The two entered the taxi. Verness Cyan saw the passenger side door open and took a moment to crawl through the window divider back into the backseat. It was... lucky... that the front of the fancy restaurant had a shadow cast over it past 2PM, so Nyx was able to safely enter the taxi. Quade and Nyx taking their respective driver and passenger seats now, silent after that as the applause rang out in the background.

Nyx had a hand over her chest, staring out the window. She blurted all of those... words... out, as Quade. Taking- even more freedoms with his name. Doing more things he hates, angering him further. She couldn't bring herself to face him, not after today.

Quade, likewise, was taking a while to start the taxi again. Just staring out his window, lost in thought about this entire day. More and more have been shoveled onto him, and... now he was a witness to whatever feelings Nyx had for him.

And Cyan was in the back seat, clueless to what was going on, but lost on what to do. Having no idea what happened in that restaurant, what the two went through to go through this awkward silence. A child bystander clueless to anything that was happening.

Eventually, Quade just turns the key and begins driving. Starting to take Cyan home, now.

He knows where the Kingston residence is. Starveil City is generally distinctly defined by the four cardinal directions, such as North Starveil, West Starveil, South Starveil, and East Starveil. South, in specific, takes a different approach to city architecture, as it is more... suburban, several neighborhoods of houses rather than buildings and apartments. Nice, cozy communities living out there, including Quade's own house and Verness's.

It is a fairly distant drive from the restaurant on Clockwork Avenue, which was a part of East Starveil. Accounting for the notorious city traffic, it was bound to be a long and awkward drive to Verness's house. One that Quade and Nyx were not going to break the silence of.

"... u... uhm-" Cyan speaks up, being the one to speak first. "A-Are you- two- okay...?"

"Yes... Cyan," Nyx speaks up first. "Thank you for showing concern, but I am fine. You are- fine as well, right? Quade?"

"..." Quade continues to be silent for a while, keeping his eyes on the road as he drives along.

"You see..." Nyx begins to explain for Quade, speaking on his behalf. "... we simply had an argument, Quade ran into a former friend, and I had to pretend to be him. Be angry for him, shout at her for being a... a bully."

"A... A bully?"

"Indeed. She hurt Quade in a grown up way, and we tried to handle it like grown ups," Nyx explains, continuing to stare out the window. "I simply lost control and told her whatever would enrage her the most. The things that I wanted to tell her, the truths I felt like exclaiming. All because she... she upset Quade."

"Oh..." Cyan noises, looking down. "... I- I'm-"

"I am sure that you are the Verness that understands to handle things peacefully, to prevent what I have done," Nyx chimes in. "In no circumstance should you be like me, and yell at people. You should handle things responsibly and peacefully. Understood?"

Cyan... nods faintly. "U... Understood," she answers, before looking to Quade with worry. "... uhm..."

Quade... tensely... looks over to Nyx, briefly, before redirecting his attention forward, eyes glancing into the rear view mirror at Verness Cyan. "I'm alright. Just a little shaky after today, and all, nothin' to write home about. But- what 'bout you, kiddo? Doing okay after coming out of that vending machine?"

Cyan- nods, lighting up. "U-Uhm- yes, I- I'm doing better! I- I just- hope Caspian and Giichi are alright, I haven't seen them in a while..."

"I'm sure they're alright," Quade comments. "But- I'll check up on 'em later in case they're not. If my call went through, Caspian should be cleared of charges by tomorrow."

"S... Sounds good..." Cyan noises. No one in that taxi is aware of any of the events that transpired with Caspian, Giichi, Rosemary, and the entire massive organized crime spree they foiled.

Eventually, the taxi makes it to the Kingston household. Verness Green being the first to encounter them, running up to the taxi with her mug.

"Oh-! Green!" Cyan exclaims, coming out of the taxi and running to her. "Where have you been?! You were gone for hours and... and..." Taking a moment to look at the mug, before glancing off to the side.

Staring at the trampoline that was now in the front yard.

"......... Green," Cyan speaks up, looking at her. "Did- you get a trampoline?"

"Affirmative," Green responds with her usual one-word sentences.

"B... But- Mom says those cost a lot... how did you-"

"Assistance," Green answers, shaking the now empty coffee mug.

Quade and Nyx just stare at the trampoline for a while, before Quade eventually begins driving. "Well- bye, Verness, have a good evenin' and all. Say hello to your folks for me!" he calls out.

