Time Doesn't Slow Down [Vyn]

[carcinoGeneticist]

Things seemed to be progressing quite nicely. A part of Apocalypse was rubbing its hands together and cackling with glee - generally, a good meal did quite a lot in terms of getting him into a woman's heart. More importantly, into her bed. But with Poe, he wasn't going to get too far ahead of himself. She was different in all sorts of important ways, and this could very well be one of those ways. But that wasn't a bad thing, not in the slightest. Her differences were just one of the reasons why he was growing so fond of her, he was sure. Granted - was she flirting with him? Maybe he was making more of an impact than he'd thought.

A grin twisted on his face, sharp and dangerous but strangely pleasant. "If you sing a song about a pathetic King, I'll know who it's for, then." But he leaned forward abruptly, kissing the top of her beak and smiling. Really, that was quite the offer she'd made. He could feel himself getting excited for it already - though he was also feeling anxious. A song chosen for him. That would almost certainly erase some of the questions he had about their budding relationship.


"Sounds good to me. Give me just a minute, though..."

After the woman was done with her tea, Apocalypse offered to take the cup as well as the plate she'd put the muffin on. He placed the dishes in the sink, giving them a quick wash. With his hands, he knew it was much easier for him to do any of this sort of work, and it only took a minute before he was able to set them on the drying rack. Then he turned to face her, inclining his head to the side. "Lead the way."

[Vyn]

Poe was in a wonderful mood. The day was early, her company was delightful, and the sorrow of Torquehelm seemed just a sigh today rather than the usual crushing miasma. Her steps her light, occasionally accented by a tiny hop to ensure she kept up properly.

Thanks to living so close to the edge of The Wood, it was a long walk to anything but once in the proper part of town most of her local spots were just a stone's throw from one another. Poe was used to the walk and, secretly, used it to her advantage by filling the distance with idle chitchat -- meaningless conversation that divulged the little things about one's self that didn't often come out in forced attention. It was better that way, it showed the subconscious nature of thought as it rolled off the tongue without judgment.

In town now, they passed the Dragon's Den on the way to the bookstore and, for a moment, Poe glimpsed someone opening the door invitingly before seeing that she was distracted with company. The Den below the coffee shop was surely making a fuss us her absence by now. Poe was almost a permanent fixture in their shop, she'd been visiting since she wasn't even of legal age to be there but the severity of her bindings had given her pity. Hm. Best thoughts for another time.

The finch paused on the doorway to the Bookstore and smiled up at Apocalypse. "Here we are."

[carcinoGeneticist]

The idle chit-chat was more than appreciated, it was nice. There was an ease to their conversation, and the more Apocalypse talked to the beautiful Finch, the more he started to feel that he wasn't running away, not really. And even if he was, Poe was interesting and clever and a joy to spend time with. Even if she was a Torque, she had a curious shine to her that the man really quite enjoyed.

Beyond that, the walk itself was pleasant. He'd never really been to Torquehelm, and he was finding that it was a much nicer place than he'd ever expected it to be. It was dark, yes. But there was something to it beyond that.

Of course, it may have just been his company.

When they arrived at the bookstore the man held the door open for his companion, giving her a small smile that quickly grew into something much more full. Once she had stepped inside, he slipped in behind her, closing the door and looking around. For such a small place, it had a whole lot of books packed into it. "Wow," he commented under his breath, taking a few steps forward before mentally diving in. Cookbooks. Quickly, he headed in the most likely direction. "Now... What exactly can I interest you in, food-wise? Any sort of region who's cuisine inspires you?"

[Vyn]

Poe bobbed her head thankfully as Pale opened the door for her, blushing a bit under her feathers. She had friends who held doors for her, but there was something different about it when Pale smiled at her just so. What a gentleman, what a charmer.

She happily followed after Pale, nodding quiet hellos to a few people she knew casually. A lot of the patrons at the coffee shop meandered their way over to the library once they were done drinking or performing and the atmosphere of the library reflected the more bohemian nature of the area.

The finch paused along with Pale at the bookcase, humming softly in thought. She wasn't a picky eater, really, but she also should probably avoid listing sweets as a favored cuisine. "How is it that the simplest questions are always the most challenging?" She laughed very softly and tapped a talon against the floor in contemplation. "I'm fairly open to foods, as I've mentioned before, though I'm not particularly fond of spicy..." She tilted her head, peering curiously up at the King. "What about you, Apocalypse? What sort of cuisine do you like?"

