Veni Vici Vetinari [Complete]

[d0gbotherer]

Character(s): Havelock Vetinari and whoever wants to stop by.
Content: Vetinari suddenly finds himself in another world. Damn those wizards!
Setting: Vanaheim
Time: Noon
Warnings: None so far.

Comments

[le_verglas]

Vexen had, quite simply, put himself on damage control for the afternoon. It wasn't necessarily a duty he enjoyed, but it was something that needed to be done, and there was certainly no way he was trusting those blasted neophytes after what had happened. They - one of them, at least, and he was fairly certain he knew which one - were the reason he was out here doing this detestable duty in the first place.

So he started with the nearest gate, inspecting both it and the people entering through, taking short notes on a clipboard and moving on, walking through the streets in his tan business suit, observing and taking notes.

For all his observation, however, he still failed to spot the young man concealed in the shadows.

[d0gbotherer]

The man with the clipboard immediately caught Havelock's attention. It was kind of hard not to miss him with the way he was suspiciously taking notes of everything around him. A City Official, perhaps something like an Unmentionable, or simply a loon? The assassin suspected the first, the man seemed relatively sane enough.

There was only one way to find out though. Havelock simply tailed the man for a while before walking around some sort-of-trees and stepping out in front of the man, suddenly quite visible. "City Official?" He asked with a raised eyebrow.

[le_verglas]

Vexen stopped short as the young man seemingly appeared in front of him. Any surprise he might have felt had long since been drilled out of him by the surprise appearances of the neophytes in childish attempts to play pranks and startle him. Instead, he was simply irked at this new delay.

"I am," he replied snappishly, not caring as to the exact veracity of that statement. "And I would much appreciate it if you would step aside. You are impeding my work."

[d0gbotherer]

Havelock couldn't help but grimace slightly at the response, a real City Official no doubt. Although this proved the place wasn't anything Ankh-Morporkian. If it were he would've been recognized as someone from the Assassin's Guild and most likely not snapped at.

"Very well," he said and stepped aside with every intention of still questioning the man regardless. "Although as a City Official, surely you could tell a foreigner a thing or two about your lovely city?"

[le_verglas]

This young man was certainly not helping Vexen's mood any. He could tell from his very demeanor that the "visitor" to the city would not be leaving him alone anytime soon. Disappearing into a corridor of darkness was out of the question - it would blow his cover rather thoroughly, and he had no guarantee that the young man wouldn't simply follow him.

So he took the route that would try his patience most: staying where he was and continuing, both with his task and his act. "And what exactly did you want to know?"

[d0gbotherer]

Havelock could tell there was more to the man than meets the eye somehow. He just couldn't pinpoint why he had the feeling, call it a gut instinct perhaps, but he figured he should proceed with some caution. It wouldn't do well pissing a City Official off in a strange city. Still, he needed the information.

"Oh you know, the usual," he said nonchalantly. "Things a foreigner should know like say...the currency, important people one should know of, any guild organizations, city hot spots. That sort of thing."

[le_verglas]

The boy was smarter than he first seemed, and very much so. Such an intelligence could not be allowed to run free through the city. He would need to be watched and then either neutralized or recruited. But for now, it was best to keep him talking.

"The local currency is growing on trees," he replied, gesturing shortly to a nearby example of the local artificial foliage. "It's a rather simple system. The Mayor is the one charged with running the city, and he is the one towards whom any questions about law and policy should be directed. There are no guilds here, and all of the Cafe Ersestat locations are always popular.

"Now, allow me a question of my own." He looked the young man squarely in the eye, intending to get the conversation back under his control. "What is your name?"

[d0gbotherer]

There was the slight raise of an eyebrow as Havelock's gaze followed the man's gesture at the tree. Perhaps if he had a more expressive face a look of disbelief might have flickered across it, but as it were his face showed nothing but the usual neutral expression. If currency was growing on the trees this certainly wasn't anywhere near Ankh-Morpork, the trees wouldn't have been left standing there otherwise.

The place sure sounded simple but he couldn't help but think there was more to it than that. He kept the thought to himself however and nodded politely.

"Certainly." He stared right back at the man, unperturbed. It was only fair after all the information the man had given him after all. There was a moment's hesitation as Havelock considered giving the man Downey's name but he figured since the place was nothing like Ankh-Morpork and an assassin wasn't recognized when seen, the Vetinari name wouldn't be known either. "Havelock Vetinari, yours?"

[le_verglas]

"Marlowe," Vexen lied. He'd not missed the moment of hesitation before the boy had given his name. He'd either received a fake name, or this was simply a clever ruse. Either way, he'd not spread his real name around, not after the mess the neophytes had caused.

"A pleasure to meet you, Havelock." More lies, but Vexen had never been one to care about or for pleasantries. The least he could do at the moment, he figured, was gather information on the intelligence in front of him. He fully intended to have a detailed report for the Superior. "If you don't mind my asking, what sort of place did you come from? Nicer than our fair city, I presume?"

[d0gbotherer]

"Likewise, Mr Marlowe," he returned with that polite smile parents would teach their children to do whenever they had to visit that nasty aunt again. Although this didn't quite apply to Havelock as he was practically raised by his aunt but it was only a matter of words.

"I come from a city known as Ankh-Morpork," he replied before taking a moment to look around. Frankly, this city was beautiful in that artificial kind of way. It looked a great deal more pleasant than Ankh-Morpork at least. But then any good assassin knew things weren't always what they seemed. "If you like to think of a city that is corrupt, polluted and prone to violence nicer than such a fair city as this one, then yes," he grimaced.