Daycation pt3: Sunrise

Diwa sat silent for a while, slowly drinking her alcoholic punch. “Are the other rumors about you true?” she questioned Aldous.

Aldous finished his drink and tilted his head back. “Which ones?”

Diwa rolled the wording around in her head for a minute, “How powerful you actually are.” she said. “I’ve heard other gods say you are nearly as strong as a god, even without followers.” she said.

Aldous blew out a breath. “I guess I’d say it’s a matter of perspective,” he said “I don’t really know how strong I am.” he added.

Diwa turned in her seat. “You don’t know how strong you are?” she asked, a bit of confusion in her voice.

With a heavy shrug, Aldous put his hands up. “I’ve never gone all out,” he said. “I know for a fact the amount of power I could use would cause a lot of death and destruction so I just hold back.”

Diwa let out a small little laugh that caused her to cover her mouth, and shook her head. “You are by far the worst demon I have ever heard of.”

“But you have heard of me.” Aldous pointed out. “But I guess being bad at being a demon comes with learning to ask questions.I mean…” he shrugged again. “I can’t be that bad at it, I rule my realm and don’t have to be there, I must be doing something right.”

Diwa had to nod in agreement. “I guess you have a point.” she said. “But…and don’t take this the wrong way, but…” she paused.

“How can I rule without being some bloodthirsty madman?” he asked. “I just rule my ‘kingdom’ with different rules, and a different kind of respect.” Aldous began to explain.

“But…you’re an Incubus, how can you rule differently than the previous rulers?” Diwa asked. “Again no offence, but don’t your kind just feed on sex like a vampire feeds on blood?”

“Some taken.” Aldous said jokingly, “But yes…or so the stories go.” he said. “But no. It's faster and a filling way to feed…but…” Aldous thought about how to word it. “Its like bread, it fills you up quickly, but it's not hearty, it doesn’t keep you full. Romance, Compassion, Tender feelings.” he went on. “Real true emotions beyond what the Incubus and Succubus ‘magic’ seeds in your brain. Much more filling, it keeps with you…” Aldous searched for the phrase. “Stick to your ribs.” he said, “At least in lieu of a better turn of phrase.”

Diwa opened her mouth but closed it, thinking a moment before speaking. “So…’loving sexual encounters’?” she asked.

“Doesn’t have to be.” Aldous said as Tybrus put another drink down. “It can just be closeness once you learn the tricks. And doesn’t even have to be ‘romantic’ love, caring can be enough if you are as used to doing it as I am.” he said.

“Doesn’t that make you hungry most of the time?” Diwa asked. “You just don’t eat when you are hungry? Is that hard to control?” she asked him.

“Sometimes?” he said, not sounding so sure of his own answer. “I do get hungry from time to time, and from time to time it's hard to not ‘eat’ my fill. But, it's not my place to put people’s lives in my hands.” he said.

“You’d make a good god.” Diwa said.

Aldous let out a belly laugh. “Oh I’d be a terrible god. I already am.” he said. “If you count a cult as followers.” Aldous said. “And they all just believe the stories those puppet shows told them as kids.”

“Like your cousin Jyneith being a massive gross bloated monster?” Diwa asked.

“Or how I’m a ten foot tall, and built like three oxes.” Aldous said.

Diwa raised an eyebrow and side eyed him. “You realize you are pretty tal and attractive right?” she put up a hand knowing Aldous would make a joke about the attractive part. “It’s barely a lie.”

“By looks I suppose. But all the stories say I am some devious monster who lures women to their deaths, and tricks them into adultery, or that I open portals to The Hells to let demons run around taking women from their homes. Or that I suggest doing whatever you want, to who you want.” Aldous gave her a sober look. “Lots of people did awful things in my name. Granted they didn’t get to live long after that, but just killing someone after they do something like that doesn’t undo it.” Aldous finished his last drink, Tybrus starting to make another but Aldous held up a hand to tell him he was done.

Diwa’s brow furrowed and she chewed her lip. “Sorry.” she said, even a single word was deeply remorseful to have changed the feeling of the day so quickly.

Aldous slapped both his cheeks with his hands. “All good,” he said. “Let's go watch the sunrise.” he said, standing and holding a hand out to help Diwa up. She took his hand and he led her out. They headed in the opposite direction of where they came from when they arrived. On the beach were several lounge chairs sitting on the beach.

The two sat down and laid back. Looking out over the ocean towards a spot on the horizon where the deep blacks of night were giving way to a slowly shifting purple. Diwa was quiet for a while. “Can I ask you another question?”

“You just did.” Aldous said with a chuckle.

“Can I ask you another question and then one after this one?” Diwa said, relenting to his word game.

“Sure. Ask away.” he said, tucking his arms behind his head.
“You know most of the gods right?” She asked.

“Most of them, why?” Aldous asked.

“Can you tell me about one of them?” Diwa asked.

Aldous turned his head to her and waggled his eyebrows. “Does our little goddess have a crush?” he smirked.

“No…nothing like that.” she said. “I’m trying to figure out what his deal is.” Diwa said.

“Ok. What’s their name?” Aldous asked.

“I don’t know his name.” Diwa said.

Aldous let out a laugh “That sure narrows it down. Okay, okay, describe him.”

Diwa laughed “Fair, He’s hard to explain. Long face, pointy chin, kind of scruffy.”

“Silly hat?” Aldous asked.

“Yeah!” Diwa said. “What’s his deal?”

Aldous laughed. “He’s not a god.”

“He’s…not…a…god…?” Diwa asked, shocked.

“Nope.” Aldous said.

“Then…then what is he?” Diwa asked.

Aldous shrugged. “Not a clue. He’s not a god though.”

“Then why are so many gods avoiding him?” Diwa asked.

Aldous seemed to only be able to shrug, “He seems like an okay guy to me. So long as you stay out of his way.”

Diwa’s eyes went wide. “You’ve met him? What do you mean ‘Stay out of his way’?”

“Yeah.” Aldous said. “When I encountered him, he was looking for someone he cared a great deal about, for a human. He was a bit unnerving with how determined he was.”

“Hmmm.” Diwa said.

“Gods help anyone that tried to stop him. I’m sure he’d burn the world if he had to.” Aldous said. “I might even help.”

“Love makes strong men do crazy things.” Diwa said.

“It sure can.” Aldous said, as he stared at the horizon the large halo of light from the sun peeking over its waves.