Fantasy Immortuos

[AccioProphecy]

"May I watch?"

Isla tilted her head at his question and watched as he comically crouched down next to her bed. "A lot of women would consider it a breach of privacy if you look at their phone, you know," she said teasingly, not really minding it herself. She had nothing suspicious to hide, but again, she never deleted stuff off her phone.

"We'll get it managed. I'll help in any way I can to get each of us to where we belong, 'kay?"

She momentarily glanced up as his hand moved towards her arm, and didn't react nor say anything about it. She did note his wording though, noting that it was cleverly said so that there was no clear indication which world each of them should belong to. Like it was a free choice. It was his next question that caused her to pull her arm away.

"You're thinking about her, aren't you? I said I'd never lie to you, and I mean it. All you need to do is ask."

She tensed up at the accusation, but he had been spot on and it was eerie. Was it that obvious? Did he know that she was bothered about the thought of her or existence of her, whether dead or alive? At the same time she understood. Nothing could ever replace that space in his heart for Alice, and she had never wanted to, all she wanted to be was--

She straightened up in her sitting position and sort of reeled back in surprise. Good thing Diavel was out in the living room by then.

What do I want to be in his life...?

Things had turned a lot more complicated than she thought, but she didn't show any indication of her internal struggle when he came back in. She only sighed about his statement of Sol, "...Well, that's expected," after all her first reaction after landing on Naphuron was to faint.

She sat in silence for a while at the memory. It was Diavel who came to her rescue at that point of time.

He must have seen the similarities...

She thought about asking but felt as if that wasn't the right question to ask. Whatever happened in the past should not have bothered her so much. What she should ask about was the present, but for some reason, finding out that she was an exact copy of his dead wife gave her more questions about the past than it did of the present. Well, she had to figure out what exactly it was she wanted to know first, and not just randomly asking for information. Perhaps they'd settle it tonight.

"In that case, let's go on an adventure?" she smiles a little while she suggested it. Grabbing a notepad from her desktop table and a pen, she scribbled a short note for Sol and said that they'd be back soon, just worried that he would wake up alone, and think that Diavel and her had somehow travelled back to Naphuron while he was still stuck there. That'd be bad.

She changed in the bathroom into a simple white shirt tucked into a blue a-line skirt that flowed up until her knees. She also finally had her scrunchies with her and tied it up into a low ponytail. It got in the way of her face a lot. "Hmm... Maybe we should make a list of what to buy first..." instead of using paper and pen she opted to write notes on her phone. She needed a few more things other than clothes. Blankets and pillows for one. She wondered if they actually needed an extra phone but left that for later.

She left the note on the coffee table near Sol, and told Dia he probably shouldn't wear his coat out, and was off, black tote bag on her shoulder. Their first order of events was the huge clothes store, "Four floors of clothes for different genders and occasions... They should be sectioned off in some sort of way like..." she pointed at the beachwear for women. Skimpy bikinis and one piece swim suits. "Beachwear," then points at another area "Those look like sleepwear," she looked at the floor directory, "Looks like men's section is on the third floor," she said that he'd let him explore first and follow him around, she didn't really need anything in particular. She'd gladly offer her opinion too.

 

[Kaya]

To say that he was curious would be an understatement. Diavel was more than happy to 'go on an adventure', as Isla had called it, though it hadn't gone unnoticed by him how she had said nothing more about the whole Alice matter. Well, hopefully they'd get it sorted out soon. He was a problem solver by nature, and letting something sit instead of just facing it head-on went very much against the grain for him. But he didn't want to be pushy, either.
And so he swallowed it and hurried to follow after Isla, after retrieving something from the deep pockets of his coat. He had to jog to catch up to her, something he hadn't done in ages as vampires were just... way faster than that. But, no more vampire speed for him.
He was actually a little out of breath when he finally had reached her. Another thing that hadn't happened in centuries.

And then they were already at the clothes store.
It was kinda unfortunate, as he had hoped to find a place to sell something first, to get his hands on some money. Welp.
Paying for himself would be difficult like this...
"Okay I'm... Broke in this world", he said before going to check out the myriads of clothes available, "but I'm not planning to let you pay everything for me."
He held up a silver medallion with fine, intricate patterns skillfully engraved into it, framing what seemed to be a not so small diamond and gave it to her. It had been a part of his costume for last night, but not wanting to go overboard with the gems he'd just left it in his pocket instead of putting it on.
"Keep it, sell it, whatever you prefer. I just want to repay you."

Not waiting for a reply he headed for a stand with joggers, figuring those would make some acceptable sleepwear, before he tried to find the stairs. There was... Something like stairs, moving on their own, apparently for people to avoid having to walk. Yikes, were people so lazy here?
Whatever...
Isla had mentioned the men's clothes being on the third floor, so, looking a little wobbly, he took the strange stairs to next floor, and from there some more moving stairs to floor 3.
By the time he had arrived and set his feet back on safe ground, he was a little pale and his left hand hurt from holding on to the handrail like his life depended on it.
Hopefully trying to find some appropriate clothes would distract him a little out the fact that he'd still have to go back downstairs later.

"Okay", he said, more or less to himself, and rubbed his hands.
The first thing that caught his eye upon looking around was a row of simple v-neck t-shirts. He just went ahead and picked a cream white one, his go-to color when it came to shirts, really. That's when he noticed the black leather jackets hanging nearby. Well then!
After picking one of those, too, he continued to look around and lastly chose a gray, buttonless cardigan as he figured that wearing a leather jacket while just sitting on the couch could get a little uncomfortable.
Really, the pants are the most difficult part. Colors, cuts and designs in dozens of variations, and he was supposed to pick one...
In the end he just went for a washed out, dark gray one.

Maybe he did it to impress Isla, or because he generally was a fiercely independent person, but he refused to ask how he was going to find out whether or not the clothes suited and fitted him. Instead he did some people watching and soon noticed how some were carrying their clothes into some narrow chambers. Okay, he'd just try that.
The mirror in there and the curtains suggested that these seemed to be some sort of very tiny dressing rooms.
So, after trying on the clothes he'd chosen, he sent a quick prayer towards all gods of Naphuron that he hadn't made a fool of himself yet and wasn't going to do so either, and left the small cabin to face Isla's judgement.
Stretching out his arms and turning once, he insecurely raised one eyebrow at Isla. "...So...?"

 

[AccioProphecy]

"Okay I'm... Broke in this world"

Isla had looked at him as if he was crazy, "Diavel," she hadn't used his full name in a while. "I had nothing back in Naphuron, you didn't ask for anything in return why would I ask you to pay me?" Nevertheless she received the medallion, keeping it safe in her bag, knowing that he probably wouldn't take no for an answer. If she really was running low on cash she'd say something but at least, for now, his first few things would be paid by her.

Isla was surprised at the way Diavel just went and checked on everything as if he had been to the place before. She didn't forget about the escalators but didn't bother explaining it to him because... well it was just really entertaining to watch. Besides, again, it's not like anything bad would happen--the worst thing that could happen was him rolling off the escalator but that was highly unlikely. She had really wanted to laugh out loud at how disoriented he was with the escalators but was actually more impressed at his independence. Though honestly it was more like watching a teenager try to buy clothes by himself for the first time.

It was funny but she was incredibly proud of him for navigating himself into the dressing rooms, all that while she had said nothing at all and had even managed to look around for Sol. Sol would seem like he would appreciate simple and comfier options--definitely not that leather jacket that Diavel had snatched off the hanger. She had picked a few options for the wolf, threw it into the basket she was holding and waited for Diavel, who momentarily presented himself to her.

She blinked once and marveled at how coordinated his outfit had been and Jesus Christ did he look good in a leather jacket. "Um... Uh..." she stumbled on her words for a second, forgetting how to speak and then nodded. "It looks great!" She smiles, giving him a once over. "Real good-looking," she grins a little. She hadn't been shy to say it before--when she said that he could pass as a Calvin Klein model, it was no different now. "You should get a few more though, that's not gunna be enough," she states and waits for him to change back.

