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Peering over the balcony as it did every night, to gauge if anything exciting was going on below, Prajna twirled some of its crimson locks, bored. Recently there had been an influx of noisy adolescents roaming the streets freely. Namini explained that it was because it was summertime and most people did not have to worry about school during the week. She said they would be back to their routine sleeping schedules soon enough and promised Prajna it would enjoy its solitude by the time the first orange leaf fell. Prajna let out a sigh, recalling the girl’s promise. It did not want to wait that long. And it was not as if it didn’t wander the streets simply because others were present. It still did, every now and then. They were only humans for Christ’s sake. They didn’t mean much anyways. But the Star was more reluctant to parole the night when the drunkards and howling college students were roaming free, easily irritated and deterred by their idiotic racket.

But tonight, quiet. There seemed to be little rustling going on below yet Prajna could not bring itself to float about. It noted a light fog making its way through the cobblestone streets and wondered what time it was. It returned to the living room for a moment and searched for a clock. It glanced at the television’s display and read 11:48 PM. Almost midnight. The Star let out another disappointed sigh. It was only midnight yet the redhead found itself this bored. Perhaps it should simply try and sleep early? That’s when it heard it. Rushing back to its place at the balcony, Prajna peered over just in time to see a small yet colorful group of teens skip by. They had streaks of pink and blue in their hair and speaking of hair… Prajna squinted and blinked hard. Was that hair on the girl’s legs? Her calves looked to be the size of elephant feet but as brightly painted as a toucan!

The parade of ravers giggled and hushed one another then went back to giggling. They seemed to be in a hurry yet none ran. Prajna had never seen a human dressed that way before and it immediately had to wonder where they were going. With their liveliness, the Star concluded they couldn’t be headed home. The couples and businesspeople Prajna usually saw late at night returning home tended to look worn or anxious. These kids looked awake and…excited. Prajna’s curiosity had to be satisfied. It left its place on the balcony, locked the sliding glass door behind it, checked the television’s clock again (11:55 PM), and then headed towards the front door. With its hand on the doorknob and a new adrenaline in its chest, Prajna was just about to burst down the staircase and into the streets when it took a moment to reconsider. It really had no idea where these crafty looking teenagers were going to lead it so it needed to leave something behind, in case something were to happen to it. Removing its hat, Prajna placed its accessory on the counter and smirked. That should be good enough, the Star thought, content with the idea that its hat would be safe as well, before swiftly exiting the Nao apartment.

As it reached the misty streets, it saw the brightly decorated group hustled down an alley, perhaps quickened by the sound of Prajna’s door closing. The Star followed them. They were hard to miss with their fuzzy boots, jingling bracelets and wild hairstyles. Prajna felt a new thrill rush through it. Rarely was it given the opportunity to act out the role of a detective or a cop! It stalked the small party enthusiastically, ducking behind corners and crouching near trash bins to avoid getting caught. The idea of danger was there in Prajna’s mind but it did not seem all that important. What was important right now was that Prajna see where these …foreigners were going.

As it crossed another street and followed the animated adolescents down one more street, something… or rather, someone caught the Star’s eye. For a moment, the ravers were forgotten and Prajna could only think of railroads and night skies… and spoons. Suddenly, forgetting the time or place, Prajna called out to its greatly missed friend, “Basil!”

Prajna waved, floating closer to a street lamp so that its friend could see it better. He looked so disappointed or empty, so unlike how eager he had seemed the last night Prajna had run into him. The Star floated closer, its curiosity redirected for the time being. It flashed the Cobra an inquisitive smile as it waved again, finally approaching Basil’s stoop. The Flame made sure not to get too close, in case something were wrong with the Cobra, but it kept a friendly distance.

“Basil” the androgynous soul said again, a bit more playfully this time. The night, the laughter of the teenagers and the fog seemed to summon one of Prajna’s rare energetic moods. “Why is Basil here, by self?”

