[Open Commentlog] - Old Persian - Found Prince 001
[Unfortunately, Dastan only reads that very first line written by Lord Deior before he snapped the journal closed, frowning before absent-mindedly tucking it into his belt. Sorry, Deior, but he believes he has a way to fix this, and if time isn't on his side he has to move now so it soon will be. First objective: find the dagger. He certainly can't
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I told you, I am a Misfit, yes? [She presses a palm top her chest, her other hand still holding her journal.] At home, we are persecuted, hunted. Murdered and tortured, because of our potential. [She frowns, expression distant.] They hunt us because they fear us, what we can do. But we are people, just like...anyone else.
Sometimes...we cannot control our powers, at first. It has to be taught, harnessed. Like...any talent. Because of this, we were deemed illegal, as if we were some sort of...thing. [A bitterness crosses her features.] Anyone caught harboring one of us was subject to death. I ran away at twenty, to spare my mother. I lived in the streets, until I met yo-Jack. Until I met him.
[She breathes a noisy exhale.]
There are labs - a government bureau, called the Facility runs them, and in them..bad things happen. To...people like me. [She absently wraps a hand around her inner right elbow.]
We liberate these labs. Prove...a point, yes? They should not discriminate. We fight for freedom, equality. [Except her tactics are sometimes less than honorable. She's blown up her fair share of government buildings before.]
I can not manipulate elements, non. [She gave him a sidelong glance, eyes twinkling.] Is turning into a tiger not enough for you, Dastan?
[Well...yes She certainly meant it but...now that it's not who she thought...Erm. Yes.]
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Even without the ability to change forms, men can be dangerous. [Dastan frowns at that. His meaning of the word 'men' is very general.] No one should hunt your people without cause. Especially not simply because they fear you. [He spits the word, his expression disgusted that this was so where she was from. He shakes his head. We the people of her world so cowardly they killed without cause? Dastan was a killer, but he killed for the good of the Empire.]
Very few things come naturally. [Dastan gives a small shrug of one shoulder.] How much control do you have over your ability? [He caught her slip, and shifts slightly, but doesn't remark upon it. Instead, his expression sobers.]
I would liberate them, too. [He tries to smile, and finds he can't. This doesn't sit well with him. Everything she's telling him is against everything he and his father believe and trust. He steps towards Anna, hand rising and falling as he realizes what he was about to do. Moving back once more, Dastan averts his gaze with a troubled frown.] Looks like my world isn't the only land with troubles...
[Hearing her comment about the elements, Dastan glances back at Anna in time to catch her teasing glance, grinning in return.] That I don't know. [Sending a playful teasing glance back her way, he issues friendly challenge.] I think I could take you. [He spreads his arms wide, invitingly.] They call me the Lion of Persia, where I'm from. [Oh, he's definitely grinning now.]
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Almost one hundred percent. [She states this very firmly.] Back when I first changed, I had none. I could not control it, and when I was angry, or upset, or…overly emotional in any way, I would change. But now, I can change at will, when I want. I am very good. [Her once meek and shy demeanor had helped with that, at least. Now, though…pain and loss had wormed its way so deep in her that she makes every attempt to come off as an emotionless being - losing people you cared about was easier that way.
Or at least, she could pretend that was the case.]
You understand then, at least a little, yes? I will never stop fighting for my cause. [She would die for it, if she had to.
She peered at him curiously.]
You have listened to me prattle, yes? You must tell me about your world. [She’s curious about what Jack’s facetwin’s home must be like. Though his next words distract her, and her smile returns.]
The Lion of Persia, hm? Can a Lion beat a Tiger, I wonder?
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[Dastan considers this, looking at Anna thoughtfully.] Do you lose yourself when you change? Or are you still you, but in a Tiger's form?
[He smiles at that, a kinship forming as he slowly nods his head.] I understand. Nor will I. [Just as he would die for his Empire--his brothers. Especially if it was to prove his innocence.]
I hardly think that was prattle. [Then he scoffs a bit of a laugh, shaking his head.] I must tell you, must I? [He casts a glance her way, eyes considering, before he nods.] I suppose fair is fair. What... do you wish to know?
[Then he's throwing his head back and laughing uproariously to the skies. He sighs at the tail end, expression alight on his face as he meets Anna's eyes once more.] Oh, Anna. Count on it. [The look he gives her is entirely warm.] Don't worry, I'm sure I'd have to work for it. You may take me pleasantly by surprise. [His words are light, and somewhat teasing as he watches her.]
