One summer night, Deidre Weichert was walking up and down the streets of the business district of the city in search of not another frilly, dark-colored dress to add to her frilly, dark-colored dress collection, but for her close friend and personal bag carrier whom she searched for with all the concern of a parent. A parent who goes, Oh, I left the kid in the carriage, an hour after running errands, but a parent nonetheless.copyright protection21ＰＥＮＡＮＡnID8jyHcLC
That dolts, she thought. She took her eyes off him for five seconds and he went and disappeared. Couldn't take him anywhere. The next time they went out, she'd have to keep him on a leash.copyright protection21ＰＥＮＡＮＡkDqoOZ52nT
She was hot on his trail, but before she found him, another fellow found her. He was tall, moderately handsome, and had a great smile. Or so he thought. Looks are subjective.copyright protection21ＰＥＮＡＮＡo4ZjaopAk8
“Hello, miss. How are you this fine evening?”copyright protection21ＰＥＮＡＮＡjHQWPavxmg
“Can't talk. Busy looking for idiot friend.”copyright protection21ＰＥＮＡＮＡaHUB5IAbKY
“Do you need help looking for them?”copyright protection21ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5925tdtSNN
“No. I know where he is.”copyright protection21ＰＥＮＡＮＡ16vR3l2zTp
“Gut feeling?”copyright protection21ＰＥＮＡＮＡP36KEbsfmd
“Tracking magic.”copyright protection21ＰＥＮＡＮＡdsngxQt0Ig
“Oh! So you're a magus, too!”copyright protection21ＰＥＮＡＮＡOKnkCrGE0A
“I suppose knowing a little magic does make me one.”copyright protection21ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3PD9Ail3yI
“That's cool. I'm trying to become the First Hand myself.”copyright protection21ＰＥＮＡＮＡgLaE1HuuId
“That's quite the lofty goal,” she said with the interest of someone watching another someone apply butter to a slice of bread.copyright protection21ＰＥＮＡＮＡLxX8Szzzdz
“It is, but I've been practicing magic since I was in high school, and I've been using Dohsoon since I was twelve, so I've got some experience under my belt.” Dohsoon was the oversized sledgehammer on his back. Not that Deirdre cared to look and see that he was referring to a weapon and not, say, an inflatable doll that substituted for the friends he lacked.copyright protection21ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9gpNqZ6L2E
“Uh-huh.” Of all the women on the streets, why'd he have to select her to chat up, she wondered. Screw her friend, she needed an escape route ASAP.copyright protection21ＰＥＮＡＮＡujpEXqmsV5
“Do you have any idea how much the First Hand gets paid? It's not chump change, that's for sure,” he said. “And when I become the next First Hand, I'm going to found my own charity. Not sure what for, though. I'm leaning toward helping orphans find families.”copyright protection21ＰＥＮＡＮＡFGDCPvbo4p
“How noble of you.” Seriously, where was an obscure alleyway when a young woman needed one?copyright protection21ＰＥＮＡＮＡYdGn16n7Sq
“It's no big deal. I used to befriend the kids at the orphanage down the street from where from I grew up, so I've seen what it's like to have your friends come and go while no one adopts you.”copyright protection21ＰＥＮＡＮＡLmKa1IBoax
“Mm.” There! Escape at last! She made a beeline.copyright protection21ＰＥＮＡＮＡtQd6s2CErH
“I think I might adopt one or two, but I'd also really like to, um—How should I word this?—make them? No, when I say it like that, it sounds like I'm manufacturing goods.” He followed Deirdre into the alleyway. “What's a better way to word it?”copyright protection21ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4pVKNWRb3K
Deidre didn't answer him, because Deirdre GTFOed on out of there.copyright protection21ＰＥＮＡＮＡCO7nZ85Bwg
He looked around, not sure where she had gone or how she went from being there to not being there. “Where'd she go?”25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrigm33iUfm
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