THE RANDOM SCENARIO MEME

[socketeer]

THE RANDOM SCENARIO MEME 


- Post your character, name, and series in the subject. Include any preferences as well.
- Go to RNG and enter 1-6 for a scene type, and 1-20 for a scene to play out.

TYPE OF SCENE.
① Action → Gun fights, bar brawls, fights to the death are all possible scenarios.
② Angst → Characters suffer emotionally or physically from relationships breaking up, death, injury, etc. Hurt and comfort themes are included.
③ Crack → Genderswaps, super powers, sudden compulsions are all possible outcomes.
④ Fluff → Something that is devoid of angst. It's light-hearted and might have the overtone of romance.
⑤ Gen → General fun, things that didn't fit in the other categories.
⑥ Your choice → Think of your own scenario, choose one of the above or make a combo even!


ACTION.
① Zombies → It's the zombie apocalypse, lock and load!
② Bar brawl → You had one too many drinks, said something wrong, and now you're being asked to take it outside.
③ Chase → You're caught in a high speed chase.
④ Gun fight → You're caught in a big shoot-out.
⑤ Fight with a friend → You're fighting with a friend, all out.
⑥ Interrogation → You're being interrogated for some offense you've done.
⑦ Aliens → Aliens are attacking and you're not going to take your probe laying down!
⑧ Final battle → This is it. The battle that will end all the fighting for you. Will you win? Will you get that peace you want?
⑨ Training → You're not actually fighting, just training for the inevitable.
⑩ No hope → You know this fight has no hope. It's not going to end well for anyone involved, but you can't turn away.
⑪ Sneaking in → You're stealing a diamond or sneaking in to kick some bad guy butt, but whatever it is, you have to practice stealth.
⑫ Blue wire → You're faced with a bomb that needs to be disarmed.
⑬ Fight for honor → You've been disgraced or someone you care about has, so it's time to fight for honour.
⑭ Showdown → Time for a cowboy-style showdown. Whoever draws the fastest wins.
⑮ War → You're caught in the middle of a war here. Remember to keep your chin up and keeping fighting.
⑯ Apocalypse → The apocalypse finally happened and now you're left to scavenge and fight for whatever is left.
⑰ Sabotage → It's time to sabotage someone's plan! How is entirely up to you. Do you set up a bomb in their toilet? Do you double cross them at the last minute?
⑱ Big damn hero → You know you have to handle this one alone, so that means disarming or knocking unconscious the person who wants to join you.
⑲ Fight club → You know the rules... you're in an underground fighting ring and you're fighting with all you've got.
⑳ Threaten → You've just been sent here to rough them up a little, threaten them into behaving.

ANGST.
① Injury / illness → Your character has become injured or ill! To what extent is the mun's choice.
② Last moments → You character has been gravely injured and this is their last chance to say their last words.
③ Depression → Your character is depressed, what actions they take is up to the mun.
④ Betrayed → You character has been betrayed by the other. How do they react?
⑤ Tortured → Your character is being tortured and needs rescuing or at least a sympathetic ear to help him through it.
⑥ Jealousy → Your character is feeling jealous and must deal with it, how will they do it?
⑦ Breakup! → This relationship has gone as far as it can, it's time to breakup.
⑧ Broken → For whatever reason, the character is broken, mentally or or physically.
⑨ Fight → You can't even be in the same room as your friend or lover without arguing anymore.
⑩ Lost → You lost the biggest fight of your life and now all you can do is try to pick up the pieces.
⑪ Worst nightmare → Whatever you fear the most is now real or maybe you're just trapped in a dream together, but whatever it is, it feels too real.
⑫ Addicted → You're addicted to something, alcohol, drugs, sex, whatever. It's destroying your life and you can't do anything to stop it.
⑬ Hurt you → You're being forced to hurt someone you love either by betraying them or even being forced to shout things you don't mean. It's for their own good in the end though.
⑭ Separation → You were forced to leave this person for their own safety and while you've been miserable without them, you really didn't mean to run into them again... maybe it was by accident or you were watching them from afar this whole time.
⑮ Becoming a monster → You are slowly changing, becoming a monster: vampire, zombie, demon, something you can't recover from and no-one can help you.
⑯ Frozen → You are entirely helpless, frozen, to stop some kind of disaster.
⑰ Prison → You were very bad and now it's time to pay the price by turning yourself in or maybe the law just finally caught up to you.
⑱ Fear → You're not sure why, but you are suddenly terrified and you can't deal with it. You need help.
⑲ Hated → You are now hated by the person you loved the most.
⑳ Down and out → You're living on the streets, you've hit rock bottom, and you don't know what to do.

