Dissonant Hearts (Degusaurusrex x AndrewS)

Isen heard her raise her voice in response to his question and it kind of froze him in place for a moment. She had never really gotten mad at him before like that, unless it was a situation where he truly deserved it, like when he tried to sneak out in the middle of the night. He knew the reason why and how difficult this must have been for her but it still surprised him none the less. He didn't say anything in return, he just let her keep talking, venting out what she was feeling and taking it out on her poor coat.

He would still go with her in the morning, regardless, but he couldn't just leave things the way they were; she would stew in this all night and she probably wouldn't get a minute of sleep. If she did, she might have another nightmare. What was he to do? He wasn't particularly good at any of this sort of thing, he didn't properly know how to comfort someone or how to even be a friend anymore. There was a chance he would just make things worse or make her angry and it wasn't like Ignas was going to be very helpful if he asked for advice.

Isen sighed, nodding his head.

The night prior, while she had fallen asleep, he had spent a considerable amount of time just watching the channel their television had been stuck on. It had cycled through a couple of different programs but very early in the morning, it had fallen back onto those informercials trying to sell products that nobody really ever needed. One of the shows, however, that morning had been focused around cooking and kitchen items instead. He had made a note to himself, given how much Adelaide loved food, that when all of this was over, he could try to learn how to do something other than smacking a vending machine. It was an embarrassing desire to even try and learn but he was hoping that by the time he did, they wouldn't have to worry about the DSTF or even Ignas mocking them anymore.

It didn't really make sense and it definitely wasn't something that should have crossed his mind. If they were in that position, that would mean their work was done and their deal was over. They had no reason to stay together afterwards and furthermore, that meant he would finally be able to die.

But then, he looked at her and saw the sadness in her eyes, the anger in her actions and heard the hurt in her voice. Food seemed to be an easy remedy for her problems in the past and there weren't exactly a ton of take out options in such a small town nor any diners open this late so...Isen hatched an idea. Their hotel room was the most accommodating they had been in all week, it was stocked full of utensils and basic food stuffs and ingredients. If he could find that channel again, or maybe another one with some recipes...

"I think you should take a walk, maybe clear your head." He suggested, suddenly, towards Adelaide.

"Isen?"

"A lot has happened and it isn't getting any easier. She needs a chance to catch her breath and refocus. Take a walk, do a little tour, consider it a scouting mission if you'd like."

"What are you up to...?" Ignas asked, Isen ignored. It worked better that way.

"I'm not up to anything. I just think it would be for the best. We'll head back to the hotel and give her some space."
 
"What?" Adelaide was just as surprised as Ignas seemed to be, and she stared at Isen as if he'd grown a second head. He was telling them to split up after a big revelation like that? "A scouting mission?" That sounded more like him, and she relaxed her nodding her head in understanding. It was a good idea, and of course it made sense that his brain had gone straight to thinking logically even when hers was clouded by emotion.

"Fine, but just be careful." She relented with a sigh, pulling out the apartment keys and handing him one of them. "And Isen, it's called an apartment, not a hotel. That's why it's so much nicer." Well, in comparison, anyway. It still wasn't anything on the high end of living, but compared to the hotels they had stayed in, and some of the apartments she had lived in over the years, it was very nice in comparison.

"I guess I'll see you when I get back, then. Whenever that is." She tucked her hands into her coat pockets and turned around, shaking her head and starting back down the street. Scouting mission, that was smart, and it was a welcome distraction from what she'd just discovered. There were so many things to think about, so many questions she could only hope to get an answer to when the morning arrived. She needed to know, but how could she approach her grandmother and simply admit who she was without risking bringing the entire organization down on their heads? They'd just finally gotten a safe place over their heads, as far as she knew, and now she was being tested with such a delectable bait. Information on her family's demise.. How could she ignore that?

Adelaide kicked at the snow as she walked, finding the chill of the air refreshing as she determined which way to venture without losing where she was. Isen had been right, a walk was going to be good both to clear her mind and scope out their surroundings and any potential threats lurking in the area. If they were going to be staying in the apartment for any prolonged period of time, it was best to know the advantages and disadvantages of the area, although it seemed currently it was nothing more than students wandering about with a party here or there.

She'd been walking for close to twenty minutes when she heard the chorus of shouting from the front lawn of a house, watching students filter in and out with drinks in hand, a small group collected outside of the door smoking and chattering half drunkenly amongst themselves. She had almost passed by the house entirely when she heard the shouting grow louder and turned to look, seeing two males waving around various bottles of alcohol gesturing to her.

