Chaerin gulps anxiously and she feels her own wings wanting to break through her shirt as she watches Dara's slowly extend. The beautifully black feathers grow from her back into two of the most mesmerizing things Chaerin has ever seen. Each smooth feather is a masterpiece in itself, jet black, with a feeling of untouchable sophistication. Chaerin can imagine that if she held even a single feather in her hand, she'd feel this surge of power course through her, power that she can't describe yet can imagine so clearly.

       The wings stretch and grow to their full wingspan, and Chaerin's eyes widen even more when she sees that each wing is about the length of Dara's entire body. They're huge, more than twice as long as Chaerin's small white ones. Once they've finished growing, Chaerin's breath catches in as she takes in the entirety of both dark wings. They flutter and quiver calmly, as if breathing along with Dara's entire body. They're a healthy, rich color, and they're visibly strong and confident. Chaerin wants to describe them as gentle giants.

       They're unexplainably graceful and they enjoy being a part of Dara. Chaerin has no doubt about it.

       Dara sighs a little in relief and her wings settle slightly along with her. Chaerin thinks, if they're anything like her own wings, it must be a total pain to keep them in your body for so long, especially since they're so big and...so powerful. Dara turns her head to Chaerin and almost drops her drink.

       "Chaerin?" she asks hesitantly. "Um, what's wrong? You look like you just watched me get eaten by a Werewolf." Chaerin blinks a little before clearing and looking away, not wanting to come off as a wing-stalker or something.

       "No, it's nothing," she answers as she waves her hands in front of her like that will clear everything up quicker. Dara glances at her, looking somewhat worried.

       "You look kinda pale right now. You sure you're okay? Drink some of the orange juice." Dara motions to the cup that's still on the table, looking at Chaerin with anxious eyes. Chaerin takes a deep, shaky breath of amazement when she sees those magnificent black wings tense and shake. Suddenly, Dara heaves what sounds like a frustrated sigh.

       "What's wrong?" Chaerin asks warily. Dara shakes her head with a reassuring smile that again, oddly makes Chaerin feels safe.

       "Nothing. My wings are kind of losing it. Too worried about you, I guess," she laughs. "You're uncomfortable because of my wings," she states. It's not a question so Chaerin just nods very slowly. Dara nods with her.

       "Yeah, they're kind of really big," Dara continues. "At least compared to most Lights. Some Darks too. But as with all wings, they're harmless," she shrugs. "Actually, as with everything in this entire house," she looks at Chaerin pointedly," they're harmless. In fact, my wings are two of the sweetest things I've seen in this world. Just for the record."

       Chaerin is gradually becoming more comfortable with those huge black things, both with the general passing of time and Dara's calming words. She briefly wonders why Dara would bother comforting her in the first place.

       "They...they're beautiful," Chaerin admits awkwardly. Dara giggles a little and smiles. Her wings seem to lift a little with Chaerin's words. A tiny tint of red creeps into Dara's cheeks and Chaerin feels infatuated with something, but she can't tell exactly what.

       "I don't treat them very well..." Dara replies sheepishly, looking into her cup of orange juice. Chaerin smiles as the black wings ruffle a little because she knows it means that they disagree. Dara must treat her wings like her own children for them to love her so much. Cute.

       "I definitely don't treat mine well, I hate my wings," Chaerin says as her wings push against her back a bit. Dara laughs.

       "You love your wings, you know that. You can't not love them." Chaerin's smile grows with Dara's words. She knows it's true. Chaerin suddenly feels this sense of mutual understanding pass through them. There's nothing like talking to another Angel, she supposes. Chaerin could never have these kinds of conversations with her parents, for some reason.

       Dara looks up again and blinks a couple of times. Chaerin notices and tilts her head in question.

       "What's up?" Chaerin says, feeling very outrageously comfortable for an introvert in some stranger's house with a Dark Angel with the biggest blackest wings she's ever seen. Chaerin scratches her head as naturally as she can at the thought.

       Dara blinks a few more times before breaking her gaze. She looks a lot more innocent than Chaerin is accustomed to.

