Archive of Our Own ^beta

Considering the kind of person she was, it seemed strange for Hecatia to be able to call anything else in life strange. But as she looked out the window once again, she could honestly say that she'd never seen anything quite as odd anywhere else on Earth, the Moon or in Hell.

The landscape was truly bizarre though. Mountains outside twisted and turned in odd ways, such that their peaks were facing down at times. Yet, the ocean they rooted themselves in was perfectly calm, the only disturbance being the minute disruption of snowflakes falling in it.

And when Hecatia looked up, she saw perhaps her favourite sight of all — the sight of the Moon shattered into pieces. It still remained in the sky, all in one spot, but it was broken beyond repair.

Hecatia laughed — it was so blatant and obvious, but that's what made it perfect. So very Junko.

"I didn't think you'd find my Moon so amusing," Junko remarked, looking at her as she finished placing some noodles in a pot of water and started to boil it. "I thought it was too crude."

"Nah, it's perfect!" Hecatia pointed towards the fractured Moon. "See, that right there is the equivalent of giving the middle finger to the Lunarians, and that's exactly what they deserve. Just a shame we can't do that in real life..."

"... I don't think I'd truly be able to do that," Junko murmured, her soft footsteps getting louder as she joined Hecatia's side. "One of your bodies is there, and I wouldn't forgive myself for hurting you."

"No worries, Moon can always leave for a bit. Besides, we've been through much worse than that," Hecatia said dismissively. She frowned after that, sighing disappointedly at a realisation. "Though... it would have massive consequences down here with the tides and kill lots of humans."

"Ah. In that case, it definitely can't be done. Vengeance is a noble thing, but only when confined to those deserving of it."

"And it is sort of my job to not let anything bad happen here," Hecatia reached up at the Earth in her crown, tapping it. "Plus, Earthlings are cool."

"They are certainly interesting." With an amused smile, Junko interlocked her fingers with Hecatia's. "Though it's pleasing to see you enraptured with my Senkai, I would prefer it if your attention was on other things. Like myself."

"Right, my bad." Hecatia chuckled. "After all, I'm here for you."

After a long day of work, the one thing Hecatia enjoyed doing more than anything else was visiting Junko. The scenery alone made it worth it, with Junko's imagination having twisted her section of Senkai into the landscape she saw right now.

Of course, the one sight better than the scenery to her would be Junko herself. Seeing her was always a pleasure, and Hecatia relished every second she got to spend with her.

"I do appreciate you coming here though. I understand it's a hassle for you."

"Well, what can I say?" With a grin plastered on her face, Hecatia swiftly pecked Junko's cheek. "The reward makes it all worthwhile. Anyway, how's your day been?"

"Well enough, though naturally it has significantly improved since your arrival," Junko said, eliciting a small smile from Hecatia. "Otherwise, I have simply gone about working on my designs."

Hecatia snapped her fingers together, remembering what Junko had been working on. "Oh yeah, how's that painting coming along?"

"Adequately. I was about to create the glass before you came."

"Really?" Hecatia's curiosity piqued at that — she'd seen Junko's paintings before, but never how she made them, or even how she actually made the glass she used. "Mind if I see?"

Junko gave her an odd look, but eventually nodded. "We have enough time to make it before the noodles finish. However, I suspect it won't be exciting enough for your tastes."

Hands on her hips, Hecatia haughtily replied, "Hey, just 'cause I like a little chaos doesn't mean I can't appreciate the simpler things in life! I'm full of surprises."

"Is that so?" A light smirk emerged on Junko's lips. "Surprise me then."

In a whirl of black clothes, Junko turned on the spot and marched out of the room. Following behind her, Hecatia took note of the rooms they passed — Junko's house was always interesting to see, because of how different it was to her palace in Hell.

It was very spartan — everything here had a purpose, and there was nothing superfluous. That wasn't to say Junko was a minimalist, but if something had no function, it wouldn't be here.

... that sounded very similar to the Lunarians. Moon would know more about that than her, but the Lunarians definitely valued function over form.

As she followed Junko, Hecatia frowned slightly. The person she loved and the people she hated shouldn't have anything in common, but she couldn't deny the similarities.

And yet, there were key differences too. After all, the Lunarians would never approve of what Junko was about to do — art was an incomprehensible thing to them.

Finally, they reached a small room, with several large cabinets all around, a table in the middle and a small furnace to the side.

"Would you mind getting the materials for me?" Junko asked, as she walked over to the furnace and closed her eyes.

"Sure. Rock and limestone, right?" Hecatia remembered that Junko told her she used those things once.

Junko paused, before smiling at her. "I'm impressed you remembered. In addition, I need soda ash," Junko added, spreading her palms out. "It's important for the glass's integrity, lest it break as easily as Chang'e will."

"Gotcha," Hecatia opened one of the cabinets, quickly scanning the contents for the materials. Finding each in neatly tied bags (Junko was a stickler for things like that), she took them out and opened them up.

"What colour are you thinking for this ba..." Hecatia's voice trailed off as she saw a sudden flash of pink light from over her shoulder, and the furnace before Junko instantly looked brand new.

Junko opened her eyes, meeting Hecatia's gaze with her own.

"Cleanliness is a form of purity," She explained. "Thus, the lack of it is impurity, isn't it?"

Whistling appreciably, Hecatia said, "Man, that'd help out a lot. Would speed the cleaning up a bunch."

"Does Clownpiece not do a good job?"

"Clownpiece does a great job... at doing the bare minimum." Placing a hand on her face, Hecatia shook her head. "I've learnt better than to punish her with that chore."

"I see. Perhaps I should assist you the next time I visit then," Junko suggested.

Immediately, Hecatia's mind went straight to the thought of Junko sweeping away in her home... after a long day of work, she'd come home to her. The thought of it enraptured her more than she cared to admit.

"Hecatia?"

Junko's voice tore Hecatia from her thoughts, where she realised with some embarrassment that she'd been daydreaming for a while, based on the patiently amused look Junko was giving her.

"Eh, don't bother," Hecatia finally said. "Besides, there's plenty of other things I'd rather be doing with you when you come over. Anyway... what colour are you thinking for this glass?"

"How about... blue?" Junko tilted her head towards Hecatia's hair. "It seems like a good choice. I believe there is some copper oxide left."

Opening a smaller drawer, Hecatia found a number of bottles each with coloured powders. She didn't know which one Junko was looking for — despite her tidiness, Junko hadn't labelled any of them, but one of them had blue powder inside, so that must be it.

"Is this it?" Hecatia tossed the bottle over to Junko, who caught it.

"Yes, this is it," she said after briefly examining it. "If it's not much trouble, would you mind pouring those inside here?" Junko pointed towards the bags.

With a chuckle, Hecatia effortlessly lifted them all and carried them towards her. "You know, I did ask if I could help you out, so you don't have to feel bad about it."

"Still... one has a duty to be hospitable to their guests." Junko murmured. "It is only polite, is it not?"

"Unless they're Lunarians," Hecatia added, as she emptied the contents into the furnace.

"Naturally." Junko slammed the lid of the furnace shut, messing with some of the knobs on the surface. All things considered, it was the most technical thing in Junko's house, which made Hecatia wonder something.

"Where did you even get this thing anyway?" Hecatia asked, slapping the top of the furnace.

"I have Yagokoro and her rabbits to thank for this... according to her, something like this was child's play compared to the technology they have on the Moon."

"Hmph." Hecatia crossed her arms together, having to concede the point. "Well, good technology doesn't mean a thing if you don't use it right. After all, it only took one dedicated spirit to topple them over."

"... I had help though," Junko pointed out. She checked the inside once more, before starting the furnace. "As did the Earthlings who stopped us. So perhaps... there is a different lesson to be learned."

The soft sounds of the furnace's flames was the only noise in the room after that, leaving Hecatia to ponder on Junko's words.

