I | video

[malfattore]

{Where most of the morning had been spent in a stagger, a stream of expletives and a reawakening of sorts, the afternoon and evening were spent in... much the same way. The door, he knew the door. Knew the sky. The city. Knew the scent of the air, pungent with native... well...

pungent with nativeHe knew where he was. Knew he could do little to

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[voice]

[girl_unlocking]

[No matter how many times she'd pictured this moment (dreamt about it for a while, even) it just doesn't go how she'd planned.

For instance, she always thought she'd crush her Forge. Didn't want to, but in her mind's eye it always happened, always caught her unawares.

It catches her unawares this time too, but her Forge isn't crushed so much as dropped and then retrieved. Stared at and into and fuck, her hands are trembling so violently she's afraid she'll turn it on before she's ready.

Her voice is thin and hard and stretched over razorwire as it scrapes up and out of her mouth. It may as well be clawing its way out.]

How could I forget.

[voice]

[malfattore]

{And hers is the first voice that reaches across?

He switches the video off on his end, a sign of simple respect. sort of.}

Aha... come il sole. You're still here, I see.

How are you, piccolo?

{The tone has changed. Gone is the boredom, the sloth, replaced by an obvious perk in interest. He always did enjoy this one.}

[voice]

[girl_unlocking]

[Not seeing him is a small, cold comfort that means fuck all in the wake of this.]

A lot of us are still here. And some of them aren't because you killed them.

Do you remember? Do you have anything to say?

[voice]

[malfattore]

{he says nothing for some time, though the presence of his breath, seemingly far from the mic, suggests he's there and merely unsure as to how to respond to this.

...

"Lyingly", of course, but we can't be letting you see that now, can we!}

Mm, I killed several. Which reminds me-- I still need to speak with Riza.

If you think I don't remember, you're foolish. {scolding, wut?} And I know you're hardly that, Dawn. I could apologize, but that would scarcely do.

If it grants you any relief from those prickled nerves of yours, rest assured I paid greatly for my sins when I returned home. Old habits died hard, as I nearly did with them.

[lestrangestone]

Dottore?

[malfattore]

... bella.

{and a snicker}

Quite literally, as I remember!

Bella. How are you.

[lestrangestone]

[Is it horrifying that the genuinely genial sound of her laughter is accompanied by the moans of the wounded, and the dry crunch of splintering bone as the Freya-cat chews?

She hopes not!]

Victorious, it seems.

In more ways than one. Do you have everything that you require?

[malfattore]

{... really, she should know him better than that.}

How fortunate for you! I've no clue what you speak of, of course, but I have little doubt that what you enjoy victory in is likely somewhere within my interests.

Mm, I do. When you require little to be content, it's quite easy to flourish with exactly that.

[kit_katze]

...is there a reason you look like a stork? [Yes. That is what is on his mind.]

[malfattore]

Mm! It serves its purpose. My chosen lifestyle leaves me quite exposed to airborne disease. {which is true, yeah, although he obviously doesn't need the thing here.

Go with what you know, though.}

Also, I rather enjoy the look, as some would call it.

You are?

[kit_katze]

Chosen lifestyle? [That's usually a polite way to say something dirty, but lots of things are different here.]

Katze. And you are?

[malfattore]

{if it could even possibly refer to something else, the meaning's lost on this one}

Chosen lifestyle. I pursued the physician's ways during a time of jarring mass illness. Truly, a poor time to do anything without proper precautions.

Malfatto. I shame myself to say... I don't remember you from before.

[Video]

[knows_it_all]

[Is it a dream?]

[No, the responses from other people assure Kunsel that it is real. Much to his dismay, Malfatto has returned to Anatole. What is worse, the dottore seems to have returned with his memories intact.]

[Does that mean he remembers his crimes? That he remembers the people he wronged? And their faces? His face?]

[Even if he does, it goes both ways.]

[Kunsel remembers, too. And, he knows what is beneath that bird-shaped mask. He has not forgotten. He will never forget.]

