The Butterfly Effect.

[kou]

Dancing, twirling, fluttering in space amongst cosmos which are bound to collapse.


The butterflies will doom us all, doused in poison.

 

[kou]

Act 1: "The Butterfly Effect"

"The beauties of the creature are still valid although encaged."

----
​

'Do not let him get to you.' Iris had been told that a plethora of times by various sources who were all intent on making her fear the man who had murdered many and was still able to slip beneath the cracks like sand or possibly due to the fact that this was only her second case involving a serial killer. Of course, in the eyes of the law aforementioned man was innocent until proven guilty but Iris didn't like to abide by the strict regulations and philosophies surrounding the court and this was no exception. As she delved deeper into the prison, she was startled often by the sudden noise caused by one of the men within the cell whom seemed to be taking a liking to her person and would not stop administering disturbing catcalls. The air seemed to grow colder as each door which was labeled by a faded number allowed her entrance to the most dangerous section in the facility, the inmates were silent here and she was unable to see them due to the padded doors which blocked her sight of what occurred inside. Maybe it was for the best. Iris strolled down the hall with a defined purpose, her heels clicking loudly in the otherwise silent room and her face void of any expression. She would ask him questions, he would answer, and she would leave. As she rounded a corner, she glanced down at the file which she had been provided with by one of the man's former psychologists who had happily informed her that there was no purpose to trying whatsoever. 'Cell 219'. She returned her gaze to the door at the very end of the corridor before breathing deeply and starting down the hall, counting as she closed the distance. Hesitantly, Iris removed her assigned keycard and slid it into the slot which automatically opened the door with a slight release of sound. She peered through the crack before looking up at the camera which was trained on her and the proceeding to open the door. "Pardon me, are you Mordecai Lester?" @NimbusTheCat

 

[Angst]

Of all possible things, it had never once crossed Mordecai's mind that they would get him on a charge of animal cruelty. But that dog. That damned dog. The inability of his neighbors to comprehend that migraines and constant, high-pitched barking did not make for a very auspicious combination had simply aggravated his last nerve. A bit of leftover steak and a letter opener had fixed the problem, as much as he would have preferred to set the beast ablaze. The sound of metal piercing flesh still left a vile taste in his mouth. But the pain had clouded his judgment, made him frustrated, desperate, careless, even, and someone had noticed, promptly landing him in a cozy little prison cell. It wasn't as entirely terrible as he'd always imagined it to be - aside from the occasional intrusion, he was left mostly to himself. Nevertheless, he was beginning to grow restless, and was entirely relieved that they hadn't found any further evidence to convict him of one of his several more serious misdemeanors. He would be released within the following forty-eight hours. With the uplifting thought of freedom came the click of an opening door, and in the blink of an eye there was a woman standing before him. Tall, thin, and practically radiating a business-like aura. Another psychiatrist. How quaint. "I am. What can I do for you, darling?"


@Annabella

 

[kou]

Iris Mason

The Caterpillar

Doctor Bruce had not falsified his claims, never had Iris seen someone who exuded such intimidation as she had with the very man standing before her. She felt her fingers tighten around the beige folder before she leaned ever so slightly on the doorway. He seemed well-spoken, judging by his appearance he was certainly one would consider intelligent however beneath his tone lay a certain subtle venom which seeped into Iris's every being and paralyzed her. This man was dangerous, she knew this but she didn't know how he was able to be let out once more. A nagging voice within the depths of her mind urged her to say something, anything in order to not appear illiterate or inexperienced. Clearing her throat, Iris reached into the opening of a dark shoulder bag which hung upon her arm and pulled out a recorder. "Mr. Lester, I am Doctor Iris Mason however you may call me Iris..I am aware that there were former charges filed against you that were certainly more severe than what you have been incriminated for..with that said, may I interview you?"

 

[Angst]

Mordecai Lester


{The Butterfly}



​

A smile lifted the corners of Mordecai's lips. It was all in her mannerisms: the way she gripped her folder the tiniest bit tighter, her momentary loss for words. Telltale signs that he was getting to her already. She was an educated woman; he could gather that much from her eyes, a deep brown, and the dignified way in which she carried herself. It didn't take a great deal of intelligence, however, to conclude that one should fear a sociopath. No doubt she spoken to others who had worked with him, and had read as much as she could into his murky criminal background. That was how the educated types usually went about doing things. Her statement confirmed his observation. "I don't see why not. Sit." Mordecai motioned to the uncomfortable slab that had served as his bed for the past few nights as he himself took up a position on the floor across from it. Since his incarceration, he had been through interview after interview with all manner of people trying to squeeze out enough information to validate the claims against his person, so Iris's question came as no surprise. Needless to say, all previous attempts had failed. If such was her aim, this one would be no different.


