asgardmeridiem | [CLOSED] In my dreamlike state, I'll pretend I'm unscathed

[Ezio's hunch isn't wrong-Ichigo's barely aware of his little habit as it is. Maybe it's a way to physically distance himself away from everything that's making him upset, while it stays with him mentally.

And he is upset. No. He's angry, and it shows. He wants to scream and curse and punch everything, and he's not sure why-

No, that's a lie. He knows why. It's because it feels like no matter how damn hard he tries, he just can't seem to get anywhere. He was supposed to save Soul Society, and instead it was practically raised to the ground, and his bankai got broken. He went to the Royal Realm, and got thrown into one situation after another. And while it was mostly resting...the guilt still remained over doing such things when he had been powerless to stop it in the first place. And just when it seemed he could finally start taking steps to getting powerful again-

Back here. A place where he didn't have his powers, and was pretty much helpless in a huge war to determine the fate of every single world.

It....hurts. Wasn't 17 months of helplessness enough? Why does he still have to feel it over and over again? Why couldn't he fucking do something for once?! Goddamnit!

So, since he had to act normal (nothing happened everything's fine don't worry about me) he just got...angry. He could feel it boiling away in his gut, and sadly enough...he was used to it. Just shove it down, you'll be better later. Shove down everything that hurts, because no one wants to see you angry or in pain.

Sulking was pretty damn good word for it, really.]

Edited 2013-01-31 02:16 (UTC)

[It's not that long before he notices an all too familiar hood on a rather lanky figure a few buildings over. Ichigo was, if anything, a little predictable with his emotions.

His approach is quiet, feet walking quickly and silent across the rooftop to meet the other, before he speaks.]

Ichigo. [A pause, and his voice turns a bit firm.] Venga con me.

[It's a tone that says there will be no arguments for this. There will be no debates. Just a command to follow, and nothing else. It is not up for discussion.]

[Too bad, Ezio. He doesn't want to go, so he merely lowers his hood a little bit more and actually moves away.

He knows what this is probably about, and the tone is reminding him of painful times before. He's instinctively recoiling from the man he considers his closest friend here in Asgard, trying to protect himself from any more pain while his emotions are a big sloppy mess of anger and helplessness.

He doesn't want to explode at Ezio, either, or take out his anger on him. Go away. Give him time.]

[There's a problem right there- this isn't a friend to friend situation. This is a mentor to novice encounter. On any other time, he wouldn't remain this firm, wouldn't be this persistent.

When the other moves away, Ezio moves towards him, hand outstretched to try and grab him. His words are stronger, more of reminder.]

Fratello, fai una promessa. Allora, lo mantene.

["Brother, you made a promise. Now keep it."

A simple way of saying that he must remain true to the ways of the Creed, give respect where it is due, even if he does not want to know the outcome of doing so.]

[He doesn't want to keep any damn promise, he really doesn't. He doesn't want to show respect, and right now he just doesn't give one flying fuck about the Creed. he wants to be alone.

So when Ezio reaches out for him, he swats the other's hand away-or tries to. The lower half of his face, the part that's visible, doesn't change. And the hood is covering the obvious emotional turmoil in his eyes, so for all Ezio knows Ichigo is just being stubborn.

Which he is, but there's a genuine reason behind it.]

Leave me alone.

[But his own hand counters when Ichigo bats it away, grabbing the boy by his wrist, and if that wasn't enough, he tries to pull the boy back towards him. He knows this isn't his usual behavior- it was present in their chase, and now in his actions and how he refuses to listen to him. His eyes narrow, and there is a mixture between disappointment and anger in his face.

This is not up for negotiation.]

And allow you to continue to sulk for hours? Do nothing but sit here and glower over actions that you knew would have consequences, yet you acted anyway? No. [A pause, and his hand grips tighter, if possible.] That is not what we do, as brothers. As famiglia.

[When his wrist is grabbed, it's like something inside of him snaps. He brings up the arm that isn't restrained, and attempts to push himself away from Ezio and get his wrist out of the other's grasp. As he does that, his hood slightly goes up-and his eyes are shown. Just a glimpse, but it's more than enough to see the anger and helplessness burning away there.]

I said leave me alone!

[Being pushed is not something he expects, and he staggers back as a result. But his grip tightens like a snake's while he does so, using the other for balance and righting himself. His free hand snatches the other as it pulls away, and Ezio brings Ichigo right towards him, mouth pressing into a firm line before speaking in a harsher tone.]

