That was all so long ago, you wouldn't hold it against your old pal, would you?
[The inside of the bookstore is warm and welcoming, rejecting Belobog's usual obsession with snowy whites and blues and instead decorating it in yellows and oranges and reds. There's a coziness here that isn't found in a lot of Belobog buildings, softness and warmth in defiance of the eternal winter outside.]
[Sampo likes it. It's nice, it feels like a place that you could curl up on the couch in front of one of the geomarrow heaters and read a book all afternoon. And Gepard looks nice inside a place like this, hanging up his coat and going to the back to make tea.]
Tea's fine! Whatever you've got.
[He's more interested in looking around the shop, anyway. Having a bit of a poke around the shelves, to see what kind of books they sell. Maybe look around the front counter to see if there's something interesting there, like a ledger or two or just whatever book Gepard reads when it's slow between customers. What's he into? Fantasy, historical, informational books on gardening? Romance? Parenting books about how to be a single father?]
[He snorts, not deigning that question with a response besides that.
...friends, huh. Well. Sampo had always been like that. He roots through the cupboards, trying to find something suitable for Sampo Koski and torn between something aggressively Belobogian and something very much not. Snowberries or something different...
Well, anyway.
The bookstore is a mix of new and used. The shelves contain a mix of books. There's a few books which are truly foreign. There's one or two books Sampo might realize were written by some of his old coworkers. Unbeknownst to Gepard, there's one slim volume of a history written by someone who was inspired by a follower of the Enigmata.
There's some new things. There's a shelf which contains works written by new and upcoming Belobogians - for Belobog, by Belobog. It's set at a prominent place of honor.
Behind the front counter, there's a slim leather notebook with notes written in Gepard's precise hand, just detailing the books he's read and what he thought of them, with a to-read list. While there's some overlap, it seems like the genres of books Gepard takes home (adventures, romances, big, sweeping plots, grandiose stakes) are slightly different than the books he reads at the shop (historical fiction, tales from foreign lands, a snapshot of a different world).
There's some overlap, but still.
If Sampo goes far enough in the notebook, he'll find that there was, indeed, books about parenting. There was a shift, over time, from something purely pragmatic to something a bit more wistful.
...well, anyway. There's a picture of Gepard, his sisters, and Lily, in a place of honor. It's a bright day, and the family is smiling.
Ledgers indicate that sales aren't all that great, just barely enough to keep the shop running. But Gepard's not doing this because of the money, is he? He's doing it to have something to do.
There's also a locked box. The lock isn't complicated. Small, wooden, with a lily carved on it. Special ordered, probably. Something involving his daughter, probably. Large enough to hold some papers, some photos, some mementos - if Sampo shakes it, he'll be able to hear the sounds of paper.
Speaking of sounds, it sounds like water's still being boiled in the back room.]
[There's an interesting mix of books in this place-- the Belobogian stuff is to be expected, because of course Belobogian literature would be popular on its homeworld. Since the planet was opened up to the rest of the galaxy, they've clearly been getting in at least a little bit of commerce from the rest of the known universe, judging from the off-world authors. A few names that he's very familiar with, some that he knows by reputation only. That slim little book of 'history' is particularly noteworthy-- it's got all the fingerprints of a history fictionologist.]
[Gepard's little notes are also a fun read, if only for the insight that it gives on what he's been doing these past few years. The good former Captain has always been a meticulous kind of man, so it's amusing but not surprising that he's taken such careful notes about his own reading habits. His daily work reading isn't quite so fantastical as what he takes home. His bedtime reading is all grand romances and dramatic plots, but what he reads in the shop is much more tame. Embarrassed, maybe, at potentially being seen in public with something too fanciful?]
[When he gets to the picture, he picks it up to get a better look. Gepard with his sisters and his daughter, all of them looking happy. Lily, in particular, held in her father's arms and beaming at the camera. It's very cute, and he puts the picture carefully back where it was, in its little place of honor.]
[He kills the next few minutes by reading through the bookstore's ledger, listening to the sound of water being boiled in the other room. Sales are mediocre at best, the place really only limping along because Gepard doesn't get paid much and doesn't seem to mind. It's almost second-nature at this point to just... run through the mental calculations of what it would take to get a business like this really up and running. The potential's there-- the only other major competition would be the book merchant in the Administrative district. Sure, the newsstand model saves you a lot of costs because of its low footprint, but all your customers have to stand outside in the freezing Belobog temperatures, and this store has actual indoor space to work with. A little market research, some importing of new, popular media, better advertising so people actually know this place exists-- give him six months and he could get this place bustling. Less if he can secure funding up-front.]
[But he's getting ahead of himself. And there's that little lily box on the counter, too, the one that's got a simple little lock and sounds like it's holding papers... it wouldn't take much to open, but it's also locked and thus intended to be private, and Gepard could come back with tea at any moment.]
[Sampo also knows exactly where the box will be, and when Gepard won't. The door lock won't keep him out after hours. Why risk Gepard's wrath now when he can come back later and open it at his leisure?]
[He brings out a tray which has a pot of snowberry tea (sweet, but a little bit tangy), two cups, and a handful of something-or-another baked. Scones. His daughter got him hooked on them. And then Gepard takes in the fact that Sampo's right there and stops in his tracks for a moment, blinking, because...]
You're still here.
