an excerpt from the opening scene of some princes don’t become kings, which i’ve been struggling with a little and finally managed to blast past the “what if my opening scene isn’t good enough” thoughts and just write.
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“We’re stealing a car.”
“We’re not stealing it, we’re borrowing it. Temporary lease. Although it’s pretty nice…” Greed runs his hand over the dashboard. “We could steal it.”
“Please tell me you didn’t just teach me this so I could help you steal cars.”
“I’m not answering that,” Greed tears off another strip of tape. “And I don’t want to fuck up the insides of a car I’d steal for myself. Isn’t sustainable,” He reaches for the other wire. “Gimme.”
Ling hands it over. “I still don’t know why I need to know this anyway,” He folds his arms over the steering wheel, watching Greed’s reflection on the inside of the windshield. “It takes too long to be practical if you need to steal a car and run.”
“Yeah, but it’s flamboyant as hell, and you’re learning the secrets of the criminal underworld,” Greed tosses the now-taped wires aside and leans back in the seat, props his feet on the dashboard. “Isn’t that enough?”
“For you, maybe,” Ling grumbles. “I also don’t know why I need to know the secrets of the criminal underworld.”
“That’s because you work for me,” Greed grins around the toothpick he’s chewing on. “You’re part of it now, might as well know all the tips and tricks.”
“I don’t work for you, I fight for you.”
“Same difference,” Greed says. His sunglasses slip down his nose again. “Besides, you said you wanted more adventure in your life, right? Here’s your adventure.”
“I just didn’t think it would involve so much…illegal activity.”
Greed looks over the top of his glasses. “You’re in an illegal streetfighting circuit.”
“That’s different,” Ling protests. “It’s not breaking and entering.”
“Well, ’s called the criminal underworld for a reason.” Greed pokes at one of the strings of beads hanging from the rearview mirror with his shoe. “It gets easier. Once you quit worrying so much about being caught, this kind of stuff is nothing. Everything’s extra-legal in Dublith if you’re smart about it.”
“Even breaking and entering and vehicle theft?”
“Even breaking and entering and vehicle theft. This ain’t Central.”
Ling frowns. He’s still not quite sure why he decided to get into this situation—both hot-wiring a random car, and being the apparent mentee/protege/student-of-crime of one of Dublith’s notorious gang leaders—but he has to admit it’s better than sitting around at home waiting for something to happen. His father and Fu would have a stroke if they knew what Ling got up to; his mother would faint if she knew he snuck out at all. Lan Fan already gives him shit about it, but at least she doesn’t tell anyone. She’d been the one to help him sneak out in the first place, actually. They’d been in some wing of the mansion, and Ling had asked, “Hypothetically, if I were to sneak out, how would I do it?”
“Hypothetically, that’s not a good idea,” Lan Fan replied, staring daggers at him. Ling flopped over on the floor and stared at the ceiling.
“Hypothetically, if I spend another second in this place I’m going to go insane.”
“Hypothetically, go outside.”
“Hypothetically, I’ve tried that and I hate the grounds.”
“Hypothetically, suck it up.”
“Lan Fan…” Long gave her a pleading look. “I just want to see the city. Get some actual dirt on my shoes. Maybe stand on a roof and look around. Is that too much to ask”
“We’re kept here for a reason,” Lan Fan didn’t budge.
“What, because it’s dangerous?” Ling scoffed. “We both know I can hold my own in a fight.”
“You’ve never beat me.”
“If I do beat you, will you help me sneak out?”
Lan Fan glared at him for another long moment. “You’re not going to shut up until I do it, are you?”
“Yup!”
“Fine,” Lan Fan shoved her chair back and stalked toward the door. “I’ve been wanting to punch something.”
Needless to say, Ling found that, given proper motivation, he could take Lan Fan in a fight, even if he did end up with a few bruises in the process.
