004 | [Accidental Voice/Action]

[whichwayagain]

[Only someone living under a rock without a journal is probably unaware of the sudden wave of emotion sweeping over Luceti. As Mihai meets neither of these conditions, he's taken refuge (he hopes) in Good Spirits. An ironic choice, considering that Mihai's mood doesn't match the bar's name. Valentine's Day is a bit different for him, given his

Comments

[not_a_bluesbro]

A-achoo!!

[Wolfwood's already seated in Good Spirits, still suffering from a cold and drinking away his annoyances at how shitty his week had been. And just when he thinks he'll get a new blank slate, there's something screwy going on.

Sigh.]

[whichwayagain]

[Hard to miss the sneeze. Mihai glances over, meaning to just be polite, when he spies a familiar and cumbersome weapon. That changes things, and deciding it'll be worth the risk to his immune system, he heads across the bar to where Wolfwood is sulking.]

You really like pushing your luck, don't you?

[not_a_bluesbro]

[He glances over, smiling despite himself.]

Every day, of course. Though to be fair, 70 percent of the time it isn't even my fault.

[whichwayagain]

Seventy? Are you sure you aren't aiming high?

[Mihai has no foundation for it other than what little he knows about Wolfwood, but he seems the type to find trouble without much help from others.]

I'm hoping you won't mind a little company, since it looks like we're both here and ourselves for once.

[not_a_bluesbro]

[Oi, oi. >:|

He points a defensive finger at him, though it's all in good fun.]

Hey, normally I stay out of the way of anything that would push my luck.

[But he keeps his smile.]

Considering we haven't had to have a drink yet? I think that's a damn fine proposition.

[whichwayagain]

[Mihai recognizes that this is anything but serious, and casually settles into a seat.] But it still manages to fall into your lap anyway, right?

[Grinning, he'll raise a hand at the bartender to get two more.]

Life is terrible like that sometimes.

[not_a_bluesbro]

[He raises the glass the moment he gets it, looking relaxed.]

That's the way it always is, in Gunsmoke. Never expect your life to be a luxurious one there, or you're in for a hell of a rude awakening.

[the corner of his mouth turns up a little more]

Life is terrible like that, sometimes.

[whichwayagain]

[Ah, right. Mihai owes Wolfwood a toast, doesn't he? Well, since it seems appropriate, he'll lift his own glass, and clink the edge lightly against Wolfwood's.]

To life, then? With it's sometimes, and it's other times.

[not_a_bluesbro]

Sounds like a good thing to toast to, old man.

[Playfully spoken, as he drinks.]

Lord knows Luceti likes to turn it upside down on it's logical head every five minutes.

[whichwayagain]

Truer words. [Mihai grins, recognizing the joke for what it is. Honestly, more people seem to call him old man anyway.]

Who ever would have guessed I'd come to miss the simple days of being shot at, skewered like an unfortunate piece of meat, or nearly burried alive in a burning concert hall?

[He's only half joking here.]

[not_a_bluesbro]

[He just laughs at that-a bark of genuine laughter.]

I guess I could agree. I personally prefer being attacked by robot spiders, sandworms, and hundreds of dunces with guns; those were golden days, right there.

[whichwayagain]

They were! [Wolfwood's laughter prompts another round of the same from Mihai.] It's simple back home--aim and pull the trigger. Here, they like to drag a man's past through the mud without even giving him the courtesy of something to shoot at.

[Mihai throws back some of his alcohol at that. He's still speaking like it's a joke, but it's also kind of something that's been on his mind.]

There was a time when even the bad guys had a sense of honor.

[not_a_bluesbro]

A sense of honor... ha, that's a laugh.

[He'll have another, barkeeper.]

Unfortunately for me and my little dingy group of survivors, the bad guys had none to speak of-it actually made it easier, to kill a man, when they had nothing to contribute to a fight.

Even something as simple as honor.

[He turns his glass in hand.]

And still unfortunately, as hard as I try, it becomes harder and harder to keep my own honor in check. Some days, I would prefer to leave it at the door, if it meant finally getting rid of the people who have it coming to them.

[Spoken not humorously, but casually, and yet heavily.

Usual Wolfwood trio of ly's.]

[whichwayagain]

[Well, so much for the laughter. Mihai listens to everything Wolfwood has to say with a fading smile. It doesn't vanish completely though, instead just shifting to something marked with too much understanding. He'll finish his drink, letting the alcohol burn its way down his throat, then order another along with Wolfwood. He gets the feeling it's going to be one of those nights.]

You know what you'd be throwing away with those lives, wouldn't you? Not just your honor, but your humanity. [Funny how much faster the alcohol goes when he's talking like this.] Even if they deserve it, every time you pull the trigger, you become less of a man.

[Mihai sees your ly's, Wolfwood, and he'll raise you one, if only just barely: regretfully.]

[not_a_bluesbro]

Trust me, I've gone through the same words you're telling me right now-the very same thoughts... Unfortunately for me, I've been dishonorable in the past. I've shot a man when he's down, took jobs for something as simple as money, did what I was told without questioning the logic behind it...

It's how I was taught, when they took me in and shoved a pistol in my hands.

[He shrugs, and while that would usually be a sign that one doesn't care, that's hardly it at all.]

I've been thinking of making up for it, somehow, someway, in Luceti... I've been feeling some of that humanity creeping back, but it's always waiting for me to mess up. Always has.

[whichwayagain]

Yeah. It's demanding, like that. [Mihai can tell Wolfwood gets it. He knows from the blind obedience to the way they make sure a target is dead. He's lived that life, working for the mafia, killing so many guys in so many ways that he became a legend--and hated himself for it.

And that's why he wants to make it clear to Wolfwood, just what point he's making.]

The problem is, you've got someone that could show up here. [Yeah, Mihai knows you're trying to give up on her, Wolfwood, but you're not fooling anyone.] Don't let go of what you're getting back. You need to do that if you're going to look her in the eye.