first thing that comes up in Jasmina's mind as she sees the girl, her cinnamon skin, honey eyes and cherry lips. A long sheet of dark hair falls across her back, her pink dress exposing a large amount of cleavage and legs, only covering the bare essentials as she taps her fingers together, her bell sleeves falling down to her ellbows.

She has that kind of look that tells you she's made of midnight kisses in dark alleyways, lips tasting of strawberry liquor and the faint taste of honey as she places magenta lipstick marks on untainted skin. There's a haunting taste of recklessness in her smile, it lies in the hollow of her collarbone and entices you, until those bell sleeves are wrapped around your neck and the game starts all again.

"Nice to see you're following my instructions for normal names," Jasmina said," I see they passed the message on?"

"Normal names?" Isaac frowned as soon as he was able to tear his gaze away from Lucy," are you calling foreign names abnormal?"

Jasmina pursed her lips as she tried to think of how to explain to him that although she had always found foreign names beautiful, there was no way she was calling seven demons by Wrath or Sloth in her attempt to stay inconscipuous and be good.

And then she just settled on flashing him her most charming smile.

"Of course not," she said," these silly friends of mine keep thinking up nicknames for each other, but I told them to only do that at home, you know."

"At home?" he said," so they really live with you?"

"I can't wait to settle in, love," Lucy said as her full lips curled up in a smile," we are going to have so much fun."

She looked at Isaac and winked then, causing him to blush as he looked away.

"Come on, stop teasing the guy, Luxuria," Ari laughed.

"Avaritia," Lucy smiled as she gracefully rose to her feet," haven't seen you in a long time. You're looking stunning as ever."

"I would say the same for you," Ari smiled," but I think you already know that."

"That I do," Lucy said as her smirk widened, before looking back at Jasmina," and I honestly only got a glimpse of you last time, but may I say you're gorgeous."

Before Isaac could ask any more questions though, Lucy placed a hand on his head, a pink glow coming over him as he froze, eyes open and a misty pink. Jasmina stood up as well, mirroring Lucy's smile as she looked at the girl.

"I'm sensing you're one of the only sins I'll immediately like," she said.

"I would feel flattered," Lucy said," but I know what my dear sins are like."

"Not all of us were trained in being an escort, Luxuria," Priyanka sneered.

"Do you want to fight again, Superbia?" Ari said as she jumped off the window sill, immediately tense, eyes circled with liquid gold.

"It's fine, Avaritia," Lucy laughed, before turning towards Priyanka and winking," and you know, I could always train you if you want."

"I thought you didn't know about each other's past," Jasmina said with raised eyebrows," weren't there rules and all."

"We just know the vague details," Daichi said," just enough to know we all committed crimes, not enough to know to what extent or why."

"Alright, whatever," Jasmina said," I'm just glad at least one of you is able to use magic now, I'm sure it'll come in handy when you all destroy something again."

"I'm feeling personally attacked," Ira frowned.

"That's because I'm personally attacking you," Jasmina deadpanned.

"You're quite funny, Jasmina Nawar," Lucy said as her gaze went over her, a smirk on her lips," I like that."

"Luxuria," Ari said as she grabbed the sin's arm.

"Yeah, yeah, I know," Lucy said," I'm babbling too much. You should tell me something about yourself, Jasmina."

"Why?" Jasmina said.

"Because I'm curious," Lucy smiled.

"I genuinely don't care about that," she shrugged.

"Well then," Lucy said as her long nails grazed across Isaac's dark hair," what about this then - if you don't, I'll hurt this pretty, little thing here."

"And what makes you think I care about him?" Jasmina said with raised eyebrows," just do it."

"That's harsh," Lucy laughed, eyes glowing a silvery pink as a fuchsia glow coursed from her finger to her hair," and that while he cares about you a lot, you know. I'm seeing him here watching you as you walk through the halls, chuckling at your habit of tapping a pen against your lips when you're thinking during class, loving the way you seem to hold the world at your fingertips and the galaxy on your lips."

"That seems like more of a him problem than a me problem," Jasmina said.

