Time Doesn't Slow Down [Vyn]

[carcinoGeneticist]

"I'm pleased to hear that," Apocalypse replied after a thoughtful moment. He felt odd. Was he making a mistake with this? He certainly hoped not - the only thing worse than a mistake was one that felt so good as this did. He was honestly enjoying himself on some level, and it certainly seemed that Poe was too. His eyes dropped to the table as he fought against the glumness that was threatening to overtake him. He'd made so many mistakes already...

Rather abruptly, the club started to feel stifling. There were too many people there, and all of them reminded him of home in some way. He turned to look at Poe, expression faltering for a moment. She reminded him of home, too, but in a different way. She was something that had been lovely then, and was still lovely now, especially with the quiet way she was flirting with him. A mistake...

This couldn't be one, Apocalypse decided abruptly. He picked up the final apple slice off of the plate and quickly ate it, hardly even tasting it. He really needed to get out of this place, sit down somewhere more quiet. With Poe. Please. He rummaged in his pocket, pulling out a coinbag and placing a few gold pieces on the table. That would more than cover the price of the food and drink, as well as a tip. Then he smiled again. "Shall we head out, then?" When Poe got up to go, Apocalypse would follow her lead.

[Vyn]

There was a certain sorrow that was falling over the pale man across from her and Poe felt helpless to stop it. Too many thoughts, she was certain, and too many people to feel properly comfortable when in such a mood.

She was more than happy to see the last bite gone and the tip paid. "Gladly." Outside, in the cool night air, Poe felt like she could breathe properly. Or maybe that was the opium wearing off? Whatever the case, Poe enjoyed the brisk trip. While it was typically a bit of a walk from the lounge to her quaint little home on the edge of The Wood, the trip went pleasantly quick with Pale's long strides and her blissful diamond ability.

Her suit would forever be her saving grace.

When at last they arrived, Poe let them both inside and smiled bashfully. "It isn't much, but it's home." The little cabin was only a one story and the rooms were cozy, but it was all Poe needed. "Feel free to make yourself at home... Though, ah, there probably isn't much in the fridge - I usually eat at the club." In the living room, Poe lit a couple oil lanterns and glanced back at Pale. "I hope the couch is alright? I can get you some pillows and blankets when you're ready to sleep." Despite the majority of finch-sized and avian accessible items, the couch was big enough to easily fit a Human considering that it had accommodated Imre on many an occasion.

[carcinoGeneticist]

By the time they'd arrived at Poe's small cabin, the feeling of melancholy had descended more fully on Apocalypse. He'd really managed to ruin everything, and now he was relying on the kindness of a girl who he would eagerly do terrible things to, given half an opportunity. He wanted to think better of himself, of course, but he just wasn't sure.

The interior of the place was given a quick once over, and Apocalypse found it was rather to his liking. It was small, yes, but it felt lived-in, and was rather different from his own (rather spartan, if truth be told) room. "No worries. If I need to eat something, I'm sure I can find my way to a store." Eating all of the Finch's food while he imposed upon her seemed to be rather cold, truthfully. He walked slowly around the room, pausing in the hallway that led to her bedroom. Of course - he wasn't going to be sleeping there, was he? A small grin tugged at his lips as she confirmed the thought.

Good. That was a good thing. It would make it much easier for him to behave.

"The couch will be lovely, thank you. If all you had was a clear spot on the floor, I would be happy for that." It sure as hell beat sleeping outside, that was certain. After a moment, the human moved over to the couch, sitting down on it and relaxing slightly as he did. It was rather comfortable. And the size wasn't much of an issue, either, considering the man tended to curl up while he slept.

Suddenly, Apocalypse looked up at Poe, his expression almost sheepish. "If you don't need to get up too early tomorrow..." he began, hesitating and swallowing nervously. His lower lip pulled into his mouth, a nervous habit he'd never managed to kick. "Would you consider... staying with me for a little longer? Your company is... wonderful."

[Vyn]

Poe watched quietly as he peeked around, hoping to herself that her little 'musician's pad' was to his liking. It was quaint and cozy and decorated in white and lighter shades of purple (in an attempt to make the small rooms less imposing) and the walls were decorated with posters of musicians and art. His approval took a little of the weight off her shoulders. "No problem, I'm glad I could provide you with somewhere to stay." She had worried at first that a King accustomed to life in the palace might react poorly to the quaint and cozy little place - or the prospect of having to deal with all the boring nuances of cooking and what have you - but she was pleased to see Pale settle in easily.

His invitation brought a wondrously bright smile to her beak. "I don't have to work until tomorrow evening, so I'm all yours this tonight." That... came out a little wrong, didn't it? Hiding her blush, she made her way to a large circular pillow with an array of smaller pillows for props. It was soft and plush and definitely easier for the finch to settle into than an armchair.