CRACK.
① Sexswap → Uh-oh, you're suddenly the opposite sex!
② Forced confessions → No matter what it is and no matter how hard you resist, you're going to be compelled to spill some deep dark secret!
③ Mind-reading → You've suddenly got the ability to read minds!
④ Animal → You're suddenly part animal or transformed into an animal!
⑤ Awkward pick-up lines → You're compelled to use bad pickup lines on whoever is closest!
⑥ Back in School / Graduated → You're suddenly back in school! Or if you were already in it, you've aged and long since graduated!
⑦ Vampires, werewolves, and zombies, oh my! → You're suddenly a vampire, werewolf, or zombie! Maybe even a demon or a devil, whatever creepy crawly you can think of. What do you do now?
⑧ Ghost → You're suddenly a ghost or at least invisible. What are you going to do with this new ability?
⑨ Awkward conversations → So did you just fart or what? Any conversation goes, as long as it's embarrassing and awkward.
⑩ Crossdressing → For whatever reason, you're suddenly dressed in clothes of the opposite sex.
⑪ Suddenly naked → Oops! Your clothes are suddenly gone.
⑫ Suddenly a kid → You're a kid again! Have fun with that second childhood.
⑬ Fortune cookie → You've suddenly received a note with something that will happen in the future, either precise or vague.
⑭ Super power → And suddenly you're like Superman! Any power goes.
⑮ Bodyswap → Somehow you've changed bodies with the other person.
⑯ Back in time → Somehow, you wound up in the past again. Do you try to correct something or just sit and wait for time to jump? Maybe it jumps to various points in your life or maybe you actually think you're back in the day. Have fun, run wild with the idea!
⑰ To the future → Is it everything you've dreamed? Is it horrible? Whatever happens, you're here to witness what happens to you in the future. Either you take the place of your future self or you're just there to watch. Might cause some confusion if people start seeing double though...
⑱ Angels, mermaids, and fairies! → You're not necessary something dark or evil. You're just something different. How do you deal?
⑲ Locked in a closet → For some reason, you're locked up in a closet with someone else. Do you make nice and try to figure your way out or what?
⑳ Finger trap → You're caught in a Chinese finger trap... with somebody else! You can't figure out how to get loose either... have fun with that.

FLUFF.
① Cuddling → For whatever reason, characters feel like being close and cuddling.
② Pillow talk → After the main event, characters are up for some pillow talk.
③ Celebration → Anniversary or some other big event is taking place and characters want to celebrate!
④ Love confession → Someone has finally decided to confess their love and today is the day!
⑤ Appreciation → You feel the need to show appreciation for that person closest to you, even if it's just a pat on the back.
⑥ Apologies → You made a mistake and now it's time to make it up in some way you know the other can't refuse!
⑦ Get back together → Why did you break up again exactly? Whatever the reason, it was a huge mistake and you both know you can work through it.
⑧ Date night → You've planned for a wonderful night together and you can't wait to get it started.
⑨ Family → You've either found out you're pregnant or you've already got that addition to your family.
⑩ Marriage → You're just about to get hitched or maybe you're enjoying your honeymoon. Maybe you've been together for years now! Whatever the case, it's time for that next big step.
⑪ Meeting again → It's time for that happy reunion finally!
⑫ Love at first sight → For whatever reason, you are now insanely in love with the first person you set eyes on.
⑬ Flirtation → You can't resist to do a little bit of harmless flirtation all of a sudden.
⑭ In the snow → Look outside! It's a winter wonderland, so why not go out and play in it?
⑮ Engagement → You've planned it all out and now it's time to finally pop the question.
⑯ Friendly games → You've set up the game station or board games for a friendly competition!
⑰ Gift → Time to give that special someone a gift just because.
⑱ Recovery → You're taking care of someone who's just recovered from some illness or injury.
⑲ Healing → Time to help mend that someone who's been through hell and back.
⑳ Better than ever → You've finally got everything you've ever wanted here. What is your ideal life and who does it include?