Strength in numbers... that was definitely a foreign concept to her. In Hell, power was the most important thing, but Hell was a ruthless place too. That's why she was at the top — she'd clawed her way there over hundreds of years. Better than anyone else, she knew how painful that was, hence why she resolved to never force anyone else to have to do the same.

In the end, her position was something earned purely on her own merits. She'd seen people try and form alliances against her, but they crumbled as quickly as they formed. Similarly, she'd broken alliances as if they were nothing too.

For all intents and purposes, the alliance she made with Junko should have been the same as well... yet, here they stood years later, and now allies couldn't be a more misleading term to describe what they were.

"That should be enough time." Junko turned the furnace off and took a thin metal tray, placing it underneath the opening. "You should stand back."

She opened the hatch, sending a blast of heat across the room. Inside, Hecatia could see a red hot liquid dripping out onto the tray below — that must be the molten glass.

It spread out perfectly across the tray, bubbling slowly. Once it was full, Junko shut the hatch and picked it up, closing her eyes again.

Suddenly, seven streams of purple fire stretched out from her back, curling as they came around to the front. The air started to grow... lighter? No, not lighter, but rather more refined, easier to breathe.

The tray Junko was holding began to glow with that eerie pink light once more... Hecatia watched in awe as the bubbles began to disappear one by one, and the surface of the glass was left completely undisturbed.

"That should do for now," Junko said.

"What's the purification for?" Hecatia asked curiously. "Don't tell me you need to purify glass?"

"Yes. Or more precisely, it needs to be refined. The air trapped within disturbs the integrity of the matrix... but I have my ways around that." Junko placed the tray on top of the furnace. "Though, now this needs to cool down before it can be cut."

"So, that's all there is to making glass then?"

"I did say it wasn't very interesting." Junko replied, misinterpreting Hecatia's surprise for disappointment.

"Nah, that was cool!" Eagerly, Hecatia gave her applause. "You know, I've got a lot of stained glass windows in my place, but I've never seen the stuff be made."

"My, my." Junko gave a small smirk. "You are full of surprises, aren't you?"

Hecatia laughed back, her eyes falling on the tray of molten glass. Soon enough, that'd be the glass Junko would make into paintings... she wondered what exactly Junko was making this time. Now she thought about it, it had been a while since she'd come, so there's a lot Junko might have done since then...

"Hey, have you made any more paintings since I last came?" Hecatia asked.

"Just the one. It's a very special one though and it's in the kitchen along with the others. You're welcome to see it, and I have to finish dinner for both of us regardless. The noodles should be ready by now..."

Hecatia raised an eyebrow. "Both of us?"

"You are staying the night, aren't you? Or... was that too presumptuous?" Junko paused, looking regretful over her assumption. "I apologise if it was, I simply thought that since you've stayed over in the past."

"Nah, I'm just messing with you. I'd be glad to stay over."

Junko immediately fixed Hecatia with a stern glare and a chill ran down her spine. It took a lot to induce fear in the Goddess of Hell, but that stare did the trick.

"Hecatia," Junko took a step towards her, all while her expression remained rigid. "Nobody messes with me."

"Uh... I was just joking!" Hecatia nervously chuckled, holding her hands up.

Junko continued to stare at her, boring into her soul for the longest minute of Hecatia's life.

And then, she laughed.

"Goodness... I don't think I've ever seen you that terrified."

Hecatia gasped in outrage. "You actually had me thinking you were mad?!" With mock petulance, she stamped her foot on the ground. "You can be real scary."

"An ironic sentiment, coming from the Goddess of Hell herself," Junko snarked.

"Honestly? You're probably a lot more terrifying than 90% of people down there," Hecatia grinned at her partner proudly, before folding her arms. "Still, pretty cruel to use that against your own partner."

In the back of Hecatia's mind, she couldn't help but regret that choice of words, since there was a good chance Junko would take them seriously. Thankfully, the way she stepped towards her and curled her fingers under Hecatia's chin immediately after indicated she recognised the joke.

"Cruel, you say?" Junko brought Hecatia closer to her with a smirk. "Then perhaps I need to engage in a measure of kindness to balance it out."

Before Hecatia could react, Junko tugged her face towards her, meeting her lips with a forceful kiss. Hecatia was taken off guard by the suddenness of it, but enjoyed it all the same, especially when Junko wrapped her hands around her waist.

It was rare to see Junko be so openly affectionate like this, so it truly made Hecatia happy to see something like this from her... which made it all the more crushing when Junko's eyes suddenly widened and she abruptly jerked away from her.

While Hecatia was instinctively disappointed, that immediately vanished upon seeing Junko moving back, tightly gripping onto the edge of a cupboard.

"I'm... I can't... I apologise," Junko managed to get out between heavy breaths.

"Nah, it's fine, I get it —" Hecatia stepped towards Junko, but she suddenly thrust a hand out, giving her pause.

"I... please do not," Junko pleaded with a strained voice. "Not... now."

Hecatia nodded, slowly backing away from her. "... okay."

This... this was something that happened with Junko at times, and only recently had Hecatia adapted to it. Physical affection was always a tricky thing with her, because sometimes she'd suddenly seize up... just like this.

But she had to remember that it wasn't because of her. It wasn't anyone's fault. And when this sort of thing happened, some space generally helped. Maybe that'd be best now.

"I'm... I'm gonna go up and check on the food," Hecatia said, pointing over her shoulder with her thumb. "Join whenever you feel like it."

Hecatia left the room, returning to Junko's kitchen, where the pot of noodles Junko had set out currently had a thin layer of steam coming off from the surface. She nodded approvingly and removed the pot, but realised she wasn't fully sure of all the steps behind this meal. It was probably best to wait for Junko to come back first...

Well, she could at least do some of the simple things, so she took out a pan of chicken which Junko had also prepared earlier, along with some carrots and green onions. Carefully, she chopped them up into equal lengths — Junko was very particular about that sort of thing. To do something menial like this... it was hardly befitting someone of her position, yet she enjoyed every bit of it.

As she continued, she heard Junko's footsteps coming towards her, before the divine spirit appeared by her side, looking impassive as usual.

"Oh, you've already begun with the vegetables," Junko said gratefully. "Many thanks. I'll handle the chicken then."

It seemed she didn't want to talk about what just happened. Personally, that didn't sit well with Hecatia, but... she'd respect Junko's wishes on this one. She seemed to be alright at least... wait, what was she doing?

Looking to the side, Hecatia saw Junko fiercely stirring away at the chicken while simultaneously glaring at it as if it were an enemy. It immediately took her out of her reverie with a laugh, drawing Junko's attention.

"What's so funny?"

"Your face," Hecatia replied, adding her now chopped vegetables into Junko's pan and letting her stir them in. "You're taking this way too seriously."

"Cooking is very serious business, Hecatia," Junko lectured back. "Every step must be done perfectly, lest you falter in your goal. I wish for this meal to be as perfect as possible for you."

"And I appreciate it, but I'd rather see you loosen up a little," Hecatia responded, walking over to boil some water for the broth. "'Cause right now, you don't look much different from when we came up with those war plans. Anyway, why the dedication to me of all people?"

Junko gave her a puzzled look. "I... don't follow? It is precisely because it is you that I should put in this effort. You are worth all of it."

"Aww, thanks!" Hecatia beamed back at her. "But seriously, I'm having fun just making this."

If anything, that only furthered Junko's confusion. "You mentioned before that you could enjoy the simple things in life, but... I still don't get it."

"Well, the simple things are all we've got from day to day, so we've gotta enjoy them, right? At least... that's how I see it?" Hecatia shrugged. "Beauty in the mundane and all that philosophical crap."

Junko turned back to her cooking, her lips pursed together in thought. She took the water Hecatia had boiled and added it to the pan, now turning the ingredients inside into a proper curry.

Quietly above the flames, she eventually said, "I remember... I used to enjoy cooking once. It gave me great joy to cook for my family. Then... it stopped. It became nothing more than a chore done for survival."

Her words didn't have a speck of emotion in them. She stated them like they were just a fact.

