[Closed Post: En Garde]

[timebethine]

Just as Laertes has developed his own routine here--the regular rounds of breakfasts and dinners do much to give shape to his otherwise formless days--he's observed others' routines. Lancelot, for one, always trains at the same time every morning. At times, as he's shuttled back and forth between the clay bed by the lakeside and his kiln, Laertes has ridden Fenyes past the training yard while Lancelot has been practicing, and he'd reviewed the other man's swordplay with a critical eye. Watching him wheel and thrust in the cool grey light of morning, a part of him has craved the challenge of a second duel.

Today, he sates that craving. He strolls up on Lancelot with a thin, sheathed blade in one hand and his rapier buckled at his waist. "Hallo," he calls. "Wouldst thou like to try a rapier?"

Comments

[lanselos_du_lac]

Lancelot steps aside, though not quite as far as he otherwise might. "Thou canst show me the method."

[timebethine]

Then Laertes tips about half of the egg mixture into the pan and grabs a metal-ended turner; while the eggs hiss and bubble into thick yellow-and-white curds, he scrapes them up and stirs.¹ As soon as the last of the whites have gone from translucent to opaque, he serves up the eggs onto the plates with toast. "Thy turn, now," he says, once the pan's been cleaned out. "Remember what thou hast learned."

¹ I feel the need to clarify for anyone who is currently reading in horror that this pan does not have a non-stick coating, so it's fine to use metal utensils on it.

[lanselos_du_lac]

"Very well," reaching to take the turner. "Do we need more butter?"

[timebethine]

"We do, else the eggs will stick to the pan." He places the turner in Lancelot's hand.

[lanselos_du_lac]

So he reapplies butter and then does his best to repeat what Laertes has shown him. He does a reasonably good job -- again, this is an area where simply repeating an action and its timing are all that's asked of him.

[timebethine]

All the same, Laertes claps his shoulder when it's finished and passes over more plates to have eggs put on them. "Hast done well," he says. "There, now that thou hast learned eggs with toast, thou canst charm any fearful, shy man who wanders into thy kitchen."

[lanselos_du_lac]

"Oh?" He laughs, "Knowest thou any such man here?"

[timebethine]

"Not anymore; I've long since thrown off shyness."

[lanselos_du_lac]

"I cannot believe thou was ever shy," portioning out the eggs.

[timebethine]

"I was--and even now, a part of me fears greatly to be too familiar," Laertes admits. "There are many I would open my heart to, and gather to me as my dearest friends ... but I've been too long brought up to the habit of circumspection. It's easy to make shallow friendships, but to make such friendships as I would have feels like climbing Mount Olympus."

[lanselos_du_lac]

"Ah," thoughtfully. "Time was that even shallow friendships felt a great challenge to me. Folk liked me or they did not. Nothing much to be done about it. Here, I find it different."

[timebethine]

"Good." Laertes starts loading up plates onto the tray, then makes Lancelot a brief but graceful bow. "I'll to my work, then. My thanks for thy help in preparing the meal."

[lanselos_du_lac]

Lancelot bows back, "I thank thee for thy time and teaching. Be well, Laertes."