Sunny had already decided: Alice would be joining them.
Not because he liked her.
Not because of some moral epiphany or noble sense of duty.
No.
It was because of *Puffy*.
That strange little chimera—half bat, half reptile, all Mistborn menace—was a gift. A mobile scout without a leash. It could fly and spy and listen without limit. Even better? It didn't need to stay tethered to Alice. No range restrictions. No strings attached.
A creature like that was more than useful. It was *game-changing*.
That's why he'd nudged Neph. Told her to make Alice talk. To open her up, like one might unseal an old book—carefully, without breaking the spine. Get a feel for the girl's edges, her motives, her fragilities. Then Sunny would step in, subtly, and seal the deal.
Except... it hadn't been necessary.
She had volunteered her vulnerabilities.
Desperation radiated off her like heat from cracked pavement—loud, messy, and easy to exploit.
So he let her be ridiculous. He let her do her hair flips and voice all her sparkling little nonsense. Let her believe they liked her exactly as she was. It was easier that way. People talk more freely when they feel seen. Or loved. Or safe.
When he finally asked her to join, he already knew the answer.
*Evil tree? Sure. I'll log it away. One monster at a time.*
He lowered himself to the fire, deliberately sitting with his back to the flames. The fire would shadow his face—turn him into a shape rather than a person. Cassie, Alice, Neph... they took up space beside him, warm and waiting.
He exhaled.
"All right," he said. "You can tell me—us—about that evil tree later. Along with your final answer."
His voice was quiet but firm, like someone establishing ground rules without sounding like a leader. "But since you already shared your name... let's do introductions properly."
He *knew* Cassie had already told Alice his name. But this wasn't about information. It was about setting rhythm—about drawing everyone into a pattern. If he shared, they would too. And once the flow began, he could nudge it toward Attributes and Aspects and useful little truths, all without resistance.
"My name is Sunless. But call me Sunny."
He gave a slight, harmless smile. The approachable mask.
"I'm the scout of our group."
He did far more than that, but there was no need to clutter the story.
"I'm seventeen. I attended the Awakened Academy. I hope we get along."
The phrasing was stiff—almost formal—but that was intentional. Formality created structure. Structure made people feel safe. Safety made them speak.
"Ohhhh my god, *I knew it*! I *knew* I'd seen you before!" Alice sprang to her feet like a champagne cork. She pointed dramatically at the sheer, jewel-threaded mantle draped around her shoulders. "Remember this beauty?! I *literally* showed it to you at the Academy once! Ugh, you probably don't remember... I was still boring then. No fangs. No claws. No, like, *predatory mystique*."
Sunny blinked.
Right.
They *had* met before.
Back when she was still just a girl with too many opinions and not enough edges.
He gave her a slow nod. No need to correct her. She was giving him information, even now.
"Anyway~!" Alice twirled once, then executed a bow with all the grace of a princess and none of the restraint. "I'm Alice! Nineteen years young, brains of this whole Misty duo with Puffy—" she waved at her lounging familiar "—and your *big sister* now, so you *better* call me *unnie*, or I'll cry. I'm in your care!"
She dropped back into her seat with exaggerated daintiness, then immediately sprawled like a cat in sunlight, legs folded properly just because Neph had given her the Look earlier.
"My turn, I guess," Cassie said gently. "My name's Cassia, but everyone calls me Cassie. I'm sixteen—turning seventeen soon. I went to the Lumenaura School before my first Nightmare."
She gave Alice a small, genuine smile.
"I gather information. And... I think we'll get along just fine."
Sunny caught the little tremor in her voice. Nostalgia? Relief?
Cassie always read like a story in the middle of being written—half poetry, half ache.
"I'm Nephis," came the soft, clipped voice next. "Of the Immortal Flame Clan. Eighteen. I handle healing. And... combat. I hope we can get along."
Sunny felt something shift in his chest. A brief flicker of pride. It wasn't the words—those were plain. But that was exactly the point. She didn't overshare. She didn't name her True Name. Didn't imply she was the *only* fighter.
She'd learned restraint. Learned how to lie.
The silence that followed wasn't uncomfortable—but it was there.
Then Cassie broke it with a sudden giggle.
"Oh god," she said, laughing into her sleeve, "I didn't know you were *that* formal, Sunny!"
