“WOOOOOO!”

People cheer loudly in a spacious room enveloped by colorful neon lights, as energetic yet chill beats bang in the background

POP!

Booze bottles bursts open accompanied by more cheering and casual chatter

Haruna Nara, age thirty, the older sister of Himari is having an engagement party.

…….

“Why am I here!?” I loudly ask Apollo over the music and cheering

“My supervisor invited me!” he unnecessarily shouts into my ear

“What does that have to do with me!?” I spitefully shout into his

WOOOOOOOOO!

“She invited me and so I asked if I could bring you and Lyra along,

I thought it would be a good chance for you to have fun for once instead of brooding all the time”

“How is this fun?”

(And I don’t brood)

“Apollo I’ve been looking into that ‘person’ you met ‘the other night' on Katellox” Himari says as softly as she can to Apollo but it still reaches my ear,

The woman seems to share my displeasure on being here instead opting to talk about what I assume is work related business

“It’s weird to see Kage wearing something besides cloaks,” inputs Lyra who has been mischievously eying me since we got arrived here

I can’t tell if she like it or hates the atmosphere of the club–

“Sssiiiiiiiiiiiiiisssss~!

You are finally here!” an energetic rosy cheeked woman who looks like a much less fit much more happy version Himari

She does not look that much older than her younger sibling, although her face is heavily covered in makeup…

“Are these who you invited?” the smiling woman nudges her sister on to make the introductions

“Uh hem, this is who I am responsible of supervising at work, Apollo, his friend Lyra, and a pira— Kage, his friend,”

Himari sounds weirdly subdued talking to her sister….

“Co-workers?” her sister frowns

“Is there a problem with that Haruna?”

“No, I am happy that you are at least, um, making friends…

…. Apollo, you are very handsome, I am Haruna, Himari’s older sister,”

“It is a pleasure, I thought all my supervisor’s family would be as stoic as her,” Apollo smiles cheerfully

“Direct me to the alcohol please,” Lyra’s says uninterested and unimpressed by the woman

(When did she start drinking?)

“Feel free to enjoy yourselves to anything or anyone here” Haruna waves at Lyra who brushes past her coldly...

La-da-da da-da da-da da-da da-da da

“And the other girl is Kage, I believe?

You have a strange name for a lady” Haruna turns her attention to me

(Lady?)

“Eheck!”

Apollo coughs laughingly,

(Is because of my clothes?)

Lyra specifically picked the these clothes out for me as I hadn’t none myself, something called a ‘ruffle top’ and some embroidered jeans….

(A prank maybe?)

“Pleased to meet you Ms Haruna,” I monotone while staring directly at Apollo

….

He shrugs a begins to whistle out of tune to the song currently playing

(Guilty)

“Come on sis, and Apollo, let me introduce you to my fiancé—" Taking Apollo and Himari’s hand, Haruna pulls them away into a group of people, leaving me standing alone in alone in the lively club…

(I don’t think she had a good impression of Lyra and I)

“Ooh~” I love this song someone says as I aimlessly walk through the people

Being here makes me remember Karina’s club back in Soterra, though the tone is drastically different compared to the den of pleasure that was Hedon,

The sight of people dancing and drinking, having a good time in general,

(I don’t mind it.

I just hate being a part of it…)

“Insidaz are such good artists~

Which do you think is the better one though? André 9000 or Big Mane?”

“mhmm..

Ima have to go with…”—

…….

“—Hey Kage!?” A familiar face calls out to me

“MF?

Strange seeing you here.”

“I should be asking you that, I didn’t know you were close enough friends with Himari that she would invite you, she can be such a hard ass at work you know?”

“Hard ass?”

“She’s a strict woman,” MF elaborates,

“haaaa~” he sighs happily

“This is the first time I’ve been invited to a party like this,

Well besides the birthday parties me and my mom have,”

“….?”

(This guy is both amusing and confusing)

“Mf~ where did you go~” A drunk woman’s voice calls

We go through too much bullshit♪

Just to mess with these drunk and hot girls♪

“I want to hear more about your engineering~”

“I take it you are enjoying yourself?” I nod to him

“haaaa~”

He sighs happily again

“I hope your enjoying yourself too,

By the way Kage,

In the North” MF lowers his voice slightly

“Are the people there all androgynous?”

