stuff us in boxes that's where you want us

cardboard is boring, we brought our matches - look how it burns

Those floodgates seemed to burst open unpredictably, as though she were holding back far more than one body could contain in that very moment, all it took was a little push. A little goading, pain, hunger and it all seemed to fall out of her without being able to slow it, like a damn waterfall burst from her moving lips. She felt it, building and rising within her like an entity onto itself. The things she refused to allow herself to dwell upon bubbling to the surface with a harsh maleficent intent. Her hands started to tremble as though that internal earthquake raged with, leaving behind a series of spidering cracks that fissured her very heart and mind. It could have been catastrophic to any being that remained close to the proximity of a figurative dynamite ready to blow. That spark was lit, hissing down to that explosion that could have truly consumed her and her warpath. If she let it.

How was silence defiance? When defiance to her was the roar of a tidal wave that swept through like an unstoppable force. In that moment when the French fae's eyes met her own, that violet gaze is vibrant and brimming with that blazing inferno that the world seem so keen on snuffing. Yet even under the weight of that narrowed blazing gaze, the fairy remained undisturbed, infinitely and infuriatingly calm with that stance that exuded just that. It only fueled her, tipping her over a ledge she hadn't known was there.

She refused to let that gaze waver as did he, not a twitch of his lips or an emotion of anger or anything crossed his carefully fused features. What an impressive mask it was, she had to wonder if anyone was really in there. That energy crackled to life within her, needing an outlet somehow even if it had to force it way out of her. Her own resolve practically nonexistent. That power to control metal slipping through the cracks those fissured emotions. How quickly that cutlery seemed to rise, floating in the air like out of a poltergeist movie, held in place by some strange magnetic pull that stemmed from her alone. How little did she understand that power that currently that feel beneath the sway of chaos that lived underneath her skin. A scoff found her lips in return for that response. And he was going to choose to simply ignore her! There was almost a smugness about it, that caused that frazzled disbelief to her features as a grin warmed upon his own followed by that very laughter, positioning himself across from her.

If there was a joke, she missed the punchline. "You. I can't even find the words for you right now." She grumbled in grumpy acknowledging that she had fallen in yet another trap, those further words on the manner dying before they left. She was hardly convinced by that little demonstration and yet her way wasn't working that hot either. That frown seemed to take root upon her face, drawing in a breath in an effort to cool herself off. Judging by the way that metal seemed move, it clearly wasn't working.

" So you want me to give Darcy the silent treatment? And that won't get me killed? Do you honestly think you could keep that resolve if you were faced with him... or even her?" That look that found her eyes held a come on, 'I dare you'. It's one thing to simply ignore her outburst, it was another to ignore the very monsters that felt like they could own you. She let that cutlery fall to the table with a haphazard clatter, the moment she allowed her own emotions to sooth.

At the very least his question seemed to aid in that composure, a question she could focus on. "Metal.. I think... I feel it around me... when I move it.. it feels like magnets repelling and attracting.. I don't even know to be certain." She would have shrugged but her mauled shoulder was already warning her against it, that incessant throbbing increasing as only to say fuck no, closed for business. Message received loud and clear.

"I've always been envious of those with powers. I don't know if this is going to end up backfiring in my face or actually help me. I guess.. if it all goes to hell there will always be tequila." The small things in life. She hadn't even accepted her inner feline, let alone now she could control metal and had to keep in check. Harley momentarily thought on those words of pushing back the barrier that would cage her in. While that sounded pretty, it hardly helped in that actual cage. Maybe if she only knew how. "If that were the case, I should have been given the power to emit the sun. I would be left with 99 problems still.. sun cancer probably at the top of that list.. but at least vampires aren't one." That sarcasm easily cradled her words, that lip quirking into a slight smile, shaking her head lightly, to do anymore she would have suffered for it. "and so.. my life keeps getting weirder." The thing was... that was something she could accept. She sank back into her chair, waving that hand in an idle fashion before eating that tempting platter before her that even she could not deny.

