we're falling apart [open]

[antoinette]

why don't you show me the
little bit of spine you've been saving for his mattress
I only want sympathy in the form of crawling into bed with me

[/size]

The brunette tore her way out of a crowded pub, socking one rowdy individual in the face as they pawed at her in good natured drunkenness. She was growling mad, her normally pristine clothing spattered with green tinged vomit, save for the black trenchcoat thrown over one arm. If she was capable of nausea, that was what was tickling the back of her throat. Her nose was wrinkled in distaste and she willed her inhuman, non-working lungs to simply close off, effectively ceasing to breathe. The memory of that smell, however, would not be so easy to extinguish.

Grumbling to herself, her lips remained curled back over exposed ivories, glaring down at her fishbone corset with a disgusted snort before jerking her gaze forward again, hauling herself down the street on wobbly feet. "Lousy stinkin' drunks. All y'all, a bunch of dumb shits." She was cooling her temper, a stream of profanities spilling out in a muted breath. Pausing in an alley way, she went about unlacing the soiled corset.

"Sure. Not even midnight and I smell like vomit, stone sober, -" not that that fact ever changed, she had such a high alcohol tolerance that 'drunk' wasn't a word in her vocabulary.. "- and odds are? I probably won't be able to settle down until I mutilate something. Joy of all joys." She growled lowly, slinging the disgusting corset to the ground. She stood bare from the waist up, staring at the lump of lace, satin and bile with an almost sad look. Dare take it home and clean it? Perhaps. Sliding her trench coat on, she wrapped it protectively around her pale form and tied the belt, picking the corset up by the very edge of the foremost seam. Lord help the soul that got in her way tonight; she was in no mood for pleasantries.

"A bag.. a bag... my kingdom, for a bag." She chanted, gazing around the dark alley. Sharp vision cut through the shadows like a surgeon's scalpel, bending around the various inanimate shapes; dumpster here, trashcan there, bum - asleep or dead - wedged between the two of them. Her stomach growled slightly, though not in response to the idea of a meal. Rather, she had allowed herself to breathe again, and that stench was wafting right up her nose. "Oh for shit's sake." Time to go dumpster diving.. oh boy.

[/blockquote]

[kyouwakahisa]

A particularly large feline was eluding Kyouya's pursuit when he happened upon a rather uncommon scene. A brief glimpse of skin that isn't usually exposed caught his attention. A woman had apparently become either too drunk for modesty or...no, she's re-covering herself. Hmm. Sober then? He then noticed the vomit-soaked corset and suppressed an involuntary shiver of disgust. He could sympathize with her haste to be rid of it.

"A bag.. a bag... my kingdom, for a bag." The woman spoke. She intended to save the article of clothing?

Kyou supposed that he should state his presence, but this was rather entertaining, so he remained silent to face the possible wrath of the female when she did notice him. Kyou leaned against the wall, making as little sound as possible, and continued to watch the woman survey her options. When it appeared she was actually going to venture into the dumpster itself to get a bag, Kyou felt the need to intervene. He could carry the few cans of cat food in his pockets.

"Here. It's reuseable, though I, personally, would burn it after using it to hold that particular object..." He lowered his lids slightly, producing a glower that, while unintentional, still managed to look slightly unwelcoming. "And I won't even demand a kingdom for it."

Kyou offered the bag after quickly transferring the cans of Friskies into the pocket of his leather jacket.

[antoinette]

you always fold up
just before you're found out,
drink up - it's last call; last resort

One of her many flaws was that she was, in fact, clinically deaf. That wasn't to say she was totally deaf; no, rather, she had a hard enough time distinguishing background noise from voices and relied on her other senses - taste, touch, smell, sight - to relay pertinent information to her. Given that she was folding a dangling, vomit-soaked corset in one hand and her trench closed with the other, touch was out of the question. Her olfactics were conveniently rendered useless by her attempt to cut off breathing, so smell and for that matter taste, was of no use to her as well. Her eyes were busy picking over the prone and inanimate figures in the alleyway whilst she contemplated her conundrum.