"Didn't anyone tell you about the party? Come on in and have a drink with us!" She had no desire to join any type of party, but she was interested by the bottle of mostly full wine in the one's hand. Hadn't Lorelei used some sort of spell at the seminar that seemed to enthrall everyone? Adelaide hadn't gone out of her way to try and pull in and steal the magic, but she had subconsciously pulled in just enough that maybe she could replicate it and walk away with nothing more than the wine.

"Well, I'd love to have a drink, but I think that wine would do much better with me and not you." She was amazed at how it seemed to work, watching the two men nod their head as the one thrust the bottle towards her. "You boys be careful, don't have too much fun, yeah?" She grinned and accepted the bottle before stepping back, turning on her heel and starting back towards the apartment. Maybe the night wouldn't end too terribly, if she had the option to drown some of her sorrows.

--

"Mistress is almost back." Ember sounded smug as she arched her back and stretched on the couch, looking towards the apartment door in anticipation. "I can't wait to see what she's doing to do about this mess."
 
"That has to be the stupidest thing you have ever said to me and I already thought you were a total idiot." Ignas chastised Isen's decision as he fumbled through kitchen cupboards to get a better lay of the land on what he actually had available to him. "You've never made so much as a sandwich. You don't need food, you don't need taste. The last time you tried to make 'bean stuff', you nearly killed her with how much sugar you put in it."

"So, I won't use sugar this time. Ignas, we've been through much worse than a little bit of cooking before. I think we'll be fine."

"I warned you. Don't come to me when you kill her from food poisoning. Hm, on second thought..." He trailed off, thinking about the potential outcome. Isen could practically feel Ember's glare towards the two of them as Ignas made that comment. "Keep those eyes to yourself, furball."

Within minutes, Isen had found a way to turn their entire apartment into a state of disarray. There were pots and pans strewn all over the place as he tried to find the right size comparative to the one being used on the television program he had found. He had difficulty with measurements, what even was a tea spoon? He couldn't tell apart certain ingredients and spices, they all looked the same! How could people do this?

At least he was good at cutting the vegetables, once Ignas had talked him out of using the sword to slice an onion.

There was progress, however, within the chaos. The dish itself was simple enough, he pretty much just needed to follow the recipe as best as he could and try not to get any of the portions wrong. After a couple of minutes, he was actually making a bit of progress and it was quite rewarding, though his rookie mistakes were piling up. He had set the heat too high, there was a ton of steam that he didn't really notice. He could, however, smell the aroma and it was pleasant enough, if not a bit overwhelming. Had he messed up? Well, there was no turning back now.

He tried to be delicate with a spatula, moving what he had made around the frying pan in hopes of not actually burning anything. He had tried to keep it as simple as possible, for both their sake and so that he wouldn't actually burn the place down, which meant he had settled on a simple dish of fried rice, with vegetables mixed in, but he had wanted some sort of meat to go with it and he didn't have many options nor was he confident enough he could make it without undercooking it. He would need to improvise.

"Furball says that the Witch is almost back."

"Already? We're not finished."

"...so? You tried. It's the thought that counts, right? That's what you humans say?"

"Can she hear you?"

"She should be able to any minute now."

"You need to distract her."

"I need to what now?"

"Keep her away from here until we're done. Ignas, please." He barely asked anything of the demon and he would never use the world please unless it was a desperate situation. Ignas thought it was all too amusing watching Isen scramble, his human emotions getting the better of him, but he could feel the odd desperation. He really wanted to get this right, huh? Even after all this time, humans were a pathetic mystery to him.

"...fine. But you owe me, you understand?"

"Understood."

Isen left their apartment and began scouring the rest of the building while Ignas attempted to run diversion. Maybe there was a vending machine or something he could attack.

"Witch, can you hear me?" Ignas asked, trying to make it sound natural but there was nothing natural about the way he was acting. "I trust your walk has been good for clearing your head."

Isen could hear Ignas as well and he was actually rather nervous how this conversation would go, especially given how stilted and awkward Ignas sounded trying to do this for him. Ignas wasn't always bad, Isen surmised, but only when there was something in it for him.

"Isen would like for you to check around the apartment for any signs of magic or DSTF. Word has likely reached their ears by now of what happened in the auditorium with the Dissonants, it may not be as safe here as we originally thought."

As far as lies and excuses went, there were worse things he could have said.

"Thank you, Ignas." He told him, within his head, before continuing his search.
 
"Huh?" Oh great, she hadn't even gotten back to the apartment yet and she was hearing Ignas, that was just bloody great. It was almost enough to start drinking from the bottle right then and there, but she forced herself to hear him out first.

"Seriously? I'm almost back and you want me to do more around searching for things? I swear, the only reason I'm going to do it briefly is because Isen asked, not you. I don't care what you want." There was bound to be some magical presence in the area simply because the DSTF had been at the university and were staying in the area overnight.

