Discworld (Vimes/Vetinari)

[sister-coyote.livejournal.com]

Title: Just Enough To Confuse
Author: sister_coyote
Rating: PG
Word count: 200
Summary: "You should count your blessings, Commander."
Prompt: Discworld, Vimes/Vetinari: Innuendo - "By this point he was very, very good at unpacking levels of meaning, but he still must have made a mistake"



"And the conflict between these neighborhoods -- oh, but look; it is nearly midnight."  Vetinari turned the little clock with its improbably complex mechanism toward Vimes to demonstrate.  "Your wife will worry."

Ordinarily he would have protested -- Sybil wasn't particularly a worrier, although she did seem to miss him when he was often out late; and that was enough to keep him protesting.  He put the files down and rose to his feet (creaking a little; his age, catching up to him like always late at night).  "You're right," he said.  "Though she doesn't fuss."

"You should count your blessings, Commander."

"Oh, I do," Vimes said, too tired to watch his words: "The best part is when they care and you know they care and neither of you have to say anything."

"Oh, indeed," Vetinari said, and put the pen down, and looked at him for a very long time.

By this point Vimes was very, very good at unpacking levels of meaning, but he still must have made a mistake.

"Sir," he said: the safest weapon in his arsenal.

Vetinari lifted his hand to wave him out, smiling just enough to confuse.  "Have a good evening, Commander."

Comments

[crysiana.livejournal.com]

"Was that a 'yes, sir' or a 'no, sir'?" "It was just a 'sir,' sir."

I don't even remember what that quote is from, but this ficlet evokes it really well. Very cool. ♥

[sister-coyote.livejournal.com]

Thank you! ♥

Yes, I definitely had that line in mind -- although I don't remember which one it was from myself!

[sans-pertinence.livejournal.com]

I totally agree with ladycrysiana... I can bloody well hear that line (was it Feet of Clay, perhaps?). Oh very well done. You have their voices perfect. *sighs happily*

[sister-coyote.livejournal.com]

Thank you! I'm delighted that the voices worked for you. ♥

[laylah.livejournal.com]

....

...aaaaaaaaaaaw.

woobins. <3

[sister-coyote.livejournal.com]

♥

Thank you.

[cadence-zero.livejournal.com]

♥ ♥

This's what I love about these two - the way, particularly in later books, they understand each other well enough communicate without having to say much at all. ♥

(Yeah, this was one of mine - a pretty safe bet with Discworld prompts this round. ^^)

[sister-coyote.livejournal.com]

Yee! I'm glad you liked it. I think a lot of the ones that you didn't submit, I did -- although not yours with Vetinari.

Also, I feel the need to point out that the clock was a Hogswatch gift from Leonard da Quirm, who calls it a Device for Measuring the Passage of Time By Means of Small Interlocking Gears. Er.

[whitereflection.livejournal.com]

♥♥♥ This just makes me smile--that "Oh, indeed" especially.

[sister-coyote.livejournal.com]

Thank you! ♥

[nekokoban]

I.

I'm not a fan of this pairing, but -- dude. If it does work at all, I think this is how it would happen♥

[sister-coyote.livejournal.com]

Thank you! :D

[imitari.livejournal.com]

Ah. Vimes and Ventinari. Two of the greatest Discworld characters ever. *sighs happily*

[sister-coyote.livejournal.com]

Thank you! They are wonderful. (And hence sort of intimidating to write!)

[misura.livejournal.com]

Squee? Loved this snippet of interplay between these two - it had that delightful Discwordly ring to it as well as a little something that I doubt will ever be in the books (which, of course, is why fanfiction was invented).

[tamy-ryedale.livejournal.com]

♥ Nice!
I've translated it into Russian there: http://lord-v.diary.ru/p166150856.htm
I hope you don't mind.