"You wanna hang today?"

Ah, that look.. it's always that look. Like she's disgusted, like she's utterly revolted. It was like something stunk somewhere and she couldn't figure out where so her face is just permanently stuck in that scrunched-up, unappealing state. But here's the twist that no one saw coming - judging from her eyes, it was me that stunk along.

Silently, Amelia tried to swing the guest room door close on my face.historical

"Not with me," I hastily said, wedging my leg in time in-between the closing slit, and if I hadn't been wearing shoes still, let's just say my foot would have been doing a very good potato chip impression right then and there. "Tyler drop me home, and by sheer coincidence he's free, he asked if you wanna - "

"No. Leave," She snapped, baring half a scowl, and half a fang through the gap.

Yeah, I thought as much. Frankly, I'm surprised she's not even more outraged. But kill me dead right here and now if I'm going down without a fight. I owe it this much to keep trying.

"He likes you. Clearly, you must have noticed," I added, noting her visibly grimace upon the words. "You're fine with using humans as breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Well, now here's one asking you out for either one of the three - no difference, no biggie - just indulge him for a couple of hours."

"Yes, but unlike you, O' great benevolent one, I value my time greatly, and I do not desire nor intend to invest even a single second upon matters I think worthless, meaningless, least of all, infuriating, and he's infuriating. As are you. Go away."

She tried to close the door on me again, more strength, more strain. Once again, thank God, I was wearing leather.

"Where's your sister?" I asked, peering an eye through the gap, only to immediately back off upon hearing a dangerous snarl reverberating.

Yeah, don't think I'll look good in an eyepatch. Let's not risk that, thank you.

"Do not dare use Adalia for your own devious means," She warned me, speaking very hush and very low. "You think I am stupid? I know you plan to manipulate me through my sister's words - "

"Well, I wouldn't say manipulate.. convincing sounds like the nicer word."

"Irregardless," Her gaze grew sharp. "This is my choice, and nothing anyone can say, neither her, nor you, can do anything to change that. So please excuse my crass and tell your friend to fuc - "

"It will.. be fun.." came a frail voice growing close, then next, a pale hand pulled the door wider, and Adalia in the darkness could be seen slowly nodding her head. "You will.. have fun.."

Amelia flared her nostrils, taking a deep breath with closed eyes, before opening them again towards her sister. "I don't want to have fun. Especially not with that fool from before."

"You are.. being grumpy.." Her sister said, continuing to think otherwise, her head gradually drifting at an angle. "You need.. to have fun.."

"Adalia, I said no!"

"I.. know.." She replied. "But.. I still want you.. to go.."

Y'know now that the older sister was here unfazed by all snarls and growls thrown at her whatsoever, Amelia stopped looking less and less like a deathly creature of the night and the primal fear of us mere mortals, and more like a cranky brat that was throwing a tantrum just because she doesn't want to eat her veggies.

We shared a glance, hers and I, and from her thousand-yard stare, I got the feeling that she wanted me to leave this matter to her to sort out. I was more than happy with that, so I finally unwedge from the door, and let its echoing slam momentarily leave my ears ringing, and Ash inquiring from the kitchen if all was fine.

All was fine, indeed. I hope at least...

I waited outside the door for quite a while. The vibe I got from the otherside of the closed door was a tense one, yet strangely enough, in spite of me focusing my hearing, I couldn't hear a single word they were saying.

But then as soon as the notion struck me to press my head against the door, suddenly it flew wide open, and out emerged Amelia from the shadows, looking ever her defiant self, yet strangely enough, also not really?

"Three hours," She hissed, snapping her gaze at me. "No more, no less. Am I understood?"

"Loud and clear, I hear you," I stammered a reply, given no time to wonder at all what got her to change her mind especially after so much resistance. "Don't worry, he'll hear you too."

"His time starts now," Amelia began to march, huffing and puffing as she went down the staircase. "Pray for his sake I do not end up killing and feasting on him myself."

That's when Amelia followed along out from the same shadows, stopping beside me and saying in a soft yet firm voice, "No.. killing.. no feasting.. just.. have fun.. okay..?"

