queenofheartsrp | second stanza [video]

second stanza [video]

[Kuja is dressed in her usual garb, and the tail which was evident when she first arrived seems to have disappeared. She offers the Vine a bow. It is a bow without a particularly respectful air, more a dramatic gesture than anything else.]

Now that I have been here for some few days, I've decided to make the attempt to discover whether there are others here like me. Not of my kind, as I sincerely doubt that could be the case, but of a similar bent.

I am a poet, and an actress of no small renown, and I wish to know if there other artists here, like myself. Painters, sculptors, writers, or perhaps musicians? Even a patron of the arts. It would be a great pleasure to discuss aesthetics, as well as the passion and wonder of creation, with like-minded individuals. We might collaborate, combine our talents to reach ever more lofty creative heights. I don't doubt that this Garden would benefit from a stage performance, a concert, or a gallery.

[She pauses, and it is a practiced pause.] Relatedly, I have been browsing in the library, and there I found many volumes of verse. Having read them all, I am curious--does anyone possess more such books? This is a rare and most likely unique opportunity for a poet such as myself: to read verses from another world.

[As a side note, some may find that the library's collection of poetry has mysteriously decreased, as Kuja has ~~stolen~~ borrowed a large number of the books.]

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Is that so? It is a shame that person is not here. [As there are very few people she gets along with, she would be extremely interested in meeting one.] This world could use more artists in it.

You are not one, I assume?

Leonardo would have a great time I am sure but seeing as he is a man... [She laughs and shakes her head.] He is not only an artist so I am sure he would study every inch of the gardens too.

Mi dispiace, no, I am not. My involvement only extended to purchasing paintings for the villa.

[And then Cesare destroyed the villa and stole the paintings.]

He sounds a fascinating person indeed. A pity I will not meet him, if he is not permitted to enter this realm. I too have been other than an artist: an inventor, an advisor, a stateswoman. [Kuja is not to be outdone, even by those who are not present.] There is much to explore here. These Gardens have their mysteries, and they keep their secrets well-hidden.

No matter. We cannot all be artists. [This woman seems at least to have some appreciation for artists and artistry. She will attempt to make conversation.] What is your occupation, then, if it goes beyond the purchasing of paintings?

And where did you manage all of this? [People for her tend to stick to one thing; Leonardo is an anomaly, functioning outside of it all, looking for some new challenge, some way to leave his mark on the world.] I am glad there is someone to say such things though - it would be a pity if the scrolls gave us all the answers when you are used to more excitement in your life.

[There are some who would maybe call Ezio an artist but she does not like to think of them: men she has killed who would be impressed with her prowess were she a man and under their employ.

Still, she is hesitant to admit what she is here. To the Order, it is nothing and to her enemies, she is thought to be a man or at least that is the rumour put about publically but it might cause alarm should she reveal too much of herself. Be one with the crowd, never compromise the Brotherhood.] I am a teacher.

[Of sorts. She had a hand in training her Assassins in Rome.]

Most recently, I had a place in the court of the Queen of Alexandria. I was influential there, but I have left my mark throughout Gaia. Many monarchs know my name. [This comes a little closer to her actual history, but as there is no one who knows her here, she need not worry that the truth will be revealed.] I have left politics behind me, in favor of art. You might say I have retired from public life.

Yet even in retirement, I dislike idleness. [Perhaps she should wish to rest after everything that happened, but it does not seem to be in her nature, to enjoy peace.] Discovering what secrets the Gardens hold might offer some entertainment.

A teacher. [This could mean many things.] What do you teach, and who do you give your lessons to?

Gaia? [She knows what the word Gaia means and that it was a Goddess (well, apparently not, thank you Minerva you cryptic pain in the ass) and she has learned to always ask questions, to find out as much as she can.] I am not familiar with anywhere named Gaia.

There are some who become accustomed to doing much and to having little time that is there own without outside interests. Maybe your work is not done yet.

[It's how she feels. She thought once that her work would be done when she hunted down the men who killed her father and brothers but no. And even with Cesare gone...it is hard to see an end that does not involve a Templar or guard finally getting the best of her either in battle or execution the same as Mario or from a festering wound.]

I teach those who would seek me out. [An inversion; she is the one to find them, those who fight against a common foe and for peace.] I teach them to fight.

[People are going to notice the weapons eventually, at least the obvious ones and it is a part of her life.]

[Ah, yes, so many people from different worlds have been brought here.] Gaia is the name of the planet where I lived. A world of four continents and two moons, lovely in its way, but like any world, composed of beauty and ugliness alike.

It could be that my work is not yet done. [In a way, that is true, as she did not succeed in obliterating all life. She still feels the pull to do what she was made to do: cause discord, destroy. Yet she resists it. She will not be what she was made to be.] But there were many reasons I left it behind. My world has changed. It is more likely that I must find new work to excite my spirit.

Another fighter. [Kuja seems pleased and interested.] There are a number of great warriors here, I have heard. I wonder if violence as well as love is pleasing to the Queen. Yet all does seem peaceful, though I have been here but little more than a week.

