Dissonant Hearts (Degusaurusrex x AndrewS)

"I'm coming, I'm coming." Adelaide couldn't help but to feel slightly nervous about the unknown, but followed closely behind him as they went up and onto the roof. She hadn't expected to go on top of the building, but rather to leave it entirely, and she stared at what he'd set up in a bit of confusion. How had he gathered the materials and crafted the lanterns in just a mere fifteen minutes? Honestly, the man seemed to find the strangest things just laying around!

"I do not understand the purpose of these, but it seems to be a nice gesture." Ember had followed them up and stood beside Adelaide, who barely glanced at the cat as she stared silently at the lanterns. It didn't matter to her if there were enough of them for everyone she'd lost, what mattered was the fact that Isen had taken the time to construct something like this out of nowhere. He didn't owe her anything, she hadn't fulfilled her side of the bargain and she hadn't done much in the way of helping him. Almost all of their time spent together so far had been planning, moving, fighting their enemies, and occasionally learning new things about each other.

"Where did you even.. Never mind, it doesn't matter." Adelaide shook her head and crossed the roof, crouching down to run her fingers over one of the lanterns before she sniffled. "I don't even know what to say." She picked up the first lantern and stood, opening her hand and creating a single flame that rolled off her fingertips and to the candle before it flared to life.

"For my mother, who I found in the front room, trying to defend our home." She stepped to the edge of the roof and took a deep breath before letting go of the lantern, watching the winter winds catch it and drift it around the night sky.

"And my father, who had drug himself across the room to be at her side in his final moments." She picked up a second lantern and lit it, looking back toward Isen before lighting and releasing it. "Ah, hell." The wind swept across her face and chilled her as she realized she'd started crying, and she wiped hastily at the tears with a laugh. "This is what happens when you drink wine and get emotional."
 
"You don't have to say anything. Not to me, at least." He reassured her, letting his hand rest tentatively against her shoulder as she leaned down, supportively remaining there until she began to light the lantern on her own.

He remained quiet as she paid her respects, listening to her talk about her family. In doing so, he learned more about what had happened to her, about the connection between her parents and how close their family must have been. For them both to give their lives trying to protect Adelaide, to protect each other, it was a powerful thought. He hadn't really realized it but in his own past, besides Meribell, he didn't really have much of a family at all. He was in protection of her, their parents were long gone, perhaps he was in need of some healing too, but it could wait until after he and Ignas had been separated from each other permanently.

Isen watched as the first two lanterns lifted off into the air, ascending slowly but steadily through the wintery night and towards the sky where they would eventually take their place amongst all the other lights and stars in the sky. As his vision moved back downwards, he noticed that she had begun crying and laughing to try and pass it off. He felt responsible for what she was feeling, given that this was his idea, but even he was certain that she wasn't so much out of sadness as it was just a release of all the pent up emotions and frustration she had been going through. She had been like a volcano, building, threatening to blow at any moment and the dam was slowly beginning to break.

"It's okay. Let it go." He reminded her of the point of this, to let go of her grief and pain. He repeated it again, standing in front of her now, letting his eyes lock onto hers to reassure her that he was here and that she wasn't alone, or that she didn't need to feel embarrassed for being vulnerable. He had already seen her at her worst and he was still there, a couple of extra tears wasn't going to change anything.

Rather than let her dwell on her sadness, he leaned down to gather the third lantern, lifting it up and holding it between them for her flame to find it's mark. "What about this one?" He asked, wanting to keep her talking, to distract her and help her through this difficult exercise.
 
Not wearing makeup was good for times like this, and Adelaide gave him an embarrassed look before she nodded slowly. At least the last time she had cried in front of him it had been partially out of rage, now she was overwhelmed and tipsy, a combination that tended to make for awkward situations. It didn't look like he had any intention of letting her look away from him or the task either, and she looked at the third lantern hesitantly.

"For David, who was brainwashed and forced my hand." She'd been blaming herself ever since it had happened, but it wasn't her fault. What that organization had done to people, how they'd twisted and contorted the truth to make people believe in them, none of that was her fault. David's death wasn't her fault even if she'd been the one to take his life, his decision had been a result of their handiwork.

