xli λ bambini

[assassino]

[Ezio has been hiding himself away for a variety of reasons.

Perhaps it's because his schedule has been thrown. There are no more late mornings with Lana, pressed up against her despite the warmth and cajoling her to stay just a little bit longer, just five more minutes. There are no more late lunches, no more dinners snuck in between sittings at the restaurant. No more riding out to the fields to picnic and joke and carouse, no more wine in pretty baskets, no more flowers just-because, or any of the other hallmarks of a man starting to get really invested in a woman.

That is because there is no more Lana. She's gone, as if the castle had forgotten how much she was loved –– even with Wesley and Fred and all of those others passing on from this world, Ezio liked to think that he enjoyed Lana enough for her to always matter to the castle.

She'd always been so bothered by the fact that they'd someday leave and forget each other, but she'd always acted like she would be the one to remember while he drifted away. And now here he is, the one left waiting.

But there are only so many weeks he could hide out in Stephanie and Cassandra's apartment, thinly "tolerating" Tim's presence and straddling the line between being heartbroken and maintaining a stoic manliness. With the babies everywhere, it is somewhat easier –– distractions, and all –– but he still needs to get out. There are only so many ways you can stave off loneliness.

So here he is, tentatively dipping his feet back in the world of women. Has it really been six months since he seriously chased another skirt?]

---- Horny Ladies, 18+ ----

[And there's that thick Italian accent, suave as always, but maybe a bit stiffer than he'd usually be.]

Salute.

I'd be much obliged to take you out for dinner and drinks, for whatever pleases you –– whether it is to spirit you away from a nagging infant for an evening, or merely amuse you for a few hours. If you are bold enough to ask, then I am bold enough to satisfy!

- Ezio Auditore

---- Public ----


[And then there's Ezio, whiling away some time in the garden. He's got a thick leather glove on one hand and a colourful eagle-like bird perched at his wrist; that bird is currently wearing a hood, patiently waiting in darkness for Ezio to unhood him for some time in flight.

Come bother a dude and his bird.]

Comments

[assassino]

[He pulls her into a tight one-armed hug and presses a kiss to her forehead.]

Thank you. He is being trained to hunt! Hunt pretty girls, of course.

[hellofist]

[She smiles and hugs him back, leaving both arms around him even after she loosens her grip and looks back to the bird.]

Of course. [She'd expect nothing less from you Ezio.] Has he learned to, yet?

[assassino]

[He chuckles.]

Not quite. He'll follow a lure and go after little birds, but he has yet to take a woman in his talons and drop her in my lap.

[hellofist]

Probably a good thing, for the woman. Talons would hurt.

[assassino]

Not if the bird grasps her by the clothing!

[hellofist]

Hope you... feed well, then.

[She reaches out, intending to pet Ezio's bird.]

Poor bird, has to... carry heavy people.

[assassino]

He is as strong as an ox, I assure you!

[He lowers the bird a bit; fortunately with the bird hooded, the bird can't do much but deal with it.]

[hellofist]

He looks strong.

[Because why not humor him and compliment something that can't even understand talking? She's gentle, hand stroking down the bird's back carefully. She's never actually petted something with feathers before, this is kind of awesome. The hood is still kind of strange though.]

Has hat. Why?

[assassino]

He will not fly away or fuss when he cannot see anything. He knows that when it is removed, it is to work for me. It is how he is trained.

[hellofist]

Why come back, then? Why not... never come back, just be free?

[assassino]

Because he knows he will get a share of what is hunted, and he does not remember what freedom is. I have had him since he was hatched.

[hellofist]

[Well, there's no way this conversation can go anywhere good, Cass can see that now. She'll just focus on the easy part, make it a joke again so she doesn't have to focus on things being trained from birth to kill with no way of knowing better.]

Gets share of girl, huh? Poor girl.

[assassino]

[Cass' upbringing doesn't even occur to Ezio; after all, she is a girl and this is a bird. Birds have no right to anything, their lives subject to the whims of man as the leaders of the earthly world. This bird is fortunate to be granted this much, unlike the tiny songbirds bought in the market and set on a windowsill for eternity in a little cage. Better to live with duty than as decoration.

He teases back.]

No, the girl is just for me. The bird gets little animals we hunt.

[hellofist]

So... bird gets food, Ezio goes hungry.

[Her hand leaves the bird and goes up to pat Ezio's shoulder while she gives him a sympathetic look.]

Poor Ezio.

[assassino]

I do not need the food. I have the castle and money for that.

[He reaches to pinch her side with his free hand.]

But I will take your comfort.

[hellofist]

[She jumps, but it's entirely for show.]

Haven't gotten... tired of that, huh?

[But she smiles at him again and leans up to hug him tightly, up on her tiptoes so she can reach to slip both arms around his neck.]

[assassino]

I never will. [He pulls her in close. He misses a woman's touch :(]

[hellofist]

[Poor sad, lonely Ezio. She'll stay right where she is until his body language tells her to stop, just to make sure he gets the most of out this.]

Good. Will give it forever.

[assassino]

[He holds her tightly, leaning his head down to put his face to the crook of her neck. Aww, Cass.]

[hellofist]

[She lifts one hand to the back of his head to stroke his hair lightly, holding back a sympathetic sigh. It breaks her heart to see him miss Lana so badly and know that it's not likely she'll return to fix it, that the only thing that will make things better is time.]

Hugs are better... with two arms.

[Seriously Ezio put the bird down and hug her properly.]

[assassino]

[He sighs, loathing to let her go, even if it's to put the bird down on a stand nearby. He's quick to return to her, though, pulling her back into a two-armed hug and lifting her right off her feet for a moment.]

[hellofist]

[That gets a quiet laugh from her, muffled against his neck as she holds on tighter so she doesn't fall.]

Much better.

[assassino]

I agree. I would not have it any other way.

[hellofist]

So sweet. Promise not to tell, though. Want you to keep... manly, tough image.

[assassino]

[He sets her down, though he hangs on to her.]

Who said anything about an image? I am manly regardless of what I do.