@Annabella

 

[kou]

Iris Mason

The Caterpillar

Iris cautiously navigated her way towards the bed and perched upon the very edge, grimacing at the hardened frame underneath it. By God, she knew people had done animilastic things in here but this would absolutely destroy their posture. The thought of this made her inwardly reprimand herself for such sympathetic plight towards the man, she had seen what he had been charged with previously and had calculated the horrifying expressions on her predecessors but had felt nothing within herself that could be akin to horror. This was the conflict that Iris wished to resolve, maybe if she saw what he truly was then she would no longer wish to be associated with his 'work' or his future actions. She knew what he was which was why she was morbidly fascinated, it would get her destroyed if she didn't tread carefully. She stared down at the folder before flipping it open and studying the legible scrawl which had been imprinted into the paper, they were questions but her mouth couldn't seem to form the words. Suddenly, Iris tossed the folder aside and leaned forward before steepling her hands under her chin. "You know Mr. Lester, you will be out of here in approximately 48 hours and I will be within the domain of my home..I honestly don't give a shit about whether you will answer my questions or not but I do want to know about you..it would be a lie if I said you didn't fascinate me but my colleagues appear to think you're delusional..you're quite notorious in the psychiatric field but I want to know...do you think you're crazy?"

 

[Angst]

Mordecai Lester


{The Butterfly}





​

Mordecai studied Iris once more, duly intrigued by what he considered to be an unexpected turn of events. It appeared that this psychiatrist was not as weak-minded as the majority of her colleagues. Delusional. He'd heard that word used to describe him innumerable times before. Horrifying was another favorite adjective. Fascinating. Now that was a new one. And here he had been thinking that she was afraid. "Well, you're just full of surprises, now aren't you?" It was exciting, yes, but it didn't carry much weight. Everyone had their breaking point, and Mordecai found no cause to suspect that Iris would be any different. She would receive whatever information that he was willing to dish out, and in turn, he would show her the dangers of playing with fire. "Allow me to answer your question with one of my own, Iris dear. How many sane men do you know who have been imprisoned for stabbing a beagle with a letter opener?" Did he consider himself insane? The inquiry itself was laughable, really. He had seen his own files, and understood the implications of the word sociopath very well. He knew what he was; there was no doubting that. Truth be told, he had figured it out on his own at a very young age, a twelve-year-old avoided by all under the premise of the unnatural glint in his eyes. It hadn't bothered him, though. Fire was his comfort, his only friend, and he had always preferred it as such. And if that didn't sound outrageously abnormal, even to the man who was guilty of thinking it, Mordecai had no idea what ever would.

 

[kou]

The Caterpillar

The Caterpillar

No. That wasn't the correct answer, he was evading which Iris found highly unpleasant. It hadn't been expected that he would not take offense to the inquisition, she supposed men such as him were made to unpredictable and sharp-tongued. The Devil could only do so much. Iris shook her head in blatant disagreement, twiddling with her thumbs which were placed on her lap before shuffling atop the bed. "Allow me to explain this process to you Mr. Lester, my colleagues are prestigious and well-known in our community of friend and foe alike and they all have various degrees in multiple subjects, they hold lavish dinner parties and wear ostentatious suits in order to differentiate themselves from the common man.. I respect my superiors but I find them idiotic and a waste of resources, all of that money splurged on extravagant houses and expensive items just because they've deemed themselves God and labeled a man psychopathic..I have never met a psychopath in my life, do you know why? They're all capable of thought, just because a woman wears heels instead of boots does not mean she is better than the one who sports sneakers instead. I believe that you're intelligent, unlike most but you're not crazy..crazy is pretending that you're no more animalistic than the ones around you and the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over again and expecting different results.." the words hung heavy in the air, carrying a sort of wisdom and sense of foreboding within the statement.

