Elunara blinked at the tiny night elf standing on her porch. "Uh, hello."
"You must be Elunara, the Whore." She stuck her hand out. "My name is Minuette. Yes, I am aware of the accuracy of my name." She sighed.
Elunara took the out stretched hand. "Why ARE you so small?"
She shrugged. "No one knows, but I'm shorter than most human women. I can assure you that I'm in my thirties."
"Hm. Well, what are you after?"
Minuette clasped her hands together. "Please help me get into the SI:7! I've been trying for MONTHS, and I've read all of your books in the library, and I was just hoping..."
"You were hoping I would be your in."
"Yes!"
"Well, first I need your file. Come back tomorrow."
"Of course!"
Elunara flipped through the file and frowned. Pacing back and forth, she considered the information given to her. Minuette sat in the chair, watching her intently. "You've taken the test sixteen times?" Elunara raised an eyebrow.
"Yes. I'll take it four hundred more if it would get me in."
"Why do you want in so badly?"
"Why did you?"
"I thought you read my books." She shook her head. "I didn't care. It was just another way to find the men I needed. I would have happily stayed in the stables and fucked every male to give me a wink. This gave me a broader range." Elunara tossed the file on the table. "Stop taking the test."
"What?" Minuette jerked straight up.
"The test is bullshit. It's there to filter you out. The amount of people that get in on the test is about one percent, and the amount of people that get in on the first try of the test, is one percent of the original one percent. It is purposely set up to keep you out."
"But that's not fair!"
"The test is designed to make you see through the bullshit. Most of the answers are actually supposed to be blank. You are to question, not to answer. Answering most of the questions are automatic disqualifications."
"No one told me that!"
"That's the point. There is NO test, NO question, and NO arrangement of answers that can prepare you for the realities of being an agent."
"But that's not fair!" She crossed her arms. "Why even HAVE a test?"
"To keep people like you out, who think the answers lie on a piece of paper." Elunara shook her head. "I never took the test. How most become agents, is to find your gimmick. Mine was my art, and my willingness to fuck anything that moved. I came up with a unique tactic that no one had seen before. You have to come up with something that is unique to you, something that can better the agency."
"That's..."
"You use the word "Fair" again, and I will punch you in the face, and throw your ass out. "Fair" was invented by politicians and the insignificant. I am neither, and I tolerate neither. If you want MY help, you'll drop the concept of fair. There's no such thing when your life, and others, is on the line."
"I... I'm sorry!"
"Now, the interesting thing is... you already HAVE a gimmick."
"I do?"
"You're tiny. I bet you can get into most places that other people can't. You're a night elf, so you can disappear into nowhere. We can work with this, and see if there's anything else we can eek out of you." She tapped her chin. "I want to see something."
Once she had the still sleeping Lulu tucked into her sling, they headed out.
The door jerked open. "Aunt Elunara!" Abigail bounced. "Look at my new bracelet!"
"That's very nice, sweetie. Where's your momma?"
"She's yelling at daddy, cause he got into her papers!"
Elunara winced. "Will he ever learn?"
"ABIGAIL! What have I told you about answering the door?"
"But, momma, it's aunt Elunara!"
"I don't care! Someone could snatch you up and I'd have NO idea!"
"Sorry, Momma." Abigail put her hands behind her.
Zelinnia blinked at Elunara. "Is my vision fucked?"
Minuette held out her hand. "You must be Zelinnia."
"You're seeing her the same as I am." Elunara shrugged.
"I really am just small." Minuette sighed.
Elunara considered. "Yeah, you're freaking small. You're tinier than a blood elf." She shook her head. "Girly here wants to be an agent."
Zelinnia snorted. "Good luck with that." She hesitated. "Please tell me you're taking her to Grogek."
"Next stop."
"Hold on." Zelinnia disappeared in the house. A few minutes later, she came out with both kids. "I have to see this."
At the training yard, Grogek stared down. "Is this a child?"
"For the last time..." Minuette grit out. "I'm in my thirties."
"If you can't take a little poking, you'll never make agent." Elunara shrugged.
"Training her?" Grogek's eyebrow shot up.
"Honestly, she has to get IN first."
"Ah."
"I have an idea, where are the boys?"
"Probably napping." Grogek grinned. "We upped their work load today."
"Must have just missed them."
"Yeah, sent em home about five minutes ago." Jordan nodded.
"Well, come back in a couple of hours."
"But..."
Elunara cocked her eyebrow. "Are you arguing with me?"
"No, Ma'am." Minuette saluted and took off.
"That... was a little weird." Jordan watched the other night elf run away.
"Daddy!"
"There's my girl!" Jordan plucked Lulu out of the sling.
A couple of hours later, Minuette just stared at Elunara. "You want me to what?"
"I want you to pass yourself off as a child. For the rest of the day, you are thirteen, and you will hang out with my sons and do a convincing job of it."
"I..."
"If you cannot convince five random people that you're just one of my kid's friends, then you're NOT getting into the service." She jerked her head. "Darguni and Bradly here, will give me an honest assessment of your ability to blend into your assignment. If you cannot complete such a simple task, then you're not cut out for SI:7. If you cannot figure out how this plays into an agent, then you, again, disqualify. Do you understand me?"
"Yes, Ma'am."
"You can start... by convincing Lydia that you're a teenager."
Darguni put a hand over his mouth.
"I don't know, Momma..." Bradly began. "Lydia's pretty smart."
Elunara's grin was feral. "That's the point."
"So, you want to be an agent like Momma." Darguni put his hands behind his head as they walked down the way.
"Yes. I've read all of her books." Minuette hesitated. "Have... you?"
"Nah. We're not allowed to touch em until we're fifteen."
Bradly nodded. "And some we're not allowed to have until we're eighteen."
"Says they're too traumatic for children."
"They're too traumatic for most adults." Bradly snorted.
"Momma Tuly cries whenever she even thinks about the books. I don't think she's ever made it through."
"Um, so, why is this Lydia important?"
Both boys stopped and blinked. "You... you just said you read her books." Bradly choked.
"Wait, THE Lydia??"
"Yes, THE Lydia."
The three of them looked over. Lydia had her hands on her hips. "Why are you talking about me?"
"Oh, this is Minuette." Darguni jerked his thumb at the night elf. "Momma wanted us to show her around."
"Oh." Lydia frowned. "You don't look that young."
Minuette shrugged and gave a nervous laugh. "How many Night Elf children have you seen?"
Lydia tapped her foot. "You have a point." She shrugged. "Where's your mom?"
"The house is locked up today."
"Damn."