Time Doesn't Slow Down [Vyn]

[carcinoGeneticist]

After being ejected from the Court - his Court, the only life he'd ever known - he'd not known where to go. So he'd walked. He'd walked, and when the opportunity had presented itself, he'd obtained a Horse. Almost certainly a bad idea - he didn't have a lot of money, and now he didn't have a source of income, either.

But it was a method of travel that would get him to wherever he was going faster than his feet alone ever could. Not that he knew where he was going, that was. Apocalypse just knew he needed to get far away from the Court.

When he ended up in Torquehelm, he found a kind of delicious irony in it. It was a land known for being sad and morose, filled with depressed and depressing people. The memory of Xiven was in every face, on every corner. It seemed only appropriate he would end up here, in the end. With nothing but a name and a place to go by, Apocalypse made his way through the streets, asking those who would look at him for directions. The Dragon's Den - if he could find that sweet little Finch again, perhaps he would at least have a place to stay for a night or two while he tried to figure out what he should do next.

Night had long since fallen when he finally found the place. He tethered his Horse outside, paid for the stableboy to feed and water it, and slipped inside. A table in the back was perfect - he already felt exposed and obvious, there was no need for him to call any more attention to himself. Then he sat back, looking up at the stage, hoping to catch sight of the familiar face.

She had to be here.

[Vyn]

The Dragon's Den was a dusky little lounge. The tables were dotted with candles and some shaded oil lanterns hung on the wall, but otherwise the light seemed to be reserved for the stage at the end of the room. Currently there was a young poet was on stage reciting some poetry that, for Torquehelm, managed to be both utterly depressing and surprisingly well-spoken.

It wouldn't be until the poet had finished and the audience began to applaud that Poe would finally enter the room. She slipped in discretely from a door behind the stage, accompanied by a lean coyote biped and a plume of heavy smoke. The smoke twisted and curled, dancing around the finch and her companion before vanishing into the gloom all together. The two would speak for a moment and then the coyote would take the stage, he inclined his head with a dreamy smile and instantly began to play.

The notes were mournful, heartbreaking, and it hushed the chattering lounge. Poe followed him up the stairs, almost floating with her eyes half-closed in pleasure. He beak curled with a smile as she inclined her head to the violinist and, at the crescendo of his entrance, her voice joined into the melody.

"In the fall,
We circle through the leaves
And talk about the little ones.
And we smile, but never say too much.
The moment always vanishing.
One by one the neighbors' lights come on.
Our October day is almost gone.

I know the border lines we drew between us
Keep the weapons down,
Keep the wounded safe;
I know our antebellum innocence
Was never meant to see the light of our armistice day."

Through a small violin intermission, Poe gazed out into crowd and for a moment she felt her heart spring up into her chest. She recognized that face, those striking eyes. Apocalypse had actually come to visit, and she was in the middle of a song. Her fear would have to wait.

"In the spring,
We climbed the rolling hills
And talked about our budding plans.
And we smiled,
Our faces like a mirror
Showing us our secret sides.
But then the fights...
The sharp words splintering the night,
How I couldn't be what you'd need...
But oh how I could make you bleed...

I know the border lines we drew between us
Keep the weapons down,
Keep the wounded safe;
I know our antebellum innocence
Was never meant to see the light of our armistice.
But how much would I give to have it back again?
How much did we lose
To live this way?"

As the song tapered into silence, Poe inclined her head and slipped off the stage. The coyote patted her on the back, beckoning for her to join him again as he retreated toward the back door but the finch gracefully declined.

Suddenly Poe was left standing in the hallway with her heart thundering in her chest. She'd almost come to believe he wouldn't come but there he was... Swallowing down her nerves though her heart still raced and her cheeks felt flushed, Poe slipped across the room to the table where Poe had seated himself.

"Good evening, Apocalypse. I... hope you enjoyed the song?" She sounded so much more confident than she really felt.


(Lyrics from Vienna Tang's Antebellum<3)

[carcinoGeneticist]

When the poet finished, Apocalypse breathed a quiet sigh of relief. With his mood in as dark a place as it already was, he wasn't sure he could deal with any more weeping and general angsting. It all hit far too close to home, and he was here to forget. Not... not to remember, to be reminded. He rested his hands (which had frustratingly returned to perfect normalcy, as if none of it had ever happened, as if they hadn't just in effect ruined his life) against the warm porcelain of the teacup he'd been given.

Then he saw her.

