Mai Legacy
1.4 - Falling Out, Building Up
A few days had passed since the fall out with Susan, and James was still feeling the pain. All he had to look forward to was the legacy armor Victor had promised James. Following that day at the pool, when Victor finally did call, James decided he had nothing better to do than found a legacy family, whatever that meant. It'd be better than going back to painting depressing paintings, anyhow.
If he was honest with himself, James was mad. Not at Susan, but at himself. He’d spent two days with her and a week feeling anxious about calling her, and suddenly, his whole life depended on getting her to like him. His mom always had told him he had a one track mind. It was clear to James that, in that case, he needed to focus on specifically this whole legacy thing. From what Victor has described, it sounded like he'd definitely be able to build something his parents would one day be proud of. And that was all he'd ever wanted.
While painting one morning, James got two texts. One from Victor, asking where to bring the armor, and one from Akira, letting him know there was a protest today.
He texted Victor back first, giving him his address and telling him to drop by anytime that day. He then texted Akira, letting him know he didn’t really feel up to joining a protest that day.
Akira texted back almost immediately. I heard from Susan… asking her out after two days together was definitely a bold move, and I'd say you're paying for it now. Anyway, I know we’re not friends, but if you need a shoulder to cry on or someone to vent to, shoot me a text. It's good to have a friend when you move to a new place, and I can be that for you.
James smiled down at the text. Even if he and Susan hadn’t worked out, he was glad she’d introduced him to Akira.
I have a delivery I have to stay at home for today, do you want to meet up in Hare Square once it arrives?
Sounds great, just shoot me a text!
It was a good thing Akira was unemployed.
Victor dropped by later that day.
"So... this is where you're planning on founding a legacy family?" Victor asked, giving his house a look of contempt.
"I, uh..."
“No matter," Victor said, waving a dismissive hand. "I just hope my instincts weren't wrong when I believed you'd be able to build a legacy that was something great. I'm sure you won't disappoint me, hm? Anyway, this legacy armor is a replica of a suit of armor from one of the knights of the octagon table. Eight knights from eight different families... it is said that their blood stopped a calamity, and their sacrifice allows us all to exist today. The legend would suggest that society today would be their legacy, hm?"
"Where do you even get something like this?" James asked.
"If you know where to go, certain individuals will produce one for budding legacy families, writ included.”
"Well, I already like where you've put it! Right in front of the front door. Really lets everyone know who I am, which is the whole point of a legacy, right?" James said, smiling proudly.
Victor vehemently shook his head. “You mustn’t do that. You see, once a legacy family manages to obtain such armor, loosing it means the end of the legacy. The family could still follow the same rules a legacy might, but without their original armor, they aren’t one, and can’t be unless some new child starts a new legacy. It's all in the writ. Penned by the Goddess Mother herself, it's said. If just anyone could make an armor without going through the proper channels, legacy families would lose all their power. And we can't have that, no?”
“Still, why not outside? This armor is pretty hefty, and I live on an island."
“These armors, James, are very valuable. Few know where to get them, fewer still even know of them, yet certain organizations pride themselves in taking armors and destroying families. A legacy; to them; is able to gain power far too easily, gain too much respect and wealth with such little effort…”
"You said the writ is everything, right? How does the public know if one of the all powerful legacy families is legit?"
Victor shrugged. "No one knows. I would guess it's all in the writ myself. Maybe... they truly were penned by the Mother herself, hm? Her blessing is what allows the actual legacies to rise."
James still didn't understand much of anything, but he thanked Victor anyways. Once Victor was gone, James moved it inside, next to his easel. He’d find a designated place for it later. For now, though, he’d just make sure no one knew he had one.
James met Akira a few hours later. He had another guy with him.
“James, I hope you don’t mind, but this is Salim. He’s my friend from the Arts Quarter, and recently got in a fight with his landlord. He didn’t want to go home.”
“Nice to meet you Salim. I don’t mind you being here at all, seriously.”
Salim smiled. “I heard from Akira and Susan that you’re starting a legacy.”
James nodded, trusting that like himself and Susan, most people didn’t know what that entailed.
“Hmm… that’ll be interesting," Salim muttered. "You see, I’m writing a piece on Legacy families. Most areas only have one legacy family, so that means you’d be placing yourself in direct competition with the Le Chien family of Windenburg."
“Oh? I think I've met one... Joaquin... he's my neighbor, and he’s the one who told me to start singing…”
“I'm sure you'll be fine” Akira said, waving James's worry off.. "Jacques told me about conflict between the Le Chien family legacy and another one that's no longer around from centuries ago, and the thing to know is that it was centuries ago. I'm sure people can coexist now."
“That’s probably going to be the case,” Salim agreed. “While there have been many stories of competing legacy families over the years, haven't really heard of any nowadays. Most choose to keep it quiet, anyway. Proclaiming yourself as a member of a legacy family to the world more or less places a giant target on your back for gold diggers and thieves.”
After that, the conversation steered away from Legacies. Akira complained about his husband, Jacques, who today had denied him cash for even food. For a married couple, they definitely didn’t act like it, and it didn’t help that they lived in two completely different towns. Akira joked that it might be because Jacques finally realized that he married him for the money.
James had a chance to cry about Susan, both Akira and Salim providing immense comfort even though James barely knew either of them.
Salim went on about how his landlord was in fact his ex girlfriend. She’d been jacking up the cost of rent and shutting off the power to his apartment at random times. Money wasn’t much of an obstacle to Salim, as he was a relatively successful journalist, but his ex treating him so childishly wasn't right. The whole reason Salim didn’t want to go back home was because he and his ex just had a shouting match in the middle of the hallway.
As lunch time approached, the three agreed to go their separate ways.
“This was great,” James sighed. “Was finally to get a lot of my chest. We have to do this again.”
“Couldn’t agree more,” Akira grinned.
James walked them to the ferry and waved as they sailed back to San Myshuno. Perhaps, with people like Akira and Salim, James could really move on from Susan.