Time Doesn't Slow Down [Vyn]

[carcinoGeneticist]

The way that she said his name sent a little thrill through the man's mind, even through the melancholy that had settled back into him. He looked up from his hands, his lips parted over his teeth in a somewhat surprised expression, and met her gaze. He watched her as she made her way across the room, a moment of curiosity seizing him. What, exactly, did she have planned? His eyes widened as she pulled herself up beside him, then rested her head against his shoulder.

The man's expression softened. "It's... Poe, it's alright, I'm just..." At the feeling of soft feathers against his shoulder, his eyes slipped shut, and he sucked in a deep breath through his teeth. After a moment, he relaxed, leaning into the touch and lightly nuzzling the side of the woman's face. A tentative hand raised, trembling ever so slightly as he cupped her cheek, fingers slowly working through the feathers to stroke down her neck. A smile tugged at his lips, and he turned to face her more, eyes opening - though just to slits. "I'm just a wreck right now. I wish I could have seen you again at a better time."

Honesty. How refreshing it was - almost as refreshing as the sudden shift in conversation. Apocalypse moved his hand, though not away from the woman. He just lightly looped his arm around her, holding her close. It was amazing what the contact was doing for his emotional stability.

"It sounds like you and your brothers have a good relationship. That's wonderful - family is important. I have a pack of half-siblings that I didn't even know about for the first half of my life." He stared down at his toes, wiggled them, and chuckled under his breath. Sage... The name sounded familiar, but he wasn't entirely sure where he'd heard it. He didn't quite understand why people named their children after cooking spices. It just seemed cruel. "Ah, isn't that what brothers are best for? Doing good for their sisters - but only because it's a side-benefit of doing whatever they wanted? I'll have to thank him, sometime. I'm looking forward to the next time I get to hear you sing." He was, too. The memory of her song was still fresh in his mind, and he was excited to have it renewed.

[Vyn]

Poe smiled a little and nuzzled herself closer to the handsome King. He relaxed so cutely as she rested her head against him that it was hard to pull away afterward. In fact, it was much easier to just fall into that wonderful embrace and bask in their closeness.

"It's not as if this is our last meeting, there will be many days to make up for these and even these sad times will have a purpose. Sorrow and suffering teaches helps the individual better appreciate moments of joy and peace." That was her experience with it, at least.

"We definitely did... We only had each other, so I think we knitted together a little more firmly than most families. There wasn't much competing and rivalry because we were all trying to help each other." It was hard work for three young birds, but they'd done well for themselves. "That's not to say everything was perfect, but there are bumps in every road."

Poe laughed to herself. "Imre's an odd boy, with odder rationale. But he usually means well." His comment made Poe momentarily ponder what would happen when Imre popped in to check on his 'dearest sister', would Pale be comfortable enough that he wouldn't mind she had a monster for a brother? ...She really hoped not. "Mm, well I sing nightly at the Lounge, but I could sing for you any time so long as you excuse the lack of instruments."

[carcinoGeneticist]

Such sweet, soft words. The man's expression shifted again, finally settling into a small, quiet smile. Another meeting, when he was in a better mental state. That was quite the pleasant thought - it was another hope for the future, a future that had been seeming rather dark as of late. Having something to look forward to was a nice change of pace. All the same, the appropriate words escaped him. He wanted to say something - anything to her, to let her know how nice her proposition sounded.

But the words never came. Apocalypse simply smiled that little smile and gave her a tiny little nod that was mostly lost in the form of a gentle nuzzle. Then he inclined his jaw forward, pressing a soft kiss against her skin, through her feathers.

Another meeting, at a better time. Right.

Slowly, he resumed a slightly more safe distance from the woman, but his smile didn't fade in the slightest. "I don't think there is such a thing - siblings that never had their little spats. I'd almost say it would mean less, in a way." But what would he know, he gave her a casual little shrug. "I'm sure he did. I'd like to meet him, someday." Though he certainly wouldn't approve of the King's intentions towards his sister, especially if they had been especially close growing up. That was how things generally went - wasn't it?

Then, he paused, blinking at the woman. "I, uh..." He wasn't able to contain the blush that found its way to his cheeks at the offer, and he chuckled, a deep sound that rumbled in his chest like a purr. "...You know, I... I would love that. Perhaps you can sing me a lullaby tonight?"

