A (small) Family "Dinner" [Closed]

[judgemewhole]

WHO: James Norrington, Samouel Gareth
WHAT: Adopted brothers drinking in a tavern and playing cards. Totally Wholesome.
WHEN: Mid-Solas
WHERE: The Blooming Rose (what, it's CLEANER.)
NOTES: Possibly warnings for ... Sam and James, honestly. Possible violence - come on it's a mage and a templar in a bar. It's a start of a joke somewhere.



The Blooming Rose had seen some many odd sights in their day. Up to and including the Champion getting into at least three fights of epic proportions within, the Feather Boa Snake dance, and of course, any time Bran and his paramour got into a squabble.

Still, seeing a Templar Knight Commander come in with a mage, on what seemed like brotherly terms? Was odd. Acceptable! Welcome! But odd.

Perhaps a little stranger was that that they sat down, ordered dinner and a bottle of wine and just started playing cards. The Knight Commander was quite polite about turning down female and male company, and the mage? Well he just looked amused. Still, they had just come to 'spend some time together' and no, 'they did not require a Friend'. They both might have been blushing, and were proclaimed Adorable.

An hour or so later, still fending off the more interested offers that just sort of draped their way across their shoulders, James sighed as he put down another hand.

"All right. I must ask. Did you use magic to get that hand?"

"...All right, are you using magic to cheat?"

Comments

[el_tybs]

When James had asked him to dinner and cards - for some quality time now that they had settled in - Sam had not been expecting for the man to pick this establishment. At first Sam wasn't sure if it was just a joke, but seeing that James was serious, Sam could not help but be extremely amused. Nothing like quality time at the Blooming Rose.

James would be right that Sam was amused; extremely amused. Mostly because their game and conversation kept getting interrupted by numerous workers offering additional services for their evening, more so for James then himself. Not that he wasn't propositioned, but fewer in number - most of them were familiar faces who quietly wanted to know what had happened to his other 'gentleman caller'. Either way, they both were probably quite the pair with their cheeks tinged red.

As they finish another hand of cards, Sam gives a snort at James's question. "What? No. I'd never," he starts, collecting the cards for another round. "Obviously I paid one of our servers to distract you and slip me cards. They're very good with sleight of hand, didn't you know?" He's half lying about that - they were pretty damn good at sleight of hand.

[judgemewhole]

Well as James had said, it was the cleanest place in town. They had good food and their wine was excellent. Much better than the Hanging Man, by a far shot. Besides, if James was going to have someone hanging over his shoulder trying to get into his breeches he would prefer it was someone of this caliber, and not the man with the weird tendency towards horrible poetry.

He had absolutely no idea why two to one the ladies and gentlemen of this place decided he was the one to approach. With Sam's statement though, he snorted softly, "Oh is that what they were doing? I thought they were trying to all give me a massage. Some of them down the back of my trousers."

He plucked up the cards, and shuffled them, "Seriously though, why do they keep coming over here?"

[el_tybs]

It was a bad idea to take a drink at that moment, because that comment about James's trousers had him choking on his drink and trying to discretely cough behind it. Yep, the best at sleight of hand like he said - he hadn't even noticed that. "Oh... really?" he asks, his chuckle sounding rather strained.

Sam coughs a few more times, pushing his drink to the side for a moment - though not out of sight - while he recovered. "If I had to guess... they're looking for a big 'tip' one way or another. Hmmm... maybe also a little hard that two handsome men rather play with cards rather then them."

[judgemewhole]

James smirked at the cough, before he put out another shuffle of the cards. He dealt them out again, giving the other man a wry response, "Yes, really."

Now he was the one who snorted through the drink he was sipping. He cleared his throat, before he smiled sideways. "...Well as amazing as all of that might be, I think they will just have to deal with the fact that these handsome men would rather not pay for ... massages."

[el_tybs]

Massages. Guess they were calling it that now. Course an actual massage didn't sound all that bad about now; his shoulders were feeling stiff.

"Well now that you said that I'm sure we, or at least you, are going to get some offers for some... ah... free demonstrations." One reason he isn't indulging a whole lot in the wine, besides the fact he wasn't that much of a wine drinker.

[judgemewhole]

James hummed as he looked at his cards, and took another sip of wine, another bite of bread from his plate.

Which he tried not to choke on, at Sam's words. "...Right, well. No?" Is his voice a little higher? Possibly. He cannot even imagine the firestorm that would come if anyone found out a Knight Commander was getting free favors at the local Brothel.

"I would love to say that Templars in good standing should not do that - but the registry tells a different tale."

[el_tybs]

It is certainly just a tad higher then usual, and for that Sam grins just a bit. Wider even when one of the many servers comes by again to 'check up' on them and winks before leaving without an ounce of subtlety.

"'Should' is the keyword there, right?" Not 'would not' or 'could not', which generally left it open that they were barred from such things. "You got a look at the registry? How did you manage that?"

[judgemewhole]

James cleared his throat, as he saw the wink. He tipped his chin down, mumbling something about everything being just fine. He cleared his throat again, before he gave Sam a wry smirk.

"Should is always the keyword - would not does not exist for young men in uniforms." He snorted softly, "Beyond that - I think the madam is rather fond of me herself."

[el_tybs]

Uniforms. Maker, that just reminded him of that weird conversation over the crystals about 'who between mages and templars wore it best'.

"Oh?" Hearing that Sam makes a point of turning in his chair to locate said madam, but not quite finding her at the moment. "And how many times have you been here, James?" Sam returns the smirk with a teasing waggle of his brows.

[judgemewhole]

James would still state that Templars wore it better - but honestly why get into that sort of argument again?

James rolled his eyes, "Only twice, and both times on business. Some drunk Templar who needed to be rolled out of here."

[el_tybs]

Because they weren't arguing with each other and not in a brothel before? Probably be very entertaining.

It's such a good thing that, that sentence did not end with 'business', James. "I suppose that would put you on the good graces of the madam then; taking care of drunk Templars in her establishment." At that point Sam takes a piece of bread and chews on it thoughtfully, finally picking up his cards.

"So... does this mean we'll make this place a regular place to meet at?"

[judgemewhole]

That was true, and what an argument to have in this brothel. They would probably be forced to do some sort of contest where there would be a lot more touching than either one of them wanted.

"She seems fond of me. They all ... seem fond of me now." He eyed the room again with a dry look, before he eyed his cards. "Taking two."

A thoughtful pause. "I don't see why not."

[el_tybs]

Honestly Sam would be more concerned on exactly what they would end up wearing for the contest if that were the case.

"So it's alright to come here as long as it isn't for the massages? Taking two as well." Reaching over Sam grabs a couple cards as well then rearranges them in his hand. "Seems almost cruel, James. Just dangling yourself like carrot for all these people fond of you." No, he doesn't really think that, but it's amusing to point out. There was also a sneaking suspicion that James liked the attention as much as the food and wine.