The thought of mere disappearing in the middle of the night seemed appealing, a false comfort and yet still one that she was content enough to cling on to. If only for a moment. She rose a manicured brow at him, that look she offered him said enough. His antics would not go unpunished she thought, attempting to kick the man beneath the table, firm enough to feel but not nearly the kick she was capable of. Would his powers save him then? "You know Swedish too? But Ja sjalbubuttbutt to you too." She echoed firmly attempting to returned the favour, failing marvelously and not giving a crap at her failure. "I might need to work on that.... Just a bit."

That mention of his powers seemed to cast a serious veil within that room. That offer to explain them, an opportunity the woman would hardly turn down. A rare glimpse into the psyche of the king of masks. She wanted to understand, truly, there were no other motives to it. "I won't forget." She jests in warning and yet the man in front of her had at least stayed true to his word, that was more than she had received from people as of late.

Yet even though you might try to escape it, those dark shadows of the mind had a way of creeping up on you. When reality sets in, it's like cold bitter pill to swallow. Imagining those unforeseeable battles that sprawled out before her nothing short of daunting. That night with Darcy was only the beginning. As much as that thought disturbed her. She would pick herself off that proverbial floor and fight back harder.

Matteo's next words were revealing and secretive all at once. How nothing short of inquisitive she was of that, the urge to question it nagging within her. She hated that word.. ruined. No she was not ruined, not yet. Not ever, if she could help it. That very suggestion of that word almost brought back that fight inside of her, even if the woman looked like the walking dead. "You can almost guarantee in this life that there is always some poor asshole with a bigger sob story than the next.. Its sad, but that's the way life is." Mess or not in that very moment, she knew it was fixable, somehow.. even when her eyes darkened and her thoughts challenged that very thing. She thought of those next words almost carefully, meeting his gaze once more. "Are they alive?" She questioned suddenly, almost softly curious. Because if they were alive.. there was always a chance. At least that was a lesson she was beginning to learn quickly.

How swiftly that food seemed to disappear, the mere act of eating seemed to return her to the here and now, that fullness that was taking over her belly made her feel almost human again. It was a simple act and yet it seemed to be far more profound, not to mention the colour that returned her cheeks and with it a flare of that potent sarcasm that rose with a vengeance. Apparently, the ridiculous mention of those sunglasses that saw to her eyes glance at once more, suspicion biting in that very glare. That name Marty-O... prompted little more than an offered shrug and some thickly laced denial. Was she imagining it? Was it simply a coincidence? If anything in this world there was little coincidence. How easily his features soon shift into something sheepish, instantly giving him a way. Oh, she knew that look; the look of a man guilty! Her eyes widened slightly, humour dancing within them before the first sound of laughter erupted from her all at once. "It's a damn shame you don't.. he had terrible taste in music and someone had to tell him he committed a musical crime. He does get points for creativity though." That laughter still lingered in her words as that clear amusement flashed behind her vivid gaze as short lived as it was, she paid for that very laugh that reminder of the wounds on her body still ever apparent. The casual stance seemed to turn ridged, the lines of her eyes squinting from the pain that assaulted her body.

It was that question of what she had learned in her nights trapped in that basement. How much can one learn in a goddamn warehouse basement? Cages are bullshit. Vampires suck.. literally and figuratively. And just how many ways one person can kill another.. Although, to be fair these were already things she knew.. so she dug a little deeper. It was that mention of Risque's paranoia that struck a recognition within her. "Risque is a level of paranoia onto herself. Darcy though.... I have to admit there is more going on upstairs in his mind than meets the eye... he had me fooled that night more than once. He has these tells, I don't think he is even aware of. I'll be... ready for them... next time." She was ever astute of those very nuances and that night alone had revealed far more about Darcy than the vampire would have ever wanted. A though entered her mind so abruptly and she was almost furious she hadn't thought of it sooner. She sat up sharply, regretting doing that her eyes meeting the fairy's eyes across from her.. "Maybe I don't need a key card.. you know most of those doors and latches are metal.." What a revelation. Hmm, she would need to test this out.. somehow. When no one was watching. Realization struck her hard, her powers could actually be.. handy if only she could get a handle on them. That whole building had so much metal in it. Something of a devious grin of knowing that should usually incite villages of people to run seemed to spread across her closed lips, tracing her idle tongue along her lower lip as she wondered of the hope in possibility. That thought alone seemed to offer her some kind of hope. one that hadn't been there before. It was something. She dipped that bread into her soup absentmindedly, sopping up that rich tasty broth before bringing it to her lips that still quirked upward. It was the mention of that bartender, that possibility she could press that man for valuable information, to 'befriend' the chatty vampire. She swallowed her mouthful before replying simply. "I'll have to see what magic charm I can work.." Or at the very least, the woman planned to utilize that connection to see just how much alcohol she could at least pilfer from Syn itself... at least if they weren't going to pay her she would find her own way.

