Catching At the Wind

"Where we have given you restrictions, you have found a way that works for you, around them. On your own. While I shouldn't encourage it, and for the record books, I don't, if there's one thing that you do that is every bit of an Assassin, it's that. Jean is quick, sure, but so are you. He started out with us earlier, of course he's more advanced than you are. He also happened to be less into questioning anything and everything that he was told," Alessandro commented with a small smirk. He popped the last bite of the pastry into his mouth, looking over to her with a raised eyebrow as he finished off the bite. "Which isn't the best thing to do when you're just starting out but I'll give it to you - you're making your way in the world. It's only a matter of time before you're an assassin. On that note, any clue what you want once you rank up? Upgraded armour or an upgraded skill? Are you looking forward to receiving a dagger?" Small talk that was usual within their ranks and as the room filled, Alessandro began to grow antsy. In crowded spaces, particularly under ground, Ales felt trapped and it wasn't a feeling that he particularly cared for. When the Master entered the room, Ales sat up a bit straighter, crossing his arms in his lap so that he could continuously run his thumb over the hidden blade tucked neatly away in his robes. The blade itself was sharp but he didn't cut himself, careful not to draw blood in such a sacred place.

The small movements continued as the Master spoke on and on about the Creed's history, their sect, and the families that had committed their lives to the Creed. Ales flinched ever so slightly at the mention of the Auditores. As each family was mentioned, a small cloth replica of the family's crest was dropped into the small ceremonial fire that the Master stood in front of. The last family was mentioned, the last crest burned, and in unison, the Assassins raised their right fists while uttering the same three words, "Nam in Symbolo."

Alessandro wasted no time in shoving himself to his feet, anxious to rid himself of the uncomfortable feeling that was all but vibrating through his veins. "I'm going to head out of the den," he uttered, clearing his throat as he looked away from her, clenching his jaw tight. "I trust that you won't get yourself into any trouble while I'm gone." Alessandro was planning on taking a quick trip down to the river to clear his mind before returning to the festivities, "Right?"

Eva couldn't help but smile as he talked. So there was a thing she did that impressed him? Of course, regardless of him saying that he didn't encourage it so, she knew she would continue on to do it, for it was convenient for her and she so no reason to stop now. She put a finger to her lips and shied away her gaze. "But is it not better to ask? If I understand why I do what I do, it helps me to know how to do it."

Considering his words, she wondered if they were true. To be an assassin soon? She did not feel prepared. She had never been on a mission officially. She had not been exposed to the art of killing yet. She had no idea how to take a life, let alone do it quickly and silently. Casting her eyes to the floor, Eva poked at a small hole in her shoe. "A skill would be convenient, I think. A dagger?" She looked up at him, "I suppose I am. It would be far easier to wield than a sword." Looking away in a sort of dreamlike manner then, she added, "a short sword would be nice."

That was all she could say before the room started to quieten and she too made haste to hush, ducking her head and sitting still until the ceremony began, and remaining in such a position until the very end (but having nothing to do but observe, she noticed Ales flinching now and then at certain words and names) - but getting all flustered and lost when they all raised their fists, so that when the ceremony ended, she grabbed Ales' sleeve and whispered frantically but without accusing him, "What was that? Nam what? Why are we raising fists? What did you all say? You didn't tell me we had to say something." She looked quite shocked at having not said something, as if now the assassins would come for her just for not saying the words. Her grip on his sleeve relaxed when he looked away and eventually she dropped his arm. Her gaze softened. "I'll behave."

(omg I'm sorry, I meant to at least tell you what it meant )

Alessandro hadn't even thought to mention the sacred words to Eva and here he was, standing in the middle of the clearing with countless assassins around. None seemed to notice but he knew all too well there'd be at least one person questioning them later. So he minus well speak up loudly now, hopeful to kill any curiosity before it could get too far along.

"Nam in Symbolo. It is Latin, meaning 'for the Creed'. We dedicate our lives to the Creed, as many of our families have before us and many of the assassins buried beneath the den gave their lives for the Creed. It is rare that an assassin dies of illness or old age. Very, very rare," Alessandro's voice grew a bit more quiet as the explanation continued. "As my family has before me, I suspect I will do the same. As you likely will," he commented with a frown, tilting his head to the side.

