paradisa | 2nd case.

[She leans back in her seat, just a tiny bit. Let's not beat around the bush.]

You ran into Lucrezia, huh?

Yeah, I did. Anyone else you can think of?

[He had been given another name.]

[She feels like he's just asking to confirm what he already knows, so she'll cough it up.]

Ezio Auditore. He's also from the Renaissance, like Lucrezia.

[Before he can say anything!]

They're trustworthy. I've known them for over a year, and they've been great friends to me. Lucrezia doesn't know about the vigilante stuff, but Ezio does. We don't need to worry about them. I swear.

If they are trust worthy, then why didn't you tell me to begin with? You were the one who told me that "pretty much" no one would remember Tim Drake, never mind Alvin Draper.

[She was also the one who got upset with him when he got on her case about being careful.]

If you didn't trust me with how I've been handling my identity here, I didn't think you'd take this very well. We had enough arguments for one day. I was going to bring it up eventually.

[She gives him a pointed look.]

Lucrezia's the only one who would make the connection between Alvin and Tim. [She told Ezio to play oblivious.]

[When he first found out that Lucrezia knew, he wanted nothing more than to find Steph and yell at her. However, as his conversation with Lucrezia continued, it made him realize a few things. Steph was right, instead of listening to her he went on the offense and attacked her. The last time he took a similar approach, he got nothing accomplished. When he reached out to Steph and actually put real faith in her, she helped him save Gotham. Tam would likely be dead if it wasn't for Steph.]

Look, Steph. I didn't bring this up to argue with you, I honestly didn't. I've come to realize that if we have any chance of getting out of this place, then we have to work together. Yelling and pointing fingers at each other isn't going to help with that in the least.

[She was gearing up for another argument, but hearing that reels her in. That sounds... rational.

For a brief moment, she considers being completely truthful with him--but it's not that easy.]

Right. I don't want that.

I'm sorry if Lucrezia, uh, got too personal.

[Renaissance people love their romances and prying about old ones.]

[Shrugs his shoulders lightly.]

While a heads up would have been nice, it's fine.

[After being thrust into the media spotlight thanks to a moment of panic from Tam, he's used to people asking prying at his relationships.]

She tried to get me to promise that I'd do everything you wish. [Grins. There may have been a thinly veiled death threat tossed in there, too.]

[That went easier than expected. Tim gains a few points of confidence from Steph.]

She demands only the highest quality of treatment for me. Just smile and nod and you'll be fine.

She referred to us lovers, makes me wonder what you've been telling her.

[If her friend got to ask him a few awkward questions, it seems only fair that he gets to ask her one in return. Even though he knows that Lucrezia chose the term because she found dating boring, it's hard to pass up the chance for a little revenge.]

[She puts up her hands.]

Uh, yeah. That's just how they do it, "boyfriend" and "girlfriend" aren't really words in their vocabulary. And they like to drop the "ex-" part. They like their romance. Silly Renaissance people.

[Not saying what she told her, though! Girl Talk rules.]

Something tells me as much as they love their romances, they love their revenge even more.

[Got the impression that her friend is not someone a person wants to get on the wrong side of.]

What something made you think that?

[She won't even try denying it.]

I better start carrying around tissues whenever we spend time together, because if you end up crying there'll apparently be dire consequences.

Uh oh. You got threatened by Lucrezia? I'd double check that you locked your door at night.

[Mostly kidding. She smirks.]

I could, but then I wouldn't be able to invite her over sometime, which she asked me to do before leaving.

[Most likely to ask him more questions about the two of them, he doubts she's all that interested in his company otherwise.]

[That gets her to laugh, but ohgodno, more unsupervised visits!]

She's sweet.

[All the unsupervised visits. Plans to visit Ezio when she's not around, too. There's a reason why she didn't tell him about the two of them, and he's not buying that their previous argument is the whole reason.

Catches his train of thought and sighs to himself. What was that about teamwork? Whoops. Maybe he'll ask her for more details before he goes to visit Ezio.]

I can tell that she cares a lot about you. She said the two of you have been friends for either one or three years, depending on how you want to look at time here.

[She can't help but smile fondly.]

Yeah. She had a brief return home, and came back three years older.

[A pause, and then she decides it's better to ask now than find out later.]

How much do you know about the Renaissance?

[Is about to ask her another question until she counters with one of her own.]

Enough to know that her name rings a bell. Your other friend's doesn't.

[A nod.] She's the daughter of a pope. She, her father, and her brother Cesare are all in history books--but I've made it a point not to look, and she hasn't, either. So... if you know anything, it's probably a good idea to keep it to yourself.

Ezio's from a family of bankers. [Not a lie.] Not really worth mentioning in a history book.

[Pauses and then he wants to hit him upside the head. Wow, she's the Lucrezia Borgia. If he remembers correctly, there was a rumor that she would poison people with a ring she had and she made a habit of rubbing her rings while she was talking to him and yeaahh...he is going to double check his drinks in her company.]

You might want to read up on a few things. [Shakes the look of surprise off his face.]

That's it? Nothing else I should know about him? [She was the one who told him everyone here was special in some way. Being a banker didn't exactly scream unique.]

I've heard things. But she deserves the benefit of the doubt, here.

[A pause. She doesn't like that she has to pause, so she covers it with a purposely awkward laugh.]

He... really, really likes the ladies. And, in his free time, he likes to run around on rooftops. A weird hobby for a guy from the Renaissance. [Ezio is so bad at hiding that, she figures it's better to at least tell Tim that much.] He's a terrible banker, so I guess we know why that is.

You've heard things? [He really, really hopes her brother here isn't Cesare Borgia.]

Steph. [Gives her an incredulous look. He's trying to not blow a gasket over her becoming bff with the poster child for female fatales.]

If you want us to work together and be a team, then you have to be honest with me. [Back in Gotham only two types of people run around on rooftops; them and the people they chase.]

[The grimace on her face is enough to confirm that she's not telling the whole truth. She thinks about what Ezio said earlier.

She exhales.]

His family has... ties to the Borgia. Bad ties. [This is like the second time in recent memory that she's been spilling Ezio's business, but it should get him some sympathy.] Lucrezia's father is responsible for the deaths of Ezio's brothers and father. Since then, his life has been devoted to [revenge] making sure that doesn't happen to other innocent people.

[SOUND FAMILIAR?]

Lucrezia and her brother don't know that, though. He's friends with Lucrezia. [Kind... of... that's complicated, but it's easier to explain this way.] If she were to find out about this, she'd be devastated.

[She watches Tim, frowning.]

It's a lot of complicated stuff.

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