( Sadness is always born from Moonlight ) Kagura & Yumekui

Yumekui believes ximself to be a kind person. His footsteps leave echoes in hallowed streets, but his heart is full. Isn’t that enough? As xe looks up to a dark moon, a sky void of any skies, he thinks it is enough. With his head held high, and his cloak thrown over his head, he continues to smile. In the veil of darkness, where the moon lets dull light linger on all that it can touch, his eyes look likes the sun. They’re bright, making the white hollowed holes of his mask glow and the cracks more apparent. Were you a foreigner, or a tourist, a visitor not yet accompanied with this land, it might be presumed that this was Death’s incarnate in the physical plane.

He’s not, though. He keeps moving forward, until-

“Oogh-! Goodness, my sincerest apologies- are you alright? Dear, oh dear…” He seems a bit frantic, hoping not to have injured them too badly. He slouches a bit, bending over too get a better look at them. She doesn’t know what to with her hands, stretching out to try and help before reaching them back and repeating the process. It’s a bit like watching a deer skid around on ice, trying to find its footing. Sie’s faced with a twinge of embarrassment, unsure as to what sie should be doing siyr hands. Sie settle for wringing siyr hands awkwardly, shoulders rising upwards with guilt. There are a thousand scattered impulses - Do I help? What do I do? I need to do something! But what? It’s so late out… I should get going. I can’t just leave them here! That’d be so cruel. Am I cruel person? Ah… oh no… — racing in her head.

He feels his face flush crimson, feathered ears flicking in embarrassment.

“How do I repay you for this rudeness of mine…? If I let you leave, without making peace, I think my soul would crumble into itself… Despair pulls on the heartstrings far too harshly, enough for it to slice it into pieces. But, ah, I suppose that is of little importance here, isn’t it? Oh- Dear, dear, dear… How improper. They call me Yumekui, though it’s not uncommon for people to give me names as they so please. Do as you wish.”

Xie lowers themselves to the ground, on knees as if they were about to pray. Instead, sie just bows their heads, keeping their hands in their lap.

“I am indebted to you, for this ruinous error. I have incurred a debt upon myself. Please, allow me to discharge it - however you so wish. However you so please."

Kagura does not process it.

A blank stare, an empty smile.

Kagura does not process it.

"R-really, you're fine, please..." They mumble, voice a weak thing - on its last legs, ripped and torn from their throat. Kagura stares at Yumekui, gaze distant. "Please.. I-it's not like you've committed a mass murder against me or something!!" They squeak the words out.

Kagura brings themself to their full height of 4'8, on unsteady legs, extending an arm to grasp a pillar for stability. They glance around a bit frantically, eyes wide. "Eek... Kisaki-sama's meal.." They grimace. "..Now it's a splatter on the ground.." They lament, voice barely audible.

A fraction, a splinter of a moment where their expression is utterly blank, devoid, empty.

"...It really isn't something to apologize for,"

They say again, more decisively this time.

They bite their tongue,

selfishness is a sin, so I'll never take you up on that.

I won't humor your apologies.

I don't want to die.

And She will be so, so alone if I do.

I stare ahead at nothing,

my gaze goes blurry,

and I forget for a moment,

and in that moment,

"Yumekui, there's no need." A mumble, in a hoarse voice, stolen by God.

A smile, blank.

A gaze, blurred with age.

"..Are you okay, though? You are..."

A pause, thinking on their choice of words.

"..behaving in an odd manner." That smile widens a fraction, as if Kagura is unsure of what amount is right.

"It can't be such a big deal.. I-I know I'm a recluse, but really... It's not like you could've hurt me, even if you were trying."

Kagura does not seem to realize how threatening that sounds, paired with their empty gaze and empty smile.

"To get down to your knees for something like that.."

Kagura shakes their head.

"I don't get you other Angelics."

They don't seem to be able to understand how callous they sound at all.

His wings spasm for a minute, feathers seeming to twitch and rise like the fur of an uneasy cat before finally settling down. Siyr wings close, nestling into what looks like it would be a comfortable position. They ruffle, smoothing uneven feathers moved by Yumekio’s anxiety. Sie’s quick to jump to conclusions, seemingly desperate to repent. Sie acts as if they’re compelled to put siyr entire self to another person’s whims. Sie makes syrself disposable.

Sie laugh before sie begin to talk.  

“No, no… You’re right - My actions were not intentional, no purpose to cause harm. You could not find any ill-will in them… I must admit you are right, in there. No harm, no foul, yes?”

Sie tilts siyr head to the side, their hood jostling with them as they do so. Some of their hair peeks out from behind their head, grown long from a few weeks of leaving it to grow as it pleases.

“I am sorry to say that I disagree with that. Does the end not justify the means?” They stand up, brushing their cloak of the dirt and grime of the ground. The holes of the mask glow as they look down on you. There is no indication that they are looking at you, per se, but you can still feel their gaze. It is heavy, and old.

“I don’t believe that it does. These feelings…” They feel the word in their mouth, tasting it on their tongue, “They dampen the soul. Swells the heart until it bursts. Emotions drive you mad. Regardless of what I ‘meant’ to do, or how much it ‘bothers’ you, let me help in some way or another.”

The heels of his boots click against the ground, reverberating in the empty streets. They go to clasp Kagura’s hands, but in the last second, choose not to. Instead choosing to

“I do not demand that you allow me to… try and right my wrong. That would be cruel, too. I just… I merely urge that you consider my offer.”

They stand idle, like a hopeful shadow.

“As an angelic…”

As a sinner, as a cruel person.These, these cruel thoughts, are an unwelcome thought.

“Is it not our duty to be kind? It would be a lacklustre life to live, to live like mice - too cowardly to take action, or worse, too fearful to do anything other than bite. Do you not agree?”