Now, where did they leave off in the club? "You were saying you've done some traveling since joining the Courts? Where all have you been?"

[carcinoGeneticist]

In all honesty, it was brighter in the room than Apocalypse had expected. Even though Poe had stuck him as being different, she was certainly less cheery than Xiven - no, not a good comparison right now - the average non-Torque. He'd almost expected that her choice in decor would have matched this.

But it didn't. Just something else that marked the little Finch as being a surprise to him. He never knew quite to expect with Poe, and that made everything even more interesting. That bright smile was just another surprise, so open with its delight. It brought some of the warmth back into his heart, some of the shadows that had settled into his mind near the end of their stay at the club flitting away. "I couldn't ask for anything more lovely," he replied, letting the suggestive words lie. He didn't want to embarrass her anymore, and judging by the way she'd ducked her head she was already feeling rather mortified.

As Poe settled into her rather comfortable-looking chair - perhaps he'd sit in it at some point, when she'd evacuated it - Apocalypse folded himself onto the couch. His legs curled in front of him, finding some comfort in the position, and he leaned against the armrest. He would have rather she sat next to him, but he would make do with this for the time being. No need to make her feel pressured.

Then, he nodded. "I have, yes. Pretty much wherever the title asks me to go." He shrugged lightly. "It's usually not very much fun, since I'm on business, but it is nice getting to see other places. I spent some time in the Selkie Lakes recently. It was... really quite lovely, actually. Life seemed to move at a different pace there."

[Vyn]

Unfortunately for Pale, Poe was far too aware of her own vulnerability to the pale human's charm to risk even the subtle temptation of sitting close. Once she was better in control of her emotions, then she would allow herself the quiet urge to be so much closer to him. For the time being, she would wait and do her best not to surrender to naive desires.

"Ahh, so I've heard. They say it's almost sleep there, calm like their lakes. Hopefully it was a relaxing trip, even if it was for business." The finch sighed thoughtfully, peering up at the pictures on the wall. The thought of Pale's offer to travel was still so fresh in mind and it made her heart flutter to reconsider it. To think... She might finally see all the places she had dreamed to see. She'd thought it was a dead dream but now she had a little hope that it might be possible. "When I was little I used to dream of going to school in The Villa to become a real somebody. It's a little late for that dream now, but I'd still love to see it."

And maybe she'd get to see Sage in person again? From what she'd heard she was doing well for herself, evening gaining renown throughout the regions. Poe was, admittedly, a little envious but she was still happy for her.

[carcinoGeneticist]

Absently, Apocalypse rubbed at his leg. Would Poe be offended if he were to take off his shoes? Clothing as a whole was obnoxious, but shoes were almost worst of all. They really felt confining, and often when he was just relaxing at home, he would do so barefoot. Hopefully, she wouldn't mind. He unlaced them, then pulled them off and set them down beside the couch.

He also hoped, inwardly of course, that she didn't see anything odd in his behavior. Most other Cards would have assumed another form in this situation, he was sure, but that just wasn't an option. But Poe couldn't know that. He settled into his seat again, curling up once more and turning his full attention back to his hostess. The thought of his trip to the Lakes did make him smile, though likely not for the reasons he should have. He'd had a rather interesting... experience there, running into a Rabbit... But he wasn't going to share that with her.

After all, it was a bit early to have her running screaming for the door.

"It really was nice. I managed to steal a few days to just enjoy it. You know I quite like swimming, so I figured it would be time well spent." He considered her next words, lightly drumming his fingers against the arm of the chair. He'd sung, once. It felt like a long time ago, though - another life ago, really. After all, he'd sung for Rhiannon, to help soothe her broken mind. Now, someone was singing to him. "Perhaps we could go together? I, ah... I used to dabble in a bit of music myself, before... the Courts. Now I mostly just enjoy it. I'd love to hear you singing in one of the proper concert halls."

[Vyn]

Poe, honestly, was not at all bothered by Pale's decision (or lack thereof) to remain in human form. In fact, she found it terribly intriguing to watch the human in all of the simplest tasks - like untying his shoes. Which, of course, she didn't mind either. Comfort was an important thing, she wouldn't have denied Pale that.

She'd suggest he be naked, for all that she cared, but she thought that perhaps she might care... She'd never been with a man before - or a woman, though she'd considered them before - and she wasn't about to further the temptation she was already fighting by adding curiosity to the mix.

"I enjoy a little splashing myself," she glanced at her bindings, "but I imagine it'd be so much more enjoyable to have the whole bit." She stretched a little, getting a little more comfortable before his comment caused her to pause.

