She sure is acting weird. Maybe Lazlo apologized or something... She nearly scoffs at herself for having such a thought. Her brother, being nice or apologizing for saying something insensitive? Now that was just pure nonsense and she knew it. There was no way in heaven or hell that the dark hunter would have fessed up to the fact that he clearly stepped over some line with Vhal when they'd met that first night. If he would have just listened to Ellie to begin with, he wouldn't have that scar on his chest anyway. While she would always love her big brother to the moon and back, do anything and everything that she could for him because that was just what family was supposed to do, she also believed whole-heartedly that the man deserved whatever had happened that night. She could easily see him saying something insensitive to Vhal, and she could also easily see the white-haired woman having a zero tolerance for assholes like him. It was an inevitable result that he would have drug his sorry butt home after that incident, wounded pride in tow, far too upset to allow his little sister the privilege to help him heal the scorched skin. If he would have just stopped being pouty and allowed for Ellie to help him, he wouldn't have had it turn into a scar. But, that was in the past now and there was nothing that could be undone. If anything, she was almost curious to see how it was going to work out, her being best friends with the one and only woman she knew of that could handle his shenanigans and fits of ill temper. Isabelle had been able to handle him well enough, but there was something about the witch she adored that had the honey-blonde woman entirely confident that she could do a much better job. Why, she wasn't entirely sure, but it didn't really matter right now. Especially since Vhal clearly didn't want to talk about the man for whatever reason. She tries not to eye the white-haired woman, respecting her feelings â€" wherever they came from and whatever they were that had her blushing in the first place â€" and manages to find it in her curious self to just be content and just leave it alone for now. There was always later to tease her best friend, anyway.

Willingly being pulled into the swaying crowd, she dances away with the white-haired woman, entirely oblivious to any of the men that might have tried to get a little too friendly with her, instead only worried about doing her best to keep up with Vhal. They laugh and smile to the point of where Ellie was almost entirely sure that she would never be able to frown again â€" not that she hardly ever did anyway â€" until it seems that the witch is craving another drink, reaching for the honey-blonde woman's hand and is pulling her back towards the bar. Taking her previous seat, hardly even noticing the various other faces that surrounded them in the dimly lit establishment, she turns to listen as Vhal calls to the bartender of the loud music. Perhaps, had she not already been feeling warm from that first drink she had, she might have noticed those eyes on her. But she didn't. After all, this was her very first time indulging in such things as drinking, Lazarus making it pointedly clear that she wasn't ready to handle the haze that he almost always seemed to be trying to drown himself in. She'd never really contested his opinion, never rebelled or tried to sneak a taste of the amber liquor that the man seemed so partial to, mostly because what reason did she really have not to trust her brother? She knew that despite his warnings against men on campus â€" or anywhere in general â€" and thinking of trying to sneak into bars much like this one being in a near overabundance, it was truly only because he was worried for her. And just maybe she really wasn't meant for this scene. It didn't seem all that bad though, and she was having such an amazing time with Vhal that she could hardly believe anything like this would be potentially dangerous. Perhaps women drinking alone might be at risk, but two together? What were the chances that something would happen? Besides, she had Vhal, and Ellie was more than sure that the white-haired woman would be able to put any man in his place if they tried to get too handsy.

Those shots are quickly brought over to them, and at first Ellie eyes it for a moment, taking the small glass in her hand. She turns those glacier blue eyes to her friend, watching the woman down it like water. How bad could it be? Little did she know in that moment of curiosity and mild intoxication that she wouldn't find this taste all that pleasant. Nearly shrugging to herself, she follows Vhal, only to be quickly rewarded with that awful taste. It burned, and she wonders for a moment if perhaps it quite literally did burn her poor throat. Face scrunching up as if it were needed to add further emphasis on just how terrible it was, she hears that musical laughter of Vhal as Ellie makes that critical judgement of the liquor. Whatever that was, she definitely wasn't going to be doing any more of that. No way! Her eyes widen in surprise at Vhal's words and she shakes her head immediately."I don't think I ever could! I'll take more of that sweeter stuff, though", she replies, hoping that the witch wouldn't plan on having her try another. She examines the empty shot glass as if to see if the residue would start melting the glass, Vhal's words reaching the young woman who was suddenly beginning to feel that full effect of the alcohol working through her bloodstream."Well no more liquid fire for me. I want something that tastes like ice cream", she remarks before a girlish giggle of her own trickles over her lips. When Vhal tells the honey-blonde woman to stay there, she nods, though she wasn't entirely sure how much of that command actually registered in her mind as glacier blue eyes turn to look over to those moving bodies once more.I want to dance some more, she thinks as that warmth continues to climb beneath her skin, everything starting to feel a little.. light, almost fuzzy. How can things feel fuzzy? Other than bunnies. Bunnies are fuzzy and cute. I wonder if this is how Lazarus feels when he has a whole bottle whiskey, she muses to herself as she sways in her seat, hardly even taking notice of how those fierce amber eyes are still watching her... He approaches her then, that man that looked so much like Benjamin. It had been a while since she'd last seen the young man, their commute to the university via that public bus having been rather enjoyable as she made that ever usual attempt to befriend a new face that had decided to stop and give her the time of day. There had been so much mystery surrounding those fierce amber eyes she'd first seen within Inner Sanctum.

So, when she hears tenor tones and turns to see the man that looked so much like Benjamin â€" or at least she thought so, given her currently intoxicated state â€" sitting there in the empty seat beside her, she thinks nothing of it and even less of things when he asks if he could speak to her outside. Concern glitters through the haze within those eyes of early morning frost. He hadn't seemed like the happiest being in the world the day that she had met him, and the solemnness she thought that she saw in those amber eyes were all it took for her to allow for the man to lead her out towards the back door. If he was truly struggling with something, she wanted to help him. She would always want to be there for her friends, no matter what. And oh, how this man seemed to prey on that willingness as they make it out into the cold alleyway, though it goes unnoticed due to the liquor that warmed her blood. She offers him a gentle smile, entirely oblivious to the man and how he looked over her. At first, she doesn't realize how close he was until her brain finally begins to register the lack of space with that pressure of his frame after her own. When she asks if everything was okay, his tenor tones pull again at those loosened strings of her mind and only when his hand snakes into her hair and he's suddenly kissing her does that alarm illuminate her gaze."Benjamin! Stop!", she mumbles into his mouth as his lips continue to devour her own, the woman bringing up her hands to push against the man's chest. She feels his grip only tighten on her, one hand grasping around her wrist firmly."Please! Stop!", she nearly begs him then and finally the man pulls away, a wicked smile on his face."James was right, you're too soft", he rasps at her then as suddenly he's kissing her again. Only then does a fear rip through the honey-blonde woman beneath the man's rough touch. This isn't Benjamin! Where's Vhal!? She tries again to push him away and he pulls away again, this time wrapping strong fingers around her upper arm."Come on, I want to show you something...", he says almost menacingly then as he begins to drag her further down the alley and into the darkness. Ellie does her best to fight him, to wretch her arm away from him and yet she is too weak, too unstable that it hardly makes a difference. She hears the door open then and she whips her head around to see Vhal standing there."Vhal! HELP!", she cries out then, the man continues to drag the girl behind him as he tries to pick up the pace, likely hoping to slip away around the corner and into the shadows.