"why are you doing this?"

the monsters behind the mist took the crescent moon, grasping and pulling at her as they washed away her light. the night turned darker as the fog beasts crept on, taking everything for themselves and leaving nothing behind. a silhouette perched daintily on a ledge, peering out to the abyss. another shadow, less conspicuous in the night, stood behind it silently.

it was a question those of his profession received often, and the answer usually lay along the lines of wealth or enjoyment. still, the sudden voice in the silence mad him flinch.

"why is anyone, really?" the girl scoffed, letting her head rest against the sharp surface of the building.

"don't avoid it, dumbass. i'm not trying to blackmail you or anything." she picked at her nails with nonchalance. "besides, i know what you're going to say anyways."

he arched an eyebrow, nearing her warily. "do you now? you happen to be a mind reader too?" the two burst into a chorus of chuckles as she let out a long sigh, shaking her head.

"there's only every three reasons, really. everything else they say are just lies."

"what are the three then, if you so insist?"

the girl raised a hand with elegance, lifting her fingers. "one, they desire something, like wealth or information. it's never pleasure, trust me.

two, they want to get rid of something. perhaps grief from a recent death, or hate from some bitch, or worries in their head."

the boy nodded along despite the vagueness in her reasoning. it made her always right though, one thing he highly disliked. "and the third?"

a vile smile twisted onto her face.

"addiction."

he blinked. his brain didn't seem to process the information. it was surprising, of course, but he was more of waiting for her to laugh and reveal the joke. nothing happened.

"really, crystal?" he rolled his eyes slowly. "you think someone could be obsessed with fucking?"

the girl, crystal, whipped her head around, letting her hair settle melodramatically before continuing. "you don't? i mean, obviously they probably started with one of the former reasons, but they'll slowly lose themselves. if you ask them why they're here, most of the times they won't even have an answer to you, since they don't really know anymore."

he still didn't seem to understand. "if you don't want to do something then you stop, you know?there's no chemicals to make this addicting, unlike drugs and whatever. you- you can't just- what?"

now she laughed, a sour grin just visible within the reaching hands of white. "aw, what a poor little boy. you clearly haven't been here long enough."

she hopped off with grace, pushing him away with a finger as she walked towards the building.

"just you wait, oh, just you wait."