[carcinoGeneticist]

Her question was an interesting one, and the man considered his answer as he glanced at the back cover of a book. Hmm. Interesting. "I've always been interested in the foods of Realms other than my own, though since I left the Bog I've felt rather homesick." A lie, but one laced with truths. Ever since he'd been to the Bog he'd been craving the foods there like no other, and had been disappointed with the lack of good Bog chefs in the rest of the world. Not that he didn't understand, of course. "Mid-Range food has always appealed fairly strongly, as well."

This book seemed rather interesting. It was a collection of recipes from all around the world, the most famous dishes of each realm. He flipped through it, pausing on a curry dish that was from Josiggy, raising an eyebrow appreciatively. If he didn't include any of the peppers the original recipe called for... Coconut milk, lemongrass, chicken, all good strong flavors.

"I think I've found my book," he said, snapping it shut and smiling at the bird. After they had paid for the book, he led them back outside, looking around. "What do you propose we do next? Maybe we can look through the recipes together back at your house?"

((Since... we wanted a guest appearance from Imre, right? >3))

[Vyn]

Poe smiled appreciatively. That definitely made sense. She found herself missing Tulgey cuisine from time to time, but she didn't particularly get the best results in mentioning such things. Especially considered they were rarely taught to individuals outside of The Wood.

"Mid-Range is definitely very nice, and though I've never had anything from the Bog, I would be quite inclined to try." Though her opiates usually suppressed her appetite, Poe had to admit a secret love for good food. She looked forward to Apocalypse's dinner preparations.

After purchasing the book, Poe and Pale would return to The Dragon's Den for drinks and lunch before Poe's performance. It was short and sweet and, as promised, dedicated to her charming new friend. There was some brief surprise among her usual Den companions when their invitations that she join them downstairs was declined in lieu of dinner plans with the King. Affectionate teasing ensued and Poe found herself adorably flushed when she joined Pale to return home.

Along the way they talked of music and literature, some of Poe's favorite things aside from Magic (curse Vren for embedding his love of the arcane into his young helpers).

Before Poe can even step inside her small home, a voice rises cheerfully from the other room. "Poe! You're home!" Instantly Poe's eyes widen as the realization dawns upon her: she's forgotten all about her brother's weekly visit. Her gaze shoots to the clock - 4:15pm - and back to Pale. "I'm so sorry," she gasps out beneath her breath "my brother is here. Please, don't be startled!" She barely finishes her rushed warning before a large bird-canine gallumphs into the entryway where Poe still stands half in-half out of her home. "I was nearly afraid you weren't going to make it today!" He pauses suddenly, recognizing that they were not alone as they usually were and his beak cracks open into a wide, toothy grin. "Oh! Who's your friend?"

[carcinoGeneticist]

All in all, the day was shaping up to be quite a lot better than the one that had come before it, and the smile that sat upon the King's face was happy and warm. He was rather enjoying Poe's company, and found it to be a wonderful contrast from her appearance and the general feel of most of the town. It was easy to lose track of time.

After their time in the Den, the man was wearing a soft little blush of his own. Though she had promised him a song, the fact that she had actually carried through with it (and such a wonderful song it was) made some part of him feel oddly warm and content. When she rejoined him, he was amused to find that she looked similarly ruffled, and took the chance to lean in and plant a soft kiss against her forehead. The conversation was delightful to him, taking him far out of his usual territories and into something he'd rarely had a chance to actually indulge in. Poe was extremely knowledgeable, and he took the opportunity to pick her brain about questions he'd had for years.

He was just about to ask her another question when they entered her home, but was interrupted by another voice. Male. Apocalypse straightened, his face going blank for a moment. What the hell? Who had just come into her home? Was there - another man, perhaps? Not that he had any claim on her, of course, but he had no idea... The thought made him tense slightly, preparing to bow to someone who had come long before him and leave, graciously.

As things would turn out, it was Poe's brother.

The King wasn't so sure that was a good thing. He had experience with those who had been mutated in some way or another, but it had been a long time (since last seeing Jakodi, in fact) since he had seen one in such a state as Imre. He kept his face pleasantly calm, years of diplomacy coming into action.

What the hell had happened to the man?!

"Sorry to intrude on your time with your sister," he said apologetically, giving Poe a reassuring smile. "I'm Apocalypse, a friend. I'm having a little vacation from the Court and Poe was sweet enough to offer me her couch for the time being."

[Vyn]

Imre's toothy beak cracked wide open. How nice! Poe was making friends! Where was the pale-fellow from? Weird name, though. Apocalypse? But perhaps it was just the sort of people Poe hung out with. They often had brooding names like that.