       "You're cute when you smile," Dara squeaks, her face beet red. Chaerin blinks in surprise and they sit for maybe three long seconds in silence. Suddenly Dara stands up quickly and grabs Chaerin's untouched cup of orange juice.

       "Well you're obviously not gonna drink this juice because you think it's ing poisoned or something so I'll just take it to the kitchen. Watch some TV or something," Dara says, trying to sound bold but laughing nervously before hurrying out of the room with two cups.

       Chaerin watches Dara's retreating figure, her words running through her head. Chaerin's hands slowly creep up to touch her heated face and she starts giggling like a middle schooler with a crush.

       "You're cute when you smile."

       After several minutes of just giddily sitting on the couch, Chaerin decides to turn on the TV. Nothing interesting is on so she just sits there, staring at the screen as her mind wanders. Her mind wanders to none other than Dara, who is completely throwing Chaerin off with her bipolar personality.

       On Monday when they talked in the restaurant kitchen (or more like yelled) Dara was totally freaky and scary and intimidating and Chaerin was sure her father was right about Dark Angels. But then Chaerin remembers those pained golden eyes in the dark alley and Dara's sobs as she bared her heart to Chaerin and her hurt eyes when Chaerin suggested something negative about Darks. And now...Dara's ridiculously sweet gestures that are freaking Chaerin out in a whole other way?

       Well they aren't even that sweet, and there aren't that many. It's just that Dara looked so worried after Chaerin saw her wings and she was so quick to comfort her about it and she was so cute when Chaerin complimented the wings and she was so shy when she said those words...

       "You're cute when you smile."

       Chaerin bites her lip to suppress another giggle. But all of a sudden, Dara shows up out of nowhere, plopping down on the chair she was sitting on earlier. Chaerin jumps a little in surprise before glancing over.

       "What took you so long with those juice glasses?" Chaerin asks. She thinks she sees a little more red flush into Dara's cheeks but she isn't sure because she doesn't want to turn her head in Dara's direction and end up staring at her like a creep.

       "Oh, um...I washed them. Yeah, I washed them. Bom doesn't like washing dishes and I didn't want them to stay in the sink for the entire evening so...yep. I washed them," Dara replies, speaking extremely quickly. Chaerin smiles a little bit again with that same unidentifiable infatuation but it disappears as she thinks about Bom. That weird woman. Chaerin almost forgot about her.

       "Can you tell me more about Bom? She's already pretty much taken us to third base and I don't know a thing about her yet," Chaerin asks. Dara laughs heartily, pulling her feet up and sitting with her legs criss-crossed on the couch. Chaerin watches in awe as her big black wings also shake with the laughter, but in an inexplicably graceful way, moving like waves in the sea. Chaerin wonders if her own wings look that beautiful. Her wings are just really fluffy. Dara's are plain ing elegant.

       Dara seems to notice Chaerin's eyes on her wings so she smiles knowingly. "You know, we're living in a supernatural house. You can let out your wings too, no one is gonna freak out," she says with amusement.

       "Really?" Chaerin asks, honestly very eager to release those stupid feathers. Dara nods, chuckling a little at her innocence.

       Excited, Chaerin takes off her jacket and her wings hastily stretch out of her back and out of her shirt, causing Dara to blink in alert. She briefly looks at the soft white wings and smiles happily.

       "Your wings are adorable!" she claps. Chaerin feels that still-foreign heat creeping up her cheeks and she looks down into her lap, feeling her wings flap a little.

       "T-thanks," she stutters for no reason at all (hopefully no reason, anyway). "Your wings too...they're magnificent." Dara bites her lip in embarrassment before shifting in her seat.

       "Okay anyways, you wanted to know about Bom," she says, clearly trying to change the subject. Chaerin wants to grin but her interest in Bom is too overwhelming.

       "Yeah, what's up with her?" she asks, forcing herself to chuckle so Dara will know it's a joke. Dara laughs in recognition.

       "Bommie is kinda loopy in the brain. She's a Siren, you've never met one?" she asks. Chaerin shakes her head in response.

