[Aces & Six] destroy the middle, its a waste of time [Aeric]

When the package slammed on her desk, Maia was tempted to stab the smug bastard in his hand. He loomed over her like his height was going to intimidate her. If anything, she was afraid that if he keeled over and fell on her, she wouldn't be able to dig herself from under his carcass. It was the problem with him looking pregnant with five whales, maybe. Her fingers steepled in front of her face as she blankly stared at him, listening to him rant about how she as a 'junior associate' (which she found disrespectful as all hell) was supposed to do what he needed her to do. What he needed her to do right now was deliver a package to the owner of one of the private investigations. An Errand girl? No. Hell no. What the f*ck did she look like...?

Before she opened her mouth to spit out venomous words at him, telling the asshole how he wasn't going to treat her like some greenhorn, her brown eyes slid over to the goblin seated at the desk in the office. Jaenix had been watching the confrontation closely, and when she met the goblin's eyes, all she was given was a minute shake of the head. Inwardly sighing, Maia continued to stare the man as he turned colours while ranting. It was only until he paused to catch a breath that Maia was able to interject a simple "Fine." He deflated instantly, and it was only minutes afterwards that he went back to his desk. Maia looked at Jaenix scowling, her fingers tapping a light rhythm on the desk.

She hated wizards sometimes. Smug bastards thought they ruled the entirety of the free world, and were superior to everyone else. She could admit that there were some very good wizards and witches, but the majority of them were scum. Maybe it was because she was more siren than wizard and experienced the type of narrowed discrimination focused on her when she'd been outed her fourth year that she felt so strongly, but it was helpful with goblin relations. Gringotts and the Goblins were some of the only employers who hired people who were legally under the Beast or Being classification and didn't find it necessary to broadcast their status to the other employees. She was assured that had the idiot known, he'd have been more of a jerk. Ugh.

Right. Delivery. She picked up the folder and slowly read through the files information. This person, Aeric Regan, had sent a small chest that he'd found in the lower levels of his family home. He'd been unable to open the chest, and had sent it to Gringotts for a scan. Surprisingly, her associate had done a through job. She'd had to transcribe his messy handwriting into Euskara just so she could fully explain the intracacies of the procedure. When she was finally done with the report, she stood slowly from her desk, ignoring the sudden eyes on her. She was quite aware of the spectacle she made of herself, simply by existing, but also by her choice of clothing. Her rich red hair was pinned up in a messy updo, and small pearl ended hairpins were visible when they hit the light.

It took her moments to gather all of her stuff, and slipped through the employee entrance before she activated the portkey that sent her to Aces & Six London. It was late lunch time, and the crowd was fairly busy, but some kind woman sent her up a flight of stairs to a wooden door. Knocking, she heard a faint come in and walked into the office. She saw a very large adult male standing with his back to her as he looked out of the large windows behind the desk. She put the silver box on the desk with an audible click, before she cleared her throat. "I am Maia Etxegarai, from Gringotts. I was informed that you requested a scan of this object?" Though her words were clear through her accent, she eunciated slowly, trying to make sure everything she said was correct. She was sure the asshole knew that she was going to embarrass herself, thats why he chose her to go. "You are Aeric Regan? Good afternoon..."

It was resting on his mind, constantly reminding him that action needed to be taken. There was an unknown threat and it had the capability to get close to the most precious of the Regan clan. The children were the legacy, the future and the core of what the Regans had yet to grow into. Each special and irreplaceable. It weighed on his mind how someone had gotten so close to those precious links while they were in school. Wasn't Hogwarts supposed to be safe? But his mind flashed back to how those defenses had been shattered when no one had ever thought it was possible. He stood moving from his desk as he ran a hand through the thick dark strands of hair that fell into his eyes. He moved over to the window nearer to the wall where he simply stood.

The former Slytherin had gone through all the possibilities and none of them had made sense. Finding the small silver box with a note attached had changed everything. A strong hand rose to stare down at a note gently held between his fingers as if it could break at any moment. The writing was elegant almost held a familiar quality. Maybe he had seen it in a book once some years back, or a piece of parchment that passed over his desk. He couldn't be sure of that but what he was sure of was that he was more concerned then he had been. All he knew was that it was for him, the note had clearly stated that. For your darkest hours a piece of solace, Aeric. Green eyes lingered on the writing for a moment committing it to memory before it was tossed in the fireplace beside him.

