[ with weyland in nyc ]

[tragic_mask]

They step through the door, and find themselves on the cracked sidewalk outside of a lively bar. A sign glows: "Blue Owl."

It's nighttime, but the city still glows with all kinds of light, and shakes with the noise of honking, shouting, music, the clinking of glasses, all blending together into the cacophony and symphony of the city.

Melpomene looks around. "Well, we're back... Right where I started."

Comments

[tragic_mask]

She goes wide-eyed. "Oh, but now I can't get that image out of my head!"

[mechanicalswans]

"At least imagine me with a tunic on over the tights," he says with a quiet chuckle. "I am already getting cold from your imagination, I can feel it. We must be decent, now."

[tragic_mask]

"Of course," she says somberly. "I must keep my imagination sensible just in case it leaks out into the real world."

[mechanicalswans]

"Also, then I would be free to imagine you," he says, "and I can tell you it would not involve tights. And that would lead to certain mayhem, and we can't have that either."

[tragic_mask]

"We can't? Is it against the rules or something?"

[mechanicalswans]

"There's a list of things we can't have, and that's on it, right after 'soup with salad' and 'a game of Marco Polo in the bathtub.' It's just one of those things, I'm afraid."

[tragic_mask]

"You're just a stiff old man, that's what you are. Stopping me from exercising a healthy imagination." She pouts.

[mechanicalswans]

He eyes her, mock-sternly, before giving a sigh. "Fine, then. You may imagine as you please, but remember that when you do, I will also be imagining. And my imagination is involving feathers and diamonds..."

[tragic_mask]

She makes a face. "Fair's fair, I suppose."

[mechanicalswans]

"You'd look beautiful in feathers and diamonds," he says, "but then I can't imagine anything you wouldn't look beautiful in. Maybe a pencil costume, but how often would that come up?"

[tragic_mask]

"Only in the imagination, I'm sure," she says, wrinkling a brow. "If we're going to dress me up as a writing utensil, I prefer the quill. Not that I'm supposed to be making requests."

[mechanicalswans]

"Feathers and diamonds," he says with a smile. "Though you'd need very pointy shoes, to be a quill, yes? If we are ever invited to a 'come as what you work with' costume party, you're all set, whereas I would have a string of highly unfortunate choices."

[tragic_mask]

"It couldn't be that bad. You could come as..." Pause. "A very large sheet of metal." She winks. "Clever, eh? Bet no one else would think of that."

[mechanicalswans]

"I'd have to go on a diet first, though," he says. "I think I'm too three-dimensional to be a convincing sheet of metal. But I would be very shiny, and people could stick magnets to me."

[tragic_mask]

"Yes, you'd be a hit. People at parties are always secretly wishing they had a place to put their magnets."

She swings her legs, idly.

[mechanicalswans]

"It depends on the parties," he says. "What I remember of mine, I'm usually wishing for either pockets or more drinks. Magnets could help with both of those, in a roundabout way."

[tragic_mask]

She raises a brow. "If you say so."

[mechanicalswans]

"Instead of pockets, you could just stick things to your metal costume, you see. Drinks would be a little harder, but if you had waitresses with roller skates and magnets... or had part of your costume a functioning still, I suppose, though that would get hot."

[tragic_mask]

"Certainly. You could ask the ladies if they wanted a drink, and just pour it right out of your side."

[mechanicalswans]

"Why bother with hiding a flask, when you can be dressed as one?"

He enjoys keeping his head on her shoulder. It feels very... natural, comfortable, normal, and that appeals to him.

"They probably don't have costume parties this time of year in Niagara Falls, do they? We should go to a completely ordinary one, sometime. Have our shoes thrown up on by drunk people we don't know, spend the evening shouting at each other to be heard over music we don't like, being disappointed with the drinks and snacks but having fun anyway."

[tragic_mask]

"I don't know," she says. "But I expect if there were one, you'd find it."

[mechanicalswans]

"There's probably university parties, but I don't know that I can pass for young enough to get in," he says. "You could, but I might not."

[tragic_mask]

"Doubtful," she laughs. "Maybe we should just stick with the snow globes and postcards."

[mechanicalswans]

"As a start, at least," he says with a smile. "I think I shall aspire to bore people at other tables in restaurants, with talking about my hobbies."

[tragic_mask]

"And I'm sure you'll be fabulous," she says, only a bit facetiously.