if there was ever someone in the world that looked the epitome of ‘ridiculous’, it was ezio. knee-deep in the water and hovering ready to strike, his eyes peer through the water as he stands unmoving... watching, waiting, for just the right moment to- “ AHA! “ an exclamation of triumph echoes forth from the male, bouncing through the trees as he dives forward into the water with little thought. writhing and twisting before suddenly jerking to the side, it’s a sporadic dance that one might look upon with confusion if anything ― that is, until ezio falls to the riverbank with a fish clasped between his hands, a grin of pride beaming over his face at his accomplishments. “ got you... “ panting, he tries to catch his breath from the entire ordeal, although such is cut close as his eyes trail from food to a pair of shoes a few feet away, attached to a pair of legs which are attached to a-
“ oh... hello there. “ he’s half soaked but as ezio’s eyes raise to the other’s face, he offers a sheepish smile. “ you’ve caught me at a bad time i’m afraid, can i help with anything? “
it was a bit of a tread but completely worth it in his opinion . with his jeans rolled up and feet submerged into the lake water , noah leaned against the dock . his palms giving him leverage as the wind lightly teased his hair . daylight was dwindling , but that meant the sunset would follow . it was someone else’s loud footsteps creaking against the dock that made noah’s body turn . “ didn’t think i’d have company . granted this is the best spot to see the sun go down , ” he smiled cheekily . digits scratching the end of his nose . “ well ? take a seat , ” he added , patting the space next to him . no one owns this spot . was what he wanted to tag on , but honestly , all this talk about factions and territories got old . it could wait .
those who let bygones be bygones per say quickly became ezio’s favorite when their new reality set in ― he never truly understand why it all became a watered-down version of ‘lord of the flies’, or more appropriately why people suddenly found reasons to divide from one another. he’d never taken the territories seriously enough and it’d probably be the death of him one day; still, while ezio had many fears, meeting his end was not one of them.
the afternoon sun dipping below the horizon was warm upon his face as the male patters down the dock, a towel in one hand and a notebook in the other ― he’d known people visited the area often enough but it still startled him slightly at the sight of the other, footsteps coming to a halt as he tries to figure out what to say. still, noah beats him to it; his kindness in the moment paired with the offer was too good to refuse, and despite the simmering nerves in his belly on just what might happen, ezio quickly seats himself beside the other male and gets comfortable. “ thank you. “ he offers a small smile, not quite sure what he’s thanking him for but more so for the idea of it. “ you’re right, i haven’t seen a sunset this clearly for... a while. “ ezio hums and takes the book out, flipping between the pages to where a pen lays snug and draws it out. “ you here for a swim or just to watch the sky? “
OPEN STARTER ————— main street , close to town square .
deeps breaths are mixed with the trembling of her voice , naturally saccharine with perturbed undertones reciting the lines of one of her favorite poems ——— “ i took a deep breath and listened to the old brag of my heart . ” these moments were not uncommon as of late , circumstances calling for them . she was trapped with nowhere to go , they all were . but toby was still one of the unlucky ones , restricted by natural barriers to even return to her home . did it still even exist ? would it be dangerous to wander back to it through all the overgrowth ? “ i am , i am , i am , ” the words continue , slowed and just for her to hear while fingers grasp at trash littering the ground . the moon was shining bright in the sky , guiding her path down main street for her to gather any garbage left behind by the others in town . this unfortunate situation was no reason to start carelessly discarding things that would only harm the planet . they had angered the world already , haven’t they ? better to keep the peace now , in her opinion . “ i am , i am , i ——— oh ! ” toby stands up right at the sight of another quietly in passing , their presence catching her by surprise . she nearly dropped the bag of litter in her hand but managed to keep her balance enough to swing her other hand around to clasp the opening . “ that’s … gosh , that’s embarrassing . sorry , i’m sorry . did i startle you too ? ” toby avoids their gaze when her cheeks burn up , focusing instead on tying the top of the bag .
it’s late, and anyone in their right mind wouldn’t be out wandering considering the circumstances — surrounded by a barrier of nature’s fury and split from those he used to call friend, ezio doesn’t know what he’ll find out here, only that his feet have a mind of their own and are intent on bringing him along for the ride. eerily quiet, change wasn’t something he was fond of, especially when it occurred rather quickly — one moment everything seems right in the world, and the next? well, now ‘the world’ had seemed to shorten to the size of a ghost town, and he was having a hard time getting acquainted.
moments like these and his brain is chugging along with his usual worries, too fast for him to get a bare inkling of sleep and yet too slow to attempt to burn the energy off. so, in hindsight not the best of decisions, he goes on a walk — for a little while he simply ignores the presence of ‘faction territories’ and simply follows the stars, footsteps echoing over the asphalt like a lone soldier. his peace, however, is broken by the softest chiding of a poem — it’s one of the last things he’d ever think to hear in the middle of the night, though hardly unwelcome. turning, ezio begins to follow the voice out of curiosity more than anything, slipping around a building corner and allowing his gaze to fall to the woman before him — something tells ezio she hadn’t realized anyone else was out here, and he honestly couldn’t blame her. “ no, no it’s... it’s alright! “ his voice is soft, weighted by the tendrils of sleep that escape him each time. “ i just heard a voice and- “ ezio pauses to jut a thumb over his shoulder, smiling in a tired manner. “ i guess i let my feet lead me. i’m surprised to see someone else out here at this time... “ his eyes fall to the back in her hands, attempting to put two-and-two together.
hey hey everyone! my name’s skye and i write for my loverboy ezio over here~ super hype to get the ball rolling [so hype i did blog graphics, my thumbs hURT] and i’m loving this place already ! below the cut you’ll find info to help get acquainted with him, can’t wait to throw him at all of you ♡
( mark tuan + 24 + muse #8) isn’t that ezio wu over there? i heard he joined faction one after they got back to west ham. it’s funny, ‘cause they were only on the service trip because he was trying to say as far away from his mother as possible. hopefully they fit in there – they’re generous, but also gullible. oh, i’m sure they’ll be fine.
― * 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭.
full name; ezio wu
nickname(s); zizi, etsy
age; twenty-four [24]
birthday; october 9, 1995
birthplace; rocky ford, colorado
gender; male
orientation; biromantic / bisexual
s/o status; single
occupation; psychology student
faction; one
label; the mediator
myers briggs; infp
house; hufflepuff
religion; agnostic
enneagram; the helper
big five; conscientiousness
chronic; n/a
fears; his mother
wanted connections; the friend he made over the internet who essentially saved his life, read past for more info
― * 𝐩𝐚𝐬𝐭.
[ warnings; heavy mentions of abuse, death ]
ezio’s childhood was not a happy one in any sort of the word — he never knew his father, his brother was a menace, and his mother was a narcissistic and neurotic woman that made his life a living hell every chance she got.
his true personality never had a chance to shine nor develop, practically trained to walk on egg shells around either members of the family; still, it often wasn’t enough, and regardless of his people-pleasing attitude he tried to convey, ezio would be left bruised and bloody many a night.
years of physical and mental abuse caused him to grow a meticulous and quiet approach, too afraid that the world would rip him to pieces if he said the ‘wrong thing’. it’s something he’s still trying to fend off to the current day, and people constantly mistake his silent terror for simply being shy
the world as he knows it comes crashing around ezio at the age of 14; forced into a car by his 17 year old brother seeking a joyride, he taunts the poor boy with sadistic tendencies the entire way. still, a split second decision to look in the backseat and mess with ezio causes the car to swerve off the road, slamming directly into a pole and ejecting the elder through the front windshield — when he briefly comes to, ezio is surrounded by flashing lights and the stench of blood lingering in the air, and it’s all he needs to know to come to the conclusion his brother wasn’t coming home.
he spends a month in the hospital feigning the extent of his injuries in hopes of staying away longer from his mother, the only time she visited him being the day he arrived and with the sole purpose of making it clear what awaited him at ‘home’. though she couldn’t hurt him at the hospital, outside of it was a different story.... a very different story, for that matter
his memory fails him the night he returns, and probably for the best — all ezio can remember is blood filling his mouth and the feeling of his head being dunked in the tub, most likely to keep him awake as the matriarch tore into him. when she was done, and not for many hours after such, ezio was left cradling near-broken limbs on the floor of his brother’s bedroom — and it was the final nail in coffin for him to know he needed to run for it.
despite his injuries the boy gathers whatever clothes he can possibly find and contacts a friend he had made over the internet, begging for safety at least for the time being. thankfully, they’re sympathetic to his plight, and soon ezio is limping down the street in whatever direction he thinks leads to kansas.
many days of bus hopping and hitchhiking later [not without it’s dangers, though most took one look at the broken boy and turned the other way] and he’s stepping foot into west ham, barely able to stand thanks to fractures in his legs. he remembers a pickup truck and feet hitting the pavement, and the very next thing he’s in the ICU with the one who had saved him gripping his hand.
it takes him a very long while to unlearn the habits he had grown accustomed to being crushed beneath his mother’s boot — simple things such as asking for water or wanting to go on a walk were practically unheard of for the boy, but once the initial fear passed? it was paradise. his friend’s family essentially took him in as one of their own and despite the tragedies he left behind, ezio knew he had finally found where he belonged
a singular science fair and his face on a national newspaper is all it takes for his birth mom to find him again — once the threatening letters start arriving ezio’s fear begins to creep back, though he tries his hardest to push it down. eventually, he stops reading them, and by the time he’s graduating high school? he’s chucking them into the fire altogether.
he doesn’t even think twice when it comes to what he’s majoring at the university — between his grades being high enough, the backing of his adoptive family, and the urge to figure out why he had been treated as such throughout his life, psychology rings out clear as day to the male. his affinity for practically being able to see into a person’s very soul, more of a survival tactic than anything, made such a course a dream. maybe, just maybe..... he hoped to bury his own fears in time.
