Closed Post: If at first...

[futaille]

Grantaire has seen the coffee maker being used in passing. He has not had to use it himself, as usually when he's in the kitchen, he opts for other beverages. But he knows he really should speak to Enjolras. And he also knows that even if Enjolras already has coffee, that coffee will probably either be horrible or it will have congealed into unrecognizable sludge that he will still somehow be attempting to drink, and that's just not acceptable.

So he's bound and determined to make Enjolras some coffee. It can't be that difficult, right? He grabs a bottle of wine, just to sip at while it brews. (Also, to fortify his courage. He's surely going to need it.)

On his first attempt, he has no idea what happened. Cleanup is a chore, but he actually gets assistance with both cleanup and strategy from a helpful mademoiselle with quite a bit of hair who explains the need for coffee filters, as well as the general steps one needs to take to brew the coffee in this thing. She's apparently taken one apart.

The second pot actually manages to brew into actual coffee without grounds everywhere. But upon tasting, he didn't use nearly enough coffee. Rejected.

Third pot? Too much. Rejected.

The fourth pot looks promising but the coffee is just nowhere near as good as he wants to present to Enjolras.

He finds a different variety of coffee for the fifth pot. It looks much more like it. But that sets the ratios all askew again.

Finally. Finally, pot number six turns out to be what he was looking for. He pours it into a large insulated mug that he finds in a cabinet, puts the lid on tightly, and heads off with a large mug of hot coffee in one hand, and a (now...) half-bottle of wine in the other.

There's a conversation that needs to be had.

Comments

[untamedantinous]

"If so, then I will continue to be pleasantly surprised." There's still a grin.

[futaille]

"Wine, tedious words, and surprises. Three things I am frequently in possession of." He makes his own next pass, a lunge of his own that veers right upon approach.

[untamedantinous]

"Certainly plenty of surprises in this place." He does manage to dodge that one.

[futaille]

"It seems that strike was not quite surprise enough." He grins. "But you're right. Some surprises better than others, in fairness."

[untamedantinous]

"Well, yes, I don't think any of us enjoyed the last week." Aside from the murdering zombies. That was, he had to admit, certainly needed at the time.

[futaille]

"I have had worse weeks," he says, nodding, "but not many." He readies himself for Enjolras's next pass.

[untamedantinous]

"It was decidedly unpleasant." He considers for another moment or two, then attempts a lunge, ending up somewhere near Grantaire's right shoulder.

[futaille]

And although Grantaire does try to parry, Enjolras lands the third and winning hit. He huffs out a rueful laugh. "Well done. I was hoping to make it at least a few more rounds."

[untamedantinous]

"I mean, you did do awfully well for your first time, so don't feel too bad." Especially after a bottle of wine.

[futaille]

"Well, it's not stickfighting, but it's not that far off, in the end."

[untamedantinous]

"I did say as much," with an amused lipquirk. He moves to set his rapier down and will start toweling off, once more. "Thank you for the bout."

[futaille]

"You did, yes." He puts his own away, keeping Enjolras in his field of view, but not being quite bold enough to stare. "And it was nothing. Simple enough to provide."

[untamedantinous]

Thank you for not staring, Grantaire, he does appreciate it. "Well, at least only your pride was a little wounded. Now. Is there anything you did wish to talk about, or was the coffee out of the goodness of your heart?"

[futaille]

He shrugs. "My heart lacks terribly much in the way of goodness, but I don't know that I really had anything specific to talk to you about. I was just... reminded, recently, that I should make some sort of effort. We're all each other has of home, and even though I know I'm perhaps barely in the top ten of people you would have chosen to be here, I also probably shouldn't make it more difficult."

[untamedantinous]

"We are, yes," he says softly. "We should spend more time together than we do, probably; the reminder is nice." Well, the cafe will likely help with that, though he certainly doesn't intend on spending all his time there. "Everything is turned on its head here."

[futaille]

He nods. "Yes, we should. And yes it is." He's thoughtful for a moment. "It was never really true, I suppose, that I believed in nothing. Just... nothing particularly high-minded. I could never abandon believing in friendship, and yet I've been running from you at every other opportunity."

[untamedantinous]

"I knew that already," with some warmth -- and perhaps a touch of fondness. "Yes. I know it is difficult, here, but all new things are when you start at them for the first time. It is just hard to remember that, as well." Especially when you're as impatient as Enjolras tends to be.

[futaille]

"Little by little, the bird builds its nest¹," he replies with a shrug. "A twig at a time, I suppose."

¹ Petit à petit, l'oiseau fait son nid. Why yes, the typist did in fact do some frantic googling of French proverbs, why do you ask?

[untamedantinous]

“A twig at a time, yes. Until we can figure out a way to guide ourselves without our guide. ….Though he may show up yet, who knows with this place.”

[futaille]

He nods. "Clearly. If even we showed up days apart, anything could happen."

[untamedantinous]

“Well, we have seen that this place seems to have a sense of humor, terrible though it may be.”

[futaille]

He looks wry. "A terrible sense of humor would be Bonaparte arriving."

[untamedantinous]

“Ah, but our resident dragon would likely throw him out of the mansion before he set a foot inside,” he says, darkly amused. “If I am a Jacobin, Temeraire is just as bad.”

[futaille]

"And Temeraire has significantly more teeth." He pauses. "I think. I'm not sure how many teeth dragons actually have. They might just be larger."

[untamedantinous]

"He has quite an impressive amount. And claws, of course. He is surely a formidable enemy." There's a slight pause. "It is very difficult to imagine Buonaparte with a dragon, isn't it?" Imagine what could have happened if the Amis had had a dragon.