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#ac2 oc
rojaceartandgaming · 1 year
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Fucking.... AC2 OC ..
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moondrop-cove · 2 years
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I haven't posted in a while lol, been kinda busy with College work and what not. This is a modern AU thingy of my AC 2 and AC 3 girls! I've really gotten into the series recently and naturally made OC's as a result. The girl witth the blue glasses is Emilia and she's for AC3, and the red head is Cassandra and she's for AC2. Background is a place holder. Reference used: https://www.pinterest.co.uk/pin/1052716481620010436/
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newbordeaux · 1 year
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GIANNA DE’ BENCI - ASSASSIN’S CREED II
Parents be like “boys are easier” and then their daughter has to save the family from ruin
tagging people duhhh, ask to be added or removed 💗 @jennystahl @gwynbleidd @lavinet @lavampira @roberthouses @queennymeria @elliewilliums @elvves @jendoe
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musetta3 · 8 months
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It was a pleasure to paint this art commission for the amazing @tkwritesdumbassassins ! Her Federico and Tristan is my Assassin Creed OTP; loved painting them. Based on 1470s Florentine fashion; all the fabrics are based on real textiles from the late 1400s, found at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in NYC.
Check out TK’s fic here! One of my favorites in the fandom. Thank you again for commissioning, TK! <3 (please click pictures for optimal quality!!)
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fellow-traveller · 11 months
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I think I have the facial design of my JoJo Part 5 thief gang OCs down. Now, with exception of Il Gatto, I only have to brainstorm on their body designs, clothes and colour schemes.
Did a few changes here and there, especially on their Stand powers. And I think I have their abilities a little more solid too.
Let's start with the twins, Mari and Per. Their names are from the duo in the pop rock band Roxette. I deliberately didn't give them any last names. Both have shapeshifting powers that they could not use on themselves. Mari's Joyride has the ability to change humans into animals, whole or partial, while Per's The Look has the ability to change people's appearance into one victim/target and sort of mindhive control them to imitate the original. Both Stands are used for a mass misdirection. Both Stand names are from songs by Roxette.
Then we have the Libero brothers. They are originally siblings of four but two are dead (there's a story behind that which I am yet to talk about...perhaps another time).
Uccelo Libero, the depressed-looking discount Mista whose Italian name I may have butchered, is the youngest of the siblings. His obscure Stand Stockholm Syndrome has the ability to manipulate the environment of the closed containment he is in. Meaning, if he is in a closed room, his Stand can change the environment of the room into any other place he wished. The top of a snowy mountain? The deep sea? The crater of a volcano? His imagination is the only limit. And whoever caught in the room will feel the effects of the change. So if the environment changes to underwater, people in the room can drown. Uccelo will feel the effects too but as the user, he can comprehend the space of original room and where certain objects are, making him a good candidate to distract and steal at the same time. To counter Stockholm Syndrome, one just have to open the door/window of the room.
Similarly, Mondo's Plug In Baby also manipulates the environment but more towards time. He can rewind his surroundings back to certain historical timeline from a second ago to decades back within a radius of 10m around him. His Stand is used mainly for observation and intel. Unlike Uccelo, he cannot interact with the changed environment. Both of these brothers' Stands are derived from Muse's songs.
(their two dead siblings also had Stands with inspiration to Muse, Panic Station and Space Dementia, but I am yet to expand on them...)
Last, but not least, Rosaline von Stroheim. Not a direct descendant of our beloved loud German soldier, but she's extended family, I suppose. Her Stand Feuer Frei has the ability to accelerate the speed of the objects it touches up to Mach 3 - more or less the speed of high power bullets and cannons. The object can be anything, from stones to everyday items to small animals. The objects won't be harmed or destroyed, but the impact is still the same as being shot at. Rosaline is mainly a backup offense in case a heist didn't go as planned. Her Stand's name, for obvious reasons, is a song by Rammstein.
Gah. I did not intend to expand my OCs like this. I only did Coppola Gatto as an enemy to Part 5 Hol Horse but hnngh now I have an extra 5 to think about......
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robin-in-the-library · 7 months
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what form of love do you embody?
Quiz. Got tagged by dearly beloved @cerbin-aen-feainn (how could you do this to me?) and am tagging, anyone who feels up for it.
Vittoria de’ Rucellai
love as tenderness
[ love as gentleness after a lifetime of cruelty ] when ocean vuong said "sometimes being offered tenderness feels like the very proof that you've been ruined" and when pablo neruda said "like a jar you housed the infinite tenderness and the infinite oblivion shattered you like a jar" and when anais mitchell wrote "all i've ever known is how to hold my own, and now i wanna hold you, too”
Lucia Sforza
love as being known
[ love is knowing all of someone and loving them anyway ] when tim kreider said "if we want the rewards of being loved we have to submit to the mortifying ordeal of being known" and when joe wright said "The idea that these two people know each other, knew each other when they first saw each other. That they recognized each other from their future" and when micah nemerever said "it was a relief and a horror to be known so perfectly"
Paolo
love as hunger
[ love as ravenous desire, love as something fragrant and home-built ] when florence welch said "we all have a hunger" and when jenny slate asked "who will come into my kitchen and be hungry for me?" and when violet trefusis wrote "I want you hungrily, frenziedly. passionately. I am starving for you..." and when anne carson asked "what are we made of but hunger and rage?"
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miralyk · 25 days
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love the drawings you've been making for desmond and alex, what's ghosts in the machine? first i see them crawling out of your screen and now everyone's angels devils or monsters, i don't know if i'm missing something!
ah man, think it's time to try to summarize everything and apologize LMAO;; ty for asking though, i should've made things less confusing! this will be a Pretty lengthy post for irl context/backstory and "actual au" info so be ready if you want to read everything!
(for starters, the title's just a pun on the philosophical phrase "ghost in the machine" interpreted Literally and taking inspiration from clay in ac revelations, since he Was a ghost in a machine and jokingly called "my guardian angel" by des, haha)
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the short version: basically, "ghosts in the machine" is what i've called the au(?) where i just doodle silly "artist talking to her art muse(s)" stuff like these kinds of comics instead w me,, the ""art muse"" is whatever i'm hyperfixated on (currently desmond, the assassin brotherhood as a whole, and alex/prototype lmao):
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the Full LONG version: when replaying prototype and ac awhile back, i also posted fanart on LOFTER (china’s local version of tumblr) and made a mainlander mutual/friend who drew fanart too, like her oc w the assassins in an animal shapeshifter 刺客信条乙女向 (assassin’s creed otome) au! as i’m vietnamese-american and she’s chinese, we use translators and send pictures/doodles to talk about the games and our days, and when i was replaying prototype, she started ac2 too and sent me this as commentary:
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from there, whenever we’d text or send pics/art, it became a running joke of sorts to also include our ""game companions"" like that fanfiction thing of “author’s note where the author and fictional characters comment on the situation and/or talk to each other”, and my doodles also became us or our computers being accompanied by them LMAO;; that’s pretty much the origin and setting of the particular doodles; just the daily shenanigans and art struggles of an artist (me and her) talking to their art muses (characters from special interests) haunting them and their computers
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as for the "supernatural" aspects, at some point desmond and alex got drawn an as angel and devil because i’ve had ridiculous “protected by a guardian angel” luck lately like surviving a car crash unharmed, they’re my favorites and associated with me, the motifs match the duo, etc, it's not really that deep and/or for a "Lore Reason";;
likewise, the brotherhood got drawn as ghosts to emphasize the “we/our computers are haunted by them” joke more, along with how my friend and i are both asian and used to like ghosts and ancestral worship casually being a part of our lives already LMAO (ig in the context of the au then, they’re basically desmond’s ancestral spirits disney-mulan-style that freeload off of his vietnamese protectee (me) for both spiritual veneration or "worship" like staying relevant in this modern age via fanart)
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for example, i'm also considering drawing like altair, ezio, connor, and edward as the vietnamese four holy beasts just to play around, things like that! there's no special lore reason aside from just personal thoughts and "oh that'd be fun to draw", they just thematically fit well being four prominent “legends” and being desmond's ancestors, etc,, haha
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at the end of the day, "ghosts in the machine" are just silly shenanigans of me drawing what's on my mind, from who/what i'm hyperfixated on (aka impromptu art muses for me), any thoughts/frustrations i have w daily life or drawing stuff,, and "hm this sounds cool, i could draw this design or Cool Thing" stuff. it's not really an au persay (plus i still really cringe and feel self-consciously wary about the embarrassing self-insert aspect of all this, help lmao), it’s just,, just silly personal scribblings that are kind of sharing an inside joke to everyone now, but i'm happy to know people still humor these silly drawings and are curious if there's more to it, thank you!
