The Real Life [OPEN!]

[carcinoGeneticist]

Apocalypse still couldn't get over the change he'd undergone.

It was a nice one, for sure. He'd already spent a week straight prowling the Courts and enjoying the new perspective, never once even considering returning to the only form he'd known for the entirety of his life before this point. Walking was faster, more fluid, and there seemed to be a grace in all of his movements, even the awkward ones, that he'd never had before. He could jump like a motherfucker - as he'd demonstrated by leaping straight through an open window and nearly scaring the guard inside out of his skin. Conversations were louder, easier to eavesdrop on. People faltered when he looked up at them with his eyes round and ears drooping, and he knew they felt pangs of guilt. With his slightly lower view, it was much easier to give a casual up-skirt glance, and when he fell asleep in the garden, he hadn't woken up looking like an overcooked lobster.

He didn't understand why so few people chose to use their animal forms after obtaining the others. Sure, having hands was an added bonus, but there were ways around that!

Business finally brought him to the Capital and kept him busy in the daytime, but today, he had finished all his duties a little early, and there were still a few hours of sunlight remaining. Sunlight that someone needed to take advantage of.

The large Caracal stretched out on the bench he'd found, claws extending at the peak of the movement, and yawned languidly. Then he flopped onto his side, letting the pleasant heat warm his belly. People paid less attention to him when he was in this form, too, which was particularly nice in this situation. A human King was much more worthy of attention than a white Cat, he supposed. And that was fine. When he wanted that kind of attention, he'd go find it.

For now, he was just damn happy to have some time to breathe. No Rhi. No Slugger - he'd foisted the little terror off on his Weapon and left both of them back at the inn he'd been staying at. They'd be fine for a few more hours, he was sure.

But the best part of all - No pants. And no one seemed to notice. His mouth stretched into a broad grin as he stretched languidly, this time rolling fully onto his back.

Perfect.

((-hides- I COULDN'T RESIST THE TEMPTATION))

[Callypso]

((YEEESSS... I was just WAITING for an opportunity to RP with you! hahhahaahaha. I hope you liiiiike!))



Iso was restless. The feeling had overtaken her more and more often as she settled into her new home. Lately she had found difficulty focusing on her work (something that had never happened before) and felt this inexplicable need to venture out of doors. She didn’t even like being outside.

She strode along the pebbled pathway toward- well, for once, she didn’t really know. The young doctor had vehemently told herself that the only reason she was traveling to the inner city was to find an electrician. She still hadn’t procured one and she was irritated that she might have to actually travel back to Corvistowne to find someone who could rig her late-brother’s lab the way she envisioned.

That was it. Poor lighting. That must have been the reason she wasn’t able to stick to her research. How was one supposed to discover the inner workings of cranial matter if they could barely read prior research? Stupid Phan. He must really have gone over the edge if he couldn’t even take proper care of his working environment.

The ferret stiffened slightly and shook her head, trying to clear thoughts of him from her mind. Ever since moving into her departed brother’s laboratory and adjoining flat, she kept having nightmares of his death. Iso hadn’t even been present at the accident, but she kept seeing Phantasus cackling aloud to no one in particular while his life’s blood oozed around him. On particularly bad nights, her brother’s face would eerily morph into her late grandfather’s, and he would slowly drag his body towards her, beseeching her assistance.

Iso shuddered violently, though the day was still warm. The orange glow was pervasive- washing over the streets, shop and the few Cards still milling around before supper. Where the ray’s lights didn’t reach, the harsh light blended oddly with deep, dusky shadows, the glare making difficult to distinguish between the two.

The ferret suddenly felt extremely overwhelmed, her inner visions mixing erratically with the ocean of color before her. She quickly walked toward a well-manicured lawn which led away from the main city square. The disturbed ferret took in a few shaky breaths.

By this point Iso was hyperventilating, but she had long ago learned how to mask her panic and merely looked slightly winded- though it was difficult to tell exactly what she was doing through the odd lighting. She dug around in her coin purse and procured a few white pills (glancing at them in her open paw to make sure she didn’t mix any change with the medication) and popped the gleaming capsules into her mouth. She closed her eyes and sighed, waiting for the effects to kick in.

Throughout her little emotional upheaval, Iso failed to notice the large catlike creature lounging carelessly on the bench nearby.

[carcinoGeneticist]

((AHHHH AWESOME! >3 Sorry about Pale. He's a diiiiiiiiick.))

Another added benefit of the feline form was the sensitivity of the man's hearing. One long, blond-tufted ear twitched as he heard footsteps. It twitched again when those footsteps seemed to be growing louder, indicating that whoever owned the feet in question was walking over to his bench. For an instant, the corners of his mouth turned down. He didn't want someone to come over to his bench. He didn't know why someone would come over to his bench, actually, unless it was to ask him to do something for them.

