Third Animus Data Fragment - I've seen enough for one life

[shirley_templar]

[Desmond looks....tired. His face is unshaven and sallow, and his eyes are red. He shakes his head, trying to clear the cobwebs. When he speaks, it's not in English, but an older Italian dialect.]

<<Ugh...did anyone get the number of the goddamn train that hit me? It'll be another month before I'll shake this nightmare.>>

[Desmond looks surprised, as though he wasn't expecting what came out of his mouth. He shakes his head again.]

<<What the hell? Am I speaking Italian?>>

Comments

[shirley_templar]

[Desmond manages a weak smile. He's still struggling to separate himself from Ezio, but thinking about him in reference to his own experiences helps.] << You don't know the half of it. Ezio...he didn't really have any say in the matter. His father and brothers were killed in a conspiracy, and he became an Assassin to avenge them and bring their killers to justice. Me? I ran away as a kid, but ended up getting drawn back in when I realized what was at stake, with the Templars and everything. >>]

[And he laughs.]

<< I'll try not to, but like...I was sitting with Sofia and Flavia Auditore...Ezio's wife and daughter, in there. >>]

[Desmond catches his reflection in the mirror, and he squares up on it, speaking in halting, heavily-accented english.]

My...name is...Desmond Miles. I'm...an Assassin.

[Desmond clutches his head, as though the simple act of speaking in his mother tongue was hard work, but then he smiles. Small victories.]

<< That hurt like hell, but was worth it. Let's get some food, yeah? >>

[lasergrenades]

Hey, English! Progress. Definitely time for food, [she agrees. Pepper steps back and out of the doorway to the hall, but makes sure to stay within a few feet of Desmond.]

[Returning to the subject of Ezio] You can hallucinate your great-grea-great-many-greats grandmothers, just don't start flipping tables. [She pauses, her mouth thinning.] His skills might be useful, but it's not fair that you have to carry so many other people's pain. You've-- you've got enough burdens on your own.

[shirley_templar]

<< I figured it was worth the effort. Can't shake off Ezio without trying to remember that I'm me, right? I've gotta wonder if Clay went through any of this at the end? Poor bastard spent more time in the Animus than I did, and his connection to Ezio wasn't nearly as strong as mine is. >>

[Desmond turns and walks out of his room, closing the door on the disaster he made, and the cloud of memories that had been hanging over his head inside it, and starts slowly hobbling his way toward the kitchen.]

<< I'm only worried if I start seeing any of the Borgias. Ezio had a pretty bitter relationship with the Pope and his kids, since it was Rodrigo who actually organized the conspiracy against his family. [He pauses.] If not me, Abstergo would've just kidnapped someone else, put them through the same crap I went through. I mean...yeah I can't say I'm fond of having to deal with this, but...and I hate to even say this, but it was kind of...fate, in a way. Juno and the others...they knew that it was gonna be me. They left messages hundreds of goddamn years ago, knowing that I'd see them. I don't think my feelings, or my sanity for that matter made it into the equation. >>

[Desmond knew it as well as anyone, he knew what he had to sacrifice, to do what needed to be done. He just didn't figure he was going to have to live with it for as long as he's had to, after he put his hand on the Eye.]

[lasergrenades]

[Pepper pauses in the hallway and puts an armored hand on Desmond's elbow.] This isn't the end. You're not going anywhere, okay?

[She knows that's probably not what he means, but she feels the need to say it anyway. After a moment, she lets go and continues down the hall towards the stairs.]

Fate or not, you have a right to complain about it and be angry and whatever. You've given a lot for this cause, and that's brave of you. If you do see any Borgias, just-- let me know. That's what I'm here for, to help you tell the difference between reality and hallucination. I still think we can find a way to help undo some of the damage. Raine can probably come up with a few ideas.

[shirley_templar]

<< I know. I was...prepared to die before I ended up here. I knew it was a possibility, anyway. It's been...weird, trying to figure out what to do with myself now. It's not exactly like I have a ton of regular job skills, you know? >>

[He cracks a smile. It was true, he was struggling trying to...basically learn how to live, now that he had more time. Getting the dose he had of the end of Ezio's life had put a lot of that into perspective.]

<< I sure hope so. I mean...even if we'd had the time, finding a cure for the Bleeding Effect was pretty low on our list of priorities. I really don't wanna go crazy here. >>

[lasergrenades]

Seems like you've been making a decent bartender, minus the whole coma thing, [Pepper remarks.] Your skills work well for the police, too, so you're not totally out of places to go. Keeliai is good for giving second chances. Sometimes third or fourth ones, too.

[The cafeteria is mostly empty when they get there, which will mean less weird looks for the armor and the Italian. She pulls off the helmet and puts it on the table next to her, leaving the speakers on so she can still get translations. Pepper also steps out of the body of the armor and leaves it by the table.]

No one wants you to go crazy. We'll find a way. Maybe not fix it totally, but there's enough brilliant people on this turtle to make a dent in the problem. Want me to grab you something or are you okay?