He moved once more to stand just behind his desk in front of the window, his eyes searching for some answers. Even if it was the smallest of them he would take whatever was given to him. He half glanced over his shoulder to call out "Come in.." in response to the knock. His gaze shifted back to the glass where he watched the faint reflection of the woman as she enter the room. His lips parted slightly as emerald orbs rested on her face through the glass. She was for lack of a better word breathtaking. Aeric shifted his gaze to what he could only assume was the dark red of her hair before he turned to look at her properly. A smile crossed his lips faintly as he noted the freckles against her skin.

Clearing his throat his hand rose to rest over his vest near his chest as the other came out to show her to the seat next to her. "Please Ms. Etxegarai have a seat. Yes I am Aeric Regan, you weren't given any trouble were you when you arrived?" As he spoke he walked across the room to the glass bar there to make himself a drink. "Would you like anything to drink?" Two drinks were made before he was once more behind his desk resting her glass on the wood. It was habit to ask and still serve a drink regardless the answer, something his grandfather did. A drink relaxed things, took tension from a room if done properly. Taking his seat his hand rose to allow his index finger to run along a full bottom lip, as the glass in his hand was twirled.

He had seen beautiful women, hell he had bedded beautiful women. She was in a different class, extraordinarily captivating. Reluctantly his gaze shifted to land on the box as the the fingers to the man's lips moved to signal Niko from hos place in the shadows. Aeric's eyes didn't move as Niko left the room and closed the door. "I didn't meant to startle you if him coming from the dark had that affect." His gaze rose to her face to see her reaction, he had been engrossed in the box and what may lay within in. Yet the moment his eyes landed on her face he wasn't in a rush for her to do her business and leave.

"I noticed an accent, if its not too forward may I ask where you are from?" He had to admit her waling through the office doors had been a surprise. A man in a stuffy suit with a serious expression had been what he figured would walk through the large doors. No, what he got was this woman. This beautiful woman. "You're breathtaking." He spoke before he could stop himself, though his expression remained the same. He was intrigued and it showed clearly on his face. "I'm sorry if my candor may have offended you but I'm a man that values honesty. I'm sure you've been told that before, if not its shocking." The glass came to his lips as he took a sip.

The eldest of Urbi's children took a slow deep breath before speaking. "I don't want to know whats in the box just yet, but I need to ask....is whatever it is dangerous?" that was the first step to unlocking this mystery gift.

"Other than someone being convinced I was supposed to be in school? No problems at all." Maia's laugh was cheerful, and rolling as she sat in the chair watching her new client. He was her client, she supposed. Her dress made an audible swish noise as she twirled it about her, sitting delicately on the cushy chair. It was comfortable, surprisingly. She wanted to bounce, but she supposed that bouncing in front of someone professional would diminish their trust in her skill. Working had its very boring parts, and this was one of them. "Do you prefer Aeric or Mr. Regan?" Her accent rolled thickly over the r's in his name, and she silently cursed her choice to only learn English later in her life. It was apparent that she wasn't from here, and most people were skeptical of her even more.

Brown eyes shot to the dark corner where another large man happened to be emerging. Her hands were clutching her wand, and her gaze never left him until he left the room. What type of man was this that he had a shadow following him? Someone so quiet that not even Maia heard his footsteps as he walked. She took the glass, her hands trembling slightly. "That was a big startling." She confessed, taking a sip of the dark liquor, thankful for its warmth. "He's very silent." Was all that she could continue, as her foot lightly bounced on the floor.

Accent? She had an accent? No. He had an acccent, and it was confusingly familiar for reasons she couldn't quite put together yet. She bit her bottom lip, before a slow smile carved laugh lines around her eyes. "I am from Basque Country." She stated proudly, her back erect as if she was upholding the pride of her country on her shoulders. "It is part of Spain and France, but not quite the same. My native language is called Euskara, but I speak also Spanish, and French. Both are much better than my English." And a source of contention for the small woman.

