ooc: Application
[nick / name]: Chiqui
[personal LJ name]: beamspamming
[e-mail]: thisischiqui at asuran dot net
[AIM / messenger]: becominggundam @ aim / jesus setsuna @ aim
[series]: Baccano!
[character]: Firo Prochainezo
[character history / background]:
November 1930: Once there was an 18-year old boy who went out shopping for hats with his close friend. It all seemed normal enough... Except that the boy wasn't quite the average boy, given that he had easily beaten up a murderer just moments before. And in a few more hours, he will officially become a member of the executive staff of the Martillo Family, a small branch of the Camorras located in Manhattan, New York.
But Firo Prochainezo's entry into the Camorras was more of a chance happening. Born in Hell's Kitchen, Manhattan, New York, Firo was orphaned when he was only nine years old. He lived in the Manhattan Italian slums until the Martillo Family found him wandering in the streets one day and took him under their care. He stayed with them ever since, eventually becoming extremely skilled in combat and a valuable member of the Martillos. He had been given the task of overseeing Martillo-owned casinos to catch cheaters, and it was here that he had been able to train his vision, a strength that became valuable when he fought. Aside from that, he had learned wrestling techniques and practiced knife skills with the other Martillo executives, thus gaining good judgement during combat.
Back to the year 1930: A wooden building had burned down, and an old man who just completed the Elixir of Life for Szilad Quates saved two bottles and escaped the inferno. However, Firo and Maiza Avaro had been, for the moment, completely oblivious to this event as they were out shopping for hats to symbolize Firo's promotion as a Martillo executive. It was also here where they first met Isaac Dian and Miria Harvent, but the importance of the two rather odd thieves will come much later. On their way back, Firo spotted the fire and ran to check it out, in the process bumping into Ennis (who had been looking for the old man mentioned earlier) at the scene of the fire. The gold button of Ennis' suit dropped, and Firo picked it up and ran after her with the intention of returning it (and because it was most likely love at first sight). While searching for her, he spotted Dallas Genoard and his cronies beating up the same old man with the Elixir of Life. Firo took down Dallas and his goons easily and went on his way.
Not being able to find the girl, Firo eventually headed to the restaurant Alveare for his swear-in ceremony to officially become a Camorrista and a Martillo executive. As part of the ritual, he needed to go against Maiza in a knife battle, which he won after dealing a cut to Maiza's wrist. He also noticed that Maiza's wound healed itself almost instantly, but had not been able to ask Maiza about this since the executives started congratulating him. Kanshichiro Yagulma, one of the top executives, told him that he was the first person to defeat Maiza in a knife fight. A shot was fired in honor of Firo, but the bullet shot through the ceiling and accidentally hit Isaac, who had been on the floor above them, in the head.
However, Isaac seemed fine when Firo checked on him, albeit a bit overly dramatic. The people in Alveare (which included Isaac, Miria, the Gandor brothers, and the Martillo executives) drank wine in celebration, and Firo eventually confronted Maiza about how his wound quickly healed. But their conversation was cut short when Firo spotted Ennis, ran after her, and handed the button over, much to her surprise and confusion. Their meeting had been brief, however, when they both heard gunshots originating from the Alveare. Alarmed, Firo rushed back, and in his tussle with Ennis spotted Szilad through a bullet hole in the back door. Ennis then told Firo about the Immortals and the Elixir of Life, and her real nature as a sort of daughter created by Szilard to do his bidding. Firo grew enraged upon hearing Ennis' story and told Ennis that fathers weren't supposed to enslave their daughters, and besides, he didn't think someone as beautiful as Ennis could have had him for a father, anyway. Just then, Dallas and his henchmen appeared again and pointed guns at Firo and Ennis. Dallas told Firo that he couldn't die, either, but Luck, Berga, and Keith Gandor appeared just in time to save them. Dallas tried to convince Luck that Firo had been responsible for the attack on the Gandor's turf, but Luck saw through their deception and mentioned that the Martillo and Gandor families were in good terms. Aside from that, Firo had been a close friend of theirs since childhood, and how did Dallas know about the attack unless he had something to do with it, anyway? With that, the Gandors shot Dallas and his henchmen. However, because Szilard had injected Dallas and his comrades with Elixir of Life that was slightly different (it made them heal instantly but did not render them immune to aging), their wounds healed and they gunned down Firo, Ennis, and the Gandors.
