Death was strange. Most TV programs and books painted it as either a Heaven or a Hell, depending on what you did in life. Some painted it as the perfect paradise for all, a resting spot for those that had a long life. Some just skipped the resting altogether and went on to reincarnation. But Death was none of those things.
It was like the Animus, in a sense. White, blank with nothing in sight no matter how far along he walked. It was quiet, not in a bad way, but after a while the quiet got lonely. Desmond would sigh, sit down for a while, and then after an hour or so would stand back up and walk again, just to hear something besides his own breathing. He wondered how long it had been since he'd died. A day? Two? It didn't feel like he'd been here long at all.
After a time, he stopped thinking about the hows and whys of Death, and just came to accept that he could very well spend the rest of his (after)life walking around in one giant white void. At least he'd get some exercise.
But just when he was through thinking that, he came across something. A door, not very large or impressive, but one that wasn't locked. Desmond automatically tensed, readying himself for anything. Slowly, he unlocked the door and stepped inside. The door shut behind him, and Desmond found himself in pure darkness. There was something beneath his feet though, and so Desmond started walking again. And just like with the white, it was quiet and nothing in sight. Desmond just kept walking, somehow knowing now that there would be another door somewhere.
He was right. After spending around the same amount of time in the black as he had the white, he came across a second door; this one had a notice on it. Once again Desmond readied himself before stepping up to take the note.
'Hafeed,
Calm your blade. We mean you no harm. Step inside when you are ready to be welcomed home.'
The nickname sent a chill down his spine. In Arabic, hafeed meant 'nephew'. The only person who would call him such a name that spoke Arabic was Altair - but why would he be here? And what did he mean 'when you are ready to be welcomed home'? Was there someone else besides him here?
Forcing his suddenly erratic heartbeat to calm down, Desmond sheathed his blade, pulled his hood up, hunched his shoulders and opened the door before sticking his hands in his pockets and walking inside. He expected to walk into another one-color void, but instead the door lead to what looked like a bar tavern, where four men sat at a table, quietly talking. Desmond felt his heart stop dead in his chest. No way. It couldn't be...
One of them looked up, and a grin split his face. "Nipote!"
His knees threatened to give way. No. This couldn't be right. Why were they here?
When one of the men stood and his hood slipped off to reveal a face identical to his own, Desmond's knees really did give out, the world around him darkening quickly as he fainted. The last thing he heard was someone shouting his name before his head hit the floor and he blacked out.
------
When he came to, he was aware someone was petting his hair and murmuring softly to him. Off to the side Desmond could hear two whispered voices arguing - he quickly identified those as Altair and Ezio, which meant Connor was the one petting him. Somehow, that made him feel better than it should have.
"I told you to wait until he was ready, idiot!"
"He looked ready to me! He stepped inside, didn't he?"
"Let me tell you a secret, novice, just because someone takes the first step doesn't meant they're ready to make the journey. If you are any sort of assassin, you'd know that. Besides, can't you read postures?"
"What?"
"Hunched shoulders, hands in pockets, hood over his head - if that doesn't scream 'wary' I don't know what does. And the first thing you do is bellow at him at the top of your lungs like some rabid beast--"
"I am NOT a rabid beast!"
"So says the man whose first words to his descendant caused him to faint."
They continued to argue, Connor sighing above him. Desmond didn't open his eyes, enjoying the gentle touches being offered. He imagined Connor already knew he was awake, but he wasn't quite ready to deal with this yet, so he didn't push it. He was proven right when a warm breath hit his ear. "You know, they're not always like this. Altair wanted to go slow, but Ezio just wanted to see you again. He said you needed to be hugged and loved really badly after everything you'd gone through. I agreed with both of them - but there's just no pleasing them sometimes."
Desmond's lips twitched and his eyes opened a little bit. Connor's warm, shy smile greeted him. "You know, I think you're turning into my favorite ancestor."
Connor's grin got a little wider. "I'm glad to help."
"What? Why's HE the favorite?"
Desmond raised his head to meet Ezio's shocked expression. "Because he doesn't scream like a girl when he's not picked for favorite, idiot novice."
Altair threw back his head and roared at that, while Ezio's entire face went white than red from embarrassment. Connor buried his face into Desmond's shoulder while his body shook with laughter. "I-You... You are younger than me, Desmond! You can't call ME a novice!" Ezio yelled, pointing a finger at him. Altair had to lean against a table to keep himself upright, he was laughing so hard.
"Considering you made me faint, I think I can."
"I have made women faint before, and they have never called me a novice!"
Desmond raised an eyebrow at that, Connor's shaking getting worse as Ezio sputtered and eventually threw his hands up. "You know what? I'm done! Forget I even tried! I come here to show you how much I love and respect you and what do I get? Snark! Backsass! And from a younger wet-behind-the-ears boy who didn't go through half of what I did! In my day--"
"Oh god, not the 'in my day' stories, anything but that!" Desmond pleaded to the ceiling, not even trying to keep the laughter out of his voice anymore. This was just too damn fun. "My DAD used to tell those stories, about how they had to walk uphill both ways going to school in the snow with no shoes on while being chased by rabid dogs--"
It got progressively worse the more the conversation went on. The two bickered back and forth while Connor and Altair sat on the sidelines and laughed at their idiotic. Still, everyone knew nobody meant any of what they said, and by the end of it Desmond somehow ended up in a cuddle pile with his ancestors, head tucked beneath Altair's chin while Connor and Ezio laid against his sides while they talked of all that had gone on.
At some point Desmond fell asleep, body too exhausted to hold out anymore. It was the first time he fell into a deep, restful sleep and stayed asleep, surrounded by the protective embrace of his ancestors and the knowledge that the world would live on through the sacrifices of another, however hard they were. And someday maybe, that person might end up here with them, and they would be greeted just as he had been, with laughter and the bonds that not even time itself could erase.