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t00thpasteface · 1 year
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some personal faves of the icon edits/crops i've made of my own art!! free to use with credit >:3 links to the originals:
ESO OC Em - Peach - Arwen
80s Azura - 80s Nerevar - AC2 Leo
Gatsby - Meridia - Data
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vvanessaives · 1 year
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wip wednesday whatever day
i was tagged by @girlbosselrond and @morvaris thank you both so much beloveds!!
i'm tagging @arklay @nuclearstorms @devilbrakers @faarkas @indorilnerevarine @risingsh0t @shepardgf @malefiicarum @weisshaupts @camelliagwerm @shadowglens @denerims @jacobseed and any other of my super cool writer mutuals mwah
i said i would bring back my ac2 oc and i did because sometimes it's nice to write about idiots that share your culture but. it's the year of our lord 2023 so like i deserve to be shot for this tbh
"May I know your name, then, my lady?"
"Indifference." She spared a reply, one word the best she could offer. Undoubtedly, and needlessly, haughty. Chin raised up by the pure force of her arrogance and eyes gaping as if possessed by the pompousness of her own reply. A posture deserving of a pretentious portrait. One of the kinds that carry the features of lords and ladies into history, painted with pretty tints and horrid fatigue on a fine, far more noble, linen canvas stained with the stench of their wealth until the end of times or ruin would come.
“My lady Indifference.” Palm resting above his heart and arm held out from his body, Ezio performed the caricature of a bow. “I feel I've caught your dislike, undeserved if you will, but in any case I apologize.” If it wasn’t for the grin tugging the corner of his mouth up and carrying the scar over his lips into a stretch as well, Ezio’s insincere honesty could’ve fooled an untrained eye. Truth is, arrogance could only be fought with akin approach, like mockery.
“What's a woman's name to you but another useless thorn in a rose? If I speak of it now, the wind would blow it away in less than a moment from your mind and from my lips.” Ginevra tilted her head to the side, studying the figure clad in white in front of her better, and a soft clunking of the pendants hanging to her lobes accompanied the movement. “Your fame precedes you.”
“And yours is unknown as far as I know.”
“How did you recognize me then?”
“Pearls.” He earnestly replied. “No one else wore them like you in Venice that day, much less now in Florence. But if you wish for an answer free of flattery…” his eyes lowered to the painter’s hands, taking one last peek for certainty “I'm sure you know that charcoal on white is incredibly easy to spot.”
Instinctively, fingertip met fingertip and began rubbing one another, spreading further the charcoal staining them. Frivolous surprise. Ezio managed to leave her wordless, that she could admit; but not for too long.
“And yet you have met me three times now, including today, but you neither remember nor know which one was the first."
“If you deemed me worthy of a name, I would never forget you again. On the contrary, I would even remember the past."
Whispers in Florence spoke of Ezio as a charmer, but Ginevra prefered to regard him as a satyr for his smile matched the creatures in mischievousness. Deceiving yet full of wit. Imminent trouble, they should call him.
“Beatrice.” She stated swiftly.
And a chuckle came as response. “Ask me to call you a liar then."
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acgames · 5 months
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Hi! So I have a question about your ocs, but idk if it's going to be a spoiler for the comic you're writing.
How much is Mira and Elio's presence going to change the canon of the main games? And if it does change, how do the modern day assassins (both canon and ocs) feel about those characters ?
Hello, thanks for the question and no problem! Feel free to always ask, no matter what, I will try to explain without spoiling too much and anyways writing Comics takes a lot of time, so until I will write some parts you and me both will most likely forget these discussions 😂
Now I am really glad you asked this, because as for my own fanon story, I actually plan not to change canon at all, instead to write my story in a way it clings to unchanged canon. I am going to be the one dancing around bonfire 🤣
I want to do so because my fanon stories of course won't be everyone's tea, but I want my stories to feel as extra content. I want people who love Assassin's Creed to be able to see my comics as extra content added in the spots where Ubisoft didn't give us much. Like... Optional DLC, so to say
However to answer your question, here are detailed explanations for both Mira and Elio and how they fit canon below:
Mira's story takes time long after events of AC1 but she (theoretically) exists in Altaïr's memories in Revelations, but because her existence or Altaïr's memories related to her had nothing to do with Ezio or Desmond, Mira doesn't appear in them (neither does Tazim).
Instead Mira and Tazim will have their own story about foiling 7th Crusade, happening roughly at the time Altaïr and Darim are defending Mesyaf from Mongols (I think it's like 4th Memory of Altaïr's in Revelations). In general Mira was busy with other things (or wasn't yet born) during glimpses of memories Ezio relived.
So she doesn't change canon. After Altaïr's death Mira's story will be completely custom, but Mira (and Flavio) will be used as some gap fillers in between so some parts of Ezio's story would make more sense. Don't want to spoil, but Mira and Flavio are what indirectly links Altaïr and Ezio.
Now Elio is bit more hard to explain, so bear with me.
As for Elio, while he is alive in AC2, Ezio doesn't discover he has a son for entirety of a game. Cristina simply never told him, because of her personal anger on Ezio for him constantly breaking her heart. Second reason was because at the time Elio was second male Auditore descendant alive and if Templars caught wind of it, Rodrigo Borgia would have had Elio assassinated for sure or used it to manipulate Ezio. Due to this Machiavelli never allowed Elio's parentage to be discovered and boy was raised in Rome by Cristina's distant family. So I guess, Elio's existance doesn't change how plot of AC2 went.
In events of Brotherhood, however, Elio is here in Rome. He joins assassins by being recruited by no one else than Ezio, they figure their connection, Elio helps his father move after failing Cristina. There's a lot of emotions and stuff. In short, Elio was here as one of the historic assassins, but the reason Desmond (and player) do not see Elio in Rome is because of Clay corrupting the memories.
Clay is Elio's descendant. Because of torments he survived while Abstergo tried to desperately read Ezio's memories through Clay, he used his tech knowledge and corrupted the file before taking his own life. Elio's memories, while proving to be useless to research Ezio's memories, still contained a lot of information Abstergo could have abused if they discovered those.
Not wanting this to happen, Clay corrupted the file. Some years later Lucy copied Ezio's memory card from Clay's old file, corruption carried over to Desmond's file. While Desmond could access Ezio's genetic memories through his ancestral connection through Flavia, Elio, as historic personality who existed, was erased from that file. Further in my own story Natalie (who is also Elio's descendand) relives Elio's memories and she discovers his interactions with Ezio.
As for Revelations, Elio does not appear because he stayed in Italy helping Claudia run Brotherhood (and later going to wild adventure with Ysabel to discover Mira's tomb). However once Clay sacrifices himself and gives all his memories to Desmond, Des gains uncorrupted memories of Elio existing on which Clay held to, but during events of AC3, Desmond has waaay more problems that to comprehend Elio's existance (and not being his descendand, Desmond never would be able to relive Elio's memories anyways)
So in general, no, Mira and Elio do not change canon storyline, their existence is just never known/discovered.