Stop running. Ichigo, you will never learn anything if you keep pushing people away.

[Now that his arms are caught, his hands ball up into fists, and he looks away to the side. He wants to push back again, but like this, it wouldn't be very effective.

He doesn't even listen, too preoccupied in trying to get away. Run away? It's the only option, since he doesn't want to burden anyone else with what he feels.]

...

Look at me.

[It's an order, not a gentle reinforcement. This is not the time to be beyond harsh, but not soft on the other, either. It is something a mentor and his novice must go through, in both good times and bad.]

You cannot run from the truth when you swore to seek it. Look at me, fratello.

[Look at him. Look at him? If he looks, he'll lose his tight grip on the lid of his emotions, and end up spilling it all out right then and there. And that's...painful.

No. It's frightening. For someone who has bottled up his emotions for most of his life, the very idea of letting them go makes him want to run away from the situation. It's no one's burden but his let him go don't make him look at-]

JUST STOP!

[Shit. He can't stop it, the pressure is too much for him to hold back. He screams at Ezio, jerking his body back almost violently as he tries to break free from the grip on him, causing his hood to fall entirely from his face. Anger, it's written on his face so plainly, but under that is the pain and the hurt and the helplessness that's under it, looking almost like he has the weight of the entire world on his shoulders (and he does, but it's the weight of the world of the dead, of SS getting ruined and so many people being hurt or killed, and the knowledge that maybe, maybe if he had been able to break out of the cage sooner or done something else he could have stopped it and not had to sit and hear all those voices crying out for him to save them) and...he's fragile, so damned fragile when it comes to emotions. Beat him up until he can't stand and he'll still attempt to get up again and try to shake it off, but even the slightest emotional wound cut into him deeply.

And then he lowers his head because he's shown too much, still trying to achieve physically what he was doing emotionally-keeping his distance.]

GET OFF OF ME!

[His eruption catches Ezio by surprise, but he lets go, lets the other breathe, and watches solely to see how he reacts beyond that. The helplessness in his eyes causes him to pause, wait for anything else that may come out.

When nothing does, he lets the silence fill the air for a moment or so, before speaking.]

Why did you stop? There is nothing holding you back here.

[When he's actually free, it comes as a relief. He instantly backs off, and while he doesn't try to get away completely, it's obvious he wants to be as far away as he can get.

But Ezio's question catches him off guard, and he frowns.]

...What do you mean?

[He can handle it. He can. It's fine.]

Much is bothering you.

[It's a firm reply, one that states that it's apparent even when he doesn't want it to be.]

Your mind is not here because of that. It is apparent in your actions and your decisions. [Meaning his fight with Issac earlier.] If you let it consume you, nothing you set out to do will be accomplished. You will be eaten from the inside out.

[Ezio knows this. Knows this well. Because everything he does, every sorrow he has, he buries. Pushes down. Refuses to stand back and look at it from a distance.

Because he knows if he does, he won't ever recover. He has faced far too much for one man to endure on his own- and it is only through having his mother, having Claudia, and even having the brothers in the Order, that it is something he can push himself to keep going. If he dawdles, stays in one place and held back by revenge, or vengeance, or old feelings, he will not open himself to the truth.

Ichigo is at that crossroad now.]

So tell me, as your brother, what is ailing you. Put your trust in me and the others to help where we can.

[Put your trust in me and others. Such a tiny phrase, and for most people it's common sense. No one can handle all of their troubles alone-people need people. There's no shame or problem in it-

-but there is for Ichigo. For years, he's had to be the strong one. The one that gave strength to his younger sisters, who wouldn't accept comfort because his safe harbor was completely and utterly gone. So he closed off his true feelings, shut away the part of himself that was quick to cry and smile. Developed a aura of aloofness, to keep people away. And even though he would't allow someone else to shut away their feelings (he hadn't let Ezio stew in his angry emotions, after all), he just...can't let anyone else see the huge unhealed wound in his psyche.

He lowers his head, shaking it rapidly. He can't, he can't-]

I...

[Hell, he can't even say the words. They feel like they're trapped in his throat, like some kind of large, hideous frog.]

Edited 2013-02-10 01:47 (UTC)

Amico, it is obvious you cannot carry this alone.

