paradisa | (no subject)

[The door is still unlocked, and Ezio is standing on his balcony, having a smoke and frowning down at the snowy fields and city below. Yes, he's heard, and his mouth is drawn into a hard line.

When he turns to see Stephanie coming in the front door, he pitches the cigarette off the balcony and moves to the patio door, to better greet her.]

I'm here.

Hey.

[She slips her bag off her shoulder, depositing it on the sofa. There's a secret weapon in there, just in case, but she doesn't want to break it out if it's not needed.

It's hard to tell, so she just asks.]

Did you hear?

[He makes an amused noise, but it's a little bit sarcastic, just a short, stabbed "ha" under his breath.]

Of course.

[She joins him, resisting the urge to make a comment on the smell. Smoking? Really?

Maybe she shouldn't harp on bad habits when there's a bottle of tequila in her bag.]

Pretty underwhelming, huh?

[She's not complaining.]

[He misses that cigarette already, but he doesn't smoke around the ladies.]

It is. I'm pissed I didn't get to punch him even once.

It's one less thing to worry about, at least.

[For him, sure. But mostly for her.]

I should have done it when I had the chance. Just knocked on his door and beat him until he screamed Borgia secrets in exchange for his life.

[Ezio: Psycho.]

[That's her cue to take him by the arm and lead him to the sofa.]

Things went as well as they could. No one got the crap beaten out of them, and now he's gone and there's no "Borgia plotting" or whatever going on. We all win.

[He goes with her, but reluctantly. He wanted to brood on his balcony, lady.]

Micheletto works for the Borgia. He'll know.

[It's cold, man.]

Let it go, Ezio. You're not going to get anything here.

[Don't mind her as she takes the Jose Cuervo bottle out of her bag, sets it down, and then goes to get him a glass.]

[He sits on the sofa, but he's antsy -- he sits at the edge, like he doesn't intend to stay there long, his elbows on his knees and his chin against his hands. He has to make a new plan. A new plan of attack.]

Why, do you know what secrets he has?

[She pours him a glass. Enjoy your disgusting alcohol, Ezio. You're not even getting shots of this, just a cup.

She sits next to him and puts her hand on his back.]

No, but if he has anything at all, Cesare is gone. Secrets won't do anything for you but drive you crazy.

[He takes the glass after a moment. Somewhere at the back of his mind, there's a pleased through that maybe Stephanie is picking up on their time's customs, ensuring that the men are well fed and well watered... but that's not what's most important right now.]

Cesare could have given him instruction.

To do what, exactly? If Micheletto got any instruction, it was probably to keep an eye on Lucrezia. She's always come before you.

[Cesare's main issue with Ezio seemed to always involve Lucrezia...]

I don't care about what Cesare wanted for Lucrezia. He was avoiding me because he knew I would threaten his family.

[He doesn't want to imagine being insignificant in the Borgias' world. He wants to be their ruiner.]

How dare he do that.

[Sarcasm probably isn't good right now, but she couldn't stop that from slipping out. A sigh, and she rubs his back.]

He's gone, Lucrezia is appropriately crushed. It's a dead end. There's nowhere to go.

[He gives her a brief glare before going back to his tequila. It burns but who cares.]

I'll get that bastard's father when I am back in Italia, and then deal with him and his brothers.

It's all waiting for you at home.

That brings me little comfort.

It has to. I don't think there's anything you or anyone else can do here that will, regarding that.

[He sighs and gets up to pace.]

It's frustrating.

[She stays sitting, watching him. It sucks, seeing him unhappy, but there's not really anything she can do.]

[He's thinking of his next steps. Get close to Lucrezia again, maybe, and see what he can find out from Micheletto. Does Micheletto answer to Lucrezia, or just to Rodrigo? Did he answer to Cesare?]

He may return. Rodrigo Borgia could arrive, too. I need a plan in place for them.

[Ezio, your psycho is showing. Steph's not sure if it's worth arguing with him right now. That's not what she came here for.]

Like what?

A plan to reaffirm my goal to end his tyranny... and make it so he cannot harm anyone.