The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter

LOCATION a hotel room at the Castillo
DATE start October
TIME 15.00 ish
ATTIRE:
Willson: Link
Elenora: Link
TOPIC FOR @Jolene
____________________

He didn't do favors for just everyone, but the human still had gotten underneath his skin, so when she had asked if he would be so kind to help her - of course he did. Willson had tried to help Elenora move on for months, but it seemed that the fates had been that it was good she hadn't. There were various of ways to lose the people you loved, and if he could get back the person he had loved the most, wouldn't he have done the same? The answer was yes, because love was not to be messed around with, no matter the form. The loss of his mother had taken a great tool on Willson, whether he expressed it or not, but he kept going like he always did when dark times hit. "Are you sure she hasn't changed her mind?" Willson sat in the armchair with both his arms resting on the armrest while looking at Elenora whom stood up against the wall while they waited. "No, but give her a chance. It's been quite a lot," she breathed out, while lifting her hand up, scratching just above the left eyebrow, picking it a bit while eying the door. "Stop ruining your eyebrows," he breathed out in a warmer voice getting her attention and made her stop. "Sit down for a moment," he gestured her to the two person sofa not far from her.

Elenora had no idea how Jolene would act upon seeing a witch in here, maybe that was what made her the most nervous. She wasn't keen on putting Willson's life in danger, even if he had assured that he could take care of himself. Elenora hadn't really told everything to Jolene about this, mainly that she wanted to talk to her, and that it had something to do with that dear hunting drug her family seemly kept producing.

It was getting colder yet again and Elenora had asked for Jolene to talk with her in person at the Castillo. It had been quite recently that Jolene had visited her dad to convince him to take better care of her and to be there, but she figured that he had two other daughters who were approximately her own age. They needed him more than she needed him, but it still hurt that he wasn’t even able to give her some time. Did the two other daughters get a whole lot of his attention or were all of them neglected? No matter what, Jolene had been in need to bandage her right arm and some of her torso. She even had stripes of acid burns and cuts on her face. After she had put her dad onto his knees and left, she had gotten a text and her phone had exploded in her hand resulting in these injuries. She normally went quite uninjured when she was hunting, after all, she was a model on the side and couldn’t just arrive at photoshoots with ruined skin.
That and the death of her most recent husband had been taking a toll on her. No, she hadn’t loved Quentin, but she had married him as an ally and as a friend. They shared many of the same points of view, but they wouldn’t work out as a couple. It was for the best that they weren’t together anymore, but it was still breaking her heart that she had lost a friend. Even though La Souillure De Paix was meant to be used for rougher hunts, Jolene had sought to it more frequently that one would probably recommend. Things had just been a little too complicated when she lost both her first love and killed her child who had been turned into a vampire, and even though she wanted to, she hadn’t been able to put the bottle down for too long.

She got to the room that they had agreed to meet at, and she knocked her usual secret knock to let Elenora know that it was her by the door. She stood in black jeans, a black shirt and a blue and golden jacket with her hair tied in a Dutch braid down along her back. As the door opened, the first thing, beside from Elenora standing in the door, was the man in the armchair. “Who is he?” she asked not stepping inside before she knew more.

Willson frowned to the sound of the rather odd knock on the door, but it seemed like Elenora knew what it meant. "She is here," she addressed before walking over to unlock the door and open it. Elenora took a sharper breath in, they hadn't seen each other since the funeral. But that wasn't what their first words about, as expected Jolene demanded to know who the guy in the arm chair was before stepping in. "Willson Jones," he presented himself before Elenora had a chance to say anything, he lifted his arm from the chair to wave at her. Elenora looked over her shoulder over at Willson before looking over to Jolene again. "He is a friend," she added with a soft nod. Now, Jolene wasn't evolved human and couldn't sense the supernatural like Elenora, but she didn't doubt her best friend had some sort of fancy accessories to tell that a warlock was present with them. Elenora took a step aside letting Jolene inside, closing the door.

Elenora took a deeper breath in, and ran a hand through her hair. "We need to talk about La Souillure De Paix," she breathed out. Elenora hadn't needed it since January, it didn't mean she hadn't over spring thought about it, and fought to resist it. She had resisted it, and found the right help in early summer. Willson. "Meet the man himself who created it for D'Avalos back in the day," she gestured to Willson who took a deeper breath in. Willson wasn't fond of those times, being held captive and forced into a chaotic and dreadful use of dark magic had almost killed him multiply times. But he was an old warlock, from a strong bloodline, he had been perfect for the task. Willson knew the effects of his product, after all he had made sure the aftereffects of it was painful, the cravings for it was even worse if not treated right, most of all his price for making him making such thing.

