don't you go leaving me again || isobel & alaric
Not without a word, not this time.
"That's enough. You idiots? Beat it!"
Alaric didn't recognize the scolding voice, not at first. But when he heard some kind've shriek, he definitely did turn, just in time to see a couple of his not-so-friendly ghosts go out in some kinda blazin' light. As the sparks died down, he was able to make out the shape behind it.
-- He sent her a look. "Geezus, Iz," he sighed, exasperated.
"Hey, you," she offered in return with a sly little grin.
Years had gone by, and frankly, harder times. It was one thing to lose someone you loved -- another to lose a kid you loved, a kid you failed, who's death you saw coming and had to wait out after your failed attempt left no question that it was inevitable.
That... and Ric remembered everything. "You're such a bitch," he reminded her as they walked the street. "How did I marry you?" Isobel looped her arm within his for that. He'd given her another scathing look in return, but she shrugged it off and reminded him she was dead so he ought to allow her some comfort. "Take off, and then take my memories with you. D'you know how much easier things would've been if you'd just --"
"Let you know how much I regretted it?" Isobel laughed dryly. "Alaric, you're not fooling anyone. If you'd known that would have defeated the whole purpose. Besides..." She pursed her lips thoughtfully. "I think I like that Jenna. She's... sweet. Good. Nice pick, Al."
Alaric rolled his eyes disbelievingly and looked ahead of them. It was quiet, for a haunted town. Isobel's head canted to the side. Soon enough, her gaze grew distant, and her silence alerted Alaric to the fact that she was thinking... which had always proven to be a revelatory sort of thing, though not necessarily good.
Her lips parted, and Alaric nudged her. "Don't. I don't wanna hear it."
"You just said --"
"There's a difference between theft of memories and not having said memories."
"So fucking literal..." she sighed, and fell silent again.
"Impatient as always," he retorted dryly, unbothered. She flashed him a tiny grin but stayed quiet for the next couple of blocks.
"Where were you headed, anyways?" Isobel wondered some time later, a furrow between her brows. "I hope not the house. I'm not into the home-wrecking thing any more."
Alaric sent her a look that very clearly stated 'Really?' which was, naturally, returned with a wide eyed 'It is what it is.'
"No," he finally relented. "Actually just finished dinner."
Isobel paused mid-step, and Ric had the unpleasant experience of walking straight through her arm. He noticed a second too late, and turned.
"Don't make light of that," she said, and her voice was softer than before, and her typically cold expression seemed to have melted. "This has got to be killing you, Ric. I know you. You're not fit for..." She trailed off, gesturing lamely towards him.
Alaric frowned and shoved his hands in his pockets. "But it happened. So, I'm dealing. There's a hell of a lot more to worry about than this -- and I've been withfang for a couple years now." He shrugged, but Isobel made that little huffing noise that he knew to mean 'don't you fucking move, we are so not done here.'
"You haven't had a proper conversation with your mother or father since I left. Your little sister is a grown woman who's already had two long term boyfriends -- look at your life, Ric!" Her tone was dangerously close to begging, and she stepped towards him, placing her hands on his shoulders. "I understand you needed to look after Elena. I -- I'm weirdly jealous sometimes, but you do what you can, and you are so good at being -- good! But you need to be... a little selfish here. Or you're never gonna make it."
He was quiet, wondering where this sudden sincerity was coming from... and, admittedly, just how much she'd seen on the Other Side. He wasn't proud of most of what he'd done for a long while now.
Pale, ghostly fingers came up to cup his jaw line. "You're so stuck..." More stuck than me, I think, she didn't say. "And I've seen you hurt. Jenna loves you. More than I ever could. Elena loves you more than she'll ever love me. It's different for you."
"C'mon, Iz," Ric interrupted, uncomfortable with the whole -- Isobel being Izzy, that girl from college again, thing. Secretly a hopeless romantic when she wasn't cussing out the nearest douche bag for making a pass.
"Shut it." Isobel closed her eyes a moment, refocusing. "Just promise me you'll quit treating yourself like your only purpose is to help everyone else. You're your own person, too. You need to help yourself, let others help you." Her smile was very brittle, eyes bright. "Not that I have any advice in that department."
Alaric was speechless as Isobel took her hand back and stepped away, looking at the side walk. She wasn't -- she stopped talking, and his gut told him she was gonna go.
"Wait!" he exclaimed. "Just wait a sec. Iz?"
Shining blue eyes found his reluctantly.
"Just... don't go again without sayin' bye. You owe me that, huh?"
Isobel smiled, and nodded. "I'll be around," she allowed, a little of her sass returning. He chuckled once, without much humour. But then she sighed, sobering up.
"Goodbye, Ric."
He blinked, and she was gone.
"-- Bye, Iz."