And Hecatia remained silent. Whenever Junko brought her family up, it was always tricky for her to help, but the best thing she'd found was to let Junko say what she needed to.

"But now... those feelings are back, similar and different," Junko continued.

"Different? In what way?" Hecatia asked.

"... fear. It... it has been a very long time since I've felt any measure of it, because I had nothing to lose. Now, I have something very dear to lose... and the fear to go along with it."

"You know that won't happen though, right?" Carefully, Hecatia said, "All due respect to your family, but I'm a goddess. No one's taking me down without one hell of a fight."

"I'm aware. But... that's not the kind of loss I was referring to." The spoon Junko was stirring the food with began to shake, along with her hand. "Not in your case."

The immediate question on Hecatia's mind was... what kind of loss did she mean then? But pushing Junko was the last thing she wanted to do right now, especially when she recognised exactly what was happening to her.

"Hey." Hecatia firmly grabbed Junko's wrist, stopping her shaking hand. "Everything's going to be okay."

Junko turned her head, staring straight at Hecatia. For a while, Hecatia wasn't sure what would happen... but eventually, Junko let out a small sigh, so quiet it was near silent.

She focused back on the pan, turning the heat off. "Yes. It will be. I believe I'm finished."

Hecatia paused, carefully checking if Junko was alright. Once she was satisfied, she said, "Great! Let's eat then."

She took two plates and divided the noodles equally between them, as Junko served the curry onto each plate. The two of them sat down at opposite ends of the small table Junko had, starting to eat their food.

"This is really good," Hecatia complimented. "The flavours are great — you don't get anything as tasty as this down in Hell."

"You don't?" Junko carefully blew on the mass of noodles on her chopsticks before eating it. "I suppose it's fitting that Hell doesn't have good food."

"Well, it's more so that it's hard to grow much down there. There's not much light, and... losing our suns didn't help matters." Hecatia sighed with melancholy. "Still, at least we've got better stuff than the Lunarians do, according to Moon anyway."

"What do they eat then?" Junko found herself rather curious.

"Oh, it's this super processed paste," Hecatia gagged just thinking about it. "Tastes like crap, but they all shovel it down their throats 'cause it's nutritious. Apparently, it also makes them immune to diseases and stuff."

"They all eat it then?" With mild disappointment, Junko said, "I'll have to rule out poison as a way of killing Chang'e then..."

"Nah, poison's too quick anyway. We've gotta really drag out her suffering."

"I agree." Junko nodded. "A swift death would be too merciful. That's a subject for another day though... I'd rather not spoil our evening with her name. I'm glad to hear you're satisfied with my food."

"Oh, I'm way more than just satisfied. Seriously, this is probably the best meal I've had in two weeks... seeing as two weeks ago was the last time I visited you."

"You flatter me," Junko replied, giving a small smile. "Thank you."

The two of them continued to eat, content to simply enjoy each other's company in silence. As Hecatia ate, she took the time to gaze around the room, looking at the various stained glass paintings Junko had made.

The most interesting thing Hecatia noted was that the majority of them depicted landscapes rather than people, and a wide variety of them too. She could see all sorts of different ones, to the Youkai Mountain, the Sea of Tranquility, and Eientei — she recognised that last one as being new to her.

However, there were only two paintings here with people, one of them being to her left side — it depicted Reisen in the Bamboo Forest.

"She is an interesting case, isn't she?" Junko spoke up.

"Huh?" Hecatia looked back at Junko, who was also looking at the same painting now.

"You've been looking at that one for a while," Junko said, inclining her head towards it. "What fascinates you about it?"

"It's more so the fact you made it. You generally don't do people."

"That is true. Not that I consider myself an artist, but... landscapes provide a more comfortable meaning for me to depict than people. Those I do are therefore very special."

"A Moon rabbit who became a rabbit of Earth..." Hecatia mused. "I honestly didn't think it could be done. Once a moonie, always a loonie, right?"

"Yet, she changed. Even her mistresses have not completely abandoned the Lunarian ways, though they have made steps towards it. It is ironic to think that for how low class her species is, she would end up accomplishing such an impressive feat."

Junko bowed her head slightly in respect. "Truly impressive."

"It's not just her too," Hecatia added. "Honestly... humans are pretty low class when you think about it. But I'll be damned if I say I wasn't impressed seeing those humans going up against us. And we made the same mistake the Lunarians did — we underestimated them."

"Gensokyo is full of interesting people. Is that why you chose to place it under your protection?"

"Pretty much. I think it'd be a shame if a place with so many surprises was lost."

"I see..." Junko gazed at all her other works, then went back to Hecatia. "May I ask... do you have a favourite among these?"

"Oh, definitely. It's the same it's always been — that one right there." Hecatia pointed to a different painting on the right, which was the other painting with a person.

"Ah." Junko smiled upon seeing it. It was a simple portrait, showing Clownpiece holding her torch in the air. "I should have guessed."

"What can I say? I'm biased."

"It's a good choice," Junko nodded approvingly. "I... I am quite fond of it myself. Incidentally, how is Clownpiece? It has been a while since I've seen her."

"She's doing okay. She says she's made friends with the other fairies here, which is good to hear. Still, I don't really see her much in Hell these days."

"Ah... due to your 'punishment'?" Junko asked.

"Yep. It worked a bit too well," Hecatia sighed, tapping her chopsticks against the side of her bowl. "Ah, damn it... I miss the rascal, you know? Yeah, she comes back to visit every once in a while, but it just ain't the same down there without hearing some kind of explosion from her every two seconds."

Hecatia shook her head, laughing at herself pitifully. "Urgh, look at me. I shouldn't be getting sad over this — she had to fly the nest eventually, right?"

"Perhaps. But that does not invalidate the way you feel. It only makes sense that you would feel lonely."

"Woah, where'd you get that one from?" Hecatia chuckled nervously.

"Forgive me if I'm mistaken, but I've noticed you've been visiting me more often since Clownpiece left," Junko explained calmly. "I can only conclude that the reason why is an increased sense of isolation."

Was that really true? She hadn't even noticed it herself, but Junko was likely right.

"Sorry if I've been bugging you then," Hecatia apologised. "I know you prefer your solitude."

Junko reached across the table, placing her hand on Hecatia's. "That is true, but... your company is always welcome. The size of your home would only accentuate that sense of loneliness too."

"Yeah, that's part of why I like coming here. It's nice and cosy."

"I'm glad to hear that, though I wish there was something I could do for you."

"Don't worry about it," Hecatia said, waving it off as usual. "I don't think there's much you can do anyway." Jokingly, she added, "Unless you wanna move in with me or something."

As Hecatia slurped down some more noodles, Junko stopped eating herself, musing on that one.

"Perhaps I will do that then," she said.

Hecatia's eyes widened and she nearly choked on the noodles she was eating. Did... did she hear that right?

"Uh, Junko... that was a joke," Hecatia clarified.

"But there is merit to the idea," Junko pointed out. "My presence would provide a counterbalance to the loneliness you feel, and your palace's size would grant a level of isolation I desire. In any case, isn't it natural to reside with the one you love?" Junko fixed Hecatia with an amused smirk. "Do you think my husband and I lived separately?"

"It's a pretty big jump though."

Junko hesitated slightly before responding. "Yes, that is true... and that's why I can't say I'd be comfortable with the idea now. However, I wouldn't be opposed to it in the future... if that is acceptable to you."

"Of course it is! Look, I don't wanna pressure you into anything, so do what you feel is right." Hecatia smiled widely. "Honestly, I'm just happy to hear you're considering it."

"I wonder how Clownpiece would react to us cohabitating..." Junko mused.

"Oh, probably by taking the piss out of us every two seconds for a good week." Hecatia rolled her eyes. "She already makes fun of me every time I spend the night here. She's a real gremlin with stuff like that..."

"Yes, that does sound like her. Still, I find it endearing myself. It's always a pleasure when she visits here."