She blew a flame gingerly onto the candle inside the lantern and took a deep breath, taking it gingerly from him and then pushing it off into the air to follow the first two. It didn't matter that it wasn't a proper replacement for a burial for anyone, or that it didn't change anything, it lifted a burden from her shoulders and allowed her to truly understand that despite the circumstances, she wasn't to blame for all of their deaths.
 
Isen nodded along as she paid respects to the third individual. Brainwashed. Just how low was the DSTF willing to stoop to get what they wanted? The more he learned about them, and the more he experienced their treachery first hand, the more he was glad she had come to him when she did. This wasn't something she could have gone up against on her own and it was something he had stood idly by and ignored for far too long. He was beginning to see it all around him. The effect they were having on people while calling it protection, ruining lives, families, killing and taking whatever they wanted while forcing the public to believe it was all for some greater good and their own safety. They had spent a long time ignoring him, and he the same towards them, but they had his full attention now, and the full attention of the curse he was bound to.

Isen leaned down to take up the next lantern, holding it between them the same way he had the last so that she could give it a flame.

"If it's alright with you, may I use one of them?" He asked her, suddenly. If she wished to use them all, that was fine by him, but he had come to realize something that bothered him dearly. He had never gotten a chance to do one of these for his sister. He had properly laid her to rest in a grave but clearly he hadn't moved on or let go of the grief the way he was telling her to. A hypocrite, certainly, but this was a chance for him to find similar relief, if that would even be possible for him. He didn't say who he wanted to use it for but it was more than obvious, given what she knew about him, that it would be for Meribell.
 
"You made them, you don't need my permission. For your sister, right?" It was the only person he'd mentioned losing that seemed to matter to him so it made the most sense, and she nodded and blew a small flame in before smiling at him.

"I think it's about time you let go of that guilt, Isen. It wasn't your fault." She had a feeling that they both knew that, but knowing something and accepting it were two totally different things. Isen had held onto it all of these years despite the fact that it was Ignas who had forced his hand, literally, and it was time for him to finally let go.

"For Meribell. She'd be proud of you."
 
Isen nodded his head in response. It didn't take much effort for her to figure out who he wanted to honor. "Yes, that is correct."

Hearing her tell him that he didn't need to feel guilty was appreciated, but not entirely effective in absolving him of said guilt. It wasn't as if he had been blaming himself without just cause; he was the one who took her life. Regardless of the fact that he was not in control of himself when it happened, it was still his hands that were stained with her blood and his conscience left to struggle with that terrible fate. "I wish that were true." He replied, simply, a small sigh following beneath his breath as he gripped the lantern a little tighter.

He turned it upwards, revealing the wick of the candle so that she could produce a flame for him. "If you wouldn't mind...?"

"I guess we both have things that haunt us. It's hypocritical of me to tell you to cast your guilt aside when I cannot do so for myself." At least he was aware of his shortcomings, though that didn't make them any less glaring.

"Proud of me?" What could she possibly be proud of? He had carved a path of destruction and misery wherever he went, there was nothing to be proud of in becoming a killer. He was no better than anyone in the DSTF, worse even, perhaps. At least they believed what they were doing was right, he knew it was wrong from the start but he was too weak to fight off Ignas and his malicious intentions. "I'm not sure about that, but I appreciate you saying it anyways."
 
"She would be proud of you for becoming more human again." Adelaide placed her hands over his on the lantern and gave him a smile, holding them for just a second before she stepped back and blew a flame into the candle and watched it flare to life.

"And I'm proud of you." She shrugged and managed a sheepish look before stepping out of the way, moving to stand beside him as her eyes went to the three lanterns around on their way out through the night. It seemed so strange to watch her worries and guilt literally floating through the air, the lit candles dancing and flickering against the dark sky as they grew further and further away. Strange, but also relieving at the same time, and she waited until Isen had released his own lantern before she moved closer and leaned her head against his shoulder.