"Honestly, am I just supposed to wave my hand around and hope I feel anything?" Adelaide stopped walking for a brief moment and burst out laughing, thinking back to Isen waving around Ignas to source out the dark magic that now sat on her finger. That was exactly what it felt like now, and after laughing for a good minute and earning some curious, borderline concerned looks, she continued on her way with intent to circle the block. 'Around the apartment' hadn't been very specific, and she wasn't about to spend the entire night running around feeling for magic!

"Alright, I'm coming in!" Another twenty minutes later, which was far more time than she'd wanted to spend searching, and she was unlocking the apartment door and stepping inside. Ember immediately ran to greet her, rubbing against her leg and purring even as the feline seemed to cast a look back toward the other being inside.

"I--What happened in here?"
 
"Did it work?" Isen asked, curiously.

"Yes, it seems I've taken care of it. You are welcome."

That had bought Isen some time, at least, now he just needed to try and get things finished. He had returned to their apartment after scouring the rest of the complex. Having come across an actual, proper kitchen, Isen 'borrowed' some of the food to use on his own. Well, by borrow, he meant steal and he had taken a steak, plate and all, off of a serving counter. Surely they wouldn't miss it, right? They could just make more! And with much more ease than poor Isen could muster.

Returning back upstairs, he found that he had let the rice burn from leaving the stove on while he searched the complex. It was, of course, a rookie mistake but it wasn't like he knew better. That meant he needed to start over, again. Grumbling to himself, to much amusement for Ignas and probably Ember too, he begrudgingly threw out what he had worked on and began making a whole, new mess to compound on the disaster he had already created. Worse yet, he could hear foot steps outside, moving across the floors. Had she came back already?

"You told me you took care of it!" He began to panic.

"I did! But you know she doesn't listen to me." Ignas fired back, a statement Adelaide could no doubt hear by now.

"Well, stall her some more."

"That wasn't the deal. I did my part."

"You did your part poorly." Isen continued, quickly stirring the food in the pan as if that would somehow cause it to cook faster.

"Poorly? You're one to talk about doing poorly. Did you not just throw out an entire meal's worth of food?"

"Talk to her. Keep her from coming in."

"If I do that, you're going to owe me again. That's twice."

"No, that's once. You failed the first time."

In his hurried distress, Isen had forgotten that Adelaide could hear everything Ignas was saying if she was close enough, meaning whatever the demon would try wasn't going to work anyways.

"Witch, I wouldn't go in there if I were you." Ignas began, trying to scramble for an excuse on the spot. "Isen is...indecent. Yes. Do not barge in."

This, of course, hadn't worked, and Isen was caught red handed over the stove, the apartment looking as though a hurricane had passed through the kitchen and decided to make lunch for itself along the way. At least it smelt nice.

There was nothing he could say at that point to cover up what he had been doing so, instead, he turned the pan so she could see what was inside and lifted the hand holding the spatula upwards as if to say 'look what I did'. The motion caused one of the pots nearby to topple over onto the floor with a clank and he awkwardly glanced down at it and then back to Adelaide, expectedly. "...surprise...?"
 
"Oh. My. God." What a hell of a way to end the night, apparently. It was dark, late, she had no desire to venture anywhere else that night, but she wasn't sure how to handle this situation either. The kitchen was an absolute disaster, and she cringed as one of the pots fell over and bounced off the floor loudly.

"I.. Don't even know what to say. Am I hallucinating?" She looked down at the bottle of wine and squinted before shaking her head. She hadn't actually had any of it herself despite it being open, and after taking a long, deep breath she set it on the living room table and went to take off her coat. Clearly dinner was going to need to be made, if her quick look at the pan had been any indication, but what was more bizarre than anything else was the fact that Isen had been trying to cook. He didn't need to eat, so unless he'd specifically bribed Ignas to allow him the chance to taste again, it made no sense he would be making them dinner. Even then, why wouldn't he have asked her to cook or order in so that they didn't have to do anything?

"Wait a minute." By the time she'd gotten her coat off and sat on the couch to take off her boots, the pieces were starting to click in Adelaide's head. "Were you trying to make dinner for me? Is that why you had Ignas tell me you wanted me to look around for magic?" The boots thudded on the floor softly before she got back up and went into the kitchen, giving Isen a look of disbelief before she went to inspect the pan.

"You have the heat too high, you'll burn it." Judging by the smell and appearance of the kitchen, he'd already managed to burn the rice once before. "And we can add a little bit of salt to it, too." Reaching past him to turn down the stove and then rifle through the cupboards, she found a salt shaker and sprinkled some in with the rice before bursting into laughter.

