"You know, the more you glower, the more you age?" Byul's voice was lazy but easily reached the dragon's ears. 

The only response Byul got was a small twitch of an eyebrow. 

"Rumours have already started to circulate because of you," Byul continued as she sipped her coffee. 

"What about the rumours because of you?" Yong's voice was strained as she finally pulled her attention away from the lion and Wheein.

Across the cafe, Hyejin and Wheein were currently in an argument about who knows what. Hyejin was excitedly holding Wheein's hand and making gestures while Wheein looked annoyed. However, despite the obvious annoyance, Wheein did what Hyejin asked her to do without hesitation. 

"Hey, the rumours because of me were already a given, after all," Byul looked at a passing waitress and smiled and in return the waitress blushed before scurrying off, "I'm a whole meal."

A loud sigh escaped Yong's body as she closed her eyes to regain her composure. 

"It's been two months and you've already adopted today's speaking patterns," Yong's voice turned low, "If you keep this up this charade will be harder to do."

"Hah! You worry about me keeping up the charade? Again, what about you??" Byul accused with a pointed jerk with her coffee mug, "The way you glare at Wheein and Hyejin, at any little thing they do, well, it's obvious...."

Byul's voice faded as a small smirk made its home on her lips as she took another sip of coffee. Out of all the people for Wheein to attract, it had to be the person that Byul had to pretend to date. While at first Byul was irritated, almost to the point of being standoffish at every gettogether, now it's turned into a fun game. Watching Yong pinning after her sister while said sister is completely oblivious is the best entertainment Byul had in a while. Although, she still felt protective over Wheein. Hyejin had been nothing but kind and had always asked for consent before any sort of touch for anything, so it was easy to feel safe around her, but just as much it was fun watching Yong pin after Wheein, it was just as fun watching Hyejin pin after Wheein as well. The obvious rivalry was subtle but hilarious. 

"Obvious? What's obvious?" Yong's full attention was on the vampire now. Dark eyes met her brilliant blue and the only thing she heard was a chuckle. 

"You have a crush on my baby sister and I'm surprised you haven't strangled Hyejin yet," The smirk could be seen for miles. 

"Wh--No!!" Yong exclaimed and garnered the attention from a few of the human patrons who roamed the antique coffee shop. Lowering her voice and leaning in towards Byul ear, Yong continued, "The hell are you on about?"

"Yong, you've been eyeing my sister ever since we met, and if it weren't the fact that we're currently supposedly dating, I would help you but alas," Byul shrugged as she drank the last of her coffee. She winked at another passing patron who had been eyeing her all evening. 

Yong could only sputter as she heard Wheein's laughter from afar. Amazing.

"If it weren't for this ridiculous farce then maybe you could be happy," Byul muttered as she looked at her sister and Hyejin. 

"Happy? What makes you think I'm not?" The offense in Yong's voice was apparent. As was her full attention on the vampire. 

"Come on, you're 'dating' me and I know myself best," Byul shrugged as she looked away and took another sip from her now empty cup, "I know how I can be."

"Wh--" Before Yong could confront Byul on the implications of such words she was interrupted by a certain excited lion. 

"YongYongYongYong!" 

Hyejin almost crashed into their table if Wheein hadn't stopped Hyejin in time. Grabbing the young lion's waist, Wheein had enough force and strength to make the lion screech to a halt before any furniture had to suffer. With a small sigh of relief, Wheein stood next to Hyejin as the idea was proposed. 

"Hyejin, what the ?" Yong asked in a tired tone. It took every ounce of willpower to not glare at Wheein's arm that still remained around Hyejin's waist. 

"Don't you think it's time we bring them home?" Hyejin asked with a toothy grin. 

"I can't tell if you worded it like that on purpose or not," Byul mused as she saw Yong's brow twitch again. 

The lion only looked at the pair quizzically. 

"It's been a couple of months now," Hyejin leaned in towards Yong, Werebeast to Werebeast, "We've seen where they live. They've graciously showed us their culture, their weird, back-asswards--"

Wheein elbowed Hyejin's ribs at the diss but the lion continued. 

"-- culture and yet we haven't shared ours!

Yong stopped her loud sigh as she saw several human patrons glance at them. Hyejin was right. It's been a couple of months, months longer according to the supposed relationship, and yet....

"Ya know, that's right. How is it that we've been in a relationship for so long, and I haven't seen your home? Especially now," Byul said as she continued to grin in malicious compliance, "It's been months babe, why don't you introduce me informally?"

Yong let out a low growl at the pet name. A growl that only the supernatural heard and understood. 

"Fine. But behave yourself."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

During the ride to the location that Hyejin and Yong call home, Byul and Wheein observed the world flash by. Well, what little of the world they could see. Yong’s windows were tinted so dark that everything almost looked grey. The car ride was silent, save for the local college radio station softly emanating from Yong's speakers. Silent, but peaceful. 