"Thank you, Isen. For this."
 
Had he really been becoming more human? How much of that change could be credited to Ignas not being around as much rather than her influence? The change in his behavior lined up perfectly with the moment she found him during that snow storm, after all. How could he think otherwise?

With the candle lit, he could already feel the lantern trying to tug out of his hands to join the others in the air above them but he held onto it tightly, just for a little while longer, looking back across it and towards her as she said that she was proud of him as well. He believed it when she said it, even if he still didn't quite believe that he deserved it. "You...are?" He asked, in return, not so much questioning it as he was trying to figure out why hearing her say that made him feel the way that it did. She was right, he was becoming human again, all of those different feelings and emotions Ignas had worked so hard to suppress were beginning to bloom again, cracking his hardened resolve. She was getting through to him, slowly but surely, even if it wasn't what she had sat out to do from the start.

Letting go of the lantern, he guided it upwards until it took flight, drifting away from them. It ascended, and with it went a majority of the grief he had been holding on to. If he didn't forgive himself, he would never be able to move forward. He never thought he would have the chance. Up until now, his entire goal was to end his life by getting rid of Ignas and Onigoshi, he hadn't put any thought into what would come after that because he wasn't intending on surviving to see it through. That was his absolution, his recompence for all of the horrible things he had done.

Adelaide made him want to try again. She had him wondering if perhaps it was possible to live a life after Ignas. Maybe separation didn't need to be the end.

Her head rested against his shoulder and it caught him off guard momentarily. He hesitated as she thanked him but, eventually, his neck craned enough to rest his head against hers in response, instinctively, both of their eyes cast skyward towards the lanterns that represented their past. They were at a high enough altitude now that they molded into the skyscape, becoming indiscernible from the stars that had been looking down on them.

There were two more lanterns left to be lit but he didn't really think either of them needed them anymore. They had served their purpose. His heart felt lighter, as did his conscience, and he hoped the same could be said for her as well.

"Let's get you back inside. I don't want you to get sick..." He told her, quietly, remembering as the winter breeze began to pick up that she wasn't immune to it's chill the way that he was. The last thing either of them needed was her catching a cold the night before one of the biggest moments of her life, after all. "...and you don't need to thank me. If anything, I should be thanking you." What for, however, he didn't elaborate on.
 
She was proud of him, that was the strange part. Somehow she felt closer to him in less than a week than she had in the years she'd known others. Maybe it was because she'd been able to truly open up, tell him who she was and talk about her family. She'd never needed to hide who she was, what she could do, or any of her thoughts on the matters of the world and its crimes. She had threatened him openly, even if it had been directed at the demon inside him, but he was still at his side. Even after his first contemplation that she had caught him in the act of and forced him to stay, he was still here when he could have easily left and not come back at any point throughout their journey.

"Yeah, we can go in." Adelaide pulled back to look at him inquisitively but nodded, tucking her hands into her pockets and shuffling through the snow as Ember followed along. She'd forgotten that her familiar had joined them, caught up in the moment and the comfort they were giving each other as they let their grief fly away in the night sky.

"We have a long day tomorrow anyway, so I guess I should sleep." Right after she brushed the taste of the wine out of her mouth. She'd forgotten all about that sensation, and as soon as they got back inside and into the apartment she made haste in brushing her teeth before returning to the living room brushing out her braid.

"Are you staying out here tonight, or...?"
 
Isen turned towards the door they had used to walk out on to the roof. He left the paper lanterns where they were, unlit but exactly where they needed them if they had to return tomorrow after whatever happened with her grandmother. He watched Ember leave tiny tracks in the snow, shaking her fur once she had gotten inside, dislodging the snow that had caught on her back while leaving a trail of wet marks from each step she had taken. He did the same, walking with Adelaide back inside where it was warmer and he didn't need to be concerned with her well-being. Down the stairs and through the hall, they found themselves back in their apartment and he sat himself down to wait for her to return.