When she muttered that very sentence with little more that a loaded question she had no indication what she actually meant... That inquisitive look upon his stupidly good-looking face gave it away that he was exactly right where she wanted him. That response of hers drawing forth that fluid, bone melting chuckle. "You are telling me, I guess when you live that long.. you need to get creative with your daily dose of murder. Although, I like my rocket launcher idea. You don't happen to have one I could borrow, do you?" That look upon her very features made it impossible to tell if the woman was joking or not, that attempt to appear as blissfully innocent as possible. There was again, back at that wanting to wield heavy artillery. Maybe one day she could wear him down... in fact, as deluded as that sentiment was, she was sure of it.

She felt like she could eat for forever, devour every last morsel at that very dining table and then somehow work upon that pot on the stove. She hadn't realized how hungry she was until her body seemed to be restarted with that cake. It was unfortunate her stomach possessed limitation that she was quickly reaching. That conversation seemed to take on that ease even despite the pain that still lingered. She could have had a knife sticking out of her and she would have acted like she was just fine. Harley was just finishing those final bites, reluctant to stop as though she were eating her very last meal. Oh, she wished she hadn't taken that last bite as she choked on that soup brought on by Matteo's devilish comment. How the fairy had caught her unawares and he knew it! That laughter escapes him unbidden as Harley brought her hand her lips coughing.. that fit barely lessening as she tries to regain that composure. How easily she walked into that spoken snare, it would seem he hardly intended to take it easy on the woman no matter that current state. Thankfully, with renewed zest after recovering from a murder attempt from the soup. "How about if anyone asks we try out that silence is defiance thing. Consider it a breach of the kiss and tell unspoken contract between us." That challenge quick to leave her lips. If he was going to use the silent treatment on her from before.. she was going to call him out on it now. She shook her head, as if to issue feigned disbelief that seized her words. "It's only fair.. you are after all my secret." That promise that had been sealed by an honourable pinky swear. She wiggled her pinky near playfully.

This was going to suck. She could already feel it. Now standing, even stepping away from her chair just to test her legs once more. Delight that they worked! Ha, take that body! Matteo moved with that graceful lightness, he easily positioned herself behind her, how the man ended up in that exact same spot was not lost either. Only this time had a purpose besides flirtatious teasing, that proximity nothing short of distracting. Now, it was only his fingertips that maneuver to find the collar of her sad, destroyed jacket, she would have to mourn over its loss another day. That nearness of him brought forth that delicious scent of him all the same.. Maybe she should have just opted to cut both jacket and shirt from her body, rather than peel it off one by one like some deranged striptease. The jacket was the first to come off, the brush against the wound scraping over that putrid, mauled wound on her shoulder made her wince. How she missed that very scowl that met his wounds, in fact he said nothing of it, even though she looked like she might have been mauled by a bear.

