(no subject)

[awesome_lilly]

"Seriously, I will be so glad when all the renovations are done," Lilly's saying as she pushes open the door to her suite for Meg.

"I mean, I thought magical Bar assistance would make the whole totally speedy, but instead it just gives me practically unlimited choices. No one should give me practically unlimited choices! I always just want the next thing I see. Thank god for Inara, you know?"

Comments

[balletrat]

I would say you should just let Bar decide, *Meg says, wisely, wandering inside,* except knowing her sense of humor you'd probably just end up with, je ne sais pas, rubber ducky decor. Which would be nice! But not so much sexy, tu sais?

[awesome_lilly]

"Yeah..."

Lilly's making a highly dubious face.

"I mean, I could probably make rubber ducks sexy decor. I've lived with Mike and Mel's army for long enough, plus the bedspread, but that's like, advanced whoring and I don't have my interior design madam badge yet."

[balletrat]

Oh, well, you could.

*Meg flops down on the couch. Gracefully!*

But it would be a bit hard on the - er, the junior whores? They might not be able to live up to it. Though maybe it could be a rite of passage.

[awesome_lilly]

"Sex up this rubber duck and get promoted?"

Lilly's giggling as she settles down next to Meg.

"I do run an unconventional brothel, but that might be a bit much."




"I'll make them do it for their bonuses."

[balletrat]

*Reasonably:* Someday you might get a rubber patron. And then where would you be without the experience?

- hey, *she adds, sitting up suddenly straight,* maybe that's even going to happen. There used to be this little pink balloon guy, remember him? He floated around and echoed at people -

[awesome_lilly]

"Oh yeah, I remember him! He was a little odd, even for Milliways. Which... is saying something."

Lilly shakes her head.

"Bizarre. So anyway, have I missed anything recently? I've been stuck up in the office forever, you have to have gossip for me."

[balletrat]

I haven't been caught up on so much gossip recently either, *Meg confesses, looking a little rueful.* Things seem to be happening before I have a chance - it's the whole, tu sais, time thing -

*She shakes her head briskly.* Anyways, the only people I've seen this week out of the House of Arch are Andrew and that friend of his, the really tall one. Sam.

[awesome_lilly]

The really tall Sam, huh? Lilly makes a face.

"He wouldn't be a Winchester, would he? I was down in the bar the other night, just getting a drink while Bar and I talked about renovations, and I met the Winchester brothers."

She pauses.

"Well, I say met. Stumbled into a minefield of issues somehow relating to dead blonde girls is a little more accurate. Do you have any idea what that's all about?"

[balletrat]

Winchester, yeah -

*Meg blinks, looking momentarily confused - and then, abruptly, thoughtful.* Tu sais, he didn't say anything, but it would explain kind of a lot - the issues existing, I mean. He kept asking me what it was like to be dead here, whether I was - well, happy, all these - I mean, even after I answered, he kept pushing.

*She frowns.* It was a little weird, but I figured he just had - er, death issues, tu sais? Not . . . blonde-specific. What did he say to you?

[awesome_lilly]

"Nothing direct, but Dean was all 'what's with this place and dead blonde chicks' when I introduced myself, and Sam got a little focused but it was fine until Dean started hitting on me, I guess to prove a point to Sam? Or something? And they got all angry and claimed it was an old argument and then there was huffing off, basically."

Lilly shrugs.

"I figure there's a dead blonde who's causing them issues and that they probably ran into her here."

[balletrat]

Huh.

*Meg shrugs also, drawing her knees up to her chest on the couch.* Well - I guess I'll ask Andrew about it. If they're going to start taking it out on, like, every dead blonde in the bar, we sort of have a right to know what it's about, n'est-ce pas?

[awesome_lilly]

"Seriously."

Lilly smiles a little crookedly at Meg.

"Andrew can warn them about what a bad idea it is to piss off the dead blonde contingent of the bar. Hey, how is he these days? I haven't seen him in ages."

[balletrat]

He's . . . busy, *Meg says, after a beat.* There's lots of stuff going on, in his world, with demons and Slayers and all - I mean, it's good, he's doing important stuff.

*It's Completely Cheerful Meg(TM)! Accessories not included.*

[awesome_lilly]

Lilly is not unfamiliar with Completely Cheerful Meg(TM). Or the accompanying Pink Tutu Of Happiness.

"Oh. Well, that's cool."

She slants a glance at Meg.

"That's cool, right?"

[balletrat]

Oh - of course. I mean, it's a lot better than if he didn't have important stuff. For him. Everyone should have -

*She waves her hands, vaguely, and concludes, a little weakly,* stuff.

[awesome_lilly]

"Totally. Stuff."

In conclusion: stuff.

Lilly's eyeing Meg. This isn't even one of her best efforts.

"If there's something going on, you know you can tell me, right? I mean, it wouldn't be surprising if there was, so."

[balletrat]

I know I can - but there isn't anything, *Meg protests, and then makes a face.*

Which I guess is part of it. There isn't anything going on, nothing bad, I mean, not as far as I know. But -

*She shakes her head, trying to explain.* Whenever we see each other everything is fine, it's great, we just talk about whatever - I'm not, comment dit-on, prevaricating. It is. It's not as often we see each other as it maybe used to be, he is legitimately busy, but it is -


I don't know. Something's - maybe it's just the wedding.

