oo1: actual intro!

[cursedtolive]

[action - around town in the afternoon]
[There's a small little boy walking around town. A flat cap pulled down over his eyes, and a brown jacket even in the middle of July. His outfit choice looks a couple decades out of date, too, although the clothes are definitely from the right era. Fashion statement?

Seemingly lost in his thoughts, Czeslaw Meyer-Stanfield is not paying much attention to where he is going. He passes by houses, by shops, by people. He might accidentally bump into people, at which point he will blink the surprise away and smile sheepishly, with a natural-sounding]

Oh...! Oh, I'm sorry [mister, or miss]. I guess I wasn't watching where I was going. I didn't mean to run into you. Good afternoon!

[action - 459 Stone Street]
[Nope. Nope. Nope nope nope. He can't handle this family arrangement. His "mother" won't let him hole up in his room, though, so he's sitting in a chair in the corner of the front room watching the door so he'll never be surprised by his "father"'s homecoming.]

Comments

[action]

[justdumbluck]

Maiza?

[Just when you think you know somebody... Firo runs a hand through his hair as he digests this new information.]

So what about you? You like 'em too?

[action]

[cursedtolive]

Yup, Maiza. He said it's relaxing.

As for me... well, I help sometimes. It's not too bad, I guess.

[action]

[justdumbluck]

Relaxin', huh?

[Well, whatever floats his boat.]

Isaac and Miria think up some pretty weird stuff, don't they? Between the diggin' for gold and the dominoes I gotta wonder where those two'll go next.

[action]

[cursedtolive]

Well, they've got all the time in the world now, don't they?

I get the feeling they haven't even realized it, though.

[action]

[justdumbluck]

They can't be that stupid, can they? I mean, I know they're sorta outta touch, but...

[Firo finds it hard to believe that somebody can just not realize something like that, but if any two people could, it'd be Isaac and Miria.]

Maybe you're right. I guess it wouldn't do much good to try and explain it to 'em, either.

[action]

[cursedtolive]

It's only been a couple years since you and they became immortal, and they're normal people aren't they?

... Er. Compared to you and the Martillos, at least. Maybe they haven't died or gotten hurt yet so they didn't notice!

[Except that one time Isaac's arm bled on Czes' face and he didn't notice. Or that time they fell of the train and got slammed into the ground. But nbd.]

[action]

[justdumbluck]

[He'd protest that, but even he has to admit that he and the Martillos don't lead quite a typical life. Not that Isaac and Miria are too much better in that respect.]

Yeah, they are. They seem to get into some trouble, though.

[From what little he saw, at least.]

[action]

[cursedtolive]

I guess so. Isaac talks a lot about the things they did before.

They're thieves, huh?

[action]

[justdumbluck]

They say they are. I can't really help but find it hard to believe, ya know?

[action]

[cursedtolive]

Well, I don't think gangsters typically crawl about on the floor linin' up and knocking down dominos, either.

[action]

[justdumbluck]

[He frowns. Whether or not Czes meant that as an insult to the Family, he can't let it slip by without comment.]

I'm sure they had some reason for it.

Isaac and Miria just seem a little... odd, don't they?

[action]

[cursedtolive]

"It's fun." That's what they told you when you asked them what they were doing.

You're right, though. Isaac and Miria aren't easy to compare to anything. They're really fun people.

[action]

[justdumbluck]

Oh. Well... I'm sure there was more to it than that.

[They deserve to have fun once in a while, but Firo has to be concerned about their reputations.]

I didn't get to know 'em too well before they left town, but they sure didn't seem like thieves to me. I dunno about "fun," but they're definitely lively.

[action]

[cursedtolive]

I think they're just thieves in their own way. They misunderstand some things a lot. [Train robberies do not mean committing a robbery and escaping on a train, for example. But that worked out very well for Czes.]

... They're a little bit of both. Fun and lively. I owe a lot to them, too.

[action]

[justdumbluck]

[He nods; he can't see them being smart or aware enough to actually get away with a big crime, or even just to pull it off. Like robbing the family of a millionaire. No way.]

Really? Ennis says they helped her out, too.

[He wants to ask Czes why he owes them, but that question might fall under the "future things Firo can't know yet" category.]

[action]

[cursedtolive]

[He smiles.]

Did she? I still don't know everythin' about Miss Ennis since we only met recently.

Isaac and Miria... were very nice to me. They were the ones who helped me become friends with you and Miss Ennis, otherwise I'd only know Maiza.

[action]

[justdumbluck]

She didn't really go into specifics, just said they cheered her up when things were rough. They were the first friends she had.

[He laughs.]

I'm sure Maiza wouldn't have let us ignore you. Still nice that they introduced you, though.

[action]

[cursedtolive]

Yeah, it was nice o' them. [He was introduced as a souvenir, Firo. An adoptable one too...]

... Anyway, how've you been while here, Firo?

[action]

[justdumbluck]

[He shoves his hands into his pockets and glances away. What goes on in Mayfield isn't something he likes to talk about, especially with a kid. (Or someone who at least looks like one).]

Well... Considerin' this place isn't all that pleasant, I guess I've been fine.

[Comparatively, not much has happened to him. The worst part has been watching awful things happen to his friends.]

[action]

[cursedtolive]

You sure? Mr. Walken said he got taken somewhere until a few days ago. Were you there too?

[action]

[justdumbluck]

[He shakes his head and smiles weakly.]

No. Guess I got lucky, along with the other half or so of the town.

...Did he say anything about what happened there?

[action]

[cursedtolive]

Oh... Well I'm glad t' hear that, Firo. From what I heard -- and it wasn't from him, but someone else I just met earlier -- people were stuck there without clean water or food.

[action]

[justdumbluck]

Geez...

[He rocks his weight back and runs a hand through his hair. He hates to think of a friend going through that.]

He did mention somethin' about no food over the phone, but I couldn't hear most a' what he was sayin'. Did this person tell you anything else? Like how they got stuck there?

[action]

[cursedtolive]

[He shakes his head.] Just told me it was something like an "alternate dimension." I guess it's like how we were brought here...

[action]

[justdumbluck]

Like how we got here? Does that mean we could all end up over there?

[He shakes his head and mumbles to himself:]

Even Claire didn't know if he'd make it out alive.

[That's what worries Firo more than any of the facts. He's managed to scrape by in rough conditions before; if Claire doubted his own ability to survive for once, then things had to be more serious than anything Firo ever faced.]