Denying the Obvious (Ended)

[Kitty]

The hybrid was just returning from another of his trips to the Capitol. It was late, yes, but for him it was rather early to be returning to the Palace. This place .... it had lost almost all of it's luster and it was becoming more and more strange to linger within it's walls. He didn't have much here anymore anyhow... Dysthymia hated him and he was starting to get that feeling from several others as well and it was odd for him to stay in a palace that he was starting to believe didn't want him around. He was torn though.... he wanted to leave and yet a small piece of him wanted to stay and perhaps set things right. Well, he wasn't entirely sure what that little intention was, but it was large enough to make him stay.

His sparsely furred tail wasn't curled into it's normal s of delight, but it was curled up enough to keep it from dragging the floor. And, not detecting anyone in his general area, he let a sigh escape his muzzle as he wandered down an empty hall. He had no destination, he just wanted to walk and be alone with his thoughts in the quiet, terribly comforting darkness and with no one around he certainly didn't need to fake, well... anything.

He wrinkled his nose a bit, testing how his face felt today. The cut had almost entirely healed by now, and the wrinkling didn't hurt at all but the mark was still there cutting a pink line through his terracotta coat. The fact that it was permanent bothered him and he let the corner of one side of his muzzle drift downward. He was alone, right? No need to hide behind a smirk right now, no need to brush those wayward emerald tresses out of his face ... it was a nice feeling.

Then again, he was alone ... and he wasn't exactly fond of that.

[Vyn]

Moonlight played over Wulfram's pale form as he slumped against the wall of the palace. He was outside in the Courtyard, breathing in the fresh night air and trying hard to sober up his mind enough to brave venturing inside and running into ...well, the whole assortment of people and servants that might be inside.

His head was tilted back, eyes closed, as he ran his fingers over the purple velvet cord around his neck. The key felt heavier than usual, but the weight wasn't at all unwelcome. He missed his beloved, but there was nothing he could do about that for the time being.

He'd get to slip away and visit her soon enough.

The sound of footfalls caught him off guard and his eyes flew open to take in the luster of the stars above. Slowly they drifted earthward and he found himself plucking out Morpheus's sleek brown form from the shadows.

The crow had noticed the boy coming and going on more than one occasion but had never felt the need to acknowledge him. Wulfram was tempted to leave it that way, if not for the hint of a frown marring the weasel's expression. Drunken curiosity was a hard thing to fend off.

"Vat brings you back to ze palace so early? I thought you usually stayed out later zan dis?" The crow's brow arched smoothly, careless of the fact that it might be a little unusual to be keeping such tabs on his 'court mates'.

[Kitty]

Had he been in the Capitol still, the sudden voice might have caused him to bristle or do soemthing else rather silly ... but this was home ... except for that once nothing ever happenned to him here. He did, however, straighten up his posture and tilt his ears a little further back then they had been previously. He also paused and lifted his gaze up to meet the human's and his nose twitched a bit ... my, this jack certainly liked his drink didn't he? That scent, and that thought, instantly placed the Tulgy at a rather low threat level... well that and the fact that they were on Court grounds. Even his mother behaved on Court grounds ...

When the rods finally settled into his mind the corner of that steadily retreatign frown twitched up, so.... he wasn't the only watcher?

The same could be said of you, Wulfram.

His gaze lowered ever so slightly, curiosity pulling his min in as well .... he could most definitly catch a little glimpse of purple and he was undeniably drawn to that nice, dark shade. But he highly doubted he'd get any form of knowledge if he didn't ... get to know the odd, pale man.

He tilted his head to the side a bit, a bit of his hair sliding down his muzzle as he did, and he gave the Tulgy a rather coy little smile, his entire mood shifting quite easily from outward depression to modest curiosity. And then that corner of his mouth twitched up a little further, but nto far enough to show any of his pearly fangs, his tone tinted with humour.

Nothing interesting at the bar this evening, eh?

