The Real Life [OPEN!]

[carcinoGeneticist]

((Not a problem at all! Sometimes characters just... have a lot to say/think about xDD))

The urge to begin to circle the woman was coming on strong. Some predatory instinct, perhaps, that he'd only really experienced now that he was wearing a form better suited to circling. He managed to hold his ground, however, some part of his mind recognizing that he wasn't going to earn any sort of credit with this Ferret by making her more nervous. She did seem rather on-edge. Tense, twitchy, fast to lash out. Probably not the best choice for his little game, but he wasn't about to back out. Not yet. Not until he was convinced that things were going to go too badly.

And really, he couldn't imagine that happening. He was overconfident and cocky, sure, but he was fairly certain that this woman wouldn't be able to injure him too badly, should she decide that she was going to try.

"There's truth to that, for sure," he replied easily. "Perhaps it's just me, but I find most things to be more satisfactory when others involved. Even when it isn't torment. Sometimes I seek others out to share pleasure rather than to cast off discontent. But I readily admit to finding some small joy in putting myself above others. To say otherwise would be remarkably dishonest." He tossed his head, shaking the blond hair out of his eyes, giving him a better view of the woman he was speaking to. Something strange was going across her expression, and he subconsciously took a step forward.

The words she was saying were clearly aimed at him, but something in the way she said them made him pause. How... odd. What, exactly, had he interrupted?

"I have no need to impress myself," he said softly, but his attention had already moved on. His ears pinned themselves back more firmly against his head, though not out of anger. This was almost concern, though he wouldn't show it too strongly. Not yet. "...I wanted conversation. Something interesting to end a boring day. Nothing more, nothing less."

[Callypso]

Iso plunked down in the grass in defeat. Ordinarily, she might have braced herself- for what, she wasn’t sure. The thought sloshed through her skull that she hadn’t traveled to the bazaar for a fight, though her disregard for words lately might prove otherwise.

The Corvie was mildly surprised at the feline’s admission. The drugs hadn’t completely subdued her instincts regarding this man’s character. There had certainly been something predatory about the caracal’s behavior, so much so that a physical response wouldn’t have been all that incredible.

Gutsy to admit that. Though I can’t decide whether it’s outright honesty or just shamelessness.

At this point in the exchange it didn’t seem necessary to try and censor her words. It was a typical Iso remark- a brutally honest (and usually accurate) observation. It didn’t carry the poison some of her other words had, so maybe he wouldn’t find offense…

Another involuntary twitch rocked the ferret’s body as he took another step forward. The sight of his ears didn’t help either- he still seemed upset. Ugh. She didn’t have it in her to fight at this point. It would be flee or take the beating. Flight didn’t really seem like an option at this point, so a beating seemed most likely.

...I wanted conversation. Something interesting to end a boring day. Nothing more, nothing less.

Her breath left her in a rush, coming out as an odd mixture between a sigh and a whimper. She rubbed her eyes with her paw and looked back at the king of hearts. It might have been a menacing glare, except for the glossiness (that threatened tears) just made her look pathetic. The few weeks that she had spent in the city had been entirely too unpredictable and disappointing for what was comfortable. She hadn’t managed to conduct any new research, the lab was still half-done, the city was noisy and confusing (even for someone like her) and her stupid dead family members kept tormenting her. Overall, she was a very upset and frustrated Card.

Why didn’t you just say so?

[carcinoGeneticist]

The feline watched curiously as the ferret sat down, noticing how heavy her movements seemed to be. She looked tired, now, defeated. For what wasn't the first time and certainly wouldn't be the last, Apocalypse almost wished that he was able to read minds. He wanted to know what this Corvie was thinking. He wanted to know what made her tick, what had put her from on-edge to almost submissive in the course of a few minutes. It was - fascinating. He didn't join her in her sitting, but his posture relaxed, his tail curling into a more restful shape.

Then he shrugged, a casual and rolling motion of his shoulders. His eyes slipped shut for a moment in the movement, a sign of relaxation that she would recognize if she was at all familiar with felines. "A little of both, I think." Gutsy, honest, shameless, whatever. He'd heard those descriptions before, most of them more than once, and hearing them from a complete stranger didn't really bother him. Very little actually bothered him.

And even if it had, his interest in the woman was stronger than whatever part of him might have still felt offended by her words. Apocalypse was close enough, now, and so he stopped moving. Slit-pupilled eyes met Iso's, taking note of the glossiness of her expression.

She didn't seem to be doing too well. The guilt he'd felt before surged up again, but this time, he forced it back. "I'm sure you already know the answer to that. I'm a right asshole, and being direct like that doesn't normally agree with me." At least in regards to straightforward interactions like this one. He paused, his tail swaying thoughtfully behind him. "Is there anything I can do to make up for it? I assure you, when the mood strikes me, I can be quite charming. It's hard to get anywhere in life when you're an asshole all the time."