And the story would have ended there, except for the fact that Firo and the Gandor brothers regenerated. Apparently, the wine at the party? It was the Elixir of Life that the old man had saved from the fire. So Firo quickly headed over to where Maiza and Szilard were located, just in time spot Ennis on the floor, dying, after she stabbed Szilard in the back. The other Martillos set Szilard on fire, and Ennis instructed Firo how to "eat" Szilard: Put his right hand on Szilard's forehead and think "I want to eat". Firo then absorbed Szilard into his body, thus effectively killing Szilard and obtaining all the knowledge he had. Among the knowledge Szilard held was part of the secret on how to make the Elixir of Life, obtained from eating Maiza's younger brother, Gerd, during the year 1705, and how to save Ennis' life. And so he did save Ennis and introduced himself as Firo. He then asked for Ennis' name, and when she pointed out that he already knew her name, he replied that he simply wanted to hear her say it himself.
Maiza apologized to Firo, the Martillos, the Gandors, and the two thieves for bringing the curse of Immortality to them, but Firo said that he didn't want to die anyway, and that he felt really happy right now. Everyone else agreed with him, and everyone on that night toasted to the newest Martillo executive, Firo Prochainezo.
1931: The Runoratas are currently attacking both the Genoard and Martillo families. Firo, being aware of the incidents between the Runoratas and Genoards, offered to help Luck out, but Luck says it wasn't necessary for Firo to involve himself. Besides, Luck had already enlisted the help of Vino/Claire Stanfield, who was going to arrive that same day aboard the Flying Pussyfoot. Firo then mentioned that he wanted to meet Claire and a few of his friends on board the Flying Pussyfoot, so Luck offered Firo to join him. And then the bookstore they were currently in was gunned down by Runorata members.
Except that didn't really work, because both Luck and Firo regenerated in no time. Firo also took that as a chance to kick a Runorata member in the face and captured him before the rest escaped. He handed the Runorata member over to Luck before he and Luck, along with some other friends, headed to the train station to wait for the Flying Pussyfoot's arrival. It wasn't long before they met up with Miria and Isaac, and a happy reunion was held.
1932: The Martillos, Ennis, and the two thieves have been arranging a domino pattern when Firo emerged, asking them what they were up to. He was initially doubtful that a game like that could be fun and accidentally knocked a domino down. It so happened that he thoroughly enjoyed watching the dominos fall and was the most excited out of all of them, not knowing that Sylvie Lumiere, the lover of Maiza's younger brother who had been one of the Immortals that Szilard had eaten, was watching him. Sylvie left and met up with Elmer, another Immortal, and revealed that she intended to "eat" Firo but decided against it when she felt he was trustworthy enough to hold Gerd's memories.
[character abilities]:
Firo is an exceptional fighter who uses knives as his primary weapon, but who can also fare well in hand-to-hand combat. His strength lies in having a broad field of vision and being able to visually track fast movements, a skill he honed through catching cheaters at organization-owned casinos.
Aside from that, Firo is one of the Immortals. As an Immortal, a person's physical age is halted, so Firo can be a hundred years old and still look 18. Moreover, an Immortal can't be killed because they are able to regenerate when wounded, even when their entire body is burned or gunned down.
There are certain ways to kill an Immortal, and this can only be done by fellow Immortals. Firo himself has done this once: He placed his hand on the head of Szilad, wished in his mind to "eat" the person, and absorbed Szilad into his body. In addition to killing Szilad, Firo managed to gain all the knowledge stored in Szilad and in all the Immortals Szilad has eaten. Thus, all Immortals can obtain the knowledge other Immortals have through "eating" them.
[character personality]:
So who is the lead character of Baccano? Carole argues that it should be Firo "because he is lead character-ish."
And what we do see is an easygoing young man dressed in a neat, green suit, complete with smug dialogue and awesome moves. He's generous when he's in a good mood, aware of the danger associated with being a member of the Martillo family but taking it in cool stride, and very much willing to fight back when provoked. Oh, and did I mention he regenerates?
Firo is, essentially, a badass. But there's a little more to him than just that.
