Leave me a drabble of backstory. It can be about anyone -- one of your characters, one of mine, someone else's, no-one's. Anyone. Then I'll write one for you.
Captain Lajos Tantony was just as ruggedly handsome as Ponder Stibbons had feared he'd be. He was watchman, after all. They were built like that.
With the exception of Corporal Nobbs. And Sergeant Colon. And, er, Reg Shoe, the Littlebottom fellow Commander Vimes himself...
And perhaps such a blanket statement as the above is not, as such, true on the whole. However, Lajos Tantony was undoubtedly tall, dark, well muscled and constructed, in possession of masculine features and piercing eyes, and currently making Ponder feel quite dumpy and shabby, though that is no particularly difficult feat.
He'd given fair warning about his shyness in person (and received vague warnings in return about an accent of some sort), and was relieved when the Captain made the first move toward any sort of greeting. That meant, at least, he recognized him. Ponder was not unaware that anyone in a pointy hat and robe was difficult not to recognize.
That the Captain hadn't yet said anything was a little intimidating. Ponder wracked his brain. It oughtn't to be so hard, he considered, to speak to someone he'd never spoken to in person before: he'd spoken to the man countless times on the P.C. Other people regularly held conversations with strangers without any such technical help on a daily basis.
The Captain was looking at him expectantly.
Ponder opened his mouth.
"Er..." he said, brilliantly.
"Er..." said the Captain, at the same time.
It was at that exact moment that Ponder knew they'd truly get along famously.
Captain Lajos Tantony had perhaps been expecting someone taller, but certainly someone wider. The short, young, beardless wizard that emerged from the carriage was certainly rather pudgy, not to say pot-bellied, but in no way as fat or plain as he seemed to think, from they shy, disparaing remarks he'd made about himself on the PC.
He looked rather ruffled, though, and quite tired. Something untowards had obviously happened to the tip of his pointy hat at some stage during his journey, and on his grey-green robe, there were stains.
Two further ruffled and bleary creatures emerged from the carriage, both as beautiful as Ponder was homely, but both undoubtedly his, from the way they looked at him, and took a step towards him, the beautiful long-legged white dog to push her muzzle into the wizard's hand, the tall, handsome man to put a friendly, casual hand on Ponder's shoulder.
Ponder! This was Ponder! The Captain felt something close to awe as he looked at the unprepossessing little fellow still holding on to the carriage door. Ponder, inventor and maintainer of the miraculous PC system that had opened up the world to Lajos Tantony in a way he'd never imagined possible, turning perfect strangers into instant friends, and hazy memories into secret loves. Ponder, who had understood Lajos so well, and who was so much like him in so many points, they had amusedly wondered whether they were really the same person. Ponder, who had been the only person to stand up for Lajos when he'd disgraced himself terribly with that anonymous poetry a few weeks ago - not because he had any idea that it had been Lajos, just from the natural kindness of his heart. And yet, Ponder did not suffer fools any more gladly than Captain Tantony himself did. The way Ponder had summarily wiped the floor with the rather forward and careless vampire artist that had recently turned up in Bonk (and in Lajos's life) had elicited a secret, deep amusement.
And now, that miracle was standing right before him, looking at him expectantly with big, gentle brown eyes so magnified by his glasses they seemed to lead independent lives, like goldfish.
Lajos opened his mouth.
"Er..." he said, too overwhelmed for a moment to even consider "Hello" an option.
"Er..." Ponder said, at the same time.
It was at that exact moment that the Captain knew for certain that he had, in fact, met a friend like no other.
It is a Douglas Adams thing, from the description of one of those batty professors at that formal Cambridge dinner where the retired time lord hides the salt cellar in that Greek vase...
I am reminded of that very succinct description quite often when people with glasses look at me.
Oh, riiight. The mad twisty book of DOOM. (It's a great de-stresser book, though. All my attention goes into the plot and not the stress.) And my glasses aren't quite thick enough to bring that on, but still. XD
Goodness, my brain is breaking! I am listening the the Nazgul entuse about her new computer that apprently so prods some backside, and writing that sixth drabble, and already thinking up new ideas, icons to make and manips to glue together. And then there is that other fandom. My mind is crack on speed at the moment.