"I can't believe you were trying to cook dinner. That's ridiculously sweet, and I can't believe you sweet talked Ignas into distracting me. Or did you blackmail him?"
 
The awkward silence that hung in the air after the pot rattled against the floor persisted long after she had spoken to him because he didn't exactly know what else to say or how to respond. Setting the pan back down on to the burner, he turned to watch her as she sat on the couch. "I apologize for the mess..." He owned up to it because there was no way around the disaster he had created. She was probably going to make him clean every inch of this place when he was done. Perhaps that was his punishment for letting himself get so in over his head.

As the pieces of the puzzle began to slowly set inside her head, Isen awkwardly returned to the stove, whisking the rice around with the end of the spatula as though doing so would distract him from the guilty feeling of being caught. "I told you this was an awful idea." Ignas would remind him, adding insult to injury. "Even the furball knew it."

Now, that she had gotten closer to him, she seemed to have clued in on his intentions and he nodded his head, slowly. "Yeah. I know how much you love food...I thought it might help after everything that you've gone through today..." His intentions were good, at least, though his execution was extremely lacking and inexperienced. He hoped that she wouldn't be mad at him for it.

He took her advice to heart when she turned the heat down. He had thought setting it to high meant it would cook faster and he was on limited time so that seemed to make sense to him. How was he to know any differently? Her laughter worried him, at first, but it didn't seem to be directed towards him in a teasing manner. "You're not angry with me?"

She followed up his question by calling what he had done sweet. That set him at ease a little bit, at least, confirming that she wasn't mad at him for what he had attempted to do or the mess he had left in his wake while doing it. "I wouldn't say blackmail..."

"He owes me. Twice."

"I would if you hadn't failed. You weren't supposed to be back yet, Adelaide. I needed more time..." He looked down towards the plate housing the steak he had stolen which, by now, had likely grown cold. "Again, I apologize."
 
"No, I'm not angry." She shook her head and took the skillet gently from him, stirring up the rice and pursing her lips. It was definitely still salvageable if she kept an eye on it and left the heat at its current level, although a quick poke at the steak told her it was definitely cold. No matter, a quick warm up on the stove or in the microwave and it would be fine.

"It's okay. It was sweet that you tried at all, you really didn't have to." Her tone had softened significantly since she'd entered the apartment, and she set to work finishing up the rice with a small smile. "I appreciate it, really. It's been.. A hell of a night." She sighed softly and waved a hand in the direction of the living room.

"Will you bring me that bottle from the table out there? I swiped it from some frat party and after everything that's happened lately.. Well, I could use some wine." Was it worth asking Ignas to allow Isen to taste it, or would he not even like it anyway? With how haughty and insistent the demon was being that Isen owed him twice, perhaps it was better to wait until another time. The last thing either of them needed was him having a bad reaction to it, anyway.
 
It was nice for her to take over. She had a better idea of what she was actually doing than he did which meant she was much less likely to ruin the food again or make any more of a mess. He watched her as if trying to take pointers, something he could perhaps use again if this situation ever arose, though he figured now Ignas would do everything in his power to avoid this ever happening again.

When instructed to retrieve the bottle, he did so, bringing it back to her, setting it down on the counter beside the stove. "Do you want to talk about...you know?" He asked, uncertain whether or not he should even bring it up. He knew they'd have to talk about it eventually but perhaps now wasn't the time.
 
"About the fact that my grandmother is apparently working for the bad guys when the rest of my family is dead?" Setting the spatula down and turning to the cupboards, she fetched down the first cup she could find and filled it most of the way with wine. "What am I supposed to say about that, Isen? I don't know what to think. Part of me says that can't possibly be her and it's just someone with the same first name and same powers, but that's impossible. They had to have blackmailed her, because otherwise that would mean.." She shook her head and gulped down part of the cup before fetching the plated steak and shoving it into the microwave.

"That would mean that she let my family die and did nothing, and I can't believe that. They had to have kidnapped her and kept her out of the way and then brainwashed her over the years. Ten years is a long time to do that kind of thing to someone." She angrily punched in the numbers on the microwave to reheat the steak and then turned back to the rice, turning the heat off and stirring it slightly before leaving it to sit.

"If that's the case then she's my enemy too, and I can't.. That's the only family I have left, Isen."
 
It felt like the further they traveled and investigated into the DSTF, the more complicated things were becoming for her. As far as Isen was concerned, he was just trying to stop some awful people from doing more awful things; for her, it was everything. It was personal, it was family. It was the cause of pain and the collapse of her entire life twice over. He couldn't possibly understand how that made her feel, especially as detached from human emotion as he had become. He wanted to help her but he didn't know how and he didn't think he had the means to do so. In many ways, this impromptu attempt at making her dinner was him taking a stride in the right direction to try and support her in ways other than in a fight, but Isen was far and away unqualified for it.