While waiting out there it occurred to her that there was one other hurdle she had to jump over. Underwear. There was no way she was going to pick that out for him, or for Sol. Wait... what do they even wear? She went too far into her train of thought and shook her head, deciding to leave it up to Diavel. So, when he came back out, she brought up the topic with him. "Sooooooo... You need to pick out underwear," she said as a matter of factly, like she hadn't been perturbed by it at all. "...Probably for Sol too. And I think you might know this, but you don't have to model it for me, just saying,"

The only thing that really stood out as slightly strange or slightly unconventional with Diavel was his hair. It was a little long and though some men did wear their hair long, his hair colour wasn't something you saw every day in her world. But, she would never ask him to cut it, she thought his hair was beautiful. She wouldn't oppose to it if he wanted to though.

 

[Kaya]

Diavel just playfully raised one eyebrow at Isla's obvious staring. Not that he'd mind, he was a quite confident person, usually, and hey, if she too liked what he had picked- even better.
In what way, eh?
He had to smile a little at his internal comment.

Once he had changed back into his clothes from Naphuron, for the first time feeling like they didn't suit him as well as had thought, he left the little dressing room-
But stopped dead in his tracks a couple of seconds later, eyes wide and staring at nothing.
"Wait-...", he said silently, and hurried of towards the changing rooms once again.
It probably seemed like he was running away and hiding after Isla told him that he'd need to buy underwear, too, but honestly he'd completely pushed that aside right now. There was something else occupying him far more.
The mirror.
He hadn't payed it much attention, save to check if the clothes fitted, so it had completely passed him by that-
The face looking back at him looked normal.
He had already anticipated it, the travel between Naphuron and this world seemed to have stripped him and Sol of everything that wasn't natural here, like his vampirism or Sol's telepathic connection to his pack, which again, logically thinking, also meant that all traces of the red plague would have disappeared, as it was a magical sickness, just like vampirism.
"My God...", he muttered as he touched his cheek, there was no pain, no gray skin, no milky white, blind eye.

He was grinning widely when he left the dressing room again and headed for a stand with button up shirts. To get at least some color into his attire he picked a light blue one before he turned to Isla, one eyebrow raised.
"Issie... Did you notice anything being different about me?", he tried to give a subtle hint, but his excitement made him say it just a second later.
"Isla. The scars. The blindness. Gone?! I look like I did before everything went down the gutter! Just thought that was worth mentioning." He chuckled happily, shrugging before he turned to pick some more shirts and another jeans, this one a lighter shade of gray. No way in hell would he ever wear blue pants.

It took him a while of searching, afterwards, to find the section with men's underwear; and found himself confronted with an impressive assortment of different kinds.
From panties that reminded him of what he'd been wearing as a child to shorts that pretty much resembled the undergarments from Naphuron.
How was he supposed to pick underwear for a guy he had nothing to do with? Or at least didn't have a close enough connection with- by far- to know what he'd prefer to wear to cover his privates?!
"Uhh, I guess let's just bring Sol the ones that are pretty much like what's usually worn in Naphuron?", he suggested and dropped a few into the basket.
It was a little awkward, to go buy underwear with the woman he-
Yeah what even?
This definitely was the wrong time to start brooding, so he just tried to distract himself by seeing what this shop had on offer for, eh... Down there.
The ones called 'trunks' did seem practical, their fit would most likely prevent the fabric from crumpling and getting stuck in awkward positions like the looser fit of those... 'boxers' did, so he just went for those.
"You sure about me not having to model these for you?", he said with a cheeky grin as he dropped them into the basket. "I remember you telling me that you could very much imagine me doing so."

To be honest he was just trying to hide that this situation was quite awkward for him.

 

[AccioProphecy]

"Issie... Did you notice anything being different about me?"

Isla smiled a little at his toned down excitement. She had, in fact, noticed it as soon as they were in Central Park. That it didn't seem like Sol nor Diavel had all of their attributes from back in Naphuron. The result? It seemed to have crippled Sol but delighted Diavel. "I'm happy for you," is what she had wanted to say, but instead said, "Yes, your good looking scale has gone off the charts," she sent as a joke, hoping that he knew, either way, she didn't think the scar affected much about his overall person. But she also knew that it would be back, if ever they were whisked away to Naphuron again, and she knew that they would be, mostly because they didn't even know what had happened and how they had ended up back here, in her world. Well, at least he wasn't in constant pain anymore.

As the two of them traversed through the store, they found themselves in the underwear section. Well, Isla thought it was only slightly weird but they had to do what they had to do, it was weirder--more funny really--that Dia was picking it for Sol too.

"Uhh, I guess let's just bring Sol the ones that are pretty much like what's usually worn in Naphuron?"

"Didn't need to know that," Isla said in a sing-song voice but chuckled afterwards, she tried not to look at exactly what he was picking out--but she would probably still see it in their shared laundry.

"You sure about me not having to model these for you? I remember you telling me that you could very much imagine me doing so."

Isla couldn't help but laugh at that one, mulling over the memory. "...That seems like such a long time ago, even though it wasn't," she'd gone through a lot since then, she guessed and it seemed like it was Dia and Sol's turn to go through the motions. "Well since' we're sharing such a small space what are the chances I'll see you in just those, right?" She was very much joking but then realized that it might even be possible. They would have to remedy that, depending on how long it was gunna be since they fixed the world travelling ordeal.

They walked around a bit more right after, she told him they had some shoes here, but not a great selection and said that she'd also wanted to stop by this one place to get a blanket and extra pillows. "Do you want to go eat right after or you reckon we should drag Sol out?" She didn't know how much the wolf would appreciate that, they could always just bring him some takeout food if he didn't feel like it.

 

[Kaya]

Diavel just gave a devilish smirk at Isla's comment about how his 'good looking scale had gone off the charts' and bumped her hip with his own like she had done two weeks ago when they had been making dinner together. He still was... quite confused about the way she acted towards him, how she'd been so cold just this morning and avoiding the topic of yesterday night like the plague... and joking around with him on the other hand, but he wasn't stupid enough to address it again. She'd tell him if she'd be ready to talk about it. Or at least he hoped so.

It was amusing, and actually somehow made him feel a little less awkward, to see how she felt exactly the same about the whole underwear situation.
A sorrow shared is a sorrow halved. Though, well, sorrow probably was the wrong way to put it; in the end he was happy to be here with her.

That's when she interrupted his traveling thoughts by commenting on how it felt like it was way longer ago than two weeks that they had met in the forest back in Naphuron. That, and what the chances are that she'd end up seeing him in his underwear. Her comment made him chuckle, but she was right. He still remembered how silent and scared she had been, no comparison to the confident, humorous woman joking around with him now.
"Hmm, you'd enjoy it", he said teasingly, but couldn't help the feeling of pride spreading in him as he watched her. After everything that had been going on in Naphuron, she had never given up. To say he was impressed would be an understatement, after all her world seemed to be so easy compared to his.
"Feels like months, doesn't it? So much happening. You can be proud of yourself, though; I bet most would've lost it just randomly landing in a world like Naphuron."
With a wink, he reached out to carry the basket for her. After all he'd been taught to be a gentleman.

With a look at his shoes he decided that he wouldn't need new ones. They basically looked like simple dress shoes, nothing that wouldn't fit into this world, and wearing those weird ones he'd seen on many people here was out of the question.

As soon as they, or, well, Isla had payed for his and Sol's clothes he asked the cashier to remove the price tags of the first outfit he'd selected and went back into one of the small dressing rooms to change. If he had the chance to catch no further attention he'd take it, though he was probably just being paranoid. Still.
He'd rather avoid provoking another situation like back in the... Central Park, was it?

