Beside a little pond, hidden underneath a weeping willow that blooms its glowing magenta flowers, Azayaka sit on the grassy dirt, surrounded by the chirps of crickets and the blinks of fireflies. The cold moonlight enters the pond, reflecting from it towards the purple grasses, trees, and bushes, each blossoming their flowers in spectrums of blue, violet, and pink.

  "Aza? What are you doing here?" Ren says as he walks towards her from a sandy and bushy, narrow entrance, the rest of the festival sparkling from behind him.

  "You're here," She answers, without glancing back at him, "It's nothing, just trying to find some peace and quiet," In her hand is a little notebook, while held by her other is a simple pen that keeps on scribbling against the paper, "How's the haunted house? Did any of you piss yourselves while at it?" She asks while still focused in her own little world.

  "Eh, it's nothing special," Ren gulps as he scratches the back of his head, as he averts his eyes.

  "Really, huh?" Azayaka glances with a playful smirk, patting on the empty patch of grass beside her, directing Ren to sit.

  Ren sighs, before he does as she wished, "Well, to be honest..." Before continuing, he makes sure to huff and rolls his eyes, "Yuu carried that one."

  "Oh? Well, I'll let him know that he'll be my chair for tonight."

  At that, Ren immediately widens his eyes.

  "That was a joke! Not my fault you both took it so seriously," She keeps her smirk as Ren pouts like a child, "Where is he, by the way?"

  "We split up to look for you. I'm sure he's fine on his own, though."

  Azayaka hums for a second, before answering, "Yeah, I'm sure too," She looks back to the lake, then to the sketch she's currently scribbling, "He's always been the one to take the hit after all..." She pauses with a hum, before huffing out, "He's always been such a dumbass..."

  "You're definitely right on that one," He nods as he presses his lips together, "But... He cares about you, y'know? Maybe a lot more than you've thought."

  "I know," Her answer comes out simple, "But still, his bird brain would often misjudge... I've known him for so long now... Yet, he's more bratty than ever."

  "Heh, that's true," Ren cackles playfully, he presses his lips firmer then raising one of their corners. Like her, he looks at the pond, how its crystal clear water reflects the surrounding bioluminescence. How the glowing willow's hanging flowers cover the pond's edge, like curtains to a royal's bed. The sight is something you'll see out of that blue-people movie with the insane CGI. It's too beautiful not to memorize, or in this case, for her to draw.

  "You're still big on drawing, huh?" He looks at her sketch, it's still rough and without any colors, yet the way she sketch it mirrors the reference impressively enough.

  "Uhuh. It's one of the only things that kept me sane when... Him happened," She answers with nonchalance, as she keeps on scribbling.

  Ren's ears perk when she mentioned... Him. Thus, Ren frowns, the words of that Archangel echoing back in his mind, "Yuu said that... You were both forced to go through some horrendous stuff when you were just kids..." He looks at his own reflection in the water, before sighing, "Sorry... I can't imagine what it's like for you."

  And sorry... For not being there for you.

  Azayaka keeps her eyes locked to her notebook, her expression unchanging, cold as ice, "You're thinking that it's somehow your fault, right?" She says, before she smirks, "Ren, I know you've always been kinda dumb... Like when you ate that mushroom. But still, I wouldn't imagine that it made your brain go wack till this day."

  Just like she wanted, he answers like a child, "Hey! That's mean... And you still remember that?"

  "How can I not? I mean... It's too funny to forget," She snickers, her smirk turning to a soft smile.

  "Yeah... I guess it is, isn't it?" Yet, his turns somber, "Maybe... If I was a little bit dumber back then... I could've maybe forgotten an eraser or something in your house. And maybe I could've went back to check on you instead of just... leaving..."

  "Look, Ren, It was never your fault," The softness in her smile transcends to her mesmerizing purples, as she grabs Ren's shoulder, prompting him to look, "So please... Please stop blaming yourself, okay?"

  "I know... I know it wasn't my fault..." He turns away from her, furrowing his brow towards the ground, "But... I don't know... It's like something deep in me wants it to be my fault."

  What would've happened had I turn back? Would she be the same person she is now? And how about me? Would've we... Lived a happy-ever-after?

  "Then, I'll take it out."

  Her sudden cold words shake Ren out of his trance, "Huh?"

