milliways_bar | (no subject)

Anthy edges away from Thom, beaming.

*Thom raises his eyebrows at Cuthbert.

He is an excellent raiser of eyebrows.* Yes.

Why are there . . . no, don't tell me.

I can guess.

*He looks accusingly at Anthy.*

Bert's pretty good at eyebrow-raising, too.

He sees the look, and instantly looks more sympathetic toward the stranger.

"And I see you know Anthy."

Anthy blinks at them both, innocently.

Manuel looks at Thom. He's wondering how you tell if it's a girl.

*So is Thom's entire canon, Manuel. The world will never know.

But as a rule of thumb: if it walks like a man, talks like a man, and fights like a man . . .

It ain't Thom.

He is midly disconcerted by Manuel's glancing, but not terribly. After all. Name-dropping, anyone? yes? no? Roger?

Yes.

To Cuthbert* Unfortunately. And you are?

"A boy with lips like a girl," Manuel supplies.

*Meg dies and is dead under the table.*

"Cuthbert Allgood."

Cuthbert wonders if he should maybe give Thom some sort of warning about Manuel. But hey, Meg and Anthy are no longer being eyed, and one gunslinger cannot look out for the entire bar's virtue, say sorry.

He rather pointedly ignores any and all comments about his lips.

Anthy looks at Cuthbert with new interest.

*Suddenly, Meg remembers Manuel's opening comment.*

Er.

Thom?

You might want to make sure Alanna's not in the bar tonight.

*If he likes boys with lips like girls . . .*

Manuel sulks. Is not a girl.

...wait.

"You hhave family?"

*Thom nods cheerfully.* Yes, but just my brother Alan. Ah . . . everyone else is dead.

*As will be, the look he shoots Meg & Anthy says, anyone who suggests otherwise.*

Cuthbert blinks. "Alan? I thought Meg just mentioned someone whose name wasn't quite Alan--"

Manuel's eyes sparkle.

"A ladyboy?"

He leers at Cuthbert.

"Manuel likes the ladyboys."

"His twin sister's name is Alanna," Anthy informs Cuthbert. "She's very pretty."

Not as pretty, *Meg says hastily,* as any of the boys here.

*Thom deserves it, and Cuthbert's a gunslinger, he can take care of himself . . .*

"Alanna? No, she's definitely better-looking."

"Is she young or saggy?"

"Well, Anthy did say she was Thom's twin--right Anthy?"

Poor Cuthbert. Having not met Alanna yet, he doesn't realize how much trouble he'll likely be in if she ever gets wind of this conversation.

She's his really saggy ugly twin, *Meg says hastily. Alanna must be defendinated!* You'd be far better off with a nice pretty girly man.

*Thom is so, so torn.

Eventually he decides to look briefly grateful at Meg while stomping unobtrusively on Anthy's foot.

And Cuthbert's.

So it's like an unobtrusive hop.*

"I look out for your sister, no?"

He winks at Thom and wanders off.

Anthy whimpers. She has delicate feet.

"Ow." Cuthbert blinks as Manuel walks off, then glances at Thom. "Um. So. How's your sister in the taking care of herself department?"