action/audio later on.

[contaeoro]

[action; the village]
[He managed to get those pesky wings to stay flat against his back at least. It still feels weird, but he is happier now that he's got his clothes on and he made it out of the forest. He's still far, far away from New York though. That much he can tell. The white cotton clothes held in his hand, Maiza looks around in a wonder as he walks into what looks like a small village.

It doesn't look like anywhere he has been before. Narrowing his eyes, he will approach the nearest, friendly looking person.]

Pardon me, ah... could you explain to me where this is?

[audio; later on]
... I think I've got this figured out now. What an interesting contraption.

Hm.

I was told speakin' to this journal will allow me to speak with the other folks in this area. Thought I'd introduce myself, as from what I've heard we're all stuck in the same boat, here. [A pause.] My name is Maiza.

[Longer pause.... what do you even say to introduce yourself when you're talking at a journal?]

Comments

[immamartillo]

You don't hafta tell me, no way I'm forgettin' what they're like.

'Least nobody's put up a whole bunch a' dominoes here...

[Shut up, Firo, you liked it.]

[contaeoro]

[... He gives Firo a look.]

Actually, somethin' like that might be good. It cheers folks up.

[immamartillo]

[Firo glances away, trying to pretend he didn't see that look.]

You think so?

[Of course Maiza does, he's the great domino architect.]

[contaeoro]

Oh yeah. Remember how much fun even Ronnie was having?

[immamartillo]

Yeah, he was, wasn't he?

[He can't laugh at a senior capo, so he'll just quietly feel embarrassed for Ronnie. How did they all not know how weird it was for a Camorrista to do things like that? Even if it was fun. Really fun.]

...Would it cheer you up?

[Not that Maiza seems particularly sad, but Firo knows that when the homesickness hits, it hits hard.]

[contaeoro]

It would put my mind at ease if I'm feeling tense. And the children here might have fun with it, too.

[He has a feeling kids like Czes would call it childish, though.]

[immamartillo]

Then... maybe we should put some together. I bet it wouldn't be too hard to find some dominoes here.

[They might not be able to get as many as Isaac and Miria, but who needs that many?]

[contaeoro]

If we can't find them, we'll make them, yeah?

[There's gotta be time for some hobbies around here right?]

[immamartillo]

[He laughs, but if that's what Maiza wants he'll go along with it.]

Make them? Outta what?

[contaeoro]

Ah, I'm not sure yet, but we'll probably find something.

[He's really just trying to be cheerful. He owes that to Firo because now they're stuck here and to him, Firo and Czes are kids still, and he's got to be better for them than he had been for Gretto... He doesn't want to regret that again.]

[immamartillo]

Okay. Don't know how good I'd be at it, but I'll try helpin' you make some.

[Firo thinks that taking care of Maiza is now his responsibility. The guy's just new to Luceti, and Firo needs to make sure that everything goes okay for him.]

[contaeoro]

Thanks, Firo. Who knows? We might even find a guy who can make stuff like that here.

[Maiza on the other hand wants to look out for Firo and Czes. He might be new here, but he's still the eldest.]

[immamartillo]

Maybe. Some a' the people here have got some pretty neat talents. I met a guy who could make a knife glow!

[contaeoro]

A knife glow? What do you mean?

[immamartillo]

I'm not sure exactly. He said he put his "aer" into it--that's somethin' like energy but not really--and it just shined!

[contaeoro]

Was it magic?

Dunno if that's something i'd get into...

[... weird.]

[immamartillo]

I'm not sure. I don't think so; he tried to explain it to me but I didn't really get it.

Glow-y or not, he was pretty good with a knife.

[Good enough to land a hit on Firo and watch him regenerate...]

[contaeoro]

Not a man we want to have against us, huh?

[immamartillo]

I think we could take him if we needed to, but it'd still be better to have him on your side. He seemed like a pretty good guy, though.

[And by that Firo means friendly and sharing their criminal inclinations.]

[contaeoro]

That's promising. What's the guy's name?

[immamartillo]

Yeager.

[He frowns and looks away. The guy was enjoyable company and Firo's been a little lonelier since his absence.]

He's... not actually here anymore. He got sent home or disappeared or whatever it is that happens to people.

[contaeoro]

He's gone?

... That's a shame. He sounded like good company.

[immamartillo]

Yeah. He was.

[Firo bites his lip to keep himself from saying anything sentimental. The guy was one of his first friends in Luceti, and the familiarity of hanging out with someone also on the wrong side of the law helped ease the transition.]

Um, anyway, the house shouldn't be too far away now. It's me and three other people. Well, one's sorta like a cat, but I think she's still basically human.

[contaeoro]

A cat like a human? [Like her personality? Or is Firo going to say she's got ears and a tail? This place, seriously...]

[immamartillo]

Yeah. She said she was a "Taokaka" or somethin'. I think she's got the ears and she, um... bites people.