"Yeah... it's been a while since all three of us have spent some time together. Come to think of it, last that happened was probably two months ago."

"Two months ago..." Junko tapped her fingers against the table, trying to remember it. "Ah, when we made those cookies for Hakurei due to her injuries. I believe you said a youkai was responsible for them?"

"Yep, that was it. I'm told by Sanae that she liked the cookies too, so seems like it was a success."

Briefly, Hecatia's mind went to the two shrine maidens, who didn't seem too far away from cohabitation either, at least from what she saw... it was interesting how different people moved at different paces.

"Anyway, thanks for letting Clownpiece stop by occasionally. I know she's made of tougher stuff than half the people in Hell, but I still worry about her at times," Hecatia admitted. "So, it's nice to know there's someone in Gensokyo she can visit when she needs to."

"You have no need to thank me. As I said, it is a pleasure. She's even helped me with some of these paintings," Junko said, gesturing around her.

"Really? Which ones?"

"That one there." Junko pointed at the painting of the Bamboo Forest. "She not only gave me the idea, but she also helped assemble the pieces together."

"That's nice. You know, she really enjoys spending time with you. She's always got good things to say."

Although... there was one thing Clownpiece mentioned the last time she saw her that did worry Hecatia a little. Maybe now was the time to bring that up.

"Actually, there is one thing I wanna ask," Hecatia continued. "Clownpiece always has a good time here, but she said the last time she visited you... you seemed sad to her."

"Sad?" Junko tried to think back to when she last saw Clownpiece... it would have been a few days ago. "Oh... I see now. She's remarkably perceptive..."

"Mind elaborating on that?"

Junko chuckled, staring down at her bowl. "How ironic... of all the meals I could have chosen to make tonight, it was this one. What are the odds?"

Hecatia placed her chopsticks into her empty bowl, now very confused as to the relevance, but she decided to let Junko continue.

"This dish... it's very special to me," Junko explained, her voice now very quiet.

"Why's that?"

"It... it was my son's favourite meal."

And suddenly, things became a thousand times more clear to Hecatia. She could already guess what might have happened, but nonetheless, she let Junko go on.

"This... this is an incredibly simple dish," Junko said. "It was one of the first things our society would have taught our children to make. It is by no means complex, refined, or impressive in any way. It is nothing more than simple food, and yet... my son adored it above all else."

In any other context, Hecatia would have smiled at that. But here... such words carried a very different meaning.

Junko closed her eyes, laughing again. "I never understood it. And whenever I asked, the only answer he could give was... 'it's because it has your love in, Mama!' Every single time. In any case, when Clownpiece last visited... we had lunch together."

"You made this, didn't you?" Hecatia finished.

Junko nodded back. "In fact, upon reflection... I believe that was the first time I had ever made it for her. She enjoyed it very much — she said it was better than your cooking or anything else in Hell by a mile."

"In all fairness, the former ain't a high bar. Still, I've taken Clownpiece to some high end joints in Hell..."

"I assumed as much. So naturally, I was very surprised to hear her say that, and I asked... why did she think that? Do you know what she said?"

... she didn't. And part of Hecatia didn't want to know either.

"She said... 'it's because you must have put your love in this, Miss Junko!'"

Hecatia couldn't stop herself from wincing at that. Clownpiece would have only had the best intentions there... but that couldn't have been a worse choice of words.

Junko shook her head from side to side, starting to laugh.

"When she said that, I..."

She continued to laugh more and more, her voice becoming louder by the second as her eyes began to water.

"Isn't it funny, Hecatia?" Junko said in between laughs. "This drama never ends."

"Junko..."

Her laughs grew in intensity, but they became incredibly hollow.

Suddenly, they stopped all together as Junko slammed her palm straight down onto her bowl, shattering into pieces. Hecatia flinched as one of the shards went flying past, nearly nicking her, but even that went beneath her notice compared to what she was looking at.

Junko's entire body was shaking, her eyes going blank as her pink tails unravelled behind her. All of a sudden, Hecatia could feel the ambient temperature skyrocket.

"Junko!" Cautiously, Hecatia reached over and firmly took hold of both of Junko's hands, rooting them down to the table.

"Look at me. Look at me," Hecatia repeated calmly. "It's over. It's in the past."

Instead, Junko looked down at the shards, silent except for her harsh and quick breaths.

Her eyes suddenly snapped back up, as she stared into the distance.

"I HATE you."

And there wasn't a speck of emotion in those words. They were as blank and pure as her rage was.

"I know you do," Hecatia nodded. "But you're letting her win. Every second that goes by when she's in your head is another moment she's alive in some way. If you really hate her... you'll let her go."

Junko shifted her focus to Hecatia, staring at her blankly.

"Breathe," Hecatia said. "You're doing it too quickly. Remember that grounding exercise Yagokoro taught you?"

Junko stretched her arms out, assuming a meditative stance. Slowly, her breathing returned to a normal pace.

She offered her hands out to Hecatia, who noticed a cut on one of them. Despite that, she clasped them with her own.

"I see the shards before me, the paintings by my side and the snow falling outside. I hear the gusts of wind, the crashing of the waves and the beating of my heart. And I feel the weight of my clothes, the cold blood on my fingers and the hands of the one I cherish," Junko recited stoically.

And slowly, the fire within her died down and the pink tails behind her faded away.

"That's it," Hecatia squeezed her hands encouragingly. "I'm here for you."

Junko didn't say anything back, but Hecatia knew she'd heard her.

For a few moments, they simply stared there like that, as Junko mentally went through everything around her and Hecatia watched. Eventually, Junko withdrew her hands, resting them on the table.

"You're bleeding..." Hecatia pointed to the cut on Junko's hand.

"I know," Junko made no move to take care of it in any way, simply letting the blood slowly ooze out.

Hecatia's immediate thought was to object, but she caught on to the hidden message behind Junko's words.

"Let me bleed. Let me feel pain."

And so as much as it pained her, she obliged.

Eventually, Junko sighed and quietly said, "Thank you."

"You're welcome," Hecatia replied. "Hey, how about you go take care of that cut? I'll clean up this mess."

"I cannot allow you to do that. It is my duty as —"

"Junko." Hecatia's tone left no room for argument. "Go."

Faltering for a second, Junko nodded before standing up and leaving the room. Standing up herself, Hecatia carefully picked up each shard and threw them in the incinerator Junko disposed of her waste in. After that, she took her own bowl along with the utensils they'd used to make the food to the sink in a side room, cleaning everything up.

"Hecatia? Are you there?" From the other room, Hecatia could hear Junko's voice.

"Yeah, I'm just finishing up here!" She replied, raising her voice to be heard over the running water.

Once she was done, Hecatia stepped back to the kitchen, where she was immediately floored by what she saw.

"Woah, what's going on here?"

Junko had returned and was sitting back down at the table, but now there were many other things on it — different coloured panels of stained glass, a drawing on some paper, bottles of strange paint and strips of lead.

"I went to check on the glass after tending to my injury, and it had cooled down enough to be fit for use," Junko explained, tapping on the sheet of blue glass. "As it happens, that was the last thing I needed in order to start this particular project. Since you were so interested in how I made the glass, and remembering what you said earlier... I thought you might be interested in making one with me?"

"Sure!" Hecatia flicked her hands of excess water as she walked over to Junko and sat down beside her. "So, how does this work anyway?"

"I believe Clownpiece put it best — it's like a puzzle where you make the pieces yourself."

"But you need an outline for a puzzle, don't ya?"

"Indeed. Here is my cartoon." Junko slid her drawing across. At Hecatia's puzzled look, she added, "The term for an outline in stained glass paintings."

"Huh..." Hecatia took a look at Junko's drawing, seeing what looked like a person, though they had many lines cutting them into pieces. In each piece, Junko had written the name of a colour down, obviously as a guide for later.

"Alright, this looks interesting already!" Hecatia clapped her hands together. "Where do we start then?"