Also I am so so sorry it was so long... 😅
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tendebill · 2 months
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Asks: OPEN
Commissions: OPEN
Requests: CLOSED
other info: OC asks, art asks and general asks are always welcome, sometimes I do art requests for fandoms I'm in, DMs are open, but I might take a while to respond
current fandoms: Overwatch 2, Hazbin Hotel, AC2, (+ misc)
TAGS:
♦ #tendebill art - my art ♦ #tendebill ocs - my ocs ♦ #oc lore - oc ask responses, rants, lore, etc.
LINKS:
♦ Socials ♦ Commissions ♦ AO3 ♦ Ko-fi
FICS:
♦ The Painter and The Assassin - AC2 Ezio/Leonardo, published, unfinished, ON HIATUS (chapter 15 in progress) ♦ unnamed Reaper76 fic - unpublished wip (beta readers welcome)
thank you for reading :]
[updated: 11 II 2024]
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tkwritesdumbassassins · 6 months
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Tagged by @mirrorthoughts (thanks dude!)
Three Ships: Besides OC/CC ships like Trico, M!Ryder/Reyes (Mass Effect Andromeda), Shakarian (Mass Effect), and Geralt/Yennefer (The Witcher)
First Ship: gah you're going to make me think huh... uhm probably an OC/CC. But if I had to guess Percabeth (Percy/Annabeth) from Percy Jackson
Last Song: Hazel Eyes by Sabrina Jordan (courtesy of @redhairedmuses. Now I can't help but think of Percy, thanks.)
Last Movie: 65,
Currently Reading: Darker Shades of Magic by VE Schwab, and fics
Currently Watching: Youtube
Last Thing I Wrote: My roommate!AU has exploded into an AC1/AC2 retelling where Desmond's ancestral very much alive Uncle tracks him down across the ocean.
I tag: anyone!
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kisstheassassins · 4 years
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Assassin’s Creed 2-Brotherhood OC.
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Rosalina Aluino de Barichara.
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Pᴇʀsᴏɴᴀʟ
🌿 
Pʀᴏɴᴜɴᴄɪᴀᴛɪᴏɴ ; Rossa-Leena / Ah-Loo-Ee-No
Gᴇɴᴅᴇʀ ; Female
Aɢᴇ ; 17 when Ezio’s journey began in 1476, and is 37 by the time Brotherhood ends in 1503.
Bɪʀᴛʜ Dᴀᴛᴇ ; November 20th, 1459.
Oᴄᴄᴜᴘᴀᴛɪᴏɴ ; Assassin, thief.
Nᴀᴛɪᴏɴᴀʟɪᴛʏ ; Colombian.
Aᴄᴄᴇɴᴛ ; Latina.
Zᴏᴅɪᴀᴄ ; Scorpio
Hᴏᴍᴇ ; Current home is the Villa in Monteriggioni. While growing up it was in Barichara, Colombia. Once moved to Italy she lived with La Volpe as her mentor and step father in Rome.
Eᴅᴜᴄᴀᴛɪᴏɴ ;
Hᴏʙʙɪᴇs ; Horseback riding, swordsmanship, running, hand-to-hand combat. 
Hᴀʙɪᴛ﹙s﹚ ; Biting her lower lip, pacing when anxious, fighting impulse to give passing guards the bird.
Aᴅᴅɪᴄᴛɪᴏɴ﹙s﹚ ; None.
Pʜᴏʙɪᴀ﹙s﹚ ; Spiders.
🌿
Lᴏᴠᴇ Lɪғᴇ
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Sᴇxᴜᴀʟɪᴛʏ ; Straight.
Pᴀʀᴛɴᴇʀ; Ezio Auditore.
Pʀᴇғᴇʀʀᴇᴅ Pᴀʀᴛɴᴇʀ ; Ezio Auditore.
Pᴀsᴛ Lᴏᴠᴇʀs ; None.
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Rᴇʟᴀᴛɪᴏɴsʜɪᴘs
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Pᴀʀᴇɴᴛs ; James Aluino (father), Carmen Aluino (mother).
Sɪʙʟɪɴɢs ; None.
Cʜɪʟᴅʀᴇɴ ; Lola Auditore (daughter), Giovanni Auditore (son).
Friends ; Literally all of the assassins you see on screen. 
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Sᴇxᴜᴀʟ
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Pᴏsɪᴛɪᴏɴ ; Top but can switch.
Kɪɴᴋs ; Biting.
Tᴜʀɴ Oɴ﹙s﹚ ; Husked tones, deep voices, whispers.
Tᴜʀɴ Oғғ﹙s﹚ ; Brashness, being forceful.
🌿
Pʜʏsɪᴄᴀʟ
🌿
Hᴇɪɢʜᴛ ; 5′7″
Wᴇɪɢʜᴛ ; 163lbs.
Bᴜɪʟᴅ ; Athletic, toned.
Eʏᴇs Cᴏʟᴏᴜʀ ; Dark brown.
Hᴀɪʀ Cᴏʟᴏᴜʀ ; Dark brown, almost black.
Sᴋɪɴ ; Tan, caramel. 
Cʟᴏᴛʜᴇs ; Assassin robes mostly. Will wear light shirt and pants and knee boots if not on duty.
🌿
Aʙsᴛʀᴀᴄᴛ
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Lɪᴋᴇs ; New books, new weapons, new horse tack, Ezio. 
Lᴏᴠᴇs ; Reading, training, horse riding, her horse Nero, her friends, Ezio, carnivale.
Eɴᴊᴏʏs ; Watching sunsets and sunrises, horse rides, being near horses, being at the stables.
Sᴋɪʟʟᴇᴅ Aᴛ ; Swordsmanship, hand-to-hand combat, running, horse handling.
Pᴏsɪᴛɪᴠᴇ Aᴛᴛʀɪʙᴜᴛᴇ ; Quick thinking. 
Dɪsʟɪᴋᴇs ; The Borgia, animal cruelty, laziness. 
Hᴀᴛᴇs ; Large crowds, broken equipment, mistreated equipment, animal cruelty. 
Nᴇɢᴀᴛɪᴠᴇ Aᴛᴛʀɪʙᴜᴛᴇ ; Short tempered.
🌿
Exᴛʀᴀ
🌿
Pɪᴇʀᴄɪɴɢ﹙s﹚ ; Earrings in earlobes.
Tᴀᴛᴛᴏᴏ﹙s﹚ ; None.
Sᴄᴀʀs Oʀ Aɴʏ Pᴀsᴛ Iɴᴊᴜʀɪᴇs ; Scar over nose from enemy blade.
Pᴇᴛ﹙s﹚ ; Black Arabian named Nero.
Pᴇʀsᴏɴᴀʟɪᴛʏ ; Gets the job done, hard-headed, brash, somewhat patient, stubborn, straightforward, light footed, loyal, determined. 
Pᴀsᴛ ; She was pretty much born into the Brotherhood. Both parents were Assassins and they began her training when she was only 7. With Rosa being hard headed and determined as she is she began to see these sessions as goals, and that they had to be finished. She wanted to be strong, and to prove to everyone that she wasn't weak and that she could do things on her own.
Later on when she's older, about 10, her parents begin her history lessons about the Creed and their enemies, and why this is all so important to everyone and the world. Rosa gets frustrated with her studies but she is determined to finish and remember everything, and eventually she packs everything down. She's smart and knows her stuff.
However when she's 13 Templars invade her home and Rosa's parents get her out in time, telling her to seek her grandparents the town over. She runs, and turning back she sees her house in flames, and in her heart she knows that her parents are gone, most likely dead. The Templars do chase her, but thanks to her lessons and what she has learned she hides away easily and avoids them, blending in with the city crowds.