The jacket slid off her shoulders as easily as it could before draping that ruined, well-worn jacket over the back of her chair. Instantly Harley felt a chill, she hated those wounds being exposed, the breeze sweeping within that room then from that open window, produced a lone shudder, goosebumps rising upon her flesh. Matteo's radiating heat certainly not helping those conflicting hot vs cold rivalry. It was a mere assurance, a warning that she would soon have to lift her arms, she did so just enough, not daring to push it.. the very attempt provoking a hiss through her teeth. "Remind me not to get bit again." She grumbled a complaint, that alone was the very thing that nearly defeated her. It wasn't the danger, even the fighting, or witnessing that carnage. Hell, even getting stabbed with a stiletto was far more enjoyable than the actual bite, that very fear it brought forth within her nearly paralyzing. That worry of that venom perhaps the truth source of that impossible fear that surpassed the expectation of pain. How thankful she was that Darcy didn't possess that venom that could have made her... out of control or worse... having her like it, terrified her more prominently than anything else from that very night. It was the brush of his fingertips against her side that showed her he intended to peel that shirt from her form, that desire to move into his warmth all but replaced with that concern of the pain lifting her arm up higher would inflict. That fabric was slowly peeled from her slender form but it was his accented voice that flooded her ears. There was something about it, unsure if it was the texture of it or the reverberation of his words because of that proximity she hardly knew. That thought pushed away near rapidly as the mention of seizure.. It almost made her spin around to face him. Shit.. she would have never guess the burdens those very gifts could be. A frown knit her very brow, listening to the french fae explain, concern flashing upon her face then. For a moment she entirely forgot he was removing her shirt and how precariously close he was to her. "Do you still get them? The seizures?" even she could not hide that concern in her voice. Those visions, it seemed sounded far more like a curse than an actual gift. "That sounds more like a curse than a gift. How did...or do you function? Or do you have a ridiculously high level of alcohol in your bloodstream at any given time?" The very stress alone on someone's mind sounded miserable. How could this man appear so carefree with all that despair just beneath the surface? Then to mention the stress on the very body to endure such maddening thoughts that could hardly be controlled. "Can you turn it off?" Was it even possible? How those very actions she took at every moment, she had taken for granted, knowing that truly every action had a reaction. How damn exhausting it must have been to be aware of every little thing, every movement... every word. "How are you even sane Matteo?" She questioned once more, that question entirely genuine, turning her head as much as it would allow to see him and not getting much of anything except a vague outline of him.

That breath of a sigh seemed to tickle that exposed flesh at the nape of her neck that it was a distraction onto itself. She straightened so sharply then, looking forward. Harley's body nothing more than conflicted! At least her mind was too busy thinking about the weight of that revelation. How did he keep doing that dammit, she was sure he wasn't actually trying anything in those moments. It was then he moved to stand in front of her and she felt a little silly with her shirt bunched up to her arms. He asked her again to raise her arms and she hardly looked forward to it. "I'm such a baby when I'm injured..." She muttered out loud, those words practically sheepish as she caught a glimpse of that softened expression. He truly was worried. Why she hardly knew, she was simply a tool to reach a common goal.. The downfall of Risque and her empire. A sigh escaped her as she gave into the realization that this was going to suck. She could already feel the pain of lifting her arms. Fuck it.. she thought. In a moment that she did it and she winced it was up and over her head like ripping off a band aid. "Fuck." She breathed, ducking her head a bit, biting the inside of her lip to stop that pitiful whimper that wanted to escape as that shirt was seamlessly pulled off her head. She felt like a damn child unable to take off her own stupid shirt. How utterly embarrassing.. Although there was a certain relief that it was over, she blinked a few times after closing her eyes for that bracing, placing her arms back down the moment they weren't needed to remain elevated anymore. "Pfft.. practically a cakewalk." That slight strain in her voice made it quite clear that was a lie.

His eyes were clearly not on her face, but what she could only assume to be the wounds, until they slid upward to the swell of her chest, lingering there for only a moment before his eyes shot up to meet her own before declaring she had a nice face. She nearly snorted laughing out loud, oouuch, but she could hardly prevent that sound even if she didn't want to. "Yeah.. that was a nice.... save." She rolled her eyes.. that insinuation clear and with her one good arm she waved her hand as if shooing him away. "Tell your wandering eyes that was your one free pass." He moved around her once more and she was more aware of that scent that near toyed with her nostrils.

