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

[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.

Re: Lunchtime the same day

[bamfbercow.livejournal.com]

No, Freddie, Benji isn't coming back to visit.

No, we can't get a dog.

We already have Order.

Oliver, you take that back right now, young man, or I will send you to bed without pudding!

That's better.

Re: Lunchtime the same day

[therealpm.livejournal.com]

Speaking of which, is it nearly dinner time?

Re: Lunchtime the same day

[bamfbercow.livejournal.com]

It's nearly time to start ordering or making dinner, certainly.

Are you joining us this evening, Peter?

Re: Lunchtime the same day

[therealpm.livejournal.com]

*Peter looks up again. Oliver has decided to sit on his legs, the better to show him more details from the book, whilst Freddie has finally discovered the tie, much to his delight and Jemima has decided that Peter's not so evil after all and has cuddled up to his side, face buried in woolly jumper.*

I believe so, yes.

Re: Lunchtime the same day

[bamfbercow.livejournal.com]

*John giggles at the sight.*

I'll go and check what's for dinner, in that case.

*He heads through to the kitchen and inspects the fridge. Since Peter's transformation back into human form, there has been considerably less prime ingredients in the Bercow household, and the only meat currently in (discounting the toppings on the "Meat Feast" pizzas and Peter surely would) appears to be a bag of mincemeat.*

Ah...

*He heads back through to the living room.*

The choices for tonight consist of something with mincemeat, something ordered in from one of the many reputable take away food establishments in the area, or a trip to the supermarket.

Re: Lunchtime the same day

[therealpm.livejournal.com]

Surely even you are capable of a spaghetti bolognaise?

Jemima...

*He flinches away as she grabs one of his ears, then gently disentanles her hands.*

Stop it. That's quite enough.

No, Freddie, it's my tie.

I know he does, but this one is mine.

Indeed we do.

Why don't you go help your father in the kitchen, hmm?

Re: Lunchtime the same day

[bamfbercow.livejournal.com]

Freddie, Chris Bryant and I have matching ties - it is not a "sign" of anything.

Now come along, I'm sure you'll be thrilled to learn how to cook spaghetti bolognaise...

*Jemima comes too - as Chief Taster, she has to be included at every stage - and the three of them don aprons and wash their hands before they start cooking. Oliver is on cleaning duty, washing the peppers and so on while Jemima peels the mushrooms. John waves his hand and the music system starts up.*

*He goes back through to the living room for a moment.*

Glass of wine, Peter?

Re: Lunchtime the same day

[therealpm.livejournal.com]

*Peter feels oddly bereft without three children all demanding his attention, although he has to admit breathing is easier without Freddie tugging on his tie.*

Is it from the same place as your last batch?

Re: Lunchtime the same day

[bamfbercow.livejournal.com]

I am sure I could somehow manage to find one from that establishment if need be?

Re: Lunchtime the same day

[therealpm.livejournal.com]

*Peter simply grins up at John in assent and returns to setting out another game of Risk with Freddie.*

Re: Lunchtime the same day

[bamfbercow.livejournal.com]

*John summons another bottle and pours out a glass for Peter. He then heads back to the kitchen to continue cooking with Oliver and Jemima, teaching them the words to the music that's playing.*

Re: Lunchtime the same day

[therealpm.livejournal.com]

*Peter frowns and tells Freddie to wait. He gets up and investigates John's record collection, wondering if the record he transfigured last time is still here.

It is!

He changes the song, then sits back down and rolls the dice.*

Re: Lunchtime the same day

[bamfbercow.livejournal.com]

Wha-

...

*John calls through*

Very funny, Peter!

*John is about to change the record back when he sees Oliver and Jemima start dancing. He concludes that maybe - just this once - he'll put with Peter's taste in music.*