[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

[lanselos_du_lac]

He looks, considers, and then makes another attempt which is successful. "Ah-- I see. Thank you."

[kadewest]

"Sure, no problem. What's the verdict?"

[lanselos_du_lac]

"I like these well enough-- I think I prefer the others."

[kadewest]

"Why, exactly?" Kade asks, raising his eyebrows.

[lanselos_du_lac]

"I'm not sure," he frowns thoughtfully. "The first, the-- jeans? Those felt a bit snug, but they moved well. The next felt ... warm? Relaxed. These feel fine, but it is more like the suit. I don't know how."

[kadewest]

"Spiritually... stiffer?" Kade suggests. "I'm a jeans guy myself, obviously." He gestures at his own outfit. "I know slacks are nothing like armor--I've worn a form of armor--but they have the same feeling to me."

[lanselos_du_lac]

"Hrm," shifting side to side, as if testing what Kade has said. "Aye. As if they have a specific purpose. Which is well, but-- if I am thinking of things I might wear day to day, here, I would prefer comfort."

[kadewest]

"Hang on," Kade says, disappearing yet again into his warren of clothes. He calls, "I'm having an idea. I wanna see how you jive with jeggings."

[lanselos_du_lac]

Lancelot laughs and says, "Jive?"

[kadewest]

"How you feel about them," Kade clarifies as he re-emerges. "Here. I promise this is the last pair of pants I make you try on. For now." He still has more shirts, though.

[lanselos_du_lac]

"Very well," laughing a little. "I don't mind."

He starts to change out of the slacks and figure out the jeggings. After a long pause he says, "I thank thee. Hast been patient with me, and kind."

[kadewest]

"Please," Kade laughs. "It's no hardship. Actually, I was happy to run into you."

[lanselos_du_lac]

These do feel better, once they're on. He says, "Happy? Why?"

[kadewest]

"I was getting a little shut away up here with no projects to work on," Kade shrugs. "Cabin fever-y, you know? And I liked our conversation before, when you were helping me out with old Bertha. --That's what I named the sewing machine."

[lanselos_du_lac]

"Aye, I can understand needing a project," he smiles. "To hear that my conversation was pleasant, that is more surprising."

[kadewest]

"And why's that?" Kade is back with the pile of shirts, picking out a couple more for Lancelot to try with the jeggings.

[lanselos_du_lac]

He shrugs, "I don't think myself to be particularly good at conversation."

[kadewest]

Kade thinks back to their earlier conversation. "That part of why you think people tend to misunderstand you?" he asks.

[lanselos_du_lac]

"Aye," easily enough.

[kadewest]

"I think you do well enough," says Kade, tossing Lancelot the threatened cowl-necked sweater first. "But as previously established, I have vanishingly little experience talking to adult men myself, so. Hey, maybe that's what's weird about this place for me. The battalion of teenagers don't need me in the same way my students did, and the vast majority of the rest of the people here seem to be adult men."

[lanselos_du_lac]

Lancelot pulls the sweater on, and takes a moment to settle into it. "It does not seem too unlike court, here, to me. I do have more friends here, than at home, and for that I'm grateful. I think, too, I'm more comfortable with folk here."

He thinks, briefly, that here he is allowed to use his attention, his affection, as he likes -- but he doesn't know quite what else to do with that thought, so he puts it away, focusing instead on how the sweater feels and whether he likes the look of it.

[kadewest]

"How is this place like court, for you?" Kade is genuinely curious. He doesn't know enough about Arthurian legend or medieval Europe to hazard a guess.

[lanselos_du_lac]

"Well-- at court there are many more people, but those that I see day to day, or must interact with, are fewer. Here there are, really, very few people and so it is usual to see nearly everyone at some point over several days. Not everyone likes or is friendly with everyone else-- we are not here by choice."

[kadewest]

Kade laughs. "So what you're saying is we live in a society here? A teeny tiny little society?"

[lanselos_du_lac]

He chuckles wryly, "I suppose. A rather closed one."