Which just wasn't on, not while the sun was still out. The King was preparing himself to be rather pissed off when the footsteps passed right on by him, then stopped. Close, but not so close that it seemed like they were actually going to talk to him. He rolled back onto his belly, feet tucked beneath his body, and then opened his eyes.

There was a Ferret nearby. A Corvie Ferret. His tail twitched once, twice, and then his ears rose. A female Corvie Ferret, unless he was going crazy. Hmm. She didn't seem to have even noticed the large, white-coated cat in her journey to do... whatever it was that she was doing. The upset he'd felt before trickled away quickly, leaving him instead with curiosity. And Apocalypse had never been one to ignore his interest in something. He slowly sat up the rest of the way, leaning forward to get a better glimpse at her, his ears standing erect in an effort to listen in. He heard the shaking of the pills before his eyes caught a glance.

Then he grinned to himself. "Little drug break, hmm?"

[Callypso]

((haha, I wouldn't expect anything less!))

The mocking voice cut through the wild thoughts churning in the Corvie’s head.

Suits. She was more aggravated that she simply hadn’t noticed the Card- there’d been a bench? It was unlike her to not observe; she always noticed everything, filing away various minutiae, little details that would escape most. How had she not seen him? Her back was to him, yet she chose not to turn at that moment (she was rather certain it would make her ill to turn too quickly). Slowly, her eyes opened (they’d been shut since she’d taken the pills) and she addressed the taunt.

Drugs? Medication is generally filed under that term, yes. I suspect that someone diagnosed with chronic migraines would be expected to carry them, wouldn’t you agree?

The doctor turned and squinted- the light was blinding. As her vision adjusted itself to the heavy glow, she made out the form of a large white feline. It could have been the light, but were those markings somehow- odd? Was that a-? Ugh. The damned light. If it were a lower ranked Card perhaps she might have exploited their shame. Her nose wrinkled as she perused such a distasteful strategy- rank insults were low- how could she lessen herself in such a way? She really was behaving and thinking oddly...

Though the light made it nearly impossible to see, the glint of sunlight off his teeth was unmistakable. She knew trouble when she saw it. Malicious mischief if she was any judge. Normally, she would have simply given a bored, cool look at the offender and gone on her way, but the combination of her mild panic attack, the nightmares and her edgy nerves as of late left her in no mood to deal with this delinquent’s quips.

Your observational skills are astounding. Why don’t you take them somewhere they’d be of actual use?

((DRAAAMAAAA!!!! XD))

[carcinoGeneticist]

A brief flicker of curiosity crossed the man's face as he stepped down off the bench, standing beside it and staring at the darker form of the woman. He inclined his head to the side as he considered her closely, orange eyes flicking from her face to her hand, where the bottle of pills had vanished to. Whatever they were, he had no way of recognizing. But really, that wasn't what mattered. He didn't care that she'd taken drugs. He didn't know her, had no idea what the pills had even been, and her chemical use didn't affect him in any way, directly or otherwise.

What did matter was that he was in a good mood, and he wanted to play a little. This particular individual seemed rather tightly-wound, which really made her perfect for the sort of play he had in mind. She was pretty, too, and that certainly didn't hurt the situation. As he approached her, he moved with a casual sort of grace, eyes partly lidded and locked on her. She seemed to be trying to investigate him, but she didn't seem to find whatever it was she was looking for.

She did find her voice, though. The man's grin broadened slowly as she spoke. This would be fun, he could tell already.

"Too true, too true." He took another slow step forward, the tip of his short tail curling slightly, whiskers arching towards her in clear interest. "Then again, I'm sure someone with chronic pain is entitled to open use of a substance which when used by anyone else would produce a tremendous high. It might kill their pain, yes, but it is also safe to assume they still gain that high... Correct me if I'm wrong, I'm sure you'd know much more about the inner workings of such chemicals. I don't presume to be an expert."

He spoke rather happily, a hint of a purr entering his voice as he did. That expression fell slightly when she seemed to dismiss him, but he seemed to perk up again quite quickly. "So soon? Trust me, I've hardly gotten started. You're a Corvie, for example." He quirked an eyebrow playfully. "Have I impressed you yet, hmm?"

