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 Posted: Fri Nov 15, 2013 11:34 am
"How about you? Surely you have some sort of story behind your own beginnings." Nicholas smiled, glancing up as Sissy returned. He accepted his drink with gratitude, cradling the glass in his hands before taking a sip. Indeed, it seemed like this place served a good enough drink, and he hummed quietly to himself, seeming pleased. The hum seemed to be cut short when he looked up to see the pretty young lady hoist herself into his friend's lap. Oh. Well. Maybe he had been wrong. Ah well, at least he had a mug of beer, and possibly a friend. Speaking of which he was happy to lift his own drink in cheers to her, and then heavily swig at it.
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Posted: Fri Nov 15, 2013 12:00 pm
While Sissy sipped her drink, Roger finally took the time to respond to Nic. He had an arm around the woman, and she watched him with a broad smile.
"My father was a smith, and he wanted me to follow suit, but I had grander plans. I joined the military and worked as a guard in Palisade. There was no war then. I moved out to Oldcastle, struck my shop, and am back in the family business, when I'm not heaving around hay bales or helping someone build something. Business is better now than it used to be." He took his first swig and sat back as Sissy turned to face him, lacing her arms around his neck.
"What about your wife?"
"There's no lady in my life."
"Aside from me, of course."
Roger laughed again. "Of course, Sissy. Aside from you."
"and Ginny, Beth, Patience..."
"Come on now. You'll make my friend worry for me."
Sissy finally turned to Nic in earnest, putting a hand on her hip.
"Oh! So you're the one who's keeping my ring from me, eh? I have half a mind to refuse you service." She was joking, of course. Roger turned slightly red and threw his head back. "There are worse things to happen to a man than marriage to a fine, upstanding young woman!"
"If you meet one, let me know!"
Sissy slapped his broad shoulder in mock offense.
"Excuse you!"
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Posted: Fri Nov 15, 2013 12:29 pm
"The military?" Nic was certainly intrigued. He hadn't expected that he had switched occupations, though at the least some of the military training would have helped in the strength needed for smithing...Probably some of the knowledge of swords worked out well. "What made you change your mind?"
Ah, he already knew about the absence of a wife. But the teasing of Sissy caught his attention. Ah well, he'd already seemed to have lost what he was trying to read into.
"Good with the ladies, are we?" Nic tried to smile, though it came off a little less brighter than he'd intended. Maybe it was just the alcohol...No, he hadn't had enough yet for that.
"Me? Ah, terribly sorry then, I had no idea!" He ran a finger through his curls, just wanting to occupy himself with something for the moment. "And don't worry, Madame, certainly someone as young and lovely as yourself will find a prince charming!"
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Posted: Fri Nov 15, 2013 12:37 pm
"Aww, keep him around," Sissy replied, "He's just a darling."
She grinned and leaned over, beeping Nic's nose before she slid out of Roger's lap. "I should probably go help my less-favorite patrons, hm? Don't get too drunk, now! It'd just kill me to see your hand up some other woman's blouse."
"Not to worry," Roger laughed, shaking his head, "Get back to work!"
Sissy was gone into the din and Roger turned to Nic. Really, if she had picked any other day to tease him, it would have been fine. Unfortunately, this was the night he was trying to get a read on a particularly interesting young man. It wasn't like he could have stopped her or explained to her; very few people reacted favorably to any tine of homosexuality. It was best to keep to oneself. There she'd gone, hanging all over him, naming off various other women.
Maybe meaningless flirting could be harmful after all? But it seemed to make people so happy...
"Good with the ladies?"
As he tried to come up with a good response, he took a deep draw from his mug. He had less than half a mind for the ladies, thank you very much.
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Posted: Fri Nov 15, 2013 12:49 pm
Nic laughed as his nose was touched, giving the slightest glance back to Roger as she left. He soon distracted himself with another heavy swig of his drink, looking down at it between his hands after he set it down. Well.