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Of course, there were many days that Anna would have gladly traded it for a sense of normalcy, even if that meant continuing her existence in relative poverty in the Underground.]
I am still me. [She taps her temple.] This stays the same, yes? It is still me. [Of course some time ago that had not always been the case, but Anna was able to control herself now. She gives him a sly smile.] I will not eat you, if that is what you are afraid of.
[A kindred spirit she seemed to have found - it was not Jack, no - but it was someone that Anna was finding that she could relate to, which…should not be difficult to find in a place such as this, with people from other worlds and situations close to her own but there was something about this one that had her talking with ease.]
You mentioned…Persia, yes? [She gave a quick shake of her head.] I have heard that mentioned in books, but…I am afraid that what history is taught is not always the most accurate. The…winner of war, they teach their own versions, yes?
[She’s laughing too and she is surprised by how it feels to smile - how long has it been, she wonders, since she has cracked the façade of hardened leader?]
I think, Dastan, that I will do far more than surprise you, yes? [She dipped her head.] Is that a challenge, hm?
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Well, that's good at least. [He was solemn as she admitted she remained herself, at least, but couldn't help try to add a bit of comical relief. Her next words have both his brows rising incredulously, his jaw dropping somewhat as he stares, taking a moment to find his retort.] What--eat me? I'm not--I-- [He shakes his head in amused disbelief, still stumbling over finding the correct words to say.] I assure you, Anna, that I am in no way remotely afraid you will eat me.
[Expression sobering finally, Dastan shakes his head. A slight smile of understanding lifts the edges of his lips.] True enough. Persia is a great Empire, however, ruled by my fa-- [The light leaves his eyes in that moment, any trace of ease and happiness gone from Dastan's face. Brows lowering, he shakes his head, takes a deep breath, and tries again.] A great man was King of Persia for many years. King Sharaman. He... found me when I was just a boy, struggling to survive. He took me in. Saw...saw something in me. [A bit of a helpless shrug, and a pained laugh.]
He's... he's gone now. Killed by my Uncle Nizam, who set me up. Now my brothers think I killed father, I'm on the run from all of Persia, and I have to try to set things right. [He clenches a fist, then forces tensed muscles to relax, finally looking up to meet Anna's eyes.] I know what it's like to battle greed, and jealousies. They tear families apart. And family is... [He stops. He's getting too emotional, and shakes his head.] The bond between brothers is the sword of our Empire. That is what father taught us again and again. Nizam... went against everything we stand for--everything we are. I will right these wrongs, and prove my innocence. [Or die trying.]
[Forcing troubled thoughts away, for he can do nothing about that here--though he was ready and willing to try time and again until he succeeded--Dastan relaxes and smiles back with ease at hearing Anna's laughter. It is a balm on his soul after remembering the pain he and his family has suffered through.]
Far more than surprise me, hm? [He grins, holding his arms wide as he dips his head in a slightly mocking bow.] You're certainly welcome to try. [Schooling his expression, Dastan attempts a sage-like and innocent facade.] Oh, no challenge here, Anna. [The facade slips as he grins.] I am simply stating fact. [There's that teasing light in his gaze--along with slight good-humored challenge.]
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Still, she tries, though she cannot keep the smile from her face.]
I am glad. You would give me indigestion, I would think.
[She falls silent as he speaks, telling her parts of his story that make her eyes harden and fists clench. Father killed by his uncle, his brothers believing him the murderer - an entire country loathing him.
She is...intimately familiar with that feeling.
Her thoughts cycled back around. Father - blood or not, that ruled an empire. That made him a prince.]
He sounds like an honorable man. [She watched him, carefully.] I see it, too. [She can't put a finger yet on what it might be - but it's there nonetheless. Maybe it's the determination - the pure passion that she sees in him, something that Anna herself shares. It could be the importance stressed on the bond with his brothers, or the inherent need to set things right. It could be the importance of family, too - the fact that he has nothing and still pushes with everything to prove his innocence and fight against this uncle that had so deeply betrayed him. Maybe it was his persistence.
Regardless, she sees it.]
I believe you. [She murmurs quietly, pushing her hands into her coat pockets.] You will succeed. You are strong, passionate. [She has no doubt that when the time comes for them all to return, he will succeed in his task.
His 'challenge' elicits a faint smile then, and she pushes her hair behind her ear.]