Jolene raised her brows. Jones. Just like Killian Jones. She just wondered if he was a half-brother, nephew, uncle or something completely different. No matter what, it couldn’t be good. She carried a fingering which didn’t change color but gave off a specific warmth or coldness depending on which species it was so close to her, and she didn’t think twice before she knew this man was a warlock. He’s a friend. Jolene looked at Elenora once before her gaze turned back to Willson. “Well, this is going to be interesting,” she exhaled and entered. She leaned up against the nearest wall with her shoulder and folded her arms. She was quite relaxed, now that Elenora had said he was a friend. She eyed her best friend as she mentioned what they were going to talk about. She didn’t say a thing but simply waited for her to elaborate. Her eyes went to Willson again as she explained that he had created it. “You did an amazing job,” she said quite monotone. She looked back at Elenora, “Why did you bring him?” she wondered and bit her lower lip thoughtfully.

Interesting. It was indeed interesting but not in the ways that Jolene thought out, at least not to Elenora. She hated this. One thing after the other had turned and twisted Elenora's life and almost strangled her, and she now knew what she needed to do to breath again. She needed to be done with this part of the world, done with the hunting, it only caused her pain. If Archie could retire from this world, stay no to the thrill of the hunt and saying no to what they were brought up to do. It took a strength that she admired her fiancé so much for.

Her mind took a turn back to the hotel room as Jolene complimented Willson for his work, but didn't say a thing as a snort left Willson's lips a little. It was a bitter taste in his mouth to think back to that part of his life, how it had come to play. "Yeah, works like a charm," he let the sarcasm leave his lips as he narrowed his eyes a little bit. Elenora took a deeper breath in and crossed her arms to the next question. "Because, it's not a solution to deal with your grief,"  she breathed out calmly but direct. Honestly had always been the key in her and Jolene's relationship, it was not going to chance now. "Julianne told me that you've been emptying the rations from the shelves back in the mansion. You need help JoJo," she kept her eyes on her best friend. It seemed like years ago since she had called her that: JoJo. Elenora was worried about Jolene, but she was also worried about the people she now had in her life, her own family. Because they were almost all somewhat supernatural, and she couldn't share that with her best friend if she still hung onto an old mindset. Elenora had changed from that, and even through she would never say Jolene should change for her or anything like that: she wanted to talk to that best friend she had made back before they both had gotten so consumed by the hunt and all the loss. "I get it okay, it takes off the edge and you just become numb to everything around you, and then left fearless like nothing or no one is ever going to hurt you again. And taking that away, is scary. It's going to be scary, but this. You can't live like this. And if you are willing, Willson here can help, he helped me." She took a deeper breath in. "I miss my best friend."

It did work like a charm, even though she knew he said it with sarcasm. She raised her brows a little as Elenora said it wasn’t a solution to deal with her grief. Jolene wished to talk back, that she didn’t know grief, but she knew she did, because every time she was getting low things came tumbling back at her. She clenched her jaw tight as she mentioned that Julianne had said something about the rations from the mansion. It was an exaggeration. She hadn’t been emptying them, but she got the message. You need help, JoJo. Somehow even the simple nickname was heavy on her heart. It brought up memories. Jolene kept her eyes at Elenora as she explained that she understood.

You can’t live like this.

Her eyes shortly traveled to Willson as Elenora said he could help. She was about to open her mouth and ask how he was going to help, but Elenora just pressed all of the sensitive buttons. I miss my best friend. She frowned a little, “You don’t think I’m present anymore?” she asked looking at Elenora.

You don’t think I’m present anymore?

Elenora took a deeper breath in, the question hurt her, stabbed her right in the gut and twisted it around. "I think, that something very terrible happened to us. I think we became who we needed to be at the time to survive," she exhaled one again and took a step closer to Jolene. "I also know, that we have played that game long enough now, and its time to let go," Elenora was worried for Jolene, not just because of losing Quentin. Even if Quentin was something special, he was still family to Elenora it was her little brother she hadn't been able to save. It was a person she had sworn to protect and everything that had happened that night had assured she couldn't and hadn't. Jolene had lost so much, too much, here Elenora was the lucky one. She had gotten the love of her life back. She was going to marry Archie in this month like they had intended years ago to do this summer - she had gotten a chance, Jolene hadn't. And it pained Elenora to stand here and ask for her best friend to move on, when she knew herself it was easier said than done. "But you won't have to go through it alone," she added under her next breath. Willson didn't do much yet, but he wasn't planning on letting a hunter who clearly had more issue than good with the drug he had created out in the world, not if she could be a danger to Elenora or her family.

