Vincent (to Poppy): I'm off to fetch myself a coffee, hun. Want anything?
Poppy (to Vincent): Oh yes, please... my usual would be lovely, honey.
Vincent (to Poppy): Will do. See you in a few.
Poppy (to Vincent): Alright, I think I'm going to go for a quick swim while you're gone, honey.
Thirty minutes later:
Vincent (to Ripper): Howdy, Professor. You're looking... you look like hell, actually.
Ripper (to Vincent): Well, hello to you too, Captain...
Vincent (to Ripper): Oh good God. I'm sorry. I haven't slept much in the past few nights. My filter is clearly not on. You look lovely. :-P
Ripper (to Vincent): No, no. I know I look like crap... Hell, I feel like crap. I stayed up too late grading finals & still have a ton to do. Why have you been having trouble sleeping?
Vincent (to Ripper): Ugh. My brain has been working overtime trying to process all of this, for want of a better word, shit.
Ripper (to Vincent): Do you wanna talk about it? I've got a little bit of time before I really have to panic about grading.
Vincent (to Ripper): Mmm. What the hell? I don't seem to have any secrets worth keeping anymore. Have you heard about Alistair?
Ripper (to Vincent): Yes... I was supposed to go to the funeral, but I couldn't attend.
Vincent (to Ripper): He was murdered. By Hiiri and Carver. It's been... it's been tough. Even if this isn't the first time I've had to mourn him.
Ripper (to Vincent): Oh, Captain, that's terrible. I suspected he had gotten himself into trouble from what I had been told by the Empress. But, those two involved never bodes well.
Vincent (to Ripper): No. Not at all. Alistair and I didn't always agree, and we hardly *ever* got along, but I liked him. I certainly didn't want...
Ripper (to Vincent): Oh, Vincent... I'm sorry.
Vincent (to Ripper): God... Sorry. We'd heard he was trying to get a crew together again. What's the Royal Family saying about it?
Ripper (to Vincent): I'm not sure I should repeat it here... but, I do know that you were named in his will. And, the Queen Mum was not happy about it.
Vincent (to Ripper): I was what?! I...I didn't know that. Oh God. That's going to be quite the clusterfuck, isn't it?
Ripper (to Vincent): Victoria told me that there was a letter from Alistair to you & that if you wanted to come to the palace, She would assure your safety as her way of honoring her uncle's final wishes.
Vincent (to Ripper): Well. I don't think I have much of a choice, really. I'm sure Victoria will keep her word, but that mother of hers... She reminds me of my mother, actually.
Ripper (to Vincent): Can you send someone? ... Or do you want me to go?
Vincent (to Ripper): No. I'll go. It's probably a completely stupid thing to do, but I'm not inclined to let the Queen Mum push me around. Besides, it will be good to get out of town for a little bit. All this attention is making me twitchy. Remember the redhead from last night? He didn't want to flirt with me; he wanted to cuss me out. He recognized me from the Indie Reader article. Apparently he had been sent to one of my father's camps. I bought him a drink, and assured him I was a MUCH bigger embarrassment to my folks than he was to his.
Ripper (to Vincent): Oh... that sucks. I'm sorry, Captain. If I had known, I wouldn't have pointed him out to you.
Vincent (to Ripper): It was fine. He needed someone to be angry at, and I happened to be handy. I understand. That said, I'm not sure I want to cope with all this right now. Getting off world for a bit might be nice.
Ripper (to Vincent): Well, if you do decide to go be careful... and now, I really do need to get back to grading papers.
Vincent (to Ripper): Damn straight I'll be careful. I've got an automaton & her psycho sidekick after me and the Queen Mum would like to throw me in a crow's cage. Heh. And that STILL sounds preferable to dealing with my family.
Ripper (to Vincent): Heh... One day you're going to have to sit down & tell all about your real adventures, Captain.
Vincent (to Ripper): Likewise. I'll leave you to your papers, Professor. Have fun!
Ripper (to Vincent): Thanks! See you later!
An hour or so later:
Vincent (to Poppy): Hi, hun! Sorry to be so long. I ran into Ripper in the cafe.
Poppy (to Vincent): No problem, honey... don't mind me doing my best impression of a puddle on the floor.