[Callypso]

The young doctor felt slightly more at ease as the white feline’s tail relaxed and eyes closed to slits. (Mayhap it wouldn’t have been so bad to have been attacked- it certainly couldn’t make her feel any worse than she already did, and being throttled might have allowed her to get some restful sleep for once.) Again, her observations had been correct about this man’s nature, though at the current moment she didn’t feel pleased or even amused by the Card’s affirmations.

Recognition of the caracal’s odd interest in her flickered somewhere deep in the recesses of her mind. He had said he was bored- but surely her behavior had edged out simple diversion. If she had been in his place she might have judged herself mad and moved on. Yet here he was. And he was trying to cheer her up.

She blinked and looked back into the man’s eyes to determine if he was playing with her again. Honestly, the entire affair felt like a bad joke. Anxiety, confusion, anger, sorrow had all washed over her within such a short amount of time. Her mind had been reeling and now all she felt was utter exhaustion. Salty moisture dripped down her lips and she realized her eyes were streaming freely. She touched a paw to her eyes in shock- the last time she had cried…

It took a few moments for speech to find it’s way back to her. She swallowed several times and then suddenly laughed. The sound was short and harsh; any sane Card would recoil from that mirthless, off-putting sound. Iso gave a smile, feeble at first, that grew into a genuine grin. She looked as puzzled by the grin as she had by her tears. Rubbing her chin with her paw, she returned her gaze to the king. Blunt honesty seemed appropriate.

I don’t like playing games. Today was an exception, but, well, it’s been an odd several weeks. The ferret paused in surprise at her self-disclosure- it felt… good. She supposed that keeping everything to herself was a game in itself. The irony was bitter. She smiled again, though this time it was sad.

If I knew how to better this, she gestured vaguely, I probably wouldn’t have ended up in this courtyard in the first place…

[carcinoGeneticist]

This whole situation was just weird. Not flying purple monkeys weird, no, just a mild sort of odd that kept the King on his toes. He wasn't entirely sure what to say or do next, which put him out of sorts - the man had always relied quite heavily on natural charm and charisma to cover up even the most dire of his personality flaws. He rarely had to work to get a smile on the face of a young lady, especially one that had gotten his attention.

How much of that had just been the allure of a human form? Inwardly, the man chuckled. This new form of his certainly did make things more interesting.

When she looked to his eyes for some confirmation he met them, his own calm and level. There was no cruelty or jest in them, simply a somewhat unnerving stare - the eyes of a Bog-dweller were certainly unique, even located as they were in a feline face. He watched as she started to cry, his muscles tensing as he waged an inner war - why the hell was she crying? Had he said something so wrong? Should he try and comfort her? He took a careful step forward, his brows furrowing as he watched her, still feeling rather at a loss as to how he should best respond. She seemed just as startled as he was by her tears, and he forced himself to keep still for the time being.

The laughter sounded odd even to him, and his ears flattened back away from the harsh sound. It wasn't until her grin managed to grow fully that they hesitantly rose once more, betraying his inner confusion more than a smooth human face would have done. Slowly, his own grin returned.

"Weeks like those happen from time to time," Apocalypse replied, the words about as non-committal as he could get. "And I find it's best to go ahead and indulge in something new, just to try and shake yourself back into normalcy. Sometimes it just takes the jolt of doing something you don't normally do to remind you of how things should be." Not that he had that issue. He just had periods of reversion to the way he really was rather than the way he'd been trained to be, but the end result was similar.

In reply to her second comment, he gave her a smooth shrug. "This isn't necessarily about bettering this. It's just about here and now. I upset you and forced you out of your normal behavioral patterns, so the least I can do is make you smile." His grin relaxed slightly, his eyes lighting up. "Just a little, at least."

[Callypso]

((OOC: Aaaah... sorry!! Spring Fever and upcoming midterms have kept me away. When I'm not studying I've been outside playing in the sunshine... my bad!!))

Watching the feline’s features contort in response to her own baffling display of emotions mildly distracted the ferret before being consumed by the current wave of sentiment. The typical response to Iso’s “normal” behavior was the realization of her anti-social tendencies followed by a desire to end the transaction as soon as possible to leave her be. Seeing different reactions flitting across the caracal’s face in response to her was- new- and fascinating.

