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Dissonant Hearts (Degusaurusrex x AndrewS)

Tyrath had spotted them well behind the others and made a note of it, but it didn't seem the large demon had any immediate intention of calling them out or fetching them right away. Maybe Isen was taking his bit of advice to heart and was seeking to mend the rift that was forming between him and his companion. Maybe it was the opposite and things were going to blow up, possibly quite literally, but that was a chance he was willing to take while he allowed the others to explore the house and get settled in while he went to the kitchen.

"What is it, Isen?" Adelaide had just gone to start up the steps when she heard him call her name, her shoulders visibly sagging before she turned back to look at him tiredly. "If you're going to lecture me on how I shouldn't trust another demon, we've gotten so far past that boundary I don't even consider it anymore, and all he's done thus far is try to help us. If Ignas wants to chew me out because I couldn't save Clara, then I have no interest in that either." Still, she made no move to run from him and instead waited patiently, albeit tiredly, for him to address whatever the source of his wait was.
 
Hearing Adelaide's exasperated response made Isen lose some of his nerve. It was such a strange feeling with her. He had never been one to bite his tongue or pull punches with anybody before, especially when Ignas was at his worst, but with Adelaide, even the slightest change in her voice made him feel concern for what it was he wanted to speak to her about. To him, it was only more proof of what he was thinking, or what it would be like if he had to do what Ignas just did and watch her fade away, giving her life for something that didn't deserve it. He wanted to stop the DSTF, and Malakai, as badly as anybody had ever wanted to, but if it would cost him her in the long run...well, he didn't want to consider that a possibility.

Suddenly, the man who could not die had a reason to fear death. And to think, his reputation had dubbed him a Reaper.

"It isn't any of those two things." He reassured her, hoping to set her at ease a little. This wasn't an attack on her, nor was it a lecture or a reason to chastise. "It is about what happened to Clara but...he doesn't blame you, you know. He doesn't blame you for her death, it wasn't something you could control. You did what you could, you gave them a chance to say goodbye and find closure."

Isen took a few strides forward, climbing the first couple of stairs so that he could stand on the step in front of her. This made it easier for them to meet, eye-to-eye, without their height difference altering the angles.

"It's..." He trailed off, again, feeling himself getting in his head over this. Human emotions weren't supposed to affect him this strong, why was Ignas even allowing him to share any of these feelings or thoughts? Or this grief? "Nevermind. We should go inside and meet up with the others, we have to make a plan for what to do about Malakai..."

"Isen."

Isen tried to ignore Ignas, but it was a voice even Adelaide could hear, it wasn't something he could do so easily.

"Isen Hiyori."

"...what?"

"If you don't tell her, I will. I won't see you make the same mistakes as me."

A silence fell between the three, the whistling of the wind and the distant sound of water breaking it, though it was something only he could hear so directly. It was jumbling his thoughts, dividing him between the sound, the feeling, and the voice in his head threatening to spill his secrets before he could do it himself.

"Very well, then...Isen is afraid he's going to lose you."

"Ignas..."

His eyes slowly lifted back upwards, from where they had been deterred towards the staircase, to look at her directly, monitoring how she was going to respond to that. "It's not that..."
 
"Never mind?" He'd kept her behind for something that was obviously important and now he was going to balk? Like hell that was going to happen, and Ignas was clearly in agreement as he made himself known and not only called Isen by his full name, but threatened to say it himself if the stubborn man refused. "What are you two talking about?" She narrowed her eyes at Isen, crossing her arms over her chest and giving him a slightly irritated look as she waited impatiently. Hadn't everyone been through enough hell today, now he had to drag this out and make her worry what it was all about while everyone was upstairs with their new demon ally?

"You humans are pathetic."

Adelaide barely heard Danica's disgusted words over the sound of her own heartbeat, her tense stance abruptly falling apart as her arms fell back to her side and she looked at Isen in shock. That was what this was all about, he thought something was going to happen and she'd get killed? Or was he worried she would abandon him despite everything they'd been through together.

"I think I made it perfectly clear I wasn't going anywhere, so if this is some fear of being abandoned, you don't have to worry about that." She thought about reaching for him, touching him for a moment but resisted the urge, instead standing there awkwardly as the exhaustion regained control over the temporary shock. "And I'm not going to die, I don't think I will. We've gotten this far without either of us dying, I think we can get the rest of the way." She hoped, anyway, or at least for them to accomplish their goal before she died. So long as she could take care of Malakai and the threats against the people she cared about, then forfeiting her life would be an unfortunate but worthwhile event.
 
"You misunderstand what I'm telling you." Ignas chimed in, next, continuing to speak on the very-annoyed Isen's behalf. "He does not fear that you will abandon him, and quite honestly, I don't think he'd ever allow you to. He's afraid that he's going to end up like me."

Isen knew, now, there was nothing he could do but to tell the truth, from himself, otherwise there was a chance she might misinterpret what Ignas was trying to say. The demon was, surprisingly, just trying to help, but he definitely wasn't equipped to handle a situation like this, or to speak of human emotions.

"What he means to say is..." He paused, again.

Why was this so hard? Why couldn't he just say it the way he wanted to say it?

"I experienced everything Ignas felt when he said goodbye...Adelaide, you see the similarities, don't you? You, Clara, you were both incredibly powerful, and selfless...willing to give everything you had for others. The way she looked in her death bed, younger...it reminded me of you. I saw you....and even the comparison I see in you and Samara...the situation, all of it. I felt every single bit of grief, of pain, of sadness...the regret, the longing, the emptiness when someone you love leaves...I haven't felt that since Meribell, and the fact that I feel it with you right now, honestly, it scares me."

This was a different level of vulnerability, now. He had practically broken down in her arms before, when he relived the moments that lead to his sister's death, but never had he felt more connected to her than he did in that moment of weakness but this, this was something different. This was unlike the Isen she knew, and more like the Isen she never got to meet, the one who tried his best long before he ever heard of Ignas and Onigoshi, in a world where he thought the DSTF was protecting him.

