[img]https://i.imgur.com/qMLnR3P.png[/img] [indent][u][b]January 18th, 10:30 AM Detroit, Michigan[/b][/u][/indent] Clio stretched out from where she had been curled up on the bathroom floor. Shortly after Karen and Starfire had put her to sleep, she had crawled to the bathroom to retch a bit more and periodically rinse with mouthwash. It wasn't the most graceful scenario, but she was the first to admit she wasn't graceful. The cold tile felt amazing against her cheek, and she lingered in the spot until it turned warm. Slowly but surely, she sat up from her awkward position and stretched. Her entire body cracked, and the aching in her head momentarily lessened, before coming back in full force. Standing, she turned on the shower. Considering it, she turned it off and walked into the kitchenette. Nothing looked good, she decided after ten minutes of staring. Eventually, she made her way to her phone and sent a text to Karen. There was so much she could say. Thank you, being one of the better options. She settled on: [color=EF1956][i]Good morning. I didn't die.[/i][/color] [color=orchid][i]Well, that’s a relief to hear.[/i][/color] [color=EF1956][i]Have you eaten?[/i][/color] Clio's nose scrunched up, her face souring. Food just didn't sound good. She knew she'd have to eat eventually...but, later. [color=EF1956][i]Yes. Ordered room service earlier.[/i][/color] Was that too much? Did it make the lie obvious? Would Karen track her room service? No...she was too nice. [color=EF1956][i]Have you heard from Star?[/i][/color] [color=orchid][i]Not yet. I haven’t tried, though. I only woke up a little bit ago.[/i][/color] [color=orchid][i]You should come over in a bit, though. I wanted to talk to you about something.[/i][/color] Clio didn't respond, but she did hop in the shower and quickly changed into her bodyguard attire. After brushing her teeth twice, she practically ran to Karen's room. Knocking on the door, she stood outside patiently. Karen opened the door almost immediately, smiling warmly to Clio. [color=orchid]“Come in, I made some tea. It’ll help with any headache game you might have going on.”[/color] Closing the door behind her friend, Karen gestured to the table that was filled with a silver tea set before claiming a seat on one side. Pouring a cup for both herself and Clio, she offered it to the other girl. [color=orchid]“Give it a try, it’ll help.”[/color] Clio followed, relieved that she was being offered something for the pain that seemed to scratch away at her sanity. Sitting on the other side of the table, Clio smiled over at Karen. She lifted the teacup to her lips and took a hearty sip. The tea, despite Karen’s joy at serving it, was not in fact laced with anything that Clio could perceive. It had a pleasant aroma and a soothingly warm taste that helped to open her sinuses. Drinking of her own cup, Karen lowered it down onto the silver plate. [color=orchid]“These belonged to my mother--my adopted mother,”[/color] she quickly clarified. [color=orchid]“I’ve wanted to use them for quite a while, but I rarely get the chance.”[/color] Clio's family had many heirlooms, some stranger than others. Like the teeth of the first undead slave of each family member, all stored in one trinket box. Or the family spellbook, something passed on to each Head of House. Clio's daggers were heirlooms. It was always interesting to see what other people held dear. [color=EF1956]"I'm glad I got to use them with you."[/color] She smiled, her head feeling less swollen the more tea she drank. [color=EF1956]"Your mother must've been reluctant to pass these on. They're so nice."[/color] Karen giggled, nodding. [color=orchid]“She gave them to me after my first album went gold. She said that she had never been prouder of her.”[/color] Observing Clio in silence as they continued to enjoy the tea, she was happy to see her friend drinking it so heavily. It was her own recipe, though it was admittedly rather simple. She simply enchanted the tea leaves to relieve migraines. For most people, it would end there. In Clio’s case, it would serve another purpose. She might not notice it immediately, but it would help acclimate her body to Arcanum, and hopefully weaken Makaya as well. Clio cupped her chin in a hand, propping up an elbow on the table and continuing to sip. This tea was truly amazing, she felt revitalized. [color=EF1956]"I wish I could make my mom proud like that."