Dissonant Hearts (Degusaurusrex x AndrewS)

Isen did his part, as he said he would, packing up their left over food as best as he could but he was clearly distracted with thought and worry. One of the negatives of becoming more in touch with his human side, and learning how to care about her, meant he was opening himself up to these things and feelings he hadn't dealt with in ages. Worry, regret, anxiety. They were staples of human life that he was now experiencing in waves. Ignas had to notice this as well but didn't appear to be doing anything to try and stop it, something which further confused Isen.

After preparations had been completed, he waited for her, turning off the television and placing Onigoshi back at his hip. There was no chance he would go into this without his weapon, even if he had to hide it somewhere he could easily grab it before he actually went inside. He was convinced this was going to become a fight, not a debate, and he was still trying to steel himself for the choice he might need to make.

And what if Ember? He didn't ask but he figured it would make sense to let the familiar tag along too. She was magic, after all, and Samara had proven that familiars could be very useful in dangerous situations, but that wasn't his choice to make. Unlike Ignas, who was a constant tag-along, Ember had her own body and her own mind separate from her mistress.

"I'm ready. But are you?" This was personal for her, she had more at stake. He could be as ready as was possible but none of that mattered if she wasn't.

He held the door to their apartment and let it close behind then when they both stepped out into the hallway. There was no going back now, they had to face whatever was coming head on.
 
"It's not like I really have a choice. It's now or never, and I can't let this opportunity slip by." She shrugged, pocketing up the last of the things she intended to bring. Phone, keys, knife, Ember at her ankles, everything else could stay there until they knew how this meeting would go. All she had to do was get through it without getting sick, and they could take the rest from that point.

"Just hope I can talk some sense into her. I have no idea how she's going to react when I tell her who I am." Was it possible that Lorelei already knew and was just putting on a front? Possible, yes. Likely? Adelaide wasn't sure, but the phone call she'd woken up to earlier had made her begin to wonder. What if the entire thing was a trap and her grandmother was too far gone to rescue? Had she been complicit in the murder of her own family? That seemed unlikely, but even so she was working with the very people who had committed those murders.

She walked in silence the rest of the way there, mulling over the different possibilities in her head along the way. She was so wrapped up in them that she didn't notice her familiar disappear, looking around and seeing no feline in sight, although she could still feel that she was near.

"I am near, mistress. I will be here when you call for me." Well, good enough she supposed, it wasn't like she could just take a cat through the doors they were standing in front of, shy of smuggling her inside her coat. Even then, it was a tricky situation, and she was grateful that her familiar seemed smart enough to know such things even at a young age.
 
Their silent walk led them back to the auditorium where the previous seminar had been held but Isen made sure to find a place to hide his sword so that it wasn't too far out of reach. Stuffing it into one of the empty lockers in the hall was a simple hiding place but he needed somewhere they could easily access and everybody would be too distracted by Lorelei and her mind control spell to notice anyways. It felt weird walking back in there after the night before. They had witnessed a pair of Dissonants drained of their mana and an entire room of people acting like puppets. All of the humans in this room were going to be under a similar effect soon and they were complicit in allowing it to happen, at least for now.

Their seats from their previous visit were available, so he grabbed them once again and sat down in his spot, eyes scanning the crowd, ears alert for anything he could hear out of the ordinary but for now, the audience just seemed excited for the seminar to begin and to see Lorelei Van Dyne in person.

"I don't think there are any Dissonants here. At least, not yet. I can't hear anything out of the ordinary."

"There doesn't appear to be any security here, either, especially after what happened before. If this is a trap, it isn't a very good one."

With how powerful Adelaide's grandmother seemed to be, she probably didn't need the back up, anyways. He wasn't sure what was more concerning, the fact that she would be alone or that if it were a trap, it was a choice she made on her own knowing she could handle it without any help.

The same man from before stepped out onto the stage and reached the podium. Addressing the crowd, he began to give a word-for-word repeat of the introduction he had given to Lorelei, like it was rehearsed or something he was being forced to do over and over again as if on a script. Soon, she too returned to the stage, basking in the adoration of the crowd. Her eyes seemed to linger over Isen and Adelaide once she had picked them out of the crowd, for only a moment or two, before she began to give her presentation which, again, elicited deja vu from how similar it was to what they had already seen.
 
"I don't know. I don't think they'd be stupid enough to come after what happened yesterday, but stupidity seems to run through all the species and not just humans, so who knows." She shrugged off her coat and settled into the seat, listening to the man drone on as he introduced her grandmother and the room lit up with applause and murmurs of adoration. Disgusting, really. How could this woman be her grandmother?

"She's looking at us." She didn't miss the way that Lorelei looked at them before moving on to the rest of the crowd, or the way that the audience was already falling under the spell she cast. On the bright side, it had allowed Adelaide to use the same spell to procure the wine the night before and would be very useful if she could entrance people in the future. That would solve the problem of money by giving them places they could stay, things they needed like clothing and food, and many other things she hadn't thought of yet.