When she reaches her grandparents it's not long before Rosa realizes that by being here she endangers them. She decides she has to leave. Her grandparents tell her of a close family friend that would watch over her and continue her training as an Assassin, as he is one himself. Rosa sets sail with a guide to Rome, and seeks out a man named La Volpe in the countryside.
She arrives a week or more later and uses her skills to find where he is. However her asking around for him doesn't go unnoticed. La Volpe finds her first and immediately recognizes her, as her parents were close friends with him. He realizes that if she's here, then something bad must have happened. He takes her in and basically adopts her into his residence, and it's not long before he's continuing his training with her. He knows Spanish so he's able to teach her Italian as well along the way, as it would be much needed to live where they were.
Through more years of training and developing personal skills, Rosa finally meets the ither Assassin's in the other cities: Machiavelli, Bartolomeo, Paola, and even Giovanni Auditore. They mentor her when they can, giving advice and even attending some sparring sessions and tests for Rosa, to see if she is ready to take the oath or not. It was through her friendship with Giovanni she met his family while on a mission in Florence. And so began her relationship with them.
Age 17, she's taken the pledge/oath of an Assassin, training now completed. She makes frequent visits to Florence since she works at the stables for some side money, wanting to make a somewhat honest living about acquiring money and not just by stealing it. She likes to work anyways, keep herself busy.
With the job she had she was frequently visited by Giovanni and his family, as they grew curious of their friendship at first. Once they visited Rosa more often with Giovanni they would come to her on their own. And Rosa had to report to Giovanni as well when she was on missions in Florence.
Upon hearing the death of Giovanni and his two sons she steps in to help Ezio get his family out of the city, and hunt down those who harmed his family, and those behind it. Thus began her relationship with Ezio.
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eivor-basim · 3 years
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assassin's creed 2
dedicated to @ezioauditore-s. happy birthday nat!
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nemo-in-wonderland · 2 years
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Assassin Lucia Barbarigo
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(as usual, click on the pictures to get a better view of the details, Tumblr fucks up with the resolution every single time 🙄)
So.
DID I SAY THAT I WOULDN'T DO MANY DETAILS??
DIDN'T I SAY THAT???
Well, it appears I was lying to myself lol.
Because I ended up adding even more details! 😂😂😂
Allow me to present what came out of yesterday night shenanigans!
So, as promised yesterday night, I will now also explain what I was thinking while creating an Assassin robe for Lucia, if she were to belong to the Brotherhood of Venice. (buckle up because it's going to be long . Also, @datnovice I am taking the occasion to answer your ask here too <3).
First of all, the colours: as much as I love Ezio's and the Italian Brotherhood robes, with their pristine whites and splashes of red, I wasn't sure that something like that could actually work on Lucia. I sketched up something and worked with the palette, but I have to be honest, it didn't win me over. So, instead of going for the canonical route, I decided to dig deeper into Lucia's personality and create a robe that would actually represents her, something that would make her immediately recognizable (at least to me).
Because of how dutiful and loyal she is to her family, I decided that, even if Lucia were to follow the path of the Brotherhood, she would still render homage to her family and honour them. Hence, why I decided to use the colours of House Barbarigo, namely golden and blue. However, instead of going for a bright blue and yellow, I went with the dulled green-blue that her father Agostino wore during the Venice segment of AC2.
As you can see, I used two different kind of yellows, a paler one for the hems and a more saturated one for the small beads sewn all around her outfit: the more saturated one is still a connection to House Barbarigo, while the paler one was a tribute to Dogessa Isabella Isonzo, who favoured yellow as a colour (at least from the research I conducted. Unfortunately, the sources are scarce in relation to Madonna Isabella).
So, her palette signals that she is one of the Figlie della Laguna (as Venetian refers to the Doge's daughters in my own stories).
However, because she is an Assassin and belongs to the Brotherhood, I decided to include the typical white in her shirt and the bright red with her sash. Inspired by Ezio's robes and the Italian Brotherhood various Assassins', I gave her the typically layered "skirt", so to speak (yay for layering. Such a pain to draw! 😂😂😂😂)
As you can notice, I gave her jacket and her skirt a sort of "quilted" rhomboidal pattern, and that was done for two reasons: the first one, to connect Lucia once more to Agostino Barbarigo (if you look at all the Barbarigos 3D models in AC2, they all have that sort of pattern on their sleeves); the second reason is mostly a call back to my favourite mask from the Italian Commedia dell' Arte, there is to say, Arlecchino. Historically speaking, the Commedia dell'Arte is a form of theater born in Italy during the XVI century, so, a little later compared to when Lucia was alive. BUT, because Lucia adores the Carnevale (and because I decided to take some liberties), I gave her the rhomboidal pattern with two different colours as nod to Arlecchino.
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Here you can see a picture of Arlecchino from a XIX Century Print, sourced from Wikipedia.
Her Hidden Blade, instead, is not a normal Hidden Blade, but one that she stole from her first kill, one of the Corvi of Sirus Faverus in Rome (but that's a story for another time, in an AU where Federico is a Templar and Lucia became an Assassin to bring him back home to her and his family);
The Pin at her neckline is a Moon, a twin to the pin of the Sun that Federico carries with him all the time, and that they have exchanged with each other, since they are each other Moon and Sun. (cheesy, I know, IDC lolol).
Lastly, all the beads sewn around her vest: they are a callback to my very own first Artwork that I did of Lucia, in her Constellation gown and they represent all the stars in the firmament! Well, that was all!
I hope you will like this!! <3 I know I had fun with it!
--Nemo
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Spring of Dance and Dreaming
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Pairing: Federico Auditore/Lucia Barbarigo Word count: 6878 Warnings: None.
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“Run! Ezio! We are late, maremma maiala !” screamed Federico as he climbed a small balcony, his voice loud enough that his younger brother could actually hear him. “Il Doge has no patience for the two of us as it is! We don’t need to add ‘being late’ to that!”
“Sicuro come l’Inferno , he hasn’t! But I am not the one smooching his daughter in some secluded corners of the calli, now, am I?”
The eldest Auditore rolled his eyes with a grin, as he managed to climb over the roof of the house.
"But he doesn't know about that!"
"Are you kidding? That man knows everything that goes on in the lagoon!” Ezio said, gripping at the edge of the roof.
Federico took him by the arm and helped him over.
“Well...hopefully not everything,” he chuckled, slightly out of breath.
Suddenly, the sound of ringing bells invaded the air.
Both brothers stopped for a moment to count the strokes.
“Merda, Federico, the Campanile is ringing the Nona!”
“Damn!” the oldest of the two bellowed, starting to run again. “How did we end up being so late?”
“You should tell me! You insisted on playing cards and drinking until we were well in the dead of the night!” rebutted the younger man, surpassing his brother with a flip and grinning at him as they jumped together on one of the roofs in front of them. “Got the moon in your blood?”
Federico grimaced from underneath the hood. “Something of that sort,”
He then focused again on the track ahead of him, carefully finding nooks and ledges to grip upon, his mind racing with him.
Ezio had a point.
It had been his fault for keeping both of them up late.
And even after his younger brother had bid him good night and left him to his own thoughts, he hadn’t been able to find the peace of heart to lay down and rest. Each time he had tried to close his eyes, Lucia’s sweet smiling face would appear, and he would find himself even more awake than before.
She hadn’t been at the banquet the previous night. Or the night before that, for that matter.
No sign of her anywhere.
He had waited for what had seemed like hours, drinking and dancing and chatting with people he barely remembered meeting, hoping to just deafen his thoughts.
Whenever he had seen a lady genteel clad in blue making her way in the room, his heart would leap in his chest, only for it to be crushed at the realization that the woman wasn’t who his soul yearned to see.
