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 enjoys it, plus her butt is in his face and he is so sorely missing ladies in his face and he genuinely assumes she doesn't know what she's doing.]

When you are ready, jump up and swing your left leg over, into the saddle.

[hellofist]

[Poor Ezio and his ladyless face. Cass does as he says, jumping and swinging her leg and once she's in the saddle, she grins down at him.]

Easy. Now what?

[assassino]

[He grins, and in no time he has put a foot in the stirrup and stood up in it, swinging his leg over, too... and he easily settles in right behind her in the saddle.]

Now... we ride.

[hellofist]

[That's a bit surprising at first, until Cass realizes that he never had gotten another horse for himself. Plus, it's Ezio. This kind of makes sense. She twists a bit to look up at him.]

Have room, back there?

[assassino]

[He reaches around her to take the reins and puts one arm around her waist.]

I do. He's a big horse, you know.

[hellofist]

[It's impossible to ignore how much contact there is between their bodies now, but she'd be lying if she said she wasn't completely fine with it. Cass faces forward again, deciding his arm around her is just like a seat belt and there's definitely nothing wrong with a little extra security.]

Noticed.

[She shifts a little in the saddle, because the horse is wide as well as tall and she can tell her legs are going to be sore tomorrow.]

[assassino]

[Ezio nudges Maximus with his heels, and the stallion starts moving. He doesn't stay at a walk for too long, however -- at the gates to the stable yard, Ezio nudges him straight into a lope.

It's fast, but smooth, moving at that speed. Cassandra is safe in his arms, he figures, and he loves to push the envelope to impress.]

[hellofist]

[She has the basic idea by the time they get to the gates, but she can't see Ezio to read him when he makes Maximus go faster, so she isn't prepared for that at all. She reaches for the pommel with one hand, but the other ends up grabbing onto his leg for a counter balance.

She doesn't adjust right away to the new pace, but before long she figures out that sitting still in the saddle isn't exactly comfortable. She starts to move with Ezio instead, grinning a bit and relaxing when that feels much less awkward.]

[assassino]

[He laughs when she holds on, his arm around her waist tightening ever-so-slightly. And she's picked up on how to move with the horse -- good. Onto a forested trail they go!]

Having fun?

[hellofist]

Yes!

[How could she not enjoy this? It's fast and there's just enough danger to this to make it thrilling, reminds her of climbing up to the top of the tallest buildings in Gotham just to say she had. And it's making Ezio laugh after he's spent so long being sad, what's not to like about that?]

[assassino]

[He nudges Maximus into a full gallop, running breakneck through the trees -- a path they have run so many times that he's sure Maximus could do it blindfolded, if he'd stand for such a thing. The trees whip by them, branches barely inches above Ezio's head.]

[hellofist]

[There's a gasp and her grip on his leg tightens a little, but after a few awkward moments Cass adjusts to this new pace too. Maximus' body language tells her how he expects his riders to move so she just does what the stallion shows her is natural, comfortable for him and her.

It's still not frightening, not with Ezio's arm around her so tightly and the knowledge that even if she does happen to fall it won't hurt her. This is too much fun, she loves it.]

Could do this- forever!

[assassino]

[He laughs.]

As could I! Hold tight, now, there is a jump ahead.

[hellofist]

[Well, a jump will certainly make things interesting. He tells her to hold on so she does, eyes forward to watch for the jump and hopeful she'll figure out how to move for it without hurting one or both of them.]

[assassino]

[Maximus slows just before the jump and then leaps, his great weight heaving and sailing right over the fallen log. It's not a terribly big jump, but they jostle hard on landing before picking up pace again.]

[hellofist]

[There's a moment as they're going over the log where Cass is completely out of the saddle, the only thing keeping her from falling off of Maximus being Ezio's arm and her grip on his leg and the pommel and it's almost like flying.