"I don't think Sol will ever be happy to leave the apartment", he said with a small, sorrowful frown as he left the changing room to join Isla again. "We've both lost most of our powers, but I can tell my senses are still as good as ever. I bet it's the same for him, but even a vampire's senses are a joke compared to those of a werewolf. Your world is very loud. Imagine how it must be for him... But we need some kind of solution, he can't just stay in there forever."
Funny, how he actually sounded worried for the wolf. Well... he was Akeela's son, after all, and although he didn't like to admit it... He did owe the old wolf... Probably a lot.
"Hey, but can't you send him a message with your small computer thing? We could at least ask him what he'd like us to bring him?"

 

[AccioProphecy]

"Hmm, you'd enjoy it"

She merely shrugs and grins. "Don't be too confident now, you're contending with Sol," before going off to pay for the clothes.

"Feels like months, doesn't it? So much happening. You can be proud of yourself, though; I bet most would've lost it just randomly landing in a world like Naphuron."

It's because he was there to help her and she'd somehow landed in a safe space. She couldn't imagine what it would've been like if she had landed somewhere else. Ironically... The very person who had helped her up her feet those times had also been the reason for her to so called "lose it". So, she didn't say anything back to it.

Is that why we ended up back here? My sheer desire to run away from what transpired?

She was confused as well, how to approach the whole thing. She didn't want to be unapproachable nor mean but there was still a lingering sense of dread and discomfort in the pit of her stomach. The two contrasting viewpoints made it difficult to really tell what she was even feeling, maybe she was just trying to stamp out the negative feelings and replace them with positive ones, as she'd been doing, but she knew they'd have to talk all about it first, for that to fully happen.

"Miss?" the cashier called out to her when she'd spaced out, she blinked back to reality and muttered a small sorry before handing her the cash-she had enough, thankfully. She didn't really like using her credit card.

Isla was yet again impressed at Diavel, who had taken it into his own hands to ask the cashier to take out the price tags, and changed into his new get up. She let out a small sound of understanding at his explanation about Sol. She understood all that but... She had felt really bad about it, and didn't want Sol to just coop up in there. She sighed "Well... I'll try and figure something out," she couldn't really think about the solutions right now.

She blinked when Diavel talked about sending a message through a small computer. It took her a while to decipher what he meant, tilting her head a little in thought. "...Oh, you mean the mobile phones!" She scratched her cheek, "Uhh... it doesn't work like that. He needs to have a phone too, to receive my message. Umm... basically nearly every adult in my world has their own phone, but you guys don't so... you can't really receive or send messages," She tried to explain it in an easier way but just as she thought, it was so easy to miss the tiniest of details.

"...Well...we can always just order food for him later on..." Then she snaps her fingers "Oh wait, we could just cook!" She was too used to the convenience of restaurants and food delivery that she hadn't even thought about cooking. "You think he'd appreciate a familiar dish from Naphuron? Or that'd just make him more homesick?" She asked Diavel, assuming that he at least knew how to cook something that the wolf would like, he had been human once, after all. "The ingredients... Wouldn't be too far off right?" She recalled having seen a lot of familiar ingredients back in Naphuron, but also some weird ones.

"In any case, let's go to the grocery store first," She whisked them away to another store a block away, and stopped at the entrance. "Are you up for cooking though? Or do you want to try the restaurants around here instead?" Truth be told she was NOT a master of cooking, but she knew her fair share of recipes and had stuck to the easy to make ones. She knew the occasional special dish, but really only made it once in a while.

 

[Kaya]

He hadn't missed how Isla hadn't replied anything to his compliment, another behavior that confused Diavel deeply. It didn't help either that her joke had left a bitter aftertaste; his eyes narrowed barely noticeably.
Right... Contending with Sol. In what way, though? He knew he was probably just interpreting more into her comment than it actually meant, but the picture of the werewolf grinning at him when Isla had basically given him a metaphorical slap in the face and hugged Sol like he was her goddamn hero flashed back into his mind anyway.
Stupid self-righteous dog...

She seemed be lost in thoughts for a moment there, but he didn't say anything about it, already quite sure that he either wouldn't get an answer at all or one that wasn't entirely the truth. Maybe it was just his pride or whatever, but wasn't she blaming him for things that absolutely weren't his fault?
The fire and impulsively locking her up to protect her from the alchemist, yes, that was a mistake he had made, he'd never deny that, but Alice? How in hell was he responsible for Isla looking like his dead wife?! It wasn't like he had ever not taken her for who she was!
You know that's not the reason she's keeping her distance.
Of course... But it was frustrating nonetheless. It wasn't like he didn't enjoy visiting the shops with her, but it felt like they were playing pretend.
She's just not ready to talk about it.

God how he hated these inner conflicts.

"Mhm, I see...", he said with a nod as she explained why she couldn't just send Sol a message and ask him what he'd like to have for dinner.
He was rather silent as they were on their way to the grocery store, but couldn't help the expression of surprise that crossed his face upon seeing it. How did they pull this off? The sheer masses of groceries available... Had all farmers opened one shop together? There was no way one single farm would ever be able to produce so many different goods.

His marveling was interrupted by Isla asking him if he was up for cooking, reminding him that he hadn't said anything to answer her previous question yet.
Swallowing the weird mix of pity and anger he was feeling when thinking of the werewolf, he lifted one shoulder.
"I can't deny I'm curious about your local dishes and restaurants, but while I've been having a blast getting away from Naphuron, Sol's been having a god awful day. I guess it's just fair to focus on cheering him up for now."

An ad just off to the side, promoting all kinds of meat and snacks for barbecues, caught Diavel's eye and made him raise one eyebrow, a small smirk crossing his face.
"I might have an idea. We need some meat like that, some spices, charcoal... You think we can set up a Naphuron-style barbecue on the roof of your mansion? It's flat, right?"
Realizing that he probably sounded like a lunatic right now he scratched his neck, thinking about how to explain.
"Trust me on this one. Up there it's not going to be as loud as down here. And everyone loves a good barbecue."
That actually lifted his mood quite a bit.
These mood swings are gonna give me a whiplash sometime...

 

[AccioProphecy]

"I might have an idea. We need some meat like that, some spices, charcoal... You think we can set up a Naphuron-style barbecue on the roof of your mansion? It's flat, right?"

"Umm... As long as it doesn't involve a huge bonfire... then yes," She says, thinking about the one that she saw in Amalthea. She didn't know what "Naphuron-Style" meant as well, but she'd been and used her rooftop before. She was sure they could rent a barbeque grill or pit as well, whichever worked better for this Naphuron-style meal. "But I think it'll work out, so, let's go!" She offered while leading the way into the grocery. She explained it just as she did the clothes store. "You probably would have gathered already but the place is split up into sections or aisles too. So there's vegetables over there... Cereal there... and then... sweets... So... we're looking for fresh meat, right?" There was frozen too, but those wouldn't make for a good barbeque.

Isla walked over to the fresh meats and cuts area, where they had a selection of ribs, every cuts of beef, pork, lamb, and lots of other things. She disappeared for a second to get a shopping trolley, dumped their shopping bag in there and followed Diavel around. "Hmmm.... the ribs look good," she says, putting a hand on her chin to feign a thinking face, though, she didn't know if that cut of meat was considered Naphuron-style. "What can I get for the lovely couple today?" the man behind the meat display counter beamed at them and Isla looked up at the man, incredulous look on her face. "Oh, we aren't--" why did people in her world like to assume things like that so much?

Isla didn't know why she didn't finish her sentence but she glanced sideways at Diavel, "Er... What did you want?" Perhaps this was even more awkward than underwear shopping and perhaps the slight flush on her face would give her away but she figured she hadn't bothered to clarify it to the salesman because if she did, there was a chance that the man would say something even more embarrassing than assuming they were a couple.

The issue is... Why am I so happy though?

She knew the answer, just that she didn't want to face it at the moment. She didn't quite know what they even were at the moment, if they were friends or... just two people who happened to be stuck with each other for the time being.