Cyan and Green- then turn to the car, waving after him.

"U-Uh! B-Bye, see you, Quade!"

"Farewell!"

Quade then rolls up the window, and continues to drive. Going down the road and beginning to drive Nyx... somewhere. The sun is still out, and Nyx risks going out and burning if he just let her out anywhere. It needed to be somewhere dark. So his vague, undetermined destination was simply somewhere back in the urban city.

The man is trying to focus on driving. Just thinking of driving, as he was left alone with Nyx and didn't know know how to respond or react. Before now, he believed Nyx to be a creepy woman. A woman with devil's blood in her veins, coming with a mysterious past and a strange obsession with him. Now that they were alone, now that Nyx blurted out a confession of her own, all- all of it was recontextualized to her being someone interested in being romantically closer.

It- it doesn't write any of the wrongs, but Quade could see the rationale. Nyx simply wanted to help him. She was jealous of Dahlia, and sought to take the issue into her own hands. Nyx had no knowledge of his history with Dahlia, how much Dahlia had hurt him.

But how does Quade handle this situation? It wasn't a disguise or a character or a persona. Nyx is someone who knows his normal, default form, and Quade is stuck on figuring out a solution. It was easy for him to figure out what to do in regards to his forms, how he could shapeshift into people, but no.

The unfortunate truth of the matter is, no matter how much Nyx loves him, no matter how much she may try to win his affections...

... Quade simply didn't return the feelings.

His heart simply did not feel the same way that Nyx's did. No passion in his heart for Nyx. He doesn't love... or like her back, in that way. Quade only saw Nyx as a friend, and that was it. He simply doesn't want the connection that Nyx desires, and he felt bad because of it. That was why he couldn't respond, why he didn't know how to respond.

It would have been easier to manage this situation if Quade could see himself falling for Nyx, but... he can't. He can't satisfy her with a lie, and he can't tell the truth and reject her. Quade was at a roadblock, struggling to give a response that satisfies both of them.

"... I'm sorry... I'm- I'm sorry..."

Nyx weakly apologizes, as she keeps herself facing away from Quade. Tears trailing down her eyes, rendered helplessly vulnerable and heartbroken, left hand on her right arm and holding it tightly.

The knight was holding it all back for Quade, to hide it from Verness. But as they were alone, with not a word to fill the vehicle, Nyx is left to think about how much he has hurt Quade. The gravity of the situation sinking into her, the events of the restaurant twisting and repeating in her head and flooding her with an unyielding guilt.

It was as Quade said. Her actions were careless and foolish, and she jeopardized his entire life over an incorrect assumption that she could ever matter to him.

There was no grounds to make that confession. Nyx had no reason to declare any of that out loud, under the guise of Quade. Even though she meant every word of it, it was declared at a time when Quade was scolding her and informing her of her entitled delusions, and with the intention of unleashing a pent up rage upon a woman she deemed worse.

And each tear she shed, a drop of shame and understanding. How hurt she felt upon Quade's words stabbing into her like knives, a justified punishment. As much misery as she felt, most of what Quade said- it was manageable, she was in the wrong for it. She could accept that. She could.

... and you are not above any of them at all. Not in the slightest.

Nyx squeaks out a loud sob, eyes shutting closed with her teeth clenched. Feeling herself recoil in absolute pain, every ounce of her aching and burning. Those words in particular stab Nyx's heart over and over again, inflicting deep wounds and informing her of what she is to Quade. How she was nothing to him. Nothing.

After the time they've spent together as... friends. The time they have fought together alongside other... friends. Nyx- deluded herself into believing their relationship could progress past a mere, unrequited obsession. One that Quade knew as a hyper fixation with him. How much she's wanted to be near him, to help and to love and to share a life with. How her heart yearned for more and more, to spend- every waking moment with Quade.

Now, it all amounted to nothing. She was nothing but a hinderance to his life, an interruption and a nuisance. To Quade, she was no better than anyone. She interpreted his words as her being below all of his friends, below Giichi and... and Dahlia. She was at a level below that vile, rotten, unfaithful woman. A repulsive feeling that Nyx was forcing herself to accept. Unable to control herself, crying her heart out. Her emotions as rampant as usual.