[Vyn]

Wulfram couldn't stop the smirk that spread over his expression as the weasel spoke.

Already he found himself liking the younger male. Though whether it was alcohol or just a bias for diamonds in general which governed this, Wulfram wasn't entirely sure.

Nevertheless, he found himself smiling as he pushed himself off the wall and smoothly approached the Lowlander. Absently his eyes scanned over the male, as if verifying the lack of wounds on the Diamond. A rarity, but not at all of the bad sort. (After all, Wulfram made a point of staying away from most Lowlanders and Morpheus was currently being considered as the only exception to this rule.)

"You 'ff e gut eye, Morpheus." The Tulgey chuckled lowly and ran a pale hand through equally colorless hair. "Alas, ze bar vas qvite borink zis efenink."

Once more the crow cocked his head to the side and questioningly arched a brow. "Und vat of you? Vas zere really nothink et all to catch your attention in all of zat big city? or vas it somethink else?"

[Kitty]

He swiveled first one, and then the other ear forward when the Jack spoke again .... what? It wasn't every day he spoke to someone with an accent that wasn't exactly .... simple sometimes but he was able to put things together in a manner that made sense without tilting his head to the side again. The tips of his tail curled ever so slightly at the small compliment ... he did so enjoy compliments of any nature. He even puffed out his chest a bit, it ruffled up his fur a bit but it was quite a useful gesture sometimes.

That last statement though, that cause the muscles in his cheeks to twitch and sent his whiskers forward momentarily ... he really should have expected the question to be thrown back at him.... but he hadn't expected it at all. The tip of his tail straightened out again, but he hoped his little pause wouldn't raise to many of those questions he didn't feel like answering ... or hearing really.

Nothing I'm in the mood for anyhow ...

wherever the human wanted to take that statement... well... it'd probably be correct on any account really. He did perk his ears in interest though, curious to see what would be made of it ... Cards were interesting sometimes, especially ones that were under the influence of one thing or another and the thought cause his tail to curl all over again.

[Vyn]

The little ruffle of fur at the compliment had caught his eye and his grin twisted just a little at the corners. Vain little thing he was! Yet, Wulfram had to admit, that always made things so much more fun.

The crow's expression adjusted a little as he leaned in, a mixture of playfulness and danger that no doubt made reading a human's expression all the more difficult.

"Und vat vas it zat you vere lookink vor?" Every word spoken seemed to drip more and more heavily with that unmistakable Tulgey weird, that hint of wrongness which all Tulgey's seemed to be saturated with. "More auften zen not, ze sings you are lookink for are right beneath your nose."

As he spoke he briefly pressed a finger to the tip of Morpheus's nose -- playful if not a little teasing -- before leaning back ever so slightly for the weasel's response. The upside to this, of course, was that in leaning so close the intoxicated crow had failed to think about the rich purple cord which would now be so very visible to Morpheus.

[Kitty]

He kept his eyes, and ears, focused on the crow as he spoke and ... leaned in. The strange wrongness that just seemed to ooze from his every word was only mildly disconcerting.... oddly enough it ran more along the lines of... soothing for him and this was probably due to the direction his thoughts and actions had turned in lately. Yes.... strange and wrong were certainly delightful, but the other mans breath was not... but by now he'd already trained his expressions enough to refrain from wrinkling his nose in disgust and that movement of something purple certainly helped keep his mind distracted.

The touch to his nose made his whiskers twitch a bit before his own grin turned.... toothy. Now, the things the crow had said, combined with his actions, could be taken several ways but that delightful purple cord presented an equally delightful oppertunity.... especially since he'd only seen it's movements in his peripheral vision.

A mere hedge separates the two paths my interest could take this eve.

He moved his long body forward a bit, almost following Wulfram's finger before he made a quick swipe with one paw, aiming to seize the cord in it and if he did he'd twist his paw just so and pull the Tulgey forward.