"Don't get me wrong. If it comes down to my life or yours, I would die a thousand times over to make sure that you were okay, but what happened to Clara...that wasn't being attacked by a demon, that wasn't being hunted by soldiers or being killed by magic drones...she died because she didn't know her limits, she died because she gave too much. I can protect you from men and demons and monsters, but I can't protect you from yourself..."

"You are quite wreckless sometimes, you know."
 
This was not at all what she had expected. Sure, she had a fair amount of power thanks to her ability to syphon from others and the gift of Samara's imprinting spell, but compared to Maximilian and Malakai she was nothing... Right?

When someone you love leaves.

Was he saying he loved her? That didn't make sense, and it was very much out of character for him so she chalked it up to just awkward wording. Unless he was saying that and that was the part that scared him, which she wouldn't fault him for at all. What they had was a special kind of partnership, a special kind of relationship, but she couldn't say it had escalated all the way up to love in such a short time, could she? Not the kind of carry-the-bride-over-the-threshold kind of love, anyway.

"I know you'd die a thousand times." She'd already been forced to watch him die again and again in front of her before her family had come out of the woodwork and saved them from Malakai's torturous power, and the thought of having to endure that again was so despairing that it forced her to close the distance between them and wrap her arms around him tightly.

"I'm not the only one that's reckless, you know. I had to watch you die again and again and that's something I never want to do again. We'll be careful, we'll get through this and do what we need to... and hopefully we'll get out of it alive." He had a point though, one that she could clearly see despite how much she hated to admit it. She could be reckless, and she put too much of her power into things and exhausted herself just like she had done today, and in the end she hadn't even been able to save Clara anyway.

"I'm sorry I couldn't save her."
 
"There's a difference." He protested, his voice raising a little bit in frustration, a fact which only further cemented the worry that he was feeling. "If I die a thousand times, Ignas brings me back. If something were to happen to you..."

Death was supposed to be finite. Though Takami liked to say that death wasn't the end, for a lot of people, that's exactly what it was. In a world of magic and demons, one thing they couldn't properly contend with was the ending of a life. There was no way to bring somebody back from the dead outside of Ignas and Isen's 'bond'. That's why they couldn't bring back Meribell, Samara, Clara, or anybody else that they had lost. Why didn't se get it?

"Adelaide."

Ignas calling her by her real name was still something to get used to, and something that probably caught them both off guard yet again.

"She was not yours to save."

Isen eyed her, carefully, as Ignas started to speak again. The concern was written so plainly across his face that it was undeniable that something very-unlike him was happening before her eyes in his head, and Igna was attuned to that via their connection.

"If you want the truth, I am sad. I am heartbroken, and I am angry...but I am not angry with you. If your intentions are to ask for forgiveness, you have already earned my pardon, but if you wish to find a way to make it up to me regardless..."

"Ignas..."

"...you can make it up to me by surviving this. All of this. And by listening to Isen's concern. Do not make the same mistakes as my beloved. We have already buried enough of our allies, I will not stand to lose another, especially not to Malakai. You can make it up to me by living. Nothing more, nothing less."
 
The concern he so openly showed was endearing, and her own expression wavered for a moment before she pressed her face against him and let out a quiet sigh as Ignas spoke. Just seeing that look on Isen's face was enough to break her composure and nearly bring her to tears, so hiding her face against him seemed the appropriate solution until she could gather her wits enough for them to wrap up and join the others inside. The fact that none of them had come back out to look for them was strange enough as it was, but maybe they realized the two needed a moment or two alone.

"It's a deal." Making deals with a demon she had wanted to violently murder just weeks ago, this was not where Adelaide had thought to find herself today, but somehow it seemed fitting. Despite all of their grievances with each other and their many, many differences, they were all on the same page for once, and even Danica was staying silent despite the faint disgust Adelaide could feel emanating from the demoness inside her ring.

"We're gonna take that son of a bitch down. Right now though, I just want a shower and some rest." Her appetite still hadn't returned, and her exhaustion was clear on her face when she released Isen and stepped back to rub at her cheeks tiredly. "Let's go in before someone comes looking for us, see what kind of setup Tyrath had inside and get settled in for the night. I know you don't need to sleep, but if I don't I'm not going to make it through another day."
 
Isen could feel Adelaide's own sadness as she pressed herself against him. His arms coiled protectively around her, drawing her closer, shielding her from whatever it was they were both feeling while Ignas offered to her what was essentially the terms of a deal. To Isen's susprised, she agreed with it, bringing some comfort. Even though Ignas had spoken on his behalf, the demon had an inside line to exactly what Isen was feeling, so it wasn't odd to think Ignas would know what to say...Isen was just surprised that Ignas was trying so hard to bridge that gap. Maybe this was his way of making amends for what he put Isen through? Or maybe he was really telling the truth, and he didn't want to see anymore burials for the people they were supposed to protect.

"Alright." Isen responded, after hearing what she wanted to do. They separated, but he didn't let her get too far away, taking her hand in his once they lowered away from her cheeks. He didn't want to be far from her, not tonight, not after all that had happened. "Maybe you need some coffee..." He didn't know if that would help, but at least he was trying.

"Can I go now?" Takami asked, exasperatedly. He was on the deck of the building, looking over the view which was, admittedly, pretty incredible, but he was well-traveled and had seen many places like this. It wasn't as enchanting, or exciting, to him as it was for Isabella, who was swooning and keeping him from leaving her. "Aren't you hungry?" Isabella was a vampire, and Takami knew full well what 'hunger' meant to her, but he was trying anything to get himself free from her clutches. He loved being with her, he really did, even if he didn't always outwardly show it, but his mind was also very heavy with what they had gone through, and from losing yet another comrade. He was glad Isabella was in good spirits despite all that happened, but it was harder for him to be jubilant just yet.