This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

As Nyx cried, it was... uncomfortably obvious... to Quade, why she was crying, how Nyx had all the time to process what he said. As much as he was upset with Nyx, he- he felt that he was too harsh with her, in hindsight. Nyx was no stranger to him, she... she was an... an acquaintance. Someone with mutual friends, at the very least.

Quade had yet to find a way to handle her confession, to figure out how to- properly handle this. And he could not come up with a direct way to... handle it, to handle everything that happened today. But... he had to do something. "... Nyx."

Nyx... quiets her crying, holding her breath so that Quade may speak.

... Quade lets out a sigh. "Nyx... I... accept your apology. You seem like... you know already what you did wrong. So... I'll give you a second chance and all. I... I still... trust you as a friend."

"..." Silence.

"... just promise you'll never do it again," Quade tells Nyx, making a left turn. "And we'll pretend today never happened. I can forgive you for what you did, and we can continue living our lives as if-"

"I-" Nyx immediately interrupts.

Quade stops talking, giving... Nyx the time to respond.

Nyx looks down at her feet, thinking heavily, before... sighing. "I will... I will promise to never use your identity in such a way again, and I will respect your privacy and private life as best as I can. I understand what I have done wrong, and I will never... betray you in such a way, ever again... but I will not stand to let today be a forgotten memory."

Quade shifts a little as Nyx says this, an uneasy look on his face as he slows the car down at a stop sign. "N... Nyx, I... I don't want to remember today. All of it was a mistake, and-"

"I did what I did today. I learned of Dahlia, I foolishly wanted to see her and know about her, I carelessly took actions as you to get to her... a... and... and all of it happened. All of that happened, Quade."

"... but-" Quade speaks up again, tense. Openly ready to just sweep all of it under the carpet, if it meant he didn't have to respond.

But Nyx insisted otherwise. "It is my mistake, my burden to bear, McMurphy. I will accept it and face whatever consequence you see fit..." Nyx explains, sniffling as tears drip down onto her legs. "... but please, please don't forget, don't make us forget what happened. You need to remember that Dahlia will never hurt you again as long as I shall live. And that I am unfit to be around you, ever again."

"..."

"Please. Please, please... please..." Nyx pleads, begging with all of her heart for Quade to accept that... that he was... safe.

Quade looks down at the steering wheel, taking a deep breath and a deep sigh. His hands gripping the steering wheel, glaring forward. If he was to remember today, if he needed to remember everything that happened today, then he... needed to address it. "... tell me why. Why exactly do you lo- ... why'd you- go on and tell Dahlia that you loved me?"

"... because, unlike Dahlia, I meant every word of what I said," Nyx answers, turning to face Quade. Her teary face on display, staring at him with a look of sadness, yet brimming with conviction. "From the very moment we met. I... found myself longing for you, for your affections, for your attention. You are right, I am... hyper... fixated on you. The creepy woman I am."

A brief pause as Nyx sits in the seat and stares at Quade, starting to unload her thoughts to the man. Every thought. "You may not know much about me, but you are a kind, hard-working individual. Dahlia's hollow words, they are my full truth. I have fallen for the man behind all of these masks, all of these forms. Beyond your natural talents, beyond your appearance... I... I truly love every aspect of you. And it enrages me that this woman has experienced what I long for... what I wish to have. To know the things she knows about you... I would- do anything... to be in her position, to... to never take you for granted..."

Quade... was speechless, gripping his steering wheel tightly. His gaze darkening as he was... comprehending all of that.

But... Quade at least... understands where Nyx is coming from. He can grasp the fact that she wants to try. She wanted to... to know him better.

Yet another deep, sighing breath escapes Quade's lips, as he finds... the best compromise he could.

"... I abandoned my family, Nyx."

Nyx- stares at Quade as he says this, feeling herself hesitate as her eyes widen. "... what?"

"You wanted to know more about me. So I'm telling you," Quade starts to explain. "Grew up in the countryside, plenty of states away from here. Something big happened and I needed to run away by my lonesome. Came to Starveil on my own. Grew up a boy in the working world. Faked my age to live off of money, took on several new identities to make ends meet. Years of meeting people and helping them out, doin' their jobs for them and such. That's part of how I make my living, and how I became the caring guy before ya."