[Callypso]

Disgust was the only thing currently rolling it’s way through her tortured mind. In her haste to end the horrid visions and reduce her rapid breathing she had taken one pill too many. As soon as she had swallowed she had known. It was one thing to be caught self-medicating, but it was an entirely other thing to voluntarily induce vomiting. If she had been alone it wouldn’t have mattered. She could have slipped off and napped in the shade of a tree, or if it had made her really ill she could have made her way back to the Outer Bazaar to purge. Maybe it would have taken her longer to do – whatever it was she had been convincing herself she was doing- and she could have just wandered around managing to look busy. As it was, however, this impertinent feline had decided to make an issue of her easing her pain. How crass.

Her eyes flashed darkly for just a moment as she watched the Card saunter off the bench and make his way toward her. It didn’t escape her notice this time that his eyes never left her as he moved. Then he smiled. What nerve. His smile agitated her innards and fresh disdain filled her as he suggested she was altering her state of mind. Not that the suggestion itself bothered her, rather his tone that really enraged her.

You’re assuming a specific measurement for that sort of effect to occur, as well as neglecting to account for length of diagnosis and/or the trial of other medications for the same ailment.

Iso’s eyes flashed again as the sound of- was that contentment?!- entered his voice. He was baiting her. Fine. His words could hardly hurt her more than the images looming menacingly in the back of her skull. This was better than seeing her imagination continually project her brother’s gore and the shock of her grandfather’s pleas. Against her better judgment (in part thanks to the tablets that were setting in), she decided to join his game.

I am an expert and I’m not impressed- not by a predator of your persuasion.

If he was going to try and get her to admit any illicit behavior, then she would do the same for him. She doubted he would bite, but she was past the point of caring. At least she was practiced enough to not show her obvious aggravation.

The last few weeks had been unbearable and her usual defensive tools were falling quite short of easing her pain. Instead, her brain was slowly becoming muddled and the knowledge of her error -and this stranger’s goading- only irritated her further.

[carcinoGeneticist]

This was not exactly something Apocalypse was used to. A King with a Human form - usually, people respected him. Some people were afraid of him. Both reactions had their benefits, even if they got tiresome simply because they never really changed. He never got a chance to really see how others would react to him without that influence, simply because it was the first thing most people noticed.

Not this one, it would seem. Perhaps the marking on his chest didn't stand out quite as much against all of that thick fur as it had against his human skin. Perhaps the animal form was more discrete, and it wasn't immediately assumed someone prowling around as a feline was of high standing. Then again, Apocalypse was beginning to suspect that a lot of it had to do less with him and more with this... curious specimen.

The feline's ears flipped back for a moment, a brief flare of temper making him pause. "As I said before, I'll leave the specifics to someone with more understanding of the subject. Which it would seem you have." His pitch dropped, that amusement leaving it entirely, but the grin stayed. Betraying some of his feelings, his tail twitched. He was going to have to get used to that - emotions were more easily masked beneath the calm of a Human face. Tails and ears had the annoying tendency to completely ruin his mask. Ah, well. "The only experience I have with painkillers has been temporary relief of acute pain."

The man twisted his head slightly, his scars clearly visible as areas of missing fur. He'd managed to collect quite a few injuries through his life, and most of them had given him pain long past what his innate Heart ability could mask. The irritation was continuing to blossom within him, his tail thrashing a little bit faster. Maybe she was just having a bad day. Or she really was doing something bad, and she was irritated at being called out on it. Maybe she just --

-- was going to start playing along? Well. That was surprising. His ears perked up, the interest returning to his eyes. Then his grin broadened. "A Feline, you mean? I assure you, we're quite the impressive predators." The man chuckled darkly, finally stopping beside Iso and giving her a flippant shrug. "But it would seem you're a tough person to impress."

[Callypso]

As the feline continued on his path toward her, Iso mildly wondered why she was there at all. Why had she wandered out into the inner city, again? What was so important that she had to leave her still-unfinished lab to roam aimlessly amongst the stalls and people too busy to notice her in the first place? Why did Phan insist on invading her dreams and driving her half-mad?

She slowly closed her eyes and opened them again- just as the sun dipped behind one of the towering buildings of the courtyard. Finally. That glare had been more than she could manage at the moment. She shifted her gaze back to the feline whose eyes had seemed to lose their mirth. Interesting.

Her eyes quickly took in the scars and stopped short at the emblem on his chest. Oh really. It would be just like this damned city to throw a petty politician her way. As if rank or suit had anything to do with actual, genuine intelligence. Cunning and backstabbing were evidence of a higher mind to be sure, but it indicated a shortsightedness that she found pathetic. No doubt this fellow had been groomed from birth to expect recognition for a silly marking he’d been born with.

