Oh, look: a spot of beauty [Closed]

[Travesty]

What was he doing here again? Did he honestly think that walking past this place nearly every day would somehow absolve him of guilt? Or maybe he liked this feeling of self-loathing and the resulting apathy he directed at the world around him – yes, that was probably it! Why else would he be standing here, peering down that damp, filthy alleyway, if not to perceive this overwhelming combination of disgust, guilt, fascination, and yes, even pleasure. If he weren’t already so incredibly dependent on various painkillers this horrifically wonderful feeling would have been all he needed to get his high.

Of course, it was also equally possible he came here so often because he was on the lookout for another…patient. Something new to study, because as much as he enjoyed injecting strange chemicals into his own body, even he got bored periodically. Plus, as erratic as Ambrose could sometimes get, he wasn’t about to put something into his body that could cause him extreme harm. Either way, he was here and there were no vulnerable Aces to be found. Half of him rejoiced while the other half cursed in disappointment. The ferret had the feeling he was now split into two warring beings trapped in the same body.

His clawed feet padded down the cobblestone street until his eyes caught a glance of color. It wouldn’t be fair to call the little splash of flowers a garden, but they were vibrant around the squalor surrounding them and the ferret was always appreciative of natural beauty. There was a bench nearby and he plopped himself down on it; eventually he’d have to wander back to his lab but for the time being he was restless, and had no desire to be surrounded by steel machinery and the bad florescent lighting that often kept him from sleeping. No, the moonlight and gentle breeze was a nice change of pace, even if the air was tainted with pollution and the creatures surrounding were raucous.

[Kari Muffin]

Clearly she was lost. Viola could feel the panic well up inside her as she slithered down the cobble stone. This wasn't a place she wanted to be. Many times she had told the children to stay out of the place, and many other times she had been told that this was a bad place to be.

And yet... she was here, holding a set of freshly cut flowers in her antlers.

She made a distressed whine as she continued down the path trying to stay calm. This was a bad idea, she should have just gone to the same flower shop she always went to. That way she wouldn't have to be out here, alone, and completely in the middle of nowhere.

And then she saw something, a small bit of color wavering in the dim light. Her eyes widened briefly as she tried to hurry faster. She came up to the little flower patch, not noticing the other Card filled with needles. Her sole focus was on the little flowers, which made her raise an eyebrow. She hadn't seen flowers like this grow around the capital....

Her ears flipped back as she pondered to herself how something like this could grow in conditions like these. Maybe she would ask one of the florists? She shook her head, really she needed to get home soon.

She squeaked in surprise when she finally noticed the Card on the bench. "Oh! I'm so sorry!" were the first words that flew out of her mouth.

[Travesty]

Ambrose found himself tilting his head and staring up at the moon. It was a very uncharacteristic action for him – by no means was he a romantic, pining for his love under that soft sphere of light overhead. He was a Corvie, someone who thrived on rational thought, even if they led him to irrational action! And yet, he had to admit it was lovely enough, in a dreamy sort of way. What was the phase it was currently in called? A waning gibbon?

…He had thoroughly no idea what he was talking about; he wasn’t that sort of scientist. In fact, he had never met a Corvie who was interested in anything so benign as that; no, it was always poisons, nerves, or body parts with them. Only ugly, dangerous things aroused their curiosity.

The ferret was so wrapped up in his own disjointed thoughts he wasn’t even aware someone else was nearby until the stranger issued a little squeal in surprise. He flinched, a common reaction when he was startled, and flicked his gaze over this odd intruder. Actually, she looked more exotic than weird, but he had learned by now appearances could be misleading.

Why was she apologizing? That was strange, it had been such a long time since he had dealt with someone truly polite, how was he supposed to react? He wanted to ignore her, but somehow that just seemed wrong. Dirty.

He noticed a few stems of flowers (since when were there flowers everywhere, in this gloomy place?) had fallen from where they had balanced on her antlers and bent to pick them up. “Don’t be. It’s dark out and I think I scared you.” His voice, as always these days, had a faraway pitch to it, like he was already thinking of something else. A muscle in his shoulder twitched, flicking one of his needles.

[Kari Muffin]

"Oh no! No, no," Vio said shaking her head, trying not to knock any more of the flower out of her antlers. "I was spacing out and I didn't see you there. I do that sometimes, and I mean I'm sorry that I was ignoring you when you were clearly sitting right there."

She frowned at herself for being so panicky. She needed to get a grip, honestly. The very tip of her tail flopped for a moment as she tried to regain a bit of her composure.

Her ears flopped downwards when she noticed that he was kind enough to pick up the flowers. "You can have some flowers if you like. A bit of an apology? And... are you all right, you seem a bit tense?"

He was a stranger, she probably shouldn't pry, but it wasn't every day she met someone in the middle of someplace shady who was filled with needles, and kind enough not to snap at her.

[Travesty]

“It’s all right,” he said, his mouth twisting up into an unfamiliar, lopsided smile so she’d understand he wasn’t going to eat her or anything. Even he wasn’t that much of a monster, and even if he was, she was a Jack and he was a measly Six. The ferret wasn’t going to toy with those odds. “It’s a lovely night; I got lost in it myself.” The thought crossed his mind that he probably had never before said something so…flowery? That was the only way he describe the sentiment.