It is no secret that Firo is confident even in the face of danger, and that he will fight without hesitation when needed. He's aware of his superior fighting skills, and it can be seen most in the cheeky smile he puts on just before a fight he knows he'd definitely win. He doesn't go out of his way to brag about it or his status as a member of the Martillo family, though, unless it's to provoke people into fighting him. But as for his actual fights... Let's just say his acts of "self-defense" can be a bit of an overkill. It's not surprising that he resorts to violence, too; after all, he's been raised in an organization wherein disagreements between families often end with one family attacking another. You can say that he's used to such a way of life and that there isn't quite much else to it.
Because Firo looks a lot younger than he really is, he often surprises people when he speaks like an adult. He's someone who tells anyone what he thinks to their face, mocks enemies in the midst of battle, and can be relentless in his (oftentimes frank and less-than-courteous) questions. He despises people who deliberately put the lives of others in danger and who look down on the Martillo Family. He is very much willing to lend a hand to both friends and strangers alike, whether they ask for it or not. Of course, "lending a hand" almost always seems to end in beating someone up, but considering that said assistance comes from a Camorrista, what else is there to expect? He is also intensely determined when he has a set goal in mind. Such goals have a wide range, from getting into the Camorras to finding the girl who lost the button in her sleeve so he can return it to her. And since he isn't easily disheartened, you can say that he often achieves such goals in the long run. He's not the type to reflect much on the subject of life even after he himself becomes an Immortal and prefers instead to live in the moment. He's also an atheist and doesn't believe in life after death.
As a devoted Camorrista, Firo is well aware that he could go to jail, get killed by someone close to him, and likewise kill for the Martillos. He's so fiercely loyal to the Martillo family that he will undergo various troubles to become one of them and to defend them, even if it means taking his own life. After all, he was used to not having any reason to be happy and could only wish that he could smile like the Italians in the movies, until the Martillos took him in. They're the closest thing he has to a family, and hey, he likes them a lot.
However, behind that is a person who's rather childish and easily amused: For instance, when the Martillo Family tells him about his promotion, a childlike smile forms on his face. When he hears that the Flying Pussyfoot is a strangely decorated train, he wants to see it for himself even more. Albeit highly skeptical when he first sees everyone arranging dominos in a pattern, he is the most excited when the dominos start to fall (after accidentally pushing a domino down himself). He also does little to contain his excitement, the kind of transparency that can be witnessed in any of his other emotions.
So does Firo have the makings of a lead character-ish? The answer, of course, is simply left to the audience.
[point in timeline you're picking your character from]: Year 1930, just after his conversation with Maiza and before he catches up with Ennis
[journal post]:
VOICE POST;
[Click!]
-and that's it? You mean I can talk through this now? Right, well thanks for your help!
[A short pause, before some muttering can be heard]
Though it feels kinda weird talking to this strange box...
[Sound of a throat being cleared, before the voice becomes clearer and more audible]
Hey, whoever's on the other side of this thing. I'm looking for a lady wearing a thin, black suit who's missing one of the buttons from her sleeve. So if you're a lady and are missing a button, or if you know the lady I'm looking for, I'd really like a response.
[Another pause, followed by a few taps]
Does this thing actually work?
[third person / log sample]:
Firo's feelings at the moment, inside the shop as he and Maiza picked out some hats, was a mixture of nervousness and anticipation for the upcoming ceremony that will officially declare him a Martillo executive.
A few hours ago, however, he had been very much willing to stab someone wherever it hurt the most.
That inspector named Edward really got on his nerves. Knowing that a murderer had been out there, killing people for money, and yet waiting for the murderer to attack Firo instead... He was just another tool for them, wasn't he? To resort to such despicable acts such as using him to capture a murderer, could that Edward really go any lower?
But that still didn't compare to what Edward had said about the Martillos: that they were just small fry, that they were weak, that the only reason they survived to this very day was because they were so low in the food chain no one even bothered to destroy them. If Maiza hadn't appeared just in time, who knew what Firo could have done? Well, not kill, at least; there was a big difference between wanting to horribly maim and wanting to kill, but the thought of drawing out his knife and teaching Edward a lesson or two had been a very welcoming one back then.
And even more so when Edward had asked Firo how many Martillo executives he had slept with to rise so high in the organization.
