[Open Post] ..Tuesday afternoon..

[lanselos_du_lac]

Lancelot feels that things have been a strange mix of tumult and routine. This is probably because they have. But today, so far, is routine in all respects. His day has proceeded apace through his usual steps -- drills, tending to Rivelin, coffee, lunch with Susan -- and the afternoon is now stretching out before him in a very satisfying way. He feels good, settled.

And so it is that he's in the café, reading (or mostly reading), with more coffee at hand. Given that he seems to be splitting time equally between having his eyes on his book and gazing out the window, he will not be bothered if anyone comes to chat.

Comments

[kadewest]

Kade comes in! His excuse, in case it turns out that nobody is hanging around, is to figure out the hot chocolate capabilities of the cafe, where he--admittedly--hasn't spent much time since arriving.

To his great pleasure, there's a familiar face once he arrives! He gives Lancelot a friendly nod.

[lanselos_du_lac]

Lancelot smiles, "Kade! I'm glad to see you."

[kadewest]

Well, that sounds like an invitation if there ever was one! Kade veers over from the espresso machine--there's not really a lot of stuff for hot chocolate, anyway--and snags a cookie on his way to Lancelot's table. "Oh yeah?"

[lanselos_du_lac]

"Yes, aye, I have questions for you."

[kadewest]

"Well!" Kade takes a seat in an empty chair. "Let's see if I have answers."

[lanselos_du_lac]

He closes his book and sits forward, bright and engaged. "You are a tailor, yes?"

[kadewest]

"I am!"

[ravkanwitch]

"Good morning," Nina says as she enters, a habit she's probably picked up from Sagramore; she's on the hunt for a very specific type of coffee that can only usually be found in the café. "Lancelot, right?"

[lanselos_du_lac]

He glances up, smiling, "Aye. You've the right of it, Nina."

[ravkanwitch]

She starts looking through some of the cabinets. "What are you reading?"

[lanselos_du_lac]

"Oh-- trying to learn about theater and plays."

[ravkanwitch]

“Oh? Is that because of the questionnaire Susan and I put out or is it a happy coincidence?”

[lanselos_du_lac]

There's a quick, bright smile, "Susan spoke to me of plays-- I did think of it with the questionnaire."

[futaille]

And where the café is, there will inevitably eventually be a Grantaire, who will be walking in and making a beeline for the pastries. "Lancelot! Good..." he glances out the window himself. "... afternoon!"

[lanselos_du_lac]

Lancelot looks up and smiles at Grantaire, "Good afternoon, sir. How dost?"

[futaille]

"Everything is delightful as always." He grabs a pain au chocolat and heads over towards Lancelot. "What are you reading?"

[lanselos_du_lac]

"Oh, it's--" He frowns slightly, "Well. If I am honest, I thought it would be helpful but I think I am more confused than I was before."

[futaille]

"Oh, that sounds either promising, terrible, or promisingly terrible. Let me have a look." He sits down at Lancelot's table.

[lanselos_du_lac]

"I wanted to learn about theater -- we have masques, and feasts and such but I don't really understand plays. I found this, which the title was promising. Popular Amusements, and there is a chapter on theater but-- it is mainly concerned with sin and demonry, and tells me nothing of how plays... work."

[peaklordshen]

It's probably the most spoiled thing Shen Yuan could ever think, but he's getting kind of tired of ping-ponging wildly between eating absolute garbage while plunked in front of Smash all day and being hand-fed lavish, beautiful meals by Binghe. He wants to eat something normal. Something that tastes good, but without blowing his tastebuds out and filling him with culinary awe. The kitchens only ever gives him snack foods or mediocre leftovers these days, so he winds up in the cafe instead, eyeing up pastries.

He selects a sweet one and is about to head back out when he catches sight of a man he doesn't know at one of the tables, handsomely ignoring his book to gaze thoughtfully out at the grounds instead. He's seen him before—dancing with Susan, talking with Galahad and Claudius at Wanderer's Gather. He looks less like Galahad than he'd expected, but still, it's not hard to guess who he is.

He approaches his table. "Hey. Mind if I join you?"

[lanselos_du_lac]

Lancelot looks over, a little surprised to see someone he is pretty sure he's never met. He straightens in his chair a little, and says (with only a little polite hesitation), "No. Of course. Have a seat."

[peaklordshen]

Shen Yuan does, and offers a hand for him to shake. "Shen Yuan. I'm a friend of Galahad's," and then, so that doesn't sound like a threat, given Galahad's other friends, "and Susan's."

[lanselos_du_lac]

He does have a little pause but then he reaches out to shake Shen Yuan's hand. "I'm Lancelot," is all he offers.

A part of him figures that if Shen Yuan is mentioning Galahad and Susan, then he knows already who Lancelot is. He has to work hard to push down the bristling, ready-to-defend feeling that he gets when he starts to suspect that someone he doesn't know is about to start telling him all they things they think they already know about himself.

[peaklordshen]

Shen Yuan nods. "I've heard a lot about you," he says, matter-of-factly, "and after a certain point, hearing a lot about a guy you live in the same house with without ever having actually met the guy starts feeling rude. You know? Even if the house is, like, impossibly huge."

[lanselos_du_lac]

Lancelot half-nods, half-shrugs, and says carefully, "I don't believe I've heard much about you, though I admit my circle is small, even for here."