Chapter 7 - They Are Just Kids, After All

I was peacefully sleeping when I woke up because of the chattering noises I am currently hearing downstairs.

I stood up and went downstairs while yawning to see what it was that prevented me from having my beautiful morning awakening.

“Oh! Old sis Talia! Good morning!” I saw Samantha on the couch, kneeling and looking like she was playing with Auntie Tina.

“You are looking pretty as usual even with your bed hair, old sis Talia!” Michael commented and walked towards me and pulled me to sit on the couch. “Hey, I didn’t have a shower nor a toothbrush yet.” I said, but he just ignored me.

“I don’t mind. I want to talk to you.” He said and sat beside me. “What? Didn’t we just meet last night?” I gave him a confused look. What is wrong with this kid?

“Yep.” He replied and giggled.

“Oh, good morning…” I looked at Xavier, Auntie Tina, Samantha, and, of course, Lanzhuen.

“Good morning, shall we eat our breakfast?” Auntie Tina stood up and invited us, so they followed her to the dining area.

“Uh….. can I brush my teeth first?” I asked, and they looked at me.

“What is the use of brushing your teeth if you’re going to eat afterwards? Come on..” Xavier was the one to answer and Michael held my hand to say that I didn’t need to.

“Can I at least wash my face?” I asked and they all agreed. “Yep, you still have dried saliva beside your lips, so you better wash it.” Samantha said and I touched the side of my lips only to feel a rough surface that, indicates a dried saliva. We all just laughed and I went upstairs to my room to wash my face.

“Hi….” I greeted them once I arrived at the dining table and I saw them already eating, except for Michael, who was waiting for me. I guess vampires are different to my family, who wait for the other members to sit before eating.

“Old sis Talia, sit here.” Michael said and tapped the seat beside him that was on Samantha’s right.

“Here.” Xavier passed me the rice porridge and I just chuckled. They are all eating foods that I am not familiar with and I am not even interested in.

“Do you want this chicken?” Michael pierced a piece of his chicken and held it up to show me. “Ahh, no you can have it.” I said and swallowed a spoonful of rice porridge.

“You look like a sick person, eating that porridge. Here.” Samantha commented and gave me a piece of shit—just kidding, she gave me a piece of her unrecognizable fish. “Yep, here’s mine too.” Michael dropped a chicken onto my rice porridge. What generous children.

“Oh… thank you!!” I said and tasted the food they gave and commented. “You must have great taste buds, Samantha, Michael!”

“Really?” they both said with happy eyes. After all, they are just kids, averaging 6-7 years old, who are happy when being complimented.

“Yep! I want to try your favorites soon!” I replied and had a spoonful of rice porridge.

“Chicken is my favorite!” Michael said and pointed at his chicken. “Mine’s vanilla ice cream and strawberry milkshake!” Samantha was the one who spoke now.

“Let us go hang out again and let you taste our favorite.” Michael said with chicken in his mouth. “Oh..?” I mumbled. I didn’t expect that.

“Yep, so you must prepare yourself after eating breakfast.” Samantha said while looking at me, sounding like I had no choice but to obey.

“Aren’t you full yet?” I asked, looking at the amount of their food. It looks like I eat like them.

“Huh? But you said you wanted to try our favorites and we would also tag along, so we must go after breakfast or you will not be in the mood later.” Michael just casually said while Samantha was nodding her head.

“Nope, I will always want to try your favorites. So you two should digest your food first before consuming another. You might just vomit it afterwards.” I said and just casually ate my rice porridge again. We were conversing like we were the only ones at the table, so I looked up only to see them smiling and chuckling while I gave them a confused look.

“You must be good with children, Catte.” Auntie Tina commented while smiling, while Xavier just chuckled. I looked at Lanzhuen who has her look like heaven and hell fell on her.

“I don’t know, I just feel like I know what to do.” I said and smiled. Of course that’s a lie. I had a little brother who I always doted on but the motherfucking vampires just killed him mercilessly in front of my own eyes.