"Well, whatever we discover, I'll be there to help you. For now, I would like it if you could try and put it out of your mind and enjoy the rest of your night. Otherwise, I think I stole a steak and made a mess of our kitchen for nothing."

"She must be prepared to face the truth, Isen, whatever that may be. I have no reason to care about what happens to her but you've insisted on tying your fate to hers."

"And when the time comes for her to face it, she will. But I didn't put in all of this work just for her to be upset all night...or have more nightmares..."

Or get food poisoning from his awful cooking. Isen sighed, turning back towards the beeping of the microwave. "Let's just try to get through tonight. One potential catastrophe at a time, alright?"
 
"You stole it?" She gave him an incredulous look and then began to laugh. Why did that even surprise her, after everything they'd done thus far? Beating up vending machines, stealing clothing from stores, skipping out on hotel fees.. And she was surprised at a steak? "Were there none here or-- Never mind, it doesn't matter." She chuckled and opened up the microwave, pulling out the plate and setting it on the counter.

"One catastrophe at a time, sure. I'm sure there's plenty more to come, knowing our luck. By the time we reach a week of traveling together, I'm sure there will be another attempt or two on our lives." Had it really only been a few days? She scooped some of the rice onto the plate and fetched silverware, taking everything out and plopping down on the couch. Changing could wait until she'd eaten, she was starving and the wine was tasting better with each sip she took.

"You should let me test the meat first, mistress, to make sure the idiot didn't manage to poison you on accident." Ember jumped up beside her and eyeballed the steak, but Adelaide was far more concentrated on the fact that a female voice had uttered the comment. Had her cat just talked?

"Did you just talk?"

"Oh, right. Yes, mistress. Now, about that meat..."
 
"In truth, I didn't really trust myself to properly cook one on my own. I felt this would be for the best." It's not like they were strangers to taking things that they needed along the way, he wasn't sure why this was suddenly where she seemed to draw the line. Luckily enough, she laughed it off and seemed to be okay with the confession.

It seemed as though they would never be able to actually feel safe, though he supposed that was inevitable with the journey they had embarked on. Revenge never came cheap, something he had tried to tell her before but now, he was as wrapped up in stopping the DSTF as she had been. Isen had a feeling that she was right, however, and things were going to get much worse before they would ever get any better. Tomorrow, they would walk potentially into yet another trap and stare down a proverbial demon from Adelaide's past and he had no idea what to expect from that.

But she had agreed to take things one at a time, which meant for now, their goal was making sure she ate and got enough rest to face whatever was ahead of them in the morning.

"I didn't say anything." Isen replied when she asked if somebody had spoken. He hadn't heard Ignas say anything either. He turned his head to face her, eye brow raised.

"Not you. The furball. Interesting...I think she just heard it speak."

And yet another voice in their heads to tell them what they should and shouldn't do? Fantastic.
 
"Not you Isen." She spoke almost in tandem with Ignas and shook her head. "Ember just spoke. Wait, is that why you've been acting so weird around her, Ignas? Ember, have you been taunting the idiot demon? Can you even hear him?" If cats were able to look guilty, Ember looked just that as she settled beside Adelaide and began to wash herself. She had been taunting the demon, but the problem was whether or not it made Adelaide feel guilty or not. Isen clearly couldn't hear the feline so there was no issue there, which now left them in unfamiliar territory: he was the only one not able to hear another in their party.

"No, Ember, you may not have my.. Ah, hell, I never did bother to get any type of cat food, did I?" She sighed, cutting up the steak and tossing a few pieces on the floor for the familiar, who gladly jumped down and began to gobble them up. That could be dealt with tomorrow, as long as there was meat and she could take the animal outside for the bathroom, it was good enough, right?

"Well.. At least we don't have to get up super early, because I intend to drink more of this." She raised the cup of wine with a mock salute and then drained it, turning her attention to the meal and working through it steadily. What was she supposed to say after everything that had happened so far that day? This was the first time that she had truly gotten to sit and try to relax without doing some sort of chore or traveling between places. That said, she abandoned her food long enough to change into sweat pants and a shirt for bed, settling back into the couch and rubbing at her face.

"Today can just... Go to hell."
 
"Yes, I can hear her. She is insufferable."

Isen help back his own comment on that. For once, he was the one missing out and he didn't mind that at all. It was ironic, though, that Ignas took such displeasure from hearing the extra voice after all of the annoyance and frustration he had caused the both of them.