"It appears safe outside, mistress. I do not feel anything dangerous." Ember's voice sounded in her head and she startled, looking around briefly before settling back down. Damn cat had spooked her and broken her little illusion of being enthralled. At least it had been to offer good news, and she mumbled some sort of answer the best she could inside her own head. That was going to take some serious getting used to.

"She keeps looking at us." She knew, she had to know, or at the very least she had to have felt their magic. Lorelei had been looking over the crown and lingering on them periodically throughout her speech, and she had even stuttered over her words once before the entire seminar had come to an end.

"I have to talk to her. I need to know." As the crowd started to filter out of the room Adelaide was on her feet, weaving through the people and down the steps to the side of the stage where Lorelei almost seemed to wait expectantly.

"Ah, young lady, I'm so glad to see you came back! You really are interested, aren't you?"

"Interested to know when you stopped being a Lancaster." Lorelei looked mildly surprised before she washed the expression away, waving one of her security detail away and sighing wearily.

"Well, this wasn't quite how I expected the conversation to go. Why don't we go and sit down for some lunch, Adelaide?" Adelaide had not been expecting her grandmother to be so calm about it, but at least she knew for a fact now that she was aware of who she was. "You can even bring that beast with you," Lorelei nodded toward Isen as Adelaide turned, giving her companion a questioning look.

Really, lunch?
 
Lorelei held the attention of the crowd well, even without the influence of her magic. She spoke properly, with eloquency, she made certain that every word of her presentation was expertly crafted to sell the points she was trying to make. The DSTF needed more people, the safety of the world was at stake and whatever else she needed to say to persuade minds that were already made up thanks to her spell. Isen wondered how much of it was ego at this point. She didn't need the bells and whistles, she had them in the palm of her hand already. Maybe she just liked hearing herself talk or, at least this time, it was all for show because she knew they were in the crowd.

With the presentation at it's end, Isen wasn't sure why they were sent here to begin with. It was the exact same thing they had already heard and, minus the Dissonant interruption, hardly anything had changed even down to the verbage she was using.

"This seemed to be a waste of time." Ignas commented, speaking what Isen was thinking. Adelaide, however, had other plans and she was already on her feet, wandering toward the front of the auditorium. "You should probably stop her, Isen."

He didn't need to be told twice, he was already moving to try and intercept her but without using his speed, he would never catch her in time and to do so would reveal what he was. He was too late to stop her and equally as puzzled by the offer that was made. As suspected, Lorelei knew much more than she let on.

"Beast." Isen repeated, beneath his breath.

"She knows what you are."

"This isn't good. If it wasn't a trap now, it definitely will be if you decide to meet with her." Isen told Adelaide but he already knew she was too stubborn, too set on seeing this through to change her mind now. "...we're still going, aren't we?"
 
"Of course we are." Adelaide gave him a slightly incredulous look as she hissed the words quietly, knowing he would pick up on them easily. "Besides, I'm hungry, so unless you want to deal with me getting cranky because I haven't eaten again, we need food." The seminar had been longer than she had realized and her stomach was already voicing its need for food, which made the offer all the more enticing. Some food, some answers, and then they could decide what to do from there.

"There's a diner just around the corner we can go to, they'll have much better food than the cafeteria here." Lorelei smiled pleasantly at them, and even though it seemed to reach her eyes Adelaide had a bad feeling about it. Not only had her grandmother not spoken up the previous night about knowing who she was, but now she was inviting them to lunch without answering any questions first.

"Fine." She knew exactly where Lorelei was talking about, and after a heavy sigh and a weary look she threw her hands up and then turned around. "We'll see you there in ten minutes." That seemed like enough time for Lorelei to get everything packed up and most likely had her driver take her there while Adelaide and Isen walked.

"And yes, I know this is probably a terrible, terrible idea, but we're going." She muttered to Isen on her way by, shoving her arms into the coat and stalking out of the auditorium. A diner was in public, so at least it seemed a bit safer than some random back alley.
 
At least they were going some place public, she probably wouldn't start too much trouble there, though her power would mean she could basically get away with anything she wanted to as long as those around her were human.

"Didn't you just eat? You're insatiable, witch. Honestly, you shou-" Ignas began to comment but quickly trailed off, quietly. Isen arched a brow but continued on with what he had wanted to say.

"I don't like this." He told Adelaide what he felt about the ordeal but he knew in the end, it wasn't going to change her mind.

"Uh, Isen? There are humans poking me. Please do something about this." Ignas suddenly asked. Isen looked towards Adelaide with a look of confusion.

"There's...what, now?"

"Humans. You decided to leave me in a locker, remember?"

Isen chuckled. Some college students must have found Onigoshi while they were leaving the seminar. It lightened the mood a little, hearing Ignas' distress over something so mundane, loosening some of the tension that had began to form.

Isen walked out into the hallway to find the locker door open with two students prodding at the sword, curiously.

"What is it?"

"It's a sword, dumbass."