 

[Kaya]

While Isla was explaining the layout of the grocery store to him, Diavel was honestly only listening with half an ear as he mentally made a list of everything they'd need.
Wood or charcoal, a fire pit with a bowl-shaped lid, oak planks, meat, of course, also garlic, ginger, coriander, paprika, cumin, nutmeg, cloves, sea salt and black pepper, red chillies...

He had been following her through the store more or less automatically, without paying much attention. He had a really good memory, but recalling every detail of a meal he'd had centuries ago did take him some effort and concentration.
Hadn't there been a milder variation with honey instead of chillies?

Isla pointing out that the ribs looked good brought him back into the here and now. Hmmh, last time it had been steaks, if he remembered that day long ago correctly, but ribs would work, too, and he preferred them anyways. They'd forever remind him of how he'd been out in the woods with his father, hunting a boar for dinner. While his siblings had always been too lazy to separate the bones and meat and resorted to other parts of the animal, steaks, mainly, he and his father had both liked the ribs best.

"What can I get for the lovely couple today?"
"Oh, we aren't-... Er, what did you want?"
Would it be petty to finish her sentence and flatly point out that, no, they were no lovely couple? Pretending to be having a look at the meat available, he gave his conscience a moment to fight with his hurt pride, but lastly ended up zoning out and watching Isla like he was trying to read her mind.
Oh if I just could, that would make everything a lot easier.
She was obviously blushing and he just didn't know what the hell to make of it.
Ugh no I can't act that childishly...
So he swallowed his irritation and told himself that it wasn't directed at her but the general situation at hand and instead placed one hand against her back for a moment, giving her a questioning yet warm smile, before he dropped it again and ordered what he'd need for dinner.
"Mhh... two full racks of those pork ribs, please", he said. Remembering how much a werewolf could eat, he quickly added "ah- better make it three."

He thanked the man when he handed him the bag and asked for the directions to wherever he could find the spices he'd need before he, once they were out of earshot, attempted to carefully ask Isla if she was okay.
"Issie?" he kept his voice low to make sure it'd really stay between them. "...that's the broody-face. I basically invented it. Is everything okay?"

As if to give her a chance to avoid his question he added "Ah eh, we'll need garlic, ginger, coriander, paprika, cumin, nutmeg, cloves, sea salt and black pepper, red chillies... Honey?"
Oh had he just known that the latter was a rather common way to address a partner and he had made it sound awfully much just like that.
"Are you more of spicy or mild eater?"

 

[AccioProphecy]

Isla's head shot up towards him when he lightly touches her back. He sent a kind smile her way and for a second she couldn't help but feel guilty about... being scared of him or resenting the fact that he had kissed her with someone else in mind. He hadn't meant to, that was clear to her, and he really was a decent person. Her gaze dropped to the ground in thought, only for it to snap back up when he said

"Mhh... two full racks of those pork ribs, please...ah- better make it three."

"Wait what--" Three full racks of pork ribs was NOT cheap. Maybe once in a while, but if she was thinking correctly, it's because Sol ate a lot and honestly, what was she even expecting? A guys appetite was way larger than hers and she was housing times two. She should have seen that coming from a mile away. "Uh, yea, that's fine, let's go get spices then," She didn't want to complain. None of them had complained about her when she was in Naphuron, that would just be bad taste. For now, she would be fine with it, until she got back to her job, see what happened to it and see if she needed a new one.

Once they walked away and into another aisle he asked if she was okay. Well...she was. Just that...she was trying to calculate finances in her mind, and also still lingering on that couple thing the man had said. Did they really look like that or was it just one of those offhanded remarks from nosy people? "I'm fine," she simply said.

"Ah eh, we'll need garlic, ginger, coriander, paprika, cumin, nutmeg, cloves, sea salt and black pepper, red chillies... Honey?"

"Mmhmm, yea," she was trying to look through the shelves while he was listing it out, only managing to find some of it. She'd have to ask him to repeat it again right after this round. When he got to honey though, she replied automatically, the pause before it didn't really help with her confusion. "Yes, uhuh, wait--what me?" She blinked a couple seconds before tilting her head at the next question, he had sounded as if he had seriously used the term of endearment for her, and had not batted an eyelash nor felt weird about it at all. "Uh... I prefer mild," She was still very much confused but pressed on and asked him to repeat the spices again.

She had gotten everything...except for the honey. "Anything else?" she questioned and added "We don't have to worry about the barbeque pit, I'm pretty sure we can rent one from my building," and as an afterthought, grumbled. "...He better appreciate all of this..." a slight glare in her eyes. She wasn't mad, but... they had both gone through all this effort and she had spent all that money... She understood how Sol felt but it'd really bum her out, maybe even piss her off if the wolf didn't react nicely to it, as he did earlier when she offered him the gem. But Isla knew that he wasn't usually that way and so... just kept an understanding mind.

Well, either way, even if it didn't lift Sol's mood up, she kept in mind that she'd try to enjoy it with Diavel.

 

[Kaya]

"Wait what--"

Diavel turned to look at Isla with an expression of caution, eyebrows lifted and eyes just a little widened, lips slightly parted, but she backtracked immediately and said it was fine. Had he said something wrong? Ordered too much?
He wasn't as naive as to think that money would play as little of a role for her as for him, being a Duke came with the perk of not really having to mind his own finances as long as there was enough to pay everything that was necessary to keep his duchie well maintained and running smoothly. But he didn't want to sound offensive either, by constantly asking if she could afford something. After all he didn't want to make her think he was calling her poor.
But if they'd be stuck here for longer, of he'd possibly stay here, he of course would get a job and earn his own money.

"Mhh, okay...", He just mumbled under his breath as she decided to get the spices and followed her around, feeling worse with every item he listed. It had always been like that, money didn't play much of a role for him and if someone would ask him to lend them some he'd never expect it back. But god how it made him feel bad to have someone else pay for him. It had nothing to do with some chauvinistic old views of something, he just preferred to be on the giving, not the receiving end.

Was Isla worried about finances, though? She said she was fine, but something did seen to occupy her. Or was it, god forbid, how he had reacted to the man calling them a couple?
Frankly, he had no idea what was considered normal or right here, so, yes, he was a little paranoid to say something wrong.
Just for that reason, of course.

"Wait, what me?"
He'd just wanted to ask what she meant, after all he hadn't addressed her, just listed the ingredients they'd need, when a couple walked past them, apparently discussing what they needed to buy.
"Oh, honey, what about ice cream?"
Oh.
Oh!
So... That wasn't just a name for the product, but also a term of endearment?
Whoops...
That explained her reaction... Now how to clear this up without making a fool of himself or her?

Isla's question if they needed anything else came right on cue.
Trying to hide a hint of an embarrassed smile he reached over her shoulder, unknowingly almost pulling the most cliché move of making an attempt to wrap one arm around someone look like an accident, to fetch a jar of honey from the shelf behind her.
"Well-", he chuckled silently as he pulled his arm back and handed her the jar, "-honey."
The neon lights of the store made his eyes look like quicksilver as he averted them to look at the ceiling with a small grin- and a faint blush.

How thankful he was for her little grumpy comment.
"I think he will", he said, and after a moment of hesitation added, "you're quite close, mh?"
As soon as he'd said it he would've loved to kick himself.
"I mean-..."
Shut up!
How exactly had he managed to maneuver himself into this metaphorical minefield?!

 

[AccioProphecy]

"Well--honey."

Isla was yet again about to tilt her head in wonder, she was getting confused...Until Diavel reached past her and grabbed a jar of honey. She takes a few seconds to process it and couldn't help but let out a small "Oh," absent-mindedly grabbing it from him and putting it into the cart, cheeks visibly flushed from embarrassment.

Oh my Lord, Isla you idiiiiiiooooooot.

"A-Anyway!" she tried to deflect the attention away from her embarrassing misunderstanding. but in the next moment Diavel had said,

"you're quite close, mh?"

