No rites for the spawn of whores (open)

[Rosa Giovanno]

The stack of clothes she had worn the day before were set promptly aside as she took them from his shaking fingers. She forced her laughter away, not wanting to hurt his feelings. But it was funny how much he shook, he trembled. Even his knees looked unstable as he approached her. In all, he looked like a frightened puppy, this mighty assassin. "Why so scared, Assassino?" she taunted him. "I thought you said you liked danger." Truthfully, he was in no such thing. She would not do anything to harm him or to defile his gentlemanly manner. So why was he shaking? Perhaps, she thought, because he didn't know he wasn't in danger.

"I do not need help getting dressed." Rosa scoffed, walking nearer to him as he approached. "But you, on the other hand, will be needing your shirt sooner or later." She tugged at what she wore a little mockingly, and crossed her arms. "I can only wonder how you'll get it back." It was becoming more of an act now than her true self, exaggerated and obvious. But she would put an end to his timidity, at least around her. Taking her fan from her pile of belongings, she snapped it open with a flick of her wrist, fanning herself slowly and slyly.

And trying all the while not to laugh.

[Catone[Inactive]]

Oh. Ooohhh. Now he understood. She wanted him to get his shirt back. "I like danger, but this isn't danger. This is something else."

What was she trying to prove? She already knew he was no good at this stage of flirting. His expertise was words, rowing, and killing. They were treading unknown waters to him. Catone was in new territory, one that didn't pose any threat, but scared the life out of him nonetheless.

Well, if that was what she wanted. Slowly, he advanced. Left hand reached out and pushed the fan aside while his right grasped her upper arm. Now, he had his quarry. Using his left hand, he inched the bottom of the shirt she wore upward. "I can only guess."

[Rosa Giovanno]

"Oh." she said, a little bit embarrassed. Not much, but just a little. Well, at least she had achieved her goal. He wasn't looking so mopey anymore. But she was sure her little misadventure had made her look a little more like what she was in his eyes. A slut.

Rosa was surprised, though, as he went along with it anyway. She set her fan down as he brushed it aside, and put her hand on his arm instead. "I was only playing, Catone. I didn't actually mean for you to..." She gave him a small smile, not wanting to hurt him through her efforts of trying to cheer him up. That was a paradox she didn't want to go into. "Do it if you like." she said, looking up at him. "But only if you choose to. Not because of my silly games."

[Catone[Inactive]]

Relieved, he let the fabric drop, his blush disappearing. This moment had become awkward once again, but this time, he wouldn't let it remain that way longer than necessary. "Your games aren't silly, just unique."

He smiled. "I always preferred puzzles, though."

Then, his left hand enclosed around her right and raised it in the air while his right hand settled on her left hip. "And here's another one: what has four feet and can keep a rhythm?"

His body turned to the right, dragging her with him and putting them in a perfect dip. "I'll give you a hint. We are doing it right now."

[Rosa Giovanno]

The atmosphere had indeed become a little less than comfortable... again. Rosa did her best to hide it though, and did a fair job at it. She was used to hiding her feelings, the practice she had in her career applied well to her every day life. Not that this was every day.

But he remedied it quickly, swept her off her feet to some inaudible tune. She stepped with him, wondering if she was in pace with the beat he seemed to hear. Mostly, though, she just relaxed and let him lead, arching her back as gracefully as she could when he dipped her and then straightened again. She felt ridiculous, but at least she didn't feel awkward. Ridiculous, at least she could laugh at herself. Rosa was no stranger to music, her father was a minstrel for crying out loud. But without instruments, she found it very difficult to dance in silence. But she did so, anyway. "A pair of dancers." she answered him.

[Catone[Inactive]]

A smile as he softly said, "correct."

Turning and stepping, they glided on the wooden floor, which groaned in response to their fun. The Gondoliere hummed a small song to match their dance, occasionally interrupting it with a chuckle. Finally, he twirled her and held her from behind as he swayed. "You're really good at this."

Letting her turn to face him again, he gave an elaborate bow and kissed her hand. "But, we must finish this dance. I'm still hungry."