       "Oh, well Sirens are all y and stuff but that's not important. Sirens can manipulate people mentally and physically," Dara explains casually. Chaerin's breathing starts to quicken.

       Manipulate?! What the–

       "Don't worry though," Dara continues, interrupting Chaerin's thoughts. "Some Sirens can be crazy and evil and really ing freaky – of course; there's always a few in every Creature population. But Bom isn't one of them. Most Sirens aren't." Chaerin is relieved but she still feels pretty scared.

       "Bom always uses her powers for really stupid reasons. Like," Dara motions at Chaerin, "stealing people's money for buying corn. Ooooh, she loves her corn." Chaerin laughs at Dara's face, which shows a mixture of disgust, affection, and amusement.

       "Not saying she's the only one thought. I mean, ramyun will always be number one in my heart," Dara jokes, shrugging and returning her attention to the TV. Chaerin smiles with...tenderness? The notion is odd but it's definitely there.

       Chaerin is a bit baffled with herself. Not only is she hanging out and talking casually with this Dark Angel, but she's also feeling this weird type of affection that she's never felt before. Dara seems like a Creature with such depth, just like her golden eyes. Chaerin is just really curious, she supposes.

       Suddenly, the door bursts open and then slams shut and Chaerin's wings almost fall off in surprise and fear. She looks over at Dara, who seems suspiciously unaffected, casually watching the boring show on TV. Extra-heightened Dark Angel senses, maybe?

       "What the–" Chaerin exclaims, running her hand through her hair to help regain her composure.

       "Wassup everyone!" Bom's voice booms through the house. "I got the food and it smells soooooo good!" Dara doesn't peel her eyes from the TV but turns her head a little toward Bom's direction.

       "Speak of the ing devil, we were just talking about you, you y Siren!" she yells with a teasing voice, snickering. Bom roars with laughter as she carries the food to the kitchen.

       "Stop watching The Bachelor, Dara, it !" she shouts back. Dara pouts a little and Chaerin giggles. Just watching the roommates talk is funny to her.

       "Hul! It's entertainment, I tell you!" Dara retorts, pouting cutely when Bom cackles. Then she turns to Chaerin with a warm smile. "Come on wimp, let's eat."

       Chaerin, somehow not bothered by the derogatory nickname, stands up from the couch. Suddenly Dara leans forward and puts her hand in front of as if to tell a secret. Chaerin's smile grows when she feels Dara's warm Aura grow stronger with the closer distance, like a warm blanket of dark blues and deep purples and raven blacks.

       "Don't eat her corn. Bom turns into an ugly, flat-chested, uny Siren when she doesn't have her corn!" Dara starts with a whisper but gets louder until she's pretty much screaming the last part. Over her laughs, Chaerin can hear Bom protesting.

       "YAH! y Sirens have ears too! Chaerin, don't listen to her! She's lying!" Bom yells from the kitchen. Dara snickers before walking into the kitchen. Chaerin follows, feeling happy and included, for once.

       All three girls sit down at the dining table in the small kitchen and eat some ramyun and dried mangos. Bom lets Chaerin have half of a cob of corn and Dara doesn't shut up with the teasing for about half an hour. Bom teases Dara a lot about everything in general. Chaerin laughs a whole ing lot.

       Every time Bom wants to tease Dara she hits Dara on the arm or pretends to choke her or something. Dara makes a funny face and Chaerin laughs really damn hard, but on the inside she's really curious what it would feel like if she touched Dara.

       A Light and Dark Angel touching...that wouldn't be good, right? But now that Chaerin is getting to know Dara, she's starting to really ing like her and it's weird. And Chaerin is thinking maybe a Light and a Dark Angel touching would be one of the most epic things in the world. In a good way.

       They don't really talk about anything in particular while they're eating, especially not what happened on Monday and especially not the fact that Chaerin and Dara are natural opposites. They just talk about random stuff like the gross chicken Chaerin has to cook and the gross people Dara has to serve at the cashier, and after Bom is finished eating she does a lot of stupid dancing and Chaerin is having the time of her life in this family she now feels like she is a part of.