As the Star neared its reptilian friend, the smile never left its androgynous features. It felt as if too much time has passed since the duo’s last midnight rendezvous and often, on nights like these where the Star was alone and yearning, it flipped through the memories of that night like a child and its favorite picture book. It was a kind of suspenseful romance, a night of many ups and downs and rare spiritual connections and Prajna wondered. No. The fiery Frei prayed that this night would be a sequel to the last story about the train and the mysterious snake.

Taking Basil’s unspoken offer, Prajna floated low and close, “sitting” beside its hooded companion on the steps of a quaint looking building. The structure was nothing special but it was still impressive, just like any other piece of Durem architecture. After taking in the entirety of the grayish building, Prajna began scanning the steps. Then Prajna’s cerulean gaze began tracing the outline of Basil’s curled ribbon before moving up over the Cobra’s arms and shoulders and neck—Prajna stopped, its unusually pleasant smile disappearing instantly. The androgynous soul completely ignored Basil’s comment about not being alone and reached a concerned hand out.

Prajna grabbed Basil’s collar, pushing the fabric back and outwards to get a better view of his neck. Prajna’s left hand moved just as swiftly as its right, as it reached out immediately after seizing the jacket’s collar and grabbed Basil’s right wrist. Prajna brought Basil’s right hand close to its own chest but not quite touching itself. Prajna’s eyes now sparkled with freshly forming tears, though the Star made sure none spilled over. Its face seemed contorted in a mix of pain and concern. A display it seemed the overly protective (or possessive?) Star reserved for only its most intimate companions.

Its voice taking on a rare masculinity, Prajna asked, “Basil needs to talk to Prajna. Who did such thing to Prajna’s Basil friend? Can tell Prajna. Promises.”

The redhead had not been paying attention to its grip and squeezed. After a tense moment passed, however, Prajna seemed to regain its composure. It immediately noticed its rudeness and, murmuring a soft “Sorry”, released Basil and placed its pale palms on the concrete steps. Its gaze dropped as well, as if heavy with guilt and self frustration, but then they lifted themselves back up to Basil’s. The twilit orbs seemed to grope around Basil’s face for answers. This was not the reunion Prajna had imagined just moments ago! And yet… the image of Basil being hurt and Prajna not being around infuriated the redhead more than anything else.

Extending a timid hand, Prajna took one of Basil’s hands in its own and tried to smile again.

“Is sorry Basil. Prajna is. Prajna is just sad for Basil. Does hurt?” It gestured to the Cobra’s neck with its nose, like a dog would. The concept that Basil could be trying to keep its injury a secret did not even cross the Star’s impulsive mind.

And then the concept of secrecy did make its way into Prajna’s thoughts. Or had Basil not been listening? Prajna noted that no name, no details describing how the fading bruise on Basil’s neck had been obtained were released and the Star had to be honest: it felt a bit slighted! Did Basil not trust Prajna with his secrets? Or was there something he was trying to hide that maybe was for Prajna’s own good? The redhead had seen that plot twist (could it really be called a twist if it had been expected?) in several television dramas, where, most often than not, some person, madly in love, kept a secret or lied to their lover simply to protect them.

Prajna wanted to explore that idea but then it felt something cool rest itself on one of its small hands. Basil’s hand. Prajna turned its attention back to its dark haired companion and took in his features yet again. Perhaps time had been cruel to the Cobra but Prajna could have sworn he looked more ragged and tired than before. As if, even now, there was some heavy weight pulling at each fiber of his partial being. He tried to smile and Prajna appreciated his effort but understood the situation now and so stopped the majority of its curiosity. As he responded with the expected dialogue, Prajna knew that he was keeping something from it. Whether it was for Prajna’s own benefit or not, the Star realized it wasn’t going to be able to get it out of him. Not until some climatic obstacle was overcome or they departed and reunited again.