Clearing his throat as he looked around, Alessandro started for the archway that would ultimately lead them back above ground. Should she decide to follow, Ales was hopeful because he was likely feeling as open as he ever would. There was something about the rituals they went through that made Ales feel appreciated. Or maybe it wasn't that he himself was appreciated but the debts his family had paid, they were appreciated in a way that Ales was thankful for. His father hadn't died in vain.

"Unless you want to enjoy the festivities and the pastries. By all means, go ahead," Ales managed to force the words out, giving a small, encouraging nod of his head. He didn't exactly want Eva to thinkt his was all an order because it was the complete opposite of such.

[I tried google translate and gave me nonsense ]

Eva listened intently, taking up every word he said and committing it to memory. Nam in Symbolo. For the Creed. Right. She gave a small affirmative nod to show she understood. Though at the mention of death, her sureness lightly wavered. Of course, it was expected, she would die for the Creed if required, if necessary, there was no argument about that. She knew it would be so when she joined, however it did not mean she eagerly welcomed death with open arms. Eva would fight tooth and nail to live. She was not quite yet ready to die.

Following him, she cast a glance in the direction he nodded but made no move for the festivities and promising sound of dance and song. Instead, she inched towards Ales, letting the last of the leaving assassin's to move past. Ales, in her opinion, looked like he needed some time, but that time was time with someone. She thought he appeared to want a presence by him, and she would be the said person if he wished it. At any simple order or word he could send her away but she was here for him now.

When he started to walk, she stuck by, letting him know she was happy to accompany him. Her own curiosity burned, and she sided by, for a while not saying anything until they were out of ear shot and mostly out of sight. "You mentioned your family," She started slowly, quietly, unsure, watching his face for a reaction to withdraw her curiosity before it was too far. "And that they gave their life for the Creed. Did your mother also?" She trailed off, blinking up at him. Was his mother an assassin also? And his grandmother? Was he an assassin shaped from all corners and from all angles? That was sort of scary. Intimidating in the very least. But no sooner had the words left her mouth, she felt it impolite to ask, and quickly covered her mouth, "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have asked."

(google translate is horrible for translating other languages into english )

Alessandro had started to walk with the expectation that Eva would head for the festivities that were going on. She had been here for months and still had yet to witness the rather infamous parties that the could throw. Assassins didn't often get the chance to celebrate and indulge in life so when they did, it was usually all out in every sense of the word and probably more on top of that.

It wasn't until Eva spoke up that Ales even looked over to the side to notice she had indeed chosen to follow him. It sparked a sense of... he didn't know what to call it but he knew it was a welcome relief. To know that there was someone willing to be there for him. Did she realize that was what Ales was asking for now? Hell, he doubted it because that was easy and his stomach churned at the idea. It wasn't fair to do that to her, to indulge her in things that she had no idea about. It wasn't fair to tell her about his history because she had enough on her plate already. But his mouth was open and he was speaking before he could seemingly figure out how to stop them.

"I suppose, in some sense of the concept, my mother did. My father had no idea he was from a family so dedicated to the Creed. Until his final moments and then, tesoro," Ales paused to let out a dry chuckle. There was no humour in the story that he was about to tell and yet, he knew that if he didn't laugh, he would likely enough up crying and that would do no good. Not in front of his initiate. "Oh, tesoro. He made every last one of us proud." Ales breathed as he led the way down the trail to the river. He sat down on the bank of the river, reaching to undo his boots so that he could dip his feet into the water. He wasn't planning on going swimming today so he'd have to settle with what he could manage.

"Templar knights came looking because they got wind after my grandfather's death and they wanted, as I've been told, to end the family line," Alessandro paused, smirking then as he shrugged his shoulders. "I guess that they forgot to search for the youngest child my father had. My siblings, they fell during the attack as well but I didn't and," he paused, giving a nod of his head. "I'm going to get revenge on them even if I do it with my last dying breath."

Eva stayed silent as she walked by him and listened, thinking over what he had said and her already existing knowledge of his family. So after Ezio died, the Templars came for Marcelo who apparently had no idea of Ezio's work. To be honest, she saw why Ezio must have kept them in the dark. Safety from this Templar murder, but at the same time it was the downfall. Her thoughts preoccupied a lot of her attention, but she kept an ear for him.