She abruptly steps away from him, and then, again, in confusion furrows her brows in thought. "Wait, oh, you mean that I'm quite close to Sol?" Dia probably hadn't meant it in a physical sense so, Isla answered without any problem. "He's close to me like a brother would be, it's different from--" her mouth hangs open for a second before she closes it again and gulps,

from the kind of closeness you and I have.

She turns away all of a sudden, pretending to look at the other shelves. "What did you say we needed again? Is that all?" Oh Lord. She was just all over the place. She didn't even know where the sudden thought had come from. What was even happening? She was confusing herself as well. One minute she felt awkward with him, slightly resentful, slightly betrayed and in the next she'd get all these weird thoughts about their companionship. It was here that she really realized...that they'd really have to talk about what had transpired as soon as they had the time alone to do so. It just wasn't going to do, this back and forth.

They'd traversed the aisles a few more, before deciding that they had enough, and was ready for the barbeque. Safe to say, the bags were a bit heavy but Diavel had taken most of it from her. On their way back, Isla wondered if Sol was alright, and if he was awake. She just hoped that he would at least eat, and not ignore his basic needs. Isla briefly talked to the guard downstairs about using the rooftop and a barbeque pit, to which he nodded at.

Once outside her door she managed to stop for a bit and stare at it, them fumbled with her keys and finally told Diavel. "...It was kinda nice going shopping with you... Think we can talk later before we sleep?" Again she reminded herself that it had to be done. "Hopefully I don't knock out too early," she chuckled as she twisted the handle to the door, pushed it open and walked in.

"We're back Sol," She gently called out, seeing if he was awake or how he would respond.

 

[Kaya]

Diavel's eyes were twinkling with amusement as he watched Isla go through a range of emotions from embarrassed to, well, even more embarrassed.
Different from--- what?
He'd lie if he'd say that he didn't enjoy seeing that he clearly didn't just have a negative effect on her; with how she'd looked at him just hours ago...
Seeing all that resentment and hurt in her eyes made him feel sick to the core.
The more it made him happy to see that flustered little blush on her face. And he prayed to all gods that he'd see this smile many more times...
"Yeah, I think we got it all covered for now", he chuckled. It was endearing how she seemed to have initially misunderstood his question as him asking for space. Especially as she was one of the very few persons he didn't mind coming this close.

Of course he carried the bags for Isla, this wasn't Naphuron, but that didn't change anything about how he'd been raised.
Don't measure your worth by counting your riches. Measure it by counting the smiles you put on the faces of the people around you.
His mother had always known what to say when his father had been feeling like he never was good enough for his family.
How had he forgotten their lessons for so long? It was almost funny how leaving the world he'd been born in somehow brought him closer to who he once had been.
Oh I bet father would've loved those cars!
Maybe he'd try to learn how to drive one, someday.

His attention was drawn back to Isla when she talked to the guard about renting a fire pit for the barbecue. She still seemed to be a little out of her element by the time they had arrived at her door, at least he didn't see any obvious reason to stare holes into the wooden surface like it held the answers to every question in the universe. However when she asked if they could talk later, his eyes widened to big, caring puppy eyes. "Why of course", he said, voice a little higher than usual. "I told you I'd be there to answer your questions whenever you're ready."

Sol answering Isla's call distracted him momentarily, though.
"Hey..."
He didn't sound good.
"My cue", Diavel muttered silently and headed into the living room. The werewolf was standing in the middle of the room looking completely lost and quite scared. The man he'd grown to know as his master and a powerful monster was coming closer than he ever had. He flinched when Diavel lifted one hand to lightly rest it on his shoulder.
"You won't hear them in your head no matter how hard you try. Try searching in your heart. I promise you they'll be there. And they'll never leave. Take it from someone who's been where you're at."
He gave him a hesitant pat on the back and a small smile before he raised one eyebrow. "Now go away, I need to prepare a surprise for you."
While Diavel went into the kitchen, Sol just watched him with a quizzical expression before he turned to Isla.
"Did I miss something...? He's so... Relaxed? Happy?"

 

[AccioProphecy]

Isla put the groceries she was carrying in the kitchen, and watched curiously at Diavel's attempt to comfort Sol. She passed Diavel a smile as he disappeared into the kitchen, while she went up to Sol to check on him. Frankly his statement earlier about not wanting to follow her here stung, but she understood. The part that she didn't understand was why Sol seemed to be blaming her for it. It's not like she knew this was going to happen.

Perhaps that's how Dia feels, when I keep dodging the chance to talk to him about it. It wasn't exactly his fault... the whole thing...

She smiles and merely shrugs at Sol when he asks what had gotten into Diavel. Isla herself wanted to know too but it was clear that he was...completely at home here. Like he had no care about the world he left behind and had readily started a new one. "...He turned back into a human," was all Isla offered as a response. It was an adequate one, if she did say so herself. It held a lot of meaning to Diavel, it seemed, being human again. Or was it the fact that he wasn't a vampire with tons of responsibilities anymore? She couldn't tell.

"Listen," That's how she always started her long berating speeches. "I know you don't like it here... I get it, but, it'll be easier for you if you learn a few things here and there." Diavel had picked up on everything nearly all by himself, and then she suddenly wondered if he needed help to prep the food. "So if you need help just tell me, okay?" She wasn't going to push Sol to learn anything right now. She knew well what it felt like not to be ready to talk about something. She slipped away from the living room to check on Diavel, helped him for a bit before telling him she'd set up on the rooftop.

Up there, there was a slight breeze but, if Isla was honest this breeze was nothing compared to the breeze in Naphuron. It's what people already considered "fresh air" but the humans in her world had no idea what "fresh air" was, not until they get whisked away into another world. She set up the barbeque pit. Save for a few people talking in the shared area, there was not a large crowd at all. While doing that she felt her phone vibrate in her pocket.

A new message. Stacked upon the other 50 or so that she hasn't even opened yet. From her father. She steeled herself to open it, and the most recent one read, "You can't hide forever!" the rest of it, as she scrolled down, were threats about kicking her door down, up until calling the cops on her for not paying her debt. She didn't have any, but her family seemed to think that it was alright to terrorize her and ask for a portion of her salary each month. Isla doesn't really know how she had ended up in such a messed up family. Once upon a time they hadn't been like that, only when her father had used up all his money in gambling and vices, did the whole dynamic break down. She ignores it, as she always does and pockets her phone. She had always wanted to change her number just to cut off from her family but...she didn't have the courage to. She still had that space for them. For family. In case anything really happened to them... she would still want to know.

She considers sending another message to Diavel, to check if he needed help, so that she didn't have to go up and down the building again, but remembered that those two didn't even have their own mobile phones. She sat there as she took care of the fire, wondering if they should get one of their own but... phones were not cheap. Sure there were cheaper models but it seemed a pity to Isla that she would only buy it for a one time use, she didn't even know how long they would stay here and how long they would need it. She hummed to herself, and got an idea.

I should buy the new model for myself and give Dia my old one!

She chuckled evilly to herself, now liking her new agenda. She just couldn't resist buying the latest technology for herself. Money be damned.

 

[Kaya]

As Isla went to prepare the rooftop for the barbecue, Sol hesitantly joined Diavel in the kitchen to somehow find something to occupy himself with. "Hey uhh... You need help?", he asked a little helplessly, but flinched when Diavel span around to him with a knife in his hand and gave him the stink eye.
"No! Get out, I told you it's a surprise!"
"It's just...", Sol sighed silently, "that's all I can do right now..."
Diavel searched the werewolf's face, almost feeling guilty for how he was as happy as he hadn't been in centuries while Sol was suffering. He looked tired, despite the fact that he had been sleeping for most of the day, and lost like he was barely more than a little puppy. It reminded him of how he had felt shortly after he had been turned by Duke Daxten. Everything had been so scary, so new. He'd been thankful for every little thing that was somewhat familiar.