"I mean, obviously, but why is there a sword here?"

"Who knows. Do you think we should report it?"

"No! They might think it's ours. Hey, does it feel weird to you?" He asked, reaching in to touch the sheathe again before recoiling quickly.

"Oh, yeah, you're right. We...probably should tell somebody about it. It might be dangerous and..."

Both of them stopped what they were doing as Isen approached, noting the way he glared at them. The pair of students sheepishly taking a couple of steps backwards. He walked between them, grabbed the sword out of the locker and began to walk away without saying a word, holding on so freely to something that had repelled their very touch, leaving them with an incredulous look on their face before they quickly scurried away.

"There. Is that better?"

"Yes."

Isen groaned, returning to Adelaide's side with his sword back at his hip. At least he didn't need to hide it anymore with Lorelei, she was already aware of who he was. Now, all that was left to do was meet with her and see exactly why she had invited them out for lunch. "Lead the way."
 
"Poking you?" She glanced at Isen with a raised eyebrow as they walked and just barely contained her amusement. "Oh, poor Ignas has become a source of entertainment." That was just precious, if she was being honest, and Adelaide found herself snickering as she waited for Isen to go and fetch their other companion before they continued on their way out. It was a miracle the kids hadn't reported it, but at this point did it really matter? Lorelei knew who Isen was, so the chances of her knowing he had the sword near him were high as well.

"I was just waiting on you, although I have to admit that listening to Ignas whine about being touched was.. Entertaining, to say the least." She made no attempt to hide her laughter now as they exited the building and turned down the street toward the diner. Considering how much had been at her expense or Isen's thus far, there was nothing wrong with laughing at the demon just a little bit.

"We should be safe since we'll be somewhere public, and if she tries to pull that stunt by putting a spell on the people in there, I'll do the same thing." She shrugged. "Thanks to Samara, I've got that little spell added to the list of what I can do. That's how I got the wine, after all." She grinned proudly and added a little bounce to her step, bumping her shoulder against Isen before walking slightly faster.

"Think we can get there before her?"
 
"Yeah, really hilarious." Ignas commented on Adelaide's amusement. "Let mortals mess with your greatest asset in the fight to come. That makes a ton of sense, witch."

Isen hadn't thought about it at the time but it was likely true that she could use that spell as well. Samara's imprinting spell really was coming in handy, it meant they could maybe turn the tides on Lorelei if the right moment arose. In general, however, Isen felt like a third wheel here. This was a personal moment for Adelaide, and likely for Lorelei as well, him tagging along felt out of place but he wasn't going to let her go alone without his protection, so it was a mute point. He would stay quiet, let them hash it out and if Lorelei tried to hurt Adelaide, well, he wouldn't regret whatever he did in that moment to save her.

"I'm glad that spell doesn't work on me. Who knows what you might make me do." He grumbled, innocently, unaware of any connotations that might hold. "Yeah, we can probably make it. I'd imagine she has to finish talking to her adoring fans." Isen practically rolled his eyes upon saying that, matching his stride with Adelaide's so as not to walk too fast and get too far ahead of her.

The small diner came into sight and, as he predicted, there appeared to be no sign of Lorelei yet. "Time to test out that spell of yours." He suggested, noticing that the diner was bustling with life from workers and patrons alike. "Maybe you should clear this place out, just in case." If they were alone, there wouldn't be anyone for Lorelei to manipulate and a much lower chance of anyone actually getting hurt.
 
"It might if I tried hard enough." Adelaide muttered under her breath and laughed at the thought. What could she do if she managed to make a spell like that work on Isen? Her brain wandered to the cliche hypnotizing pranks like making someone cluck like a chicken or act like a baby, but neither of those seemed overly fitting for someone like him. Not to mention that he was still so naive about a lot of things that she didn't need some spell to make him do silly things, he ended up doing them on his own!

"Well, we at least need the staff here." She rolled her eyes as they stepped inside, surveying the diner and finding that it was quite busy now that they'd reached lunchtime. She didn't need to clear out the entire place, but getting rid of enough people so that Lorelei couldn't enthrall them was a good idea. The question was, how did she manage to convince so many people to leave before her grandmother got there? It had been easy to use the spell on the frat boys she'd stolen the wine from, but she'd been talking to them, and they'd already been drinking on top of everything else!

It wasn't until people started vacating their tables and booths that Adelaide realized she'd begun speaking the spell despite never having been taught the words. Her speech was fluent as she went from reciting to innocently mentioning how nice it was outside now that the sun was out, to outright telling people that they should leave the diner and go about their days.

"You've certainly learned a few tricks, haven't you?" The bell at the door dinged loudly as Lorelei stepped inside with an amused smile. "I always knew you'd be strong, Ada." Adelaide scowled in response to the nickname, stepping away from her grandmother and then catching a waiter's attention.

"I haven't seen you in ten years, don't use that nickname on me before we've even had a chance to talk." Lorelei inclined her head in agreement, seeming perfectly calm and worry free as they were ushered to a booth and given menus before the waiter wandered off in a daze.