Isen glanced down as the cat happily began eating. She didn't seem to have any complaints which meant the steak wasn't going to make anybody sick. That was a positive, at least. They needed more of those little victories, it felt like everything they did had been going wrong or backfiring on them lately. He eyed Adelaide as she downed the cup of wine, raising a brow but deciding not to say anything about that, either. If it helped clear her head, he had no objections as long as she wasn't hungover in the morning when they actually had to get back to work.

While she slipped out to change, he turned on the television once again. He was beginning to enjoy some of the mundane activities of human life and this was no exception. There was always something interesting for him to find, insight into regular human life or reminders of things he had long forgotten. When she returned, she had dressed for comfort and he hoped it would help bring her some solace in her time of need.

"Today is over now." He told her, frankly. "Don't let it ruin your night as well."

Speaking of prior irony, to hear him say something that would imply not dwelling on internal strife or the actions of the past was incredibly hypocritical of him. In a way, Isen was able to say that because he knew how self destructive a path that would be, not so much because it was something that he followed himself.

"Witch, I have a question." Ignas' voice spoke up. It was peculiar to hear him speak in such a way. Normally, he'd just blurt it out. In classic, Ignas-fashion, he didn't actually wait for an answer from her before he continued with announcing his question anyways, but the fact that he even acted such a way made Isen worry that Ignas was about to ask something out of line and stress her out even more.

"The other witch mentioned killing a Van Dyne. It is possible that she meant your grandmother but, more likely, I would presume it would be the man she came to marry during her absence from your family. As I said before, I do not care what happens to you but Isen seems intent on weaving your paths together. What I need to know is, if it came down to it and your attempt at reaching through to her fails, are you prepared to allow me and Isen to this Van Dyne down as well?"

"Ignas...why would you ask her that? Why now?"

"Because tomorrow morning, you're both walking in to what is undoubtably going to be a trap and where there's a trap, there's bound to be a fight. You know that I love killing, I have no objections in allowing you to use my blade to slit the throat of every single member of the DSTF that you find but this one's different. It's...personal, but, beyond that, I am obligated to end this woman's life. I can't explain why. It isn't because I don't want to, I simply can't. I believe it may have something to do with the great war that I told you both about."

"That's how you seemed to feel about Adelaide as well when we first met her, remember?"

"Yes, I believe it is because of the nature of her family. I cannot explain it, but the Lancasters bring me great discomfort. There are pieces to this puzzle I am missing but the path ahead seems clear to me regardless. Somebody so wicked cannot be redeemed and we must be prepared to do what it takes. Nothing more, nothing less. Will you allow us to do what we must or will you stand in our way, witch?"
 
"What do you want, Ignas?" Adelaide sighed irritably and set down her fork, resigning herself to the unwanted interruption from the demon. "Wait, what?" By the time Isen spoke up to all but berate the demon for his question she was barely catching up to what he'd said, turning to stare in the direction of the weapon with narrowed eyes. Samara had said the person she wanted dead was a male, hadn't she? Why the hell did Ignas feel the need to go there, and now of all times? The demon was taunting her, testing her, and she'd had just about enough of it.

"Watch your tongue, demon!" Ember hissed and stalked toward the sword, swiping at it and then huffing irritably upon the realization she couldn't actually do much to it. That would have to be rectified later, when her mistress didn't look ready to murder anyone or anything that got in her path.

"That's enough out of you, demon." Adelaide's voice dripped with venom as she waved her hand in Ignas' direction, reciting the spell Samara had gifted her and then returning to her food. She neither answer nor attacked the demon for his questions, merely shut him up and went back to the remainder of her meal with a discontent scowl on her face.

"Tired of hearing his annoying voice. Do you agree with him, Isen?"
 
Ignas had to have been expecting the spell to happen. He didn't argue or resist against it, he simply allowed it to take place. If last time were any indication, he was working to figure out a way to counter it. This provided another opportunity for him to do so but, at the very least, it meant they'd get another night of silence at least before he managed to figure out anything concrete. Isen wished he had been able to stop Ignas from saying what he had, he could feel the tension in the air now as Adelaide directed a question towards him.

"Do I agree that we need to kill her?" He asked, in return, hoping to better understand her question before he gave a proper question.

"I can't say I necessarily agree with him, no, but he was right about one thing." Isen paused, sighing as he shook his head. "What we're walking into tomorrow probably will be a trap and we'll need to be ready for it. That doesn't mean we have to kill your grandmother, but we should be on guard anyways. You saw what she did to those Dissonants...and she's part of your family, she's powerful."

There was certainly a threat there, not just to her but to him as well. Given the Lancasters relationship to the demons from the war, demons like Ignas, and Catalysts as well, there was no telling what someone as powerful and experienced as her grandmother could do. Adelaide was already exceptionally powerful and she had only scratched the surface of what she was capable of, Lorelei was a whole different type of danger.

