"Date" with Minh

"So, Aga told me you've been a skinwalker for around two months already, Ed?" Minh asked as we walked.

"Yeah, but I've only been wearing skins for a few days in total."

"What kind of skins? Males, females, a bit of both?"

"Only females so far..." I replied, my cheeks reddening slightly.

Minh grinned. "Ah, female skins are so comfortable, wouldn't you agree?"

"Yeah..."

"I tend to avoid male skins unless it's necessary for a task. I vastly prefer female ones. Wearing cute or hot outfits, going clubbing and flirting with men, women, and enbies, and the sex...~" He said, biting his lips. "Female pleasure is on another league entirely, right~?"

My face was probably as red as a tomato as I recalled what I did in Sarah's body. "T-true..."

"I have a good variety of skins to slip into, but Yumi here is by far my favourite~" Minh said, poking at his fairly generous chest. "She used to be such a stuck-up bitch before I got her. She dared hurt a friend of mine, and I couldn't let that slide, so I took her as mine~"

"I-I see." I simply said as we reached a fairly luxurious Subaru parked not far from my own car.

"Nice ride, isn't it?" Minh commented, unlocking the doors.

"It's a fancy car, yeah." I said before trying to change the subject as I sat in the passenger's seat. "So... You're from Vietnam?"

Minh started the engine, his face more serious. "Yeah. But I only lived there for five years, before the war started."

"The war? You mean the Vietnam war?" I asked, surprised.

He nodded. "Yeah. My father died due to it, and my mother moved to L.A with me, in a **** attempt at finding a better life for the both of us in the fabled 'land of the free'."

"Oh, I'm... I'm sorry to hear about your father." I awkwardly apologised.

He chuckled. "Don't be, he was an ass anyway. But let's talk about my past another day, alright? I wouldn't mind sharing it with you later, but I don't think it's the right time or place to share life stories."

"True, we only really met today, after all." I replied.

If Minh was born five years before the Vietnam war started, it made him seventy-four years old. He didn't act his age in the slightest.

As he drove, Minh spoke again. "Say, before Aga called me, I had something planned later today with Irene, wanna accompany me? Nothing sexual, don't worry~ Unless you want that~" He then added, giving me another of his flirtatious smirks.

I blushed and looked away. "I-I can accompany you, sure..."

"You're so fun to tease, Edward~ I think I'm gonna enjoy your company~" He said, giggling.

"B-by the way, why did you call me your step-brother?" I then asked, recalling our earlier conversation with Mother.

"Because Aga is my mother too, in a way. She's the one who took me under her wing and made me what and who I am today."

"Ah, I see..." I said, not prying further since Minh didn't feel like sharing his story more for now.

We reached the seafood restaurant shortly after and found a table a bit further in the back, where we'd be able to speak more freely. I ordered Irene's favourite dish while Minh went for something more simple, salmon and pasta.

"So, you haven't been her for long yet, but how are you finding Irene~?" Minh asked, resting his head on his hand and observing me.

"Hmm, despite her age, she's... fairly comfortable." I shyly admitted. "She's fit and beautiful."

Minh let out a quiet laugh. "Heh, 'the old pipe gives the sweetest smoke', as the Irish would say~ Age is just a number anyway, and considering our nature, why limit ourselves to a specific category? We have absolute freedom, we can be and be with whoever we want, no matter the gender, origin, age, job..."

"I suppose you're right... I haven't thought much about my... condition yet, to be honest."

"You now have all the time in the world to think about it, so don't fret and just try to have fun. Right now you're a hot and wealthy middle-aged woman, so go on shopping sprees, visit a bar or a club and flirt with some women or men, take a swim in your swimming pool, buy the best gaming PC out there if that's your thing... Live a little and do what makes you feel good, you know?"

I smiled slightly. "Maybe. I need to familiarise myself with the city again, it's been years after all. After Irene's work tomorrow, I might do some sightseeing and check some places my sister and I liked to frequent."

"Not a bad idea." Minh commented. "By the way, if you need anything, Irene has my number, so just text me. Even if you haven't been properly introduced to the coven yet, you are already part of our family."

"I see, thanks for the offer. Could you tell me more about this coven?"

"Well, you'll learn about it properly this Friday, but to make it short, we're a group of skinwalkers and humans working together and supporting each other. Aga has been our leader ever since our mentor was murdered seventeen years ago."

"M-murdered?" I repeated in shock.

"Him and one of Aga's children. They fell into a trap laid by a group of hunters and were brutally executed."

"I understand why she seems to despise hunters... It's because of that?"

"Heh, I don't think even a word like despise is able to accurately describe just how much she loathes them. She went into a blinding fury when it happened, and we made those hunters pay dearly for what they'd done." Minh explained, a sadistic smirk on his face. "Aga is someone who deeply cares about all the members of our coven, and about the ones she blessed. Most of us owe her, Oliver, and our former mentor our lives."

"I see..."

"Oliver is Aga's right-hand man, and the second oldest member of the coven after her, by the way. But you'll get to meet everyone this Friday. I'll be there to pick you up."

"Okay, thanks."

The waitress arrived shortly after with our dishes, and I eagerly enjoyed the food. I never was that much into seafood before, but with Irene's tastebuds, it was divine. I was loving every single bite I took.

Minh was giving me an amused look while eating his tagliatelle. "See, this is one of the many perks of being a skinwalker. We can get to enjoy so many different things just by slipping inside another skin."

"That's true. I experienced so many new things while wearing my previous skins. It was a fascinating experience."

I didn't see any reason to lie. He was a skinwalker too, he knew perfectly well how I was feeling. And in a way, having another person to talk to about all this was making me feel better. While we might have fairly different personalities, we could relate on some aspects.

Would I have been feeling the same way had I opened up to Dahlia? I wondered, recalling how I hesitated to get in touch while I was hiding as Carmen.

I still had her number, but I hadn't texted her ever since that day when I was Sarah.

I should tell her I'm fine, at least. She was truly worried about me last time.

I took out my phone and did just that, sending her a short text. I apologised for the way I acted and told her I left the city and returned to my hometown, wishing her luck with her future.

"Who are you writing to?" Minh asked.

"The one who... blessed me. I believe she deserves to know I'm alright."

"Hmm, I see."

I received a response quickly after. Dahlia was relieved to hear about me, she's apparently been really worried after learning of my disappearance. She wished me luck too, and told me she'd always be available if I wanted to talk or maybe meet again.

Maybe one day, but it's too soon for me to return there. I though, smiling.

I resumed eating and chatted with Minh, learning more about his main skin, Yumi. Yumi was born to a Japanese mother and an American father, but mostly took from her mother. She was a philology student in college, so she often hung out there, and had almost perfect grades, being incredibly studious. But this apparently got over her head, as she belittled those with lower grades, to the point of verbally bullying some students. And one of them was apparently someone Minh cared for, so he brainwashed Yumi in retaliation, like he told me earlier.

It was interesting to learn more about him, and it also made me curious about the other members of the coven. Minh had terrifying abilities, I couldn't deny that, but he didn't seem all that evil. Selfish and lustful, definitely, but I could see he had a softer side to him too.

Once we were done eating, Minh got up and stretched. "Well, let's continue our date, shall we~?"

I blushed slightly and nodded. "There's somewhere you wanted to go, right?"

"You'll see soon. Your presence wasn't planned, but I think it's going to make things more interesting~"

On these cryptic words, Minh and I returned to his car, and he started to drive towards the city center.