oneman_onevote | (no subject)

Havelock is in his now-mysteriously-non-milkshakey room, but in a break from recent tradition is not either reading a book or wrestling a giant killer living plant.

He is, however, standing upside down. It helps strengthen the upper body, see. Also, he doesn't get as many weird looks when he practises them in private.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Puck does not give him weird looks!

Perhaps appreciative looks.

... At any rate. He was told by dear Lilly to get some "essentials" for the children, but he finds himself-- to his utmost chagrin-- at something of a loss as to what those may be. In the meantime, it would probably behoove him to make a quick stop by Havelock's room.

He knocks, politely.

(Then he dissolves into a fog, seeps under the door, and coalesces again on the other side.)

Havelock doesn't get up.

Or... down.

"Good evening, Puck."

He shifts on one hand slightly to maintain the balance thrown off by turning to look at the door.

"Hullo," Puck says cheerfully, failing to look shifty in any way, shape, or form.

Then he blinks.

"... How long have you been at that?"

"I'm... not sure," Havelock replies, looking faintly surprised. "More than a few minutes."

He seems to decide that probably means he should stop it now, and carefully flips right-side-up.

The only concession made to the previous unorthodox position is a slight pinkening of his cheeks where the blood had rushed down.

Puck finds the pink rather fetching. He laughs softly, shaking his head as he draws near.

"I am quite glad, then, that I chose to stop by now, and not an hour hence." He reaches out to brush his fingers across Havelock's cheek. "It might have been most tragic."

"I'm sure I would have fallen over before it became fatal," Havelock remarks dryly.

Not that that wouldn't have been highly embarrassing for someone in his line of work.

"One hopes," Puck says gravely. "Alas, that what one wishes cannot always come to pass."

He pauses, delicately.

And ... keeps pausing, for a moment.

"Well, quite."

And there's that silence again.

And there's an eyebrow, to match.

Or something.

Puck coughs.

"Ahem. Well. I suppose it shall be best if I am direct."

He clears his throat, because obviously coughing is not sufficient.

"I've something to tell you."

"It generally is," Havelock remarks, eyeing Puck curiously.

He has come to suspect, over time, that this is going to be good.

He nods, slowly, eyeing the eyeing that Havelock is doing.

... This is totally not awkward.

"It would seem," he says at last, "that as of last night, I have acquired a bride."

Havelock blinks.

"...I see."

No he doesn't.

"May I ask... how?"

He knows how it works in Ankh-Morpork, but nothing says it would be the same here.

Well, he seems to be taking this well!

"'Tis quite the story, as it happens," Puck says, tone edging towards 'conversational.' "Did you know, for instance, that the eating of honey and peppercorn followed by a showering of gin is viewed in some circles as a perfectly adequate marriage ceremony?"

Havelock's default is 'glacically calm' anyway. It stands him in good stead in this kind of situation!

...Ah. Well, there's that.

"I did not," he says.

Puck makes a face.

"Alas. One learns something new each day."

"Apparently so," Havelock agrees.

"Who is the lady, if I may ask?"

You know. He feels he should be aquainted with his boyfriend/lover/partner/thing's wife.

How very conscientious of him.

"Are you, perhaps, acquainted with one Lilly nee Kane?"

"Indeed I am," Havelock says, calling a memory of Lilly to mind.

She called him 'Killer,' he recalls. Also a 'Sugar Daddy.'

Well, at least the pairing makes sense in some way.

Puck nods.

"Well," he says. "That is the lady."

Havelock nods gravely, then seems to be searching for something appropriate to say.

"Congratulations," he comes up with.

Puck blinks.

"... Is that all?"

"Well, it seemed constructive to be going on with," says Havelock.

He is not trained for the ettiquette of this situation!

Puck gives him a look.

"Have I mentioned it was quite by accident?"

"You did," he confirms.

"Do you know what Miss- Lilly thinks of the situation?"

It should probably be mentioned that divorces are kind of unknown in Ankh Morport at Havelock's time.

If it's really an urgent thing, they tend to, er... call on the Assassin's Guild for mediation.

Puck was about to point out that no one gets congratulated for an accident-- damn Havelock and his tricksy subject-changing ways.

"I shouldn't quite say she was overjoyed," he says, making a face. "In shock is more like it. I do hope she comes round; 'tis rather an insult to me that she takes the business so badly."