 

[Angst]

Mordecai Lester


{The Butterfly}

​

A momentary silence settled over the room following Iris's speech, thick with the undeniable weight of trepidation and profound thought. Internally, Mordecai was given much to consider. Through her sapient remark, Iris had proven herself to be something beyond educated; in fact, it was now clearly apparent that she was endowed with an acute sense of wisdom that could not be learned, but that one could exhibit solely by nature. Her message was concrete and her reasoning was sound, and Mordecai was not loathe to admit that he was impressed. However, her wisdom was of the righteous variety, dealing with matters of men over men, fortune and circumstance, and who could justly claim the right of superiority over another. Mordecai had never been fond of such wisdom. "Pardon any misconceptions, Ms. Iris, but it seems to me that you are attempting to convince me that my perceptions of my own self are incorrect." Externally, though his mouth turned down at the corners, he didn't bat an eye. "Are you familiar with the common definition of the word insane? I am. 'In a state of mind that prevents normal perception, behavior, or social interaction.' That, my dear Iris, was the definition that a twelve-year-old version of myself discovered upon having that same word thrown at him in derision for the umpteenth time, and the one that he used to finally diagnose exactly what it was that set him apart from everyone else. Rest assured, I have never been bothered by it - quite the opposite, really. In a way, I believed that it gave me something that most others did not understand, a destructive power of sorts that accompanied an excess of apathy, one that could not be taken from me as others powers could. But one thing is certain, my dear. All virtuous philosophies aside, I think that we can both agree that, in the eyes of the general public, I am indeed crazy." The look in his eyes was self-assured, and dared her to challenge his assertion.

​

 

[kou]

Iris Mason

The Caterpillar

The way he had blatantly cast aside her prognosis, bluntly declaring that he was indeed insane..that was alarming to say the least, Iris felt a certain undertone of pity to Lester's words and couldn't help but cast a sympathetic smile in his direction. She knew not what it was like to constantly be informed that one was psychotic, she didn't wish to know what it was like and it could only be bluntly stated so much for someone to start believing it. All of this aside, Iris still did not believe in the textbook definition of whom appeared to be sane and who didn't. She leaned her head against the solid concrete before chuckling in silent revelry. "I apologize Mr. Lester, it wasn't my intention to come off as such..if you believe that you are mentally inept then who am I to tell you otherwise? Of monsters and men, we would all take the latter..tell me, have you heard of the Butterfly Effect?"

 

[Angst]

Mordecai Lester


{The Butterfly}

​

Her smile was aggravating. He had meant to frighten the psychiatrist, not gain her sympathy. In addition, it was evident in the way that she spoke that she had only agreed with him because of that sympathy. Appeasement. That was what it was. Still, despite the deal of frustration that she was somehow managing to raise within him, Mordecai would have been wrong not to admit that it was interesting, meeting someone from the psychiatric field with the intention of speaking with him like a fellow human being, and not a new, threatening breed of animal from some type of zoo exhibit. Just who was this Iris Mason? A thrill seeker, perhaps? A woman looking for answers to an all-encompassing internal debate that she had for some reason come to the conclusion that only he, a stranger in a prison cell, could provide? If that were true, then his reputation certainly seemed to proceed him. Whatever the case, and whoever she was, it would suffice to say that she had captured Mordecai's total attention. "I can't say that I have, my dear, but if I am correct, you have every intention of filling me in."

 

[kou]

Iris Mason

The Caterpillar

Iris smiled ruefully, springing off of the bed before standing directly in front of Mordecai. Now that the distance had been closed, she was able to see his facial features clearly and the piercing blue eyes which seemed to stare through her rather than looking at her. Iris could feel the energy radiating off of the man himself and she was once more reminded of the danger he posed. Which, naturally, made her more excited for what was to happen. "Think of the Domino Effect, the Butterfly Effect is similar to it but it states that one small event..the calm before the storm, the butterfly floating in the wind can cause a hurricane to begin..in simplistic terms, it can set off a chain of events that each have different consequences and gradual reactions. Every event can be either nonlinear or linear to the particular circumstance but everyone within the vicinity is affected.." Iris locked her gaze onto him, a strange expression flitting across her features before disappearing and being replaced with a mask of indifference. "Do you know what I think you are? I think you're that butterfly, Mordecai..the beauty which will bring about destruction, I think you'll cause the storm and I don't know when it'll happen.."

