It didn’t take too long for the police to arrive at the scene, although the firefighters had already freed the driver of the van. The lead police officer first went to the driver to ask him what had happened, as he wasn’t seriously injured it wasn’t that important to rush him off to the hospital as fast as possible. After that, the police officer walked over to us with a notebook in her hands.

“Hello ladies.” She smiled. “I’m glad to see none of you got harmed. But we would like to know from you what has happened. You know, because of insurance.”

Ria and Em took their distance from us for a second, as they hadn’t really seen the accident happen. Claire and I then told our story.

The police officer wrote down our statement. “So you heard a tire explode and then saw the van veer out of control?”

“Yes.” I nodded.

“Did you see the tire explode?”

“No, when I turned around I could tell there was something off about the left front tire so I just put one and two together.”

The police officer nodded and wrote down what I said. “Alright, I think that’s about it.” But before she put her booklet away, she continued with another question. “The driver did say he was almost sure he hit one of you. Do you know why he would say such a thing?”

“We were standing at that spot over there a bit before the van hit it.” Claire quickly replied and nodded towards the wall. “But maybe from the angle he came, he thought that we were still standing there as we were walking in that direction.” She pointed down the street in the direction from which the van came.

The police officer closely followed the directions that Claire was giving her. “Huh, that does make some sense. I think you would make a good analyst.” Apart from the fact that Claire was completely lying.

“Thank you, but I’m more of a creative arts kind of person. You know, theater and stuff.” Somehow it felt like she was rubbing it in that she had been lying to her.

“Hmm.” The officer smiled. “You ladies, have a nice day. We will contact you if we need some more information but I doubt that will be the case. Thank you for your cooperation.”

“No problem.” Claire and I put our best smiles on as well, and then the officer left to head back to her car.

“So none of you are getting arrested?” Em asked, as she and Ria joined us again. Ria waved goodbye to the police officer, who gave a friendly wave back.

“Not today anyway.” I replied with a smile.

“I’d come and visit you in prison every day.” She gave me a quick kiss on the cheek.

“As if the three of you wouldn’t be partners in crime anyway.” Claire shook her head while smiling as well.

“I’d totally take the fall for them, though.” I smiled with a confident grin.

“I can see that happening.” Claire admitted.

“Would you like to come by my house for a drink?” I asked our friend. “You almost just died, so I suppose you could use a bit of calmth.”

Claire pondered for a second. “That’s true… There’s a bus stop close to your house, right?”

“Ye, the street over.”

“Alright, then I’ll come. And I don’t say no to free drinks.” Claire winked.

The four of us walked away from the accident just as a tow truck arrived to tow away the wrecked van. We had walked a bit off course for our little talk, but it only added a couple of minutes to our travel time to my home. So it didn’t take long before we arrived in the Rue du Moulin, but just as we turned the corner, a familiar voice called out to us from behind us.

“Why is it, when something happens, it’s always the three of you?” It was Viktor who had crossed the street from the other side.

“Uh, Aurora, who’s that?” Claire asked.

“It’s noone, don’t worry, just some random drunk.” I waved Viktor away while smiling at Claire

“Wie unhöflich!” Viktor replied sarcastically.

“Hi Viktor!” Ria greeted him, happy like always.

“Hey.” Em did so too, but just a bit colder.

“Ah, so that’s the Viktor you talked about?” Claire then continued.

“Yeah, sadly it is.” I rolled my eyes. “Might as well formally introduce you to each other.” I stopped and turned around. “Claire, this terribly old-fashioned clothed person is Viktor, the dumdum vampire who turned me. Viktor, this is Claire, she’s one of my best friends and I’ve told her everything about… vampires… and stuff.” I said that last part a bit more silently, not that there were any people around, but still.

“I know.” Viktor nodded. “Alessia already told me about your friend situation.”

“News goes around fast.” Em tilted her head, somewhat surprised, but not terribly so.

“That’s what the Conclave is for.” Viktor nodded again.

We then continued the short walk over to my house, now with a Viktor in tow as well. Once we were inside, our conversation continued.

“So, I suppose Epiphania contacted you?” I asked Viktor and then looked over to Claire. “What do you want to drink, Claire?”

“Uh, orange soda if you have that.”

I nodded, walked over to my fridge, and then waited for a reply from Viktor.

Viktor hung his jacket over one of my chairs. “Yes, she was listening to the police radio and she heard there was an accident which involved a couple of students.”

“This was one hundred percent absolutely not our fault, though.” I said, taking a glass and pouring some soda in a glass for my friend.

“Claire has just been very unlucky today.” Ria nodded from next to Em, they were sitting on the sofa and were following the conversation.

“Corelia, unlucky might be a terrible understatement.” Claire sighed.

“But on the other hand, you are also lucky that Rora was there.” Em hopped into our talk as well.

“I suppose that’s true.” Claire said, I had just walked over to hand over her glass of soda. “Thanks.”

“No problem.” I smiled.

“Can I get a glass as well?” Viktor asked politely. He even raised his hand a bit.

“Couldn’t you have asked while I was at the fridge?” I looked at him as I’d finally made my way to the backrest of the sofa to be near my girlfriends.

“I can get it myself…” He shrugged.

“Nah, I’ll get it for you.” I sighed slightly and left my girlfriends once more. Luckily, it didn’t take too long for me to fill a glass for my vampiric friend, and I took one for myself because… I might as well since I’m pouring anyway.

Once I handed the glass over to Viktor, I made my way back to the sofa and sat in between Em and Ria.

“So… that’s…?” Claire nodded over to my glass.

“Yeah, it is.” I gave her a nod. “Does it make you uncomfortable? I can put it away if you prefer not to look at it.”

“It’s just a bit weird.” Claire laughed awkwardly, rubbing the back of her head. “I don’t see it often outside of a body, you know?”

“I can understand, it took quite a bit of getting used to drinking it.” I nodded.

“She rather prefers feeding on her girlfriends, you see.” Viktor said from behind us, he had just taken a chair from the dinner table and had turned it around.

My cheeks blushed red and from looking to my sides I could tell that was also the case for Em and Ria.

“I swear to the Goddess, Viktor, I will throw this glass at you. And I’m pretty fucking good at throwing shit.”

Viktor laughed. “Please don’t, blood is awfully annoying to wash out of clothes.

Claire laughed at our little exchange of words. “Yeah, about that. If you don’t mind telling me. How does it feel to do that? You just said you did, but not how it felt.”

Em hid her face behind her hands, and Ria just awkwardly avoided Claire’s gaze.

“You don’t need to tell me. It’s apparently a bit of an intimate question.” Claire chuckled.

“Well… if my girlfriends don’t mind.”

Em shook her head, but didn’t take her hands from in front of her face. “Y-you can tell her.” Ria nodded along but didn’t say anything.

“It is quite pleasurable. Both for me and for them.”

“I see… so it doesn’t hurt at all?”

“Well, I only really got bitten once and that did sting a bit but that might’ve just been Viktor being the incompetent fool that he is.”

“That’s… fair…” Viktor agreed.

I then looked at Em for an answer because I couldn’t really recall how it felt for me. “Em?”

“Eh? You want me to answer?” She finally looked up from her little hidey place behind her hands.

“Just if it hurts or not. That’s doable, right?”

“Hmmm.” Em looked at Claire and then immediately started blushing again as she saw her slight smirk. “It… it doesn’t really hurt with you, no… But you are always very careful and gentle…”

“Awh fuck. That’s just too adorable.” Claire clutches her chest with her right hand.

-I can concur Claire, it is, in fact, fucking adorable…-