[Ezio steps forward, hand on one of Ichigo's shoulders, to point out that he is here, for support, just as any other brother would be in the Brotherhood.

He doesn't want the other to be like him. Not in this respect. No one deserves it nor should be proud of it.]

So trust me. As you have done before, as you will do in the future. Trust that I will help where I can, with everything I have.

[It hurts.

The thought of letting go, of letting everything out...it hurts. But, it hurts to keep it inside, too.

He wants to say stop-he wants to just leave-but at the same time...he remembers what his friends have said to him.

"Trust us, Ichigo! Aren't we your nakama?"

"We've been training these 17 months so we could fight along side you, that we could help you, Ichigo!"

"I...really was blind. All of you were trying to help me, and I...just couldn't see it."

Trust them. By trusting them, you trust yourself. Is that what it really means? Is that why he has such difficulty trusting anyone? Because...he can't trust himself? And if he can't trust himself...then there was no way he could trust anyone else with his burdens, no way he could reveal his flaws because he didn't trust himself enough to not end up breaking if he did.]

I...

[Stop fighting, let go, fall back. Trust that they will catch you.

Am I really brave enough to do that?

Stop fighting, close your eyes, let go. They will catch you if you trust them.

I...I don't think I'm that brave. No, I'm not that brave. I never was-

Stop running. Stand still. Calm yourself. Trust him. Tell him.

I-]

...it's...about...when I went back.

[They sound like they've been wrenched out of his mouth, each word hesitant, painful. He's begun to close his eyes, prepare himself for what will be the most terrifying fall of his life.]

[The fact that he staggers, pushes the words out of him like they're foreign objects, breathes- it promises of something.

But it's his statement, the utterance of something that happened at home, jars his memory. The sound of screaming. Mercenaries shouting. Smoke. Endless and endless and endless, billowing out of the city like a gloved hand. The scent of copper fills his nostrils for a second, and he blinks...

All he sees is the burning of Monteriggioni.

This is not the Auditore villa, however, and with another blink, the pale grey buildings of the city come back to him. He exhales, nods, then finally speaks.]

Tell me what happened. Fai con comodo. ["Take your time."]

[He can't take his time, because if he took his time, he would stop entirely and run away yet again.

So he shakes his head and continues.]

It was...normal, for a while. Then I had to...

[He pauses, trying to think. He's never explained SS or Hueco Mundo to Ezio, but it's so central to what he was trying to explain. Eventually, he decides to plunge ahead, without getting into specifics.]

..I had to go to a different place-you wouldn't know about it-called Hueco Mundo. Inoue and Chad came with me, and I fought someone there.

[He also decides not to talk about the quincies. It's not important.]

I thought he was taken care of, so when Soul Society called, saying they needed my help..I went. And the guy I thought was down for the count...ended up trapping me in some kind of cage.

[And now, he had to talk about the most painful part of the entire thing.]

I was trapped, but...I could still hear what was going on in Soul Society. I heard the enemy attacking, people screaming and dying-

[He pauses for a second, then swallows and continues.]

-And they'd heard I was coming. So...I could hear them I could hear them saying I was coming and that I was going to save them...!

[his fists clench as he remembers that horrible time, trapped in the boundries between worlds. Hearing the desperate hope in everyone's voice, the last light at the end of the tunnel when they were all getting slaughtered. Placing their faith in someone helpless, trapped-]

I attacked the cage over and over and over again, and I finally broke free. I finally got there....

[But he doesn't have to say anything. The look on his face is more than enough to know what he saw when he got there.

It had been destroyed.]

...A friend of mine. He was...almost dead. He told me...no, he asked me...to fight the bastard who had started all this. That prideful guy...practically begging me to finish this.

[He's speaking as if he's experiencing it right now, not as it really is, as he's remembering it. But the most painful part of it is coming up, and...]

So I was angry. Really damn angry. I went after that bastard with everything I had-!

[But it wasn't enough. He was already injured and wounded from the fight with Opie before.]

Then he-he started asking me stuff, like how I got out of the cage. He said it was impossible for anyone who wasn't one of them to break free of it, and he...

[He asked if Ichigo really knew what his mother was. But...That's something he can't give to Ezio, not yet.]

...He had to leave, for some damned reason. I tried to stop him, but one of his underlings cut Zangetsu in half. And then...He said something like "I'll see you again...my son wandering in the dark."

