milliways_bar | (no subject)

(no subject)

[OOM]

Joe is sitting in the bar, sipping whiskey and looking thoughtful. He doesn't look averse to company, though; hell, maybe he wants his mind taken off things.

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Joe nods. "All right. Have to do it straight then." Too bad Roland can't speak French. He's a hell of a liar.

*Meg grins ruefully.*

It'll help when Roland tells her how much he actually hates this place.

Joe nods. "No doubt."

"Have you heard anything more about t'other night with Walter?"

I've talked to Roland and Cuthbert both. *Meg grins.* They told me about Jake.

Joe gives her the hairy eyeball. It's not as good as Roland's, but he's taken some pointers. "What about Jake?"

*Meg blinks at him.* Haven't you heard? That he's better. His memory's back.

Joe shakes his head. "I ain't heard anything, which is why I asked for news. That's damn good to hear." He smiles.

*Meg beams.* Isn't it? I haven't had a chance to talk to him yet, but if it went on much longer I'm afraid we'd have had little Roland bits all over the bar.

Joe nods. "It was eatin' up. I'm glad for 'em."

"You been up to much yerself, Meg? Ain't seen much of you."

*Meg shakes her head, and sobers a little.* Not too much - I went to Paris today; a friend of mine asked me to find his grave.

Only at Milliways is that not an odd statement. "Did you?"

*Meg nods.*

It was about three days at home I spent looking for it, between Opera practices - I'm still not exactly sure how much time's passed here, not that it matters that much.

Joe nods. "You're a good kid, Meg." He thinks about what Mina told him about the Opera patrons. Does he really want to know, knowing he can't change it?

*Meg grins ruefully at him.* Neither of the above, Joe, but thanks, anyways.

"Younger'n and nicer'n me, anyway."

*Meg considers this thoughtfully.*

- all right, I'll grant you that.

Joe laughs. "So how much money is ten thousand American in your time? 'M i gonna put all the patrons out of business? I was never good at translatin' currencies." He passes it off with another laugh.

*Meg eyes him, a trifle suspiciously - there was something off about that laugh - but answers, readily enough,* It's a fair bit. Won't be putting the Opera patrons out of business, though - my mother will be giving it to the actual dancers, 'cause we never see much of it. The Opera company still has to cover its overheads on its own. Which means patrons.

"Mm. Well, that's somethin'." Joe sips his whiskey.

I never knew you knew so much about how Opera houses run.

"I don't," Joe says. "Just that there are people who give money to see it happen, 'cause it's too expensive for just the tickets to pay for. You an' Mina told me that much."

*Meg nods.* Mina knows a lot about Opera - I've talked about it with her a few times.

"She does."

...

...

"She said sometimes the Patrons..." This is Joe trailing off.

*Meg eyes him, extremely wary this time.

And waits.*

"...feel entitled to some things because of their money." Joe looks like he has bitten into something sour and rotten both.