1 // Banchiere - Written

[deadlybanker]

Gentile Signore/Signora,

I suppose all of the strange entries I have read and the unusual wanderings of some of the other ‘guests’ are one of these bizarre occurrences I was warned this living castle produces.

Before it seemed like those who were sleepwalking were doing so without direction but now... I am not familiar enough with the layout of this castle to know where they are heading but they all seem to be moving in the same direction. Has anyone followed them to see where they are going? I mean to.
                   
Distinti saluti,

Comments

dictated

[secondchances]

[Oh, no. This is probably the worst time to talk to Ezio's father, but Steph said she'd keep an eye out for him.]

Some of them may be violent. Please be careful if that's what you're going to do.

[deadlybanker]

[The uh, talking book thing was one of those little castle oddities he was still becoming accustomed to. There was a hesitation before he set his pen aside and spoke to the air.]

I am not certain the danger matters very much in my case, but the warning is very kind. I will be cautious if I find myself in the position to approach any of them.

[secondchances]

[Right. Assassins. Stealthy. It's nice to hear what Ezio's father sounds like.]

Of course.

I'm--uh, I'm Stephanie, by the way. A friend of Ezio's. I've been meaning to drop by and say hello, but stuff's been... busy.

[deadlybanker]

[He did intend to follow from a discrete distance. But also, having died once did it matter if he did so again? He found a certain lack of concern when he thought of it... ]

As I have heard. I am sorry about the loss of your friend.

[Cassandra Cain. The news had been reason enough to spur him into action. He did hate seeing innocent people suffer.]

If this place ever returns to, what is considered normal, we will have to meet in person. I would like to become acquainted with the friends my son has made in his stay.

[secondchances]

Thank you.

[Things will get back to normal sooner or later. Two weeks, two months. It always happens.]

I'd love that. Ezio has made my stay a lot better, so... [Wherever she was going with this, she lost it.] I'd like to get to know you. We'll figure something out.

[deadlybanker]

I am glad to hear he has.

[Though he does wonder why the statement was ended so oddly. Must be difficult to know what to say to your friend's Father. ]

In the meantime, may I ask what you plan to do? Will you wait out this strange event or try to act?

[secondchances]

I'm not good with sitting around and waiting. There's usually something at the core of this stuff.

[deadlybanker]

Then we have a similiar thought. They must have been drawn away for some sort of purpose.

I suppose this particular behavior has never been seen before?

[secondchances]

Not exactly like this, but similar--people acting off, not like themselves, violent. The castle likes to mess with us.

It's just a matter of finding out the way to make it knock it off.

[deadlybanker]

If you discover what this method is, I trust you will let me know?

[secondchances]

I will. You pretty much get a free pass into my good graces. [No reason to distrust Ezio's father.]

[deadlybanker]

Sei molto gentile. Ezio must have left a good impression for your grace to extend to his family.

[(You are very kind.)]

[secondchances]

He's a great man. I met Claudia once, too. I'm pretty fond of the Auditore family.

[deadlybanker]

[Claudia. Maybe one day he would see her again.]

Oddly enough, I am quite fond of them as well.

[The smile was easy enough to hear in his voice. ]

[secondchances]

[She can hear Ezio saying that, too.]

And you'll only grow fonder of Ezio once you get told some stories.

[deadlybanker]

The embarrassing ones should be told first. A Father could always use more fodder to mortify his son.

[secondchances]

I might have promised him I'd save those for later. You can try asking him what I know, though. Could be funny.

[deadlybanker]

He has already mentioned me then?

[He is not too disappointed since that was not meant to be taken too seriously anyway.]

[secondchances]

Yeah. He's always spoken fondly of you.

[deadlybanker]

As he would, I meant he must have mentioned I had arrived here if you had already made him such a promise.

But, I suppose this too I might hear more about later. As pleasant as this conversation has been, I am sure we both have other matters we should attend to during this unusual time?

[secondchances]

Oh--yeah, he did. [She's sure that's understandable, given the circumstances.]

But... you're right, yeah. I'll drop by to visit you in person once it's safe.

[deadlybanker]

[Entirely. He might have done the same.]

Until then, buona fortuna.

[secondchances]

Take care.

written

[deathscript]

It's fascinating, isn't it? I've never seen anything like it.

