Moon took another sip of the suspiciously colored lemonade in his hand before saying calmly, “Let’s not settle on that too quickly.”
Charlie blinked, startled.
“Eh?”
“I said ‘it sounds lively,’ meaning I understood your point.
I didn’t mean I was actually suited to live right next door to him.”
Angel glanced at him.
“You sure changed your mind fast.”
“It’s called survival.” Moon looked back at Charlie after addressing Angel.
“If there are other rooms available, I’d like to be a bit further away from Mr.
Angel.”
Charlie blinked again.
“Oh?
Is it because of what he just said?”
“Yes,” Moon replied quite frankly.
“Screaming in the middle of the night, plus whatever other ‘add-ons’ I haven’t heard about yet.
It’s a bit much for someone who just moved in.”
Vaggie let out a snort from the side.
“Finally, someone whose brain is actually working.”
Angel immediately chimed in, “Hey, I can hear you.”
“I wanted you to hear me,” Vaggie countered.
Angel slumped back and pressed a hand to his forehead, looking like the whole world had failed him.
“That’s hurtful.
I gave you a heads-up about my flaws, and this is how I’m treated.”
Charlie finally realized the situation and nodded hurriedly.
“Right, right!
Angel does…
“But it’s not a bad thing!
It’s lively sometimes!
It’s just…
it might not be for everyone.”
“Princess,” Angel drawled, “you’re just making it worse.”
“Sorry.”
“Apologies are useless.
I’m still wounded.”
“Then I’ll save an extra portion of breakfast for you next time?”
“That sounds even worse, honey.”
Seeing that he was still up for bickering, Charlie breathed a sigh of relief.
She gripped the ring of keys tighter and looked back at Moon.
“It’s okay, we have plenty of vacancies.
A lot, actually.
You don’t have to be right next to Angel.
There’s another room on the other side of the second floor; it’s closer to the bathroom but further from the noise.
The one further down has a larger window, though the view is the same as always: red skies, black smoke, and the occasional strange thing flying past.”
“That already sounds much gentler than the first option,” Moon said.
Angel immediately pressed, “What do you mean by that?
What’s my wing, a high-risk biohazard zone?”
Moon spared him a glance.
“From what I can tell so far, let’s call it an ‘active zone.'”
Angel paused for a moment and actually laughed.
“Fine.
You’ve got a way with words.
“The essence is the same,” Vaggie interjected.
“You’re really determined to give me a hard time today, aren’t you?”
“Today?
When have I ever not given you a hard time?”
Seeing that the two were about to start again, Charlie quickly clapped her hands to pull the conversation back on track.
“Anyway!” she said.
“The room situation is easily fixed.
Moon, you don’t have to force yourself to live somewhere you don’t like.
Since you’ve decided to stay, you should be comfortable.”
Moon nodded.
“Those are reassuring words.”
“Right?” Charlie cheered up instantly.
“I told you our service is actually pretty good.”
She jingled the keys in her hand, slipping back into her professional “business mode.”
Charlie made a gesturing “after you” motion toward the stairs.
“Come on, Moon!
I’ll show you the room.
It might not be as luxurious as wherever you lived before, but I promise Vaggie and I cleaned every single one of them thoroughly.”
“Mainly me,” Vaggie said.
“I helped too.”
“You were responsible for losing the cleaning supplies.”
“That was after the cleaning was done!”
Moon smiled and followed their lead up the stairs.
“That sounds even more reassuring.”