Unwanted surprise

Who: Isobel and Dorian
Where: Alexandria
When: Afternoonish

Isobel was scrolling through her contacts in her cell phone, wondering who it was that she could call that might have the information she needed. Her mother was her first thought, but she’d tried that particular number and it hadn’t work, which meant that her parents were outside of the loops and might as well have been in the middle of the Amazon for all the good it would do. Christer had seemed to know some information, but the suspicious looks the kid had given her had Isobel nixing that particular avenue of information.

You could just talk to Emmit about it a little voice told her but she pushed that train of thought away with a firm no. It would only upset Emmit and he’d already been upset the other afternoon talking about him aging. She wasn’t going to put that look on his face again. Absolutely not. Then again, he’d probably be furious with her for thinking about going to the Mourning Star and asking…

What would she ask the Mourning Star for anyway? Emmit was happy with the Fallen Angel gig. The Karma balance, that work suited him. It was everything else about the fallen that didn’t. The shortened life, for one.

Shortened life.

Those words traipsing through her head, Isobel headed into the little occult bookstore she’d passed on her jog earlier, taking a stab to see if they had anything worth her time. She looked normal, her blonde hair pulled back in a ponytail, the usual jeans and a pair of knee high boots and her red leather jacket. She probably stood out as someone ‘not regular’, given how small this town was, but Isobel wasn’t expecting to run into trouble.

Dorian was in his usual place, sitting behind the counter with a cup of coffee, and his laptop for Famine in front of him. He was working through clearing out some information on the web, as well as pulling more information for himself from websites that had been blocked for months. It was useful, things he was scribbling about in a notebook that already had pages full. He was getting somewhere with some of the spell structures he’d been asked to work on by Caleb and Hunt, which to Dorian, made this Famine gig worth it. More than the late night he’d had two days before that he still hadn’t recovered from, traveling out to what used to be China to reset some balance and order there. That hadn’t been his idea of a good time.

When the bell above the door chimed he looked up, not seeing anyone but what was how the place was set up. Still it was enough to have him closing the laptop and setting aside his notes for now.

“Hello?” Isobel called, hearing shuffling coming from behind the stacks. She didn’t like that she wasn’t able to see who it was and with the store set up, there were too many places to hide. It made the fighter in her uncomfortable and she took comfort, regardless of how silly it might have been, in the weight of her gun resting at the small of her back.

That meant a newcomer. Dorian’s regulars knew where to find him. “Back here,” he called out, smiling a little at the game of Marco Polo that always seemed to happen when new people came by the store. He waited for her to find him, leaning forward with his elbows on the counter, a position which hid his height well enough, something people found way too intimidating when they first approached him.

Tracking the voice, Isobel muttered a little under her breath as she went looking, which gave her a good look around the store. She definitely was not expecting such a vast collection of legitimate looking books and she wondered who this person was that owned the place. The voice sounded young but then she sounded young herself. She saw the gentleman at the counter. He was tall, his hunch over a giveaway, and cute in that kind of bookish, puppy dog way. “I was looking for your books on demons?” she said, having figured that starting there would be her best chance to find something about the Mourning Star.

Dorian studied the newcomer, taking in the boots and jacket more than anything else. He had to wonder if she came with a motorcycle as well. Smiling as friendly enough as he could he nodded. “Demons. Looking for something specific, certain type or history or something? If not I have a few pretty good general books on demons, sort of explaining everything.” He was already starting to get up, looking towards the shelves. “If you have something specific I can probably find something better suited.” Or he knew he could find something better suited.

Wow. He was definitely tall. It wasn’t often that Isobel ran into really tall ones and it wasn’t that she was short herself, she just didn’t expect him to be so tall. At his question, she wasn’t quite sure how to answer. Anyone with this type of collection had to have knowledge of things and she wasn’t exactly keen on spilling everything. Still if she wanted to find something… “Satan,” she said, figuring that was a good way to start. Too many people mistook the Mourning Star for Lucifer but what little Isobel knew, that wasn’t the case. Still, it was a big enough misconception that it seemed like a good place to start. “The whole fallen theme.”

