ąųdįţǫŗę (mentori) wrote in valarlogs, @ 2017-08-09 21:29:00 |
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Entry tags: | !complete, ezio auditore da firenze, qrow branwen |
Who: Qrow & Ezio
What: Ezio brings vermouth and ends up talking about things
When: Tonight
Where: Qrow's townhouse
Rating/Warnings: Just, you know, alcohol consumption
Status: Complete
Just call him the alcohol fairy (or don’t, really), but Ezio Auditore was a transplant in the States who would beguile his close friends with spirits that one hardly ever saw outside of beautiful Italy. He’d stocked up while over there visiting his family, and Claudia regularly sent him his favorites as well - naturally, he couldn’t drink everything all on his own (because he did not want his liver to disintegrate) so he would gladly share when visiting or hosting others at his home. Tonight, he brought a bottle of Mancino Vermouth Chinato, a blend of three vermouths and red wine - it was gorgeous, sweet and lush, spicy with just a hint of darkness to it. The selection was a competition between that and a bottle of Tuscan vodka, organic and originating from the hills of Mugello. Next time, however. There would be plenty of opportunities to drink. He just - he needed something like this now. One day it was like it was only him and Elijah dealing with the fallout of the disastrous ‘meet the parents’ dramatic event, with Kol and Rebekah nearby - then all of a sudden Freya moved in with Elijah after showing up randomly and Klaus arrived from New Orleans (and also randomly showed up at Ezio’s office, probably to vet his brother’s choice). The psychotic one of the family, who made life a living hell for approximately everyone in that dreamscape Ezio was not a part of and only heard about. It was admittedly quite a bit to deal with, especially when he was beginning to feel that his and Elijah’s relationship could only possibly be about Mikaelson family drama and nothing else. Perhaps a night not thinking or talking about it would help, but then again, he did need to talk about he was sure. However, he’d see what happened when he arrived at the front door of Qrow’s townhouse and knocked. Qrow didn’t get many visitors. Oh, his nieces came by regularly. The upstairs guest bedroom was available to both of them at any time, but they usually just let themselves in. They were family, and apparently that was what family did. Natasha Romanoff came by on occasion, though she usually was there and gone before Qrow knew any better, a bottle of rum or vodka or other such treasure left on his front stoop. So it wasn’t very often that Qrow had someone knocking on his front door was the point. In fact, for a few moments after Ezio knocked had Qrow staring at his door from over the back of his couch, slice of pizza forgotten in hand. He blinked a couple of times and out of curiosity got to his feet to check it out. He’d expected to see a pair of Jehovah's Witnesses on his front stoop, prepared to tell him all about the glory of heaven and was he ready to accept Jesus as his one true savior (spoiler: he was not), or a kid standing there with an order form ready to ask him if he wanted to buy magazine subscriptions, because apparently schools still did that kind of fund raising (though, it was a little early in the year for that kind of thing). What he had not expected to see through the peephole was fellow professor Ezio Auditore, and not looking all that happy either. It was kind of weird seeing the normally happy-go-lucky Italian look so...so stressed. Still surprised, Qrow unlocked the door and pulled it open. “Ezio,” he greeted the other man. “You alright?” “I am not dead, so there is that,” Ezio cracked a smile - and oh, he knew death. He’d faced it head on and still beat it back, not letting the pneumonia take him like it did in his dreams. But he was much younger now, than he had been when he perished after a long and tumultuous life - he’d found peace during the end, and maybe that was what happened to be nagging at him now. That a life with Elijah wouldn’t mean peace, because the vampire’s family just would not let them have any. Holding up the bottle of vermouth, he offered it as a gift for hosting at such short notice - and apology for barging in; he hoped he wasn’t interrupting anything. “But no, I thought I would drop by with this and see if you would not mind a visitor. Things have been...messy lately. I could use the quiet.” The companionable quiet, that is. Ezio did not want to be alone, exactly, but he also didn’t want to hear about another sibling popping back up into town either. There would be little danger of that with Qrow. A sibling showing up wasn’t