[/color] She could, but it meant risking her sanity. [color=orchid]“Well, my adopted mom loves me for who I am,”[/color] said Karen, sighing. [color=orchid]“It has to start with that. Our biological moms are both users, who wanted us to become what they wanted us to be. People like that...they’ll never be proud of any decision we make that isn’t theirs.”[/color] Of course, her own mom was dead, as far as she knew. But even still, the point held true. Her mother had wanted to raise her into a good little cultist that would sacrifice people to their precious Three-Horned God. [color=orchid]“But I think you’re awesome, Clio,”[/color] said Karen, grinning. [color=orchid]“You. You’re kind, caring, and loyal. You’re a great friend.”[/color] Clio cringed deeply at Karen so blatantly offending her mother. Karen was...passionate, and didn't have a good grip on her mouth. Clio couldn't be too mad at her about it, though. Her mother was misunderstood. [color=EF1956]"Thank you,"[/color] She said calmly in response to the compliment. A small smile played on her lips, but nothing more. [color=EF1956]"You've been very kind to me...thanks for that, too. Especially after last night. I-we...she, was out of line."[/color] [color=orchid]“Yeah, she sure as hell was,”[/color] said Karen. [color=orchid]“But that shouldn’t be a problem from here on out. At least, that’s what I’m hoping.”[/color] Clio had drank quite a lot of tea by this point, so it should be alright to tell her. It shouldn’t take a whole pot or anything to work. Of course, she had never tried to poison a Chaos entity before, but she had placed her strongest enchantment on it. [color=orchid]“I couldn’t tell you up front because Makaya would have never let you drink it, but I enchanted the tea leaves with a spell to relieve migraines,”[/color] explained Karen. [color=orchid]“It should majorly weaken her hold on you, so nothing like last night ever happens again. Though, you’ll have to drink some every day to keep it up--at least for a little while.”[/color] Clio began to chuckle, but it swiftly died the further Karen went into her explanation. She stared at the singer, her friend, blankly for a few moments. [color=EF1956]"You're not serious, are you?"[/color] She asked at last. Karen stared back at her for a moment in confusion, wondering why she looked so stunned. [color=orchid]“Well, yeah. She violated your body last night, Clio. That’s pure evil! I mean...I found you in the bathroom crying your eyes out, what am I supposed to do?”[/color] Clio looked incredibly flabbergasted. Her jaw was slack, her eyes were glossy with confusion. She was processing, evidently. When she finally did react, it was clear she was upset. Her hands curled into fists, and she stared at them, tears welling in her eyes. Her lips were pressed in a firm line, she didn't know what to say. Reaching within herself, she searched for Makaya, frantically. The entity was evidently pissed, but where she had been so strong and full of vitality moments ago, she was now withered and silent. It felt lonely. Makaya pulled against her new chains. Clio felt that unyielding fury rise within, but it was dulled and the shadows did not rise at her command. She glanced up, tears flowing down her face freely. [color=EF1956]"Karen…why didn't you...y-you-"[/color] She rose from her seat, beginning to pace. Raising her hand, she stared at a wall and attempted to raise its shadow. The magic responded weakly, and at a snail's pace it shifted. She released it, disgusted. [color=EF1956]"This...no! Karen, you can't make these c-choices for m-me!"[/color] Her teeth chattered, and like a weight had suddenly been placed on her, she slumped to the floor. Karen’s heart sank at the sight of Clio falling to the ground, and she quickly rushed to her side. Why was she so upset? After everything that had happened the previous night? She just didn’t understand-- --No. She had seen this before, somewhere. A long time ago. Karen felt her stomach twist into a knot as the sight of her ten year old self being dragged away from her father’s home by social workers flashed through her mind like the reel of an old movie. She was bruised and battered, yet full of life as she bit and clawed at them, sparks of magic crackling from her fingers. Her mother had enthralled her father for the first eight years of her life. Then, after she was killed in the Two Month War, the charm was broken. For the next two years, she lived alone with her father. He remembered everything. Everything her mother did to him over the past decade. He tried to drink in order to forget. But he couldn’t. So he took it out on Karen, the physical memory of what she did to him. For two years, until he could stand the sight of her no longer. He then called social services himself, so he could be rid of her. Despite all the pain he caused her, though, Karen had still begged to stay. Because he was her daddy. Because she loved him still. [color=EF1956]“Clio...do you…”[/color] she swallowed heavily. [color=EF1956]“...do you think...you need Makaya?”