I thought it was about time someone wrote a modern KelNeal... I've only ever read one before, but I've come to like modern fics because they're different to the usual stuff. I particularly like "The Billionaire Scientist & His Secretary"... it's a humorous modern DaineNumair. And it rocks. Well, anyway, I thought I'd change Kel's character a bit, to make her match with the modern world - I think that if she was in Tortall she'd be at the Scanran border by the age she gives... It's quite a short chapter but it doesn't cover a very long amount of time, so I hope you like it and please review! (And if you like KelNeal you might like some of my other fanfiction)


Brown leaves glazed with early morning frost littered the road as a young man crossed the street and pushed against the café door. The shop was in the midst of the morning rush of business-men and women converging on the coffee shops in hopes of an energising dose of caffeine before hurrying off to work. Because of this wave of customers, all the waitresses were taken and the young man had to traverse round the cramped tables and chairs, all occupied, to reach the till.

"The usual, please, Eleni," requested the man, drumming his fingers against the cold, tacky plastic surface where the till was set up. "Busier than usual, I see."

Eleni smiled wearily at him, her weatherworn skin stretching and her brown hair with subtle streaks of grey wobbling in its bun. "Good to see you, Neal. Yes, we are quite busy." The woman looked around the room. "It's the first day of work after Christmas. We all need something to wake us up after a little time off," she said, pulling out a mug and spoon. She didn't meet his emerald eyes as she prepared his black coffee, sliding it with gnarled fingers in front of him. He already had all the right coins ready - he'd been visiting the little shop for more than a year and knew the price of his regular morning coffee by heart.

"Have a good day, Eleni." He grasped the mug and scanned the room for a seat. Just as he was about to give up, his eyes flickered over an empty chair in the corner by the window. It was a table for two, and the other seat was taken by a woman in her early twenties, chestnut brown hair gleaming from behind a book with no indication of the title. "Uhm… excuse me? Is this seat free?"

The woman lowered the book and gazed up at him intently, surveying him with sparkling hazel eyes behind thin-framed glasses. Her mouth was full and slightly stubborn, but conveyed no emotion. It was as though her entire face but her eyes was dead. She continued to watch him as though she was slowly figuring him out, reading his mind and every record of his past and his personality. Finally, she nodded, and returned to her book.

Neal dropped into the awkward plastic chair and took a sip from his scalding coffee, wincing as the liquid made contact with his tongue. He placed it upon the table and began to drum his fingers against the plastic, a regular habit of his when trying to pass time. He glanced at her book, but the dust cover was a midnight-black with no text upon it. Slowly curiosity began to grow until he couldn't contain it any longer. "So… what are you reading?"

When her face rose from the pages, her eyes were burning with some sort of emotion, but the rest of her face was blank. "Nothing you'd be interested in." She buried her skull back into the book as though she definitely did not want a reply. Neal couldn't help but feel attracted to this slightly mysterious bookworm, letting his thoughts wander. Playing hard-to-get, eh?

"Try me," he suggested, leaning an elbow against the table to get a better view of her.

"I don't think so." This time, she didn't even remove her face from the pages, but her voice was obviously annoyed and tinged with impatience.

"Why not? I'm a clever guy!" Neal persisted. "I like books too!"

"I never said I liked books. If my memory serves me well, I didn't initiate conversation at all. I never gave any notion that I wanted to continue this dull, one-sided conversation. I need to finish this book by tomorrow morning, so why don't we make this a nought-sided conversation?"

Neal raised his eyebrows, but she was too absorbed in her book to notice.

"So… what's your-"

"You just don't give up, do you?" The woman dropped her book with a small slam, folding her arms and leaning back on her chair. "Would you like to know my entire life history? I can give you a condensed version, if you want. I was born exactly twenty one years, one month and seven days ago, named Keladry Mindelan, moved to Japan for six years, then came back to this country. I started school, and last month I moved over here and now, here I am at university, sitting at this coffee shop I've never been to before with half an hour to go until I need to be there and a monstrous book I need to read for my work tomorrow, being bothered by some complete moron with a devastatingly annoying lack of modern manners who wants to talk like we actually know each other when I'd probably rather endure giant African Land Snails slithering all over me, and with these really irritating green eyes that keep distracting me from my book. Now, if you really want me to be sitting here tomorrow looking like I slept on the streets because I had to stay up all night to even have a chance of finishing this book in time, then I suggest you please stop trying to make conversation whether you know my condensed life history or not, hurry up and finish your stupid coffee and get the hell out of here so I can actually think properly."

"Wow," breathed Neal. "Well, ok, if that's what you want. I have to be leaving in five minutes, so you'll get lots of peace and quiet until some other guy starts bothering you."

Keladry didn't reply, but as Neal got up from his chair (having spent as long as possible drinking his coffee in hopes that she'd change her mind and try and talk to him, or even just shout at him again - she was so cute when she was angry) he could have sworn he heard an exasperated, "Finally," sound from behind her book.

"See you tomorrow, Keladry! Save me a seat," he called with a wicked grin, thrusting the door open and turning just in time to see her scowl before he strolled off up the street.