"I heard you on the wireless back in fifty-two"

Video Killed the Radio Star by The Buggles

TONIGHT WAS THE night she would meet Star and Laddie. She was admittedly nervous. It both surprised and confused her that she hadn't met them yet. She supposed they didn't want to bother bringing her around them until they were sure they wouldn't kill her and could trust her.

By that logic, this was a good sign, right?

She met the boys on the boardwalk as usual. They'd fallen into a routine of hanging out for a few hours before they did their own thing - she to acquire some money, they to find a meal. The system worked for them, and they seemed to be coexisting peacefully and even enjoying each other's company.

Truthfully, she was having a lot of fun. Their banter often made her laugh, and their antics gave her thrills. They seemed to appreciate her ability to keep up and have fun, but also that she respected them as predators.

Sure, she teased them back, and she sometimes butted heads with David – she wasn't a pushover, despite her awkwardness – but ultimately, she had a healthy fear of them. Sevyn knew there were lines a human simply couldn't cross when dealing with vampires.

The exception to that being her petty theft, which they oddly tolerated. Well, David didn't, but that didn't stop her from claiming the others as marks.

She'd been waiting for about ten minutes, perched on the boardwalk railing, when the boys arrived. Her attention was drawn to a silver ring on her finger, shaped like an eight-point star with small diamonds in the center and along the points. It wasn't big, but it was pretty, a new favorite.

When the boys pulled up, Paul caught her eye first.

"Hey, babe! Looking good. Ready for a ride?"

"You bet, sunshine," she replied before jumping down to join them. Marko and Dwayne smirked, while David merely nodded. One of these days, she would get him to smile at her.

Tonight, she wanted to ride with Paul. He seemed the wildest of the four, and she could use the thrill to boost her courage. Honestly, she didn't know how to behave with Star, given what she knew.

As for Laddie, well, she was terrible with kids. They scared the hell out of her. So, to win him over, she brought her Switch to teach him how to play Mario Kart – she even brought extra controllers for the others.

Sevyn wrapped her arms firmly around Paul and patted his stomach to signal she was ready. He howled and sped off down the boardwalk and onto the beach. The pink-haired girl sat back and enjoyed the ride, letting the rush wash over her.

Her nails dug into his skin through the netting of his shirt, causing tiny pinpricks of pain. Paul growled slightly and squeezed her thigh encouragingly. The slight bite of pain sent pleasant shivers up his spine.

When they parked their bikes near the cliffs, she jumped off Paul's with a quiet cheer. The ride had done what she wanted; it gave her a decent buzz that made her fingertips tingle with adrenaline.

Paul grabbed her around the waist, secured her bag, and threw her over his shoulder fireman style, making her giggle.

"Paul! Put me down!"

"Not a chance, girl. The view is too good," he replied, slapping her ass.

Sevyn squeaked and smacked his ass back, making him cackle. He liked her fiery and flirty, even if she didn't realize it. He spun her around before carrying her down the stairs, with Sevyn giggling the whole way.

Paul set her down reluctantly once they reached the cave, holding her hips for a moment while she regained her balance. The sudden change from upside down to right-side up made her head spin.

He handed her bag off before bouncing away to presumably turn on music and light a joint. He really did have a one-track mind. It was endearing, and she adored that about him.

On her way to the couch, she checked her Switch to make sure it survived the journey. When she was satisfied, she put it back in her bag for now. She really hoped Laddie enjoy playing. Kids couldn't be that different in the 80s, right? Video games were always cool.

It wasn't long before Star and Laddie emerged from their little area behind the curtains, both looking apprehensive. Star was just as pretty in person as she was in the movie, and she had to admit that Laddie in that jacket was kind of cute.

"Star, Laddie, meet Sevyn. She's going to be around a lot from now on," David stated, leaving no room for argument.

Star looked confused, and Laddie still seemed a little scared of her. Which was fine because she was just as scared of him. But she was the adult here, so she gave him a small smile and wiggled her fingers.

His response was to slide halfway behind Star to hide from her. She huffed, looking distinctly put out. Unbeknownst to her, Dwayne saw the whole thing and was snickering. Her attention swiveled toward him, and she glared. To which he just smirked and winked.

Her cheeks turned pink, and she looked away.