His stomach grumbled in response, to which he raised an eyebrow. "See?"

[Rosa Giovanno]

Turning her head to the side to look at him, she answered. "Thank you, Messere. I receive instruction well." It was her way of complimenting him back, without directly stating it. And she didn't want to discus dancing with him. Or music, or anything related to it. Thankfully it didn't seem like he wanted to, either. Instead, after a proper and mannerly ending to their dance, he wanted to talk about food.

They parted for a moment as she brought her clothes behind the screen, changing back into them and leaving what was his hanging over the frame for him. Even if they weren't fresh clothes, they still felt better and more natural on her than the baggy fit of the ones she borrowed. And yet, for a moment she took a moment long enough to realize that she missed the smell, his smell on the other clothes. It must have just been a security thing, she reasoned, in the anxiousness of returning to reality.

Crossing her arms already defensively and setting her face to hide herself behind, it was as if these things were a part of her wardrobe as well - essential pieces she couldn't leave behind. She found a brush and fixed her hair as best she could, and waited for him to change.

[Catone[Inactive]]

Grabbing his day shirt from over the screen, he slipped it on over his head. The vest soon followed. He headed to the table, retrieving one of his knives as well as a piece of string from a small pocket in front of his chest. Using the knife as a mirror, he put his unruly mane under control by tying it into his normal ponytail. Sheathing his knife, he placed his belts on his waist and chest respectively. Already, he felt the confidence and the comfort having them brought. The hood and the hidden blades may he fine and dandy, but with these hanging on his person, he struck quite a figure. If anyone gave him a second glance, which was rare, they could see how dangerous he was. It was like he could feel himself becoming the Assassin he was.

Speaking of, he retrieved his hidden blades and slid them onto his wrists. His ensemble was now complete. Wait. His hands traveled up to his hood and pulled it forward. Now, it was complete. Turning to his friend, he paused.

She looked like a new person, completely different from the woman he found last night and comforted this morning. Was she really feeling so much better? It was almost impossible to be this well off in your emotional state so soon in mourning. Unless it was a front. "Shall we?"

He opened the door and offered the exit to her.

[Rosa Giovanno]

The looked up after he reappeared from behind the screen, and watched him fit himself with all of his weaponry and gear. It was interesting, how he used his knife as a mirror to fix his hair. Some might have thought it barbaric, but she didn't. It was... masculine, in a way, not to be so prim and proper. When he was finished he really did look like an Assassin. It was a wonder to her how they managed to blend in a crowd with so many things that distinguished them from the others, but somehow they managed. Maybe it was just her who noticed the differences, from being around so many of them.

"Thank you." she said as she walked through the door he held, glad to be at the front of their line. It allowed her that much less stress, not to have her face in constant sight. Soon, though, they found their way out of the inn and she walked by his side, into the daylight to find the cafe. She kept her face even, expressionless as their whole atmosphere changed. What was private was now public, quiet was now loud, cozy and small was now wide and open. She felt like an animal stepping out from the woods into the field, where little could be hidden. She didn't like it, but she didn't show it either. Her eyes flicked casually, coolly at the different sites and sounds that were so familiar to her, yet now repelled her. She just wanted to go back to her den and lay there, but she knew she couldn't. Her hunger for food and Catone's presence at her side kept her going. But as she looked around, she knew she couldn't possibly stay another day. She just couldn't. She'd leave after she and Catone would part their separate ways.

[Catone[Inactive]]

Firenze's streets were bustling with people, all too busy to give a Courtesan and her heavily armed guard even a first glance. Side by side, they strode through the pathways. On days like this, with the sun blaring down on them, he was glad he wore a hood to cover his eyes.

Wincing at the loudness of it all, he decided he already missed the peace of the small room. Too bad they couldn't have stayed there forever. But, he did welcome the new scents. There was the smell of food cooking, some Jasmine growing in a pot on a nearby windowsill, and even a little bit of salt. However, he couldn't have wished away the foulness of fecal matter from his nose more. Someone decided it was dumping day apparently. He walked a little faster past that.