  But she is already making a eccentric pose— bending backwards as if trying to give her spine reverse scoliosis, while one of her hand clutches at the empty air above her face.

  A very bizarre and adventurous pose.

  "Ren's smartass dark thoughts! I demand thee to leave thy Kitsune comrade's earthly vessel in this immediate second!" She suddenly slams her palm to the center of his chest, then she rubs it up and down, a feat accompanied by a playful vacuum noise emitted from her lips. Then finally, she takes back her palm in an overly dramatic manner, raising and stiffening it as if she just catched a bomb, "Look! I just got your inner smartness out! Now, you're gonna stay dumb forever and ever!"

  In bewilderment, Ren could only stare.

  "Um... Hello?"

  "Pfft... Ahahah!" Ren immediately falls to his back, holding his stomach.

  "Hey, hey, hey! Don't go overboard with that now! I did what I had to do, okay?" She crosses her arms, puffing her cheeks as faint, rose-colored blushes fill them.

  At that, Ren gives her his warmest smile, before whispering to her, "Thank you... Aza... Thank you for doing that..."

  Her blush depends from his sincerity. But she hides them away with a cough.

  "Lemme pet your tail, then. As payment for my meticulous psychotherapy," The moment she demands that, his tail and ears start to wag and wiggle, "Your ears too," She could only widen her smile.

  "Fine... Fine..." With a defeated expression, he leans his head to her shoulder, while his tail circles around him to her thighs, wiggling like a snake.

  How he snuggles to her shoulder, closing his eyes as he presses his head, hiding a small, V-shaped smile, as a tint of blush emerges on his cheeks, Azayaka could only think of one word to describe him, "You look like a puppy," She adds, as she begins to stroke his soft and delicate, snow-white fur.

  He whimpers in response, his folded ears now being scratched and pet gently by her delicate fingers. With her continuous gentle movements, his whimpers turn to a collection of purrs. And soon, he lies his side on her thighs, as his ears and tail continue to be jolted with sensational tickles, while his eyes stare at the crystal clear pond.

  It continues for a while, the two just enjoying their time here, accompanied by the chirping of crickets and the lunar glows of the bioluminescent floras.

  Then, Azayaka speaks, with a tone soft and quiet, "I'm grateful, Ren."

  "Hmm?" He turns to face her, his blues meeting her purples, both filled with a tint of longing.

  "You remembered that I used to think that way too right? Blaming myself for every single thing I might've or might've not done..." She starts, her eyes wandering elsewhere as she pauses for her next words, "Honestly, I still sometimes do just that..."

  "Aza?" His voice turns to that of concern, though he has hopes for his worry.

  "But not as much anymore," She looks back at him then cups his cheeks, rubbing her thumb in circle, gently and slowly, "It is all thanks to you... Ren. You have no idea what you've given me..." She closes in her face, smiling before whispering to his ear, "You're one of the reasons I'm still living right now..." 

  "A-Aza..." His blush glows just as brightly as the fireflies flying around them.

  She could only scoff at his childishness, before backing her face away, "So... Let us all just forgive and forget, kay?" She then playfully salute towards nothing, "To our stupid past self!"

  Ren hitches a breath and smiles, "Yeah..." Soon, he follows suit with her act, "To our stupid past self!"

  And before he knows it, her arms already surround his torso, lifting him to now face her by the mere inch.

  "A-Aza... Wha-What're you doing..?" His blush reddens, as he blinks thrice at her advance.

  "You're really asking me that?" She only smirks, "This is a perfect position for a kiss... And you look so cute right now. Like an actual fox..." She closes in her face further, her warm breath now showering directly onto his skin.

  Her rizz is unmatched, even for him. So, much so that he has to push her away for a moment, averting his eyes away before he speaks, "I guess you're right... But... Shouldn't it be the other way around, now?"

  At that, she could only tilts her head, "Hmm? That's still doesn't say I'm wrong..."

  With that, he sighs, defeated once again, "Haah... Sure... Sure... Women can be scary sometimes..."

  "Then..." She then goes for a tiny peck to his lips, a sensation so short and so gentle, but one she'll cherish forever and ever, "A reward for my victory."

  "You're such a dork, Aza."

  "Look who's speaking. Just look at all those figures you bought just a moment ago."

  "H-Hey! Those are art, okay? Art doesn't make you a dork..."