Vincent (to Poppy): Aww. Poor Poppy Puddle. Here's your cappuccino, hun. Do you want some lunch? I was going to make myself something.
Poppy (to Vincent): Lunch would be swell, honey. So, what did tall, tanned & handsome have to say? ... Oh. I am going to marry this coffee just as soon as I am able to use my arms again. Wow. I am made of rubber.
Vincent (to Poppy): Apparently, Alistair left a letter for me with the Royal Family, and I was named in the will.
Poppy (to Vincent): Oh... do you want company, honey?
Vincent (to Poppy): Ripper offered to pick up the letter for me, but I think I might do it myself. Here's your sandwich, sweetie.
Poppy (to Vincent): Well, I'll be happy to go with you, honey.
Vincent (to Poppy): Actually, I would appreciate your help if you're up to it. I'm sure the Queen Mum is itching to skin me alive. A quick escape might be needed.
Poppy (to Vincent): Should we plan on being gone for a bit or is this just a quick jaunt?
Vincent (to Poppy): Well, we can't be gone too long, since we both have work, but I wouldn't mind getting out of town for a few days. We'll have to be extra careful, though. I don't imagine Hiiri feels very kindly towards us right now.
Poppy (to Vincent): That's for sure, honey. Should we wait to go tomorrow? That way, we have a few days off to be gone.
Vincent (to Poppy): That's fine by me. Good God... I'm exhausted. I'm going to try to get a few hours in before I head to work tonight, hun.
Poppy (to Vincent): Oh... A nap actually sounds good. Do you mind if I cuddle up with you for a bit, honey?
Vincent (to Poppy): Oh. No. Not at all, hun. Actually, that would be nice.
Several hours later:
Ripper: Heh. A "talent scout" just gave me his business card. So, sleazy...
Vincent (to Ripper): Oh goodness! He wasn't from 9th Earth Productions, was he?
Ripper (to Vincent): No, he said he worked with some agency called Ford or Atlantis or something. I wasn't really paying that much attention.
Vincent (to Ripper): Hee hee. Just checking. That was the porn company that was "talent scouting" in the club before.
A short time later:
Poppy (to Vincent): Hey honey, can I have the biggest drink you can make me?
Vincent (to Poppy): Sure, hun. Bad night?
Poppy (to Vincent): I should say so, honey. I broke a heel, there was a scuffle... And, I may have accidentally broken a man's wrist.
Vincent (to Poppy): Oh, good heavens! Let me get you something huge and alcoholic. Are you OK?
Poppy (to Vincent): Yeah, I'm fine, honey. Thank you.
Vincent (to Poppy): Here you go, sweetie. What happened?
Poppy (to Vincent): There was a bachelor party & a couple of them got a bit handsy with the performers.
Vincent (to Poppy): Oh good heavens. Well, consider your drink on me. I hope you didn't get in any trouble.
Poppy (to Vincent): My boss was thankful that they were stopped. but it was suggested that I take a few days off.
Vincent (to Poppy): Well shit. I'm sorry, sweetie.
Poppy (to Vincent): Oh no, it's not as bad as all that, honey. She said it was just for the look of the thing. She said that in my place she might have done the same. Besides, this makes it a little easier for me to go visit my family.
Vincent (to Poppy): Hee hee. Well, I dare to say that gentleman learned a lesson he won't soon forget. Servers him right, I think.
Poppy (to Vincent): Too true, honey, he should be glad that Wilhemina's boyfriend wasn't there. He is enormous & a bit of the jealous sort... he makes Jules look like a dainty flower. :-p
Vincent (to Poppy): Good heavens! Are you sure he's human, and not some kind of troll? Or perhaps a rancor?
Poppy (to Vincent): Hmmm, he might be a Frost Giant, honey. He is Scandanavian.
Vincent (to Poppy): Clearly, a Frost Giant is the only logical explanation. We should call Thor.
Poppy (to Vincent): Heehee, thank you honey... You always cheer me up.
Vincent (to Poppy): Hee hee. I'm glad to hear it, hun. I'll admit; I have an ulterior motive. You're very pretty when you smile.
Poppy (to Vincent): Oh... Thank you. I uh, happen to think you're quite handsome, well honestly, all of the time.
Vincent (to Poppy): Since it appears that no one else wants to yell, proselytize or cry at me this evening, would you like to head home?
