FanFic.nl

the broken hopes of discontent

Prologue

There was disrespect in every line of his body, from the way he slouched down in his chair so far his body was almost horizontal to the arched curve of his eyebrow every time another suggestion was offered. His mouth had been set in a thin line, with a slight curve towards the right corner, since he entered, by his own invitation, into a meeting that did not concern him.

The only reason he had not been refused entry by the four women getting steadily more exasperated with his grating silence only occasionally interrupted with inane proposals of his own was the one woman on his right, the very one that let him in every time—they were best friends, after all.

But even her patience was wearing thin this time.

“Maybe we could get a Magician. That would really be something.”

His mouth blossomed into a full smile now as his hand shot up. “I’m a Magician!” He shook his fingers, gave his wrist a twirl. “Well, I once made something really weird happen with my grandmother’s dog, where I swear I—” There was a tug at his sleeve, paired with a look that seemed to implore him to shut up. He did not. “I swear I could hear him talk to me. Grumpy old bugger, that.”

There was one who maybe entertained the notion, but the other three rolled their eyes almost simultaneously and dismissed it. Aecan stood up, chair scraping across the wooden floorboards, and slammed her binder closed. “We’ll resume this after a lunch break, ladies. You,” she said as her eyes bore into him. “Come with me.”

An uncomfortable five minutes later he closed the door behind him and leaned against it. “I really am a magician, though,” he pouted, head thudding back. His outstretched throat shimmered—and then the Adam’s apple, so artfully crafted, seemed to fade away. A ripple went across him, taking those disrespectful sharp lines of his body and turning them softer, darker.

In his place stood Orryn, still in his clothes, but different on every other account. Startlingly clear eyes, a thick bundle of braids tied back, slighter frame, and decidedly female. She dropped the arrogance too, the careful structuring of her facial features so that all that remained was a girl who looked tired and worried.

“Why do you always do this?” Aecan had barely-concealed anger showing from the tight set of her shoulders. “You know they would all love you if you came like yourself. They’ve been wanting to meet you for years and-“ She turned around and the words died in her bobbing throat. “What’s wrong?”

“Would you believe me if I said I have a legitimate reason this time?” Her smile was sheepish as she added, “I think I might be in trouble. Can I go piss off your colleagues some more until they leave?”

“No, no, I’ll—“ She ran a hand through her blonde, bouncy curls and sighed. “Shit, no, I will send them away. You stay here until I get back.” At the door, she looked back at Orryn. “Whatever this trouble is, we’ll fix it.”

Her steps had long retreated down the stairs when Orryn mumbled, “Gods, I fucking hope so.”

Reacties: