[IC] Mistletoe (old/new)

[acloneforever]

[Spain/Turkey/Kondo/Banjou/Mori/Malik/Superboy]

Comments

[sharpasafawkes]

That depends...

[maleborgia]

On what?

[sharpasafawkes]

On if you want to hear the truth that might upset you, or what I liked about it.

[maleborgia]

All of it.

[sharpasafawkes]

[Thinking it over for a good long while]

It's a wonderful goal, one that Italy needed right then. Even if you've got the alterer motive of clearing your family's name from what history makes it out to be, or for that matter your purely egotistical goal of getting the masses to idolize you, the way you go about becoming that figure still results in something good for the people.

The problem is, I don't know if you can do it without it going wrong, at least the way you are now.

[maleborgia]

And what would you recommend?

[sharpasafawkes]

First, you've got to take into consideration how people feel, I mean look at what happened- well, back in the hospital. I'm just one person, but if you do that with an entire city state or someone with a bit of power, it could mean disaster for you. I've been saying this ever since that lovely truth conversation we had, but you never listen, I've got no idea if you'll even listen to me now.

Which is the second thing, you've got to learn how to listen to the people around you, even if they're saying things you don't want to hear. You always walk away or change the subject when it's something about you that you don't want to deal with, but sometimes that's something you should deal with, and if it's painful you've got to think about why that is. Some of it's going to be rubbish, especially from your enemies, but at least it'll tel you why they're your enemies and what you can do about it.

I've got to be honest, I can see things going either like how some of the historians paint you, which is a good leader but the fact that you use people eventually leads to your downfall, or you could end up like... well, him. If you want to change how things work out, you're going to need to change how you treat people... and for that matter how you look at yourself.

[maleborgia]

*a long pause over here, then:* What do you mean?

[sharpasafawkes]

You always say that everyone's the same, yeah? But you've always got that air of superiority, even when you're trying to act humble. You make grand claims that you can do something, but how much of it have you manages to do? And how much of it is just what you expect that you can do? What's more, you hold everyone to a standard that even you haven't tried out for yourself.

For all your talk about equality, for the most part you think you're better than people around you, and we know.

[maleborgia]

*pauses again, looking at Shaun, then looks away*

I don't think I'm better than everyone else. At least not to such an extent that I can stand on my own.

[sharpasafawkes]

Then you've got more then a chance to change things, you've got to show people that more often. People, well at least me, don't mind doing work for someone so much as long as we're fond of them and they're honest with us. No, you can't explain everything sometimes, but if you do it enough, you'll get the lot to trust you.

[maleborgia]

I see.

Tell me, discreetly, when I am straying too far from this. I won't hold it against you.

[sharpasafawkes]

And I'll come back from it with all my limbs?

[maleborgia]

*surprisingly, not seeming to take that as a joke* Of course. I gave you my word, didn't I? I trust you, Shaun. You can trust me as well, at least a bit.

[sharpasafawkes]

...Do you really trust me?

[maleborgia]

*now he does grin a bit, and leans in*

To an extent. I won't lie and tell you that I trust you completely. You would not believe me anyway. But I do trust you, most than most people.

[sharpasafawkes]

Well, as long as you're honest about it.

[maleborgia]

There is no reason why I should not be. It is easier to save this sort of thing for situations that truly require it.

[sharpasafawkes]

I've got to ask, why don't you trust me? I figure it's a few things, but might as well clear anything up that's not true on my end, yeah?

[maleborgia]

I'm surprised you need to ask.

It is not so much that I actively mistrust you. It has just been a very long time since I was able to rely on anyone outside of a very small group of people. Perhaps I never was. Regardless, the idea that I can tell someone who is not a member of this circle something and not have to worry about them spreading it around or using it against me is a novel one.

[sharpasafawkes]

...That's a bit different then I thought it would be.

[maleborgia]

Is it?

[sharpasafawkes]

I thought it'd be more along the line of, "your group has a history of going after Borgias".

[maleborgia]

I am capable of looking at a person separate from his connections.

[sharpasafawkes]

Even if I'd still try and stop the Cesare from that world? Got to admit, unless Lucrezia really becomes a threat, I don't see any reason to go after her.