Poppy (to Vincent): That would be lovely, honey.
Poppy (to Vincent): Oh yes, please... my usual would be lovely, honey.
Vincent (to Poppy): Will do. See you in a few.
Poppy (to Vincent): Alright, I think I'm going to go for a quick swim while you're gone, honey.
Thirty minutes later:
Vincent (to Ripper): Howdy, Professor. You're looking... you look like hell, actually.
Ripper (to Vincent): Well, hello to you too, Captain...
Vincent (to Ripper): Oh good God. I'm sorry. I haven't slept much in the past few nights. My filter is clearly not on. You look lovely. :-P
Ripper (to Vincent): No, no. I know I look like crap... Hell, I feel like crap. I stayed up too late grading finals & still have a ton to do. Why have you been having trouble sleeping?
Vincent (to Ripper): Ugh. My brain has been working overtime trying to process all of this, for want of a better word, shit.
Ripper (to Vincent): Do you wanna talk about it? I've got a little bit of time before I really have to panic about grading.
Vincent (to Ripper): Mmm. What the hell? I don't seem to have any secrets worth keeping anymore. Have you heard about Alistair?
Ripper (to Vincent): Yes... I was supposed to go to the funeral, but I couldn't attend.
Vincent (to Ripper): He was murdered. By Hiiri and Carver. It's been... it's been tough. Even if this isn't the first time I've had to mourn him.
Ripper (to Vincent): Oh, Captain, that's terrible. I suspected he had gotten himself into trouble from what I had been told by the Empress. But, those two involved never bodes well.
Vincent (to Ripper): No. Not at all. Alistair and I didn't always agree, and we hardly *ever* got along, but I liked him. I certainly didn't want...
Ripper (to Vincent): Oh, Vincent... I'm sorry.
Vincent (to Ripper): God... Sorry. We'd heard he was trying to get a crew together again. What's the Royal Family saying about it?
Ripper (to Vincent): I'm not sure I should repeat it here... but, I do know that you were named in his will. And, the Queen Mum was not happy about it.
Vincent (to Ripper): I was what?! I...I didn't know that. Oh God. That's going to be quite the clusterfuck, isn't it?
Ripper (to Vincent): Victoria told me that there was a letter from Alistair to you & that if you wanted to come to the palace, She would assure your safety as her way of honoring her uncle's final wishes.
Vincent (to Ripper): Well. I don't think I have much of a choice, really. I'm sure Victoria will keep her word, but that mother of hers... She reminds me of my mother, actually.
Ripper (to Vincent): Can you send someone? ... Or do you want me to go?
Vincent (to Ripper): No. I'll go. It's probably a completely stupid thing to do, but I'm not inclined to let the Queen Mum push me around. Besides, it will be good to get out of town for a little bit. All this attention is making me twitchy. Remember the redhead from last night? He didn't want to flirt with me; he wanted to cuss me out. He recognized me from the Indie Reader article. Apparently he had been sent to one of my father's camps. I bought him a drink, and assured him I was a MUCH bigger embarrassment to my folks than he was to his.
Ripper (to Vincent): Oh... that sucks. I'm sorry, Captain. If I had known, I wouldn't have pointed him out to you.
Vincent (to Ripper): It was fine. He needed someone to be angry at, and I happened to be handy. I understand. That said, I'm not sure I want to cope with all this right now. Getting off world for a bit might be nice.
Ripper (to Vincent): Well, if you do decide to go be careful... and now, I really do need to get back to grading papers.
Vincent (to Ripper): Damn straight I'll be careful. I've got an automaton & her psycho sidekick after me and the Queen Mum would like to throw me in a crow's cage. Heh. And that STILL sounds preferable to dealing with my family.
Ripper (to Vincent): Heh... One day you're going to have to sit down & tell all about your real adventures, Captain.
Vincent (to Ripper): Likewise. I'll leave you to your papers, Professor. Have fun!
Ripper (to Vincent): Thanks! See you later!
An hour or so later:
Vincent (to Poppy): Hi, hun! Sorry to be so long. I ran into Ripper in the cafe.
Poppy (to Vincent): No problem, honey... don't mind me doing my best impression of a puddle on the floor.
Vincent (to Poppy): Aww. Poor Poppy Puddle. Here's your cappuccino, hun. Do you want some lunch? I was going to make myself something.