GEN.
① Nice meeting you → It's your first time meeting this person! You bumped into each other on the street, in a bar, at work... whatever!
② Drinks → You're out for drinks! Or just chilling at home with some beers. Wherever!
③ Lost → You're lost and you kind of need help finding your way to where you're going. A little help with directions?
④ Costume party → You're at a costume party, both of you are wearing masks. Do you keep the anonymity or take it off and see whose company you've been enjoying?
⑤ Wrong number → Oops, actually you didn't mean to call that person...
⑥ Drunk → You're already drunk! Drunk dialing, stumbling into someone, showing up unexpected... what type of drunk are you anyway? Aggressive, loving, happy? How does the other react?
⑦ Old friends → you haven't seen this person in a long time!
⑧ Rivals → you're suddenly rivals! Or maybe you have been all along...
⑨ Problems → you've got a problem with each other, just got in a huge fight, whatever. Try to work it out!
⑩ What are your intentions... → This person? They're dating a close friend, family member, etc. You need to find out if they're going to hurt them! Or you need to discuss your friend/family's dating choice.
⑪ I saw you → you saw the other person doing something bad and you need to confront them about it.
⑫ Sorry but no → the other person has feelings that you just don't share. They don't necessarily have to be romantic... maybe you just don't agree with their sudden desire to quit their job and start a business making tiny, fuzzy teddy bears.
⑬ My hero → you need to tell this person how much they mean to you. They've been your best friend or your role model your whole life and they need to know.
⑭ Enabler → you're enabling the other (or each other) to do something bad, really bad. Addiction, stealing, killing, or just any other self-destructive behavior.
⑮ Cooking → Time for an impromptu cooking lesson!
⑯ Oh, sure, I remember you... → It's that awkward moment when someone comes up and seems to know you, but you have no idea who they even are!
⑰ Rescue! → One of you was in trouble, but you came to the rescue!
⑱ Boss → One of you works under the other. Is your relationship good? Are you scheming things? Or do you hate each other?
⑲ Perfect crime → You and the other person have just pulled off the perfect crime... or you're planning to! What are you doing? The heist of the century, an assassination?
⑳ Movies → movie night! Maybe it's a sleepover. Whichever the case, it's time to eat a lot and have fun.
 

Comments

war pigs, i think, won out in the end

[dominus]

It was time to face the cold, hard truth: He was never getting to Costantinopoli.

Never.

It's some sick twist of fate that's responsible for this, Ezio decided. Maybe the locals were onto something with their Evil Eye superstitions; something malevolent had clearly looked in on his journey, shaken its head and thought 'No no, too simple, too easy', because otherwise it meant his luck really was just total shit and he should never, ever travel anywhere again once he got back to Rome.

He was outside Bucharest then, in the shadow of the fortress while he and his horse were fed and rested in the village below. His was an attempt made to rest, at least, because it was the lack of rest that had started his string of ill-fated adventures in the first place, but he'd tossed and turned on the mattress and found himself thinking hard instead. After his convalescence at Castle Dracula, he'd spent another handful of weeks mired in the countryside through one thing or another, never quite willing to turn his attention from someone in need. Wallachia and her people were warm, kind, rich in spirit if not always in material wealth.

Assassins from the Turkish capitol met him before he could reach the Danube, with heartfelt greetings and shocking news.

