(Untitled)

[ever_noteful]

Meg is certainly glad, and almost grateful, that Milliways decided to turn up today where the periodicals room should be.

It's been a while, after all.

(And she could kind of use the break today, too.)

She can be found this evening sitting on one of the couches over by the fireplace, with apple cider and a copy of Death on the Nile. Meg is

Comments

[cutting_edgex23]

X slips closer to Meg, shifting position to better see the cover of Meg's book.

And after a moment or two --

"It is for school?"

Beat.

"Your book."

TV and movies suggest this may be the case.

X is not sure.

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"No," Meg says. "It's just for fun.

"It's a murder mystery.

"Hello, Laura."

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"Oh."

X absorbs that.

And a few seconds later --

"Hello, Meg."

Beat.

"You are good at solving them? Murder mysteries."

[ever_noteful]

"Sometimes.

"Some are easier to solve than others.

"Some are just better written than others.

"Do you ever read any?"

[cutting_edgex23]

"No," X says, shaking her head.

Just the once.

"You like them?"

[ever_noteful]

Meg nods. "I do, yes.

"The good ones make for interesting mental challenges."

The bad ones are frustrating.

[cutting_edgex23]

X hesitates for several long seconds.

"There is one you like best?"

Beat.

Beat.

"Or one you think I will like."

She's curious.

[ever_noteful]

"Well, you could always try this one," Meg says, holding out the Christie novel.

"It's probably a good introduction to them."

Straight forward enough that it's a good template for murder mystery, but plotted well enough that someone as smart as Laura probably won't get bored.

(It's no fun when you know who did it in Chapter Two, after all.)

"Agatha Christie is largely regarded as the gold standard in mysteries.

"And Ellery Queen is very good, too."

[cutting_edgex23]

"Agatha Christie," X repeats, reaching out to take the book.

"And Ellery Queen."

She will not be forgetting either of these names soon.

"Thank you."

The book gets studied a little more thoroughly before she looks back up at Meg.

"It is not problematic? For you."

Beat.

"For me to read this."

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"Not at all, no."

Meg has read it before.

"I hope you'll enjoy it."

[cutting_edgex23]

"I will try," X says.

She is very earnest about it.

(Sometimes that happens.)

[ever_noteful]

"And if you don't, well, they're not for everyone," Meg says, easily.

"How have you been?"

[cutting_edgex23]

"I have been okay."

Beat.

"Busy."

This pause is longer.

"It is not just because of baseball."

[ever_noteful]

"Oh?

"What's been keeping you busy?"

It's hard to know even where to begin to guess, with Laura's world.

[cutting_edgex23]

"I -- "

X falls silent for a few seconds.

"There is still talk. About restarting the Weapon X program."

Beat.

"And the team -- Tomas' baseball team -- is in the playoffs. It is difficult."

[ever_noteful]

"Congratulations on the playoffs," Meg says.

Because that's the easy part.

"What would it mean if they did restart it?"