Then, the Barbarigos had shown up.
But when Federico had seen Fiammetta, with her auburn hair and intriguing face, and Gemma, with her dark eyes and coquettish smile, accompanied as they were by their older brother Francesco, he hadn't been able to stop the grimace on his face.
He had done his best to hide the profound disappointment he had felt, even when Gemma had insisted on dancing with him all evening.
He had complied as he always did, ever the charming gentleman, and had danced around with the beautiful eldest daughter of the Doge, as if nothing was wrong and his whole heart wasn’t in disquiet.
But questions upon questions had started to pile up in his mind, especially after Gemma’s “not-so-subtle” remark about her sister.
"Oh, you know how Lucia is, Messer Federico," she had giggled, twirling in his arms. "Give her a book, and she will forget about the entire world. She hadn’t given the ball a second thought, not even when I told her that you and Ezio would be here,”.
Federico frowned at the memory, as he climbed a wall effortlessly, his hands finding holds to grip on with the ease given by years of experience.
He did know that Lucia loved to spend her days reading books upon books.
But he couldn’t believe that she had chosen not to participate at the feast, knowing that he would be there, knowing that they could finally meet again and share a dance together.
Not after the kisses that had happened between them.
Finally finding himself at the edge of the roof, he positioned himself to jump into a haystack beneath him but stopped in his tracks when a thought hit him, a second before the leap.
His eyes widened.
Was she...avoiding him? Because of those kisses?
An uneasiness started to creep up the back of his neck.
Maybe she had second thoughts? No, it couldn’t be that, he tried to reason with himself.
He knew that surely there was a motivation for her not showing up.
Taking a deep breath, he extended his long arms, and without fear, let his weight bring him down in the empty air, his eyes closing as he landed on his back in the hay.
“Look!” he heard Ezio saying, as he got out of the cart with a smooth movement. “Piazza San Marco is just over there.”
Federico reached for his brother, plucking away some stray hay that still lingered against the heavy fabric of his cape, but his keen eyes immediately trained directly to where the old square was.
Lowering his eyelids, he tapped into that sense that always allowed him to see beyond the thin veil of reality. When he opened them again, the whole world had fallen in a familiar penumbra that enveloped everything but the people around him, who instead were blazing like a kaleidoscope of colours; some green, some pearly white, none of them red, fortunately.
“Oh, yes, Federico, make sure to meet Lucia like that. It will not scare her out of her wits at all.” he heard Ezio behind him, chuckling.
He turned to look at his brother, showing his golden eyes in full.
“Just like it did the first time you have seen them, fratellino?”
“As if,” he scoffed. “I was playing along!”
“Sure you were. And you crying in Mother’s arms all night that a wolf spirit had taken possession of me? That was also you playing along, right?”
"It was a jest!"
"Sure it was, Ezio,"
Ezio rolled his eyes, annoyed. “I was six, Federico!”
“Claudia was younger than that when she saw them the first time. Petruccio as well,”
Blushing, Ezio snorted. “Yes! I get the point! Weren’t you busy looking for the Barbarigos?”
“Awhoooo,” howled Federico, chuckling, despite the uneasiness he felt in his chest at the mention of the Venetian family.
Once more, he turned his head toward the square, and after skimming through the crowd, his eyes were trained toward a group of green figures walking under one of the porches of the Palazzo Ducale.
He immediately recognized the Doge’s immense figure and his wife, the Dogessa Isabella Soranzo, ever virtuous; their son Francesco and daughters Lavinia, Gemma and Fiammetta were all walking ordinately behind them; at their side were Federico and Ezio’s own parents, Maria and Giovanni, immersed in conversation with the leader of the Republic, and just behind them, gentle Petruccio and Claudia, busy talking with the children of the Doge..
All of them engulfed in green.
All of them allies.
But the golden aura he expected to see engulfing the very one his heart desired was nowhere to be seen.
“Merda,” he muttered through gritted teeth.
“Elusive as a cat this girl of yours, eh, fratellone?” Ezio chuckled. But when he turned to look at his brother, he saw disquiet in his golden eyes, all the previous joviality gone. “You alright?”
Federico didn’t answer right away, the knot in his stomach becoming tighter by the second.
Gemma had assured him that Lucia would be present. She had guaranteed him that she herself would make sure her younger sister was to meet with him and his family that day.
And yet again, there was no trace of her.
He narrowed his eyes, grimacing, as he looked at the beautiful blonde woman, laughing at something her brother had just said.
He couldn't stop thinking about Gemma's words, the previous night, and that mischievous, cruel light in her dark eyes when she had told him that Lucia hadn't given him a second thought.
Something deep within his soul told him they were not true.
He knew Lucia.
And he knew that she would never avoid him on purpose
She may have not told him that she loved him yet, but he knew she did love him.
The way she always looked at him and smiled, as if he were the Sun at dawn, appearing on the horizon to bring light and life to the world;
The way her voice always seemed to tremble when she dared to call him by his first name, whenever she let her emotions through;
It was all there.
Unspoken, yet as loud as a song.
“I need to check on Lucia," he murmured, pulling his beaked-shaped hood on his golden eyes.
"Do you want me to cover for you?"
Federico pondered for a moment, duty and heart fighting their eternal battle.
"Father will not be pleased," he then said.
"And neither will you if you don't see your Tortorella ," Ezio said, not unkindly. "Besides, I'd rather listen to Father's rant than yours.'Oh, Lucia, Lucia, why have thou forsaken me, mia bella Lucia?'" Ezio said, mocking his older brother, an affectionate light in his dark eyes.
"You are insufferable, fratellino," grinned Federico.
"But I am also right," he chuckled. "Father will understand. You'll see. We'll meet later on,"
Federico smiled and patted his brother's shoulder in an affectionate gesture.
"I owe you one,"
"Yes, you do. Now go!"
Federico nodded and then turned on his heels, running in the opposite direction of Piazza San Marco, his destination Dorsoduro, the district where Lucia's home was.
*****
«Amor, ch’al cor gentil ratto s’apprende,                                 
« Love, that on gentle heart doth swiftly seize,
prese costui de la bella persona                                             
Seized this man for the person beautiful
che mi fu tolta; e ‘l modo ancor m’offende.                             
That was ta'en from me, and still the mode offends me.
Amor, ch’a nullo amato amar perdona,                                     
Love, that exempts no one beloved from loving,
mi prese del costui piacer sì forte,                                           
Seized me with pleasure of this man so strongly,
che, come vedi, ancor non m’abbandona.                                 
That, as thou seest, it doth not yet desert me;
Amor condusse noi ad una morte.                                             
Love has conducted us unto one death;
Caina attende chi a vita ci spense» . 
Caïna waiteth him who quenched our life!"»
Lucia sighed, her own heart clenching in her chest as she read those words.
“Condemned to travel through a fiery storm for the rest of their life, with no power to do anything, guilty of the sin of loving each other, more than life itself...now, that does sound familiar,” she mused, when a sad grimace appeared on her face, “But at least they were together in that eternity.”
The young woman lowered her book against her breast, her sorrowful hazel eyes looking up toward the immense pristine vault of the sky.
That morning she had feigned sudden indisposition, and decided to remain home.
Despite the guilt she had felt for lying to her dear father and mother, she had to do so.
She didn’t have any will to go to mass with her sisters, just so Lavinia could try and push her to talk with Tiziano again.
No matter how much her older sister thought that he was "the perfect match" for Lucia, no matter how much she praised his virtues and noble blood and his good looks, she didn’t harbour in her heart any feelings that might even resemble the vestige of love.
She couldn't bring herself to fancy that man, who was almost twenty years her senior and whose only redeeming quality in her eyes was the fact that he was silent most of the time.
Not when all of that she was, all that she had ever been, yearned for another man.