Mehmed was on his way with a quarter-million troops, coming for back payment of the jizya, to collect boys for the devşirme, and to take the head of the man who so arrogantly refused him.

Ezio immediately turned back to Târgoviște.

He left Bucharest before dawn. Friends he'd made along the way South tuned him into where he might find his host, and the army he was assembling. It was at an ice cold tributary of the Ialomiţa that he surprised a nest of Turkish spies, and struck out in self-defense when they took him for one of the prince's scouts in his native clothes.

It was also those same men that were charging after him on the Wallachian plain, as he rode hell for leather toward his unknown destination, swearing a blue streak beneath the thunder of hoofbeats.

[whatmenfear]

He had known that refusing – not only that but the manner of his refusal – would provoke a reaction. Mehmed was nothing if not predictable, in his way; prick his pride and he would lash out in an effort to prove his superiority.

He had banked on this, in fact, and had been readying himself as best he could. Hungary, despite it's pretty promises had failed to deliver. Not that it mattered, ultimately. He knew the land far better than his enemy and that was no small advantage.

By the time Mehmed's army had reached the south of the Capital, they were much weakened, their confidence shaken. It was then that he had implemented a risky plan, disguising himself as a soldier and infiltrating the camp – he learnt that Mehmed, wary of the state of mind of his troops, had forbade their leaving their tents at night.

'This will make things easier', he thought, as he rode back to the city. The fact that they now had a chance to strike at the heart of the Empire would no doubt cheer his men, even if they did not succeed.

[dominus]

It got interesting from there.

Hoping to slow his pursuers, Ezio led them on a merry chase directly through the woods instead of taking the well worn road, deftly weaving through the maze of trees. He was rewarded for his efforts, as they began to slip farther behind, and he could see the swath of sunlight ahead, turning the February slush of the road into a ribbon of gold.

Ezio emerged from the wood and reigned his horse in sharply, before he could collide with another rider who came up on the road. He got a glimpse of a familiar face, amid the startled whinnies of their horses, and turned back in his saddle to address the man with no small amount of amazement in his voice.

"Vlad!"

That was as far as he got though, as the men cleared the tree line a little way up the road, spotted their quarry, and drew their swords.

"Figlio de 'ngabellata," he snarled, every ounce of frustration expressed in the swear. He didn't have time for this. Pushing himself up in his saddle, Ezio swung around to his friend, and plucked the kilij from his side with brusque precision. "I need to borrow this."

Wrapping the reins in his left hand, he spurred his horse into a run for the group of men, the curved blade at his side. What should have been disastrous for him turned into instant pandemonium, after Ezio vaulted from his saddle onto the first soldier that came swinging at him, the wide skirt of his fur-lined kontush flaring like the black banner of death. He buried the sword in the man's side, pushed him off the horse as easily as discarding a doll, letting the blade free itself as gravity took hold and the corpse tumbled to the earth. The next three were felled as easily, swords sent flying, blood spurting, and Ezio dragged the last from his horse by his gorget, flinging him onto the ground.

[whatmenfear]

Vlad watched, wide-eyed, as his friend dispatched the men with an ease that would make even a practiced soldier balk.

Definitely not a banker, then.

Once the last man was dead, felled by a truly impressive blow at that, he managed to muster his thoughts long enough to respond, though it was possibly somewhat lacking in the usual warm-hearted sentiment: “Ezio, what in God's name are you doing here?”

[dominus]

Dismounting, Ezio flicked the kilij with a wrist, sending a small shower of red over the trampled snow.

"What sort of message was it, exactly, that you sent back to the Sultan?" God, how he hated it when people answered his own question with a question, and here he was doing just the same. He straightened, squaring his shoulders.

"I left Bucharest and Mehmed was marching into Wallachia with the whole god damn Empire at his back."

[whatmenfear]

A foolish one, if Vlad were to be entirely honest, and one born not entirely of sound judgement. Sending the smirking Hamza Bey to act as envoy had been as much a provocation as the request -- demand -- that he had carried, and Mehmed had known it.

Even so, he would not admit as much out loud.