Poppy (to Vincent): Lunch would be swell, honey. So, what did tall, tanned & handsome have to say? ... Oh. I am going to marry this coffee just as soon as I am able to use my arms again. Wow. I am made of rubber.
Vincent (to Poppy): Apparently, Alistair left a letter for me with the Royal Family, and I was named in the will.
Poppy (to Vincent): Oh... do you want company, honey?
Vincent (to Poppy): Ripper offered to pick up the letter for me, but I think I might do it myself. Here's your sandwich, sweetie.
Poppy (to Vincent): Well, I'll be happy to go with you, honey.
Vincent (to Poppy): Actually, I would appreciate your help if you're up to it. I'm sure the Queen Mum is itching to skin me alive. A quick escape might be needed.
Poppy (to Vincent): Should we plan on being gone for a bit or is this just a quick jaunt?
Vincent (to Poppy): Well, we can't be gone too long, since we both have work, but I wouldn't mind getting out of town for a few days. We'll have to be extra careful, though. I don't imagine Hiiri feels very kindly towards us right now.
Poppy (to Vincent): That's for sure, honey. Should we wait to go tomorrow? That way, we have a few days off to be gone.
Vincent (to Poppy): That's fine by me. Good God... I'm exhausted. I'm going to try to get a few hours in before I head to work tonight, hun.
Poppy (to Vincent): Oh... A nap actually sounds good. Do you mind if I cuddle up with you for a bit, honey?
Vincent (to Poppy): Oh. No. Not at all, hun. Actually, that would be nice.
Several hours later:
Ripper: Heh. A "talent scout" just gave me his business card. So, sleazy...
Vincent (to Ripper): Oh goodness! He wasn't from 9th Earth Productions, was he?
Ripper (to Vincent): No, he said he worked with some agency called Ford or Atlantis or something. I wasn't really paying that much attention.
Vincent (to Ripper): Hee hee. Just checking. That was the porn company that was "talent scouting" in the club before.
A short time later:
Poppy (to Vincent): Hey honey, can I have the biggest drink you can make me?
Vincent (to Poppy): Sure, hun. Bad night?
Poppy (to Vincent): I should say so, honey. I broke a heel, there was a scuffle... And, I may have accidentally broken a man's wrist.
Vincent (to Poppy): Oh, good heavens! Let me get you something huge and alcoholic. Are you OK?
Poppy (to Vincent): Yeah, I'm fine, honey. Thank you.
Vincent (to Poppy): Here you go, sweetie. What happened?
Poppy (to Vincent): There was a bachelor party & a couple of them got a bit handsy with the performers.
Vincent (to Poppy): Oh good heavens. Well, consider your drink on me. I hope you didn't get in any trouble.
Poppy (to Vincent): My boss was thankful that they were stopped. but it was suggested that I take a few days off.
Vincent (to Poppy): Well shit. I'm sorry, sweetie.
Poppy (to Vincent): Oh no, it's not as bad as all that, honey. She said it was just for the look of the thing. She said that in my place she might have done the same. Besides, this makes it a little easier for me to go visit my family.
Vincent (to Poppy): Hee hee. Well, I dare to say that gentleman learned a lesson he won't soon forget. Servers him right, I think.
Poppy (to Vincent): Too true, honey, he should be glad that Wilhemina's boyfriend wasn't there. He is enormous & a bit of the jealous sort... he makes Jules look like a dainty flower. :-p
Vincent (to Poppy): Good heavens! Are you sure he's human, and not some kind of troll? Or perhaps a rancor?
Poppy (to Vincent): Hmmm, he might be a Frost Giant, honey. He is Scandanavian.
Vincent (to Poppy): Clearly, a Frost Giant is the only logical explanation. We should call Thor.
Poppy (to Vincent): Heehee, thank you honey... You always cheer me up.
Vincent (to Poppy): Hee hee. I'm glad to hear it, hun. I'll admit; I have an ulterior motive. You're very pretty when you smile.
Poppy (to Vincent): Oh... Thank you. I uh, happen to think you're quite handsome, well honestly, all of the time.
Vincent (to Poppy): Since it appears that no one else wants to yell, proselytize or cry at me this evening, would you like to head home?
Poppy (to Vincent): That would be lovely, honey.
