Raptra

The Job af the Assassin and Life of the Prince

"It's a letter from Prince Eliezer." "What did you do now?"

Best part XD

I'll be absent for a couple of days, will be back to posting after that.

Defenders of Cinix (A fun crossover) [Accepting]

Will be back in a couple of days to move the whole thing along. Meanwhile, you peeps will have the time to decide who travels by what means XD

Update: Post tomorrow if there's nothing else.

The Job af the Assassin and Life of the Prince

lol that was the point she is trying to get him see a whole new point of view of things that he might never thought of or shut down

@Fairy Tale Dreamer

Well, here's a super long post of him trying to deal with this new point of view. I'm sorry I had so much to write lol.

The Job af the Assassin and Life of the Prince

Raven was visibly frustrated, perhaps even upset. Eliezer could understand that much, but not what he had said or done to induce such feelings in her. She had displayed a rather wide spectrum of emotions during their time together on this day, and he still found himself trying to pinpoint what exactly he could do to keep her happy, and what did the opposite of that. He wondered what she was attempting to get at with the first couple of questions she had asked him, but he decided that he had nothing to lose by answering honestly.

"As I have said, my lady, care is something I have been taught. I have learned that it is only right to do so, that it is one of the gestures that makes one a good person. Perhaps it is a necessity that I do earn their favor, but that only proves how important the people of a kingdom are to any ruling family. As for the invitation, I can honestly tell you that my brother and I were never informed of your yearly event, though, I wonder why that is so."

At her mention of the King and Queen, Eliezer's first instinct was to jump to their defense. They were his parents, and the rulers of Dainia, after all. However, he caught himself in time, realizing that for her to speak of them in such a way, there must be at least something to be concerned about. What did she say his father had done? And for what purpose? He might just be able to find out more, in due time.

"I know nothing of my parents' true thoughts or intentions, only their actions. It would seem that the inability to effectively convey our thoughts and feelings runs in my family, save my brother, I believe. I had never thought much of their absence as Mathazar and I were growing up. I did not find it unusual, for it was all I had ever known. I also have no knowledge on the claims about my father's deeds, I apologize for my ignorance regarding the issue."

Raven then brought up his 'other side' once again. She spoke of the Eliezer who was heir to the throne of Dainia, and then of the one who was here with her at this time and place. Were the two not one and the same? He struggled to comprehend the meaning of her words, the difficulty he found in making sense of them apparent from the long pause before his next response. He hoped that he had finally understood what she had been trying to say. The first 'Eliezer' had to do with his duties, the second, his desires. A hint of exasperation could be noticed seeping through his usual phlegmatic facade when he eventually found words for the subject.

"All this time, I have believed that I was adequate as a person, yet you seem to insist otherwise. You imply that I am somehow... incomplete, because I do not express my desires, and that upsets you. Why that is so, I still do not understand. Do my desires even matter? Why do they mean so much to you? What would be the use of wanting what I could never have? I do not think about what I want, for I am afraid of finding it unobtainable after discovering what it is. That is not happiness. I am... afraid... of ending up... more unhappy..."

He trailed off at the moment of sudden realization. He was currently sharing things about himself that he had never known about. Was it what she wanted to hear? Was it too much? He decided to stop himself there, and finish off with something else he had wanted to say.

"I can assure you one thing, my lady, that everything I have said to you today - about what I think of you, and how grateful I am that you have brought me here, is absolutely true."

He then took a glance at the sunset after their conversation, and ended off by thanking her for keeping his needs in mind when she mentioned him having to return to the palace. When she showed him the passageway that lead into the palace, he assumed that it had been Mathazar who had shown it to her first when he had invited her to the ball. If anyone at the palace knew of a secret path in or out, it would be his brother. He had not expected her to kiss him goodbye, and found himself stuttering slightly as he gave a reply after he was caught off guard by the gesture.

"I... had a lovely time with you today, and I truly mean that. A very good night to you, my lady, until we meet again," he said to her with a quick bow, before heading back to the palace.