Star tentatively approached Sevyn, offering a sad smile. Sevyn took a deep breath, trying to quell the awkwardness that threatened to consume her. The boys would never let her live this down. The boho-looking girl gestured to her.

"I like your hair," she said quietly. At least she was trying.

Sevyn offered a crooked smile in return. "Thanks, I like your vibe."

Star gave her a strange look, taking a moment to process the compliment. "I mean, I like your look," Sevyn explained.

"You shouldn't hang around these guys, they're dangerous," Star whispered, leaning in closer.

"Why, because they're vampires?" Sevyn replied in the same hushed tone, blinking owlishly.

Star appeared incredulous. Was it the fact that they'd told her, or that she was still around after finding out? Sevyn wasn't sure.

"Oh, no, I already knew. Long story. They aren't going to eat me, I don't think... although, I think sometimes David is tempted," Sevyn muttered the last part to herself.

Star nodded slowly, still looking uncertain and more than a little uncomfortable, before turning and heading back to her nook. She guessed Star was done with her.

Rude.

Laddie remained where he was, staring at Sevyn. They held each other's gaze for a few moments, not knowing what to do with the other, before Sevyn cleared her throat. She didn't give Star much more thought; it wasn't her she was trying to impress.

"I brought something for you." She pulled a console from her bag and waved it at him. "It's a video game. I brought it so you can play it tonight."

He looked excited but still skeptical of her. But she decided to power through and sat down on the couch to set things up. Once everything was ready, she handed him one controller and kept the other.

While the pink-haired girl sat and quietly taught the boy how to play, Dwayne and David kept an eye on the pair. Dwayne with a growing sense of fondness and David with his usual calculating expression. They silently communicated with each other about what they were seeing, how well Sevyn was integrating into their pack.

They were both still skeptical, but Dwayne was becoming less so the more time they spent around the girl. She wasn't a bitch but could hold her own against assholes, didn't whine, and loved having fun. If she could get over killing people to live – and possibly enjoying it – she would be perfect.

David found Sevyn's obvious discomfort around children amusing. Anyone looking at her could tell she was uncomfortable around Laddie, but she was trying. Normally, he didn't pay much attention to Laddie, often leaving his care to others. But he could see that Sevyn could at least keep the kid entertained, and as a half-vampire, he doubted it was hard to keep the kid alive – she could do it, even if she was terrible at it.

After only ten minutes, Marko and Paul joined them, intensely curious and eager to play. Sevyn couldn't help but laugh at the pair before setting up two more controllers for them to play. She could easily beat all of them, but she let Laddie win most rounds, while not even trying to help the other two boys outside of showing them the controls.

The four of them played for the rest of the night while Dwayne read, and David observed them all. It wasn't until an hour before sunrise that Sevyn packed up her things with a pouting Laddie staring after her.

"Do you have to go?" Laddie whined.

"I'll be back soon, and I'll bring the game with me. Maybe we can even play a different one," Sevyn coaxed, unsure of what to say to cheer the kid up.

"Yeah, okay," Laddie said, sounding a little more excited than before.

Dwayne approached her before she left. "Thanks for trying, I know kids make you uncomfortable."

"That obvious, huh?" Sevyn looked a bit chagrined.

Dwayne nodded, a flicker of amusement crossing his face. "A little. But it's okay, you're good to him in your own way."

"Well, he's a good kid," she offered the man a small smile.

"Yeah, he is," Dwayne agreed, his voice low.

"What's his story?" Sevyn asked tentatively, her head tilted slightly.

Dwayne hesitated, a rare moment of vulnerability. "He was a runaway; he doesn't talk about where he came from so it can't be good. He found this place somehow and tried to steal from us, little shit." Dwayne chuckled at the memory. It was clear he was fond of Laddie; it was sweet to see.

"Go Laddie," she couldn't help but grin.

"Well, he must have found the bottle and drank some. We came in to the kid passed out on the couch with his pockets full of stuff and the bottle spilled all over the ground."

"Shit, poor kid." Sevyn winced at the thought. He was probably confused until he finally fell asleep.

Dwayne nodded, a small smile on his lips. "He's tough, though." He paused. "Goodnight, pretty girl."

She nodded, her cheeks heating up because of him for the second time that night.

With that, Sevyn waved to everyone before disappearing, leaving Laddie cheering in her wake.