[open]

[prayercycles]

WHO: Fortunato and YOU(?)
WHERE: Various Cities
WHEN: Throughout January
WHAT: Fortunato does things in places where people can interact with him. Rare! If you want a closed prompt, let me know at keterclass.
WARNINGS: Any potential Fortunato warnings may apply, will add if needed.


1. Heropa, near the Catholic Church

[ Fortunato's been through a lot of things...but, somehow, he's still easily swayed, at least when there's no risk to anything he cares about. So today, he's ended up being asked by some of the many doting elderly women at his church to carry food for a potluck into the building.

The problem: the food is in a van in a parking lot down and across the street. The other problem: his vision isn't great today. But he couldn't say no. So if you're in the area, you may have to work to avoid Fortunato carrying various pots of pasta, pastry boxes, and multiple plastic bags filled with paper plates in his arms. If you don't, there's a chance he'll bump into you while trying to squint at something else. ]

I- sorry.

[ He's pretty embarrassed, yes. ]

2. De Chima, at a Library

[ Among the various problems with Fortunato's blindness coming and going: schoolbooks. It's not terribly uncommon for him to be assigned a reading, hope he can get it done when he can, and then for things not to work out that way. So he's had to go to De Chima in his spare time, the only place that apparently has an audiobook version of this week's reading, and track it down before he misses an essay. He went to a school where missing an essay could be punished quite severely; skipping an assignment isn't really in his mindset.

That said, it might be easy for him to unintentionally startle people while sitting silently in the corner of the library, his hands folded in his lap, as he listens to the chapters he needs to hear. Recognizable to someone who knows their imPorts, too. With the headphones on, he might not hear someone approaching, though. ]

3. Maurtia Falls, a tool store

[ Despite the city's reputation, Fortunato doesn't mind living in Maurtia Falls, and in this case the fact that a tool store would sell knife sheaths is quite useful for him. Magnus has gotten him a knife for Christmas- well, Candlenights- with the obvious intention of Fortunato protecting himself with it if need be, and Fortunato knows more than most people how necessary self-protection is. He knew that before the chaos of November's Swear-In, too.

That said, he's also dressed like the private school kid he used to be every day of the week, which means he looks a little out of place trying to find something that he can hide under his waistband- and perhaps even moreso looking like he knows what he's doing. Most people- perhaps another imPort- would wonder what exactly he's doing here. ]

Comments

[forgeabettertomorrow]

Haha, does it? I enjoy it, honestly, despite the dangers.

A psychiatric hospital? I didn't know there was one run by imPorts.

[prayercycles]

[ He nods. ]

Frederick Chilton owns it. I- I know he has been here for a long time. [ Since before the change in worlds, actually, but Fortunato hasn't been sure about that. ]

Many of us are there. He...enjoys hiring imPorts, I believe.

[ Often for reasons Fortunato frankly can't parse. ]

[forgeabettertomorrow]

Yeah, the name rings a bell, but I've never met the guy.

But...that's good. It's nice to know someone's looking out for other imPorts given the somewhat hostile environment towards us.

Is the psychiatric hospital for everyone? Or just for imPort related needs?

[prayercycles]

No- everyone. But I think it is meant to treat imPorts, most often.

[ Fortunato's clearly not good at talking about himself. Frankly, he'd have a terrible time explaining his own position, especially considering the circumstances, and who he works for. Besides, other people tend to have a better time speaking about what they enjoy. ]

What do you do at your forge?

[forgeabettertomorrow]

[Darin looks a little concerned. Is this guy okay? Maybe he's making him nervous. After all, the last time they saw one another, Darin wasn't entirely himself.]

[Oh gods, what if he heard him start to change when Lucina was carving him up?]

I ah...I do all kinds of things now. I make weapons and armor but I've started branching out into engineering and the like. Always trying to invent something new, y'know...?

[Darin suddenly feels very self-conscious. Maybe Fortunato was afraid of him...?]

[prayercycles]

[ Fortunato operates on a general level of paranoia, one that's admittedly diminished over the last few months. Not in the sense that he thinks it's safe here- it clearly isn't. But more people are naturally kind-hearted than he expected. He doesn't think Darin is particularly dangerous- Lucina wouldn't care about him so much otherwise. But he still isn't that good at discussing things with talkative people. ]

Then- Lucina's armor. You made it.

[ He shot that armor once. ]

It works very well.

[forgeabettertomorrow]

[Darin snaps in realization.]

Yeah! That's one of my best pieces!

