Assassin's Creed: A Brotherhood Divided

[Rook]

The Mess Hall

Vladimir

"For you? Chances aren't very good at the moment, but it's a bit early to tell. My advice? Start making friends." the man replied thoughtfully, "You're on Noah's bad side, but Lana and Connor don't seem to hold a grudge against you. And if them or anyone else in the Brotherhood tells you to jump, ask them how high. Compliance is the best strategy for you, I'm afraid."

Connor

The couch made a squelching sound as Connor's hidden blade entered it. As it reached the wood supporting the couch, the hidden blade stuck fast in the frame.

"I don't give a damn, but the Rafiq might." one of them answered before being shushed by his comrades.

[The-Shadow-One]

Alex watched the couch fight, man that was silly. "Is it always like this here?"

[The SheoDovah]

"Ah, this is a bit embarrassing for myself. My blade seems to have embedded itself in the wooden frame." Connor remarked as he began to attempt to yank it free. "The rafiq may be offended but i feel that he will overlook the destruction of a poor quality couch after what i have done for our refined order." He told the brothers in arms.

[Archer]

"It just seems that something so important should have its own area, but ehh." Cole shrugged in reply to Noah's earlier inquiry.

He looked over to Connor and the couch that was beating him. "And are there many others that are as... odd as the big guy?" He added onto Alex's question.

[Rook]

The Mess Hall

Alex/Cole

Noah cast a look of disapproval towards Connor's display, "No. I should stop it, but I don't really have the energy or the heart to. I suppose they need to goof off every once and a while."

"That depends on what you mean as odd. We don't have any other giants in this cell, but there are some people who can... see things."

Connor

The blade was stuck too firm for Connor's half-assed pull. "And what would that be, Brother? We don't have leaderboards." said the same Assassin who had previously voiced his disapproval.

[The-Shadow-One]

Alex cracked her knuckles, glancing around. "See things? Like what?" She asked, focusing on Vladimir and the scarred guy for a brief second before looking all around.

[The SheoDovah]

"How interesting, it seems that the key to stopping us is to wear the frame of a couch as my blade seems to refuse to obey my desire to have it removed from the frame." He remarked as he did a half and a quarter assed pull on it. "That is a marvellous point, brother but surely we have someone to keep a tally of our points or we could have a light sparring match for the benifit of our guests of honour." Connor said to the brother. Unfortunately, sparring matches with connor had a small tendecy to turn into full on fist fights as a result of the B-U-M word being used as an insult and god help one if you are foolish enough to call the giant a B-U-M.

[Aarah]

Vladimir didn't like the word 'compliance.' He was a solitary man that lived by his own ways and rules, and didn't like having to act in a certain way, just to please others. But this was a matter of life and death and for that, the Russian was willing to try and make a damn good effort.

He sighed heavily. "I seem to hiv no other choice then. For the sake or survival, I suppose I will hiv to play the role of the sheep." He looked over at the others, then screwed up his face at the sight of the British man wrangling with one of the grey couches.

"Uhh, they are all crizy," he muttered.
Looking back at the man, he asked another question, "Maybe, I shall go and apologise to the min in glasses."
Not that I am. I hope his ancient machine is ruined. he thought to himself.

"Any other things I should know? Got any....what is the word....err..gossip, that might be useful for me to know?" Vladimir whispered as he leaned closer to the assassin.

[Rook]

The Mess Hall

Alex/Cole

"I can't explain it very well, I'm afraid." Noah answered, casting his eyes downwards, "It's like they can see things the rest of us can't: fingerprints left on stuff, footprints that were too slight to be picked up by anyone else. I've heard some say they can kind of anticipate things or judge someone's intentions just by focusing on them. I'm not sure if that's true or not, though."

Almost as if on command, the world shifted before Alex's eyes. Everything seemed somewhat drab and colorless, as if covered by a light grey film. However, the people around him pulsed with energy. He could hear hearts beating and glasses clinking and forks digging into food. His eyes still directed towards Noah, Alex would notice a slight sheen of sweat, the nervous way he shifted his feet, the frequent downward stare: something was wrong.

