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Post by The Jenn on Jan 23, 2010 18:55:18 GMT -5
He could talk?!
Thyme stared at the wolf in mute shock for a moment, some part of her still taking in his condition while the rest of her reeled at the discovery.
He'd been mute. He couldn't talk at all. Had they somehow cured him? Magically? Had the Queen made a favor to help him? And if so... in exchange for what? A missing limb, scarring that trailed into the covering he wore and hiding who knew what beneath. Unhealthy fur. Emaciated. He looked awful, and that really seemed an understatement.
"We're acquainted, yes," she said faintly. "I- I wasn't sure if I'd ever get to see him again. I counted him a friend." Which may have sounded pathetic, but she was a lonely teenage girl at the time and he'd let her talk. Whether or not he had liked it himself, which she still didn't know and was hesitant to poke at.
The question of 'are you okay?' seemed horribly out of place. Anything he said would probably be a lie. She swallowed and looked between him and Pale, something in her stomach sitting funny. "Do you... enjoy your new job then?"
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Post by Kari Muffin on Jan 23, 2010 19:12:03 GMT -5
Conway just wanted to scream at the top of his lungs and run away. Of course that was something that he couldn't do. There was no one behind him, sure, but he was already engaging in conversation... and Apocalypse was right there.
Crap. And they were both talking to him.
He took a deep breath and shook his head at the man's remark. Maybe if he got rid of him he could possibly talk with Thyme. He couldn't escape... but at the very least he could talk to her. That might be nice. "Her Majesty... needs to talk to you. Just knock first, because someone was in her office and she said you were... allergic to her or something."
He looked back at Thyme, finally pulling away from the wall a bit. He slipped bot his hands in his pockets in his normal stance. "It's better than dealing with your Aunt's spiked heals. Though I have to say, I missed you and... I was thinking of visiting but I didn't want to... risk you know."
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Post by carcinoGeneticist on Jan 23, 2010 19:29:36 GMT -5
Watching the two people interact was bizarre. It was more than bizarre. Apocalypse felt tense, on-edge like never before. Being around Conway was bad enough, but now he'd been discovered by someone who knew him from... Before.
Something in him did relax as Conway shook his head. He'd thought he had more time, and he was rather happy to be right. Though this meant that he would be leaving the pair alone, without acting as a sort of barrier for Conway. He gave the man a long look. He had to trust. If not Xiven's work, the curse would probably keep him from doing or saying anything stupid. He had found that, despite himself, he rather liked Thyme, and he would have been very unhappy to have her out looking for his head. His expression evened out somewhat and he nodded to the Joker, then turned his attention back to the other King.
"This means I'll be taking my leave of you for a little while. It was a pleasure to meet you, Your Highness. With any luck, I'll make it down to the nursery before you leave." He gave her a small smile and bow. "If not, then enjoy your visit and I hope you have a safe trip to the Wood."
With that, he turned on his heel and walked away, waiting until he was completely out of sight before having a complete break down. He would go see what Xiven needed when he could breathe properly again.
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Post by The Jenn on Jan 24, 2010 12:56:06 GMT -5
Thyme thought he looked kind of upset to see her. Or was he upset to see the King? His words relaxed her a tiny bit and she couldn't help a snort. "A lot of things are better than Aunt Josephine's heels. Especially with how often she used them on you. I think she must have liked you, to pay so much attention, but really... not many people want her kind of attention."
The fact that he'd thought about visiting made her smile, though. She couldn't help it. "I'm afraid I wouldn't have been there and you'd be dealing with an old, crotchety woman all on her lonesome. I've been in the Court of Clubs, for the most part. I work there now."
She glanced towards the King and gave him a slightly deeper bow in return. "Of course, Your Highness. I hope to see you again before I have to go. Thank you again." Watching him go, she waited until he'd left the scene before turning back to Conway and giving him a more genuine smile. "Apparently I have a niece living here thanks to Rosemary."
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Post by Kari Muffin on Jan 24, 2010 14:03:40 GMT -5
Conway seemed to be holding his breath as he waited for the King to depart. There was so much he wanted to say, even though he knew full well he couldn't. He would be stuck here because of that damn man and that damn curse or whatever he had done. But maybe he could at least catch up with Thyme in private?
He only gave a slight bow as the man left. It wasn't until he was completely gone that the man actually relaxed.
And gave Thyme a terribly surprised look. Rosemary that was her... oh. Oh! That was the crazy little girl who bounced around with Thyme! And she had a kid? That was a little bit surprising. And Thyme was part of the Courts now. He never would have imagined. "Ah... t-that's a surprise and then some."
He glanced down the hallway. What if Pale was still there? "Would you mind if we went to a place a bit less... out in the open? We have a lot to catch up on."
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Post by The Jenn on Jan 24, 2010 14:55:07 GMT -5
A lot of things had happened since they last saw each other, hadn't they? She'd still been a young girl living with her aunt, a few years away from the Court. Most of her family was still in the Wood, Alphonse was still alive, and she hadn't rolled onto that damned moth yet. It was probably only a matter of time until he asked. The fronds were pretty 'out there'.