Prajna felt itself relax, understanding that the situation was now out of its control and yet… it did not feel as if it could pry even a finger from the wheel. It wanted so badly to seize this opportunity and prove to Basil that the Star was worthy of his trust and confidence! That’s when Basil tilted his head towards the young crowd from earlier. They were a good ways away now, their neon tutus and fishnet chests fading into the night fog. However, a few new youngsters in similar apparel had shown up and seemed to be headed in the same direction. Prajna’s curiosity slowly climbed its way out of self pity and disappointment as Prajna’s eyes kept analyzing each foreign face it came across. Everyone was smiling... Everyone looked so excited for whatever was down the street…

Prajna glanced sideways, exploring Basil’s haggard face once more. He looked like the kind of person with coffins and coffins’ worth of secrets, buried six feet deep so that even the sun couldn’t find them. Prajna tried to wonder what it could be that he could be keeping from it… or perhaps his own self? The Star had come to learn that so many people kept the biggest secrets, not from the public, but from their own selves (or at least that’s what the shows all demonstrated), but the androgynous soul quickly grew tired of trying. Basil would just have to come in his own time with the secrets. And yet… something about the nagging anxiety of the situation would not let Prajna forget it.

“Prajna does not know, Basil. But… they seem happy, yes?” Prajna’s voice seemed spiced with a kind of mischief only 12-year old pranksters had. Its eyes no longer sparkled with concern and impatience but rather pure curiosity. Its imagination was overfilling with all kinds of adventures the two could accidentally embark upon: discovering a secret society, witnessing some kind of colorful murder, joining a spectacular midnight parade, seeing some kind of play or circus-like event! Prajna turned its palm over so that the two Freis were touching palms now and allowed a cat like smirk to decorate its genderless features. After a short silence, the Star leaned in by Basil’s hooded ear and purred, “Want to find out?”

Prajna couldn’t let it go. It simply had to try and prove to Basil that it was worth the emotional investment!

As Prajna witnessed Basil seemingly argue with his conscience in front of it, the Star wondered if it should respond to any of its “What”s on his conscience’s behalf. Maybe he did not exactly understand what the Star was proposing? Then Basil whispered something, a low and angry hiss of a whisper, and then hastily began rolling up his sleeve like an addict finally getting his fix. Prajna had to admit, it was baffled by the Cobra’s behavior. It had no idea what the dark haired Frei was doing, even when it spotted the hair tie on the other’s wrist. The redhead cocked its head, trying to peek a bit under Basil’s hood. It did not remember his greasy locks being lock enough to tie back but perhaps they had gro—

Suddenly Basil snapped the hair tie against his wrist, his eyes closed as if feeling some kind of drug spread from his forearm to the rest of his partially formed torso. His face looked as if it was adjusting to an overwhelming calm. Prajna panicked, its abruptly glowing fingertips revealing its worry. It instinctively reached for Basil’s wrist, where it made a ring with its fingers and let the numbing blue flames slowly sink into the other’s flesh. Ah… Prajna felt an odd stale taste in its mouth and a slight draining sensation, a small transfer of heat between the two Freis’ but nothing as detrimental or significant as the time Prajna attacked Varun’s face. As Basil placed a hand on Prajna’s shoulder, relieved, the Star didn’t even think the Cobra noticed and soon the flames dispersed.

It listened tentatively before the panic started to return once more. Basil had to come and explore! Plus, as the midnight silence slowly consumed them, Prajna knew the other’s love for noise would be appropriate this time around. Prajna needed a noisy adventure tonight and it did not want to go alone.

The Star lifted both of its hands and placed them on Basil’s shoulders, as if to keep him in place and looking forward, “Basil! Already broke one rule sitting here. Why not one more? As a finale? Say goodbye to nighttime with Prajna tonight. One last time, yes? We..”