Well, the pain felt by some is more deserved than that which is felt by others.[/b]

It was a decidedly pointed dig at his former injuries, to be sure, and she felt this feline was probably due for being knocked down a few notches. (That and the pills she had ingested earlier were making her think and behave oddly...) Scars like that were usually asked for. She inwardly congratulated herself (!?) as she spotted the man’s obvious increase in agitation - it appeared that he was unused to having someone talk back to him. Typical heart.

I’m not referencing your species, though your latter remark still applies. Someone that takes their lot to heart and misuses it to lessen others is hardly impressive.

Iso slowly blinked again as she contemplated her role in this awkward tango – had those words actually left her lips? This distraction from her psychological drama was proving itself to be quite the uncharted territory but certainly preferable to broken bodies drifting through her mind...

[carcinoGeneticist]

As much as she claimed the drugs were only medicinal, Apocalypse couldn't help but notice the strange way she was carrying herself. There was a look on her face that he didn't exactly associate with someone who was perfectly sober - primarily, the way she kept squinting at him. How perfectly... fascinating. The man's ears perked up, and he regarded the woman with a newfound interest. Why did she care so much? He'd already told her he didn't - not really, of course - and she was acting as though she wanted him to leave her alone...

Yet she was speaking to him, and playing along with his twisted little game. That was more interesting than the drugs, by far. Was she fearless, or just stupid? He needed to know.

"Deserving of pain?" He laughed, a full sound accompanied by a flash of pointed fangs, his eyes closing for a moment. "You're quite the individual, miss. Hard to impress and rather cold when it comes to the well-being of others. I don't usually expect to see qualities like that in non-Hearts. Almost makes me homesick." Would he get a reaction from that? He couldn't be sure; at least not until she made her next comment. The feline laughed again, a rather pleased flush crossing his cheeks beneath his thick fur.

Bingo.

Those expressive ears of his flipped back for a moment, and he reared away from her. Hurt flashed in his eyes, and he raised one paw, almost seeming to cringe away from her. "Madame, you wound me with your harsh words. What I was born with isn't really what's important here - it's what I've done with my life that gives me the ability to lessen others, should that be my goal. No, as I mentioned before, my goal is to impress you." The grin appeared again in a flash, and a low and rumbling purr rose up from his chest. "Of course, it seems you won't find rank or position impressive. But that's not how I'm trying to impress. I figure my observational ability and abilities in regards to interpersonal communication will be much more fascinating to one such as yourself. ...Barring that, I can tell you that I could turn your blood green and hope for the best."

[Callypso]

((Wow- this took on a life of its own. Sorry it's so long!! ^^)

The ferret shifted slightly. This high had reached an uncomfortable place. She was beyond feeling good or numb. It was as if she was weighed down- trapped- and here she was, out in the open playing psychological poker with this strange caracal. Her focus started drifting and she hated it. Iso made a point to never take more than she knew she could handle, however, the little episode earlier had left her scared and paranoid (emotions she had rarely, if ever, felt) and at the time she had made a mad dash for her only weapon- a little twist-top tube.

The feline’s cackle slowly registered and she struggled to concentrate on his forthcoming words. As their meaning sunk in, Iso visibly stiffened. She had never meant to be cruel- only dismissive of others. Better to ignore and move on than engage and potentially harm, right? When had she become so callous and antipathetic toward others? Her inner dialogue ebbed away to reveal an image of her grandfather looking sad- and was that pity?! This damn city- that was what it was. Seeing her brother’s lab, having to deal with the coroner… it had all opened long-repressed memories and feelings.

Iso tore herself from these thoughts, and she flinched as though the disconnect had physically pained her. She wasn’t ready to face that just yet- not ready to admit to the event, or series of events, that had led her to this point. It would mean weakness.

Her eyes found the caracal’s just as he let loose another howl of laughter. Her nose wrinkled in distaste.

Perhaps, but I’m not the one actively seeking out others to torment.

She furrowed her brow as the feline reared in offense to her earlier comment. Disorientation and constant battle with her inner-demons made her unsure- was he still playing with her or had she actually hurt him? Sarcasm wasn’t something she could discern at the moment, so she held her thoughts until the strange Card had finished his diatribe. When he had finished, anger had crept its way back into her eyes.

What you’ve done with your life still wouldn’t give you permission to cause intentional harm- it would only mean that you clearly won’t be satisfied. Nothing you do will ever be good enough, will it? So you seek out others to release that pain.

She paused in a split-second of clarity.

I won’t be impressed by someone like that- you can’t even impress yourself.

Somewhere, in the depths of her mind, she knew she was speaking her own truth, not just the caracal’s. They were probably more alike than they realized. Her visage suddenly softened and she sighed. She was tired of playing - and suddenly she craved a real conversation.

What do you really want?