  "You're much more of a dork for saying that."

  "Oh, shut up..."

  "Heheh..."

  And so... Their joy continues on like an everlasting elysium. A cycle of forgetting and remembering. A cycle of happiness and sadness. And most important of all, a cycle of love, and only love.

  But... Unbeknownst to them, a pair of green eyes stare from behind a tree.

  His wings shivering, his lips slightly parted, as his shrinked pupils stare blankly from his widened, shaky eyes.

-----

  "Haah... That festival was NOT as lit as I thought..." As she leans her head onto the bartable, Amura sighs, "Welp, I guess this world just isn't equipped to handle this particular unicorn."

  "You tossed a kid to the open ocean..." Beside her, Kai could only stare, his golden eyes narrowed and judgemental.

  "I-I didn't mean to! I was only tugging at him using my normal strength! Y'know that I barely have any muscles, right? Beside, that kid almost cut the line! That's a crime by itself!"

  "But... You still did... A worse one. Luckily, I was fast enough to catch him before he got snatched by a Wave Lurker..."

  "Yet, you still broke his arm... Couldn't you be more gentle? Oh, mister moral compass?"

  At that, Kai stays silent, swallowing his gulp before sipping his whiskey, "I... Admit... Humans could be more fragile than I thought."

  Amura huffs, shrugging to herself as her eyes wander to the clouds, "I know right. It made me question how they survived this long in this world."

  "True."

  "Well, I healed him anyways, so it was all good... But might've given him some PTSD though..."

  "You feel bad about it... That's a step forward," Kai smiles, only to be answered by Amura's pout.

  "Hmph! I still have a heart, y'know?" Then, to a series of sophisticated steps, Amura's gloomy face lights up with joy, "Ah... Here it is!" Her pink eyes sparkle as the bartender approaches, sliding a wineglass filled with iridescent liquid that somewhat resembles a glass of psychedelic drug, "Shitty festival aside, The Chief surely did bless us with a five-star hotel~"

  "Really? That looks like a straight up assassination attempt..."

  "Hmph! Still better than the boring old whiskey you're having~" She turns to him with her brow raised.

  "Don't come at me for having a refined taste," He takes another sip.

  "'Refined' is just a fancy word for 'boring'. Now, to finally taste this heavenly beverage-"

  When she glances back to her drink, she widens her eyes, seeing a certain green eyed, winged man leaning on the bartable suddenly chugging it down.

  "Y-You..." Immediately, her hair starts to float as the morningstar symbol on her forehead glows, her unicorn horn starting to slowly rise, "Oh, The Ruler Of Twilight. Grant me your permission to borrow your- Eep!" Before she could finish her incantation, Kai karate chops the back of her head, causing her horn to recede back into her skin.

  "Just order another one."

  "But... But!"

  "Shut up," Kai's dismissive tone immediately catches her obedience, "Look at him."

  With a frown and a pout, Amura do what she's told, then she sees what her darling's talking about.

  The look in his green eyes, it's the look of rage, anguish and despair, all combined into one, mixing themselves into a pair of monotone, emotionless eyes that stares at nothing but the empty air.

  As the couple keep on staring in silence, he suddenly chuckles, the kind filled with the utmost, unbearable pain one could have. The kind where one tries to entertain themselves, only to fail over and over again, like a lonely dog trying to entertain itself.

  Just with a mere glance, one could tell that his mentality is clinging from the edge of a cliff, as the sparkles in his eyes are caused by beads of tears, the smile his lips form shaking and contorting continuously.

  "Hey, you okay?" Kai asks, his brow furrowed as he tries to pat the Archangel's back.

  He only answers with a quick swat, not even with a grunt or a huff.

  Kai simply shrugs, letting the Archangel sulk.

  Meanwhile, Amura continues to stare, tilting her head as she narrows her eyes,  "Oh, I get it. The Fairy picked the Fox over you, huh?" Then her snarky tone changes to as if she's suddenly possessed by the soul of Gandhi, "That kind of thing happens all the time. So get over it."

  The bird immediately slams his fist to the table, "What the fuck do you know? Fucking Knight whore..."

  "A lot actually," Amura raises her brow, "See, this whore? I'm a lot more knowledgeable in these kinds of things than your virgin incel, never-been-kissed-ass."

