"And you came this close to mentioning 'her.'" Hearing that person's words and knowing that they were true stung Astraeus like a wound straight to the heart. He truly hated how they knew every little thing about him. How they watched his every action from the shadows. Why couldn't they just leave him alone.
"Boss~ I'm back, can I come in?" Astraeus' train of thought snapped like a string cut. The familiar voice, Miss Jane Doe. She had helped him set up a movie and then he had sent her home to get some rest.
"You may enter." Astraeus called, raising his voice slightly so it could be heard through the door.
The rat thiren pushed the door open, stepping inside with a slow, deliberate gait. Her bladed tail flicking behind her with each step, the sharp edge glinting faintly in the dim light as she approached Astraeus.
Despite the break Astraeus had given her, she still looked extremely tired.
"Did you not sleep well?" He asked.
From Astraeus' perspective, the question was simple. He only wondered if she had slept well—that was his sole intention. Despite his criminal status, he still cared. However, Jane panicked, faltering slightly as suspicion crept in—had he discovered her report to NEPS?
She still couldn't shake how effortlessly he made her feel this way. Despite their previous conversation, where she sensed he likely hadn't uncovered her actions, he still had the uncanny ability to make her anxious.
Was it even his intention or perhaps just the nature of his person?
"Y-Yes I had trouble sleeping." She answered, deciding to play along with what he assumed.
In reality, Jane was telling only part of the truth. After submitting her report on Astraeus and the Umbral Court to NEPS, she returned home. But her curiosity had been piqued. Instead of resting at a reasonable hour, she spent the entire night poring over old PubSec files and scouring the Inter-Knot, searching for any additional information about the Umbral Court that might aid her.
"What about you, Boss~?" she asked, flipping his question back at him in an attempt to regain some ground. "You were watching The Port Peak. How'd it go?"
Leaning in closer, she waited for his response, her eyes gleaming with curiosity as she wondered if the gruesome gore hidden in the film had affected him in the slightest.
Astraeus remained silent for a while, recalling the scenes of the movie in his mind.
"I suppose it was definitely interesting," he replied calmly, "but why should it affect my sleep? It's only fictional, after all."
Jane flashes a smile as she sat on the edge of his desk.
"But didn't you hear?" she said, her voice dropping to a near-whisper, a sly smile dancing across her face. She flicked her bladed tail behind her, the motion a subtle yet telling sign of her growing amusement. "The Port Peak is actually based on a true story…"
Astraeus' eyes narrowed curiously, "I find that hard to believe."
"You're no fun, Boss~," she groaned, her tail flicking in irritation as her ears drooped slightly. "Not even the slightest reaction?"
"Sorry? I guess?" he replied, raising an eyebrow as he gave her a half-apologetic shrug, unsure how to respond to her playful teasing.
Jane stood from where she had been sitting on the table, turning to face the still-seated Astraeus. Her teal eyes met his heterochromatic gaze.
"Do you want me to take the tape back for you?" she suggested, her tone light but purposeful. "I think I need to renew my membership anyway."
Astraeus stared silently for a moment, his fingers absentmindedly fiddling as he lost himself in thought—his bland facial expressions offering no clue as to what was going on in his mind, leaving Jane utterly perplexed.
"I believe I need to make sure my membership is active too."
A flash of worry flickered across Jane's face, but she quickly shoved it down, unwilling to show any weakness in front of such a dangerous criminal boss. Going with him to the random video store could turn out to be risky, and she didn't want to drag the two managers into it. But seeing how he acted in public—his every move, every interaction—could prove to be an invaluable source of information.
"Are you inviting me on a date, Boss~?" she said, feigning embarrassment with a teasing smile, her tail flicking slowly behind her. "Do I need to get HR involved?"
Astraeus stared blankly back at her, and a familiar anxiety washed over Jane once again. It had to do with those dead eyes—empty, devoid of any emotion—always leaving her with the unnerving sense that she couldn't quite figure him out.
"Criminal organizations don't have a human resources department." His words came out flat, as void of emotion as his eyes. It seemed Jane's attempt at humour hadn't landed at all.
In truth, Astraeus briefly considered the idea of creating an HR department for his organization. Maybe it would improve productivity if people had someone to file complaints with. But then again, he wasn't sure how that would fit into his line of work.
"It's not a date," he suddenly corrected, his tone flat and matter-of-fact. "More like an outing."
Jane's anxiety melted away in an instant, replaced by her sly smirk.
"Sure, but if we go anywhere else, you're paying," she teased, leaning in with a playful glint in her eyes. "After all, you're the big bad crime boss, loaded with money~"
Astraeus stared at her, his eyes narrowing slightly, as if weighing her words with quiet intensity.
"Fine..." he finally conceded, his voice betraying no emotion.
He knew it would be easier to accept the request than waste time arguing with her. She seemed like someone who had an endless well of energy for teasing, even when exhaustion clearly weighed her down.
"If you're ready, we can head out now."
Jane blinked, caught off guard by how quickly things were moving. She hadn't expected to leave right this moment, but there was no backing out now.