Ember had curled herself up on one of the couches in the den, and was the first thing Isen saw when he led Adelaide inside. The interior was warm, almost like a mountain lodge would be, but there were some personal flares and touches added to the place that were specific to their demon host. For some place so secluded and remote, Isen was surprised at how well kept it was, and just how nice the interior was. It was a far cry from the backrooms of Samara's pawn shop, or the nauseating faux-professionalism of the DSTF headquarters they had been in.

"I know that it's probably me just being over protective, but I still don't really trust Tyrath...I know that you both seem like you do, but..."

"But he's a demon."

"Yeah..."

"So am I, but you trust me, don't you?"

"Sometimes."

Ignas groaned. "I thought we were finally on the same page, Isen."

"We are." Isen reassured, forcing a smirk. "But I've also known you for years, I've only known this guy for a few hours and I've..." Isen had intended on leading Adelaide into the kitchen, intending to get her some coffee, which he continued to insist she needed as they walked inside, but he paused upon watching Tyrath walk into view in his demon form. "I've never seen you look like that before."

"Are you afraid I'd be more handsome than you?"

Isen rolled his eyes, not even bothering to answer that question, or comment on it. "I have people to protect, and we've willingly walked into a demon's home. I think my concern should be understandable."
 
"I don't know if coffee is the right choice." It might help her to stay awake long enough for them to get some more of their plans sorted, if a demon like Tyrath even had coffee in his house. On the other hand, it might keep her up far too late and it was already late enough in the day that all she wanted to do was sleep. She let Isen lead her up the stairs and into the house, passing by where Takami and Isabella were standing outside and giving them a passing glance but otherwise saying nothing.

"I'm fine. I'll eat later." Isabella dismissed Takami's question with a huff, though her eyes darted toward his neck briefly before she rested her head on his shoulder instead and looked out at their surroundings. "I'm a big girl and I've been taking care of myself for a long time, but it's sweet that you worry about me." The vampire couldn't help the little bit of color that had stained her cheeks as she enjoyed the contact, wondering idly how things had gotten to the point where they were at now.

"Just make yourself right at home, huh, Ember?" Adelaide scoffed slightly at her familiar who mewed in return and rolled over to stretch, yawning wide and giving Adelaide a content look before curling herself back into a ball and closing her eyes. "It is really nice in here though..." Which made it all the more surprising that Takami and Isabella had gone back outside so soon, but who was she to interfere with those two lovebirds? The vampire clearly had it bad for the swordsman.

"Fine, fine, I'll have some coffee if he has any, since you're so insistent." At this point, it seemed easier to just give in, and no one else was ready to go to bed so why should she abandon them just because she was tired?

"Of course it's understandable. Adelaide, you look like you could use some of that coffee you humans are so fond of." Well, that answered that question, and Adelaide nodded her head at the demon as he inclined his head toward the kitchen and motioned for her to come with him. "Forgive me, I couldn't help but overhear. I can't help that my hearing is more sensitive than a human's. If you'll both follow me, I can get some coffee going. I'm sure you don't want to let her out of your sight right now." In fact, Tyrath seemed pleased by that fact as he turned and led them to the kitchen where he began to move around at ease, setting a pot of coffee to brew before turning and leaning back against the counter to gaze at them with a small smile.

"I'm sure you have questions. Ask."
 
The juxtaposition of a demon, in it's most purest form, bounding around the kitchen, performing remedial tasks like making coffee, was as amusing as it was off-putting. Tyrath seemed to be willing to answer any of Isen's questions, but the questions themselves weren't the problem, it was actually asking them to begin with.

"Do you want me to speak for you again, Isen?" Ignas asked. He sure was trying to be helpful, lately.

"No. You've done enough."

"You're welcome." Ignas' reply came in a proud, albeit mocking, tone, causing Isen to groan.

"Why are you doing this?" Isen asked, bluntly, directing the question towards Tyrath as the demon requested he do. "Why were you protecting Clara? And why are you taking us in now? You know what's happening, you know about Malakai, and about what we're trying to do. The entire DSTF wants us dead, plus whatever happened back at the city with that weird eclipse...I just don't understand why a demon would be so intent on helping us. I've met demons before, plenty of them, and none of them have ever decided to be so hospitable."

Isen's glare was trained specifically on Tyrath, but his hearing was elsewhere. He was listening to Isabella and Takami, he was listening to Ember snoring peacefully on the couch, he was listening to Adelaide's breathing. He was acutely aware of everyone in his life he had to lose, and what he was risking by letting them walk into a demon's home, as well-adjusted as this particular one seemed to be. It wasn't his responsibility to protect any of them, only Adelaide, but he felt responsible regardless.

"If I'm going to let them stay here...let her stay here, I need to know that beyond any possible doubt this place is safe, and you're not trying to play us. They seem to trust you, now give me a reason so that I can as well."
 
At least Ignas seemed to be in slightly better spirits, judging by the mocking tone that Adelaide caught when he made Isen groan. Tyrath, to his credit, allowed Isen to spew all of his questions out as he continued getting the coffee set and poured into two cups before daring to open his mouth and answer, only to be cut off by a disgusted female voice in the form of Danica.

"Because he's a goddamn pacifist who wants people to play nice with each other and he doesn't like Malakai controlling us. Not that I like the bastard doing it much better than Tyrath does... But that's because I should be ruling us, not Malakai and his misguided notions! He's not fit to rule anyone, much less all of us by trying to force us to bend to his will. Pathetic creature."

"Are you quite done?" Tyrath's voice was calm despite Danica's hostile outburst, and when there was silence from Adelaide's ring he turned his attention to Isen with a slightly exasperated expression. "Forgive Danica, I would explain that this is simply in her nature, but seeing as she's bound with your witch currently I'm certain you've dealt with many of her tongue lashings by now. Her honesty is part of what I admire about her so much as to follow her despite some of her more questionable motives." His fondness for the demoness was not obscured as he spoke of her, but now his attention was more on Isen's line of questions that had been rapid fired moments ago.

