We're all rotten, buried and forgotten,

Living it up underground

Why couldn't Harley just leave it at the good natured comment she said before? Well, because she was well Harley. "Good. I know I haven't met him yet, but you gotta know what I would do if he wasn't worthy." She admitted decidedly, her hand resting on the glass of her drink. She had to meet this stranger that had swooped in and stole her friend's heart. She just had to see if she could smell out a rat or if the man did not prove to be true. Love was sometimes the biggest blinder of them all. But Isolt was a smart woman, a logical one. Surely she would be able to sense out a snake in the grass if his intentions were not the right ones. Harely could not help that thick feeling of guilt, it grew like a sharp pang in her chest. She had missed so much in her friend's life, so much time had slipped away. It wasn't entirely her fault, seeing as Isolt just disappeared of the face of the planet, but Harley too had to no choice but to go dark. If it was only her, left to fight her demons she needed to keep on top of it with space. She couldn't make it easy for Ryker, in a place where he was established. Yet, as much as she tried to keep him at bay, it was impossibly useless, all these elusive movements intending to keep her away had only led her to his merciless trap. What the fuck was up with Vampires? Why did they want her of all people? A grim expression fell upon her face, before quickly looking down at the table where her raven hair covered most of her face.

Harley was quick to snap out of that strange reverie, focusing on finding out what exactly happen. It didn't take a damn rocket scientist to figure out that Isolt was hiding something. It was strange that this woman, her best damn friend felt like she was holding something back from her. Could she not trust her? To be fair, Harley had her own nightmares she kept close to her own chest, but this felt different. It felt strange to the duo that used to tell each other everything. Her violet eyes land upon her friend with that iconic stare that threatened to stare right through you to get through to any thought you once kept concealed.

Harley had a way of pulling answers out of people, of getting down to the thick of it. But this was Isolt. Isolt never hided a thing from her in her life. Hell, she could tell from a mile away if her friend was lying or keeping something a secret. It made birthday's near impossible. What was so big a secret that she would need to keep it from Harley? It was Harley for crying out loud, not some random vagrant.

How Harley wanted nothing more than to call bullshit on her friend, to make her tell her everything. But maybe, just maybe all the redhaired woman needed was time. After all, Harley did spring up this impromptu meeting out of the blue. There was no hint to who she was, she really didn't get the luxury of making demands to find out the truths. Everything that came out of isolt's mouth was bullshit, well maybe that was a bit harsh, but it wasn't entirely honest. She even had a little song playing in her head, the notes mocking in her head. A frown befell Harley's face before she opened her mouth, not caring what came out. "Are you serious right now? Everything is better when it is you and I. Everything. We have gone through so much together. Nothing is ever better when we are apart, we are stronger together." Those words held a cold hard truth. Ryker found her and snatched her up because she was an easier target alone. She was easier to infiltrate without hope, without people to live for. "We are stuck with each other, remember?" There was something resolute in the way she spoke those words, it couldn't be trifled with or even convinced of anything else. But she couldn't help but wonder what was the wedge, the real reason that tore them apart. Yet, Harley had her now. Whatever it was that Isolt needed to lone wolf on her own had passed. At least she hoped so. There is a purple fire within those eyes, they burned as they tried to bore holes into Isolt's skull. All so she could just look inside.

That soft reminder helped sate the confusion that whirled inside her chaotic head. She sighed, "You are right, I left too." She had to flee Ryker. If there was someone she actually feared the most, it would have been him. "But I don't care about all of that now. I don't really care about who left who, what I really need to know.. Honestly and truly.." She closed her eyes, getting impatient with her own headspace. She hissed a breath through gritted teeth, as though she tried her damn hardest to keep that emotion locked up inside. "Are you really here to stay now?" She hated how there was something close to vulnerability in her voice, but there was such importance with that question.

She tried to snap back her demeanour to that playful sarcasm. No more serious talk, she sure had enough of it for now. Quota met. Plus, talking about Damon made her companion seem happy. Isolt couldn't seem to fight that smile from her lips. "As long as you have the right person, the other stuff doesn't matter." Oh god, she sounded like a romantic.. She nearly rolled her eyes at herself. "Buuut, you know I don't know the first thing about weddings and in all honesty they terrify me. But you and I can get through anything. Including a scary wedding." She offered her the best reassuring bit she could muster.

"I've missed you so fucking much, Isolt." Far less eloquent but it worked. At that they toasted with the ceremonious clink of those glasses it felt like the past didn't really matter anymore. In one fell swoop and the familiar burn of alcohol washed over her, she waved down the bartender to get another. What mattered was that they were both here and Harley wasn't going anywhere. Not when her and her friend had one of the biggest hurdles to face. It was bigger than murder, bigger than really bad guys coming to get you, bigger than all the craziest stuff they have ever done combined. They had a wedding to plan.

They were going to need booze for this, a lot of it.

Harlequin Ray Westward