Training

[eaglet]

Who: Connor and James Kidd
What: Better Mentor
When: Right now!!!
Where: the woods maybe
Rating: idek kids stabbing fake people

Connor liked James Kidd.

Perhaps it's because of the other young man's closeness in age, or because he's just less abrasive in general when compared to Ezio, but he found the training sessions between them to be more enjoyable. He's not sure how James measures up to Achilles in that regard, and is reluctant to pit them against each other in his mind, but for now, until he returns home or until the god of this place grants him the presence of Achilles, he's content.

At the moment, Connor is constructing some dummies to use for practice, tying ropes around loose man-shaped figures made of hay. He glances over his shoulder as he pulls a length of rope tight, preparing to knot it.

"I meant to ask before," he says, "what is it that your Mentor is like?"

Comments

[unmanned]

Everyone has a story, especially young men hoping to become Assassins, and James is sorry to hear that this is Connor's. He listens quietly, letting Connor say what he wants and giving him his undivided attention.

"Blood or not, your father--his son--is the enemy. You want any sort of bond with Edward, he needs to know. You need not tell him yourself. It's a thing I'm offering to do," he says, with the unsaid or will do regardless in his eyes. James likes his secrets and his dishonesty well and all, but he would never keep this from Edward.

"Edward cares about his kin more than your first encounter may lead you to believe. He'll want to know about you, and that includes what tragedy befell your family. He's a man with heart. Be honest with him, let him deal with it, and you'll find yourself a friend. Don't complicate it by keeping things from him."

[eaglet]

Connor is stubborn. It's a problem. He folds his arms over his chest and listens, frowning vaguely at his feet. James has a point, has several good points, but he doesn't want to admit it. Keeping it from Edward makes sense, or at least he thought it did. It's only that what James is saying makes sense, too.

"I am not trying to complicate anything," he says, maybe a little defensively. For all his arguing that he's an adult, a man, Connor is still very much a child. He's in a weird place, and this whole bullshit magic castle business isn't really helping.

"He is not kin I asked for, nor did I think I would ever meet. But all the same, I am only trying to protect him."

[unmanned]

James can have a temper, but knows better than to let it rise when dealing with someone Connor's age. Funny how dealing with a young man reminds him of the old governors of Nassau with their stubbornness and denial.

As far as James is concerned, Edward is learning the truth--one way or another. And, to be honest, he'd prefer to be the one to tell him his future son is a Templar. Connor is too close to this.

"Protect him by telling him the truth. Be honest," he repeats.

[eaglet]

He's quiet for a moment, still looking at his feet. He can't even be sure anymore if it's stubbornness or pride or if he's truly so sure he's doing the right thing.

"Alright," he finally says, glancing up. "I will tell him in time."

[unmanned]

Yeah, not good enough. James will tell him, and Connor can fill in the gaps whenever he feels like he's up to the task. Solution found.

"What contact have you had with your father?"

[eaglet]

Nobody lets Connor do things on his own time, how rude.

At the question, Connor frowns, glancing to the side at the training dummy. He's not sure if it's a question because James is interested, or because he's trying to gauge if Connor himself is a traitor -- which is the main reason he tends to keep this information to himself. He doesn't want to be judged for his father's misdeeds.

"I have never met him. My mother bade him leave before I was born, and did not speak very much about him besides."

[unmanned]

Maybe Connor shouldn't procrastinate so much.

James doesn't even consider Connor being a traitor to be a possibility. Though they've known each other a short time, he can tell the boy is serious about learning, and even a Templar would have a hard time feigning interest--nor would they put up with Auditore for so long.

"I see," is all he says, however, falling silent and moving past Connor to fix one of the dummies.

[eaglet]

Maybe James should shut up!!!!

But no, then he does shut up, and it just leaves Connor frowning and confused. I see? What does that even mean.

Connor hangs back and watches him a little awkwardly, waiting to see if there's more to the conversation. When there doesn't appear to be, he hesitantly speaks up. "And so... what now?"

[unmanned]

"We get to your training, unless there's more you have to say on the matter."

Anything else you feel like sharing, Connor? Now's the time. James doesn't bother trying to imagine how Edward will take the news about having a son that also happens to be a Templar, because he knows it's going to be bad and that's enough.

Did the castle know this would happen and decide to take away his ability to drink based on that? Christ.

[eaglet]

"No," he says simply, because that's about the long and short of it. It's actually a little relieving that James doesn't seem all that bothered by the news, apart from Connor's reluctance to tell Edward -- it was never a sticking point for Achilles, either, unless one takes into account his doubt that Connor could actually go through with the assassination.

But he has to. And still, he hopes he never has to make that decision in this world.

Now that that's all settled, Connor adjusts his posture and comes closer to James at the dummy, waiting for instructions.

[unmanned]

First thing's first: James undoes the straps on his left arm, the ones that attach the hidden blade to his wrist. Once it's off, he offers it to Connor.

"Don't slice your own fingers off," he says with a small, teasing smile.

[eaglet]

Connor takes the blade carefully, almost reverently, though he shoots James a bit of a cheeky look. "I will be careful."

Holding his arm out, he buckles the hidden blade on, then tests it by tensing his hand up. His fingers don't get sliced off, actually, so that's probably a good sign, and he looks up again.

[unmanned]

Good.

"You ever heard tell of how these things used to work? The sacrifice one had to make to show they were committed to our cause?" Trivial, maybe, but there was merit in knowing about the history of the Assassins.

Or at least in knowing how lucky they were to be able to keep all their fingers.

[eaglet]

Connor relaxes his hand, letting the blade slide back into the bracer with a quiet metallic sound, and shakes his head. Achilles is probably very selective about his lesson plans; he's an old man with not a whole lot of patience. And, Connor has noticed, one who takes a lot of naps.

"No."

[unmanned]

"There was a time where you'd have to lose your finger in order to wield the blade proper. Made it easy to tell who we were, so the design was later changed."

Lucky them.

"Would that deter you?"

[eaglet]

He's a little surprised by that, and reflexively glances down at his hand to see how that might have worked, spreading his fingers to engage the blade again. Their fingers?

The answer doesn't come right away, because it's a good question, but eventually he looks back up.

"I would suffer the loss if it meant ensuring the liberty of others," he says, then rolls a shoulder and continues, "but it does not seem very practical. I suppose our numbers were larger then, if we could afford to be that obvious."

[unmanned]

"The blade's design was different in the time of Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad, until it were modified so it wasn't plain as day who was Assassin and who was not, as you said. Most of us still get the proper finger branded to prove our devotion."

He glances over Connor.

"We'll have to figure something out for you. Should it come to that point."

[eaglet]

He glances over too. It seems a little pointless to him, branding a finger -- removing the finger because of the mechanics of the device makes sense, but a cosmetic thing like that seems unnecessary. Not that he's going to say that.

"If I remain here long enough to complete my training, I will remain this age all the same. I do not think the others will take me seriously enough to accept it."

[unmanned]

"Complete your training and they'll have no choice." James was on his side, at the very least, and he knew quite a bit about not being taken seriously for one reason or another. If the boy finished his training, then he deserved respect. He could already tell Connor had good temperament for an Assassin, so all that was left was skill.

"Auditore will have to cope, seein' as he's likely the only one to be reluctant to accept you as a true Assassin."