And then she's coming down hard into the saddle again, the breath knocked from her in a rush on impact. If she wasn't going to be sore before, she will be now. Still, once they're speeding up again there's a breathless laugh and she sits up a little straighter in the saddle, more used to this now.]

[assassino]

[As they continue through the trees, Maximus slows a bit as the path grows narrower, and Ezio is laughing. He feels like he hasn't laughed like this in a while.]

[hellofist]

[It's nice to hear him laughing after everything that's been happening lately, all of the less than pleasant things that have gone on with her small group of friends. Not for the first time, she's glad he slept through the adventure in space.

Now that they're going slower, she leans back against his chest, getting more comfortable.]

Yes, decided. I like horses.

[assassino]

[He's felt so stir-crazy, shuffling around the apartment and Lana's place and his own lonely tower in the castle. He's take Maximus for walks, but not for mad dashes through the woods. Is this really the only excitement he's had in weeks?

His hand wanders along her ribs and abdomen, almost petting.]

And what do you like about them?

[hellofist]

[She might have to start dragging him out to do this more often if it's helping. It's good for her too, this is the most fun she's had in quite some time.]

This part's good.

[She squeezes his leg lightly since he's petting her, reciprocating because there's no Stephanie here to try to put limits on which legs she is and isn't allowed to squeeze. He does deserve a real answer, though.]

Normal life... apartment, dog, roommates, schedule... it's all boring. Not used to it. Used to... fighting, chasing criminals, adrenaline. Expedition was good, got to... feel alive, then.

[She lets go of the pommel to stroke the side of Maximus' neck.]

Maximus gave back fun. Plus, fast feels good.

[assassino]

You know, I have felt the same, as of late. When I was your age –– before my life went to shit, anyhow –– I spent much of my time getting up to as much fun and trouble as I possibly could. I reasoned that there would be a day where I would have no choice but to become a banker, father children and live out a relatively boring life as a respected man of society.

[He presses a kiss to the top of her head, almost thoughtlessly. She has such pretty dark hair.]

Being an Assassin kept that at bay... but here in Paradisa, I grow so miserably bored of domestics and an "honest" life. I suspect that is why I am so quick to bed women –– it is the most exciting thing here for me! And I suspect it is also why Lana and I were good together. She needed a man who would constantly keep her busy, challenge her, to keep her from sinking into some boring existence running a restaurant and watching the city.

Even if I drove her mad sometimes.

[hellofist]

[With a pleased hum in response to the kiss, Cass snuggles back into Ezio a little bit more. Her fingertips absently tracing patterns on the back of his hand as she listens to him, wondering how often he actually says things like this to people. If Tim heard it, maybe he would be able to understand a little bit better why she and Stephanie spend so much time in his company.

But that's not likely to ever happen, Cass knows that. Still, she can dream.]

Can't imagine you... as a banker.

[Just like she can't ever picture a world where she went to college, got married, had her own children. Sometimes, she can't even see past the inevitable showdown against her mother. Why make plans when you're pretty sure you're going to die before you have a chance to put them into action?]

Will come get you, some night. Take you with me... to patrol, look for crime. [A light pinch to the back of his hand.] No killing, though. Can't replace Lana, but can at least... keep you busy. From getting bored.

[assassino]

That would be nice.

[With Maximus at a steady speed and Cass snuggling back against him, things feel intimate –– maybe even a little inappropriately so. His hand around her midsection wanders up to gently cup one of her breasts, a little playfully.]

And you need not worry about killing... there is seldom a reason to kill, here.

[Just that once, really.]

[hellofist]

[She can't see him to read him when he's behind her like this, so the sudden hand on her breast is not even slightly expected. She's never had anyone touch her there before, hasn't even done it herself, so it's new and feels unexpectedly good.]

Ezio-

[She squirms in the saddle, twists around so she can see his face and try to read what his intentions are.]

[assassino]

[He lets her go, not sure if he's crossed some sort of line or something, and when she turns to look at him, he's trying to read her expression just as much as she's trying to read his –– obviously to different degrees of success, of course.]