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Post by Kari Muffin on Jan 24, 2010 17:29:15 GMT -5
Conway stared at the woman with slight disbelief. His expression changed quite a bit as she spoke, but more often than not he looked like he was in terrible pain. This conversation and the asking of questions just made him want to roll over and die.
"I-I'm sorry to hear that you had to go through that." He shifted awkwardly, running his fingers through is hair.
"It... was a curse," he said quietly as he squeezed his eyes shut. "It still is an active curse. It was an accident really. I got involved in something with Her Majesty and His Highness and it back fired on me."
A rather pathetic whimper escaped him. He wanted to tell someone the truth, but he knew what would happen if he did. And he couldn't level. He needed Apocalypse as much as he hated the man. Conway forced himself to take a deep breath. "I can't leave because Her Majesty is trying to fix the damage. And rather than be a waste of space I work for them."
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Post by The Jenn on Jan 31, 2010 15:17:20 GMT -5
All of her whining felt far less valid as Thyme watched the expressions flit across his face. He was really suffering, wasn't he? Hugely. She had honestly never seen someone look that unhappy before.
"So the Queen is trying to help you break the curse? I've met someone who cast the things before, but never someone who could fix them. But do you think I could be of any use to her? Or is it a Hearts-specific sort of curse?" In which case, the Queen of Hearts probably wouldn't want a Club butting in, however good her intentions. Suits could get so catty about things like that. She may not have had a lot of free time, what with the work she did and her own personal project, but she could put a lot of them on the back-burner if it meant helping him get out of whatever sort of hole he'd fallen into.
She didn't have many friends, partly by circumstance and partly by choice. The ones... one...? that she did have, she wanted to help. But it might not be possible, depending on what was afflicting him. That was so ridiculous, it hurt.
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Post by Kari Muffin on Jan 31, 2010 18:11:51 GMT -5
All of Conway wanted to tell the woman in front of him the honest to goodness truth. She was clearly upset and worried on his behalf, and it was wrong to lie to her like this.
But she was a Court Noble now, and if she did anything.... it could easily cause entirely too many problems between the suits. And Hearts and Clubs were always at odds even in the best of times.
An eyebrow twitched upwards at her comment about it being Hearts specif. He had been a Heart for the sake of that nasty Highlander, hadn't he? Of course it now served as a convenient excuse when he was in a bind.
"If anyone can undo curses, it would be her. She seems to be fascinated by my case." He shrugged. "The curse relates to a spell that the King of Hearts cast on me, combined with the situation I was helping the Queen of Hearts with. I wouldn't consider it suit specif but... the situation. I don't know if you could do anything about it."
He shifted his position so he could stand properly, wincing when his back didn't work the way it was supposed to. He did manage to stand up straight, though, leaning against the door with a pitiful expression.
(( OOC: .... I have to say it was retardedly good luck that Thyme saw Conway as a Heart when she was younger. ))
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Post by The Jenn on Mar 30, 2010 18:13:05 GMT -5
"It... sounds pretty confidential," Thyme agreed after an awkwardly reluctant pause. He was being deliberately vague, whether because he didn't want her to get involved or because she honestly couldn't do anything. Hard to say which it was. In the end, though, they amounted to the same thing. 'Butt out, Thyme.' She could take the hint, albeit unhappily. "If there's anything I can help you with in the future, just drop me a line. I'm usually at Clubs."
And with that offer sitting on the table, serious conversation was shelved, wasn't it? They were back to harmless small talk that would have a hard time being anything but awkward.
Hmm. How to phrase this...?
"What are your honest opinions on the nobles here, Conway? I don't really have much experience with any of them. And if you'd rather not answer... just say so. Don't feel me any platitudes. We can talk about something else instead." She would understand Suit loyalty, if he felt it, or a proprietary interest in people who were trying to help him. But an honest opinion would be nice, too...