He warns her that this next part would feel strange before those words streamlined with ease back toward his visions. 'trust me'. Yet, somehow underneath all the bravado, she probably trusted him more than anyone else in her life. What did that say about the state of her life, she wasn't so sure. She sighed then, she was quite sure this was going to somehow hurt. Surely nothing could compare to actually receiving the injury itself. Matteo easily wove his words together into a hypothetical scenario. "That's an easy one... 15 lives outweigh 1. Especially if he is going to be a serial killer." His fingers moving dangerously close to those open wounds, how badly she wished to pull away. Yet his touch was endlessly gentle considering how she received them it was far from it.

The sensation that seemed to thrum through his fingertips...was unexpecting. It felt... strange like a million ants crawling within her wound. "That feels so weird." Harley then so desperately wanted to see what he was doing. Yet she was distracted once more as he began to speak more... even though she couldn't help but focus slightly on those strange sensations. How he spoke about those other hypotheticals she would have never considered. It was a good distraction, one that fully eclipsed her thoughts then. "Yeah.. but still. What about those other 19 kids and their families.. what of them? What if they ended up finding the cure for cancer? Or one of their children does something to shape the world? It's an impossible choice. You almost need to make the choice that will help you sleep at night. I know its selfish... but it's impossible for one person to save every single person. In reality... without your added knowledge, people would save the drowning kid and be none the wiser. I'm not so sure there is a right and wrong choice. But if I had to choose I would let the bastard drown." How gentle his touch was, even the way that warm free hand held her slightly squirming form still. When his powers spread through her then toward that wound at her stomach, it almost seemed to tickle. It took every ounce of control not to wiggle, bumping into him as she tried to will herself still. "Oh my god it tickles. I foresee myself unintentionally failing and I can't promise your safety." Oh god and it got worse... thankfully it didn't take long before that skin stitched together.

Once that sensation seemed to pass like a passing storm that never hit the raven-haired woman spoke once more. "At the end of the day... foreseeing powers or not you can't save everyone, nor are you to blame once it all goes down in flames. You tried.. that's more than most can say. Ultimately, its on each person to decide what they are going to do with the choices they have. How can the weight of the world weigh on one man's shoulders? Maybe you aren't supposed to save the world. Maybe you are just meant to choose to help your people and that's it. Oh, and survive.. because that's equally important. The world will forever fend for itself like it always had." The world would continue spinning whether Matteo's visions helped him intervene in those disasters or not. One other thing, Matteo was right... again... this didn't ruin his mystery.. it practically doubled it.

"Wait that's it? You're done?" She looked down in awe.. her fingertips running along her stomach first, that flesh miraculously now smoothed over, like it never happened. "Damn Doc, your practically a miracle worker." her eyes widened.. rolling her shoulder almost startled to find out there was no pain that hit her.

The impossibility to keep that disbelief from her voice. "All of it... is gone.. just like that. No stilettos, no bullets, no teeth. It's like it didn't happen... Now if you could wave your magic wand and I'd be showered..." She turned to face him then, eyebrow raised as though curious he could pull off such a trick.

"Feed me some coffee, slap a bow on me and I'm practically as good as new." She grinned at him then.. "I suppose this is the part where you say... Harley, I need something.." That sarcasm easily flowing, clearly feeling far more recovered than she felt before and it showed. She exhaled, but this time it was a sound of sweet relief rather than that weary sigh. " So I might have.... Prepared something for our deal.. I didn't know which ones to get... so I got you three different kinds." She pivoted wordlessly moving toward the kitchen, opening the upper cupboard nearest the sink. She had to get on her tiptoes to reach and pull out those neatly packaged chocolates, she moved with far more ease than before back toward him.. No more wobbly legs, but why did she feel.. shorter? "I think these chocolates have been around the world more than I have in my life.. I think the caramel one is from Belgium, the other has some nuts in it and those ones were hand painted from Switzerland... ironically.. I don't know why anyone would feel the need to paint chocolates. But it seemed cool. You should know I spent over an hour with the clerk as they explained how each chocolate is made.... It's no joke.. I've got a whole new appreciation for it. But what I mean to say is... I guess you kind of sort of won that bet." She offered those boxes to Matteo. "... there is also a card that goes along with it.. but I will get that later.."

Harley Westward