“Hello, Korain,” she greets distractedly. The two are familiar with each other as only long-suffering workers on the SRC Flatliner can be—there’s always a shared sense of pained solidarity as well as a bitter irony at their less-than-ideal situation. Although Hajun is really Kisa’s only friend, Korain has always been kind in passing, and she half-wishes he had also been assigned to the sick bay instead of the security staff. They rarely see each other except for the brief moments when they pass in the halls or when there’s a staff meeting. But he’s unfailingly nice, which is more than she can say for crew members like Soo-min, who watches her like a hawk twenty-four seven.

“Crazy turn-around day, huh?”

“Yes,” she says faintly, watching Seokga’s eyes bulge as Hwanin squeezes him into a headlock. “Yes, you could definitely say that.”

Seokga wrestles out of Hwanin’s grip, eyes flashing in victory, and as his brother attempts to again tackle him, the god—in a flash of emerald mist—shape-shifts into a small black raven and flaps upward toward the glass ceiling. Hwanin crashes to the ground, cursing, as the raven plummets in a nosedive toward Somi. The gumiho screams, frantically trying to swat the god-turned-bird away as it pulls her hair with its beak. She falls into a patch of flowers, and the raven makes a distinctly pleased noise that could very well be a chuckle.

“YOU’RE RUINING THE PARTY!” Soo-min wails, wringing her hands. Her already shrill, snooty voice amplified at such a volume hurts Kisa’s ears. “STOP IT! ALL OF YOU!”

Somi launches back to her feet and—getting in a lucky hit—sends Seokga-the-bird hurtling toward a server. He shifts into his usual form at the last second, and the server falls, flutes of champagne crashing with her.

Kisa winces as the glasses shatter and tries to rush toward the fallen girl, only to be yanked back by Korain. “You don’t want to get into that mess,” he warns. “That’s my job, and I’m at least paid to do it.” All crew members get a small monthly stipend of coins to spend in the ship’s cafés and other shops.

“I suppose you have a point there,” Kisa murmurs, but he doesn’t reply. Korain’s eyes are on the server, who’s shoved Seokga off. As the girl winces in clear pain, Korain seems to find the courage to wade into the chaos.

He’s stopped, abruptly, by the heavenly emperor.

“This is a family matter,” Hwanin snaps, and Kisa watches as Korain’s face darkens. “Do not involve yourself,” the emperor adds in warning, turning to his brother, who is untangling himself from the pale server who is currently glaring daggers at the gods.

“That gumiho has been banned from the greenhouse,” Korain snarls back. “She shouldn’t even be up here. I think I have jurisdiction over that—”