Ohoho, so the Lion of Persia wants to play with the Tiger of New Detroit? [She's game.]
I think that can be arranged.
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Eh--wha--?
[He shakes his head, the small smile growing.] First off, you wouldn't take one bite out of me. [He edges closer here, leaning forward with a sly look that might mean he was about to impart some forbidden secret, and murmurs near her ear.] Second--I didn't know biting was your 'thing.'
[He leans away, grin so wide it nearly split his face in two and eyes shining in delight.]
Of course, I'm not one to judge...
[He trailed off, growing solemn once more.] He was an honorable man. The most honorable... and wise. My brothers and I--we...we had a lot to learn from him, still. [And now that heart-broken expression is back on his face at the reminder of such a loss. Then he's glancing up at Anna, surprised, but also somehow needing to hear this again. He looks to her in helpless confusion.]
All these years, he insisted he saw something great. When he died... he thought I had been the one to poison him. He thought I had betrayed him. Betrayed his trust. Dishonored the love and respect he had given me. [His shoulders slump.] The expression on his face was one I never thought I would see. Not aimed at me.
[A small, disbelieving laugh, then he pauses, glancing up at her as if for reassurance. He used to stand on top of the world. Now, with his life and family crumbling down around him, can he do it? And what would it take to save them?] Thank you. I believe you'll accomplish what you set out to do as well. [A hint of a smirk.] No one as determined and passionate as you can possibly fail. Besides. It's what your world deserves. What you and your people deserve.
Play? [Sticking his hands in his pockets, Dastan shrugs and inhales a deep breath of air, eyebrows raised as if he's considering her chances and they're pretty slim in comparison. He leans toward her once more, for another whispered murmur.] I don't think you can keep up. [Slowly, he turns as if to walk away, as if the outcome had already been decided.]
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There are many things you do not yet know about me, Dastan.
[Her eyes sparkled a little at that, almost an invitation for him to pry, but not quite.]
That is good to know. [He hadn’t formulated a negative opinion of her based on her ability - at least, so far. That was a good thing. Her smile fades though, and she reaches to brush his arm - he must be freezing in this weather.]
You will make things right, Dastan. There is something great in you. [Somehow - she was certain of it. She may not know him well, but this much she is positive of.]
Thank you. [She murmured, pushing her hands back into her pockets. The confidence he placed in herself was a much needed bolster in and of itself - sometimes even leaders felt insufficient, helpless.]
Oh? [She scoffed at his murmur, mouth dropping open in mild astonishment - and then he’s walking away?! Oh no sir. She reached to take his arm and pull him to a stop.]
You have issued a challenge, Dastan. I think it is time that you man up, hm? [She smiled.]
Meet me back here in twenty minutes, yes? I will show you what a true tigress can be like.
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Oh? And what might that be? [He pauses, to see if she will answer, before continuing.] If that is indeed the case, then perhaps it's a good thing we're stuck here. [Though he didn't plan to be trapped here for long.] Getting to know each other over time will be inevitable. [Oh, he's definitely interested in getting to know her better--if not a little bit suspicious when he notes that look in her eyes.]
[Grinning widely to show he wasn't afraid of her eating him in the least, Dastan is a little surprised later, at her touch. Her hand was much warmer than the rest of him was, and he shivers, as if her warmth finally reminded him he was cold. Her words draw at a warm part of him he thought deeply buried, and he looks at her--wondering who this woman was.]
Sometimes I only wish I could glimpse it. Understand it, so I can make father proud. [He pauses.] Thank you. [Then a breath of a laugh escapes him even as he shifts his feet, his toes frozen in his boots.] Though I could say the same. There are many things you do not yet know of me, either, Anna. [His expression remains warm, however, when he says it.]
[He grins.] It is truth. [He did believe in her. He didn't know why, but there was something he saw in her, too.]
[And Anna rose to his bait. Dastan didn't try to hide his amused pleasure at that. When she grabs at his arm he stops, casually looking back over his shoulder at her, question--maybe a slight taunting?--in his eyes.]
Man up? [Oh, she did not just say--Dastan turns to face her fully, brows high on his forehead. He couldn't let her get the best of him.] You prefer hunting frozen prey? [Still, Dastan was not a man to make excuses. Nor was he a man to turn down a challenge. Any challenge. His eyes narrow.] Twenty minutes, then. I look forward to it.
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[Which she thinks he is.]