 

[Angst]

Mordecai Lester

{The Butterfly}


​

Enthralling were her words, hints of morbid anticipation dripping from each syllable like honey, falling thick from the comb. Iris's demeanor had suddenly become unexpectedly intense, and all of the untold secrets visible within her unwavering gaze ignited a spark under Mordecai's skin, sending his blood pulsing hotly through his veins. Her excitement was catching, it seemed, and it didn't take a great deal of searching for Mordecai to reach a conclusion as to why that was so. Eyes. For centuries they have been referred to as "windows to the soul," and under the veil of indifference that distorted the view to prevent him from seeing too deep, Mordecai was able, just for a moment, to catch a glimpse of Iris's soul, something within the recesses of her eyes that bore an uncanny resemblance to someone very familiar to him; it was the look of the man who smiled back at him from the mirror every single morning. Maybe there was a reason that Ms. Iris Mason pondered so much on the concept of insanity. The Butterfly Effect. So he was her butterfly, was he? The key impetus to a proverbial storm that would have the power to consume all those affliliated once set in motion? Did Iris intend to prevent that storm, to cut the source at the roots before it even began? Was that why she had come to him in the first place? The further that he delved into the matter, the more he came to realize that there was something at play here that went much, much deeper than that, a predestined plan containing an endless amount of uncanny twists and turns. It reminded Mordecai of a game of sorts, one that he was all-too-willing to play. However, he was no fool. If he were to play her game, then he would be implementing some rules of his own, starting with a hard lesson in the concept of boundaries. "Have you yourself considered any form of psychiatric help, my dear?" He leaned in closer as he spoke, a baiting smile once again gracing his lips.

​

 

[kou]

Iris Mason

The Caterpillar

Iris allowed herself to breathe in the air Mordecai expelled of, studying the disconcerting look he seemed to be giving her as he asked that question. He was intrigued, it was concealed well but Iris knew that she had tempted him with her accurate explanations and confident claims and she couldn't help but feel the slither of anticipation rouse itself from deep within her. She was playing with fire and she was bound to get burned severely but Iris could never resist a good challenge and this man seemed to be the walking reincarnation of a trivial puzzle that she had yet to solve. Seconds drifted into minutes and Iris was still considering the question before she closed the remaining distance between them, her face inches away from his ear. 'No, he will hurt you..don't do that.' Iris ignored the incessant buzzing in her head before speaking, her words dripping with pure honesty and her voice a low timbre that she hadn't inherited earlier. "My mother was a woman of the psychiatric field, she knew her child was fucked up..why was poor little Iris so attracted to danger? To playing with the kitchen knives even after she got cut? To putting her hands in fire out of a sheer desperation to? My mother dealed with these matters privately, she did what every other person would do..she beat the craziness out of me. I've gotten checked multiple times after that..they declared me sane."

 

[Angst]

Mordecai Lester

{The Butterfly}







​

Invigorating. It was all so invigorating. The hushed, unsettling tone that she now utilized; her transparently flagrant disregard of his personal space; the way that the foreign sensation of her breath upon his face sent a series of shivers through his body that he was unable to control. Mordecai's every basic instinct was set on edge, his mind on high alert in a way that was just so delicious that he felt his every reservation begin to melt slowly away, only to be replaced with the burning desire to hurl himself into the thick of whatever twisted plan that this woman had concocted. Bad. Very bad. Perhaps he had been held up for much too long. Long hours spent in captivity were beginning to cloud his judgment. Still, he wagered that there would be no harm in allowing himself this one small luxury. After all, it wasn't every day that one got to meet another psychopath. So he would play things her way. At least for now. "It appears to me that you're just very good at hiding it," he whispered, returning the favor of speaking into her ear. "Tell me. Have you ever wished to embrace that 'unfavorable' side of yourself, that nasty, roiling chaos, just begging to be set free? It's been a while, hasn't it? You should try it sometime. I'm sure that your colleagues would be utterly thrilled."