[At this point, he's looking firmly at the ground, body tense, fists and teeth clenched. Just the insinuation that he might be related to the same man who destroyed Soul Society and killed so many is more than Ichigo can bear.

He stops talking, but now it's obvious why he was so angry. The guilt, the self-loathing at himself for being unable to protect SS, unable to complete Byakuya's wish, seeing people he knew be injured and even killed, and the terrible, utter helplessness. He had his powers back, but it was as if it didn't even matter.

He'd gone on to the Royal Realms, to be healed, to rest, and to recover and maybe even train. But it didn't matter because then he'd been flung straight back into asgard, with the same amount of helplessness he'd felt then, watching Juha Bach take his leave. A single person in the war to save all of their worlds? How could he even really help? It was...It was...

It...

He's trembling. Trembling with the jumble of emotions he's feeling, wrestling with it. He's a boy with the weight of an entire world on his shoulders, and knowing he failed threatens to crush him.

...Hurts.

Edited 2013-02-12 05:27 (UTC)

[He listens.

He listens, and remembers.

There is helplessness in how Ichigo's voice sounds. Fear in his eyes. He's unsure. Uncertain. Confused as to why. He is weak and vulnerable in this very moment, and that terrifies him. Makes him doubt the very core of what he stands for.

And still he is the bravest boy Ezio has ever met.

Everything has fallen apart before his eyes. Everything is ruined. A normal man would crumble at this, refuse to go on and wallow in misery for the rest of his life. His spirit would be crushed, and he would neglect everything he once knew.

Here, Ichigo is afraid, but he is finally, finally choosing to stay. To not run. To shoulder his burdens with someone else, and let them carry the weight for a while. Ezio could not be more proud of him.

So he stands, face to face, close to the boy, hands coming off of him and waiting for the silence to wrap around them. The sounds below on the street are all dimmed and dulled, it is the two of them on the rooftop, speaking of the truth and what must be done to find it. Even if it means opening old wounds.

When he finally speaks again, it isn't the firm tone from before. This one is more fatherly.]

Amico. Do you remember the first time I disappeared from Asgard, and returned bleeding from my shoulder? How I had insisted it was bandits who had caught me off-guard on a trip to Rome?

[A pause, and then:] It was not bandits, and I was not anywhere near Rome.

[His eyes do not waver once in speaking, because he knows the pain Ichigo is feeling. And more than anything else, he does not want him to repress as he has.]

I had returned from a mission to Rome, and was back home, in a walled-in city called Monteriggioni. For twenty years, I helped raise it, helped fund the restoration and building of the città, and it was now thriving. It was a wonderful sight to come home to. People were happy. Families were content.

[He stops, eyes closing and breathing out as he opens them again, smile grim and taut.]

The day after I arrived home, sure that everything was finished for my work, the Templars attacked. [He gestures at this.] Were it a simple attack by several important men, it would have not have been an issue. There were mercenaries all over the city.

But we were not prepared to face the size of the enemy, for he had sent the entire Papal Army. [A beat.] Hundreds upon hundreds of men, cannons, and artillery that we could not match. They laid siege upon the walls, destroying everything as they battered down the gate, and broke in. Everything in the city burned. Their soldiers killed men, women, children, and as I ran to aid who I could, that would not stop the screams from those being killed in front of my eyes. I fought back, gathered those who were still in the city, tried to bring them to safety. Mario, my uncle, had told me to rendezvous with him after he took care of important matters to the Brotherhood, and we went our own ways.

[Another pause.] That was around the time the guards began shouting "assassino."

I brought hope to them. I rallied the remaining mercenaries to fight back. But as I tried to bring more to safety, that was when I saw him. Cesare. [There is no sneer at this, but his eyes darken visibly, and it is easy to tell that he hates this man.] He had openly announced himself within the city's walls, and even worse- he had my uncle, and Caterina.

[Ezio goes silent at this, allows Ichigo's mind to wrap itself around what is being said, before he pushes forward.]

Cesare and his sister, Lucrezia, were there, Caterina in captivity, and my uncle shoved to the ground like a dog. The bastardo then called out to me, grabbing my attention, and I raced towards them. [It's an abrupt ending there. One that tells already the end of this tale.] When I did, he raised his weapon, a hand-cannon, and aimed at my uncle.

