[indent][b][u]San Francisco, Herlua Enterprises
January 25th, 11:38 A.M.[/u][/b][/indent]

[color=#5566db]”...And how many stories did you say it was, again?”[/color] asked Aelia Marcella de Herlua, gazing up at the American branch of [i]Harlow Enterprises[/i] from the street. She paid no mind to the slack-jawed expressions of the yanks surrounding her, an overreaction to her use of a simple gateway spell to travel here from her home in Essex. She sincerely hoped that not everyone here would be so melodramatic in the face of their betters.

“Thirty-five, ma’am,” said Charles, her uncle’s valet, shifting awkwardly on his feet.

Aelia sniffed the air in mild disappointment. [color=#5566db]”Not quite a skyscraper, is it? Oh well, it’s merely a side branch, after all.”[/color]

Proceeding past the crowd—who gave her quite the wide berth—and through the revolving doors, she was lead to a lift. Rather than ascending, however, they were taken below the ground level. Down, down deep below the city. When the doors parted, Aelia found herself within a vast chamber of steel and rock

A field of panels could be seen in the distance even from the lift, devices created not to absorb sunlight, but to draw upon the leylines. It was the company’s current pet project, and her father had sent her here to lend her formidable arcane abilities to Uncle Marcus, the head of their American branch.

Arching her brow at the sound of distance explosions, she shifted her icy blue gaze to Charles.

“Durability testing, ma’am,” he said. “As they are so very expensive to make, your uncle therefore wishes them to be difficult to [i]break[/i].”

Aelia nodded and started in the direction of the distant thunder. It was fortuitous that a company of good moral standing such as Herlua Enterprises was pioneering this technology—far too many corporations would have been all too happy to simply overcharge for easily broken panels in the hopes of turning an additional profit from the frequent replacements.

She wondered what sort of weapon he had chosen to test on them, however. In this age of fake Magi playing dress up, there were simply too many ways for their products to meet an unpleasant end.

Spotting her uncle standing on a platform overlooking the panels, she wasted little time in ascending the steel staircase to greet him. Drawn by the sound of her approaching footsteps, the bespoke-suited Herlua brother waved to his niece.

“Ah, Aelia! Good of you to join us, welcome!” he said jovially, rushing forward to embrace her. “My, you’ve certainly grown, haven’t you?”

[color=#5566db]”Well, that tends to happen when you never visit, Uncle,”[/color] she said, glancing down at the panels. It had been a couple of years since she had seen him, which was rather hurtful considering he could simply step through a portal to see her if he really wanted.

Raising her hands in mock defense, her chuckled. “I’m sorry, Aelia, really—things have been terribly busy over here, new research, you understand, I’m sure.”

[color=#5566db]”Father [i]did[/i] say that you achieved quite the breakthrough while I was attending college. I take it these panels are the fruits of your labour?”[/color]

Uncle Marcus grinned eagerly. “They are indeed! These panels will [i]revolutionize[/i] how we consume energy. In fact, I dare say that it will bring an end to the race for renewable power.”

[color=#5566db]”I’ve read the reports—a mere three or four can power an entire city alone indefinitely.”[/color]

“Right you are,” said Uncle Marcus briskly. “Herlua Enterprises will be the world’s number one provider of clean, renewable power!”

Another crash of thunder rattled the platform, Aelia now being close enough to see the flash of orchid light. [color=#5566db]”...You’re using magic to test their durability?”[/color]

“Ah, yes!” He cleared his throat. “I wanted to see if a sudden influx of magical power would overload them. I hired a...well...err, she’s a Mage, of course. She’s been very helpful, for the most part. Lots of fascinating data from that one.”

Aelia nodded. [color=#5566db]”May I see her? I would like to know who I’m working with.”[/color]

Uncle Marcus shuffled about on the platform for a moment, but ultimately sighed. “I suppose you’ll meet her sooner or later. MISS RUSH! Hurry up and join us on the platform.”

“Ay ay, boss!” Came the vibrant voice from below, followed by the fast pounding of shoes on the metal platform’s stairs only moments later. Emerging at the top, having taken the steps two at a time, the athletic and tanned - plus slightly singed - girl that emerged offered the two a broad, lopsided grin.

