022 » baby pull me closer in the backseat of your rover

[haillenarte]

[francel's seven years old, this week. he's counting off the days until he'll be eight. his nameday is next week — and he's not certain that anyone will remember, not really, but it's fun all the same.

it's definitely more fun than accompanying his father to fortemps manor, anyway. francel likes sneaking into fortemps manor so that he can see haurchefant — but he doesn't like going with his father, because count haillenarte always insists that haurchefant has better things to do, that countess fortemps is making him run errands, and that francel should just be a good boy and play games with the servants in the parlor.

except there aren't any servants in the parlor. instead, there's a boy about twice his age sitting on a couch, and he isn't haurchefant — he's haurchefant's older brother (half-brother? father always tells him not to say that out loud, and it's very confusing).]

...H-Hello, Lord Artoirel.

[francel bows, but he's still not very good at it, and he wobbles a little when he shifts his weight to one leg. his boyish voice trembles like a sparrow's when he talks.]

F-Fair weather today, is it not?

Comments

[haillenarte]

But suppose I fell in the water?

[a peek at francel's face will reveal that he's still smiling serenely, which most likely means that he knows full well that this line of questioning is pointless — he's just screwing with artoirel.

cheeky little thing.

he changes his tune, though, once they finally pass through a large set of double doors into the manor's interior courtyard, where the garden lies beyond a set of stately stone columns. the fresh scent of grass and brisk spring air fills francel's lungs; he pauses in his steps so he can breathe deep of it.]

Is this the House Fortemps garden, my lord? Why, it's so beautiful... and so grand!

[ironbone]

[Tempted though he is to return that cheek in kind, he refrains. He's not yet sure how sensitive of a boy Francel is, and the thought of it getting back to his father if he made the youngest Haillenarte lord cry is not a pleasant one. At his age he should serve as an example, not tease a lad half his age.]

I am pleased to hear it is to your liking.

[He takes a slight detour away from the hedge maze. A child that thinks a dragon at the center of a maze sounds fanciful will surely enjoy seeing the lifelike unicorn statue rearing majestically at the center of the main fountain. He remains silent as he leads Francel by the hand, secretly hoping that he does think it's real, if only for a moment.]

[haillenarte]

[boo, artoirel didn't react to the teasing. how boring! but francel will forgive him as soon as he's led to the unicorn fountain, and immediately drops all pretenses towards lordliness.]

Is that a unicorn? A real unicorn?!

[but — oh, no. the stone is carved beautifully, to be sure, but the unicorn isn't breathing and its mane isn't waving in the wind.]

Ah, I see... 'tis merely a statue. But it looks so real! It so resembles the picture in the bestiary I have at home! Can I ride it?

[francel is practically shining with glee as he utters:]

Oh, Haurchefant would be so excited to see this!

[ironbone]

[His joy is infectious, and despite the fact that Francel's request is somewhat impractical he's about to acquiesce when the boy says something to utterly spoil his good humor.]

I am sure he has already seen this, [he says stiffly. Why would Francel know Haurchefant? It's bad enough that his father openly acknowledges the bastard, but allowing him to socialize with a proper trueborn son of another house is just shameless. Must the entire city be made aware of his baseborn brother?]

You two are acquainted?

[haillenarte]

Yes! We met at a party some moons ago.

Well — not at a party, exactly. He was outside of the party. I don't quite understand why. But I shared my pudding with him, so we are now friends.

[it's plain to see from the way the boy talks about this that little francel is fairly enamored with young haurchefant. what a pity.]

[ironbone]

[He is at least somewhat mollified to have Francel confirm what he already suspected — his father ensures that Haurchefant stays out of sight during high society functions. Artoirel's mother deserves at least that much respect. He turns from the fountain, tightening his grip on Francel's small hand slightly as he starts to walk away toward the hedge maze.]

I see. Do not forget that a lord should choose his friends carefully, Lord Francel. Sharing pudding is hardly grounds to trust in someone.

[haillenarte]

Oh? But... but Haurchefant is ever so kind.

[confused, he squeezes back, smiling in a timid way that suggests he's trying to pacify whatever ill humor he's detected in artoirel's words.]

Sometimes he sneaks into my room and we play games together, or he takes me out on adventures through the city, or we play in the Crozier. I never know what to do with myself besides read books and stay in my room so I don't bother anybody — but there's ever so much to do when Haurchefant is around.