"Consider this your invitation to come to Rome, Ezio Auditore." [He can still see it now, Mario looking up in horror and anger at Cesare, looking out to Ezio, back towards the gun, knowing he was going to die. Cesare is laughing, the bright red of his outfit glaring against the silver of his armor, and Ezio hates him more than ever. Caterina can only stand and watch, struggling to break out and only being held in place even more.

He hates Cesare Borgia.]

Then, he shot him. And when he shot my uncle, and killed him, his guards in return shot me. [He gestures a little more freely now, trying to emphasize his entire point to the story he's giving.] I do not remember much after that- I fell from the rooftops, apparently, and when I did finally wake there were mercenaries carrying me to safety. I ignored them, got back on my feet,and brought the rest of the people we could find to safety. Once we were out from the villa, I told my mother and sister to return to Florence, for I needed to ride to Rome, and warn Niccolò of what had happened.

It was on my venture there that I came back to Asgard. You know what happened from there.

[Only now does his tone change again, now as a mentor, as someone who is concerned for a brother.]

Ichigo. When I lay in that hospital bed, Claudia told me something important, and it is something you must remember when you think back on this.

[Gently, his hand grabs Ichigo's chin and forces him to look at Ezio in the eye, even if he doesn't want to. This is an honest mentor-to-novice moment, and he won't let the other back off. The words are said slowly, and with emphasis, but each and every one has a definite weight to it.]

It. Is not. Your fault.

[The hardest lesson in learning the truth, in learning from mistakes, is learning to forgive yourself.]

You may not believe it now, nor in the next several months, or even years, but it is true. Every word of it. You are not to blame for everything that happens around you. We cannot prevent everything in our lives, and we are not meant to. If we were, fratello, we would have no free will at all, no life of our own.

The hardest lesson to learn is forgiveness. Not only in here- [His other hand points at Ichigo's head at this.] but also in here. [And it moves to his heart. The heart is the quickest to love when it lives, and the slowest to forgive when it is broken. Ezio would know.]

It is not your fault. Remember this, even if you refuse to believe it. Because that is the truth.

[It's almost like his breathing stills when Ezio talks of what happened when he vanished that one time. The truth, which sounded close to what Ichigo had gone though-no, even worse. He hadn't watched anyone he cared about die in front of him, after all, but...

It's...comforting, somehow, to know that someone else has been forced into his situation before. Especially since it's his closest friend in Asgard telling him this, ignoring the painful memories it must drag up, and the man who has become his role model at that.

He flinches when Ezio grabs his chin, making him look up and into his eyes, still shying away from physical touches. But he doesn't resist, listening and watching.

He means it.

After it had happened, in SS...Ichigo shoved it down, filed it under "things that were my fault" along with the pain and uncertainty of who he really was. So, of course, no one had told him it wasn't his fault, and somehow...somehow he felt, walking through the crowded 4th division, that they blamed him. Maybe just as hard as he blamed himself? Probably not. But...still...

The hardest lesson to learn is forgiveness.

Forgiveness? Ichigo could be forgiving. Even to Ginjou, the man who had betrayed him and he'd cut down, until the very end he was trying to understand him, to empathize with him. And Aizen...he had felt the utter loneliness in the egotistical Shingami's blade, and understood. But...forgiving himself?

He's stopped doing that entirely ever since that rainy summer night, when his entire world changed. Blaming himself for what happened was easier than admitting that sometimes, he wouldn't be able to protect the people that he cared about. That no matter what he did, sometimes...he would fail.

Failing's not an option. Not when it was proved to him on that night the exact price of failure-!

So how could he forgive himself? Things happen, fate happens, but he must not fail. But no one is perfect-no one can protect everyone all the time. So he won't forgive himself. He'll wrap himself up in the shackles of blame and drown himself in his ocean of despair before he'd ever forgive himself. It was the entire reason why he reacted with anger and lashed out, because the other option was to attack himself. And from previous times when he'd done just that, the people who cared about him here wouldn't let him. So what other choice did he have? Forgive himself? That was like asking a fish to fly.

And...yet...

Those chains...hurt. The ocean made it so he could barely breathe. And there were his nakama, attempting to grab him whenever he jumped in, practically begging him to let them take on some of his burdens because they couldn't stand him suffering alone anymore. But he slapped their hands away, sank under the waves because he was convinced it was what he deserved.