"..." Nyx sits back and stares at Quade, taking this information in. "... did... Dahlia know? About you? About your... struggles, your... age-"

"I ain't immoral with my powers, she's just one year older than me," Quade explains immediately, shutting down that potential allegation. "See, we met in both our teenage years. I was sixteen, she was seventeen. Dated for a bit, and I did like her a lot. My first crush. But... she didn't feel the same, as you- found out."

"Mhmm..."

"After Dahlia crushed me, made me feel... awful," Quade continues. "I cut her out of my life. Learned from the whole thing, improved myself better, made myself wise enough to not fall for another woman like I did with her."

Nyx- picks up that last sentence, feeling tense for a bit... before... just... nodding. "... I see. I... I understa-"

"And there you go. You know something that my oldest friends know, and... you are the- the second person I told," Quade responds, interrupting her. Attempting to make this a... consolation, instead of a full rejection. Reducing the- awkwardness, best he could. "I'd assume that's enough for you. Having my... trust. Trust with this information. 'Bout the life that happened before now, and all. Is that... alright, with you?"

Nyx... looks to Quade for a bit, wiping the tears from her eyes and face with a simple response: "Mhmm..."

Quade... is relieved. It isn't much, and- and he felt tense unloading all of that onto Nyx. But it was at least- something that could satisfy Nyx for the time being. Give him some time to think, to spend more time with Nyx as a friend.

... but Nyx wasn't satisfied yet. Now that Quade's revealed that, Nyx... felt like she needed to return the favor. As she was starting to calm herself, as she- pulls a handkerchief out of the shadows and cleans her face, she... she exchanges Quade's... confession of his past, with one of her own:

"... my real name is Aya Katsuragi."

Quade looks to Nyx, blinking at this. "...? What was that?"

"I am Aya," Nyx repeats, dropping the used handkerchief back into the shadows for later disposal. "Aya Katsuragi. I refrain from referring to myself as my former name for two reasons. One, we know 'Papaya'. Papaya. Aya. That is confusing. So Nyx came to mind, as a fitting name for one who stalks the shadows."

"... and... the second?"

"Well. Aya Katsuragi is a shameful woman," Nyx leans herself against the car door. "There are shames I hold from my previous life, the most essential being... I could not contain my emotions. As a peasant, I felt violent urges towards others. My devil's blood flares up, and I lose control of my physical actions. Becoming a knight is how I found an... 'outlet' to handle this. Blind rage suits a warrior, after all."

Quade... Quade just nods. "I see."

"..." Nyx then looks back to the side, gazing out the window once more. "Now we know something about the other person. A bond of trust, a mutual understanding of each other."

"I suppose so... Aya," Quade responds, just nodding. "... I'll... drop you off somewhere for now. I'm returning the taxi, and need to do a bit more before I go drinking with Matts. Is that alright?"

... Nyx nods and gives a noise of approval.

"Alright." Quade continues to drive, just... calm. He believes this was the best way to handle this situation, and leaves it at that. Best to make this a future issue rather than a now problem. Nyx should be satiated enough...

...

But she wasn't.

Nyx stares out that window with an overwhelmingly bright blush, her eyes forming into hearts as she helplessly loses herself in thought, in fantasy and delusion.

Aya... he... he called me Aya... his voice, saying it, it sounds so... so...

Biting her lower lip as she lightly trembles, riddled with an overwhelming rush of raw emotion, of pure love coursing through her veins. Quade does not notice this reaction whatsoever, too focused on the road to realize what he's done to Nyx.

Nyx had a flame light in her heart, burning with a roaring flame of unyielding need. Lost in a several minute fantasy of having everything done to her, countless situations of intimacy between her and Quade.

Oh, how badly Nyx wanted to [REDACTED] and [REDACTED] [REDACTED] [REDACTED AGAIN] with [REDACTED] [REDACTED] [REDACTED] [DEFINITELY REDACTED] [OH MY GOD IT'S SO REDACTED] as Quade and her [REDACTED] [REDACTED] [RE. DACT. ED].

The following three minutes, as well as multiple paragraphs coming after this, have been redacted from the story due to the inhumanely explicit fantasies going through Nyx Katsuragi's mind. Fantasies that not even the most mature of stories on this website could handle, that not even the most twisted of humans could come up with.

Even as Quade pulls into a parking garage, even as Nyx steps out of the taxi and into the safety of shadows, even as she sees the taxi drive away and stares after while standing in place. The fantasy continues as strong as ever, Nyx remains as obsessed as ever. Every second of the fantasy, each split moment spent together in her mind.