It was odd how his heart leaped into his throat at the sight of her face, looking very much as he'd remembered her looking. She hadn't noticed him yet, too focused on her task. He froze in place as she took her place on the stage, still watching closely. And then music filled the room, and Apocalypse felt his heart flutter lightly. The words - it was almost too much to bear, as beautiful as it was. When, during a pause, she met his eyes, he opened his mouth as if to say something, then just smiled and gave her a small nod. A moment later, his gaze finally broke away from the Finch, locking on the tea inside of his cup.

Music filled the room and his mind, and he let himself be carried away by it. When the song ended, the man felt an odd sensation of loss. He had gained something by listening to Poe sing, and he hadn't realized it until her voice was no longer heard. When he opened his eyes again and looked to the stage, there was no sign of Poe, and he frowned. She'd seen him, hadn't she? Did she... not want to see him? Perhaps he had misunderstood...

But no, there she was, crossing the room and heading towards him. Apocalypse's mouth curled into a wide smile, and a moment later, his lips parted over his teeth in a full-fledged grin. "Please, sit down," he offered, rising from his seat and pulling one out for Poe. "It was... absolutely incredible. I'm glad I made it in time to hear. You look beautiful."

This was an easy pattern for him to fall back into. It was comfortable, and didn't leave him any room to brood. Now he was going to visit a friend. He would figure out what he was going to do with his life later.

[Vyn]

Poe delighted in the smile that stretched across his face as she reached him, glad to see those sharp fangs. She adored the grinning Apocalypse and it worried her that she had glimpsed such a deep sorrow in him while she'd performed. Perhaps it was just the music? Poe certainly hoped so.

When he pulled out the chair for her, the finch blushed and (with a little help from her levitation ability) lifted herself up into the chair. "Thank you so much." She laughed softly at his compliments, her little smile widening. "You've a silver tongue unlike anything I've ever experienced, Apocalypse. It's such a pleasure to have your company again." Sure, she received many compliments on her singing. She was the best in her little lounge but that wasn't saying much.

She'd never match up to a properly trained Villa girl.

"If you don't mind my asking, what brings such a pleasant surprise to my humble little lounge?" There, this was getting easier by the second. She remembered her grace, her natural charm, and she just let her words flow for her. The remnants of the opium high she was still gently riding helped a great deal.

[carcinoGeneticist]

Such grace. That was the most intriguing part about the little Finch. Perhaps he just had limited experience when it came to avians of any sort, but he had always imagined day-to-day tasks would have been almost impossible. But Poe proved him wrong at almost every turn, moving with a practiced grace that the sleekest feline would have envied. As she settled into the chair, he lightly brushed a hand across her back, but then quickly he withdrew it and moved back to his previously occupied seat.

"My mother's influence, I'm sure. She was a Diamond as well, and she was rather disappointed by my own Suit." It almost disturbed him how easily the lies came to him at this point, but there was no time to dwell on it. If he was no longer a titled King, there was nothing to protect him from the rest of the world. His lies had to be better, and Diamonds would become a frightening prospect. He watched Poe closely, gaging her reactions. "I felt I had to make up for my shortcomings somehow." His smile went a little bit crooked, showing amusement.

The memory of the Finch's singing was still lingering in his mind, haunting and lovely. Something inside of him had been unsettled by it, but it was holding his attention firmly. That meant he wasn't thinking about other things - about what had happened just a night before. "It certainly delights me to hear that you think I'm a pleasant surprise."

His smile smoothed out again, and he inclined his head to the side. "I was traveling in the area, and I thought..." His voice trailed off and he swallowed. Another damn lie. But he didn't want to put a damper on the mood, did he? "Trouble at home. I've been booted out, for the time being, and I thought Torquehelm and a familiar face might help me find some peace of mind. So far, it's working wonders."

[Vyn]

Ah! A Diamond mother, that would explain it wouldn't it? Poe nodded her head, oblivious to the lies. What reason was there to think that he would not tell the truth abut something like that? "I can't imagine that she saw anything lacking in a man such as yourself." A powerful Heart and a human no less? She certainly hoped his mother was proud.

As Apocalypse trailed off, Poe's concerns were brought back to the forefront of her thoughts and, seconds later, were confirmed. Something was going on. Not just a social visit like obviously would have preferred. "I'm terribly sorry to hear there is trouble at home, but I'm glad to provide a pleasant distraction." Did that mean he'd be staying in Torquehelm for a while? Surely not... "If you need a place to stay my apartment isn't big but its comfortable enough for two."

Oh Suits, how forward she sounded! Hopefully he wouldn't think she was.. implying.. anything by taking him home on such short notice.

