[hr][center][A ZombiesAnHyenas / XianaEvermor Collaboration][/center][hr]

“[color=Orange]I am not flustered! I’m merely surprised! And y’know, on a business meeting with someone infinitely prettier than I expected?[/color]”

He replied, and then immediately snapped his mouth shut. Why had he said that? She wasn’t… That pretty? He thought? What the hell. 

Usually he kept his words to himself, so what the fuck?

[b][color=#f7e286]"You’re quite a… handsome fellow?  Yourself,"[/color][/b] she smiled, gently laying her hand on his for a moment with a raised eyebrow that suggested maybe she knew more than she was letting on.  [b][color=#f7e286]“I think something will happen in the future to challenge your beliefs, call it a gut feeling.”[/color][/b]

Her words rang about for a little while. Rattling like church bells, or like the knell of a cemetery bell.

‘Something will happen in the future’, said with such confidence, that automatic assurance of self. Why would Felix say no, of course. Wasn’t he so ‘lucky’?!  Felix’ eyes darted to their touching ‘skin’, hardlight rippling like water in slow motion; pupils contracting as a memory arose unbidden. 

[i]Her voice was coaxing, soft and horrible. “You’re just so pretty! I would [b]love[/b] to shoot my shot with a boy like you! You’re just so… Butch, and- and- and so,” she paused to think, “[b]Rawr[/b]! you know? Super manly!”

Except ‘boy’ was said like it was an exotic trait. ‘Pretty’ was said like a butcher's knife. ‘Manly’ was said like every piteous, self righteous, [b]bastard[/b]—[/i]

The memory shattered. And Felix snapped back into the present.  His eyes flicked up to hers. He stood.  And he spoke. Smiling, becoming terse and bitter, he spoke. Through teeth clenched like gates slamming shut.

“[color=Orange]Yeah alright, [i]ahem[/i]. Nah. No, no offense meant [i]lady[/i]. But, no. I appreciate this! It’s been fun! And it’s been real! But uh… It ain’t real fun to be [i]exoticized.[/i][/color]” He stood, stepping out of the booth to stand straight and indignant. “[color=Orange]So… I’m going to go now. I’d appreciate it if you didn’t [i]try[/i] to stop me. Bye now.[/color]”

Some small voice in the back of his mind asked if he was maybe overreacting? Misunderstanding? 

The rest of him violently disagreed.

Dawn had raised her glass to her lips, and choked at his reply.

[b][color=#f7e286]"What?"[/color][/b] she spluttered, nearly spilling her drink.  [b][color=#f7e286]"Nono, it’s not like that!"[/color][/b]  Dawn flustered in a distressed tone.  [b][color=#f7e286]"Wait, wait don’t go, let me explain!"[/color][/b] she pleaded, climbing out of her seat awkwardly to reach for his hand.

Felix [i]twitched[/i], darting his hand out of her reach. He kept his smile, though if there was some way for it to become even more brittle and flint…

“[color=Orange]Ask! Jesus. Ask before touching me! Please! You can fuckin— You fuckin’ warp the shape of my prosthetics! Of my [i]arms[/i]! I can feel that! It’s [i]wrong! My skin shouldn’t move like that![/i] And that’s not even— You CUT ME OFF FROM EVERYONE? Do you even know what your brother does for work?! Do you know how [i]freaky[/i] it is? To not be able to reach my coworkers for help?![/color]”  He cut himself off. He had gone from hissing to shouting, voice cracking part way through. 

Felix’ throat hurt, vocal training and therapy, years of practice, all forgotten in anger.

Dawn flinched hard, as though she’d been shocked.  Confidence, playful allure, calculated contact, the word play… she was clearly used to handling everyone in this manner, and had no idea what to do or say now that it wasn’t working.  She sputtered syllables at him, trying to find her feet in a rapidly deteriorating situation she was no longer in control of.  She struggled to find something constructive to do with her hands as she resisted the urge to make comforting contact, and instead shoved her balled up fists into the pockets of her skirt.

[b][color=#f7e286]"I know more about what Archer does-,"[/color][/b] she bit the inside of her lips, cutting herself off. [b][color=#f7e286] “I-I just wanted you to feel safe talking openly,”[/color][/b] she half stammered.  [b][color=#f7e286]“Look, you’re [i]special![/i]  I have a [i]feeling[/i] about you,”[/color][/b] she explained unsteadily.

Her words slammed into the back of his head, and the smile finally vanished. A notification popped up in the corner of his HUD. 

Reconnected to the network…?

No. No, it was a heart rate warning. 

The emotions were bubbling up now, pulled out of him even if he was doing everything he could to hold them back.  His mouth slammed open, and as if the [TRUTH] was yanked out of him, his voice lanced the air. 

“[color=Orange][b]No! Shut! UP![/b] I am NOT special. You do not get to CALL me that! You can’t just SAY that and expect me to FUCKING CHILL?! You wanted me to feel safe talking openly?![/color]” He sucked in a breath, trying to hold it in. 

What the hell was wrong with him?! This was ridiculous! He was out of control!

“[color=Orange][b]YOU CUT ME OFF FROM EVERYONE?! I DON'T KNOW YOU! I don’t know this place! I don’t know YOU! I don’t just— YOU CAN’T JUST EXPECT ME TO TRUST YOU?![/b][/color]” 

Gasp for air.

“[color=Orange][b]Y’all know my favorite fucking drink?! Y’all corner me into a building? Out of sight and out of contact with anyone I know? Then, and only THEN, do you tell me that you’re a GOD?! Do you know how that feels?![/b][/color]”

“[color=Orange][b]How dare you! How dare you?! And this! What are you doing to me?! You’re an esper, that much is obvious, but if you’re fucking causing these- these- heightened emotions?! What the fuck! That’s— I cannot believe you! That’s SO scummy![/b][/color]”

Felix finished with a shout; panting and trying his hardest to wrangle the crazed knot of emotion in his chest. 

[b][color=#f7e286]"I-I’m not…,"[/color][/b] she stammered.  The light began to shudder and cracked around her like a damaged mirror.  She took a deep breath to try and get it under control.

He took one… two… three steps back; and then turned. And left.