I'm glad you think so! You've seen it in action then?

[prayercycles]

I- I helped her test it.

[ He's not going to specify how. He doesn't want anyone else learning that he knows his way around a gun. ]

It is good that she has it. She...enjoys helping others. [ Read: she is constantly in danger. ]

[forgeabettertomorrow]

Then I guess I won't have to boast to its quality, if you've seen it first hand.

And yeah, tell me about it. I'm glad I got it to her when I did, the way that girl throws herself into fires all the time. Sometimes I don't think she can sleep at night until she's thrown herself into a brawl.

She's pretty amazing.

[prayercycles]

...She is.

[ Honestly, Fortunato is happy to hear her other friends are just as concerned for her. He knows Lucina is perfectly strong, and can take care of herself most of the time- but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t worry about her dooming herself somehow. She’s got so much hope. It’s nice to see, and worrisome at once. ]

I- I know she must be glad, that you are alright. She cares about you.

[forgeabettertomorrow]

Ah...

[Darin can't hide the color that floods to his cheeks. This always happens when he's forced to acknowledge that people actually care about him. He's still getting used to it.]

I...I know. Honestly, it makes me happy but I'm still kinda...adjusting to that fact.

[prayercycles]

[ Adjusting to being cared for? Fortunato can relate, but he doesn’t expect Darin can. In fact, he wonders if he needs clarification. ]

What- which fact?

[forgeabettertomorrow]

The fact that people actually care about what happens to me.

[prayercycles]

[ Oh, well. Fortunato has the brief thought that to some extent he could relate, then pushes it back- of course people care about him. But he isn't used to the frequent kindness of the people here, and on that he can agree with Darin. ]

...I understand. But- I think- I think the people who like you are good. So...you do not have to doubt it.

[ He hopes he's gotten what he means across. He's not acknowledging the hypocrisy of that statement, though. ]

[forgeabettertomorrow]

[Darin blinks owlishly for a moment before a warm smile creases his features. He pats Fortunato on the shoulder.]

You're right, Fortunato. They are good. And I think I've come a long way from how I used to be because of them.

And hey, that includes you too. I mean, you did help save my life.

[prayercycles]

[ This man is okay with sharing quite a bit about himself, isn’t he. Fortunato supposes that’s true of quite a few people here, but Darin sticks out. He just hopes that doesn’t doom him.

He glances at the shoulder pat for a moment, but stays as stoic as ever, looking away afterwards. ]

It was not anything. It- it was what I had to do, after what you did. [ Darin wanted to help Lucina, after all. ]

[forgeabettertomorrow]

Yeah, well, what I did was get carved up like a turkey while my wounds smoked and hissed.

I wasn't especially heroic.

[prayercycles]

...You helped Lucina.

[ He did need a moment to process the fact that Darin's wounds really were smoking. He wasn't paying much attention to it at the time, but in retrospect... ]

Can I- do you know why that happened? When you were attacked.

[forgeabettertomorrow]

Ah...the smoke?

Yeah, I know what caused it. I have a...um.

An affliction. It's nothing to worry about as long as I'm not cut by anything holy.

[prayercycles]

[ Well, that's oddly specific. Fortunato doesn't really know what to make of it- that opens questions about why Darin has that status in the first place.

Maybe he shouldn't focus on Darin himself. ]

And...Lucina's sword is. [ That's new too, and would seem less like he's scrutinizing Darin. ]

[forgeabettertomorrow]

A sword forged for the intent purpose of slaying demons and monsters.

[He says this plainly, as if he has no idea what connotations Fortunato can make.]

[prayercycles]

[ ...And for that reason, it'd hurt Darin.

Well. He'll just have to remember that. ]

Oh. She has not told me that. [ He ought not to make Darin think he's prying. ] It- it is good you are alright, then.

[forgeabettertomorrow]

Yeah, about as good as I'll ever be. A couple new scars don't matter all that much.

[prayercycles]

I understand.

[ Though Darin wouldn’t be able to see the bizarre scars he has, both from before he arrived in this world and after. There’s a somber tone to his voice.

In any case, he takes one of the sheaths from the rack- he ought to go. Both because he knows he’s bad at conversation, and because he’s starting to think people will worry about him. Not a feeling he’s used to yet, but he’s getting there. ]

And- I should go.

[forgeabettertomorrow]

That's fine. I'm sorry to hold you up. I just wanted to thank you for what you did for me.

Stay well, Fortunato.

Don't be a stranger.