She couldn't begin to imagine the horrors he must have gone through. Was e there at the even? Did he see it with his own eyes as his family was slaughtered? She hoped not. No child should have to see that. As they sat down, and he finished speaking, she allowed a small pause. "I'm sorry to hear," she replied quietly. There was no point in trying to say things like 'your family would rather you live in peace' because in all honesty his family was famous for their assassin involvement. It was in their blood, something she would never understand. Instead, she offered another set of words. "I am sure you will succeed. You have something to fight for. The Templars..." she hesitated. Those were still people, evil or not. "The Templars, not quite so."

The little breeze that blew over was nice, and she relaxed in it, fixing the toppled boot. Her own she didn't take off. Who knew what was in the water at such darkness? Looking back at Ales, she offered him a small gentle smile. "How many siblings did you have?" He could talk about his life, she didn't mind. He could spend his heart out here, talk his soul and she would listen, but there was an importance to remember the good times too. That helped her find content and peace, she hoped it would be the same for him too. To show she could relate though, she looked to the grass and simply added, "I had an older sister. I think I told you though."

"They fight for a religion that is not just. They fight for a religion that persecutes a bunch of people that may not necessarily agree with everything that they preach. It's not something that I would ever be able to get behind - particularly with my history. I think my grandfather would rise from the grave to murder me tonight should I ever decide to," Alessandro spoke, letting out a small chuckle at the end. He shook his head, looking down to his hands. He flexed them over and over, breathing in time with the movements.

Alessandro laid back, outstretching his arms before he finally decided to answer the question. "I had a brother and three sisters. My brother was the second oldest," he answered quietly, his voice growing small as he spoke. It was something that he rarely ever talked about, even when the massacre had just happened so the fact that he was bringing it up, it spoke more to him about how he felt about her than he would have preferred. He didn't want to say he was becoming attached to her but the mere fact that he was talking about such subjects with her - it made him hesitant. Told him to back away from the situation and stay closed off, to keep her at a distance so that she wouldn't become a soft spot for him and nothing tragic would happen.

"You'd be surprised. My oldest sister and my mother, oh they put up one helluva fight," Ales answered quietly, offering a bit of a sad smile. It was an awful to say but he had ore or less come to terms with what happened. He had a plan for revenge and one day he would achieve that. But his sister, Olivia, and his mother had both put up one hell of a fight against one of their attackers. Just long enough that he could run and hide in the barn, under a pile of hay. He had had to scramble out at the last moment when the structure was burned but somehow he'd managed to get away and the Templars hadn't thought much of it - they either hadn't known he existed or simply assumed he had perished in the fires they set ablaze.

"Tell me about your sister."

Eva found she had to suppress a smile a little at the thought of an angry, old, dead man rising up from his grave to holler and scold his 'good-for-nothing' son. That would certainly be most interesting, and would make her evening. Entertaining as that was, she could not allow even the mere hint of her having such thoughts slip out, for it would be most disrespectful! Even if he did chuckle a little, a sound Eva found she quite liked.

"That sounds like quite the family." She offered him a small smile, glancing over her shoulder as he lay down and turning in her spot so that she could face him. "I can imagine it must have been quite loud in the household. Especially if you all got rowdy at the same time." She purposefully tried her best to steer him off track from the sad thoughts, to think of the good things. If he broke out crying - and she betted her life he wouldn't - then she'd be helpless and lost on what to do.

Pulling at some grass, she added, "A strong family, I am sure they fought to protect each other." She watched the sad smile spread on his lips and in all her best efforts, tugged at the grass by her foot a little harder so that her hands were busy, so she wouldn't lean over and give him a tight hug and say terribly cliche things. No, that wouldn't do anyone any good, surely. Also, she was sure he would find it strange. A hug? Do men even accept those?

At his prompting, she took the grasses in her hands and tore them into smaller pieces. "My sister was really beautiful. Lovely, luscious brown wavy hair." She smiled at the recollection. "All the boys in our village wanted to play with her. She taught me many things. To sew, to cook, how to capture someone's interest- for whatever reason." Eva spoke simply, calmly. Would she cry? No. Was she upset? Not really. She had come to terms with it. There was no changing the past. "She was the most kind-hearted soul in the world, I swear. She wouldn't hurt a fly." And then she died in childbirth, but that was not a definition of her sister, and Eva felt no need to tell him such sad things. He had his own burdens to carry.