If he is the man you say he is, then I think he is already proud of you, yes? [She shrugs out of her coat. Anna has found that in the recent cold snap, her body adjusted fairly adequately - she supposed it had something to do with the dormant beast within her, and she had to admit that it came in handy. She drapes it over his shoulders and gives him a small smile.]
Then I should think we will learn about each other together, hm? [It sounded like a fair proposition to her, at least.]
It does add a certain crunch, I suppose. [She is joking, that much is clear on her face.
…She has not joked with someone in a long time.]
As do I. I will see you soon, hm? [She gave him a wink, amber eyes glinting and if he was paying enough attention he would see her eyes shift distinctly into cat like slits before she turns to disappear into the Keep.]
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[Already proud of him? When he was dead--and thought Dastan was to blame? If he was watching from the Heavens, though, would his father not already know the truth? Dastan frowns in thought, looking down at the snow near his feet. No matter what the truth, her words eased parts of his heart and soul, and Dastan could do nothing but hope with everything in him that it was the case.]
[Then warmth is being placed around his shoulders, and Dastan starts. His eyes quickly rivet to Anna's face as both hands rise to tightly clasp at the fabric. There was already question in his eyes and slowly he began to shake his head, moving as if to give it back to her.]
You must be just as cold as I. It is my own fault I am dressed this way. [He couldn't let her freeze.]
[That light, amused smile finds its way to his face again.] Looks that way...
[He stares at her incredulously, lips pressed together dubiously as his eyebrows lift once again.] I assure you. I am probably too tough. You wouldn't be able to chew, let alone swallow. [And he jokes right back.]
...Wha--? [He stares, jaw dropping open as he stares after her, brain attempting to tell him what it was exactly he saw. Hearing something and seeing it were two different experiences entirely. Well. This would prove to be interesting indeed.]
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Anna had laughed and brushed off his attempts to hand her cloak back to her. Her internal body heat seemed to radiate much higher these days and sat a little over a hundred degrees. She found that she was not nearly as cold as the other people in the Keep seemed to be.
She had a few preparations to make before she shifted. The first one was locating some sort of portable bag in order to stuff clothes in. Shifting was physical - there was no magical transition, it was a raw and painful process that required nudity, lest she destroy her clothing.
However, if she felt like conversing in any way with Dastan after their little...'encounter' she was going to need clothes and her journal. A quick search yielded nothing so she settled for bundling her things in a spare cloak that she quickly tied up and set aside.
Now? Time to shift.
After a few brief, bonecrackingly agonizing seconds, a 300 plus pound Bengal tiger stood where Anna once did. She picked up her little bundle in her mouth, then barreled out of her room and back outside and into the snow.
Oh Dastaaaaaan where aaaare you]
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Shifting on his feet, he looks around, wondering at the idiocy of his challenge, and if Anna would seriously expect to take him on. Here. In the snow.
He looked for items he could use, taking in his surroundings with a wary eye. He didn't want to fight her, per se, but he did think he could take her. On a good day. Probably.
Maybe he could tie her up? Or a distraction of some kind?
Then he sees a large Bengal tiger making her way towards him, a makeshift bag held by pointed teeth. There was absolutely no mistaking it--Anna truly was a shifter.
He gasped, eyes widening as he leans back somewhat, but he doesn't step away. He isn't afraid of her, but he is startled, and the odd sound wrung from his throat doesn't hide it.]
Y-y-you...
[He points, stops, and stares, face incredulous.]
It really is you!
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He's probably cold and she leaned against him to give him some of her warmth.
...Of course it's her, silly prince. Anna huffs in what could be a laugh - her head bobs as she confirms that yes, it's indeed Anna and yes, she does understand every word that he's saying to her.
She bares her teeth at him in a catlike grin, fully aware just how menacing that might look.]
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Well. Aren't you both beautiful and dangerous.
[He stretched a hand out toward her, then froze before he could touch her. Perhaps she did not wish to be touched while in this form? Or maybe it was an invasion of privacy? Still. She was blissfully warm at the moment, and Dastan couldn't help but want nothing more than to pull that warmth into his numbed and frozen limbs.]
...Can I touch you?
[He sees that grin, Anna, and Dastan's eyes suspiciously narrow at it. He doesn't exactly like the menacing look, or the amused sparkle in her eye. Not while she's a three-hundred pound tiger that could--yes--potentially eat him.]
I'd give you awful indigestion. I hope you remember that.
[Yes, he's teasing, but he's doing a pretty good job of keeping his tone serious, even if his expression wasn't.]
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