The sun lowered over that smog-filled city, darkening the area in a dark red hue.

lden's residents went along their merry way as if there has not been a clear shift in manor beyond the smoke stakes. A place far within the noxious red smog.

Mothers with their children, children with their friends holding hands, Friends in large groups laughing and smiling as if the world was the same. Nothing has changed. But Carole and the two with her knew better.

The clothes worn outside the manor were thicker, as the air was below zero, and probably would not be getting better. The smog had thickened to the point where the trains to the city had repeatedly been cancelled because of the thickness.

Not that any of this mattered anymore.

Who in their right mind would want to come here?

Even with morbid curiosity being an excellent motivator, Carole knew this as a fact. The increasing smog and biting chill did not bother Ilden-born residents. They all seem to see through this red ventis as if it was nothing more than regular air.

For the first time in her brief life... Over a mug of hot chocolate.

The city matched herself, a gradually dying thing.

Her…. friend Emilia did not look too disturbed herself. Her eyebrows only knitted at the lack of sugar in her cup of hot chocolate covered in marshmallows.

Hide, with his almond milk cocoa, chugged his drink down with a smile. She expected this from him not a guy for manners anyway. His overall demeanour for the past few days was some odder ever since they found that machine.

He was quieter.

That was alarming.

The man loved to talk and talk, but ever since that night, his eyes seemed to focus on something else. As if he was looking at a problem and frustrated by his inability to solve it, and hated the very person putting it in front of him.

Carole decided to pretend she was oblivious to said change, she knew why he was like this.

She swallowed back down building guilt to feel nothing.

Alcohol would have made this so much easier.

Loukas, of course, was not around.

Why would he be?

The man had shut himself in that mansion and has not left since. Not that she blames him. Even when he can pass as human physically, behaviour wise, with his tastes for flesh and how he behaves around people at this point, he would not pass.

Investors who only get to see him via camera and the chest down.

He had mentioned his wish to go out and see the city, but with how he was right now. Carole could only imagine what he may do.

Finally breaking through the trio’s silence, Lucky pulled her face from the cup and said, “Look, I know you hate my theories but hear me out.”

Whatever theory she had was just as likely. To think all those years on stimulants and narcotics, every word Carole would have dismissed, now turned out to be just as logical as her life currently.

Minus the mall being a cover-up for some ancient conspiracy, but she would keep an eye out, just in case.

“So… what is it?” Carole asked.

Lucky sipped up the last of her marshmallows and said, “Ildens shouldn’t even exist. Like, think about.”

She was thinking about it...

Carole's eyes narrowed sharply, “That machine is an-”

Abomination.

“It's the most fascinating piece of equipment I have ever seen,” the interruption said with excitement.

The two women turned to the tiny goat man, who looked in awe. As if he found some secret of life and was annoyed by their lack of appreciation.

“It's a furnace of meat,” said Lucky.

“Your lizard brain doesn’t comprehend what we have just encountered. That was probably the biggest, most interesting piece of equipment I had ever seen. Of flesh, blood, of metal. Each piece has a purpose even when it clearly should not. All working in synergy with each other. Each piece each part are god’s will showing we aren't seeing the full picture. Each...”

Lucky looked at Hide as he preached his... infatuation with the equipment he had laid his eyes on. She looked at him as if he had gone insane.

Carole looked at him back. In his eyes…. It was a joy.

He loved that thing…

Just like he loved Loukas… metal, blood and flesh.

How fitting.

A far more human part of Carole wanted to interrogate the man, to elaborate on his… passion for that... Thing. That love he had for such a thing was unnatural, yet was... somewhat expected. That thing did want a technological prodigy’s love and devotion. She knew her task, despite her knowledge of how it will evitably end for him.

It wanted Hide’s infatuation, curiosity, and skill. Thus she will not bother with it.

It was his fate.

She will not think too much on the matter.

Lucky was more humane than she ever was.

“Are you joking here? Hide that thing is freaky.”

“Your Face is freaky," Hide retorted, "You only think that cus you don’t understand it.”

