Vetinari allowed the slightest of smiles to curve his lips as he watched Ankh-Morpork from his window. Ah, Ankh-Morpork. The city that never slept (due to wind, doctor's note to follow). On the street outside a registered Thief's guild thief mugged some helpless woman, then gave her a complimentary trial set of sunflower seeds "Grow 'em yourself in your own garden".
It was a rip-off, of course. Nobody could grow anything in an Ankh-Morpork garden, the pretence was criminal in itself. Vetinari's eyes scanned the cobbled streets, picking out details, recognising faces and all in all drinking in the wonder that was Ankh-Morpork. People spoke of "falling in love" with a city, and he passed that aside as a joke. They had no idea. Until they'd run a city, known all of its ins and outs, explored its innermost workings until it almost felt like a real person, they couldn't fall in love with a city. Neither could he - he was never one for romantic ideology and he recognised that people fell in love with odd things. But a city? No.
[This is the point where Coto pairs Vetinari and A-M. *sigh* He's already paired Eric and London, right, Coto? xD]
4/5/2012 #2 Report"The new city is making unprecedented progress, sir," said Drumknott behind Vetinari, pushing up his glasses with the end of his pencil. "This morning's edition of the Times has a sizable story about it on the front page, complete with a portrait of Herr Rädelsführer."
The newspaper in question lay on Vetinari's desk in the gray morning light.
CAPITOL OF THE FUTURE?
it read, interrogatively. The editor had never been one to leave a punctuable sentence unpunctuated. Under that was a dense block of text, and beside that an iconograph of a man in the midst of a crowd with shaggy brown hair and a fair-skinned face marred by long burn scars that disappeared below his collar and a chilly frown; his eyes were clear gray and sharp. He was dressed simply, like a worker in a tanned leather waistcoat and a long black coat, but under the coat there was here and there a glint of metal.
4/11/2012 #3 Report"Indeed." Vetinari replied, turning from the window and examining the paper. Well, he recognised the potential in Herr Rädelsführer as a dictator. He certainly had the intimidation factor down pat, and that was always important. And evidently he was intelligent as well, otherwise he'd never have been able to get this up and running. Well. That wasn't strictly true, it was possible that he could have been inordinately lucky, but that was unlikely. Vetinari tapped his finger on the table twice, swiftly, and furrowed his brow.
"Drumknott...what is your first impression of Herr Rädelsführer? From his picture alone, of course?" He asked after a moment.
4/11/2012 #4 ReportDrumknott leaned over and pushed up his glasses again, studying the grainy iconograph.
"I would say... a driven man, my lord. Intelligent, untrusting, rather obsessive. And quite desperate."
4/11/2012 . Edited 4/11/2012 #5 ReportVetinari nodded in agreement.
"Desperate...yes. Very astute, Drumknott. He is desperate and yet...not quite desperate enough to do anything overly drastic. At least, not that we've seen." The tall man frowned. "He's got plans....Lots of them, in fact." But what plans were they? And how did they affect Ankh-Morpork? It wasn't often that the Patrician felt nervous - even apprehensive. But then again these were hardly normal circumstances.
4/19/2012 #6 Report"It seems quite apparent that he has something he feels he must prove immensely," commented Drumknott, fingertips resting lightly on either side of the slightly wild head in the iconograph. "He did offer that day of free exploration when the building is completed to all the citizens of Ankh-Morpork in his speech. Surely no one completely in their senses would normally agree to such a thing, sir? After all, it is Ankh-Morpork he was speaking to. Why, it was as extreme as some of the things Mr. Lipwig says." He felt instinctively for his ever-present pencil as he said this.
--
Down below, Thomas Peacock glanced briefly at the headline as it passed him by under the arm of a paperbeggar before continuing on his way and thinking little of it.
It was early morning and the air was not quite as solid with dust and stink as it could be; paying little attention to the revving up of his surroundings, he whistled cheerily, swinging a full shopping basket in one hand and a bag of donations over the shoulder by the other hand. His expression was one of honest goodwill, his step carefree, and his demeanor friendly. Despite all of this, he had yet to be mugged.
