(no subject)

[equal_of_any_man]

A man in the dress of a crusader walks into the bar, dusty from travel but smiling. He walks up to the bar, touching the smooth wood with reverence. “Hello, old friend. I’ve missed you.”

He orders a large hot chocolate and sits by the fire, savouring the taste.

Very botherable and more than happy to catch up with old friends.

Comments

[street_sparrow]

Gavroche blinks at him. "...Olivier?"

[equal_of_any_man]

"Gavroche, my friend." He greets Gavroche with open arms and a warm smile. "It has been too long. I have missed you!"

[street_sparrow]

Gavroche steps in willingly for the embrace. "It's barely been a month here, you've probably guessed. You lost your door?"

[equal_of_any_man]

"Truly? It has been four yours for me. I fear I did lose the door and I have suffered for it. I have missed my friends dearly."

[street_sparrow]

"Truly", he says with a nod. "Has much happened back in your world?"

[equal_of_any_man]

"So much. Another crusade has begun and there is war in England. Cousin fight cousin for the throne. My lord is worried for his kin, his brother's children. We're to sail for England on the new moon." He smiles warmly. "I will at last see the lands of my father."

[street_sparrow]

"To act as a guard for the children?" He smiles back. "It's a good thing to do."

[vorpatril]

Ivan's looking more tanned today and relaxed as he enters, he's been on a short vacation down by the lake at Vorkosigan Surleau. Miles tried to get him to drink some maple mead and he's been a busy uncle, its been nice.

Finding Milliways in his room was a surprise but not a bad one, so he gets a wine and goes to the fire. He nods to Olivier who reminds him of old history books and doesn't recognize him as the boy he helped long ago.

[equal_of_any_man]

Olivier smiles warmly, wiping away the milk moustache from his hot chocolate to greet Ivan with a small bow. "Well met, Captain Ivan."

[vorpatril]

"Hello, you've the advantage over me,"

The young man's face looks vaguely familiar but not enough that he can call a name.

[equal_of_any_man]

He ducks a smiling bow. "Olivier de Bretagne, sir. At your service. I fear it has been many years since I was last here."

[vorpatril]

Ivan laughs with surprise,

"Many years, you've grown up and look like you ended up becoming a knight."

[equal_of_any_man]

Olivier ducks his head, hiding his face under a mass of curls. "Not yet a knight but soon. The festivities are not till after Friday mass. Sir Laurence has done me a great honour."

[lt_blade]

Sonya just enters the bar herself, looking more than a little sleep deprived, she gives a faint smile when she sees Olivier.

"hey, buddy..you've shot up a bit since I last saw you." She invited herself to sit at his table and order a strong coffee from bar: black with sugar.

[equal_of_any_man]

"M'lady." He stand to greet her with a warm smile. "I am so very glad to see you. It has been so long."

[lt_blade]

"For you obviously." He certainly didn't look like a teenager anymore. "For me, just a few months. Still glad to see you." She reached over and gave his shoulder a squeeze.

"You look like you've been getting down and dirty." She gave him a look over.

[equal_of_any_man]

He returns the hug warmly. "Truly? How are you? I hope your leg had healed well?"

He smiles and shakes out his hair, knowing it needs a cut. "Things have been very busy. There is war in England and my lord intends to travel to see to the welfare of his kin." His smile deepens, his eyes low. "I am to travel with him, to see the land of my father."

[lt_blade]

She nods. "Just finished the last session of physical therapy and finally off disk duty." In her opinion, the former was only more tolerable than the latter.

Her expression becomes more thoughtful. Asking how he felt about it would be pointless, they both knew when the CO said jump, there was only a matter of 'how high'-of course for her there was the option of 'which direction'.

"You nervous about it? England's pretty big, but there's always the slight chance you might run into him by accident." There was no telling really.

She looked up at his hair. "You were in my command I'd say it's high time for a visit to the barber."

[equal_of_any_man]

"I am so very glad to see you healed and well. I have worried for you."

"I can't but hope, no matter how small the chance, that I might find him. But just to know his lands... I look forward to it greatly."

He smiles and pushes back his hair. "I intend to cut it neat and close before we sail."

[hecu_marine]

Shephard's been busy with any number of things, but a man can only try to write out the specific phrasing of a wish so many times before it gets old. He's put down his pen in favor of beer for the moment, so when the door opens-

"Jesus fuck. Long time no see, kid."

[equal_of_any_man]

"Sergeant!" He greets Shephard with a bright smile and open arms. "It has been too long. I have missed you greatly."

[hecu_marine]

Cue weirdly awkward man-hug! Because seriously, unless his momma's involved that's probably the only kind Shephard's any good at. "Good to see you again," Shephard says. "Door been givin' you shit, I'm guessing?"

[equal_of_any_man]

Olivier doesn't mind, or notice. He smiles warmly as he leans back, looking Shephard in the eye, final of a height with him. "Indeed, I was unable to find the way but I never forgot the kindness and wisdom I knew here."

[hecu_marine]

"Glad to hear it," says Shephard. "Tell you the truth, it ain't been more'n a few weeks for me since last I saw you. C'mon, sit down- I'll git you somethin' to drink'n you c'n tell me all about what's been goin' on."

(And he can take a moment to deal with the 'dammit, this is twice now I've wound up accidentally time-skipping part of somebody's life' feeling. At least Olivier isn't older than him now, like Danny.)

[equal_of_any_man]

"Truly?" He shakes his head, "The strangeness of this place never ceases to surprise me."

He orders hot chocolate and savours it with a sigh of long delayed enjoyment. "Of all tastes I learned here, this I missed most of all. Chocolate is a wondrous thing."

"I fear much of what has happened since I last left there has been... unfortunate. Our efforts to keep peace have been in vain and a second crusade has been called for in the pulpits. War has broken out in England between the cousins - King Stephen and Empress Maud. Much blood has been spilt in East and West, and lives lost including the brother of my lord. We sail on the next new moon for England to protect Sir Lawrence's kin; his brother's children orphaned by this storm."

"For all this sadness, I am glad to be chosen to go with him. To see the land of my father for the first time."