[awesome_lilly]

Lilly's nodding, Meg's words sounding all too familiar. Well. Until the last one.

"Uh, the wedding? Who's getting married now?"

[balletrat]

*Meg lifts a hand and rubs her forehead.*

They already did. I was at the wedding. Warren and Isabel - I don't know if you know them -



- anyways they got married from here years ago. But it was two years in the future, then, Andrew's time. So it's now. For him. He's going to the wedding now.

[awesome_lilly]

"Ohhhh. I vaguely remember Kitty twitching violently about weddings because of that."

Lilly frowns.

"So, wait. You went to the wedding and saw future Andrew there, but now he's now Andrew and he's about to go to it and see past you... two... years... ago.




Oh."

[balletrat]

It could be worse! *Meg says, brightly.* I remember what happened - and back then I was the one who flipped out and fled the scene before he had a chance to say much more than 'hi', so at least it isn't exactly as if he's going to be drowned in memories of a happier, better Meg Version One.

[awesome_lilly]

"Yeah, but still."

Lilly bites her lip, not entirely sure of how much she can say, or how much she should say.

"The alive-dead thing is tricky enough without having to attend weddings in your dead girlfriend's alive past.

[balletrat]

*Meg is silent for a long moment.*

Well, *she says, finally.*


We're very good at not thinking about it.

[awesome_lilly]

Lilly takes a very deep breath and lets it out slowly.

"Yeah. I know how that goes. I was pretty good at not thinking about it with Indy or Jayne for a while there."

Another breath.

"But... Meg? You have to think about it sooner or later. And, really? I think it's better if you do it sooner."

[balletrat]

*Meg pulls herself a little more into the sofa, wrapping her arms tightly around her folded knees.*










Oui. Je sais.

[awesome_lilly]

Meg's posture is entirely too familiar and Lilly winces to see it.

"...yeah. I, uh. I know you know.


God, I'm so sorry, Meg."

[balletrat]

Non. It's all right - I mean, it's not your fault, *Meg says, over her knees, and her eyes are fixed on her toes.* It's true.

It's - the thing is that -



*She articulates, very clearly, to her toes,* He's the person in the whole universe who's known me longest, now.

[awesome_lilly]

Well, fuck.

"Well, fuck."

Lilly tries for a smile and manages a pale imitation of one.

"Yeah, there's not much I can say to that. Because... I know."

She looks down at her hands.

"I mean, Duncan can't find a door here anymore, and Veronica and Logan aren't in much, and... well. They have lives to lead, so I guess- I guess the person in the universe who's known me longest now is you."

The smile's a little more real now, if brief.

"And so you know I'm really not an expert in dating while you're dead, but I just don't want you to lose Andrew the way I lost Jayne and Indy when things didn't- didn't end well. That's all."

[balletrat]

Non. You're right - you are. It's the, the sensible thing.

*Meg looks back up at her - and, after a moment, unwraps her arms from her knees, and puts her hand over Lilly's.*

And - it's good. I mean, it needed to be said. I just . . .





*She can't say it, because she can't admit it, quite - how scared she is to find out if it's already too late.

(She'd never thought she could feel so much like a parasite.)

So she doesn't concentrate on that. Concentrates, instead, on the fact that Lilly is sad, which is something that, right now, is more easily fixed.*

[awesome_lilly]

Lilly is, of course, concentrating on the fact that Meg is sad. Great minds and all.

"Well, you know. Whatever happens... the Dead Blonde Club is there for you. You see, I'm not just the president, I'm also a member. I can guarantee it."

[balletrat]

If there's one thing I know I can count on, *Meg assures her, with a quick smile,* it's the Dead Blonde Club.

I mean, as Vice-President, it wouldn't exactly be politic not to have total confidence.

[awesome_lilly]

"Totally," Lilly says, nodding extremely solemnly.

"I'd hate to have to demote you right before the executives get their table at the new Delicate Flowers club."

[balletrat]

Even if I wasn't already dead, *Meg says, striving with some success for the light tone she usually adopts in speaking of this subject,* then I'd have to die of shame in that case.

- which might get me re-entry into the club, actually.

[awesome_lilly]

"Uh, multiple deaths are not necessary, really."

Lilly's had just a bit more practice at that light tone than Meg.

"Tell you what, you get an afterlifetime membership, and a VIP pass to the opening party this weekend."

[balletrat]

- oooh, can I order all the Delicate Flowers around?


. . . not like that.

[awesome_lilly]

Lilly chokes, a little, at the sudden mental image of Meg in leather and a whip, giving the Delicate Flowers all kinds of shrill French orders.

"Uh, maybe? Get me drunk and ask again later...oh, God. I'm like a magic 8-ball filled with booze, aren't I? This is what being in business does to me, Meg. It's terrible."

[balletrat]

It's not that terrible, *Meg says, reassuringly.*

You like being filled with booze!

*Her eyes dart down for a moment.*

And you give - you know. Good answers.