She nodded and looked around, completely unfamiliar with the palace. "Wherever you want to go," she agreed. "My eventual goal is the nursery, wherever that is, but I really wouldn't mind a talk first. I hadn't expected to find you here at all. If you ever have reason to see Aunt Joe again - why I don't know, but just in case - don't mention having a job here. She's kind of touchy about the Courts. Not happy with me at all for joining, but it's satisfying work."
Wherever he took her, she would follow, having no idea what was where.
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Post by Kari Muffin on Jan 24, 2010 15:07:06 GMT -5
Breath. Conway had to remind himself not to hold his breath as often as he was doing. His good hand began to fiddle with his bracelet as he listened to the woman talk. She had no idea how much had happened, and she seemed to be happily oblivious to his discomfort and current situation.
"Right. Nursery. I'll show you to that when you want," he said as he turned around to walk. He couldn't talk in the hallway freely. There was still a strong chance that Apocalypse, or someone else, could over hear him. If only he still had his wonderful curse, of course that would have messed up things even further. "And I don't think I'll get the chance to see your Aunt in the near future."
Why was everything so damn complicated?
He lead them to the closest private room that he knew of. Opening the door for Thyme and motioning for her to go ahead. When she did he slipped in behind her, lightly shutting the door. Now that he was sure everything was safe, he could keep actually speak without feeling like someone was going to tear him apart for speaking out of turn.
"I'm... sorry," he started as he leaned against the door. "I just... that man... he... I'm not..." He couldn't tell her the truth. "His Highness doesn't like me very much, so I get terribly nervous. But anyway... it's nice to see you however much of a surprise it is. Does your niece happen to be a squirrel?"
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Post by The Jenn on Jan 24, 2010 16:08:08 GMT -5
Thyme wasn't oblivious to his discomfort, just tactfully failing to mention it since he didn't seem to want to say much in the hallway. She had no clue as to his situation. "Probably for the best," she murmured in response to his comment about her aunt, following him down the hall and preceding him into the quiet room. Then she turned to him and waited. There really seemed to be something on his chest.
"It's fine, Conway. I certainly have no special attachment to him. He doesn't like Rose very much either," she said in an attempt to diffuse his concerns on that note. She wasn't the best at dealing with upset people, as her family had shown her time and time again, but she still tried. "And it is great to see you again, however briefly. I had no idea you were working here. A thing for the Highlands, I guess?" Lame, but all she could come up with. She knew as it came out of her mouth that it was probably one of the stupidest things she would say that day.
"And... yes, she does. Rose said she looks just like our mother. Her name's Linnea, I think."
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Post by Kari Muffin on Jan 24, 2010 16:37:25 GMT -5
Oh thank the suits and everything in between. The man sighed as she slid down to the floor, the expression his face clearly revealed. The idea of Thyme liking someone like that made him horribly uncomfortable for reasons beyond his comprehension.
He nodded at her comment about seeing each other again. It was nice. It really was. Even though he was stuck here in the palace. Her comment about the Highlands made him sink a bit. It was true. He had come here time and time again which was why he had gotten caught. If only he had convinced himself to actually check Josephine's estate. Maybe his fate would be completely different?
"I'm not actually here because I want to be," he mumbled quietly after a moment of awkward silence. He looked up at the woman with a rather pitiful expression. "But... congratulations on having a new member of the family. I've only seen her once or twice in passing, but she seems rather well behaved for a baby."
Hopefully she wouldn't grow up to be like Apocalypse.
He looked the woman up and down briefly. "Is... it rude to ask what happened to you? I thought you were a pure Highlander."
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Post by The Jenn on Jan 24, 2010 16:52:16 GMT -5
Did he have to take the job for money? On the spot, and couldn't leave because of the paycheck? Or was it something else? His expression hinted at far greater misery than simple job dissatisfaction. Not to mention his missing limb. Severed Hisstor... thing. Scar-covered fur. Maybe he was disabled and couldn't find a job anywhere else? The thought made her uneasy and her mouth settled into an unhappy line.
Which only deepened when he brought up the topic. But really, he'd never seen it before. "Long story short, Aunt Josephine kept some pretty weird things in her attic. I was up there when I shouldn't have been, not long after you left, and I found a dried moth. It turned out to be enchanted for some godawful reason and did... this. So I'm still a pure Highlander, so say the Corvies, I've just got some weird magical mutations and a permanent discoloration to my fur. Kind of sucks. But... it looks like you've been through worse. Through hell. Can I ask what happened?"
Turnabout was fair play, but his looked to be a good deal more severe. She twitched every time she looked at the missing limb. "And... I know it's a stupid question. Working in the Courts, seeing people doing jobs that they hate for a million and one reasons, I know there are plenty to keep a job you don't like. But why don't you leave? I would do everything I could to help you find one, if you wanted to leave."
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