This had never happened before. I wasn’t sure what I should do. The appropriate reaction escaped me. I sat, open-mouthed.

Every time Ma left the kitchen, Erin sighed dreamily.

It was right at the beginning of the morning. Erin had forced Blake to come – not knowing the location herself – and the pair had been waiting at the door when the place opened. Unfortunately for me, Ma had been the one to let them in, having told Sash to let me sleep in for once.

The three of us sat at one of the tables in the dining area, nearly entirely empty except for Sash sweeping and an elderly man who, as sure as the sun rises, came at this time once per week. My mother, to my rival’s and best friend’s great surprise, cooked and served our meals personally – entirely free of charge. Three bowls of broth-soaked noodles, dumplings of all varieties, even fried chicken. The table barely had room for it all. I was horrified to see slow realisation wash over Blake’s face as he suddenly connected the dots and understood that I had scammed him out of complimentary meals every single time he had visited.

He'd do the same to me. Probably.

Far, far worse was Erin’s behaviour. Every time she saw Ma it was as if her entire being glowed. At a very fundamental level, this was wrong. People were not attracted to Ma. They respected her, maybe. Teenage girls were definitely not attracted to Ma. Suddenly, the world had turned on its head. I had known on a theoretical level that someone, somewhere, might be romantically interested in my mother. However, I had never wanted to confront the possibility with my own two eyes.

Even worse: a woman in her late fifties with a face like spoiled oatmeal was more popular than I was.

Everything was going wrong.

“You said you didn’t have a crush on Ma anymore!” I whispered through my teeth.

Erin's face took on the panicked expression of a chicken about to be slaughtered. “No!” she nearly shrieked, voice several octaves too high, “I do not.”

“Oh yeah?” I sneered, “Why do you keep eyeing her like a piece of meat?”

“Wha-“ she said, frantically looking around. “I’m just… admiring our city’s hero.”

I sputtered. “Admiring her like a starving woman admires a bowl of soup, maybe!” I turned to Blake. “Right?”

“Shut up, Orvs.” He glared at me, ferocious in his ire. “Remind me: why was I payin’ to eat here again?”

Now it was my turn to frantically glance around. “Shh! Keep it down. Look, maybe Ma would’ve given you a discount-“

“Whaddaya mean, maybe?”

“-but I might not have asked-“

“You didn’t ask?”

“-and I might have overcharged you a bit-”

“You’re joking.”

“-but I put your chits to good use organising the mirror heist!”

“That’s where you got the tools from? With my money?”

“We made a profit off of it.”

“It was my money!”

“We made more money off it!”

“You are…” He let out an angry snort.

“Insufferable?” Erin offered.

“Insufferable!” Blake shouted. “Raven’s bones, Orvs!” The old man shot him a dirty look. Even I was taken aback – that was a filthy curse. He dipped his head apologetically, continuing more quietly. “Do you even feel bad?”

“I mean, I did. I do. But we had already had a mark lined up; you tried to back out.”

“Because I was running out of money.”

“No, because you were scared it wouldn’t work.”

“You’re always too quick to rush in, Orvs.”

“You’re too cautious!”

“You say that, but I’m the Butcher Street Boy’s boss and you’re the dishwasher.”

“You’re incorrigible.” I didn’t know what the word meant, which guaranteed Blake didn’t.

“Bah.” Blake looked away, still pissed.

“Look, I’m sorry.” I said. The mirror had almost been within my grasp. The temptation had been too much. “I really am. I didn’t think it was a big deal. It couldn’t have been more than thirty chits; I thought you were more well-off.”

He turned to me, nostrils flaring, and slammed his fist on the table. “It’s not about the money. I trusted you. I ate here for you.”

I hung my head, fire completely diminished. “I’ll pay you back.”

My friend sighed. “I… it just rubs me the wrong way. I know you didn’t mean anything by it. Gear had to cost three-hundred, altogether. I only came here three times – you didn’t con that much out of me.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Yeah, well. You always try too hard.” He ran his fingers through his hair. “Like when you set your eyes on somethin’, it’s all you see.”

“I…”

“Pay me back, and we’re square.” He gripped me tightly by the shoulder, digging his fingers hard enough to bruise. “You pull something like that again, and we’re done. Forever. We clear?”

“As crystal.”

“Good.”

We sat there for a while. I poked my noodles. Blake scarfed down everything he could get his hands on, making appreciative noises all the while. He was too frugal to waste food. Erin shifted in her seat awkwardly, already having finished her meal, good mood somewhat diminished.

“So…” Erin began, thick fingers drumming on our table. “Orv. You said you had something to tell us?”

“Tell you to stop looking at my Ma like that.” I muttered.

Blake punched me in the arm, much harder than Dash was capable of.

I let out a yelp. “Ow!” My sister frowned and opened her mouth, but I quickly drew together my arms into a large ‘X’. “We’re mates, Sash. I’m okay!”