[Vyn]

Poe's eyes closed happily as she felt his lips touch to her skin through the thick feathers and she shivered pleasantly at the sensation. No one ever kissed her, let alone touched her through the thick buffer of feathers... which reminded her of the nasty scars on her neck. Would he mind? He had a few himself, so she hoped he certainly wasn't finicky about that sort of thing. She'd keep it to herself for now.

He'd like to meet Imre? The finch's smile grew a little. "To be honest, I'm more than certain you will. He's usually here about once a week, if nothing comes up... Just... uhm..." Poe wasn't entirely sure how else to put it. Oh Suits, she just didn't want Pale to run off because her brother was a monster. No matter how much she loved him, she couldn't change the fact that his appearance was a little much to absorb... and if he brought those kids again... Poe tried not to think about it. She'd only seen them once but they'd given her such chills. "Just be prepared, okay? He looks odd and I know he doesn't mind the stares, but I... I don't want to scare you out of your skin." The finch was, as always, eternally thankful for such thick feathers.

That purr like rumble of a chuckle magically seemed to soothe the hint of anxiety that had crept up. Good, everything was okay and lullaby's were something she could do. Easily too. "I would love to. It's been such a long time since I've gotten to sing lullabies that it will be a welcome change of pace." Her feathers fluffed up happily and the finch smiled. "I hope you don't mind me making one up? Otherwise I only really know Tulgey lullabies and an old fashioned Torque from when I lived with my mother."

[carcinoGeneticist]

That was... odd, to say the very least. Apocalypse felt his brows furrow at Poe's strange response to being questioned about her brother, unsure of the reaction he was getting. His eyes widened slightly as she spoke of fear and oddness. Without his leave to do so, his mind went to dark places - to squalling infants as wrong as could be, to the pain they'd brought. What sort of monster was Poe's brother, that she assumed Apocalypse would be pushed away simply by meeting him?

Interesting. Things were really getting to be interesting. He gave the woman a small nod, closing his eyes thoughtfully.

"The warning is... appreciated, to say the least." When he spoke again, the words were quiet and gentle. Even though they were alone in the house, it lent to the feeling that this was a very private conversation between the pair of them. "I think if I'm prepared, it will make things go much more smoothly. He is your brother, and you love him, and that does count for something. All the same, it is nice to be forewarned." He smiled at her, giving her a little squeeze of reassurance. Hopefully, what he was saying would be true, and he wouldn't have a screaming meltdown. Poe had lived in Tulgey, she must have had a very strong stomach when it came to odd happenings.

But the conversation was shifting away, to lullabies and rest. When he'd arrived in Torquehelm, he'd been full of a frantic energy. The truth of it, however, was that he'd been on his feet all day, and he was exhausted. It had taken a warm, comfortable home and sitting down for him to realize it. Abruptly, a yawn took him - and he blushed deeper. "That sounds... wonderful, actually." He laughed quietly, hiding his mouth behind a hand. "I don't think I'm going to be any sort of company for very much longer. My day is starting to catch up with me." He looked up at her, something apologetic in his eyes.

[Vyn]

Poe was thankful for the squeeze and the reassuring words. Imre wasn't that terrible but he made a lot of people nervous between his odd looks and his unusual demeanor and well... okay, everything. He was definitely an odd social piece.

"Thank you. Hopefully it isn't... that necessary? but he's caused quite a stir when he first came into town." Now they'd learned better and he stuck to the shadowy part of Torquehelm near the border where he was less noticeable.

As exhaustion settled onto Pale, Poe found the yawn adorable and terribly contagious. She mirrored him momentarily and dipped her head politely. "Now that you mention it, sleep is starting to sound very tempting." As the finch pondered what to sing, she excused herself to fetch some blankets for him. When she returned, she'd thought of a lovely little song - a bit repetitive but still nice and simple. "I have something in mind, whenever you're comfortable."

[carcinoGeneticist]

"A stir? In Torquehelm?" The man drew back suddenly, his eyes widening as he gave the woman a somewhat shocked expression. A smile pulled at his lips despite his best efforts to keep it to himself, a laugh in his eyes. "I can't even imagine."