[/color] Clio's body trembled. She kept reaching for Makaya, and each time it scared her even more. Karen was killing her. She was in pain, and it showed through her immense anger. At Karen's question, Clio froze, before continuing to shake. Did she need Makaya? No, that was the wrong question to ask. What Karen should've asked, was, did she love Makaya. [color=EF1956]"N-No, Karen!"[/color] She cried, not elaborating. She knew she must've looked childish, and horrible. She was a grown woman, and she had collapsed on the floor. She didn't care. [color=orchid]“But you do think that, don’t you?”[/color] said Karen, thinking back to how she felt that day again. [color=orchid]“Because you feel that, in some perverse way, she cares about you...and so you care about her too.”[/color] Karen sighed, kneading her temple with a finger. [color=orchid]“I’m sorry, Clio, for using your trust like that. But I want to help you, because I do care for you, unlike Makaya. People that care for you don’t do what she did last night. I don’t even think she's capable of love.”[/color] At least with her father, she could understand why he behaved like that, in hindsight. While she didn’t understand it then, she at least knew now what her mother had put him through. But this demon inside of Clio only seemed to be driven by a desire to grow--in one way or another--until she was able to take control completely. Even she had trouble considering Makaya a person. Clio's body spasmed, and her eyes lit up with hatred. The shadows crept forward, but they moved slowly and were paper thin. She wanted to let Makaya continue, just to know that she was okay, but the being within her seemed tired. Makaya relinquished her hold, remaining in wait. [color=EF1956]"Karen,"[/color] Clio sniffed, shaking her head. Makaya did care. Their relationship was symbiotic, they needed one another. She had been there for so, so long. Longer than Karen, and Starfire. Makaya was capable of love, because she had to be. [color=EF1956]"Karen, please, just stop."[/color] She looked away, unable to face the lies coming from her friend. [color=orchid]“CLIO!”[/color] said Karen, louder and more forcefully than Clio had ever heard the song artist speak before. [color=orchid]“Makaya took control of your body and stole your first time. Forever. Because [i]she[/i] wanted to, even though you didn’t. Makaya didn’t care one bit about how you felt. Stop hiding away from the truth!”[/color] [color=orchid]“Makaya made you drag us all into danger. Made you nearly kill people. Every time she takes control, you become sick and lose more of yourself...it’s like a drug.”[/color] Or alcohol, her father’s choice of escape. [color=orchid]“If you think they care for you, then please tell me, what do they do that’s so caring? What love have they shown you, really?”[/color] Clio closed her eyes against the force of Karen's words. She shook her head, not wanting to argue. Karen wouldn't understand, because they weren't in the same situation. She dragged herself to her feet, not looking at Karen as she did so. [color=EF1956]"I'm...I'll, be back."[/color] She said, a promise to herself more so than Karen. Karen deflated, exhaling sharply through her nose. She wanted to say more, but...she really didn’t have anything else to say. [color=orchid]“...Fine, Clio. I tried my best, but in the end, it is a decision you have to make yourself.”[/color] [color=orchid]“If it makes you feel any better, the effects of the tea will wear off in a few days. If that somehow makes you feel better,”[/color] she said, turning her back on Clio. Clio glanced back, her face dropping as she was met with Karen's back. [color=EF1956]"Alright."[/color] She muttered, low enough that Karen may not have heard her. With that, she walked out the door, trying to decide between going to her room, or Starfire's. In the end, she decided to go to Star's. Knocking on the door to her friend's room, she straightened herself out and forced a smile. A few moments later the door opened and Starfire returned the smile. [color=c4df9b]”Good morning, Clio.”[/color] Star said, stepping out and hugging her friend. Star disengaged just before the amount of time she had learned Clio preferred over the few times they had done this greeting now. [color=EF1956]"Morning, Star."