"Regardless of what happens, I will be at your side."
 
"I know she's powerful, Isen." Adelaide had gone from eating to pushing the food around the plate, dropping another couple pieces of meat on the floor for Ember. "She was always powerful, it's not surprising that she's still just as powerful, if not more." She shrugged, taking another bite before setting the plate down and retrieving the wine from the kitchen. To hell with it.

"Even if it somehow turns out that she is bad, and I can't kill her? You'll still be at my side then?" She found that hard to believe after what they'd been through already. As much as it pained her to agree with Ignas at all, the demon was right that in the end, they needed to stick to their mission.. Even if that included her grandmother, but she still couldn't fathom the thought that Lorelei would have willingly joined the people that had murdered her daughter and the rest of her family, who had tried to take her granddaughter away multiple times. Did Lorelei even know that she was still alive?

"If you were anyone else, you'd probably be dead by now. Anyone who sticks around me winds up dead."
 
"You'll still be at my side then?"

"Yes, I will remain at your side. Is that so hard to accept?"

Her search for revenge was hers and hers alone. He had been complicit in that, aiding her and, in the process, ridding the world of those who were doing it harm but he was far from a hero or some righteous paragon. He was, at heart, still selfish, for his reasoning in sticking by her. It had started with his own desire to be freed from his curse but had become much more complicated, but he was never in it solely to exterminate the DSTF. That was her end goal, it was something she had to grapple with, not him.

Her decision regarding her grandmother was not one that he could make for her.

Had Ignas been able to speak, he would have surely had something to say about that but, he was silenced, and therefore the only other party in the room was Ember, whom he could not communicate. Still, knowing that it was capable of doing such, Isen turned towards the cat, lifting his hand slowly into it's direction. Perhaps without Ignas' influence, it would be more understanding of his plight.

His hand gently moved against the top of Ember's head. He was hesitant, slow, like he was afraid to move too suddenly or that she might attack him at any given moment. It was an olive branch, an appeal towards her familiar for support on the matter. Surely she could sense it, or at least add another opinion into the mix.

"Luckily for us both, I'm not just 'anyone'." If there were anyone capable of walking such a dangerous path, beside her, surely it would be him. It could be nobody else. "I vowed to see this through to it's end and I intend to keep that vow. What happens to your grandmother is your decision to make, not mine, but I will support you in any way that I can after it has been made."

Even if that meant killing her to protect Adelaide, should it come to that?

He had killed better people for less. But she didn't need to hear him say that right now.
 
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Ember's eyes narrowed as she watched Isen suspiciously, lifting her head just enough to scent the air before she felt his large hand on her head. It was a surprisingly gentle touch for such a large human, and she tilted her head against his hand before meowing quietly and deciding he was not currently a threat. Without Ignas' obnoxious voice there to remind her that he was bound to the demon, Isen had become much more acceptable to be around, and it was clear he was making an enormous effort to show he was supporting her mistress. This was.. Good.

"He sounds sincere, mistress, and if it turns out he is not then I could scratch his eyes out for you." Ember seemed content enough with the feeling she'd gotten from Isen, rubbing against his leg before wandering off to lounge in the bedroom. Adelaide rolled her eyes at the feline before patting the couch, motioning to the spot beside her for Isen to join her.

"You can sit with me, you know. I'm not going to bite you." She sighed and sipped at her drink before leaning back into the cushions and tucked her legs up under her. It was going to be a long, long night if she couldn't get her brain to slow down, but how could she after everything that had happened? "I'm stressed and confused, but I'm not homicidal," She paused and took another sip before laughing bitterly, "Not at you, anyway. The rest of the world.. Well, that depends how tomorrow goes."
 
Isen felt himself being judged by the familiar, waiting for her to pass judgement on him. From the reaction it had given to him, it seemed as though Ember had found no reason to distrust him anymore. He wondered how much Ignas being gone had to do with that but didn't question it too much, he simply accepted it and was thankful that there hadn't been any problems there this time.

Seeing her pat the couch brought his attention to the fact that he had been awkwardly standing, brooding through their conversation and not actually sitting down next to her. There was no reason it had to be this weird, they had shared a bed, after all, but perhaps he was still feeling a little on edge due to the commotion of trying to cook for her before she made it back and then getting himself caught in the act. He walked towards her and gave himself new residency upon the cushion of the couch beside her, nodding his head.

"We have time before tomorrow comes. Try not to let it affect you too much. You need to get a full night's sleep, just in case."