With a happy sigh to clear the sad thoughts, she too lay down and pointed at the sky. "Look, don't you think that pattern of stars looks like a pot? Oh! And that one looks like a cat's nose and whiskers! Ah, don't you think is so wonderful? I wonder what the stars are made of. My mother said they're lights but my sister said our father said they were things beyond our planet." She tilted her head and looked over at Ales. "What do you think?"

In that moment, Alessandro was probably the most vulnerable he had been in a long time. He honestly could say that he hadn't cried since before their deaths even. After the massacre, he had been nothing but numb to the pain that he felt. There was nothing to feel, not really. Because, when your family had been killed in front of you, what else was there to do? He was left alone in the world, to be raised by a man half out of his mind with a desire to paint and make things and little else. Shaking his head, Ales grit his teeth as he reached with a hand to cover his eyes. No, he wasn't about to break that streak now either. Crying in front of someone was a sign of weakness, let alone in front of Eva. That wouldn't be fair to her, it would put her in an awkward position.

"Must be where you got your charm," Ales answered, unable to contain the laugh that escaped his lips. He smirked as he rolled his head to the side, dropping the hand from his face. In the time that she spoke, he had managed to collect himself and that was what really mattered. So long as he was contained and together, there would be no silly decisions made solely on emotions that he felt.

Alessandro turned back around to face the stars, his eyes travelling along the lines that she had pointed out to him. He gave a half hearted smile as he nodded. He truly did see them but his mind was a mess and it was a struggle to keep his thoughts together. As gathered as he was, he was still fighting to contain that ball of emotion that welled inside of his chest.

"Leo has a sort fo... mechanism that you can look through, that you'll be able to see the stars should you stay at his house any time over night," Alessandro answered quietly, offering a small smile as he nodded. "They're these great big balls of... what look like light. I'm honestly not too sure what they're made out of." He was content with the answer because as far as he was concerned, there was no threat from the stars and so he only needed to focus on what was on their planet.

"What do you think they're made of?" Ales rolled onto his side to face her, offering a small smile. "I mean, we have no way of really knowing so there's no right or wrong answer."

[“A man half out of his mind” how dare you ]

All was going quite fine, and she thought he would handle it well – and was applauding him inside for being so well handled and strong and not breaking down, when his hand raised to his eyes and Eva braced herself. Charm a man? Sure. Comfort him? Not so good. She watched him for a little then averted her gaze to give him the privacy he needed in that moment to gather himself together, and continued to fiddle with grass, weaving a little braid from it.

“I’d be lucky to have even half as much as she did,” Eva replied with a grin. The ground was quite cool, but it was tolerable and quite pleasant. Nice and firm to relax on for once. “Does he?” She raised a brow and peered over at the other. She hadn’t known. Perhaps that was also better, for then she would simply never leave his house and spend her days there looking and trying out all his creations. Curiosity would eventually come kill the cat, and she’d probably break a neck trying to climb to reach something, but hey – at least she would go out with joy.

“I don’t know what I think,” she admitted after a pause for thought. “Whatever they’re made of, they’re pretty but I think they’re far away.” She shrugged. “Very far away. They are the same everywhere I’ve been. Unless the sky moves with me, but that wouldn’t make sense.” Eva reached up and tugged at the braid of her hair, undoing it and letting it fall apart, toying once more as she ran her fingers through it in thought, and with a satisfied sigh looked over at Ales. “Will you be coming back to the den?” She gave a small playful pout, reaching over to place the grass braid onto his forehead like an incomplete circlet, “You’ll miss it all out.”

(well it's true )

Alessandro hated it as he watched Eva undo her braid and then she was playing with her hair and he felt lost. She was beautiful in a way that he couldn't ignore, in a way that was so very evident and yet, what was there to do? She was in a league outside of his own and it would be utterly ridiculous to think she would ever return such an affection. He had treated her horribly most of the time and only rarely did he treat her as an equal, most before she had become an assassin. He turned away so that he wasn't facing her then, glaring at the sky above them. At least he could glare upward and hopefully then she wouldn't question the anger he felt was so evident on his features. "They are far away, you would be able to see if you looked through his creation. Some are closer, some are further away. Some brighter, some less. I wonder why."

And before he could gather his thoughts enough to continue, where he would have gone he had no clue, there was a little grass braid placed on his forehead. His eyebrows pulled together in mild confusion as he reached up to pluck it from his forehead, rolling over to face her. He offered a sad sort of smile as he shrugged his shoulders, "I've seen it all a hundred times before."