[Why? But Gepard tries to cover for his...it's not quite discomfort? Confusion? Maybe that. He tries to cover for that feeling by placing the tray on a table and setting out the cups, because if he looks at the cups (serviceable ceramic, sturdy) that means he's not looking at Sampo, who Gepard's increasingly aware is here for some reason that's not just the obvious - not thievery, not to knock him on his ass and laugh at him, not to mock him, not money, there's nothing here to be stolen. And he's no longer a captain, so he's not as useful as he might have once been to Sampo.
He's here for something, and Gepard doesn't know what that could be. But. They've known each other for quite some time, so-]
I suppose there's not that much to be stolen here, is there? [He can be a little (fondly) rude, why not.] Even someone like yourself would have to take a while to find something of value in here.
[Gepard emerges with tea and scones, and then acts like he's surprised that his guest is still hanging around. Sampo laughs and leans against the counter, bending over so that he can prop his elbow on its surface and his chin on the heel of his hand.]
You said you were bringing tea. [Is a guy just supposed to dip at the prospect of a hot drink on a cold day?] And you brought two cups.
[So either he really did expect that Sampo would stay, or he hoped he would. Either way, he's still got one blue-haired troublemaker in his bookshop, so that's your problem now. Though, really, hasn't Sampo been so well-behaved? He hasn't even stolen anything yet! Kept his little fingers to himself like a fine, upstanding member of society.]
[If Sampo wanted to be a not so fine, upstanding member of society, he might have replied to Gepard that there's something very valuable here, and it's standing right in front of him-- but Gepard's never reacted well when he's been obvious about his flirting. Always thought it was a distraction so that he could escape or toss a smoke bomb, and... well, yeah, it had been that, but it was also sincere! He was just always strategic about when he was being sincere.]
Your delightful company is enough reason for me! I'm curious about what you've been doing for the past few years, anyway. [Mysterious deadbeat mothers, charming children, resigning from his post-- Gepard's been a busy boy!] Aren't you a little bit curious about what your old pal has been getting up to?
[Delightful company is a lie, but a funny, harmless enough one. It's a joke which gets the tension from...whatever that feeling was...to melt away from Gepard's shoulders, and he sits and watches Sampo with big blue eyes. He should be opening up shop. He should be hoping for a distraction.
Instead, he then gets up and heads over to check the doorknob, and then check the sign to make sure there's no indication that they're open. He can give Sampo some time. He can pay attention to his so-called old pal, and actually, now Sampo mentions it-]
Actually? Now you mention it, I am.
[Back to his couch, and Gepard settles down in it a bit more decisively. He's made his choice. It's a terrible choice. Everyone would agree. He's going to bring it up to Serval, later, but he already knows his sister will agree. Doesn't even have to question it. He'll say, "Koski's back and I don't know why." And she'll make a face and go to get a drink - he can picture it in his head.]
I thought you were gone for good. I never imagined you'd return.
[Sampo takes the other mug of tea, and the ceramic is warm against his palms. The door is locked and Gepard is settled on the couch like he's in this conversation for the long haul, which is a much longer audience than Sampo normally would ever get with him.]
[He moseys his way on over to the couch and perches himself on the armrest, because who would ever expect him to sit normally?]
Ol' Sampo's like a bad penny, I'll always keep turning up! Besides, how could I stay away from a place as charming as Belobog?
[Sampo's been all over the galaxy, to places both beautiful and interesting and fun, and at the end of the day, he still wants to go back home to Belobog. That's what happens when a man goes native, nothing that can be done about it! They might as well make him an official citizen, y'know, with documents that he didn't forge himself.]
But I did have to go for a while. Duty called! You remember the Nameless, right? Our little friends on the Astral Express? [Gepard must remember them, he chased them around Belobog trying to arrest them, and Gepard has always been good at remembering the people he tries to arrest.] Well, they got up to a lot more than just dealing with the Stellaron around here, and they needed a little more help from yours truly! So I had to pack up shop for a while and go traipsing around the galaxy to get everything ready for when they'd need me. I'm a reliable kind of guy like that, you know.
[He probably didn't, but Sampo could be reliable when he needed to be! It just depended on who was asking him for what. And with the kind of things that the Trailblazer was getting up to... well, they really needed a reliable guy in their corner.]
[There's something a little wistful in learning your former foe had lived a wilder and more fun life than one you could ever imagine for yourself, not quite bittersweet - Gepard knew his path would only take him in so many places, allow him to do only so many things, that he had never been meant for the greater universe even before Belobog had rejoined the rest of the worlds. But wistful, yes, because for a moment he almost wished he was that slightly different man who could just leave, even for a short while.
It's likely a mix of truths, half-truths, and outright lies Sampo's telling him, but, sure, he'll buy it. There's something a little bit romantic about it.]
It sounds like you kept busy. [No, more like-] It sounds like you had fun. Where did you go? Who did you meet? I'm sure you have stories about all the people you've seen and the things you've done, and...some of them might even be true, knowing you.
[Living a more fun life than Gepard Landau isn't exactly a high bar to pass-- while the former Captain certainly had a lot of excitement in his life, it was pretty much all the bad kind. The life-or-death kind, the hopeless kind of facing a seemingly eternal and relentless foe. And while Sampo certainly ended up in peril many times over his adventures with the Nameless, his was never a hopeless journey.]
I went to a lot of places. It's a big galaxy out there! It would take too long to tell you everything, but I can give you some highlights.
