After scheduling a few things with Kuroko, I waved her goodbye and found myself walking further into the city. I was in no hurry to return to the house, as I rarely had the opportunity for some alone time these days, so I decided to plug in my earbuds and listen to calming music while strolling around town. The sweet melodies helped me to relax and reflect, though my grumbling stomach put a slight dent in my peaceful state of mind.

I felt terrible for being so rude to people, especially those I had just met, so I still felt a little guilty about how I had treated Lilith. Despite her being an entitled brat who had no compunction about using her looks and status to get what she wanted, regardless of who it hurt, I still wanted to understand why she was like that. Maybe there was something beneath her abrasive exterior that I hadn't seen, and I didn't want to make assumptions about her character without getting to know her better. After all, I had taken a chance with Draco, which worked out positively.

If I was honest with myself, I acted the way I did with Lilith because I still wasn't sure how to approach her. I wanted to be authentic and hoped my honesty would connect with her. Yet, I also feared that if I didn't put up my defenses and show no weakness, she would take advantage of me as she did with Rachnee in canon. This thought made me uncomfortable, yet I couldn't think of any other strategy to protect myself.

The case of Lilith bothered me deeply, and I could feel my stomach churning in response.

I grumbled lowly, "Yeah, yeah, quit your bitchin'." I figured it was probably best not to think about this on an empty stomach. My eyes drifted to a nearby restaurant, where a mouth-watering logo featuring a shining burrito was prominently displayed above the entrance. My stomach growled with anticipation.

Oh, fuck the hell, yes.

One order later, I was eagerly clutching a great, double-wrapped burrito in my hands and relishing every bite. The flavorful filling of beef, pinto beans, rice, lettuce, queso, and more was expertly stuffed into one scrumptious tortilla cylinder. I hadn't realized just how much I'd been missing Mexican food until I'd walked into this restaurant. While the quality wasn't as good as the traditional Mexican places I'd visited in Chicago, it was still on par with the more popular chains such as Chipotle and Pancheros, so I had no cause for complaint.

Halfway done with my burrito, I was ready to reach for my side of chips and guacamole. However, I was perplexed to find that it had mysteriously disappeared. I distinctly remembered seeing the waitress set the plate before me, so what the hell...?

"Mm, I must say, I've been craving guacamole," purred a familiar voice from above me, "You certainly deserve a pat on the back for that, Counselor."

"Anything to earn your favor, Rachnee," I said with a hint of sarcasm, looking up to see her perched along the side of the building and munching on my chips. "Oh, hey, Mero!"

"Ah, hello, Aki," she replied, waving at me from behind Rachnee, "My deepest apologies; I did warn Rachnee about taking your food without your permission..."

"She says after she's already had five chips," Rachnee snorted. Mero winced and moved to hide a chip behind her, but by then, the damage had been done.

I couldn't help but chuckle at that. I didn't have it in me to be furious with them, probably because they hadn't swiped my burrito.

I smiled as I offered, patting my table, "Come join me if you two are hungry. I'm sure we can find something to eat."

Rachnee gave me a skeptical look, but then her lips twitched in a slight chuckle. "We can get by without you," she said.

"I wouldn't mind," Mero interjected, her eyes wide with hunger. "I'm pretty hungry."

Rachnee rolled her eyes but then nodded. "Fine," she conceded, already heading towards the ground. "But you'll be paying for our meals."

I just shrugged and waved over to the waitress for some menus. "I figured as much," I said.

After doing so, we had to rearrange a few chairs to make room for Rachnee, but it wasn't too difficult as the place was not overly crowded. I offered assistance to both of them as they tried to decide on what to order. Eventually, Mero chose shrimp tacos with sweet peppers, onions, and tomatoes, while Rachnee opted for the "chorizo" burrito, which was similar to mine but with Mexican sausage, potatoes, and eggs. In celebration of the moment, I also ordered a Tito's Punch - a delicious concoction of vodka, rum, triple sec, pineapple juice, and cranberry juice - sweet and delectable.

I had already finished my meal by the time theirs arrived, so I was sipping my delightful drink as they were finally able to start eating.

"What?" I shot back defensively to Rachnee's disapproving look, "It's delicious."

"It's a Sunday afternoon," Rachnee said flatly.

"I'm not the one with the issue here," I retorted, giving a wry smile.

"Drunkard," Rachnee shot back, though she couldn't hide her smirk of amusement before turning her gaze to the chorizo before her. She held it almost delicately in her claws, watching the melted cheese slowly roll off the top. "This may be the greasiest thing I've ever seen," she said with a wry smile.

"You think that's greasy?" I snorted, sipping my fruity drink in a way that exuded pride and worldliness. "If I ever get home, the first thing we'll do is take you to a place called the Beef Shack a few towns over. Trust me; you haven't seen true greasy goodness until you've been there. Then we can talk about grease."

"What purpose does discussing grease serve?" Mero queried, perplexed.

"My feelings exactly," Rachnee added wearily before exhaling a deep sigh and shaking her head. "No point complaining. Let's get this over with."

She savored a restrained bite of the chorizo, pausing briefly before taking another larger, greedy one. The irresistible allure of well-prepared Mexican food had claimed another soul. I felt a strange pride swell within me as I diverted my gaze from Rachnee's ravenous display toward Mero.

"Are you enjoying your food?" I asked, noticing that she hadn't taken a single bite yet.

"Ah, I wanted to hear Rachnee's opinion on the cuisine before I ventured to try it myself," Mero said nervously.