"I must say, Adelaide, I didn't expect to find you traveling with this beast." The older woman eyeballed Isen curiously and perhaps with just a bit of disdain. "Why are you with her? I didn't expect to find a demon working with a Lancaster."
 
Isen had made the suggestion but it was still fascinating to watch as her spell actually worked, not in suggestion but in practice. With a couple of whispers, she had most of the room moving to the beat of her drum, exiting the diner to enjoy the so called 'nice' weather outside even though it was the middle of winter and air still stung from the chill brought by winter. They seemed none the wiser, confirming that they were all humans, wandering out and leaving just them and the staff of the diner remaining inside for the meeting.

"Incredible." Ignas mused, watching the same scene unfold as Isen did. "Hmm..." He seemed to have something else to say but was not given the chance to say it.

"Someone's coming." Isen spoke up, hearing foot steps coming towards them, rather than away like the rest of the crowd. The door bell rang and confirmed what he had heard, those footsteps continuing in their direction, coinciding with Lorelei's voice.

Her simple presence in the same room as them felt concerning, intimidating, even to him. It wasn't like the auditorium, there was no open space between them. It was just Isen, Adelaide and Lorelei in a booth, seated as if they were simply having lunch and as though they were old acquaintances catching up with none of the baggage and weight that actually came along with this meeting.

"Her power is incredible, Isen. Do you feel it?"

Isen nodded his head, not wanting to speak and interrupt the conversation. "This might be more complicated than we first thought."

Had she addressed him? He wasn't fond of the name she called him by. He wasn't a beast. At least, not anymore, nor did he want to be again.

"We're friends." He responded, shortly. Isen had no intent of speaking to her any further but he couldn't stop himself from placing a jab of his own. If she was going to call him by that name, he had no reason to be civil. "And not because she brainwashed me."
 
"I'm surprised a demon would be friends with anyone unless it was benefitting them," Lorelei seemed unaffected by his jab, merely smiling and looking at the menu as she browsed through the different options. Adelaide was looking at her own, although her attention kept flitting between the laminated paper and her grandmother. Despite how normal the situation might appear to an oblivious outsider it was anything but normal, and her appetite was starting to wane the more that she thought about the possibilities.

"Nonetheless, now that the little charade is over, I'm sure you have a lot of questions for me, and I have some for you as well. You expressed interest in working for us at the seminar last night, but I'm guessing that was part of a way to sound me out, yes?"

"Why would I want to work for the people that killed my family? Why are you working for them after everything they did? They killed your daughter, for fuck's sake, your son in law! Does none of that mean anything to you?" Lorelei's expression seemed to soften as she heard the anger in Adelaide's voice, and she looked up from the menu and propped her chin in her hand.

"Your parents didn't understand the good that we're doing, and neither do you. You're so focused on what you think is bad that you don't see all the good that we do." She sighed and gave Adelaide what appeared to be a look of pity just as the waiter came back, giving them a questioning look before Lorelei turned her attention to him.

"I'll have the steak, rare please. Adelaide?" Of course the old woman would order something that had to do with blood when they were discussing murder. Adelaide simply stared at her for a long moment before pointing to a burger and thrusting her menu toward the waiter, who took both and disappeared with the promise to return with drinks and put their order in.

"So what, they brainwashed you after they killed mom and dad, and you're just.. Okay with that? You just blindly accepted what they told you despite the fact that they murdered your family and then chased me down? I know dad was only your son in law, but what about mom? what about your own daughter, Lorelei?"

"Adelaide, you don't even know your parents as well as you think you did. Did you know your father was from one of the witch clans?"

Wait, what?
 
Lorelei probably knew more about them than she seemed to tell. Isen's entire reason for joining up with Adelaide at the start was for his own benefit. Were all demons this see-through? His reasoning for sticking by her had changed but the origin of their partnership was based off of selfish gain from both of their perspectives, they were effectively just planning on using one another until the deed was done, after all.

Adelaide's voice began to raise with anger and Isen took a quick look around to see if anyone had noticed. The diner had been mostly cleared out, it was instinct for him to check and just make sure but none of the staff seemed any of the wiser, likely still charmed by one of their spells, though he wasn't sure who had control over them at the moment now.

And just like any other asshole from the DSTF, Lorelei seemed convinced that what she was doing was for the greater good. That was their whole thing, after all. Passing fear off as protection, deciding what was best for entire populations of people and Dissonants and then doing whatever it took to uphold that decision as if it were a law. How could she be so blind? Knowing what the DSTF did to other mages like her, had Lorelei really turned a blind eye to all of that?

Isen had so much to say and yet not the means to say any of it. The awkward silence grew, drawn out by the appearance of the waitress to take their order. The air felt thick, suffocating, and not from any spell that had been cast.

"She really seems to believe everything that she's saying. She's lost her mind."