Soon, they arrived at the small cafe. It was on the corner, tucked between a home and an artisan's shop. Entering it, he motioned for a small table for two, pointing at the one in the corner. Wine was too intoxicating for him at this time of day, so he calmly asked for a pitcher of water before heading over. Calmly, he pulled out a chair for her and waited for her to take it.

[Rosa Giovanno]

With a word of thanks to him, she sat in the chair he offered her and waited for him to be seated in his own. It was nice to be treated like a lady, and she was becoming more and more used to it the more she was around him. Rome would be a rude homecoming when she went back.

When the woman came to take their orders, Rosa asked for caprese and sausage, along with a glass of white wine for herself. Just one glass, she decided. To adjust. She looked at Catone, wondering how she should strike up a conversation. One thing she couldn't do was sit in silence. Not in public. "So, what are you going to do today?" she asked him. A part of her hoped he would be busy, out being the hero that he was so that she could go back to Rome. She never thought she'd ever want to go back to that horrid city, but reality was cruel and existed only in the world she dwelled in. Within the walls of his rented room at the inn or within the walls of the brothel were where she could escape that reality, at or at least have a dulled version of it through his support or through the support of her sisters. And Salvi, of course. But existing here... just wouldn't do. She felt exposed, even when no one looked at her. She knew something bad would happen. Somewhere, at some point something would realize her vulnerability and act on it. That was how her life worked. And if she couldn't stay in his room, in his protection any longer, then she wanted to return to Rome.

The other part of her wished that he would be free, still waiting for his target to return from Forli and not preoccupied with other missions. As much as she liked staying in his room, she knew if they went back there she would only embarrass herself as she had towards the end, acting the slut in front of a gentleman, because she had acted so for so long that she didn't know how to act normal. But he didn't seem to hold it against her, or if he did, he didn't say. If they could just escape the city, or go to one of their Assassin's Bureaus, she could enjoy the his company and that of the other local assassins.

But she, for herself, knew that she had work that still needed to be done. And that included leaving at a semi-descent time to make the trip in two nights instead of three.

[Catone[Inactive]]

All he asked for was the pasta of the day. He didn't care what was in it or how it was prepared. Hunger was a mortal net and he would bear any arm against it.

Little did she know, he was locked in an internal debate with himself. Truthfully, he had planned on doing some reconnaissance on the home, maybe sneak in and find all the perfect hiding places. He would have to do it sooner or later and he was the type to get things done and over with. Yet, he wanted to spend time with her, comfort her. But, he also had no idea how long she planned on staying. Realistically, he couldn't stay with her forever just as she wasn't going to stick around to keep him company. Already, he could see her linking this city to one of the worst experiences she had ever faced. Memories alone were likely to push her away.

It would probably be best if he said he was busy, give her an excuse to pack up and leave. In fact, that was exactly what he was going to do. "I don't really have anything to do." Cazzo. "There's no set plan, anyway."

He could tell that the only reason they had left the room was because they both wanted to move on from the shirt fiasco as quickly as possible. It wasn't her fault. She had no idea that he was literally that clueless of a woman's intentions. Perhaps it would be best if she did leave. His voice dropped to a soft tone. "Bella, I can tell that you don't want to be here. And from what you told me earlier, I think that the only reason you haven't fled is because home is the one place you don't want to be right now."

He leaned forward and grabbed her hand, using his thumb to draw small circles on the top of it in what he hoped to be a comforting manner. "What is keeping you from Roma?"

For some inane reason, an area in his upper left chest began to ache. His conscious mind was unaware that it was his emotions screaming at him to stop, to make her stay. The heart wants what it wants, but a fool who doesn't know what that is will be doomed to remain alone. In this case, Catone was playing the fool, oblivious to the fact the he wanted her to stay right beside him.

[Rosa Giovanno]

Her stomach turned over and sank like a dead fish in her sea of emotions. It took her breath away for a moment, made her nauseous with reality and other things she had been pushing aside. His questions were just too real for her to address just then, but there they were, floating in the air like seagulls looking for meat. He knew that he was kind and his intentions were pure, but he was entering a warzone he knew nothing about, and she wasn't about to permit him to stay.

