"nicholas!"

as they neared the tables, a blonde with brown roots sprang up, embracing him.

"you're a silly one," she giggled, "thought you could hide, nobody can."

seraphine tried not to let her inner frown escape her mind and to her face, putting on a neutral expression. at last, the blonde turned to her and gasped.

"wow you're even prettier then on your instagram!" she stated, diving in for a hug that threw seraphine off her step and left her to stabilize.

"i'm darlene by the way," she said, smiling.

nick came up behind darlene, looking between the two, "sera...this is my sister."

seraphine gave him a knowing look, and began to speak again before getting interrupted by darlene.

"technically cousin but yes, i may be adopted by nicky over here loves me like his own," she babbled, "oh and darla works fine by the way...just don't call me that around my parents."

darla floated back to the seats and seraphine casted a scared glance at nick. she grabbed him by his collar, pulling him down.

"is your whole family like this?" she whispered, teeth clenched.

"ish," he just stated, releasing himself from her grasp and moving his hand to the small of her back, "now stop being a scardy cat and go."

the two properly approached the tables, all thanks to nick's strong grip and sera's inability to fight back in heels.

"guys, i want you to meet my girlfriend."

all eyes snapped to her and seraphine wanted to die. in that moment, she silently assessed everyone. darlene had large, scarily emotive eyes. sera once met someone on psychedelics, and their pupils matched hers.

then the other eyes were completely unfamiliar. a boy that seemed to be around her age with slicked back hair and almost fearful eyes. a younger girl still with a baby face and curious eyes. a girl with mouse features, eyes just as intentful, and lastly a woman with skin like the sun and eyes that screamed hunter, as if seraphine was prey.

"sera, you've already met darlene, the one beside her is my other cousin aure."

the boy with terror in his eyes nodded, offering a smile that connotated fakery, seraphine noted that.

"the baby one over there is bea, the one who's on her phone is alora, and-"

he stopped, eyes flickering with an emotion she couldn't quite place.

"genevalisse," he said, acknowledging her, "someone that apparently can't find her own home."

the woman with dangerous eyes, genevalisse, chuckled, taking a sip of what was probably white wine.

"nessa is fine nick," she simply said, smile unwavering, "missed me?"

"not at all, he bit out, turning to seraphine, "sera, this is a friend of the family."

"oh i'm more then that," nessa winked, "but i'm sure you'll find out..seraphine."

she wanted more then anything to leave this crowd of people above her, but she glanced and noticed nick had sat down, pulling out an empty seat beside her. sera grit her teeth and sat down.

seraphine watched as aure lit a cigarette, and she watched as smoke traced his lip.
he passed the lighter to darla, who seemed to produce one straight out of thin air. darla quickly noticed her eyes and grinned, holding the cigarette between her fingers like a pen.

"want one serry?" she asked, passing her a pack and the same lighter.

"thanks..." she replied, accepting it and taking out a cigarette. it looked different from the one's sera usually bought, it was almost pinkish and gold rimmed.

"alora painted them and aure rolled those," darla said, smiling, "don't worry they aren't poisoned."

seraphine resisted the urge to ask why that would be the first explaination, and instead lit the end of the cigarette.

"tell us about yourself," darlene spoke again, her elbows on the tea tables, cigarette still perched oddly on her fingers.

at this moment she realised everyone's eyes were on her. even alora had put down her phone, her stare was a warm glow.

"i mean uh...what do you want to know?"

this was the first time she's ever met the family of a boyfriend, but surely this was not how it was supposed to feel like.

"well, your life!" darlene grinned, why was she always smiling, "nicky over here never tells us anythingggg"

glancing over to nick, he has also lit a cigarette, his knee bouncing slightly.

"oh well i grew up in boston...and i'm in university right now."

"what's your last name?" nesa asked, taking seraphine aback a bit.

"uh...finch?"

nessa had a thoughtful look on her face, like she was forming an idea, before she spoke again.

"your family owns that hug oil company up in new england?"

"what? no"

beatrix spoke up, "ohh wait i know you come from the finches that own those art galleries"

seraphine frowned, "no i don't own any art galleries"

"you related to peter finch?"

"who's that?"

nessa sighed, "nevermind."

daphne blew out smoke in a ring like it was nothing before looking back to sera, "then what does your family do?"

"uh...my mom's a teacher, and my dad's an accountant"

all eyes then moved to nick in a shocked expression.

seraphine frowned.

"oh we're just surprised seraphine," nessa spoke, voice smooth as the corner of her lip curved into a smile, "you're not usually the type of girl nick brings back. not a bad thing though, you're definitely the prettiest."

she tried not to notice, but she could feel aure's gaze burning holes into her, his eyes still the same as earlier, large and terrified.

seraphine tried not to let that get to her, putting out her cigarette against what also looked like a handmade ceramic ash tray.

"i have to uh...use the restroom," she excused, standing up.

nick made a move to stand up too but she stopped him, "i'm sure i'll find it it's okay, you stay."

he gave her a warning look almost, but she just bid everyone a temporary goodbye and headed for the massive structure they called a home.

once inside, she wandered around, despite what she told nick, very much lost. seraphine took a couple turns before making it outside again. this time it was a different exit, and she ended up surrounded by flowers.

it was a library of colour, every flower she'd ever seen being sold on the side of the street, every exotic orchid she'd seen on pinterest. she felt like alice in wonderland, but instead of a magical world, she was stuck in her boyfriend's unsettling family dynamics.

"evadne?"

she was startled by a voice behind her, and she turned to see a boy with calloused hands and forlorn eyes.

"who?"

he blinked twice before speaking again, "oh sorry i thought you were...."

the boy's expression was a mixture of stunned and entranced. seraphine traced down the slightly sunburnt bridge of his nose, all the way down to his sugar pink lips before zapping back to his eyes.

"i'm lost," she told him, "do you know where the bathroom is?"

he nodded, "yeah uh...if you walk in it's just down that hallway with a stuffed lion in it..."

"thanks," sera smiled, "you're..."

"cassiel," he said, "cassiel"

"i'm seraphine," she replied, walking past him to enter the house again, "i'll...see you around i suppose?"

he nodded frantically, letting her pass. sera walked away with out looking back, but even then she could feel the soft buzzing of his eyes trained onto her.

this was going to be a long summer.

kalo's korner !

everyone finally got introduced!! now you can definitely expect some more one on one interactions in the coming chapters!!