"That's a nice way of saying you wanted me to make sure the food wasn't crap," Rachnee said between mouthfuls.

"Mm, it worked, though, did it not?" Mero responded with a sweet smile.

"Mmph!" Rachnee grunted as she redoubled her efforts to tear apart the poor, pitiful burrito. She must have been hungrier than I had realized.

"You don't have anything to worry about," I interjected with a smile, "It's not poison! Plus, if you have it hot, it tastes even better - I guarantee it!"

Mero gingerly picked up one of the three tacos on her plate, and small pieces of tomato scattered from the edges. She paused momentarily, taking in a meal that would likely be dismissed as peasant fare in her kingdom's royal court. Thankfully, however, Mero was made of sterner stuff than she knew, and she bravely dug into her meal.

She bit into the taco, chewing the contents until her sapphire eyes widened in delight.

"This is the most delectable dish I have ever tasted!" Mero exclaimed excitedly, causing Rachnee and me to jump in surprise, along with any bystanders who may have been nearby. "Aki, you have my sincerest thanks!"

I chuckled nervously. "No problem," I said, rubbing the back of my neck as Mero devoured her tacos with almost as much enthusiasm as Rachnee. "I'm just glad it's to your liking."

Mero hummed with delight, her mouth too full for any words. I couldn't help but marvel at her adorable sight as she ate heartily, her cheeks puffing out with every mouthful. The joy I felt in seeing her so contented was amplified by the fact that I had been the one to contribute to her happiness.

I stayed quiet for a while, allowing the two to enjoy their meal undisturbed. I was happy to continue working on Tito's Punch until I remembered the fishfolk I had encountered and the information he had shared regarding the state of fishfolk concerning the merfolk. His words about Mero reverberated, taking on a more ominous tone with each repetition.

"Say, Mero?" I began, peering into her curious sapphire eyes. She had just finished wiping her mouth with a napkin, and now I had her full attention. "I was wondering... what are your thoughts on the fishfolk?"

"Of all the things to start a conversation with, you go with that?" Rachnee wondered aloud.

Mero's brows furrowed, and she tilted her head. "I, too, am wondering what made you think of such a thing, Aki."

"Yesterday, I had the pleasure of meeting one of them - his name is Fontaine. He's part of the team helping Polt with Sports Club Kobold. We had a brief conversation during which he mentioned something about an ancient agreement that binds the fishfolk to the merfolk royalty?"

Yeah, my bullshit detector was going crazy on that one.

"You paused there," I quickly observed, "That leaves me somewhat skeptical that everything is perfect beneath the waves."

"For once, I agree with him," Rachnee said, setting aside her clean plate, "but I can't help but feel that this agreement isn't quite as mutual as the history books portray it to be."

"I will concede that I have my doubts," Mero continued, adjusting her posture, "some sections of this treaty are certainly outdated. However, it has proven to be a mutually beneficial agreement. The fishfolk are now more unified than ever and have been provided opportunities they could never have had without them. As for the merfolk... well..."

"...Get a cheap and plentiful labor source to take care of the tedious tasks," I finished, drawing my conclusion.

"It is not 'cheap,'" Mero shot back heatedly, something that took me aback. Shit, maybe I'd pressed a button? "True, most fishfolk never rise above their born station, but they are more than adequately compensated for their dev-... hard work."

Rachnee's eyes narrowed in frustration as she muttered, "Mero, you're not making a strong argument. That it bothers you so much is proof that you're not doing a good job of defending your case."

Mero fell silent; her gaze fixated on her hands as she took a deep, steadying breath. Then, she slowly shook her head, her pink curls bouncing with the motion as if in response to her inner turmoil.

"I apologize for my outburst," she said, looking at us both. "I understand that my lack of knowledge on this matter is likely making it difficult for me to explain it properly. Unfortunately, my mother never saw this as a topic worth studying during my education."

My frown deepened further as I pondered the implications of that statement. With a determined sigh, I put those thoughts aside for now.

"I'm sorry as well," I said to her, "I should not have questioned you so harshly; it was not your fault. I was slightly irritated since it brought to mind slavery or something similar."

Rachnee, for her part, remained quiet.

"No need to apologize," Mero said quickly, waving a webbed hand dismissively and giving a nervous smile. "I'm full. Shall we pay for our meal and go back home now?"

She was anxious to put the matter behind her. I nodded along on the outside, but this only made me more inquisitive on the inside. Mero had not firmly denied my insinuation of slavery, although it had disturbed her. This made me think that it had been something that had crossed her mind before and at least made her uncomfortable. However, this did not make the situation any better.

After Mero was strapped to Rachnee's back again, the latter grabbed my shoulder as we left. I looked up into her six red eyes, and though her gaze was severe, I thought I could detect a troubled worry in her expression that matched my own. Neither of us spoke, but I gave a slight nod in understanding.

That must have been what she desired. She nodded in agreement before releasing her grasp on me and striding ahead, initiating an amicable conversation with Mero.

I exhaled, finally realizing that I had been unconsciously holding my breath. I shook my head in disbelief. What had I been thinking? Trying to unravel the complexities of ancient enslavement I could never hope to comprehend? Did I believe I could fix it? How could I even start to address something so immense and intricate? I already had enough on my plate—from being an assistant host, and counselor, caring for troubled liminals, and attempting to mend the Cultural Exchange.

"One step at a time, chief," I murmured before realizing that Rachnee and Mero had already moved on to the next block. Shrugging off the thought, I quickly plugged my earbuds in.

To be continued...