(Untitled)

[oneman_onevote]

Havelock Vetinari makes a habit of lurking in shadowy corners of the rafters.

It's a convenient one, at the moment. For one thing, carrying on a known habit is generally unremarkable. For another thing, it allows for excellent surveillance of the bar.

And for a third -- well.

It's discreet. And Trowa is finding that he doesn't really mind

Comments

[cutting_edgex23]

It is only discreet with people who are not used to checking the shadows for movement. (And with better-than-human vision, too).

As it is --

X is watching him.

From the ground.

For now.

[oneman_onevote]

Well, yes. He's not trying to be completely invisible.

If he were, he wouldn't be in the main room of Milliways. Rafters or not.

He accepts the surveillance placidly.

And, at length, glances down at her.

X senses things he can't. He's a little curious.

[cutting_edgex23]

She is frowning.

Because it looks like Lilly's husband's boyfriend, and it smells like him, but --

The movement is wrong.

Or maybe it's the quality of the stillness.

"You are not okay," she says at length.

It's about 75% question.

[oneman_onevote]

Trowa is not especially surprised by this.

Because it's X:

"I'm not Havelock." Calmly.

The voice is Havelock Vetinari's in tone and timbre; the accent is decidedly not.

[stillbecoming]

And Buffy makes a habit of watching shadowy corners. Especially in places that remind her of the Bronze.

(But it's anyone's guess whether it's vampires she's checking for, or cockroaches.)

Is it rude to stare at somebody who's already cornered the market on etiquette-eschewal by lurking in the shadowy corners of rafters?

[oneman_onevote]

And: does the shadow-lurking guy actually care if Buffy's rude to him?

Let's ask Miss Manners!

Because he's not answering.

[stillbecoming]

She shades her eyes. (Unnecessarily.)

"...How's it going up there?"

[oneman_onevote]

"Fine." Placidly.

Depending on whether she knows Havelock, this will either be an immediate tip-off or just an unhelpful reply. Trowa's accent is not Ankh-Morporkian.

[seewhatyoumean]

Except that being in the rafters pretty much guarantees that he'll run into Cass.

Like, right now. Hey, it's...

Wait... His stance was all wrong.

[oneman_onevote]

Ah.

Yo, Cass.

(If Trowa were capable of looking resignedly wry, he probably would be.)

[seewhatyoumean]

Cass blinks and frowns some more before doing a little flip from the rafter she's on to one closer to him.

Is this a new disguise?

[oneman_onevote]

Trowa meets her eyes with Havelock's blandness.

Not, to judge from his resignation, one he chose to assume. (And not one someone specifically known imposed on him, to judge from the lack of specific annoyance.)

Ah, Milliways.