And she meant it. After all, why should she become all soft and sappy just because he noticed little things about her Alan never had, why should she care about this guy who was so weirdly concerned about her?

Love was a transaction and she had accepted the highest bidder. Alan had fulfilled everything she had wanted him in a boyfriend - or correction, everything her father had wanted in her boyfriend and in his words, prospective husband.

And that while she never planned to marry at all. Oh, the heart attack he would get once he heard it - she didn't care.

She could be a powerful enough business woman all on her own.

If she managed to survive this contract with the devil, that was.

"Tell me about your parents," Lucy said, ignoring her reply," they didn't visit you once during your hospital stay, right? And that while you were in a coma for two days, that must have been harsh."

"Not really," Jasmina shrugged.

"You don't care?" Ira frowned, red flashing in his eyes," you should be mad - parents should care about you, not neglect you."

"Does your tragic past explain this cold personality of yours, gorgeous?" Daichi said with a curious smirk.

"No," Jasmina said," my parents may not be around much, but I honestly don't care - I mean sure, I guess I love them because they're my parents, but that doesn't mean we have to have a close relationship or that I have suffered because of lack of it."

"You should cherish your family," Priyanka said, a quiet note to her voice.

"Cherish them?" Jasmina said," no, I learned to cherish nothing. Everything on this Earth is a business deal and you should always get ready to lose all your money, or well, in this case your life."

"That's dark," Ari whistled," I guess your parents' their absence really did have an influence on you."

"That's bullshit," Jasmina said, her chin tilted up as she spoke," no one made me the way I am, no tragic past or anything - I made me."

"Look," Lucy smiled," we're getting to know each other already."

"Owning up to yourself," Daichi grinned," I like it."

"You should show emotions more often," Ira said as he looked at her," it's a good look on you."

"You should show emotions less often," Jasmina said," it's a bad look on you."

"Gula," Ira said as he turned towards Daichi," get your human to be nice."

"She isn't my human," Daichi laughed, before locking eyes with her and flashing her a grin," I'm her demon."

"Okay," Lucy said," you told me something about yourself, so you're owed a question now. Ask me anything."

"I'm not curious about you," Jasmina shrugged.

"I know a lot more than just my own past," Lucy smiled," so think carefully, Jasmina."

She parted her lips, before something undecipherable flashed in her dark eyes then as she looked at Lucy.

"Why me?" she said," from all the horrible sinners out there, why me? I know I'm bad and all, but surely I'm not the worst - I don't have any blood on my hands nor am I racist, sexist or homophobic. I'm sure there were many other choices."

"That's a good question," Lucy said as she placed her hands together," you're quite the smart one, aren't you?"

Jasmina just folded her arms over each other in reply, nails tapping impatiently on her arm as she waited for an answer.

"You see," Lucy said," you're making one big mistake here. You're thinking this was all thought out, that the devil went through an elaborate choosing process, that he has reason for his actions - which, well, he doesn't."

Jasmina blinked and Lucy continued. "Life is merely a game to our dear master, love, and he's the best at playing. So every now and then when he gets bored of having all that power, he chooses a random bad human and invents a game."

"It's just this time he chose us to participate as well," Ari finished her sentence.

"I don't mind at all, though," Daichi said," I'm having the time of my life."

"So I was unfortunate enough to be picked out?" Jasmina said with a raised eyebrow.

"No," Priyanka corrected her," you were fortunate enough to be picked out. You may as well have been in hell now and probably under my domain, I believe, seeing from your narcissism." She raised her hand, purple ice shooting out of the palm of her hand. "Let me tell you that's a much worse fate than being stuck with us on Earth."

"I can sense you're not quite the believer of second chances," Lucy said as she looked at her," but see this as one. You can try to be good now."

"Why?" Jasmina said, genuinely curious to whatever reason this sin in front of her would provide.

There was a hint of melancholy in Lucy's smile as she looked at her and tapped Isaac's head, the misty pink beginning to drain from his irisses as he came back to his senses. When she spoke next, it was with a voice tinged with forgotten heartbreak and Jasmina blinked at the sound.

"Because it's not too late yet for you."