What is this, a goddamn war zone? Why does she keep dropping these nuclear bombs on me!?

"So back when you said you'd done things that were "unforgivable and monstrous"... Y-you actually meant..."

"Yes. There is so much blood on my hands, Norma. And it can never be washed away."

Luna's gaze was uncomfortably intense as she studied my reaction, hoping beyond hope that I would somehow be able to accept her even after what she had just admitted. But despite myself, I subconsciously moved away from her at those words. I caught myself in the act and rejected the instinct almost immediately, but the damage had already been done.

All the life drained out of her body as she crumpled into herself in despair. I wanted to cup her cheek, to tell her everything would be okay. But how could I? She was a murderer. The weight of that word pinned down all the other thoughts in my head, and I did nothing to soothe her.

"I knew it could only ever end up this way," Luna whispered. "I knew, and yet..."

She suddenly started hyperventilating. I found myself recalling the memory of her holding a knife to her own throat, looking around desperately for someone, anyone to provide her the final push she needed to put an end to her guilt.

...when it comes to Luna I don't know anything for certain. Not yet.

Ignoring the dryness of my throat, I leaned into her and whispered everything I could think of to help her calm down.

"I'm so sorry, I was taken by surprise and acted without thinking. You can appreciate that you threw me a bit of a curveball just now, can't you?"

Still staring straight ahead, she nodded almost imperceptibly through her ragged breaths. I took a minute more to prepare myself for what I was about to say.

"Alright, I've made my decision... Whatever it is you might have done in the past, I'm still going to be here for you, okay? I don't know who you were back then, but it doesn't actually matter in the slightest."

She jerked her head in surprise, unable to believe my words and searching my eyes for any sign of deception. I held her gaze and smiled shyly at her.

"I'm... falling for you, you know. I'm falling for the woman right in front of me, and I don't think that would be happening if you weren't a genuinely good person. You're as worthy of love as anyone, Luna. And... if you'll allow us to see where this goes, one day I might even be able to return the intensity of your-"

Before I knew it her mouth was on mine, hungry for my affection. I returned her kiss, my heart pounding in excitement and fear of what it might truly mean to fall deeply in love with her. We spent a long time exploring each other's bodies, though given the rawness of our emotions, neither of us made a move toward the explicitly sexual. Just as we were considering it though, there was a knock at the door.

Untangling ourselves and quickly smoothing out our clothes and hair, I went to open it. A tall woman with long black hair in an impeccable suit regarded me with a sneer, and my father stood uncertain a few steps behind her. I gazed up at the woman's familiar, crystalline blue eyes in confusion. Luna ran up in front of me, as if to shield me from her.

"Mother... W-what are you doing here!?" she demanded.

"Time to come home, doll." Her attempt at sounding affectionate must have been for my father's sake, but it was stilted, awkward. Despite the 'warmth' in her voice, her eyes warned against starting a scene in front of my father and I. Luna sighed in defeat.

"Yes, mother," she agreed hesitantly. Despite everything Luna had told me about her, I couldn't let it end this way. We still hadn't come up with a plan, and no matter how unlikely, this might be my only chance to help her.

"Umm, Mrs. Reclipse? My name is Norma," I began. The woman looked at me disinterestedly, the way one might study an ant. Luna's eyes pleaded with me to stop talking immediately. I don't know what came over me, but I pressed on.

"It's just that, Luna mentioned she'd be moving rather suddenly, and I'd like to spend as much time with her as possible before that happens... I know you've already made the trip, but would it be possible for us to have her over for dinner tonight?"

My dad nodded thoughtfully, not minding the idea, but a strange look came over Luna's mother as she considered my request.

"You want to spend more time with her...? I see, I see..."

She slowly turned around.

"Mr. Lity was it? You wouldn't mind if I had Norma over for dinner tonight, would you?"

"Oh, uh... if it's not too much trouble-"

"Wonderful. Come along, girls."

With that she brushed past my father and headed down the stairs. Luna took a breath, closed her eyes, and followed her mother. I went to follow, but dad put an arm on my shoulder.

"I know I shouldn't worry, but I can't help it after losing you once already. If anything happens, call me and I'll come get you. Promise me."

I smiled.

"Yeah dad, of course. Love you."

"I love you too, kiddo. Hope you have a good time."

With that he let me go, and I followed Luna and her mother to their waiting limousine. Mrs. Reclipse stretched her arms across the seats, completely at ease, yet Luna appeared to be bracing herself for the worst. When Mrs. Reclipse eventually spoke, she focused entirely on me, as if Luna weren't in the car with us at all.

"My husband is dead, so don't bother with Mrs. Reclipse. Call me Stella."

"Oh, uh, sorry for your loss."

"Don't be. I'm the one who killed him."

She watched for my response in a way that very much reminded me of Luna. Guess I know where she gets it from...

I didn't react in any meaningful way. From what little Luna had already told me of this woman, the possibility of her murdering her husband simply came as no surprise. She hummed at my stony expression, moving on from the subject.

"You spend much time with my daughter?"

"Not as much as I would have liked, but yes, I have."

"And you really haven't noticed?" she asked sharply, eyebrow raised.

"...noticed what?"

"What else? That she's broken, you slow girl."

Luna winced at her mother's words.

"What!? How can you say that?" I demanded.

"Show her," she nodded in her daughter's general direction without actually looking at her.

For the first time, Luna seemed to have a shred of confidence. She lifted her dress enough to push down her stockings, revealing her scars to me once more. By now, I knew them intimately. Disappointed by my lukewarm reaction, Stella clicked her tongue.

"You knew, huh?"

"I thought she was being abused, at first."

"Ah, so you started off as a white knight. But now you know better?"

"I'm not certain, but... you do it to yourself, don't you?" I turned to Luna before asking. I refused to talk about her like she wasn't here the way her mother did.

Luna answered 'yes' under her breath even while shaking her head.

"The girl is weak. She needs to use a ghost from her past as an excuse to go through with it. But she shouldn't need to do it at all."

This was getting very personal, very fast. I didn't know much about the root of her guilt, and bringing it up in front of the one responsible was pretty likely to end badly for both of us. Despite this, I gathered up all my courage and took a gamble.

"And why, pray tell, does she have this desire in the first place?"

Stella leaned forward, her intensity every bit a match for her daughter's. Even under that withering gaze, I stared back at her in contempt. After what felt like an eternity she relaxed, leaning back with a wry chuckle.

"...you're an interesting one, aren't you? There aren't many who talk to me that way and live to do it again, you know."

"Sounds like it gets boring."

Her deadened eyes seemed to lighten up a bit.

"...that it does."

She looked between Luna and myself for several moments, lost in thought.

"Alright, let me make absolutely certain that you and I both understand. My daughter's mind is completely shattered, and her self-loathing is so great that she dreams up reasons to hurt herself. There's no way around it - she's mentally ill. And yet you, a perfectly normal girl, are going to such lengths to spend more time with her?"

"Luna is not ill. She's just still recovering from the horrific things that someone put her through when she was only a child."

Luna put a hand on my arm - not as a gesture of thanks, but as a warning. Stella spoke in a morbid sing-song voice that made my skin crawl.

"Why, Ms. Norma Lity... it sounds to me like you know just a little too much~"