"Well, since you seem to have quite the list of lovely young girls at your whim, I could only assume." He teased, glancing back up the slightest. "I haven't had such luck. Most of the girls who come to my place are either still children or married. Furniture and toys don't do a young single woman much good, now do they?"
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Posted: Fri Nov 15, 2013 1:04 pm
Uh-oh. Perhaps he had read this situation improperly. Were they just meant to sit around and swill booze and talk about women? he could manage, for sure but he had been hoping for something else. Damn you, Sissy! You had made this all dreadfully more difficult.
He could begin to pretend, or he could press forward. If he had been wrong at the outset, there was a chance that he was going to prison. If he had been right, there was potentially so much more to gain.
"Well, Sissy and Ginny are barmaids, Beth is the cook, and Patience is her seven-year-old daughter, so I wouldn't exactly call myself 'good with the ladies,'" he laughed, trying to not who his hesitation to speak, "I don't know many respectably young woman in need of a rapier or tacks, and I may be able to make a ring, but that usually involves a relationship first, doesn't it?"
Oh, spirits. He took another long drink.
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Posted: Fri Nov 15, 2013 2:03 pm
"Hah, not so good then? Well at least you have a good number of friends, if you call them such." He laughed, taking another sip of his drink. Ah, rats. Had he done this all wrong? It had been so long since he'd actually...well...tried. And he wasn't even sure if Roger would be interested...
"What kinds of sorts do you usually see in your stores then? Any interesting sorts of fellows?" Well, it was a little bolder. But perhaps he wouldn't notice it.
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Posted: Fri Nov 15, 2013 2:30 pm
... fellows, eh? It was a subtle nuance, but it could mean quite a lot. he completely ignored the statement about his friends, hoping that it was an ill mood and not some hidden, bitter personality trait.
"Well, I get the odd twitching rebel. Someone I have to turn away. A teenager once tried to rob me. It's rare to find quite unruly people in Oldcastle, though."
He paused then, took a sip, and his voice turned low. His mouth was partially obscured by his mug as he spoke.
"Unless that isn't what you meant."
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Posted: Fri Nov 15, 2013 2:43 pm
"It does seem to be more quiet and peaceful here, doesn't it? Sometimes I think I'd find more work in Palisade, but then I'd be losing time to do what I love." He shrugged, watching Roger carefully. Had he noticed? In due time, he got his answer. Sipping softly at his own drink, he was careful to keep quiet.
"Perhaps it wasn't."
It was worth a shot.
What did he have to lose?
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Posted: Fri Nov 15, 2013 2:47 pm
What he loved? What did he love, aside from good craftsmanship? Not that he thought Nic was a workman alone. Everyone had something they enjoyed outside of their craft. That was all shoved to the back of Roger's mind, though.
The rest of the conversation was far more curious.
"Ah, well. Most are soldiers, married, or about to be engaged. I can't say too many approach me with intent on friendship. Or anything else. The other day, though, I met the most striking carpenter..."
What did he have to lose? Everything. But he had everything to gain.
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Posted: Fri Nov 15, 2013 2:57 pm
Oh there was plenty Nic enjoyed, just not things Roger would be finding out soon enough. Perhaps in due time he'd find out how much the man liked letting some of his bread going stale so he'd have an excuse to put it out for the songbirds, or how much he loved crisp mornings to go and cut down trees. In due time, if they remained friends.
He listened closely, though acted like he really wasn't, trying to keep things casual and hushed, just in case he was about to be hauled off somewhere quietly and locked up. Well...Riven would probably sneak him pieces of wood and a knife...
Though he couldn't quite hide how his eyes lit up with curiosity with those last words. A striking carpenter? Really now? Oh, Nic knew damn well there weren't many about in Oldcastle. It had to be him. If it wasn't, well...He'd certainly be embarrassed.
"Really now? What a coincidence." He smiled the slightest over his drink, mulling over the conversation in the slightest. "I had someone come in today, very interesting. Came in to watch me work a little, check in on me and that. Someone I wouldn't mind coming in a little more often I think. Pleasant to have about."
