’s unaware that there might be… something besides his charge’s usual teasing nature in how he reacts to him, but that’s normal, isn’t it? Being young and getting crushes on older people. He should probably discourage it more but... ]

[That definitely is a conversation- with himself if nothing else- for another day. Faustino seems to charge forward, but Lancia doesn’t buy it. The teenager is rarely that upfront. Lancia ducks beneath the attack just as a matter of habit, along with the elbow strike backwards. His focus is a short fast dash ahead of him, hoping to catch Faustino with a jab before he moves elsewhere for another illusionary barrage.]

[catastrophuck]

[Well, no wonder Faustino was beholden to Lancia if he was willing to shoot the breeze about philosophy and the deeper topics about the human condition, drunk or no. He couldn't expect such talk from Al, and while Ciro was intelligent, he was prone to deferring to Faustino's opinion more often than not.

The problem about sparring with someone that Faustino had since childhood was that they were aware of all his tricks and feints, which was both good practice for the unpredictability of an actual battle, but also highly irritating. Still, Faustino could be somewhat sporting, choosing not to include any illusions in this match. After all, he already knew he was superior in that aspect, and it wasn't often he found a partner who could keep up with his physical attacks. It would be a waste not to take advantage now.

It was no surprise that Lancia was quick enough to dodge his blows, but Faustino wasn't the slow cumbersome child he had been, either. He avoided the jab, moving to strike at Lancia's jugular.]

[ballandchained]

[Good move. He makes a note of it in his head, even as he’s raising up his other arm. The benefits of hand to hand: you have the chance to use your free hand for defense. Or, in this case, to try and stop the weapon at its staff before it has a chance to hit him, twisting his wrist so that he can disarm the other. Rule number 1 in a fight: either disarm or incapacitate your opponent if you get the chance.]

[catastrophuck]

[Faustino's usually mocking expression wavered when Lancia disarmed him, sending his trident spinning out of reach. Well, it looked like he would need a bit more training if he was going to go toe to toe with Northern Italy's Strongest-

Except he lashed out with a fist, eyes wide and focused.]

[ballandchained]

[A little bit of pride swells up as Faustino keeps moving and attacking, not letting being disarmed stop him for long. That’s one of the things he worries a little bit about when it comes to the three of them, that they be able to defend themselves no matter what.]

[Still. There’s more to it than this.]

[Lancia takes the hit, grunting a little at the force of it but not relenting, reaching up to try and trap his arm and keep him in place.]

[catastrophuck]

[Well, there was something to admire about brute strength, after all. Faustino hissed at being caught, eyes narrowed and burning but it was an opportunity for him as much as Lancia.

Because he was just going to arch up on his feet a bit and press a sloppy kiss right against Lancia's scarred face, laughing. The element of surprise was his specialty, after all.]

[ballandchained]

[One of these days, he’s going to catch onto all of Faustino’s tricks and not get so surprised.]

[It’s just not today.]

[Befuddlement wipes away the serious focus that had taken up all his face before the kiss, and his grip loosens slightly on Faustino’s wrist. More than enough for someone talents enough to twist away, if they were so inclined, before he regains himself and shakes his head.]

I hope you don’t use that on everyone you fight.

[He’d get worried that Faustino would become targeted for completely different reasons.]

[catastrophuck]

[No, Faustino was going to stay right in place, looking rather pleased with himself. He would consider it his victory, no matter what may come afterwards. Besides, it seemed like the mood for fighting had been broken.

Besides, there was a thrill in having his wrist held, even if it was just to keep him in place, and he did so enjoy seeing Lancia's surprised expression up close.]

Would you be disappointed if I did?

[Let detangled himself, stepping away lightly, laughing.]

Don't worry egregio signor. You're the first. I have to make sure it's an effective tactic before actually using it in a battle.

[ballandchained]

[Lancia lets Faustino go, shaking his head with a sigh and shake of his head.]

I’d stick to your illusions. You know how a lot of mafia men get.

[He doesn’t care, but the mafia is a hothouse of masculinity, and he’s known too many men in this business to think they’d deal with even mocking flirting with calm and grace.]

Have you eaten yet?

[catastrophuck]

If their masculinity is such a fragile thing, perhaps it never existed in the first place.

[Still, Faustino would be fine with the subject change, for once obliging.

That question got a small chuckle out of him, his head canted to the side as he eyed Lancia.]

I'm not a child anymore, I can feed myself now. How long will you continue to be such a worry wart? [But-] I haven't. Are you treating?