"Clara helped many over the years. Dissonants, demons, humans, she helped all of us if she deemed us worthy of her time and power. So much that it destroyed her in the end. I sometimes forget how fragile humans can be even when they've been bestowed with the power of magic. Danica is partially correct, though. I do not follow Malakai because I do not believe he is fit to rule. Whether or not she should be on the throne of demonkind instead... Well, that's another story entirely, but I would sooner see her or Ignas reign over our kind than Malakai. Even for a demon he is malicious, and I have no desire to live in a world torn apart by his greed and insanity. I'd much rather separate his head from his body and get on with my life. I have much of it to live, and I have no intention of doing it under his thumb. Many of my people feel the same." He extended a cup of coffee to Adelaide who took it gratefully, blowing on the steaming liquid and taking a sip before grimacing but otherwise staying silent.

"You've met many demons. You've never met one like me, Isen Hiyori."
 
Isen let Tyrath talk, but it seemed like Ignas too was interested in hearing what the demon had to say; at least, up until the point where Tyrath mentioned his name alongside potential rulers for their kind. Ignas made a groan in Isen's head that sounded something like a scoff, as if the very idea was something that disgusted him to think of.

"I want nothing to do with any thrones, and I believe it'd be in the best interest for every being in this world, demon or not, if Danica stays far away from it as well...I had this opportunity before and I gave it away, do not put me back in the conversation now."

Isen raised a brow, but didn't bother commenting. He let Tyrath finish with his statement, handing the coffee over to Adelaide in the process. "That is what worries me." Isen's response was simple, and succinct, with regards to Tyrath saying that he had never met a demon like him. The fact that Tyrath was presenting himself so differently was the thing that bothered Isen most, not what brought him comfort. Other demons were predictable, easy to read...dangerous, but too eager to destroy and kill. He still couldn't read Tyrath, or his intentions.

The sound of another voice drew Isen's attention away, echoing from the living room. It wasn't a familiar one, it sounded like a reporter. Isen was already tuning in to what he was saying before Takami had tried to gather their attention. "Isen, Adelaide, I believe you may want to see this."

Isen stepped beneath the archway that separated living room from kitchen where Isabella and Takami were perched on the couch, Ember nestled between them. A remote hung in the vampire's hand, but a news channel played on the screen of the small, old-fashioned style television that was being kept in the loft.

"...residents are being advised to stay within their homes at all times. Those looking to travel in, or out, of Cresthaven should be advised that all routes are currently closed off, and will remain so until further notice..."

"Cresthaven is in lockdown?" It made sense, after all.

"...reports claim that dozens of Dissonants have descended upon the city over the last 12 hours, gathering at mass in front of the DSTF building where Maximilian Whitmore is currently residing. Attempts to reach him, or his representatives, from the outside have been denied, but we are being reassured that the DSTF are working to get things contained and under control. After the disastrous misfire of Project Acuity, all eyes are on the DSTF intently, with public opinion on the organization swaying back and forth due to the property damage and casualties caused earlier in the month..."

"Nobody else saw what we did. I guess it just looks like a bunch of Dissonants suddenly swarmed the city, right after the first attack too...do they even realize these are demons they're dealing with, and not just regular Dissonants?"

"After what we saw, I can't help but feel like this is the beginning of something terrible." Isabella, though present, was one of them who didn't remember what she had seen, so she looked confused by the conversation.

"I told you both already that it was. I'm sure that Tyrath can attest; that ritual has entranced all of those demons. They aren't going to leave the City any time soon..."

"Which means everyone still there is in danger."

"It means that we're in danger, Isen. It's only a matter of time before every single one of them is on a manhunt for us."

"How do we stop it?"

"I don't know if we can. You'll probably be fine, I can keep you alive...but if they come for the rest of them..."

They'd be overwhelmed. There was no way Isen could protect them all against that many demons. And even Adelaide, as powerful as she was...no. He wasn't even going to consider it.

"There has to be a way...we can't just let everybody... "

"Isen." Ignas interjected, a grave inflection in his voice. "We have to kill Malakai. That is the only way."
 
"Now what?" Adelaide gave an exasperated sigh and followed the sound of Takami's voice to where the television was on, still sipping her coffee the whole time. She hadn't even heard him and Isabella come inside during their conversation with Tyrath, so either the couple was incredibly, incredibly sneaky, or she was so exhausted that she was out of tune with the world around her. That was a rather dangerous possibility.

"This doesn't make sense. Why would Dissonants flock there after what happened to them?" Something didn't feel right about this story, and she watched it tiredly while simultaneously listening to the others talk around her. Of course, that made far more sense for it to be demons that everyone assumed were Dissonants. Anyone that didn't look human was automatically assumed to be a Dissonant, these poor people had no idea what was coming when demons became public knowledge. Would they even believe something as horrific as a race of otherworldly beings like demons could exist, or would they fall into denial and allow themselves to be hunted so easily?

"I don't give a fuck if it enhanced them. I could create better demons than the ones he forces to follow him."

"Danica, you have yet to create a successful army of demons. You never did perfect that skill, as much as you like to boast about your attempts."

"Well I can't do that while I'm trapped with this witch, despite how delicious her magic is. You really would be delighted to know how it feels to have access to so much power, Tyrath. Too bad you never took initiative to be more of a leader despite all the people that follow you blindly."

"Danica, it's your own fault you're trapped in here. You just had to start shit. Enough. Can we focus on the task at hand?" Adelaide groaned and rubbed at her temple with one hand before downing a large portion of her coffee, ignoring the burn of the slowly cooling liquid as she tried to process all the different voices and conversations going on.