Something very terrible. That couldn’t even describe the things these two girls had been through. It would have killed them if they hadn’t acted, or like Elenora said, became who they needed to be at the time in order to survive. Elenora even believed that they had played that game for long enough and that somehow, they should be able to just let it go. Jolene clearly didn’t understand, because this wasn’t a game, it was survival and if she put her survival away, she would die, just like the ones she loved had. And even if it was a game, it would have been a game she had played for most of her life. She wouldn’t know how to play any other game than the one she was play right now. Jolene took a sharper breath in.
Elenora tried to explain that Jolene wasn’t alone, but to that she frowned. Who would be tagging along on the journey? She licked her lips and let her gaze flee Elenora’s for a moment before they looked back at her. “What do you mean I won’t have to go through it alone? There’s no one here to tag along,” she tried to point out, still with her arms folded, “And you should know that what I’m dealing with isn’t just a game I can exit or turn off. It is my life and I have to adapt to it the best way possible.” Jolene informed and didn’t take her eyes of her best friend.

Elenora took a deeper breath in. She knew she had her back secured, even if she had tried and tried over and over again, Elenora had been blessed with people who had her back. Now more than ever. But Jolene was different, she didn't have the same strength of a family that would have her back and pick her up again after she had fallen, not like how Nigel even Jamie had helped picking her up after Archie had died. "I do know," she pointed out rather fast and took a deeper breath in. "I know that, and that is the reason that I know, that you can't go on like this," Elenora licked her lips a little bit. It was odd how her perspective had changed after Archie's death and her father's poisonous bite had infected her view and created something dark, twisted, the thing Quentin had been proud off, because not even Julianne could manage to sink so low. "Quentin is dead, he died because he adapted into my father's twisted games, the hunters twisted games - but we are better than they are, we have to be." Elenora took a deeper breath in and shook her head a little bit, looking shortly away from Jolene before returning her eyes to her. "I'm not going to let you go around like this and be a threat to my family just because they aren't human. You do know that right?" Even if Jolene had said she would be on somewhat good behavior, had spared Frederik and Griffin - helped killing her father. There was still the killing instinct they were brought up with. Even to this day, Elenora had days where she still checked for her knives when feeling a vampire or demon close by. That was the worst addiction. The killing. And with the drug, it was not just that, it was unlocking every sense of guilt and grief towards having taken a life, with little remorse for what it could to do the family.

Elenora had been down that road of guilt after Willson had helped her back in July, it had been painful and tragic. But it had also helped opening her eyes to the wrongs and rights in this world, the colors outside the black and white frame she had been brought up with. "Do it," she looked shortly towards to Willson, who lifted his hand up and clenched it into a fist while mumbling a spell that would make Jolene pass out before she had a chance to run away. "I'm sorry," she whispered to Jolene, before Willson got up to help lift the human towards the sofa. Then the warlock could start working his magic.

Jolene frowned as Elenora said that Jolene couldn’t continue like she did right now. Her eyes narrowed a little as she started to talk about how Quentin had adapted to the games. Jolene wasn’t Quentin. Maybe it wasn’t what Elenora meant, but it was the message which was received. It was a warning, that if Jolene continued, she would die, just like him. Jolene was smarter and wiser than the coward of a husband. Maybe it wasn’t the word that most people would put on Quentin, but Jolene did right now. Jolene’s expression got a little sadder as Elenora mentioned that she didn’t want Jolene to be a threat to her family. “I’m not going to harm them, as long as they’re not a danger to humanity,” she assured. Elenora knew very well how Jolene only had acted out when Griffin had been trying to attack Hannah. Jolene had even made sure that Elenora’s father wasn’t going to be a threat to Elenora’s family – sparing Frederik’s life.

Jolene widened her eyes as Elenora gave a simple command. Her light eyes went to Willson. She was about to pull out a knife she had hidden, but before she even got close to it, she passed out and fell to the floor.

