Playing With Fire

Chapter 8: Pressure

Warning: This chapter contains topics of sexual assault.

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When Reela wakes up, she has to ponder on whether or not it's worth it to get out of bed. She just stares up at the ceiling and squints her eyes in deep thought. She can hear Mog snoring on the floor next to the bed, and Reela suddenly wishes she had better control over the Dark to take away her hearing at select times.

It actually felt unbelievably good to get out of that dress. It had gotten ripped and dirty after running through the woods, but after all the bullshit that led her to that point, she was relieved to take another bath – this time by herself – and just relax for a while before returning to her room and getting dressed in unfathomably comfortable white sweatpants and a black tank top. And she has enough self-respect to say "fuck a bra, I've earned my freedom."

And goddamn does she feel comfy as hell.

After talking with Avinalyn and Cree, Reela spent the rest of her night doing absolutely nothing. She wouldn't even let herself stress about everything that happened. And damn it felt good. But she knows that she has to go downstairs here eventually since they still have yet to go over her findings from Count Mar'Liaro's study.

She wonders how Avinalyn is coping with all of this. She can't imagine they're taking it well. Maybe she should go check on them later? Maybe not. Despite her recent... 'revelations,' she still isn't really in any rush to see them again. She still doesn't know if she really wants to feel the things she does. Mostly not. Definitely not. So maybe giving it time to go away will set things back to normal. Normal as in happily hating Avinalyn's very existence.

Reela sighs and sits up in bed, turning to look at the clock and see it's still technically morning, and despite wanting to stay in bed, she wants food. And coffee. Would Regan have kept coffee here? Or is it just walls stocked with nothing but every kind of tea you can possibly imagine? She guesses she'll have to see.

She carefully steps over Mog where she sleeps on the floor and leaves the room to head downstairs, seeing Cree sitting on the couch looking over a pile of books in deep thought.

"Trade deals... Supplies importing... Mala'vin rebuilding..." he grumbles and lifts his head, glancing over towards the kitchen where Reela sees Jules sitting on a stool at the counter with a bunch of loose papers spread out in front of her. "You got anything?"

Jules sighs and narrows her eyes as she scans over the letters. "More stuff about Liaro offering something that Regan refused, but no details yet," she says before nodding to Cree. "What do you have on Mala'vin?"

"Nothing we didn't already know. Liaro and Regan formed a small alliance. Regan would fund the project if Liaro oversaw its development and supplied the resources to make it happen," he says and narrows his eyes at the papers as if he's trying to dissect them with his glare.

Jules slowly nods with understanding in her eyes. "You feel it too?"

It's Cree's turn to let out a frustrated sigh. "Yeah... I know Evelina was supposed to be our primary suspect, but... I don't know. Just, something about all this doesn't feel right. Maybe I'm paranoid, but at the party, something about Liaro just... didn't sit right with me..." he growls at the books before pinching the bridge of his nose and taking a deep breath.

"Don't worry... I was thinking the same thing."

Cree meekly snickers. "So we're both paranoid. I feel so much better."

Reela stops before entering the kitchen when Jules lifts her head from the papers to see her standing at the bottom of the stairs. A small, guilty smile creeps onto Jules' face and her brows furrow in concern as her eyes soften.