It took a long moment before Ales pushed to his feet, pushing away from the water long enough to dry them off. He tugged his boots on and sighed as he straightened, stretching his arms above his body. "Lead the way, tesoro."

Eva tilted her head to look at the stars again as he spoke, and did not see his glares. He seemed to share the same opinion, and she was partially glad. At least she didn’t make a fool of herself and say something stupid, though surely he would have lectured her and told her the truth. She hoped so, for that was his duty as a teacher to her, and as a person – to not be a liar and a jerk. What a hooligan though.

The grass braid was discarded and she watched it go with only the smallest of dismay. How silly of her to even place such a thing on his head. He probably had no idea of little grass braids girls liked to weave. She briefly wondered how much Ales didn’t know of the common people. Did growing up as an assassin take that away from you? A bare minimum to know what humans liked and didn’t like, not experienced? She couldn’t imagine a life like that. “A hundred?” She teased, standing, “Are you that old?”

Once he had his boots on, she marched (with a spring in her step) towards the den again, casting one glance over her shoulder back at him. She was unexplainably happy again. The lights and music were like the singing of sirens to sailors or something. So tempting and appealing and luring her closer in. She wanted to throw off the robes, put on a dress and dance away into the night. Yes, that’d be nice. The walk back didn’t take long, and before she could even think twice about what had happened back there in the light of the stars and silence of night, Eva found herself again surrounded by people and lively chatter, the smell of fires and roasts and foods.

[Enter Daario whenever you want xD]

Alessandro didn't hesitate for a moment to disappear into the crowd once they reentered the den. He made his way up to his room where he changed into more comfortable clothes, a pair of black pants and a looser shirt. There was no need to wear his robes now that the ceremonies were over and they had returned, he figured. It wasn't as if an assassin would attack him as that would be going against the Creed and they would be sure to fall should they.

After deciding he was ready, Ales began to head downstairs, intent to join the festivities. Even if he couldn't find Eva, he could still enjoy himself with the other assassins. But the sight that he laid his eyes on, it made his blood boil the moment he stepped onto the landing at the top of the stairs. His eyes locked onto that pretty little head covered with red hair and... Daario standing what looked to be too close for comfort. From his position, Ales could see that he had an arm wrapped around her waist and his hand was sitting a bit too low. Low enough that it sent him flying down the stairs, weaving his way through the crowd.

"Sorry if I'm interrupting something," Ales spoke loudly enough that he was sure they would both hear as he started upon them. A hand raised and he shoved Daario's arm away from Eva, replacing it with his own. "But I'm here now. She doesn't need your company."

Eva dropped off the outermost layer of the clothing, and stayed in the casual outfit version of the robes, and returned to the centre of the den to where the party was. For a long time she wandered the stalls and picked up various foods, and joined in to listen to random people singing or telling stories, but for the most part she was quite alone.

All this of course, changed when a man approached her by one table with a pudding and began to talk to her. She studied his face, and recognised Daario - from a while back (she was impressed she remembered his name). He captured her attention and interest with a few words, telling her some story of his own, and eventually offering her to show her about. She agreed - for lack of better things to do - and before she knew it, she was standing with his arm around her waist, close enough that she could feel his breath down her neck. But Eva was - unfortunately - oblivious to it in that moment. She was focused on a little sweet roll he had given her.

The pastry was cutely half-in her mouth when Ales' voice sounded from behind them, and she turned around with a surprise and a small muffled noise in greeting. What was most unexpected though, was the look in his eye and the way he shoved Daario's arm off from her waist, and put his own there.

Daario looked reluctant to leave. Quite honestly he had thought he almost scored himself a girl to bed tonight, probably. But who was he to go against Ales - of all people? Regardless, he shrugged, "She seemed to enjoy my presence and talk." He cast a pointed glance at the girl and the sweet roll pastry in her hands. He smirked then, tilted his head as he looked to Eva and gave it an incline. "I shall talk to you later." And retreated.

Eva watched him go, then curiously lifted her gaze up to Ales. A little smirk found its way to her lips. "What's this? Again? First Francesco and now this Daario? I'm going to get old all alone with you around." Eva studied his face a little more, raising an eyebrow. How curious! Why did he act so possessive? Was he jealous? At any rate, it was attractive on him. As long as it was true, of course, and Eva wasn't making this up and deluding herself. Smiling a little and hiddenly at the image and idea of Ales being possessive, Eva reached up to the necklace he had bought for her long ago and absent mindedly started to toy with it.

