Post by Kira & Lee Norris on Nov 25, 2007 17:28:54 GMT
Deron slapped the registration forms down on the table with a flourish of triumph. Behind him, another burly waiter scowled at him with an ill-disguised resentment. Deron seemed blissfully oblivious of it, sitting down and stretching, as he pulled his apron off.
Kira unravelled her scarf, looking warily behind him. "I think that guy wants your head on a platter."
"And I his," Deron said airily, waving it away. "Garlic sauce, mmm- but look, Kira! Look at this!"
"What?"
"The SCR forms- look-"
Raising an eyebrow, she reached across the table and slid the forms towards her. A quick flick through shot the other eyebrow right up there too. "Already?"
"Ten students was my max. limit!" he said enthusiastically. "I can't believe people were actually interested... whole thing could've been ruddy doomed to failure- but I guess your name must've really picked up some support!"
Kira laughed nervously. "I think you overestimate my influence as a Head. I know most of those people anyway. Jude Dorrian, for example- well, of course he blooming signed up! Lee signed up 'cause I made him... and look, there's Macy... ooh, and Will..."
"And Madeleine!" Deron finished. "All four Heads! Wow."
"If you say so," she laughed. "Okay, who else...? Tamika... oh! She's Will's friend. Jude probably made Ailith sign up. And... then there's some people I don't know..."
"Josh Cole and Draven Edwards," Deron replied happily. "Have I really got someone from every group?"
His open enthusiasm was slightly off, Kira felt. She knew he'd always been excited about Orchid Hill, and stuff, but this was... something else. It was like he was buzzing. Since when did Deron buzz?!
"Not that big a deal," she reminded him patiently.
"It is," he insisted, snatching the forms from her and resorting them lovingly. "Gee, I don't know what's a bigger deal. The flipping wall of China or this."
"Okay, definitely an exaggeration."
"Please," he said sweetly, but the roll of his eyes ruined the effect. "Please don't tell me I'm exaggerating, Kira. I mean... gosh darn it, I know you're like the esteemed Head of the Spies and I know you're real, real bored of all this silly diddle daddle with the little village boy and probably wondering why on earth you got involved with him in the first place. Oh, yeah. He's a good kisser-"
"Stop it, Deron."
"- I mean, honestly! What am I thinking? Why on earth does he even care? You know, it's not like it's his life's ambition to help non-magic folk and-"
"Deron!"
"- silly little pipe dream. Aah, well. Hey, maybe-"
Kira kicked him from under the table- hard. He moved backwards sharply with a muffled cry of pain, and glared at her.
"What was that for?"
"What d'you think?" she said warily, then relented, and sighed. "Sorry."
"For what?"
"Whatever bits you want me to be sorry for. Just know your point's been taken."
"Of course it has," he brightened. "I'm very good at making points."
"Uh huh."
"Don't be glum, dear Kira."
"I'm not!"
"You are. Very."
"Not."
"It's Lee, isn't it?" Deron said, cocking his head to the side as he studied her.
Kira's hands snaked underneath the discarded scarf. "Why's it always Lee?"
"Because you two were like this-" Deron held up two crossed fingers "- and whenever you go all quiet on me, it's 'cause you're thinking about him, and how much you hate that Madeleine cow."
"Oh." What else could she say?
"How many times have I told you to stop hanging out with me, and go and hang out with him?"
Kira frowned at him, her fingers tracing the bumpy threads and patterns. "I just got here."
"I know," Deron said. "But I'm working. Like you said- ol' Wully wants my head on a platter."
"Wully?"
"Possibly," Deron shrugged. "I didn't bother to actually ask. You know how it is..."
She giggled unwillingly. "Nice of you."
"Go see him," Deron said thoughtfully. "It's early. You'll catch him, easy peasy."
"Deron..." Kira sighed, and bowed her head. "You're going to force me to go, aren't you?"
"Am forcing you as we speak."
"I'll just leave then," she grumbled, picking up the scarf properly and twisting it around her neck once more. "If you'd rather see me on my way..."
"Toodles," he said, putting the apron back on as he rose to his feet, flashing her a wicked grin. "What? No goodbye kiss?"