The songs that played generated a soft buzz of ambiance as the vampire and dhampir observed. The trees that rushed past the windows were ancient and held secrets of old. The moon illuminated the road before them, a gentle guidance on a familiar path. 

Byul noted how old the trees were. The last time she saw these trees they were nothing but saplings. To see them this large and imposing was heartwarming. A true testament of time. A true testament to mother nature's power and tenacity. 

Wheein saw how much everything had changed since she had last come up. The last time she was this far from home was during one of the last supply runs. The city of today was nothing but a small village back then. It was almost alarming. To her, nature was almighty and hard to change as it was changed and yet the humans of the area were able to mold it, destroy it, to their will. A part of her wonders if nature will one day reclaim this area.

Yong began to slow down and pulled over into the shoulder. Quickly glancing at the side and rearview mirrors. Forever watchful for any lost human that may have found their way to their secret. And luckily for them, no humans have decided to stay out longer than needed. 

After the pause, Yong continued to drive along the shoulder and to a hidden dirt trail. Dust kicked up around them and before long it was all they could see out the windows. The road was rough but nothing too excessive. Obviously the path had been worn down throughout time. But how much time? In the back of their minds, Byul and Wheein couldn't help but wonder who was here first. Them or the Werebeasts?

Finally, after what felt like eternity of driving through a cloud of dust, Yong pulled into a spot and parked. 

"Alright, we're here. But first, some ground rules," Yong twisted in her seat to look at the dhampir and vampire and raised her fingers one by one, "First, don't be too overwhelming."

"Overwhelming? What's overwhelming about us?" Byul questioned.

"Ya know, don't be too.....vampire-y?" Hyejin tried to help but even she couldn't translate her instincts.

"That makes no sense," Wheein stated with a deadpan look. She had done all of the research she could on Werebeast society and this is the first time something like overwhelming being mentioned. Let alone being mentioned in the context of a rule. Maybe it more of a local rule?

"There! Like that!" Hyejin exclaimed at the perfect example.

"Uh....what did I do?" Wheein glanced at her sister and in return all she got was a shrug.

"Oh for the love of.....don't be too blunt, aloof, distant, or cold!" Yong finally explained after painfully surviving that exchange.

"So my question still stands, what's overwhelming about--"

"Second! Don't touch without permission," Yong continued so she could be free of this torture.

"Ah, then Yong can I touch y--Hrgk!"

Before Byul could finish her sentence, Wheein sent a sharp elbow into her sister's ribcage. 

"Third! Elders go first," Yong glared at them all. 

"Oi, why ya looking at me?!" Hyejin whined. 

"Cuz I know how you are when you bring guests," Yong deadpanned, "The overzealous lion."

"Ok, that happened once--"

"Thrice. It happened three times."

"Fine! So that's why you're taking the lead on this right? Since the elders go first and all," Hyejin gave a cheeky grin. Her play was faulty and weak but she had the dragon wrapped around her finger by now. Not like how it used to be. 

"Ugh....fine. We can see my family first," Yong sighed and motioned to the others to get out. "That's all the rules for newbies anyway."

Byul and Wheein gave each other a questioning glance. They still couldn't see past the heavily tinted windows and thus they can't tell what's ahead. Did the Werebeasts also advance along with their human counterparts? Or were they like the vampires and stuck a little to their old ways? Or was it more of a hybrid? 

Despite the million questions running through their head, they followed Yong's lead. Unbuckling themselves they let their questions vanish from their mind as they let themselves be open with possibilities.

After all, what could go wrong?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The tunnels were dark and damp. The darkness she was used to but the dampness made everything unbearable. Even with her superior night vision, there was something unsettling about this darkness. Maybe it was her unfamiliarity with it, maybe it was the gravity of the situation that hindered her senses, maybe there was an ancient magic that hindered the abilities of the vampiric kind. 

She shook her head at that last thought. Now wasn't the time to get lost in the possibilities. Right now she has to focus on the future. Whatever that may be. For better or for worse. 

Putting a hand on the wall to guide her, Wheein continued forward. The only blemish she could feel were just the grooves of the tools that were used to carve the ancient pathway. Letting the grooves guide her down this long winded path, time melted away into the darkness.  A piece of her wonders if the very beings that carved this path were still alive. 

"Shi---" Wheein hissed as her foot bumped into something that caused her to stumble. Looking down, she barely made out the offender. 

It was a small pack. 

Crouching down to examine it further, Wheein gathered the bundle and opened it. She heard the clanking of glass before it registered in her brain at what she was most likely looking at. Vials of blood. 

Wheein's breath hitched. She was getting tired of blood already after what she had done.

After a few moments, Wheein tucked the bundle into her knapsack. Securing it so she won't have to hear the clinging of her regrets. The clanking of guilt. The pings of heartbreak.

She stretched and put her hand back on the wall. She doesn't know how long she had been walking already but from what she gathered so far she still had a long way to go. Hopefully, in the end, it will all be worth it in some twisted way.