[Finished] Cordial Connections [Xenon]

[Kari Muffin]

Rosemary wiggled her toes as she stood outside of the King's office. He was planning a trip to the Bog. She wanted to go to the Bog since she found out it existed. The only reason she couldn't go was because she lacked a guide and didn't want to die from the poison gasses. So this was a once in a life time chance.

But it was with Apocalypse.

But she really wanted to go on a once in a lifetime trip. She bounced on the balls of her feet for a moment, her tail flopping awkwardly behind her. He may have been a douche bag to her... but maybe if she was nice enough she could convince him that she could join them? After all it was her daughter too.

But would Linnea even want her to go?

The wolf's nose wrinkled. She had to try. She absolutely had to try. After taking a deep breath she knocked on the door. She had gone out of her way to make a formal appointment, so she might as well go through with it. "This is your appointment, Your Highness. I apologize if I'm a bit early."

[carcinoGeneticist]

In order for the presiding King of Hearts to take a trip to the Bog, for any reason, there was a terrible amount of paperwork that needed to be filled out first. The intent had been for the man to have a sort of mental holiday with his children and really let them experience their culture, but that just wasn't going to be enough for the public view. No, he needed a reason.

So he talked to Heilyn. She was too old to go on such a trip at this point, and too tired. He was worried about her, but he knew he couldn't exactly do or say anything to help change the way she was feeling, at this point. Instead, he offered to go and do the job that had once been hers - he would act as an ambassador between the Bog Government and the Court of Hearts, bringing them news of the outside. He'd met most of the nobility there before, when he'd still been a Weapon, so it would be nice to be able to get their stories straight in regards to what had happened to him.

But even with all of that figured out, there were a thousand things that absolutely demanded his attention. And from there, things only got worse. Rosemary. Rosemary wanted to meet with him. She had gone through all of the appropriate channels to do so, leaving the man to wonder if she'd done it just to ensure he had no way to refuse to see her. Even thinking about meeting up with the woman again made the hairs on the back of his neck - of which there were many, since he'd decided today was a Biped day - stand on end. Perhaps he could crush his skull against the desk before she arrived. Hmm. A promising thought.

But as it turned out, there was no time for that. There was the knock. And there was Rosemary, barging in an instant later. "No, it's fine that you're early. You've only kept me from doing something I might later regret." Assuming, of course, that I could regret anything when my brains were all over the table... "What can I help you with?"

[Kari Muffin]

His thoughts appeared on her fur, right across her chest as she took a step inside of his office. If she had been looking down she probably would have been surprised. Well, only a little. Rosemary slipped the door shut behind her quietly.

She had never seen him in a bipedal form. Really she didn't know he had one. But Lo and beyond there was a kitty cat that certainly looked like the man in front of her. He was kind of adorable. But she had to be proper, this was a once in a lifetime chance and she wasn't about to screw it up.

"We've never actually formally spoke with each other. I just generally assumed it was because you hated me for existing," Rosemary said as she crossed the room to take a seat. He knew what she did because of Rhi but... well... had he ever really cared to pay attention? "I'm a bard, and I've made it my passion and my profession to travel to every region and collect stories. There are a few regions I haven't had a chance to go to..."

She took a deep breath. Might as well put everything out there. "I would like to accompany you to the Bog. I wouldn't ask if it weren't for the fact that this is a once in a life time chance and... it would give me a chance to at least spend a little more time with Linnea. Since she lives here I don't really get a chance to visit more often than once a month and I would like to see the culture that she comes from."

[carcinoGeneticist]

With the initial alarm of the woman just barging into his room having passed, Apocalypse was finally able to actually look at her. And what he saw was surprising, to say the very least. Long and tufted ears flattened back against his head as he took in the full picture. Holy damn, this was not what I'd expected, scrawled itself across her belly, the words curling up onto her hip. Since when did she have tits like those? Any other woman, man, I would be all over that... That thought was on her tail, thankfully, less obvious than the first. When the man realized that what he was reading on her coat was his thoughts, his eyes widened with horror.

Oh, for the love of the Suits.