[I'll reply to the other one tomorrow morning D: ]

"Doesn't seem like she enjoyed your company but rather the gifts you offer to buy a place in her bed for the evening," Alessandro countered back, his eyes narrowing as he glared at Daario. He wanted nothing more than to step forward, wrap his hands around the bastard's neck, and throttle him right then and there. But it was against everything that he had ever been taught to raise violence on such a sacred evening. No, that would surely lead to an uncomfortable experience and he was in no position to take another punishment no matter how lenient after the lashing he had received not very long ago. He fixed the fellow assassin with a hard look, his mouth forming into a thin line.

Alessandro turned away from Daario to face Eva, his mouth twisting into a smile as she spoke. "Alone? Now what gave you that impression?" Maybe it was the need to flaunt himself in front of Daario because he was sure the other assassin was still watching or maybe it really was the desire to claim Eva as his own, he didn't know nor did he care to. Alessandro took a small step forward, his arms slipping fully around her waist to pull her even closer to him.

Not another moment of hesitation before Alessandro was leaning forward to press his lips to hers. He reached a hand up, cupping her cheek while his thumb rubbed along it gently, back and forth. His movements were hesitant at best, never daring to offer any sort of real pressure because he didn't want her to feel any sort of obligation here. This was selfish of him, he knew, but he had been holding off for so long already and he felt suddenly that if there was going to be any chance, this was it and he had to grasp at it, right?

Watching the two swat words at each other was quite interesting, and Eva kept her gaze jumping from Ales to Daario, feeling quite self-entertained at the prospect of being the causer of this little argument. Of course, she also wished nothing bad would happen between the two. It could be fun to play, but never cross the line. And all the while Ales spoke to her, she paid attention to him but didn't fail to notice out of the corner of her sight Daario's shadow lurking, waiting for them to separate for just a moment so he could come try again. She had to give him that - persistent. Sort of annoying. Not as bad as Francesco though. The other would have blindly challenged Ales to a duel. And died.

Finding herself quite close his chest now, she would have liked to look away and possibly hide her small blush but he didn't give that a chance. In the next few seconds she was all his, and again so easily relaxing in his embrace and leaning into his kiss and against his hand, just like the plaza and the river all over again. She felt weak, yet all warm inside, comfy and exhilarated all at the same time. One hand gripped a little of his shirt, the other struggled to grasp his upper arm to keep herself somewhat on her toes, shying away from the kiss at first but not delayed in returning it. Of course though, this was still quite the open space, and she didn't know much about the order, and the views on a teacher-student relationship. Eva pulled away after a little, glancing down at his chest and where her hand rested in its little fist. "Bold," she gave a small laugh, for there two pairs of eyes that watched them for a second before vanishing back into the crowd to do their own fun. Did anyone even get laid here?

"I want a drink. What's the best you guys have here?" She lifted her head and fixed him determined look. This was a night for fun, no? Would they have a little alcohol? Surely.

Alessandro didn't think twice when he kissed Evelyn. The rules weren't in place because this was such a rare situation that nothing had needed to be done in the past so it wasn't as if he was actually going against anything. He smirked into the kiss, dropping away from Eva once she pulled away. He kept an arm around her waist, tilting his head to the side when she spoke a singular word. "Bold? I would think you would be used to it by now," he teased quietly, dropping one arm back to his side. At the mention of drinks, Ales nodded and motioned off to the side.

Leading the way through the crowd was quick enough and the moment that they reached the other side of the clearing, Ales wore a smirk. He tugged her over to a small booth that was set in the corner and ordered two drinks, one for her that he thought would suit her tastes he'd learned over the past months and his usual. "Just a nice glass of scotch for me. This," he paused to hold out the other drink to her. "Is for you."

Turning back around to watch the festivities continue, Alessandro felt his muscles begin to relax. It was a relief to be here and not have to worry about a mission in the morning. That neither of them would and ultimately, none of them would have to. "Because we are all celebrating tonight, we do not go on missions tomorrow. Partly because a large majority of us wouldn't be able to handle it," he said through a smirk. "Not to our usual calibre. There's been enough deaths after parties that as a whole, the Creed has decided that a day off to recover was in order.

