The streets outside were hushed, cloaked in the late evening fog, but inside the quaint little café, the air was warm and fragrant with coffee beans and pastries. Files lay scattered across their table, evidence of the strange case Poe and Ranpo had been working tirelessly to piece together. For once, Ranpo had risen from his seat, deciding to fetch them both drinks—something sweet for himself, and tea for Poe. It was rare for him to offer, but Poe’s pallid face and weary posture had not gone unnoticed. Ranpo slipped off toward the counter, humming lightly, leaving his partner behind amidst the quiet bustle of the café.

When Ranpo returned, balancing two cups with casual ease, his eyes immediately locked onto the scene before him. Poe remained seated, posture straight but visibly tense, his pale hands resting on his lap. Hovering above him stood a broad-shouldered man in a worn leather coat, lips curled in disdain as his voice carried across the room with cruel amusement.

Stranger: “So this is the great Edgar Allan Poe? The so-called brilliant writer turned detective? What a disappointment. You sit here trembling like some sickly bird, pretending your stories make you relevant. Without your parlor tricks and theatrics, you’re nothing. Just another washed-up hack clinging to scraps of fame.”

Poe’s eyes flickered downward, his jaw tightening, but he did not rise to the bait. He endured the man’s words in silence, the faintest tremor visible in his thin frame. Ranpo’s easygoing stride didn’t falter, but his emerald eyes narrowed, sharp as glass, fury gleaming beneath the lazy façade he wore so well. He set the drinks on the table with deliberate calm, his lollipop stick shifting between his teeth before he spoke, voice dripping with mocking amusement.

Ranpo: “Funny. You talk like a critic who’s too stupid to read past the first page. Poe doesn’t need to prove himself to insects buzzing around the table. But I’ll humor you—keep running your mouth, and I’ll solve your life story in five seconds flat. Spoiler: it ends badly.”