[/color] Clio murmured after they unlatched from the hug. It was welcome, after all the emotional turmoil. [color=EF1956]"Ya know, Star...I was thinking...well, why don't I come in and explain this to you?"[/color] She wasn't even sure what she was thinking. She had an idea, but nothing was set in stone. She was being impulsive, but she had to act soon. [color=c4df9b]”Okay,”[/color] Star replied, letting Clio into her apartment. The apartment was almost exactly like it had just been moved into. No food needed to be eaten so there were no washed or needed to be washed plates, Star kept her extremely limited wardrobe tucked into a closet in her otherwise untouched bedroom. The TV was on and the news was reporting a story about heroic firefighters. Star gestured to the seating arrangement. [color=c4df9b]”Did you want any snacks? I bought some.”[/color] She offered. [color=EF1956]"Snacks? You don't eat...did you try again?"[/color] Clio was genuinely concerned, which was good, because it took her mind off the pain in her heart. She took a seat on a couch, waiting for Star to join her. Starfire gave a short bark of a laugh. [color=c4df9b]”No, Clio. I bought them incase someone came over! I think I bought cookies.”[/color] She said, trying to recall her 3 AM visit to a nearby gas station. [color=c4df9b]”Did you want them?”[/color] She asked again now that Clio’s concerns were alleviated. [color=EF1956]"I'm alright,"[/color] She said quickly. Now wasn't the time for snacks, and the thought of food made her stomach roll. "Star, I actually came to see if you…" She took a deep breath. [color=EF1956]"Wanted to, uh, go on a vacation?"[/color] Yes, she had made up her mind. Finally. Starfire had taken a seat while Clio spoke. She raised her eyebrows upon hearing the suggestion. [color=c4df9b]”A vacation?”[/color] It was a safe assumption that Clio wanted to go on a vacation with Starfire. She wasn’t coming in her to ask if Starfire wanted to go on a vacation by herself. It was ‘implied.’ [color=c4df9b]”Just you and I?”[/color] She pondered. [color=c4df9b]”Where would we go?”[/color] Star asked. Clio cocked her head, seemingly making up her mind in the moment. [color=EF1956]"New Orleans...my home. It'll just be us, I think it'll be...fun."[/color] Star looked honored. [color=c4df9b]”You would invite me to your home, Clio? Of course I will go! We will have as much fun as we can. When do you want to leave?”[/color] This was an important invitation. To invite someone into your home was a show of great trust and friendship by its very nature. It would be rude to decline and Star wanted to come anyway. New Orleans. Wow, that was easier than she had thought it would be. Good. Great, actually. She didn't need to argue with her only friend. [color=EF1956]"Whenever you can get your things together. I'll...book the plane tickets as soon as possible."[/color] She sighed. This was really happening. She was abandoning Karen. Speaking of which… [color=EF1956]"If you need to, you can go say goodbye to Karen."[/color] She wasn't going to prevent her from doing so, even though she probably should. It would just raise questions. [color=c4df9b]”I can gather my things very quickly.”[/color] Star said eagerly. [color=c4df9b]”I will go say goodbye to Karen, she needs to know where some of her bodyguards are going. How long will we be gone for?”[/color] She didn’t want to abandon Karen with no warning at all. It seemed like taking vacations was a common, casual thing given how spontaneously Clio offered the soon-as-possible vacation. [color=EF1956]"I'm not sure, pack for...a week, I think."[/color] Clio replied, clearing her throat and standing. [color=EF1956]"I'll be in my room."[/color] With that, she took her leave, thinking over her decision. The worst Karen could do would be to take her friend from her and leave her on her own, but that was...basically what she was doing. Shaking her head, she sighed and entered her room to begin packing. Starfire smiled and quickly slipped on her long purple boots. Within five minutes she was at Karen’s door and knocking upon it with her knuckles. Karen had just finished cleaning her tea set when she heard a knock at the door. Her heart leaped in her chest and she quickly rushed across the room to open it, hoping to see Clio on the other side. She felt terrible about turning her back on her in the end...she had just been so frustrated in that moment. It was, however, Starfire. Exhaling, Karen nevertheless smiled. [color=orchid]“Heya Star, what’s up?”