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After Riley had returned to her dorm from her excursion, she'd spent a lot of time alone in the dark. It wasn't dark to her, but it was dark just the same. She had gone through several different states of emotion, and currently hovered in the one that lingered longest - brooding. She refused to go in her now destroyed bedroom anymore - she just sat in her living room, and glared at nothing. Finally, she picked up her eyephone and sent out an S.O.S. It was clear she needed some help.

Israfel knew that the text was dire. Riley didn't just text him at random, (unless she was in need of help). So of course, all the small siren could think of was 'Riley texted me. Riley needs help. I MUST HELP.' Grabbing the candy coated brains he had stashed away, ( a planned gift for his friend anyway), the siren was off to the demon dorms. Evading Brek's hounds, and the various prying eyes, the monster knocked on the mindflayer's door. "Riley! Riley! Let me in, you're not dead are you? Don't be dead okay?"

Riley picked herself up off the floor when she heard the knocking, and unlocked her door. She barely opened it before walking back to her couch, flopping down on it face first, and curling back up into a ball.

I might as well be.

The room was still pitch black, save for the light filtering in from the study, and the light coming from the door Israfel stood in. She hadn't bothered to light any candles, because she hadn't bothered to do anything but sulk lately.

Uh-Oh. It was worse then he thought. Riley was becoming super emo. And from his experience with emos, they suffered a fate worse then death. They suffered bad fashion. He couldn't let Riley fall into the same fate. Setting the candied brains on a side table, (out of Cam's reach), Israfel worked on lighting the candles. Step one to curing emo. Bring in light. "Riley, RileyRileyRileyyyyy~" The earwings and feathers were all fluffing in clear concern.

"What's going on? Did someone do something? Oh god Did Cam take your Diary to Professor Cadmus? Don't worry I can fix that easy. Oh JACK." He poked her back. "You didn't get sent to the princess corner did you?"

Riley listened to all the horrible scenarios Israfel guessed at, and surprisingly wished that any one of them could have been the truth. She turned around so that she could look at him, and shook her head sadly.

No. She whispered into his mind. Worse.

What could be worse than the Princess Corner?! It's.. Malodore. I think.. The light of the candles flickered in her bright white eyes, and suddenly it was visible that they were wetter than usual. She had been crying.

Riley never cried.

I think I finally drove it away from me.

Oh Jack. Oh Jack oh jack oh jack NO. NOnononononooooooo. She..It..they. "What happened?!?" Wings puffed in full alarm. Tears? On his Riley? This wouldn't do. No at all. Running over, he grabbed the candy brains. This was some kind of break up then he'd need more candy and sweets by the end of the night.
"It's okay Riley. Just tell me what happened. Okay. I'm sure Malodore just..." Malodora what? He didn't know oh Jack this was bad. Israfel thought they were perfect for each other. "Eat some candy coated brain. It'll help."

Candy coated brain? But that was.. that was.. her eyes filmed over with a new layer of moisture as she stared at it hungrily, almost desperate to eat it.

But she wouldn't. She just wouldn't.

She'd promised.

Did it even matter now?

She rubbed her eyes with her fists and shook her head. Malodore doesn't want me to eat anymore sugar.. She choked when she said it's name. I overdosed. I didn't know it was so bad, but now.. now it hates me. Of course, Malodore had said no such thing, but she believed it wholeheartedly nonetheless.

Uh oh. She wasn't taking the brains. Not good. Not good at all, any ghoul who refused cady after a break up- "Oh Jack." He hugged her as tightly as his little siren body could manage. "Oh JACK Riley I'm so sorry." He sniffled, holding back his own tears. Rilodore was a ship he'd shipped so hard. To hear it sank...Oh Jack this was terrible. "It's okay, I'll make sure you don't go crazy. One small bag won't trigger.." a hand waved in the air. "It won't trigger an episode."

He was cooing gently at her, trying his best to offer her hugs. "What did it say? Did it say it was over? Or was it out of concern. I'm sure Mal would go out of it's way to do this." If it had...

Well then Malodore would find it's room toterror-ized.

Riley snuck her arms out from his grip in order to wrap them around him, and hugged him to her tightly. He was wrong, and she knew it - one taste of sugar so soon after she'd detoxed.. and she'd be gone for good. She still wanted them, though. She wanted them so bad. She just grabbed on tighter to Israfel.

No. It was just.. well, it doesn't think very highly of me right now, and I couldn't take it. So I asked it to leave. I made it leave. And now I'm sure it's done with me. I would be done with me.

Sadly, or rather nicely, the Siren hadn't been with her that night of the Icky Stix. He did have ah...evidence of it but not much else. But this wasn't the time or place for such thing. This was a time for hugs. Lots of them. "It's okay, maybe another time." He set them aside, a quick glance to make sure the tiny Cuthulu wasn't near to steal them.
"Mal adores you! I bet..I bet it's just afraid you would have gotten hurt! You are a big risk taker and, and, you are amazing with fights!" His nodded. Christmas battles not that far in his memory.

