September 19th, 6pm. Prison cell.

[therealpm]

*Peter stares at his desk, filled with smug satisfaction.  He's finished the briefs.  All of them.  Even the extra ones the civil servants dug out of the back of an old filing cabinet in order to keep him busy.

He stretches and winces as his joints pop.  Far too much time spent hunched over a desk, but really, what else was there to do?  Besides read Alastair's laughably inaccurate and self aggradising diaries, of course.

He cups his chin in his hands and sends a tendril of magic out to explore the wards.  They've died back a bit since John's panicked reinforcements a few days ago, but they're still far stronger than they'd been before.  Still, no wall was without its weak spots.

Careful not to draw Lindsay's attention, Peter closes his eyes and tentatively explores the wards a little further.*

Comments

[thetwitterqueen.livejournal.com]

*Sally arrives, with much bustle. Alastair is tagging along behind, oddly slow.*

Hello, Lindsay! Hello, Peter!

[therealpm.livejournal.com]

*Peter's attention snaps back to the room. He blinks rapidly, adjusting to the sudden transition.*

...good evening Sally.

Oh, and Alastair.

[bigalcampbell.livejournal.com]

Good evening yourself. Don't get up.

Sally, you promised he wouldn't be able to talk!

[thetwitterqueen.livejournal.com]

*Sally rolls her eyes.*

Behave, Alastair, or I'll have Lindsay magick you quiet. Then we'll see who isn't able to talk.

Peter...

*She changes her voice to the sweet wheedly one that always gets what she wants from John. Although it's true that maybe that voice works because John is interested in some things about her that Peter isn't interested in. But anyway. She has to play this right because she has a strong suspicion that just showing up and saying "Peter transform into a wolf for us to play with!" would not go well.*

Thank you so much for transforming for me last night. You're an amazing wolf. I would have been so frightened because you were so powerful and dangerous, but I was sure you wouldn't hurt me. And you didn't.

*She adds a playful lilt.*

Although you were quite a sleepy wolf!

[therealpm.livejournal.com]

*Peter wonders whether it would be possible to manipulate Lindsay into casting a silencing spell anyway. He'd do it himself, but prefers to play down the extent to which his magic remains despite the collar. Instead, he raises one eyebrow at her tone of voice.*

Indeed. The transformation at this stage of the moon's cycle is incredibly tiring.

[bigalcampbell.livejournal.com]

*Alastair holds back a sigh of relief.*

And you must be wrecked after a hard day's lounging. It'd be a shame if we didn't get to see the freak show today but ho hum, another time, perhaps...

[thetwitterqueen.livejournal.com]

ALASTAIR!

*Sally knows Alastair can be crude, but this is going too far.*

Peter, I was hoping to spend a little time with you transformed, since yesterday you went right to sleep, but apparently I need to go give this cretin a lecture now. Please excuse us.

[therealpm.livejournal.com]

*Peter cracks open a book on contemporary American politics or something similar, he doesn't really notice, trying not to allow his gleeful eavesdropping to become too obvious. It isn't difficult. Sally voices her disapproval loudly and with a vocabulary to rival Alastair's own. By the time they come traipsing back to the cell door and are waved past the wards by Lindsay, the latter is looking about as contrite as Peter has ever seen.*

[bigalcampbell.livejournal.com]

*Alastair follows Sally, looking at her with a mixture of shame and admiration. Then he turns to Peter and sighs.*

I'm very sorry if I offended you.

Apparently not, judging by the smug look on your evil little face.

[thetwitterqueen.livejournal.com]

*Sally feels rather pleased with herself. She doesn't think Alastair will refer to a differently-abled person as a 'freak show' again. At least not in her presence!

Since her original plan of spending time with wolf!Peter has met with resistance, she doesn't really have a plan now. Although watching Alastair and Peter spar could be fun.*

[therealpm.livejournal.com]

That's quite alright, Alastair. I know you didn't know any better.

It must be so hard for you, experiencing something genuinely interesting and not being able to write rather turgid prose about it.

[bigalcampbell.livejournal.com]

Oh, it's all going in the diary, Peter, don't you worry about that. It may never see the light of day, or indeed Waterstones, but when I'm feeling down in years to come I'll always be able to look back happily on the days you spent locked in a cell perfecting your impression of Osama bin Laden.

[thetwitterqueen.livejournal.com]

*Oh dear.

Sally contemplates saying something, but decides to sit down in the chair and just watch instead.*

[therealpm.livejournal.com]

Mmm... as far as I know, bin Laden didn't have the ability to grow claws or fangs.

*He grins toothily at Alastair*

Of course, compared to your other little dabblings in media manipulation in that area, it seems almost beliveable.

[bigalcampbell.livejournal.com]

No, but then you do make him look like Mr Charm by comparison, so...

Absolutely - if there's one thing we can learn from your voting record, it's that my assertions when it comes to terrorism have always been perfectly plausible.

[thetwitterqueen.livejournal.com]

*popcorn*

[therealpm.livejournal.com]

*Peter replies primly*

If there's anything to learn from my voting record, it's that I am loyal to the Party and was receptive to the wishes of my constituents whilst in office as their MP.

[bigalcampbell.livejournal.com]

Oh yeah, constituents. Wouldn't it be nice if the small-minded dipshits could decide what their wishes were and then stick to it for more than a few days at a time? Still, I guess you know more about that than I do.

Must be lovely not to have to think about them any more, except possibly in terms of taste and texture.

[thetwitterqueen.livejournal.com]

*Alastair and Peter's discussion of constituents reminds Sally of the rumours about Alastair considering standing for Parliament. Well, once John goes upstairs and she's - hahahahahahaha - Lady Bercow, she and Alastair can make it in together and be the trolliest MPs in the House.

Although they'll have a deal to do to trump Chris Bryant and Jacob Rees-Mogg.*

[therealpm.livejournal.com]

*Peter toys with his pen, bored of the conversation now that it's reached a more concilatory tone.*

Mmm... two admissions of ignorance in one day, Ali? Are you well?

[bigalcampbell.livejournal.com]

Wisest is he who accepts that everything I don't already know isn't worth knowing. Leonardo da fuckin' Vinci said that.

[thetwitterqueen.livejournal.com]

*Sally decides that much as watching these two go at it is amusing, enough is enough. They're just squabbling like toddlers now.*

All right, it's probably time to go and let Peter get some sleep. Come on, Alastair, before Fiona starts worrying I've misplaced you.

*She nods cheerfully to Peter and tows a petulant spin doctor out through the wards that Lindsay lowers for them. Not exactly what she'd promised Alastair, that visit...but spending time with Peter can only be good for him psychologically. Get back up on the horse that threw him. Or would that be wolf?

She waves goodbye to Lindsay and Peter and departs with Alastair, fingers already itching toward her phone. It's been far too long without Twitter.*