"Okay, let's begin," said Jade, grabbing a fork and spearing a slice of mango from the overflowing platter. Juice dripped onto the polished mahogany table as he popped it into his mouth, chewing with deliberate slowness, as if savoring the chaos he was about to unleash.
"Be Careful not to dirty the table is expensive," said Axe, shooting an eye at Jade.
"What do you mean?" asked Kínitos, his fingers hovering over a flaky, sugar-dusted pastry. His stomach growled audibly, but he hesitated, his gaze flicking between Jade and Vex like a cornered animal.
"Your questions," replied Vex, snatching a plump strawberry from the bowl. She bit into it with a crisp snap, her eyes never leaving Kínitos. A drop of red juice clung to her chin, and she wiped it away with the back of her hand, smirking at his nervous fidgeting.
Axe grabbed the Shapmain bottle, its amber liquid sloshing as he poured a generous splash into Dante's waiting glass. Dante downed it in one gulp, his throat bobbing, before slamming the glass back onto the table with a grin. Axe raised the bottle toward Vex, but she shook her head sharply, her attention fixed on peeling a tangerine with the precision of a surgeon, her nails digging into the rind.
"What happened to us?" Monti's voice carried his question like a fragile thing, nearly drowned out by the crunch of him tearing into a buttery croissant. Flakes rained onto his faded jeans, but he didn't seem to notice, his jaw working mechanically.
Jade licked mango juice off his thumb, leaving a sticky sheen on his lips. "You're both now what's called a Para-D."
Kínitos finally grabbed the pastry, taking a distracted bite. "I'm confused—what is that even supposed to mean? *Para-D*? Paradoxes?" Crumbs tumbled down his threadbare band tee as he laughed, the sound brittle. Jes, seated beside him, nudged a plate of sliced honeydew toward him, her own plate empty save for a single chocolate-dipped strawberry she'd been saving like a talisman.
Vex tossed her tangerine peel onto the table, the citrus scent sharp in the air. "Yes. You both have the ability of a paradox. Which paradox, we don't know."
"Stop causing a mess!!" Yelled out Axe
Axe resumed arranging the spread: golden pineapples glazed with caramel, danishes oozing raspberry filling, and grapes so plump they looked ready to burst. He nodded at Violet, who clutched her champagne flute with both hands, her knuckles pale. She mouthed *yes* eagerly, and Axe filled her cup, bubbles fizzing upward like tiny fireworks.
"Wait, what? So hold on—you have powers?" Kínitos's voice cracked, his half-eaten pastry trembling in his grip. Jes's hand slid toward his under the table, her fingers brushing his wrist.
Vex stole a danish, tearing into it with her teeth. "Yes, I do. No, I can't tell you. And yes, Jade has powers. And no, he can't tell you." Her eyes flashed, irises shimmering like fractured glass.
"What? How did you—wait, Jes, you got powers?" Kínitos's neck snapped toward her so fast his chair screeched. Jes nodded, her cheeks bulging with a bite of strawberry. She swallowed hard, chocolate smudging the corner of her mouth. "Yes, I do!!" she yelled, clinging to his arm like a lifeline.
"Wow… this is crazy," Kínitos muttered, absently nibbling the honeydew she'd offered. The fruit was cool and sweet, a stark contrast to the sweat slicking his palms.
Monti wiped croissant crumbs from his hands with military precision. "How do we know what it is?" he asked Jade, who was now slicing a kiwi with his fork, green flesh yielding under the tines.
"Well, before any of that, you'd need to get that energy leaking under control," Jade replied, sucking kiwi pulp off the blade. A drop of juice landed on the table, and Vex shot him a look, her nose wrinkling.
Axe leaned against the counter, crunching a handful of grapes. "And then this guy's gonna have to go on a hunt," he said, jerking his chin at Dante, who was already refilling his lemonade glass, ice clinking.
"Speaking of which—how was your hunt?" Vex asked, licking powdered sugar off her thumb.
"Did you see any three-headed cats this time?" Violet cut in, her champagne flute nearly empty. She stabbed a pineapple chunk with her fork, the juice pooling around it.
Axe shook his head, his beard bristling. "Went smooth. No cats. Just a nest of shadow-eels under the pier."
"*Shadow-eels*?" Kínitos echoed, his voice hollow.
"Disgusting things. Like worms, but with teeth," Dante said cheerfully, popping an almond into his mouth.
"That's disappointing," Violet sighed, twirling her fork. "I wanted photos."
Kínitos pushed his plate away, the honeydew forgotten. "I'm so confused. *What*? How did we even get this? I didn't ask for this."
Jes nudged a bowl of mixed berries toward him—blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, their colors jewel-bright. "Eat," she whispered. Reluctantly, he plucked a blueberry, rolling it between his fingers until it burst, staining his skin purple.
"If you didn't, you'd have died," Jade said bluntly, stacking empty plates with a clatter. "Now, it's *our* responsibility."
Vex snatched the last danish, her bite savage. "Without control, you could put someone in danger," she said through a mouthful.
"Okay… I understand," Kínitos mumbled, finally eating the crushed blueberry. Jes smiled faintly, nibbling her strawberry's stem.
Monti cleared his throat. "Wait—our jobs?"
"Those'll have to be suspended," Vex said, reaching for a macaron. "A few weeks, maybe."
"Wait, *what*?" Kínitos's chair legs screeched again as he lurched forward. "How am I gonna pay rent? Like, *how*—"
"We'll handle it," Vex interrupted, dusting crumbs off her sleeve. "Money. Negotiations. Paperwork. *Eat*."
Jes piled her plate high with fruit—slices of pear, clusters of grapes, a lone fig. "Now, let's eat," she declared, her voice steadying.
The room filled with the sounds of clinking cutlery and muffled chewing. Dante cracked almonds between his teeth, Axe methodically buttered toast, and Violet hummed along to a silent tune, champagne bubbles clinging to her lips. Kínitos stared at his plate, the berries bleeding color onto the porcelain, until Jes pressed a raspberry to his lips. He ate it, the tartness jolting him back.
"Tomorrow," Jade said, standing, "we begin."