Poe laughed. The sound was sweet and light but for an entirely pessimistic cause. "Me? In concert halls? No one wants a simple little Torquehelm girl in the spotlight anywhere but in Torquehelm. You've got to have more flare than that - a human form maybe, or sex appeal. A pretty voice can only go so far." Poe was simple and a little soft on the edges. She had no song and dance, or even music of her own... It was a faraway dream, nothing more. A little embarrassed by her brief 'outburst' if it could even be called that, Poe glanced down and quickly changed the subject. Pale had mentioned he'd dabbled in music and that was a much better topic than dead dreams like hers. "But, you dabbled in music? What did you do?"

[carcinoGeneticist]

Oh, damn. Apocalypse was just a disaster tonight, wasn't he? Even though he had already spent some time in the water with Poe, it had never really occurred to him that swimming wasn't exactly an option for the young woman. Even taking her avian physique out of the equation, she still had those heavy chains to worry about. The King was an idiot, plain and simple, and he had managed to talk himself into a stupid corner. A stupid corner, which he had then dug himself a stupid hole in the floor of, one that was far too deep for him to easily climb out of.

He wanted, vaguely, to curl up and die. How had he been so insensitive? Cheeks alight with a deep blush, Apocalypse blinked a few times, trying to figure out what he could possibly say. It wasn't that bad, was it? It felt like it must have been. "I -- ah, right, I never..." This wasn't working. He took a deep breath to attempt to steady himself, and closed his eyes, running his fingers over the lids. "...I'm sorry. You must think me a terrible buffoon. I'm letting my mouth get the best of me tonight. All I can say is that it's been a long day, and I haven't been thinking properly. It wasn't my attempt to make you feel left out - as nice as a swim can be, a swim alone is nothing compared to a splash with company."

His eyes sought hers, imploring. It was just another sign of how utterly incompetent he felt tonight, that he would say something like that - and then react so badly to his own words. Damn. Damn. What a fool.

The change of topic was nice, though Apocalypse sensed that even there he'd tread into dangerous territory. At Poe's almost harsh words, his expression curved into a frown, his brows lowering slightly. "If that's the case, then people are truly denying themselves something amazing. You have more than a pretty voice - a pretty voice means nothing if one is afraid to use it, but you aren't. You sang for me, tonight, and it..." He paused, swallowing. What an emotional swing he was on tonight. "It was amazing. You stole my breath, Poe." Should he reach out to her? No. No, he couldn't... pressure her. His hands stayed on their lap where they belonged.

"It's... it was nothing, really." He'd only ever sang for Rhiannon, and then, in the privacy of their shared brain-space. "My... mother suffered from a terrible paranoia. She said that hearing me sing helped anchor her, so I would sing for her on the bad days. It's been - Suits - years since I've even thought of it." A crooked smile settled onto his lips, and he shrugged awkwardly.

[Vyn]

It was Poe's turn to feel awful. She'd understood the innocence in his words when he'd said them and they'd done absolutely no harm, just a bit of longing for change. She wanted to hug him, but that was equally troublesome. One day she would have her bipedal and she would hug him and swim with him, it couldn't be that far away.

"Oh Apocalypse, you didn't say anything wrong." She tried to offer him a reassuring smile but that face of his just broke her heart. She hated knowing that she'd played any part in its creation.

Before she really thought of it the finch slipped off her bed of pillows and made her way to the couch. Never in all her life had she thought of removing her bindings... but here and now, a little voice in her head tempted her to do just that. It was the only way to hug him. Not that she had the hands to do such a thing anyway. Instead she leaned her head against his shoulder and smiled softly. "Please don't frown over me, Apocalypse. My life is what it is, you don't have to tiptoe around anything. If it's something that's sensitive to me, I'll let you know. I can do so much more with my life than most Torquehelms can, I've nothing to feel denied about." Nor was she a particularly athletic little bird. She was more than happy to float along and watch others.

It was, as she'd expected, wonderfully nice to be so close to him even if her attempt at consoling affection was terribly awkward. She... took his breath away? Poe pulled back a bit and smiled brightly. "Thank you so much... I..." She shook her head, blushing heavily beneath her feathers. "I suppose it isn't an impossible dream then." It was still hard to believe but she'd accept it for Pale. That was better than giving up, wasn't it? Though the finch sat back now, she remained close to the pale human.

"That's a wonderful reason to sing. I think that's how I started singing, on the bad days in Tulgey when my brothers and I were young." After that man... She pushed the thought back and smiled. "I think the entire reason I'm comfortable singing on stage is because of them too." She shook her head slightly, smiling. "Imre always liked to push us to do things we wouldn't otherwise do on our own. He convinced me to sing with Sage the first time too, but I think that was more because he had a crush on her than because he wanted me to gain confidence."