OOM-but-Not

[noteful]

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.

Comments

[parkerlee]

Parker takes a sip of her lemonade.

"Well, back when I first met her, she said I could call her Laura, or X, or X-23. I don't know -- I just picked Laura."

"More name-ish I guess? And it suits her."

She looks to Meg to see how she will answer.

[noteful]

It's kind of a complicated question, actually. Or at least it's a question with a kind of complicated answer.

Meg looks down at her hands for a second, shifts the bracelets around on her wrist, thinking, and then looks back at Bruce.

"We met her a while ago, you know. And like Parker said, when Laura met people then, she used to give them both options. I think I picked Laura because when I asked what she prefered, it was the one at the end of her answer. It felt like her conclusion, I guess.

"I don't think she still does that. She came to visit me in Montreal earlier this year, and properly met Alain -- that's my fiance. And she asked if he would call her X.

"I asked her then if she'd rather I called her X as well, and she said no. So I still call her Laura."

[master_bruce]

'Yeah. She said that to me when we met, too.'

And, for some reason, he's never asked her properly why she now prefers X. It hasn't seemed to matter. But meeting her friends, when they so obviously call her Laura, makes him think it's something he should ask about.

'I kind of think X suits her better.'

Personal preference.

[parkerlee]

Different strokes and all of that. It's not like Laura doesn't seem perfectly happy to go by both.

"The two of you met here in Milliways, I take it?" Parker asks.

She is a little curious as to how they met, or at least how Bruce will tell the tale.

[master_bruce]

He nods, and takes a drink. This is far more the sort of question he was expecting.

'Yeah, we did. She was one of the first people who spoke to me when I found this bar.'

He thinks of it, and smiles a little without knowing it.

'I was kind of in trouble, and she helped just by talking to me. It was about eight years ago, for me.'

[parkerlee]

"That's our Laura," Parker says, fondly.

"She's a person you want around if you need help."

[noteful]

Bruce's smile is noted.

It's encouraging.

"One of the very best people here to know."

[master_bruce]

'No argument from me, on either point.'

He smiles a bit at both of them, finally a bit more relaxed.

'And now, I think I'd better take off.'

Quit while you're ahead, and all that.

'I was going to find X before heading home. It was nice to meet you both, though.'

[parkerlee]

Parker nods, setting her near-empty drink aside.

"Absolutely. We don't want to hold you up."

The smile she gives Bruce is friendly and genuine.

"And it was really nice to meet you too. We'll see you around."

[noteful]

"Yes, it was very nice to meet you."

There's a second's pause, and then Meg smiles rather brightly and adds, "And thank you again for your help with the oranges."

[master_bruce]

'No problem at all. I'll see you around, yes.'

His smile widens into a genuine grin - perhaps he's pleased to be escaping with his life, or maybe he just really likes them - and he's gone.

[parkerlee]

Parker picks up her glass and drains the last of the lemonade, then sets it down deliberately.

She looks over at Meg and lifts her eyebrows a bit. But with a smile.

"I think he'll do."

A tad prickly, but that was probably not a non-stressful interview.

[noteful]

"Parker Lee has spoken," Meg says, laughing a little.

"But yeah, I think you're right."

[parkerlee]

"And I accept tribute on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. Chocolate preferred."

Parker grins.

"And really. How often are the two of us together wrong?"