[Besides, if he told Gepard everything right now, what incentive would he have to talk with him again? Like Scheherazade did with her thousand tales, the way to get a man to keep coming back is to keep him wanting.]
I could start with the Xianzhou Luofu. Did you read anything about the Xianzhou Alliance? I don't know how much information has gotten back here over the years.
[He could say that he was invited to the Wardance, could've attended it himself, passed because he was too old and too busy - sent Luka instead, for what it was worth - and passed on a chance at seeing the cosmos. But he also doesn't know that much about the Xianzhou Luofu beyond that, didn't allow himself to speculate about it.]
I read a thing or two. [But.] Pretend like I don't know anything and tell me everything. It seems easier that way- I'm sure there's something I overlooked or something I don't know.
[There's something that Sampo would have found... a little upsetting about Gepard being invited off-world and passing on the opportunity because he thought himself too old. Too old! The idea's laughable. Absurd.]
[Gepard should get to see the stars, too, if he wants to.]
Let's see what I remember, then! If I remember my history right, there were nine ships that left the Xianzhou homeworld a long time ago, to search for Yaoshi the Abundance. They wanted to become immortal, and Yaoshi gave them what they wanted! That's why the Xianzhou natives live for hundreds of years, and normal folks like us are lucky to make it to a century. But--
[Sampo makes for a good storyteller; he's had a lot of practice, and not just because of the lies he tells to con people. He'd told his fair share of stories to Hook and her little gang once upon a time (and that's another person he'll have to check in on, see how little Miss Hook grew up), so he's got a knack for keeping things interesting. Including things like the Xianzhou's tumultuous history, leading up to the Trailblazer's adventures to seal the Stellaron and defeat the Lord Ravager.]
Having to deal with a Lord Ravager is no joke! It's a big deal going up against any Emanator, but one of Nanook's-- [He takes a sip of tea to wet his throat, and it's long since gone cold.] Yeeugh. How long have I been talking?
[A glance at the clock tells him that-- as expected-- he's been talking for too long.] Aha, time flies. I should let you open your shop, or you'll never get to sell anything today!
[He listens like he's a small child, at one point scooting closer on the couch to Sampo - not too much closer, a little closer - and holds the mug with steady hands as he stares and watches. He makes sounds as Sampo tells his story. Worse, Gepard lets himself get lost in that story. It doesn't matter what his past history had been with Sampo, all that mattered was the moment. Here. Now. The sound of Sampo's voice, which is, for once, calming? It's calming. He laughs as Sampo tells a joke, a soft huff that escapes his lips, and Gepard would be surprised by it if he was paying attention.
But then, Sampo stops, and Gepard blinks. Spell broken, he also glances over and it takes a lot to keep from cussing when he sees what time it is. He meant to give Sampo some of his time, but did he really mean to give him that much?]
...you're right. [He can admit this much.] I lost track of the time.
[He puts his mug (mostly untouched, he drank at first and then got lost in the story) on the tray, gets up- was he this close to Sampo? He could've sworn he was a little further away...who knows, really, it's actually kind of embarrassing that he just forgot himself this much. He should be rushing to unlock the door, flip the sign over, reassure people who thought something had happened, but- first things first.] You're a very good storyteller, Koski.
[He can bask in the moment for a little bit longer without it being weird, right...?]
[Sampo is an actor, of course, and he loves to have an audience-- so it is a shame to break Gepard's rapt attention, but he really should let the guy actually open his store at some point. Maybe he doesn't exactly need this job, but if he hung around all day and never actually did it, he'd probably get in trouble! And Sampo doesn't really want to be the guy getting him in trouble, then Gepard will never want to do this again.]
I have a lot of stories to tell! [And not just ones about the Trailblazer and their little adventure. He's been back and forth across the galaxy in his time, and you can't help but collect stories along the way.]
[He stands and sets his cold mug of tea on the tray next to Gepard's. Looks like they were both a little too wrapped up in what they were doing to enjoy it very much. They're standing near each other again.]
Maybe I could come back another time and finish up? I'd hate you leave you without the ending. [Nothing worse than never getting to know what happened, right?] Before you open up shop, or during your lunch break?
[It would just be two friends meeting for lunch! Nothing strange about that, right?]
[Now, Gepard Landau wouldn't consider himself a bold man in certain respects. In all things professional, sure. He wouldn't have lasted as long as he had, survived as well as he did if he was anything short of bold.
Personal? A different story. He's not bold at all. If he was, maybe he wouldn't have been raising his daughter all alone for as many years as he had. Maybe his life would be different if he was bold. But, still.
Still.]
I'd like that. [It's doesn't take boldness to admit that he likes something.] Tomorrow, then? Before I open the store or for lunch, whichever is better for you. [After all, Sampo Koski had never struck him as a morning person, especially not with the hours Gepard liked to keep. He knew that he woke up long before Sampo ever would. Asking him to drag himself out of bed sounded miserable.
He should step away. Gepard knows this. He doesnt, at least, not yet.]
Either way, I wouldn't mind ordering in food, but there's something to be said for a change of scenery.
[Gepard takes the bait, agreeing to meet with him again sometime outside of working hours. Victory for Sampo-- winning again at a game that Gepard doesn't know that he's playing. He can't get his attention anymore for a good chase, so he'll just have to get those eyes on him for different reasons.]
