“So, they asked me to help to capture a cornered rat,” Aaron said, resting his chin over his fingers. He smiled at Rosemarie and Penelope as though offering his head on a platter.

“So, it’s gonna be Penelope—”

“What, no! I haven’t even reported back yet,” Penelope cried to Rosemarie, raising her brow.

“Damn,” Rosemarie sighed and picked up her coffee from the table.

Penelope pointed at Aaron. “He kinda begged me to come home.”

“I requested you to come home,” Aaron stressed his words and coughed. “if you want, I said.”

“He knelt down at the side of the street and sang Cruel Angel’s thesis; it was horrible.”

Rosemarie winked at Aaron. “I see, requested.”

“Didn’t your mother tell you to say that past is past?” Aaron snorted.

“Okay, Dad.” Rosemarie kept her smile and cracked her knuckles. “What, your grandma never told you not to beg people by kneeling at the side of the road?”

Penelope whistled. Aaron’s lips quivered as Rosemarie raised her cup, tilted it as to give a toast, and pulled it to her lips to take a sip without breaking her eye contact. Verdell, on the other hand, kept her head low and fanned herself.

Aaron sighed. “Well, can we just move on… Hermano said that it was urgent.”

“Oh god, he’s going to cry,” Penelope whispered.

“I’m not.” Aaron took a deep breath. “I’m not, okay? In your dreams, it’s just that…” He glanced at Verdell. “Getting kicked in the balls hurt, and it hurt my manly pride.”

Verdell jerked her head away from Aaron. “What…”

“Bullshit, I call bullshit,” Rosemarie said.

“Fine, fine… Let’s just move on, okay?” Aaron clapped softly to get their attention.

“But…” Penelope leaned forward.

Aaron raised his brow. “But?”

Penelope forced a smile and used her thumb to point them at the cultists around the room. She rested her chin at her palm and continued, “I think we need to have a more private—”

Aaron scoffed to cut her words. He relaxed and rested his shoulders at the back of his chair with a satisfied groan, adding, “They’re not gonna talk.” He raised his chin and let his eyes wander. “You’re not gonna sell us out, right?”

The people murmured at first, but they all agreed as some gave him a thumbs up and a nod.

Aaron then leaned forward to meet Verdell, Penelope, and Rosemarie’s gaze with a proud smile. “They know that I could send their grandmas in the middle of the night to spank their asses.”

“Jokes on you, I’m into that shit!” A voice came from the crowd.

Aaron froze. He looked to his side and returned his gaze to Rosemarie in a second. He scoffed, and without moving his head, declared, “I know it’s you, you shitty monk! I’m gonna make sure that your grandma would cry at you for making poor life choices!”

Everyone laughed.

“Do you want me to beat them up and throw them outside?” Verdell muttered, but it was loud enough to bring a moment of silence into the room. Penelope, Aaron, and Rosemarie gave her such a worried gaze that she tried to retreat at the back of her chair like a snail. She clenched her hands under the table. Her body began to burn with the desire to cut her own head off and bury herself in the middle of a forest.

“What the fuck is wrong with you?” Aaron mouthed, ending his slow words with a laugh.

“I was panicking,” Verdell took a sharp breath and looked away. “and I thought I owed you guys a joke.”

“They didn’t ask to be threatened, that’s for sure,” Aaron chuckled. “but that’s a good try,” He glared at Rosemarie. “unlike someone else that I know.”

Rosemarie held her finger and sipped her coffee. She let out a satisfied breath as everyone waited on her. “Your point being?”

Aaron straightened his body and covered his crotch by instinct. He cleared his throat next, re-establishing his firm serious gaze. “My point is,” He took a sharp breath through his nose. “we’re kinda trailing off because Penelope kept on making comments that made us forget why we’re here for.”

Penelope frowned. “You—”

“Anyways,” Aaron raised his voice to drown Penelope’s protests. “Apparently they’ve tracked down and cornered one of the remnants of the Leblancs. Just like usual, the other Magi Agencies around sent their representatives to take him down, but during their first confrontation, more from the Leblanc’s arrived and turned it into a full-on fight. Both sides took some pretty heavy damage, leaving only Hermano alone as the only magus that could still move and fight. Though, with the help of the police, they were able to push in that Wraithcaller and corner him. He’s not going anywhere, especially if Hermano’s there, but he can’t make the arrest alone.” He then gave Rosemarie a pure smile. “So, I—”

“Oh, fuck you.” Rosemarie let out her words slowly as she frowned. She shook her head, clicked her tongue, and pulled herself from the table. Her breaths were heavy and disappointed, but she walked to the side and picked up her bag without a word. She took out a bottle of energy drink next and tossed it to Penelope, who caught it with no effort.

“I guess that settles it.” Penelope sighed and walked back to the kitchen. “Wait for me, will you?”

“Can I go, too?” Verdell stood from her chair and placed her hands on the table.

Verdell’s words caught everyone’s attention. Her eyes were both determined and defiant, turning the cold cozy air in the room heavy and hot, but they still felt like the room got colder. Rosemarie stopped and looked at her; it was the same for Penelope, too, who was about to enter the kitchen.

There was something wrong. Verdell’s smile seemed to be pure as though it came from a hero, but Penelope realized the darkness that strangled her chest and embraced her body. Penelope rubbed her nose to relax her face, forcing herself to not open her mouth to take in some air. It was bloodlust, and Penelope’s throat clenched upon thinking how dense it could be. Her vision narrowed; she chose to bite her lower lip and say nothing.

Aaron crossed his arms. “Sure?”

Penelope knitted her brows, seeing the aura that surrounded Verdell fluctuate and grow larger.

“Thank you very much!” Verdell smiled happily. “But first…” She slapped her face to make her smile wider and skipped towards Penelope. Everyone’s eyes followed her movement.

Penelope stepped back, wary of what she saw, but Verdell grabbed her hand and stopped her. It was gentle and warm, like those of a child asking for their parents for something. Penelope’s anxiety wavered, but it did not change the color that she saw. A shiver crawled up to her legs and made her body want to run.

“Can I…” Verdell squeezed her hand and looked into Penelope’s eyes. “Can you give me two orders of something that would Mr. Tom and Lt. Higgins like?”

“Sure…” Penelope saw her own reflection at Verdell’s deep blue eyes. It was shining like the surface of the patient sea gently waiting for the setting sun to fall down. It felt hot. Her breath got warmer and a bit raspy that she unknowingly squeezed back. She wanted to say nothing, but she got conscious of what she looked like at that very moment, especially when Verdell’s fingers quivered under her palms. Her cheeks then flared and her right eye twitched, forcing her to smile sweetly and mutter, “Now, please, let go of my hand or I’ll punch you.”