[ballandchained]

Well, I was considering it, but if you have complaints about me being a worry wart…

[Who’s he trying to kid, he’d still treat Faustino even for all the complaining. It shows in his smile as he goes to get his clothes again.]

[catastrophuck]

It's hard to call it a complaint. More like an observation.

[Which was as close to an apology or backtracking as Mukuro would allow, as he moved to towel sweat off his brow and neck.]

Where would you like to go?

[ballandchained]

There’s the bistro down in town. You can tell me how things have been on the homefront. Any jobs you took while I was gone, who Ken got into a fight with… All of that.

[With his things got again, Lancia waits for him at the doorway.]

[catastrophuck]

You could hear all that from the Don.

[Faustino waved a hand dismissively, but he would indulge Lancia since he was going to treat. But it didn't mean he was going to be necessarily straight forward about it. Not to mention, just mentioning who Ken fought at any given time was a long list. It was easier to say who he hadn't fought.

He tided up quickly before meeting Lancia at the doorway, shooting his mentor an amused look from under his lashes.]

I would rather hear about the Vongola and your dealings. The Don never tells us anything.

[Which, really he couldn't complain about. His eavesdropping skills were second to none, and he was starting to gain enough power that there were few who could detect him if he didn't want to be detected.]

[ballandchained]

But I like to hear it from you. Is that so wrong?

[The Don will give him all the business details, occasionally indulging him even now with just a bit of the more flavorful things. When Faustino talks, however, there’s a certain charm to it. Maybe it’s because he’s an illusionist. A little bit of showmanship to him sometimes. With the younger man by his side, Lancia starts to head out again. It’s nice to be in his hometown.]

When the three of you have cemented yourselves in the Family, the Don will tell you more. You’re still a bit young, after all.

[But… Ah hell.]

I might be able to tell you a few small details, if you really insist.

[catastrophuck]

[Flatterer, Mukuro would accuse of the older man, if he knew he wasn't being wholly genuine. In a world where everything seemed so fake and fleeting, it was rare for there to be someone so wholly themselves, without masks or pretenses. It must be a strange irony, that Mukuro would be drawn to the most honest people he came across, while he himself was anything but.

He canted his head to the side as if considering the question.]

You would get the best story out of me.

[Once outside the mansion, he let his feet lead the way to the bistro, having been there so many times he could have probably found it in his sleep.

His gaze sharpened at the mention of getting even a few small details, turning his gaze fully onto his mentor.]

Not as young as I appear, and far more mature than even that. [Mukuro no.] And I insist. Tell me a detail and I'll tell you a story.

[ballandchained]

Mmm, in many ways, you’re quite mature. However, you have to remember that the Don still remembers bringing you in all those years ago.

[And so, for that matter, does Lancia.]

[As they come across the bistro, Lancia holds open the door for Faustino and gives a nod to the staff that are inside. By this point, they’ve become quite used to the presence of their little Family. It’s nothing particularly intimate, just the basics of a decent relationship with civilians and the Family- they keep their ears closed and a nice healthy distance from most conversations. Simple and clean.]

Well… I think I can agree to a deal like that.

[He lets Faustino choose their table, thinking over what to spill to the inquisitive teenager.]

I know you’ve heard of Reborn. He’s been pulled into a new job, it seems.

[catastrophuck]

He will view me as that child until his dying days. [It was said with a small sigh of irritation, but also no small measure of fondness. Faustino could imagine just how terribly his life could have gone if the Don had not adopted him and his brood, and he would repay his debts if it took him this life and the next. He shot his mentor a questioning look, a small smirk on his lips.] The question is, do you share his same viewpoint?

[Because he was only going to get hotter and hotter with age. And also less and less fashion savvy but ssh.

Faustino chose a booth near the window so he could watch people in case he got bored, nodding towards the proprietors almost in unison with Lancia.]

Oh? What sort of job?

[Even Faustino knew and was wary of the famed best hitman in the world. He had only caught glimpses of him, illusioned each time, but the small infant had only looked straight through him, smirking in amusement. 'Fear' wasn't an emotion Faustino had felt since he was caged in that laboratory, but wary cautiousness he felt around that small child was as close to it as anything was.]

[ballandchained]

[Ah, it figured he wouldn’t be able to run from that question forever…]

It’s not easy to forget what you looked like when you could still hang onto me, you know. But then you do things that remind me that all three of you are growing up so fast. I’m going to feel old soon.

[child please don’t with the fasion sense]

[Chuckling at Faustino’s curiosity, Lancia glances over to the daily specials like he hasn’t gotten it memorized by heart by now.]

