T - Bee, Xenon - Complete

[carcinoGeneticist]

Oh, good. There didn't seem to be any sort of upset between them over his (possibly) faulty memory. If anything, the woman seemed to be herself the slightest bit relieved. Helena. He repeated it in his mind a few more times, to help ensure it stuck there despite the slippery effect alcohol tended to have on his memory. Normally he took pride in his ability to remember names: it was easier to feel better about one-night stands if he could at least say who he'd ended up in bed with. Individuality was important, after all.

He couldn't help but feel another little surge of satisfaction. The woman - Helena - had certainly been quite the individual. With the Capital as large as it was, he'd thought perhaps he would never see her again. At least, not like this. Passing each other by on the street, maybe.

This was much better.

At least, it would have been, if not for the man who was still just... watching them. It put the hairs on the back of the King's neck on-end. At least, it did until he caught Helena's amused grin. "He has good reason to be jealous, you know," he commented in an off-handed way. "Perhaps we should invite him to have a drink with us? Or we could move to another location."

Either way was fine with Apocalypse. He just didn't want to rush his companion, if she was enjoying this bar.

[Bee]

Helena thought for a moment that it might be worth the effort to have drink with the man and find some subtle and polite way to indicate a complete lack of interest. But then she remembered again, some more, that her subtlety was functioning somewhere between "rock through a window" and "sledgehammer to the face" and decided that the easiest path would just be to skip right the hell out. It would be best not to talk to him at all; a turned back, after all, was a very effective non-verbal no.

Or a flirty game. It ran both ways. But she thought she could set the body language to sorry but not a chance.

"I vote we sneak out to a new and exciting venue," she said. Then she realized sadly that she had not finished her drink. She glanced at it speculatively for a moment, shrugged, and tipped it back. Not the best way to savor a beverage, but there would be more. And a change of scenery, actually, sounded more appealing by the second, especially if she were carousing with--well--him. Something warm and squiggly and entirely unrelated to alcohol stirred again. She gave Apocalypse a wink. "I think I'd prefer to keep this a party for two."

[carcinoGeneticist]

Though he'd asked for his newfound companion's opinion, the King had one clear thought on his mind: He did not want to invite the stranger over. He did not want to talk to the man, did not want to give him an opportunity to do... something with Helena. He had no claim to the woman, of course, but damn it all, she had come to him! That meant something, in a scene like this.

As luck would have it, it seemed the woman would agree. That helped ease the man's residual paranoia, and he tipped his drink back as well. Granted, it wouldn't have nearly the same effect on him, but the woman seemed skilled at holding her drink. "I'm rather glad to hear you say that," he replied in an amiable tone, standing and extending a hand to help her out of her seat. If she took it, he had no intention of letting go even after she'd stood. "I know of an excellent place not far from here."

At least the bars were full. It wasn't hard for him to slip through the crowd in such a way as to hide their movements from the attention of the other King, leading Helena along with him. Outside, the air had a strange smell to it and was oddly quiet. "Damn strange night," Apocalypse murmured under his breath, walking at a brisk pace down the street. When they neared the next bar, sounds of merriment cascading out onto the street, he glanced back. Good. There was no sign of the other.

"Ladies first," he said, holding the door open for Helena with his charmingest smile.

[Bee]

She'd threaded her fingers through his and followed him out into the street, trying to focus less on the atmosphere of the night--the quiet, the scent that may or may not have been some kind of subtle hallucinogen, the aura she liked less every time she was back in it--and more of the warmth of the hand on hers and the warmth of liquor that was slowly but determinedly spreading through her. He was, she dimly noticed, missing a couple fingers on one of the hands. She definitely didn't recall that, and wondered how he'd lost them--probably something terribly more exciting and dignified than her brother losing two to Monty.

She perked up at the sight of the new pub, and even more when she cast her gaze about and didn't seem to see any sign of their friend the Lonesome Cocky King.

"You're too kind," she said, beaming, and shuffled in ahead. The happy noise of the place was a comfort, and she relaxed again, fully.