His eyes locked onto her own, hoping beyond hope that she didn't catch sight of the things he'd been thinking. His brain had been wandering; he'd had no say as to what it had wandered on about! Now he had to try and focus on what Rosemary was actually saying, rather than the way she was broadcasting what he was thinking. The fur along his spine rose slightly, bristling at the strangeness of it all. Rosemary had caught him off guard, and he didn't like that notion one bit. "It's not you I hate." The man said, his voice clipped. The words on the woman's body would finish the statement. It's what you did to me. Damnit. He wasn't going to get used to that.

What came next was almost more strange. She wanted to go to the Bog. She wanted to understand her daughter's culture, and more than that, to actually spend some time with the little girl. The thought alone was enough to make the man feel nervous and on-edge, and the corner of his lip twitched. "You realize I plan on spending a full year there, correct?" Was all he could choke out, though her body would be a maze of tangled thoughts, some of them good and some bad. For example: Maybe she'll get lost and die. and Hey, at least this way I know there'll be pussy around.

[Kari Muffin]

She didn't miss the completed thought. Her eyes had caught the movement on her arm when she glanced down. There were a multitude of other thoughts floating around--they were in the palace after all--but she was fairly certian that was his. Her eyes wandered back upwards.

Rosemary had never felt this awkward. And she really wished that she had a mane to run her fingers through. Maybe that would have made her feel less jumpy?

[color=rosybrown"You know... now that I've been pregnant I can't particularly blame you for hating that. It was probably the most miserable experience I had... ever... and I've had some pretty horrible ones."[/color] She shrugged. "But it wasn't like I wanted to have sex with you and get you pregnant. If I had know that you were pregnant earlier I... I honestly would have taken responsibility sooner."

Her tail half curled around her as she continued to watch the man. She caught glances of other thoughts. Worrisome thoughts. She refrained from sighing. "Yes, I am aware that you would be staying there an entire year. Though if it becomes to much for me, I imagine getting out of the Bog would be far more easier than getting into the Bog without a guide. You see I've tried desperately for years to find someone willing to take me there but... no luck. This is the only chance I have."

Her wings fluttered with anxiety for a moment. Her face taking on a complete serious expression. Which was one hell of a feat for the wolf-squirrel. "Please.... let me go. I would do just about anything. No. I would do anything."

[carcinoGeneticist]

The fact that his thoughts were being printed across Rosemary's fur for anyone with eyes to see was more than a little disconcerting. Apocalypse was a man of internalizations - it was how he got through the day without pissing people off. It hadn't taken long for the man to realize that much of what went through his head was completely inappropriate. Seeing those thoughts was... almost embarrassing, in a way, and the feline's eyes narrowed as he forced his gaze back up to Rosemary's face.

Maybe he could pretend that he wasn't seeing such personal things in such a public place. Hah. Public. Right. Even with his eyes locked onto Rosemary's face, he could still see the thought, and it made his whiskers curl forward with clear irritation, ears panning back to lay flat against his head.

Of course, then Rosemary had to announce something that actually gave him pause, and for an instant, surprise replaced the anger that was building in his expression. Pregnant? The word drifted across the woman's forearm, with a dozen more instances (all of which had slight variation, of course) appearing elsewhere. "I wasn't aware. Perhaps congratulations are in order." What the fucking fuck. "And while I appreciate the sympathies, it would have been meaningless. We had no way of knowing that I wasn't pregnant with my Queen's child."

A hint of tenseness entered his voice with that statement. It should have been hers. He forced the fur on the back of his neck back down, and swallowed. "That is true, yes. I don't understand why you want to go so badly. It isn't a pleasant place to outsiders in the slightest, and you know I'm not fond of you. I'm not doing this out of charity. I'm doing it out of a desire to help Heilyn and because I want to help educate my children about their heritage. While I appreciate your readiness to accompany me at any cost, I don't think you understand. It's more difficult to move around with a bigger group in a place like that."

He leaned forward, gaze hardening. "Do you even have a mask?"

[Kari Muffin]

Rosemary watched the man intently.

