The OC Above is Too...

Upon seeing the young artist, Walker immediately furrowed her brows at him. Something about him seemed... Off. Like he was a nest of contradictions, one that would take forever to piece apart the traditional method. Look who was thinking. There - of course - laid the more obvious fact that he just looked like he had no class. His face, his words... All too rough. The artist genuinely seemed like the individual - at least in her eyes - who would talk and talk without a single filter in sight... Always an annoyance when Walker detected it.

How inconvenient! the older woman thought with a scowl, How does this fellow function?

She coughed into her sleeve before quietly uttering, "You... You hold too many complexities within yourself. I have a feeling that they impede your ability to act as a person, and that includes your... Ummmm... Social capability." Again, back at it with the hypocrisy, huh? The fallacies present in her own argument lingered in the back of her mind even as she shuffled her feet. It required so, so much restraint for her to not totally put the man down... And herself as well in the process. "People are naturally inclined to interact with others, so your deviation is unfortunate for both those who wish to know you and yourself."

Then she remembered: Is he not a painter?

"On the other hand," Walker piqued with a raised brow, "Isolated folk like yourself do come off as more creative than the average person. Perhaps overly so. But you believe your mind is more vibrant than the world outside of it, which..." She trailed off. Is a bit concerning, she almost wanted to utter. Thank goodness the aristocrat didn't. It would've been another contradiction, another liability. "Is interesting," she actually finished, although it was clear from the lack of inflection that she didn't exactly mean it. "Too interesting, maybe... But it seems to serve you fine for the time being, I suppose?" It wasn't her proudest moment, but it was something at the very least.

Korrina preferred not to get in the way of others, but now, here she was. She didn't like outdoor gatherings such as this one. It reminded her of how feeble she had become, barely able to walk as her condition progressed. So, she was left bored in her chair. That, and the sun was often in her eyes, and a mere glance to the sky made her feel like her face was burning. She tried to stay inside as much as possible. So, today really was not her day.

The woman pulled the rim of her sun hat over her eyes, obscuring her own view of Walker. In another, better place, the older lady might have been nice to look at, but Korrina was not enjoying herself. At least she had someone to talk to.

"You're a trainer, aren't you?" she asked, "Training animals... It sounds like an interesting career. I wanted to study philosophy when I was a girl, and I wanted to become a writer. Of course, it'd never work. My husband's taken up much of my life... But, you don't seem to have to worry about that, hm?" She tittered into her knuckles, leaning back with a fluttering sigh. "With your line of work, I'd hope that you have your man on a leash..."

But, that wasn't all she had to say. Thank goodness, for the point of this thread.

"I find you're too cold, however. Too cold and too manipulable with those around you. Nothing wrong with that. It's best for an aristocrat such as yourself to be as such, and I admire your adaptability. No weakness, only the image you project of yourself. That's all we are, isn't it?" she muttered, and again with a sigh, "Oh, but your family... Your family needs to know that you love them very much."

Not that Walker should take advice from Korrina.

"My, my, aren't we the conniving one? Perhaps too much so," Nikolai grinned from his spot on the couch. With his sprawled out position he struggled to get a good look at her. "Goodness me, you have the confident stance of an empowered woman. If you were to joke about killing me, darling, I wouldn't read it as one," he laughed lightly before laying his head back down. "Yes, well, your life is interesting, dearie, quite so. It's like a soap opera. So if you'd like, I can help you out with whatever plan you can conjur, hmm? Of course, I'd want a few things in return, but we can discuss that later~"

Nikolai gave Roswell an amused grin. "I could certainly help you, darling," he offered. "I could make sure you rest well every night if you'd like. Or I could help you with a nap so nice you'll feel as though you rested well your entire life. How you'd like that done depends on you~" He glanced upward and feigned innocence. "Ah, I should add one thing, though, dearie. I'll need something in return. Can't be doing all of this from the kindness of my heart. You understand, hmm? Ah... Mmm, I'm sure I'll come up with something by the time it's my turn. I like you, dearie, so I won't want much in return. So? Have we a deal~?"