She had trained herself long ago to not show feelings, to be as blunt as possible and to keep a distance. The first was a defensive act- no one could use passion against her. The second was to get around the awkwardness that was misinterpretation. Being vague or teasing caused confusion and, in her opinion, wasted precious time in which she could be doing something worthwhile. And distance? Well, it was obviously another defense mechanism. Getting emotionally involved with others only allowed for eventual pain. Friendships could be dissolved, lovers lost, and everyone succumbed to the master of all: death. Why enhance the pain of existence unnecessarily? Of course, all of that rationale had been deeply buried by a Conviction that what she had become was what she ought to be…

…Which was why his mention of altering routines as a means to regain a sense of self immediately seized her senses. The Spade’s entire body slowly stiffened and she stood as if transfixed. Horror, absolute horror- as well as sorrow- washed over her leaving her feeling exposed, uncomfortable and extremely confused. She wanted to deny those feelings- push them back where they belonged. But. She. Just. Couldn’t. Do. It.

His second comment forced its way to comprehension and hit her hard. Though the intention was clearly conciliatory, for her, it only allowed realization to resound sharply in her head and echo throughout her being as shame, pain and worthlessness. Everything she had done, everything she had accomplished, every attempt to erase what had so dearly hurt her consumed her and she crumbled.

Literally.

It was like watching a stone tower topple from the ground up as she herself fell to the grass in a fit of uncontrollable sobbing.

[carcinoGeneticist]

((I guess it's time for an apology of my own! DX I hope you're having a fantastic time on your spring break <33))

There were moments in which this strange Corvie seemed just as interested in him as he was in her, but they were dispersed throughout their interactions, sprinkled sparingly across the rest of her reactions. For the most part, she seemed almost torn between wanting him to just leave her to her drugs and whatever else she'd been planning for her day, but she wasn't asking him to go. That was what puzzled him - did some part of her really want the interaction, even if it wasn't entirely pleasant? What could drive someone to be that weirdly eager for interpersonal interaction?

Apocalypse's ears twitched again, his pupils narrowing with wariness. She was lost in her thoughts, and he had no way of knowing what they might have been. The interest that had appeared for a moment had vanished again without trace or warning, and her body carried a stiffness that made Apocalypse wonder if he'd crossed another unspoken boundary. He was mentally preparing himself to be told off with no room to question it. He was also prepared for threats, or obscenities, or any number of other unpleasant things. None of those things would really have bothered him, though. It wouldn't be the first time someone had tried to somehow damage his choices out of rage.

But the insults never came, nor did the request that he leave.

What did come was far more jarring, almost more uncomfortable than any of the rest of it could have been. The man made a soft noise as the Ferret collapsed, taking an unconscious step backwards as she sobbed violently. The hair on the back of his neck stood up in an instant, and he stared at the downed woman. What - what the hell was he supposed to do with that?

As Apocalypse moved forward, his form flowed into one that he wore much more comfortably than that of the fluffy feline, fur making way to smooth human skin, his expression changing into something he could control much more easily. What was on his face, however, was only concern, and he gently reached out a hand and placed it on the Corvie's shoulder. "Hey now," he said softly, trying to make eye contact. The thought that looking at a human face with such feral eyes and wicked teeth might make the situation worse never occured to the King. "This is... pretty much as far from a smile as I can get. Are you alright?"

A part of the man wondered why he was even bothering. This was no concern of his, and it would undoubtedly be easier to just walk away. But he was - damn it all - curious.

[Callypso]

((It's okay! And my vacation was marvelous and much needed, thanks! XD))

As she continued sobbing, she buried her face as much as possible into the ground. There was something oddly soothing about the cool, manicured lawn that made it easier to let her inhibitions go. The grass was... real... and it didn't judge her. It didn't expect social niceties. It certainly wasn't going to bring up unwanted memories or bring about self-realization and revelation. It allowed her to be whatever she was, and at that moment, she was a very confused, upset and drugged out Corvie woman. This encounter with the caracal was unleashing a torrent of emotions and thoughts long since buried under a facade of cool indifference. Somehow this man had triggered something deep within her and everything was rushing out of her all at once. For once, all she could do was feel.

Normally, Iso would have bristled and jerked out from under the touch of a stranger, but being overwhelmed as she was her body only gave a brief twitch in response to the man's hand. The violence with which she cried caused her to gasp in short, quick and shuddering breaths. Somewhere, her physician's mind whirred slowly into gear and urged her to breathe slowly for fear of hyperventilation. Eventually, with what appeared to be an enormous effort, she slowly lifted her head. Tears still streaming, her eyes widened in delayed shock as she took in the stranger's appearance.

Y- you- hff Y-you're hff human!!