He was beginning to sound like a parent. He hated that, but he was concerned, especially given her recent penchant for having nightmares in the middle of the night and what was possibly at stake when she returned to see Lorelei in the morning. The ever-growing need he felt to protect her and keep her safe couldn't help but remind him of his sister more and more; not that he saw her the same way he did Meribell, but more so that sense of responsibility seemed to fit him like a glove. After spending so much time losing that part of himself and pretending that he didn't care, he was finding it surprisingly easy to fall back into that role.

Realizing how he was coming across, Isen quickly followed up that statement with another shake of his head and a dismissive apology. "I apologize. I just want you to be prepared for whatever might happen tomorrow."
 
"Well, I intend to try, but that doesn't mean it'll happen. It's not like I have the magic to just shut my brain down, no pun intended." That would have been a useful trick, but she was out of luck and relying solely on the wine and her companion to lull her to sleep. It would be far easier to sleep knowing she was safe, with both her familiar and Isen there to keep an eye out for any unwanted visitors.

"It's fine." She sighed and picked a bit more at her meal before refilling her cup with wine, leaning back into the cushions again and staring absently at the television. "You're right, I know. I just.." She took a sip and sighed again.

"I spent weeks looking for her after my family was killed. I was convinced that if I just looked long enough, hard enough, that I would find her somewhere even if it was just her body. I just wanted to know what had happened to her, needed to know. I finally just assumed that she was either being tortured for secrets or dead and I'd never find her. I never got to give anyone a proper burial, anyway. I just took what I could and left. I should have at least tried to do something for them."
 
Adelaide hadn't had the chance to put her loved ones to rest properly. Even Isen had the opportunity to do that with his sister, as painful as it had been. There had been no closure, no resolution, just pain and confusion before she went on the run to try and protect herself. It wasn't fair for her to have been robbed that chance, especially now that she had found out that her grandmother was alive the whole while and she hadn't said a word to her granddaughter about it.

Now, he had an idea. He didn't know if she'd go for it, but it was an idea nonetheless.

"Can you give me a couple of minutes?" He asked her, suddenly, standing up and already leaning towards the doorway. "I'll be back."

He wasn't going to take no for an answer, regardless, and he slipped out into the hallway, disappearing. He returned about fifteen minutes later, appearing in the doorway of their apartment. Isen still wasn't completely sure what had come over him tonight, why he felt so protective of her or like he needed to help ease her burden, but he did. Ignas would never let him live this down but he didn't care.

"Come with me. It won't take long."
 
"Not like you're giving me a choice." She gave him an amused look and shrugged. "Just don't get lost." She had meant it as a jest, but when the couple minutes passed and he still hadn't returned she started to wonder. When two minutes had turned into five, and then ten, and finally fifteen, Adelaide was starting to get worried and had abandoned the last bit of wine in favor of putting her boots on and going after her coat. Going out in pajamas wasn't really what she wanted to do after drinking and settling into the warmth, but she couldn't just let Isen wander around lost all night.

"That was a lot more than a couple of minutes, Isen. You had me worried you'd gotten lost." Her cheeks were slightly reddened from the wine, and she shook her head with a discontent groan before shoving one arm into her coat, and then the other. "Okay, okay, back into the cold we go. What is it?"
 
"Just follow me." He reassured her, leading her out into the hallway. Rather than head downstairs, however, he took her in a different direction, towards a different staircase. This one led to the roof and out onto the snow-crested top of the apartment. A slight, chilled air sprawled out all around them in every direction while they stood beneath the stars, shining and twinkling through the clear, midnight sky. At the end of the roof, near the edge, were a series of objects lined out that became clearer in focus the closer they got.

They were small lanterns. Memorial lanterns, ones meant to float into the sky and drift away when lit. There were about half a dozen of them, he didn't know how many he needed to get and it wasn't like he had a ton of time to work with. They were clearly home made, it looked as though it was something he had done before, but despite their crude and hastily drawn together origin, they seemed to serve their purpose and it was definitely moreso the thought that counted here rather than the execution.

"It was a tradition in my family to pay respects to those we've lost in this way. You light each lantern in memory of someone you loved. You honor them and then, as the lantern floats away, you let go of your grief and your pain. You never got that chance...to let go, to find peace. I didn't know how many to make, I hope these are enough."

The last time he had cared about somebody enough to do one of these was Meribell. Before that, it was when he was still completely human and hadn't met Ignas or gone through any of the tragedy that had followed his meeting with the demon.

"When you're ready, go ahead and light one of them." He stood beside her, though slightly behind her, encouraging her towards the lanterns. She would need to light the candle inside with her magic, but producing a small flame shouldn't have been a problem for her. He hoped this would be cathartic for her, that it would help her deal with the hauntings of her past before facing one final ghost in the morning.
 
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