Board Thread:Role Plays/@comment-25924729-20160209062713/@comment-26130256-20160209100031

Location: Thompson and Sons Gunsmithy, Old Vacuo

"So one minute, there we were, in the middle of this parking garage, fightin' like it's a new Matrix flick," Azulius continued his story, once the laughter in the room had died down. "Then, just when I think my goose is cooked, the city alarms sound off, because this insane Grimm cult is attacking the city.  The invisible guy finally explains the whole story, and we team up like some bad action flick.  I couldn't write this stuff if I tried!"

"That's quite a story you have, Azulius," Stannum 'Stan' Thompson (patriarch and grandfather of the family) agreed, as he delicately oiled a few pieces of Roaring Moxie's action. "And here your family was worried you'd get bored at Beacon."

"You know me, Stan.  If fun doesn't just appear, I make my own," the magician sighed, glad to be back in his home city of Vacuo. He only had time for a week of vacation before sneaking away to Sahale for his "summer classes" at Flagg, and his list of things that needed to be done at home was distressingly large. Among the most important was giving Roaring Moxie a thorough cleaning and tune-up, and there was no better place to do that than the same shop where Azzie built her, years ago.

"I still remember when you first walked in that door to make a weapon," Gules (father) Thompson reminisced as he carved a new sword design out of soft wood and a knife. "Don Ochre agreed to let us off a month of rent in exchange for helping you make a weapon.  I was worried we'd be holding your hand through the whole mess, but you knew exactly how you wanted Roaring Moxie, and at only sixteen!  If only the rest of our clients were so decisive."

"Trust me, I went through an entire notebook trying to sketch her out, make sure she worked the way I wanted.  You guys just saw the final idea.  But we did a hell of a job; Moxie's taken a licking and she keeps on kicking.  And with you guys fixing her up like this every blue moon, she'll be set for life!" Azulius smiled as he sharpened Moxie's glaive-guisarme. After a few more minutes of work, the men put the gun back together, and Roaring Moxie looked better than ever.

"Wow, doll," he spoke softly to the SMG that had saved his life numerous times. "You've always been a looker, but now you're really something else!" As one last test, the magician gave his weapon an elaborate twirl, transforming it from a sturdy submachine gun into a mighty polearm. "Smooth as butter, and twice as tasty."

"Mr. Azzie," Gules's young son Noir tugged on his trouser leg. "Do you ever get scared fighting the Grimm?"

"Me?  Scared?" he laughed, ruffling Noir's hair and scratching his bear ears. "Of course!  Some of those Grimm are huge!  But you gotta remember one thing, kid.  Bein' brave don't mean you're never scared, it means bein' scared, but still doin' what's got to be done.  Next time I'm here, remind me to tell ya what happened on my first day at Beacon with my new team."

"Are you sure you can't stay for lunch?" Gules asked, standing up from his workbench. "The kids love your stories, and Vitria is getting her paperwork ready for combat school.  I'm sure she'd love to hear you talk about why Beacon is the best school of them all."

"I wish I could, Gules, but I've got other commitments.  I need to get to the Eastern Plaza in ten minutes to meet up with Blackstone and some of my magic shop buddies.  They're worried I've gone soft or something.  Some other time, I promise." Azulius stood to give the Thompsons a handshake good-bye and got a bear hug for his troubles.

"Be careful with that gun, Azzie," Gules warned him. "Moxie's a great dame, but you got to treat her right.  Be safe out there."

"I will.  Say hi to the missus and the other kids for me!" Azzie finally opened the door and made to leave the weapon shop.

"A pleasure seeing you, Mr. Cardamom!" Gules shouted before the door closed.

Of all the things about Vacuo that Azzie missed -- the warm climate, the people, the food, the culture, the style of the buildings -- the best of all was that people knew him. At Beacon, Azulius "Cardoso" was always running a game of secret identities, trying to make sure no one realized who he really was. Azulius Cardamom, son of the Cardamom crime family. But philosophy about identity would have to wait until later, because the mobster was now rather late, and took off at a run towards the Eastern Plaza.