Queen of Hearts

pressure plates

odysseuss stalked around his room angrily. he had been kept up all night with what he was going to say to her. he didnt want to be mean, he understood that everyone needed time to talk about their own expeireinces and trauma. he understood that terrible things make people act in terrible ways, including himself. he had done things he hated himself for. his past was still unknown to ruby and andromeda. Imani seemed to be the only one who knew the truth about everyone. 

but when he saw her. his anger exploded. she had almost gotten him killed! if he had set up the psychic link like he had thought about doing, then they wouldve all been six feet under, all because she couldnt give them a heads up. 

it might seem like something small to explode over. but he hated secrets. he hated secrets when they hurt the people around him. she came in here and demanded the truth from everyone, while never giving the truth about herself. she was infuriating, annoying, and constantly on his mind. 

he turned the knobs on his shower, and waited for the water to heat up. his naked body was thankful to be cooled down. 

as cool water splashed on his skin, his own feelings began to calm down, the veil of anger left him and he was able to think over what he would need to do next. he wasnt going to help her very much now, not after last night. not if it got him killed. he needed her to be honest with the group, and if it took weeks, he was willing to give that to her. 

he did feel guilty for yelling at her in such a mean way. she was only doing what she had been taught to do, which was trust no one, and save herself. but that didnt make it okay. he would apologize for how he spoke to her, but not what he said. that would be the best way to make his point clear. he didnt enjoy being angry with someone, or feeling this level of guilt.

he rubbed shampoo into his hair. 

it could also be the fact he did have a crush on her. thats part of why he felt guilty for scolding her so much. she looked so shocked when he cornered her, there was almost a hint of fear in her eyes that made him feel shame. he would apologize for that, mainly to ease his own counciousness. 

suds ran down his body and onto the floor, dirty and grimy water mixed with soap and swirled down the drain, along with the anger and hatred he held towards Mercy for that breif moment. in all honesty he wanted to know what made her this way for multiple reasons. 

he wanted to know what happened that could be so horrible as to make a human being disregrd anothers life. not want to kill, not hate killing, but to make it seem so normal. she didnt even flinch when she killed someone, she didnt look excited or upset, it was like it was as mundane as breathing. Odysseuss never wanted to kill a person, unless it was someone terrible. he had executed and killed many people, and he could never shake that guilt. what type of horrors could someone face to make killing indifferent?

he wanted to know what happened so he could understand what happened last night. she had frozen up, her body went rigid and shaky. she looked nervous. she looked scared, terrified even. in the little bit he had seen, mercy only reacted this way because of two things. what happened last night, and when he had tried to form a link between the two psychically. he wasnt stupid, obviously she knew a psychic a while ago and had issues with them. but he wanted to know what happened. maybe he could help her feel better. help her heal. 

he finished washing his hair, and applied a conditioning mask. he sat on the edge of the tub, letting water slash his feet as he washed his face. 

she was one big mystery for him. he knew that whatever they were stealing had to do with her, some cult, and the gods. the specifics werent given to him, but he knew that Mercy was keeping them a secret for a reason. she couldnt be a god herself, she bled like a normal human. she couldnt control her powers fully, and she didnt look like a god. he wanted answers about that. he would ask her whenever she finally decided to open up to him. 

after five minutes he washed out the conditioner, then his face, and then washed off his body. he stayed under the water for a moment before turning it off and grabbing a towel. 

he rubbed himself down and rifled through his messy drawers to find a clean change of clothes. he towelled off his hair, applied various products to it and then left it to dry. Odysseuss got dressed, and sat on the edge of his bed. 

and then there was his feelings. he found her attractive, very attractive, no matter how infuriating her personality was, he knew that underneath it had to be something much softer. he wasnt one to pursue someone, but he found that the more he tried not to think about her, the more he wanted to. he was curious about every aspect of her. he could ask her out, but he knew she would refuse. plus it wasnt the best idea for him to date a coworker. he knew that if she got in trouble, even with the crush he had now, he owuld spring to save her. 

he flopped backwards, running his hand over his face and scratching his stubble. was it possible to flirt with someone like her? could he even try?

maybe if he was subtle, she would be fine with it. but then again he sucked at being subtle and flriting in general. he didnt even know if he was attracted to her because she was pretty, or if it was also her personality. no, it couldnt be her personality unless he was just attracted to pretty angry girls. so could it only be physical?

as he sat there questioning his emotions, he didnt notice the shadow moving underneath his door. the fact that Mercy was the one behind it, hesitating to knock, and eventually walking away.