"Okay, okay", Diavel finally gave in, giving him a small smile. "You can remove the silverskin."
While Sol was busy pulling the thin layer of rubbery skin off the ribs, he went on to prepare the rub. He had, however, apparently underestimated the werewolf's sense of smell. The second he was done grinding and cutting the ingredients and started to mix them, he perked up, nose twitching.
"That's..." His eyes were locked to the counter as he sniffed. "That's how my people make them", he finally exclaimed, clearly surprised. "How do you-"
Diavel just shrugged and gave a small smirk. "You learn a thing or two when you fight alongside someone."

As they were preparing the ribs for the barbecue, they actually lead some great conversations, and when they went to join Isla on the rooftop, the air between the two was less tense, like they had finally established some kind of mutual understanding. Not exactly a friendship, but at least they could spend time together without feeling bothered by each other.
"Did you know that Akeela told me about your mother when I met him to renew the contract?", Diavel mentioned as he pushed the doors to the rooftop open. Sol, carrying the plate with the ribs, just slightly furrowed his eyebrows.
"He barely mentions her. So why to you of all people?"
"I guess because he felt like I'd understand him. Sometimes even a great leader needs someone who just understands." Diavel's gaze was momentarily locked to Isla, who seemed to be thinking about something, and a small smile crossed his face.
"Come on, let's bring a little piece of Naphuron into this world", he said, nudging Sol's shoulder with his own, and went to join Isla.
"You look like you're plotting your way to world domination."

 

[AccioProphecy]

"You look like you're plotting your way to world domination."

Isla stands as they approach, noting that the two seemed a tad bit more comfortable with each other. She closes her eyes and nods her head with a grin, "Yes, world domination with the help of two other-worldly souls," she uses her hand to point at the two of them. She chuckles though and helps them with the amount of meat they're carrying. "No, I was actually just thinking of getting you guys a mobile phone..." She starts, not knowing if she should really get a pair of the two of them or just one... There must be some cheap second-hand ones or something...Right?

She had asked for a wide table and three chairs, the BBQ grill off to the side, a bit of a ways from them in case it got too hot. She also noticed that Sol was still in his Naphuron clothes, but, she wasn't that bothered by it. There weren't a lot of people at the rooftop and she'd wanted him to be as comfortable as possible, at least for today. She had already used the fire starter on the charcoal they had, but didn't know if Diavel had wanted to use some type of special wood to smoke or cook the meats and so left him with that, just adding a side note for his safety. "Careful of that, that's the fire starter, you just push on this," Isla pushes down on it with a click, a small fire erupting from the end of the metallic stick like thing. "and it'll give you fire, watch your hands," She was incredibly worried about them, even though she knew fire was probably not something they'd be afraid of.

She was worried that they'd gotten ahead of themselves, they might even forget that they weren't as invincible as they had been before. As a human fire could easily hurt them. They made small talk as the meats cooked, her asking every one in a while if there was something she could help with. There was a tiny moment of silence among them wherein all Isla could hear was the faint sounds of the city down below.

It is actually kinda peaceful up here... I don't know why I don't come here more often...

Too occupied by her every day life, she figured. Didn't even take the chance to stop and slow down, but she'd done plenty of that in Naphuron. "So," she started, glancing at the cooking meats, "is this a special way of cooking it? You should give me the recipe, in case I ever get Naphuron-not-really-my-home-sick," she was joking, but also slightly intrigued. It smelled different from the usual way people here would do their barbeques.

 

[Kaya]

At the mention of getting a mobile phone, Diavel perked up excitedly, while Sol just looked mildly intrigued. "I don't think I'm going to need one. Don't get me wrong, I'm touched by everything you're doing for us, Issie. But I'm not gonna stay here for long", the werewolf remarked, his expression somewhere between determined and thankful. "Really. You don't need to spend your money on luxury goods for me. As long we can have evenings like this I have all I could ask for in this world."
Diavel, however, looked like he would've loved to run to the next store and get a mobile phone immediately. Of course he knew better than that, though, and instead just lifted one shoulder.
"I think it would come in handy. Of course I'm clueless about prices here in your world, but I'm pretty sure that if you sell the diamond medallion I gave you it should go for enough to pay you back for the clothes and dinner and a phone. And, of course, if we happen to be here for a while, I'll make sure to get a job to contribute."

Isla however already seemed to have moved on with her thoughts and gave him a quick explanation of how the fire starter worked. When she warned him to be careful, he couldn't help the happy, fuzzy feeling spreading inside him. It was sweet of her, to be this worried for his safety. And amusing, too, he had to admit. Back in Naphuron he was a force to be reckoned with, bending fire to his will, but here it would hurt him like it would hurt everyone else, and he couldn't do a thing about it. However, he also couldn't lose control over his own fire, which honestly was a big relief.
"Aww. Are you worried for my safety? I'll be careful", he hummed softly. There was a certain, happy sparkling to his eyes, but he kept quiet and just silently smiled to himself as he added some Maple chips for traditional Naphuron smoking.

While the meat was broiling, Dia took some time to reminisce about his childhood. He was pretty sure that if he hadn't lost his hair when he had the red plague, or if it hadn't grown back white instead of brown, he'd be a spitting image of his father by now. Ahh he would've liked Isla.
"The spices for the rub are classic werewolf cuisine", he answered her question. "The honey and smoking the ribs with Maple wood is typical for Ascain. Father always used to say 'The people of Ascain love honey. That's why your mother is so sweet.' "
He chuckled softly, shaking his head, but his mental trip to the past was interrupted by Sol, who excitedly announced" Ribs are ready!"
And that's when the wolf in the man showed; Diavel wasn't even halfway through his ribs when Sol had already finished his entire rack- bones included- and was eyeing the meat on his and Isla's plates. Chuckling, he cut in half what he still had and gave one half to Sol.
"You don't want the bones?", the werewolf asked as he had devoured that piece, too. Dia raised one eyebrow. "No thank you. You?"
"Gimme!"
The crunching of bones coming from Sol made a cold shiver run down his spine, but if it made him happy...
"All that's missing now is music", he sighed contently, to which Dia raised one eyebrow. "Didn't bring my piano, I'm afraid."

However at the sight of a couple of stars, far less than in Naphuron, but better than nothing, he blinked surprised.
"That's interesting", he remarked. "Seems like Naphuron and your world share one sky. The stars are the same."

 

[AccioProphecy]

"But I'm not gonna stay here for long"

But we don't know that either, Isla thought, but didn't say it out loud only because she knew that Sol was aware of that too, and just didn't want to put salt on the wound. "In that case we can get one tomorrow," Isla said, after hearing Diavel's response, not specifying though, who the phone was for.

"I'll make sure to get a job to contribute."

Isla straightened up and looked at him wide eyed, "...You want to get a job?" She's beyond surprised. Sure he was adjusting really well but taking a job was a whole other thing, plus he also needed documents for that and she didn't know how that would turn out. "I...I don't know if that's a good idea..." She started, looking away in slight thought. She didn't view Diavel as the kind of person who liked to "work" possibly because of his title of "duke" she had the impression that others did the job for him, but she knew that wasn't the case, specially if she thought about his previous background as a human. He did break a sweat too. "It would be helpful though," she concluded.

She blinked a little at Diavel's story about his mother and father and absentmindedly whispered aloud in thought, "Ascain...?" As expected, there was still so many things she didn't know about that world and she thought that she'd never understand and so... again, it was remarkable to her how Diavel had taken THIS new world into stride. She was slightly worried that he might have just been pushing himself, but, judging from his relaxed poise... Isla was just glad that they weren't both depressed.

As she was taking her time eating, the two men seemed to be on fast forward. They'd nearly finished their ribs while she... was only done with one, the bone sitting on the side of her plate. She watched the exchange between them and picked up the bone she had, gingerly offering it to Sol when she found that he ate everything. Literally. Everything. "I-Is that safe?" Once again she worried if they were getting ahead of themselves, technically they're human now, but it did seem like they retained some of their supernatural qualities. She fished her phone out from her pocket when music was mentioned, but she didn't know what to play to give them some comfort. Perhaps a soft melody, a piano rendition, just like Diavel had mentioned, of Fly Me to The Moon. She turned the volume up only because the sounds below would drown the music out if it was too soft.