"Yer too..relaxed, " Roswell let out cackling laughter. "Bet yer 'enny 'eard dat wan before righ 'av yer, darlin', " he said. Copying Nikolai's speech patterns in a taunting way. Roswell sat down in his own chair while eying the Sin with a big grin. He rested his head on his own hand while starting for a bit to long. "How do ya do it?" He asked. " Oi 'av ter confess, oi'm,always tense." Roswell said. " Oi canny sleep withoyt wakin' up at laest 2 times, " he held up two fingers to emphasise his point.  "an' I then start to pace raun me apparent as if de Jakes foun' dis place. Loike a circus tiger, " Roswell snorted. "Haven't got a decent day of sleep in years! Do yer 'av any tips for an apprentice sleeper loike meself, dearie?"

"Yuck he is to Arrogant,He does to Much Bad things For his Own Gain I wouldnt Hesitate to kill him. * Kira Says with Disgust*

https://toyhou.se/6492950.kira

"Eh, she's too bubbly. She's also kinda cute though." 

"You're too quick to butt into other people's problems. Ironically, this act of yours could drive others away. I know I'd be annoyed. I won't rag on you for caring, but let people work things out themselves. Not everyone wants or needs your help." James takes a moment to stretch. "Do you even have a life of your own? Start living it."

"A bit hostile, aren't you?" Skinner remarked with a frown; however, in spite of his inflection, he seemed more... Amused than actually irritated. He, after all, wasn't exactly new to venomous looks or words. Even if this stranger was more than likely to pose an actual threat to the older man if the former lashed out, he just didn't seem that fazed. His mouth twitched slightly as he eyed the dragon. "I don't say this with malice, but I have a feeling that your temper is a bit too short. You seem too ready for confrontation, always ready to pounce whenever the opportunity presents itself. It's Machiavellian. Normally I wouldn't complain about such a trait, but you have your network... I think?"

He rubbed his chin for a few seconds before continuing, "It just seems out of place. You have that bird friend of yours anyway. There's no need to be hostile; it almost makes your friend a bit redundant." And with that, his eyes softened slightly as he looked off to the side. Was he actually expressing self-awareness for once? Who knew? "I don't know anything about your friend, but I'm surprised he hasn't drifted away in the face of all that bitterness..." Skinner almost wanted to add that he had a very similar sentiment, except that he couldn't escape for political reasons. Politics... he thought with a shiver.

Sighing gently, he waved a hand as if he was dismissing his own claims; then he opined with a slight mutter, "Still, as said before, I only offer this criticism so that you can improve in the future. I'd say that this is negative reinforcement, but then again... I really don't know." Like the hypocrite he was, he shrugged and attempted to downplay the impact of his words. "I'm not one to butt in regarding traits. All I know is that you're too grumpy, just based off first impressions. Maybe something softer is underneath all those hard scales, but I just haven't seen it yet..." Or maybe there isn't anything at all, and I'm projecting wishful thinking onto strangers once again.

"Pardon me for intruding," the spriggan piped up, "but I think you're too invested in shaping behaviors to notice what's right and wrong. That might work for your animals but..." Leif trailed off for a second, feeling a little rude for butting in, trying to tell someone what their doing is wrong. A small idea clicked within the guardian's head, and with a snap of his long, twisted fingers, a small carnation began to slowly bloom in his hand. Whilst the flower that bloomed was vibrant and large, the leaves that popped out around it seemed fragile and misshapen. 

"I view it like this: everything has good and bad in it," Leif began cautiously, trying not to overstep any boundaries. "The flower may be beautiful, but the leaves are rather unsightly. However, despite one's want to rid everything of bad aspects, some imperfections are needed." Leif plucked the leaves away, wincing a little bit as he ripped them up from his hand. As soon as the last leaf was tossed off, the flower immediately started to wither, drying out entirely. "With no leaves, imperfect or not, the plant dies. Take away qualities from anything, be it imperfect or not, and you essentially kill what it was you were trying to fix." 

The spriggan looked over expectantly at Skinner, who seemed to be following in an auxiliary sense. However, Leif picked up on the innate hypocrisy of his statement; trying to change someone's demeanor to make them better. "Of course," the tree man mumbled, "it is just a suggestion. Don't let me stop you from what has worked, I suppose."

