One week later, October 16th, a Saturday.

Sophie is starting to worry us.

She hasn't been coming out of her room, even with all our encouragement.

I think she has some trauma over all this… I find myself unprepared to help her in a meaningful way yet again.

I'm standing outside her door, with my last ditch effort.

Religion.

I'm gonna preach.

Knock, knock.

I crack open the door, saying, "I'm coming in."

She's turned around from me.

"I've got one last thing you can try," I say, sitting down on the edge of her bed. "Did you know I think of myself as a Buddhist?"

I look down on her. Her face is bright red, she's wiping her hand under the covers.

Oh, god. What the hell do you do in this situation?

"Uh—Sophie, you okay?"

Mhmm, I hear her half moan out.

"I mean, yes, please just… give me a second."

"I'll be in the living room…"

I should've said that in the first place! What's wrong with me?

"Please stay here. I don't want to get up…"

"Then stop touching yourself already!"

"Gah!" she screeched. "Okay… sorry. What were you saying, Tayler?"

She turned onto her back and looked up at my face, hers was still flush, and I looked away in the corner.

"Yeah… I'm Buddhist. You were in that eastern philosophy class, right?"

She nodded her head. It looked oddly sexual…

"I can't do this right now! Come find me after you… calm down. Sheesh," I got up to leave but she grabbed my hand.

She jumped up and hugged me.

"Put on some clothes for—!"

"I don't wanna die…" she let out in a small voice, crying on my shoulder.

I rubbed her bare back, you could feel the distinct lines of her scars, her many, many scars, and plenty of new ones that had opened up due to that recent threat on her life.

That she'd be dismembered and buried, in no uncertain terms.

"Okay, I'll make an exception this time, sit down with me here," I pushed her back and sat on the edge of the bed again.

Sophie made no attempt to cover up… I guess I'd just have to deal with it. Not like it bothered me all that much, it was just some 'lil boobs.

"Remember learning about Buddhism in Eastern Philosophy class?"

"Yeah, and we even did yoga and meditation…"

"It's a lot like that. I have a few books about Buddhism, I feel like you'd gain a lot by reading and practicing. Many swordsmen and martial artists throughout history have been Buddhist, too."

"Okay… what does it mean to be Buddhist?"

"It's to come to terms with life, suffering in it, and your own eventual death… no matter how that comes. It's to meditate and try your best to follow the noble eightfold path."

"What's that?" She finally pulled the covers over herself.

"Traditionally it means doing away with worldly desires. In our day and age, you could interrupt it as moderation in all things… Sophie, let's meditate right now."

"Uh… okay," her face was red again, she had been playing with herself under the sheets…

I sat down on the bed, crossing my legs and putting my hands on my knees.

Sophie copied me.

"Close your eyes," I told her, closing mine. "Every thought in your head that comes in, clear it out. Try to clear all thoughts, until you have none at all..."

Operation: Buddhism was a success. Sophie is reading a book about it right now. Ultimately, however, that book basically says to be moderate and to meditate… not too much to it, when you put it like that.

I mean, there are quite a few more ideas in that book than just that, maybe she'll pick one of them up, but it's really just pushing for those two things. Most people born in the west are unlikely to give up all worldly desires, like a 'traditional' Buddhist would.

It's a modern look at that religion for the western world, and I think there's there's lot of merit in it.

I can only hope she takes a page of it with her and can find the strength to move on…

She promised me she'd train with me tomorrow, something she hasn't done since that day she got the letter from the hanging man.

- - - -

Jade and I were walking up to this church from the 50's that had been restored and then made into a movie theater… if that sounds unique, it is. They also have a restaurant, although we're not going to that.

We were going on a date! Like a normal couple! Finally!

I was wearing an outfit Jade picked out for me, all of it brand new... It was overly stylish for my tastes, but I admit it did look good.

She had gotten a haircut on Sunday last week… It was cute, probably what you call medium length with bangs. She was slowly changing her wardrobe, too. She'd been getting a lot of clothes that were unisex. Right now she had on some jeans I could wear if I wanted to and a tight turtleneck that accented her chest size… a lot.

She grabbed my arm and pressed up against me, sighing. "It's good to have some alone time, huh?" She said in a low voice.

"I was starting to think we'd never go on a date," I admitted.

"I don't mind just lazing around the house with you and Sophie, but this was certainly well needed, yes."

I opened the door for her and we walked in.

"...Does it seem somehow bigger on the inside?"

"What're you talking about, Tayler? I thought it looked smaller than I expected."

"That too…"

It's like I walked into an optical illusion.

Was it the weird, low lighting? Maybe it was the way the carpet seemed to match the ceiling? I couldn't tell one way or another what was putting me off, but Jade seemed to sense this, too.

"Weird place…"

"Yeah," I agreed. "I think the movie theater is at the end of the hall."

She grabbed onto my arm as we walked. It was a long hallway, to be sure, surprisingly long for a church, I thought.

A staff member that looked around our age was behind a podium, sitting down and reading a newspaper. I wordlessly handed him $10 and he listlessly gestured to the entrance.

It was even more dim in here… barely lit, and had a somewhat romantic mood to it with the traces of red lights lining the walls.

This didn't have movie seats, as much as it had couches, love seats, and chairs. Interesting.

Jade and I walked a quarter ways down the aisles, found a love seat near the middle, and sat ourselves down.

Jade shifted through her bag she brought for this occasion, it was like a huge purse, and took out our refreshments.

They definitely weren't alcoholic! Don't get the wrong idea, jeez.