Lunch sounds great, let's do lunch. [It's true, he doesn't want to get up early if he doesn't have to. An early bird might get the worm, but blue-haired conmenbusinessmen like to sleep in. Besides, depending on what kind of business he's doing and what planet the other party is on, he might be up late. And a guy needs his beauty sleep!]
[Aeons, especially these days. He's not getting any younger.]
Well! Time is money, and I won't take up any more of yours. [And the quicker he leaves, the less time Gepard has to come to his senses and tell him to take a hike.] I'll see you tomorrow, around noon.
[He makes his way towards the door, and turns to wave to Gepard before he goes.] Try not to miss me too much!
[Yes. Why does it feel like he's fallen for something?]
Get out, Koski.
[Sampo's already on his way out! It's not like kicking him out means anything. But- it's like all those times in which he brought in Sampo for some crime or another. He dragged him in, there was a complete and total lack of evidence, and Gepard ended up having to release him again, half-wondering all the while if all of this was just because Sampo Koski wanted to hang out in an interrogation room with him for an hour. It's like that. It's a reflexive exchange; he feels like he fell for something, Sampo's walking out, and he's hurrying to kick him out. It's almost bittersweet in how nostalgic it is.
Gepard does what he does best. He ignores his feelings as best as he can and cleans up the tea and scones. He unlocks the door, washes the pots and cups and things, puts the scones back where they came from, and spends the next however long being very bored. (Someone asks him why he opened so late, and he lies and says he met an old friend.)
It's a very slow morning, or what's left of it. And Gepard misses Sampo a little too much, though he shouldn't, but Sampo's like the first thaw after a very long winter, in which, against all odds, it feels like something shifted ever so slightly.
He goes to his cafe for a slightly late lunch, and sits and tries to read, and tries to ignore everything that just happened, but the only story he wants to hear is the end of what Sampo started.]
[Ah, a firm get out, Koski. Be still his beating heart, it's like he never left.]
[For most of the day, Gepard will be without a blue-haired shadow-- while stalking the good former Captain is always a fun pastime, Sampo does actually have other things that he has to do. One of which is start to unpack his things, meager though his current possessions are after years of essentially nomadism, into his apartment. It's a little nicer than his old safehouses, mostly because he actually plans on hanging around for his quasi-retirement, so ditching at the first sign of trouble isn't part of the plan.]
[But he really needs to like. Unpack his clothes and such so that he's not showing up to his little not-date with Gepard wearing yesterday's things.]
[He does still watch Gepard's house that night, sitting on the opposite roof and watching the silhouettes behind the curtains move from room to room. There, he sits at the table and eats dinner with his daughter; later, they sit in the living room; later still, upstairs for her to wash up and go to bed. The light in Gepard's bedroom stays on longer, and Sampo can picture him sitting in bed, reading another chapter or so of one of his nightstand books.]
[He really probably shouldn't do this. But what's a little light stalking between friends?]
[Sampo gets to the bookshop at noon, like he said. Almost late because he'd slept longer than he wanted-- late night Gepard-watching really puts a dent in his sleep schedule-- but he'd managed to catch the tram at the very last second. He opens the door and sticks his stupid blue head into the shop, singsongs out,]
[...he gets up early - harder than it used to be, but not unbearably so - and goes for a brisk jog before Lily gets up. It's...nice, actually, and he gets back in time to wake up his daughter. Lily asks what papa was doing, and he says he went running, and she wants to go with him next time and he laughs and says maybe when she's older, but for now? Breakfast. They eat, Gepard settles back into his normal routine like it's a second skin, or like he's diving deep underwater, waiting to open his mouth and drown.
The bookstore opens on time. He sells...not that much, a couple of books, but that's what things are usually like at his store. He's in the middle of talking with an old woman, one of his regulars, a sweet old granny, when Sampo sticks his stupid head in the store and singsongs out his stupid question.]
Absolutely not, Koski.
[And looks back in time to see said granny flash him a sweet and understanding (what is she understanding) smile, and she croaks out that she should be going, and totters out before Gepard can fix whatever just happened, because he doesn't know what happened, but he knows she got the wrong idea about whatever-it-is.
[Sampo holds the door open for the sweet and lovely granny as she exits, and gives her an absolutely beaming smile and a wink when she pats him on the arm. She calls him a scamp as she goes, and it makes his day. With the undoubtedly gossipy old woman wandering her way off down the street, Sampo moseys on in to the store where his delightful lunch partner is probably regretting all of his choices.]
Ready for lunch? [He could use a meal, his breakfast consisted of a slug of hot instant coffee right before he went out the door.] Or do you have some other old ladies hanging around back here?
[Sampo would be great with your customers, Gepard! And he'd be so glad to help.]
[Geppie. Geppie! At least when he was with the Silvermane Guard, he could take the title of Captain and shove it between the two of them. He misses that, right now, a layer of formality shoved between the two of them, a status difference that kept them wedged firmly apart instead of whatever-this-is.]
And if you're really offering to help me with my customers? I might just take you up on it.
[For all his grumbling, though, Gepard's clearly locking up for lunch. So. Sampo can take that however he wants.]
[And he can't go around calling him Captain anymore, so what else is he supposed to call him? His name, all the time? Sure, he could do that sometimes, but it's so much easier to tease him when he has a cute nickname to call him by.]
