Fairy Princess

Is This a Joke?

Wen had a assured, steady pace as she made her way out of the large city office building, the automatic door sliding shut behind her. Head held high, she rounded the corner before she sighed and slumped her shoulders. Another useless interview was over with. She failed spectacularly at emitting any air of confidence, and that was where she always screwed up in every interview.

Wen had what she considered a meek personality. She had strengths in herself somewhere, but she wasn't good at showing them off, she tended to be guarded when getting compliments, and focused perhaps too much on the fact of life that there's always someone better. Wen could only describe herself as normal, and that description didn't bother her one bit. Not everyone could be extraordinary, and she really didn't want the pressure of being considered so, anyway.

She continued down the street, hands in her pockets, head lowered. Regardless of how amazing she thought it was to be ordinary, it wasn't the kind of attitude that got a person hired. She didn't look up as there was no point looking in the shop windows she passed by; she didn't have the disposable income to be frivolous with. In fact, she'd had to take the afternoon off work for this interview.

This was one of those times when the whole world seemed hopeless, Wen's life seemed directionless, and she felt the weight of it all for the whole train journey home. Once she stepped out into the open air of the train station near home and took in the familiar scenery, though, she decided that it wasn't worth stressing over. Maybe the feeling she'd gotten had been wrong, and the interview wasn't a miserable failure. Maybe it was, but there would always be other interviews, there'd always be other jobs.

Wen's optimistic mood stayed with her as she walked into her building and through the hallway to her apartment, ready to get out of her stuffy interview clothes and relax. Wen paused on her approach when she noticed a woman leaning on the wall and reading a book beside her door. She was professionally dressed, as well, and Wen wondered if there was possibly anything job-related that required a house call.

"Hi," Wen ventured as she got closer. 

The woman snapped her book shut and met Wen's gaze with a serious expression. 

"Can I help you with something?"

"Are ... are you Wenona Brennan?" The woman seemed worried, despite the calm air she'd had while reading.

"I am ..." Wen couldn't help but catch on to her nervous mood.

The woman sighed in relief. She held out her hand. "My name is Idra. Do you think I could come inside to talk?"

Wen took her hand and shook it, somewhat confused at the interaction thus far. Idra seemed too eager to see her for this to be anything about a job, or even a sale or charity. "Um, okay."

Idra held onto her hand for a moment, as though she sensed the reason for Wen's hesitation. "It's about your family."

"My ..." Wen pulled away in shock and fumbled for her keys and with her door lock, but her efforts to open it faster only made the task of opening her door more difficult. As she finally got the key into the lock, Idra put a hand over hers.

"I'm sorry," she said. "I didn't mean to worry you. It's not about your immediate family, so there's nothing to be worried about."

Wen let out a long, heavy sigh and turned the handle to let herself and Idra into the apartment. She didn't need a scare like that today. Her grandmother, aunt, uncle and cousins were the only family she had, and she didn't know what she'd do if something happened to them. She led Idra into the front room and had her sit on the couch. "Can I get you something to drink?"