​

 

[kou]

Iris Mason

The Caterpillar

Iris had embraced many things but the question of her sanity had never come into play, her eyes had slid closed in unnerving comfort at the proximity of the man and she once more cursed how easily manipulative he could be without trying. She let the voice in her ear slide through her, embracing her in muddled mixtures of contentment and euphoria at the thought of being challenged. He had either done it purposefully or had been oblivious but Iris couldn't turn down the offer of being able to crawl into his skin. She wondered at the sight they made from onlookers but found herself unable to care, leaning back in order to face Lester once more. "Dear Lester, I believe that if I did so..you'd miss this version of me and we wouldn't want that.." as if by practice, the serious air slipped right back into Iris's expression and she uprighted herself. "I have a preposition for you, how would you like your very own personal doctor? Oh, contain your excitement but believe me when I say that there'll be quite a lot in your favour concerning this situation of sorts. Your last doctor told me it was useless but we have come to know each other well in this short period of time have we not, Mordecai?"

 

[Angst]

Mordecai Lester

{The Butterfly}

​

Mordecai followed Iris with his eyes, taking in her every movement with pupils dilated by a sick form of longing for what was to come. The man's expression was akin to that of an animal, his prey still undecided, though he had been seized by the thrill of the hunt. The way that she could so effortlessly make the transition from pragmatic to undoubtedly certifiable and then back again all in the span of a moment was just so inexplicably beguiling, and it made her all the more dangerous to those who knew no better. To him, however, it was merely entertaining. It was a risk to play himself into her hands. Of course it was. But the opportunity was just too rare to pass up, and by doing so he could convince her that she had him caged, when in reality, he was very much confident in his ability to overcome. He laughed at the mention of his previous doctor, a low, ominous sound like the first rumblings of thunder at the start of a storm. A poor, simple soul he had been, a fool for even trying, exactly like the rest. But Iris. Oh, she was different. Very different. "The doctor gives sound advice, my dear Iris, but I fear that I am much too selfish to implore that you take it. After all, there's no harm in trying, is there?" No harm at all.

​

 

[kou]

Act 2: The Question of Sanity

"You could crawl inside my brain and burrow into my darkest thoughts, I'd laugh and you'd scream in pain as they suffocated you."

'Tick, tock, tick, tock'---


The pendulum swung in a forlorn manner.


'Tick, tock, tick, tock'---


Whom was it swinging for?


'Tick, tock, tick, tock'---


The woman was unimpressed.


'Tick, tock, tick, tock'---


Perhaps it had no effect on the socially acceptable.


'Tick, tock, tick, tock'---


That wasn't it.


'Tick, tock, tick, tock'--


That WASN'T IT.


Iris snapped out of her distracted state before stilling the pendulum with her finger, running a shaking hand through the thick cloak of hair which surrounded her face. This was foolish, even more so when she had originally been searching for some form of closure to Mordecai's case and here she was inviting the man to toy with her psyche as he pleased. He wasn't here and yet he was, his absence casting looming shadows within the corners of her office and causing her to regret every word in their earlier exchange. Iris sighed woefully before returning to her mahogany desk which was centered in the middle, settling atop the edge and waiting. And waiting. And waiting. Whom she had been waiting for? Him, of course. She had shoved aside her schedule just to be able to converse with the man and now she was sincerely thinking of reverting what she had told him. Something appeared to keep her from doing so.


{Note- I will post pictures of Iris's office as soon as I request a new tab.}

 

[Angst]

Mordecai Lester

{The Butterfly}




 
​

As Mordecai traversed the city streets, weaving his way through crowds of civilians going about there everyday business, there was a spring in his step and a sparkle in his eyes that could be rivaled by no other. He cared not about the odd and oftentimes disapproving looks cast his way by the passerby, only for the woman whose invitation had led him to travel in their midst. Of course he could have driven -they had not taken his license from him- but upon calculating just how close to his home the psychiatrist's office was, he had decided to walk instead. It was a beautiful day, and besides, it gave him the chance to see all of those lovely faces. In addition, he absolutely had to have been the most gorgeous man on the street, though it seemed that not everyone was as fond of his of choice of apparel as he was. He even heard a few snickers, and a whisper of the word I'm uncultured as he passed by a particularly large group. Briefly, he paused to wonder how many of them had enjoyed a close relationship with one of the victims of his infamous fires, and smirk appeared on his lips as he reasoned that he had a great deal more to laugh about. Ah, yes, all of those lovely faces.


Moments later, he was entering through a set of wide glass doors into the building at the address that had been given to him over the phone. "Good afternoon, love," he addressed the secretary, an older woman with wide-framed glasses, as he stepped into the waiting area. "I am here to see Dr. Iris Mason."


