elegyofthewind

[elegyofthewind]

James Moore! JAMES f*cking MOORE! The pressure was silent on my eardrums. What kind of joke is this?

- Unexpected, huh? - Gertie continued to chirp, not noticing how the face of her colleague sitting next to her became even paler. - Even our director Kealoha was shocked when we received his resumes. He thought that we were being played by the StrangerVille lab. Just give them a reason to make fun of us. But in the end, when Dr. Moore crossed the threshold of our institute, we all fainted. Mr. Kealoha even had to call an ambulance, - she giggled. - Okay, it was a joke. The ophthalmologist arrived on schedule.

- Stop the car, - Fabian asked in a trembling voice.

- What's wrong? - She finally noticed his frightened look.

- Stop the car! - He repeated demandingly.

Gertie slammed on the brakes, pulling over to the side of the road. The blond immediately jumped out of the car, heading forward.

- Hey, Arnaud! Where are you going? Stop! They'll rip my head off if I come without you! - She shouted after him. - Are you upset that Moore will be your supervisor instead of Norton? Well, that's stupid! Yes, Norton is an ancient luminary of oceanology, but it's high time for him to rest.

- No, it's not that at all, - Fabian turned around, barely containing his growing panic. - Go without me. And I'll take a little walk; - he didn't know how to explain his strange behavior to a stranger who looked at him with an uncomprehending look, probably thinking that he was crazy. He didn't have time to go to work and immediately ran away. - Don't worry I know the Sulani Islands well and where your institute is located. I'll come back on my own.

- Do as you wish, - Gertie snorted. - Your suitcase will be in room 3 of the dorm. I'll ask Hugo to bring it in.

- Thank you, - he said wearily, then turned around and ran forward as fast as he could.

- Be careful! Not all locals are friendly, - she shouted, but Arnaud no longer heard her. - Yes, the famous Moore is a bit of an arrogant guy, but there is no need to be afraid of him, - she whispered, watching Fabian with an anxious look..

[elegyofthewind]

The scorching sun burned his pale skin. The sea air filled his lungs with the spicy aroma of exotic flowering Sulani. A warm breeze playfully ruffled his blond locks. There were two people in the car: she, the sultry beauty Gertie with a charming smile that made head spin just by looking at her and he, a modest sexy biologist with a slight blush on his cheeks stealthily casting a glance at her daring tattoos. For a moment, it even seemed that the colorful picture before his sky-blue eyes was just a mirage. All he had to do was pinch his arm and the fairytale vision would immediately evaporate, revealing the pompous landscapes of the noisy Del Sol Valley.

Small goosebumps covered his entire body. He couldn’t believe that his parents were able to accept his escape from home and change of last name. They let him go without armed guards to meet his dream. Fabian grinned fleetingly. August’s ability to convince people, even the most anxious ones, was pumped up to the maximum level. Now he could breathe deeply, hoping that in this paradise wilderness they wouldn’t recognize him as the youngest son of former president Alfred Landgraab or the younger brother of the popular politician August, who was involved in charity and social issues. Was alien to the guy to all this political activity going on from generation to generation. He like those few Landgraabs, preferred to follow an unknown, but terribly interesting path. It was time to leave this last name in the past, now he was Arnaud! Once and for all!

- Are you always this taciturn? - Gertie asked, keeping her eyes on the road. - I thought you'd bombard me with questions about work, but you're keeping quiet.

- Sorry. I was a little lost in thought, - Fabian answered with embarrassment trying not to look at her. - And has anyone else gotten a job with you this year besides me? I saw 3 vacancies on your website.

- Nope. It's rare for graduates to get a job at our research institute, especially from such a prestigious university as yours.

- You were the only brave enthusiast. That's why I was sent to meet you in person, - she laughed slyly. No one wants to explore the ocean on our behalf. You see, we have leaf huts, outdated equipment and a toilet under a palm tree. But that was two years ago, and then everything changed. Well, except for our website, which was written on my granny’s knee. The investor who poured money into us wanted to leave everything on the website as is. And we didn’t really resist this desire, it’s better for us. So, colleague, you hit the jackpot. In short, you will see everything for yourself when we arrive at our destination.

- Your conditions don’t scare me, - Arnaud added with a smile, assuming that they had at most changed a couple of wooden barracks and perhaps bought a few scuba gear for deep-sea diving. He was ready for anything, even going to the toilet under a palm tree, just to immerse himself in his favorite work and finally forget the nightmare that had happened to him 3 years ago. - Most of all, I want to meet my supervisor, Dr. Norton. It’s sad that many biologists underestimate his work.

