Astrid sat slightly uncomfortable in her chair as she poked her food. In front of her, Eret sat on the opposite side of the table, eating his serving of food with a great appetite. But Astrid didn't share his opinion, as she took another bite of her serving of Wagyu filet mignon.
They were at Aurum Restaurant. A popular multi-cuisine fine dining restaurant situated in Berk, which many consider to be a culinary gem that embodies the essence of refined luxury.
And tonight, she had come here, begrudgingly so, with Eret accompanying her, after he had insisted on taking her out for dinner for over the last week.
Astrid's eyes darted around, taking in her surroundings once more. She had to admit the place did look grand and luxurious. Cream-colored walls, rich wood accents, and sparkling crystal chandeliers. Plush, high-backed chairs in a deep crimson hue, and fine bone-china tableware, clad in crisp white linens add a touch of warmth and intimacy.
Astrid refocused back on her meal, taking another bite of the meat, while restraining herself from showing her displeasure.
The meat, while tender and juicy, was overly fatty. Way too fatty for her taste and lacked any chew that she'd have expected from beef. It was almost like beef flavoured fat.
The seared scallop with microgreens and lemon-ginger emulsion they had served earlier as a starter was way too fancy for her palette. And there wasn't even enough food.
The appetiser, Foie Gras and toasted Brioche, was way too rich and buttery and creamy. And she wasn't the biggest fan of livers either.
The Duck confit that followed after it was okay, but again too fatty in her opinion.
The palette cleanser, a scoop of Lavender-honey sorbet, honestly tasted almost like soap to her.
"So, Astrid." Eret smiled at her,"How are you enjoying yourself?"
"It's not bad, Eret. But all this is a little too expensive for my taste." Astrid replied, half lying, as she didn't want to sound rude by saying the truth.
Eret laughed. "You deserve getting spoiled a little, Princess. And don't worry about the expenses, since I wanted to treat you. So, enjoy yourself."
Astrid's lips curled into a tight, polite smile that seemed out of place in her tense posture that had become her default since sitting down. Her eyes betrayed her discomfort, as she took another bite of her food, her smile faltering slightly before she regained her posture. "Please,... Stop calling me Princess, will you?" She said, with a hint of annoyance.
"Sure thing, sweetheart." Eret smirked.
Astrid just rolled her eyes and continued to take bites from her food. "Why at such an expensive restaurant, Eret?" She asked,"We could have gone somewhere simpler. I'm sure paying for both of us is gonna put a bit of strain in your pockets."
Eret chuckled a little, as he took a sip of his wine. "Well, considering how hard you've been working on your case, I thought you deserve a break and a treat." He said with a smile,"And you deserve nothing less than the best this world has to offer, Princess."
Astrid fidgeted with her silverware, but maintained a polite smile. "Thank you." She replied as quickly and briefly as possible.
They resumed their eating, when Eret looked up at her once more. "Speaking of which, how is your investigation going?"
Astrid's expression turned thoughtful, her brows furrowing slightly. "It's been a challenge," she admitted,"I made some progress, but everything so far is still grasping on loose straws. I got nothing concrete. No leads on Nightfury's identity or his motives."
Eret nodded, looking sympathetic. "I can only imagine. Nightfury sure is a slippery bastard."
"More than that, he's also mysterious. And,... Calculated."
"Calculated?" Eret asked, raising an eyebrow,"What do you mean?"
Astrid hesitated, not wanting to share much. But Eret's genuine interest, mixed with her own frustration with the case, made her open up. "You remember how I established that Nightfury is targeting the Outcast gang?Attacking their allies and associates?
Well, from further investigation, I find it rather obvious that he's not just blindly attacking anyone that's connected with the Outcasts. He's targeting specific individuals or organizations.
There's a pattern to his attacks, even in the ones that are unrelated to his rampage against the Outcasts. And I haven't quite figured it out yet."
Eret leaned in, his eyes sparkling with interest. "A pattern, you say?" He said,"That's a great lead. Have you shared your findings with anyone else? Maybe get some outside perspective?"
Astrid closed her eyes and sighed. "Not really. I do occasionally ask for this 'outside perspective' from my friends and fellow colleagues, but nothing worthwhile has come out yet." She said, opening her eyes,"I'm trying to dig deeper, see if I can uncover more connections. But it's,... Ugh,... It's frustrating. Every lead, every clue I pursue seems to either end in a dead-end, or lead nowhere."
Eret nodded sympathetically. "I know how that feels. But sometimes,-"
Just then, Eret's phone rang, interrupting their conversation. Astrid raised an eyebrow, while Eret sighed in frustration as he pulled out his phone. But as he noticed who was calling him, he was surprised.
"It's Thuggory." He said.
Astrid frowned. "What does he want now?"
Eret shrugged. "I don't know. Guess we will find out." He put the phone on the table, and received the call, putting it on speaker. "Hello?"
"On your date with Hofferson, Eretson?" Thuggory said, some chattering and clattering could be heard in the background.
Eret looked flustered as he glanced at Astrid. The blonde woman in question only rolled her eyes in annoyance as she leaned back against her chair. Eret glanced back at his phone and replied,"It's not a date."
