My first attempt at writing a fic for an OC so be gentle. The Watch are going to be involved, and hopefully no one will dislike this fic too much.

An Alchemist's Progress

Cassandra Larimar entered Biers in need of a drink. Or four. It had been one of those days. She had been thrown out of the Alchemist's Guild, and not for the usual reason of it being reduced to its component parts.

Cassandra was a good alchemist. She was also a vampire. Her obsession with chemicals had replaced the bloodlust. She still wasn't quite sure which was more dangerous. She had been a Black Ribboner for three months now, and had been completely in control. Until Silverfish had cut his finger on a broken crucible. It was only lucky the other alchemist's had been there to hold her back. Afterwards they had offered her a cup of cocoa and politely asked that she left the Guild that night. She hadn't seen the point in arguing. At least this way no one had tried anything with stakes.

Now she had to deal with it. She was going to start with a gin and tonic. And work things out from there. It was as she was staring glumly into her drink that a blonde woman took the seat next to her.

Angua wouldn't normally have bothered with a vampire, but this one seemed more dejected than savage, and reminded her of how she had been at first in Ankh-Morpork. Hungry, lost and still adapting.

'Rough day?'

'You have no idea.'

Angua eyed the acid-stained dress and the long black hair that was trying to mimic Medusa curls, unintentionally. The accent was Morporkian. This was not the kind of girl who had been born a vampire. She'd been converted. Angua looked hard, and was rewarded with the sight of two small circular scars on her neck.

'You're an alchemist, right?'

'Was. Lost my Guild membership this afternoon.' Cassandra had very little idea why she was confiding in this young woman, who was wearing a Watch uniform and was, if Cassandra's instincts rang true, a werewolf. After all she was in Biers and only werewolves and vampires can focus on a jugular like that. 'I'm Cassandra.' She felt an introduction was necessary, and might provoke a similar response from her companion.

'Angua. So...if you're an alchemist I suppose you might know about what the Watch call forensics?'

'Are you offering me a job?'

'No. Just an interview. You'll have to get past Cheri and Mister Vimes before you get the job.'

Cassandra tried to smile without looking threatening, a difficult task for a vampire. 'When and where would this interview be?'