[Re-Intro] A bit high up there, for a kitchen rat....

[not_snake_bite]

He was just trying to find some air - the kitchens were too hot, Swelter was even more disgusting than usual, and he felt like... he was so very above them all.

The rooftops were his playground - his space of liberty - he skipped from one to the other, until he found himself as high as he could be, atop Gormenghast. Watching over the earldom was

Comments

[iwalkindreams]

This is possibly the weirdest and not in the least less awesome coincidence of the month! You know, before I left, while crossing the street to take the tram, on the faithful day of 24th March, I though, 'I wonder if Wil would ever bring Steerpike back. He was such an intriguing character.' -- typist has seen the series, but hasn't read the books. And what happens now??? Lo and behold, STEERPIKE IS BACK, and typist is very much stunned ♥♥♥.

If Steerpike makes it to one of the porches, at whatever time his typist finds convenient, he'll probably bump into a young man sporting sunglasses and being careful to hold himself in the shadow. He'd be leaning against the wall, smoking a cigarette and looking wistful.

[not_snake_bite]

I never planned to drop Steerpike - but sometimes I like to put a puppet on hiatus, particularly those like Steerpike who are, well, problematic. But it was in fact something that I had in mind when I killed him off here, two months ago. ^^ But I'm glad you're happy? XD

Steerpike isn't going to address him right away - he'll observe for a while, curiously. The smoking is strange, so are the sunglasses - but then again, he's not from a place where anything is ordinary either. For all he knows, this guy could be another Groan he hasn't met or heard of yet... or a courtier.

But he's probably easy to spot for Adrian, even if Steerpike is spying on him from around the corner of the porch.

[iwalkindreams]

It takes Adrian a few minutes too notice the slight figure, and its silent, hidden ways make him wonder. He's not scared, but curious, so he decides to call out.

"Hey! You over there! Come closer, I don't bite!"

[not_snake_bite]

Steerpike pauses, examines the man calling - not much older, and odd. A poet, maybe. Ah! That, he can handle - he thinks.

"Oh, hello," he says, coming closer - and puffing his chest just a little. "I'm sorry - I didn't want to interrupt your musings."

[iwalkindreams]

Adrian takes another drag. "Musings? Pretentious word. I'm merely smoking."

He looks at Steerpike more carefully. "Are you lost?"

[not_snake_bite]

"No, no, I only wasn't sure if it was a good time to interrupt you with my curiosity," he says, in false humility.

[iwalkindreams]

"Huh. Come on, kid. You're free to bounce around me on one foot if you feel like it-- don't they know of democracy here?"

[not_snake_bite]

"I'm afraid I've not heard that word before, my lord," he replies, and is a touch more curious.

What do you mean, free?

[iwalkindreams]

Adrian frowns. "Um." Now this is something new. "Which one, democracy?"

[not_snake_bite]

"Indeed, that is the word," he replies, thoughtful, now. "I should quite like to know more about this... democracy."

[iwalkindreams]

Terrific. A while ago, he taught a cat-man how to read, using Winnie the Pooh as the first book; the cat-man made obvious progresses. Oh, what else? He feels the need to chuckle but knows that might embarrass his interlocutor.

"Democracy is a concept, like tyranny, like monarchy; a political concept, specifically. Um. It means that, basically, people have rights, as well as duties. Like, you have the right to express your opinion-- if you want to tell me that I look bad in green, you can, no one should prevent you from doing it."

[not_snake_bite]

... The only response Steerpike can come with is a delighted - slightly strange - laughter.

"Your jest is excellent, my lord," he professes when he's no longer chuckling. "Surely, you've been told this before."

[iwalkindreams]

Adrian's eyebrows fly in surprise. Alriiight. At least the cat-man didn't seem a bit-- oh, just a bit, you know, disturbed?

"Sure. Jokes about democracy are always the salt and pepper of the party." But. "I reckon you don't have that where you're coming from."

[not_snake_bite]

"You reckon correctly," he replies. "And would be most grateful if you would educate me."

[iwalkindreams]

"I believe we have a democracy here," muses Adrian. "At least no one has tried to tell me what to do so far-- so you might learn quite fast."

[not_snake_bite]

Except for how Muraki's actually doing just that in other thread which happens later technically, er.

"Oh, so you are saying -- Anarchy reigns here, then?" That word -- in fact, he might have heard a little bit, if only in passing. "By the Stones..."