Connor

"That's a terrible idea. The Rafiq wouldn't like it one bit, and neither would the lady." the doubter replied, "This isn't an alley and we aren't drunken bums... at least, we aren't." The other Assassins oohed at that snide remark, anxious to see Connor's inevitably entertaining response.

The didn't need to wait long for gratification: Connor managed to rip the hidden blade out of the wood, but his size and overwhelming strength played against his mediocre dexterity to send him reeling back and crashing to the ground. The Assassins hooted with laughter. The doubter stood to help him up, laughter etched on his face.

Vladimir

"Good man. I know it isn't easy for you to submit or to apologize, but you'll make it through this if you can just try." the man replied, clapping him on the shoulders,"I'm not the one to ask for that. If I were you, I'd talk to the cook, Malcolm, people are always chatting him up. Lana is a people-person, she might have heard some gossip. If I do hear anything, I'll tell you if I can."

[Hissien]

Lana

"I'll have the lentils, please." Lana said, forgoing her light fare plan for some comfort food. "How're you doing today?" She asked Malcom. She hadn't spoken to Malcom much save for the contents of the days menu.

[The SheoDovah]

"If that was a subtle insult, my dear comrade, i will ignore it and not resort to finding myself beating your face into tiny pieces and ruining my good hoody." Connor said before falling onto the floor as a result of the blade coming loose and chuckled. "One does deserve that when one puts one's self in this situation." He commented as he was helped up. He brushed his hoody with both hands and inspected his blade to make sure it hadn't suffered any damage.

[Aarah]

Vladimir nodded at the man in thanks. He seemed decent and, although he would not admit it out loud, Vladimir was grateful for his honest, helpful information; it was more than any of the assassins at the table had bothered to offer.

He looked over at the cook and noticed that Lana was currently engaging him in conversation.
"Looks like Milcolm is busy right now. I will make nice with the min in glasses instead. Or perhips he will swear at me in Russian again. Ya nyeh zna-yoo."

He gave the man another nod and walked away from him; forgetting to ask for his name. He strolled over to Noah, Alex and Cole; unaware of what they had been talking about.
Shuffling awkwardly to merge into the group, he waited for a pause in conversation.

"Err, I'd....like to hiv word." The Russian looked uncomfortable as he spoke to Noah.

[Rook]

Hidden:

I'm going to wait for Shadow before allowing Noah to answer.

The Mess Hall

Lana

"Terribly, thanks for asking." Malcolm growled, but Lana could detect a hint of gratitude and fondness in his voice. He spooned a generous serving of lentils onto her plate and added some lettuce and a quarter of a banana to her plate. "If it was me making supply runs to the surface, I'd buy a little gourmet stuff every once in a while. Hell, I'd settle for stuff you don't have to choke down. Eirika buys [&@%!]. She's a soldier, not a chef."

Connor

"if you're trying to intimidate me, it's not working." the doubter retorted, taking two steps back.

Connor's hidden blade was fine, save for some stuffing caught on it and a few wood chips that could easily be brushed off.

[The SheoDovah]

"That was not my intention but it is a rather curious concidence that you have taken two steps back as if my words had some effect on you although if i had elected to attack you, i would be a bit of a giant fool to do so for i am outnumbered and whilst it is no secret i prefer to apply the refined art of beating one's enemy to death, i would not come out of the fight without my life although i would take a few of you down with me." Connor told Ted as he slowly brushed off the stuffing and wood chips.

[Hissien]

Lana

Lana couldn't help but laugh, it was a light and free kinda of laugh that came freely to her. She brushed a hair out of her face and smiled softly with the relaxed ease of someone who never felt out of place in a social setting.
"You do the best you can with what you've been given, no one can blame you for that. If they do, point them my way and I'll take care of them for you." She said with a wink. "Don't think we don't appreciate what you do for us because we do." She added.