She leaned back in her chair while eating. Her sky and Naphuron's sky...was the same one? She didn't know if she found that fascinating or strange. "How do you know...?" Possibly because he had lived for so long he had memorized what the sky in Naphuron looked like. "And what does that mean...?" She absentmindedly asked, looking up at the tranquil sky. She motions to her phone with her hand, "Oh, you can change the music if you want."

 

[Kaya]

"Hmmmhmhm..."
If it wasn't for the meat he was nibbling off the rib, Diavel's laughter would've been way louder, but this way it was just a slightly muffled, joyful chuckling. The expression of total surprise on Isla's face was beyond amusing, especially when keeping in mind that she knew about his human past; how poor his family had been and how he'd spent his childhood helping his parents in their tailor shop and looking after his younger siblings.
Maybe it sounded weird to people who'd actually had a normal childhood, but he loved remembering those days, even though it was like trying to make out silhouettes through a thick fog. Some days were better than others, but most of the time he barely remembered their faces or even their voices.
The feelings, though, those were still as clear as ever, and when he was playing music, or getting lost in the rhythmic rattling of a sewing machine, everything became a little clearer. Sometimes he would gear a distant echo of his father's voice singing his siblings to sleep, or the scent of his mother's silky hair...

Noticing that his thoughts had been trailing off, Diavel blinked a couple of times, focusing his attention back on the present.
"Psh, not a good idea", he said with a small grin. "I'm an excellent tailor, a natural leader and a decent musician and cook. I'm sure there's a job that will let me put my talents to good use."
Laighing,he added "And if all hope seems lost I'll just become a Calvin Klein model for undergarments, hein?"

He watched for a while as Sol was gnawing around on the last rib he could get his hands on, golden eyes distraught glued to the night sky after he'd taken a moment to reassure Isla that eating bones was perfectly healthy, even necessary, for a werewolf. Something like a small, understanding frown had settled on Diavel's face by now. Only when Isla asked what it meant, what he'd said about the skies of Naphuron and her world, did he move to lift one finger to his lips.
"Sol."
The werewolf didn't react, his usually keen ears seemed to have gone deaf, but really the wolf had just completely zoned out. He clearly was in a world of his own.
Leaning a little closer to whisper to Isla, Diavel finally explained.
"The wolves are connected by a strong sense of community and belonging. They'd rather tear their own heart out than be separated from their pack. In a situation like Sol's they'll cling to every tiny connection they have left, like the thought of looking up at the same sky. He's never seen the night sky of Naphuron, though, as the moon and stars are blinding them in the dark. He has no idea that they aren't the same, but the thought alone will make him feel a little more connected to his home."

He got up, but before he moved away he reached out to carefully rest his fingertips on her shoulder.
"Join me whenever you'd like, Isla."
Wow, when had been the last time he'd addressed her with her actual first name? Most of the time he just called her Issie, but the matter at hand seemed to call for a more serious tone.
Giving her a last, slightly helpless smile, he headed for the edge of the roof, elbows resting on the railing as he watched the city lights below. She had said she'd like to talk later, it was clear about what, so what should he say?
'I'm sorry'?
Yes, he was sorry, for how he had behaved at the masquerade, but all he could say to the whole matter of her looking like Alice was that he was just as clueless as her about why it was like that. But the more pressing matter was... What was this thing between them?
I feel like I'll need another seven centuries to figure that out.

 

[AccioProphecy]

Isla rolled her eyes, but good-naturedly with a smile. "Even Calvin Klein models need CVs and documentation, Dia," she explains, noting that he probably didn't know what that meant. "Like... a piece of paper that lists out your skills and... like an identification..." The more she thought about it the more complicated it got. What would he even put down as his education? She holds back a sigh and decides to worry about it later.

Later. Everything was later. She noticed that she had done nothing but stall. Perhaps she hadn't even grasped the fact that she was back home.

She unconsciously moved closer to him when he leaned forward to whisper to her about the stars, his breath tickled her ear and there was a distinct difference in his voice when he spoke lowly like that. It caused a slight spike in her heartbeat, but she knew it had meant nothing. Just her nerves and inclination towards him acting up again. "...I see," she responded when Diavel explained. Feeling yet another wave of pity for Sol. He believed it so easily, drank it in like it was medicine.

When he got up to move away towards the edge of the roof, where they could see the view down below, her skin tingled at the slight touch of his fingertips. She sat for a while, looking at Sol stare up at the stars. She sat for a while, knowing that they would start talking about what happened if she got up and walked over there. It only took a few minutes, but she followed after him, and rested her arms on the railings just as he did.

She was silent for a while, both of them were. The slight breeze ruffling her wavy hair shook her out of her reverie. She hadn't been thinking about anything, her mind was just blank. "I was scared," was the first thing that slipped out of her mouth. She didn't even realize she'd said it out loud until he reacted to it. Now she had to continue. "And then I was... confused," Confused was an understatement. Shocked. Appalled. Horrified.

She shifted and moved forward to rest her head on her gathered arms, voice muffled a little. "...But I knew you hadn't meant to do those things..." she'd been talking about the garden up until this point, "and me looking like your wife... must have confused you as much as it did me, when I found out," except that he, would have noticed the very night he laid eyes on her in that forest, trapped by three vampires. "I knew you had a wife, you talked about her a few times... I just didn't expect her to be..." she didn't need to finish her sentence.

And then she couldn't say anything more than that. Because the next question she had wanted to ask was based on a hypothetical situation. If ever the two of them, her and Diavel, ever considered going past their friendship--she wasn't blind and he wasn't stupid, she was sure there was a certain line and gap that they (or she) hadn't dared to cross yet and she had even been more put off by the idea after the incident, getting kissed and called by another name wasn't something she wanted to make a habit out of. "...I don't think you're a bad person but I would be lying if I said that... I still look at you at the same way," she admits, she knows she wouldn't be able to help being slightly guarded around him. "I don't think it's your problem... It's...me,"

Typical answer.

It's me... and my insecurities.

But it scared her that there was a small part of her that still wanted to give it a chance. The whole thing just seemed like a very bad recipe for trouble and heartbreak.

 

[Kaya]

He hadn't let it show, but during the whole day, since they'd come here, Diavel had been racking his brain over what he should say or do once Isla would be ready to talk about what had transpired last night. There were some ideas for little snippets, half-sentences, mostly, that could maybe ease the situation - hoping to fix it would be foolhardy, really - but it by far wasn't anything he was able to put into any sort of greater statement.
Just what can I say?
He wanted to point out how the stars, despite looking the same from down here, were all different, he wanted to explain how everyone had different facets and sides to them that showed depending in the situation at hand, but was it good enough?
He didn't want to sound like he was trying to correct her, either. He just wanted to make her understand that she was in no way a replacement for Alice to him, but how was he supposed to prove that? Especially after he'd left the worst impression at the masquerade. And every comparison he could come up with fell short.

"Urghhh-"
The way he was leaning on the railing with his face buried into his hands and his fingers digging into his hair looked comically unlike him.
He stayed like that for a couple of minutes, mulling over Isla's every word.
It's not you, it's me. Really?
Okay, maybe the problem wasn't just his behavior yesterday but also Isla's insecurities, but really, was she to blame for it?
Not in his book.