I'd like to find out where they're all headed myself.

written

[deadlybanker]

I would tell you once I discovered the answer but I am still learning the room names. I could at least mention the location unless... Do you also intend to follow them?

written

[deathscript]

I'm considering it. I've heard that it's wiser to stay away from them, but I doubt I can bring myself to just sit around when something big is going down.

written

[deadlybanker]

It is wiser, perhaps, but how would we manage to discover what was happening if we did? I would keep your distance and not try to wake them. I have heard that sleepwalkers can become very violent when some one tries to disturb them and given that there was a death... it seems to hold true.

written

[deathscript]

So even a place like this has death, huh? Thanks for the warning.

I'd heard that trying to wake a sleepwalker is a bad idea, but... Turns it it's worse than I imagined.

written

[deadlybanker]

Before so many people sleepwalking was just an oddity but now that some one has died, it has become much more serious. I am not sure death holds much meaning here, but it is likely better avoided if you can manage it.

written

[deathscript]

Right. You be careful too, yeah?

Oh, right. I'm Masahiro Sakurai. If I end up finding out anything of interest about these guys, or if you do, shall we keep each other updated?

written

[deadlybanker]

I will be, grazie.

There are so many innocent people involved, any information that might free them from this without injury should be shared. Do you agree?

written

[deathscript]

Of course. If I find anything at all that seems like it'll be useful, you'll be the first to know about it.

[assassino]

[Ezio lets himself into Giovanni's room shortly after reading this, already dressed for work. He's long stopped wearing his father's Assassin robes in favour of his own, and though the red stripes and popped collar certainly speak to his father's outfit, his own is longer, black, more open at the breast. Ezio's been his own man for some time now.]

If you're going, then be ready. A young woman I knew was killed two nights ago when she and a friend were attacked by one of these sleeping bastards.

[Which explains why he's been out at all hours the past few days.]

[deadlybanker]

I will be on-guard.

[But ready? Unlike his son he was no where near as prepared for battle. He had no weapons and wore the same red tunic and jacket he usually wore around the house when he was not doing the work of an Assassin. Elegant in his time the robes provided little in the way of protection. If things went pear shaped he would have to rely on his skills rather than on equipment.
He stood from where he had been writing at the small desk and walked over to stand in front of his son. So grown up. It was still something of a shock to turn around expecting a young boy but find a fully grown man. ]

Could you find the one who murdered her? That person might have followed the same pattern and been pulled to where the others are moving.

[assassino]

I intend to. There aren't many people here and half of them are men, so it will just be a matter of narrowing down who it was. Cassandra has a good number of Assassins, spies and soldiers for friends, so we will track the man down.

[Not that Cassandra's friends really are spies and soldiers, but he doesn't feel like explaining what they really are just this moment. For the first time in a while he feels like stepping out for a smoke.

Despite the turmoil of the past few weeks, Ezio feels the corners of his mouth twitch with the temptation to smile when he looks at his father. He has a father to look at, after all, what's not happy about that?]

If you need anything, I have my own secret room these days.

[deadlybanker]

I will let you know if I hear anything that might help while exploring the castle myself.

[For Giovanni the smirk came with an amused shake of his head, not only did his son now have a secret room but information he normally dealt with himself could be shared with him. ]

If you could part with a small dagger? I could always take something makeshift with me, but I believe my pen set would last longer if I did not have to use it for defense.

[assassino]

[Ezio snorts at that, not to be rude but rather out of amusement.]

Could I part with a dagger? Father, I could arm you heavily enough to take on a village.

[But for the time being, Ezio unbuckles the belt of throwing knives over his shoulder, and pulls the dagger from the side of his boot, too.]

[deadlybanker]

[That snort was met with a smile. He had been trying for a laugh but that was close enough. ]

I do not think I will be taking on the entire castle today. This should be enough.

[The dagger was slid down into the top of his boot while the small throwing knives secreted into the innermost pockets of his jacket where they could be easily reached but remain unseen. ]

What will you be doing while I am playing at stalking?

[assassino]

[He shrugs.]

I'm going to see that the other Assassins are sound of mind, and then we will get to the bottom of this matter.

[deadlybanker]

Va bene, I should meet the rest of them when this is over.

[Ezio had seen his Father off on missions before, but now they were in the unique position of seeing each other off. It was sobering, at least for Giovanni.]

You will be careful?

[assassino]

Of course, of course.

[It is strange to be in reversed positions. Ezio nods and turns away to head for the door.]

A presto, Father.

[deadlybanker]

[After a moment watching Ezio go, Giovanni too headed for the door. He took a different direction on the other side but hoped they might both find what they were looking for and make it safely back again after. ]