She nodded, and turned back to sweeping.

“Gods, Blake, don’t do that in front of Sash!” I whispered urgently.

He snorted. “Don’t want me to embarrass you in front of your baby sister?”

“No, because she’ll beat the snot out of you.” His guess was also correct, however admitting I cared what my sister thought would be even more embarrassing.

“You think I can’t handle a little girl?”

The only way to convince him was to tell him even I had trouble, but I couldn’t do that. “Just do me this favour and don’t annoy her.”

“I owe you favours now?”

Absolutely vicious. “For her, then.”

The young gang-leader sighed, then nodded. “Fine, fine. She done nothin’ to me. Not Sash’s fault her big brother’s a con artist.” I started preening, which he immediately noticed.. “Oi. Don’t you be proud of it.”

“I’m not proud of what I’ve done. I’m proud of how I did it.”

He was unable to stifle his smile. I let out a sigh of relief; I thought I had lost a friend for a moment. I noticed Erin was smiling at us as well, and scowled at her.

“Don’t you smile at me, you mother-loving-”

Blake swatted me over the head, and Sash went at him.

Our eatery was a wreck. Tables were toppled, chairs had been flung across the room, and our meals were now splattered across the ground, alongside shards of broken dishes.

Sash stood against the wall, elbow hooked around Blake’s neck. His face was beginning to look like a tomato – the resemblance would be perfect if not for his bloody lip where Dash had punched him, having originally thought him the aggressor. Now, my brother attempted to yank his twin off, completely failing. I crooned soothing noises at her, and shouted at him to stop – his pulling only antagonised her more. Ma stumbled in, clutching a frying pan still covered in food, then dropped it and ran to Sash. Encircling the grappler’s arm with a huge hand, she slowly pulled it off, using the other arm to scoop Sash up. Ma whispered in her daughter’s ear, patting her on the back, and carried her out of the room.

Grinning, the geezer walked up to Dash and placed a string of chits into his hand. “For the girl. Ha! Haven’t laughed like that in years.” He strutted out, chuckling quietly.

The four of us who remained slumped against the outer wall, somewhat stunned. The entire affair had taken less than thirty seconds to play out, but now promised at least twenty minutes of work.

I turned to Blake, rubbing at his neck.

“I told you.”

He nodded loosely. Erin hung her head beside him.

“Um. Sorry Blake.” Dash sheepishly apologised, looking at the still-bleeding lip. Blake waved it off. My brother turned to me. “What happened?”

I explained.

“Oh, okay. Unlucky.” he said, nodding.

Blake blinked. He tried to speak, then broke into a fit of coughs. The second attempt was successful. “Unlucky?”

“I think so.” Dash glanced over at the gang-leader. “Ma’s given Sash free reign to beat up anyone who makes physical contact rudely. It was just unlucky Sash didn’t know you weren’t being rude.”

“He kind of was.” I interjected.

Dash shot me a flat look. “Doesn’t seem like it.” He turned back to Blake. “It’s just because Sash has never seen you interact with Orv before.”

The teenager nodded slowly. He looked at Erin. “Not a word about this to the boys.” His tone was almost inquisitive.

She looked up, expressionless. “’You think I can’t handle a little girl?’” she mimicked Blake’s tone in a faux-deep voice. “Orv warned you! And now look at this place!” she snapped.

I grunted my assent, and she wheeled on me. “And you!” I blanched, and she continued. “You provoked him. What were you thinking? I can’t believe you’re General Maja’s adopted son! Look at all the mess we made!”

“Wait, that’s what you’re mad about?” She looked at me like I was the dullest rock in the whole city. ‘Obviously’, her expression said. I continued. “Because we embarrassed you in front of Ma? Because she caught you laughing?”

Erin blinked rapidly. “That’s…” It was her turn to stumble. “Of course I would be embarrassed for causing a scene in front of my hero.”

“Your beloved, you mean.” Blake spat.

“NO!” Erin yelled.

Dash’s eyes went wide as the moons. He looked at me, more scared than when I had kicked him down a chimney, and I nodded sadly. “You like Ma?”

Somehow, the question being asked by a nine-year-old boy instead of Blake and I was what got her. She blushed a deep crimson, and I slammed the back of my head against the wall. Repeatedly. Then swore ferociously. My brother stared at her; expression unchanging as he struggled to process the news.

“Woah.” Blake exclaimed. “I was just messin’ with you earlier. You’re serious?”

She placed her head in her hands and nodded, ears red.

He slapped her on the shoulder. “Weird taste.”

“Shut up.” She muttered.

I leaned over to Dash and whispered in his ear. “How about you check on Sash and Ma? Give my friend here some space?”

He nodded blandly, then jerkily rose to his feet and stumbled into the kitchen. I shuffled around so I could sit next to Erin, putting her between Blake and I.

“I hate to be the one to say it, but Ma’s perceptive. She probably knows.”

Erin groaned. “I just wanted to admire her, that’s all.”

Blake patted her on the shoulder. “Doubt she minds.”

“Yeah,” I piped in, “Ma’s probably really flattered.”

She groaned again. “Can we talk about something else? Anything else?”

“Uh…” Blake fumbled for a topic. “So how about them Old Guard?”

I startled. “That’s what I needed to talk to you about. I need your help, Blake.”

My rival rolled his eyes. “Really? Right after you confess to robbing me?”

“This is serious, friend. Very serious.” He raised his eyebrows doubtfully. “As in, entirety of the Foot kind of serious.”

He sighed. “Right-o, friend." I winced at his flat tone. "Lay your scheme on me.”

“It’s no scheme, Blake. The Old Guard are controlling people’s minds.”

Blake scrunched his face at me. “What hash’re you on?” Erin pushed her head upright and gave me a condescending glare.

“Hear me out.” I said, trying to ignore their leery stares. “You two have heard about what the House that moved in – House Es-something, I forgot the name – has been offering people, right?”

Erin shook her head, but Blake nodded. “Yeah. Clothes and bloodtech. Do they latch onto people’s heads and suck out their brain?”

“No, dumbass. The one who announced it was a Dolphinblood.”

“So what? Anyone with their head screwed on would make Wump’s kin do the talkin’.”

I clicked my tongue. “I was there. As soon as he was done speaking, everyone suddenly thought taking their gifts was the best idea they’d ever had.”

“So?” Erin said. “Of course most people want clothes and bloodtech.”

“No, not most people.” I winced at the memory, disgusted with myself. “Everyone. Including me.” Blake’s mouth fell open, while Erin attempted to speak, however I talked over them. “I asked Ma and she said Dolphinbloods can make people feel things.”

They were silent at that. Blake swore softly.

“I was just wondering what I should do,” I said.

The thickset girl next to me spoke. “…What kind of things do they feel?”

“She didn’t really know.” I had asked her for more information the next morning. “Ma stayed away from them, for the most part. They could make soldiers fight harder, and for longer. That was all she had been interested in.”

“Maybe that’s all.” Erin said.

“No. You don’t get it. Me. I wanted to take their so-called ‘gifts’.”

“That’s not so strange.”

“It is,” Blake cut in. “Orv’s has hated the Old Guard since forever.”

“But… General Maja was a member.”

“Was.” I emphasised. “She stayed. They left.”

Once again, there was a long silence.

“What do we do?” Erin asked.

“We?” I responded.

“This isn’t the kind of thing I can just forget about.”

“Yeah,” Blake piped in. “That’s… messin’ with people’s minds like that. I can’t even…”

“It’s big.” Erin said. Blake nodded in agreement.

“Gods.” I leaned backwards and closed my eyes. “I was just planning on telling everyone I met, but…”

Erin motioned for me to continue.

“I went to tell the twins, but Ma heard. Stopped me.” My voice cracked. “She said the Houses would kill us if we spread it.”

Both of them flinched. I couldn’t blame them.

“Then…” Blake sighed. “There’s nothing we can do.” He gazed at a piece of broken ceramic on the floor. Erin rubbed her temples.

“No, actually.” I spoke up. “We can’t kick them out, right? They’re backed by a House. Stupid move. But they’re not here out of the kindness of their hearts. They can’t be. All we have to do is figure out what the Es-somethings want.”

“And then?” Erin asked.

“Then we give it to them.” I paused, realising the unlikelihood of that. “Or if we can’t, we move it somewhere else.”

“There’s only one thing a House would want from this dump.” Erin chewed her lip nervously. Blake, understanding what she meant, groaned.

“Godsblood doesn’t have to be from a god.” I hastily backpedalled, trying to keep them hopeful. “Maybe they’re just trying to reclaim what was lost here.”

“Or,” Blake snarled, “It’s a god, and they’re gonna use us up until the Foot’s good and empty.”

I shrugged. “We won’t know until we find out.”

Blake nodded. “And if it’s a god, we give up.”

The girl beside me clicked her teeth. “Maybe not. We can’t be the only one trying to get them out; maybe there’s another group who can do more.”

I grinned and pointed to her. “Yeah! See? Don’t lose spirit so easily. There’s no way we’re alone.”

Smiling, I basked in self-satisfaction. We had a course of action. Nothing could stop us.

“So, boss,” said Erin, “What’s the plan?”

“We break into their office.”

Blake leaned over Erin to smack me, then thought better of it. “Simple. Easy.”

“Right.”

“Sarcasm, pal.”

Someone coughed in the entrance. Had they been listening? The two beside me stilled completely and began crawling away, looking for another exit. I scrambled to my feet and ran over.

It was Sash’s little admirer. He cleared his throat.

“Uhm. Maybe I can help?”