Would it...really be so bad for them to help him? Would it...really be so bad to try to..let go? To undo the chains, and head for the surface, where they'd be waiting and help pull him up?

But...it's so damned scary. Because if he does, then he has to know that sometimes, his best won't be good enough. He's run away from that truth for years. There's still an open wound that he's hidden away, and by now it's festering and eating at him slowly, bit by bit. And if he keeps going like this...

Fear of the unknown events paralyzes him, but is it worse than the pain and bitterness that leeches into his soul from that infected wound? That poison, that will one day cause him to break against life's harshness?

He's trembling again, and his breath is ragged, like someone trying to control themselves. His expression twists, showing the emotions he's feeling, and he tries to yank his chin away from Ezio's hand, to push his face down again because-

-because-

He...doesn't want Ezio to see him struggling with tears.]

[The way he's reacting, he knows his words have gone through. Ichigo may not take well to always agreeing with what is being said, but he knows important advice when he hears it.

So Ezio lets go then, allows the boy to jerk his head away from view, to let him breathe. But the Italian doesn't step back, nor give the other space. No. He's shaking like a leaf, breathing in and out and about to lose everything at once, all at once. There's only one thing that can be done in in this situation.

Ezio pauses, approaches Ichigo, and embraces him. As a brother, as a friend, as family.]

I am here, Ichigo. You have suffered alone for long enough. Let it go.

[It's like a dam breaking, really, when Ezio hugs him. His attempts to keep the tears back shatter so easily, and before he knows it he's pressing his face into the fabric on Ezio's chest (because really, why does the italian have to be so tall) and crying. No, sobbing is the better word for it; because once he starts, there's no way he can stop unless something happens. It's not just the situation he came from he's crying about-it's letting everything out that he couldn't, crying for every time he shoved down his emotions, every time he forced himself to forget about it and move on. It's long, hard, and he can't stop himself from making the most pathetic sobbing sounds known to man as the outpouring of tightly held emotions rushes through him.

This was a long time coming, and it'll take a long time for it to run it's course.]

[This was a long time coming, yes. And when he feels the other finally break, he lets him fall apart, holding him, supporting him, as brothers do to comfort others when they lose their way.]

Bene, fratello. Sono orgoglioso di te.

["I'm proud of you."

He waits, and lets Ichigo take his time. There is pain in his crying, anger and sorrow and such loss, so much so that it momentarily brings him back to 1476. Back to one of the tallest buildings in Florence, after saving his father's and brother's bodies from being dumped into the river, after leaving Cristina. He remembers that feeling, and how it was like a wave that could not be halted, only overwhelming him and causing him to weep for what seemed like hours. Hours upon hours upon hours, and he cried and cried and cried until he had no tears left.

He never cried again.

Here, he is giving Ichigo a chance that he did not give himself. Allowing himself to breathe. To free himself from a cage that will only contain if he pushes people away, and insists on staying there. He will not learn. He will not grow.

And Ezio knows he needs to push, otherwise Ichigo will never take that leap.

...The hardest lesson to learn is forgiveness.]

[Adrift in his emotions, he barely hears what Ezio says. As he cries, his arms finally stop hanging limply at his sides and raise up, wrapping around. It's more like clinging than an actual hug, an instinctual reaction than any sort of conscious decision. But, for someone as tightly closed off as Ichigo is physically, it's surprising he'd even let himself do that unconsciously.

But there's no shame in it, right? It's practically a symbol that he's ready to try to open up, to let people in.

Eventually, his sobbing begins to die down, hiccuping and taking large gasps of air as his body attempts to regain it's composure from all that crying. In return, he begins to receed from those emotional waves, calming down and almost feeling numb from it. Certainly, he was tired, and having a bit of trouble breathing because of his clogged sinuses. But for now, he's still dazed enough to keep holding onto Ezio. Give him a minute, and he'll realize what he's doing, but for now...]

[Having a return in his embrace almost startles the Italian, but after a second he realizes what's happened, and can only inwardly smile to himself.

This... this is good. A step towards the right direction.

Gently, and patiently, he waits for Ichigo to calm down, to where he can hear things besides his own sobs. Then, as if a reminder that he is still there, Ezio shifts a little and chuckles.]

Amico, if you cry any harder, you are going to owe Caterina money to buy me a new shirt.

[Finally, he's calmed down all the way, still numb and dazed from it all-

and then Ezio says that and ruins the moment, making him snap back to reality and realize what the hell's going on.