"We're going to kill the bastard." Danica readily agreed with Ignas and even Tyrath nodded from where he stood, although Adelaide was having a hard time telling if he was more amused or annoyed by Danica's mouthy outbursts. The man had had... How many centuries of enduring it and he still seemed to follow after her like a lovesick dog subtly offering devotion? It was a strange sight. Two demons that cared for someone other than themselves? How odd.

"If I didn't think she'd turn around and use them to kill us all to get to the throne at the end of it all... I'd say it was a pity Danica couldn't make her own army of demons to fight Malakai."

"She might not be able to make one, but I already have an army." Tyrath said it so nonchalantly that Adelaide didn't register the words at first, and when it clicked she nearly dropped her coffee before regaining her composure and giving him a confused look.

"You have an army?"

"So to speak. There are other demons that, while they hold no fondness for humans or even Dissonants, know that Malakai on the throne would be a huge mistake and would prefer to keep that from being accomplished. Some have even tried to push me toward taking it, but I have no interest." Tyrath shook his head. "I want no part of ruling my kind, but I certainly want a part in making sure Malakai doesn't either."
 
"So, bring them here." Isen told Tyrath, bluntly. "Let me see them. If you have as many demons willing to work with us as you say you do, then bring them here. We'll take them back to Cresthaven, we'll clean the whole place out and then, we'll cut the head of the snake."

"We still don't know how we're going to do that, though." Takami reminded Isen that they barely had a plan to actually deal with Malakai, if they even had a plan at all.

"Isen, what you're suggesting is the demon equivalent of a civil war. You realize that, do you not?"

"What other choice do we have? There's too many for us to take on our own, and it would only cause more collateral. If I'm going to trust Tyrath, I need to see it with my own eyes...but maybe it's the only way we can finish this."

Isen still had Clara's ribbon in his pocket. He was holding onto it for Ignas, the last memento of his fallen love. Before, it had been a symbol of their purpose, but now it just felt like a weight. Everything was too personal. What he felt, what he feared, the responsibility that seemed to be growing in him to do something about the inevitable...how much of this was influenced by Ignas? Isen knew that Ignas himself must have felt all of that, if not even more. There was guilt there...not just for what happened to Clara, but for the fact that his refusal to take the throne had kickstarted the entire thing to begin with. With him feeling more, and being wide open in what he was experiencing, Isen wasn't sure where his emotions started and Ignas' began, but they seemed to be on the same page for once, and that was enough for him.

"Our old plan was that we'd break Malakai out of his Catalyst and take him down...it could still work. We just need to figure out the spell required to cause the separation. We have mages who can help us, back in the city, we just need to get to them..."

"So, then, you can use the spell to free yourself from me as well?"

"Ignas...that wasn't what I me-"

"It's a fine plan, Isen, really. Why should you want to stay with me after all that I've done? Maybe the best course of action is for her to free both of us, let me take on the bastard myself. He deserves to pay for what he's done...I don't know how, I don't know when, but I'm going to be the one to put an end to that bastard. If you grant me nothing else, let it at least be an opportunity to bring peace to myself, and to my beloved."
 
Tyrath didn't interrupt as the others spoke and debated amongst themselves, merely observing and sipping at his coffee in mutual silence with Adelaide. She was clearly tired and on the verge of tuning out of the conversation entirely if not for the level of volume, and the demon felt a bit of sympathy for her in that moment. It had to be exhausting dealing with threats constantly, especially when you were one of the last of your kind.

"You two can bicker about it later. By the end of it all, you two will be separated and Danica will be out of this ring and we won't have to deal with all the arguing." Adelaide sighed and finished her coffee, taking it to the sink and rinsing it out before setting it on the counter and glancing at Tyrath. "I think they're finally ready to shut up long enough for you to talk." Danica snorted inside her head and Tyrath smiled slightly before nodding.

"It is late tonight, I'll not have many demons crowding my home while all of you settle in, especially not when one of you is hungry and needs a proper hunt." His eyes flickered in Isabella's direction, and she had the grace to look embarrassed as she stuttered and scratching behind an ear before quietly conceding.

"I'll go out in a bit. I wanted to make sure everyone was settled in first." The vampire was purposely avoiding Takami's eyes as she flushed and made herself busy petting Ember, who was more than happy to soak up the attention no matter the reason for it. "Wanted to make sure Adelaide wasn't going to just fall over since Isen was being all... Weird." She didn't offer a further explanation as to what she meant by weird, but she did meet Adelaide's eyes for a brief moment before noting that the mage seemed to still be standing and being satisfied.

"We can speak more about it tomorrow," Tyrath relented before going to move around the kitchen again, carefully maneuvering around Adelaide and pulling out packages of food from inside the fridge. "I'm well aware that the Reaper and the vampire don't need to eat, but the humans do, and I happen to like eating, too."
 
Isen didn't feel like it was fair for Ignas to be making a big deal out of this, especially not right now. While he knew the demon was never really on board with Isen and Adelaide's plan to separate them from each other, he thought that Ignas would at least be more receptive of the idea if it meant he got to actually be free, and to get his revenge too. The early understanding was that they'd just separate Isen from Onigoshi, but this was different, this would be freeing Ignas from his Catalyst entirely, but something seemed to be stopping the demon from seeing that as a positive result.

And what exactly did Isabella mean by weird? He wasn't being weird, in his mind, or at least no more than usual. He was thinking deeply, even feeling things a little heavier than normal, but he didn't think he was being weird by being naturally protective of them, and not wanting to immediately trust a demon, or his 'army'.

Isen would sooner find a resolution now than wait until tomorrow, as was decided upon for him, but if Adelaide needed the rest, he wasn't going to interrupt it. It was something he'd need to get used to as well if he were to go back to simply just being human...the fact that he was even seriously thinking about this now was an interesting diversion from his usual thought process, and perhaps that in itself was what had been irking Ignas so much.