Their place was still messy, the faint scent of the food they had cooked, and what he had burnt, lingering in the air still. They hadn't cleaned the dishes in the kitchen from the mess he had made, but they could do that some other time, it wasn't going anywhere. Adelaide was likely still a little wine-drunk anyways, it was best for her to get some rest as they had discussed.

Instead of cleaning up, he found himself sitting on the couch alongside the familiar, who seemed a little more comfortable being close to him now than she had before they had gone up to the roof. It was possible he had gained Ember's favor, but it was too soon to tell, especially since he couldn't actually hear what the cat was saying the way Ignas and Adelaide had been able to. At least this likely meant that Ember no longer saw him as a threat to Adelaide, that was progress, it meant they could work together more properly to protect her should anything dangerous come to light again in the morning.

Once she had rejoined him from the bathroom, he heard her question and was confused by what she meant by it. "Of course I will be staying here. This is our apartment, is it not?" He asked, totally missing the point of what she had asked him.
 
"That's not.." Adelaide groaned and stopped brushing, shaking her head at him and giving him an exasperated look. "Yes, it's our apartment for the time being, but that's not what I asked. I asked if you were staying out here," She gestured to the couch before going back to brushing, "Or if you were going to come in the bedroom with me. I know you don't sleep, but I thought maybe you'd lay down with me, at least, like before." Honestly, this man was ridiculously clueless. It was a good thing she wasn't out to seduce him or she'd have her work cut out for her. Just getting him to understand that she wanted him to lay down in the same bed was apparently a challenge!

"You can join me if you want to. Otherwise, good night." She was still shaking her head as she finished brushing her hair and disappeared back into the bedroom. Ember appeared just moments later, circling the room before hopping up on top of the dresser and stretching out. She made no move to join Adelaide in the bed as she climbed under the sheets, instead looking curiously between her mistress and the doorway to the bedroom.
 
As always, Isen had completely missed the point of the conversation. At a certain point, it was going to become more frustrating to her than it was endearing and he certainly walked the line between the two quite carefully without ever really intending to fall onto either side of it's divide. When her intentions were made more certain, he quietly contemplated the offer. It felt...different, though he couldn't quite put his finger on why. They had shared a bed before, she had caught him trying to leave and he had helped her through her nightmares, but wasn't the same. He was certain it was either the events of the night or the fact that she was so formally asking that caught him off guard but by the time he had prepared an answer, she had stood up and excused herself to the bedroom, leaving him on his own.

No Adelaide, no Ignas, no Ember just him.

When was the last time he was truly alone with his thoughts? When they were separated before, Ignas was still with him and while the demon was silenced, Adelaide was his constant companion. He could hear himself think. He could listen as his thoughts jumbled in a way unlike him. He was changing and maybe she was right, he was becoming more human and with that came the startling, yet obvious, realization that he didn't want to be apart from her in any way, even if it were in separate rooms of the same apartment.

He spent a few moments thinking that over, then another handful of seconds traversing across the hallway. Before long, he was at the doorway, pushing it open slowly, peering around the side to make sure he wasn't barging in on her indecently like he had done in the past. He said nothing, he didn't need to. He relocated himself to the space beside her, wordlessly occupying it for fear of making it awkward by voicing what it was he had felt during the decision process.
 
She was being silly, of course he was going to stay out on the couch while she slept. They'd had a moment together, opened up and then released guilt and grief they'd held onto for years and years, but that didn't mean he had to join her in bed. She was acting like a silly little girl craving comfort, but did that really matter anymore? She did want comfort, and when she heard the door opening and saw Isen's shadow she no longer cared if it was wrong or right.

She laid there in silence for a minute after he got situated before she moved, pushing her hair out of the way before wriggling over to her normal spot against him. She said nothing, just waited for him to lift his arm and give her access before she could mold herself against him and drape a leg over his. The warmth radiating off of him was almost more comforting than the actual feel of him, and she burrowed the rest of the way beneath the sheet with a happy sigh.

This would do just fine.
 