If I turn up in Milliways tomorrow morning, too, I must be made to get off the train one station early (which is where the loony-bin is).
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yakalskovich) wrote2004-09-13 05:42 am
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It's not very far back...
With the exception of Corporal Nobbs. And Sergeant Colon. And, er, Reg Shoe, the Littlebottom fellow Commander Vimes himself...
And perhaps such a blanket statement as the above is not, as such, true on the whole. However, Lajos Tantony was undoubtedly tall, dark, well muscled and constructed, in possession of masculine features and piercing eyes, and currently making Ponder feel quite dumpy and shabby, though that is no particularly difficult feat.
He'd given fair warning about his shyness in person (and received vague warnings in return about an accent of some sort), and was relieved when the Captain made the first move toward any sort of greeting. That meant, at least, he recognized him. Ponder was not unaware that anyone in a pointy hat and robe was difficult not to recognize.
That the Captain hadn't yet said anything was a little intimidating. Ponder wracked his brain. It oughtn't to be so hard, he considered, to speak to someone he'd never spoken to in person before: he'd spoken to the man countless times on the P.C. Other people regularly held conversations with strangers without any such technical help on a daily basis.
The Captain was looking at him expectantly.
Ponder opened his mouth.
"Er..." he said, brilliantly.
"Er..." said the Captain, at the same time.
It was at that exact moment that Ponder knew they'd truly get along famously.
Er...
He looked rather ruffled, though, and quite tired. Something untowards had obviously happened to the tip of his pointy hat at some stage during his journey, and on his grey-green robe, there were stains.
Two further ruffled and bleary creatures emerged from the carriage, both as beautiful as Ponder was homely, but both undoubtedly his, from the way they looked at him, and took a step towards him, the beautiful long-legged white dog to push her muzzle into the wizard's hand, the tall, handsome man to put a friendly, casual hand on Ponder's shoulder.
Ponder! This was Ponder! The Captain felt something close to awe as he looked at the unprepossessing little fellow still holding on to the carriage door. Ponder, inventor and maintainer of the miraculous PC system that had opened up the world to Lajos Tantony in a way he'd never imagined possible, turning perfect strangers into instant friends, and hazy memories into secret loves. Ponder, who had understood Lajos so well, and who was so much like him in so many points, they had amusedly wondered whether they were really the same person. Ponder, who had been the only person to stand up for Lajos when he'd disgraced himself terribly with that anonymous poetry a few weeks ago - not because he had any idea that it had been Lajos, just from the natural kindness of his heart. And yet, Ponder did not suffer fools any more gladly than Captain Tantony himself did. The way Ponder had summarily wiped the floor with the rather forward and careless vampire artist that had recently turned up in Bonk (and in Lajos's life) had elicited a secret, deep amusement.
And now, that miracle was standing right before him, looking at him expectantly with big, gentle brown eyes so magnified by his glasses they seemed to lead independent lives, like goldfish.
Lajos opened his mouth.
"Er..." he said, too overwhelmed for a moment to even consider "Hello" an option.
"Er..." Ponder said, at the same time.
It was at that exact moment that the Captain knew for certain that he had, in fact, met a friend like no other.
Re: Er...
>>eyes so magnified by his glasses they seemed to lead independent lives, like goldfish.<<
This is my very favorite line. :D
Re: Er...
*goes bright red*
I was sure you'd recognise it, too. Jill will, I suppose.-
In any case, I am glad you like it. Within minutes, there shall be two Ponder drabbles up on my LJ, by the way.
Re: Er...
Re: Er...
I am reminded of that very succinct description quite often when people with glasses look at me.
Re: Er...
And my glasses aren't quite thick enough to bring that on, but still. XD
Re: Er...
Re: Er...
Re: Er...
Goodness, my brain is breaking! I am listening the the Nazgul entuse about her new computer that apprently so prods some backside, and writing that sixth drabble, and already thinking up new ideas, icons to make and manips to glue together. And then there is that other fandom. My mind is crack on speed at the moment.
If I turn up in Milliways tomorrow morning, too, I must be made to get off the train one station early (which is where the loony-bin is).
no subject
They are here. One hopes you like them...