[OOM: Olau. More specifically a darkened bedroom in the Young Family Keep. Mid-day]

[mnt_raph]

Maintaining a healthy Work/Life balance isn't easy for anyone regardless of who you are and how you define Work and Life.
If you're Raph, Work is: verb simultaneously defending and protecting two entirely different worlds while somehow managing to keep your efforts as secret as possible from what you define as Life.
Life: noun Abigail.

It's not easy what you're doing. Not the fighting, that part is easy and always has been. It's the lying and sneaking that seem to be getting to you. You remind yourself you do it because you have to. You do it to protect her and her world. You do it because the lie that brings a smile is so much better than the truth that usually results in screaming, and not the good kind. You do it because you love your Life.

But somehow even that doesn't change the fact that every day it gets harder and harder to maintain the lies. The stress of maintaining them builds and builds and you often find yourself wanting to pull your hair out and scream. Then you laugh and remind yourself, Good thing you're bald. Then you do what you always do and push the frustration down deep inside. You use it to fuel just one more all night scout mission or just one last after-hours Security shift, until you've all but burned yourself out entirely resulting in yet another day of you still being in bed even though it's well past lunch.

Comments

[mnt_raph]

"No I wouldn't have rather have been the little girl."

He sneers.

Though, to be honest he wouldn't have taken it quite as badly as Jayne did.

[the_lioness]

Smiling, she gives him a slight cuff on the ear.

"I bet you were a cute panda bear." Beat. "Cuddly."

[mnt_raph]

Raph just grumbles when he would normally threaten bodily harm.
It's unclear if he does this out of respect for Alanna and her hospitality, or because he's not quite fully awake yet.

[the_lioness]

Maybe it's because he knows how she'd respond to threats of bodily harm, and while he's an exceptional fighter, she is clearly the more awake of the two.

That's how she takes it, anyway.

Which doesn't prevent her from wondering: "Maybe Abigail likes panda bears."

[mnt_raph]

What's the sound of one facepalming?

"She wouldn't believe it. I tried over the years to slip in stories o' back home and Milliways. No one believes'em."

[the_lioness]

"Try harder," is her suggestion.

"Do you want me to-"

Alanna shakes her head no; that needs to be phrased differently.

"I could help explain, Raph. If it's ever needed."

She won't say it, but Raph should know by now what her word means in Tortall.

[mnt_raph]

"What that I ain't completely crazy, I'm just a compulsive liar freak of nature? Yeah, that'd help."

There was a time when he wished only that the door would open again.
Now he's kind of wishing it'd stayed closed for good.

[the_lioness]

"Stop feeling sorry for yourself," Alanna barks, following it up with a flick to his forehead. "What would the Griffin say?"

Take that, Raphael.

"Abigail isn't stupid, and she isn't easily scared away. She'll get mad -- and the longer you wait, the angrier she'll be -- but she'll get over it. Then she'll want to see what the fuss is all about."

And if she doesn't, Alanna fully intends to smack some sense into her, too.

[mnt_raph]

He's not even with it enough to flinch when she thwaps him.

"I...I don't even know how that would come up in conversation though? I mean, in Milliways people just sort of expect that kinda thing. Here though, where everyone thinks I'm some distant relative..."

It never was a great lie to begin with. There's just nothing about Raph that says of noble birth. His sheer lack of etiquette at court alone is a bright shining beacon of falsehood.

[the_lioness]

Alanna commences the folding of the arms and the raising of the brows, as she gazes at him expectantly.

"Do you think I don't know what it's like to start difficult conversations like that?" she asks. Her voice is softer now, for all that she looks irritated. "Jon, George... Gary, when I needed someone I trusted to instruct me on the code before my Ordeal. Goddess, Raph. I had to tell everyone I was a girl. And explaining Milliways and my dead brother was no treat for me, either."

She sighs.

"Things like that don't just come up in conversation. You make the decision to be honest, find your courage and follow through."