The offered gift took Ambrose by surprise and he shook his head. “Thank you, but I don’t think I have room in my lab.” Truth be told, he couldn’t imagine them perched on his cold, aloof equipment, they would be too brilliant against the steel. “That’s why I come out here.” He motioned to the beds of flowers surrounding the bench.

Liar.

His smile widened. Yes, tense; that was one word to describe what he was feeling. “I’m fine, they’re just body tremors.” He almost laughed at that, such a clean way to describe them. “But what about you? You don’t look like you know the area.” He knew it like the back of his hand, but why was he asking? Never mind that it wasn’t any of his business, or that he was already running out of things to converse about, but he had work to do! One of his needles, the one hanging off his neck, was running precariously low on…whatever it held. Sometimes he had trouble remembering exactly what he injected himself with.

[Kari Muffin]

Viola frowned at his comment about not having any room in his lab. Well that was depressing. How could you not have any room for flowers? "Oh... oh well I suppose."

The snake's ears flicked as he changed the subject.

Just tremors? Really? That didn't seem like it at all. Then again Viola wasn't an expert, and she really wasn't the smartest person in the world--compared to an Corive and all. She let out a small sigh. He probably knew what he was talking about, all things considered. It still didn't sit well with her.

She would have held out her hand to accept the flowers, instead she bowed her head a bit, hoping that he would understand to put them there. "I just moved to the city with my nephews, I'm still not used to what turns I have to take. Though... I'm really lost this time." She blushed a bit, hoping that he wouldn't notice, but it was hard considering the color her her scales.

[Travesty]

Damn. He should’ve taken a flower. That would’ve been common courtesy, right? To take something when it’s offered? He couldn’t remember the last time he had been outright given something, and come to think of it, when was the last time he had been in the company of a female that wasn’t an Ace or a patient? He had no idea what was considered polite and what would be seen as lecherous.

It occurred to him he was thinking like an awkward adolescent boy. Sue him; his teenage years had been lonely. No wonder at the moment he was failing horribly at being, well, somewhat uncreepy. At least he was drugged; his eyes were glazed but at least they weren’t trying to look at everything at once.

Still, even the ferret could tell what the serpent wanted and he carefully posed the stems in the points of her antlers. He laughed softly at her predicament. How often had he wandered these streets at night, lost and scared? Of course, that was before.

“Everyone gets turned around here at some point or another, especially at night,” he noted with another glance upwards. The moon was lovely and all that, but it didn’t provide much light for traveling. “Where are you headed? I might be able to help.”

He didn’t get many opportunities to play the knight in shining armor, though he couldn't imagine he'd be of that much use. Plus, it must by now be obvious he was more than a little off, who'd want him as their guide?

[Kari Muffin]

Like everyone else as a child Viola had been warned about strangers. She hadn't paid very good attention, of course. The thought that he had been dangerous briefly crossed her mind, but then again who wasn't dangerous in this place? Her nephew looked like a monster, and he was perfectly harmless.

Mostly. Mostly harmless.

She blushed a bit as she looked at the man who offered to help her. "Well... do you happen to know how to get to Lane street from here? I can't figure out where I have to go at all and I've been wandering around for quite some time. I'm a little worried that I shouldn't have left so late in the afternoon."

Her blush grew deeper as she lowered her head to look at the ground with her ears pulled back apologetically. "Sorry to cause you the trouble, Mister."

(( OOC: @_@ I am so freaking sorry if this SUCKS. ))

[Travesty]

Ambrose hummed to himself, thinking of the multiple streets that tapered off from where they were sitting. “Yes, actually, but it’s pretty far away, if I remember correctly.” He furrowed his brow. Would she be comfortable traveling that long in the dark? “I know a few shortcuts, if you’d rather,” he ventured. Yes, he knew these back alleys like he knew his own apartment.

Was that weird? He didn’t have a clue, but it wouldn’t surprise him if the offer put her on edge. He was super-aware when the muscles in his shoulder convulsed slightly.

He laughed softly and shook his head. “It’s not a problem.” For once, it was the truth; his laboratory was feeling impossibly claustrophobic tonight. It probably had something to do with the broken florescent lights that flickered overhead. He’d have to get those fixed.

Mister? That made him feel old. He supposed that meant he had to introduce himself. “I’m Ambrose, by the way,” the ferret added. His voice sounded stiff; he didn't share his name often, in fact it was only a handful of people who knew his name. The thought was both frightening and oddly comforting.

ooc: Don't worry about it at all! <33

[Kari Muffin]

So she really was not just lost, but miserably lost. The woman frowned as she looked down at the cobble stone that lined the street. How had she gotten confused that she was way out here? "Short cuts are probably good, as long as it's not difficult Terran or anything. Thank you so very much for this."

And then he was kind enough to provide his name. Her ears perked as she looked at him, eyes a bit brighter than they had been before. "Ambrose is a beautiful name! Doesn't it mean immortality? Or something along those lines..."

She paused. Oh dear, she shouldn't rant like that. "Uh, my name is Viola." The snake gave him the brightest smile she could muster. Even though he seemed a little strange with all that... twitching, at least he was a nice card. She supposed appearances were in fact deceiving... she should honestly know considering her family.