[Sampo idles by the door as Gepard locks up for lunch. He can protest as much as he likes, but Sampo knows that he's won-- he's still going out with him.]
I'm a very good businessman, I'm sure I could manage a few old ladies. And who knows, maybe I could bring in a few more customers with my many charms!
[He grunts as Sampo calls it a cute name, his keys jingling, locking the locks, weighing his options, and then Gepard looks at Sampo. Because who is he if not someone who'll call Sampo's fucking bluff when he's full of this much shit?]
If you're serious, I could always ask the owner to take you on part time. Once or twice a week, just you and me, Koski. [He probably couldn't manage more than that. The budget wouldn't cover it. But, maybe a few hours...
But that's only if Sampo is serious about it, but he's not.]
Why, Gepard, if you wanted more of my company so badly, you just had to ask! You don't have to try to get me employed for it.
[Besides, Sampo works much better when he's self-employed. A real entrepreneur, he is.]
I'm sure I could carve out a little extra time for you, outside of our little lunch dates! What kind of pal would ol' Sampo be if I left you lonely?
[Just what you always wanted, Gepard-- more of Sampo Koski. And now that the door is all locked up, Sampo's going to be even more obnoxious and hook his arm through Gepard's, so they can stroll along together to the cafe. Very chummy, the two of them! Thick as thieves, as the saying goes.]
[He stiffens like his arm is caught in a bear trap, and he's torn between cutting it off or fighting whatever it was that had clamped onto it - Sampo. Breath held, Gepard closes his eyes for a moment, just one moment, a moment so brief that someone might think of it as him blinking. He exhales, shuddering, soft, quiet, so quiet that Sampo is the only one that can hear it.
Gepard doesn't look at him. He doesn't make a point of looking away from him, so much as he's trying to act normal and failing at it. They're two strangers, walking arm in arm towards the same destination.]
Sampo Koski, there's easier ways of getting a free lunch than to spend time with me. [That. Focus on that.] And I didn't say anything about dates.
[Gepard sighs, soft but not so soft that Sampo can’t hear it. His face is still impassive, though, maintaining his composure even in the face of Sampo Koski. But he doesn’t pull his arm away, so Sampo’s going to count that as a win. Just a little win.]
[They walk, two men going in the same direction.]
Ah, is it a free lunch? How generous! I’ll graciously accept, of course.
[Thanks for offering to take the bill, Geppie, that’s very kind of you. Sampo certainly won’t object to it!]
I suppose you only agreed to one lunch date, but I don’t know if I could tell you all of my stories in just an hour or two! We might need to meet for another, so I can finish.
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[The inside of the bookstore is warm and welcoming, rejecting Belobog's usual obsession with snowy whites and blues and instead decorating it in yellows and oranges and reds. There's a coziness here that isn't found in a lot of Belobog buildings, softness and warmth in defiance of the eternal winter outside.]
[Sampo likes it. It's nice, it feels like a place that you could curl up on the couch in front of one of the geomarrow heaters and read a book all afternoon. And Gepard looks nice inside a place like this, hanging up his coat and going to the back to make tea.]
Tea's fine! Whatever you've got.
[He's more interested in looking around the shop, anyway. Having a bit of a poke around the shelves, to see what kind of books they sell. Maybe look around the front counter to see if there's something interesting there, like a ledger or two or just whatever book Gepard reads when it's slow between customers. What's he into? Fantasy, historical, informational books on gardening? Romance? Parenting books about how to be a single father?]
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...friends, huh. Well. Sampo had always been like that. He roots through the cupboards, trying to find something suitable for Sampo Koski and torn between something aggressively Belobogian and something very much not. Snowberries or something different...
Well, anyway.
The bookstore is a mix of new and used. The shelves contain a mix of books. There's a few books which are truly foreign. There's one or two books Sampo might realize were written by some of his old coworkers. Unbeknownst to Gepard, there's one slim volume of a history written by someone who was inspired by a follower of the Enigmata.
There's some new things. There's a shelf which contains works written by new and upcoming Belobogians - for Belobog, by Belobog. It's set at a prominent place of honor.
Behind the front counter, there's a slim leather notebook with notes written in Gepard's precise hand, just detailing the books he's read and what he thought of them, with a to-read list. While there's some overlap, it seems like the genres of books Gepard takes home (adventures, romances, big, sweeping plots, grandiose stakes) are slightly different than the books he reads at the shop (historical fiction, tales from foreign lands, a snapshot of a different world).
There's some overlap, but still.
If Sampo goes far enough in the notebook, he'll find that there was, indeed, books about parenting. There was a shift, over time, from something purely pragmatic to something a bit more wistful.
...well, anyway. There's a picture of Gepard, his sisters, and Lily, in a place of honor. It's a bright day, and the family is smiling.
Ledgers indicate that sales aren't all that great, just barely enough to keep the shop running. But Gepard's not doing this because of the money, is he? He's doing it to have something to do.
There's also a locked box. The lock isn't complicated. Small, wooden, with a lily carved on it. Special ordered, probably. Something involving his daughter, probably. Large enough to hold some papers, some photos, some mementos - if Sampo shakes it, he'll be able to hear the sounds of paper.
Speaking of sounds, it sounds like water's still being boiled in the back room.]