“Federico Auditore,” she beamed, her voice a low murmur.
How even just the sound of his name was so sweet to her heart!
Sitting upright, she brought her knees against her chest, wrapping them with her arms and hiding her lovesick eyes from the world.
She couldn’t help her soul from yearning for him, as the soil yearned for the gentle rain during the blazing summer days.
How could she, when each one of her thoughts was for him and him alone? When, whenever she sat at her balcony, scouring the roofs around her, she hoped to see him climb up the walls and visit her? Or, she thought blushing, when she closed her eyes at night and her memories would always find their home in those hidden kisses they had shared together?
What would she give to meet him again!
But God had other plans for me, she thought, grimacing.
She had waited all week for that planned meeting with the Auditores, spending each night thinking about what she would wear, what she would say to Federico, almost rehearsing so that she would not fumble with her words.
She had almost been caught by Gemma and Francesco, but when she had quickly said that she was castigating Martino, her cat, for ruining her sash, they seemed to believe her.
And so, that very morning at dawn, after a night of restless sleep, she had woken up to prepare herself for the blessed Saturday ahead of her, when she would finally see his smile, hear his voice...hopefully share a secret kiss again.
Then Gemma had come in, just before they were bound to break their fast, and bore the news to her that the Auditores siblings would not be present that day without so much as an explanation, only to proceed to tell her, in great detail, how she had spent the whole evening before in their company; how she had danced with Federico in his strong arms because he had requested for her to be with him that evening, how she had shared with him the same meal and the same goblet of wine, laughing and smiling together.
“But you told me he would not be there, Gemma!” she remembered saying in a daze, her heart threatening to break.
“I know, sorellina! So, you can imagine my surprise when I saw him arrive, as handsome as Apollo himself,” Gemma had murmured, smiling that radiant smile that made her look like an angel.
A fallen one, Lucia had thought, but kept it for herself.
“Aww, don’t be so sad, ‘Cia,” Gemma had said, kissing her cheek and grinning at her when she saw her frown. “There will be many other balls to attend to. Besides, Tiziano as well wasn’t there, so you truly didn’t have any reason to be at the ball anyway. You know,” she had whispered then, her smile widening even more. “If I play my cards right, I might become an Auditore before the end of summer!”
Lucia had felt all air leaving her stomach, as if those words had the power to physically hurt her, the bitter bile burning the back of her throat.
She had to excuse herself from the room, her disappointment far too great to be concealed to her ever-knowing sister.
Martino nuzzled against her cheek, snapping her out of her memories and eliciting a sad smile on her lips.
"I miss him so much, Martino, and I know you do too," she whispered, caressing the small furry head. "I just wish father would see sense, and at least consider the possibility of a union between me and Federico, rather than one with Gemma,"
She knew the feasibility of something like that happening was slim, what with Gemma constantly singing the praises of the eldest of the Auditores’ siblings to their father, her interest in him so evident Lucia always felt sick in the stomach by it.
All that let her keep faith was the fact that Agostino Barbarigo rarely listened to Gemma and her flights of fancy, knowing that his eldest daughter was prone to let her heart wander and knowing that, as the oldest daughter of the Doge, she would most likely end up becoming the wife of a Sforza or a Badoer rather than a signorotto of a minor noble house from Firenze.
“But what if, this time around, he will listen to her, Martino?” She murmured, picking the cat in her arms and hugging him tight against her chest, trying to find whatever comfort she could in his soft purring. “What if they are to become man and wife under God?”
It was true, their father had been grumbling all week about “those Auditores boys always buzzing around his family”, always acting annoyed by the constant attentions of the three young men toward his daughters.  But Gemma was already past the age to be married, so what if he would actually seize the opportunity and join their House with the Auditores’ through his eldest child?
A cold shiver ran down her spine, despite the warm sun of May blazing in the sky.
“That will not come to pass,” she murmured, the flame of anger engulfing her heart. “Not if I have to take all the courage I have and declare all I feel for Federico to my family,”
She would not give up on her love for him.
She will never give up on her love for him.
“I will make a fool of myself in front of all of Piazza San Marco, if necessary,” she whispered to her cat, who raised his head to look at her with his big yellow eyes. He mewled as if to answer her. “And if...If he were to love me back, I would have a priest marry us in secret! You just wait and see, Martino!”
She was the youngest one among her sisters and everyone always thought of her as the meekest one, the complacent one, the forgettable one.
Her father constantly praised her for her rectitude and exemplary moral conduct, something that grated her nerves more than she was willing to admit.
She was more than just that.
Brushing a wayward dark hair behind her ear, standing up with a fluid movement while kissing the top of Martino’s head with tenderness.
“Such a virtuous daughter I am,” she sighed. “Spending my days dreaming about being kissed by a man I can't be with, instead of devoting myself to my studies...”
But he had kissed her. He had.
"And such a sweet kiss at that, Martino!" She giggled, letting the sweetness of that memory wash all over her, as she started to walk around her garden on the fresh grass, uncaring that it might stain the edges of her skirt. “I never knew a man could have lips so soft!”
The cat looked at her with an unfazed gaze, unimpressed.
“Oh, come now! A little enthusiasm, for my sake?” she asked, bopping his little black nose with her finger, as she reached her favourite tree, the colorful magnolia. She leaned against the trunk, gazing at the beautiful flowers that dangled around her in a beautiful curtain. “You are the only one I can tell all of this! The only one that truly knows how much I love him!”
Ignoring her once more, the cat raised his black head and trailed on her shoulder, in order to climb on one of the branches of the tree.
"What did you see, fuzzball?" she chuckled, not moving until the cat was gone.
She heard a meow and the soft rustle of leaves. “Yes, Yes, I got it. Leave me here all alone with my flight of fancy and go and enjoy your birds, you adorable canaja!”
“I must say, I’ve been called many things in my life, but ‘adorable canaja’ is a first,” a low voice said back.
Lucia’s eyes widened, her head snapping in the direction where the sound came from.
She found him immediately.
Nestled between the branches of the magnolia, with Martino purring against his chest, was Federico Auditore himself, his eyes gleaming in golden light and a small smile on his face.
“Buon Dio, Messer Auditore!” Lucia screamed, jumping on her spot, her heart racing up in her chest. The Assassin leaped down the branches, landing on light feet in front of her. ”What are you doing here?...what happened to your eyes?”
He closed his eyelids for a fraction of a moment, and the gold was soon replaced by his usual dark brown.
Lucia sucked in a sharp breath.
“Is this magic? How did you do that?” suddenly furrowing her brows, she dared to bring her hands to his face, uncaring of her own timidity. “Did it hurt? Are you hurt?”
Federico couldn’t help the grin that spread on his lips at that soft touch. It took all his strength not to lean against her small palms and cover them in kisses.
“No, Madonna Lucia. It didn’t hurt me at all. You can say I was born this way. Ezio too.”
“You...were born with the eyes of an owl?” she asked, relieved to know that he wasn’t in any pain. A wide smile appeared instead: she had always loved owls. “Can you see through the night just like them? Oh, aspettate! Is this the reason you can jump from roof to roof without any effort?”
Forgetting about the sudden scare, her voice was filled with excitement. She had never seen anything like that in her life. “I wouldn’t say ‘without any effort’, but yes. Something of that sort,” he chuckled, lowering his eyes when he felt Martino pushing his head against his chest, demanding attention. “Hello to you too, bischero,” he murmured, caressing the cat under his chin.
Lucia smiled in front of that sight: there was something so endearing in seeing such a big man like him being so gentle and kind toward an animal.It filled her heart with such sweetness and made her forget about everything else that had happened ever since the prior night.
"I'm sorry I scared you, Mia Signora," Federico said, letting the cat go up the tree again.
When he turned around, though, his eyes widened, as he looked at her with greater attention.