Her smile turned a bit wicked, and amused. "Thank you." She murmured softly, biting her lip. Her brown eyes watched him from beneath her lashes and she took the moment to examine him. He was quite handsome, for a gadje. What pretty green eyes. "I prefer candor, actually...I deal in honesty heavily." Sipping her drink, she shook her head. "It is very appreciated. Many men are...intimidated by me? I don't understand why." Oh yes she did. And she reveled in it.

She looked at the box and tilted her head. It must be very important to him, or from a very important person if he was hesitant to open it. Either those reasons, or a trap. Luckily for him, "No. It is not dangerous. The majority of the magic is on the box, and they are preservative and blood based locking spells." Her eyes turned towards him, narrowed lightly. Blood based magics were unheard of outside of the oldest families, and she knew nothing about these Regans, other than what the box showed her. "Inside, there is something that's held together with a non degrading rune set. It is pretty complex, and the magic that its using hid the scan from finding out exactly what is inside."


"...All I can do is tell you how to break it open."

his eyes stayed on her as a smile crossed his features followed by a shake of the head. "Even I can look at you and tell you're a woman." it amazed him how far off some people could be with their assumptions. it was why he never assumed, there was no way he would make an ass of himself. his voice was soft as he spoke over the the rim of his glass. "but then again we do have many female visitors. my staff may have been shocked by your very presence." which could have explained the mix up. regardless he had to admit that he was happy it had been her to walk through his door and no one else.  the last thing he wanted was to deal with a man on a power trip. "please, call me aeric. mr. regan is my father - i'd like to hope i don't look that old." dom wasn't old by anyone standards, but just being older than aeric made him just that; old. his head moved to the side causing the loose strands of his hair to fall from his shoulder slightly. he liked the way his name rolled off her tongue. her accent for some reason comforted the man.

aeric moved in his seat to get more comfortable, gently placing his glass on the desk before him. green eyes watched her closely as niko left the room. she was cautious. which was a good trait to have considering the times they live in now. "yes, he is. it makes doing his job easy i guess. i didn't mean to startle you, i just figured his could make himself useful some other place." only a half-truth. what he wanted was for his conversation with her to never touch another's ears. he wasn't exactly sure what was in the box, but he knew what ever it was was important enough to remain a secret. with everything happening around him it was hard to know who to trust and who not too. his instincts told him one thing and as much as he wanted to follow, he allowed his brain to lead him. he had to make better choices or the life that hung in the balance would be one he would be devastated to lose.

"well i want you to be as comfortable as possible while here." the french rolled off his tongue as he eyed her. he was grateful for the business he had in france, not for the people he worked with just the knowledge of the language. "well, its been my experience that some men are intimidated by beauty. something beautiful is tempting enough but add the allure of a woman and it is beyond reach. if you ask me those men are fools." he had been shocked by beauty before so he knew the feeling. the stumbling over words, the sweat that made your skin feel cool. the racing of the heart and the need to rub the palm of your hands together just to be doing something. and she held that beauty, the only difference now was that he was older and far wiser than he had been.

he reached out to run his finger over the box as she spoke. it wasn't dangerous then what was it. who left it? how did they know he would need it? so many questions and all he had was one answer. how to open it. there was nothing else to give him any idea. nothing to ease the stress the covered him from head to toe. "how do you open it?" not that he would or anything but it was nice to know how in case he felt the need. oh, and he would feel the need. he knew he would. with the protection of his family hanging in the balance the box would be opened. his gaze rose from the box to her face. "if you don't mind me asking....what made you choose your profession?" he could remember in school how hard it had been to make the choice. he had spent hours researching them all. nothing seemed to fit until the day he saw a real live dragon. he had been transfixed and from then on he had been hooked.

he missed romania but right now there was no time for a visit. he kept up appearances for the sake of a cover and explained what had happened in his family. he had a family business to run on top of his dragon keeping responsibility. he neglected neither as they both meant something dear to him. "if someone had told me my last year in school that a couple years down the line i would be sitting her conducting business i would have laughed. we can pick and choose the lives we live...otherwise life would be boring." with that he took another sip of his glass before sighing softly.