"Good? What exactly is good about what you do?" Isen interjected, now, silent no longer. "Killing Dissonants because they're different? Because they're not human? I thought we evolved past that sort of treatment."

He didn't expect an answer. He didn't think his words would change anything or even sting at all, but he couldn't bite his tongue any longer. The more he learned about the type of people that commit themselves to the cause of the DSTF, the more he began to wonder if Ignas was on to something after all. If this is the way humans were meant to act and think, he was ashamed of the people he had been a part of.

And then, the intrigue grew. Isen looked over at Adelaide, checking on her as her father was brought up more directly by Lorelei. He had a feeling she was about to learn much more about her family's past than she had expected and he hoped she would be able to withstand it.
 
"What the hell are you talking about?" She silenced herself only briefly as the waiter came back with three glasses of water and then departed. Had they even ordered drinks, or was he just dispensing them as a formality due to being under her spell? No matter, she sipped at it and tried to temper her rage, taking a deep breath and then exhaling slowly. She could do this without exploding, all that would do was turn the entire situation into an even bigger mess.

"What, you really thought you became this powerful with one of your parents being human? Honestly, Adelaide, you're still such a child in so many ways. As for you, demon, The Dissonants are a plague on our society. They cannot be controlled in any way except fear and strength, they would wreak havoc and destroy our world just to claim it as their own. Do you really see the species coexisting peacefully? All it takes is one rogue werewolf to create another massacre and we'll be sent right back to the way things used to be before we started enslaving demons to aid us." She rolled her eyes and sipped at her water, somehow managing to make the movements all appear graceful despite the mundane nature of them.

"And this one beside you, you think just because he was a human before he got a hold of that demon, he's somehow different? You've seen him kill, haven't you?" Adelaide didn't answer, her hands fisting in her lap as she worked to keep herself calm. "He's just a monster in a human's body. Just because he looks mostly human doesn't mean he is one. Your father masqueraded as one for years as if we wouldn't find out who he was. His blood combined with the blood of our family has made you very, very valuable, Adelaide. We could use someone like you to help make the world a better place. Think of all the things we could accomplish together if you'd only open your eyes. Don't be blind like your parents were. They didn't understand that using you could help the world, instead they hid you away and tried to keep you all for themselves." Now what was the old bat on about?

"Hid me away?"

"Why of course, they wouldn't allow the DSTF to utilize your powers once you'd started to grow into them. Don't be so blind, Adelaide. Trust me, let me help you and we can make this world better than it ever was before!"
 
Something about the way she spoke to him just irked Isen. She really was treating him like he was some sort of monster. To be fair, he definitely was, but that was before Adelaide happened. He was trying to let go of that, to be better, this was just bringing up uncomfortable memories of the awful things that he and Ignas had done in the past.

"You're allowing your worry of 'one rogue werewolf' to justify a genocide. How does that make any sense? I'm the monster?"

"Isen, drop it." Ignas warned. "You're not helping."

Isen gritted his teeth and backed down, letting himself fall back into silence once more. He was getting frustrated, he needed to remain in control of himself or else, Adelaide would never get the answers that she needed.

Isen eyed his companion closely, trying to read what she was thinking from the way she was reacting. There was no way she would even consider working with Lorelei and the DSTF, right? It doesn't matter what kind of potential they might think she had, she was so hell-bent on destroying them that there wasn't any chance she would change her tune now and side with them. At least, that was what he hoped for and believed, in reality he had no idea what was going through her head now that her family was so directly involved and her grandmother was sitting across a table from her, alive and completely deranged.

His hand moved beneath the table towards hers. He wanted to touch it, to squeeze it and try to keep her focused, to reassure her that he was here and that she didn't need to listen to any of this garbage but he hesitated and no contact had actually been made. It wasn't his place, this was her decision to make, not his. He promised he'd stand by whatever choice she made but that was before he even had the slightest concern that she might actually jump ship and join Lorelei on the other side.
 
"The world is a disaster because of you people, and you think I'd ever help you? You just told me that my parents hid me away because they knew better, and they got killed trying to keep me safe! Why the fuck would I ever help the people that killed my family? All you do is lie and steal and murder in the name of making the world better, but all you do is destroy it. I'd sooner live with a city full of Dissonants, I'd sooner trust them than anything you people have to say."

"You sound just like your mother," Lorelei sighed wearily and pinched the bridge of her nose. "Always saying how terrible the DSTF was, pitying those filthy creatures as if they deserved even an ounce of her efforts. The amount of money she turned down, all the wealth and power, all the honor she would have had by allowing them to train you and bring you into your powers the right way..." She drank more of her water before setting the glass down gently, tapping her finely manicured nails on the table and shaking her head.

"I can't believe I birthed such a pathetic excuse of a mage. I should have had her killed when you were younger instead of hoping I could change her mind. Now look at all the damage that's been done to you, growing up without a proper teacher," She tsked in disapproval as Adelaide stared at her in stunned silence, unable to breathe or speak as she processed what had just been said.