[The-Shadow-One]

Alex blinked. "W-hoa." She mumbled, looking at Noah. "Why.. is like something wrong with you Noah, like.." Her eyes narrowed. "Why are you so nervous?"

[Rook]

The Mess Hall

Connor

"Sure you could." the doubter (henceforth known as Theodore Outer) snorted, "You weren't even born into the Brotherhood, were you? You're just a bum with an attitude problem, and frankly, you're annoying me."

Lana

"I don't recall adding honey to the food last night, but it's a welcome flavor all the same." Malcolm gave a begrudging smile, "I can see why the Rafiq's considering you for a promotion."

Alex/Cole/Vladimir

Through Alex's vision, Noah's aura shifted rapidly between white and yellow. His heart beat faster and his eyes seemed to dart every millisecond. The eye movements were subtle to the untrained, especially because of the glasses, but Alex's newfound ability was not hampered.

Visibly, Noah appeared to panic, "What? I-I'm not nervous, why-why do you think that? I... Ah! Yes, Vladimir. A word, yes. What is it?"

[The SheoDovah]

Connor's eyes twitched for a second as the insult entered his ears and was delicately processed by his brain that was normal human brain despite claims that he only had more fists inside his head. "My dear chap, i do desire to not be accused of being a bum as i would hate to end up ruining our dinner by throwing you through the wall and break your arms like twigs. But it matters little if one is born into the brotherhood or recruited as templars still die at our hands and history has proven it is not wise to provoke one that is capable of breaking your body or is known for one's brutal methods against the dear scum of the earth that we are opposing every day by simply refusing their requests to stop breathing." Connor told Thedore and took a small deep breath as if he was trying to not get [&@%!] off.

[Aarah]

Vladimir was confused by Alex's behaviour, and suspicious as to why Noah was stammering. He's probably anxious about maybe having to kill us later. Or maybe his machines will kill us anyway and he has been told to keep quiet.

Having to give an apology to Noah now seemed even more of disgusting chore to the Russian, but he managed to wrangle one out all the same.

"Yes. I apologise for damaging your machine. I was just..." He winced at the task of feigning guilt and emotion, "...scared, in that moment."

Vladimir put his hands in his pockets and hunched his shoulders. He hoped that his words would come across as genuine.

[The-Shadow-One]

Hidden:

jesus christ really?

Alex narrowed her eyes and stepped in closer to Noah. "I don't abide liars, especially nervous ones. Tell me." She wasn't threatening at all, who would be scared of her?

[Hissien]

Lana

Lana snorted. "The Rafiq considers everyone for promotion. He may have a lot of us but he recruited us all for a reason." Lana blushed a little, adding to the effect of her charm. "Anyway, thanks for the chat but I'd better get back to the guys before they start killing each other again." She said excusing heralded to get back to her 'companions'

[Archer]

Cole looked, and was, confused. "How do you know he's lying?" He whispered, almost as if he expected Noah not hear him.

[The-Shadow-One]

"It's so obvious.. Isn't it? Can't you see his sweat? His eyes? His evasive behaviour? And whatever that flickering gold is!" Alex whispered back, her eyes flickering between the two. "Can't you see it?"

[Rook]

The Mess Hall

Connor

"You're just a thug. A street rat." Theodore spat, "Wits win out over strength nine times out of ten. You'd know that if you bothered to read the history books. Can you even read?"

Alex/Cole/Vladimir/Lana

Noah's eyes widened at Alex's words, leaning in towards her, "You have it! I... they didn't say. Look, I can't tell you anything right now, but when you get in the Animus, I'll send you everything I have. You won't be able to talk to me while you're in there, but I'll make sure it's a comprehensive explanation. Deal?"

Lana was able to overhear this part of the exchange, though his lips clamped shut as he saw the beguiling Assassin approach.

[Hissien]

Lana

Lana said nothing and atrempted to discern more from their conversation.