[the boy's gaze falls to the grass, suddenly, and he kicks his feet at the dirt.]

...No one else pays attention to me the way Haurchefant does. Not my father, nor my brothers... Chlodebaimt is kind to me, but he's always away, so he doesn't have time to play games with me...

[ironbone]

[Haurchefant sneaks a young (and possibly sickly) noble boy down to the Crozier?! This is even worse than he initially thought. Surely they aren't going without some sort of escort. It's generally safe, but there are pickpockets about and if Francel were to get lost... perhaps if he befriends him instead, he'll have less cause to associate beneath him.

Not that his motives are entirely altruistic. The idea of stealing his half brother's little friend away is admittedly an appealing one.]

I am sorry to hear that. There are a lot of demands on men of our station; you'll come to understand as you grow older. However...

[Artoirel smiles down at the younger boy kindly.]

I often have free time on weekends after church. You are welcome to come and visit if you like.

[haillenarte]

[altruistic or not, francel falls for artoirel's words like a noble woman promised undying love for the first time. his face shines with the obvious hope of someone who really really wants something but is too afraid to claim it.]

T... Truly, Lord Artoirel? Truly? I... I know being the firstborn of your House is a great responsibility, and you must have a great many other things to do than entertain a fourthborn like myself. I... I would not want to impose...

[ironbone]

[Artoirel is not blind to that admiration, nor is he above taking advantage of it. Not that he's planning anything nefarious — it's really quite charming to have someone so genuinely excited at the prospect of keeping company with him even without the secondary motive of steering Francel away from his half brother.]

Aye, truly. Do not worry yourself about imposing; your company would be most welcome.

[He pauses by a particularly lovely iris in bloom and leans down enough to run his index fingers over the delicate petals.]

You said that you are fond of flowers, yes? We recently acquired an encyclopedia of the flora and fauna of the Twelveswood with full color illustrations. Mayhap this coming weekend we could take it out to the gazebo and take a look at it if the weather is fair.

[haillenarte]

[for a moment, francel just stares at artoirel like he's just been offered the entire world.]

I... that would be lovely, Lord Artoirel. I would... I would appreciate...

[he stammers and pauses, but in the end — even though he knows it's not appropriate, and artoirel seems like the sort of person who cares a lot about behaving appropriately, but maybe it's fine to blame his unruliness on haurchefant's influence, just this once — francel throws his little arms around artoirel's waist and hugs as tightly as he can manage. his little cheeks are flushed from some mixture of happiness and embarrassment; he smiles into artoirel's shirt.]

You're the best, Lord Artoirel!

[ironbone]

[A hug is a bit more than he was expecting. He simply stares down at Francel for a moment, waffling between gently scolding him for the behavior and hugging him back. After a couple seconds more he settles for placing his hand on the overly affectionate boy's head. It's fine to be a little over exuberant sometimes...]

'Tis no great deed worthy of singing my praises over.

[Any longer than this is excessive even if he doesn't truly mind. Artoirel takes a step back, offering his hand again.]

Shall we be off?

[haillenarte]

[okay, okay, he'll behave himself; he knows when to let go when he's told. francel draws back and cheerfully reclaims artoirel's hand.]

Yes, let's!

[ironbone]

[It isn't at all difficult to spot the hedgemaze with its nine foot tall hedges. Excessive elsewhere perhaps, but since elezen have been known to reach seven feet tall it would hardly be any fun if someone just jumped up to see over them. Once they get there he releases Francel's hand, squatting down enough for them to be eye to eye.]

I have navigated this maze many a time, so I fear we will be done all too soon if I take the lead. Would you like to lead, Lord Francel?

[haillenarte]

[francel nods enthusiastically, smiling prettily as artoirel gets up close bends to his level (and, oh, that earlier sight of artoirel fingering the lily's petals is going to be a memory that will haunt him when he is older) — but he seems to balk once he turns back to the hedge mase and realizes just how tall it is. sure, elezen adults can reach the seven fulms of height necessary to make the maze walls feel natural, but francel is a child barely four fulms tall; the maze walls are more than twice his height!

he gulps.]

O... Of course, my lord. O-Only pray do not scold me should I get us lost.

[so saying, from the entrance he timidly heads right (he's definitely never heard of that old adage that you should always keep left to reach the end of a maze). and then left. and then right again...]

