Seulgi feels like a teenager again, confused and uncomprehending of the feelings she harbors within her own heart. It’s not surprising, considering the events she’d been carelessly thrown into - starting with Irene. All of it because of Irene.

She realizes how fascinating these series of events are, watching Irene and Wendy bickering and bantering back and forth like the closest of siblings in the latter’s kitchen, Seulgi having chosen to reside on a nearby couch with her laptop perched upon her thighs after Wendy had insisted that she would cook dinner. As far as Seulgi’s observations had transpired, it had been mostly Wendy cooking and Irene being of no help whatsoever and possibly making an unfixable mess in the kitchen.

But for the first time in the longest time, she doesn’t feel like a deep, dark void of nothingness. She feels more full than she’d ever been since the deaths of her parents and grandmother, warmer and less alone. If she’s going to be truly honest to herself, she’d begun to feel that way since Irene had entered her life all those months ago.

“Seulgi, tell Wendy how nice I am!”

Seulgi’s always had a quick wit and it doesn’t fail her now. “You mean whenever you want something from me? Yeah, I remember how nice you get then.”

Wendy snorts and laughs loudly, a single woman chorus of protests erupting along side the raucous laughter. Seulgi allows a short burst of amusement to escape her lips, shaking her head in mock dismay before returning her attention to her yet to be fulfilled story.

Seulgi guesses that it’s her mind built for imagination that has her easing back so easily into the life she’d doggedly avoided since the violent murder of her family. It helps her to process information without her brain going helplessly into overdrive, her mind being able to accept what would be thought of as crazy to any other.

Fantastical fiction had always been Seulgi’s area of expertise and it had assisted her through times of what had seemed to be eternal darkness within her angsty teenage mind. Nevertheless, it is the main factor for her success, and for her sanity as of now.

Dinner turns out not to be so much of a disaster, Wendy proving to be the best cook Seulgi has ever laid her eyes upon as she takes another forkful of spaghetti into with vigour. Seulgi isn't a bad cook herself, having lived her pre-adult life without considerable care, but Wendy outperforms her by a million.

“So, what are we going to do about creepy red-head kid?” Wendy asks.

“Whatever Seulgi wants,” Irene says.

Seulgi swallows the bite of spaghetti, aware of two pairs of eyes watching and waiting for her words. “We should give her a chance. I don’t trust her, but if she can actually help, then it’s worth a try.”

Irene and Wendy nod in unison, Seulgi offering a slight tilt of the head before returning to the heavenly masterpiece of Wendy’s. Seulgi’s never been the type to be conversational, especially within a group. She prefers sitting back and letting others talk, observing them and storing information to implement into her writing. The human mind is an intricate thing, and there’s always something more to learn from it. For a writer, the job never ceases.

“Can I crash here tonight?” Irene asks.

Wendy’s response flings out faster than a bullet from its chamber. “No. But Seulgi can.”

Seulgi grins, easily catching onto the bout of teasing to come. “You heard her, Bae.”

“Really? Teaming up on me again?” Irene falls silent for a brief second, then abruptly looks up at Seulgi with infinitely sorrowful eyes. “Seulgi . . . you wouldn’t throw me out, would you?”

Seulgi feels her adamant demeanor waver, Irene’s shimmering blue gaze a trap to ensnare an unsuspecting victim - being Seulgi. Seulgi manages to look away, clearing in haste to rid herself of the feeling against her chest.

“I - It’s not my choice.”

“Yeah, yeah, but you wash the dishes,” Wendy says before Irene can so much as shift her gaze towards her.

“Hey!”

Seulgi shrugs with a chuckle at Irene’s apparent dismay of Wendy’s uncompromised compromise, the sulking vampire falling silent and returning to her “juice box”. The atmosphere is cozy and Seulgi can’t help but relax. It had been a strange night, but she isn’t complaining.

Yeri isn’t oblivious - far from it. She’s observative and calculative, seemingly icy in her demeanor, but quick to notice various emotions of other beings. That’s what makes her dangerous, and that’s how Yeri is aware of Joy’s fascination for her (though it helps that Joy is an emotionally stunted child hiding behind a mask of ice). Yeri utilizes that fascination to benefit herself although Joy is much higher in position within the hierarchy. Feelings and emotions are powerful things, and Yeri has been aware since day one.

“Joy, can I talk to you?”

Joy looks up from her position on the windowsill, book seeming to close of its own accord as the entirety of her attention falls onto Yeri. It’s rather fascinating, being able to view the phenomena of emotions, and Yeri watches in silence as Joy’s body language indicates her complete devotion towards the younger vampire.

“Yeri, if this is about that human . . .”

“You know it’s wrong, Sooyoung. I can see it in your eyes bright as day.”

Yeri doesn’t fail to notice the flicker of weakness that flutters past the vampire’s expression at the mention of her given name. She realizes it’s cruel,