There was a quiet unlike the one he has felt by himself in the living room. Before, he was left with his thoughts but now, there was an awkward silence as neither of them seemed willing to speak a single word to address their actions. They were both in need of something they didn't wish to ask for, a comfort derived only from being close to one another. It was an embarrassing thing for him to admit, after all. He didn't need to be close to her that badly. He would repeat that until he believed it.

Thank goodness Ignas wasn't witnessing this.

Isen's arm lifted, creating a space fit for her to nestle into, rediscovering a familiar position that had worked for them before and finding that it stilled served its purpose fine tonight as well. He released a contented sigh, one which he hadn't been able to properly silence before it had gotten out into the open, and his eyes casted downwards towards her to see if she had noticed. He had never cared for what others thought of him before but tonight, it was like every rise and fall of his chest had the potential to shatter the comfort they had shared and he needed to be careful not to be the source of any disturbance.

How had it gotten to this point?

This was meant to be a job, nothing more. A means to an admittedly selfish end, but an end nonetheless. Why had he allowed it to become so complicated? In rediscovering the human side he had been robbed of, he had opened himself up to some thing much worse. Worry. Dependency. Companionship. He shouldn't have joined her in bed but here he was, pretending as though it didn't mean as much to them both as it seemed to.

"Adelaide?" His voice spoke up, finally, addressing her. It seemed apparent that there was something on his mind that he wished to talk about but instead of allowing it out into the open, he changed course suddenly, obviously dancing around something more important. "...goodnight."
 
"Yeah?" Adelaide lifted her head just slightly, looking sleepily at Isen as he spoke. It seemed as though he had more to say even as he quickly deflected, and she watched him for a second before nodding and putting her head back down. "Goodnight."

Between the wine and the fact that she was both mentally and physically drained, it didn't take long for Adelaide to fall asleep cuddled up to Isen. She hadn't thought to set an alarm on the phone that she'd received, but it didn't seem that she needed one, as the phone was ringing in the living room when she woke up, and Ember was on the bed pawing on her face. What a hell of a way to wake up, and she reluctantly pulled herself away from Isen to stumble from the bed and into the living room.

"It better not be six o'clock in the morning."

"It's well past that, Adelaide." The voice on the other end was slightly amused as the line crackled, and she rubbed at her eyes before sprawling out on the couch. Why was he calling her so early?

"Are you gonna tell me your name yet, or what?"

"I'm sorry you had to find out about your grandmother the way you did." Apparently not, since he was completely ignoring her question in favor of the current topic. "Be careful when you go to the seminar today." Well, no shit.

"No shit." She hadn't meant to actually say it out loud, but the words were sounding in her ears before she realized she'd spoken. "What did you people do to her?"

"That's not information I can give you."

"Can't, or won't?"

"Does it matter? Be careful at the seminar, both you and the beast you travel with. I'll be in touch."

He'd woken her up for that brief conversation? Did he really think she was going to act stupidly when something so large was at stake? It was insulting, really, and she grumbled all the way into the kitchen before getting a glass of water.
 
The moment had passed and there was no point in dwelling on it or going back to try and fix the fact that he hadn't spoken up when he wanted to. Another period of silence fell around them as she drifted off to sleep. The nights prior, he would have at least had the television on, providing background noise to distract him from the quiet but this time, he had no such luxury. She was so close to him, if he were to move, he'd no doubt wake her up and he didn't want to do that at all. So, he stayed still, as still as he possibly could, checking on her occasionally, feeling the movement of Ember as she occasionally switched positions across the room or over the mattress.

And then, he tried to sleep.

Seeing her so resting peacefully made him want to try too. It was a foolish attempt, he knew it wasn't going to work, but he thought perhaps if Ignas wasn't here, he'd be able to find some sleep of his own. This, of course, did not come to pass, and he remained awake as the darkness in the room had been gradually replaced by the sun breaching the blinds of the bedroom. This continued until the ringing of the cell phone from the other room began and with it came her familiar, swatting her paw against Adelaide's face to alert her to the noise. Isen let go of her as she stumbled out of bed to answer the call, curiously training his hearing to listen in on the conversation even though she was in a different room.

