Penelope promptly decided to ignore Leo and let him wallow with his hangover on the couch. She took the books to the bedroom and placed them on the bedside table before laying on the bed. She crossed her arms and let out a breath. Men… Why are they so difficult? She thinks before looking to the books once more. What does magic have to do with being a horrible person anyways? Even if it is real, why blame being shitty on magic? He's just trying to distract me; that's probably what it is. It's probably just a ruse, probably not even real. She thinks as she looks away. But it wasn’t long before her gaze found the books once more. Penelope lets out a low groan resembling a growl. The jerk! I’m clearly interested! I’m clearly the sort of girl who would be interested! How dare he! She thinks angrily before picking up a book.

Okay, the Art of Witchcraft, let’s go! She thinks as she opens the book and begins to read.

If a bear takes a shit in the woods and no one’s around, did it really happen? If your boss is fucking your wife while you’re at work, would you feel it? What happens if your roommate starts sniffing your dirty panties? How would you know? You may not know, but the fae know. The fae know everything.

Penelope rubs her eyes. What the fuck did I just read? This book was obviously written by a man. How is that art in anyway? She thinks, somewhat mad. Nevertheless, she continued to read.

It’s true that magic can be possessed; it can be a part of you, and it can be the weight of your actions and the gravity that surrounds you. But many people are not built for that sort of magic; for many people, for the young and the inexperienced, magic is an external power. And yes, you guessed it, it is the fae that wield that power. The art of witchcraft, essentially, is an art of communication, it is the art of crafting a prayer; to fail is for your character to fail, and to succeed is to have your desires validated and acknowledged. The fae can give you everything you could possibly desire, but if you trip, or if you’re found not pleasing to the eye, they can take away just as simply as they can gift. This is what it means to be a witch; it is to wield a power that is not ours, and the same time, it is to be worthy of that power.

Penelope lets out a smile, somewhat impressed. That’s more like it! I guess even men can be sensible at times. She thinks, satisfied.

…

…

“Where are you?” Sal says over the phone.

Leo sits up, his eyes still hazy. “I just woke up from a nap. What’s up?” He says as he lets out a yawn.

“Fuck man, be professional. Do you not care about the job?” Sal asks, feeling like Leo wasn’t carrying enough weight.

“Yeah, I’m actually rich with work points so I’m not too worried.” Leo says casually.

“What!? How? There’s no way you have more work points than me!” Sal says, starting to feel competitive. “Never mind that. This asshole Su Sheng wants to go back to that warehouse club. This dude doesn’t know when to stop. Anyways, come to the warehouse. And you’re staying sober this time! I’m serious Leo! If you don’t do your job, I’m going to have to tell Harry. Besides… I want to have a few drinks this time.” Sal says. He was a little jealous of Leo’s small bender, and he wanted a turn.

Leo lets out a chuckle. “Fine. I’ll be professional this. But just for today. I’ll see you there.” He says before ending the call.

Leo gets up and stretches. “Penelope?” He calls out. Leo waited a moment but there was no answer. Curious, he goes to the bedroom to have a look. Penelope was sitting on the bed, looking somewhat lost in the book. “Hey, Penelope. You okay? I’m going out for a bit.” He says.

Penelope waves her hand impatiently. “Yeah, yeah. Go, I’ll see you later.” She says, not wanting to be distracted.

Leo lets out a sneaky smile and he pumps his fist. Plan successful. Now I just have to wait a couple days for things to blow over, and I’ll be in the clear, baby! He thinks, satisfied, before walking to the shower.