completely out of the realm of possibility for Qrow, but it was extremely unlikely. He and Raven…didn’t get along these days. Well, they had never really gotten along. Their relationship was more so defined as “This is my twin. No one gets to make him hurt but me.” Raven’s definition of family was also something Qrow didn’t agree with. She harped on him for leaving their “family” (if you wanted to call it that), but had been nothing more than a footnote in her own daughter’s life. Yeah, Qrow had an idea how troublesome siblings could be. But, as things currently stood, Qrow was thus far unaware of the trouble Elijah’s kin was causing him and his lover. Ezio’s personal business was his own. Until recently, the relationship between the Italian and Qrow had been professional and unless a certain red-headed spy ever gave him reason to pry, Qrow was content with leaving Ezio’s private life alone. However, this evening it was obvious just by the way Ezio was speaking that something was not quite right. Really, the man must have been desperate for respite if he was showing up at Qrow’s home like this. “Nah, I don’t mind,” Qrow shook his head and opened his door wider to allow Ezio in. “Make yourself at home. There’s pizza on the coffee table. Help yourself.” “That pizza, professore, you wound me,” Ezio teased - the delicious food had originated in Naples, and was not meant to be something you could deliver. Pizza in America was little more than slime on a shingle; could just be the Italian food snob in him talking, he would fully admit that. But ultimately, he would not begrudge the experience for others. Qrow could enjoy it all on his own. Instead, Ezio settled on the sofa and set down the bottle - though he brought out a corkscrew from his pocket (he had a few gadgets with him, a blade or two, the usuals) and got to work freeing the liquid ambrosia so they could pour it into their mouths. “Have you ever been...very overwhelmed? By a lover’s family? Because they are nothing short of exhausting?” Great opener and icebreaker. Ezio, a mentor for the Assassin Order and a wise, scholarly professor in this life did not often pour his heart out or ask for advice - he gave advice. Yet he was not so arrogant as to think he knew the answers to everything and besides, sometimes other perspectives were beneficial. Slime or not, it was what Qrow was having for dinner. He could cook. Kind of. He’d sort of taught himself when Yang and Ruby were little and Tai was having his off-days…those days in which he could barely get himself out of bed, much less take care of two little kids. Qrow got really good at making mac n’ cheese and then slowly graduated to casseroles and actual (but simple) dinners. Now that Ruby and Yang were old enough to fend for themselves, eh, why bother? If Ezio didn’t want to share his pizza, that was ok. More for Qrow. And if Ezio wanted to instead drink, that was a-okay with Qrow too, so long as he shared. He retrieved a couple of glasses from his kitchen and set them on the coffee table where the pizza also sat. Then Ezio just dove head first into conversation, which made Qrow pause before he could sit down again himself. Interesting topic, but Qrow could roll with it. Sure. “No,” he said. “None of my relationships have ever gotten to the meet-the-family stage. I’m no good for that kind of thing.” It was easier to keep people at arms’ length and limit oneself to simple no-string physical relationships. It was easier on all involved. Reddish brown eyes moved to the bottle Ezio had uncorked, a brow lifted before they moved back. “But I’m assuming you have?” No strings attached, simply keeping it to the physical was what Ezio had done before. He’d been with what could be considered an obscene amount of women - less men, though he enjoyed the company of both. But then Elijah happened and it didn’t really matter because he was giving the whole relationship thing a try for once in his life (his mother was just pleased he’d finally settled down a little and stopped being such a lothario, bless Maria Auditore). “I have and it is currently happening,” he said - of course he’d share his liquor, and since Qrow got glasses Ezio poured them both a generous amount. “It all started when Elijah brought me to meet his parents. He knew it would not go well and it didn’t - both his mother and father blew up about it, his madre especially, like it was the end of the fucking world.” You’d think Ezio had killed puppies in front of Esther Mikaelson, but no, he only committed the inexcusable crime of being with her son and having male genitalia. “This caused one of Elijah’s brothers to in turn start shit with the parents - “ Unnecessary, since Ezio didn’t need Kol to defend his honor, but still, a cute thought. “...and then that brought home their eldest child who is now staying with Elijah. Another brother is also in town, the same brother who happened to go psychotic on everyone in the dreams - which, obviously he knows nothing about that yet.” Yes, you see? No wonder Ezio had a headache. Salute. He toasted Qrow and took a large gulp of his drink. Qrow listened to Ezio speak at length about the members of the Mikaelson family throwing their collective shit and then all descending on their poor sibling, who clearly had not asked for any of it. Qrow wasn’t all that sure why Ezio had chosen him to open up to and share all this personal drama with. Had something happened to the terms of the relationship between the two professors Qrow had previously been unaware of? Don’t get him wrong, now. Qrow wasn’t against the idea of sharing or bonding or whatever it was this could have been classified as, it was just kind of coming out of left field here. People – friends – didn’t show up at his door needing to vent their frustrations. Qrow had co-workers; students; and his nieces (and Tai, maybe). He didn’t have friends. No one wanted to put up with him like that. Well, there was York. But he was more of a person to get drunk and run from the cops with. He never expected the former marine to show up at his door looking for a shoulder to lean on. And Qrow didn’t blame him. In fact after their most recent adventure had resulted in the two of them spending the night in the slammer, Qrow doubted he’d see or hear from York again. So this? This was kind of weird. Qrow wasn’t so big of an asshole to question it though because, honestly? It sounded like Ezio had waaaay too much on his plate right now. So Qrow was quiet and listened to the other man talk of his woes. Was he supposed to say something? Offer some friendly advice? Commiserate with him, because he could certainly do that. Raven had enough issues to fill volumes. Not really knowing what which was appropriate, Qrow went with the question that, to him at least, seemed obvious: “what are you going to do about it?” Sorry, Qrow, but your bad luck powers (honestly, for someone who had croaked on a bench after spending a lifetime stuck making sacrifices and being worn down by all the killing he had to do, they were not a hardship to put up with) weren’t going to prevent you being a sounding board for now. Ezio would not spill his guts for just anyone either, though one day he would return the favor. If Qrow wanted. “I will talk to him, when I can figure out what to say,” Ezio murmured, sounding tired of the whole situation already. “Because there will be much in the future that can and will go wrong, I am sure.” Especially with Klaus dreaming and becoming (or not becoming - let’s hope) the monster he was in that other universe. “It is just...when you are with someone, things are supposed to be equal, no?” When Ezio had woken up half-dead because of the pneumonia, Elijah sprang into action. But before that? He didn’t really ask at all about what Ezio was remembering, or how it affected him in this life. Dan probably knew more about that world than Elijah did - along with Evie who lived it too, only in a different era. “Talking is...good,” Qrow nodded after taking a sip of the vermouth. Even stressed out Ezio had great taste in booze. He wasn’t good with relationships, but he definitely could relate with family issues. Qrow doubted Elijah’s parents would come around. In an ideal world they would simply see how happy Ezio made their son and be happy for him. But, this was far from a perfect world. Sometimes the hardest thing was to cut ties. Especially when those ties seemed to have a strangle grip around your throat. Qrow was more so concerned with how Ezio seemed convinced that something was going to go wrong. That didn’t seem the best kind of foundation for a relationship. “Maybe it isn’t so much figuring out what to say, but telling him what you want to say. About him, about his family, about the two of you together. Maybe you need to figure that out first?” Cutting ties was honestly what Ezio wished Elijah would do - it was what he needed to do, and he’d needed to do it for awhile. But of course Elijah did not see that. His sisters weren’t manipulative, at least, but his brothers? It was emotional and mental whiplash with all of them, and Ezio wasn’t sure if they would ever work out their issues. He also wasn’t sure if he could put into words what he wanted to say, but that was probably what did need to happen. Be honest and communicative - otherwise their relationship really would