"Demon, you should do something." She had forgotten that Ember was close enough to still communicate, since she hadn't followed them inside any of the buildings, but even the sound of her familiar's voice didn't stop the human from lunging over the table at the older woman.

"Oh, my sweet, sweet child.." The pain that she felt should have been from striking her grandmother, but instead it came from the impact her hand made with the wall of the booth as she somehow missed and teetered before finding herself on the floor. "Did you really think you could hurt me? You've got courage, I'll give you that. Your mother never had the guts to try and hit me like you do."
 
There was the Adelaide he knew.

There was the slightest concern that she might buckle under the trauma but he was relieved that she was standing firm in her beliefs, even against her grandmother. He was proud of her for doubling down on what she thought was right and for showing such conviction. His hand found hers, now, squeezing it just once before releasing, a subtle, short gesture to help reassure her that what she was doing was the right thing.

The moment Lorelei began talking of Adelaide's mother, however, Isen's mood shifted from proud to something a little more weary. He knew this was going to set her off and, with everything that had come to light, it was making him angry as well. In Lorelei's eyes, wealth and power was an influence and showing compassion was a weakness. She had things so backwards that it hurt his head to try and comprehend it. Even at his lowest, when his hands were covered in blood from what he had done, he still had enough of a conscience to know that what he was doing wasn't right. She had no such quality.

"What do you want me to do, furball? She's your master, shouldn't you be the one trying to control her? Isen, maybe you should..."

Ember wanted Ignas to do something? He wasn't going to and even if he wanted to, what good was he as a disembodied voice stuck in a sword? In the end, Isen would have to be the one to make a move, not Ignas, but to do so would mean to face down exactly what he and Ignas had discussed before; what happened if he attacked Adelaide's grandmother? What if he killed her? Would she ever be able to forgive him for that, even if it was to protect her?

The sudden sound of Adelaide's impact broke him from his thought process, sounding even louder than it had been normally due to his enhanced hearing. It reverberated and echoed long after initial contact had been made but it quickly became background noise because Isen had moved, within an instant, to be at her side as she fell to the floor of the diner. Protectively, he found himself in the line of fire, dividing the two of them with his fingers curling around the hilt of his sword. Staring down Lorelei filled Isen with something he shouldn't have been capable of feeling, something he hadn't experienced in almost a decade; fear. He was afraid of her. Of her power. Of what this meant to Adelaide. No matter what move he made now, there would be a consequence he wasn't sure if he was ready to face but to not act at all would mean to repeat exactly what had happened to him in the past with his sister.

"You talk too much." He told Lorelei, trying to force bravado in the face of an insurmountable situation. "She will never be what you want her to be."

"You're insane, Isen Hiyori..." Ignas chimed in but he seemed intrigued. He wasn't fearful, he was interested in what was about to happen. "What the hell? I haven't killed a witch in quite some time. Shall we fix that?"

"You need to leave. Now. You think I'm a monster, right? Maybe I am. But I'm trying to be better. I'm trying to be better because she helped me recover parts of myself that I've lost...don't make me lose them again." It was a simple threat, one he had no business making but yet, his words came freely even if his courage did not rise to the occasion so eagerly. One look back at her, however, was all the motivation he needed to do what he needed to do. He just hoped that Lorelei wouldn't make him.
 
"God damn it!" Adelaide swore profusely as she cradled her injured hand, staring down at the reddened knuckles and split skin as she scowled. How had she missed at such close range? Lorelei had to have used her magic somehow for that to happen, there was no other possible explanation for why she was now on the floor.

"You miserable old bitch! You had your own daughter murdered?!" She forced herself to her feet despite the pain, grasping at Isen's arm to steady herself as she glared heatedly at her grandmother. "Your own flesh and blood because she wouldn't let you use me. I swear, I should kill you right where you sit." Lorelei looked vaguely amused and lifted a brow before shrugging. She knew just as much as Adelaide did that wouldn't happen, and after a moment of hesitation Adelaide's grip tightened on Isen's arm.

"We're leaving." So much for having an apartment to themselves, now they needed to go on the run again. At least she had the useful spell to aid them in their journey, but that didn't make it any less frustrating that she would never be able to settle down anywhere until this was all over. "Now." She gave Lorelei one last hateful glare before they'd disappeared from the diner and stumbled into the apartment living room where she promptly released Isen.

"We need to go. Grab the bags." A scratching at the door alerted them that Ember had already made her way back to the apartment, and after taking a moment to open it and allow the feline in, Adelaide went back to gathering up the last of her things and stuffing them into a bag.

"Fuck! How did I miss?!"
 
Isen had mentally prepared himself for a fight that he wasn't sure he could win. He was ready to do what he had to if it meant protecting Adelaide and getting her out of this mess but it was unnerving how stone cold and unaffected Lorelei was. She had said herself how powerful Adelaide was and could be. She knew what Isen was capable of, that he had a demon bonded to his side and that he couldn't be killed, and yet their threat seemed to mean nothing to her. She was either ridiculously powerful or equally as overconfident, but she didn't flinch or move a single muscle.