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[Gepard's little notes are also a fun read, if only for the insight that it gives on what he's been doing these past few years. The good former Captain has always been a meticulous kind of man, so it's amusing but not surprising that he's taken such careful notes about his own reading habits. His daily work reading isn't quite so fantastical as what he takes home. His bedtime reading is all grand romances and dramatic plots, but what he reads in the shop is much more tame. Embarrassed, maybe, at potentially being seen in public with something too fanciful?]
[When he gets to the picture, he picks it up to get a better look. Gepard with his sisters and his daughter, all of them looking happy. Lily, in particular, held in her father's arms and beaming at the camera. It's very cute, and he puts the picture carefully back where it was, in its little place of honor.]
[He kills the next few minutes by reading through the bookstore's ledger, listening to the sound of water being boiled in the other room. Sales are mediocre at best, the place really only limping along because Gepard doesn't get paid much and doesn't seem to mind. It's almost second-nature at this point to just... run through the mental calculations of what it would take to get a business like this really up and running. The potential's there-- the only other major competition would be the book merchant in the Administrative district. Sure, the newsstand model saves you a lot of costs because of its low footprint, but all your customers have to stand outside in the freezing Belobog temperatures, and this store has actual indoor space to work with. A little market research, some importing of new, popular media, better advertising so people actually know this place exists-- give him six months and he could get this place bustling. Less if he can secure funding up-front.]
[But he's getting ahead of himself. And there's that little lily box on the counter, too, the one that's got a simple little lock and sounds like it's holding papers... it wouldn't take much to open, but it's also locked and thus intended to be private, and Gepard could come back with tea at any moment.]
[Sampo also knows exactly where the box will be, and when Gepard won't. The door lock won't keep him out after hours. Why risk Gepard's wrath now when he can come back later and open it at his leisure?]
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You're still here.
[Why? But Gepard tries to cover for his...it's not quite discomfort? Confusion? Maybe that. He tries to cover for that feeling by placing the tray on a table and setting out the cups, because if he looks at the cups (serviceable ceramic, sturdy) that means he's not looking at Sampo, who Gepard's increasingly aware is here for some reason that's not just the obvious - not thievery, not to knock him on his ass and laugh at him, not to mock him, not money, there's nothing here to be stolen. And he's no longer a captain, so he's not as useful as he might have once been to Sampo.
He's here for something, and Gepard doesn't know what that could be. But. They've known each other for quite some time, so-]
I suppose there's not that much to be stolen here, is there? [He can be a little (fondly) rude, why not.] Even someone like yourself would have to take a while to find something of value in here.
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You said you were bringing tea. [Is a guy just supposed to dip at the prospect of a hot drink on a cold day?] And you brought two cups.
[So either he really did expect that Sampo would stay, or he hoped he would. Either way, he's still got one blue-haired troublemaker in his bookshop, so that's your problem now. Though, really, hasn't Sampo been so well-behaved? He hasn't even stolen anything yet! Kept his little fingers to himself like a fine, upstanding member of society.]
[If Sampo wanted to be a not so fine, upstanding member of society, he might have replied to Gepard that there's something very valuable here, and it's standing right in front of him-- but Gepard's never reacted well when he's been obvious about his flirting. Always thought it was a distraction so that he could escape or toss a smoke bomb, and... well, yeah, it had been that, but it was also sincere! He was just always strategic about when he was being sincere.]
Your delightful company is enough reason for me! I'm curious about what you've been doing for the past few years, anyway. [Mysterious deadbeat mothers, charming children, resigning from his post-- Gepard's been a busy boy!] Aren't you a little bit curious about what your old pal has been getting up to?
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Instead, he then gets up and heads over to check the doorknob, and then check the sign to make sure there's no indication that they're open. He can give Sampo some time. He can pay attention to his so-called old pal, and actually, now Sampo mentions it-]
Actually? Now you mention it, I am.
[Back to his couch, and Gepard settles down in it a bit more decisively. He's made his choice. It's a terrible choice. Everyone would agree. He's going to bring it up to Serval, later, but he already knows his sister will agree. Doesn't even have to question it. He'll say, "Koski's back and I don't know why." And she'll make a face and go to get a drink - he can picture it in his head.]
I thought you were gone for good. I never imagined you'd return.
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[He moseys his way on over to the couch and perches himself on the armrest, because who would ever expect him to sit normally?]
Ol' Sampo's like a bad penny, I'll always keep turning up! Besides, how could I stay away from a place as charming as Belobog?
[Sampo's been all over the galaxy, to places both beautiful and interesting and fun, and at the end of the day, he still wants to go back home to Belobog. That's what happens when a man goes native, nothing that can be done about it! They might as well make him an official citizen, y'know, with documents that he didn't forge himself.]
But I did have to go for a while. Duty called! You remember the Nameless, right? Our little friends on the Astral Express? [Gepard must remember them, he chased them around Belobog trying to arrest them, and Gepard has always been good at remembering the people he tries to arrest.] Well, they got up to a lot more than just dealing with the Stellaron around here, and they needed a little more help from yours truly! So I had to pack up shop for a while and go traipsing around the galaxy to get everything ready for when they'd need me. I'm a reliable kind of guy like that, you know.
[He probably didn't, but Sampo could be reliable when he needed to be! It just depended on who was asking him for what. And with the kind of things that the Trailblazer was getting up to... well, they really needed a reliable guy in their corner.]