[carcinoGeneticist]

"She was quite the woman." Apocalypse smiled. "She just would have liked to have had a little Diamond child of her own. As it was, I was a nice memory of my Father in that sense." He raised the cup to his lips and took a small sip. It was good tea - not the same as some he'd had, but still quite lovely. Then he focused his attention back on Poe as the conversation shifted topics.

The problem, in situations like this, was that Apocalypse was too fucking nice. He should have just lied and charmed and worked his way into this sweet little thing's bed. She would have helped him forget, without the little side effect of forcing him to remember first. A sadness made its way into his eyes, and he glanced back at his teacup. "I had hoped to see you on more pleasant terms. I hope you don't find me to be too morose." The King shrugged easily, casting off the sadness as best he could.

For a moment, the look on his face was one of honest surprise. She was...? Well. ... Well.. He actually blushed then, his cheeks lighting up. He coughed softly, masked it with a chuckle, and scratched absently at his nose. "...Thank you for the offer. I promise I won't be very many days, and company will be much nicer than testing my luck at an inn." Finally, the man managed to regain control of his expressions, and he gave her a warm smile. "I also take up very little space. Just give me a clear spot on the floor and I'm perfectly content."

[Vyn]

"It is unfortunate to see you so down... but, really," Poe inclined her head to her surroundings, an amused look briefly crossing her beak. "Look where we are, there's no such thing as too morose here." Pale's version of 'morose' seemed much less intense than the emotion she was used to dealing with. Of course, that wasn't saying much. All of Poe's friends had been found in the opium dens, and down there almost everyone was trying to number their suffering from some misery or another.

When the look of surprise crossed Pale's face, Poe's cheeks flushed beneath her feathers and she had to fully fight the urge to look away. Oh suits! She had been too forward hadn't she!? However, gratitude and a warm smile quickly followed his surprise and Poe felt the nerves slough off in an instant.

"You're very welcome, you can stay as long as you'd like. The company will be nice for me as well, it gets a little lonely living all by yourself sometimes." It was nice when Imre or Parzifal came by but that was such a rare occasion lately. They were both busy with some pursuit or another and Poe was happy for them in their endeavours but it still made for a lonely home life. Speaking of Imre though... "Ah, the only problem with my home is that it's a little close to The Edge... near Tulgey. Easier to pay for on a coffee shop entertainer's bill." And to allow your monstrous brother to slip in out of Tulgey without freaking out half of Torquehelm.

[carcinoGeneticist]

That slight glimpse of honest amusement made something in the man feel deeply satisfied, even in the midst of everything else he was feeling. As terrible as he might have been as a lover, as a King, likely even as a friend, he could still make this lovely woman smile if he really put his mind to it. It didn't count for much, but it was something. "Ah, how right you are," he grinned, shaking his head. "It's just a sign of how far up my ass I have my own head. If I think I can outmatch a Torquehelm in terms of depression... Well."

The bright smile that accompanied his words would show that, for the most part, he was joking around. Self-deprecation was a good way to take his mind off of how miserable he might have actually felt.

And honestly, being with Poe was helping quite a lot. She was so sweet, so innocent, and so... different. Everyone he'd ever spent any extended time with had something else beneath any innocence they showed at first - generally a strong side of ambition. Not so with Poe. She appeared to be genuinely flustered that she'd invited him to stay at her house.

That had been her first kiss, hadn't it? His smile softened.

"Oh, that's not a problem. I've actually been through the Wood before. It's... quite the place." He shrugged lightly. "Still not a place I would like to tangle with, but it's at least not an unknown any longer. Besides, I'll have you. You'll keep me safe, won't you?"

[Vyn]

Poe couldn't help but laugh at Apocalypse's comment and her smile brightened in reflection of his own. How she enjoyed seeing that sharp-toothed smile. "There is no better place in the world to help you remove your head from your ass either. In the darkness here, you'll learn to better adjust your eyes to the light." How silly she suddenly felt, realizing that she was quoting the abstract philosophies of her opium companions.

His following comment brought the finch out of her embarrassment, as a sudden curiosity lit up behind her purple eyes. He'd been in The Wood? A small smile returned to her beak and her head titled to the side a little, excited and hesitant to push further.

"You've actually been in The Wood? ...Do you have family there? Or was it just proof of your manly conquest over the unknown?" Hesitance for now. Native Torques could be so antsy about Tulgey and its natives that she'd never shared her true lineage with most of her Torque friends. Pale would be different though, Poe hoped, it would just take a little time to dig up that long buried secret.