He hated her. There was no getting past that. Apparently bringing up the subject of pregnancy was the wrong idea. She was mildly surprised that he knew nothing about it, considering she hadn't visited Linnea for an extend period of time that almost equaled nine months, and her Majesty Xiven had said she mentioned it. It didn't matter in the long run, though he would probably end up running into the children eventually. They were related to Heilyn. And he was pretending to be her son.

"I'm sorry I brought the subject up."

Rosemary's nose wrinkled at his next statements.

And her ears pulled back at his question.

Tact. She needed to remember to have some.

"It's a chance of a life time, Your Highness. And I would like to remind you that I come from a realm that isn't particularly pleasant when it comes to outsiders, and is terribly dangerous with all the creatures that lurk throughout it. I know to watch my step in a dangerous place." She crossed her legs as she spoke, trying not to show her anxiety. She wanted to go. More than anything. "Yes, I actually have had a mask made for me. It was terribly difficult to track someone down who would be willing to make one for me that knew what they were doing. I had to pull strings, I had to get on my knees and beg, but I have a mask."

Her tail curled a bit. "I want to learn about the Bog first hand. It's not the same hearing rumors or reading badly translated books. Members outside of the realm can't explain what it's really like either. It's like trying to learn about the Tulgey Wood while blind folded and tied to a tree in the Highlands. You don't know what anything is like until you experience it first hand."

[carcinoGeneticist]

Xiven probably had told him, at some point. But the information certainly hadn't stayed in the man's head - all he'd heard had been that she wasn't going to be around for a while, and that had been good enough for Apocalypse.

Words. The woman just kept speaking, and the King found he really didn't want to hear any of it. That was the really unfortunate part about using his biped form - the damn ears were too big for him to be able to shut out any kind of noise, and Rosemary's begging and wheedling certainly wasn't any exception to that. He just... he didn't want to hear it, especially as she was saying all of the right things. He didn't have any true reason to deny her the journey beyond his personal hatred of her and desire to deny her something she wanted. It would be satisfying, that much was certain.

But...

In all honesty, she was an experienced explorer. Tulgey was a terrible place (though the air itself wasn't poison, he fought the urge to throw in her face), and Rosemary had been to the corners of the world. More than that, he would value the help when it came to getting his children safely inside of the Bog and to the City itself. A frustrated snarl escaped him, and he slammed his hands down. "Fine. Fucking fine. If you get in the way, I will leave your ass to die." Then his eyes narrowed slightly. "And if you do anything to put my children at risk, I'll kill you much more directly. Do we have an understanding?"

[Kari Muffin]

Rosemary refrained from smiling, or frowning for that matter. She simply gave the man a level stare at his outburst. There was no reason for him to get so damn pissy over it. She knew what she was doing, and he knew it. The man's pride was just to big to admit it so he was throwing a tantrum.

Her own eyes narrowed. Who the hell did he think she was? She had spent years traveling and she wasn't about to get in the way now. And really if worse came to worst she would just teleport out of the realm. He had seen her disappear... ah well. He did have his head up his ass half the time.

The wolf squirrel offered her hand to the King. "We have an understanding. And please remember, Your Highness. Linnea is my daughter as well. I have every intention of keeping her safe, and would never let other children get hurt. They are the future after all."

[carcinoGeneticist]

Even if she was right, it didn't mean he liked her. The idea of spending that much time with her was horrifying, and just seemed beyond belief. All the same, here he was, agreeing to bring her into the Bog with him. Another frustrated growl escaped him and he stood abruptly, tail lashing from side to side. The offered hand was completely dismissed as he paced in front of his window, hands clasped behind his back. He paused at his window, reaching out to push a curtain aside and look out over the gardens.

Soon, he'd have a break from all of everything. All of the stress that Rosewood had told him was causing his mind to do all of everything it had been doing. Did Rosemary even know about his current instabilities? She does realize this trip is for me to try and regain some sanity, doesn't she? Staring out the window as he was, he wouldn't see the thought as it appeared on Rose's tail.

The man sighed again, glancing back at her once more. "Be here on Thursday morning. We're leaving before the sun rises, and if you aren't here, I'll leave without you. No second chances on any of this."