It was a surprise to her that the young man? was able to sneak up on her so effectively - though she realized it was entirely her fault. Satan help her if she ever made any enemies here in London; she'd be screwed. Her brain clouded slightly, floating around the idea that this may be a mere mortal or - perhaps - a creature of her descent; which had she just most definitely been mostly nude in front of? Did it matter, truly? A mild contemplation of this and she shrugged it off. Loosing her grip on the front of her coat, she gingerly took the proffered bag, nodding her appreciation as she half-flung, half-dropped the soiled corset into it; tying it off and effectively stomping out that wafting stench. His accompanied glower was of no interest to her - she was used to the surly types; though she filed that away at the back of her head for future reference. "Perhaps a good thing. I've a feeling my Kingdom will be a drunk's playground." Bitter much?

The belt of the coat was hardly enough to hold the trench closed completely; a gap of ivory skin was visible behind the shadowed material and Antoinette ignored it; inspecting her hands and finding them clean - she was utmost fastidious - before allowing herself to breathe. The first swell of her chest was almost painful and she coughed slightly; her heightened sense of smell taking charge almost immediately. She sniffed the air gently, pocketing her disastrous article of clothing. "Enjoy the little show, did we?" Both eyebrows raised and she flashed him a devious little lopsided smile, smoothing her coat - a mental unruffling of feathers - before extending her hand to shake; her gaze guarded but pleasant. She was a cheerful little thing, if at times a little disturbingly aggressive.

"Antoinette. And you are?"

[kyouwakahisa]

The woman took his bag rather delicately, nodding her thanks, and Kyou reciprocated the nod to a very small extent.

"Perhaps a good thing. I've a feeling my Kingdom will be a drunk's playground." Kyou was in the process of undoing the straps that secured his coat to his pants, so he gave a "Hn." without much thought.

"Enjoy the little show, did we?" Kyou paused in his disrobing long enough to give a thoughtful look at the- he now noticed- vampire. "Perhaps. Though, really, what is the point of looking only?"

He took her hand, again pausing in the unclasping of his many belts, to, not shake, but kiss her palm.

"Antoinette. And you are?"

Kyou met the woman's eyes with his own, and blinked slowly. "Kyouya." He considered her for a moment and then finished taking off his jacket and began unbuttoning his long sleeved, button up dress shirt. It was black, as the rest of his clothing was, and it came off much more easily than the jacket. He then took off his shirt, too, and held it out to the woman, replacing his jacket.

"Propriety. My jacket happens to close better." He gave a small sniff and began re-buckling his jacket, averting his eyes from Antionette's.

While he would not be opposed to having a dalliance with the woman, Kyou felt the need to allow her the chance to avoid one.

"Might I ask how you managed to get yourself vomited upon when you seem to be... fairly sober?"

[antoinette]

I'm two quarters and a heart down,
and I don't want to forget how your voice sounds,
these words are all I have so I'll write them
so you need them just to get by..

Keen dark eyes focused primarily on his lips as he spoke, those delicate, almost feminine features set on the ivory background - a striking combination and not at all emasculate. On the contrary, he exuded an odd sort of masculinity about him. Perhaps it was his more delicate features that quelled the defensive nature Antoinette generally reserved for men, that hatred toward males of any species that overwhelmed her to the point of venomous pursuit. Or maybe she was turning a corner and moving on.

Unlikely. Antoinette never left a grudge.

Focusing on his lips, however, allowed her to hear him clearly despite the din from the street and the bar next door, her head tilted slightly. She smiled at the proffered long sleeved shirt, eyeballing the material with sudden and quick hesitation. She so loathed wearing clothing that was not her own; she was sublimely disturbed by being encompassed by another's scent - no matter how delectable that scent may be.. simultaneously; she was touched by the offer from a complete and utter stranger. Slowly and of it's own accord, her hand reached out to take the garment, rust-colored mouth forming an 'O' against the alabaster palette of her face as she struggled to form some semblance of intelligent thought: it was not often she had much use for others. It was a grappling between Pride and Practicality. Practicality prevailed.

She settled for simply putting the shirt to use as thanks enough, untying her trenchcoat and dropping it at her feet carelessly as she swung his shirt about her shoulders, sliding her arms through the sleeves to the cuff. She was far from a tiny woman and found no need to roll up the sleeves; though they did fall down past her thumbs - she could live with this for the time being. She was far from modest; that much evident - she made no move to try to hide her body from view as she buttoned the shirt from the bottom up. Retrieving her trench, she swung it back on, icy hands finding the warm pockets.