"One that he would not be able to ignore."

[dominus]

"That much was obvious."

Maybe it was a bit barbed, but Ezio wasn't one to smooth out his opinions in a crisis for the sake of salving someone's ego, even if he liked them. He made a noise in the back of his throat, a hum of annoyance, before stooping to clean the sword on a fallen soldier's tunic. Ezio turned it in hand, walking the short distance to the prince and offering it pommel first with an unreadable expression, his hood hiding his eyes.

"What do you intend to do, amico?" There, back onto the business at hand.

[whatmenfear]

"We're going to cut off the head of the snake."

Bold words, perhaps, but after some careful reconnaissance (how quickly they seemed to have forgotten the time he had spent among them, no doubt imagining that he himself would be quick to forget all that he had learned) Vlad has a more than reasonable idea of what to expect. Where the hearts and the minds of his enemy now lie.

Knows just where to strike.

"Come inside and I shall explain."

[dominus]

Ezio felt the cold chill of ice grip him, if only briefly. "Capisco... A moment."

So he intended to strike at Mehmed himself?

There wasn't any time for niceties with the soldiers, though Ezio did at least drag their corpses out of the road, affording the dead some measure of dignity. He joined Vlad again shortly thereafter, with an open gesture for him to lead the way forward.

[whatmenfear]

The preparations were already well underway; women, children and the elderly were being evacuated en-masse. Even his own family, despite Mirena's protests, would not remain in the city longer than necessary.

Their recent successes, he explained, as they rode toward the castle had made them bold but it had not made him foolish. He was still a realist, knew that there was only so much that could be done and if they failed -- and they may yet fail, the numbers still favoring Mehmed in spite of the damage that had been done -- he would see to it that as many were spared as was within his power.

Which brought them back to his plan. "You do not think I would dress myself as a Turkish scout for my own amusement, surely?"

[dominus]

He listened close as Vlad explained. With the South soon overtaken by the oppressive crush of Mehmed's army, people were fleeing into the mountains -- a wise course of action for the natives accustomed to the land. It would take ages to flush even a few people out, and the Pass itself narrowed in places to permit only a handful of men at its greatest width, a foolish place to take an invading army through unless they had keen designs to recreate Thermopylae.

Ezio raised an eyebrow at Vlad, returning mildly, "It would not be my place to pass judgement on a man's hobbies. But I am guessing you've just come from sneaking around the enemy camp? I can't say I disapprove."

[whatmenfear]

Vlad inclined his head; of course. It hadn't taken much to convince the guards that he was a returning scout. He had spent several hours wandering the camp, learning what he could of the organization, and was now reasonably certain he knew where the Sultan's tent was located.

It would make the upcoming battle easier, certainly.

His face sloped into a crooked grin. "Someone I happen to hold in high regard once advised me on the value of subtlety over outright force. I thought I might try it his way for a change."

[dominus]

That pulled a certain smile from Ezio in turn. He could still run, he knew, Vlad would likely not hold it against him. It wasn't his fight...but then he thought of the reports of Mehmed's men kidnapping boys as they came up the plains, and taking slaves from the general populace that couldn't run in time. Assassins weren't soldiers, but it wasn't in him to run in the face of such cruelty.

"How my I be of assistance, my friend?"

--digs through the tag pile like a diggy thing--

[whatmenfear]

It was not his fight, perhaps, but that did not make the offer any less appreciated. Nor was Vlad so noble as to refuse, particularly after having witnessed firsthand how capable the Italian was with a blade.

He scratches his stubble, thinking for a moment how happy he will be to be back indoors -- if for no other reason than to get out of the ridiculous get-up he was wearing and into something more familiar. "I am sure we can find a use for you. If nothing else it will make for an interesting tale once you reach Constantinople."

Assuming that they survived. Something that was still very much up in the air.