[And although it takes considerable effort, he sets the Forge to video and smiles welcomingly at Malfatto.]

Long time no see, buddy! How’ve you been? [Careful inspection might reveal a distrustful intonation behind his words, further supported by those that follow.] A lot has changed since you left. I should tell you, the Police Division of the Patrol just admitted me into their ranks! Pretty exciting news, huh

[Video]

[malfattore]

{Well, he certainly talks as much as he used to. There's a sickly sweetness here, as the dottore takes in what's quite obviously a garish amount of cheer and civility where none should exist whatsoever.

Especially not between these two.

Too many words, too much fellowship and curiosity. Too many questions altogether.

He leans back in his chair, a smirk twisting the corners of hidden lips.}

You earned such a promotion, I've no doubt of that. It's quite exciting, and I congratulate you, il mio vecchio amico.

{now... hm.}

Nothing is as it was. Returning to and living once again in Firenze presented a harsh reminder that everything has a consequence.

[Video]

[knows_it_all]

[Where the camera’s eye cannot detect it, Kunsel’s hands clench tightly into fists. It is everything he can do not to snarl, spit, and curse the other man from across the Network, but really, what good would it accomplish? Absolutely none, that’s what.]

[Instead he keeps smiling, even after the astringent aftertaste of the word amico has left Malfatto’s lips, rolling off a tongue touched by a most notable accent-another thing about the man that Kunsel will never forget so long as he lives.]

[He takes a breath to keep himself calm, to steel nerves that are on the brink of melting due to a quietly raging internal fire.]

[Keep smiling. Not so hard. Who cares if he can see right through you? What’s important is that nobody else can.]

Consequences, huh? [It could be the truth, but being reminded that there are consequences, and being willing to accept them, are two entirely separate matters. It is a lesson Kunsel learned quite recently himself.] Yeah, it’s good to remember that those exist, and that they can’t be escaped,

[Video]

[malfattore]

{if no one has picked beyond the clownish display between the two, they've obviously either forgotten entirely that one killed the other, or are unaware entirely of what transpired.

He's putting on a fine façade, words calculated and breath even, casual. A man reborn and returned to grovel at the feet of those he's wronged.

Oh! Repentance! Quite the bitch to manage, he's realizing. Truly, all he wants to do, all he craves within the venom of his marrow, is to reach across and tear off the other's mask.

Not the metal one, mind you.}

Funny, yes, but happily fitting. I don't look to escape. I know what I've done.

{another sigh. so sad, the doctor is.}

I know what I've done mainly because I continued it on my very own streets. Let me tell you, amico, I'd meet you in a church a thousand times over if it meant avoiding --

{a pause, and some muttering}

-- you know.

That doesn't matter now.

I appreciate your loyalty, but it's misplaced, Kunsel. Can we not simply watch each others' back?

{because he's going to anyway. eye

Video

[wellsuited]

[She catches her breath, eyes going wide and brown. But Elena's expression is, for the most part, unreadable.]

....Amico.

Video

[malfattore]

Il mio canarino! Ah... my little canary... you still haunt this place.

{and yeah, he's genuinely glad to see her, regardless of her opinion of him}

Do you still run your colloseo? The fights? I hope you've been well.

Video

[wellsuited]

Yeah! I mean, haunt might be a strange word for it, since it's usually dead things that haunt places. And I definitely didn't die! I just...wandered around in the Mist for awhile. But at least I didn't get eaten!

[True story.]

The arena is...well, there's other managers now, and people signing themselves up. But I get by.

Anyway, welcome back.

Video

[malfattore]

It'd be a shame to be eaten, I would think. I can hardly fathom a creature who'd respect the importance of your... {thinkthink} ... what was the word? Suit? Dressing suit. It'd be torn to shreds.

{he sounds a tad dejected by the information, more for the fact that he thought her an awesome manager than anything}

That's too bad. You handled that place well.

Grazie, dear. Has much changed since I've been away?