Willson looked towards Elenora as he placed Jolene on the bed that was in the suite. "Are you sure that you want to do this?" He then asked her and Elenora crossed her arms a little bit. "Just because you couldn't fi-" Elenora shook her head, "don't go there please," she licked her lips a little bit. "Quentin was never affected by the drug, he didn't need to, he has had my father and uncle whisper in his ear for years - desperate to meet the pure thought of appreciation for his work," she whispered and looked at her sleeping friend. "You couldn't have fixed him, no o-" - "no one had the chance. I should have been there for him, but I was too deep in my own grief and to -," - "Influenced by the drug I assume." Elenora nodded a little bit, not her proudest moments. Nothing she could take back now, but coming on the other side of it had been hard. Not following along the instincts you were trained with even harder. But she was the lucky one, there had been people willing to catch her the second she had needed it, even if she had been too clouded to see it at first. "Just do it," she added on her next exhale. If anything Elenora wasn't going to let Jolene end up getting so influenced by the drug that she wouldn't care who or what she hurt. Despite having said she wouldn't, you couldn't trust an addict. Willson took a deeper breath in and nodded.

Then he started his spell, holding Elenora's hand to channel the energies she held from her powers as well, to grant him just an extra little boost. He could of course have called Malcolm for magical grounding, but it wasn't a family favor it was a favor for a friend. And he wasn't sure Malcolm could shut up if he figured out Elenora was part of the D'Avalos clan who had held Willson captive many years ago, even if he hadn't told Elenora - Malcolm for sure would give her a piece of his mind. But then again, Willson didn't even know his brother's whereabouts at this moment. But Willson detoxed Jolene after he had magically removed the tattoos that would otherwise have hurt him, he wouldn't have known if it wasn't for Elenora. It took a while before he got it completely out of her system, knowing when she would wake up in what could be minutes to hours, she would be completely overwhelmed by everything that she had repressed - the only good thing about him doing it was he could skip all the nasty side effects. "I hope you are ready for this," Willson looked towards Elenora who took a deepe breath in. "You never get ready for it, you know that." She looked towards him sitting down in the arm chairs just waiting for Jolene to wake up.

So many tattoos had been removed. No all of her tattoos had been removed. She felt heavy. Exhausted. Immobile. Slow. Sick. Even though she would normally have felt it as the first thing when she woke up it wasn’t. Her head felt heavy. Heavy with so, so many emotions. She didn’t open her eyes yet, but she took a deeper breath in before she exhaled a raspy breath. Tears started streaming from her eyes and down her temples. Her thoughts were racing, and it was giving her a massive headache. She clenched her eyes and lips tightly together. She felt the presence of someone else and opened her eyes to see Elenora. Her eyes were already bloodshot from tears. “Is this what you wanted?” she asked quietly and sat up while looking at her friend. “How did that feel?” she screamed picking up the nearest pillow to throw after her best friend. “How- how could you wish this for anyone?” she cried. She got up on her legs, almost falling over from the missing strength and balance tattoos. “You want your best friend to be a prick?” she cried and tried to push Elenora, not really caring about what she would say. Her push was weak, not only from the many emotions which were overwhelming her, but also from the lack of her tattoos. “What the hell is wrong with you?” She looked at Elenora quite disgusted before she turned towards Willson. “You… How do you live with yourself?” she asked with wide eyes. “This would never have happened if you didn’t exist!” she screamed at him and stepped towards him, “You are ruining lives… Taking lives without even realizing it...” she looked at him giving him the same look as Elenora. “You don’t deserve to live.”

Elenora knew it had to be done, and sometimes the right thing could make you the villain. But this was not going to be in vain, and she wasn't going to let Jolene go around ending up hurting her family - or that Jolene would end up hurting herself most of all in the end. So, when Jolene woke up she ran towards Jolene to make sure to at least be there for her, only to listen to her words, seeing the tears run over her best friend's eyes. No, this wasn't what she wanted - to see her upset and empty, but it wasn't going to stay that way. Then Jolene screamed at her, threw the nearest pillow at her which Elenora caught rather quickly. But she didn't say anything. She didn't move. Elenora just stood there for a moment, knowing even if she spoke, Jolene wouldn't listen to the words. Elenora took a deeper breath in, didn't dare to look from Jolene as she got up. She didn't know what tattoos Willson had taken, but she knew that some of them could have caused him harm, so it was better to be safe rather than ending up letting Jolene hurt him. Elenora knew Jolene lashed out in anger, in painful frustration over what happened when the kick of the drug was out - when it was gone, making you feel like you didn't belong anywhere. Then Jolene pushed her, not that it made Elenora more than take a few steps back, not pushing back. What the hell is wrong with you? Elenora took a sharper breath in and held it for a moment, didn't respond. Then Jolene turned towards Willson.

