jingle bell jingle bell jingle bell

[mansionstaff]

Who: YOU
What: SNOW
When: DECEMBER 6th
Where: EVERYWHERE
WHAT: SNOW (BONUS TREE DECORATING)

As a quiet Friday dawned on the school's campus, one could perhaps...feel it in the air. A creeping chill, a silent, barely-detectable indication that yes. Tonight would be the night.



By Saturday morning, the entire academy would be covered in snow.

BUT WAIT



That wasn't all--a large pine tree had made an appearance on the main quad, in desperate need of decoration.

Comments

[mohawk_tomahawk]

How bad must it have been then...to be dead one moment when you were so small to then see your kin grown. It was still hard to think about. His mother was here, had to be around the same age as he. That was when she died.

Life went on and on, without her. Without guidance. Hard as it was, he still thought about it.

She spoke of a mother at times when it would strike his heart the most, and it gave him sadness and joy at the same time.

It was that sort of time in which Connor felt more like savoring than regretting. As he was carrying that injured bird. It probably set off more feelings in them both more than they thought. The bird was snuggling up to his chest, like a small child would. What he could imagine he did when he was even younger than when she passed on. It was a little overwhelming, but he was quick to transfer that into a reaction. A sane one. Connor had few outbursts after all. Very few.

"I know, Mother..." Connor said. "Thank you. I promise, I will be as wise with my actions. I can only promise. These gifts that have been given to me, to this day I still find it a hard medicine to take. I almost feel as if I were much younger, perhaps it is all better late than never."

[nottheproblem]

True that in watching him, she saw then not only a reflection of herself, but also perhaps the birth of her son becoming a man. What would he be like as a father? Considering the closest one he had was Achilles, that was hard to say. Haytham having been absent as much as she was, and likely less of a father when they reunited later on in life. In most ways, Connor seemed the Templar's opposite and it relieved Ziio to know such a wall existed. Although she still would have preferred it if they could have been a family together.

Tentatively, she lifted a hand and rubbed at his shoulder reassuringly. A brief touch and not one that lasted long for they both weren't too into that, except with those they trusted. So themselves naturally. But she couldn't picture him being okay with Gordon coming up behind him and patting him on the back of taking him by the arm. In fact, she was relatively certain he wouldn't like that at all.

"True enough," she agreed. "I know you will do your best to look out for yourself, and I will also look out for you. I will not interfere so directly with your life, however, only to offer my opinion where I think you will need it. Guidance periodically."

[mohawk_tomahawk]

He wouldn't mind...too much. He wouldn't be fond of it, but Gordon wasn't so much a stranger at all or abrupt. But a mother's touch was different and he was never to turn down Mother's company in any way, shape, or form. If Gordon did come up to touch him like so, it might make a little discomfort. A lot of hell of discomfort.

He just couldn't help but smile a little at his mother. If she trusted him, that meant a lot to him. "I told you I would be more open with myself, I will keep doing so."

[nottheproblem]

Her chin lifted when she heard him and she kept her eyes on him briefly and then gave a short little nod. And what followed along with it was a half smile, one she'd given several times, but not to several people. Because she really couldn't resist.

"Implying you do mean to tell me when I can expect grandchildren." He wasn't escaping that. He just wasn't.

[mohawk_tomahawk]

When it...HAPPENS. It wasn't happening NOW. Connor made one more bashful look he tried to hide before shaking it off. He remember now what he had also set out to do today.

"Actually...there is something of other matters I wanted to discuss."

He didn't forget about bird, trust me. Connor was moving at a good pace. Safe to assume they were near indoors by now.

[nottheproblem]

Her smile grew, but she relented, believing she'd made her point explicitly clear. She wanted to be kept informed of his decisions and of what he chose to do with his time. Not everything, but the important things. Settling down with a family was an important thing, as was his decided wooing of the princess he so desired.

She didn't even know he knew how to woo a woman. Achilles, you sly dog, you.

"Yes, I remember you said you had something to talk about with me." And Ziio hadn't forgotten. So she nodded and motioned for him to continue. "Speak then. You have my attention."

[mohawk_tomahawk]

"It is of importance, you have every right to know. Though not as lighthearted as new kin, I am afraid," Connor said outright. Probably one of the most outright things he had said to his mother.

"But you really should know there is another from our land here. I had known him before but then he vanished...he had just now come to me again."

Ziio wouldn't get a word out before he continued.

"He is an Assassin like I. Though from this day and age, the future from us."

[nottheproblem]

Just the thought of new kin made Ziio smile. The kind of smile she really didn't give to just anyone, and it was clear and transparent that the idea of being a grandparent was a very appealing one. There was a good deal of pride that she got from watching her son grow. It was hard, undoubtedly, but he was her son and by Iottsitíson, did she love him a great deal. Even if she had a difficult time saying it, or showing it. And yet she did.

She grew serious, however, when she heard him.

"...An Assassin?" she asked with interest. Her eyebrows lifted, "The very same Brotherhood and Creed we know? From the future... I was unaware we had anyone like that here. Or that you knew of him."

[mohawk_tomahawk]

"He was here before but he had gone before I had gotten to know of him. I only learned he knew of our legacy, that and the rest of our kind."

He was stroking the bird as it shivered. Now inside, it had to adjust to the temperature. It was much more comfortable, if a lot confusing for it. He chirped a few times before laying his head down to rest.

"But yes...it would seem he is. He had just returned today actually right before I was to meet you. He said he had something to tell me. But I...I had wanted to tell you first before speaking more with him as our hunting meet was the best way to tell you."

[nottheproblem]

"I met him before," she replied somewhat succinctly, her memories of the day fairly vivid and easy to recollect. At the time, she'd seen familiarity in his face, though she couldn't understand where from. And perhaps that was her intuition speaking up, but she got the impression there was more that he wasn't being upfront about.

Looking over to her son, her gaze switched between the bird he held so carefully to him with that reverence of his, and his face. But she looked thoughtful.

"Tell me, when you look at him, do you notice anything?" And she was fairly certain Connor didn't. Wouldn't. He hardly noticed anything that didn't have to do with his work. It was unlikely that he would have taken note of anything in particular.

[mohawk_tomahawk]

Maybe not how you would put it, Ziio. Maybe not exactly.

Never forget, as naive as Connor was and will be for a long time yet, he did have your intuition. Detail was not beyond him at all. When he felt there was something pin-pointing at him, he could notice it.

It took him a second to register the question however, as if to try to just piece his thoughts together and put it all into consideration.

She met him she said. So did she know something he didn't? This conversation was now interesting. More so. And honestly, he was hungry for that info.

"You speak of Desmond then?"

You did, right?

"Desmond seemed like...an odd sort. But for some reason when we first met, I felt a-" Pause. Finding the word. "A kinship. Like he had a familiar air. That I could trust him. I had not known him long, but I had considered him to be a friend."

[nottheproblem]

Ziio nodded slowly, but found herself rendered quiet some moments longer. Perhaps Connor knew more than she did. Perhaps she knew more than he. Who knew more seemed to be irrelevant and unnecessary. Only that information ought to have been shared at some point in time. Provided either of them even had any, for to be fair, she was reasonably certain he didn't. He sounded as perplexed as she felt.

"I did not know his name," she confessed. "At least not so directly. Only that I had met him. At least, as much as I imagine it must be him. I cannot think of someone else who matches the description." Then as Connor continued, she found herself looking back at him with interest.

"I felt the same, however. The first time I saw his face, I thought I saw something I had seen before. And I thought it frequently many times after. There is something about him, but I don't know what."