Adelaide's hand grabbed onto his arm and Isen felt it. He could feel her grip wrapping around him, tightening, when he shouldn't have been able to feel any sensation at all. He didn't feel pain, nor temperature or anything of the sort. Unless Ignas was messing with him, which he most certainly wasn't right now given how ready he was for a fight, something was definitely off for him to feel her touch and yet, doing so was enough to bring him down out of his anger and help him refocus himself. She wanted to go and he was on board with that once his anger had subsided, a fight here wasn't a good idea regardless and he wasn't entirely confident about it to begin with.

To his surprise, Lorelei let them leave. She didn't stop them or interrupt Adelaide's spell. She didn't call out after grand daughter at all. There was no taunting, no remark, no final attempt to sway her mind. They reappeared in their apartment and Adelaide immediately went about packing things. This couldn't be their home anymore, they needed to go. They had only barely spent a night there and yet, it held memories for him; his attempt at cooking, their moment on the roof, memories he would need to leave behind before they ever really settled in.

"That was a little disappointing. I wanted to see what she was capable of."

"I didn't. It's a good thing we didn't fight her."

"I felt fear back there, Isen. You were afraid."

"Are you saying that to taunt me?" He asked, looking over towards Adelaide to see if she had heard that, if it had made her think differently of him.

"No, not at all. I'm actually concerned that you were so fearful. Was it because of her strength or was it something else?"

"It doesn't matter."

Ignas could sense the concern and he seemed to let it drop for now. Isen, however, couldn't stop thinking about what happened at the diner, not just the confrontation but what had happened afterwards. Why had he been able to feel her touch? He needed to ask Ignas about it later. For now, he had walked into the kitchen, moving through the fridge until he found what he was looking for.

"Because she's your grandmother. As much as you hate her, she's still family." Isen pointed out in response to Adelaide's frustration as he returned to her side. "All that matters is that we got out safely. Is your hand alright?" He asked next, showing her what he had gathered, offering it to her in case it might help; a cloth wrapped around several ice cubes he had retrieved from the freezer to soothe her pain.
 
"No, Isen, she had to have used magic to push me aside or push herself out of the way. She had to, there's no way I missed because I meant to!" She was still swearing when he approached her with the makeshift ice pack, and for the briefest moment she looked ready to cry before accepting it with a rough thanks. It was such a small gesture, but the fact that he had taken the time to do that amidst everything else going on meant everything to her right then.

"It hurts, but it's not broken. I'll see about figuring out a way to get it fixed up later when we're not on the run. I wonder how long until our mysterious insider hears about what happens and calls. He's probably pissed about getting us this apartment only for me to screw it up just a day later. God damn it!" She held the cloth to her injured hand and took a shaky breath, inhaling and then exhaling slowly to try and calm herself enough to function properly. They couldn't afford for her to be panicking or melting down now, they needed to be on the move as soon as they could.

"Where are we even going to go, Isen?"
 
The gesture seemed to be meaningful to her and he was fulfilled with her response, glad that the idea came to mind when it did. He let her take the cloth and ice away from him so she could apply it to her hand and then went about trying to help gather the bags as she had originally asked him to do before he became preoccupied with her well-being. "You didn't screw anything up." He reassured her, shaking his head as he came back into the living room, setting things down beside the couch. "Your 'friend' clearly knew she was your grandmother, it's probably why he sent us here...and he probably knew things were going to take a turn for the worst once he found out." If he knew her at all, he would have to know that she wouldn't have dealt with this situation well. For as much as he cared about her, even Isen knew Adelaide's shortcoming was her temper and how impulsive she could be.

"This is on Lorelei. Turning down her offer to join the DSTF probably wounded her pride. I doubt anybody has ever said no to that woman, especially with her power and that spell of hers. You are the one person she cannot control with the snap of her fingers, don't you think that upsets her?

"Not that I care whether or not your feelings are hurt, Isen is right, witch. She's so used to getting her way. She got upset and threw a tantrum to try and provoke you."

"Sounds like a certain demon we both know."

"I am on your side this time, idiot."

Isen chuckled to himself, moving back to Adelaide's side to check on her and her injured hand once more. "Wherever we go, I don't think we should travel too far from Cresthaven. It might sound stupid to be so close to the DSTF after all of this but if they're all meeting there on Christmas Eve, it kind of sounds like the place we want to be, doesn't it? Besides, Samara is there, she can help us hide in the meanwhile."

"And when the time is right, you'll have a whole building full of them, stuck in one place."

"...yeah. Maybe we can put an end to this. I think you've been through enough, Adelaide. If it comes down to it, if we come face to face with Lorelei again..."

"Isen will kill her so you won't have to get your hands dirty." Ignas finished the sentence that Isen didn't want to, emphasizing the world 'hand' on purpose to annoy her about what had happened at the diner.