Damn, Edward just knew how to push the right buttons, didn't he? Back when Firo was orphaned, when he didn't think he had a reason to smile anymore, the Martillos took him in and treated him as one of their own. They trusted him, gave him responsibilities of his own, trained him and honed him to the person he is right now. Sure, their methods of surviving were less than virtuous, but he liked them, he really did, and to think that someone had the guts to imply that the organization that made him feel like he belonged somewhere could stoop so low... He had sure been very much willing to stab the inspector, and probably hurt him until he couldn't move.
Surprisingly, though, it had been Maiza who turned around first. The Martillo's conta è oro uttered a simple sentence: "We could take what you said as an insult." Still smiling, still calm, but his aura had been enough to scare Edward silent.
And who could have guessed that the person standing there right now, in the hat shop, picking out a hat for Firo, could give off such a murderous vibe? Smiling pleasantly, Maiza approached Firo, hat in hand.
"This one isn't bad." And the executive placed a green fedora on Firo's head.
Firo blinked and examined himself in the mirror. He tilted the hat, noticing how the hat's green tone glowed as it sunlight struck it. Amused, he spun around and noted how the hat now looked dark green in the shadows. That was amazing! It was as if the hat were made just for him! A bright, childlike smile formed on his face.
"This is... great, Mister Maiza! This is perfect!"
He exclaimed this a bit too cheerfully, probably, but both his words and his excitement held not one ounce of sarcasm. To become an executive member... This was really it, wasn't it? All he needed to do now was to go through the ceremony without any major blunders and his dream would finally come to life. And the swear-in ceremony was just a formality; he already knew even without swearing on it that he would go to great lengths to keep the Martillos alive, so what Edward had sworn back at the alley could never come true.
Besides, come to think of it, it's not as if he actually threatened their organization anyway.
Because back then, just as Maiza had turned away from Edward to resume their walk, Edward had called after them. The investigator had sworn that he would one day rid of Mafia members like them, and all Maiza had replied with was the fact that they were, actually, not the Mafia.
And Firo knew that they weren't. Yes, they were probably more prone to violence than the Mafia, yes, they're more scattered, and yes, guns might just be more efficient than knives, but... he belonged here. His dream of smiling like the Italians he saw in the movies and posters when he was a young, homeless orphan, his dream of becoming happy: he found it here, with them. They were his family.
"We are Camorra," Firo had finished for Maiza as the pair rounded a corner.
[personal LJ name]: beamspamming
[e-mail]: thisischiqui at asuran dot net
[AIM / messenger]: becominggundam @ aim / jesus setsuna @ aim
[series]: Baccano!
[character]: Firo Prochainezo
[character history / background]:
November 1930: Once there was an 18-year old boy who went out shopping for hats with his close friend. It all seemed normal enough... Except that the boy wasn't quite the average boy, given that he had easily beaten up a murderer just moments before. And in a few more hours, he will officially become a member of the executive staff of the Martillo Family, a small branch of the Camorras located in Manhattan, New York.
But Firo Prochainezo's entry into the Camorras was more of a chance happening. Born in Hell's Kitchen, Manhattan, New York, Firo was orphaned when he was only nine years old. He lived in the Manhattan Italian slums until the Martillo Family found him wandering in the streets one day and took him under their care. He stayed with them ever since, eventually becoming extremely skilled in combat and a valuable member of the Martillos. He had been given the task of overseeing Martillo-owned casinos to catch cheaters, and it was here that he had been able to train his vision, a strength that became valuable when he fought. Aside from that, he had learned wrestling techniques and practiced knife skills with the other Martillo executives, thus gaining good judgement during combat.
Back to the year 1930: A wooden building had burned down, and an old man who just completed the Elixir of Life for Szilad Quates saved two bottles and escaped the inferno. However, Firo and Maiza Avaro had been, for the moment, completely oblivious to this event as they were out shopping for hats to symbolize Firo's promotion as a Martillo executive. It was also here where they first met Isaac Dian and Miria Harvent, but the importance of the two rather odd thieves will come much later. On their way back, Firo spotted the fire and ran to check it out, in the process bumping into Ennis (who had been looking for the old man mentioned earlier) at the scene of the fire. The gold button of Ennis' suit dropped, and Firo picked it up and ran after her with the intention of returning it (and because it was most likely love at first sight). While searching for her, he spotted Dallas Genoard and his cronies beating up the same old man with the Elixir of Life. Firo took down Dallas and his goons easily and went on his way.