Might he ask? Indeed. She scoffed slightly, wriggling inside his shirt - her sensitive olfactory nerve was busy recognizing and categorizing each fingertip of scent that patterned his particular smell; a unique one - far from unpleasant. There were certain stenches she simply couldn't handle. Patchouli. Floral perfumes. Vomit, she thought wryly. "... crowds. Humans trying to convince themselves of the idea that they can bed a Vampire and live to tell of it often drink far too much Liquid Courage." Her tone was dry, exasperated.

[kyouwakahisa]

While she did seem to hesitate before accepting his proffered shirt, she did take it and with a smile, at that. She seemed surprised, possibly shocked he had offered it in the first place. But then, it was London... The kindness of strangers did generally show itself to be lacking, here.

Kyouya, on this occasion of a free show, did partake in the view. She was the general type of woman he preferred, physically speaking. She was slender, but not too delicate seeming to touch, rather immodest... He gave a small, unconscious humm of approval.

Once she was clothed, though, he was quick to note that she did not seem altogether uncomfortable in his clothing. It even almost fit her. Ah, she deigned to answer him.

"... crowds. Humans trying to convince themselves of the idea that they can bed a Vampire and live to tell of it often drink far too much Liquid Courage."

Kyou's eyes focused into a glare, not at her, but the all-too familiar situation, though the glare did also happen to be pointed in dear Antoinette's general direction. Humans did tend to overstep their own boundaries, even when doing so could result in death. Kyou would happily aide them in reaching it, if they did the same to him. He didn't much care about race, but humans attempting to prove themselves brave or alluring or anything of the sort by ascending their role as below vampires and having an affair with one... Sickening.

"Hn." The small syllable was more a malicious snort at humans than anything, and not directed to Antoinette at all, excluding the conversational factor of it.

This woman seemed to be natural born. She, while immodest, was evidently prideful. Not many humans turned vampire developed that particular breed of pride, and if they ever did, it was only after much time, and the development of a proper sense of their station.

Hn. How old was this woman? The thought had not occurred to him. She appeared to be younger than him, but that could be a misjudgment on his part. No matter. It wasn't a particularly significant fact, anyways.

[antoinette]

And these are the lives you'd love to lead
Dance, this is the way they'd love
If they knew how misery loved me

His glare unnerved Antoinette, and she stiffened slightly; lungs freezing solid. The cessation of chest movement was the only indication of such discomfort; outwardly she remained calm(ish) and unruffled. Her jaw locked in place however, gaze gone hard as she watched his expression. She was fairly certain he wasn't intending the motion toward her despite it's outward direction - or that he even had a reason to target her - but had that ever stopped Jeffrey? No, no; her ex lover tended to lean toward the Sadist side of the spectrum; deriving an intense pleasure from inflicting tortures of every variety on his younger fanged partners. The hell with that. She had grown in many senses since those times. She willed herself to remain stoic, forcing herself to resume the illusion of breathing.

Perhaps she had this wrong. Maybe he was human, unnaturally pale, unnaturally cold; unphased by meeting a Vamp. Perhaps, but unlikely. Her inner sanity chided, mentally smacking her for the absurdity. If that were the case, she had nothing to worry about anyway. An eyebrow arched, a slight smile touching her features as she visibly regained her previous confidence.. the change was minute though tremendous.

She stood in silence there in the alleyway, watching him with that chocolate stare of hers. The world was deafening beyond this alley - something she loathed, as noise was just troublesome to her - and she was intrigued by this athletic gentleman; even more so by his scent. She breathed deeply, drawing the peculiar mixture over her tongue - and it clicked. Eyes narrowing slightly, she shifted, finally clearing her throat delicately. "Why do I smell cat food?"

The scent had evaded her for the time they stood; her brain dancing around it like a caveman and a burning stick - trying to compute what it was made of and how it worked. It sat on the tip of her tongue like some illusive liquor, just a drop to taste but not enough to identify. The reality had smacked her in the face during her internal debate; it was a tinish flavor, chicken and aluminum and salmon - and the resulting question was out of her mouth before she had even made sense of the identification. Cat food? Why the hell would he know why she smelled cat food?

