JACK HEART
of course he took notice in how displeasure stroked the other’s face and took relish in it — hie lips gave a quivering smile but nothing was as damning as his manic eyes.
the little twitch of his eyebrow, the micro-changes in the other’s expression. there was NOTHING he didn’t know about apple poison. he was certain the other knew him like the back of his hand as well. just like all the recruiters did.
he brought the cards to cover his lips, though his murderous intent was laid bare for all creatures in the vicinity and the loud rustles of trees as the forest creatures scrambled away was heard not long after. “scared mommy will scold you if you get dirty while playing?“ he sneered and his voice trembled ever so slightly. it was a crime to feel this much fun, he’s sure. but they’re worst than criminals, were they not?
there was some sort of twisted pleasure that crawled from the tips of his toe, caressing his spine as it made its way out towards the cavity in which his heart should had laid. but alas it was a barren place. whether it was by mistake or by design — and jack rather thought that it was the latter, for he would not had been able to do his job effectively were he cursed with a bleeding heart and affection coursing through his veins.
“if you believe i have one, then you are the idiot.”
a curl on his tongue, his words slick as poison and sharp as a blade. there was a shiver in his bones and he absolutely loathe how apple poison was the only one able to invoke such emotions from him. it was not PRETTY. it was anger and deep repulsion. it was all the ugly emotions ALICE told him about, from the books he had nicked off her, from the memories she had shared with him whenever he felt like entertaining the little human girl. ( did these emotions exist because he hated him so , or was it the other way around? he could not imagine dear dalmatia would color him blind with rage and a loathing that not even the seven hells could handle ).
but at least it was something.
jack heart was willing to take everything he could. the little scraps and crumbs, no matter how dirty it was. having fun means that you’d have to allow yourself to be covered in filth. “well come and find out. if you could get close enough to put your hands on me that is,” and with that, he propelled himself backwards, agile unlike the weird cat that occupied the kingdom of wonderland, and flicked his cards towards apple poison as he did so.
❝ shut up. ❞ apple couldn't contain himself this time and the lapse in restraint opened the door to his inner psyche, exposing the growing blue flame of his budding icy rage. subtle in its passion, yet its existence alone was a testament to the great disturbance jack always brought to his typically pristine patience.
that did little to cripple him, however, and apple remained as alert as he normally was, quick to spot the cards aimed at him and either dodging them or flicking them away with a swish of a vine, even snapping those into two for good measure. but a mastery of evasion would do nothing in the long run to secure a victory, as great a show as he was now putting on, and apple was hell bent on giving jack a hard time if the other recruiter were to wish for a win as well.
it was an act of diversion, the vine that darted forward at an attempt at wrapping itself round jack's wrist. its success was irrelevant to apple's true objective, which was swiftly executed while jack still had his attention at the vine aimed straight towards him. apple darted towards the opposite direction of his vine's trajectory and, in a split second, went charging towards jack from the side till apple had him slammed hard against the nearest wall, his left forearm stretched across the expanse of jack's shoulders and keeping him stationary. he towered over jack and circled a vine round his waist, slowly tightening until the thorns now snagged at the fabric of his clothing. surely this was more than just an eye for an eye, if apple's intention was taking revenge for how jack earlier on had him pressed against a wall, but apple had little intention of playing fair and, if anything, intended to incur an interest rate.
he leaned in close and his eyes bore into jack's, the icy flame within him growing and a smirk prancing upon his lips. enlisting once more the help of endearments that would surely bring forth another surge of disgust for jack, he spoke in a low voice. ❝ i'll be generous for a brief moment, sweetheart, and remain still as requested... but only if you will too. surely you'll behave, won't you my dear? that is, if you still dare to have a taste of poison. ❞
a foul taste lingered at the back of his mouth from the expelling of words jack so highly did not deserve to receive, and yet the sweet taste of jack's displeasure coated his tongue and dominated his own disgust.