[/color] [color=c4df9b]”Hello, Karen. I want to go on vacation with Clio! We will be back in a week. Will you feel safe without us?”[/color] She asked. She did want to go on this vacation, but if Karen was going to feel unsafe, or even worse, she is actually attacked by those who wish her harm, Star would have to stay. But hopefully that didn’t happen. Karen blinked. It took her several moments to process what Star had just said, as she had dropped that bombshell on her so...so [i]casually![/i] [color=orchid]”...Vacation? With Clio?”[/color] she asked. Was Clio trying to run away? Did she hate her that much for trying to suppress Makaya? Where was she going to go? Back to New York? No, that probably would be much of a vacation. Maybe she was going to return to her family? God, she hoped not. [color=orchid]”Star...could you come inside for a minute?”[/color] The alien looked a little concerned. [color=c4df9b]”Okay, Karen.”[/color] Her employer and friend had a strange look on her face. Star went inside nonetheless and turned around to face Karen. She knitted her fingers together behind her back and began rocking back and forth on her heels. Karen closed the door behind her, her mind wrestling to find the right words. From everything that she had seen, Clio had been keeping a lot of information from Starfire, for whatever reason. Up till now, she had respected that, even if she hadn’t truly understood why she didn’t want her other friend to know. Star was, after all, probably the least judgemental person she had ever met. [color=orchid]“Star, has Clio told you anything about...Makaya?”[/color] Star knitted her eyebrows together. [color=c4df9b]”No.”[/color] She thought back. Makaya, Makaya… [color=c4df9b]”Wait, yes. When we first met, she asked me to call her that after our fight. Then she asked me to call her Clio and then I used that name from then on.”[/color] Starfire understood this desire to use different names completely. After all, Starfire hadn’t told anyone her birth name. Names carried great weight, and people might want to be liberated from some names or attached to other names. Karen sighed again. Well, she had figured as much. How was she going to even [i]start[/i] explaining all this to her? It would sound insane to just about anyone that didn’t understand magic. Still, she had to try. She couldn’t let Star just go off with Clio without telling her. She cared deeply for both of her friends, after all. [color=orchid]“Have you ever noticed that Clio sometimes starts acting…[i]different?”[/i][/color] asked Karen. [color=orchid]“Like, when she suddenly dragged us from the bar back in Boston to fight those guys? Didn’t she seem far more aggressive and violent than Clio normally is?”[/color] Star looked confused. [color=c4df9b]”I did not notice that, Karen. How come someone act differently from who they are?”[/color] Karen wasn’t making sense. It was not like Starfire herself never had issues formulating her thoughts into words. Star was also wondering what this had to do with her vacation. Right, she shouldn’t be surprised that Starfire didn’t get it. She would have to explain everything about Chaos Magic to her for it to make sense. But still, she had to try. [color=orchid]“Alright, Star, let me try again. You are you, and I am me. But Clio’s body is actually shared by two minds,”[/color] explained Karen, beginning to pace as she wracked her brain for the right words to explain everything. [color=orchid]“One is our friend, Clio Delphine. The other is Makaya.”[/color] Folding her arms, she leaned against the back wall, her eyes never leaving Starfire’s. She must have looked so serious in this moment. [color=orchid]“Makaya is what is called a ‘demon’. She thrives on violence, pain, domination, and apparently sex. She was born inside of Clio due to her using Chaos Magic, and she wants to take Clio’s body from her. Last night, she forced Clio to have sex with someone against her will.”[/color] Starfire narrowed her eyes and looked at the floor. [color=c4df9b]”Uhm...”[/color] There was a long pause. Karen didn’t hold the silence against Starfire. How [i]did[/i] one respond to that bombshell? Still, she pressed on. [color=orchid]“The reason we had to leave so suddenly last night is because I found Clio crying alone in the bathroom after it happened. I...didn’t think that Makaya would be able to take control at the club. I thought she needed violence to do so, but I was wrong.”[/color] Karen looked away, feeling her eyes grow moist. It was still difficult not to blame herself for what happened that night. If they had just stayed in the hotel, Makaya wouldn’t have had a chance to hurt Clio. [color=orchid]“So this morning, I tried to help Clio.”