xxxv λ musing

[assassino]

[All things considered, Ezio has had a busy day, but now he's out and about. He's hit up a dozen or so stores in town, mostly for painting frames and books, and perhaps you've see him running errands.


Later, however, he will be sitting down at his desk to scrawl out:]

I seldom write in this journal. I think that is funny; for every boy who knows how to write, three sit without education, and here I squander my gifts and ignore books. My sister does more writing than I do, and her talent is a rarity amongst women!

It has been more than a year since I have arrived –– closer, still, to thirteen months -- and each day I learn new things about the future, history, science, and even the human body. I do not think many days have passed in the past four hundred that saw me sitting idle and failing to learn!

Yet still, when I spoke to a young woman the other week, she was hard-pressed to believe that I would return to my time, forsaking the knowledge and science and hygiene of the future. I prefer the conventions of my time, and my culture, and I have work to do. So, I wonder, then...

How many of you would go home with another, to their time instead of yours?

I'm going to miss plumbing. I think that is what you call it –– "plumbing." Even after all this time, sometimes it is fun to turn on the "tap" simply to marvel at its convenience. It is a wonder there is so much water about without the streets being flooded like the canals of Venezia.

And I have such good memories of the miracles of showers, with thanks to some of the beautiful women in this castle.

E. Auditore.

Comments

[assassino]

[He wraps his arms around her, and over her shoulder, he looks at the wall, and the spaces left for new portraits. Maybe he won't hang Lucrezia's, he decides. It would be wrong to put a woman amongst them all, even if he is angry with her, even if she is involved.]

[secondchances]

... everything's alright, right? I mean, in the general sense.

[She can't help but ask in the silence. She wonders how long he's been working on this room, or if recent events motivated him enough to put up a hit-wall. She thinks it's more of a reminder for him than anything else, and she's not so sure it's exactly a good thing to keep looking at your trail of murders.]

[assassino]

Things are as good as they could be.

[Sort of. His life has always included some sort of suffering, and though the living standards and relative peace of Paradisa has compensated somewhat for the unease of being away from work, he's beginning to grow truly restless. It's been a year. It's like a cultural after-shock.

He leans out of her hug to put his fingers under her chin, to gently lift her face to look at him.]

There are some affairs I need to get in order, over the next few weeks. Then we will speak of whatever serious matters remain, hmm?

[secondchances]

[That's not the most assuring thing to hear. She frowns.]

What affairs?

[assassino]

Just some Borgia games. You need not worry.

[secondchances]

[He can probably feel her jaw tense up.]

You can't say that and tell me not to worry.

[assassino]

I spoke with Lucrezia, and amongst other topics, I told her what my business with her father was... though I did not say I intend to kill him, or tell her what he has done to my family. Given now that I must speak to Cesare, there may be a storm coming.

[secondchances]

[Wonderful timing.]

What's the worst that can happen?

[Famous last words, but a part of her thinks it's about time. Enough of this playing around, trying to be friends, when it;s clearly past fixing. Enough being angry. Just break it off and go separate ways.]

[assassino]

[He nods.]

And Lucrezia has promised to stop harassing me only for your sake. So things will be better, dolcezza, I can promise.

[secondchances]

She told me that, too. She'll stick to it.

And if you need anything, or just want to talk... well. You know I'm here.

[She trusts him to handle the Cesare business as well as he possibly can. And she hopes Cesare is smart enough not to do something stupid.]

[assassino]

Of course.

[He kisses her on the cheek.]

I would loathe to keep things from you, Stephanie.

[secondchances]

Good. There's no reason to hide anything from me. Unless it's a birthday or Christmas present. I can forgive that.

[OR MURDER OR SLEEPING WITH A CERTAIN SOMEONE.]

[assassino]

Of course.

I will tell you what happens with Cesare.

[secondchances]

Alright. To be honest, I hope it's a "never talk to my sister or me again" sort of thing.

[assassino]

Then I will tell him "see you Roma, in a decade or so." He is only thirteen in my time.

[secondchances]

Still a kid. It's sad. All of this is sad, but that's... sad.

[assassino]

And even so, Lucrezia suspects that at thirteen, he will already know his father's business with the Pazzi.

[secondchances]

Not by choice.

[assassino]

What does choice matter?

[secondchances]

Do you feel like you had a choice, becoming an Assassin?

[assassino]

No, but I do it because I have a duty to my family and my heritage. So do all born into a legacy, or thrust into one.

[secondchances]

[See, Steph thinks this whole heritage shit is... well, shit, but she knows better than to say that. She closes her eyes to think of something she hasn't said before.]

It's unfortunate that you didn't get the opportunity to really think about it. And it's unfortunate that Cesare and Lucrezia are under the influence of a monster. That's all. That's what's always bothered me. Their father's decisions put them in this position. You, too.

[assassino]

So what, we are absolved from our own responsibilities? Surely, then, my grandfather put his sons up to being Assassins, and Cesare's grandfather handed down his legacy to Rodrigo Borgia, so are they absolved from blame, too?

We take responsibility for what we have been given. If all of society decided to abandon their families and their duty, Italia would be Hell on Earth, and all of civilization would dissolve before us. Hundreds of years of progress for nothing, just because some men had no fidelity to their fathers.

[secondchances]

That isn't what I mean. I've never said anyone was absolved of anything, least of all Rodrigo. I can feel sorry for his kids without excusing wrongs.

[assassino]

I know, Stephanie. But they will come to embrace their work, too, and you cannot pity them for it.