If Sampo really, really wanted to, he could have avoided Gepard more than he did. He's entirely capable of blending in, making himself disappear into a crowd, becoming an entirely different person for a while. He could hide himself better when he's in the Overworld, to keep himself from the hassle of being chased by one overzealous guard captain. Time and time again, though-- he's spotted, there's the game of cat-and-mouse. Sometimes he's caught, sometimes he escapes, every time he wins. Gepard just hasn't realized yet that 'winning' for Sampo is a completely separate thing from whether he gets arrested or not.
Winning is having those pretty blue eyes on him. Winning is Gepard's undivided attention.
So this, too, is winning of a sort. He's got Gepard's attention, without even having to commit a crime or run through the streets to get it.
"Shame," he says, referring to Gepard's chronically un-bearded face. "It'd be an easy way to change your face if you could. You're lucky, though! Every morning I could use my cheeks to sand the edge off of a board, it's a hassle."
A little more, just to really hide those Landau features. The illusion of a broader nose with a slight bend in it from an old break, a softer jawline, and...
"And you look like you could use a little more sleep every morning," he takes a light shade of concealer and dabs a little of it underneath Gepard's eyes, then blends it out. "These dark circles aren't doing your face any favors! There. That's better. I'd be able to do a better job hiding you if I had all of my things, but this should do for now."
He doesn't think anything would change even if he grows a beard. Wouldn't he look just as he is right now, only with facial hair? Perhaps a tad bit more intimidating, but his current face does just as well in terms of commanding his men. He certainly hasn't had any of the guards slack off under his watch since he's become Captain.
At the mention of sleep, Gepard's expression twists a little, if only because he's heard that reminder far too many times than necessary.
"I sleep for enough hours without you needing to tell me."
Who needs sleep anyway when they're currently under attack from the Fragmentum? Even when he's back in the city, there's still work he needs to address that's been left to the wayside while he's assigned to the restricted zone. There are more things he needs to worry about than losing a few hours of sleep.
Gepard turns to the mirror in the hotel room, frowning at the unfamiliar face staring back at him. He tilts his head, figuring out if it really was him who was wearing this face.
Not bad is about as high a praise as Sampo can expect from Gepard, and he’s pleased to get it. It’d be better if Gepard actually used his first name, but baby steps! He’ll get there eventually.
“See, you can trust ol’ Sampo to do you right!”
No, you really can’t, but he could sometimes be trusted to do what he says. The hard part is figuring out when that is.
“Your own mother would have a hard time recognizing you. I bet you could walk right past Serval and she wouldn’t even know! Ah, but we don’t have time for that.”
Shame, it could have been fun to parade Gepard around and see how many people failed to recognize him. Maybe even the Supreme Guardian herself! And then maybe Gepard would understand the appeal of going around in disguise.
no subject
If Sampo really, really wanted to, he could have avoided Gepard more than he did. He's entirely capable of blending in, making himself disappear into a crowd, becoming an entirely different person for a while. He could hide himself better when he's in the Overworld, to keep himself from the hassle of being chased by one overzealous guard captain. Time and time again, though-- he's spotted, there's the game of cat-and-mouse. Sometimes he's caught, sometimes he escapes, every time he wins. Gepard just hasn't realized yet that 'winning' for Sampo is a completely separate thing from whether he gets arrested or not.
Winning is having those pretty blue eyes on him. Winning is Gepard's undivided attention.
So this, too, is winning of a sort. He's got Gepard's attention, without even having to commit a crime or run through the streets to get it.
"Shame," he says, referring to Gepard's chronically un-bearded face. "It'd be an easy way to change your face if you could. You're lucky, though! Every morning I could use my cheeks to sand the edge off of a board, it's a hassle."
A little more, just to really hide those Landau features. The illusion of a broader nose with a slight bend in it from an old break, a softer jawline, and...
"And you look like you could use a little more sleep every morning," he takes a light shade of concealer and dabs a little of it underneath Gepard's eyes, then blends it out. "These dark circles aren't doing your face any favors! There. That's better. I'd be able to do a better job hiding you if I had all of my things, but this should do for now."
Take a look, Gepard, and see your brand new face.
no subject
At the mention of sleep, Gepard's expression twists a little, if only because he's heard that reminder far too many times than necessary.
"I sleep for enough hours without you needing to tell me."
Who needs sleep anyway when they're currently under attack from the Fragmentum? Even when he's back in the city, there's still work he needs to address that's been left to the wayside while he's assigned to the restricted zone. There are more things he needs to worry about than losing a few hours of sleep.
Gepard turns to the mirror in the hotel room, frowning at the unfamiliar face staring back at him. He tilts his head, figuring out if it really was him who was wearing this face.
"... Not bad, Koski."
no subject
“See, you can trust ol’ Sampo to do you right!”
No, you really can’t, but he could sometimes be trusted to do what he says. The hard part is figuring out when that is.
“Your own mother would have a hard time recognizing you. I bet you could walk right past Serval and she wouldn’t even know! Ah, but we don’t have time for that.”
Shame, it could have been fun to parade Gepard around and see how many people failed to recognize him. Maybe even the Supreme Guardian herself! And then maybe Gepard would understand the appeal of going around in disguise.