“Boss,” She greeted, before turning dark glittering eyes to Aelia. “And ma’am. ‘Sup, doll?”

Aelia wrinkled her nose at the other woman’s dishevelled state, eying her from head-to-toe. When her uncle had spoke of hiring a mage, [i]this[/i] was certainly not what she had expected. And did she just refer to her as “doll”? The disrespect!

[color=#5566db]”I am Aelia de Herlua, niece of your ‘boss’. You shall address me as ‘Miss Herlua’,”[/color] she said tersely. [color=#5566db]”I understand it that you’re a Mage? From what family?”[/color]

The girl just tilted her head, curly dark hair bouncing in her ponytail, before of all things - she laughed. [i]Laughed![/i]

“Haha, whoops!” Was the flippant response, accompanied by another grin. “Sorry ‘bout that, doll - [i]Miss Herlua[/i],” She finally corrected, only to offer a flourishing bow.

It may have been slightly mocking, as well.

“Victoria Rush. Only mage in my family - well, obviously not the [i]only[/i] mage, but the only one that can use it to any degree.” 

[color=#5566db]”Dormants, then?”[/color] said Aelia, suppressing a sigh. [color=#5566db]”Well, so long as you’re useful and show the proper respect, I suppose it doesn’t matter.”[/color]

Uncle Marcus was chewing on the edge of his blond moustache, glancing between them. Aelia hadn’t the slightest clue what he had been thinking when he had hired her—surely there were better options available to him? Or had he simply taken pity on her?

[color=#5566db]”Tell me, Miss Rush, what exactly is it that you do here?”[/color]

“Well, Miss Herlua, I am the Chief Durability Inspector.” Victoria leaned in, her next words a stage whisper. “I try my hardest to blow your Uncle’s machines up to bits.” A laugh bubbled up in her throat, and she waved a hand - what appeared to be orchid lightning dancing just beneath the skin of her arms.

“I don’t have much formal training, but I’m told I have a metric [i]ton[/i] of raw power.”

Aelia nodded, observing the sparks dancing up the other woman’s arm. Not bad at all for someone completely untrained. [color=#5566db]”And what have the results been thus far? How many have you successfully broken?”[/color]

Though, “success” might not be the best word to use, it was ultimately necessary to stress test their product. If it was performing inadequately, it was better to know now then when the inevitable deluge of complaints began flooding their offices.

“Eh, I think about a half dozen?” Seeing the unimpressed look on Aelia’s face, Victoria bristled. “Hey, I used to average a lot more per day, but the whole point is making them stronger!”

“Quite so,” interjected Uncle Marcus. “Our recent improvements have led to a marked increase in their overall durability in the face of kinetic [i]and[/i] magical trauma, both of which Miss Rush specializes in unleashing.”

Aelia nodded in understanding. [color=#5566db]”I’m glad to hear we’re making progress, then. I suppose you’re already working on the next iteration?”[/color]

“That we are! The final one, I’m hoping—I suspect even Miss Rush won’t be able to damage our completed product!” said Uncle Marcus, practically glowing in anticipation. 

“Aw, boss, I hope you’re not that eager to get rid of me!” Victoria sighed dramatically, only to shrug and offer a grin. “He’s right though, I’ve only managed to completely destroy one of the panels this time - the others have only been partially damaged. Real sturdy stuff, there, ya should be proud of your family’s work.”

For the first time since had arrived here, Aelia permitted herself to smile. [color=#5566db]”Of course. I would expect nothing less from seventeen hundred years of arcane knowledge!”[/color]

Aelia turned to stare out over the field of panels, raising a limp wrist to cover her mouth. [color=#5566db]”Herlua Enterprises will forever change this world for the better, Miss Rush, have no doubt of that. With the energy crisis solved, hunger and disease are certain to follow! Soon, the entire world will sing the praises of the ancient House of Herlua! OOOHOHOHOHO!”[/color]

“... Haha, what the fuck, lady?”