Authors notes: I own nothing. This was done simply for the fun of it. Enjoy! Feel free to suggest ideas, leave critiques, or give me some comments in private messages or in reviews. Oh and expect edits on older chapters as this is being worked on. I will be sure to alert readers when such a thing occurs.
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Chapter 1: Repose
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Subconsciously, he somehow always knew he would come here. All of the sights, the sounds, the rich culture was enough to cause the mind to overload. It was blissful. Beautiful. There were no other words that could describe it accurately enough.
And still, the painter was partially worried. He was in a new place. Venezia was far different than any other area he had experienced. Most of his time recently had been spent in or around his studio in Firenze. He was fond of the city and its people; so many acquaintances were lost in the move. But he was very sure many more would be made.
Of course he was not entirely alone. Stepping off of the boat with him was his friend, Ezio. As Leonardo busied himself by rummaging through his belongings, he could hear the former-noble-gone-assassin pacing behind him. The man breathed in deeply … and promptly gagged on the air. Leonardo had to start to chuckle. As terrible as the air smelled and as nervous as the painter was, the face Ezio made was absolutely priceless. It was enough for Leonardo to temporarily forget about his worries and fears.
"I see you are enjoying the new sights and scents, amico mio."
Ezio just rolled his eyes, sighing out enough to cause a few stray bangs to move and sway. It caused the painter to finally laugh out loud. Even as he had aged, Ezio still retained that familiar quality of being both incredibly serious and outright quirky at the same time.
"If only the scents matched the sights…"
"Ah if they did, indeed. This place would be perfect! A utopian city so good that it distracts every citizen…", Leonardo clapped his hands together eagerly.
"It seems as if you are already distracted!" The assassin shook his head and grinned at the fact that he managed to amuse his friend.
The painter blushed and smiled, continuing to search his belongings. Everything was in a rather disorganized pile … which was not all that different from before. Some sketches were stacked in an out-of-order fashion, paintings, frames, various trinkets, and even some parts for a clock. His currently incomplete Flying Machine was still on the boat.
"Who made a mess of your things, Leonardo?" He said with a frown, one hand on the frame of the doorway leading into the painter's assigned quarters. They had moved below decks.
Sighing, the painter continued to rummage, "I am afraid the sea is to blame. Do you not remember the storm last night?"
Ezio only stared at him, his still eyes interrupted by a blink as if to say what storm?
"Of course!" Leonardo put his palm to his forehead, "I forget you sometimes sleep like an orso in the winter."
Ezio immediately flashed a grin and pointed at his friend, "E tu dorme come un gatto."
Leonardo paled a little, hearing the reminder of the waves rocking the boat in its dock outside, "Yes, I certainly do. Especially when I am on a boat."
The conversation, and the humor with it, was short lived. Out of the corner of his eye, Leonardo saw a man known as Alvise who was to become their tour guide, so to speak. He straightened himself up instantly and nodded to Ezio. They would finally get to see Venezia for what she really was.
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Hours had passed. The tour was relatively uneventful. It was difficult to decipher if the city was hostile or friendly. Of course, Ezio would have most likely stated that it was the former where as Leonardo would have claimed it to be the latter.
Both of them seemed to be relieved when Alvise revealed the new workshop to Leonardo. His shops atmosphere was definitely similar, if not exact to the one in Firenze. He smiled and sat down for a while, sipping some fresh water he had managed to find by sheer luck at the market after Ezio left.
He would have to admit, he was a bit disappointed that Ezio could not stay after the tour. After all, this place was quite new to the artist. Still, he realized the assassin was busy. Briefly, he felt a spark of sadness. What was it like to never be able to relax and enjoy the atmosphere?
With his windows open, he could hear the water splash against the side of the walls. The sadness faded into the back of his mind as he listened intently to the various sounds. He leaned against his chair and, eventually, fell asleep as a feeling of serenity washed over him like a blanket.