He bobbed his head, offering a pleasant "Nice to meet you." before his gaze fell on that bright red mark. Heart. A growl rumbled in his throat and Ace stirred fitfully. "Bad Heart!" A strange voice ripped forth from Imre in a loud bark, as the bird-wolf's hackles began to rise. Panic was welling up now in Imre and his eyes were wide beneath his mask. He couldn't move and Ace wouldn't listen to him. Ace stalked forward, muscles coiled in preparation to leap when Imre suddenly realized what was going on. Oh suits, it was going to attack Poe's new friend.

In a blur of motion, the creature launches itself forward and springs to attack Pale with vicious claws and teeth.


Poe smiles thankfully, so glad that Pale didn't panic upon seeing Imre. His mutations were somewhat disturbing on first glance and though Poe loved her brother dearly despite them, she was never sure how others would react. Usually badly. Most ran the other way, especially when they realized his white was from his Tulgey heritage.

Apocalypse handled the whole situation magnificently.

And then Imre started acting strange and everything went downhill. That bark was... not Imre's own and, no. Everything was just wrong. Poe's brows furrowed, about to say something, when suddenly it rushed toward them. The finch let out a shrill chirp of fear, stumbling backward through the still-open door with Apocalypse.

The wolf flew by them and then rounded, his eyes focused on Pale with another low, threatening growl. Poe trembled, her feathers all ruffled. "Imre?! What are you doing??"


Ace shook Imre's body, bared his teeth and growled again. Little bird wasn't what he wanted. Wanted the Heart and he was going to get it. He rushes forward once more, nothing more than a blur as he zips around Poe and aims to tackle Pale.


Ace Spirit Ability: The Ace will fly into horrible rages around Hearts...even going so far as to possess Imre's body and attack them... When it does this, it gains Imre's full use of his face and he moves automatically at triple his speed without tiring for a full ten minutes before he can even begin to take himself back.

[carcinoGeneticist]

The change in the man came about suddenly. It was funny, almost reminding the ex-Weapon of the way his own mind had reacted upon sight of Clubs. This time, however, it was centered on him. Apocalypse started when the man's voice changed suddenly, seeming to lose some of its sentience. There wasn't really room for him to get out of the way, but it didn't matter, because Poe took the initiative and shoved him back out the door.

He staggered, catching his balance. Shit. He'd met some angry brothers, some jealous lovers, and worst of all murderous fathers, but none of them had ever been quite this bad. "I'm not going to hurt her, you have my word," Apocalypse said, speaking as calmly as he could manage.

It didn't seem to work. The Ace simply flew forward again, leaving the King little time to dive out of the path of the larger man. Shit. Normally he would just dispatch a threat like this, but in this case, that just wasn't an option. This was Poe's beloved brother... The man was a Spade, so it wouldn't be as easy as simply swiping control away from him. There had to be something. "Please forgive me," he said quietly, both to Poe and to the man who had flown into such a terrible rage. He summoned up the blast and directed it right at the man who seemed so intent on killing him.

At least it wouldn't do any permanent damage. If Imre was knocked unconscious, it would give the King a chance to hide away.

"Queen's" Ability
Once a week, he is now able to call forth a quick blast of lightning. This blast is enough to cause Cards ranked King and under to fall to their knees and shake, and 8 and under will probably pass out on the spot. Jacks will lose use of their limbs for a full thirty seconds, and Kings will have uncontrollable shaking for a full ten seconds.
Club Queens will be affected in the same way Kings are, all other Queens and Jokers can ignore this spell.

[Vyn]

Imre was panicked. He could hear and see everything but there was absolutely nothing he could do to break free of the Ace's terrible rage. Through Poe's exclamations of fear and the King's calm reassurances, Imre could do nothing but silently plead forgiveness as the Ace rushed the King over and over again. Imre had never experienced anything like this from his friend before. As long as they'd been bonded, Ace had always been a fairly cheerful and polite little brainghost but the sight of the Heart seemed to snap something in him.

The rage was all consuming and try as he may, Imre could not stop it.

Ace spun around as Apocalypse dove out of the way, snarling with rage as he zeroed in for another attack... that would never come. The spell hit him and the affect was nearly instant. The seven of Spades froze in place, shocked by the blast, and stumbled forward a step before collapsing to his knees and blacking out on the spot.

Poe let out a desperate sound of horror, wishing she could cover her face with her wings when instead she was forced to watch in horror as her possessed brother suddenly collapsed. The petite finch shook something awful, fear and panic written all over her face. "Oh.... Oh suits... Is he... Is he okay? What just happened?" Her mouth was dry and her body was painfully tense.

He couldn't be dead, Apocalypse wouldn't... There had to have been some way to just restrain him. Abruptly she turned back to the human King, searching him for signs of injury. "Are you okay?!"