Willson raised his brow a little bit as Jolene turned towards him. Asking him how he lived with himself, as if her words were meant to cut through his skin and harm him. It didn't. He knew it was words washing out of a woman who was in pain and didn't know who to take it out on but him. "If we go by that rule, none of us should be alive," he pointed out rather calmly. But truthfully. He knew he had taken lives by the dark magic he was forced into, he knew the mistakes that he had made in his life, but had she realized she was no better? How many innocent lives had she not taken as a hunter? "You should sit down - your emotions are rushing up and attacking you from all fronts. It will feel like you want to die for a moment, but it will also settle after a while." He informed still keeping his voice steady and direct. Looking towards Elenora that looked like someone who wanted to throw a punch at Jolene for speaking to him like that, but he just simply raised a brow - there was no need for violence if they could prevent it.

“Fuck you,” she hissed with tears streaming down her cheeks. “You made me kill my fucking daughter!” she screamed pointing at him and let her other hand grab the fabric in front of her chest as if it hurt. Her heart was aching. She just had to blame someone for her own actions, and he seemed to be the only one besides from the school she had been taught at. The school. It should pay. Fall to the ground in ruins. She looked towards the nearest window while she thought. She didn’t really listen. She felt like her world was crumbling and she turned to walk towards the window.


Tears were still streaming down her cheeks. She didn’t even get to take a step before her legs gave up and she fell into Willson. Her arms tried to wrap around his neck to hold herself up, but she didn’t have the strength to keep herself up and slowly glided down sobbing. It had almost been like Jolene had tried to fight the feelings, but now she was on her knees begging to be left alone, yet they only multiplied by the second and stomped on her aching heart. A scream in pure agony and misery left Jolene, almost emptying her lungs, making it difficult to catch her breath again.

Willson knew she needed someone to blame, but it didn't mean her words were fair. Yet, he didn't say anything. "That's not fair Jolene," Elenora breathed out, meeting Willson's eyes who told her that he got the situation - now Elenora had never really been one for taking other people's words unless they came from the people that she held the most close. Willson watched Jolene shortly after, rather carefully, making sure that she didn't to anything stupid. People did rushed things when they were in pain, when they were upset, and right now Jolene experienced everything she had repressed full on. Elenora looked at Jolene who looked towards the window, folding her lips a little aware. She wasn't going to let her jump, despite how much hurt she was in. Ending things weren't the way out of this. And Elenora knew she could catch Jolene if she did. Elenora tried her best not to cry in this moment, not to let Jolene's emotions wave over her, but they did and it twisted in her gut with hurt. Willson quickly grabbed onto Jolene as she fell onto him, as her arms wrapped around his neck. Willson let her go slowly falling down, he sat down beside her - placing his hand slowly on her shoulder giving it a little squeeze, just before she screamed. Screamed so loud Elenora even had to turn around, holding her hand towards mouth as if she was afraid to gasp with pain for the sadness she felt for her friend. Closing her tear filled eyes for a while and took a deeper breath in. The pain. This was Elenora's doing, and she had to be here, taking responsibility for the choice she had made on behalf of her friend. Willson pulled Jolene into his arms, just giving her a warm embrace to let all the hurt out, because he knew just what his drug was doing and how it worked.

Jolene didn’t care whether or not she was fair or not. She blamed him as of right now, and that was what mattered the most to her. She couldn’t take all of the hurt by herself and had to put it on someone else, to help herself bear with some of the pain. All of this couldn’t just be her fault, even though she somewhere knew it wasn’t her fault. She felt like it was tons of guilt that was being poured over her. Every single kill, the whole hunting school how bad it had gone when she had been younger and just how much she had hoped that her life would’ve been picture perfect. It just wasn’t. It was ruins. Absolutely and completely ruins.
For some reason, it was a comforting feeling that she was caught as she almost fell into Willson. She wasn’t just let to fall around in her own agony. He even sat down beside her. She could barely focus on what was going on around her, because everything was tumbling over her, messing around with her mind and regretting every action she had ever made, even from before she got introduced to the drug. She regretted so many things. Her scream didn’t scare them away. She was pulled into a warm embrace which made her wail. She hugged her own torso. She clenched hard around herself, hoping that her own body wouldn’t explode from all of the emotions. Her hope was that she was going to get out of this stronger, but as she was feeling right now, she couldn’t see it. She couldn’t see how this was going to get any better. She sob loudly and didn’t resist the embrace at all. She leaned into it not minding that he was supernatural right now. It didn’t matter.

Her wails were the first to die out. Then it was the sobs, though they came around once in a while. Eventually she got her tears almost under control and she had ended up laying with her head on Willsons shoulder. It had made his clothing wet around his shoulder, but she hadn’t been able to stop the tears. They had needed to run for a long time and she was almost positive that she would have days like this once in a while. She sniffled a bit, but didn’t remove her head from his shoulder, simply too exhausted to do much.