"You are respectable, for a creature of... your kind." Was that uneasiness in his voice? The middle-aged man stood, hands folded in front of himself, as he looked up to the tall spriggan before him. "I agree that deforestation is a horrific thing, that nature should be respected. Not just animals. It's terrible to know what civilization can do to these places." He should be grateful that he didn't live on Earth. Both for the slower growth speed of foliage and for the fact he would quite literally explode. Not that he even knew what Earth was.

"Though, what I don't think is respectable is... well, I think it's foolish to linger, to be anxious. Time passes, people die, but you might not. And that's fine, really. The longer you thrive, the more powerful you can make yourself out to be." Otto spoke coolly, as uncaring as he could possibly be in this moment. "So, what I'm getting at here, I suppose, is that you're too nervous about things things that might not matter in the end. Outliving friends... It's just something that happens."

With a deep breath, he nodded to himself, and then added, "Fear of all kinds is a hindrance."

Pretentious.

"Could you be more validating man?" She nudged him. "It's dumb to ask people to ignore their worries, he's probably close to that friend"

"also, I'm sure Leif would appreciate it if you give him time to mourn"

"Oooh, you're life is too tragic!" Despite his words he smiled widely at her. "You've got a fancy upbringing and anything you could want, but it's pretty lonely, huh? Friends just using you and a mystery for parents. Makes my heart break," he sniffed and clutched his chest. "And look at you! Even with all that you're still trying to help others," he exclaimed while motioning to the other two besides her. He leaned over and pressed an index finger to his lips, giving her a playful wink. "Hey, what's say I arrest them? That oughta ground them, huh?"

Every time Brown hissed or glared at him Cameron responded with a wide smile. "Awfully contradictory, huh?" he beamed. "You've got a lot of guilt for your husband, but you're proud to be a killer?" He scratched his head with the tip of his gun. "I guess that's pretty normal for a first-timer, actually. Still shaken up but you've got that thrill. Don't worry, you learn how to act after you get a few done. Thrill doesn't go away, though. You'll probably have to get more creative, but that thrill is still there." What did she say earlier? Younger? How old was she, exactly...? How old was HE exactly? He'd lost track. Instead, he smiled once again. "Hey, you know I bet you just need to take some frustration out. You and me, c'mon, let's go find someone! Hell, you can even stab me if you want! I don't mind!"

Death was no stranger to her, who both foretold and trailed it in her daily life. Ever since the infamous incident and its associated accusations, Brown made sure to keep track of the black canine that was sometimes seen scribbled on the graffiti of some of the less affluent areas of the city. She could've worried about being robbed or mugged, but in all honesty, she didn't give a shit about the law enforcement. It was part of the respected society that scorned her, and so via guilt by association, she grew to disdain the norm while still maintaining her personal standard.

Even then, when she heard of a police officer gone rogue - one who started killing people for the thrill - she had to investigate it herself.

"Brutal, are you not?" she asked the cop almost tauntingly, a shit-eating sneer laced on her face, "You are too merciless. Killing people because you feel like it? For that rush of power? That sounds... Oddly familiar, actually..." She laughed and waved her hand asides while eyeing the younger man with a glint in her eyes. "I cannot give you my motive for doing what I did because that would take the fun out of this conversation, but... Alas..." Taking a step forward, she did, however, hiss, "You remind me of myself, but younger and with more victims under your belt. I killed one, but people will say that I killed... A handful or so. You on the other hand..."

Brown started to pace around the man as she added, "Though, in a way, as much as I would love to find someone whom I can talk crime about without being shouted out..." Her eyes narrowed into a glare. "... You remind me of my fucking husband too much," she spat, "You and him would have gotten along perfectly fine if it was not for his unfortunate death." Put air quotes around the word "death," and you'd get an idea of how much bitterness was in her voice at the moment. "You and him... He was too loud, and too boisterous. Always looking to have a good time... I reckon those traits are familiar to you. Perhaps because you embody them." By now, her sneer had long since faded into a scowl as she stopped circling him.

"I wish you leaned towards my personality in terms of traits instead of my husband's. Then maybe we'd get along better. But right now, I cannot help but feel a rising sense of distrust when I see you and your stupid smirk..." Yea, like she wasn't delivering a similar expression just minutes earlier.