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[key-youth-bert.livejournal.com]

One ka-mai in the bar with coffee and a thoughtful look on his face. Have at.


[Summary: Cuthbert talks about Cort's visit to the bar with Roland, who seems a bit disappointed that Bert didn't get hit, with Lilly, who finds the idea of apprentice gunslingers having to prove their manhood by beating Cort up and taking his stick amusing, I can't imagine why, and with Susan, with whom he is angstily nostalgic about Gilead.]

Comments

[key-youth-bert.livejournal.com]

"As priceless and yet somehow frightening as that mental image is...in any case, the greeting I got was considerably less enthusiastic. Not that I'm surprised, considering."

[lastgunslinger]

"Considering?" Finger-twirl.

[key-youth-bert.livejournal.com]

Cuthbert facepalms.

"Considering I was asleep on the couch with my hat over my face when he came in?"

[lastgunslinger]

Roland is laughing.

Silently.

And hard.

"Set your watch and warrant on it?" With...no, that can't be glee.

[key-youth-bert.livejournal.com]

Cuthbert's laughing as well, now.

Not so silently.

"Say true. I really thought he was going to hit me, for a second there."

[lastgunslinger]

"What did he do?"

Roland isn't grinning. But his smile is wide.

[key-youth-bert.livejournal.com]

"Eh, just kicked the couch and snarled at me a bit."

Spoken as if getting snarled at by Cort is no big deal.

Which, really, if you got snarled at by Cort almost every day of your childhood, it isn't.

[lastgunslinger]

"That's all?"

Roland seems disappointed.

[key-youth-bert.livejournal.com]

"That's all."

And if there's a hint of smugness in Bert's voice...well, when a man has been caught napping by Cortland Andrus and escaped unscathed, it's something to be smug about.

[lastgunslinger]

It is.

Roland is silent for a moment.

"You know it was only because of your guns that he didn't beat you."

[key-youth-bert.livejournal.com]

"Well."

Silence for a moment.

"At least I wasn't wearing a tutu."

[lastgunslinger]

Roland looks horrified.

[key-youth-bert.livejournal.com]

Cuthbert just bursts out laughing.

[lastgunslinger]

Roland hits him upside the head.

Not nearly as hard as Cort would have done, though. Pretty light, all things considered.

...what? Cuthbert had it coming.

[key-youth-bert.livejournal.com]

"Hey!" Bert rubs the back of his head and scowls dramatically.

"If that's what I get for not wearing a tutu in front of Cort..."

[lastgunslinger]

"Then if he comes in again you'll go running to the bar to get one." Peaceably. "And then we'll see what he thinks of it, won't we."

[key-youth-bert.livejournal.com]

"...Er." Cuthbert looks vaguely horrified. "I think that might be one score I can leave my curiosity unsettled on. Besides, I've already done the tutu--it's somebody else's turn."

[lastgunslinger]

"You're the only one who would. The rest of us know better."

[key-youth-bert.livejournal.com]

"Aren't any fun, you mean."

Cuthbert falls silent for a moment. Then,

"Do you think he will? Come in again, that is?"

[lastgunslinger]

Roland shrugs.

"Always possible."

[key-youth-bert.livejournal.com]

Cuthbert looks down, and doesn't say anything for a moment.

Finally, "Well. I'll have to watch my napping habits."

[lastgunslinger]

"You will," he agrees, and stands. "Time to turn in, for me."

A hand on Cuthbert's shoulder, briefly.

"Long days, pleasant nights."

[key-youth-bert.livejournal.com]

Cuthbert nods to him, with a brief smile.

"Twice the number, Ro'."