The secretary, whom Mordecai assumed to be hard on sight, was visibly perplexed. "I'm sorry, ma'am, but Dr. Mason has an appointment with another-"


"A man named Mordecai Lester, I assume?" he cut her off subtly, his eyes gleaming with mirth as he did so. She seemed to have taken him for a woman. "I am he, dearest. Now where can I find Dr. Mason?"


The secretary grumbled out a reluctant apology, taking great care not to meet his eyes as she pointed him off in the direction of Iris's office. "Thank you, love," he chirped back on parting. His anticipation reached a crescendo as he approached the office door, his blood singing in his veins. Freedom was a welcome thing, to be sure. But business had been slow over the past week -after all, who in the right mind wanted to hire a dog murderer to design their living space?- and Mordecai had been oh so bored, with nothing but thoughts of his encounter with the remarkable doctor to occupy his thoughts. His grin was a mile wide as he turned the knob on the office door. Something, however, told him that she may not be as excited to see him as he was her. The thought only made his smile grow wider. "Sorry if I'm late, darling. I took the scenic route to get here."

 
​

 

[kou]

°°Iris Mason°°

••The Caterpillar••

Iris had been questioning the whereabouts of a certain Mr. Lester when he had appeared, she had been perched over the mahogany desk with her back turned to him and had only looked when he had announced his presence. She should have guessed from the tinge of mischief in his tone but what she saw had truly surprised her and instantly she went sprawling down onto the carpet below as she moved forward. The papers clutched in her hands scattered across the room and she found herself unable to move for a brief moment before glancing up at the clearly effeminate Mordecai. She gathered herself rather quickly, fixing her skirt before brushing off any unwanted dirt and smiling anxiously. Was he genderfluid? Androgynous? Transgender? Merely humorous? Or perhaps he had multiple personality disorder? Whatever the case, he had certainly surprised Iris with his antics..her antics. This was not what came out of Iris's mouth whatsoever and she profusely wished some other form of words had come to mind but things were never simple for her. Instead, what came out was: "My God, you're beautiful."

 

[Angst]

Mordecai Lester


{The Butterfly}

Once again, Iris had somehow managed to transcend Mordecai's every expectation with her reaction to his effeminate appearance. While the obvious shock that had sent her tumbling to the floor was at the very least somewhat in line with the response that he had anticipated, the following compliment, to be certain, was not. It was almost...flattering to hear those words fall so sincerely from the doctor's lips, a twinge of emotion that Mordecai quickly wrote off as being the product of his unusually high spirits. "Still full of surprises, I see," he remarked with humorous inflection as he bent down to retrieve one of the papers that had fallen at his feet. "And I must thank you, my dear. Yours was the first compliment that I have received all day. Although your dear secretary did take me for a woman." Upon righting himself, his eyes wandered the room, fully taking in the décor for the first time. The mahogany desk in front of which Iris had been standing upon his arrival sat to his left, the amenities piled on top sitting neatly in their proper places, and a towering bookshelf crafted from the same dark wood occupied the far right corner. Behind the desk, on the wall between it and the bookshelf, hung a painting of wild horses, depicting a scene that gave off an aura of immense and unbreakable freedom. Across from the painting, at the center of the office, sat a pair of leather armchairs in a color that perfectly highlighted the trimming on the walls. Finally, a sense of life and vibrancy was given to the atmosphere by the array of colorful, exotic-looking plants that were aligned on and around the windowsill. "You have quite the talent for interior design, my dear Iris," he observed in unmasked admiration as he approached the psychiatrist, offering to her the document that he held in his hands, along with a few others that he had gathered over the short walk from the doorway to her location.

​

 

[kou]

°°Iris Mason°°

••The Caterpillar••

Iris flushed a deep red as her hand briefly reached across the folder and hovered directly beside Mordecai's face, she snatched it back just as quickly and wondered what she had been trying to do before muttering out an apology and a "thank you" in the same sentence, carefully avoiding Mordecai's hand as she retrieved the papers from his outstretched hand. This was going to be more difficult than she had assumed originally, Iris returned to her desk before placing the files atop the clean surface and leaning against the edge. Mordecai's compliment on the decor was surprising, she had chosen the color combination carefully when she had arrived here. "I suppose I have my mother to thank for that seeing as she was one who told me that a natural earth color would have a soothing effect on my patients..I'm glad you like it, you may sit wherever you like..if you want." She turned her head in order to not be distracted by the female version of Lester before becoming particularly intrigued with a spot on the wall. This wasn't going well.