It sounds alien. [She says this as calmly as possible; she was warned about aliens upon her arrival after all.] Something beautiful masking something ugly, something ugly masking something beautiful. I am not sure it should be comforting to know that other worlds can seem like my own.

Travel is good for that; seeing a new place, meeting new people, discovering new challenges. [Hopefully with less death although Rome was good for her, she got to build bridges with Claudia, bringing the family (the remains of the family, only the three of them) back together again.] Changed for ill or for good?

It is not that I enjoy violence [she has never and will never enjoy taking a life. It brings only satisfaction in knowing she is making the world a better place] but there are things you must do to ensure peace, safety, stability.

[The same goal as the Templars but she fights for freedom too, for choices, not to enslave all minds without them being allowed an opinion.]

It is alien to you, as your world is alien to me. Everyone is alien to someone else. [Having technically lived among aliens for most of her life, this is nothing new to her.] I imagine most worlds are similar. Beauty cannot exist without some measure of ugliness, or how would we know it for beauty, with nothing to compare it to?

This place is new to me, though nowhere I expected to find myself, and I am not sure if I enjoy it here. [She considers Ezio's question, carefully. In some ways, she was the ill change.] At first it changed for ill, but then it changed for good, at least somewhat.

One who enjoys violence often makes a poor warrior, and even more often a poor teacher. [She smiles, very familiar with this logic. Peace through war: that was always a good justification for killing.] Oh, of course. I know enough of politics to say that that is true.

I am sure that if I remain here long enough, I will adjust and come to find this normal. [Not that she wishes to be here a long time, she wants to return home.] There are some in the world who do not care; they wish only for one or the other or find the ugliness to be their standard for beauty.

It is...something to get used to, I will admit that. Too quiet. [It's weird not having to look over your shoulder or rip down posters and have your name precede you through whole cities.] Then that is good news.

When they have many at their disposal, it matters little. They send others to fight their battles for them and keep themselves to themselves, surrounded by their very best guards.

[She thinks she likes talking to this person.] What I wish is to see the world for what it is, ugliness and beauty alike. Ugliness does have its own beauty, and beauty its ugliness. Like all opposites, they are wedded to each other, and it may be difficult to tell them apart, depending on the beholder's eye. A wedding of contrasts may be what I find the most beautiful of all.

It is far quieter than the life I am used to, also. Do you prefer the noise and color of your own world? [She nods. It is good enough news. She must admit that her world is better without her in it, though she does not like to admit it.] It is for the best.

Ah, that is true, but they are still poor warriors, regardless of the fact that they are utilized, and you strike me as a good one, if I am any judge. [She considers herself a good judge of such things, as her very purpose was to size people up, to exploit their strengths and weaknesses.] What is your name, Teacher?

But the common people cannot always have a life like that; they prefer a life where they can feel safe on the streets, have food on the table for their family and know that even if things do not get better, they will at least not get worse. [She's seen so many lives destroyed already, normal people, people unprepared for loss and anguish. Maybe better that her own came so young.] As long as there is choice, free will. Those are what matters.

It is always very busy wherever I am. [Normally because there are whispers of her name, warnings, guards who twitch if she gets too close.] Italia is bustling, even in the country in the vineyards and olive groves.

[And there were two wars for a great chunk of her life too.]

Grazie, I have worked for many years to learn to fight and to learn the reasons behind fighting. I am Ezio Auditore; yourself?

I wasn't speaking of the common people. I spoke of myself, as an artist. [Kuja is not used to considering the common people at all, but she did not hold the nobility above them, her purpose being to destroy them all. So she does consider for a moment, trying to muster some empathy. She doesn't quite manage it.] The common people do have such wishes. It is natural to desire food and safety. The beasts of field and forest have the same wishes. That does not change the fact that all living things suffer and die.

Yet it is the choices people make that give their brief lives meaning. I agree, free will is greatest beauty, the rarest pearl.

My life has been much the same, bustle and tumult. This place may grow tedious for those such as ourselves. [She might like to rest, for a time, but what will she do after that?]

[She gives another of her theatrical bows.] I am Kuja.

But they still have to be a consideration. [Ezio's life is about making things better for the same people who run from her in the streets, who cry out 'God help me' even as she makes their streets safer.] But if suffering can be avoided then it is better for all.

There are so many who believe free will to be evil, to stand in the way of goals, of peace. Peace without even knowing what is is no kind of life.

[As much as she would like to think otherwise, she'll grow restless in time.] Maybe we will find other things to distract us after all, staying here cannot be permanent, can it?

I don't deny that they should be considered. [She never once considered them, but now she can see the point in it.] Yet a world without suffering is an impossibility. There would be no joy without suffering, and no matter how hard one might toil to preserve the simple pleasures of the common people, all will know pain, heartbreak, illness, and death.

But perhaps you are altruistic, and you will try to help them anyway? [She smiles, but she does not ask this scornfully. In fact, it pleases her.]