Takami had already begun walking towards the kitchen, willed forward to eat by Isabella, joining Adelaide near the table at the center of the room. Isen remained off to the side, letting Tyrath do as he intended to, but still keeping a close eye on the demon all the same.

"Isen, I will not apologize for what I said." Ignas began speaking in Isen's head, not wanting anybody else to hear their conversation.

"You don't have to."

"But I can tell that you are frustrated."

"I'm frustrated by a lot of things right now, Ignas, it isn't just you."

"Very well. May I caution you with a word of advice?"

"I'm sure you're going to anyways, regardless of whether I want to hear it."

"...do not let your fears and worries cloud what is in front of you. I already know the answer to this question, but do you love her?"

"..."

"Then I'll say it again. Do not let your fears and worries stop you from feeling what you feel. I will not intervene, I will not cloud your mind or null your emotions...in fact, I will leave you, for the night. There is no telling what will happen tomorrow, or when the demon army arrives...we are very low on time. Do not squander the chance you have now to make good on your feelings, the way a human would. I have said it before, and I mean it even more now; I will not see you make the same mistakes as I did."
 
"On second thought, the steak does look rather.. Uh..." Tyrath raised a brow as he caught the vampire eyeballing the blood pooled in the bottom of the steak package, and after a moment he unwrapped it and retrieved a bowl, pouring the blood in the bottom and pointing toward the microwave before holding out the bowl.

"Help yourself, little drinker." It was an odd name for a vampire, and Isabella gave him a confused look before she took the bowl and wandered to the microwave to warm it up. It wasn't going to fill her basic need for the hunt and a true meal, but it would suffice as a snack so she could join Takami for the meal before she went off on her own.

"It's... Ah, weird, but it'll do for now. Thank you." Isabella was clearly grimacing when she finished heating up the blood and sipped on it, but she managed to choke it down and rinse the sink in the bowl before everyone set to the task of preparing for dinner. Even Ember was served several pieces of near raw meat once Tyrath had finished preparing everything, causing a happy rumble to fill the kitchen as the kitten purred and worked through her meal as the others took a seat at the table.

There was minimal talk at the dinner table as they ate the food Tyrath had prepared, and Adelaide found herself surprised at the fact that he knew how to cook at all, much less something more than a frozen meal that went in an oven or microwave. He'd gone a bit further by preparing them steaks and potatoes on the side, although a part of her wondered if he had the meat because of demons' bloodthirsty nature to begin with. Danica, surprisingly, was keeping herself rather silent during the meal, as was Ignas as she caught sight of Isen hovering around and pacing from time to time. Always moving, that one.

"I'll show you to your rooms before the vampire goes on her hunt. I assume she and the swordsman will pair up and you two will sleep in the other room. Your familiar is welcome to wander as she pleases, so long as she doesn't use any of my furniture as her personal litterbox."

Tyrath's voice brought Adelaide out of her trance some time later as she realized that everyone else had finished eating, and she pushed away her half eaten meal and nodded. It didn't escape her notice that she was getting looks for her unfinished food, a shock to her friends considering her normally ravenous appetite that had been diminished in the wake of the day's tragedy.

"That's fine, thank you." She was grateful that no one called her out directly for the lack of appetite or poor spirits, and she followed the large demon silently with Isen as he showed them to their room and then wandered back off to show Takami and Isabella so the vampire could hunt before they settled in for the night. Adelaide set her bags on the floor at the foot of the bed and sighed, crouching down to rifle through them until she came out with a change of clothes for bed, a toothbrush, and a hairbrush before disappearing into the adjoining bathroom.

Today had been... Well, it had been hell. She'd fought so hard to use her magic to save Clara and had been unable to do so, leaving her feeling like a failure while simultaneously worrying that someday she might suffer the same fate as the old witch. Was she destined to die at the hands of the DSTF, or to die of over exertion protecting the ones she loved?

By the time she came out of the bathroom in shorts and a shirt she'd managed to clear her head some, and was busy working the hairbrush through her unbraided hair as she sat on the edge of the bed. What was there to say to Isen after the day they'd had? She'd already apologized to both him and Ignas and been reassured that she'd done her best, but the way that Isen was acting and his over the top concern for her well-being was something she wasn't used to.

"Hey."

Yeah, real smooth.
 
Isen was always attentive, and it was hard not to be. With his hearing being as fine tuned as it was, he could hear everything happening around him; from the clink of forks on plates, to the rustling of the trees outside, even the noise of Ember's collar jingling or her feet pattering across the floor in the other room. He still felt a little on edge by the prospect of being led so far out in the open by a demon, especially a demon who claimed to have an army of others at the ready, but it was in this careful attentiveness that he was the first to notice something more strange than anything else he had experienced since arriving at Tyrath's place; Adelaide hadn't finished her food.

Her appetite was insurmountable. What changed?

She had been through as much stress and pain as the rest of them, and given that she was only human, the toll should have been far greater on her body. With how she normally ate, there shouldn't have been anything left, and yet, she hadn't touched what remained of her food for several minutes, then pushed the leftovers aside instead of taking them with her for later or keeping them for another meal.

Tyrath led them to their room and left them for the night, with Isen remaining inside while Adelaide used the bathroom, sitting quietly in contemplation and worry. True to his word, Ignas was nowhere to be heard, having disappeared somewhere between dinner and now, leaving what he had been saying as an echo in Isen's mind.

"Do not let your worries and fears stop you from feeling what you feel."

If only it were that easy.

As she came back in, Isen's eyes lifted away from the comforter of the bed to watch her comb through her hair, missing it's trademark braid. She sat awkwardly, and more than ever, Isen could feel that something was wrong. Had he been too distrusting? Had his words and worries came across the wrong way? Or even worse, had he now gave her reason to worry about a potential future that hadn't been on her mind before? Maybe this was his fault as much as it was hers.

And why was he self-doubting so much?

