The Tragic Assassin
Ren likes to think of himself as a very patient man. However, spending a few hours in a magical card reading room while waiting to meet the person he's supposed to trust with his life really wore him down, honestly. He's a skeptic of all of that tarot and oracle stuff, and generally not a fan of it (it scares him, to think that his life is already planned out, that destiny has chosen what he'll eat for breakfast tomorrow and every day after that), even if one of his friends is living and breathing proof that you can, in fact, see the future sometimes.
To pass the time, Quella had given him a tarot reading. He didn't understand what she called the card formation, but there was ten cards, and he didn't like what they meant when she explained it. It lead to a lot of teasing, when the card that represents his current struggles was the star. According to Quella, it's the card that represents her friend, the one he's supposed to be meeting later. He sulked while she teased him, reshuffling the cards, joking that, amidst a war, the most pressing issue in Ren's life is a boy.
Not just any boy, he thought to himself, but the son of one of the most powerful women in the country. Ren still couldn't quite wrap his head around the fact that one of the king's right hand men was to be his informant from now on. Pan Ezil Parrish, the son of Sedibus Parrish, a nobleman and ex-knight who now acts as general to a band of Skylo, or special soldiers who only serve nobility. He genuinely never saw that one coming. One of the king's dogs? Simultaneously acting as an informant for the antarte? How can you manage to be a dog for multiple kings?
It's no wonder this guys about to be trouble for Ren. How can he even be trusted, if he's playing for both sides, anyways? How can someone so close to his number one enemy ever be useful to him? How are they even expected to be able to meet up, if Ezil is busy with castle duties night and day, and Ren can't stand within view of the castle without his life being at risk? He is, quite literally, a top enemy of the state, as one of the top antarte assassins.
Ren, along with a few others, make up a band of criminals called the dolofonias. While no one has seen them in the act and lived, they're still among the most wanted in the country, right alongside the three kings. So, again, how exactly are they expected to meet regularly to exchange information? It's not as if they could do so in the dark corner of a pub, thanks to Ezil's fame and appearance. That man has to be one of the prettiest things in the country, with his fancy gowns and glistening jewels. Though, Ren has yet to actually lay eyes on him, he has heard that he looks like an angel.
So, when Ezil finally walks through the door, into that weird reading room, wearing plain clothes and looking a little tired, Ren is a little caught off guard. Ezil has dark brown skin, and eyes the color of the bottom of a lake, but he's lacking his usual sparkle. He quirks a brow, and looks between him and Quella, almost wondering if this is really his guy, for just a split moment. Quella looks very obviously uncomfortable, hands fiddling with a lace trim on her dress, running along it's edges over and over. Ren distantly thinks that, if she keeps doing that, it'll wear the fabric down.
"Rentaro Neptim, meet your new informant, Ezil Parrish." She opens her arms in a wide, sweeping gesture, between the two men. Ezil smiles almost sheepishly, and Ren thinks it's cute for only a moment, before he quickly stuffs that thought into one of the deepest parts of his brain. This isn't some silly romance novel, he can't allow himself to feel anything towards Ezil. That would be too dangerous, too dumb. "Why don't we all sit down, have some tea? We have so much to discuss~!" Quella turns and quickly scuttles out of the room, mumbling something about chamomile and jasmine. Ezil follows her with his eyes for a moment, before he looks back at Ren, eyes a little wide.
"I don't bite." Ren scoffs, leaning back in his chair and crossing his arms across his chest. He nods towards the chair across from him. "You heard her, take a seat." Ezil pouts, pursing his lips and furrowing his brows. He takes his cloak off in one fluid motion, slipping it over the back of his chair, before sitting down with the care and grace only a gentleman can manage. He folds his hands on top of the table, avoids eye contact by looking around the room.
"Uh, have you ever had your cards read before?" He asks in a small voice. The traces of the man he's heard about are nowhere to be seen. A pretty little thing, lethal and powerful, with a reputation filled with promiscuity and notorious for having his heart broken. He lacks the confidence, the charisma. He seems all too normal, for someone who's sitting across the table from Ren.
"A few times." Ren decides it's best to not tell him about his reading earlier. "Have you?" He wonders if Ezil buys the whole... Magical card, thing. If he thinks lighting a certain candle can connect you to the gods. In Ren's experience, the only time his god makes contact, is in his dreams. He's unfortunate enough to be the paidi of Anthropou, one of the gods of strength and protection. He's a powerful god, but not the kind of god who cares deeply about his paidi. Quella, however, is lucky. Her goddess, Gnosi, the goddess of fate and wisdom, treats Quella like a mother treats a child.