 

[Angst]

Mordecai Lester


{The Butterfly}

Alarm flashed briefly across Mordecai's face as Iris's hand moved towards him, and he narrowly resisted the urge to jump back, away from the offending limb. The expression in her eyes as she performed the action was one that did not sit well with him. It spoke of undisclosed intentions and desires, ones that Iris herself may very well have not even known were beginning to emerge from within her, and it triggered every one of the internal self-defensive mechanisms that he had taken such great care to develop. However, her hasty apology and the flush that subsequently colored her cheeks helped to ease his anxieties. The woman knew not what she was doing and appeared to have surprised even herself, and as long as this were so, she posed no danger to him. To a further extent, Mordecai could not shake the thought that it was cute, in a way, how she made such an obvious effort to avoid coming into contact with his hand as she accepted the offered documents, but he brushed the notion away almost as soon as it had fully formed within his mind. He was able to compose himself without too much required effort as she turned back to the desk, and the invitation to sit was a welcome one. With all the grace of an English noblewoman, he closed the remaining distance to the center of the office, lowering himself into one of the armchairs that were positioned there before shifting his gaze back towards Iris. Suddenly, the psychiatrist seemed to be intent on avoiding eye-contact. "I don't mean to interrupt your staring match with the wall, love, but I take it that you are a very busy woman, and it would be better to get down to business sooner than later, don't you agree?"

​

 

[kou]

°°Iris Mason°°

••The Caterpillar••

Iris snapped out of her inflections before turning to look at Mordecai, his eyes had transitioned from a piercing blue to a chocolate brown. Strange, he wore contacs. Disassociation disorder? She couldn't rightly tell, Iris straightened up before crossing her legs and leaning forward. The only sound within the room was the ticking of a clock, it was eerie to say the least. "Every second of every day, someone is being judged or criticized..you're going to be judged today, to be honest. You've been psychoanalyzed before, the guys in suits just don't like to tell you that they're determining whether you're going to set someone on fire. Today, I'm going to ask you questions that will be personal and possibly offensive..they're meant to get under your skin and for me to get what I want from you however we're not going to play cat and mouse today. You can answer these questions or we can simply stare each other in the eyes for the remainder of our time, I don't mind either." Iris reached for the weathered notebook which was perched upoin the edge of the armchair, slipping a fountain pen from her pocket before opening the book which exposed various sketches of different people complete with notes marked in tiny brackets inked in red pen. She smiled politely before poising her pen over the paper in anticipation. "First question: How's your sex life?" The question was detached and carefully worded, barely even close to intimate although it was invading.

 

[Angst]

Mordecai Lester


{The Butterfly}

Iris was far from amiss in stating that he had undergone the psychoanalysis process on numerous prior occasions, as well as in her observations regarding the nature of the "guys in suits," as she referred to them. His previous psychiatrists had all been cookie-cutter duplications of one another, at least as far as Mordecai was concerned, well groomed, white collar men who trod lightly around the subject of his psychological ineptitude, as if he did not understand with perfect clarity the purpose behind their questioning, as if their eyes didn't betray the fact that they had already condemned him within their own minds. Granted that their accusations were just, but all the same, just as he had with the number of doctors and reporters who had come to interview him during his stay in Arkham Prison, he had fed each one of them nothing but deflections and answers so infuriatingly generic that it had led every man to walk out in frustration. Every. Single. Time. By the tone of Iris's voice, however, she would be having none of the above, nor was she going to put up with any of his usual mental gymnastics. Her message was painfully translucent; either he would cooperate, or their entire visit was going to be but a gross waste of time. So while the prospect of having her "get under his skin" was not exactly the most favorable one, Mordecai decided that he would grant her the privilege of his honest answers, though he would stop short at anything he found to be too revealing, especially anything that could be taken as any type of confession to past criminal activity. Her first question, though casually worded was indeed invasive, but it was one that the characteristically shameless Mordecai Lester had no trouble answering. "Oh, extraordinarily lackluster, if you must know," he responded in his usual manner, though there were undertones of seriousness to his voice that had not been present before. "Just the occasional little one-night affair here and there when I'm feeling the need, more often than not with men that I come across out at bars or other such places. Nothing long lasting or of particular interest."

​