Who knows. I think they were trying to keep me from hearing about it at all, in fact, but it’ll probably come out eventually. Everyone knows his reputation, after all.

[catastrophuck]

[That not answer was acceptable enough for now, and Faustino shot the older man an amused look.]

You're hardly old, egregio signor.

[He said it with enough silken heat that it couldn't be misconstrued, but he'd leave it at that. Even though he was curious as to what they were doing exactly, that made Lancia feel they were older.

Faustino hummed as he looked over the menu, thoughtful.]

I wonder who his new student will be, and if they're going to turn out as successful as Don Cavallone.

[Because wasn't that an interesting story. Mukuro wished he could have been there during some of the key transformation events, but he supposed hearing about it and verifying the facts were close enough.

And since this was a deal:]

Ken picked a fight with two twins down the road. [Not exactly a lie, since they were murderous twins and they were down the road, a few turns, and in a prison.] I thought they might have dumped water on him because he was getting so rowdy, and well, you know how he dislikes to bathe. [If acid could be considered water.] It's still an ongoing fight, but we might be getting some closure soon.

[ballandchained]

If it’s Reborn, I don’t doubt they’ll turn out fine.

[After all, while the Cavallone turned out to be, ha, quite the dark horse when Cavallone Decimo took the reins, there was a reason for that. While an old Family, they’d gotten smaller within recent history, and Lancia can still remember some of the rumors of what a lost cause their then-heir was. After all, they’re not too far apart in age.]

[And yet here they are: a powerhouse of a Family, more financially set than some who had struggled for years, and with a variety of individuals trying to vie for the young boss’ attention.]

[Relaxing, he listens to Faustino’s story with an amused curl of his lips. He has a lot of questions, but he supposes he’ll start with the simple ones first.]

Even with his aversion to water, I’m surprised he’d get so rowdy as to get your attention like that.

[catastrophuck]

Oh? Do you know Reborn well?

[He asked it casually, trying not to sound too interested, but well, for a hitman that had been around for so long, there was surprisingly little known about him. Even Faustino was having difficulty separating the truths from the lies, the myths from the facts, the original from the imitators. He couldn't say why he needed to know this information, only that he trusted his instincts, and his instincts said to know this man who could be an enemy or an ally.

Faustino only chuckled softly at that observation, waving a hand airily.]

Why do you think it's solely to get my attention? He's at that phase where his blood is constantly boiling in some form or another. He leaves everyone constantly exhausted, these days.

[ballandchained]

I know skill and reputation, and only that. I’d be lucky to know him, honestly. Any one of us in the Family could learn a lot by just watching him work.

[The world’s best hitman… That’s not a title given idly, and it’s been the same title on the same person for as long as Lancia can remember. Considering he was a child when he was first taken in by the Family and first started hearing those whispers of reputation, that alone is impressive.]

[Sometimes he ponders running into the hitman, just so he could see what he thinks of his own charges…. But he’s willing to put that to the side as an idle daydream and more than a little pride in how the three of them have grown.]

[But who knows? If they keep working with the Vongola like this, anything could happen, and Faustino is crafting a little reputation all his own.]

[Hearing about their own little troublemaker is enough to draw Lancia’s thoughts from that, and he chuckles as well.]

Oh, so does that mean even you can’t control him now?

[catastrophuck]

[While Lancia was far too humble for his own good, Faustino still respected what he had to say and what he thought. If he believed that Reborn was someone worth watching, then Faustino would do everything in his power to make it so that was possible.

The implication that he couldn't control Al made him huff slightly.]

He's his own person. He was always free to do what he pleases.

[Though conveniently, it was typically what Faustino wanted him to do.

Then, to help derail the conversation he added helpfully:]

You will be pleased to hear that Ciro is still a model student. All of the teachers adore him.

[Mostly because he was quiet and tended to keep his other shit friends in line, but who was keeping track? Not Faustino.]

[ballandchained]

[Faustino, please don’t get in trouble trying to spy on the Vongola and/or the Arcobaleno, find your chill]

[Hearing about Al “free to do as he pleases” has Lancia huff a laugh into his hand. They all know- the entire Family at this point, let alone Faustino and Lancia himself- that Al still gladly looks to Faustino for attention and approval. At least it’s not as bad as when they were all children. But before he has a chance to point it out, the conversation is being shifted along.]

Good to hear. I’m certain that everything he learns will be useful in the future.

[Whatever Ciro decides to do, whether it’s strictly working with the Family or something else. Lancia would put his money on the former option, however. At least, so long as Faustino and Al are here as well. That much, he doesn’t think will ever change.]

And what are his thoughts on the latest fight Al has been picking?