[ironbone]

[Is a hedge maze really worth getting that worked up about? Francel looks so anxious that Artoirel is hit with the sudden mental image of those long ears of his sinking low like a scared wolf cub's might. He huffs out a mostly silent chuckle at the thought.]

Why would I ever scold you for that? I think that half the fun of a maze is getting just a little lost.

[And with the way Francel is navigating, they're likely to get dreadfully lost...]

If we get too turned around then I shall just have to put you up on my shoulders so that you can find the way.

[haillenarte]

[the ears might be like a wolf's, but francel's body language is more like a fluffy little hare's as he flits this way and that within the maze: he'll walk a bit in one direction, pause, and then walk a bit in another direction, like a rabbit that doesn't quite know where it's going.

he's gotten really lost — in one corner of the maze now instead of the center — and though elezen ears are stiff, it really does look like francel's droops a little as he stares at an imposing dead end in the maze.]

Oh... I must be going the wrong way. L-Let's turn back...

[ironbone]

[Though it's a mite cruel, he allows Francel to fret and get himself completely turned around. For one thing it's best if he works things out on his own, and for another... well, it's cute. Especially when his ears actually droop a tad just like he'd been imagining.]

Have you ever read tales of knights navigating a labyrith, Lord Francel? They keep one hand on the wall and gradually work their way to the end.

[He gently takes one of his hands and places it on that dead end, then points back the way they came.]

Go on. If you keep the same hand on the wall, you won't lose your way.

[haillenarte]

Truly? I've never heard anything like that...

[but francel does as he is told, walking slowly through the labyrinth with one hand on the wall. he seems a bit unsure of himself at first, especially when he comes to a fork in the road and the path that way seems ever so tempting — but he closes his eyes and forges on.

...apparently he's just going to keep his eyes closed while he walks. the determination in his expression is really cute, though.]

[ironbone]

[Thankfully for Francel, the path is kept well manicured and he won't really be in much danger of tripping over an errant rock or root. Artoirel will gently rest a hand on his back just in case regardless, though. Navigating with one's eyes closed seems a strange method to him, but if that's what it takes for Francel to resist the urge to go running down the wrong path he won't judge him for it.

Much.

After what probably seems like a terribly long time wandering around with his eyes closed they come to the clearing. Artoirel gently squeezes his shoulder to get his attention.]

There now, see? We're here.

[It's a tranquil little spot. The gazebo he spoke of sits in the middle. So that it's not easily visible over the hedge walls it's fairly small, but the benches inside look comfortable and the shade is always welcome on a warm day. It looks out over a wildflower garden (it would be too much to ask a gardener to make their way in here every day to tend to anything fancy) and the fish pond. The pond itself has a little rock fountain to keep the water from growing stagnant and a variety of aquatic plants to provide the fish some cover.]

[haillenarte]

...We're here?

We're here!

[the fact that artoirel's advice leads him to the clearing seemingly like magic both surprises and absolutely delights francel. he can't help but let out a boyish cry at the sight of the clearing; the gazebo might be small, but it's plenty big enough for a small child. unfortunately, the details of the pond's careful construction escapes him for now.

francel turns around and gives artoirel another spontaneous hug before he dashes ahead to the fish pond. sure enough, the carp swarm towards him, expecting food.]

There really are fish in here! Lord Artoirel, what do fish eat?

[ironbone]

[He should probably remind him to keep his composure, but it's difficult to want to when he's so obviously gleeful over managing to find the maze's center. Pleasure at a job well done is something he can understand.]

They are a bottom feeding variety, so they eat just about anything. I believe we have a bag of dried mealworms somewhere around here...

[Artoirel takes a few steps over to the gazebo and pulls the bag out from beneath a bench. There are undoubtedly some other types of bugs in there as well, but it doesn't really matter since the fish will eat most any insect.]

Would you like to feed them?

[haillenarte]

[mysteriously, francel only smiles back in response, and poses an odd question:]

Lord Artoirel, what do sea monsters eat?

[ironbone]

[What a strange thing to ask. He cocks a brow, then ultimately shakes his head.]

I can't say that I do.

[Other than "everything they can get their mouths around", but he doubts that's the answer here.]

[haillenarte]

Fish and ships!

[...he promptly laughs so hard he falls flat on his ass.]