Though her eyes continued to stream, the shock had forced her breathing back to normal and she stared unblinkingly at the man. After a few brief moments, she closed her eyes and shook her head as if trying to erase the visage in front of her. She knew she had taken far too many pills, but surely she hadn't begun hallucinating. She opened her eyes again slowly and he was still there. Human. Another moment passed and it suddenly registered that he had said something. A joke? And a question. Her eyes drooped in sadness again.

No, I- I don't think I'm all right. I don't think I have been for a very long time.

The ferret sniffled once or twice and wiped her eyes with a paw. Such a sight was reminiscent of a small, disoriented child. Pitiful, really.

I... she looked lost for words. I don't know what I'm supposed to do.

She breathed a heavy sigh and looked up at the man. The remnants of her break-down left her feeling unstable, insecure, confused and completely drained. It was too much to handle for someone who was heavily invested on trying not to feel.

[carcinoGeneticist]

There was the surprise. If the woman hadn't been such an utter wreck, her expression as she looked over his human form might have made him puff out his chest ever so slightly. It was the reaction he'd come to expect, and was just now learning that it had more to do with the form he wore than the marking on his chest, or even the title he'd gained for himself. It made sense, in a way, but to Apocalypse it felt strange. He'd only ever known his human form, and he'd had to work so hard and for so long to gain an Animal form. To have people react to his human form so much more strongly was almost a disappointment.

But that wasn't really the issue at hand now.

Swallowing back the awkwardness the man felt at being plunged into the world of this stranger's emotions, he forced himself to smile at her. Good lord, she was quite the mess, wasn't she? "It can be our little secret," he said playfully, though he knew it wasn't going to do anything to immediately improve the woman's mood. If nothing else, he felt more comfortable in his human form, letting him focus better on her. After a moment, he flopped down, sitting cross-legged on the grass beside her, letting his hand slowly fall away. He just needed to wait for the storm to pass.

And it did, slowly. The man inclined his head to the side as he watched her, eyes almost soft. At her next statement, he gave her a small nod. Did he know how she felt? Really, he had no idea. He'd stopped thinking about how he felt at some point, especially when he'd realized that considering it often made him feel worse than he'd felt before. Perhaps bringing it up directly had been a mistake, then.

So what could he do, now? He felt some desire to make things right, since he'd been the one to set the poor woman off so badly in the first place. The question of why never fully came into play - maybe he was just acting on a whim. And maybe he was genuinely interested. The drama of someone else's life wasn't something he had the opportunity to look at everyday, and the man couldn't help but feel as though it was getting to be time for him to do something nice for a stranger, for once. "I can't tell you what to do to make things better in the long run." He said rather softly, reaching out to clasp her shoulder once more and glancing at her feet. "...But for now, I can invite you to lunch with me. If you want to talk about your troubles with a complete stranger, I'd be happy to listen. If not... I'd be happy to give you a distraction for a few hours. It might make it easier to face, when you find yourself confronted with it again."

[Callypso]

For the first time in a long while, Iso found herself actively reflecting on the current circumstances. It was difficult, as the drugs had not yet worked themselves through her system, and confusing because it was as if she was suddenly being bombarded by a plethora of stimuli. Observation had never been difficult for the doctor, but this was different. It was one thing to notice everything and detachedly file everything away into mental compartments. It was quite another to reflect, question and speculate on the essence of that very same data that previously had held no meaning other than vague, impersonal existence. Suddenly, it seemed, her mind had set itself itself on a very different track than it had been operating on before. Her eyebrows knitted together as she made a conscious effort to just let the sensation sweep over her and pass.

She let the joke slip by with an idle nod, as though not really listening to what he said. Trying to let the questions in her mind pass by without pursuing any particular mental trajectory was difficult enough as it was, and the way his words felt seemed more important than the literal meaning, anyhow.

Relief swelled in her chest as the man watched and waited for her to collect herself. He wasn't pressuring her in any way, which she appreciated greatly at the moment. Oddly enough, he seemed at ease in his current form resting in the grass. Most Cards looked awkward settling into the two-legged form as they mentally and physically adjusted for limbs that no longer existed on a human body. At least bipeds had the benefit of retaining tails or wings to ease the transition. This man looked as though he'd worn a human form for most of his life. Perhaps he was the odd Card born that way. Perhaps his rank had something to it after all.

A few minutes passed as she calmed herself. Now, the information that had barraged her quieted to a gentle hum as she turned her head to look at the man as he continued speaking. Tears welled again as her maw trembled in gratitude. Despite the fact she had had a severe emotional upheaval, the man was still by her side. Of all things, he was now inviting her to join him for lunch and even offering to talk her through her difficulties. It was time to try a new activity and maybe shake her back into herself.

I would really like that, thank you.

Happy tears dripped down her cheeks and her mouth slowly twisted into a wry smile.

You know, you're rather kind for a jackass.