Chapter Text
The room around them was lit by a singular charm that was casting a ghostly blue light over everything. In a far corner of the room sat a figure. They had their desk positioned just so, so that they could see both doors, one to the hallway and one to a room full of filing cabinets, and the closet. They were hunched over their desk; their stringy hair that had not been washed in far too long fell into their eyes again and again. Charm dangling from their wrist, they rested their head on their hands, the light source illuminating the deep bags under their eyes from years of working late into the night and giving them a haunted air.
By the time they came back to reality, the room around them had grown dark. They were apparently attempting to write a cordial letter to the capital. How they hated these pleasantries. It would be so much easier to state what they wanted and leave it at that, but alas, they had direct orders from their superiors to flatter the petty king and queen until they called off their guards positioned around the city walls. They had half a mind to use the endless information they had on the royals and their surrounding cabinet to scare them into cooperation but orders were orders.
As they tried to focus on the letters swimming around on the page, they heard a click from outside the room.
They snapped to attention, quickly scanning the four walls, three corners, two doors and one closet. They took a deep breath, trying to quickly and quietly smother the rapidly growing panic in their stomach. They started running scenarios and the attached protocols as they grabbed the bat leaning against the wall and put on their most confident smile. Their face was almost disturbing when they settled into this facade. They smiled menacingly, eyes hooded, the perfect picture of confidence and malice. To them it was almost mechanical at this point. They leaned forward, head lazily poised on the back of their hand, the other gripping the bat under their desk, wide grin, staring expectantly at the door.
As if planned, just as they perfected their stance, the door burst open.
“Took you long enough.”
There stood Isaiah Iolius, poster boy of all that is good and absolute pain. Standing at a whopping 6’4 of pure gold dusted skin and muscle, he towers over them in a way that would be threatening if they were anyone else. They caught a glimpse of their ashen skin and dark circles in the shiny plate of their opponents armour. They caught themselves yearning for some of the warmth that the man opposite them possessed and quickly bearded themselves away from the mere thought.
“I cannot allow you to continue ruling this city, Damian.”
It was almost laughable how predictable he was. The incessant golden boy act gave little room for anything interesting.
“ Call of your guards and no one gets hurt and my pockets go back to being filled. Win-win. It’s that easy”
In all honesty their pockets would not be lined at all. They weren’t even in charge. Isaiah had assumed upon their first meeting and they had thought it was amusing and ran with it. Now that their superior was in on it, it was a whole masquerade and a lot less entertaining.
“I will nothing of the sort, you and your company have a monopoly over Alder and I cannot stand by while you control people who never elected you. You’re corrupt!”
That makes them laugh. No, not laugh. Cackle.
“Oh, you can’t possibly be that innocent, right? All politics are corrupt. Every time a person is given power over others, they’re corrupt, just by virtue of keeping it. You’re corrupt, you have no true way of knowing anything for sure without bias and yet you order around men in your name. That’s corrupt and no amount of the heart of gold act can convince any of us otherwise.”
Understanding flickers in his eyes before quickly being stamped down by that all too familiar look of self-righteousness.
“Why would I ever believe a single word that came of your mouth. You’re a bully, a tyrant and a known manipulator. You have not given me a single reason to take your words as truth.”
Oh well.
It was worth a shot.
Now came the grunt work.