From The New World

[collector]

[Ahh, that old, familiar sight. A hard-working individual at a desk, diligently filing through paperwork.]

[Or, perhaps not.]

[Indeed, at this particular mahogany writing desk, the 'hard-worker' in question is toying with what appears to be a model planet, suspended in mid air above the surface. His fingertip is sliding a small block over the surface of the globe like a puzzle piece that doesn't quite fit in. It is, of course, all a hologram. Occasionally he mutters something vague under his breath, like:]

No, let's not build anything over Avril's caves. Heaven knows what she'll do to any poor undergraduate girls she can get her hands on.

[or perhaps:]

Could work. I'm not legally culpable if a griffin eats someone, anyway...

[Bach's Suite No 2 in B minor accompanies his musings, as does a cup of tea and a plate full of crumpets and Garibaldi biscuits. How tough it is to be Irving Braxiatel.]

Comments

[brandyhabit.livejournal.com]

[she takes one of the biscuits and eats it, and then leans on the desk to get a closer look]

Mind if I ask what it is you're getting up to today that might end in body snatching or devoured undergraduates and professors?

[collector]

[Braxiatel very quietly reconfigures the dimension of map to actually represent the Collection, instead of the false map he had overlain as a matter of paranoia]

I'm going to open up a university. One gets so bored of only having fully-qualified academics as colleagues. I want to be able to laugh at charmingly ignorant undergraduates when I'm in a bad mood.

[hostclubdaddy.livejournal.com]

I didn't realize you enjoyed Bach, Braxiatel-sama!

[he walks to the side of Brax, tilting his head as he studies the globe]

But...what are you doing?

[brandyhabit.livejournal.com]

A university? That... [quietly and almost reluctantly] That might actually be nice.

[collector]

I adore Bach, Mr Suou. And Handel, and Scarlatti, and all the rest. I have a weakness for the Baroque. But I am trying to pick out where to place the buildings for my - that is, the Collection's - new university. So I decided to play with the simularity technology as I worked.

[collector]

[He looks at her, considering her carefully. He is quiet - he is, believe it or not, listening.] Do you think so?

[brandyhabit.livejournal.com]

Green and naive could be a nice change of scenery.

[she exhales and puts on a smile and then steps closer as she looks over the globe and points to an empty area]

What about this area here, between the Library and the Aina Gallery and the small stables?

[collector]

Perhaps on the other side of the path, closer to the Library? [with a smile] We can't have it blocking Reception's view of the Mansionhouse.

[hostclubdaddy.livejournal.com]

I see! Baroque is very nice, although I've always taken a special pleasure in Chopin and Mendelssohn and the entire Romantic era.

A university, how wonderful!

My family is involved in school administration. If it would help at all, I could ask my father's secretary for any guidelines or advice for building a new school.

[brandyhabit.livejournal.com]

I can't tell if that's your impulse to show off or your desire to have a view of who's coming and going.

[collector]

How apt. I doubt even Liszt could compare to the mania you'd inspire in your admirers. But no no, it's fine. I set one up a few years ago on Vremnya before my duties on the Collection demanded my full attention. It's really just a matter of where to put it.

[collector]

I don't show off. I simply... like visitors to the Collection to have a bit of a preview, to keep them from fainting in academic and aesthetic ecstasy when they see the real thing. Sporadic collapses are very damaging to the constitution.

[hostclubdaddy.livejournal.com]

Very astute!

If your Collection is a gathering of knowledge, wouldn't you just put the university in the middle?

[collector]

That would be the core of the planetoid. I think the students would prefer to be able to see daylight.

[brandyhabit.livejournal.com]

[laughs] How very thoughtful of you, Brax. It really is very messy trying to move around the piles of swooning victims.

[collector]

Perhaps I ought to move the medical centre closer to the space port.

[hostclubdaddy.livejournal.com]

[a pause and then he laughs]

Ah, no, you misunderstood me! I meant in the middle of all the important buildings and places, so the university would be a central point.

[brandyhabit.livejournal.com]

Or just keep a nurse with some smelling salts on call at the space port at all times.

[collector]

[Brax smiles.] Then forgive me. The centrepiece, though...

[Braxiatel manipulates the scheme so that a projection of the Mansionhouse appears across the desktop] ...is this. The Mansionhouse. Modelled after the Palace of Versailles, if you're wondering why it seems familiar.

[collector]

Or robot porters? I'm sure Joseph could do the job.

1/2

[horriblyevil.livejournal.com]

[When Billy first spots Braxiatel hunched over a desk, his first impulse is to whirl around and quickly stride in the opposite direction. However, today, he stops himself.

Today, Billy is carrying with him his latest project: a tiny tracking/recording device, no bigger than a small spider. He is hoping to use it to calculate all Plane inhabitants' dimensional and mathematical coordinates back to their home universes. Learning some insider intelligence that he could later use against these folks is also a plus.

He had gone out to the plane today with the intention of testing it out. Well, who better to test it on than someone like Braxiatel? The more he can learn about Irving Braxiatel, the higher the chances of surprising the smugness right out of him. Billy can always dream, right? He hides a smirk, carefully palms the small device, and prepares his approach.]

2/2 Billy will be dismayed when his devices lose their signals outside of the Plane XD

[horriblyevil.livejournal.com]

[Step One: He loosens his right shoelace with his left foot. Subtly. Or at least as subtly as he can manage to maneuver it, with the awkward kinds of movements it requires.

Step Two: He plans his approach trajectory. He will move right up behind Irving Braxiatel and time his trip and fall at just the right moment.

Step Three: Execute.

Billy walks. Billy trips. Billy falls.

Billy's hand, outfitted with the small device, comes down on Irving Braxiatel's back. Hey, Irving, you can't expect Billy to fall flat on his face when instinct is urging him to regain his balance and break his fall, right?]

Ghakkk--!

[Except after that device leaves his hand, Billy really does gracelessly fall to a heap on the ground... pretty much right into Brax's desk.

THUNK.

Ouch.]

Poor Billy. His evil plans never go just as planned.

[collector]

Oh, Billy. [With a fond half-smile, Brax shuts off the projector and takes Billy's arm to help him to his feet.] You really should be more careful. You're not going to damage the desk, not with all my Head Archaeologist does to it, but skulls are so much harder to keep from indenting.

[lostandfinder]

[What a fancy man! Have a teenager off lurking nearby and just staring up at the projection.]

It's a law or something.

[horriblyevil.livejournal.com]

No, I'm used to it. Thanks.

[Billy trails off into a bewildered mumble as he clambers back to his feet. His recovery time isn't too bad: sure, he sways ominously from side to side for a few seconds, but after a quick shake of his head, he seems to regain most motor control over himself. That'll definitely leave a bump, though.

Such is Supervillain Resiliency.]

... Sorry about that. [Billy forces an apologetic smile. Now if he can only get a glimpse of Irving's back to verify device placement, all will be golden.]