unravel. Secrets, holding things inside, festered and became problematic. “Maybe I do,” he agreed, taking another pull from his glass. He really did have fantastic taste in alcohol, yes? The Assassin could pat himself on the back for that one. “There are simply some things you cannot fix - I think his brother is one of them. Dropping everything for him when he doesn’t appreciate it, just catering to his whims...I can’t picture Elijah doing that. I wish he wouldn’t.” “You can’t fix people” Qrow said. A slight frown creased his features. “And some people just don’t wanna be fixed, Ezio. They like being broken. They like how it gives them control over others. They have a hole right through the middle of them. Some fill it with drugs or alcohol. Some make everyone around them just as fucking miserable as they are. Some just like it. They like making others suffer. It makes them feel good. We call those people sadists, among other less pleasant things.” He sat back in the recliner. The pizza on the coffee table was long forgotten in favor of this conversation and vermouth, of which Qrow was already into his second glass. Qrow wasn’t sure if he was overstepping himself, here, but he didn’t like what Ezio was telling him. He didn’t know Elijah Mikaelson from a crack in the pavement, but something about Ezio being caught up in this shitstorm of family drama ruffled Qrow the wrong way. “The only person who can make Elijah realize what’s going on is Elijah,” he said. Years ago there had been times in which Qrow had wanted to throttle Tai. Shake him until he woke the fuck up and was a father again to his kids. There were times in which he actually had. Unfortunately, both of them had quickly learned that Qrow could yell until he was horse and shake Tai until Tai’s eyes had nearly been shaken out of his skull. The only person who could make Taiyang Longi do what needed to be done was Taiyang Long. That had been the damnable misery of it all. “You can help him get to that realization,” Qrow went on. Hopefully minus the screaming and throttling in this case. “If you love him that’s the only thing you can do. On the other hand,” he made a vague gesture with his free hand. “You gotta watch out for yourself too, Ezio. Do what’s best for you. Like I said, you can’t fix people, especially those who don’t wanna be fixed.” “Yes...you are right.” Ezio knew that everything Qrow was saying was true - he had to understand what was going on, didn’t he? He’d said before that his parents gave him his name because they believed him to be unlucky. Needless to say, that might cause issues. “I will do my best to help him come to that realization - words haven’t always worked. But I will still try,” he said, chewing a little on his lower lip. Elijah had told him time and again that he knew Ezio was right when he said that he didn’t deserve what his brother had done to him simply because he failed to stop their father from beating on Klaus - they were children, what the fuck could they all even do? If anything, it was the mother who had really failed her own son in that regard, as the other parent who should have stepped in. He didn’t have sympathy for Esther Mikaelson - she was a terrible woman. But even knowing Ezio was right, for Elijah, didn’t stop him from obviously listening to his heart, and feelings, which were betraying him. “I want...peace,” he admitted. “A peaceful life, I was denied this in my own dreams. Not until the very end. I don’t want that to happen here.” It was his way of saying that he’d considered Elijah couldn’t be the one to give him that, maybe not at this point in both their lives - and in theory, a very human Ezio would only have so many years with a vampire for a partner. He didn’t want to waste them being bogged down by the problems with the Mikaelsons. Then he grinned a bit at Qrow. “You are not so terrible at these observations - do you listen to your friends lament about this sort of thing often?” Qrow drained what was in his glass. “Nope,” he said with a shrug. “I don’t have a lot of friends so listening to their problems isn’t something I do.” Another shrug. He looked at his glass a moment before setting it down and reaching for the bottle of vermouth. “I guess you could say my observations come from personal experiences.” After refilling his glass, Qrow sat back again. He couldn’t fault Ezio for wanting a peaceful life. That’s what a lot of people wanted for themselves, Qrow included. Or, in the very least, to live their lives on their own terms. It wasn’t an easy thing to do, even in the most ideal of situations. This place alone made it difficult, forget other outside mundane influences. “Have you told Elijah