"Home is the only place I want to be right now." she chanced a glance up at him, her eyes wet, but not crying. Nope, she looked back down at the empty table, at the knots and cracks in the wood. Yes, home was the only place she wanted to be. But there was no home for courtesans. Home is where the heart is, most would say. But prostitutes didn't have those. They didn't have hearts. And if they did, they broke so often that they were useless anyway. Sure, she cared for her sisters at the Blooming Rose, enough to consider them 'sisters'. But they weren't really. They came and went like the rest of the people in Rome. And her own family had been, in one way or another, torn apart. "But there isn't... I mean..." she stopped trying, deciding the explanation wasn't worth it. It would be better, if he didn't know.

"And Rome is a vile city, I don't need to tell you that, you've seen it. But it's all I have. I enjoy my time away from it." But it wasn't Rome that was repelling her. It was her would-be child that kept her in Firenze, or rather, distance that she was for some reason reluctant to place or to close between herself and the grave. While she didn't want to be far away from it, she also had been putting off going to see it again, as she knew she would have to before she left. It was easier just to put off leaving all together. But that just wasn't something she could do for very long. A night, maybe, as she had. But not more than a couple days. He didn't need to know all of that.

Rosa watched as he took her hand, and placed her other one atop his. The small amount of the same contact she had been craving all morning nearly broke her. It wasn't his fault, she was the one who was trying to push it down, to chain it up like she had with everything else. He was an assassin; it was in his nature to investigate and to set things free. He just didn't know what he asked. But there was nothing he could do to heal her kind of pain, nothing he could say that could make it better. She just wished he would have left it alone, let her hide her skeletons in the wastelands of her heart. But she appreciated that he cared.

Her wine came, and she sipped it along with the slow, silent tears that she fought from her cheeks, with at least partial success. Rosa cleared her throat and continued staring at the table, unable to make eye contact.

[Catone[Inactive]]

There it was. The invisible cord, the one he struck, that hung around her neck like a noose. She was dying on the inside. Something happened, something terrible enough to never be able to heal, no matter how hard he tried. That ache he felt grew, threatening to tear him apart.

For one of the only times in his life, he was struck dumb. Sitting there, he could only try to form words and grasp at fleeting thoughts. He barely noticed the waiter arriving and leaving as he stared. He wished to be able to help her, but wishing doesn't do anything if there is nothing done about it. And he could do nothing.

Quiet prevailed for the longest time, only interrupted by the waiter's return with his meal, which he picked at with the fork, suddenly losing all interest in food. Finally, he spoke. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't pry."

And he truly was. Silence regained its choking hold over them as Catone forced his eyes away from her face.

[Rosa Giovanno]

It was quiet for a while as they ate, picking at their food like children forced to eat vegetables. Rosa was hungry, her stomach made that very clear. But it just... didn't appeal to her all of a sudden. The wine, though, that she drank. Finally she cut into the mozzarella and tomatoes and basil on her plate, impaling small pieces quietly with her fork. It was good to eat, she decided after a few bites. She pulled her hand away from Catone's as she used her knife to cut into the flat and slightly burnt sausage. It did little to calm her feelings, but at least it dried her tears. It was almost impossible to eat and cry at the same time. But still, she chewed her food slowly and thoughtfully, distractedly; a hundred thoughts playing through her mind. And then another sip of wine.

She was almost halfway done with her meal before she spoke again. "Don't be." she said at first, still looking at her plate. After a few more bites, she looked up at him as if to say something, but didn't. You are a good person, she had wanted to say. I know you wouldn't ask if you didn't care. But it showed up in her face, before her eyes flicked to the door of the cafe, following movement.

A woman walked in and looked around the place, as if searching for someone she'd meet. Apparently fruitless in her findings, she took a seat at one of the tables. Rosa noticed she held something in her arms, but as the woman sat it was hidden on her lap beneath the height of the table. Rosa looked back at Catone for a moment and then down at her food.