  He tightens his fists, then slams the bartable again, "Shut the fuck up!" His glare peers through Amura's snobby eyes, "You know nothing about me..."

  "Yes, yes I don't," She raises a corner of her lips, "What I do know though... Is that you need to get knocked out."

  At that, Kai immediately glares at her.

  "Not with my fist, but with a drink or two," Her next words cause Kai to sigh in relief, "Just this once, I'll tolerate your presence," After she said that, Kai immediately frowns at her again.

  The Archangel glares at the ground, before huffing then sitting a seat away from Amura's.

  "So, what do you want? Whiskey? Champagne? Good-ol' vodka? Or the kind of radioactive mix Amura's into?" Kai offers, though his last sentence causes Amura to roll her eyes.

  "The heaviest shit you got."

  "Ah... Infernum's Black Vodka it is. Been a long time since I had that one. A nostalgia trip would be nice," Kai then signals for the bartender, ordering the drinks to come.

  As the bartender goes to make their order, Amura leans her head towards Yuu, saying to him with one corner of her lips raised, "Y'know, I hate you, and I still do. But alcohol does make people more open. So to start, how bout you apologize to me for chopping off my arm that one time?"

  "Shut it, you narcissistic bitch."

  "Ouch~ I'm so hurt~ Waaahhh~" Amura leans back as if she's been shot, "You really are a man-child, aren't you?"

  "Look who's talking."

  "Ding! I'm not a man though, might have to try harder with your words, darling."

  "That's not what I- Haah... Fuck it," Yuu cracks his knuckles as he swallows a deep breath, "How bout you say sorry first for when you tried to literally roast me?"

  Amura raises her brow as she pouts her lips with curiosity, "Well... To be fair, you're a bird. And birds... Tend to get roasted right?"

  "Amura..." Kai stares at her like a disappointed dad.

  "Ugh... Fine. Sorry for roasting you, bla bla bla... And bla bla bla..."

  Kai facepalms himself yet again.

  "Hmph," Yuu shrugs her 'apology' off.

  As Amura sneers, the bartender then comes barging in with the alcohol. Now, in front of each of them are a wineglass filled with pitch-black, yet shiny liquid that are covered with charcoal-like powder.

  Amura and Kai both spark with excitement, meanwhile Yuu furrows his brow at the drink.

  Despite the jet-black surface of the drink, Yuu still could see his faint reflection. As the two beside him go for a sip, he stares in silence, while his fists grip themselves to the empty air.

  Thus, he take a look again at his faint reflection. He sees a pair of pitiful, pathetic eyes. A cruel sight that causes him to scream inside.

  Why... Why do I feel like this? He scrubs his eyes, taking in heavy breaths as those words come at him again.

  "I'm not one to cling onto something I will never get..."

  Well that was fucking bullshit...

  Tch... Goddamnit! What in the world was I thinking?

  Why... Why is it so hard to just... Get this out of me?

  Fuck...

  I love her...

  But I don't want to anymore...

  As he continues to narrow his eyes at the floor, he unknowingly grits his teeth. Then he sees his reflection on the drink again, his rageful eyes contrasted by the pitiable ones they're seeing.

  A sight that drives his fingers toward the wineglass, as his eyes soften to a blank stare.

  "I'm an archangel. I don't get high that easily," He lifts the lighter, heating up the tip of his roll.

  Waving away the smoke, she only smirks to him, "Is that so? Is that why you always pass out after one drink?"

  A sudden playback of a memory. A recent one, one that still annoys him till this second.

  As such, he huffs and smirks to himself. Once more, he stares at his reflection, thinking to himself.

  So that's how it is, huh? Well then... I'll proof you wrong, Aza.

  And so he takes a sip.

  "Y'know... There's a simple solution to the problem you're facing right now," Amura hums as she stares at Kai's face, him too distracted by his own drink to notice, "She has two hands, right? And maybe... You could experiment with Ren too-" The moment she looks at the Archangel's direction, she lets out a little, "Oop."

  For he is now knocked out, his face lying on its side with one of his eyes rolled back and slightly open. His drool wets the fine table as his wings quiver and shake.

  Most ridiculous of all, the Infernum Black Vodka served to him barely decreased in volume. It's as if he straight up passed out the moment he took a sip.

  Is it the alcohol, or is it just him?