that’s what you want? A peaceful life, I mean?” Living his life on his own terms was certainly what Ezio wanted as well - he was also denied that, in that other world. He hadn’t really had a choice about becoming an Assassin, and many years had to pass before he began to think it wasn’t all for nothing - before he finally believed he was actually doing some good. To be caught in this same thing now, the same torment for years and years that radiated off of Elijah because he constantly blamed himself for what went wrong with his family and put them first, over everyone else - No, that was not the life Ezio wanted. Something had to change. Something. “I have not told him that, not yet,” Ezio also reached for the vermouth and topped off his own glass, cradling it in his hands. “I thought it was something he knew, given what I have experienced in my dreams - but then again, he did not ask about those often. Or talk about them with me. So I will have to make it clear, it looks like.” Sipping on his drink, he let it slide down his throat, frowning a bit. “I love him, I do. I’ve...never really loved anyone before, besides my own family. That is what makes it the most difficult. Anyway - “ If the talk was going to veer off into something sappy, he would not subject Qrow to that. “I appreciate this, the listening. My home is open to you if you ever need the favor returned, yes?” He just wanted to make sure the other man knew. Everyone needed someone to just listen to them sometimes - it didn’t feel good, holding things inside without ever speaking of them. Qrow’s brows furrowed slightly in confusion. “How is he supposed to know if you don’t tell him?” He asked. It sounded like a good question to him, but what did he know. He’d never been in love before either. “Why doesn’t he ask you about what you’re dreaming and remembering?” The whole Ezio having his entire family murdered in front of him? Kinda seemed like something Elijah should a) know about and b) kind of ask how his partner is dealing with? Maybe Elijah didn’t want to pry into what he believed was private. Or maybe he was afraid of causing the man he loved greater pain. But, in the end, didn’t that just cause a different kind of pain? Christ. People were complicated. He did appreciate Ezio stopping himself before things got too personal. Ezio’s offer of opening his home to Qrow should he ever need to vent frustrations of his own should not have come as a surprise. The man seemed bound and determined to show that he was willing to be Qrow’s friend. And no, it didn’t feel good keeping everything to one’s self, but that was just the way it was. Qrow gave a slight smile in response. “Thanks, but it seems as though you’ve got your hands full enough as it is now.” At Qrow’s question of why Elijah had never really been told what Ezio desired for himself in a relationship, a long term one, the esteemed professor chuckled. “Well, it seems you have me there,” he said - and he knew that Elijah wasn’t a mind reader, for all the man’s talents. “I suppose I assumed some things when I should not have.” As far as to why Elijah hadn’t really asked much about how his partner was dealing with reliving the horrors of this life - the murders of his family members - he unfortunately did not have an answer for that one. “As for your other question, I do not know. He may have just been...focused on his own hardships.” Which made Ezio a little irritated, if he was being honest. Like he was saying before, relationships should be equal. Otherwise it got to be too much for the person who deeply felt the imbalance. “But these times will not last,” he assured with a wry sort of smile. “I will not always have my hands full. We will see what happens in the future. I intend to find a peace in this life, no matter what.” Elijah being focused on his own problems was a reason, and Qrow could understand to a certain extent. People like this brother had a way of monopolizing your time, making you treat them as if they were the end all of everything. It didn’t make it right, though. But, no. These times likely would not last. There was a saying Qrow heard often growing up: “This too shall pass.” It could be both positive and negative, depending on the situation, and Qrow had heard it in both. Qrow raised his glass towards Ezio. “I hope you find the peace you’re looking for,” he said, whether it included Elijah or not. “Good luck.” “Grazie,” Ezio clinked his glass against Qrow’s - he appreciated the listening ear, truly. It would just be up to him now, to do what he said he would. That was always the hard part, but Ezio was not ever one to shy away from much. He would face this. Like anything else. |