The Tomorrow Trilogy Fanfiction: Decisions - Chapter 1
This is going to be a fanfic based on The Tomorrow Trilogy by theun4givables.
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"It's nice to see you again, Ryin," Jordine murmured as Ryin sat down across from her at the negotiation table.
Ryin smiled; if last time were any indication, these negotiations should go well. He didn’t anticipate any problems, though he knew how important figuring out this trade agreement was. He said, “It’s nice to see you, too, Jordine.” He shuffled his papers in front of him, frowning as he looked at the information about the tangled trade agreements. “These fucking trade agreements --”
“I’m sure we can work something out,” Jordine said, putting her hand on top of his, briefly.
“So -- uh, this trade route -- it’s disputed?” Ryin tugged at his tie. Dammit, why was he being so awkward? He had something of an idea -- but there wasn’t any way, right?
Jordine leaned forward. “Yes, that route has been a -- problem. Your uncle would, ah, never listen to me about it. I’m sure you won’t be so unreasonable; we understand each other, am I correct?”
Ryin blinked. Jordine’s look was awfully intense for what should be a routine negotiation. He said, “I -- plan to be fucking reasonable.”
“Of course you do,” she murmured. Jordine lightly brushed her fingers against Ryin’s arm as she smiled at him.
That -- why was she acting like she was trying to hit on him? Ryin shuffled his papers again, mostly as a means of giving himself something to do. He couldn’t exactly mistake that behavior, but -- it didn’t quite add up for him.
Ryin looked down at his papers once more. He wanted to make sure he had everything right when discussing the disputed trade route. Jordine’s behavior was -- unsettling, making him a little less sure of himself than he otherwise might be.
He should probably put a stop to the flirting before anything got out of hand. After all, they had serious negotiations to do. Ryin tugged at his tie again and said, "I'm flattered, but I don't think it would be appropriate to have more than a professional relationship."
That was an acceptable line, wasn’t it? Ryin found himself holding his breath -- he had gotten more practice at diplomacy since their first meeting but had never dealt with something like this.
To his surprise, Jordine actually smiled. “I’m impressed -- you must be very dedicated to your work,” she said.
Ryin nodded. “I want to do what is best for my Empire,” he murmured.
“I can understand that. I also want what is best for my Empire,” Jordine agreed. She shuffled her own papers around. “So, since we’re both so dedicated to our work, let’s discuss this trade route, shall we?”
* * *
Ryin couldn’t believe that had happened. Queen Jordine had really made a move on him. It seemed simply too implausible to be real. As the shuttle landed, he had one thought: he needed to call Jazz and tell him.
After what seemed like hours, the shuttle finally landed. As soon as Ryin was able to exit, he dialed Jazz’s number.
The phone rang several time before Jazz picked up. “What’s up, Ryin?” he said. He sounded both annoyed and slightly out of breath.
Ryin smiled to himself. “Oh, is Savin over?”
“Yes. What do you want, Ryin?” Jazz muttered, sounding definitely annoyed now.
“I see,” Ryin murmured. He tried not to snicker into the phone.
“Is this important?” Jazz grumbled. “He leaves for his shift in like thirty minutes. And we were -- it’s his birthday, okay?”
“Excuse me for interrupting the celebration,” Ryin said, unable to fully suppress his snickering this time.
“If it’s so important, I can stop by your place in half an hour,” Jazz said. “Now if you’ll excuse me...”
“Sounds good. See ya later, Jazz,” he muttered.
At least Ryin now had time to change into something more comfortable, even if he really didn’t want to wait to talk to Jazz.
After he showered and changed, he sank into his couch. A few minutes later, he heard a knock on his door. That had to be Jazz. Ryin got up, feeling just a bit tired from all the traveling and -- everything else. Even if nothing had happened, it had been a disorienting experience.
He opened the door, stepping aside to let Jazz into his apartment. “Hey, man, what’s up?” Ryin said. He smirked. “So, did Doc have a good birthday?”
Jazz blushed and looked away, but that didn’t last too long. He turned back to Ryin, smirking himself. “Yeah, he did -- you wanna know how many times we did it? I’m not sure he’ll be able to stay up all night at work.”
Ryin put out the palm of his hand. “That’s okay, man. I don’t need to know.”
His friend just snorted. “Okay, then,” Jazz said.
“You need to hear what happened to me,” Ryin said, shaking his head. “You won’t fucking believe it.”
Jazz raised an eyebrow. “Just what happened that’s so fucking unbelievable?”
Ryin leaned back on the couch. “Queen Jordine hit on me.”
“Ex-excuse me? Are you serious?” Jazz asked, his eyes going wide.
“Dead serious, man,” Ryin said, shaking his head again. “I can’t fucking believe it, but it’s not a joke.”
Jazz swallowed. like he was struggling to get his words out. “You -- you didn’t do anything with her, right? Because -- that would be a bad fucking idea.”
“Don’t I know it,” Ryin sighed. “She’s Queen of another Empire and all that.”
Jazz ran his hands through his hair. “That could have gone so fucking badly -- Ryin, be careful when dealing with Jordine, okay?”
Ryin thought Jazz looked awfully worried. He had handled that negotiation perfectly well, keeping his wits about him. “I’ll be careful, man,” he muttered.
“I hope you know what you’re doing,” Jazz said, shaking his head.
“Hey, I didn’t sleep with her,” Ryin pointed out, crossing his arms over his chest. “I have common sense. And Jordine wasn’t angry about being turned down or anything. It’s not like she’s gonna up and decide to kill me for rejecting her.”
“Don’t fucking put ideas in my head,” Jazz moaned.
Ryin snorted, shaking his head and smiling slightly. Everything had gone well, and he could handle himself just fine. Jordine wouldn’t be a problem; Ryin knew he had made the right decision in turning her down, tempting though it may have been.