Those who believe free will evil are often those who profit from limiting the freedoms or others. Or those who have been mislead by such individuals.

I have heard that people do return home, which I am glad of, as I have an important duty to attend to. While I am here, I mean to create beautiful things. Have you any ideas for how you will distract yourself?

True, I will concede that point to you. [Machiavelli would be better suited to this argument although God knows that she sometimes wants to tell the man to shut up when he is being far too long-winded for her liking.]

There are those who would starve those they are meant to feed, kill those they are sworn to protect. They would take their possessions from them, have them believe that. [She remembers the Bonfire of the Vanities; the lieutenants of Savonarola who went against the principles they were meant to uphold.] If I can help those so that their suffering is a little less or so that they have the tools to help themselves, their loved ones and the other common people then that is what I will do.

[It isn't often that she's caught off guard but she is and she frowns. It isn't something she has given thought to and she has had so many years of being on the move constantly, in cities for only so long as it takes to conduct her investigations and missions.]

In truth I have not given it too much consideration. I will learn what I can from people here, broaden my horizons so to speak.

[So virtuous! It is a quality she once despised, but she can understand it at last. This desire to help others, this compassion, so fascinating to her now that she can experience it for herself. She can feel it but a little yet, nothing along the lines of what this woman says. So romantic, so poetic, like the hero's lines in one of Lord Avon's plays.] Now you remind me of someone from my home, in sentiment, if not in manner. I confess, your words inspire me. If it is ever in my power to improve the lot of the common people again, I believe I will remember what you've said.

A fine endeavor, and one that could keep you occupied for some time. The variety of this population is dazzling. I've learned much from those I've met already, and I've been here such a short while.

What do you think of the Queen's stated purpose in bringing us here, the bonds between women she means to foster?

[She might not have had such noble beginnings but she was taught the way of peace in all things and she had a support network to fall back on, people to steer her the right way and Rome was where she truly showed who she was, helping as many as she could. She isn't quite sure how to respond to those words but she smiles, a honest smile that reaches her eyes, even if those eyes are hard to see.] You honour me with your kind words madonna.

Even on my first day here I had my eyes opened to many things. [Like aliens and magic. She's still unsure about both of those things.]

I know that most from my country and from my world would frown on what the Queen plans. [Renaissance morals are strange things, Firenze a little different but female sexuality is rarely discussed and if it is, then it is very seldom positive.] I must confess that abducting us to a garden is still a very strange plan.

I do not speak kindness, I only speak truth. [Not that she doesn't lie, but she does not compliment others idly.] I find you a pleasant conversationalist, and I do not find many people so.

I too met a number of illuminating persons, from the very first. People who had things in common with me that I did not expect. On my own planet, I am unique.

Her aims are not what would be considered normal by the residents of my world, either. I myself find them absurd. Personally, it matters to me very little, the sex of the persons involved in such pursuits, but for me to be brought here for that purpose--it is laughable. I have no interest in such matters. [Not that she isn't well-informed where such things are concerned, as sex is a way of manipulating others--and Genomes are capable of it--but she had had other things on her mind, and that had not been one of the purposes she had been created for. Fleshly concerns had been very far down on her list and had not troubled her.]

Then I am even more honoured. [A lifetime of Renaissance politeness and giving the dead their dignity will never be forgotten.]

I am sure it must be strange to find that but still...comforting in some way to know that no matter what place we call our own, there are those we can relate to. We are not so different after all.

[It's nice to say those words with a positive meaning, rather than hearing them from the lips of someone who had a misguided sense of what they were doing.]

I have to wonder just how far she will go to have us pair off together and her true reasons for it. It is normal for it to be a man and a woman, normally agreed on with a bride price by the family and often for power and status, securing family relations far more than for love.

[Ezio's own...dalliances have been kept quiet, nameless, faceless women and courtesans for the most part, Cristina the chaste love of two young girls and Caterina something entirely different that still ended with the other woman riding off into the sunset.]

[Kuja appreciates polite words, so it pleases her to hear them, and she smiles.] Your own words do you honor.

It may be a form of comfort to know that others share certain traits. [At the same time, it was a reminder of what she had done, and what she will never be able to do. Lessons learned too late.] Yet those shared traits can make the differences stand out all the more. People can be so dissimilar, strikingly so. [Even the other constructs, they were not like her.] Those differences can lead to tragedy, and perhaps they should not be masked by sentiments we'd like to hear about how we are alike. [Kuja knows the woman does not mean it as a platitude, but it touches a nerve.]

I do wonder as well. [Her voice sharpens.] I do not look kindly upon being forced into any action, and I will not hesitate to retaliate if this Queen should use direct or constraining methods. [Kuja has not forgotten her claim of being a poet, but she does not see how it necessarily conflicts with her promise of retaliation.]

That is more or less the normal way among the nobility of my world, although there are exceptions, and of course much goes on that is neither known nor sanctioned by the common crowd. As it always does.

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