[/size]

[kyouwakahisa]

"Why do I smell cat food?" The question completely caught Kyouya off guard. If he were human and had the ability to blush, he probably would have. Instead he dropped his glare, averted his eyes, and coughed slightly into his hand. It wasn't, in all actuality, a real cough, but it kept him from making a particularly showing reaction, though the one he did make was rather showing in and of itself. "That would be because I have cat food on my person. I... I, ah, I was trying to... There was a cat, and..." He took one of the cans out of his pocket and showed it to her. "Ore, ore, ano... Ore-I-I like cats." This was said with his eyes diverted from Antoinette's face, his head tilted slightly downward, causing his own hair to fall into his face. Kyou silently chided himself for slipping into his own language for a bit.

Cats were a sensitive subject for Kyouya. They were essentially a trigger to make him show emotion. Ridiculing them or his interest in them was, if not a death, a pain wish. Liking them or talking about them quickly garnered Kyou's attention. It was honestly the only thing that embarrassed him about himself.

"Before I was...Sidetracked," Kyou glanced briefly at Antoinette, though not at her face. "I was attempting to make nice with a black cat. He- I believe it was a he- was rather large for a cat, and I... I wanted him."

[antoinette]

I don't ask why,
I just fall into the meadow
I close my eyes and I wait to die

Her eyebrows shot heavenward and she considered this new knowledge. Cats, eh? She had never owned a cat. Actually, her father had been allergic to cats - or perhaps he just didn't like them - and she had been forbidden from owning pets in the past for fear of her... aggression. Then with Jeffrey, well; he was a Vamp with Issues. She cocked her head. "Really? I've never.. met ... a cat. Ever." Not even on a walk home did she stop to commune with the neighborhood animals. In many ways, she was a sheltered thirty-five year old. What a sad fact.

"A black cat? Show me." It was practically a demand, and she had stepped out of the edge of the alley to glance left and right before she had even finished speaking, brushing past him absently. "Wait, you don't eat them, do you? I don't believe in harming animals." She frowned slightly, glancing over at him as they stood shoulder to shoulder. The road noise was downright outrageous now, and she had to tilt her head near to him in order to sort his words from background noise. Damn this issue. It would be better in another alley - when the neighbors weren't rowdy businesses at the peak of happy hour - but the fact remained that this was an annoying disability.

[/size]

[kyouwakahisa]

"Show me." Kyou was in comfortable territory. He didn't mind being told what to do. That was simple. He was about to agree to doing so, when she asked whether he ate them.

"Ah, once. There were circumstances, though. Things had happened, and, well, yes, you can see where it goes..." Kyou laced his fingers behind his head and looked skyward. The view wasn't particularly beautiful. There was just too much light pollution and smog in the air to see a decent amount of stars.

"I didn't take much, and I took him to the vet after. I had thought I had taken too much, and I was worried. I felt rather awkward taking him to a human vet, but that's really the only kind you see, and he needed it..." He dropped his arms and held them out a little, palms up. "What was I to do?" He didn't expect an answer and went on without one. "I'm not sure how far he's gotten... Let's see if we can find him. Try to be quiet. I think children have bullied him- possibly other, and I use the term loosely, adults. He's quite skittish." Kyou took Antoinette's hand without thinking about it, and only truly noticed he did after he was pulling her gently in the direction he had last seen the cat.

He walked on a little ways, and then turned slightly, continuing in the same direction but addressing Antoinette, "If we don't find him, we can go to my apartment, if you'd like." He made a slight pause and with a slightly raised eyebrow that passed for a grin he continued, "I am, of course, referring to doing so so that you may meet my cats and any strays that happen to be hanging around my home."

"You've never met a cat, though? That's a bit rare, or do you mean that you've seen them, but not gotten close to them?" Cats were fairly numerous around London, especially at night. Had she truly never met one? How odd. "Cats are quite like us, really. I mean, as far as personalities go. And sleeping habits... But cats can be brave, skittish, proud, antisocial, shy, just about anything. I find it endearing to meet a cat with similar personality as myself. Oh, my, but that does sound narcissistic, doesn't it? One does tend to like being able to relate to someone, though... Species doesn't need to be a barrier."