Brb letting go like you're hot and punching you on the shoulder.]

I didn't stain your shirt that badly!

[MAN, BIG BRO. YOU JERK.]

[HE DOES IT BECAUSE YOU'RE HIS LITTLE BRO.

But Ezio fully laughs now, amused as Ichigo pulls away and punches him.]

If that is what you believe.

[Trollolololololololol~

But with that said and done, there's a look of relief on his face, one that says he's glad that this has happened, for both their sakes. Getting to know his novices was always something he treasured in Rome, and it would be no different here, in Asgard.

As a mentor, he could not be more proud of his novice, and it shows.]

[Does he notice the pride? probably, but he doesn't call attention to it. It's...embarassing, and he doesn't feel like it's anything noteworthy.

He does feel a hell of a lot better, though. It's not even close to how he thought he'd feel.

Anyway, he grumbles and shakes his head, then his eyes narrow as he suddenly remembers something-and punches Ezio on the other shoulder, looking cross.]

That's for not telling me what happened when you came back bleeding.

[WHAT. YOU DIDN'T LET HIM GET AWAY WITH IT.]

[There's only a grin when he gets punched again, and told as to why. Yes, he does deserve it, but back then, Ichigo wasn't a brother. Things are different now.

But this... it's a beginning. A step towards what the truth is, for Ichigo. And while it may be hard, it will be worth it in the end. It always is.

So Ezio merely gives the other a punch in his shoulder in return, with a simple retort.]

And that is for keeping it in for too long, fratello.

[When is the truth ever easy, really? But it's a goal he'll strive for, even if he falters at times. After all...

...He had his Brothers at his back.

Anyway, he huffs and crosses his arms.]

Alright, Alright already! I get the point.

[Then he smiles.]

This stuff's still new to me, you know? So...

[So I might mess up every now and then.]

[And in one swift movement, Ezio goes to wrap an arm around Ichigo, and if successful, tries to noogie him.

He will always have his brothers at his side.]

We will make sure to be there every step of the way.

[It's successful, and the noogie begins. He twists and practically squirms, much like a younger brother against an older one's teasing.]

H-Hey! Cut it out, Ezio!

[Ehh trying to push your arm away staaaaap]

[NOOOOOOPE YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO FIGHT YOUR WAY OUTTA THIS ONE. GO ON, ICHIGO, TRY IT.]

[DAMMIT BRO WHY YOU GOTTA DO HIM LIKE THAT.

He squirms and shoves, being unable to deliver a good punch like this. Get off get off get off staaaaaaaaaaaaap]

[Finally, after a good minute or so, Ezio lets go, and smiles.]

Do not forget that, Ichigo. You do not have to face any of this alone. You never will, servitore.

[Servitore, the second rank, compared to the first, Recluta. Recruit.

You have done well, novizio. Enough to climb a rank.]

[Well. That makes him blink, staring wide-eyed at the mentore.]

...What?

[THAT'S NOT-HUH?]

[Ezio laughs a little at that, and looks back to him. He's not certain where the boy is confused, as there could be a numerous amount of places.]

Where are you confused, amico?

Uh...

[....the look on his face clearly says "everything." Brb rubbing the back of his head]

[His grin widens, but he gestures to explain what's going on.]

In the Brotherhood, there are ten ranks for novices. The first, Recluta, is what everyone starts as, is the beginning level. Servitore is the second. It continues beyond that- assistente, milite, discepolo- until the final rank is reached. Assassino.

[He pauses.] Ichigo, know that the path ahead of you is going to be difficult. The higher your rank, the more you must uncover, and it will become a challenge just to make a single step forward at times.

But do not forget- we are still here. Even if you cannot see us. We are still here, every step of the way.

[That....would have been nice to know before, but OH WELL.

He nods, taking it all in. While things may be difficult, it's not as if he's going to give up. That just isn't Ichigo's way, after all.]

...Alright. I understand.

[Solemn, for once. This is srs bsness, right?]

Va bene.

[It's said with pride, and gratitude. Yes, it's a serious moment, but only for this moment, and this moment alone.]

Now, should we go back? Or would you rather return home first?

[Back to the Bureau, or let him go home and wash his face first, at least. He'll look a bit less of a mess then.]

[CLOSED] In my dreamlike state, I'll pretend I'm unscathed

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