Drabble Fill: Belated Birthday 1/1
It was like the Animus, in a sense. White, blank with nothing in sight no matter how far along he walked. It was quiet, not in a bad way, but after a while the quiet got lonely. Desmond would sigh, sit down for a while, and then after an hour or so would stand back up and walk again, just to hear something besides his own breathing. He wondered how long it had been since he'd died. A day? Two? It didn't feel like he'd been here long at all.
After a time, he stopped thinking about the hows and whys of Death, and just came to accept that he could very well spend the rest of his (after)life walking around in one giant white void. At least he'd get some exercise.
But just when he was through thinking that, he came across something. A door, not very large or impressive, but one that wasn't locked. Desmond automatically tensed, readying himself for anything. Slowly, he unlocked the door and stepped inside. The door shut behind him, and Desmond found himself in pure darkness. There was something beneath his feet though, and so Desmond started walking again. And just like with the white, it was quiet and nothing in sight. Desmond just kept walking, somehow knowing now that there would be another door somewhere.
He was right. After spending around the same amount of time in the black as he had the white, he came across a second door; this one had a notice on it. Once again Desmond readied himself before stepping up to take the note.
'Hafeed,
Calm your blade. We mean you no harm. Step inside when you are ready to be welcomed home.'
The nickname sent a chill down his spine. In Arabic, hafeed meant 'nephew'. The only person who would call him such a name that spoke Arabic was Altair - but why would he be here? And what did he mean 'when you are ready to be welcomed home'? Was there someone else besides him here?
Forcing his suddenly erratic heartbeat to calm down, Desmond sheathed his blade, pulled his hood up, hunched his shoulders and opened the door before sticking his hands in his pockets and walking inside. He expected to walk into another one-color void, but instead the door lead to what looked like a bar tavern, where four men sat at a table, quietly talking. Desmond felt his heart stop dead in his chest. No way. It couldn't be...
One of them looked up, and a grin split his face. "Nipote!"
His knees threatened to give way. No. This couldn't be right. Why were they here?
When one of the men stood and his hood slipped off to reveal a face identical to his own, Desmond's knees really did give out, the world around him darkening quickly as he fainted. The last thing he heard was someone shouting his name before his head hit the floor and he blacked out.
------
When he came to, he was aware someone was petting his hair and murmuring softly to him. Off to the side Desmond could hear two whispered voices arguing - he quickly identified those as Altair and Ezio, which meant Connor was the one petting him. Somehow, that made him feel better than it should have.
"I told you to wait until he was ready, idiot!"
"He looked ready to me! He stepped inside, didn't he?"
"Let me tell you a secret, novice, just because someone takes the first step doesn't meant they're ready to make the journey. If you are any sort of assassin, you'd know that. Besides, can't you read postures?"
"What?"
"Hunched shoulders, hands in pockets, hood over his head - if that doesn't scream 'wary' I don't know what does. And the first thing you do is bellow at him at the top of your lungs like some rabid beast--"
"I am NOT a rabid beast!"
"So says the man whose first words to his descendant caused him to faint."
They continued to argue, Connor sighing above him. Desmond didn't open his eyes, enjoying the gentle touches being offered. He imagined Connor already knew he was awake, but he wasn't quite ready to deal with this yet, so he didn't push it. He was proven right when a warm breath hit his ear. "You know, they're not always like this. Altair wanted to go slow, but Ezio just wanted to see you again. He said you needed to be hugged and loved really badly after everything you'd gone through. I agreed with both of them - but there's just no pleasing them sometimes."
Desmond's lips twitched and his eyes opened a little bit. Connor's warm, shy smile greeted him. "You know, I think you're turning into my favorite ancestor."
Connor's grin got a little wider. "I'm glad to help."
"What? Why's HE the favorite?"
Desmond raised his head to meet Ezio's shocked expression. "Because he doesn't scream like a girl when he's not picked for favorite, idiot novice."
Altair threw back his head and roared at that, while Ezio's entire face went white than red from embarrassment. Connor buried his face into Desmond's shoulder while his body shook with laughter. "I-You... You are younger than me, Desmond! You can't call ME a novice!" Ezio yelled, pointing a finger at him. Altair had to lean against a table to keep himself upright, he was laughing so hard.
"Considering you made me faint, I think I can."
"I have made women faint before, and they have never called me a novice!"
Desmond raised an eyebrow at that, Connor's shaking getting worse as Ezio sputtered and eventually threw his hands up. "You know what? I'm done! Forget I even tried! I come here to show you how much I love and respect you and what do I get? Snark! Backsass! And from a younger wet-behind-the-ears boy who didn't go through half of what I did! In my day--"
"Oh god, not the 'in my day' stories, anything but that!" Desmond pleaded to the ceiling, not even trying to keep the laughter out of his voice anymore. This was just too damn fun. "My DAD used to tell those stories, about how they had to walk uphill both ways going to school in the snow with no shoes on while being chased by rabid dogs--"
It got progressively worse the more the conversation went on. The two bickered back and forth while Connor and Altair sat on the sidelines and laughed at their idiotic. Still, everyone knew nobody meant any of what they said, and by the end of it Desmond somehow ended up in a cuddle pile with his ancestors, head tucked beneath Altair's chin while Connor and Ezio laid against his sides while they talked of all that had gone on.
At some point Desmond fell asleep, body too exhausted to hold out anymore. It was the first time he fell into a deep, restful sleep and stayed asleep, surrounded by the protective embrace of his ancestors and the knowledge that the world would live on through the sacrifices of another, however hard they were. And someday maybe, that person might end up here with them, and they would be greeted just as he had been, with laughter and the bonds that not even time itself could erase.