---

"Mathazar, have Father and Mother called for us yet?"

Eliezer?! The younger spun around at the hushed voice, stunned to see his brother back at the palace peering in through his doorway. How could this happen? It should have been a simple job for Raven to finish. He did not let Eliezer see that he was shocked, however, and instead put on a show of concern. He got up from his seat and approached the elder.

"Not yet, but it is wonderful that you are back safe," Mathazar responded, before raising an eyebrow at his twin. "I see that you are troubled. Did the lady not meet your expectations?"

Eliezer let out a sigh. "It is not so much what I had expected as what I did not. You see, despite us only having met for the second time, it is as if she knows me better than I know myself, perhaps even better than you do."

Mathazar let out a chuckle and shook his head. "That is absurd, Eliezer. Nobody can know you better than I."

"You know not what took place, Mathazar. Today was, so intriguing, yet worrying at the same time. I have never felt such a way before," the elder attempted to explain.

The younger nodded with a smile, and took his brother by the shoulders. "You have to see her again, brother. Have your questions answered, lest you continue to be restless for goodness knows how long."

"You are right," Eliezer agreed. "Thank you once again, for everything."

---

At the break of dawn on the following day, a royal messenger would arrive at the village looking for Miss Raven Omrea. She would be handed a letter bearing the royal seal. Upon opening the envelope, she would read the following message:

My dearest Lady Raven Omrea,

I must say that I have had very much to think about after our meeting the day before. Your questions most certainly shed light on issues that I would have never considered on my own. However, your reactions and feelings towards my so-called 'situation' continue to perplex me. What was it that you truly desired out of me? Were you hurt because I was not happy in your eyes? You asked me if the King and Queen loved each other. Perhaps it was love that you were showing me. Regretfully, I realize that I am rather unfamiliar with the concept, but I wish to learn more.

By writing to you, I believe that for the first time, I am fulfilling the 'duty to my heart', as you have put it. Until you spoke of it, I was not aware that there was even such a thing for me. I have admitted my fear to you, something else that I had been unaware of. Could it be then, that I should not explore this on my own? If it were to be with anyone, I would like for it to be with you, my lady. I am extending an invitation to you to the palace, where I sincerely hope we could converse once again. I eagerly await your response.

Best regards,
Eliezer of Dainia

The Job af the Assassin and Life of the Prince

I freaking love that rant, it's gonna give him anxiety thinking about it XD

Ah well, he'll be feeling something, at least.

The Job af the Assassin and Life of the Prince

"Mathazar... I see. It would be like him to leave the palace unannounced." Eliezer first shook his head at his brother's tendencies before letting out a sigh of disappointment in himself. "Not that I can be one to judge him, for I have done exactly the same to see you today. Do not misunderstand, it is not you who are to blame, but my own decision to make such a promise to you. The fault is mine, as I should have foreseen the increase in security after last night's attempted assassination. Regardless, I still have the both of you to thank, you for protecting him, and him for allowing us to meet."

He then found himself disturbed when she revealed her intention behind wanting to get close to him after her explanation. What did she mean by 'the real Eliezer'? Surely the Eliezer who addressed crowds from afar as the Crown Prince of Dainia was the same person up close? This doll-like prince she had mentioned was simply who he was, in spite of how 'abnormal' she might think it was. At least, he believed he knew himself well enough to come to that conclusion. As for her, did she feel that she had succeeded in what she had intended to do?

"I am afraid you are mistaken, my lady. There is no other side to me. What you have seen of me is who I truly am, be it when fulfilling my princely duties or as your companion. I do understand how my demeanor might seem... unnatural to you, but I have never been given any reason to be troubled by it, and I apologize if it causes you discomfort. However, if you wish to know more about me, I am rather doubtful that this is the time and place to do so."