Travelling through the city by night was a surreal experience made all the more so by the quiet that seemed to have settled over it now. Those that remained would begin the final preparations soon, working tirelessly through the night. The Turks would take the city without doubt but when they did they would be in for a terrible surprise

[dominus]

He has a very distinct memory of Targoviste as a bustling city, full of life and lives lived. Market stalls brimming with wares and people to hawk them, children running underfoot, shoppers roaming, people gossiping, shops and houses lit from within and without. Now the only light to see by is starlight, and the errant torch or lantern; the only people he sees are soldiers, hurrying here and there down other streets, carting...timber? Timber, while others pull the odd cart, which look to be full of debris from this distance, difficult to say in the weak light.

Ezio cranes his neck to follow two of them by sight, watching them carry their burden of timber toward the main thoroughfare through the city, mystified. More fortifications? But after a moment that seemed the end of the activity, and he puts the thought aside.

"At this rate," he replies, looking to Vlad once more, "I will have to write a book of all my experiences."

[whatmenfear]

Undoubtedly they cut a peculiar picture as they rode through the streets -- Vlad having to pause more than once, to the embarrassment of the soldier in question and the amusement of the Prince, himself -- toward the Royal Court.

"I think he might've aged ten years," Vlad remarks, glancing back over his shoulder at the young man, who looks equal parts star struck and mortified. He sounds entirely too cheerful, all things considered.

He then explains, as best he can, the additions that have been made -- the city itself has known more than its fair share of conflict, has yet to be taken in a siege -- and those that are planned for the future. Such plans, at that. It makes the impending conflicts seem almost distant -- winnable.

[dominus]

"At least your sense of humor is still intact against such odds," Ezio replies wryly, throwing Vlad a glance.

Still, he listens closely while his friend goes into detail, while the looming castle grows larger on their approach, more menacing while wreathed in the night, the battlements outlined in the glow of brazier-fire. Here, then, is where the main activity is, as preparations continue for the fight ahead.

It's also where a handful of the noble lords, on seeing the two men approach and hearing that their Prince has returned, turn and make a beeline...

...for Ezio, in his Wallachian garments. Making their quick obeisance, they launch into rapid-fire questions while the Assassin sits in his saddle, bewildered, forgetting that his hood has thrown his face into shadow, while Vlad at his side remains dressed in his Turkish gear.

[whatmenfear]

"I'm a man that has learnt to take his amusement wherever he finds it," Vlad shoots back, his mouth curving.

It is entirely possible that when he had left for his excursion, the only person who had been made aware of his plans had been his cousin and his second -- Stephen had, predictably, protested loudly but had ultimately ceded after it had become clear that Vlad would not be moved.

"You might want to say something, amico, before they think I've taken leave of what senses I have remaining."

[dominus]

Ezio huffs a sigh of amusement and pulls back his hood with a little flourish, much to the surprise and chagrin of the assembled boyars. He, too, makes a gesture of respect, but this one is to Vlad at his left.

The silence that follows, short as it is, is nonetheless perfect.

Then the questions start anew and Ezio's presence is promptly forgotten for the time being, a means of staving off the embarrassment of their faux pas.

[whatmenfear]

Vlad is immediately swamped.

Tensions have been running high ever since Vlad had returned from Giugiu, the remains of a Turkish force in tow – the meeting was to be held in good faith, in the capital. The last minute request to move the meeting to somewhere closer to the, then, Ottoman-held fortress had been enough to trip a number of red flags.

He'd survived the ambush, of course. Had even taken back the fortress, much to the amazement of his men. The nobles, once they had overcome their initial surprise at such a startling victory, had been concerned. Rightly so as there would be no turning back now, not with such an outright provocation.

And then there was the small matter of their prisoners to consider.

"I'll find you later," Vlad says, dismounting. "Try not to get into any more trouble until then, mm?"

[dominus]

"I make no promises, Your Highness." Dismounting too, already in possession of a rough sketch of Vlad's plan and altogether weary from his long ride, Ezio beats a retreat.

