The Bonding Continues

[chaseandoldlace]

Who: Chase Stein and Uther Pendragon (again, yes)
What:  The Morning After
When: Mid Morning
Where: Around the castle grounds
Rating: Chase has a bit of a potty mouth
Status: Closed/ Complete

Comments

[chaseandoldlace]

"And there's always Medieval Times and Renaissance Faires if you get homesick!" Chase pointed out happily. "All the swords, armor and jousting without the plagues and hygiene problems of real medieval England." He couldn't help it, the thought of going to a faire with a real medieval king was way too amusing. Chase laughed. "Once it warms up, I'll have to see if there any of those around. I might even be able to bring Old Lace and pass her off as a really realistic costume. And if you teach me how to sword fight, I might even win a duel or two."

'This is going to be too great.

"I'd like to get back eventually but...I think Vic can handle the girls for a while." A thread of guilt slipped into his voice at that. "It'll be rough, but we always got by somehow. Nico's more competent than she gives herself credit. They'll be better off without an idiot like me for a while."

[pendraeg]

"I would be glad to teach you," Uther said, a note of pleasure in his voice at the idea of returning the favour. "But what is a Renaissance Faire?"

[chaseandoldlace]

"Sweeet... as much as I love my Fistigons, it would be nice to have an ace in the hole if they get damaged. I wanted to be on the fencing and lacrosse teams in school, but dad thought I was enough of a 'dumb jock' as it was." There was a slight snarl in the back of his throat at the words.

"Oh, Rennaisance Faires are the best. A bunch of actors dress up and pretend to live in a medieval castle town--there's sword fighting and jousting tournaments and the food vendors are unbelievable. Last time we got together before whole mess with the 'rents there was a faire in Burbank, they had turkey drumsticks the size of your arm. Trust me, you'd fit right in." Chase polished off his coffee and not a minute after he set the empty mug down, it was refilled. 'And good service to boot. I might just like it here after all.'

[pendraeg]

Modern people had too much time on their hands. Apparently his times were a subject for entertainment now. Life was so easy here. Uther tried the sausage. It was much less spiced and dense than the sausages of his day. Life was easy.

"Ought we to bring some food back to the castle now?"

[chaseandoldlace]

"Did I say something wrong?" Chase asked, downing half the coffee and sweeping the check out from between where it had been placed between the salt and pepper shakers. If it was one thing that being on the run had taught him, it was how to be frugal when ordering.

'Ah, free refills. It's the small things.'

"I wanted to stop at the bakery and pick up some donuts for OL and everybody first." He said, putting a small tip where the check was and finishing his coffee with one impressive slurp.

[pendraeg]

Uther shook his head. "We said we would, and I would like to make good on that. And--I am exceedingly full."

[chaseandoldlace]

"Hah, yeah, it'll do that. I can't complain; haven't had bacon in a while. Karolina refuses to eat meat so we only ever have it when I'm in charge of groceries." Frankly, the fact that anyone could survive without bacon baffled him, but then again, it had occurred more than once that Karolina's painfully restricted diet had something to do with her alien biology.

The check was taken care of, and in short order they were making their way back out onto the street. Chase shivered once in the chill morning air. "Gonna have to do something about my wardrobe pretty soon. Oh and speaking of warmer clothes, I saw a few spare horse blankets in the stables last night, think I could borrow one for Lace?" If it were anyone else, he may have simply taken it, but Chase wasn't about to risk a warm place to sleep. Sometimes, it really did pay to ask.

[pendraeg]

"Certainly." Uther would not have wanted Old Lace to be cold--dragons liked the warm, and this one didn't make her own fire. "Though she had better keep it once she uses it. I do not think we could wash the scent out sufficiently for the horses. I have a cloak you can borrow, if you like."

He looked down at Chase's feet. "Although I think you need boots more urgently."

For himself, he had settled on a mode of dress halfway between old and new--that is, he had taken what he already owned, most of which didn't entirely fit because it had been made for an older Uther, and augmented it with complementary items he had been able to find in the town. The result was a perhaps slightly more practical translation of his familiar and comfortable wardrobe.

[chaseandoldlace]

He'd almost forgotten about his feet. Mostly because he could barely feel them. Chase looked down a little embarrassed, one hand running though his hair self consciously

[pendraeg]

He picked out half a dozen assorted doughnuts for Arthur and Merlin and one each of the little round doughnut "holes", chocolate-glazed and cream-filled, for the twins. They didn't really need it, but what was life without some pleasures?

"Thank you," he said. Even royalty can be gracious, sometimes.

[chaseandoldlace]

"Are you kidding, dude? I should be thanking you. I got a warm bed last night and you got through that fight with the security daemon without batting an eye. Hell, those things still freak me out. We should get back though, OL'll be starving after a throw down like that."

And, though Chase didn't want to say it aloud, he wasn't sure that leaving her to be discovered by Arthur was a good idea. Any version of the Arthur legend he read had a slain dragon in it somewhere, and he'd great prefer Aternaville's Arthur legend to not follow suit. Besides, he was freezing. He hated this part of the country. He really, really did. It reminded him of New York and nothing good ever came out of New York.

[pendraeg]

"It seemed only natural," Uther said, "once I learned that you were not threatening me."

"And--" he grinned "--that daemon was the most excitement I have had in a long while. I have not had the opportunity to defend my own castle since I arrived."

It was almost strange, how easily he had accepted Chase, even if he had taken the precaution of keeping watch over them this first night. He might even be able to find a room to clear out for him and Old Lace, though Uther was not sure if that would be entirely fair on its former occupant. There was that section that needed to be repaired to be habitable...

"Come," he said, inclining his head. "Let us go home."

[chaseandoldlace]

Chase laughed, lightly and easily. He wasn't used to hitting it off with someone this quickly--even with Victor things had been strained at first--but Uther was proving an entirely different animal. It was so easy to just be around him...

"My pleasure?" Gathering both boxes in his arms, he payed and nudged the doors open. 'Home' had a strange ring to it, but then, if it was one thing he'd always prided himself on, it was securing a roof over his head.

'Prided. Haha.'

"Homeward bound it is, highness."