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"It's nice to see you again, Ryin," Jordine murmured as Ryin sat down across from her at the negotiation table.
Ryin smiled; if last time were any indication, these negotiations should go well. He didn’t anticipate any problems, though he knew how important figuring out this trade agreement was. He said, “It’s nice to see you, too, Jordine.” He shuffled his papers in front of him, frowning as he looked at the information about the tangled trade agreements. “These fucking trade agreements --”
“I’m sure we can work something out,” Jordine said, putting her hand on top of his, briefly.
“So -- uh, this trade route -- it’s disputed?” Ryin tugged at his tie. Dammit, why was he being so awkward? He had something of an idea -- but there wasn’t any way, right?
Jordine leaned forward. “Yes, that route has been a -- problem. Your uncle would, ah, never listen to me about it. I’m sure you won’t be so unreasonable; we understand each other, am I correct?”
Ryin blinked. Jordine’s look was awfully intense for what should be a routine negotiation. He said, “I -- plan to be fucking reasonable.”
“Of course you do,” she murmured. Jordine lightly brushed her fingers against Ryin’s arm as she smiled at him.
That -- why was she acting like she was trying to hit on him? Ryin shuffled his papers again, mostly as a means of giving himself something to do. He couldn’t exactly mistake that behavior, but -- it didn’t quite add up for him.
Ryin looked down at his papers once more. He wanted to make sure he had everything right when discussing the disputed trade route. Jordine’s behavior was -- unsettling, making him a little less sure of himself than he otherwise might be.
He should probably put a stop to the flirting before anything got out of hand. After all, they had serious negotiations to do. Ryin tugged at his tie again and said, "I'm flattered, but I don't think it would be appropriate to have more than a professional relationship."
That was an acceptable line, wasn’t it? Ryin found himself holding his breath -- he had gotten more practice at diplomacy since their first meeting but had never dealt with something like this.
To his surprise, Jordine actually smiled. “I’m impressed -- you must be very dedicated to your work,” she said.
Ryin nodded. “I want to do what is best for my Empire,” he murmured.
“I can understand that. I also want what is best for my Empire,” Jordine agreed. She shuffled her own papers around. “So, since we’re both so dedicated to our work, let’s discuss this trade route, shall we?”
* * *
Ryin couldn’t believe that had happened. Queen Jordine had really made a move on him. It seemed simply too implausible to be real. As the shuttle landed, he had one thought: he needed to call Jazz and tell him.
After what seemed like hours, the shuttle finally landed. As soon as Ryin was able to exit, he dialed Jazz’s number.
The phone rang several time before Jazz picked up. “What’s up, Ryin?” he said. He sounded both annoyed and slightly out of breath.
Ryin smiled to himself. “Oh, is Savin over?”
“Yes. What do you want, Ryin?” Jazz muttered, sounding definitely annoyed now.
“I see,” Ryin murmured. He tried not to snicker into the phone.
“Is this important?” Jazz grumbled. “He leaves for his shift in like thirty minutes. And we were -- it’s his birthday, okay?”
“Excuse me for interrupting the celebration,” Ryin said, unable to fully suppress his snickering this time.
“If it’s so important, I can stop by your place in half an hour,” Jazz said. “Now if you’ll excuse me...”
“Sounds good. See ya later, Jazz,” he muttered.
At least Ryin now had time to change into something more comfortable, even if he really didn’t want to wait to talk to Jazz.
After he showered and changed, he sank into his couch. A few minutes later, he heard a knock on his door. That had to be Jazz. Ryin got up, feeling just a bit tired from all the traveling and -- everything else. Even if nothing had happened, it had been a disorienting experience.
He opened the door, stepping aside to let Jazz into his apartment. “Hey, man, what’s up?” Ryin said. He smirked. “So, did Doc have a good birthday?”
Jazz blushed and looked away, but that didn’t last too long. He turned back to Ryin, smirking himself. “Yeah, he did -- you wanna know how many times we did it? I’m not sure he’ll be able to stay up all night at work.”
Ryin put out the palm of his hand. “That’s okay, man. I don’t need to know.”
His friend just snorted. “Okay, then,” Jazz said.
“You need to hear what happened to me,” Ryin said, shaking his head. “You won’t fucking believe it.”
Jazz raised an eyebrow. “Just what happened that’s so fucking unbelievable?”
Ryin leaned back on the couch. “Queen Jordine hit on me.”
“Ex-excuse me? Are you serious?” Jazz asked, his eyes going wide.
“Dead serious, man,” Ryin said, shaking his head again. “I can’t fucking believe it, but it’s not a joke.”
Jazz swallowed. like he was struggling to get his words out. “You -- you didn’t do anything with her, right? Because -- that would be a bad fucking idea.”
“Don’t I know it,” Ryin sighed. “She’s Queen of another Empire and all that.”
Jazz ran his hands through his hair. “That could have gone so fucking badly -- Ryin, be careful when dealing with Jordine, okay?”
Ryin thought Jazz looked awfully worried. He had handled that negotiation perfectly well, keeping his wits about him. “I’ll be careful, man,” he muttered.
“I hope you know what you’re doing,” Jazz said, shaking his head.
“Hey, I didn’t sleep with her,” Ryin pointed out, crossing his arms over his chest. “I have common sense. And Jordine wasn’t angry about being turned down or anything. It’s not like she’s gonna up and decide to kill me for rejecting her.”
“Don’t fucking put ideas in my head,” Jazz moaned.
Ryin snorted, shaking his head and smiling slightly. Everything had gone well, and he could handle himself just fine. Jordine wouldn’t be a problem; Ryin knew he had made the right decision in turning her down, tempting though it may have been.