'Some drunken adventure?' Oh God, did she know him. It was the kind of story that anyone who really knew Al could guess, because it had replayed itself at least twice since he had reached New York. Still, when the door opened and Noreen came in, Al looked a little nervous. He hadn't expected this - he should have, of course, but he wasn't the best when it came to thinking things through before he did them. Why yes, of course Noreen would see the entry; he'd only blocked the people he knew were a) underage or b) absolutely certain to be offended by it.
Oops. Ah, well. Too late now.
When Noreen entered, she'd find a chair already waiting for her. Al was seated too, bundled in an actual shirt and, what's more, a sweater over it. He'd pulled the sleeves down over his hands and his thumbs were making sharp impressions where they pressed into the wool
( ... )
"I think Bianca's the princess from his story. So of course he wanted to go." Al lifted his shoulders in a little shrug. "I don't get it, but I mean, Kipling didn't write those kinds of stories." For which Al was grateful. Running around a jungle sounded a lot more appealing.
"...that's probably for the best," Al replied, grinning at Noreen's revelation that she just couldn't imagine him in a corset. "Now. Don't tell Murdock I said this, 'cause he'll use it against me, but me? In women's clothing? Not pretty. Like, however bad you think the orange speedo was? Five times worse than that."
"God, no. No spanky pants. Believe it or not, I do have a line, and that is past the line." Al raised a hand to his face and covered his eyes with his fingers. Oh, the horror of spanky pants.
"Pursuit of true love? Something like that. He's pretty intent on her, but speaking as a buddy who's been to bars with him - he's pretty intent on a lot of girls. Think he has a weakness for blondes."
"You got me. I don't know - I'm not really a 'blondes' kind of guy. But Murdock, he kind of has a history of picking 'em." Al lifted his shoulders in a shrug. "To each his own, I guess?"
"I'm not going anywhere where I have to wax, I hope." Al answered, eyes wide in mock-horror. "But there may be some pictures of Bond night floating around. Did I tell you about Bond night? Edie was going as Bond and she needed Bond girls, and Bob was giving her trouble or something - I forget - so I offered to be her Sylvia Trench."
"Your Man-Cub is not a cross-dresser!" Al protested, complete with waving of hands in front of his body. It was as if he expected the gesture to ward off accusations, or something. "I've only done it, what, twice? And only one of those times was completely voluntary! I'm just secure in my masculinity."
Al shook his head, though he was grinning as he did it. "Okay, Bond night. Noah of the Aesops agreed to hold a Bond night at the Pen not too long ago, and people were coming in costume. I was just gonna come as me, but I saw the thing with Edie come up and I thought 'hey, okay, I guess that's a possibility.' I mean, I'm willing to try anything once. Well. Anything that doesn't look likely to kill me."
Oops. Ah, well. Too late now.
When Noreen entered, she'd find a chair already waiting for her. Al was seated too, bundled in an actual shirt and, what's more, a sweater over it. He'd pulled the sleeves down over his hands and his thumbs were making sharp impressions where they pressed into the wool ( ... )
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"...that's probably for the best," Al replied, grinning at Noreen's revelation that she just couldn't imagine him in a corset. "Now. Don't tell Murdock I said this, 'cause he'll use it against me, but me? In women's clothing? Not pretty. Like, however bad you think the orange speedo was? Five times worse than that."
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( ... )
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"Pursuit of true love? Something like that. He's pretty intent on her, but speaking as a buddy who's been to bars with him - he's pretty intent on a lot of girls. Think he has a weakness for blondes."
Reply
( ... )
Reply
"I'm not going anywhere where I have to wax, I hope." Al answered, eyes wide in mock-horror. "But there may be some pictures of Bond night floating around. Did I tell you about Bond night? Edie was going as Bond and she needed Bond girls, and Bob was giving her trouble or something - I forget - so I offered to be her Sylvia Trench."
Reply
( ... )
Reply
Al shook his head, though he was grinning as he did it. "Okay, Bond night. Noah of the Aesops agreed to hold a Bond night at the Pen not too long ago, and people were coming in costume. I was just gonna come as me, but I saw the thing with Edie come up and I thought 'hey, okay, I guess that's a possibility.' I mean, I'm willing to try anything once. Well. Anything that doesn't look likely to kill me."
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( ... )
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