Not being able to find the girl, Firo eventually headed to the restaurant Alveare for his swear-in ceremony to officially become a Camorrista and a Martillo executive. As part of the ritual, he needed to go against Maiza in a knife battle, which he won after dealing a cut to Maiza's wrist. He also noticed that Maiza's wound healed itself almost instantly, but had not been able to ask Maiza about this since the executives started congratulating him. Kanshichiro Yagulma, one of the top executives, told him that he was the first person to defeat Maiza in a knife fight. A shot was fired in honor of Firo, but the bullet shot through the ceiling and accidentally hit Isaac, who had been on the floor above them, in the head.
However, Isaac seemed fine when Firo checked on him, albeit a bit overly dramatic. The people in Alveare (which included Isaac, Miria, the Gandor brothers, and the Martillo executives) drank wine in celebration, and Firo eventually confronted Maiza about how his wound quickly healed. But their conversation was cut short when Firo spotted Ennis, ran after her, and handed the button over, much to her surprise and confusion. Their meeting had been brief, however, when they both heard gunshots originating from the Alveare. Alarmed, Firo rushed back, and in his tussle with Ennis spotted Szilad through a bullet hole in the back door. Ennis then told Firo about the Immortals and the Elixir of Life, and her real nature as a sort of daughter created by Szilard to do his bidding. Firo grew enraged upon hearing Ennis' story and told Ennis that fathers weren't supposed to enslave their daughters, and besides, he didn't think someone as beautiful as Ennis could have had him for a father, anyway. Just then, Dallas and his henchmen appeared again and pointed guns at Firo and Ennis. Dallas told Firo that he couldn't die, either, but Luck, Berga, and Keith Gandor appeared just in time to save them. Dallas tried to convince Luck that Firo had been responsible for the attack on the Gandor's turf, but Luck saw through their deception and mentioned that the Martillo and Gandor families were in good terms. Aside from that, Firo had been a close friend of theirs since childhood, and how did Dallas know about the attack unless he had something to do with it, anyway? With that, the Gandors shot Dallas and his henchmen. However, because Szilard had injected Dallas and his comrades with Elixir of Life that was slightly different (it made them heal instantly but did not render them immune to aging), their wounds healed and they gunned down Firo, Ennis, and the Gandors.
And the story would have ended there, except for the fact that Firo and the Gandor brothers regenerated. Apparently, the wine at the party? It was the Elixir of Life that the old man had saved from the fire. So Firo quickly headed over to where Maiza and Szilard were located, just in time spot Ennis on the floor, dying, after she stabbed Szilard in the back. The other Martillos set Szilard on fire, and Ennis instructed Firo how to "eat" Szilard: Put his right hand on Szilard's forehead and think "I want to eat". Firo then absorbed Szilard into his body, thus effectively killing Szilard and obtaining all the knowledge he had. Among the knowledge Szilard held was part of the secret on how to make the Elixir of Life, obtained from eating Maiza's younger brother, Gerd, during the year 1705, and how to save Ennis' life. And so he did save Ennis and introduced himself as Firo. He then asked for Ennis' name, and when she pointed out that he already knew her name, he replied that he simply wanted to hear her say it himself.
Maiza apologized to Firo, the Martillos, the Gandors, and the two thieves for bringing the curse of Immortality to them, but Firo said that he didn't want to die anyway, and that he felt really happy right now. Everyone else agreed with him, and everyone on that night toasted to the newest Martillo executive, Firo Prochainezo.
1931: The Runoratas are currently attacking both the Genoard and Martillo families. Firo, being aware of the incidents between the Runoratas and Genoards, offered to help Luck out, but Luck says it wasn't necessary for Firo to involve himself. Besides, Luck had already enlisted the help of Vino/Claire Stanfield, who was going to arrive that same day aboard the Flying Pussyfoot. Firo then mentioned that he wanted to meet Claire and a few of his friends on board the Flying Pussyfoot, so Luck offered Firo to join him. And then the bookstore they were currently in was gunned down by Runorata members.
Except that didn't really work, because both Luck and Firo regenerated in no time. Firo also took that as a chance to kick a Runorata member in the face and captured him before the rest escaped. He handed the Runorata member over to Luck before he and Luck, along with some other friends, headed to the train station to wait for the Flying Pussyfoot's arrival. It wasn't long before they met up with Miria and Isaac, and a happy reunion was held.