"Yeah!" Ezil pulls Ren from his thoughts. "Er, uh, well, actually I liked having them read so much that Quella gave me a deck of my own." He rubs his thumbs against the backs of his clasped hands, looking down at them, cheeks reddening slightly. Ren did not expect that one, honestly. An ex-knight, who seems to treat life like it's nothing but a good time, genuinely believing in destiny? And treating cards as if they have all the answers? It's almost funny.
"Okay, okay! Here we go!" Quella comes through the curtain again, holding a tray with three mismatched cups of tea. She sets the tray onto the middle of the table, before sitting between the boys. "Sorry about the wait! But, anyways, shall we get to business?"
"I suppose." Ezil mumbles, clearing his throat and reaching for a cup of tea. It smells strongly of hibiscus and rose.
"So, as I said, Ezil will be your new informant, Ren. And, while I know it seems like an odd pairing, I do have a method to my madness!" Quella huffs out a soft giggle, wagging a finger at Ren, who raises a brow at her.
"Do tell, then, Q. What's your plan, here?" He hums, looking rather unimpressed. This is bound to be good, and, of course, by good he means bad.
"Well, I'd like to preface this with an apology to both of you." Quella's little laugh is a little more awkward this time, and Ezil suddenly looks far more exhausted. "But, as we all know. Ezil has... A certain reputation!"
"Wait, as we all know?" Ezil sounds rightfully offended, freezing with his teacup inches from his lips. The color is back in his cheeks, and he's refusing to look at Ren.
"As we all know!! Ezil has a reputation!" Quella repeats herself, giving Ezil a stern look. She looks like a disgruntled rabbit when she tries to look serious. "One we can capitalize on, however!"
Ren feel's the blood drain from his face.
"You can't possibly mean what I think you mean right?" Ezil sounds tired, too, now. His eyes are pleading. Ren tries not to be offended by that.
"Listen. If you suddenly start spending a lot of private time with a mysterious, attractive man, no one would truly second guess that, right? It's simply in character, is all I'm saying!" Quella squeaks, raising her hands in a weak surrender. "It would not only make the transfer of necessary and important information possible, but it would make it easy. All you two would have to do is... Simply, pretend to be together? Act a little intimate in front of others?" She shrugs, as if that's not a problem, as if it's not uncomfortable.
Ren is fully capable of putting responsibility above feelings, however, he will admit that acting intimate with a man who he doesn't yet trust, and also seems to be uneasy around him, doesn't sound all that great. His ego is a little bruised, but only a little, since Quella called him attractive and mysterious. "Alright, well," Ren begins, and both Ezil and Quella look at him expectantly. "I'm gonna be honest here, okay? I'm not entirely comfortable with that, especially since we just met, and all the attention I'll likely get from being seen with you... But." He pauses deliberately.
"... But?" Ezil's voice is small, soft, quiet. He looks only a little scared. Ren makes eye contact with him, and he realizes messing with Ezil is probably fun. Just one little pause has him on the edge of his seat, afterall.
"But... You have access to information I, no, we need. I don't exactly like this, but it's a necessary evil." Ren shrugs, picking up his cup of tea and taking a sip. Ezil blinks at him for a moment, and then it registers.
"How in the world is being my pretend partner a necessary evil?" Ezil sets his cup down and scoffs, his pointed ears turning bright red and brows knitting together. "A necessary evil?? Really???" Ezil then begins rambling about how anyone would be lucky to have him, especially Ren, and Quella just shakes her head at them, letting out a little snort of laughter. Ren realizes this may end up being just a little fun, working with Ezil. Just a tad.
"Anyways! I'm glad you realize the importance of you two opening a line of communication, Rentaro!" Quella says just loud enough to be heard over Ezil, who groans loudly. "You two don't have to actually get along, though..." She trails off, and tilts her head to the side for a moment, as if listening to something that they can't. "Ah, nevermind." She blinks a few times, and Ren assumes she actually did hear something he can't. It's not uncommon, for her to zone out or listen in to conversations that don't reach his ears. It comes with the territory, he guesses, of being an oracle. "Ah, but, you do need to exchange information! Your relationship is irrelevant, considering what's at stake here! Priorities and such." She lets out a little laugh and shrugs, resting her chin in her hand. "Right, Ezil?"
Ezil glares at Ren for another moment, before he lets out a dramatic sigh and looks up at the ceiling. "Yeah. Sure. You're right."
"Then it's official! The two of you will be partners in crime, from this day forwards~!" Quella sits upright and clasps her hands together, giggling. She seems so excited, and Ezil seems so tired, and Ren is somehow hopeful and filled with dread. For once, he really does think those magic cards could be right about something.