A Little Twisted

Capitalism Always Wins

The stunned silence that filled the room only served to make your anxiety skyrocket. Azul stared at you, his hands flat against the desk. His mouth was agape. Was he shocked? You were shocked you managed to keep up this confident persona for so long. You made sure not to let your stance falter. Don't let them know you were scared.

After a moment to collect himself, a sly smile crossed his face. "Oh my. Someone interested in our very own gentlemen's lounge? I would have to do a background check beforehand, however I have the strange suspicion that you would have nothing there. But Mister (L/n), you have proven quite unfavorable. Ruining a respected statue, shattering a historical chandelier. Rumors spread fast, you know."

Uh oh. You hadn't expected that he would know about that. You tried not to let it show that your mind was racing a thousand miles a minute. Gosh, the rollercoaster of emotions you were on right now was not good for your health. You would need to take a few days off school just to recover from how emotionally draining all of this was.

You averted your eyes in an attempt not to let Azul see them. If he had any idea you were nervous or anything, then he definitely wouldn't hire you.

He was quiet for an unbearable amount of time. Was he staring at you? You were sure he was. You weren't sure if he was waiting for you to speak up or trying to find his own words to throw at you. You were honestly about to thank him for his time and then hightail it out of there when instead his voice caught your attention.

"However," Your eyes shot back up to meet his. His expression had changed. His smile was soft and condescending. "I would never disrespect your decision to work at our lovely establishment. So, how about this." He stood. He took poised steps, elegantly crossed in front of his desk. His eyes were trained on you the entire time.

"(Y/n) (L/n), let's make a deal."

Something about the way he said it instantly reminded you of something. He was so familiar it was almost scary. His voice, his appearance. You had seen him somewhere before, hadn't you? You tried not to let that cloud your mind, because now you were in. A shiver ran down your spin.

"A deal?" You asked, utterly confused. "What kind?"

He chuckled. You suddenly felt a lot less in control here. "I operate a business here, (L/n). It would be unsavory if you were allowed to work here with no prior experience. You would have to give me something and in return I will allow you to work here. Do you have anything you could buy your way into work, Mister (L/n)?"

You gulped. Loud. It was a conscious effort to keep your voice from wavering. "What would I have to give you? I don't have any money if that's what you're after."

He laughed at your answer. Behind you, you heard that teal-haired guy laughing too. "No, no. What would ever make you think we needed your money?" The way he said it felt incredibly insulting. "I need something valuable from you. Something that would hold the same if not more value as entering a job here would be for you. A special talent, a claim to the throne, it does not have to be tangible to be valuable, you know." You saw him eye you up. "Well?"

Well indeed.

What were you going to give him? You didn't actually have anything special to give. A talent? You hated to admit it, but he probably wasn't going to take your mad gamer skills no matter how hard you pleaded that it was a real skill. You were alright at dancing, you had even taken a few classes for it in your younger years, but it didn't seem too likely he would take that either. You weren't royalty, you weren't high class. You took a deep breath. Wait.

"How would a secret work?"

He raised an eyebrow. Quickly, he pushed his glasses up with a finger before proceeding, "Well," he began, "I would only accept it if it would be able to not only prove your claim, but also..." He cracked another smirk. "It would need to carry pretty crucial information."