1932: The Martillos, Ennis, and the two thieves have been arranging a domino pattern when Firo emerged, asking them what they were up to. He was initially doubtful that a game like that could be fun and accidentally knocked a domino down. It so happened that he thoroughly enjoyed watching the dominos fall and was the most excited out of all of them, not knowing that Sylvie Lumiere, the lover of Maiza's younger brother who had been one of the Immortals that Szilard had eaten, was watching him. Sylvie left and met up with Elmer, another Immortal, and revealed that she intended to "eat" Firo but decided against it when she felt he was trustworthy enough to hold Gerd's memories.
[character abilities]:
Firo is an exceptional fighter who uses knives as his primary weapon, but who can also fare well in hand-to-hand combat. His strength lies in having a broad field of vision and being able to visually track fast movements, a skill he honed through catching cheaters at organization-owned casinos.
Aside from that, Firo is one of the Immortals. As an Immortal, a person's physical age is halted, so Firo can be a hundred years old and still look 18. Moreover, an Immortal can't be killed because they are able to regenerate when wounded, even when their entire body is burned or gunned down.
There are certain ways to kill an Immortal, and this can only be done by fellow Immortals. Firo himself has done this once: He placed his hand on the head of Szilad, wished in his mind to "eat" the person, and absorbed Szilad into his body. In addition to killing Szilad, Firo managed to gain all the knowledge stored in Szilad and in all the Immortals Szilad has eaten. Thus, all Immortals can obtain the knowledge other Immortals have through "eating" them.
[character personality]:
So who is the lead character of Baccano? Carole argues that it should be Firo "because he is lead character-ish."
And what we do see is an easygoing young man dressed in a neat, green suit, complete with smug dialogue and awesome moves. He's generous when he's in a good mood, aware of the danger associated with being a member of the Martillo family but taking it in cool stride, and very much willing to fight back when provoked. Oh, and did I mention he regenerates?
Firo is, essentially, a badass. But there's a little more to him than just that.
It is no secret that Firo is confident even in the face of danger, and that he will fight without hesitation when needed. He's aware of his superior fighting skills, and it can be seen most in the cheeky smile he puts on just before a fight he knows he'd definitely win. He doesn't go out of his way to brag about it or his status as a member of the Martillo family, though, unless it's to provoke people into fighting him. But as for his actual fights... Let's just say his acts of "self-defense" can be a bit of an overkill. It's not surprising that he resorts to violence, too; after all, he's been raised in an organization wherein disagreements between families often end with one family attacking another. You can say that he's used to such a way of life and that there isn't quite much else to it.
Because Firo looks a lot younger than he really is, he often surprises people when he speaks like an adult. He's someone who tells anyone what he thinks to their face, mocks enemies in the midst of battle, and can be relentless in his (oftentimes frank and less-than-courteous) questions. He despises people who deliberately put the lives of others in danger and who look down on the Martillo Family. He is very much willing to lend a hand to both friends and strangers alike, whether they ask for it or not. Of course, "lending a hand" almost always seems to end in beating someone up, but considering that said assistance comes from a Camorrista, what else is there to expect? He is also intensely determined when he has a set goal in mind. Such goals have a wide range, from getting into the Camorras to finding the girl who lost the button in her sleeve so he can return it to her. And since he isn't easily disheartened, you can say that he often achieves such goals in the long run. He's not the type to reflect much on the subject of life even after he himself becomes an Immortal and prefers instead to live in the moment. He's also an atheist and doesn't believe in life after death.
As a devoted Camorrista, Firo is well aware that he could go to jail, get killed by someone close to him, and likewise kill for the Martillos. He's so fiercely loyal to the Martillo family that he will undergo various troubles to become one of them and to defend them, even if it means taking his own life. After all, he was used to not having any reason to be happy and could only wish that he could smile like the Italians in the movies, until the Martillos took him in. They're the closest thing he has to a family, and hey, he likes them a lot.
However, behind that is a person who's rather childish and easily amused: For instance, when the Martillo Family tells him about his promotion, a childlike smile forms on his face. When he hears that the Flying Pussyfoot is a strangely decorated train, he wants to see it for himself even more. Albeit highly skeptical when he first sees everyone arranging dominos in a pattern, he is the most excited when the dominos start to fall (after accidentally pushing a domino down himself). He also does little to contain his excitement, the kind of transparency that can be witnessed in any of his other emotions.
