MCA #7 - After noon

[light_a_spark]

Having the day off, Roy was reading through a book on Earth weapons. His chess board was on the dining room table, set up already for a game that he intended to win. He would need his uniform to get cleaned after it got cake on it after all. For now, he was actually wearing slacks and a white shirt. He could do casual.

((Open for a certain delivery for now. Will open up for people to gawk later if they want. Open if you want to check out what all the moving around was!))

Comments

[light-a-spark.livejournal.com]

"I am," he nodded, distracted by the boxes. There was only one thing he could think of that they might be, but it seemed to soon for them to already have arrived. "How can I help you?"

[norglomofnit.livejournal.com]

"Moist von Lipwig, Fandom Postmaster," he said by way of introduction, "and these," he waved a hand around, indicating the boxes, "arrived for you today. Actually, they kept arriving most of the morning. There's more on their way from downstairs."

[light-a-spark.livejournal.com]

"A pleasure to meet you, mister von Lipwig," Roy said, stepping into the hall to have a look at the boxes. He smiled softly when he recognised Hawkeye's handwriting on them.

"I was planning on giving you a warning that something like this might happen, but I didn't expect them so soon. My staff and the post here seem to work faster than I thought."

[norglomofnit.livejournal.com]

"We at the Post Office pride ourselves on providing a quick and efficient service." Helped along by the Sorting Engine. "Gladys, which is her," he pointed as she returned with another pile, "can put them wherever you want the . Gladys, this is Sheriff Mustang."

"You Have Many Boxes."

"She's a golem. They're not chatty."

[light-a-spark.livejournal.com]

A golem? Roy couldn't help but study Gladys for a moment as he'd never met a golem before.

"I have a lot of books," he explained. "Would you mind putting them in the study? If they fit in there that is."

[norglomofnit.livejournal.com]

Gladys nodded. "Before Or After I Bring The Rest From Downstairs?"

"She's not technically a her," Moist added. "The dress is a long story."

[light-a-spark.livejournal.com]

"After's fine," Roy assured her, figuring he could start bringing some of these in already.

The added information made him blink and stare at the dress for a second before he caught himself. "Not technically?"

[norglomofnit.livejournal.com]

Gladys nodded again and plodded back down the stairs.

Moist watched her go before turning back to Ray. "Golems don't have a gender. They're just big lumps of fired clay, walking around. Practically indestructible, absolutely obedient, and powered by a chem in their heads. They'll do anything you tell them to do, forever."

[light-a-spark.livejournal.com]

Huh.

"They don't have a mind of there own?" Roy asked, looking towards the stairs. "What exactly is a chem?"

[norglomofnit.livejournal.com]

"That's where it gets a bit complicated." Understatement there, and he scratched his head. "The chem is a scroll of paper, with words inscribed on it. You can flip their heads open, pull it out if you need to change the words, and they just turn off," he explained. "Free golems have what you could call a mind of their own, but they still live to work. Gladys is owned by the Post Office, so she does as she's told." No need to mention it was the Ankh Morpork post office.

[light-a-spark.livejournal.com]

Roy almost felt sorry for them, but if they were made this way would they even notice?

"Who creates them?" he asked, picking up the top box with books and grateful that he hadn't had to carry them up the stairs.

[norglomofnit.livejournal.com]

"No one any more. The religions don't like it." Moist really didn't do heavy lifting, so he was quite pleased to see Gladys return. "One of the only things they ever all agreed on. Gladys, start taking the boxes inside."

She lowered her arms so she could see over the top of her pile. "Where Is The Study?"

[light-a-spark.livejournal.com]

"I'll show you," Roy said and motioned to Moist to enter the apartment as well if he liked.

He carried the box inside and placed it on the dining room table beside the chess board before he went to open the door on the far left for Gladys. "Just put them where ever you'd like," he told her-it-whatever, standing aside to let her in.

"You have a lot of religions where you're from?" he asked Moist curiously.

[norglomofnit.livejournal.com]

Moist followed, looking around the apartment, apparently causal, but taking note of it in some detail. He'd never been inside a Sheriff's home. "Big gods, small gods, crocodile gods. I try and stay away from the whole thing," he said. "Though they do have their uses. I take it you're not from around here, either?"

Gladys set the boxes down in the corner and wheeled around to go and get more.

[light-a-spark.livejournal.com]

"No, I'm from Amestris," Roy explained. He paused for a moment.

"Have you actually seen those gods or are they just theoretical?"

[norglomofnit.livejournal.com]

Amestris, Amestris. No, it didn't ring a bell. "Not so much theoretical. I personally haven't seen one, but some of them are known to be a handy shot with a bolt of lightning."

Gladys tromped back in with another pile of boxes, set them down, and left again.

[light-a-spark.livejournal.com]

Roy was starting to wonder if he really had so many books or if Hawkeye had plundered Central Library as well.

"That still could be explained," he replied almost absently.

[norglomofnit.livejournal.com]

Moist laughed at that. "I'd only do that if you're wearing a lightning proof hat."

Gladys returned, the pile got bigger, and she went back for more.

[light-a-spark.livejournal.com]

Roy smirked. "At least I know where to go if there ever is a lightning incident in town," he joked.

[norglomofnit.livejournal.com]

"Keep an eye out for smoking shoes. They're usually all that's left." Gladys brought one more pile of boxes in, added them to the stack, then stood still, patiently waiting for instructions. "Is that all of them?"

"Yes, Mr Lipwig."

He nodded. "You know," he said to Roy. This was an excellent opportunity, and not one he intended to miss. "The Post Office is closed for the day. If you want to borrow her to help unpack, I can leave her here."

[light-a-spark.livejournal.com]

Roy hesitated for a moment, then shook his head even as he gave Moist a polite smile. "That's quite alright, but I do appreciate the offer. And the speedy delivery," he added.

[norglomofnit.livejournal.com]

"The Post Office prides itself on its service." He smiled easily, not letting the disappointment show. Not that he intended to do anything wrong, but having the Sheriff owe him a favour would have been very useful. "If you change your mind, you can find me, downstairs, actually." He motioned to Gladys. "Come on, Gladys. Say goodbye to the Sheriff."

"Goodbye, Sheriff." Golems could be very literal.

[light-a-spark.livejournal.com]

"I'll keep it in mind," Roy assured Moist.

"Goodbye, Gladys," he said and nodded at Moist at well.

[norglomofnit.livejournal.com]

With a last glance around the apartment, another smile, and a wave of farewell, Moist headed out, Gladys plodding behind him.