“Perhaps you had a little sibling before you got lost?” She asked and I just answered with a longing face, “I don’t know, I must be.”

“Old sis Talia got lost?” Michael asked. “Yep.” I answered and turned to him while smiling.

“Huh? They didn’t look for you?” he asked an additional question. “I don’t know, how would they find me if they didn’t even know I was lost.” I spoke at a low volume but still hearable, that was when I realized who I was talking to, is just a child so I quickly took it back.

“Just kidding, I am just having my vacation here since the university is just streets away.” I said and just laughed.

“Then where did you originally live?” Samantha interfered with her question. I suddenly got quiet because I didn’t know what to say but also just said what came into my mind first.

“It is for you to find out.”

“What…. So I can’t even know where my future wife lives….” Michael said with a gloomy and sad expression. “It’s because I want you to have an adventure. It is fun doing it.” I excused, referring to finding out where I came from.

“Oh! That is a good idea!” he said brightly, and resumed eating. We also did that and Auntie Tina offered to wash the dishes because Samantha and Michael invited me to watch a movie in my room. Xavier just left and said he had something to do in the palace.

“What movie do you want to watch?” I asked while browsing Vampclips on the television. It is just the same as ‘Netflix’ in the human world but more on vampires.

“I want that! The heroine is cute!” Samantha pointed at the television but Michael interrupted. “No, I want that movie with a lot of food!” he said while pointing at the movie, just a movie before the movie Samantha pointed out.

“How about we play it both?” I asked them. Samantha is on my left while Michael is on my right and we are currently lying on the bed with a bunch of pillows. It does not even feel like it is only lunch time because of the coziness.

“Okay! Play mine first!” Michael said, but Samantha immediately retaliated. “No! Mine came up first on the recommendation!”

“Stop, you two. Just play rock paper scissors and whoever wins, I will play the movie they want first.” I said and smiled proudly at both of them, who just gave me a confused face.

“What is rock paper scissor?” they asked in synch.

“You don’t even know that? How can you consider yourself a kid when you don’t even know that?” I asked, shocked. I mean, at their age, they must have known that game by now.

“I am quite sure no kid knows that game.” Samantha said with a smug face. “I’m interested!” Michael raised his hand.

“Then let me teach you.” I said and fixed my posture before speaking.

“First, you will both think of what you want to take out between ‘rock’, ‘paper’, and ‘scissors’. Then you will say ‘rock paper scissors shoot’ and take out your pick.” I introduced. “Rock beats scissors, scissors beats paper, and paper beats rock. That simple.” I added while forming my hands in rock, paper, and scissors to show them who beats who.

“That simple?” Michael asked. “Yep.” I replied with a nod.

"Then let’s fight.” Samantha said, looking over me to peek at Michael.

“Okay then. Just one round, okay?” Michael said and prepared his hands like he was going into a fist fight.

“Okay…. Rock paper scissors shoot!” they said in synch. Michael made a rock while Samantha made a scissors, making her expression of disbelief.

“Ha! I won!” Michael said with an excited face while Samantha just clicked her tongue and made a smug face before leaning on the headboard. “Congratulations on your first win on rock paper scissors, Michael.” I said before playing the movie.

“It’s not even that fun and exciting.” I heard Samantha mumble to herself while we were in the middle of the movie.

“Yay! That was fun!” Michael exclaimed after the movie finished. He looked up at me and I smiled, “I love how they stopped fighting in the end and just cooked the food that their family loves.” I commented.

They are both currently leaning at me on each side and I can see Samantha’s face, which looks like she just does not want to admit it, but she also enjoyed the movie.

“What can you say, older sis Sanie?” he turned to peek at Samantha, who just looked at him, trying hard to keep a straight face and commented, “Not bad.” Michael just chuckled and satisfyingly leaned on me again. “Hey Michael, is that her nickname?” I asked Michael who looked up at me.

“yep, I am the only one who calls her that, but you can also call her that, too. Only you and I can call her that. Oh! And also Uncle Xavier and our parents!” he answered brightly.

