Case File 2017.07.28
ALEX DEWITT & DELILAH TURNER
Alex was just returning to the hotel from the recent incident in search of a break from the heat. He'd split off from Rhea and found Delilah by the sink area just outside of the bathroom. Until Alex spoke, she'd barely notice anyone else was in the room, too preoccupied with her thoughts about the white lace around her neck, something that had been with her for about as long as she could remember. She'd noted he'd been gone for some time and asked if everything was alright. Seeing he'd have to break the news to her about the incident in town just as much as Liam, he told Delilah about his blackout moment as that demonic power took over briefly.
He'd noticed her distraction about something, but she dismissed it as nothing...keeping the focus on him for the moment to ask further about the incident. Alex explained he's heard a woman cry out in pain as a man slapped her down and he reacted, he beat the guy up pretty good and might have killed him with magic if not for Rhea stopping him. Afterwards he asked if she was going to tell him what was wrong since he'd shared what had happened to him. It came off as quid pro quo to her and admittedly he said he was frustrated and hadn't been meaning to cause tension, he was concerned and cared to know what was bothering her.
Eventually she directed his attention to the lace choker around her neck, tied with a neat little bow. It used to be enchanted to main control in Vegas while LaDragos was alive...and was resistant to getting dirty while worn since it couldn't be removed without the wearer losing their head. But now...it had started to collect stains like the soot from that hotel fire in Colorado, it's original magic was gone now. It could be removed, but there was hesitation to do so.
It didn't take long for Alex to realize that she was afraid to do so...that even now LaDragos would still have some reach to her beyond death. He offered to take it off for her and brushed at the lace, earning him a look from Delilah as she caught his wrist to stop him. Terror in her eyes as that iron grip held his hand away...she'd seen first hand what happened to Corinna and it wasn't something she could unsee. Alex didn't resist the motion when she moved to restrain his arm, stating he wasn't going to remove it as he felt it was something she needed to do but assured her he would be there with her.
Delilah could feel her chest pounding with the moment of panic that had seized her in that moment. She held her breath, looking at the mirror again...and removed the lace choker. It came free without resistance falling into the bathroom sink. She asked Alex to burn the choker...not wanting it to remain around even if it were in some trash bag or landfill. She had to know it was truly gone and that it wasn't going to come back. Alex happily obliged and took care to keep the flame focused to burn the lace choker in the sink without potentially setting anything else on fire or setting off a sprinkler system. Once it was gone and no more in the sink, she returned Alex's affectionate kiss. Relieved and grateful he was there to help her during this moment.
There was a relief Alex had been missing for some time because of the lack of contact with Delilah. He stated he'd be there to help her anytime just as she's been able to help him and professed his love for her. The last last three words to profess his love for her, caught Delilah like a gut punch. She wasn't certain she believed him, thinking it was her abilities making him say that...it's not like he'd be the first to confess their love for one of their kind. It broke her heart, she cared for him and didn't know if she'd ever get to know his true feelings. She tried to think back to the experiment Rhea and herself tested the other night, she knew she could turn up that ability and now she was focusing to do the opposite-- to be able to kiss the fool boy that'd just told her he loved her.
Alex drew in and continued that kiss, even with her working to dull those abilities, his feelings for her were real. As he drew them closer towards the bed, it had seemed like her attempt to dampen that ability was working, but then the cool feeling of it spread throughout as Delilah's form grew a couple shades lighter and taking on that silvery metallic look... She started to pull and drain at that energy from his other half...it didn't feel right and have that same taste she'd first pulled on from Alex, but it wouldn't kill him if she took too much. Though she could already feel herself losing control and was reminded of seeing him lifeless from that first time in Vegas-- she pulled away to stop.
He didn't immediately hear Delilah but registered a bit more as she pulled away from him. He stated he wasn't afraid and trusted her. She was trying to convince him they had to stop, trying to point out the physical changes of that predator in herself that was emerging and stating she wouldn't be able to stop. Alex met her gaze to argue she was still beautiful in any form and that they didn't have to be afraid of each other, they both had their own demons of a sort within them. It was about that point that the Soulgaze between the two took hold, laying bare the parts of Delilah he hadn't seen before...the lonely holidays, a child only wanting a family...when LaDragos had given her a puppy only to poison the creature three months later in a twisted lesson in the dangers of loving anything. All the hopes and dreams and even if she'd discarded the collar from that lace choker, a new one was taking shape even now around her neck given what she is...
It broke his heart to witness all that pain and he could only imagine how many vulnerable moments she'd see from his own life. When his parents gave him away...the first time h'd taken a beating for being different...the feelings he'd never thought to feel about anyone else...and the happiness he'd lost as a child and desperately wanted to find once more... There was also that surrounding darkness from his own demon... The gaze broke and a lot had passed between them in that brief moment. Delilah didn't immediately shrug off Alex when he held her for a few minutes, but knew at some point she needed to get dressed and put some distance between them for a bit. She didn't want to risk that Hunger gaining the chance to kill...especially him.
LIAM WINCHESTER
He'd been scouting a round for some time, looking for the power he'd lost which Gwen had left out for him to find. It'd been scattered to stories about Old Man Oak...nothing concrete since there were many conflicting reports of a haunted tree. None of the information could be confirmed or validated...other than tree itself which he found himself at now. It was massive and old, possibly seventy or eighty feet in height and very wide at the base. There was something to the tree, but it was something most wouldn't see or understand...this was a real live Ent. The Genius Loci noted Liam's presence and took form on the bark to represent an old man's face and praise him for arriving to the conclusion.
The Ent had addressed him as nearly human...did that mean Liam was moving further away from that aspect... It was a passing thought, he didn't have much time as sundown would be upon him soon. Liam asked about the woman who'd come before him and what promise was made in exchange for his aid. The urgency of time, even without going into details of the reason in his words, brought the Ent to acknowledge the similarity of that moment. The Genius Loci was dying. It stated to him that all things must come to an end and even that touches the lives of immortals. What becomes of the lives lived or what is left to be remembered by...? The Ent stated that the Ice Quen promised to send a man to help him die with dignity and to leave his legacy before inquiring if Liam was that man.
It appeared that was the case as he asked what he could do to help, cautioning that sunset would bring a fair deal of trouble. The Ent assured him that nothing would bother him within the safety of the oak tree this night. Even if by some chance that were not true, it would be a toss up if he'd make it to the next sanctuary by sundown. The Ent handed over one of the slate coins from Kismet's Table, one of Liam's that held his Power. Liam then also found himself handed a seed that was a bit larger than an apricot pit tightly woven in a green leaf-like tissue and requested that it goes somewhere safe. This was the Ent's legacy and how the old tree would be remembered. It brought to mind a lot of thoughts surrounding his own choices, the things he'd done and what he himself would be leaving behind. How would the world remember Liam Winchester when he was gone...? Liam gave his promise to the old Ent's request as the old oak seemed to wither as the last of its life energy fades.
HOTEL
In the morning Liam returned, with another heading towards the South-East direction. Alex would also seek out Liam to have a conversation about his demonic slip up in detail without the comfort of Rhea being close at hand. It seemed whatever worry he'd had about Liam's rather wasn't present by the time morning came and they were getting to head out once more in the RV.