       Dara pretty much doesn't stop laughing throughout the entire evening and Bom looks happy that Dara is happy and Chaerin is also pretty ing happy that Dara is happy. Dara's smile is like the sunshine and her laugh is so bright and uplifting and just so goddamn vibrant and it makes Chaerin chuckle to herself because who would've thought that a Dark Angel is starting to brighten up Chaerin's life?

       Dara and Chaerin have only partially known each other for a little over a week but by the time all three of them are about to fall asleep because it's too late, Chaerin isn't sure if she wants to leave this place. Bom is really ing hilarious and amazing and Dara is just really damn perfect in every way that Chaerin can imagine. But she leaves anyway because she doesn't want to burden them by sleeping over.

       And when she leaves, she's still wondering what it feels like to be touched by a Dark Angel.

       Chaerin walks home with an uncontrollably huge smile on her face. When she finally gets home she goes to sleep because she is damn tired no matter how many Dark Angels are barging their way into her world and no matter how many adorably fun families she's suddenly a part of. And when she falls asleep, she dreams.

       "Mama!" Chaerin screams in horror as she sprints toward the kitchen, toward her mother. Chaerin runs until she's just close enough to get a glimpse of her frightened, trembling mother when she stops, both out of shock and literal petrification from Hyori's power and Aura. Hyori is standing above Chaerin's cowering mother with menacing yellow eyes.

       Suddenly, Chaerin's mom turns to Chaerin and locks her with a gaze of scared, helpless green eyes. Her wings are lifeless, lying on the ground. She lifts a shaking, weak arm towards Chaerin as if to ask her to take her hand.

       "Chaerin..." she chokes out. "Help..." Chaerin watches, horrified. But she can't do anything. She wants to do something and her mind wants her to do something but her stupid feet aren't listening. They aren't even trying to break through Hyori's controlling Aura even though Chaerin's brain is screaming out like there's no tomorrow. And there really might be no tomorrow if Chaerin's mom dies, because what will Chaerin ever do without her?

       But Chaerin watches, frozen, and she feels like the worst daughter as she just blinks as Hyori is about to the soul out of her mother and kill her.

       But all of a sudden there's a blur of black and Chaerin can move again. With no hesitation, she rushes toward her barely-breathing mother and cradles her in her arms, not bothering to check what just saved her from imminent death.

       Chaerin hears the echo of tinkling laughter and she looks up. She gasps when she sees Dara, clad in her white shirt and pink plaid pajama pants, but still looking majestic as with her massive black wings and her fierceness. She winks at Chaerin before turning to Hyori, her eyes hardening. Yellow eyes meet golden ones.

       Dara looks like she could swallow up the entire world with her anger as she somehow picks up Hyori and throws her over her shoulder, carrying her to the door and literally drop-kicking her to the curb.

       "And don't ever come back, !" Dara yells before slamming the door. Chaerin watches, jaw open in a daze, her trembling mother still in her arms. Dara turns around with that familiar confident smirk. She crosses her arms and raises her eyebrow.

       "Not even gonna thank me, wimp?"

       And with that, Chaerin's eyes snap open as she lies on the bed with a cold sweat. Her eyebrows furrow in confusion.

       Yes, she's had that dream before. With the horrible vision of her mother begging her and the horrible feeling of not being able to move and the horrible thought of being the worst daughter in the world. But normally it doesn't end that way.

       Normally it ends with Chaerin waking up just before her mother is killed, just before her mother goes limp and her eyes roll upward. But this time, why the hell did Dara pop up in the mix?

       Dara popped up in all her iconic forcefulness and all her annoying yet absolutely amazing arrogance and all her y yet still so admirable attitude. All mixed with the adorable clothes and the tinkling laughter and the graceful wings.

       And Chaerin is just trying to rub her headache away and she attempts to grasp the fact that she never used to think anyone could save her from this ditch she was living in with the nightmares and the introversion and the fear.

       Until Dara popped up in the mix.