"I'll think about it," she muttered darkly, turning on her heel and stalking back out of the Square Coffee and Book Shop into the drizzling street.
Kira unravelled her scarf, looking warily behind him. "I think that guy wants your head on a platter."
"And I his," Deron said airily, waving it away. "Garlic sauce, mmm- but look, Kira! Look at this!"
"What?"
"The SCR forms- look-"
Raising an eyebrow, she reached across the table and slid the forms towards her. A quick flick through shot the other eyebrow right up there too. "Already?"
"Ten students was my max. limit!" he said enthusiastically. "I can't believe people were actually interested... whole thing could've been ruddy doomed to failure- but I guess your name must've really picked up some support!"
Kira laughed nervously. "I think you overestimate my influence as a Head. I know most of those people anyway. Jude Dorrian, for example- well, of course he blooming signed up! Lee signed up 'cause I made him... and look, there's Macy... ooh, and Will..."
"And Madeleine!" Deron finished. "All four Heads! Wow."
"If you say so," she laughed. "Okay, who else...? Tamika... oh! She's Will's friend. Jude probably made Ailith sign up. And... then there's some people I don't know..."
"Josh Cole and Draven Edwards," Deron replied happily. "Have I really got someone from every group?"
His open enthusiasm was slightly off, Kira felt. She knew he'd always been excited about Orchid Hill, and stuff, but this was... something else. It was like he was buzzing. Since when did Deron buzz?!
"Not that big a deal," she reminded him patiently.
"It is," he insisted, snatching the forms from her and resorting them lovingly. "Gee, I don't know what's a bigger deal. The flipping wall of China or this."
"Okay, definitely an exaggeration."
"Please," he said sweetly, but the roll of his eyes ruined the effect. "Please don't tell me I'm exaggerating, Kira. I mean... gosh darn it, I know you're like the esteemed Head of the Spies and I know you're real, real bored of all this silly diddle daddle with the little village boy and probably wondering why on earth you got involved with him in the first place. Oh, yeah. He's a good kisser-"
"Stop it, Deron."
"- I mean, honestly! What am I thinking? Why on earth does he even care? You know, it's not like it's his life's ambition to help non-magic folk and-"
"Deron!"
"- silly little pipe dream. Aah, well. Hey, maybe-"
Kira kicked him from under the table- hard. He moved backwards sharply with a muffled cry of pain, and glared at her.
"What was that for?"
"What d'you think?" she said warily, then relented, and sighed. "Sorry."
"For what?"
"Whatever bits you want me to be sorry for. Just know your point's been taken."
"Of course it has," he brightened. "I'm very good at making points."
"Uh huh."
"Don't be glum, dear Kira."
"I'm not!"
"You are. Very."
"Not."
"It's Lee, isn't it?" Deron said, cocking his head to the side as he studied her.
Kira's hands snaked underneath the discarded scarf. "Why's it always Lee?"
"Because you two were like this-" Deron held up two crossed fingers "- and whenever you go all quiet on me, it's 'cause you're thinking about him, and how much you hate that Madeleine cow."
"Oh." What else could she say?
"How many times have I told you to stop hanging out with me, and go and hang out with him?"
Kira frowned at him, her fingers tracing the bumpy threads and patterns. "I just got here."
"I know," Deron said. "But I'm working. Like you said- ol' Wully wants my head on a platter."
"Wully?"
"Possibly," Deron shrugged. "I didn't bother to actually ask. You know how it is..."
She giggled unwillingly. "Nice of you."
"Go see him," Deron said thoughtfully. "It's early. You'll catch him, easy peasy."
"Deron..." Kira sighed, and bowed her head. "You're going to force me to go, aren't you?"
"Am forcing you as we speak."
"I'll just leave then," she grumbled, picking up the scarf properly and twisting it around her neck once more. "If you'd rather see me on my way..."
"Toodles," he said, putting the apron back on as he rose to his feet, flashing her a wicked grin. "What? No goodbye kiss?"
"I'll think about it," she muttered darkly, turning on her heel and stalking back out of the Square Coffee and Book Shop into the drizzling street.