That had Dorian slowing, glancing back at her. Not many people came in asking for that. “The Satan legends aren’t the same as the Fallen,” he corrected gently, not trying to be rude, but mostly being informative. That was what he did, both as Famine and as Dorian. “Especially since angels, not demons, fall,” he added just as gently.

“Lucifer was a fallen angel, wasn’t he?” Isobel countered curiously, looking at the books on the shelves and not at him. “The Watchers? They all fell.” Over the years Isobel had a difficult time with the whole demonic end of things. Demons were bad and needed to die. That’s what she knew and being a product of her time, as well as her parents being a product of their time, her views took on a more biblical slant than someone like Emmit or younger angels.

“That’s the legend yes,” Dorian said pulling away from demons and starting towards angels. “Though the Bible isn’t always the correct source material for that sort of thing.” Dorian had learned over the years that some of the observations were legitimate but the origins of things could be suspect. “Nonetheless you’re asking about angels.” He pulled down a book that he’d shown Annabell months before, then two others. “Other histories say that angels are hardly tied to god either, just another species that walks among us. The fallen are a different breed entirely, former angels who have hand their wings and immortality taken away.” He nodded back towards the counter and headed that way.

Isobel knew about angels. She was one, but the book had her curious. It had been awhile since she’d read up on her own lore. She followed him back to the counter, looking at the book in her hands. “I’ve heard that not all the names for Satan add up. Like Mourning Star really isn’t Satan. Is that true?” she asked casually. There was something about being referred to as a ‘species’ that she didn’t particularly care for.

Dorian had to fight back the actual laugh and managed to suppress it to just a smile. “No, not the same.” He wondered what Star would say if he asked her about that. “Mourning Star though ties into your fallen legends.” He took the book from her, opening it to a particularly gruesome artist rendering of the passing of judgment on angels. It wasn’t accurate, but he’d always liked the lone figure who seemed to oversee everything that the artist had added.

Even though he wasn’t aware of whom he was talking to, Isobel had the urge to give him what for at the patronizing she felt. At least she was on the right track. Taking the book back as he handed it to her, she felt like she’d been suckerpunched. Again. The blood drained from her face and she felt sick. The pain on the faces of the fallen. The lone figure standing above them all. Is that what Emmit had gone through and he had just not told her?

Dorian watched the blood drain from her face and shook his head. “I don’t think it’s actually like that,” he told her. “That’s an artist representation that focuses on the punishment part of it.” It certainly didn’t seem like Star’s style and the way she’d given him his wings and his mark hadn’t been like that. He guess she could take them just as easily. Without thinking about it he touched the star his chest, rubbing at it for a moment then pulling back. “What part of it are you interested in? There’s little about fallen angels in general, but from what there is to know it makes sense. Their own kind apparently hunts them. It’s not exactly grounds for talking about their situations.”

Even with his assurances, Isobel still felt ill and she shook her head and snapped the book shut. “Has there ever been records of angels getting their wings back and I need everything you have on whoever makes them fall.” She looked up at him then and her first thought was ‘what strange colored eyes’ before something twisted inside her and the sick feeling vanished replaced by something cold and sure. This bookstore owner? Was a demon. Isobel held still, not making a move. Normally her gun would be out and there would be a bullet between his eyes but right now she was focused on Emmit and her instincts were mucked up. She needed information and this demon was her best source. Fuck.

“Angels getting their wings back?” he asked making a small face. “I haven’t read anything about it but I suppose I can’t completely rule it out.” Star had given him wings hadn’t she? She’d taken the marks on his back and made them real wing markings rather than a hint of them. He sensed something changing about the woman in front of him though, in the way she went from curious to staring at him. He wasn’t the best, but he knew something was off, even if just for the moment. “As for whoever, it’s the Mourning Star. And there is little information on her, or him I suppose and none of is proven in any way.” Nor can I confirm or deny any of it. He certainly knew the woman first hand, but she was still a mystery to him. “What do you want with the information?”