"Naturally, making the glass pieces." Junko handed her a glass cutter. "I've marked what colour each piece will be and we should have more than enough glass. I trust that won't be too difficult for you?"

"Cutting some glass?" Hecatia rolled her eyes boastfully. "Give me a real challenge."

Junko laughed at Hecatia's bravado. "So confident. But, the ridicule shall be twice as severe when you fail now."

"When? Jeez, Junko, have more faith in me!" Hecatia huffed. "When have I ever failed you?"

Junko immediately smirked back at her and Hecatia couldn't help but feel a deep regret seeping in.

"I seem to recall you once failing to trap the Lunarians in the Dream World," Junko said. "Quite the disappointment from a Goddess of Hell."

"Urgh, I should have seen that coming... fair enough," Hecatia groaned. But as if to prove herself, she grabbed a sheet of black glass and laid it over the outline, before carefully carving out a triangle. "Still, I can do this."

Junko took the piece, examining it carefully. After a moment, she placed it down with an approving nod. "Impressive, especially for your first try."

Emboldened by that, Hecatia cut another piece out, placing it next to the other one.

"So... how do you actually put these together then?" Hecatia asked. "Do you glue 'em or something?"

"Not quite."

Junko took a strip of lead and cut it down to size, such that it covered the length of the edges where the two pieces met. She bent the strip to model it around the edges, then repeated the process on another edge.

"Since glass is fragile, it's important it stays together and simply sticking pieces to one another is insufficient," Junko explained. "The lead strips keep it contained."

"Okay... but how do you keep those together then?"

"Like this." Junko took a small flux brush and applied solder to the edges of the metal strip. Then, she rubbed her fingers together and a flame sparked between them, which she held to the solder.

Slowly, it started to melt, at which point Junko extinguished the flame and held the two strips firmly together. Once the metal solidified again, both strips were now attached to each other.

"Wow. That's pretty efficient," Hecatia remarked.

"Indeed. Let us get started then."

And so, the pair of them developed a rhythm to their work, in which Hecatia would cut the glass, Junko would examine it and once she was satisfied, she'd solder two strips of lead together and drive them into the outline.

It was repetitive, but it was the kind of repetition Hecatia enjoyed — not mindless enough to completely lose yourself, yet simple enough to get into a groove.

At least, that was her take on it. But Junko had been doing this for much longer... so what did she find so appealing about it?

"So, Junko," Hecatia began, as she cut out a black rectangle. "What got you into this anyway?"

Junko paused in the middle of her work, holding the piece she was inspecting in the air.

"I suppose you could say... it was an outlet for my hatred," Junko muttered. "One that didn't involve grievous bodily harm."

"Sure, I get that, but why stained glass? Not saying it's weird, I'm just curious," Hecatia clarified.

"That's more simple." She sounded very relieved to have a question she could easily answer. "There is a stained glass window in Eientei depicting the former Lunarian princess — according to Reisen, it was a gift from one of her suitors long ago... a Fujiwara or something. I found the craftsmanship particularly interesting... for what reason, I cannot say. However, I wanted to try and replicate that myself."

"Hm... maybe you found it interesting because you'd ever seen something like it before?" Hecatia suggested. "Can't imagine they had much art on the Moon."

"Perhaps. Though, I am no exception myself, since what I produce is not art."

"Then what do you call this then?" Hecatia said, gesturing to what they were working on.

"A picture. A visual stimulus. But not art, for art has meaning and purpose behind it. What I create has neither — it is pure and empty."

Yet, there was a distinct lack of pride behind Junko's words, something Hecatia took note of given how important purity was to her.

"Is that so?" Hecatia shook her head, chuckling slightly. "I'm gonna have to disagree with you there."

"Oh? On what grounds?"

"Take that painting there," Hecatia pointed to the one depicting the Sea of Tranquility. "What made you paint that?"

"I found the scenery peaceful," Junko stated. "Hardly anything meaningful."

"See, that's the great thing about art — it doesn't need to have some grand meaning behind it. Beauty in the mundane."

"I thought that was just 'philosophical crap' to you," Junko sighed, first in amusement, but then more wistfully. "It seems... wrong to call what I do art."

"Why's that?"

"My work is not very good. Thus, it seems insulting to put myself in the same category as those who have laboured away at their craft."

"Ah, but that's a different question and it's about as subjective as morality is," With great snark, Hecatia added, "Though the Yamas would beg to differ on the latter."

"I suppose that is true. All of this is for myself, but... I cannot help but wonder what others may think of it."

"Well, I'm obviously very biased, but I love your stuff," Hecatia said eagerly.

Junko hesitated for a second, then continued to paint a piece she had in her hand.

"... that does mean a lot," she said quietly. "It pleases me to hear that, yet... I find myself wanting something more meaningful out of this all."

"You might not realise it, but I think you're already there! Take a look at that painting if you don't believe me."

Junko followed Hecatia's gaze, leading her to the painting of Clownpiece. Her breath caught in her throat slightly.

... yes, Clownpiece had great meaning to her. She couldn't deny that. As did the person whose likeness she was trying to get down with this painting right here... she had even greater meaning to Junko. Though ironically, Hecatia hadn't even realised who it was.

Still, Clownpiece... it hurt Junko to think of her at times, because of the way she saw her and how wrong it was. When she thought about it, that was one of very few things she kept a secret from Hecatia... but Hecatia had probably figured it out now, hadn't she?

"Hecatia..." Junko took a moment to think of the right way to phrase herself. "Would it disgust you if I told you that Clownpiece is... that I... that I see her like..."

"Like a daughter?" Hecatia finished.

So, she did know. But that was to be expected... her story earlier didn't leave many other conclusions to draw.

"... yes. I... I sincerely apologise."

"Junko... what the hell are you apologising for?"

"I have no right," Junko replied with blank shame. "I am merely a figure that came into her life to guide her into war."

"And do you think that's the first time she's been in a war?" Hecatia grinned. "She earned her spot as general of my fairies. Anyway, you're not the first person I've made an alliance with, and you're not the first person who came into Clownpiece's life to point her at a fight. You wanna know what the difference is though?"

"What?"

"You're the only one who stuck around. People have cut ties with me even after successes, but we failed. I was fully expecting you to go off on your way too... but you didn't," Hecatia sighed, fiddling with a piece of blue glass. "I never really understand why either."

"If I may be truthful... I didn't stay for you," Junko admitted. "During the invasion, I spent more time with Clownpiece than with you and after all that time... I had gotten the impression she'd grown fond of me. That she would miss me. But... I would not miss her. I would not miss anyone."

Hecatia grimaced at that. It wasn't an easy thing to hear that Junko didn't care about either of them at all, but it was the truth.

"So... you stuck around out of pity?" Somewhat despondently, Hecatia placed the blue shard in her hand down, completing a blue orb.

"... yes. That is why I have no right."

"Alright." Hecatia nodded, taking that information in. "What about now?"

"Now?"

"Yeah. Sure, it started out of pity, but why are you continuing then?"

Junko pursed her lips, before saying, "Because... I have grown truly fond of her. The pain she would feel if I left her life... she was able to make me reciprocate that pain for her as well. And in turn, the same happened with you."

So, she had Clownpiece to thank for where she was with Junko today... Hecatia couldn't help but smile in gratitude towards her fairy.

"I don't know how to say it, because I am only familiar with hate, but... were anything to happen to Clownpiece, I would go to the same extents for her as I am going for my son." Junko held two strips of iron together, beginning to solder them.

"I wouldn't rest until they have been reduced to nothing and have attained the highest form of purity. I would burn those responsible to the ground."

And as Junko said that, Hecatia noticed that the flame between her fingers was starting to get worryingly large. She gently pulled Junko's arm back and when Junko gave her a quizzical look, she sheepishly pointed at her hand.

"Oh," Junko opened her hand out fully, letting the flame extinguish with a sigh. She'd really lost herself there, hadn't she... this sort of thing always happened. Her hatred consumed her completely, leaving her blind to what was around her. Of all things, that was what she hated most.