[/color] The alien was at a loss for words. Demons? Chaos Magic? Sharing minds? This all sounded so bizarre. Clio seemed just fine to Star. [color=c4df9b]”...Did Clio tell you a secret? All of these things?”[/color] Karen slowly nodded, wiping her eyes with a wrist. [color=orchid]”Remember the morning after we fought those guys? When Clio told you to get some rest in my bedroom? That’s when she told me all about her family in New Orleans. How they taught her to use Chaos Magic, and how...how Makaya started growing inside of her because of it. Eventually, after years of using Chaos, she grew strong enough to start taking control.”[/color] [color=orchid]“I tried to warn her then that Makaya sounded dangerous, but she didn’t seem to believe me. She even called her mother on the phone, put it on speaker and everything so I could hear,”[/color] said Karen, pursing her lips at the memory of the woman’s voice. [color=orchid]“Her mother...was very abrasive. She basically demanded Clio keep using her magic and give in to Makaya.”[/color] Star took a moment to process the information. [color=c4df9b]”Well, Karen, I think it is not very nice to tell someone another person’s secret.”[/color] She said first of all. [color=c4df9b]”I will have to watch out for this Makaya.”[/color] It was all she really could say. Clio hadn’t brought Makaya up to Star, so Star assumed she had good reason too. Unless Makaya was keeping her from telling Star, but not Karen, but that didn’t make any sense. Clio had always been Clio, so the alien was having a hard time putting this into any context. [color=c4df9b]”Clio will tell me more when she wants too. It’s her secret. If I told Clio a secret I wouldn’t want her saying it to you.”[/color] She said resolutely. Karen’s jaw fell open. Was...was she for real? She had just told her that Clio had been [i]violated[/i] and was potentially going to return to her Chaos-using family who wanted to make said violator [i]stronger,[/i] and she...she was mad that she told her [i]secret?[/i] [color=orchid]“Star...I told you because I’m afraid that [i]Clio might DIE!”[/i][/color] she spelled it out in the simplest of terms she could think of. [color=orchid]“If she returns to her family, they might empower Makaya and allow her to completely [i]erase[/i] Clio! I think stopping that is [i]more important[/i] than keeping a secret!”[/color] Starfire looked frustrated. [color=c4df9b]”Well, what are you going to do now? She wants to go to the new Orleans. She trusted me enough to ask me to go with her to see her home and her family. I also know that the only person who truly knows what Clio is going through is Clio.”[/color] She stood to her feet. Starfire didn’t want her friend Clio to suffer. But Star thought that perhaps, Karen telling her this information could hurt Clio even more. Things can get complicated quickly when meddling in other people’s personal affairs. [color=c4df9b]”Did you want to talk to her about it? What do you want me to do with these secrets?”[/color] She asked, crossing her arms. Karen wasn’t sure if her explanation had gotten through to Starfire or not. She still didn’t seem to quite understand Clio’s situation, though she was right on several accounts. What [i]did[/i] she want? Was she going to ask Star to help her tie Clio down and force-feed her tea? What could she really do to help her friend? [color=orchid]“I don’t know, Star...I’m just afraid if Clio goes to New Orleans, I’ll never see her again. At least, not as Clio. I just know her family is going to do something [i]horrible[/i] there,”[/color] she said, unable to hold back her tears. Shaking her head to try and maintain her composure, she continued. [color=orchid]“I don’t know if you even believe me, but j-just know I would never do anything to hurt you or Clio,”[/color] said Karen, choking over her words. [color=orchid]“You’re the first friends I’ve had since I was little.”[/color] Starfire relaxed and contemplated everything she was just told. Karen was just doing what she thought was right. This was all very worrying. Some kind of inner demon, vying for control of Clio’s mind was a terrible thought. It was also something Clio sought to keep secret from Starfire. [color=c4df9b]”You are telling me the enemy is someone who is apart of Clio. Does that not make the enemy Clio herself? She knows everything that you do, and more, and yet she seeks the new Orleans anyway.