14th October, 9 am.

[therealpm]

*Peter works his way quietly through yet another brief, occasionally stopping to flick the fringe out of his eyes.  His hair is far too long by now and it's beginning to annoy him. 

The TV screen in the corner is on, but remains carefully blank.  The Machine takes pains not to be visible when a guard might be peering through the door unless Peter specifically requests an answer.  Last night had been their longest uninterrupted conversation since the programming of the doppelganger.  Peter had guessed (correctly) that none of his guards would wish to miss The Thick of It, and so he'd had a whole half hour to talk with his creation. 

Peter being Peter, this had mostly involved a set of detailed instructions on what The Machine should do if the 'cure' killed him, and a request to both monitor and if possible, strategically intervene in the care pathway of Peter's two victims.  They were too far away for The Machine to do anything directly of course, but all patient records are computerised these days and overstressed doctors tend not to notice slight alterations to a patient's records or prescriptions when they've got another few dozen to manage as well.

The Machine tells him they're doing better and that LaGarde seems to be doing her best to make Osborne miserable.  It helps.  A little.*

Comments

Re: Lunchtime the same day

[therealpm.livejournal.com]

*He sets the carefully written sheaf of papers aside, the bottom fifth of each page carefully left blank for signatures to provide proof against modification.

Tapping one finger against the v of his shirt where the collar is barely visible, he reminds John*

I will need a tie if I am to avoid an awkward explanation and Freddie will notice if I use the one you gave him as a father's day gift.

Re: Lunchtime the same day

[bamfbercow.livejournal.com]

*John summons a tie from upstairs and passes it through to Peter.*

Re: Lunchtime the same day

[therealpm.livejournal.com]

Red roses? Freddie will want to wear it.

*He ties it quickly, then shoves it under a jumper out of the reach of small grabby hands.*

Onwards.

Re: Lunchtime the same day

[bamfbercow.livejournal.com]

*John rolls his eyes and decides not to tell Peter about the number of times Freddie has 'borrowed' that particular tie to wear and try to boss his parents around.*

*Instead, he lets down the wards long enough for Peter to exit his cell, then goes through the fireplace to Speakers House with him.*

Look who's come to visit, children!

Re: Lunchtime the same day

[therealpm.livejournal.com]

*Peter narrowly avoids heading straight for the rug out of habit and instead manages to seat himself on the sofa before he is completely swarmed by children, all clamoring to know where he has been and did he know they'd had an awsome dog called Benji and had he brought them any presents?*

Re: Lunchtime the same day

[bamfbercow.livejournal.com]

*John chuckles to himself at the sight, then motions the letter "T" with his hands as a way to ask Peter if he would like refreshments. At the older man's nod, John retreats to the kitchen to get the drinks (and biscuits) and returns a short while later.*

Re: Lunchtime the same day

[therealpm.livejournal.com]

*Freddie is disappointed by Peter's disinclination to show him any more magic tricks, but accepts Peter's tales of illness with good grace. Oliver decides that Peter has to see his latest rune manual and runs upstairs to get it. Jemima just looks thoughtful and has to be restrained from reaching for his ears enough times that Peter begins to worry that he's left them pointy. A quick brush with his hands as he pretends to adjust his hair confirms that this is not the case, but Jemima continues to stare anyway. He is grateful when John returns and provides a distraction in the form of biscuits.*

Re: Lunchtime the same day

[bamfbercow.livejournal.com]

*John spots Jemima trying to get to Peter's ears as he sets the tea things on the table in the middle of the room. He decides that testing whether Peter and "Benji" respond in the same way to ear scratches would be a bad idea, and so he persuades Jemima that biscuits are far more interesting that Uncle Peter's ears - for the moment, at least.*

Re: Lunchtime the same day

[therealpm.livejournal.com]

*Unfortunately, Freddie has noticed Jemima's attempts, and giggling, tries to tickle him under the chin. Peter responds by turning the child round and hugging him close with one arm.*

Do you want a tail for christmas or not, hmm?

Re: Lunchtime the same day

[bamfbercow.livejournal.com]

No, Freddie, Uncle Peter can't give you a tail now.

Nor can I.

When you're older you can learn how to give yourself a tail.