“I get your boyfriend is a freak of nature but-”

Hide slammed his hand on the table with his ears pinned back in anger. “Hey you, take that back bitch!”

“Enough.” Carole was not allowing the two to bicker in public. People were already staring and it was tiring.

Hide slumped into his chair with a pout. “You call my Loulou a freak and your girlfriend is a corpse. Necrophilia is a crime you know.”

Carole wanted to choke on her drink as he said that, whilst Lucky as usual less subtle sputtered, “What do you know?”

“I'm a genius sweetheart.”

Debatable.

Carole gave Hide a stern look, the opposite of the beast-kin’s clear look of victory at his on-the-nose and accurate observation. Carole handed him a twenty as he looked down at it in confusion.

“Eh? What the hells this for,”

“There’s an arcade nearby… treat yourself.”

Hide expression twisted into a snarl. “If you wanted me out of the way you didn’t have to go full, old lady, I'm not a charity case... And I'm not five…"

He glared at her before he pocketed the money and flipped the two off, "Im still taking your cash bitch."

He headed in the arcade's direction, leaving the two women alone.

Carole at first thought this would be easy, but as soon as she was aware of how alone they were, and stirred her cup.

She was with Emilia again.

Looking at her again, she felt like she was looking at the girl she wished Emila was during her time with her all those years ago. Emelia glanced at Carole, rubbing her hands together and said, “I'm glad you got that kid to keep himself busy. He's all funny but eh, he has too much younger brother energy.”

Carole scoffed, “That kid is at a bare minimum is probably in his 30's.. older than you.”

“Oh Fuck, you serious?” she held her hands to her face. “My entire life was a lie!”

Carole could not help but chuckle and Lucky looked at her as her smile grew warm, “I see a smile”

“I smiled before you know.”

“I know… it's just ... just the first time I’ve seen you laugh because of me in years.”

Once more the silence entered between them and then... Emilia let out a sad sigh.

“I'm sorry… For what I did…”

Carole looked at the brunette woman, hands gripping her cup as if it was her lifeline, she looked down into the now cooling drink.

“I... I couldn’t take it anymore. I was so so stupid and I... I”

Carole scooted her chair next to her and slowly removed her glove off her hand, revealing burnt flesh. Emelia looked at it again with guilt, but Carole placed her hand on top of her soft skin hand causing the other woman to blush and Carole as usual remained straight-faced.

“It doesn't too much anymore...Alright.” Carole kept her hand upon Lucky’s hand as the other girl gently caressed her damaged fingers.

It sadly felt of nothing.

“But... I like currant you…” Carole gave the woman a small smile, “That… makes me happy”

“Can I… kiss you?” Emelia said with a big grin. "If you want me to, that is."

Carole tilted her head in confusion at the request given.

“Why?”

Emilia's cheeks had reddened deeply. “Oh, come on, Puppy. I um...I..like you a lot. And that’s um… how I.”

Carole immediately got what she was trying to say. She was never a... Strongly romantic or even less so a sexual person. It was a fleeting feeling to her.

She never really understood people normally, but she quickly understood what Emilia wanted.

She shrugs, “If you insist... Sure... Just don't linger too long...”

Carole felt a hand under her chin with gentleness, and heard, “tell me when to stop sugar bear.”

Emelia's lips were soft over hers. A soft kiss that tasted of stale hot chocolate and sugar marshmallows. Carole allowed it as she closed her eyes and felt a warmth on her lips

Finally, their lips swiftly separated, and Lucky was as flushed as a cherry.

“S-so um… puppy..”

“… Thanks…” Carole looks outside the window. She wanted to process what had just happened.

Normally she would have considered getting back together with an ex was a bad idea. Many books kept saying this. However, over the past few months has been nothing but a spree of bad ideas and choices and with her now shortened life. Does it matter anymore?

Why not enjoy this while she can?

“I don’t know," was what Carole said, "... But you know our time here will be short... right?”

Emila seemingly without another thought squeezed the little dead angel hand as she, “A little pessimistic. It will all work out.”

Carole said nothing back but she shall watch this entire show, this movie, this book, to the very end.