- Oh, boy! Dr. Norton doesn't work with us anymore. He retired a month ago.

- How to retired?

- That's how it is! We have problems with the top staff. The top management kept Norton on the staff until he was 75 years old. He had been begging for a long time to find a replacement for him. He didn't want to leave the institute feet first. The director submitted an application without hope and surprisingly a young scientist responded to it, - she laughed slyly again.

- And who is it?

- I wanted to see your jaw hit the floor in surprise. Oh well! I'll treat you to this sweet cherry now. Every self-respecting marine biologist knows the name of this successful handsome man.

- Well? Don't drag it out, - the blond whispered quietly. Because only one name came to mind and he refused to believe it.

- Oceanographer, winner of various awards, author of popular scientific books and articles and also just a cool underwater photographer - James Moore.

- poses by me -

[elegyofthewind]

- I'm sorry I kept everything a secret until the last moment. Was dad very angry? - The blond one asked in a guilty voice, leaning his elbow on a black suitcase of impressive size.

- Darling, don't you know your dad? - Bernadette answered her youngest son in a calm tone. - You haven't done anything wrong. You've just become more mature and independent. It's just that after what happened he's constantly worried about your safety. Yes, Alfred has been going too far lately, forcing you to walk around with security, well, you have to understand him.

- I understand, - Fabian replied. - Has August already told you that I changed my last name?

- He told, explaining your decision. Do you think this will help you go unnoticed with such an appearance?

- Let's check it out in practice. After all I'm not a public figure. Many people don't even suspect that the cool genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist August Landgraab has a younger brother - a mysterious hermit who doesn't do what a rich kid should do, - the guy joked, trying to defuse the tense dialogue with his mother. - Besides, I think someone should bear your father's beautiful surname. Can you not tell grandma anything for now? I want to call her myself and tell her everything.

- Okay, darling. It's a pity that your grandpa didn't live to see this moment, - after this phrase Fabian imagined his mother smiling sadly, - he would have been very happy with your decision.

- Hey, boy! - A mischievous girl's voice made the blond one look forward. Two funny hair buns appeared from the red Jeep that had pulled up, and then the pretty girl smiled at him pleasantly. - Aren't you marine biologist Fabian Arnaud by any chance?

- Yes, it's me! - He nodded to her. Taking the suitcase by the handle Arnaud headed to the car. - Mom, someone's arrived for me. I have to go. The Institute of Oceanology is waiting for a new employee.

- Be careful, my boy. Take care of yourself! Don't forget to eat on time and apply sunscreen to your pale skin. And don’t forget to call us, dad and grandma. And if you suddenly need help, - the woman was silent for a moment, - at least keep August informed of your affairs.

- Good luck at your new job. And remember, we love and miss you very much.

- I obey, Mrs. Landgraab and thank you, - Fabian blurted out with a smile. - I love you too and I already miss my comfortable life. Okay, that last one was a joke. I'll be fine! Give this to dad. Until next call! Bye! - walking up to the car, he ended the call by pressing the earpiece.

- Throw your suitcase on the back seat! - the girl ordered, looking with interest at the blue-eyed blond one with unusually pale skin. - My name is Gertie, colleague.

- Nice to meet you, colleague! - He grinned, lowering his gaze to the silver choker with the inscription “Demon”..

- poses by me -

[elegyofthewind]

🤍 ⠀– 4th generation – ⠀ ⠀Fabian Arnaud Landgraab, 21 years old. Dreamed of becoming a mermaid as a child, but ended up becoming a marine biologist. ⠀ ⠀Before taking a job at the Institute of Oceanology, Fabian decided to take his mother's maiden name – Arnaud, to hide his relationship with the famous and wealthy Landgraab family. ⠀ ⠀Alfred 2 Landgraab – father of Fabian, 50 years old. Former President of the country, now continues to run the large family business together with his father Malcolm 2 and other relatives. ⠀ ⠀Bernadette Landgraab (Arnaud) – Fabian's mother, 48 years old. She continues to run a charitable foundation run by her late great-grandmother May Prescott. The foundation is now called 'Angels'. ⠀ ⠀August Landgraab – Fabian’s older brother, 30 years old. A well-known politician and first deputy mayor of Del Sol Valley. He is involved in social issues, involving the 'Angels' foundation in public events. In his free time, he trains at the 'White Dragon', a closed sports club owned by his family. ⠀– pose by me –