"Did you know that vampires can shut their emotions off?", he finally mumbled into his hands before he lifted his head to watch the city lights below. He'd just start talking and hope to make something comprehensive of it as he'd go. Otherwise he'd still be brooding over what to say in a week.
"We become an emotionless, merciless killing machine doing whatever the hell it wants. I was at that point after Alice's death. After over a decade of pain I decided to go numb. Like Mason had become Diavel, I became who they'd call the White Lord. A reference to how my presence would leave nothing but white Ashes and fire. Fast forward a couple of decades Rain talked me into letting my humanity back in. Gods know how he got into my thick skull, but I listened to him. But as my emotions returned the outbursts started. Like yesterday. Total loss of control over my fire. And then- it's like being sucked into the past and losing every memory of the present. There's nothing but hate and guilt. That's why I mistook Lucian for one of Carden's assassins and you for Alice. I didn't know either of you in that time I was stuck in."

He finally managed to tear his eyes away from the landscape to look at Isla, after he'd sent a quick prayer to all gods that his explanation had somehow made sense. It sounded plain crazy, he figured, but maybe in her world it was explainable. Maybe here people knew these awful mental travels into the past, and maybe they even knew how to prevent them. At least that would've been the perfect scenario.

"I don't know why this happens", he admitted, turning to her with a frown. "But trust me when I say that those moments are pictures of a time long gone. Yes, I still hate Carden, and I still feel guilty for having failed to protect Alice, but you are in no way some kind of replacement. That would just be plain disrespectful towards both of you. Look, I don't know why you look like her. But you are not Alice. You are Isla."
His somewhat strained expression softened as he lit up with a small, warm smile." Awful at chess, trusting a shady alchemist, making me jealous of a werewolf, bringing out the human in me and reminding me of my love for music, Isla. And I wouldn't want it any other way."

Nailed it!
Maybe he should just improvise more often. The start had been a little Rocky, and perhaps too descriptive, but he'd managed to make a clear statement at the end, right?
And still he couldn't help being paranoid that he wouldn't manage to convince her that he was serious about what he'd just said.

 

[AccioProphecy]

"Urghhh-"

Isla glanced at him sideways, feeling kinda bad for making him feel that way, but she kept silent as well as he went through his frustration. She didn't know what to say. It seemed like a couple of minutes pass, and he stayed like that. Isla was starting to think that was it. That was the duration of their conversation. He didn't wanna talk about it. She shifts her foot, about to turn away when he starts talking.

"Did you know that vampires can shut their emotions off?"

She turns her head towards him, and blinks, not knowing where he was going with this, but she listens. She listens him ramble through how he had shut off his emotions and let them back in, only to find out that he sometimes had bursts of loss of control. How he mistook her for Alice. But she also saw--and again she knew that already--that he hadn't meant to do this. He hadn't meant for that outburst to happen. Hadn't meant to hurt his friends. Hadn't meant to hurt her.

It was just something that he couldn't control.

But at least when he had made it clear and said out loud that she was her own person, not his dead wife, at least, the burden over her shoulders got lighter. All this time she really didn't think she could fill in her shoes. She must have been someone remarkable, and little old her was just... ordinary.

Of course she doesn't even know why in the world she's thinking of "filling in her shoes" as soon as the idea enters her mind she swipes it out real quick, not wanting to linger on it for too long.

"Awful at chess, trusting a shady alchemist, making me jealous of a werewolf, bringing out the human in me and reminding me of my love for music, Isla. And I wouldn't want it any other way."

Her mouth opens, about to berate him for making fun of her chess skills but her eyebrows knit together in wonder, her lips whispering as she thought aloud. "...Jealous of...?" Her face looks as if she's solving a math problem and it dawns on her slowly.

He's talking about Sol?

Who else could it have been. Her face relaxes, but she still has a rather thoughtful look on her face. When had he been jealous of Sol and why exactly? She's staring at him quite pointedly, wondering if he would give an explanation. She keeps on prodding her mind to accept the fact that there is, in fact, friendship jealousy, wherein one just gets jealous over the amount of attention you give to another friend.

But who was she kidding? This didn't seem like a friendship jealousy. All those subtle touches from Diavel, his protectiveness, his attentiveness to her. She wasn't THAT dense. However, she was not going to be the one to point it out. Typical woman, she didn't want to assume things, so, she defaulted to her humor, face breaking into a grin.

"You know, if you wanted my undivided attention you could've just asked," she said. Clearly in a joking manner, but her heart was secretly hammering in her chest at that one, small phrase he said.

 

[Kaya]

Diavel was watching Isla from the corner of his eye as she processed what he had said to her, the smallest of smirks playing on his lips. As her expression changed from confused pondering to blatant staring, he released a silent, soft chuckle and averted his eyes towards the night sky, for the first time in centuries blushing.
He hadn't meant to be this obvious,the comment had just kind of slipped out. But now that it was out,there was no taking it back.

He absentmindedly lifted his left hand to rake his fingers through his hair, causing a couple of strands to slip out from behind his ear and fall over his shoulder like a curtain shielding his face from Isla's view. He hadn't planned for this, but he couldn't deny that it was quite convenient right now.

Another scene replayed in his mind; how relieved she had looked for a moment upon hearing that he was more than aware that she wasn't Alice, and would never expect her to be. Of course, no one likes to be a mere replacement for someone else, but, although he hadn't really interacted with humans in years, he was pretty sure that reactions as strong as Isla's still were quite... Telling.
His blush darkened a little. This easily was the reddest he had been in over seven hundred years.

Her comment made him chuckle briefly, but he kept his eyes on the cityscape for another while before he -just slightly- turned his head towards her. "Nah, I'd never ask that of you, my jealousy is my problem, not yours", he said warmly, but leaned over to gently nudge her shoulder with his own.
"I guess I just meant to say-... I, uh- I enjoy your company. Back in Naphuron you made me feel human. And here, like the person I was always supposed to be. You're not just anybody to me. So the thought of having caused you to feel like I was trying to use you in any way just- really bothers me, you know? So if there's any way for me to make it up to you, please tell me. Okay?"

With closed eyes and a small smile, Diavel enjoyed the breeze ruffling his hair. Tomorrow they'd take care of getting a phone. And maybe even find a way for him to get his hands on those identification documents Isla had mentioned. And once he would've earned his first money in this world he'd invite Isla for dinner. They'd get it all sorted out, the whole mess with Carden, the jumping between their worlds, the red plague...
Oh god, the red plague!
"Lucian. He has no idea how to deal with the red plague", he said with a hollow voice. "He was- I turned him centuries after the last outbreak. Oh god, I hope he'll be okay..."
His eyes were wide,full of sorrow as he looked at Isla helplessly. There was nothing he could do to protect him...
"He... Will get it managed. He'll be okay...right?"

 

[AccioProphecy]

'Wait...What does he mean...?'

Isla stood rather confused but mirrored his actions. She turned when he turned and so now they were both staring off at the horizon or at the city view below them. She was...flabbergasted. Did that mean what she thought it meant?

'I'm not just anybody to him...? Or am I reading into it too much? Argh...'

Her eyes darted sideways to look at him but she couldn't see an inch of his face because of his hair. Eventually she ended up saying nothing, but she hoped that he didn't take that as a bad thing perhaps she was merely sorting out her own feelings and trying not to panic and hyperventilate at his words. It gave her so much...joy. She thought it was rather dangerous, getting addicted to that kind of feeling and high.

'I don't want to even ask myself why I'm happy that he was jealous...'

Because she knew the answer. He then suddenly started talking about the red plague. She didn't know how he had jumped to that but he looked completely miffed at that moment, and worried. Isla's eyes softened at his sudden anxiety. "...I... think I'm the wrong person to ask that..." She knew Diavel was just looking for reassurance, but she couldn't give that to him, specially when she didn't even know how large the scale or how serious the red plague was.

But she knew the last thing she needed was another depressed companion. Isla had already been tremendously stressed out and worried for Sol, and the wolf probably would never recover from being swept away here. Instinctively she placed a hand on his arm, "It's okay, we...can't really do much right now... if we can figure out how to go back then...we can help him but for now..." there was no use thinking about it, but Isla didn't dare to say it aloud. It would feel like she was being inconsiderate.