It was the voice from before and he seemed to be giving them a warning.

A warning? Or was that a threat?

Isen stirred from his place of rest and entered the kitchen afterwards to join her. "Good morning." He told her, though he wasn't exactly enthusiastic about it, it was more sarcastic in nature than anything at else. At least she had slept through the whole night with no nightmares interrupting her sleep. "Your friend isn't very friendly." He commented, obviously, reading the situation and the annoyance she seemed to be showing towards the caller. "How do you feel?"
 
"He's not my friend. Bastard won't even give me his name." Adelaide groaned. "I'm not hungover, somehow, so that's good. I do need some coffee if there's any here, and probably some breakfast before we go." They still had some time to pass before the seminar, and she needed to make sure she had the bags packed up in case worst came to worst.

"If I ever see him again I may hit him just for all the annoyance he's caused." She shook her head and dug around in the cupboards, hissing in victory at the sight of a tin of coffee and a maker beside it. The staple of surviving mornings was caffeine, and after wiping it off with a hand towel she went through the process of filling everything up and starting it.

"Surprised Ignas isn't talking yet." How long had it taken the last time she'd shut him up? A full day? Did she dare to undo the spell so they had that connection when they went to the seminar? She wasn't quite ready to deal with the demon again so soon, but she also wasn't so stupid as to leave the connection broken should anything drastic happen.

"I guess I'll undo the spell before we leave." She leaned back against the counter as the coffee maker began its job, running a hand through her sleep tousled hair and yawning. "What do you think the worst case scenario of us going will be?"
 
"Do you want me to cook you something?" He asked, though he very clearly meant it as a joke after last night's debacle. He could be fun too, sometimes. Rarely, but sometimes.

As she got to work around the kitchen, he found himself leaning back against one of the counters, instinctively, simply to try and get out of her way. When she joined him in a similar position, he noted that they were awfully close once more and that it seemed more natural now for them to be like this. At first, it had only been when they were laying in bed but last night, she had laid her head against his shoulder while they watched the lanterns and now, here they were again. He was beginning to notice these little things, things that he shouldn't care about yet they seemed to bring him a strange sense of comfort and, in an even odder way, joy.

"Do you have to?" He asked, shaking his head with a groan. "Fine. I guess we might need him."

"Worst case scenario? Somebody tries to kill us. Somebody always tries to kill us." Came his response, the slightest shrug of his shoulders following as though what he had said wasn't something out of the ordinary or not nearly as alarming of a statement as it should have been. He just hoped it wasn't going to be her grandmother doing said attacking but, with the DSTF involved, there was no telling what they would be walking into it. "You need one of those brush things, don't you?" He asked next, looking at her sleepily-displaced hair. She didn't need to answer nor ask, he had already gone to retrieve it. It was thoughtful, as he had been rather frequently lately. It was the little things.

He placed it in her hand and returned to his spot against the counter, hearing another voice interrupt their morning conversation as if right on cue.

"I hate you both."

"Welcome back, demon."

"Don't 'welcome back, demon' me. I'm this close to figuring out how to break that stupid spell of yours."

Isen laughed to himself, glancing over at Adelaide with a smile that seemed to linger for a moment before fading out upon realizing that it had been there. He watched her comb her hair until their eyes awkwardly met, prompting an expected comment from their third wheel.

"Oh. Maybe I should be glad you blocked me out. Do I even want to ask why you're looking at her like that?"

Isen's eyes immediately diverted. "Like what?"

"Like that. Like a puppy."

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

"...disgusting."
 
"I'll bring at least one of my knives, especially if they have those weird new weapons with them, then I'll need an actual weapon." She certainly didn't want anyone trying to kill them, but with the way things had been going it was definitely a possibility. "Yeah, I guess I.. Do." He had already left the room in search of said brush and she laughed, turning back to the coffee maker and letting it finish as she ran through the reversal spell in her head before uttering the words.