“Is that so….. Hey Sanie, want to play rock paper scissors with me?” I turned to her, who looked like she was sulking.

“Huh?” she looked at me. I positioned my hand and looked at her questioningly and urging. She moved closer to me before positioning her hand to. “Rock paper scissors, shoot!...” I knew she was going to play paper, so I played rock, and as expected, she won. I saw her now bright expression compared to earlier, who she looked like a person in debt.

“Wah!” she exclaimed and looked at me shocked and excited at the same time. 

Congratulations on your first win on rock paper scissors, Sanie.” I said and once again leaned on the headboard before turning to her, “Shall we start the movie?”

“Yay!” Michael also excitedly exclaimed and, with that, we watched that 3-hour movie.

Michael was even mumbling ‘mine was more fun…’ then Sanie mumbles ‘we should have watched this first….’ And I just chuckled and continued to watch with them until they fell asleep. After all, they are just kids who always have their afternoon nap.

“Michael’s nickname is ‘Kael’. Uncle Xavier, our parents, me, and you will be the only ones who could call him that.” She whispered before falling asleep.

I just smiled and I guess I am a kid too as I also fell asleep.

I slowly opened my eyes and saw the clock. It’s already 3 in the afternoon. I slowly removed Sanie and Kael’s arms that was hugging me and carefully stood up from the bed.

“Hey Catte.” Xavier greeted me when he saw me going down the stairs. “You, were you here all along? I thought you had something to do in the palace?” I asked him and sat on the couch.

“No, I just got here. Are they sleeping?” he replied, referring to Sanie and Kael. “Yep. They both won a game.” I said and looked at him who sat on the right couch where Lanzhuen usually sits.

“What game?”

“Rock paper scissors?” I asked with questioning eyes. Aren’t they also familiar? I thought Sanie said no kid has ever played the game so I assume adults know it.

“How did you know that?” he asked back with a shocked tone. “Huh?”

“That is a game from the human world.” He said and looked at me suspiciously.

“Huh? I thought it is also played here?” I asked, maybe I got used to the similarities this and the human world have, to forget that they also have their own cultures and act like they are also human.

He just looked at me so I explained with, of course, a lie, “I just heard it when I visited the park yesterday. I saw children playing it.”

He just looked at me like he was not convinced at all but didn’t ask any further.

Of course, who would believe such a lie? There was no one at the park yesterday, but I can say it since they arrived a little later.

“Older sis Talia, you are just here.” I heard Kael’s voice behind me, rubbing his eyes and Samantha behind him, who was yawning and rubbing her head. Seriously, these two literally act like twins.

“Shall we go to the park?” Xavier asked and the two children’s faces instantly lit up. “Yes!” they answered in synch. “I have been waiting for that.” Kael mumbled to himself while walking towards me.

“Uh…. I think I should change my clothes first. Oh! I also didn’t have a shower yet….” I said in embarrassment while having a scrunched face. “Okay!” they all said in synch, so I went upstairs and took a shower.

I wore a maong shorts and a normal white shirt with little red stars. ”Hi again! Shall we go?” I asked them, who were waiting on the sofa once I climbed downstairs.

“Yay!” Kael quickly pulled me outside, so Sanie and Xavier followed.

“Hey Kael, we are going to trip if you keep pulling me and walking that fast.” I said as I almost stumbled on a rock while Kael just excitedly pulled me.

“I am going to a park with old sis Talia and the buds!” he excitedly shouted as he walked like a military soldier but didn’t look like it because of his cuteness.

“Kael! Won’t you wait for us?” Sanie ran towards us, pulling Xavier.

“You are not always that excited when we go to the park with the butler, Kael.” She said like it was a strange thing and Kael didn’t even notice it.

“You are just too slow! Aren’t you excited that old sis Talia will get to taste our favorites?” Kael said like he was fighting Sanie.

“I am! But not that excited! You look like someone who won the lottery!” she said and matched Kael’s vibe. So there’s also a lottery here, huh?