Kyou stopped talking, realizing that he was opening up a tad too much to this stranger. He cleared his throat quietly and then turned back forward, paying more attention to where he was going. So far, there hadn't really been other alleys that seemed to be likely candidates for a cat to seek as shelter. They had just come across one, though. It was dark, and had quite a few likely hiding places. He gingerly stepped into the alley, putting one finger over his mouth in the universal, if a bit childish looking, motion for silence. He let go of Antoinette's hand and dropped to one knee to better inspect the alley. It ended in a dead end, but there was a dumpster and distinct lack of other people. He noticed there were some large collapsed cardboard boxes leaning against the back wall and took out a can of food from his pocket. He stepped closer to the small sheltered area and peered into it.

There was indeed a cat peering back. The cat was not the black cat he had been tracking earlier, but it was still a black cat, or rather, kitten. It was small, but more adolescent small, really. Kyou gave a genuine smiled and motioned Antoinette to look into the opening while he opened the can and put about a third of it onto a bit of cardboard.

[antoinette]

i've got nowhere else to go,
they made the world so hard!
if i had somewhere else to go,
i could be a star (like you)

She was pleased by this assertion and honesty from this odd stranger, that much certain by the slight upward curve to the corners of her mouth. With a somewhat bemused glance, Toni allowed herself to be grasped and pulled in the kitty's direction, rising up onto her graceful toes to pad along near silently. Her modestly heeled boots would no doubt cause a somewhat unnerving sound to an already flighty animal; and walking on the ball of her foot simply wouldn't give her the lift required to avoid sound - so toes it was. These thoughts and a dozen others vortex-ed through her undead brain in a millisecond, her conscious decisions a series of snap judgments.

She murmured nothing but the occasional acknowledgment of his dialogue, amused at his sudden spark of life - life? they weren't technically living to begin with - over this discussion of felines. A coy smile tugged at her cheeks and she caught the tail-end of his question, tuning in in a hurry. "I've seen them. Alley cats and the like. I've just never spoken to one.. or touched one.. I.. I never had pets." She felt like a kid admitting she'd never seen Snow before - an absurd thing to never see, wasn't it? She was nearly forty, for heaven's sake!

Allowing his comment on visiting his dwelling to pass - why comment? - she followed him into the sanctity of the quiet breezeway between buildings, eyes dilating abruptly at the lack of light and her ears practically sighing at the relief. Although that ever present ringing returned the instant the din quieted, even the constant hum of her damaged eardrums was better than mass noise confusion. She was a sensitive creature, this Toni. Remaining on her toes, she followed him placidly into the alleyway and crouched to peer inside the lean-to as well.

Her keen, hunter's eyesight picked the slight frame of the kitten out easily; it's glowing eyes reflecting in the pale light like beacons of solace - or perhaps doom, depending on this kitty - and she smiled slightly. Instinctively, she went still; lungs sealing off to avoid startling this creature so foreign to her. This was absolutely the nearest she had ever been to anything of the feline persuasion - which was amazing, considering Kentucky had all sorts of strays and barn cats. She had never had a good experience with canines; dogs tended to dislike her upon first meeting... maybe cats were different.

Her nose twitched as he cracked open the can of food, the mixed odors hitting her like a steam engine. Given it's compensation for her lack of hearing, her nose magnified each individual scent and broadcast it across her brain like a hand print of knowledge, and despite herself, Antoinette mused that it must be somewhat tasty. She flicked a gaze toward Kyou, shifting slightly in her crouched position, her knees tucked together modestly and petticoats well concealed. She was Vampire, but not entirely without class.

[/size]

[kyouwakahisa]

Kyou placed the food in front of the cat, hoping he wouldn't be snubbed. In the meantime, Kyou decided to speak to Antoinette, though his voice was laced with a soothing tone, for the cat's benefit. His voice was odd with the softer quality, but he found that animals tended to be calmer and more likely to not run away when he spoke just so.

"I'm not sure the little one should be touched just yet. Maybe after we feed him some. Mm, that's a good kitty..." Kyou had seen the cat munch on a small chunk of the food on the piece of cardboard out of the corner of his eye.

