Part 4:
Deciding that they had better not delay anymore, the two went back over to the reception desk. "We're here to see our sister Adora Ashcroft", Annabel said in a pleasant manner to the receptionist. "Can you please inform her that her sisters Annabel and Alea have arrived?"
"She works here", Alea added with a touch of cuteness in her high voice, "with books and stuff. I'm sure she won't mind seeing us at the last minute."
Annabel glared at her sister. "What my darling sister meant to say is that she is EXPECTING us, right sis?" The pretty blonde gave the woman looking at them a apologetic look. "Don't mind her, too much staring at her phone all time, not paying attention to stuff around her."
"REALLY?" Alea began, then huffed. "I don't know WHY I even came with you." She turned to the receptionist and said in a low voice, as if trying not to have Annabel hear her. "If anything, it is HER that looks at her phone WAY too much, can't live without it you know."
The woman behind the desk looked at the two sisters like they were BOTH a little not 'right' in the head, then just sighed. "Certainly, one moment while I call her." After a moment of looking up Adora's information, she placed a call; it was picked up after the second ring.
"Hello, Miss Ashcroft? This is the reception desk. We have two women here to see you, an Annabel and Alea Ashcroft. Would you like me to send them up?"
There was a bit of chatter on the other line, but not loud enough for either sister to hear what was said. The woman spoke again. "Yes, two young blonde women, one medium height and pretty, one shorter and cute. They said they were your sisters and that you were expecting them." The chatter continued then the woman said, "very well, thank you, goodbye." Hanging up the phone, the receptionist turned to look at them.
"Miss Ashcroft will see you now. Take the elevator to the second floor, room 220. Oh," she added with some bemusement in her voice. "She was rather surprised at the call; she wanted me to verify what you looked like for some reason. Well, enjoy your visit."
Annabel thanked the woman and the two sisters made their way to the elevator. "What the hell was THAT?" Alea looked gulled; "'staring at my phone all the time', really?"
"Well I had to say something", Annabel responded as the two got into the elevator. "Did you HAVE to say 'last minute'? We're not trying to be honest here."
"Fine", Alea conceded as she pressed the button for the 2nd floor. "Sorry, wasn't thinking. You know sometimes I just say the first thing that comes into my head."
"Boy do I ever, just be careful around Adora. She won't be so forgiving and suspicious as hell of why we are here." As the elevator arrived, the girls emerged and looked around for some indication on where to go.
The floor was a typical office floor with corridors branching both left and right. A convenient sign across from the elevator told which rooms were in which direction.
"Looks like Adora's to the right", Alea pointed to a line which said; 'Room 220: Adora Ashcroft', and was pointing right. Annabel nodded, "well at least we won't get lost, come on." Following the passage the two passed office after office marked with the names of various people until they finally came to the one they were looking for, room 220. Sure enough, it had Adora's name and title on the door which was closed. Was she in there? She should be, after all, she HAD answered the phone. Taking a deep breath, Annabel steeled herself and knocked on the door. "Hello, Adora, it's us." From behind the door came a muffled voice; "come in Annabel, it's open."
Opening the door, the two entered into a rather spartan looking office. It had a desk in which Adora's laptop and desk phone, as well numerous books and papers lay upon it in various piles. A couple of filing cabinets lined one wall and shelves filled with books on another. A small table with two chairs sat to the right of the room for meetings. Through a door looked to be another room filled with more of the same, but it was hard to see clearly since the lights were off and the room in shadow. Sitting Behind the main desk was Adora herself dressed for the office in her usual black suit with a pink blouse and multi hued scarf of purple and green. As usual, the older woman was striking, serious, and all business; she got straight to the point.
"Why are you two here? No," she corrected herself, "let me rephrase that; what in the world made both of you decide to come here, together? I wasn't going to have you come up, but I do admit curiosity got the better of me." She narrowed her eyes at the both of them, "so spill it."
From her perch, Selene watched the curious exchange of words between the siblings. It was actually interesting to her for two reasons. First, back on Hydaelyn, the Scholars she had bonded with had hardly ever dealt with family while she was summoned. When she was out it was usually to accomplish some task to assist her master or mistress, adventuring, spell research, that sort of thing. With any that had a family, she was dismissed first so rarely got to see any interaction and what it was like. She didn't mind this, she and the one who bonded her had separate lives; Selene didn't want to be around them ALL the time. With Annabel though the woman was always dealing with her family in some way which Selene got to see. Annabel SAID she didn't like them, but her actions spoke otherwise.
Second was Annabel herself. The fairy didn't want to admit it, but for all her faults Annabel was not, well.....boring. Sure she didn't go on adventures or anything like that. (At least from what Selene had seen of this world, she didn't think this place DID that sort of thing) And Annabel WAS a bit of a real ditz at times, (well, a LOT of the time). But unlike so many of the fairie’s former bonds, Annabel wasn't studious, so obsessed with studying and learning everything there was about magic to the point of neglecting everything else. She didn't avoid the world, preferring to stay in musty ol' library's. She wasn't shy, avoiding people whenever they could.
No, Annabel was a very outgoing, social, opinionated, narcissistic pain in the ass woman who liked to party, hated books, and tried to avoid any instance of studying that cropped up in her life. Yes, she was VERY different indeed. And as the fairy watched this 'different' woman interacting with her sisters trying to get a book she wanted nothing to do with just to help an annoying little pest get home; Selene felt just a little differently towards this silly blonde ditz of a Hyur.
But still, she hoped that this ditz wouldn't fuck this up, yet the day was still young.
Continued: part 5
Oh i love that last passage about selene looking upon Annabel differently, its beautifully written ❤️