".....hm." Jaden muttered.

"No, no, it shouldn't be." he said.

"They USED to have seafood pasta on their menu, but that hasn't been a thing for... fuck, almost a year now?" he said further.

"So no, shouldn't be." he reasoned.

"That being said, even if it was, they're really good about food allergies and such." he assured her.

"Like, seriously, they're a small-time quality business." he went on.

"It's a diamond in the rough."

"Oh geez, THAT bad?" Jaden asked.

"Yes." Desiree responded.

"Well that shouldn't be a problem, though we should probably still mention it, just in case." he then said, as they found the street he had mentioned, and they turned down it, driving down it for another 2 minutes, before he pulled into a rather generic parking lot, that didn't seem to be for anything in particular.

"All right." he said, pulling into a space. "We need to get out, walk down a few dimly lit and remote alleys, and then stop at a dead-end that nobody goes to, and scum only live around." he told her.

...before he couldn't help but snicker.

"Ok, I can't keep that up." he admitted.

"It's that place right there." he said, gesturing across the road to a little place that was easy to miss, but looked VERY homey and friendly when you DID notice it. "No parking lot, so we use this one. No real big businesses have laid claim to it." he shrugged.

Jaden smirked.

"Oh, what to choose..." he said, thinking about it.

"Ah! I know." he then exclaimed, snapping his fingers.

"They have the most addictive Arancini." he recalled. "No, seriously, it's absolutely amazing. It's some of the best you'll ever have, if you like that sort of thing." he said further.

"And their desserts. They only have a few, but they are... oh my god..." he said dreamily.

"They have Tiramisu that is amazing, Cannoli fresh made every day, and I challenge anyone to find better Gelato in this PROVINCE." he finished.

Jaden narrowed his eyes a little.

Perhaps. he replied.

In a way that affects what I think of myself? Doubtful. he then sent her.

But depending on your answer, there IS something I may or may not pursue. he added in another one.

He then put his phone down and shook his head.

"You want to be evasive with me, I'll be vague with you." he said, making his way to his fridge and taking out a few things. He was going to make himself a smoothie for breakfast.

And what he did next depended on whether or not his mother would actually give him any information.

"...." Jaden was silent for a moment, before sighing.

He then actually called his mother, and shook his head when she answered.

"Mom." he said when she spoke.

"You're telling me that dhampirs cannot smell mana, but the reason I CAN is because of a Hunter's trait?" he asked.

"...I'm amazed I didn't kill myself in the past." he then said further.

"Isn't that a big problem with Hunter-Mage offspring? I've heard it is, anyway." he added.

"Yeah, but I'm a dhampir. I'm a weird rarity that, for all I knew, had weird traits." Jaden responded.

"But... all right, I'm a Hunter-born." he said further. "Might explain some of the self-loathing I used to feel..." he then mumbled, thinking about it.

"By the way, how is Father Dean doing?" he asked her, changing the subject. "I assume he's told you what happened, and has given you an update on the situation, seeing as you and him are good friends." he reasoned.

"He gonna be okay?" he asked further.

"Because if not, I will make it my active goal to hunt down and drain the little puke that attacked him and effectively killed him." he then growled.

And Sydney could hear the sincerity in it.

"...I see." Jaden muttered.

"Well, at least he's not going to die." he said.

"I can't believe that the one that did it is Desiree's brother." he then said further, pausing briefly.

"Yeah, I dunno if you heard about it from Rene, but uh... I had a bit of a rough introduction to Desiree." he told her. "Thankfully, I think we're cool now." he then assured her.

"Still. Damn it." he muttered.

"If I see him again, I make no promises on what I do, Mom." he told her outright.

"I know I've been in trouble before in the past for that sort of thing... to criminally understate it... but Triad and Council rules be damned. If I see him again, I WILL attack to kill." he finished.

"I've noticed." Jaden snarled.

"Regardless, I think I'm going to get to know Desiree and perhaps spend a little more time with her." he then said.

"Maybe if I hang around her more, I'll get the chance to weed out that little weed." he reasoned.

And that was true, he DID believe that. But there was something else.

He found himself drawn to Desiree. Wanting to legit just spend more time with her. He couldn't explain why, not right now, but he knew how he felt. And he wasn't going to put any deep thought into it.

"Maybe." he reiterated.

"All I can do is wait and see, as being proactive doesn't seem to work against the little ass." he grumbled.

"...I don't know much about her past, but given her brother, I'll take your word for it." Jaden responded.

"Anyway... I guess I'm Hunter-born. Huh." he mumbled.

"...guess I would have known that if I'd stuck around when I was younger..." he then said, and Sydney could hear the guilt creeping up on him.

That was a bit of a problem with her son. He tended to dwell on his past more than he should. Granted, his past was nothing to sweep under the rug, but he often had trouble letting it go.

"Probably would know my Dad as well..." he added quietly.

"...oh." Jaden said.

"I... ah..." he stammered.

"Sorry." he then apologised. "I didn't mean to... bring anything sore up." he said.

"Look, I just... hm." he mumbled.

"Yeah, sorry if I interrupted, too." he apologised further.

"And for not replying sooner. Got caught up with talking to Desiree last night."