That was when an extremely attractive woman approached them, though, she proved to be an unpleasant one once she started to speak. From Raven's response, it was apparent that the two were not on good terms. He turned slightly tense when 'Amy' stepped even closer to him and made an effort to charm him, for he hoped that she would not recognize him. At the same time, he thought it unwise to boast about her 'conquests' in front of the man she was attempting to seduce. Only one who was unintelligent would still be drawn to her after hearing such a thing. Fortunately, it was not long before she relented and left them alone.

After the incident, Eliezer could clearly see Raven's insecurity from her actions and words. It was understandable, for having lost multiple times to a woman who was simply more flirtatious and attractive was sufficient to have one believe that those were the qualities that men truly sought. Perhaps that may be true for some of them, but there were many who placed importance on other things. Watching his lady closely, it would seem that she feared to lose again, and he saw the need to restore her confidence.

"Any man who could be 'stolen' by her superficial assets does not deserve a committed lady," he commented, before reaching under her chin and gently tilting her head up so that his warm amber orbs could stare into her cool blue ones. He desired to assure her that she would not lose him, at least not to her coquettish 'sister'. "I gave you my word, and I will say it again, my lady. Until the Sun sets on this day, you will have me by your side."

Defenders of Cinix (A fun crossover) [Accepting]

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cannabidiol

Ain't illicit though.

Defenders of Cinix (A fun crossover) [Accepting]

The group's gonna get to the CBD (at least most of them), hopefully soon.

Defenders of Cinix (A fun crossover) [Accepting]

(R&D Lab/Med-Bay) @Burning Kitty @FalkiThomas @Lightning

At Zack's reply, Rex began to wonder about a couple of things - one, if Zack needed a girlfriend, and two, how special his own nanites were to have people fight over them as well. Upon reaching the lab, Rex then realized how at home he felt in this place, even though he had never seen it before. Everything around him was different, yet so familiar. It was not just the level of technology, but the people as well, particularly the agents and the busy scientist woman at the computer. He literally had a suited agent and a scientist in a lab coat as his caretakers back at Providence, after all. He was a little less fascinated by the others who had seemed to have come from different times and places, though, perhaps that would not have been the case if he had not already been told that these people had all been brought in from different worlds.

R simply raised an eyebrow when the armored ball vanished, knowing that it was the least of their worries. "Huh, I guess he isn't interested."

Meanwhile, J was responding to Link, who continued to express her interest in 'adventuring'. "I... guess you could ask them yourself?"

Lena, who was the only one who had not been informed of the project, was rather overwhelmed by the strangeness of this block. People were wielding equipment, wearing clothing, and using abilities and technology she had never seen in her life. She hardly had the time to ponder over it much, however, for a blond man then spoke to her and Raven and requested to be brought to the place of interest.

"I can't take all of you there, at least not quickly," the Seijin replied, before turning to Raven. "But I don't know if she can. She's the one who brought both herself and me back here with her powers almost immediately."

It was not long before a couple of others jumped in to offer their support, and R decided it was time to give them all a little more detail about how things worked at HQ. "Sweet! I'm loving the enthusiasm. Just let us run up to Main Ops so that we can look through any other reports on the attack that have come in, and then we'll fly all of you over since you're keen to have this as your first investigation with us."

However, the conversation was interrupted when Cloud suddenly proceeded to drag J out of the lab and speak to her in an unexpectedly aggressive manner. R listened to his words in alarm, for he was the one who had found both Cloud and Zack. He dashed out after them in hopes of diffusing the situation.

"Dead? That's impossible. That is your friend! Tell him, R!" J called to her partner in panic as he emerged from the lab.

"It really is Zack, Cloud, I promise you. Apparently, I entered into different points in time in your world when I found you both separately. I didn't think it was possible, but that seems like the only feasible explanation. I'm really sorry you had to come from a time when Zack is... no longer with you, but this has nothing to do with her, so please let her go."

The Job af the Assassin and Life of the Prince

I realize every IC post I've made for this story so far has ended with a line of speech lol.