Kyou took a minute to just watch as the cat ate what was on the cardboard, and then put a finger into the can, pulling it out with a little bit. He offered it to the kitten, to see if he'd take it from him.

The kitten backed away a little as he put his hand out, but followed his twitching nose back to his hand. His small pink tongue rasped on his finger and tickled slightly. He repeated the action, giving the animal a little more, and then spoke again to Antoinette, in the same, soothing voice.

"If you don't mind making your finger a little dirty, you can try. I have sanitary napkins for afterward. It should help him accept you petting him in a bit."

[antoinette]

all those broken things around you,
I saw you in France...
all those busters hang around you.
I asked you to dance...

The aroma of cat food was almost too much for Antoinette's sensitive nose to take, and quickly after resuming breathing she silenced her lungs again, effectively sealing off her wind pipes. As a result, her voice was strangely hollow, almost as if she was speaking from a distance. It was a sound resonating from inside her chest rather than her throat. "Mmh. I'm not keen on grime, but it's a good cause I suppose."

She kept her movements deliberately slow and steady, spooning a bit of the extremely aromatic food onto her neatly cropped and well maintained fingernails, holding it toward the kitten with an almost child-like timidness. She was more than positive this cat wouldn't leap out of the box to eat her, but she had little experience with felines; maybe they could smell fear (like dogs) and would react accordingly. She willed her arms not to shake, allowing the equally as timid kitten to lick her fingers thoroughly. She twitched. That sandpaper tongue was a raspy reminder of what it was like to feel; and considering she rarely felt anything anymore, it was a welcome one.

"Good kitty, kitty. gutes Kätzchen… hergekommen, Kätzchen.. Mmhm.." The fluent language rolled off her tongue naturally, German practically a purring sound itself as it rolled from that same hollow spot within her chest. She extended a finger to scratch the furry black chin lightly, ceasing the motion the moment the kitten moved back. "What do you do with them once you befriend them?" Her chocolate gaze was on her slender companion again.

[/size]

[kyouwakahisa]

Kyou silently approved of Antoinette's slow movements. She learns fast. Good.

"Good kitty, kitty. gutes Kätzchen… hergekommen, Kätzchen.. Mmhm.." Kyouya was mildly surprised to hear the sudden change of language, but he withheld comment.

"What do you do with them once you befriend them?" Kyou turned back to Toni, a slight frown on his face. "Do? Well, nothing, really. I mean, if the cat is comfortable with me holding it, I may take it home... After that, I just let it hang around my house. I prefer if the cat is in my house, but sometimes, they'd rather not go inside. I don't make them. When I cook, I generally give it to them... You may want to try petting the top of the head first. Cats are more likely to accept petting on the head than the chin, chest, or stomach in the beginning. Letting their belly get rubbed is a sign of submission, and cats usually aren't keen upon doing so." Kyou demonstrated by putting two fingers out to the cat for it to smell, presenting him with his knuckles, and after being sniffed a few times, reached slowly over and stroked the top of his head. A small rasp of a purr built as he scratched behind his ears gently.

Ooc: Sorry for the short post. I need to work on schoolwork right now...

[antoinette]

Nodding slightly, she digested his words, sitting back on her heels - rather dexterous, despite her unusual garb and heavy layers. Watching him as he offered his knuckles to the small cat, and then as the black feline accepted head strokes lightly. She smiled, amused; until that sound built up in it's chest. Her smile abruptly faded and she froze, staring at the cat with a mixture of concern and curiousity. What the hell was that? Was that what they called purring? Really?

Sucking a breath in between her teeth, she repeated Kyou's actions, presenting the kitten a knuckle - which he quietly sniffed before turning a blind eye to her - and reached out two fingers to stroke the top of his head. The vibration of the purring resonated through the small feline frame and Antoinette was even more amused, smirking slightly, a low giggle trickling out from between full lips before she had a chance to quiet it. She could get used to this - this liking animals bit. If they liked her back, that was. Somehow she doubted she'd ever have a dog.. those animals were simply evil to her.

"Hum. Fascinating." And that was all that needed to be said.

[ooc - no worries, post when ya can. I had nowhere really to go with this.. but... more next time, promise. ]