"Sure, sure. You're taking a girl out to have dinner at some fancy place. Definitely doesn't sound like a date." came Thuggory's reply, making Eret look even more flustered. "By the way, how's her little investigation going, huh? She made up some new stories yet?" Thuggory laughed.
Astrid frowned at this exclamation, and was about to say something, but Eret beat her to it. "For someone so antagonistic to Astrid, you sure do ask a lot of questions about her progress." He said, frowning a little.
"Mah, I don't really care. Just feel pity for her." Thuggory chuckled,"Poor girl, working herself like a mule on a bogus case. With that pretty face of hers, she could have found jobs in other industries."
Astrid felt her annoyance rising, while Eret groaned. "Oh, shut up Thuggory." Eret then picked up on the background chatter. "Where the heck are you even?" He questioned.
"Just having dinner at this restaurant, Kuroba."
"Kuroba?" Eret frowned,"Isn't it situated in some yakuza controlled area?"
Astrid too frowned hearing this.
"Eh, it's not really any dangerous place unless you're wadding around your badge too much. Besides, I'm here to meet up with someone." Thuggory flatly spoke.
"Meetup? Whom are you going to meet up in some yakuza restaurant?" Eret questioned.
"That's none of your business, Eretson. I've spoken too much anyway. Just go on with your date."
"Hey, you were the one who interrupted my dinner with a phone call!" Eret sassed.
"Yeah, yeah, whatever. Just go on with your date with the pretty girl." Thuggory said before ending the call.
Eret sighed and pocketed his phone before looking up at Astrid. The dark haired man looked embarrassed, as he cleared his throat. "We'll,... That was awkward, heh." He nervously chuckled.
Astrid sighed. "Let's just ignore whatever happened during that call."
"Agreed." Eret nodded, before clearing his throat,"So, as I was saying, sometimes, taking a step back and looking at the bigger picture can help."
"Mm mmh." Astrid looked at him inscrutable,"And what do you suggest?"
"Well, you said he has a pattern in his actions. What if instead of trying to track this pattern, you focus on the man himself. Try narrowing down his identity and motivations based on what he has shown through his actions." Eret advised,"Eliminate and add things to him based on what discoveries you made during your investigation, and narrow down his potential identity and past based on that."
Astrid blinked, a hint of surprise and awe present on her face. "That…… that's actually some great advice….. Thanks Eret." She said.
Eret just laughed. "You're welcome Princess. I'm not a senior agent just for the show."
Astrid rolled her eyes, but smiled slightly. She had to admit, despite his overly flirtatious nature, Eret was a good detective, and had actually made it as a senior agent, a position that speaks of his capabilities.
"To your success, Agent Hofferson." Eret grinned, raising his glass of wine.
Astrid rolled her eyes, but raised her own glass, sharing a toast as they clinked their glasses, before drinking down their respective drinks.
Their glasses were refilled by awaiting servers. And finally, their dessert was served. A small slice of Chocolate soufflé, with a drizzle of grand marnier anglaise.
The soufflé itself wasn't bad, but the anglaise didn't fit Astrid's palette, who found it weird and boozy, reminding her of the displeasure she experienced eating here.
As they finished their dessert, Eret leaned back in his chair, looking satisfied. "Well, that was excellent. I'm glad we could finally have dinner together, Astrid."
Astrid smiled politely, her expression neutral. "Yes, it was nice."
Eret's eyes sparkled with enthusiasm. "We should do it again soon! Maybe next week? I heard about a new restaurant that just opened up downtown."
Astrid's smile remained polite, but her tone was flat. "I don't think so, Eret. I'm pretty busy with work right now. Besides, I'm not used to such,... Lavishness."
Eret's face fell slightly, but he didn't seem to notice Astrid's subtle cues. "Oh, come on, Princess. Just one more dinner? I promise I'll make it worth your while."
Astrid's expression remained firm, but polite. "I appreciate the offer, Eret, I really do. But I really need to focus on my case right now."
Eret nodded, still looking hopeful. "Okay, no problem. Maybe some other time, then?"
Astrid nodded, her smile still polite. "Maybe."
The check arrived, and Eret quickly paid, still chatting with Astrid. As they left the restaurant, Astrid felt a sense of relief wash over her. She was glad to be out of the stuffy restaurant, and away from Eret's persistent invitations.
Eret walked her to the curb, still talking about his favorite restaurants and foods, with Astrid listening politely, nodding and making brief responses. He hailed a taxi for her, and as they waited, he turned to her, his eyes sparkling with hope.
"Thanks again for dinner, Astrid. I had a great time." He smiled.
Astrid smiled politely, her expression neutral. "You're welcome, Eret. Goodnight."
Eret nodded, looking slightly disappointed, but still hopeful. "Goodnight, Astrid. I'll talk to you soon."
As the taxi arrived, Astrid slipped inside, closing the door behind her. She let out a quiet sigh of relief as the taxi pulled away from the curb. She was glad to be away from Eret's persistent invitations, and back to focusing on her case.
Astrid leaned back in her seat, staring up, as her mind wandered with possibilities. While she didn't enjoy the dinner, she wouldn't say it was completely fruitless, as she now had a different angle to look at her case, all thanks to Eret.
Overall, her night wasn't too bad.