“You really should start using the door to access the garden, Messer Auditore! You will kill me with fear one of these days!” she reprimanded, not unkindly, her smile so wide on her face she radiated pure joy to show him that she wasn’t angered.
There was a small pause, as she saw his eyes trailing from her face down toward her body, his gaze caressing her in a way she had never seen him do before.
“You will kill me by looking like that, Lucia,” Federico finally whispered, his breath hitching in the back of his throat.
The young woman’s heart stopped in her chest: was she looking hideous? Her hair not styled as neatly as usual? Her gown smudged and stained by the grass or Martino’s little paws?
Her thoughts stopped in their tracks, her eyes widening.
Lucia’s face grew red with embarrassment when she suddenly remembered.
Her gown
She wasn’t donning any gown, just the sleeveless chemise she wore to sleep.
Oh no.
OH NO!
“Madre di Dio! I-I need to go back inside,” she fumbled, bringing her arms in front of her chest, trying to protect her modesty as much as she could. She wanted to drown in the canal that bordered her house.
But before she could actually flee, she felt his big warm hand wrapping around her arm, gentle but firm.
“Lucia, don’t...please,” he asked, his voice low, almost pleading. “If you go, Il Signore soltanto knows if you’d come back to me,”
“But...” she whispered, “I cannot stay as I am now!”
Without skipping a beat, Federico soon started to unhook the buttons of his doublet and untie his blue cape.
“Oh, Santissima Madre di Dio!” she squealed, turning to face the other way. “Messer Auditore, have you truly come here to cause my death? I don’t think it’s appropriate for you to take off your clothes! What if one of the servants were to see us?”
She kept her eyes averted, trying to focus on the rustling sound of the fabrics, instead of the patch of his bare skin that she had inadvertently just seen. Her cheeks prickled, the red spreading from her face to her neck as her thoughts ran free to all the times she actually had imagined him without garments, kissing that bare skin while being held in his arms.
“I don’t think it’s inappropriate for a man to help preserve the modesty of the woman he admires the most,” Federico murmured, covering her bare shoulders with his blue cape. “Besides, this magnolia is thick enough that no one would see us here! And I am only taking my cape off, not all of my clothes,” although God only knows how much I’d want to take off the rest, both mine and yours, amore mio, he mused, a pool of fire litting up in his belly. But the thought never passed his lips.
His hands lingered on her arms for a moment longer than necessary, and he felt his heart in throat, his eyes wandering unrestrained, fully taking in all that she was.
It took all his willpower not to pull her against him and clutch her against his chest, to turn that sweet face he dreamt so often and cover it in kisses, finally letting out all he felt in his soul and that he constantly had to keep secluded.
“Besides, blue compliments you the most, mia cara Signora,"He cleared his throat, trying to distract himself from those thoughts, knowing all too well where they would bring him.
Lucia lowered her head to hide her burning face, focusing her hazel eyes on the cape now wrapped around her torso, how soft it was, her heart skipping a beat when she thought that it had been on his shoulder for all that time. She brought it against her face, almost an indirect caress of its owner against her skin.
“It is such a beautiful garment, Messer Auditore,” she murmured, before looking into his eyes once again. “But I have to say, I never thought you’d favour blue, of all colors.”
“I don’t,” he whispered back, a twinkle in her eyes. “But this cape holds a meaning that goes much deeper than mere aesthetics.”
Furrowing her eyebrows, she looked once more, her gaze focusing on what was embroidered on it with golden threads.
Her eyes widened at the needlework.
“Il Leone di San Marco...Il Simbolo della Serenissima,” she breathed, her mouth agape. “But…why?”
He took a deep breath, his dark eyes growing softer.
“it’s where my heart has found its home, Lucia,”
A chasm opened in her stomach, a cold feeling invading her body.
Oh no.
Please, God, no.
“Venezia?” she asked tentatively. She couldn’t bear to hear his lips utter her sister’s name.
“You could say so,” He chuckled, giving her his brightest smile. “One of the Figlie della Laguna has decided to keep me here with her, apparently,” he joked, his voice warm with love.
Lucia paused, her hands trembling.
“Shouldn’t you be with her, then?” she asked, swallowing hard. “Why did you come here? My family is in Piazza San Marco. Gemma is there.”
Confusion appeared in Federico’s dark eyes. What had Gemma to do with that?
“Yes, I know. I was there not long ago. But you weren’t, Lucia?  Just like you weren’t at the ball yesterday and I... well, I have been waiting all week to finally meet you again, properly…officially. Why weren’t you there?
“You wanted to see me?” she asked, incredulous. “But Gemma said-”
But she stopped, unable to continue.
Could it have all been a misunderstanding? An honest mistake?
She bit her lip.
Gemma had said that Federico had asked her to dance with him all evening, though, and as much as she wanted not to believe her, she didn’t want to think of her sister as a liar. And now she didn’t want to put Gemma in a bad light in front of Federico either.
She might not like her as much as she should and they might not be as close as she wished to, but Gemma was still her sister, and she couldn’t calumniate her like that, not in front of Federico.
So, she kept her silence, fighting the impulse to hide her face in her hands.
Federico’s smile disappeared in front of her reaction, a chill of fear running down his spine.
Could it truly be that she was avoiding him?
“Gemma said that you were too busy reading. That you haven’t given the fact that I would be there a second thought and chose not to come.” he blurted out before he could stop himself, the disappointment in his voice palpable. "Is that true? You didn't want to see me?"
Lucia’s head snapped toward him.
“What? No! That’s a lie! Gemma told me that you would not be there, and that’s the only reason I decided to not participate!” her voice was higher than she intended to. Wringing her hands against her chest, she took a deep breath.
She raised her eyes, looking at him most earnestly.
“This morning, while I was getting ready to finally meet you, Gemma told me all about the ball, and how she had danced with you all night. She told me she was surprised to see you arrive,” her voice broke, unable to utter the rest of what her sister had told her. “She also told me that you wouldn’t be present today, because you were otherwise preoccupied.”
Federico’s stare darkened.
“Lucia, aspettate,” he said, gently posing one of his hands on her arm, trying to contain his anger toward Gemma for Lucia's sake. “Did Gemma tell you that she didn’t know I would be at the ball? Did she tell you those exact words?”
The younger woman nodded, her big hazel eyes silently pleading him to believe her.
“Lucia...your sister knew that I would be present. She had sent messages all week to both me and Ezio, to tell us that she couldn’t wait to meet us there.” he caressed her soft cheek when he saw a stray tear escaping her eye. “Your sister has lied to both of us,” he said, his voice a low growl of ire.
He had seen that kind of behaviour before: sister against sister, brother against brother, and wasn’t surprised by it. He had learned long ago that the love they showed to one another in his family was not the norm.
But, he hated to see those duplicitous games unfold in Lucia’s family, especially if they were the cause for her tears.
“Why?” She then asked, her voice trembling. “Why would she lie to me? Does she love you so much that she would just hurt her own blood for it?”
Federico scoffed at that affirmation. “One thing I know about your sister is that she doesn’t love me. At all. She loves the prestige that comes with my family’s name, that comes from knowing that my father is close to Il Magnifico in Firenze. She is in love with the lifestyle she would have by marrying into my family. But, Lucia, Gemma doesn’t love me.”
Lucia pursed her lips, feeling her heart throbbing in her ears, as she tried to find the courage to utter the words she needed to say.
She could face her sister’s lies another time.
Now she needed to hear the truth that would either make her sing with joy or break her heart beyond the possibility of redemption.
“And...and what about you, Messer Auditore?” she whispered, her voice trembling. “Do you…” she gulped. ” Do you love her?”
Federico couldn’t help the small chuckle that left his lips.
