osprey_archer | Da Vinci-punk

So in Florence there's a Leonardo da Vinci museum with working models of some of his machine designs. Man, his machines are cracktastic. A tank shaped like a flying saucer! A mechanical drummer! (Most useless machine ever. It's probably more work to crank in than just to drum.) Plywood wings and cubic parachutes!

Forget steampunk. Give da Vinci-punk a chance! (Motto: "Everything is better with superfluous pulleys.") The Mona Lisa, ruler of a mysterious city of art and assassination - the mechanical drummer boy, converted into an unstoppable mechanical assassin. The Medici with flying machines! (Oh God. The Medici with flying machines. MAKE IT STOP.)

The Medici bore a certain resemblance to a street gang. It's just they tagged their territory with frescoes and oil-paintings and their everlasting coat of arms instead of graffiti.

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Also! You know what would be awesome! A murder mystery set in a hostel, in the great tradition of the golden age of mysteries. It will take place in Villette (in homage to Charlotte Bronte) so I can have the fun of making up the history, and will be investigated by a mother-daughter detective team, and WHY AM I FORCED TO SIGHTSEE rather than write this epic masterpiece.

"One last thing," Michelle said.

"I refuse to airmail you chocolate croissants," said Elaine.

Michelle grin flickered in the Skype screen. "Tell Dad he owes me ten euro," she said. "I told him your peaceful vacation couldn't last the week."