milliways_bar | (no subject)

"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?"

*Thom has no sympathy for Anthy ever.* . . . my sister is the King's Champion. A legend in her own right. But despite the ballads not actually ten feet tall.

Quite short, actually, *Meg volunteers.* Thom's height, even. *This may be blatant hypocrisy from Meg, but.* You'd like her, 'Bert. Also she likes seeing men in tutus.

"So...she could handle a strange man in underwear, then?"

Bert snorts in amusement at Meg. "Well, it's too bad I've yet to wear one and plan to keep it that way, then."

Anthy finds the idea of Cuthbert inna tutu intriguing.

It probably shows in her face.

Anthy is crafty.

You still, *Meg reminds him,* have to show me how to dance that dance.

But yes. Alanna's handled plenty of men in underwear, although admittedly none as scary as this one.