Brothers at Lunch - Chris and Henri

[Christophe Legard nó Shahrizai]

Continuation of terredange.proboards.com/index.cgi?action=display&board=eluastemple&thread=4830&page=3

We rounded a corner as we were talking about women and came upon the Black Boar tavern. I waited until we were inside and seated at a table before I replied to his last comment. The furnishings in the pub were all in dark wood, and the place had a homey feel.

"Well, I would say that you need to stop worrying about it, and go meet some women," I replied. Then I grinned. "Of course, that's much easier said than done."

[Henri Legard]

We came upon the Black Boar and were seated quickly. In our semi private corner I felt at ease. I nodded in agreement to Christophe's words.

"I guess I just do not want to seem like this little country boy with no intelligence or street smarts," I said with a chuckle, "even if the part about street smarts is true. You know how it is in Camlach," I said with the roll of my eyes. "Do not get me wrong, I love home, and miss it but.... they have this ideal... vision... of what a man is supposed to be, how he is to be portrayed, strong, upstanding, manly, and all that." I stopped talking as a pretty girl came to our table asking what we would like to drink. I looked to Christophe for him to go first, and I would more than likely just follow suit.

[Christophe Legard nó Shahrizai]

"Ale?" I asked Henri when the waitress asked us what we wished to drink.

[Henri Legard]

I nodded with a smile. "Sounds good, brother," I said as I looked to the girl with a gentle grin, then looked away rather sheepishly, staring at my hands as I rested them, grasping each other, on the table. She left two menus and promised to return quickly. When she left I raised my eyes, but could feel my cheeks heating at my embarassment that I could barely look at her. I took up the menu, hoping to hide it as I looked overtop at Christophe. "So... what is good here?" I asked.

[Christophe Legard nó Shahrizai]

"I had their stew last time, and quite enjoyed it," I replied as I looked over the menu. I had noted the way my brother had responded to the server. He hadn't been kidding, he had no idea what to do around women.

[Henri Legard]

I nodded as I felt my cheeks start to cool and lowered the menu to a comfortable level. "I could use something hearty," I said with a grin. "Do they serve it with bread?" I asked, hoping I did not sound greedy.

[Christophe Legard nó Shahrizai]

"Comes in bread," I said with a chuckle. "They serve them in bread bowls."

[Henri Legard]

"What?" I asked incredulously. "Like... a bowl of bread? But wouldn't it seep through and make a mess?" I asked, thinking what it might look like. "It sounds delectable though, stew-soaked-bread." I was nigh salivating with the thought of how it would taste, and wondered if Marie had heard of any such thing before.

[Christophe Legard nó Shahrizai]

"I imagine that it would only seep through if you didn't eat it quickly enough. I've never had a problem. The crust is nice and thick," I explained, smiling with how marveled he was by the idea.

[Henri Legard]

"Ahhh," I said, understanding now. "I figured it was soft all the way around. Hmm I like this idea," I said with a chuckle. "Gods... I must sound like a child," I muttered with furrowed brows. "Ask me anything about tending the land, growing things, and I could answer you... mention a bowl made of bread and I get confused," I said shaking my head. "I do not know how I will ever learn to keep up."

[Christophe Legard nó Shahrizai]

"The first step is making yourself stop worrying about it brother," I told him not unkindly. The server reappeared with our ale, and I sent her off again with a request for two servings of stew.

[Henri Legard]

"You are right," I said with a smile as the server brought our drinks and moved off with our orders. "It is just difficult not to feel so different here," I explained. It was nice, being able ot talk to Christophe about these things because I knew he was not judging me. I was sure Pierre would say something about men not worrying about things like that and make me out to be some sort of sad excuse for a man. "But I will try," I said with a nod of determination.

[Christophe Legard nó Shahrizai]

"There are plenty of people in the City that weren't born here, and everyone has a different opinion. You'll find people here to be friends with, and you'll find women who like farmers," I told him with a teasing smile. "Definitely try. The worst example you could follow is Pierre. He gave up before he had even arrived."

[Henri Legard]

I laughed then grew solemn at the mention of Pierre nodding. I really did wish there was hope for him, for them, for this family to become whole again before another parent passed and this rivalry continued. I took a sip from my tankard and opened my mouth to speak but before I could, the waitress had returned with our stew... and in bread bowls, as Christophe had said! Next time I knew better than to doubt. This time I forced myself not to cower, and instead, I smiled softly at her as she set down the the plates with the bowls. She smiled back before telling us her name was Minette and letting us know that should we need anything anything at all to call for her. I replied with a thank you, being more bold, and she nodded once before leaving our table. Luckily my cheeks did not start to heat until after she had turned her back to us.

I then looked to Christophe with a wide grin.