Nope, he just couldn't keep that one up. He laughed out loud, then took a deep breath to try and stop it. "No, but seriously. I'm sure that my appearance caused some trouble. A few people were staring at me like they thought I was a Tulgey." He shook his head, then pushed the tousled hair back into place and looked back up at Poe, smiling. "You'd think they had never seen an albino Bog before."

Being playful was helping, but it was a losing battle - at least against his exhaustion. He would need sleep soon, if he wanted to continue to be good company. Which he did. Especially for Poe. As the blankets were delivered, he bundled them around himself and nestled into the couch until he was warm and comfortable. That didn't help his tiredness - his eyelids were feeling heavier by the minute. "I think I'm ready now." There was a slight undertone of excitement running through the tired. This was... personal, intimate. That was nice.

[Vyn]

Poe couldn't resist the laughter that bubbled up in response to Pale's surprise, especially considering how long he managed to maintain his own expression of seriousness. The finch couldn't remember the last time she'd smiled so much. "I'm certain they did. A Tulgey roaming around in Torquehelm just rubs everyone the wrong way." An albino Bog, no... she'd never seen anything like it and, quite honestly, she loved the exotic charm he had.

So Pale, so strange... and yet unlike any Tulgey she'd had the 'pleasure' of meeting. Not that she could entirely blame that on region, but it was still so much more reassuring than a Tulgey. She couldn't ever love someone that could potentially remind her of the terrifying man. ...Did she just think love?! "Such an exotic package really does suit such a strange and intriguing individual. I'd imagined the Apocalypse dark, but you make such a striking figure in white."

After returning with the blankets, Poe watched fondly as Pale snuggled up and made himself comfortable. For a such a powerful Card with such a striking appearance, he really was adorable. The finch settled nearby, closing her eyes in thought. When he announced he was ready, Poe smiled and began her song.

From a distant memory a long, long time ago, Poe remembered the hushed words of a woman singing and was certain it must have been her mother. The words were never quite clear, but they melody somehow remained crisp and clear. Later, when she'd begun singing lullabies to help her brothers sleep, it had only been natural that the melody was the first thing to jump to mind. Over the years the melody had remained the same, but the words changed eternally to fit the time and place.

[Forgive me for not including lyrics. Sleepy Vyn is Sleepy<3]

[carcinoGeneticist]

Buried in the blankets in a place that was unfamiliar yet soothing, Apocalypse's eyes grew only heavier. The song was soft and relaxing, sending a little shiver up his spine at the sound of it. There had been an almost haunting quality to Poe's voice when he'd heard it before, and there was none of that now. There was only warmth and comfort as he let the words wash over him, helping to draw out his exhaustion. It wasn't a bad thing, he decided, closing his eyes to just experience the music. He wouldn't sleep yet - not yet. Not until he'd said goodnight properly.

He almost broke that little inward promise, but when the song finally drew to an end, he shook himself awake. "That was... beautiful." He said in a voice thick with tired, his eyes bleary when they opened again to look at her. Sitting there as she was, he was struck by her. Had anyone noticed how beautiful she was? How could they not?

In that moment, Apocalypse wanted to reach out to her. "Poe..." he began, his voice sounding hoarse to his own ears. He wanted to ask her to stay, to touch her, to show her how beautiful he thought she was. There was a flash of darkness in his gaze, a longing. It would be so nice to have a bed warmed by another body tonight, but all the same... The man paused, then smiled softly at the Finch, and leaned in. She was kissed - in much the same way as she had been that first time, a desire in his touch that he just couldn't get rid of. As he broke away, his voice was barely a whisper. "..Sleep well. Thank you again."

[Vyn]

Poe fluffed up when she'd finished singing, smiling to herself. It felt so nice to be taking care of someone and singing her lullabies again. It was so much more personal than being on stage. His compliments only bettered the moment.

His kiss, though similar to the last, was still so passionate and eager that she couldn't help but be surprised by it once more. He put so much desire into his physical body. Poe was terribly intrigued and just a little afraid. It seemed so easy to surrender to that passion and allow herself to be seduced but she was terrified of becoming 'just another number' to him. "You're very welcome, Apocalypse. May your dreams be sweet."

With a parting kiss on the cheek, Poe left Apocalypse and made her way into the bedroom. After such a long and emotionally challenging day, Poe would sleep easy tonight and looked forward to the anticipation of morning with Apocalypse.