“All what?”

(Is he referring to my outfit?)

“Never mind,

We’ll catch up later, Kage”

………

(Where the hell did Lyra go!? This is her doing)

Up in the club look at here what we got♪

……

“Hey cutie?” Lyra says laughingly as I pull up next to her, behind a bar counter

“Is dressing me like this a joke to you?” I immediately press

“Yes.” She replied dryly

“Have a drink and stop being so whiny”

(I didn’t even start complaining yet)

“Have a drink Kage”

“I don’t drink,”

“Why?”

“I don’t know, I never have before and I haven’t really been curious about it either.”

“I already hate being on his god-awful ring and your extreme boringness is making it worse for me right now, Kage.

Loosen up a bit or I’ll force you too myself”

“How do you suppose I do that?”

“I don’t know Kage, do what you did the other day when you started crying,”

“You were crying first”

“…….” Choosing not to response the girl gives me ‘the finger’

Stop dancing with your girlfriend and come dance with me♪

(Lyra has changed quite a bit)

“What did you just think?

I can tell when you start spacing out Kage.”

“You changed quite a bit,”

“My magic evolved again too, thanks to you Kage

You made me even more fucked up but at least I got better magic”

“Is she drunk already?” A bartender looks over the counter, overhearing the girl

“Possibly” I speak for Lyra

Stop talking 'bout your boyfriend since he is not me♪

………

“WOOOOOOOOOOOOO!”

Loud cheering diverts my attention to the other side of the club,

(What in name of Murdoc?)

Apollo Himari, Haruna and another man are on opposite ends of a table consuming shot after shot,

“I can do this all night!” Apollo declares velhmenlty

Himari looks equally as competitive

“You can do it Himari!”

“Her man is a heavy drinker!”

“Haruna, you can’t lose to your younger sister!”

“This guy’s name is actually Jeff?

Looollll!”

A chorus of cheers and encourages circle the four who, I guess are having a drink-off

Stop running up my tab 'cause these drinks is not free♪

“Looks like they’re having fun,” Lyra comments,

“Must be nice.

When do we leave?” I state sarcastically

“There may be no hope for you after all Kage,” Lyra sighs,

“What do you mean by that?”

“I don’t know,

Read my mind, copy my emotions again if you want to know so desperately” Lyra mumbles not entirely knowing what she herself means

(Copy?)

……..

*****

Ever since that day with Lyra.

I’ve been starting to feel, not my own emotions, but others, If I focus hard enough on you,

Then maybe?

…. I can feel your emotion.

Love, the dangerous necessity that people seek, Without regard♪

To where they are the human heart is curious♪

Above all things♪

The light the music the energy, by myself, I would probably dislike it, this is not for me, but using the people around me, focusing on how they feel.

I love it

Love, the lights are low, your eyes are bright, the music plays, it's sweet delight♪

It's out of sight, I'm feeling right♪

“Your dress is tight♪

Ooooooh, hoooooowwww♪

I want you right now♪” sings Apollo fully drunk he knows waves about mindlessly swaying away with the equally if not more so drunk Himari.

“We go!

Through too!

Much shit! Too mess!

All of these”

“Drunk and hot girls!♪”

Lyra and I sing in tandem,

(Is this what being drunk feel like?)

Not drunk off alcohol but of emotion itself.

You only live once, do whatever you like♪

I thought I'd be with you for only one night♪

“Now I'm with this girl for the rest of my life!♪” sings everyone

The night goes on and as the average person sleeps, the people in Aiyoku club dance, they sing, they drink they cheer, they have a good time, Even Kage usually emotionally neutral, joins in….

What was even the point of this?

You are probably thinking, and to that we say; who really knows? ……….

WE SHOULD NOT HAVE LET KAGE LEARN ABOUT THIS ABILITY.

La-da-da da-da da-da da-da da-da da♪

Blap!

***

It begins