Re: Lunchtime the same day

[therealpm.livejournal.com]

*Oliver returns with his book and the next half hour is spent appreciating all the diagrams and occaionally batting away Jemima's hands. Eventually Freddie gets bored and demands that as Uncle Peter is here, they should go flying.*

Re: Lunchtime the same day

[bamfbercow.livejournal.com]

*John glances at Peter. If he can't control a broom normally, there's no way he'll be able to with the collar on and the potion in his system.*

Freddie, have you seen the weather, by any chance? It is simply not possible to go flying at the moment. You'll have to think of something else to do instead - a challenge I am sure you will be more than capable of matching.

Re: Lunchtime the same day

[therealpm.livejournal.com]

*Freddie pouts, but eventually runs off and returns bearing a large carboard box, which on closer inspection turns out to be a game of Risk. Peter grins. John is far too impatient for this sort of game, Peter's going to obliterate him.*

Re: Lunchtime the same day

[bamfbercow.livejournal.com]

Ah...

*Risk. John had never been good at this game.*

A-Are you sure you want to play this Freddie?

Re: Lunchtime the same day

[therealpm.livejournal.com]

*Peter nearly grabs the box from Freddie and begins to set things up.*

I will have Asia.

Re: Lunchtime the same day

[bamfbercow.livejournal.com]

Peter, that's not how you're meant to decide. You're suppose to draw lo-

No, Freddie, Australia is mine!

You'll have to ask Uncle Peter if you can have the red team.

Re: Lunchtime the same day

[therealpm.livejournal.com]

Yes you may have the red team, but only if you help guard my borders here and here. Deal? Good.

*Peter selects the green counters for himself, and the game begins.

Jemima decides to stay with John. Freddie starts in Europe and Oliver takes North America. Pact made, Peter begins to take as many territories in South Asia as possible and then launches an assault on the Phillapines.*

Re: Lunchtime the same day

[bamfbercow.livejournal.com]

*A few charms to the counters and suddenly the armies were moving figures which sliced and stabbed each other when engaged in battle. The first clash between Peter and John results in a small piece of plastic bouncing off John's head and into his tea, much to the delight of the other players.*

*Realizing that he's going to lose this game no matter what (because Oliver is too busy building up his armies in the North to attack Freddie and trap Peter in a pincer movement) John decides to Turtle and keep the game going as long as possible.*

*'As long as possible' turns out to be not very long at all, and before he knows it, Peter has control of his territories and his army have been wiped out.*

Re: Lunchtime the same day

[therealpm.livejournal.com]

*Grinning, Peter scoops up more pieces. He leaves a token guard at the bridge point to Australasia and sets about reinforcing his control over his Asian territories. This allows Freddie to stop his guard duty, and he expands his pieces into Greenland in an attempt to usurp his brother. Peter, meanwhile, starts to acquire as many African territories as possible.*

Re: Lunchtime the same day

[bamfbercow.livejournal.com]

*John offers a great deal of advice to Oliver over the course of the game, but in the end a cry of "I don't listen to losers!" followed by a forced apology cause John to sit back and watch. Meanwhile Jemima, annoyed at her father for losing so badly and so early, goes back to trying to work out how Peter would react being scratched behind the ears.*

*John pulls her back a couple of times and eventually gets her to see that drawing the pieces exploding and thinking up battle plans for a later game are a much better way to spend her time.*

Re: Lunchtime the same day

[therealpm.livejournal.com]

*Africa held, and the two children distracted by their ongoing war, Peter sends out some of his new army pieces across the southern Atlantic and expands his empire into the almost entirely unexplored continent of South America. He is somewhat distracted by Jemima's attempts to reach his ears, but he manages to arrange all his pieces as planned.*

Re: Lunchtime the same day

[bamfbercow.livejournal.com]

*John rolls his eyes - thinking about it, there was no way Peter would lose this game - and goes back to helping Jemima get the shading on the blood just right.*

Re: Lunchtime the same day

[therealpm.livejournal.com]

*Peter allows the war between Oliver and Freddie to play out long enough to weaken both, then sweeps them away in a trans-continental pincer movement that leaves him holding all the territories on the board. He leans back and smirks.*

Another game? Anyone?

Re: Lunchtime the same day

[bamfbercow.livejournal.com]

*John jumps in to answer before Freddie can.*

No, Peter, I don't think so - look at the time. My, my it is getting late, isn't it?

Re: Lunchtime the same day

[therealpm.livejournal.com]

...if you insist.

No, Freddie, I'm not leaving yet. Your father just thinks another game might go on too long.

Of course you can have another h-

No, leave my ears alone.

Yes, and she was told to stop it too. Where did you pick this up, hmm?

Well do I look like him?

Exactly. You'll just have to pet Order instead.