So does Firo have the makings of a lead character-ish? The answer, of course, is simply left to the audience.
[point in timeline you're picking your character from]: Year 1930, just after his conversation with Maiza and before he catches up with Ennis
[journal post]:
VOICE POST;
[Click!]
-and that's it? You mean I can talk through this now? Right, well thanks for your help!
[A short pause, before some muttering can be heard]
Though it feels kinda weird talking to this strange box...
[Sound of a throat being cleared, before the voice becomes clearer and more audible]
Hey, whoever's on the other side of this thing. I'm looking for a lady wearing a thin, black suit who's missing one of the buttons from her sleeve. So if you're a lady and are missing a button, or if you know the lady I'm looking for, I'd really like a response.
[Another pause, followed by a few taps]
Does this thing actually work?
[third person / log sample]:
Firo's feelings at the moment, inside the shop as he and Maiza picked out some hats, was a mixture of nervousness and anticipation for the upcoming ceremony that will officially declare him a Martillo executive.
A few hours ago, however, he had been very much willing to stab someone wherever it hurt the most.
That inspector named Edward really got on his nerves. Knowing that a murderer had been out there, killing people for money, and yet waiting for the murderer to attack Firo instead... He was just another tool for them, wasn't he? To resort to such despicable acts such as using him to capture a murderer, could that Edward really go any lower?
But that still didn't compare to what Edward had said about the Martillos: that they were just small fry, that they were weak, that the only reason they survived to this very day was because they were so low in the food chain no one even bothered to destroy them. If Maiza hadn't appeared just in time, who knew what Firo could have done? Well, not kill, at least; there was a big difference between wanting to horribly maim and wanting to kill, but the thought of drawing out his knife and teaching Edward a lesson or two had been a very welcoming one back then.
And even more so when Edward had asked Firo how many Martillo executives he had slept with to rise so high in the organization.
Damn, Edward just knew how to push the right buttons, didn't he? Back when Firo was orphaned, when he didn't think he had a reason to smile anymore, the Martillos took him in and treated him as one of their own. They trusted him, gave him responsibilities of his own, trained him and honed him to the person he is right now. Sure, their methods of surviving were less than virtuous, but he liked them, he really did, and to think that someone had the guts to imply that the organization that made him feel like he belonged somewhere could stoop so low... He had sure been very much willing to stab the inspector, and probably hurt him until he couldn't move.
Surprisingly, though, it had been Maiza who turned around first. The Martillo's conta è oro uttered a simple sentence: "We could take what you said as an insult." Still smiling, still calm, but his aura had been enough to scare Edward silent.
And who could have guessed that the person standing there right now, in the hat shop, picking out a hat for Firo, could give off such a murderous vibe? Smiling pleasantly, Maiza approached Firo, hat in hand.
"This one isn't bad." And the executive placed a green fedora on Firo's head.
Firo blinked and examined himself in the mirror. He tilted the hat, noticing how the hat's green tone glowed as it sunlight struck it. Amused, he spun around and noted how the hat now looked dark green in the shadows. That was amazing! It was as if the hat were made just for him! A bright, childlike smile formed on his face.
"This is... great, Mister Maiza! This is perfect!"
He exclaimed this a bit too cheerfully, probably, but both his words and his excitement held not one ounce of sarcasm. To become an executive member... This was really it, wasn't it? All he needed to do now was to go through the ceremony without any major blunders and his dream would finally come to life. And the swear-in ceremony was just a formality; he already knew even without swearing on it that he would go to great lengths to keep the Martillos alive, so what Edward had sworn back at the alley could never come true.
Besides, come to think of it, it's not as if he actually threatened their organization anyway.
Because back then, just as Maiza had turned away from Edward to resume their walk, Edward had called after them. The investigator had sworn that he would one day rid of Mafia members like them, and all Maiza had replied with was the fact that they were, actually, not the Mafia.
And Firo knew that they weren't. Yes, they were probably more prone to violence than the Mafia, yes, they're more scattered, and yes, guns might just be more efficient than knives, but... he belonged here. His dream of smiling like the Italians he saw in the movies and posters when he was a young, homeless orphan, his dream of becoming happy: he found it here, with them. They were his family.
"We are Camorra," Firo had finished for Maiza as the pair rounded a corner.