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It's likely a mix of truths, half-truths, and outright lies Sampo's telling him, but, sure, he'll buy it. There's something a little bit romantic about it.]
It sounds like you kept busy. [No, more like-] It sounds like you had fun. Where did you go? Who did you meet? I'm sure you have stories about all the people you've seen and the things you've done, and...some of them might even be true, knowing you.
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I went to a lot of places. It's a big galaxy out there! It would take too long to tell you everything, but I can give you some highlights.
[Besides, if he told Gepard everything right now, what incentive would he have to talk with him again? Like Scheherazade did with her thousand tales, the way to get a man to keep coming back is to keep him wanting.]
I could start with the Xianzhou Luofu. Did you read anything about the Xianzhou Alliance? I don't know how much information has gotten back here over the years.
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I read a thing or two. [But.] Pretend like I don't know anything and tell me everything. It seems easier that way- I'm sure there's something I overlooked or something I don't know.
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[Gepard should get to see the stars, too, if he wants to.]
Let's see what I remember, then! If I remember my history right, there were nine ships that left the Xianzhou homeworld a long time ago, to search for Yaoshi the Abundance. They wanted to become immortal, and Yaoshi gave them what they wanted! That's why the Xianzhou natives live for hundreds of years, and normal folks like us are lucky to make it to a century. But--
[Sampo makes for a good storyteller; he's had a lot of practice, and not just because of the lies he tells to con people. He'd told his fair share of stories to Hook and her little gang once upon a time (and that's another person he'll have to check in on, see how little Miss Hook grew up), so he's got a knack for keeping things interesting. Including things like the Xianzhou's tumultuous history, leading up to the Trailblazer's adventures to seal the Stellaron and defeat the Lord Ravager.]
Having to deal with a Lord Ravager is no joke! It's a big deal going up against any Emanator, but one of Nanook's-- [He takes a sip of tea to wet his throat, and it's long since gone cold.] Yeeugh. How long have I been talking?
[A glance at the clock tells him that-- as expected-- he's been talking for too long.] Aha, time flies. I should let you open your shop, or you'll never get to sell anything today!
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But then, Sampo stops, and Gepard blinks. Spell broken, he also glances over and it takes a lot to keep from cussing when he sees what time it is. He meant to give Sampo some of his time, but did he really mean to give him that much?]
...you're right. [He can admit this much.] I lost track of the time.
[He puts his mug (mostly untouched, he drank at first and then got lost in the story) on the tray, gets up- was he this close to Sampo? He could've sworn he was a little further away...who knows, really, it's actually kind of embarrassing that he just forgot himself this much. He should be rushing to unlock the door, flip the sign over, reassure people who thought something had happened, but- first things first.] You're a very good storyteller, Koski.
[He can bask in the moment for a little bit longer without it being weird, right...?]
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I have a lot of stories to tell! [And not just ones about the Trailblazer and their little adventure. He's been back and forth across the galaxy in his time, and you can't help but collect stories along the way.]
[He stands and sets his cold mug of tea on the tray next to Gepard's. Looks like they were both a little too wrapped up in what they were doing to enjoy it very much. They're standing near each other again.]
Maybe I could come back another time and finish up? I'd hate you leave you without the ending. [Nothing worse than never getting to know what happened, right?] Before you open up shop, or during your lunch break?
[It would just be two friends meeting for lunch! Nothing strange about that, right?]
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Personal? A different story. He's not bold at all. If he was, maybe he wouldn't have been raising his daughter all alone for as many years as he had. Maybe his life would be different if he was bold. But, still.
Still.]
I'd like that. [It's doesn't take boldness to admit that he likes something.] Tomorrow, then? Before I open the store or for lunch, whichever is better for you. [After all, Sampo Koski had never struck him as a morning person, especially not with the hours Gepard liked to keep. He knew that he woke up long before Sampo ever would. Asking him to drag himself out of bed sounded miserable.
He should step away. Gepard knows this. He doesnt, at least, not yet.]
Either way, I wouldn't mind ordering in food, but there's something to be said for a change of scenery.
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Lunch sounds great, let's do lunch. [It's true, he doesn't want to get up early if he doesn't have to. An early bird might get the worm, but blue-haired
conmenbusinessmen like to sleep in. Besides, depending on what kind of business he's doing and what planet the other party is on, he might be up late. And a guy needs his beauty sleep!][Aeons, especially these days. He's not getting any younger.]
Well! Time is money, and I won't take up any more of yours. [And the quicker he leaves, the less time Gepard has to come to his senses and tell him to take a hike.] I'll see you tomorrow, around noon.
[He makes his way towards the door, and turns to wave to Gepard before he goes.] Try not to miss me too much!
[Regret this decision yet, Gepard?]
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Get out, Koski.
[Sampo's already on his way out! It's not like kicking him out means anything. But- it's like all those times in which he brought in Sampo for some crime or another. He dragged him in, there was a complete and total lack of evidence, and Gepard ended up having to release him again, half-wondering all the while if all of this was just because Sampo Koski wanted to hang out in an interrogation room with him for an hour. It's like that. It's a reflexive exchange; he feels like he fell for something, Sampo's walking out, and he's hurrying to kick him out. It's almost bittersweet in how nostalgic it is.
Gepard does what he does best. He ignores his feelings as best as he can and cleans up the tea and scones. He unlocks the door, washes the pots and cups and things, puts the scones back where they came from, and spends the next however long being very bored. (Someone asks him why he opened so late, and he lies and says he met an old friend.)
