Fanfic - With friends like these...
Unbelievably, I have actually written fanfic again. There's no excuse, apart from having watched the first season of Gargoyles and it just had to be written. It's real fanfic allright - I wrote it in 2-3 hours, it's short and not of high quality, but it was fun to write. I think I at least got most of the typo's out. ;)
With friends like these...
Dinner was served.
The turkey was displayed in the middle of the table on a glistening silver plate. The two men sitting on opposing ends of the table, however, were more focused on each other than on the artistic arrangement of the side vegetables.
“After you.” said Xanatos.
“Why thank you.” answered lord Vetinari with a voice void of actual gratitude.
He picked up the knife and slowly, but meticulously, sliced a perfect piece of meat. He carefully placed it on his plate, not once taking his eyes from his opponent.
Complete silence filled the room as nothing happened for half a minute.
“It would be rude to start eating alone.” Vetinari indicated.
“But of course.” said Xanatos apologetically. “I forgot my manners.”
Xanatos turned the plate of the turkey until he was facing the right wing. With a graceful movement he quickly sliced a piece and in one continuous motion, neatly glided it on his plate.
“Bon appetite.” he said jovially.
“I'm sure we will find it very satisfying.” Vetinari commented, still not showing any emotions.
The two men pricked their meat on their forks. They lifted it and made sure they put it in their mouths at the exact same moment as the other person. Slowly, they chewed and finally swallowed, their gazes not once steering away from each other.
“The meat is cooked beautifully.” Xanatos started.
“Indeed, the chef managed to keep the turkey quite succulent.”
“Interesting choice of marinade, though.”
“Oh? I find it nicely complements the turkey.”
“Yes, but there is too much orange in there. It is a bit overpowering.” Xanatos replied. He had too much experience to show any doubt in the pronounciation of that sentence. Unless he would've wanted to show it, of course.
“Really?” Vetinari asked with a faint half-smile, which generally meant that somebody was in trouble. Somebody, who was not Vetinari that is. “Now that you mention it, they do make it difficult to taste the marinade's... other ingredients.”
“Yes. It's a shame really. The chef may have put in the effort of adding a subtle extra herb, yet it is completely lost on us due to the strong citrus flavour.”
“I do hope this unknown herb would not cost us indigestion,” Vetinari mentioned calmly. “Or other inconvenient physical ailments.”
“Amazing how a single herb can have a devastating effect on the human body.” said Xanatos cautiously. He did not like where Vetinari was going with this.
“Though of course it would help if one knew in advance if such an aggravating herb had been added. One could have taken precautionary measures.”
“But I belief this chef to have pride in his work. He would not be persuaded to reveal his culinary secrets for a bribe. Hence it would not be possible to know for us what has really been put into this lovely turkey's marinade.” Xanatos remarked. He had indeed tried to bribe the chef, but found it highly ineffectual.
“True, I believe the man is a chef for it is his passion. And with no wife and children to take care off, he requires limited financial means.” Vetinari acknowledged.
Xanatos was pleased to hear that Vetinari had met the same obstacle.
“However,” continued the lord and that single word was said with an edge sharper than a samurai sword. “There is of course the aunt.”
“I'm sorry?” asked Xanatos suspiciously.
“An ailing old woman, very unfortunate situation. I'm sure the cook would be willing to do a great deal if someone could help her.”
“Sounds like the chef is a doting nephew.” Xanatos grumbled.
“A very grateful nephew, in fact.” said Vetinari and the half-smile had returned to his face.
A pause lingered in the room. It seemed to weigh heavily, like a storm cloud pressing the air together.
“Though of course,” Xanatos finally and casually said with a sudden change of tone. “The doctors from your dimension could do nothing, whereas mine were able to cure her.”
Vetinari sighed. “Yes, I expected that you would come across the aunt and of course I knew you have much greater medical assistance at your disposal.”
Xanatos smiled contently, like a cat after a bowl of milk.
“Then again, what matters the chef, when it is the waitress, who delivers the food?” Vetinari started and Xanatos' smile quickly froze. “A waitress, who I might add, has a most peculiar problem concerning a very secret lover.”
The discussion continued all night from the lover's overbearing mother, the unexpected bill received by the cleaning lady of the dining hall, to the sommelier's desire to hide his violent past from his wife. Eventually, Xanatos remarked how lovely this parallel dimension and its world was, which lead to a fascinating conversation on the landlord of the castle the two men were at. Apparently, the old lord was recently overthrown in an unexpected civil war, which started due to an important message being unexplainable lost and how the previously unknown new lord's rise to power was quite sudden as if he had backing from a mysterious third party.