Prajna glanced up at the grayish building thoughtfully. It tried to imagine the kind of home Basil lived in, what the living room looked like, what kind of furniture they had. Then it remembered the clock back at the Nao’s. It had been roughly midnight when the Star left so the sun wouldn’t be up for at least 6 more hours! Prajna flashed Basil a confident smile, “Prajna will make promises to Basil. Basil will go with Prajna, yes? Then Basil will be home before sun opens and Jeans wakes up. Is okay, yes?”

The Star was barely waiting for an answer. It knew it had to strike while the iron as hot. It slipped its hands from Basil’s shoulders down his arms, til his hands wrapped around his wrists and the Star was pulling him up off of the steps. It pointed after the cheerful crowd fading into the fog, “Let us join, yes? One last time? Prajna promises!”

For a moment, though Prajna had lifted Basil off the stairs and pulled it down the street a bit, like a puppy pulling on the clothes of its adult owner, trying with all its might to persuade them to cooperate, the Cobra would still refuse. Something seemed to hold him in place. Prajna wondered if Basil had always been so morally conscious. He hadn’t seemed so reluctant before, when they jumped aboard the train or wandered amongst the carriages; in fact, back then, he seemed almost enthusiastic and suggestive himself. Why was now so different?

But as the redhead watched as Basil twisted that seemingly significant band around his thumb, it thought maybe it shouldn’t pry. The darker Frei seemed so much more…contemplative? Hesitant? Prajna could not quite place the word but it really hoped this last adventure would calm Basil down. It noted how red his thumb was becoming but, while the Star felt a bit concerned, it kept quiet and simply waited. If it kept pushing for Basil to stop, for Basil to do what Prajna wanted, it knew what would happen. The androgynous flame had seen it happen a few times amongst the Nao siblings: Namini would push and push and David would more adamantly, each time, say no until Namini was forced to give up. And, looking back at Basil once more, Prajna did not want to give up!

Suddenly the Cobra came close and looked deep into Prajna’s cerulean eyes. Prajna then noticed how deep the circles had become under its friend’s eyes. Something… terrible must have happened to him. But before Prajna could ask Basil what was wrong or even utter a quick apology, Basil stressed the word “promise.” His voice sounded neither mad nor hurt and so Prajna could only nod excitedly.

“Yes. Yes! Prajna promises Basil! Come, coooome~!” Prajna’s adrenaline returned immediately as it proceeded to drag its friend once more down the street.

The Star made sure the pair did not get too close to the colorful youths dancing through the streets but their distance provided that they never lost sight of them. Soon, Prajna pulled Basil behind the edge of an alleyway, pointing after the teens. The giggling group had stopped at a door, knocking energetically. There was a small square that seemed to slide and mumble something. Prajna knew this kind of scene all too well; it had seen it in many detective shows. The second Prajna witnessed the teens flash some kind of pass to the door and then be let in, the Star started to look around the alleyway. It knew the Freis had no chance of just stumbling upon an abandoned badge. The Star knew this was real life, not a staged set. So, with the passage being right along the wall of the building the teens had entered, Prajna knew there had to be some other way of getting in.

“Basil, stay. One second” Prajna commanded. Without giving the Cobra even a moment to reply, the Star had floated down the alley, examining spaces behind awful smelling dumpsters. It had found one door but it had been locked and seemed too stubborn to pry open. So, having reached the dead end, Prajna floated back, a defeated expression on its face. Yet no! Their adventure surely couldn’t end here. Prajna tried to think of some way to get in.

As it turned back up the path, prepared to ask Basil for any suggestions, suddenly the locked door flung open behind them. Music, if you could call it music, swallowed the dark pathway whole. It was raging, it was pounding! Prajna felt like its head was attempting to combust! But then a girl, decked out in fishnets and neon pink, came out, or rather, was dragged out by two friends, one female, one male. The two seemed to be whispering sweet nothings to her, the female friend holding the girl’s hair back. Prajna didn’t know what to think of the situation until it realized the man had propped the door open using a trashcan. The girl being assisted seemed to be half sobbing, half giggling, her friends not exactly stable themselves so Prajna knew now was going to be their only chance.