She shut her eyes, tightly pressing her fingers into her eyelids.

"But more than anything... I wish I could express that in a manner other than through hate," Junko finished.

"Hey. Can you do me a favour?" Hecatia said, placing a hand on Junko's shoulder.

"Anything."

"The next time you see Clownpiece, tell her all of that, okay? I promise it'll make her day."

"You truly think so?"

"I know so."

That unwavering belief in her words... it's something Junko always remembered her having. When they were planning their attack on the Moon, any misgivings she had were instantly removed by Hecatia's confidence. She could speak from nothing and make something out of it.

Junko's hand lingered in the air momentarily, before she let it rest on Hecatia's thigh. Hecatia's eyebrows suddenly shot up and instantly, Junko panicked, wondering if that was okay. Was that too much?

She tried to pull her hand back, but found herself unable to. Hecatia had placed her own on top of it, keeping it trapped.

"It's okay," Hecatia said reassuringly. "I don't mind."

Junko's nervous look hadn't disappeared though, prompting Hecatia to affirm it with a nod and lift her own hand off. With a touch so light Hecatia could have mistaken it for a ghost, Junko began to stroke her thigh.

All the while, she continued to look at Hecatia's face for any changes, but she continued to patiently smile at her. After a bit, Junko couldn't help but smile back too.

Eventually, Hecatia placed her hand on Junko's cheek, raising an eyebrow in question. Junko's nod back was all she needed, and Hecatia leaned in. She kissed Junko softly, pulling away afterwards.

"Too much?" Hecatia asked, giving a concerned look.

Junko leaned back, shaking her head with a contented sigh. "Just enough."

Hecatia gave her own sigh of relief and laughed under her breath. "You wanna finish this off?"

"Let's. Our work is almost complete."

As they continued putting the pieces together, Hecatia started paying more attention to the image they were making, since it was getting more recognisable.

It could just be her imagination, but... the person they were making looked very familiar to her. Was it... no, it couldn't be.

But the more pieces they added, the stronger that suspicion got. They'd made a blue, red and white orb, a black dress and skirt, and now all that was left was to finish the hair of this person.

"Junko... is this supposed to be —"

"Keep going," Junko interrupted, though not rudely. "Ask me that again once we're finished."

Hecatia was sure of it now, and the smile on her face grew wider with every piece she placed down. It shouldn't have been a surprise, since this would have come at some point, but it still flattered her.

Finally, after the last piece had been placed and Junko had soldered the last strip to the frame, she held it up and walked over to the wall in front of them. Finding a free spot, Junko took two nails and drove them through the top of the frame, attaching the painting to the wall.

She took a few steps back, before turning back to Hecatia. "What... what do you think of it then?"

Hecatia stood up too, taking a good look at the painting, depicting none other than herself. Her Earth self stood with blue hair and her three small planets around her, while she was wearing her signature black T shirt.

"Unfortunately, it's not perfect." Junko thumbed the frame of the painting nervously. "I couldn't work in the text on your clothing, and facial features are difficult to depict on stained glass..."

But despite that, Hecatia adored it all the same. If anything, it added a certain charm to it she couldn't describe.

"You know, it took me a long time to realise this was me," Hecatia admitted, rubbing the Earth on her head with embarrassment. "I... uh, for some reason, I never really thought you'd make a painting of me."

"Do you like it then?"

It sounded weird to say that Junko looked bashful while saying that, but that's the only way Hecatia could describe her. Hecatia smiled and kissed her on the cheek.

"I love it! Thanks a lot."

"You have no need to thank me. After all, you assisted in the creation of it."

Hecatia rolled her eyes, glaring at Junko. "Junko, I can't draw for shit. And I hadn't even the slightest clue about how you even make stained glass before this either. The credit all belongs to you."

"Perhaps, but I'd rather it didn't. After all, the real value behind this painting will always come from the fact that I made it with you. And now, you'll always be in my house." Junko paused, pursing her lips as she thought over what she just said. "That sounds moderately disturbing, doesn't it..."

"Nah, I get what you mean." Laughing a little, Hecatia added, "Oh, but you're probably gonna have to make paintings for Moon and Hell, or else they're gonna get jealous."

"Hm... now I have something to do when they visit me next."

"But it'll be all downhill from me. After all, I'm the best Hecatia." Hecatia held her hands out, swatting the Hell and Moon orbs beside her. "Don't you agree?"

Junko shook her head ruefully. Hecatia's bodies had a tendency to argue over her at times, and she really didn't want to add fuel to that fire.

"Hecatia, you know I can't choose like that," Junko said sternly.

"Yeah, I know," Hecatia sighed dramatically while stretching her arms. "Well, I'm a little tired of staying cooped up, so I'm gonna get some fresh air."

"Go ahead," Junko replied, switching her kettle on.

Swinging the sliding door open, Hecatia stepped out onto the patio, where she felt cold winds around her body straight away. There was a thin layer of frost on the wood and when she looked closer at the sea around her, she noticed some parts of it were frozen solid.

And of course, that ever peculiar sight of the Moon broken into pieces was still there. Once again, Hecatia cracked a grin at it.

The Moon... such a strange place to think about for her. The war they'd started against it was the closest anyone had gotten to toppling the Lunarians, but they'd just missed the mark. And like a virus, her failure to properly cull them had allowed them to recover, now stronger than ever.

But... her real mistake was granting them clemency in the first place. Oh, she could always say that the bureaucracies of Hell were what stopped her from just annihilating the Lunarians, but she'd broken rules before. After all, rules were nothing more than guidelines.

She sighed into the cold night, her breath visible in the air. The consequences of that mercy had become clear to her — a good family was lost, and a land of good people nearly vanquished. That would always be on her shoulders.

"Fancy a drink?"

Hecatia twisted her body, seeing Junko approach with two cups in her hands. She offered one to the goddess, which she gladly accepted.

"Is this hot chocolate?" She asked, looking inside to see a brown liquid that wasn't quite tea.

"It is," Junko confirmed, taking a sip from her own cup. "I figured you'd like something more substantial than tea on this night."

"Thanks..." Hecatia gulped a good chunk of the drink down, though she couldn't really appreciate its sweetness right now. Once again, her gaze returned to the Moon, something Junko noticed.

"Moon watching again?" Junko chuckled. "My, my... if I didn't know any better, I'd have thought you liked the place."

She expected that to get a laugh out of Hecatia, but there was nothing but silence from the goddess. Something was up.

"Hecatia? Is something wrong?" Junko frowned, slightly concerned now.

"I'm just... thinking," Hecatia replied.

"About what?"

"Nothing important —"

"Which is a lie," Junko finished. "And lying is impure."

"Of course. Everything I do is freakin' impure, isn't it?!" Hecatia barked back.

This was truly strange... it had been a while since she last saw Hecatia be truly angry at something. She chose to not say anything back and give Hecatia some time.

Eventually, Hecatia sighed, remorse clear in her voice as she said, "Sorry, I didn't mean to snap at you like that. I'm just..."

"Yes?" Junko prompted.

"I'm just thinking about that." Hecatia pointed to the Moon. "Or more accurately, the people on it."

"The Lunarians?"

"Yep." Hecatia gripped her mug tightly. "And how I'm gonna tear them apart next time we go up there."

Junko nodded at that. "Do you hate the Lunarians?"

Hecatia scoffed. "Is the sky blue? Of course I do."

"I see. Why do you hate them?"

She turned to Junko, very confused now. Of all people, why was Junko asking her that? She should know better than anyone else how justified it was to hate them! On its own, it would have been a stupid question, but it sounded downright moronic coming from her.

... why did she ask it then?

"What are you talking about?! You should know why. You hate them too!"

Junko didn't respond at first, instead calmly sipping more of her drink.

"Do I?" She said simply.

"I... what? You don't hate them?" Hecatia was beyond surprised to hear that.