The front door closing shut was the response she got back. I didn't waste another second, I plunged myself into the darkness of their room, careful not to trip on something on my way to the window blinds, and slightly parted it open.

Somehow even from afar, and through fogged glass, Tyler's energy could still be felt, and right then he was bursting with it, stumbling over once, nearly fainting twice as a dark menacing figure slowly strutted her way over to him.

He was saying something I couldn't see, and she was saying something back something that caused him to chuckle - and that, the twitchy nervousness, definitely I could see.

True to his words though, he maintained a semblance of class. He opened the passenger-side door for her, even gave a courteous gesture motioning her in, which she did so very, very begrudgingly.. then before I knew it, they were driving off. Where? God only knows.

Now that it's actually happened, against all odds at that, I'm starting to question if it was really a good idea to sic poor unsuspecting Tyler with an individual known for her short fuse and little patience. Even without the vampirism, that's still a dangerous concoction - those two together.

Oh well, too late now.

"I hope.. she has fun.." Unintentionally stopping my heart, Adalia popped up beside me, staring out the same gap through the blinds. "I hope they both.. have fun.."

My eyes drifted over to hers, curiouser and curiouser. "Just what did you say to her?"

"When she.. comes back.." Adalia murmured. "I will hug her.. when she sleeps.. she likes it.. when I do that.."

Oh wow, was that the true power of sisterly love? Hell, I offer Sammy the same thing, she'd probably sign me up for the psych ward no questions asked.

"She was.. very upset.. when you said.. I have to come with you.. tomorrow.." She went off on her own, her thoughts already far elsewhere. "So I hope.. she becomes happy again.. after this.."

So that's what it was. No wonder she seemed more provocative as of late. Clingy little sister, ain't she?

"I never said she couldn't come," I replied, closing the blinds and shrouding the room in darkness once more. "Not like I could stop her sneaking a spot on the train. In fact, I was expecting her to."

"She's not.. coming.."

I raised my brows. "No?"

"Shy.."

Shy? Amelia? Heh, next thing you're going to tell me magic does exist. Oh wait..

"Of my mother?"

"Yes.."

"How about you?"

"Me.." She pondered it for a moment. "I.. I am.. not sure.. I do not.. feel.. I don't.."

Her words trailed away but she didn't need to say anything more. I understood. Punched myself mentally too for completely forgetting.

"Guess you can't be shy if you don't know how it feels like, I guess."

She made a sound, a faint verbal agreement, but didn't say anything more about it. Her misty eyes wandered again, finding interest in the little sliver of light bleeding into the floorboards.

"The countryside.. sounds nice.." She muttered. "It sounds.. fun too.."

I nodded. "It is."

"But.. we aren't there for fun.. right..?" She continued on. "You want.. to save that man.. we can't do.. anything else.."

Hit me on the head, but is that a hint of disappointment I'm hearing in the dullness of her voice? She's doing it on purpose.. man, she's not very subtle for someone so perceptive.

"Yeah, that's what I'm going there to do, that's right," I told her. "But that's not what you're there for, are you? What do you wanna do?"

She blinked, pondering once again so far from the moment itself. "I want.. to have fun.."

There it is.

"Then go have fun," I said. "Plenty of things to do, lots of lakes, you can do - "

"With.. you.."

Now it was my turn to blink, to go silent. I didn't expect that last part, honestly.

"I want to have.. fun.. with you.." She completed the sentence. "That's.. what I want.. to do.."

What an answer.

"Can.. we..?"

I smiled. "You're not shy at all saying that, are you?"

That's when the unexpected happened. Adalia went stiff, her eyes straying elsewhere, and her usual blank look for once looked more than it seemed. "No.. not.. shy.. at all.."

Liar.

"Well, I suppose you're gonna need someone to show you how to have fun, don't you?"

She looked up, and briefly, I saw her silver clouded eyes clear and sparkle.

Cute.

"Yeah," I affirmed.. "We'll have fun."