“Look, we’re here!” Kael pointed at the park on my right. I turned to look at it and saw a Ferris wheel and a bunch of rides. It is not the park I went to? So that explains the different route we took and Kael literally memorized it.

“Come on!!!!” he excitedly pulled me over and entered the amusement park. Xavier paid for us again before we took the rides.

“Hey, I thought we would just taste your favorites?” I asked as I fastened my seatbelt on a ride.

“Huh? But doing this before that is much f---AHHHH!!!” Sanie was interrupted when the ride suddenly started moving.

“AAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!” my screams were even louder than the others as the ride took turns at a lot of speed. It is the caterpillar ride.

“Hey old sis Talia! Come on!” Sanie grabbed me again and made me sit on a ride that was even faster than the caterpillar ride. How the fuck be children able to ride this?

“Old sis Talia! Let’s try this ride! This is my favorite!” Kael took me on another ride. And as I was about to vomit, it came back because of how slow this ride was. It is a carousel.

I was quite dizzy when we took off and stood beside a stall first to get a grip of myself.

“Are you okay, old sis Talia?” Kael asked me while looking up. I think it is already 5:30 in the evening, so it is a bit dark, but this place was still bright because there are many lights.

“Yep, give me a minute…” I answered and took a deep breath a couple of times.

“Okay, shall we eat now? I am a little bit dizzy from the rides.” I asked them and they answered in excitement, “Yes! Come on!”

They went into an ice cream stall and a chicken fillet stall. We bought for each of us and also a milkshake that Sanie said was her favorite.

“I think this table is great. The view is mesmerizing here.” Xavier said for the first time during our hang out, aside from his screams.

“Yep.” I agreed and looked past the railings and I could see the warm lights of the town.

“Here, taste this!” Kael was holding a fork with a chicken, so I bit it and swallowed. “Kael, this is good! I like it!” I commented and made an exaggerated impressed expression. Of course, I was really impressed.

“You have a good taste, Kae—“ I didn’t get to finish my sentence when a straw suddenly went into my mouth. “Here, try this. This is also good.” Sanie said while poking the drink into my mouth, so I took a sip.

“That’s so sweet, Sanie! I also like it!” I commented and had the expression of a person that looked like they tasted such a delicious drink for the first time in their life.

“Right? Also, this ice cream!” she said, putting a spoon in my mouth with such cold ice cream.

“You have sweet taste buds, Sanie. I like this!” I must have looked like a clown, exaggerating its expressions to make the children happy. But I am indeed impressed, these foods can almost be compared to such fancy foods in the human world. Are they this advanced?

They did not stop there and made me taste different foods for like another 30 minutes, like they are in a competition with each other, making me taste their foods and see whose food I am impressed with the most. I found it funny and just chuckled. They are just kids, after all.

“Do you want to ride the Ferris wheel?” I asked the two children who were glaring at each other.

“Ferris wheel?” They repeated in synch.

“Yep. That.” I pointed at the big rotating Ferris wheel on their back.

“Oh! That looks cool!” Sanie commented and looked at the bright Ferris wheel admiringly.

“Right! Let’s ride that!” Kael agreed and immediately stood up.

“Okay…” I said and we walked towards the Ferris wheel. As we go high up, the kids were slightly scared but were fascinated by how bright and beautiful the scenery was.

“Woah………” they all mumbled in admiration as they looked out the window. I just chuckled and looked out too. The view was the amusement park with warm lights and happy faces of family and friends, and farther than that was the view of a city with purple, blue, and green lights, with the stars shining brightly in the sky. I guess it also happens in the vampire world.

I turned to look at Sanie and Kael, who barely breathed and were just admiring the scenery of their first ever ride on a Ferris wheel.

The look on their faces was full of admiration and happiness. They look like they still have a lot of things to discover in this world—and it’s true. With that thought in mind, I smiled and looked back at the scenery. They are just kids, after all.

continue next chapter~

A/N: Hi! This chapter is actually a filler I made when I translated the first parts of the story, and thought that it would be great if I somehow show you how the two kids and Catte bonds for a whole day. Hope you enjoyed it!