“God no, Lucia. I don’t. I never had and I never will. She is not the one I want by my side. Not today, not ever!” he murmured. “No, the one that I want has her adorable nose always buried in her book. I do wonder, from time to time, that if I were to don Messer Alighieri’s garments, maybe she would notice me.”
He gave her a smile and a mischievous wink.
Lucia didn’t realize she was holding her breath until she let it all out, feeling blood rushing in her cheeks again. Could it be…?
“Then...who is this Figlia della Laguna that has taken your heart, if you don’t mind me asking?" She said, the corners of her mouth rising up with just a tiny hint of impishness.
Federico’s heart skipped a bit at that sight. He took a step closer to her, cradling her face in his hands, his eyes so filled with warmth and love Lucia couldn't help but sigh.
His lips found hers, brushing tentatively at first, then more secure, when he saw her yielding to him, so willing to get lost in him, just as much as he was to get lost in her.
"Who do you think it is, Lucia?" He murmured between each little peck he gave her.
Lucia's hands found their way to his robe, balling it in her fists, while he closed the distance between them, gently pulling her against his chest as he leaned against the trunk of the tree to support both of them.
"Maybe...maybe Lavinia?" She giggled, when she felt his lips trailing on her neck and giving her a playful kiss where her pulse was.
"Mmm...not really my type," he chuckled, nipping at the skin. "As I said, I am partial to a woman who happens to adore her books more than anything…"
He kissed her nose.
"...with hazel eyes..."
He kissed her closed eyelids.
"...cheeks constantly on fire, because she is always blushing just by hearing the sound of my voice..."
He kissed both of them reverently, before trailing back to her lips, brushing his against hers once more.
"...and a heart as big as the whole Laguna…Does she sound familiar to you?
“She does. And she sounds like a disaster,” She giggled, hiding her face against his chest.
“More like a little too busy spending her time with Messer Virgilio and Messer Alighieri,” he chuckled, kissing the top of her head. “Soon, I might have to challenge them to duel for your attention and your heart, mia Signora,”
Lucia chortled at that.
“I am quite sure that you’d have the upper hand anyway, Messer Auditore. You always had it.”
“Did I?” he asked, brushing a wayward lock of hair away from her face.
“Yes.” She raised her head, and took a deep breath, calling upon all the courage she had in her heart.
But looking into his dark eyes, so beautiful, so gentle, so full of love -because now she had no doubt, he loved her- she found the strength to utter those words she always only whispered against her pillow at night.
“I love you, Federico.”  she whispered, her cheeks burning. “I have loved you since the first time you have barged in this garden.”
A warm smile spread on the young man's lips, and unable to stop himself he took her face in his hands and dived to kiss her deeply, the happiness he felt impossible to be contained.
“So,” he murmured, when he broke the kiss, “It truly appears that I don’t have to compete with Messer Alighieri for your affections, since you finally called me ‘Federico’?” She giggled, brushing her nose against his. “I told you: you never had to. Were you willing to claim it, this disaster of heart that I have is yours until the day it beats his last beat. I am a woman of my word,”
He tightened his hold around her, peppering her face with kisses.
“Disaster or not, amore mio, it’s mine to claim, the only one I dream so often about, sometimes I don’t know what’s real and what’s just fantasy,”
“Perhaps…” she whispered with a smile, burying her face in his chest. She blushed at herself for what she was about to say. “…Some of these days we could...make these dreams of yours a reality?”
Picking up her courage, she kissed the small patch of bare skin that peaked through the linen of the robes, wrapping her arms around his waist, feeling the pulse of his heart against her lips.
He closed his eyes at that touch, a shiver of pleasure running down his spine.
“Is my tortorella suggesting what I think she is suggesting?” he choked a little on his words, pulling her close in his embrace, and kissing the top of her head, trying as he might to calm the fire within him.
But she didn’t answer out loud, her eyes speaking the wish that wouldn’t not pass beyond her lips.
Federico brushed one finger beneath her chin, tilting her head so that she would look at him,
“I love you, Lucia,” he said in a hushed voice, the last words he spoke.
He kissed her so deeply like he had never done before, both their hearts running in their chests like wild horses in a wide prairie.
His lips trailed down her jaw, sweet kisses, soft kisses, as delicate as feathers, his fingers fumbling with the lace that held her chemise close, protecting her modesty.
They couldn’t wait any longer. They didn’t want to wait any longer.
But before they could go any further, Martino landed on Federico’s shoulder, startling them both and bringing them back to reality.
“Martino!” exclaimed Lucia, trying to muffle a laugh behind her hand, when she saw Federico’s annoyed face.
“I swear,” he grumbled, taking the cat by his scruff. “If I didn’t know how much Lucia loves you, pissero, I would have already given you to Ezio to make a hat out of you!”
At the sound of the younger Auditore’s name, the cat hissed.
Lucia took him in her arms for a moment, soothing him. “Don’t listen to him, mio Martino. He wouldn’t dare,” she grinned.
She looked at Federico, his flushed face a sight to behold, and felt an ache deep within her, something she wasn’t sure she’d be able to quench.
Letting her cat down, she soon found herself in the Assassin's arms again, his lips already on hers before she could be able to utter the secret wish she had in her heart.
“Madonna Lucia! Madonna Lucia! A message for you, Madonna Lucia!” a loud voice came shouting from the house, calling for her.
Groaning, Federico and Lucia broke their kiss, looking into each other’s eyes.
“Never a moment of tranquillity in the Barbarigos’ household, eh, amore mio?” he sighed, not wanting to let her go.
She blushed at him calling her his love. “I wish.”
She forced herself away from him, wanting anything but having to leave the comfort of his arms.
“I... I have to see what’s all about, before the servants come and look for me...and find you and me like this,”
He chuckled, before taking her hand in his.
“Aspettate, Lucia...you will be back to me, right?” She hesitated one moment.
“I will...unless someone is calling upon me,” his dark eyes turned sad after hearing that, and her heart clenched in her chest. She wanted to be with him, more than anything. Suddenly, an idea found her way in her head. “But...it would be terrible if I were to deny my presence because I have already agreed to a previous engagement with a man of honour,” she suggested, her eyes gleaming impishly.
He grinned.
“That would be truly unfortunate indeed. Well, Madonna Barbarigo,” he said, bringing her hand to his lips and kissing her knuckles, ever so lightly. “Would you be so kind as to favour this poor man with your time, on this fair Saturday afternoon?”
“Am I allowed to dress up first?” she giggled. Federico was about to talk, but she brought her fingers to his lips. “Wait. Do not answer that, because I think I know what you’d say,”
“Why, Madonna Lucia, I am a man of honour! I would never say anything inconvenient!”
She raised an eyebrow, a smirk appearing on her lips.
“You wouldn’t,” she tiptoed to reach his face. “But I might want you to say it,” she whispered against his lips, before planting a sweet kiss on them.
And before he could answer that, Lucia fled, his blue cape still on her shoulders flowing behind her, and her laughter ringing high in the warm air of that beautiful spring day.
Federico let out a low chuckle, his eyes accompanying her as far as his gaze could, his heart bursting in his chest with joy.
He loved her.
And she loved him in return.
“She is the woman I’ll marry, Martino,” he said, crouching down to pat the cat’s little head, a smile gracing his face. “You just wait and see.”
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Happy Valentine's Day. I am sorry for not being able to bring you something new for this day, but I didn't have the time to truly prepare anything.
However, this is a great occasion to reshare, in full, one of my fluffiest pieces with my OTP when it comes to Assassin's Creed 2, there is to say Dashing Federico Auditore and Sweet Lucia Barbarigo, my darling Venetian Lady. I wrote this a while ago, but I am still super happy with it, and truly makes me miss those two lovelies that deserve ALL HAPPINESS and LOVE. <3
I hope you will like this! <3
--Nemo
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