“Basil!! Come!” As if the Star was giving the Cobra an option anyways. It grabbed the quieter Frei’s wrist and dragged him through the door, just in time to catch the girl puke what looked like ramen out into the trashcan. Prajna felt its tongue grow clammy at the sight but it tried to push the memory out and focus. As they entered the arena of music, Prajna had to wince a bit, attempting to adjust to both the noise and the surprising darkness inside. It was so loud, how one could bear it so easily seemed nearly impossible. And the lack of light? Prajna already felt cramped but then… lights. Lights everywhere. Or so it seemed. Prajna let out a soft, unheard ‘woah…’ as streams of light shot across the ceiling, bounced off of bodies and made the Star feel as if it had drowned in a sea of colors. It turned to Basil, hoping the new surroundings hadn’t given the Cobra too much of a shock.

Prajna smiled, proud at its improvisation, “Basil, like? YES?!”

“What’s next?”

Prajna’s beaming expression seemed to flounder for a moment. The young Star was still attempting to process all the noise and excitement, the odd smells and unpredictable brilliance of the neon lights, but Basil’s question forced the Star to remember why they had came. Proud and incapable of simply saying “Welp. This. This is all I got.”, Prajna quickly began scanning the crowd for something the redheaded troublemaker could write off as the real reason for the duo’s entrance into this new underground world. It was impossible to hear anything being said if it was not directly beside Prajna’s ears; the music was unrelenting and merciless. Prajna’s cerulean eyes bounced along the walls and bodies, seemingly following the uncontrollable sound waves as it tried to find something worthwhile.
That’s when trouble found them.

“Woahhh~ cute hat, cutie” came an alcoholic slur. Prajna turned just in time to catch a face-full of the intoxicated raver’s breath. The Star wanted to gag but instead, it simply started to cough and back up into Basil. In a way, Prajna shielded Basil from the strangers, hoping they would pass but prepared in the case they decided to cause trouble. Prajna probably should have thought this through a little more but, glancing over the colorful human’s appearance, they seemed harmless enough. Prajna murmured an agitated “thanks” and was pushing Basil to leave, when the raver, now joined by some other twinkling acquaintances, called after the Star.

“Touchy, touchy, little babe~” Prajna couldn’t stand the overly affectionate yet sleazy nature this person was using and continued to scowl, its piercing gaze never leaving the man’s face. “You need to relax. You need to chilllll. Here.”

The man slipped a sweaty, shaking hand into one of his over sized pockets and pulled something out. He nudged his closed hand at Prajna but the redhead was hesitant.

“It’s just candy, sweetheart. You and your boyfriend here seem a little out of place. It’ll help you feel the music. It’ll amp you up. Take you on a little spin. Just …” the man suddenly reached out and grabbed Prajna’s hand. The Star was about to claw the man’s face but was frozen when the drunkard slipped what looked like two small blue tablets into the Star’s captured palm. The man, just as quickly as he had slipped the pills into the Raevan’s hand, removed his grimy fingers and danced backwards, tripping over his feet into the arms of what looked like a giggling female acquaintance.

“Truuusttt me, kiddo. You two will have a lot more fun if you try some of it. I promise, it’s light and sweet and pure,” the man snickered but by now, the music had swallowed him whole and Prajna was left, floating next to Basil in a mix of awe and confusion. While suspicious, Prajna had to say… they did look like candy. Prajna had seen Namini eat several when watching movies or when studying. And yet… something about the man’s demeanor said not to try them.

Don’t you want to “feel” the music, though?

Prajna’s thoughts were buzzing. Maybe it was the music, the crowds. Prajna turned to Basil and tried a smile, “What do Basil think? Want to try candy before looking around some more?”

Prajna presented its open palm to its Cobra companion, the turquoise pills catching the light ever so innocently now and again…