Things had been different since Clara passed, not just with Ignas, but also in his head. His emotions were more prevalent, his fears and worries louder; Ignas truly wasn't lying when he said he wasn't going to dull them tonight. This felt too human...it was a little scary, and ironic considering all Isen wanted, before he met Adelaide, was just that. He wanted to go back to being human, to feel everything he couldn't, and now that he had somebody he was afraid of losing, it was hitting him like a train.

Here goes nothing, he thought.

"Hello." He responded in turn to her greeting, but the way he was looking at her conveyed concern beyond what he had spoken. "Are you...alright? You don't seem yourself."
 
The concern on his face wasn't hidden in the slightest. The silence when neither of them spoke was awkward, and while she was grateful that she'd taken a moment in the bathroom to cast the silencing spell on Danica, now she wasn't sure what to say in response to his question. Was she alright? Absolutely not. Was it worth venting everything that was going through her head right then? A part of her argued that she didn't need to lay any of it on her companion, but the other part saw how concerned he was for her and knew he'd only continue to worry if she didn't.

"I'm exhausted, Isen. Everything that's happened the last while, everything that happened today..." She trailed off and set the brush down, drawing her legs up and resting her chin on her bare knees. "I'm supposed to be this powerful mage. One of the last of my kind, even stronger than Lorelei now, but I can't save the people that matter. I couldn't save Samara," It didn't matter that no one could have saved their friend with the damage done to her, the fact that she'd been unable to stop her death still haunted Adelaide.

"I couldn't save Samara or Priscilla. I couldn't save you when you were being killed over and over again before my eyes. My own family I didn't know about had to save us from Maximillian and Malakai! We would have both died, the DSTF would have taken over the goddamn world, and everything we did would have been for nothing! Even having Danica stuck in this ring now, I couldn't fix Clara. I couldn't save her even with Tyrath's help, and I know that Ignas got to say goodbye before it was too late and I at least gave them something by reviving her old image, I don't feel like it was enough." She heaved in a deep breath and rubbed at her face irritably.

"What happens when the day comes I just can't do it anymore? Whether it's because someone finally kills me or I use so much magic that I just fade away, just like Clara? I know we're in this together, but I'm scared that I'm not going to be strong enough to keep us both alive to see this through to the end. We've fought so hard for this, and the closer we get to actually attacking Malakai the more I worry something is going to go wrong."
 
Isen could tell that Adelaide meant everything she was saying as she began to come undone, expressing what was bothering her, and the guilt that was heavily hanging over her head. While there was truth within her words, he felt like she was being unkind to herself. A lot of what happened was out of their control, as much as they wished it could be otherwise. But, that wasn't easy to accept, failure never was, he could attest to that.

"Adelaide..." He spoke her name, pausing for a moment to collect his thoughts. "You are powerful...but power alone isn't enough to fix all problems. We've been through a lot, you've experienced more pain than I wish, but a lot of what has happened has been out of our control. Look..." Isen stopped, once again, reaching out to wrap his arm around her shoulder. It was awkward, and slow, but it was a sign of compassion as he was trying to get used to how to express it. He drew her a little closer, against his side, and continued to speak.

"Samara and Priscilla died heroes, you made sure that they did when you used her magic to kill Orion. Clara made her choice years ago, you gave her a chance to find peace in her final moments...and you did save me. In more ways than one." He shook his head, wishing beyond words that he had a better way to say what he was trying to say and have it make more sense. "You have done everything that you can, and you have made a difference. Living in the past and letting your guilt consume you, that's how you become like me."

He had spent years cutting himself off because of what he had done, and even now, guilt ate away at him, but Adelaide had helped him let go of some of that pain, especially when it came to Meribell. "You helped me through so much pain, you helped me let go of a lot of the weight I was carrying, now you need to do the same for yourself...or let me help you do it."
 
Although she didn't drop her legs or make any attempt to uncurl from her current position, Adelaide shifted slightly closer when Isen's arm wound around her shoulders and allowed him to awkwardly hold her as they settled into place. She knew that his words should have reassured her, and in a way they did, just not enough to completely assuage the guilt that was plaguing her from the events of the last two weeks. How they'd gone through so much in such a short time was already astounding, and she had to admit the humor in getting advice on letting go of guilt from Isen of all people, considering his attitude just a short while ago.

"I wish it was easy to just let go of all the weight, but it's not. That's one of the terrible things about being human, or a good one, at least. We hold onto things for years and they eat away at us." She finally let her legs drop down slowly and turned more into Isen, resting her head against his shoulder and draping her legs partway over his. "Sometimes I wish I could just make it all go away, but at the same time I don't want to forget everything that's gotten us where we are."
 
"It's definitely not easy, I don't think it ever will be." Isen acknowledged, his head tilting slightly as he listened to her continue, his eyes staying glued and fixated on hers whenever she looked up to see him, and then, on her face as she cradled against him. "I hung on to the guilt about Meribell for almost ten years. Do you know how I learned to get past that?" He asked, giving her a second to contemplate, but not waiting for her to answer. "You. You helped me get past that. It still isn't a pleasant thing to think about, loss never is, but it's easier knowing that I have you by my side to face it with."

Isen realized he was giving in to that emotional vulnerability he was noticing in himself, but in this moment, he didn't really care. He trusted her. In fact, she was probably the only one he fully trusted with all of himself, and these were things that she needed to hear; and things that he needed to say.

"You have a good heart, one that's been damaged far too much...Adelaide, I don't know if I'm worthy of any of the faith you place in me...or if I'm even deserving enough to share a bed with you at the end of the night, but the truth is that I don't care what I deserve, or what I should have because what I have is exactly what I want, and it's what I've wanted for my entire life but never let myself believe I should have. You have changed so many parts of me in such a small time, you have given so much of yourself to others, and to our cause, but when are you going to give back to yourself? You're not a monster, you're human. You feel what you feel and that makes you stronger, that helps you learn to be better next time."