"As if you're any better," Sunny snorted. "Bragging about your school."
"I thought it was charming," Neph added quietly, voice Sarcastic , lips twitching with amusement. "What did you think, unnie?"
Sunny felt like a father seeing his daughter take her first.
"I think it was giving very first episode of a drama," Alice beamed. She curled around Puffy with a sigh. "Like, the one where everyone pretends they're normal for ten minutes before the drama explodes. Anyway, now that we're a team—do you know what that means?"
"No," Cassie said flatly.
Sunny shook his head.
"Slumber party!" Alice sang, bouncing upright. "We're gonna talk about boys and fashion and trauma and random weird facts until someone cries! Then we do makeovers! And then—" she raised one clawed finger like a game show host "—we play a game. Twenty Questions, or like, Seven Minutes in the Closet. Either or."
"Didn't we already do most of those?" she added brightly. "Except the trauma part. But don't worry, I've got some super juicy secrets. Who wants to go first?"
"I'll go," Sunny said, taking the wheel again. Better to steer than drift. "A secret? Hmm... I guess being part of a crime family counts. Your turn, Alice."
"Ooooh, that's spicy. You're so mysterious, Sunny~.""Ooooh, secrets?" Alice gasped theatrically, kicking her legs like a kid hearing a juicy rumor. "My time to shine~!"
She sat up, all grin and no shame, and purred, "Okay, here's mine… I'm totally going commando under the [Evening Grace] right now." She let it hang in the air for a moment, lips parted in mock scandal, then added brightly, "Like, full-on breeze-in-the-mist, nothin' but cheeky attitude."
Cassie made a small strangled noise. Nephis blinked.
Alice wiggled her hips just a little, enough to make her point. "And the best part? Nobody noticed! You've all been chatting while I've been out here breaking laws of fashion andcommon decency." She made a finger-gun and shot it at Neph. "Bang. That's stealth, baby."
Then, with a dramatic sigh, she flopped onto her back like a starlet. "Honestly, I'm thinkin' of ditching the [Evening Grace] too. Go full Mist-nymph. Free as the breeze, dangerous as a heart attack." She peeked at Sunny, eyes gleaming. "Unless someone gives me a really good reason to keep wearing it."
She sat back up, prim as a priestess, eyes wide with fake innocence. "What, don't look at me like that—confidence is a part of survival! And besides..." She leaned toward Nephis now, voice low and way too sultry for a casual campfire chat. "If you ever want tips on being unforgettable... I give lessons. Private ones. First kiss free~!"
She blew a kiss straight at her. No hesitation. Full mischief.
Even Puffy let out a squeaky wheeze of amusement
Sunny just sommend [mothers maw] and threw some clothes at her, he really was running out of those. And patience.
Still even though he would have not admitted it, Alice's teasing of Neph was funny, in a cosmic sense.
"I... had a huge crush on Gale," Neph muttered, visibly embarrassed and trying to change the subject . "From Nightingale."
Blushing. *Blushing*.
Sunny made a mental note: even stoic girls had weak spots.
"My turn!" Cassie chirped, smiling a little too sweetly. "I once stole the neighbor's keys so I could sneak in and look at their house. I was... curious. The police were not thrilled. Now, Sunny—can you tell us more about the family?"
Cassie, as always, gave him a clean exit. An option not to answer.
He didn't take it.
"There's not much to tell," he said smoothly. "They were called Çelik. I joined when I was twelve. Met some great people there. They raised me, more or less."
Then, casually: "Alice—you said I wouldn't remember meeting you. Why?"
She lit up.
"Oh! That's 'cause of [Missed]!" she said proudly. "It's one of my Attributes—it makes people kinda... forget me. Or skip over me. Like—*poof!* I go all butterfly-ninja and disappear from their minds! It's sooo cool, right?"
She struck a pose, claws spread dramatically.
"Anyway~ Nephy," she purred, "you got any more secret crushes? You know your unnie is here to give you all the boy advice and girl advice. Equal opportunity guidance~!"
And so the night unfolded—
One ridiculous secret at a time.
With laughter, warmth, and misdirection.
And beneath it all, Sunny sat quietly.
Watching. Weighing. Waiting.
The slumber party was a farce. But it was a useful one.
After all—people spill more in laughter than in fear.