"You told it to go but I bet it's just waiting for you to call back. I mean REALLY."

He offered a small smile. "It called you amore didn't it? I'm pretty sure you texted me that fact."

She didn't want Israfel to fill her with any hope, despite how good he was at doing so. She had already decided she wasn't going to make believe she had any right to lay claim on Malodore any further. She shrunk somewhat as Israfel's soothing words trying to worm their way into her heart, and sighed deeply.
It called me many nice things, Israfel. Things I really wanted it to say to me for quite some time now. But it was just saying those things to lull me, so that I would not walk into my room and see that it was helping Christof get rid of my candy.
And it was the memory of when she'd realized that, that stung the most. It was lying to me. I should have known better.

Israfel liked hope. He was full of it, especially when it came to love. Or at least friendships. From Israfel could spring hope eternal, so long as it involved love.
"Aw" It was all he said as a wing curled around her. "It..It was..I bet it was just trying to help. I mean, that igor would stab itself for you if you asked. They adore you, and the candy." He shrugged. "Well we both know what it did to you, I mean the photo alone." Er, maybe best not to mention that. "Fact is I'm sure Malodore wasn't lying. Sure, he had to distract you, but, Mal isn't the type to lie. Much less about something so important like love."

Israfel smiled. "If not we can always set Cam loose in it's dorm."

Riley didn't seem like it would be easy to convince her that Malodore didn't hate her. She buried her head into Israfel's chest, and sighed.

I've already decided, Israfel. I don't deserve something as good as Malodore in my life. All I would ever bring is pain, and suffering.
It tore at her to think of it, but she'd forced herself to see the truth. Malodore was something in her life she didn't deserve - she never deserved. The fact that she was sure it now hated her only helped solidify what she knew she had to do.
She had to give up on the idea of love. It wasn't for her kind. It was for those frivolous sacks of flesh out there, laughing and enjoying one another without a care in the world.

Not her. Never her. That was how it was supposed to be.

Cooing softly as his mother had done when he was just a hatchling, Israfel was at a loss. Wings and arms held tight to the mindflayer. "Don't say that. Heck don't even think that! What happend to the world domination ghoul? Huh? The next mayor of halloween town if I recall?" He rubbed her arm. "You're the best mindflayer I've ever met!" She was the only one he'd ever met, but he'd never let her know this. All the same, it was probably a good thing.
"You deserve to be happy like everyone else. I mean with scarentines-" Scarentines. Oh Jack she was..."Oh Riley...Don't tell me..." His hig tightened. "It's okay Riley! There is no shame in going stag! No shame. In fact since most brake ups happen on scaretines, I bet you can nab any boil you want!" He paused. 'Or ghoul for that matter." He looked at her, wet eyes and all depressed.

"Or....." He smiled. "We get it back! Malodore loves you! He says you're his amore, let's make him prove it!" And by jack if it rejected Riley...The wrath of a siren scorned was not something it would want to see.

Israfel had a hidden power that he didn't even know about. Despite all of his attempts to bring his different ships together, he had no idea how powerful his words could be when they finally seeped into Riley's heart. The idea of her being the best mindflayer he'd ever met made her chuckle, which was the first sign of happiness (however weak it was) that she'd exhibited in days. She looked up at him, and rolled her eyes as he started to fuss about the dance. She hadn't even planned on going anymore.. that choice didn't even fit into his plans.

She should have known better.

I don't think it.. She faltered. She didn't want to feel hope. She refused it. She absolutely refused it.

Israfel simply.. felt enough hope for the both of them.

She paused, and thought for a moment, before lifting her eyes. Her gaze was a rare glimpse of vulnerability. Israfel, do me a favor. Tell Malodore that if it doesn't hate me too much, it can still come pick me up that night. I don't care how you tell it, be it a text, or groanspring, or a note, or just.. let Malodore know I'll go. If it still wants me.
Had she really just spent all that time convincing herself that it was for the best to stay away from Malodore, just to succumb to the first chance she had? Israfel was wrong. She was the worst mindflayer he had ever met.

And for some reason, just this once, that made her just a touch proud.

Wings flapped out when she showed the first signs of hope. That WAS hope wasn't it? Ah ha! "See, you know it! Malodore adores you and you can't igore that fact! And of coure I'll tell it!" He snuggled his face into her tentacles, not caring. "It'll pic you up for sure if not..." Looking up, he smirked. "I did always wonder what would ever happen if your Cuthulu and my toterror teamed up." He was a monster deep down. Maybe a love monster, but still. A monster.

Earwings and all the feathers he had were fluffed up. "I will make it happen Riley."

Riley let out a long, jagged sigh, before squeezing Israfel tight. She wished, so hard, that her heart wasn't aching with the hope that her siren cupid was going to make everything all right again.

You know, I don't deserve you either, Israfel. She murmured quietly, leaning into his snuggle. And yet, I don't know what I would do without you.