Nyx.

Was.

Absolutely.

In.

Love.

"... the rushing river..." Nyx mumbles out, a wide smile on her face as her passionate, demented mind steps out of her fantasy. "The ground carved out by its strength..." Swaying a little as she holds a hand over her chest, letting out several shuddering and deep breaths. "Will collide as one."

Nyx spends the next few hours absent-mindedly standing in that parking garage, basking in the overwhelming euphoria coursing through her body from only the first step. The first step to gaining Quade's love, the first step to make the man all hers. Hers, and hers alone. Hope brimming on her face, her rekindled motivation taking over all sense of rationality and realism. Almost herself forgetting everything that happened today, the lesson discarded from her mind. All sense of control gone once again...

"..." Quade, driving away with an uneasy chill going down his spine, having a bad feeling as he was alone in the taxi...

... and suddenly, his thoughts are interrupted as his phone receives a call from Harvey.

The two would speak as Quade goes all the way to the taxi garage, starting to discuss the aftermath of Harvey's little jealousy stunt.

"The first night will be hard, Harvey. I reckon you'll be able to handle the weather this time of year," Quade explains. "You can do this."

"... you are- a freaking- butthole..." Harvey speaks from the other end.

"Hey, it was outta my hands, Harvey," Quade explains, deciding to... take credit for Nyx's whole plan. "In the future, don't even think 'bout doing what you wanted to do, and Sheila'll let you sleep in a human sized house again."

"Talk to you some other time." Closing his phone and putting it away, shaking his head. Quade reaches a hand up to adjust the brim of his hat, shifting back into Mr. Parker. His eyes... glancing to the right, to the now empty passenger's seat.

Reliving old memories, now that he has some downtime.

He told Nyx that she was the second person he ever... told. And the first was right there, in that seat. When he was first figuring out Starveil's roads, how he incidentally met the first person he ever trusted in this city. That memory fresh in his mind, the moment that began his welcome into the city.

Someone who wasn't in love with him. Someone who was just a friend in every sense of the word, someone who was much simpler to understand.

Reminiscing about this person now, remembering word for word the earliest memory with her...

"... so- you're, like, a shapeshifter? That's so cool! Like, can you turn into doggies and stuff?"

"Heh... something like that. The name's Quade McMurphy. Good to meetcha, young lady."

"Well, nice to meetcha too, Quade! And, uh, you're- I- I'm not a shapeshifter, but I'm- like, half dragon! See the horn?"

"... that's- crazy! I thought that was- s- so- that's a dragon's? You're really half dragon? Dragons exist and everythin'?"

"Mhmm! Plus, I can do things like- pick up cars, pick up... bigger cars-"

"Can you fly? Like, grow wings and all?"

"Oh! Yeah! Here, let me show you, it's actually pretty cool- a- ah! A-AHH! S-Sorry-! Oh- OH-! OH NO, OH GOSH-! IT HURTS, IT HURTS- OW!!!"

"Huh? What exactly- OH! Oh, gosh, they're lodged in there!"

"DID NOT THINK THIS THROUGH DID NOT THINK THIS THROUGH OH GOD."

"Uhm- uh- shoot- okay, take a deep breath, we can get them out, just- just carefully move a little to the-"

"AAAAHH! OH, NO, THE DOOR-! THE DOOR! WAIT- AAAGH-! AAAAHHH!!! I- I CAN'T REACH IT!"

"H-HOLD STILL! YOUR WINGS, THEY'RE-! HEY-! FOR GOODNESS SAKE, STOP! T-THE SEAT!"

"I'M TRYING! I'M TRYING, BUT- AGH! NONONONONONO-! OH GOD I JUST HEARD A CRACK. QUADE-!"

"THEY'RE NOT BROKEN, THEY'RE NOT, YOU'RE JUST- HEY-! HEY- OH, FREAKING JESUS-!"

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA...!!!!!!!"

...

The smile remaining on Quade's face, as he shakes his head. The start of it all, the beginning of his new life. A unique start that unfolded more and more, to get Quade where he was right now. A friend for life, leading to several other friends to... to make him feel welcome, to make him feel useful.

A great deal of respect... for his first friend.

"... to whatever comes tomorrow... Giichi Hasegawa."