Isen wished Ignas hadn't said that and was left trying to damage control it as best he could. "...I'm just saying that it doesn't need to be your responsibility. Take it from someone who has had the misfortune of killing a family member...it's not something I want you to go through. Adelaide, if I have to fight her to keep you safe..." He sighed, reaching up for her injured hand again. He pressed the ice against it, holding it steady. He could feel it's cold against his skin, her touch soft beneath his more rugged fingers. It caught him off guard, again, interrupting his speech for a moment before he continued onwards. "...I will do whatever I have to in order to protect you. I will take that burden off of your shoulders."

"Please, witch, furball, anyone. Cast that spell. I don't want to hear any more of this."
 
"I think I'm gonna hack up a hairball after that." Even Ember could feel the myriad of emotions in the air throughout their exchange, and she sat inside the door with a look somewhere between disdain and horror. Adelaide ignored her in favor of what Isen was saying to her, even though it was a tough subject to handle. Did she want to kill her grandmother? Every part of her had screamed yes when she'd lunged over the table, but now she was doubting that she had the guts to actually follow through on hurting the old woman. Isen was right, she was still family even if Adelaide hated her wholly.

"You're right, we should stay close to there, and visiting Samara if we can get there stealthily is a good idea." That was an excellent idea, why hadn't she thought of that to begin with? If she could just get them to Samara then they'd not only be away from their current location, but they'd be with someone who could and would help them at least some.

She was so rattled that she ignored most of Ignas' poking despite the cringe at the insinuation that they would kill Lorelei if need be. She didn't have time for this, not until they'd safely gotten somewhere else. Isen's declaration did give her some pause though. It shouldn't have been sweet for someone to offer to kill for her, but the oddity of their entire situation somehow made it so, and she nodded at him and managed a weak smile.

"Alright, let's go." Once she was certain that they'd gotten everything they needed together, and both Ignas and Ember were with them, she closed her eyes and focused on the visual of Samara's shop. All she had to do was get them there, and they could figure out the rest from there. "Oh, I hope we don't break anything when we land." Her stomach was unsettled, her heart pounding in her chest as her head spun, but when she opened her eyes again they were still standing in the living room of the apartment.

"..Uh oh."
 
The snide comments made by both of their companions had been lost on Isen, who was too caught up in what they were dealing with to let Ignas's jab get to him and he still couldn't hear Ember, so it was though she hadn't said anything at all. Adelaide seemed to smile, though weakly, meaning the sentiment had meant something, even if the context was a little twisted. Nothing was normal about their lives now, a promise to kill was par for the course at this point.

Samara was as safe a bet for an ally as they could choose. Not only could she hide them if needed but she clearly had substantial skill in controlling her magic and seemed to have foresight as well. She would see a threat coming before it ever reached them. Whether or not she could, or would, warn them as another story entirely, but at least one of them would be aware.

Isen nodded his head and prepared himself for the strange sensation of teleportation. No matter how many times she did it, it never got any easier or any less weird. This time, to their surprise, they remained in the exact same place as they had started. He caught on to the couch to steady himself, looking over at Adelaide with a hint of concern.

"Are you...maybe you should try again?"
 
"I can't." She looked at him with wide eyes and shook her head. "I can see it in my head, but I just.. Can't. Fuck!" Adelaide let go of him abruptly, pressing the cold cloth to her hand and stomping across the room to sit down on the couch. "Fuck, what is wrong with me? Now we're going to have to take a bus or a cab or something. I mean I know I can just charm them into taking us for free," Could she, though? If she couldn't teleport them, maybe she couldn't do that spell properly either.

"Okay, so I guess we're catching a ride back toward Cresthaven. Don't really want to sit in a car or whatever for the next couple hours, but it doesn't look like we have a choice." She sighed, rubbing at her face with her good hand before looking back at Isen. "She didn't.. Didn't even try to stop us. Do you think they'll follow us?" Did it even really matter, at that point?
 
"You're letting your emotions get the better of you, witch." Ignas chastised. As someone with experience with magic, however, Isen had to believe there may be some credibility to the claim.

"Would that cause her magic to misbehave?"

"Of course it would!"

Isen remembered what Samara once told them, that using magic was all about the feel, it made sense that her emotional state right now could interfere. The fact that it was this bad only made him more concerned, and possibly offered an explanation for why he could suddenly feel her touch him. He thought about telling her but it didn't seem like a good idea right now.

Another car ride wasn't the most pleasant thing in the world but it definitely beat sticking around here where Lorelei could find them...if she even wanted to. Adelaide's point was well met, there was no attempt to stop or chase them. It was possible she didn't care. Possible, but unlikely.

"I don't think she's going to follow us but it definitely won't be the last time we run into her." Isen offered his opinion on the matter, sighing quietly. "Right now, we need to get your mind off of it, so getting far away from here is probably still our best option even if we have to take a car." She needed to find her composure again or else she wouldn't be in control of her magic anymore. With the ring on her finger, losing control was not an option.

But what could he even do to help her?
 
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