A stork

"Are you really going to let it happen?" Cora questioned in a worried tone. Her face showed clear signs of worrisomeness.

"You know I can't change the stars." Schoel sighed, sitting down next to her. Cora instantly broke down into tears hearing her husband's words.

Schoel tried to console her by wrapping his arms around her which only worsened her cry of helplessness. Schoel sighed seeing Cora like that but he had his hands tied down now only a miracle can change the stars.

***

August was busy drifting in his thoughts when a knock on his door brought him back. Sensing it maybe Azrael his eyes quickly looked up only to be greeted by the same face yet unfamiliar.

"You are not Azrael, are you?" August inquired seeing the woman with silver hair who had the same face as Azrael.

However, her body language and expression were painting her picture differently. Valerie smirked at his first question about meeting her. He was not a fool like Nat said. A fool can't differentiate between twins and how does she know that? Nat couldn't.

"I am not. I am Valerie, her twin sister." Valerie introduced herself walking inside the room.

"Don't tell me you are another grim reaper?" August quipped sarcastically.

Valerie just chuckled at his remark." Unfortunately nope. I am the opposite of a grim reaper, I don't know what you call them at your place."

"A stork."

" A stork?" Valerie looked at him dumbfounded. She takes back her words about him not being a fool. He is just a bit smarter than Natlus. A perfect combo of a fool and more foolish.

"Yeah according to the stories my mother read to me but according to humans you must be a goddess," August explained further.

"Ah!" Valerie exclaimed in enlightenment and sat down on the sofa clearing her throat. " Well, anyway I am here to announce something instead of Schoel."

Somehow August was not delighted on hearing that. Last time he had to marry the grim reaper who turned out to be a sadist and vile woman. God knows what else now. Irony Schoel was God.

"Well, Cora wanted to see her in those dresses and things you do in the human world. So Schoel decided to get it done the day after tomorrow." Valerie declared without hesitation, her voice sounded more like excitement.

"You mean the wedding?" August questioned, raising a brow suspiciously seeing the delight in her eyes.

"Yes." Valerie cut her answers short and got up to leave. "Also. Ask my sister to tell you about Cadgers and how to heal your claws." Valerie stated before vanishing into thin air.

August was perplexed and looked at his hands or claw or whatever it was. " Cadger…" August heaved out a sigh. This was just going as crazy as it could.

As if someone wrote this crazy story and threw him inside that story as a character. One thing for sure he was definitely that side character who had to go through a series of hurdles to die in the end most probably. If he was the side character then who is the protagonist? Azrael?

Just the thought of her being the protagonist, made him burst into laughter. The author must be crazy to make a psychopath grim reaper.

"What are you laughing at?" Azrael's voice broke the trail of laughter in the room. August's eyes peeked at the woman standing at the doorway who was curiously peeking at him.

He instantly stopped laughing and turned serious, clearing his throat and standing up straight. "N-nothing." Even with the seriousness, he stumbled at his words.

" Okay." Azrael rolled her eyes and sat down on the chair. After a few minutes of awkward silence.

"I am sorry." Both of them spoke out at the same time and the awkwardness grew more.

"Well, it was insensitive of me to joke about that. I should have thought straight." August explained rubbing the back of his neck.

"Well, I overreacted too but only because you made that joke and…I was annoyed by something else." Azrael finally accepted her fault after moments of hesitation.

August smiled seeing her hesitate so much in accepting her mistake. He sat down beside her and looked at her. Her eyes gilded everywhere except him.

"There is a saying by my mother. If you can't bend like bamboo you can't withstand the wind. So when opportunities come, bend the way that is advantageous to you even if it means sometimes saying ``Sorry" often." August explained with a melancholy smile, eyes filled up with memories from the past.

"Then the bamboo is cut down by the humans to make furniture." Azrael quoted rolling her eyes.

"..." August's eyes went straight to her face, speechless at her words. He was trying to give a speech about how saying sorry was not a bad thing and instead of being praised as a genius she just ruined it.

"You really have to ruin it?" August facepalm seeing her being so chill after ruining his moment being the smart one.

"What? I just told the truth." Azrael shrugged and was confused why he was facepalming at her.

"Nothing. Nevermind." August shook his head, trying to keep his composure.

"By the way, your twin sister came by," August announced, trying to change the topic. "She said the wedding will be held the day after tomorrow."

" What!" She yelled right into his ears. Her face turned into sheer horror. "Why did you not tell me about this earlier? Ugh Forgot it! We are going shopping. Quick!" Azrael got up and straightened her dress ready to leave while August was still at his seat trying to make sense of all the words she spattered in the speed of a bullet train.

Azrael stopped on her tracks seeing him not following her. She turned around to see him still sitting on the chair.

"Come on. Hurry up!" Azrael snapped her fingers together to gain his attention.

August did follow behind her, but not because he was interested in her eccentric behaviour. He wanted to know what Valerie told him before taking her leave.