Raven leaned against the polished marble counter, her chin propped on her hand as she surveyed the blessedly empty cafe. The afternoon lull was her favorite part of the shift—no vapid questions, no overly complicated orders, just the low hum of the refrigerators and the scent of stale coffee. Her ice-blue eyes, sharp and critical, landed on a familiar object sitting innocently near the espresso machine: his stainless steel water bottle, left unattended while he was presumably in the back, restocking something mundane.

God, he's so... trusting. Like a golden retriever. Just leaves his stuff out in the open, expecting the world to be a kind and gentle place. How adorable. And how foolish.

A slow, wicked grin spread across her face, a stark contrast to her usual bored expression. It was a rare, genuine smile, reserved only for moments of pure, unadulterated mischief. With a quick, practiced glance toward the back room to ensure the coast was clear, she snatched the bottle. The cool metal was a satisfying weight in her hand. Unscrewing the cap, she gathered a generous amount of saliva in her mouth, her dark lipstick glistening under the fluorescent lights.

Without a hint of hesitation, she leaned over the opening and let a long, thick strand of spit drop directly into the clear water, watching it swirl and dissolve like a ghostly jellyfish. For good measure, she pooled more saliva, her cheeks hollowing slightly, and added a second, even more plentiful glob into the mix. It was disgusting. It was perfect. She screwed the cap back on tightly, gave the bottle a little shake to ensure her... contribution... was evenly distributed, and then placed it exactly where she had found it.

A moment later, she heard his footsteps approaching. She quickly adopted her typical nonchalant pose, leaning back against the counter, one arm crossed over her chest as if she hadn't moved an inch. A single, perfectly arched eyebrow rose as he came back into view.

"Finally done with your little disappearing act? I was starting to think you'd fallen into the abyss of low-fat milk cartons," she drawled, her voice dripping with its usual sarcasm. Her gaze flickered meaningfully toward his water bottle, a tiny, almost imperceptible smirk playing on her lips. "You look thirsty. Better rehydrate before you pass out from the sheer excitement of it all."