"You hate anyone that doesn't give you what you want, Ignas. Thank you, Isen." She accepted the brush and worked it through her hair while pulling down a mug, pouring the coffee simultaneously and moving around the kitchen in search of things to add to it. "You're like a spoiled child who throws a tantrum when he doesn't get his way. Get over yourself." Wait, why was he looking at her like that, and why was the demon commenting on it?

"He does kind of look like a puppy when he does that." Ember spoke up from the kitchen doorway with a mixture of amusement and disgust, brushing up against Adelaide's leg before meowing loudly. "I am hungry, mistress. Will you be making more meat?" Adelaide hadn't made it in the first place, but she was going to be making breakfast anyway, so there was no harm in seeing what meat was in the fridge.

"Enough talk about puppies, whatever the hell you two are going on about." She rolled her eyes and sipped the coffee, setting her brush on the counter before going to browse the fridge. Bacon probably wasn't the best for cats, was it? What about eggs? Was it different when the cat was a familiar and not just a normal one? Well, they were going to find out, and worst case scenario was that she had to clean up cat vomit before the day was over.

"He stares at you like a puppy, mistress." Adelaide purposely ignored her familiar as she wiped out pans and got the food going, sipping calmly at her coffee as the food began to cook.
 
"I'm glad I'm not the only one who noticed." Ignas mumbled, dismissively. He hated having to agree with Ember but it leant credence to what he had been saying so it served him well to just go along with it. "Tell them, furball."

The cat was in on it too? Just when he was starting to think Ember wasn't all that bad...

Isen groaned. Loudly. It was an embarrassed attempt at changing the conversation, one which failed miserably.

"I stand by what I said. I don't want to know."

"Then stop talking about it."

"I will."

"Okay."

"Okay."

This was going nowhere fast.

Had he really looked like a puppy? Sure, perhaps his gaze had been just a little too longing, but that was purely accidental, right? Never mind the fact that Ignas, by extension of their connection, could tell what Isen was thinking and probably feeling as well, he was clearly just trying to get under Isen's skin because he was still upset over the spell being used again...right?

"I'm not trying to get under your skin because of the spell, you idiot." Ignas told him, having read that thought as well.

"It doesn't matter. You said you were going to stop talking about it."

"I did. But you won't stop thinking about it. About her. Shouldn't you both be more focused on what's about to happen at that seminar this morning?"

Well, he was right about that, as much as Isen hated to admit it. But, any change of subject was a welcomed one at this point.

"I am focused, but there's nothing we can really do about it until we're actually there. Let her enjoy her breakfast."

"So defensive. Fine, suit yourself. I'm sure you don't need to be reminded how serious this situation has become, or what we discussed last night. Just be ready."

"We will be." Isen replied, doubling down on that though he wasn't one hundred percent sure either of them was truly, completely prepared for their next encounter with Lorelei.
 
"You know I can still hear the both of you, right? You're still talking loud enough for it, and I can't tell if this is on purpose, or that neither of you bothered to think it through." She turned to give Isen a slightly annoyed look, although she wasn't sure if she was truly annoyed or a mixture of that and confused. Were they really just going to talk about her where she could hear them and expect her not to say anything? Men.

"Ember, get off the counter!" She scolded her familiar and shooed her off of the counter with a scowl. "I know you're still a cat but stay out of the way until I'm done cooking and then I'll give you some. I don't think I should give you raw bacon. Besides, it's all slimy and cold and.. Just, gross!" She threw her hands up in exasperation and looked around before narrowing her eyes.

"Alright, everyone out of the kitchen until I'm done!" She shooed all present parties out of the room with some minor cursing before returning to finish both her coffee and cooking, making sure everything was properly cooked and done before she dared go into the living room where Ember was eagerly awaiting whatever her breakfast would be.

"Here your highness, bacon." She tossed some on the floor before sinking down into the couch, popping a piece into her mouth with a weary sigh. "I swear, sometimes it's like having multiple children here, between the cat and the demon."
 