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Ezio had been running along the rooftops, thinking about how he had so many places to be and so many things to do. Often, he had wished for only a moments reprieve. Just a simple chance to stop, look around, and relax. Times like this came rarely now. One mission transitioned into another. Unfortunately, it was at that point in which he made a rather foolish mistake; he should have never let his mind wander. He felt his body fall in the open air for a moment and, at the last moment, Ezio grabbed the ledge of a deteriorating wall. Pulling himself back up with a sigh, he sat on the edge for a moment.
I should be thankful for small blessings. Namely, this one. I did not fall into the foul smelling water. He smirked at his own thought, his own hand lightly resting at his belt. His finger trailed across something attached to the equipment then; a reminder instantly sounded in his head.
Ah! The codex piece! I forgot to give it to Leonardo. He paused then, shaking his head with a sigh. He could not go and ask to have it decoded. Leonardo looked so hopeful during the tour of Venice when they came upon a little figurine that had been on display . Ezio originally intended to sneak back to buy it for the artist. When he did, however, it was gone. The assassin lightly brought a hand to his forehead and exhaled in frustration. He needed another idea, one that would show the artist that he appreciated all of the things Leonardo did for him. With that, he set off running again, heading to Leonardo's workshop.
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Leonardo almost jumped out of his seat when he heard a faint knock. The artist was accustomed to not sleeping deeply. Far too many patrons dropped by throughout the day for him to afford to sleep deeply. He stood up quickly, brushed himself off, and readjusted his hat.
"Si! Come in!"
The assassin meekly appeared through the door, lowering his hood and smiling at his friend.
"Ah Ezio! Visiting so soon? What brings you here, hm?"
Truthfully, he had to watch his tone of voice. He was excited that he had not only company, but it was his closest friend! Leonardo took to pouring the assassin some of the fresh water immediately, not skipping any hospitality.
Ezio did not appear to notice at first, instead staring around at the workshop for some ideas. So many of the pieces were half-finished that it was almost impossible to get any coherent idea for something Leonardo may appreciate. Ezio barely understood what many of the devices were for! The only thing that stuck out in his mind was the prototype Flying Machine. He stared at it, eyeing the contraption over as if committing it to memory…
It was then that the artist laughed. The assassin's gaze sharply transfixed itself on him.
"What is it?" Ezio asked, a rather startled expression overcoming his facial features.
"For the last minute, I've been offering this water to you. Is something wrong?", Leonardo continued to smile, still holding the cup out to the assassin. Ezio shook his initial shock off, chuckled, and nodded his head.
"Sorry, Leonardo. I suppose I sort of mentally dozed off."
Ezio felt himself blush awkwardly since he, for the first time in a long while, had been caught off guard. Thankfully, it was by a friend and not a guard.
"Grazie per l'acqua."
"Per nada, amico mio."
The assassin's mind wandered again as Leonardo shuffled through a few of his so-called sketches. Ezio often wondered why so many of them remained uncompleted and yet felt complete at the same time.
"You could easily sell those are finished pieces, Leonardo. They're amazing."
"These?" Leonardo felt his cheeks redden at the compliment. "Oh no, I could never sell them. They're too unrefined. I'd like to do more with them first. Some day…" His voice trailed off in idle thought as he prepared some paints for yet another new image. Some how, his motivation always picked up when Ezio was around. Leonardo continued his thought from earlier, "Some day I will finish them. For now, I need to begin this commission. Please, Ezio, feel free to stay and rest. It's always nice to have company!"
Ezio gave Leonardo an honest and grateful smile. After a few minutes of idle chatting, Leonardo began to start his work. Ezio took the offer to rest, sat down, and watched him, still a bit lost in his own thoughts. After a while, he gave up and relaxed enough to lightly nap. It felt good to be at ease.
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Translations (I try my best to not use Google Translator, albeit I am rusty with the language):
Si (Yes)
Orso (Bear)
E tu dorme come un gatto (And you sleep like a cat)
Grazie per l'acqua (Thank you for the water)
Per nada, amico mio (It was nothing, friend)