[carcinoGeneticist]

Quietly, Apocalypse closed the door behind them.

The bar was abuzz, possibly even busier than the first. That was almost surprising, though the man didn't find it hard to rationalize, especially when there was no one at all in the streets. They must have all migrated to the bars, where the air might have smelled like musk but not like unearthly spices, and drink could easily be used to mask the creepy aura that the city seemed to have picked up.

Not that Apocalypse, frankly, gave a shit about that. Very little unnerved the man anymore, especially not when he had more important things on his mind. Like alcohol, and sex. He stepped into the bar, taking a moment to appreciate the view of Helena from behind. Later, Apocalypse. Focus now.

There were two open seats at the bar, so he took one of them and gave the woman an inviting smile. "The lady's drinks will be on me tonight," he told the bartender in an offhanded way, ordering himself something that looked like water but smelled suspiciously like burning. "So, tell me about yourself. I know you're a hell of a lot of fun, and that you like cherry brandy, but not a lot more than that." He looked genuinely interested, and he was. He liked interacting with people, both in and outside of the bedroom. Besides, the more he knew, the more satisfying a partner he could be.

[Bee]

Helena ordered something terribly fruity--just for variation, and maybe to pace herself a little better after downing the last one--and remembered that this was one of her least favorite conversations in the entire world. There were really only so many ways to say "My name is Helena and I have done nothing with my life" without sounding like a complete and utter downer--and by "only so many" she meant "none"--so she tried to focus on the positive. There was, after all, a lot of positive, and being in good company made her more inclined to think better of herself.

She sipped at her drink, reflective. She laughed. "It's not much more exciting than what you already know. I'm an amateur mythology buff, especially as concerns Rabbits." For the moment she avoided mention of Simcha; conversation around that topic tended to become interesting, but only in ways that were awkward. "I like people, I like enjoying myself. I have declined steady employment my entire life in favor of occasional odd-jobs, which are generally a lot more fun. Most things I do are against my better judgment."

Another sip, a little more reflection. Her tone slipped into something vaguely contemplative. "I have a large family, and most of them are Hearts, and all of them are crazy. Not the zany kind of crazy people write cute holiday stories about, I mean legitimately nuts. It starts at...questionable dietary and relationship choices, and goes rapidly downhill from there. I think I managed to get off light, though." She turned up a smile. "You will, of course, have to indulge me in a reciprocal gesture."

[carcinoGeneticist]

Unaware of the conflict currently raging in the woman's head, Apocalypse lifted his drink to take a testing sip - and promptly made a face, though it seemed to be what he'd hoping for as a moment later he took a much deeper sip. Finally, a bartender who understood what a poison immunity meant with regards to intoxication. He licked his lips, set the drink down, and turned his full attention back to Helena.

"Rabbits?" He asked, seeming genuinely surprised by the admission. Unlike many, however, his reaction didn't contain disbelief. A curious eyebrow was raised. "You know, the Bog has quite the selection of Rabbit-related stories. If you haven't looked into it yet, I suggest you do so. Unlike most of the rest of the world, they're more viewed as something that's tragically died out rather than something that never was." That was because they were damnably delicious, but he didn't need to tell her that. Even if she was interested in Rabbits, most people would not believe that someone had killed - and eaten - one.

"That all sounds perfectly reasonable to me, excepting the the crazy family. What can you do, though? It's family." He declared, giving her a cocky grin. "All that really matters is that you enjoy your life while it's there to be enjoyed, and to hell with anyone who says differently." Goodness, he was starting to feel a little tingly. That was a good sign. Absently, he stretched out his legs, rubbing his thighs lightly.

The King chuckled. "About the family? Don't feel too badly. I'm... a part of the Court myself, and I'm not certain there's a sane Heart out there. Not completely, at least." The information that he was the presiding King was withheld, as he saw no point in holding something such as title over her head. "I have a crazy family of my own, I also like people provided they are interesting, and I enjoy re-finding said interesting people, especially on a night like this." The grin went flirtatious, and he inclined his head as he regarded her. "Especially when they continue to be interesting."