"A few months ago, that would have been true, but... hate is a very strong word. I can attest to that well, and... I would say it is too strong a word now."

"Wha... where did this come from?"

"My hate towards Chang'e... I believe I have unfairly tainted all Lunarians with the same brush," Junko explained. "In this time of peace, where I may reflect on the facts more easily... I realise I am truly apathetic to the Lunarians. They serve as an obstacle, but not one I have a personal grudge against."

"Really? Not even after our war against them?"

"Hm... that has admittedly changed my perspective. Their taking hostage of Gensokyo was a deplorable tactic. Even then, the most I could say is that I dislike them. I suppose what I'm trying to say is... I hate a Lunarian, and I will hate them until the end of time. But, I do not hate the Lunarians."

That made sense... but since when had Junko become so calm like that? These past few months really had changed her...

And where did that leave her then, with all her malice towards the Lunarians still burning within? If anything... that hatred had grown stronger since their war with them.

"That is merely my perspective however," Junko continued. "I understand you have more personal reasons for despising the Lunarians as a whole."

Personal... well, she wasn't wrong. It absolutely was personal. But at the same time...

"I'm not gonna pretend it ain't personal, 'cause it is. But there's more to it. It's their whole ideology I despise. The whole purity schtick... it just annoys me to no end."

"But you're very level headed," Junko stated. "Annoyance alone would not make you hate."

"Oh, if that's all it was, then no. I'd just be annoyed, because I get that people don't share the same beliefs. And you know, that's fine and all!" Hecatia said, forcing a smile on her face. "So long as they don't impose themselves on me, I'm happy to tolerate them."

Hecatia started chuckling, her voice getting more and more menacing by the second.

"They couldn't leave it at that though. They like to pretend that they're sooo superior by not getting involved in things, but the truth is, they love to stick their nose where it doesn't belong. That asshole shooting down the suns was the last straw."

"But that wasn't all. It..." Junko paused, before saying, "I know that type of loss well..."

"It was my brother," Hecatia choked out. "My twin. So yeah, it is personal, but I'm not just doing this out of revenge! He didn't just kill my brother, Junko, he doomed my goddamn land! Of course... you got to him before I could."

"I do apologise for that." Junko rubbed her arm regretfully. "Had I known the suffering he'd caused you, I would have offered him to yourself."

"What's done is done, and... I'm actually glad I didn't get the chance?"

"You are?" Junko's eyes narrowed in confusion. "I denied you your catharsis."

"Yeah, but that forced me to reflect and see what the real issue is. Houyi's just a piece of the larger problem — the problem being the Lunarians themselves. That bastard is a paragon in their eyes, and they mocked us for years. Yeah, it's easy for them to say Hell's a wasteland when they made it that way!"

Hecatia clutched her cup fiercely in both hands, before bringing it to her lips and having another sip.

"Urgh... it's not often I get pissed off like this," Hecatia shook her head scornfully. "It ain't good to be that angry."

"It can be useful to simply let it out. Though, I still have one question — what is about the Lunarian ideology that started your anathema?"

"I guess... it's the whole purity stuff," Hecatia replied and as she did, Junko shifted on the spot uncomfortably. "The way they live defies nature itself... and more importantly, it's hardly a way to live."

"In what way?"

"You've seen the Moon. You've seen how cold and empty the capital is. Their purity... they're so obsessed with it that they've destroyed every other facet of life to maintain it."

"I... I don't follow. They persist on, don't they? One would argue they are experts on living."

"No. They're experts on surviving, but survival is only one part of living. What about emotions, and struggles, and entertainment? They got rid of it all and honestly, I'd pity them if I didn't hate them. Yeah, the Lunarians may not die with their principles any time soon... but they certainly aren't living — saying they are would insult life itself."

Junko gently blew on the surface of her drink — unlike Hecatia, she couldn't just drink it as hot as it was. She took a sip of it while mulling over her thoughts.

"Hell is a place of freedom, one where you may act on your deepest desires... or so I am told by one Hecatia Lapislazuli," Junko said, offering a brief smile to the goddess. "Meanwhile, the Moon is a place of restriction, where a perfect life is laid out for everyone and is strictly abided by."

"We couldn't be more different if we tried," Hecatia laughed at the sheer contrast, but her face grew more thoughtful too. "To be honest though, the authorities we do have down in Hell kinda suck. They've let two incidents happen in Gensokyo lately, which is crossing a line."

"This might sound overly naive, but... I don't believe you truly hate or seek the destruction of the Lunarians," Junko offered. "I think you simply desire coexistence and isolation from them."

"... basically, yeah," Hecatia admitted. "Well, not sure I don't hate them, but do I really wanna destroy 'em all? Eh, not really — I'd prefer if we could all just admit that we all disagree with each other and just stay out of our way. Still, they made the first move."

"But we made the second. And they'll make a third because of it," Junko argued. "I know this is hypocritical of me to say, but just because I perpetuate revenge myself... that doesn't mean I can't see the flaws in it."

"Yeah... you're right. It's a good thing one of us has their head screwed on straight, huh?"

"I haven't really contributed much though," Junko admitted.

"But you listened," Hecatia said with a shrug. "Sometimes it's nice to just get things out to someone else."

"After the number of times you've done so for me?" Junko smiled wryly. "It's only fair that I repay the favour once."

"Still, thanks for that, and for the hot chocolate." Hecatia held up her now empty cup appreciatively, before sitting it down on the ground. "Really warmed me up."

"About that..." Junko frowned at her. "Shouldn't you come back inside now? It is cold out here."

"I mean, it's not that cold."

As if perfectly timed, a cold gust blew across the patio and Hecatia suddenly shivered, her arms snapping to her sides.

"Not a word," She warned, rubbing her sides to try and warm up. "Argh, why is it even winter here anyway?! Can't you just change that here?"

Apologetically, Junko said, "Unfortunately, I cannot. I'm free to alter a lot here, but Senkais are immutably bound to some aspects of the area they are accessed from. The weather is one such characteristic — as it is currently winter in Gensokyo, the same must hold true here."

"There's always rules like that..."

Junko smirked back at her. "Well, if you are truly dedicated to this, I suppose some assistance is in order..."

Of all the things Junko could have done next, the last thing that Hecatia would have guessed she'd do was to approach and gently wrap an arm around her, pulling her into the warmth of her robes.

"J... Junko?" It was so forward from Junko that Hecatia couldn't help but stutter.

"Ah. That seems to have done the trick," Junko said, noting Hecatia's blush.

Hecatia looked up at Junko's face in turn, which sported an almost malicious smirk on it. "Well, guess I can't argue against that, but you definitely picked an interesting method..."

"I'm afraid I don't know what you're talking about," Junko smiled ignorantly. "The purpose of this is for heat conservation."

"Right. How aren't you affected by the cold anyway?"

"I have no idea," Junko said with profound sarcasm. "Perhaps because I'm not wearing a t-shirt and a skirt in the winter?"

"It's fashionable!" Hecatia huffed. "You gotta look your best."

"I wasn't aware hypothermia was fashionable, in addition to having to recover from it."

Hecatia cracked a grin. "Well, if you're the one taking care of me, I don't think I'd mind."

"I suppose I'll have to ask Clownpiece to look after you instead then."

Choking on her breath at the thought, Hecatia glared at Junko. "You wouldn't."

"Try me."

"Damn, where did you learn this kind of cruelty?"

"Naturally, from the best," Junko said, inclining her head towards her.

"I've taught you too well..." Hecatia groaned, but it quickly settled into a laugh as she took a seat in one of the chairs. "Guess it's my turn to get you now then."

With a yelp from Junko, Hecatia suddenly dragged her down along with her; being that the chairs were only meant to accommodate one person at a time, Junko ended up on Hecatia's lap and in her arms now.

"How's that for turning the tables?" Hecatia grinned at Junko, which she returned with an unamused look at first, before eventually rolling her eyes.

"You really are full of surprises." Sighing melodramatically, Junko said, "I suppose since I am stuck in this situation, I may as well make the best of it."