He finds water and feed for his horse, and a farrier to replace one of the animal's shoes - he thought he'd heard the distinct, metallic notes of an impending slip. Finding much the same for himself wasn't any more difficult, just hemmed in on all sides by soldiers and their anxieties, their anticipation. Some of them had escorted the prisoners from Giugiu and were exultant with the victory, bragging to anyone that would listen.

In the end he traded a bit of gold for a place to wash his face and get an hour's sleep in, though the latter proved to be more of a comfortless doze. Vlad, he knew, probably wouldn't have any sleep to his name tonight.

[whatmenfear]

Sleep was a luxury. It had been a luxury for as long as he could remember – there had always been an extra lap to run, an extra hour to train – and would likely continue to be so for a good time yet.

Drinking helped. The burn of the pálinka reminded him more of medicine then of alcohol – unsurprising, given that he'd seen the local doctor use it to clean and disinfect wounds more than once in the past – but it was doing the trick, soothing his strained nerves.

The new “fortifications” were progressing. His men were, at the very least, content for the moment – how long this would remain so was debatable but he was reluctant to disrupt their celebration.

And the coming days would be difficult.

He took another long sip of his drink, eyes focusing on the play of light and shadow on the logs in the kitchen fireplace, and he thought. He thought about Hamza Bey, currently cooling his heels in his cell. He thought about Edirne, about Mehmed and most especially about his brother.

[dominus]

It was there in the kitchen that Ezio found the prince, his gaze snagging on the familiar form before the fire, painted in hard chiaroscuro by the flickering flames and the shadows lapping at Vlad's heels. Anyone else might have missed him, passed by the quiet room in a bid to be where all the action was.

How fitting, Ezio thought, that he should find him in here. The memory came to him if he squinted against the darkness, recalling only a few short months ago when he was brought out of the snow, thawed and fussed over until he was coherent enough to meet the master of this fortress. What kind of fate might he have had, if Vlad hadn't believed he wasn't a spy? It did not bear contemplation.

And what of the future? What lay ahead for all of them, at the end of this struggle? Mehmed did not seem the type to let even a handful of setbacks hamper him, not when his goal was all but in sight.

Vlad, too, seemed to be absorbed in his own thoughts, muttering softly if he heard him right, so Ezio was quiet in his way when he came alongside his friend, hands out to warm in the welcome heat.

"What is it this time?" he asked, in that low murmur of his that was like a gentle, rolling wave, "Fățată or țuică?"

[whatmenfear]

Vlad's head snapped up, startled from his thoughts. He relaxed when he picked out the shape of his friend in the gloom, tempted to make a quip about getting the other man a bell.

“Törkölypálinka.” He held up the glass to show him, the liquid catching the light and turning it faintly golden. “From our friends in Hungary.”

Then he tipped back the glass, not bothering to stifle the wince this time. Making him look not unlike a small child that's just been made to take his medicine rather than a grown man about to wreak all manner of havoc come morning. “Excellent for the digestion, less forgiving on the rest of the body. "

It was a wonder, really, that he had any taste buds remaining with the Wallachian fondness for spirits potent enough to curl toenails. "Do join me," the invitation was extended largely as a formality. "There should be something more palatable somewhere."

[dominus]

Even the name made him wince. "I won't even try to pronounce that," a low mutter, self-deprecating, punctuated with the wave of his hand. He felt fluent in the language now, enough that he had reached for it automatically on finding Vlad. From our friends in Hungary. The ones that were noticeably absent?

Ezio smiled at the fire, at his friend's visible discomfort with his torkopacchina or whatever it was called. "Oh no," he remarked, letting that smile stretch, "You have sold me on it now. Now I must have a taste." It's the purview of boys, isn't it? Try this, it's disgusting!

It isn't hard to find the bottle and a spare glass, offering Vlad a refill before partaking himself. Formality or no, he was grateful for something that might take the edge off the lack of sleep, a kind of dull, full-body ache there to remind him he wasn't eighteen and unstoppable anymore.

"Your men seem undaunted. Taking a cue from their prince?" He swirled the liquor in his glass as if he were letting a wine breathe. The smell wafting off it gave him second thoughts.