milliways_bar | (no subject)

"I've heard that Mike's asking the women to dress 'slinky.' I'm not sure how that's going to work out, but I hope that he wants the women to be on show, he needs to be as well and wear the whole thing."

I, *Meg says loftily,* am not dressing 'slinky'. I am dressing time-appropriate. Bustles, corset and all. I mean, someone needs to show people what real Parisian fashions look like.

"I applaud that. I'm not entirely comfortable with 'slinky' anyway." And yet he has the oddest smile again. He'd better stop.

"How big is their room, though? Surely they can't fit the entire bar there."

The bar might make it bigger on demand, maybe, if they think to ask Bernard about it.

*Meg eyes the odd smile . . . oddly, but doesn't comment.*

"That will come in handy.

"But it would be nice if they didn't invite everyone. Might be more fun just to hang out with my friends a bit and relax in our tuxes and gowns. Like Prom night, but for adults.

"And you have no idea what a prom night is."

*Meg smiles politely.* Nope, not a clue. But it'll be nice to see everyone there, anyways. *She grins, a little ruefully.* Val's party was right after I was a butterfly, you see, so I couldn't relax quite as much.

"Well, I hope you don't turn into anything untoward this time." And that odd smile gets a bit odder when he mentions this. Sometimes the Flash's mind can move quickly in the strangest ways.

"Ask Andrew about the prom. It's a very American 20th century kind of thing."

Okay . . .

*Meg blinks at the Flash.*

- are you all right?

"Oh, just thinking. About someone I might see at the party. And another one of Ray's crazy ideas.

"I tend to think too fast sometimes. Sorry about that."

Crazy ideas?

*Meg sighs and folds her arms over her chest.* Okay - come on, Flash. Spill.

He can't resist her. No one can.

"OK. Ray first. He has a device - which he brought back as part of the whole Warren-Wes weirdness - that's turning his books into other books. He has it under lock and key, but given what the bar is like, and given your history, I'd afraid it's going to find you and make you an elk or something.

"And the someone is just a woman I met. Last week. So I am not sure how I feel about her, especially since I was married when I got here. When I died. But we've really hit it off, and I wonder how she'll look at the party and doesn't that sound so unlike me?"

I wouldn't mind being an elk, *Meg says thoughtfully, and then shakes her head firmly, hair flying in her eyes.* No. Okay. Tangent. It's an inanimate object, anyways, it's hardly going to hunt me down. So who's this girl, anyways? *She grins innocently.*

He smiles at Meg's determination. And strangeness.

"Her name is Sara Sidle, and she's in the same line of work I was in. A kind of police scientist. We got to talking, and comparing notes, and when she heard I needed a tux for the party, she even went and bought me one back on Earth. She's really quite nice.

"I'm not sure I'm ready to start dating again, but...

"It feels nice to be treated so nicely. Lord, that sounds trite."

*Meg giggles.* I know the feeling - and honestly, Flash, things like that tend to happen around here; Dieu only knows I wasn't planning on dating anyone. And then, you know, things happened, so.

If you like her, why not?

"I lost my wife, and only got her back six months before I died. And it's only been seven months since that. Part of me is not quite ready to move on. Part of me dones't know how you CAN move on, if she's still alive. Even though I think it's probably the case that our days, blessed as they were, are over." He looks a bit sad at this, but there are no tears.

"I think that makes sense."

*Meg nods.*

Well - I mean, you're ready when you're ready, you know? I guess you'll just shrug, and see how it goes.

"I guess. I've mentioned my wife to her, so I hope she understands that this is not the usual thing. She has accepted the oddness that is Milliways qutie easily.

"Anyway, thanks for listening, as usual. You should charge for that.

"I hoep to see you at the party. If Andrew doesn't mind, I hope you can save a dance for me."

What are friends for? *Meg grins.* And there's definitely a dance saved for you. I'll show all you modern fellows how it's done.