The Parts We Play

Night Unfurls Its Splendor

Claire and Irene had spent the entire day researching the seal of the Order of the Red Sun, and trying to find out if there was any precedent for the name of the order that could be traced back to a particular demon.

So far, no dice.

And now Krel was lying in bed, mind still racing, trying to figure out how to stall Cara, mind filled with the dreadful imagery of the cult's stronghold that she'd described.

The house was dark, the moon a mere sliver, and so faint starlight streamed through the open window. Krel found himself wishing the morning wouldn't come, even as time already dragged on.

He saw his phone screen light up out of the corner of his eye, and checked it. Perhaps unsurprisingly, it was Cara.

'Are you up?'

Krel smiled a little and texted back, 'Little-known downside of being a genius. Sometimes you just simply cannot turn off'

'Doesn't take a genius, believe me,' Cara texted back. 'What do you say we get out?'

'It's 12:37 A.M.'

'... I'm not seeing a no... am I picking you up?'

Krel chuckled quietly, plunking his head back and laying his phone screen-down on his chest for a moment. He then lifted it again.

'I'll expect you in ten.'

'As you wish, My Liege :)'

Cara was there in eight minutes, in human form. She hopped the fence and knocked quietly on Krel's window frame.

He activated his transduction as well, and followed her out to her car. She opened the passenger door for him, and he bowed slightly and thanked her.

She got in as well and connected her phone to the Bluetooth in her car. She started playing a calm song, and turned the volume fairly low.

"So," she said as she pulled away from the curve, "Aja's visit was sort of horribly timed, huh? I mean, how often can she visit for this long, and a cult turns up?"

Krel laughed shortly. "Tell me about it," he said dryly. He sighed. "It's been so long... don't get me wrong, I love her, I always will. But I'm beginning to realize just how few interests I actually still have in common with her."

"How so?" Cara prompted gently. "She still respects your inventing, right?"

"Of course," Krel said, "perhaps more so, actually. I just... I don't know how to explain it. She feels more distant. It's harder to find ways to start conversations."

Cara sobered. "... I'm sorry," she finally said after what appeared to be a moment of silent deliberation on how to respond. "That's- that's so harsh."

Krel hummed in acknowledgement. "She seems more closed off now. I'm not sure I still know how to get through to her."

"Well," Cara said, "part of that is probably the recent heartbreak. Usually no one source can explain all the shifts in a relationship, but at least part of it is probably due to that very personal pain."

"But I could help her if she'd let me," Krel protested.

Cara looked at him after she finished braking at a red light. "... with all due respect, My Liege... could you?"

Krel pulled his head back a bit. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"I mean," Cara said calmly, "I've had to teach you for a few weeks now about how romance works. Why would she think to try to put some of the pain on your shoulders if she believes you've never felt the type of love that's causing the pain in the first place?" She accelerated the car back up to speed.