Junko shifted her position in Hecatia's lap slightly before gently resting her face on Hecatia's left collarbone.

"Is this comfortable for you?" She asked. "Surely, I must be heavy."

"Nah, you're fine." Slowly, Hecatia ran a hand up Junko's back, gently stroking her hair.

"Is this okay for you?" Hecatia asked.

"Quite," Junko hummed in contentment and closed her eyes. "Please keep doing that. It's rather relaxing actually..."

Hecatia did exactly that, and a silence passed the two as they simply enjoyed the other's company. It was Junko who broke the silence first, speaking very softly.

"Hecatia... may I ask you a question?"

"Fire away."

"What you said earlier about the Lunarians' views on purity, and how it causes life to stagnate... how they aren't really living in your eyes." Junko opened her eyes and stared at the ground. "Does the same apply to me as well?"

"Huh? Why would you think that?"

"Because... I am an embodiment of purity. Surely the same principle should apply to me?"

"No! No, you're different, Junko," Hecatia insisted. "'You're actually trying to improve. You're changing, and that makes you better than all of them."

"Changing..." Junko repeated. "Then, if even an embodiment of purity itself can change... who is to say the Lunarians cannot either?"

Hecatia sighed, leaning back in her chair. "You're really making me stretch my brain today, aren't ya..."

"I'm not saying that everyone will," Junko said, looking up at Hecatia now. "However... we will only find out if they have a chance. For instance, are you aware of Yagokoro?"

The Lunarian doctor at Eientei? Hecatia was vaguely aware of her.

"You might find it worthwhile to speak to her."

"Why's that?"

"Firstly, she gives remarkably good therapy as I can attest to. But second... according to her, she was once very self centred, devoted entirely to purity, hated other organisms and was generally unpleasant to be around."

"In other words, everything I hate in a Lunarian."

"Exactly. And yet... she changed significantly, hence my point."

She did? If that was true, then there was definitely merit towards what Junko said.

"Maybe I'll give her a visit then. After all, she is one of the 'good' Lunarians..." Hecatia muttered. "But, it'll be interesting to see someone else who moved away from purity."

"It's... a difficult process. But, I have found it highly rewarding. And I have you to thank."

"Me? Hey, you're the one who did all the heavy lifting. I just gave you a helping hand."

"I disagree. If not for you, I would be in a far worse position. These last few months I've spent with you... they have been some of the happiest months in a long time. But with that happiness... I've also found a fear I never had to go with it."

"What are you scared of?"

Junko rested her head on Hecatia's shoulder, trying to think of the words.

"I am aware that... I am a difficult partner, and... there are many challenges you've had to endure in this relationship because of me. I struggle to express myself... particularly on the physical side of things, as it often overwhelms me."

"And you think that bothers me?" Hecatia scoffed at the thought. "Junko... there's no rush. If you're not comfortable with something, we don't do it. Simple as that. I'd be more upset if you did them anyway just for me."

"I am aware, yet... it is hard to shake that feeling off. Those are the things that keep me up these nights... am I pretty enough for you? Am I kind enough? Do I suit your needs?" Junko sighed, making a tight fist with her left hand. "These thoughts... I despise them. Before, I was a being of perfect neutrality, but now I see the highs and lows... and the uncertainty of it all."

"Well, hate to say it, but... that's life." Hecatia gave Junko a sad smile. "It ain't perfect, that's for sure, and it can hurt a lot at times. That doesn't mean it all has to be bad though, and it doesn't mean you can't see things coming. You can still prepare yourself and have an idea of what's to come."

"But you'll never have the whole picture."

"No, but you can have a good chunk of it. Life... it's kinda like a piece of stained glass. It's broken and you can never see through it completely, but it can still make a pretty picture if you put the pieces together. That's just how I see it anyway — I tend to leave the philosophical stuff to others..."

Junko nodded approvingly, but didn't say anything more.

"Hecatia... do you recall earlier that I said I feared losing you?" She asked.

"Yeah. And I said that's not gonna happen, 'cause I ain't dying... but you said that wasn't what you meant?" Hecatia recalled.

"The truth is... I fear that you will leave me, due to the aforementioned challenges. After all, I —"

"Stop right there," Hecatia cut her off. "That's not happening. End of story."

"I wish I could be so easily convinced..." Junko sighed.

"Well... okay, maybe I'm being unrealistic there. I guess things could go wrong between us, yeah." It pained Hecatia just to admit that. "But it would be devastating to me, 'cause I'd be losing so much."

Junko laughed tonelessly. "I don't think you'd be losing much."

"Oh, I would. Look, our hate for Chang'e might have brought us together, but you wanna know what kept me after that? You!" In that moment, Hecatia found all the courage she needed to continue. "You are beautiful and kind, you're an absolute treasure to Clownpiece, you're snarky as hell, you're a great cook and artist, you can take care of yourself in a fight, and I'll keep telling you these things until you believe them yourself! So yeah, I'm gonna be heartbroken if I lose you. I'm scared of that too..."

Junko had no response, her mouth slightly agape in shock. The longer she stayed like that, the more Hecatia got nervous... crap, had she made Junko uncomfortable with all that? Maybe she'd crossed a line...

"Sorry, was I gushing too much?" Suddenly, all her confidence was gone in an instant. "I didn't mean to —"

"Hecatia." Junko sat up fully, wrapping her arms around Hecatia tightly. "Please kiss me."

She phrased it as a request, but her tone let Hecatia hear the demand it really was.

Staring into Junko's eyes devotedly, she slowly pressed her lips against hers, continuing to caress her hair. After some time, she pulled back, seeing Junko... frown at her? She almost seemed disappointed...

Suddenly, Junko's eyes flashed pink and she seized Hecatia's cheeks with both hands. Before Hecatia could react, Junko had her lips on hers once more and this time, she was fierce, her hair swinging around wildly as she forced her tongue inside Hecatia's mouth with feral passion.

And God, Hecatia loved every bit of it. The way Junko's hair whipped across her face, the succulent remains of that broth in her mouth, the almost otherworldly scent of hers and most of all, those beautiful eyes of hers which shone through the dark night.

Unfortunately, despite how powerful she was, the ability to hold her breath forever was one thing Hecatia had never learnt, so eventually she had to break away.

Hecatia could feel herself blushing fiercely, and despite her best attempts, she was giggling like a schoolgirl. Still, at least Junko was laughing too.

"I, uh... dang, now you've one upped me even on surprises!" Hecatia said.

"What can I say?" Junko stroked Hecatia's cheek with her thumb. "I learnt from the best."

"But seriously, are you okay? That was really intense for you, so was that alright? How are you feeling?"

Demurely, she replied, "... very impure."

Hecatia burst into laughter at that. "I'm just corrupting you left and right, aren't I? Damn, I feel kinda guilty now."

"I don't mind." Junko tilted her head slightly, whispering into her ear. "If anything, I wouldn't mind you corrupting me some more..."

She leaned in towards Hecatia's neck, gently suckling on it a few times.

"Hey, if you keep doing that, you're going to leave a mark," Hecatia warned, though she made no move to stop her.

"I don't care," Junko brazenly replied. "You are mine and mine only. I want everyone to know that."

There was a possessive spark in Junko's eyes, and Hecatia would be lying if she said there wasn't something insanely hot about that. So, with a smile on her face, she said, "Who am I to stop you then?"

But Junko didn't go back for another attempt, instead clutching one of Hecatia's hands tightly.

"But... thank you. Thank you for always being there."

Hecatia simply smiled back. "It's what I'm here for."

Though the cold continued to creep on the pair of them, neither of them were even the least bit affected by it and as the night dragged on, Junko couldn't help but think of all the things she was grateful to Hecatia, from the implausible to the impossible.

By the standard definition of purity, she had been defiled with emotions now and couldn't be more impure. But if that's what purity was... then maybe that definition was wrong.

Because right now, she felt purer than she ever was before.