Well damn it all if he ended up in jail, he wasn't about to let this chance slip by...If it was what he thought it was. Hell, even just someone to talk to would be nice.
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Posted: Fri Nov 15, 2013 3:09 pm
Roger's eyes wandered away for the sake of feigning an unimportant conversation. When Nic's words struck his ears, though, he couldn't help but smile. He tried to fight it by sucking in his lips, but his excitement was having none of it. He had that rush, that tingling and warmth in his chest that he hadn't had in... my, it had been a long time. To find a homosexual man was one thing. It was another entirely to get him to admit it or act upon it, and even rarer that said man should be interested in him. Sexuality died with age, he'd observed, and even the less inclined found themselves with women in the end. They were an unfortunate lot, but one that Roger had often seen himself joining. He should find a young woman he got along with, woo her, raise a family, and live the great lie of their era.
Maybe he wouldn't have to, though. At least not yet.
He drew the final dregs of his drink and nodded, placing the mug on the table and pushing it slightly forward. He still did not dare make eye contact.
"Indeed! What a coincidence. I imagine he must have been the roguishly handsome sort, no? A strong back and smooth hands." He laughed slightly through the nose at his own teasing and the smile was back again. He played with his mug and the condensation around the bottom, his mind whirring with thoughts of every kind.
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Posted: Fri Nov 15, 2013 3:18 pm
At least the other noises of the bar were keeping this under wraps, Nic hoped. He hoped that someone wouldn't notice the faces the both of them were making, because he was having a rather hard time restraining his own excitement, and relief. Oh how long had it been...Four years? And that young lad had left for Palisade after finding work there. Shame it had been, a real shame. But now he wasn't so alone in the world at least...
He too chose to finish his drink, deciding to have a bit of fun with the condensation instead, creating designs upon the tabletop, as if musing his next piece.
"Ah, terribly handsome. Well spoken too. He must certainly be well taught in something, but I thought it rude to ask." Nope he totally wasn't sneaking little hearts into that design, nope.
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Posted: Fri Nov 15, 2013 3:37 pm
Roger was blissfully unaware of the hearts, too involved in his own world to note the shapes Nic was drawing. He did finally turn to the man, though, all soft eyes and smiles, looking his face over. It was hard to ignore such handsome features, especially when framed by uncommon blonde curls. His eyes were striking, too, but Roger realized that he may be experiencing some bias. He didn't care. For just a moment, he was sharing with another person. That was enough.
A group of men entered then, all laughter and boisterous behavior. Roger looked back to them in only a very cursory manner and cleared his throat. This was a dangerous conversation to be having, even in terms of "that other man". Jail time was not the only punishment men like them could receive. When they had sat down and thrown their hand up for drinks, though, he relaxed. He turned to Nic again, admiring, and opened his mouth to speak, but he was interrupted.
"Another round, my dove?" Sissy asked, standing now beside their table with a well-balanced tray of drinks. "I figured I'd check on you before I was sucked into the bawdy boys over there."
Having been startled out of his thoughts, Roger simply looked to Sissy, to Nic, and back again. He rarely stayed for only one drink, but was that enough to avoid the proposition he had been ready to offer? They were vulnerable here, but he had no idea how Sissy felt about the entire "men loving men" situation. If she saw something nobody else did...
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Posted: Fri Nov 15, 2013 3:46 pm
It didn't take too long for him to glance up the slightest and smile, though it faded rather quickly when the other men came in to join in the revelries of the evening. He was quick to discard his design, wiping his hand nonchalantly over the markings to be rid of them. This wasn't something he wanted seen.
Nic couldn't help but soften up a little when Sissy came back around, chuckling the slightest. He hadn't noticed Roger's intent of speaking, having been distracted with keeping himself occupied as to not draw any attention. He frowned, glancing over to his friend.
"Ah, what do you say?" He frowned. Frankly he could go either way. It didn't matter.
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