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Post by Kari Muffin on Mar 30, 2010 18:30:50 GMT -5
He didn't really want Thyme to "Butt Out" so to speak. He just had issues that no one could really solve. And he was stuck here until one of them cleared up--if it ever did. It was a Nightmare that he had to live through, somehow, or die on terms that weren't his own.
His fingers ran across the bracelet that he had managed to wiggle off nonchalantly during the conversation. "That would be nice... I might have to," he said quietly. Like they would ever let him.
Her next question made him look up with a surprised and curious expression. She wanted to know more about the nobles in the Court of Hearts and she was asking him? He could lie and tell her that they were wonderful people, or he could tell her the truth. And really he didn't feel like lying to someone as nice as Thyme.
"No, it's fine. If you want the honest truth I might as well give it to you." Conway shrugged. "The Queen of Hearts is seemingly nice to everyone but me. All her pent up rage, all of her insanity, everything is focused at me. No one else seems to have complaints about her besides yours truly. Though the rumors about her murdering one of her brothers and turning him into a coat are true. At least, I've seen a Highlander coat in her closet, and I'm pretty sure that wasn't an A on its chest. Her King is a smooth talking manwhore who can't keep his pants on. He's an egotist and an asshole. Maybe he has a good side, but I haven't seen it. He was the one who got me into this entire situation."
He slipped his bracelet back on, removing his good hand from his pocket to brush a bit of his hair back. "Those are the only two I really deal with. Well... there's one other, but if you ever see a Corvie Doe with Fangs, I would walk the other way."
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Post by The Jenn on Apr 26, 2010 2:40:20 GMT -5
What an unconvincing assertion. Thyme didn't quite believe that he would ever call her, not with the quiet way he said that. She could understand - they'd only known one another for a brief amount of time in the grand scheme of things - but it had been a meaningful acquaintance for her. She regretted losing touch with him far more than she would admit.
Especially with all of the mess he'd apparently gotten involved in. Her eyes widened at his descriptions of the Hearts nobles. And then widened more. The edges of her muzzle pulled down in a grimace as she listened.
Pale was the one responsible for putting Conway in this... condition? And the Queen was the only one who could potentially reverse it, a woman who'd turned her own brother into a coat?! She had been sure that was a rumor set out by spiteful enemies of the suit to call a reminder to past insanities of the Hearts nobility.
She would have to be more on her guard than she'd realized. Was the King just sizing her up as a potential conquest, then, with his politeness in the office that smelled so strongly of sex? That made a twisted sort of sense. Weren't women supposed to be attracted to fathers with a sensitive side? Maybe she should listen to more of Rose's stories about this Court. If only she didn't tend to embellish so much.
"I can't even... words can't... Conway, I'm sorry." Her throat felt oddly tight. "I somehow doubt you'll call on me. But if you do, I'll come. Please just keep that in mind."
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Post by carcinoGeneticist on Apr 26, 2010 2:51:45 GMT -5
As glad as Apocalypse had been for the diversion from Conway, he was almost equally happy to be walking down the hall. As much as he loved his Queen, her pregnancy was making life rather painfully difficult, and the stress was a lot to take. Especially when he still had so many lingering questions about who's children she was even pregnant with.
Besides, this was something he was looking forward to much more. A quick peek into the nursery told the man that his daughter had woken up, and would be ready to meet her aunt in short order. The man turned the corner and headed towards Thyme and Conway, pausing for a moment before he closed the distance completely. There was a rather somber air surrounding them, and he glanced at the Joker, his eyes sharp. What were they talking about? He gave Thyme a glance, then offered her a small smile. How would she react? What the hell had Conway told her?
"Apologies for the interruption, but I wanted to inform Her Highness that Linnea is awake and ready for visitors, if you'd like to meet her." Now, he felt he had a good reason to bring the woman somewhere else. He didn't want Conway to say anything that would potentially put either himself or Xiven into a bad spot with the Club Court, and he found that he rather wanted an ally in his daughter's family.