The key and it's cord were intriguing pieces yes, but games were always a bit more fun. And really .... it wasn't like he didn't know exactly where the crow stayed most nights after all .... and he had his ways of sneaking into the rooms of others should he truly want to ....

[Vyn]

Wulfram lifted a brow at the boy's cryptic statement and would have been quick to puzzle it out... if not for the sudden swipe that Mo took. His actions were slowed by the alcohol, yes, but he was not so intoxicated as to be truly inhibited.

Mo would manage to hook his paw around the cord, pulling both the purple velvet cord and the large bone white key into view, but Wulfram caught the weasel's wrist mere moments afterward. His eyes darkened considerably, anger flashing just beneath the surface, as that sense of wrongness seemed to swiftly intensify and turned his words into weapons that could make even a Queen feel tiny beside him.

"Let go!"

Beneath of the thunder and crack of his anger, however, there was far more than immediately reached the eye. A jolt of quiet panic and, unmistakably, despair. It was a mixture of frustration and alcohol that ignited his brief anger but both fuels were quick to dissipate and left little more than that seething anxiety behind.

He didn't want Mo looking at the key, he didn't want anyone to know about it -- or her.

[Kitty]

At that command, and the feeling that accompanied it, he let go and back off with a hiss, pinning his ears firmly back against his skull. His expression slipped into a glare and it didn't really matter if the crow had released his wrist or not .... he was not happy with that unexpected reaction. Most people didn't carry their secrets around their necks you see, and for once he wasn't actually trying to inspire agitation. Needless to say that was all it took to have his tail stiff, his fur bristled and his little pointy fangs barred. That .... was an entirely unacceptable action ... but the power to make him feel so.... small was almost as intriguing as that key now was. Oh yes, he'd seen the key and, with a reaction like that, it wasn't hard to put two and two together. Wulfram was hiding something, but he couldn't even begin to guess what it was .... he didn't know the man all that well, yet.

His toes twitched, causing his claws to do the same as they almost seemed to plead with him to be used, and he bit his purple tongue to distract himself with that familiar bite of pain and that delightful coppery taste that followed. Blood, he wanted it.... and.... my, wouldn't it look simply spectacular splattered across that pale skin and hair? A shudder ran down his spine from just picturing it .... it was lovely.

Surprisingly, even to himself, he gathered himself up into a rather regal looking sit, keeping his acquired distance from the man as he gathered himself back up mentally as well, he certainly didn't want to speak until he was in control, and feeling as close to his normal self as possible ... he'd certainly try to avoid a repeat of that ..... oddness.

Besides ... he had a little something he wanted to try anyhow .... and if it came down to it... well... he had a mighty fine lie just waiting to be used.

By the time he broke the silent pause, he was grinning to his fangs again, but his voice wasn't entirely back to normal and had taken on a lower, yet mischievous, tone.

Fine .... I won't persist.... if you make a small agreement with me... nothing bad at all really.

His tail tip twitched as the sparsly furred appendage relaxed against the ground as his comfort level rose again, he was curious to see what the Jack's response would be ....

[Vyn]

The moment Mo released the necklace, Wulfram released Mo and stumbled back a few steps in order to sulkingly tuck it away. He was pissed, there was no denying that while the frustration continued to smolder behind his deep red eyes, but the alcohol also did a good job of keeping him calm. He didn't want to fight with Mo, but persistance would've forced the situation that way regardless if he wanted it to or not.

While Mo was composing himself once more, Wulfram did the same.

He quietly tucked the key beneath his shirt once more and slowly eased away the anger and anxiety until, at last, Mo spoke up again. Slowly his brow lifted, his smile wasn't back quite yet but there was now curiosity where anger had been.

"... Alright, vat ist zis 'egreement'?"

Already he didn't like the sound of this agreement but honestly, what else could he do? He wasn't entirely ready to explain his pet to Mo.