I took a swig—I mean, drink!

We settled down, getting cozy. The movie started in five minutes.

I looked all around. There was absolutely no one else… weird.

"Nobody else is here, Jade."

Her hand trailed up my leg in response.

She rested her chin on my shoulder, I could feel her steady breathing on my ear. "How'd your talk with Sophia go, Tayler?" Her voice was already a low one, but now it was also sensual, barely at a whisper.

"Your guess was right. She completely lost all progress she was making…" I gasped.

She nibbled my ear.

Hmm, she half hummed into my shoulder.

"What happened...?"

"Nothing!"

She grabbed my crotch! What kind of response was that!

"She likes meditating? She picked it up fast? She promised to train with me again tomorrow?"

She was gripping tighter!

What did she want to hear!

A young teenage couple holding hands went up several asiles ahead of us and sat down.

The lights dimmed to nothing, darkness. The movie was starting, thank god! She'd have to stop now, wouldn't she?

Indeed, she released her grip and snuggled up next to me, still with her hand on the inside of my thigh.

The movie opened up with a sex scene. I didn't realize it was R rated?

You could see the other couple making out as a silhouette ahead of us, thankfully you couldn't hear it over the movie.

Was I the only one that wanted to watch the actual movie?

Evidently, yes… Jade was trailing up and down at a dangerously slow pace.

She whispered in my ear, "kiss me."

Who knows what that movie was about.

- - - -

What am I doing now?

Waiting at a family restaurant.

I texted Scarlet asking to meet with her and she agreed. I had her phone number from when she texted me Deirde's address, what felt like so long ago—was that really just last month?

"Ah—" I waved my hand at her from across the room.

She was wearing a downright seductive short red dress with some matching high heels, like she was going to be hitting the city tonight. It looked out of place for this establishment.

"Hello, Tayler." She slid into the far side of the booth, I heard her kick off her heels on the ground, then she put up her feet on the bench. If anything, she seemed extremely comfortable.

"Hi, Scarlet. Sorry I couldn't talk to you at school."

"No worries at all," she waved a dismissive hand.

"Right. I was thinking, and I realized some weird inconsistencies..."

"Oh really now?" Her eyes seemed especially blue in this lighting as she gave me a glance, then played with a tress of hair.

"Clue number one, Deirde never met you at all. Clue two, you having sex at the soaking pool. Clue three, Deirde is a Druid Princess. Clue four… your intentions don't match up with what you've helped me with."

"Explain for me why any of these are 'clues.'"

"Deirde was never approached by you, I knew there was something fishy about it right away. It was too easy for me to help her and get her cooperation, all too easy. Deirde is actually a Druid Princess, the only type of Druid able to have Moon Children. Which means she might not even necessarily be The Empress—"

"She is, I assure you."

"Either way, you've given me truthful information otherwise. I triple checked all of it, you have been guiding me correctly."

"So? How's this tie together, you suppose?"

"I saw your body—I couldn't be certain the first time, but you've been pregnant before. You were getting fucked by that guy in the soaking pool like it was your job."

She blushed. I'm getting closer to the truth, I'll guess.

"I thought his reaction was weird. He stayed put, waiting it out instead of freaking out and running. What does that mean, your going to s—"

"Stop," she put a finger up. "You got me, I'm no Popess of the church. Being a Priestess, it entails you carry on as many holy genetics as humanly possible. But I truly am The High Priestess, there is nobody above me in that regard."

"Why…?"

I figured the church would be… definitely against something like this.

"There are around one hundred holy bloodlines left in the world, meaning that if you don't have at least a few of us continually having children, then genetic drift is inevitable and we'll all be wiped out eventually. This is to keep the bloodlines as powerful as possible, as well. Men who don't want to marry another holy house just for powerful children order a Priestess to have their child or face the chance to lose their family's place of power."

"Wow," I had nothing else to say. Best to move along the conversation. "One thing I couldn't figure out, however, is why you lied about having talked to Deirde about her strange pregnancy. Then I realized you two look somewhat similar. Your hair is dyed that red, though, and isn't curly."

She nodded a few times, looking at her feet. "You're very close to the truth…"

If I could be honest with you again, I didn't actually care that much who she was.

"Tell me about Deirde in this card game of tarots, Scarlet."

"Her archetype abilities are unknown, for one thing. And she's in great danger, along with her child. Expect there to be danger every time there's a full moon, that's when Moon Children are most vulnerable for a kidnapping… mark my words, there will be an attempt."

"Duly noted. Morgana lives with her now, so I feel a lot better on that front than before. Is there a way to solve the cards without someone dying?"

"Not if that's what your opponent has chosen as a resolve. If they insist you must die so they can gain your power, you will die or they will die, end of story. By the way, if you as Fool kill someone, you gain nothing."

I nodded my head, deep in thought. "I was caught in a trap, an illusion trap, as I'm sure you know… you seem to know everything, like all the other people in this game besides my team."

"Yes, I've heard as much. What of it?"

"I seek revenge, you could say. I want to set a trap of my own. It's not fair not knowing when they'll attack us next."

"Hmm—you'd have me be an informant?"

"That's what I was thinking. It'd certainly even things out."

"...Done. I'll work with you."

"Just tell me when and where they're coming and I'll take care of the rest—"

"On one condition, since you figured me out, and I rarely get to complain to others about my life," Scarlet turned around on the bench and faced me.

"Lay it on me."

She took a deep breath.

Preparing to lay it all on the table, she was definitely readying herself to be vulnerable, more so than if she had stripped naked right then and there.