It's a very slow morning, or what's left of it. And Gepard misses Sampo a little too much, though he shouldn't, but Sampo's like the first thaw after a very long winter, in which, against all odds, it feels like something shifted ever so slightly.
He goes to his cafe for a slightly late lunch, and sits and tries to read, and tries to ignore everything that just happened, but the only story he wants to hear is the end of what Sampo started.]
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[For most of the day, Gepard will be without a blue-haired shadow-- while stalking the good former Captain is always a fun pastime, Sampo does actually have other things that he has to do. One of which is start to unpack his things, meager though his current possessions are after years of essentially nomadism, into his apartment. It's a little nicer than his old safehouses, mostly because he actually plans on hanging around for his quasi-retirement, so ditching at the first sign of trouble isn't part of the plan.]
[But he really needs to like. Unpack his clothes and such so that he's not showing up to his little not-date with Gepard wearing yesterday's things.]
[He does still watch Gepard's house that night, sitting on the opposite roof and watching the silhouettes behind the curtains move from room to room. There, he sits at the table and eats dinner with his daughter; later, they sit in the living room; later still, upstairs for her to wash up and go to bed. The light in Gepard's bedroom stays on longer, and Sampo can picture him sitting in bed, reading another chapter or so of one of his nightstand books.]
[He really probably shouldn't do this. But what's a little light stalking between friends?]
[Sampo gets to the bookshop at noon, like he said. Almost late because he'd slept longer than he wanted-- late night Gepard-watching really puts a dent in his sleep schedule-- but he'd managed to catch the tram at the very last second. He opens the door and sticks his stupid blue head into the shop, singsongs out,]
Did you miss me?
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The bookstore opens on time. He sells...not that much, a couple of books, but that's what things are usually like at his store. He's in the middle of talking with an old woman, one of his regulars, a sweet old granny, when Sampo sticks his stupid head in the store and singsongs out his stupid question.]
Absolutely not, Koski.
[And looks back in time to see said granny flash him a sweet and understanding (what is she understanding) smile, and she croaks out that she should be going, and totters out before Gepard can fix whatever just happened, because he doesn't know what happened, but he knows she got the wrong idea about whatever-it-is.
She probably pats Sampo's arm on her way out.
This doesn't help.]
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[Sampo holds the door open for the sweet and lovely granny as she exits, and gives her an absolutely beaming smile and a wink when she pats him on the arm. She calls him a scamp as she goes, and it makes his day. With the undoubtedly gossipy old woman wandering her way off down the street, Sampo moseys on in to the store where his delightful lunch partner is probably regretting all of his choices.]
Ready for lunch? [He could use a meal, his breakfast consisted of a slug of hot instant coffee right before he went out the door.] Or do you have some other old ladies hanging around back here?
[Sampo would be great with your customers, Gepard! And he'd be so glad to help.]
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Don't call me that.
[Geppie. Geppie! At least when he was with the Silvermane Guard, he could take the title of Captain and shove it between the two of them. He misses that, right now, a layer of formality shoved between the two of them, a status difference that kept them wedged firmly apart instead of whatever-this-is.]
And if you're really offering to help me with my customers? I might just take you up on it.
[For all his grumbling, though, Gepard's clearly locking up for lunch. So. Sampo can take that however he wants.]
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[And he can't go around calling him Captain anymore, so what else is he supposed to call him? His name, all the time? Sure, he could do that sometimes, but it's so much easier to tease him when he has a cute nickname to call him by.]
[Sampo idles by the door as Gepard locks up for lunch. He can protest as much as he likes, but Sampo knows that he's won-- he's still going out with him.]
I'm a very good businessman, I'm sure I could manage a few old ladies. And who knows, maybe I could bring in a few more customers with my many charms!
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If you're serious, I could always ask the owner to take you on part time. Once or twice a week, just you and me, Koski. [He probably couldn't manage more than that. The budget wouldn't cover it. But, maybe a few hours...
But that's only if Sampo is serious about it, but he's not.]
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Why, Gepard, if you wanted more of my company so badly, you just had to ask! You don't have to try to get me employed for it.
[Besides, Sampo works much better when he's self-employed. A real entrepreneur, he is.]
I'm sure I could carve out a little extra time for you, outside of our little lunch dates! What kind of pal would ol' Sampo be if I left you lonely?
[Just what you always wanted, Gepard-- more of Sampo Koski. And now that the door is all locked up, Sampo's going to be even more obnoxious and hook his arm through Gepard's, so they can stroll along together to the cafe. Very chummy, the two of them! Thick as thieves, as the saying goes.]
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Gepard doesn't look at him. He doesn't make a point of looking away from him, so much as he's trying to act normal and failing at it. They're two strangers, walking arm in arm towards the same destination.]
Sampo Koski, there's easier ways of getting a free lunch than to spend time with me. [That. Focus on that.] And I didn't say anything about dates.
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[They walk, two men going in the same direction.]
Ah, is it a free lunch? How generous! I’ll graciously accept, of course.
[Thanks for offering to take the bill, Geppie, that’s very kind of you. Sampo certainly won’t object to it!]
I suppose you only agreed to one lunch date, but I don’t know if I could tell you all of my stories in just an hour or two! We might need to meet for another, so I can finish.
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