"I didn't even do anything." Isen grumbled as he funneled himself away from the kitchen and out towards the living room instead. All three of them had been kicked out and although he felt completely innocent and as though he were a victim of their teasing, he complied and gave her some space anyways. Relocating himself to the couch, he turned on the television settled in while he waited for her to finish cooking her food. Isen seemed annoyed by Ignas's taunting, much more so than usual.

"Reports from within Cresthaven seem to indicate that the DSTF are planning some sort of grand reveal of a new project centered around public safety. The current schedule calls for an assembly on Christmas Eve." The voice of a newsreporter spoke through the speakers, passing this announcement off as news. Was this the big reveal of those machines that they ran in to?

"Major leaders from around the world are expected to be in attendance, raising concerns over whether it would be wise to gather so many influential and important people in one place during such tumultuous times. A speaker for the DSTF, however, assures the public that there is nothing to fear and that precautions are being put into place to preserve the well-being of not only all guests in attendance but of the entire city as a whole."

"Did you hear that, Isen? All of their leaders, all in the same place. Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"

"There would never be a better chance to take them all out at once?"

"Precisely." And, in the process, prevent them from launching their drones.

"We can discuss it later. Let's just try and get through this morning first." He reasoned as Adelaide came back towards him, sharing her bacon with her happy, and hungry, familiar.
 
"What are you two going on about?" She'd only caught the end of it all when coming back in, and after having her first bite of the meal she gave Isen an inquisitive look. "Something about a bunch of leaders in the same place?" She hadn't even been awake for a full hour yet and there was already drama on the television, possible plotting in the works between Isen and his demon counterpart.

"Maybe I should have waited to undo the spell on you, Ignas. I can't say I missed you, the silence was definitely nice." She didn't regret her choice, and she'd do it again in a heartbeat if the demon got on her nerves. Or rather, when he got on her nerves again, as it was unavoidable in their current situation. "We should pack some of the food up too in case we have to run, just nothing that has to be kept in the fridge." She mused to herself as she ate, her attention torn between the television, Isen, and the preparations she needed to make before they actually left for the seminar. One could never be too safe, could they?
 
"The DSTF is planning some sort of grand reveal event on Christmas Eve. They're bringing all of their most important people together, your grandmother probably included." Isen explained, reiterating what they had heard. "Ignas thinks that..."

"It's the perfect chance to cut the head from the snake. All of the snakes at once."

Isen could understand the Demon's thought process here but he couldn't help but feel that Ignas was working some sort of angle. If they did launch some sort of attack, and it was successful, it would fulfill Adelaide's mission and then, she would be free to separate them. There had to be something more here.

"Very well. I will help you pack when you are ready."

Isen saw this seminar as a crucial turning point in their plan. What happened with Lorelei would shape so much of what was to come. Did she really need to die? Or could they bring her back from underneath the DSTF? Would Adelaide be able to do what needed to be done if this were a trap? Or would she ever forgive him for what he might do to protect her?

It made him feel a little on edge, anxious even. He simultaneously wished to get this over with while also wishing the two of them could just crawl back into bed and forget all about what they were about to face.
 
Adelaide thought over what the two had said as she ate, her gaze in the general direction of the television but her mind somewhere else entirely. The demon had a point, but she had yet to discover the depth of her grandmother's involvement in the DSTF. Why Christmas Eve, of all days? That was still several days away, but were they so confident in what they had planned that they would not only put so many big names together at once, but they would do it the night before the biggest holiday of the year? They were insane.

"Alright, let's get ready." Once she'd finished eating and made sure her familiar had gotten enough as well, Adelaide made quick work of rinsing dishes and setting them in the sink for later, then ventured off to get dressed in much more practical clothing. She didn't need to wear a dress again, did she? Maybe she could even put her hair back in a braid, even though she was certain the description of her person included it, they were already possibly walking into a trap, and it would be better to have it out of the way in case they needed to run.

Twenty minutes later and she'd gotten herself dressed, brushed her teeth, and worked her hair into a tight braid before going back for her boots and coat. All she had to do was make it through the seminar and get her grandmother without a hoard of guards so she could talk to her, figure out what was going on and how she could get back the only family member she had left.

"Ready?"
 
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