"Think you'll be able to handle a day all to yourself? To do whatever you please?"

The drink placed in front of her was quite large, but it was a challenge she was willing to take on. Lifting the glass, she gave it a small sniff, and without further ado she drank the full glass in one go. Partially, she was thirsty. Also to unwind. She set it aside, wiped her mouth - shyly - and watched Ales have his drink.

"Oh that's good," she hummed softly. "I can sleep in. Sleep more." She closed her eyes and felt the softness of bed and smiled more. There were a few explosions and cracks nearby and she looked up to see a few fire works going off. "I can't imagine anyone would want to go on a mission." She paused and raised a brow, teasing, "oh? All to myself? Will you be too drunk to even move?"

She stood and found herself a few small treats, and came back to bring them to the table to share with Ales, and another drink to replace hers. "Do you have games tonight?" She looked around. Would they jump over fires? Would they clinb poles or trees? She wondered what else they would do. An archery competition? Yes, that sounded good!

"Nothing too competitive. As you can imagine, we're already a bunch of cocky assholes but drinking, well, it only serves to bring out the worst in us. So there's no money to be won, no treats to be won, nothing but bragging rights. Which seem to be worth it for quite a few people," Alessandro explained quietly, giving a shrug of his shoulders. He turned, lacing his fingers through hers and began to lead the way around the outer edge of the clearing to nearly the complete opposite side.

Ales motioned toward the outer edge where a few were just friendly competing, some shoots arrows and others throwing knives at a target hung on the wall. As they neared the targets, Ales reached around her and plucked her drink from her hand before motioning with his chin toward one of the targets.

"Go on. Show them what you're worth, tesoro," he encouraged, giving her a lopsided grin. "And I might just reward you!"

Bragging rights? Eva’s brow raised. Oh yes, she could use some of those. Following him to the outer edge of the clearing to the little area of competitions. There were many, and three caught her eye. One archery, a knife throwing, and a little way off, a fire-jumping. She didn’t get much time to look, her drink was taken from her hand and she followed it with a small pout, grabbing his hand and stopping it, finishing the rest of the glass before pulling away. “Reward me?” She teased, and poked his cheek. “I hope it’s grand.”

With a laugh, she headed to the knife throwing and after some light banter with one of the guys, had her set of knives given and ready to throw. There was a dare instantly set up. The current winner had four knives on the bullseye, and to get in with their drunken state, she was made to drink one more goblet. That Eva did without complaint, took the knives out, put herself in a comfy state, eyed the target off, and sent a few hurtling over. Three landed almost on top of each other, the fourth struggled to stay on between two (there was simply not enough space), and the fifth landed just inside the bullseye. The competition continued. With ever successive round, the winning members were made to drink a few gulps until many started to miss, one passed out, and it was down to Eva and another man and it seemed they would go on and on, but the alcohol nearby ended and they were forced to end in a draw.

Eva was in high spirits now. The jokes and laughter and banter from the group had given her a little more confidence than usual and she scampered off to the archery without even a glance at Ales, her eye set on the bows and arrows not far from her. There she fell into a verbal scuffle with Jean, and the two bantered about, each claiming the other’s aim was weak game and they would miss. Eva wasn’t going to take any of that – not from Jean, and challenged him to a small competition of their own. Needless to say, many apples were pierced and ruined upon the wooden block set up not far from the shooting point. Jean’s arrows wobbled, but Eva’s gift of a steady hand and a sharp eye prevailed even in her state where words were starting to become a problem. The arrow pierced the apple, two apples, even three, sure and strong and still managed to hit the target bullseye on the other side, dropping the fruit salad into a basket. And this time she won. And when she stumbled away, arrow in hand and munching on the apple through which the arrow had pierced through, she headed to Ales and waved it, one cheek full of apple. She loudly proclaimed something to him, mostly incoherent, mostly slurred and mostly mumbled by the food, and waved her hand at the fire, pointing at it with a determined look. Though perhaps it was now not the best idea, as her own feet were getting in the way of walking, and she teetered and unceremoniously stumbled forward, waving the arrow around as if it weren’t a weapon but a hay strand as she tried to regain balance. Clearly, it was time for her to go relax. The high of the excitement was mixing too well with the drinks she had, she was all eyes for everything. Everything was good. The fire was bright, so lovely to jump over, and the arrow in her hand was surely harmless, and this man in front of her was very much pleasing to look at.