Alexei's alarm came on with the sweet sound of a hammer to his head.

Ugh. He flailed his arms until one of his fists shattered the cheap crystal powering it. Ugh. All the blood pumped behind his eyes, on his tongue, and fairly pumped in his man-package. He craled out of bed, scratched himself, and stumbled towards the bathroom. That is the last time I read a book before bed. Some cracktop theory about how humans could fly without magic and whole cities were powered by electricity. All he needed was a shower and a piss to blast that nonsense out of him

The early morning sunlight streamed through the window as Alexei tried to decide what to wear for his first day of college. Let me see, he looked along the lines of black shirts, black pants, black socks, and black jackets, You know, I reckon I'll wear black.

He kept glancing at the clock and thinking to himself plenty of time as he ambled around his room, lookin' at books, tidying his desk, lazing around his bed, thinking whether or not he had time for a wank, you know, the usual morning routine. This lasted untilhe glanced at the clock, saw he had too little time and cursed.

His sister sat at the kitchen table and her cheeks dimpled as she smiled at him, 'Looking forward to your first day of school?'

He grunted.

'You should talk more and look less moody. Our family's coming to visit, and I do not want them to think I have little daughter for son'.

He grunted, again.

Her voice had a soft emphasis of the vowels and her rolled rrrrs had a slight more of an emphasis. Her tongue rounded off every sentence by elongating the last word. 'Fine, look like little girl. Now go, you are late, and need to hurry'

'Fine', his voice had a lesser version of her accent, 'But I'm not changing for family I rarely see'.

'If I were you, I would. But that is not my decision. A man must make his own decisions. Even if they are absolutely horrible ones.'

'Fine'.

He did his usual stomp out of the kitchen and she did her usual exclamation that he had forget something.

'Fine, fine if it matters so much to you.' He gave her a hug and kissed her cheek. She ruffled his hair and wished him luck, and then ordered him to come home in one piece.

His answer was a grunt and a hurry out of his house. You know, he reckoned he'd be a wreck without a hug from his older sister.

The door opened to show a brown road below a mornin' grey sky. Other wooden houses stood at the opposite of that road. Some were painted, some were not, and some seemed stuck on the painted and un-painted divide. The latter houses stood speckled and spotted and announced their own insecurities. His own house, well his house and his sister's, stood a little taller, and a little wider, than the rest. Only a little, not enough to get attention, and not enough to raise suspicion.

His sister, Sonya, decided that they would have wooden walls, and would truck with expensive paint. She got out a ladder and varnished the wood every second week. The ice didn't last long outside his house, he could tell you that right here and now. The first freckles of frost would bloom amid the salt that Sonya threw out. Anything broken, and she'd find a way to fix it. Any trouble and she'd find a way to sort it. She never gave the neighbors a reason to give out, and, if she did, she gave them reasons to keep their civility. If he got into trouble, he damn knew where to turn to, and he knew it from birth, and he'd know till the day he died.

But, you know, he didn't like, you know, love her or anything.

Of course, since Alexei was under it, the sky started pissing rain. It stopped and started as trickles, and then it gushed lukewarm-water all over his body. He sighed and pulled up his hood. Of course the carriage is late when it's coming for me. I bet it sped on, full force when picking up other people, but once it got near me it must have stopped and failed. What a perfect ending to a flawed day.

Apparently the world wanted to prove him a fool. No sooner had he thought that then a grey form began to slide out of the rain. First came its long head, then its long neck, then its legs, and its broad back and then it's back hooves. Blinders clasped the side of its eyes and a blood dripped along the tether in its mouth. Alexia watched the smooth movement of its muscles and the rain drip from its coat, and knew it would stop and leave him to walk the rest of the way. And, of course, it did. He did not even get to see the carriage.

Course. First they're late, and now they can't even come all the way. Damn rich boy idiots. He sighed and stuck his hands in his jacket pockets. Well, if they made him wait, than he'd make them wait. He kept his eyes on the road, and away from his house, and walked towards that horse as if he had all the time in the world. He kept his slow pace even though the rain dripped down his back. Still, his eyes stayed on the road and away from his house.

The carriage could not have been unless it had been seen during a night without, you know, any starrrrs. Red runes crawled across its surface and along the reins and rubbed against that horse. It made him ill to even look at it, and he turned his head away as he saw one of those runes begin to peel into the horses flesh. Is this the magic that I must learn?

He failed at keeping his eyes from the house. Sonya stood in the doorway and light leaked out from that house into this world of grey. She smiled encouragement, and her eyes were wet with tears. She kissed her lips and pressed them against her heart. He returned the gesture and tears built at the corner of his eyes.

He had to look away, he didn't want her to see him leaving with tears in his eyes, but he bet she knew. As he sniffed and strode towards that carriage, he thought he heard sniggers. Fuck them. If you cannot show love to your family, than you are worth less than scum.

Nobody looked at him when he entered the carriage. They stared at the floor as if failure to do so would result in the pain of death. Perhaps it is rich-boy politeness? Perhaps they see shame in these tears in his eyes? Damn them if they do. These rich-boys…no Rich-girl…would not push their values onto him.

Only two people sat in the carriage. One was a woman with red hair, pale skin, pink lips, and arms drawn so tight across her chest she appeared to be hunching in her seat. The other one was an old man made wise by age. Flowing locks of white hair travelled from his chin to his chest and all along his upper lip and his chin. So much hair had flowed from his face; Alexei was not surprised to see none on his head. Those blue eyes of his twinkled with intelligence. He even had a travel stained grey robe that spoke of adventures, and damsels, and dancing in the firelight. This is what a wizard should look like, this is the epitome of magic-

The old man opened his mouth to speak, 'Bout time another dick-swinger came along. Eh, Bruv? You lift? Or you get those guns from housework?'

Alexia blinked at him, 'Lift…what?'

'Ah, I'm just pullin' your piss piece. I know how it is. Shitting, drinking, and loving the ladies all night long. There's not enough time for working the guns when you're working all parts of the body. Brothers, from another mothers, you know what I mean. Fist me!'

The woman just scowled at him as he raised his fist and he turned a little red. He didn't leave it long enough to hang and turned it towards Alexia. He stared at that fist with uncertainty and wondered, What exactly does this old man want me to do to him?

'Bruv, your meant to bash it…there ya go. We have now fisted each other. You and me, we're gonna get along. Two mean and one woman. Eh? Eh?...Eh?'

…What?

Nobody answered him, and, until the next event, the silence grew larger and larger

A/N: Ha-ha, if anybody read my story Tellin' A Tail, and other fantasies, then you've probably realised why there's an old man.

Yeah, the brother and sister relationship may appear a little too close, but that's just the culture I based it on.