[/color] Star nodded to herself, seemingly coming to a conclusion. [color=c4df9b]”...and she asked me to come with her. I think I should. Just like Clio wants. ”[/color] Karen dried her eyes, sighing. She wandered over to the couch and collapsed in it, her face resting in her hands. [color=orchid]“Well...it’s not like I can stop you. But sometimes, Star, being a friend means being willing to make people do things they [i]don’t[/i] want to do. Especially if the things they want will hurt them. I tried to weaken Makaya with the tea after what it did last night. After it hurt Clio...but Clio...well, she’s going to New Orleans now because of that.”[/color] [color=orchid]“If you really want to let her go, then...I don’t know. Just watch over her, please,”[/color] said Karen, not bothering to look up. Starfire nodded thoughtfully. [color=c4df9b]”You tried to make Clio better without asking, and now you fear you’ve made things worse. With the tea, and now telling me her secrets. I will watch over her.”[/color] Star was nervous about the entire vacation after this conversation. She hadn’t even heard Clio’s side yet. [color=c4df9b]”I will ask Clio about Makaya and see what she has to say.”[/color] Starfire turned and began heading for the door. [color=orchid]“Thank you, Star.”[/color] said Karen, slowly looking up at her alien friend’s retreating form. [color=orchid]”And Star? I care a lot about Clio, but, just so you know...she [i]has[/i] tried to lie to me before. Good luck…”[/color] Star looked back over her shoulder and did a single wave before leaving and closing the door behind her. This was a bad situation. If Clio didn’t want to do anything about this inner demon, there was nothing short of full on assault that Star and Karen could do. That would undoubtedly make things worse. What if they hurt Clio? It was complicated. Extremely complicated. Vacations, from Starfire’s understanding of the word, were supposed to relieve stress. This was already becoming quite stressful. Starfire made a quick stop in her apartment and packed a few extra set of clothes in a suitcase and then made her way nervously to Clio’s room. She knocked on the door and waited. Setting the suitcase down by her feet and folded her hands behind her back and began rocking back and forth on her heels. Clio neatly folded the clothes she was setting in her suitcase, prepared to go on her own if it came to that. She'd have to fly to the city near New Orlean's, then make the drive the rest of the way. It would be lonely, but seeing her family at the end of it would...hopefully, be worth it. At the knock, Clio perked up. She nearly ran to the door, slowly down and calming herself as she got closer. Opening it up, she glanced first at the floor beside Starfire. Seeing a suitcase made her heart leap. [color=EF1956]"You're coming?"[/color] She asked, voice full of emotion. Reaching out, she grabbed her friend's hand and pulled her close. [color=EF1956]"I-I have so much to tell you on the way. About my family...and everything else."[/color] She was almost certain Karen had said her piece. It was time to give her side. Star gave a nervous nod and squeezed Clio. Backing up and holding Cli by the shoulders, she then began to blurt out a long string of words. [color=c4df9b]”Yes, I would like to come. Clio, I must tell you, Karen already told me all about Makaya. She did not want you to go to the new Orleans. She fears they- your family- will kill you. That this Makaya will kill you. I told her she should not have told me your secrets, but she was very worried about you. Now I am worried, too. I will come with you to the new Orleans if that is what you think is best. I do not want you to die, Clio.”[/color] She said, clearly earnest and worried. Clio nodded. This only made Makaya more pissed at Karen, but the demon was too weak to do anything. [color=EF1956]"I think I've got this handled, Star. There's a lot you don't know...thank you for your concern, but I need my family right now. And that includes you."[/color] Exhaling, Star gave a weak but genuine smile.[color=c4df9b]”Okay. I’m here for you.”[/color] There was a lot she did not know. Hearing this vital information from the source meant it had a lot more weight than whatever Karen might think or fear for Star. She had to be loyal to her friends, making them do something they didn’t want to do, like Karen said, didn’t make sense to the Tamaran. She would wait patiently if Clio needed to gather her thoughts. [color=EF1956]"Alright, let's get to the airport and hope we don't miss our flight."[/color] Clio forced a grin. Picking up her suitcase, she walked with Starfire out of the hotel and hailed a cab to the airport.