4/21/2012 . Edited 4/21/2012 #7 ReportA pale hand tugged at Thomas's basket gently in a manner connected with the more polite basket-snatchers, before releasing it and waving.'You know, Reverend, people have been shot for such blissful and wantonly cheerful smiles before.' The hand was attached to a vampire with a small, pointy smile and said vampire had in her company an equally pale but far less be-fanged young woman with similarly dark hair and peculiarly green eyes. Said companion gave Thomas a far larger smile.
((You don't mind me posting here, do you-I won't introduce the Pan-triplets for a while, since it might be a little out of sync to bring Fritz into it so early, but I miss Cass and thought it wouldn't hurt? If any of this post conflicts with how the thread is supposed to develop just give me a shout and I will delete/delay/rewrite/re-scene as appropriate. ;) And Pan, Neko-Pan and Demon are ready for introduction whenever you wish.))
4/22/2012 #8 ReportHe had turned sharply at the tug, but relaxed and only allowed a brighter smile when he recognized the vampire.
"Cass! Not worryin' about me gettin' shot, are yer?"
With a wink, Thomas flicked aside the covering cloth of the basket. Metal glimmered and polished wood shone in the early light; the body of a fine crossbow. Tugging the fabric back over it, he turned and made his way out of the main traffic before continuing. " 'Aven't seen you in dog's years, seems like. 'Ow's business, then? Bit early, ain't it? An' yer friend?" nodding gallantly to the other dark-haired young woman.
4/23/2012 #9 Report'Well...actually I suppose it would be more statistically accurate to worry about any nearby vampire hunters, but I don't much care for them.' Cass grinned. 'Not for a very long time indeed. This is-'
The young woman interrupted. 'I'm Leda. I'm sort of her dau-'
'She's a friend of unusual origin,' Cass said hurriedly.
4/23/2012 #10 Report((Sorry, running a little slow tonight-- I keep forgetting we have this thread now, too. Got Fabian on iTunes... I need to do a picture so I can put it on youtube.))
"Sounds like most of us." Thomas grinned. "Just on my way t' do the shopping for the Octeday school, I was. Doing cookin' lessons later. Like t'join?"
4/23/2012 #11 ReportLeda beamed. 'Of course. Octeday school? I love kids.' She shot a meaningful look at Cass and was promptly ignored.
'Can't see why not.' Cass shrugged. 'Jules can keep the fort for ages yet-that way the house will be in one piece when we come back.'
4/23/2012 #12 Report"Me too!" Thomas looked delighted. "Sweet lil' tykes they are too, most of 'em... 'cept maybe ". He pulled a face for a moment. "Well, it'd be a funny ol' world if we was all alike. Know where I might find some cheap clocks, too? Only we're 'aving a repair workshop a fortnight from now--"
4/23/2012 #13 ReportCass groaned and slapped a palm to her face as Leda launched into a monologue regarding clocks and good places to find them for very little. She finished with, 'or you could have some of my least favourite...she,' and here she jerked a thumb at Cass, 'was only moaning this morning about the "invasion of her living room".'
((brb))
4/23/2012 #14 Report((Righto!))
Thomas was politely puzzled. "Invasion? Wot, of clocks? Are you stayin' there? We've got accomodations f'the traveler up in the temple if y'need someplace."
4/23/2012 #15 Report'Of clocks,' Cass confirmed with a hint of terseness. 'And she's better off staying with me. Trust me.'
'Isn't Cass sweet?' Leda said with a big, insincere smile and a nod.
4/24/2012 #16 Report"Sure? Wouldn't be no trouble, they're nice little apartments wiv your own washstand an'all," said Thomas airily and apparently with no inkling of the undertones roaring through the other side of the exchange. "Plenty o'room for a coupla clocks, I'd fink. 'Ow's Julian anyway, Cass? He an' Nellie doin' well for themselves? 'Course, got you ter do well for 'em, ain't they?"