[Christophe Legard nó Shahrizai]

The server returned with our food, and I managed not to chuckle until after she had left again. "She likes you," I teased him as I picked up my spoon.

[Henri Legard]

"Maybe," I murmured as I felt my cheeks heat, "or maybe she was just being nice." I said, trying to discount it. I took up my spoon. "Either way, bon appetit," I grinned before taking the spoon and delving into the meal.

[Christophe Legard nó Shahrizai]

I chuckled and picked up my spoon with a grin. I didn't want to tease Henri into being uncomfortable again, only enough to encourage. I dug into my meal as well, and silence stretched between us as we concentrated on our food. "Brother, I have a question for you," I said after I had slowed down some.

[Henri Legard]

I had just piled a heaping spoon of stew into my mouth and chewed, quickly but thankfully with the grace mother had taught me to eat at a dinner table, and swallowed.

"Sure Christophe, anything," I said with a smile, taking the napkin from the table and dabbing the corners o fmy mouth with it before placing it in my lap as I had seen Christophe do before eating.

[Christophe Legard nó Shahrizai]

I put my spoon down and then looked at him. "Well, I was hoping you would do me the honour of being my best man?" I asked him with a grin.

[Henri Legard]

I was still smiling when he spoke, the words not having sunk in yet, and when they did, my eyes went wide, and a smile broke even wider as I dropped my spoon back into the stew.

"Your... you... really?" I asked, completely taken aback. "I..." I did not know what to say. I was certain he must have had friends here in the City, male friends who he had made connections with, but he wanted me to be his best man? "Yes!" I exclaimed, laughing happilly. "Of course of course!" I wanted to get up and give him a hug, but I figured that social decorum did not call for that. Apparently I was not utterly hopeless. "By the Gods!" I exclaimed. I had forgotten about the food before us, and just beamed, exstatic and astonished.

[Christophe Legard nó Shahrizai]

I grinned and laughed at his reaction. Reaching over, I clasped his shoulder. "Thanks little brother, it would mean a lot to me."

[Henri Legard]

I beamed as he clapped me on the shoulder in good-nature. "Best man," I said in a soft voice, still marvelling at it. "I am still so just... wow," I said again with a soft chuckle. "What do I have to do?" I asked, realising then that I had no inkling as to my duties. "By teh Gods! I have to start writing a speech!" I exclaimed, realising after that now was not the time or the place to get started on that.

[Christophe Legard nó Shahrizai]

I chuckled at his enthusiasm. I had hoped he would be pleased, and he hadn't disappointed me. "You mainly just have to make sure that I don't forget the rings, and that the family makes it to the sanctuary. If you want to give a speech, I would be honoured."

[Henri Legard]

I smiled wider, if that were at all possible. "I can certainly do that, I..." then I thought on Pierre and frowned, "well I will try my hardest... Pierre may be a hard one to get there, and to keep there. But everyone else should be effortless and I," I said, touching my chest with my hand balled into a fist, as if expressing my fealty, "I would be honoured to speak at your wedding, though it shall make me terribly nervous," I chuckled.

[Christophe Legard nó Shahrizai]

I grinned, refusing to let the thought of Pierre dampen my good spirits. "Wonderful. You don't have to be too nervous, it will be quite small. Just some family and friends."

[Henri Legard]

I beamed, still, unable to lower the corners of my mouth, raised in the smile my face held, nor did I really want to. I was very happy for Christophe, and very honoured that he had chosen me. "Have you already figured out what you will be wearing?" I asked.

[Christophe Legard nó Shahrizai]

I chuckled at the question. "Mala told me once that she wished I was allowed to wear my Sun Prince costume. So I've had a cloth of gold vest made. It's not quite the same, but I don't want to blind anyone." I grinned.

[Henri Legard]

I laughed, picturing Christophe in the colour, nodding. "It would be a very becoming colour on you I think, but then again waht do I know of such things," I joked, scrunching my nose in jest. "But it does sound lovely. Has she already chosen her dress? And... what in the heavens should I wear?" I had brought the one good suit I had, the suit I had worn when we had buried mother, but I had nothing else.

[Christophe Legard nó Shahrizai]

I swallowed my mouthful of stew to answer. "We'll get you a suit," I assured him. "I know a very good clothier, he'll whip you up something. Then you can really impress all the girls."

[Henri Legard]

I had to laugh, shaking my head as I took another bite. The stew was good, hearty, and falvourful. "Is it not true what I have heard, that the man makes teh clothes, not the clothes makes the man?" I asked with a chuckle. I could look for all the world over like a princely courtier, but I would still be me, and I would still be terribly bad with women. I was hoping, though, that the City might help change that, and perhaps Christiophe too. He was already helping, and I smiled wider, thinking on it. "I am so glad to be here with you brother," I said in a moment of affection. "Thank you."