Behind them, the door opened again and an unfamiliar face stepped in. The man gave the bar a quick once-over, his expression twisting into a mild frown when he spied the woman he wanted - and the damn King who kept stealing her away. Not taking his eyes off of them, he slipped into a nearby booth, ordering himself another drink. No reason to be too suspicious... But they wouldn't be getting away, not this time.

[Nathalia]

((Interesting...the drinks are starting to make the King of Hearts feel...strange...unkind toward people, though not yet toward his little conquest.
His chest feels oddly tight half the time and his eyes keep dilating for reasons he can't explain. He's hyper aware of his surroundings and his voice begins to tremble after another drink or two.

Your goal is to finish up the four bars and head to the Capital center as quickly as you can...to the fountain, if you please...)))


~Nathalia

[Bee]

He rather endeared himself to her when he admitted Rabbits casually and without mockery into the conversation. She had only met one other person who had been quite so open. She suddenly wished she had Simcha with her to meet him, but Simcha had not liked the look of the evening. She had refused to leave the house, and had urged Helena to do the same, worry written into every line of her tiny features. The notion had been ridiculous when she'd left the house; curious as she was first hitting the town; strange and faintly unsettling now, but easily ignored for more intriguing company.

"You'll have to show me where I can find them," she said, hoping to hell and back the stories weren't in some library in the Bog itself. She'd die and they'd never recover her body. "I never had much luck with Bog accounts."

Just a couple of oh yes, the Raemblens have their fairytales that had dead-ended. It was a shame. She'd love anything that might help her bunny friend...remember. But she supposed now was a bad time to be thinking too much about Simcha. She'd give her a big hug when she got home.

She supposed, following the thread of conversation, that enjoying whatever came her way was largely what she had always been doing, come hell or high Mom. It was easy, in the moment, to forget about the self-esteem that had been repeatedly trod upon, so she did, and happily; then she took another drink, and happily.

"A lot of my family's gone down the Court road," she said. "You have my complete admiration for sticking it out. I'd set myself on fire within days, I think. Or be set on fire. I'm not much of a diplomat." Though she had heard that the Diamond Court was considerably less of a circus act than the Court of Hearts could often be. She wasn't sure how sane any Court that admitted her mother and baby sister could really be, but that was the word on the street.

"And you're in luck, you know," she continued, matching his flirty gaze with a coy smirk. "I become much more interesting the more drink I have."

[carcinoGeneticist]

Something strange was happening to the man. As he settled into both the conversation and his drink, he started to feel... Ill at ease? Perhaps. Tense, certainly. The bar was packed to the gills, and he didn't feel he could reasonably keep an eye on everyone who was there.

That upset him, for reasons he was as of yet unsure of. He just took another sip of his drink, trying to keep his attention focused on the woman sitting beside him.

"I would be happy to help, though I will warn you that a lot of the information comes in the form of recipe books," he said, chuckling to himself. Was his voice wavering? It may have been. He tapped a finger against the bar, glancing around again. He felt... As though someone had given him some very caffeinated beverage, rather than the sleepy buzz he normally expected from beer. "As I said before, their views are quite different from those of the rest of the world." Yes, he was definitely wavering.

That only made his frustration grow. It was getting hard to focus on the conversation, at this point. He scanned the crowd again and this time, a face stood out. Before, it had been odd. Now, it was genuinely annoying, especially as the arrogant sod gave Apocalypse a sneering smile. "So it would seem, my dear," he said quietly, giving her a small smile. "To more than one party. I'm sorry to keep asking you to leave once you've gotten comfortable, but..." He motioned towards the other man.

"Perhaps we can make a game of it. We'll hop one or two other locations, and if he insists upon following us, I'll have a chat with him," By chat, he of course meant that he would put his fist through the other man's face. But he wasn't going to say that out loud.