4/24/2012 #17 Report'I happen to own 126 clocks, plus three score of assorted watches and miniature time pieces.' Leda laughed. 'And only about twenty of them work.'
Cass rolled her eyes. 'I am unfortunately sure. She'd turn into trouble for you. She always does.' Leda tried not too look smug or proud of that ringing endorsement as Cass continued. 'They're fine.' She smiled, genuinely pleased. 'I do my best, but frankly I think they do better for me than I can ever do for them.'
4/24/2012 #18 ReportAwed, Thomas goggled at Leda and nearly dropped the fish he had been inspecting. "An' you travel wiv that lot? You ain't a saleswoman, are yer?"
4/24/2012 #19 Report'Nope. Just a three year-old with an obsession. And rampantly good luck.' Leda wrinkled her nose. 'I would never sell my darlings.'
Cass shot a brief glare at Leda. 'Don't use that word.'
'Which one? Obsession? Rampant. Oh, darlings.' Leda made the word sound obscene.
'Drop it.'
((Just realised the clocks may be Leda's dhamphir so accidentally b-total inheritance.))
4/24/2012 #20 ReportNow out of his depth, Thomas paid for the fish without looking, a grave error in Ankh-Morpork markets. "Did you say three?"
((Never occurred to me. :O))
4/24/2012 #21 Report'It was a joke,' Cass supplied. 'She's nineteen, though you would never know it.'
'Well, physically and mentally that's true enough, but I was only born three years ago. Temporal accident, bit of a pain, you know?' Leda fluttered her eyelashes, seemingly without noticing it. 'Actually more a mixed blessing, I suppose. I'm more fun at this age, I'm sure.'
Cass cuffed her semi-affectionately for that. 'I'm not so convinced.'
((Me neither. Feel bad for not noticing.))
4/24/2012 . Edited 4/24/2012 #22 Report"'Scuse me, outta the way, maill round, coming through!" A figure in postman's blue with shocking red hair barged his way through the people. "Postman coming thr- wait, wha?"
Gwydion stared at Cass and Leda and Thomas. "Fancy seeing you again!"
4/29/2012 #23 Report'Who knew this city was so benevolently small?' Cass grinned.
Leda blinked. 'I'm not so sure, in point of fact, that we have met. Just saying. I mean not you you and me me.' She stuck a hand out. 'I'm Leda. You're Gwydion, am I right?'
4/29/2012 . Edited 4/29/2012 #24 ReportGwyd shook Leda's hand. "Yes. Come to think of it, I think I've seen your face before. In a dream? There was a person calllled Olliver... And Teddy was strange."
He waved to Cass. "Bllown anything of interest up?"
4/29/2012 #25 ReportThomas glanced back and forth between the three with interest. "Friend a'yours, Cass?"
4/30/2012 #26 Report'Another one, another odd one. No offence, Gwy. Like he said, he's a postman. And a wizard of sorts.' Cass glanced between them. 'Thomas, Gwydion, Gwydion, Thomas. Sorted.'
Leda nodded. 'You know! How on earth do you know?'
'Wizard dear,' Cass stage-whispered sarcastically.
((Listening to the songs from Mulan. Never too old for Disney...))
4/30/2012 #27 Report"Actualllly, it's the other way round now," said Gwyd, smiling. "Now I'm a wizard and a postman of sorts. Onlly working part-time at the mo. Don't allways stay at the Uni for my llessons, though. Some of the Hex students have started meeting in the basement of a house on Unreall Estate - where Mrs Widgery used to llive, in fact..."
4/30/2012 #28 Report((Sorting iTunes. Harder than it looks.))
Thomas shook Gwydion's hand obligingly. "Fink I heard a bit about you, Gwydion-- you was in Grünwaldstadt, right? Speakin' of which, what's Geier up to?" This was added in a slightly wary manner, as if the vampire in question might suddenly spring from nowhere.
4/30/2012 #29 Report Reply 
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