A Round of Drinks [Angua]

[Lady Margolotta von Überwald]

Ankh-Morpork, the city of one thousand surprises. That was at least what tourist guides said and while it wasn't exactly untrue, there was nothing that could prepare one for the genuine wonders of the city. Especially the alleys. Some of them could make even a vampire feel slightly uncomfortable. "...und zen I took his picture." the small vampire finished, grinning cheerfully at Margolotta who gave him a slightly patronising smile in return. "Lovely, Otto... vere are you taking me, again?" Her question remained unanswered, though, because her companion suddenly stopped and opened a door.

Vampire eyes, unlike human eyes, didn't need to adjust to the lack of light. The long low room was dark, even darker than the alley outside. Margolotta allowed herself to be led to an empty table in the far corner. She could feel the eyes of other... guests on her. After all, a vampire in a pink jumper was a sight to behold, even in Ankh-Morpork. "Vait here." Otto said, when they took their seats. "I vill get us drinks." Margolotta looked around the room. Being from Überwald, she was used to seeing interesting creatures, euphemistically speaking. However, an old lady with a straw hat and an expression of polite absent-mindedness was something new to her. "Otto?" she called, but he was already gone. Well, the only thing she could do was to look friendly and wait for her drink.

[Angua von Überwald]

No matter what Corporal Nobbs said, there was still something utterly unnerving about the dresses. It wasn't so much the dresses and bonnets as it was the sight of Nobby wearing the dresses. After three hours of patrolling the streets with him and hearing all about women's rights, she was in dire need of an escape. "Er...do you think-" started the Corporal but Angua hurriedly interjected, "Twice as much as you'd guess. I believe it's just about time for my break." Giving him a short nod, Angua slipped into the nearest alley and let out a sigh of relief. With her back against the frigid wall, she closed her eyes for a brief moment as she relaxed. What she needed right now was a stiff drink.

As luck would have it, an all too familiar door was just shutting on the adjacent wall. "Ah, Biers, where everybody knows your shape," she quoted with a half smile. It was the sort of place that she didn't feel "out of place" when she needed to be alone. Angua, without hesitation, stopped the door with her foot and pushed it back open. She wasn't exactly a regular to the pub but it offered the perfect escape from, well, Nobby. At least in here, everyone mostly left each other alone and the differently alive didn't ask as many questions. Sometimes it made her wonder why ordinary people, the ones who thought themselves to be "normal", couldn't do the same. It made things a lot more simple, thought the Sergeant as she strode toward the bar to order something.

[Lady Margolotta von Überwald]

A certain person, fond of figures of speech and rather homesick once said that there was no place like home. It was true, of course, especially if you lived in a castle with servants, dungeons and chintz salon, but it was quite romantic and sweet to think it would suit everyone else. Anyway, Ankh-Morpork was nothing like home. First there was the climate and food, organised government and criminal, each more dangerous than the other one. Then, there were the people. People didn't dare to raise their voices back in Uberwald, because it usually meant that they would lose the ability to speak and some body parts as well. It wasn't a clever or healthy idea. People in Ankh-Morpork were given too much freedom. It wasn't particularly healthy, either. She was glad that she wasn't interesting anymore. All heads turned to the door when it opened, but their owners returned to their little chatter as soon as they recognised the woman who entered the room.

There was a very low chance of seeing someone you know in a place like this. However, Margolotta recognised the young woman who entered the room the moment she had opened the door. She looked almost exactly like Seraphine, only younger and without that annoying snobby smirk. Delphine -or Angua- was a decent intelligent young lady, unlike the rest of her family, and quite a reasonable person as well. Margolotta would have liked her even more had she not been a werewolf. Some things just couldn't be changed. Margo's eyes followed the newcomer's entrance and her regal movement towards the bar. Her sharp teeth nibbled at her lower lip, before she raised her hand and waved in Angua's direction, as her lips curved into a small well-practiced smile.

[Angua von Überwald]

Normally, Angua was like the rest of the coppers and opted to have a drink at The Bucket, in Gleam Street, but this pub was probably one of the better places to escape from "normal" life; not that living in Ankh-Morpork or being in the Watch was ever normal per say. Methodically, she picked her way towards the bar, nodding at Igor. Angua waited patiently as he finished serving another patron. As she did so, it was hard for her to not have a gander around the place to survey the goings on. It wasn't as though anything sinister should be happening in here. People avoided the bar, without even realizing that they were of course. Actually, Biers was situated in a part Ankh-Morpork very near the Shades, which most did their best to avoid anyway. Even the inhabitants of the Shades, though, seemed to avoid Biers. It was nice.

"Afternoon Sergeant," rumbled the mono-browed bartender as he approached her. Angua's attention snapped back to the bar and she did her best to offer him a half smile. "Beer, thanks," she requested as she slid onto an empty bars tool. Igor nodded as he expertly filled a tall mug and placed it before her. She stared at the drink for a moment or two before lifting it to her lips and taking a small drink. It felt different drinking alone. Again, she found herself glancing around the pub silently. Call it a force of habit but she couldn't help herself. Had it not been for her keen interest in remaining alert, Angua might have missed the figure, seated at one of the tables, waving in her direction. Without hesitation, the Sergeant rose from her stool, beer in hand, and started in the direction of the female, who certainly stood out in a place like this. As she neared the table, she observed, "First time in Ankh-Morpork then?"

[Lady Margolotta von Überwald]

Even though she would never admit it, Lady Margolotta was taken by surprise when the City Watch Sergeant decided to join her. Her eyes focused on the large mug with strange liquid in it, which Angua held in her hand. Margo gave it a judging look and it luckily didn’t look back at her. "No, I have been in Ankh-Morpork before, but I have never been in..." the vampire was waving her hand hopelessly trying to find a polite word to describe their surroundings. It was a challenge, indeed. She eventually gave up and shrugged. "...here" she finished and smiled almost apologetically. Come to think of it, it was an interesting question. Sergeant Angua was probably the only person in Ankh-Morpork who didn’t listen to gossip and rumours. Perhaps she simply ignored them. Well, she had always been smarter than that, had she not?

Margolotta crossed her legs and leaned forward in her seat, gazing at Angua. "I vos qvite surprised to see you here. Do you come here often?" The lady asked conversationally, her eyes still focused on the woman beside her. She observed her companion for some time, before she sighed and looked away. "I undersztand who zer guests are and vot zey are doink here." she started to speak after awhile. It was probably physically impossible to speak with such a strong accent, but Margolotta was somehow managing and she was rather good at it; after all she’d had decades to practice that fake accent and vampires were expected to sound funny. "...but who iz zis voman?" she continued, waving her hand and gesturing at the old woman with a straw hat. Margolotta reached for her bag and drew out a long cigarette holder and a black cigarette which lit itself instantly. She was finally beginning to realise why certain creatures visited Biers. A petite vampire with expensive cigarettes and pink sweater seemed conspicuous, compared to other guests, but nobody cared about it. And even those who loved attention sometimes needed a break. Angua was once more given Margolotta’s full attention. "I trust Captain Ironfoundersson is well?" She asked innocently with flat politeness.