[mnt_raph]

Aw cripes. Not just the foldin' of the arms, but the raisin' of the brows too?

At least he was spared the tappin' of the foot, there's comfort to be found there, right?

Yeah...probably not, even if Raph could hear the narration.
Her's is the superior logic, and the more she stacks proof against him the smaller Raph wishes he could become, until all that's left is the hulking shape of a very small child nodding silently.

[the_lioness]

There's more she could say (there's always more she could say) but the silent nodding traps it in her throat. Careful not to outright hug him, she slings an arm around his back and gently thumps him on the shoulder. You know, a manly gesture.

Even if she'd rather kiss his bald head and hug him tight. She's not totally mad, after all.

"You picked a good one, Raph. I think she'll surprise you."

[mnt_raph]

He nods again, averting his eyes until he's able to find just the right words.

"If I end up back in that freakin' wheelchair, Goddess help you."

[the_lioness]

Alanna laughs and lets him go.

"Point taken."

There's a shuffling sound outside the room, like three sets of feet jostling for position, and a muffled "ow." Eyes narrowing, she jerks a thumb toward the door.

"We have company."

[mnt_raph]

Raph sighs again for what feels like the umpteenth time this morning alone.

"if it ain't one thing, it's a whole lotta things. hold'em off until i can jump out the window?"

He's only half joking.

[the_lioness]

Poised to reply (and to yank him back inside if need be), Alanna has the presence of mind to jump out of range when the door bursts open, spilling the triplets into the room and Raph's personal space.

"The door fell open," says Grace.

"It just did," Jamie agrees cheerfully.

"You should have that checked," Thom puts in, ever sensible.

[mnt_raph]

That presence of mind that Alanna has?
Yeah...Raph? Not so much.

"Ooof. Lemme guess. Knockin's for other people, right?"

[the_lioness]

Indubitably. Unless he means knocking over, because that's something the triplets believe in wholeheartedly. Sorry, Raph.

Looking well pleased with themselves, they laugh and chorus, "You were taking too long!"

"They're very hungry," Alanna smirks.

And very determined to get Raph out of his room so they can have someone to pester this afternoon.

[mnt_raph]

"Yeah? And? What's that gotta do with me?"

He asks, propping himself up on his elbows. Then something occurs to him.

"I got turtle soup written on my forehead or somethin'?"

[the_lioness]

"Or something," Grace says with a very adult lift of her brow.

Alanna rolls her eyes. "All three are picky eaters. I doubt they'd be that adventurous. Now come on, or I'll let them wake you up, next time."

Jamie flashes him an unrepentant grin. "Yeah, and Uncle George taught us a new song, too."

Thom stays quiet. He's hoping Raph will show him a few moves later.

[mnt_raph]

"yeah, i'll be he has."

Grumbles the Shang as he kips up to his feet.

"A'right, a'righta'right. I'm up i'mup. So much for my day off, no rest for the wicked. What time is it, anyways?"

[the_lioness]

He gets a variety of answers:

"Practically bedtime!"

"Laaaaaaaate."

"Midday."

Alanna just smiles slyly. "Cook's prepared a midday meal. After, why don't you go see Abigail?"

"ABIGAIL!" three young voices sing out.

[mnt_raph]

Three things happen at once: He winces, his eyes squeeze shut, and he sighs.

"Right. So who's racin' me to the dinin' room?"

[the_lioness]

Thom, Jamie and Alanna all jostle for the best position through the door, laughing as they go.

Grace echoes her mother's earlier eyeroll and says, "No dignity." It's a variation on something she overheard at court, and her new favorite phrase.

[mnt_raph]

Raph smirks at the enthusiasm before turning to muss up Grace's hair.

"There's a time an' a place for dignity, an' this ain't either."

He says sagely before turning his attention to the racers.

"On ya' mark.


Get set."

And then he makes a break for the doorway, leaping clear over the rest of the runners and tumbling head first into the hallway.

"GO!"

Yells Raph from down the hall.
Ninjas, they never do play fair.