His hand lifted as she adjusted herself across his lap, his palm coming into contact with her cheek. For somebody with his strength, and inexperience, it was surprisingly soft and gentle, a slight tug to lift her view back up to look at him properly again. "I see you for what you really are, and I love you for it."

Finally.

And now, it was time to awkwardly take it back. The once mighty Reaper, reduced to a nervous mess by a girl. How embarrassing.

"I mean...you know what I meant. I didn't...I..." He sighed, in frustration. Why was he so bad at this? Where was Ignas to break the tension with a stupid joke or a dumb comment? Where was Danica? Isabella? Anybody who could save him from the hole he was digging?

"I don't know if I've ever experienced love, but with what I understand about it, and how I know I felt earlier today when I felt what Ignas did...if that is true, then I have no doubt about any of what I'm saying. I love you, and I won't allow you to say another negative word about yourself."
 
Adelaide wasn't sure if it was a rhetorical question or not, but Isen didn't give her enough time to answer before he gave his explanation. Her? She'd helped him get over the guilt from losing Meribell? Even when it had been her spell gone haywire that had made him literally rewatch the death of his sister.. At his own hands? She knew that she meant something to him, that much was evident, but to hear that she was the driving reason behind him gaining peace of mind was... Well, she didn't know how it made her feel past a bit relieved that her influence was helpful.

"You're more than worthy." Then it was, the drawback where he worried about whether he was worth the time and effort she put into their relationship, whatever it was. It wasn't exactly a conventional relationship in any sense, they'd only kissed a handful of times excluding the time that Danica had taken over and attempted to get them to sleep together, and even though they shared a bed at the end of the day they didn't do normal couple things. Normal couples didn't run around the world fighting literal demons.

"You deserve more."

Nothing could have prepared her for the words he let slip, or the way that he reacted when he realized what he'd said. He seemed to be instantly regretting saying something so monumental to her and it made her heart sink, but at least he seemed intent on explaining himself better rather than leaving it at that. Was she even ready to be told 'I love you' by someone? Was there ever really a proper time when they were in a time of war? Nothing about their situation was ordinary, so why did a declaration of love need to be?

"No, I don't know what you mean." She was careful and patient with her words, making no effort to pull away from the large but surprisingly gentle hand on her face or her half drape over his lap. Instead, she leaned into the touch and listened to him try to explain himself better, fumbling but ultimately managing to make himself understood by the end of it all.

"I know what I felt when I had to watch you die again and again, and I know the relief I felt when we were saved and you pulled through despite it all. I'm not sure either of us would truly understand love if it bit us in the ass... But judging from what we've been through and how quickly we would give up our life for the other... Yeah, I love you too, Isen." Hell, had she ever said that to anyone outside of her family before? Had she even said it to her closest friends in her earlier years?

"We're in this together, until the end."
 
The silence that happened between the end of his speech and her response wasn't nearly as long as it felt in his head, yet it sent him into a bit of a spiral with how he was expecting her to react to what he had said. Was it too soon? Had he somehow misread the situation? Thankfully, there wasn't much time to over think, and she had begun speaking as well, offering an answer, one he wasn't sure if he would get, but was relieved to hear spoken regardless.

"Yeah, I love you too, Isen."

Time had been a blur for them. What had only been a couple of weeks felt like much more. They had barely left each other's side since they met, and with the dangers they had faced, and the things they had been through, it was no surprise to him that feelings like these, especially feelings so strong, could develop at an alarmingly fast rate. Being alone for ten years, with only a demon in your head, didn't help matters, but yet, none of this felt rushed, or wrong. Isen was certain that if they had met under other circumstance, whether that was a couple of months ago, or years, he would have eventually found himself feeling the same for her.

Samara probably knew it from the start. The future she had seen for them was one that she said would end badly, but perhaps, just maybe, they had beaten fate?

"Until the end." He responded to her, nodding his head definitively. "But that end won't be coming any time soon, I'll see to it. You are my home." He told her, recalling what they had said before. "And I will protect that with everything I have."

The hand on her cheek stroked inwards, across her skin, gentle and kind, tugging a little further to keep her face level with his. Giving in to what he wanted, and what felt right, his lips connected to hers in a kiss that was like the seal to a promise; awkward and inexperienced, yet loving and sweet because of that. When he withdrew, he did so only far enough that there would be room for them to catch their breath, and continue speaking again should they have anything else to say. By no means was he intending to pull away from her, or place any distance that would ruin the moment they had found themselves in.
 
"And you're mine." It didn't matter if they never had a physical home. If the home that had been fixed from her childhood had been destroyed at this very minute she would still have a home in Isen, they would still have a home in one another. It seemed almost comical to have a home in another living being, but something about the promise felt so natural to her, felt so right to boldly claim. "We'll protect each other." They had to. Even if everyone else fell away they would still have each other, and she felt it in the way that he touched her, the way that he looked at her as he rubbed his thumb across her cheek tenderly.

Despite how awkward the kiss seemed to be for him there was a renewed warmth in it, a connection between the two of them as she remembered that due to whatever fluke from before, Isen could actually feel her touch. He could feel the brush of her lips as she returned the sweet kiss, the feel of her fingers as they caught the fabric of his shirt and held on gently while she slid the rest of the way into his lap.

Despite the rather sexual nature of the way she was now straddling him, her movements were cautious and more focused on the intimacy of keeping physical contact between them than trying to hump him like a sex-fueled teenager. Her lips were still parted as she pressed her forehead to his gently, holding herself there for just a moment before she was moving and kissing him with a hunger she hadn't realized had lay dormant through all the battles.

"Stay with me tonight," she stopped long enough to utter the words almost breathlessly, peering up at him as her fingers tightened in his shirt and her cheeks flushed red in the dimly lit room. "No pacing, no playing guard, just... Stay with me. Just you and me tonight."
 
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