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Post by Kari Muffin on Apr 26, 2010 10:02:05 GMT -5
"Okay," Conway said in a half whisper. "But I wouldn't want you to get hurt." Because there was no doubt in his mind that she would get hurt. After all, this was the court of Hearts. He looked at the woman with a rather pitiful expression. He honestly would have loved her help, but he knew that it would only cause trouble in the long run.
And then of course, trouble decided to come by. Conway tensed almost instantly when the King showed up. If it were possible for Conway's hair to stand on end, it would have. He glanced over at the King with a blank expression. Of course he had to interrupt. He was the King of Hearts and could do whatever he wanted. And Conway was only a pet.
He turned back to Thyme, "I'm sorry we couldn't continue this conversation. I'm sure we can pick it up later if you want. Just.. remember what I told you, okay?" He would have used his powers to tell her the rest of it, but he didn't want her to react. Most people had a reaction when they heard his voice whispering in their head.
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Post by The Jenn on Apr 26, 2010 10:18:04 GMT -5
That he considered himself to be in enough danger for anyone involved to be hurt - as he had been hurt? - made something in Thyme ache. She hesitated before responding and that was apparently enough time for King Apocalypse to return to them from the nursery.
She glanced at the King and had to tell herself to smile in return while her mind raced. What the hell had this man done to her old friend? It made her skin crawl a little, not knowing, and seeing the end result. She wasn't entirely sure what to think of the man anymore. She would have to fish more diligently for rumors.
"Ah, thank you. I'd hoped I would be able to properly meet her instead of just looking at her. I'll follow you there. And... thank you, Conway. I will. I hope I see you again, sooner than this time." And whole. In one piece. As many pieces as were left, anyway. Her stomach tightened and she had to force the smile again as she moved to follow the King.
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Post by carcinoGeneticist on Apr 27, 2010 1:00:57 GMT -5
Yes, it was very obviously getting to be time to interfere and end this little meeting. Apocalypse's pupils narrowed when he looked at Conway, the only outward sign of an inner emotional battle. What the hell had he been talking to the woman about? As soon as this encounter was over, he would need to talk to Xiven and let her know that something had transpired between her little pet and a King of Clubs. She would know what to do from there.
But for now, Apocalypse would simply attempt to diffuse any potential situation. As the pair said their goodbyes, he just stood nearby, a wordless and pleasant smile anchored to his face, his hands clasped behind his back. It wasn't hard to see that something had definitely changed in Thyme's demeanor, and that just pissed the King off. He had really been looking forward to having an ally of some sort in Rosemary's family, and if Conway had taken that chance away, he would have been pissed off. As soon as she was done speaking to the other man, Apocalypse motioned with a nod for her to follow.
"If you'd like, I can send for him after you've met with Linnea. I apologize for stepping in so abruptly, I just didn't want you to miss your chance to meet her." Mostly true. There were other reasons, of course, but that shouldn't lessen his good intent, right? "Perhaps that way you can exchange some form of information, so you can more easily find each other again." His tone betrayed none of his inner feelings, though his eyes had taken on a rather dull shine. Luckily, the woman wouldn't be able to see that, not walking behind him as she was. A few more minutes of walking and the pair would arrive at the nursery, Apocalypse opening the door and ushering the Wolf inside.
Then, he closed the door behind them, glancing around the room. "Nea, love? Your Aunt Thyme is here to meet you." Where was the girl hiding now? There was no sign of her, but there were a few papers sitting on a table nearby. Some of his notes on Weapons and their summoning. Ones he'd thought that he'd lost to the ages. Apocalypse cursed mentally and quickly went to gather them, giving them a quick glance-over. There didn't seem to be any jam stains on the pages. That was something, at least. He glanced back at Thyme, giving her a crooked smile - the first really genuine-looking one since they'd encountered Conway in the hall - and a rather awkward little shrug. "Ahh.. At least she didn't chew on them, right?"
Now, where was the girl?
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