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OOM-but-Not
Meg Ford has her hands full as she comes into Milliways today.
And then, suddenly, she doesn't, as the bottom of her grocery bag splits in dramatic fashion.
She just (barely) manages to catch the bottle of shampoo, and the bread lands at her feet and stays there, but a half dozen oranges promptly go rolling in a half dozen directions.
And then, suddenly, she doesn't, as the bottom of her grocery bag splits in dramatic fashion.
She just (barely) manages to catch the bottle of shampoo, and the bread lands at her feet and stays there, but a half dozen oranges promptly go rolling in a half dozen directions.
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He gestures a waitrat over, and unfastens the button on his jacket before taking the seat across from them. The green drink is shoved to one side.
'What does 'riding herd' mean?'
He could figure it out if she was talking about cattle. But, bingo?
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Parker didn't need to major in psychology to know that inconsequential details put people at ease. Ish.
"I think Laura said you're in her line of work? Superheroing? Can I use superhero as a verb?"
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"Mint tea, please," she adds, to the waitrat. "Thank you."
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'...she did?'
Really?
Okaaaaaaaay.
He pulls back a bit. That...was not what he was expecting.
Not that he's surprised X said something. It's normal to her, after all. But that it would dropped on him like that - no, not expecting that.
'Mineral water, please,' he says to the rat, and slouches back in his seat.
Eventually, he adds, 'I'm not a superhero.'
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Well, he's not one of those guys who likes to toot his own macho horn. That's a point in his favor.
"May be over stating that a bit," she says, smoothly. "She said that you were liked her and helped people. And I've seen Laura in action and tend to think of her as a superhero."
"So, it followed."
Parker smiles.
"She helped rescue me from a dragon, once. Her and Meg, both. If that's not cape-worthy, I don't know what is."
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"Technically, Laura helped with the rescuing, and I stayed at the palace and helped interview staff about the abduction.
"Has she ever told you about you about Ambergeldar, Bruce? And Norman the dragon, and rescuing Parker, and saving the queen?"
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He smiles tightly at Parker.
'I run a business. I try to help people. And I don't think there's anyone else like X.'
Which is kind of the reason he likes her.
'What do you do, Meg? When you're not interviewing palace staff about abductions.'
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"And I'm in my fourth year at university. McGill, in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
"I'm studying biology and then I'm planning to go to medical school."
She smiles.
"I also knit.
"What kind of a business do you run, if you don't mind my asking?"
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He drains his glass of green sludge and sets it aside.
'It does a lot of things. Public works, government contracts. Healthcare, engineering, manufacturing. My father was a doctor, though. The firm's sort of...bigger than all of us, now.'
He can't work out if portraying himself as this kind of businessman creates a better or worse impression than a 'superhero'.
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It's good he recognizes.
"Wow, that sounds.....exhausting."
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'There's a board of directors. A ton of employees. I don't have to do it all myself.'
The rat returns then. He picks their drinks up, and places them in front of them before getting his own.
'What do you do on a ranch, Parker?'
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"A lot of it kind of boils down to event planning? It's a working ranch, but it's also a guest ranch. So, I've done everything from....showing a travel magazine editor around, to planning birthdays, to ordering cattle vaccines, to helping lead trail rides."
She sips her drink.
"Mostly we run around wishing we had clones."
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"She took us to the ranch's Valentine's Day dance this year. It was a lot of fun, even not knowing any of the music or dances or so on."
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Kidding! He's kidding.
They already have.
'X went to a Valentine's dance?'
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"Oh, if they could make mine better at doing math in her head, that would be awesome."
It's sad to be a college graduate and occasionally have to stop and draw subtraction problems in the air.
"She did. Broke cowboy hearts left and right."
"Well, not really. But I think she could have."
She caught at least one local boy's eye.
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"Someone asked her to dance, he was polite and took no for an answer."
Not that, you know, Laura would have given him much choice on that.
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'So, I have no reason to be jealous? Honestly?'
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Girl doesn't go in much for subterfuge.
"And we have it on good authority--namely her's--that she likes you, so I think you're golden."
Don't turn out to be a jerk.
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But surely Bruce knows that.
Right?
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Wow. He'd never intentionally hurt X, of course he wouldn't. But if he was the type who would, he'd sure hate to think what these two would do to him.
'Well. She says I don't make her miserable.'
Golden, for sure. Hopefully.
'And, yeah,' he says to Meg, with complete sincerity.
'She does.'
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"She did say that, yes."
Which, coming from Laura, is high praise.
She gives Bruce a measured, though not unfriendly look.
"You must be someone pretty exceptional, Bruce. Because for Laura to have a bonafide boyfriend? That's a big thing."
Not that Laura is any less capable of having a relationship than anyone else. But, from what Parker can tell, for her to want to is the biggest thing.
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(Much as she looks out for them.)
Laura also excellent judgment.
Meg doesn't say anything, just gives Bruce a similiarly meassured look, and waits to see what he has to say.
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Their expressions are not hard to decipher, but he's not sure what they expect him to say. He and X get each other because of their backgrounds, and motivations, and because they just...do. He's not about to get into that with people he met ten minutes ago, no matter who they are.
He crosses his legs smoothly, and looks at both of them in turn, his expression turning cool again. Calm under pressure, always.
'I know it's a big thing for her. She and I hit it off. It doesn't make me special.'
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"Bruce? Take the compliment."
"We're just really glad that Laura's met someone who gets and appreciates her."
Apparently even the cats like him, and everyone knows that they're discerning little buggers.
Parker leans comfortably back in her own chair.
"And defintitely get her to tell you about the dragon. She was pretty incredible."
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Meg smiles, and settles her hands on the table in front of her.
"We'll have to ask you to forgive us for assuming that you're well above average. Neither of us has anything but respect for Laura or her judgment, and we know she likes you. It might have led us to a few . . . logical conclusions."
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