In the end, the two men concluded that no hypothetical poison could have been added. Because were that the case, one of them would have died by now. In fact, neither Xanatos nor Vetinari would ever dream of actually trying to poison one another. Where else could they find a friend to have such lovely monthly dinners with?
With friends like these...
Dinner was served.
The turkey was displayed in the middle of the table on a glistening silver plate. The two men sitting on opposing ends of the table, however, were more focused on each other than on the artistic arrangement of the side vegetables.
“After you.” said Xanatos.
“Why thank you.” answered lord Vetinari with a voice void of actual gratitude.
He picked up the knife and slowly, but meticulously, sliced a perfect piece of meat. He carefully placed it on his plate, not once taking his eyes from his opponent.
Complete silence filled the room as nothing happened for half a minute.
“It would be rude to start eating alone.” Vetinari indicated.
“But of course.” said Xanatos apologetically. “I forgot my manners.”
Xanatos turned the plate of the turkey until he was facing the right wing. With a graceful movement he quickly sliced a piece and in one continuous motion, neatly glided it on his plate.
“Bon appetite.” he said jovially.
“I'm sure we will find it very satisfying.” Vetinari commented, still not showing any emotions.
The two men pricked their meat on their forks. They lifted it and made sure they put it in their mouths at the exact same moment as the other person. Slowly, they chewed and finally swallowed, their gazes not once steering away from each other.
“The meat is cooked beautifully.” Xanatos started.
“Indeed, the chef managed to keep the turkey quite succulent.”
“Interesting choice of marinade, though.”
“Oh? I find it nicely complements the turkey.”
“Yes, but there is too much orange in there. It is a bit overpowering.” Xanatos replied. He had too much experience to show any doubt in the pronounciation of that sentence. Unless he would've wanted to show it, of course.
“Really?” Vetinari asked with a faint half-smile, which generally meant that somebody was in trouble. Somebody, who was not Vetinari that is. “Now that you mention it, they do make it difficult to taste the marinade's... other ingredients.”
“Yes. It's a shame really. The chef may have put in the effort of adding a subtle extra herb, yet it is completely lost on us due to the strong citrus flavour.”
“I do hope this unknown herb would not cost us indigestion,” Vetinari mentioned calmly. “Or other inconvenient physical ailments.”
“Amazing how a single herb can have a devastating effect on the human body.” said Xanatos cautiously. He did not like where Vetinari was going with this.
“Though of course it would help if one knew in advance if such an aggravating herb had been added. One could have taken precautionary measures.”
“But I belief this chef to have pride in his work. He would not be persuaded to reveal his culinary secrets for a bribe. Hence it would not be possible to know for us what has really been put into this lovely turkey's marinade.” Xanatos remarked. He had indeed tried to bribe the chef, but found it highly ineffectual.
“True, I believe the man is a chef for it is his passion. And with no wife and children to take care off, he requires limited financial means.” Vetinari acknowledged.
Xanatos was pleased to hear that Vetinari had met the same obstacle.
“However,” continued the lord and that single word was said with an edge sharper than a samurai sword. “There is of course the aunt.”
“I'm sorry?” asked Xanatos suspiciously.
“An ailing old woman, very unfortunate situation. I'm sure the cook would be willing to do a great deal if someone could help her.”
“Sounds like the chef is a doting nephew.” Xanatos grumbled.
“A very grateful nephew, in fact.” said Vetinari and the half-smile had returned to his face.
A pause lingered in the room. It seemed to weigh heavily, like a storm cloud pressing the air together.
“Though of course,” Xanatos finally and casually said with a sudden change of tone. “The doctors from your dimension could do nothing, whereas mine were able to cure her.”
Vetinari sighed. “Yes, I expected that you would come across the aunt and of course I knew you have much greater medical assistance at your disposal.”
Xanatos smiled contently, like a cat after a bowl of milk.
“Then again, what matters the chef, when it is the waitress, who delivers the food?” Vetinari started and Xanatos' smile quickly froze. “A waitress, who I might add, has a most peculiar problem concerning a very secret lover.”
The discussion continued all night from the lover's overbearing mother, the unexpected bill received by the cleaning lady of the dining hall, to the sommelier's desire to hide his violent past from his wife. Eventually, Xanatos remarked how lovely this parallel dimension and its world was, which lead to a fascinating conversation on the landlord of the castle the two men were at. Apparently, the old lord was recently overthrown in an unexpected civil war, which started due to an important message being unexplainable lost and how the previously unknown new lord's rise to power was quite sudden as if he had backing from a mysterious third party.
In the end, the two men concluded that no hypothetical poison could have been added. Because were that the case, one of them would have died by now. In fact, neither Xanatos nor Vetinari would ever dream of actually trying to poison one another. Where else could they find a friend to have such lovely monthly dinners with?