Either he had never met an angel before and didn’t understand or he was playing it cool himself. Isobel couldn’t be very sure. Now he was asking her a more pointed question and Isobel shifted back on her heels. It was a natural movement as she adjusted the book in her arms. Natural to someone who wasn’t aware that she was shifting her center of gravity just. In. Case. He’d said her first, which was interesting, not only because deities tended to be referred to as male if they were unknown, but it was said by a guy and men tended to use male pronouns in that situation. Rarely were they ever so politically correct. “I overheard a conversation in the diner this morning,” she admitted, the staring falling away and a more natural look coming on her face. “What can I say? It got me curious. They say that they’re ending the world.”

It would have been a natural movement to anyone who hadn’t been raised by a crazy demon. To anyone whose brothers weren’t Mathias and Caleb. Dorian might have never been much of a hunter, but he knew the stance, he knew that way of prepping one’s self for an attack. That had him wondering what the hell she would think he’d attack her for. He wasn’t that tall. “You heard diner chatter about The Mourning Star and fallen angels?” he asked raising an eyebrow about that. They got odd conversations in Marquette, but no one was that silly were they. “Ending the world? Really? That was new.” From what he remember from Kayos there hadn’t been one race to blame for the world ending, just the scales getting tipped in the wrong direction. And Dorian had to guess that if fallen angels were to blame for the world ending he’d be dealing with them far more to keep Star’s balance.

Isobel shrugged a shoulder. “You have a lot of questions,” she said. “And you obviously don’t listen to a lot of people. Not as many out there are as enlightened as you. Wasn’t that long ago there were television specials about the Antichrist.” She didn’t shift her stance and she was feeling a lot of confusion, which had her trigger finger itching. He hadn’t reacted, not much anyway, and that was usually the reaction she’d get from half-demons but he was very definitely a full demon. What was going on in this town?

He eyed her closely. “I listen to a lot of people, but most people listen to me as well.” She still seemed tense and he tried to ease her fears by putting on his most harmless look possible. “I like to think people are starting to be better informed these days, that’s all. At least around here. I try to post to the intranet as much as I can.”

She didn’t trust him and she was confused by his whole goody-two shoes that he had going on. This was ridiculous. She wasn’t sure what to make of the harmless look. “I’m just looking for information on fallen angels and the Mourning Star.”

That had Dorian slightly confused but he nodded. “That’s the best place to start then,” he said nodding towards the books. “You’re not going to find much on Mourning Star. Or at least not a lot that lines up enough to make a real guess on what might be true and what’s not.”

She watched him closely and had a serious consideration of pulling out her gun and pumping him for information but she pushed that urge down. “Thanks,” she said slowly. “So no one knows who the Mourning Star is?”

“No one I know,” Dorian said with a shrug. “Do you want the books? I do sort of a loaner thing, like a library. Kind of an easy deal and it keeps it so I still have all my books. Running out of options to get more these days.” He tried a smile, the one that Kayos might have mentioned as being one of his most charming.

If she hadn’t recognized him as a demon, Isobel might’ve been attracted but he was a demon and therefore his time was limited. “Yeah. I’ll take them. Thanks.” She grabbed the other off the counter and frowned down at them before looking back up at him. His eyes were just a startling violet. She was torn between confronting and the research. Dammit.

“Alright,” Dorian said slowly, seeing her snatch the books. “But I gotta get your name, and a number?” He pulled a register from under the counter, flipping it open and to a blank page. “Here, put down your info here and then if it’s been more than a few days I’ll call and get my books back.”

“How about you just tell me when you need them back and I’ll bring them back,” she said. Under no circumstances was she going to give this demon a way to track her down.

That had him raising an eyebrow at her, studying her closely. “Okay. A week. Should give you enough time to get through the heavy language.” Talk about acting suspect. He took a moment to write down the number for the store on a scrap piece of paper and handed it out to her. “Call me if you have questions. It’s Dorian.”

Isobel took the scrap of paper and shoved it in her pocket. “Sure. Thanks. Have a good one.” At this point she was past caring. The last few days had pushed her to the brink and she was having no more shenanigans. Giving him a tight smile she turned on her heel and headed out of the shop.