we've never been so many

[dofaye]

Characters: Jules de Ferrier, Gilbert Cocteau, and Serge Battour
Location: the Deathbucks closest to Casualty Communal
Rating: Who even knows, man. PG?
Time: backdated to the afternoon of October 23rd
Description: Jules absolutely needs to see his schoolmates in person mostly just Gilbert and what better way to do it than over tea? Disgusting Death

Comments

[whatsatisfiesme]

All of that watching would have to end in disappointment, though, because when Gilbert finally slid into view from around the corner, he was looking very nearly pristine. Fully-dressed, shirt buttoned close to the top, hair unmussed and skin unmottled by heat or sweat -- looking like that, he might have walked from the Communal without so much as a breeze daring to touch him. (And if that was more "relief" than "disappointment" for Jules, the feeling didn't seem to be mutual. Gilbert stopped to take in the Deathbucks' logo with an expression that looked more tired than anything.)

At least the nobleman had made himself simple to spot. Gilbert hadn't fancied the thought of having to poke around the place for him. He didn't much fancy the fact that they were here instead of in his own rooms or Jules', to begin with. Moving through the city was still an alien experience for him, strange and unfulfilling rather than exotic. But he'd come anyway - since, he told himself, there was nothing else to be done - and now he crossed the street and

[musiquejeunesse]

Serge believed he was running ever so slightly late, having had to stop and ask for directions after failing to navigate the bizarre computerized map. When the coffee shop finally came into view he picked up his pace, quickly spotting Gilbert as he sat down at one of the outdoor tables with Jules de Ferrier revealing himself a second later.

He ran the last stretch to meet the others, his breath speeding up only slightly by the time he reached the table. He silently offered to shake Jules' hand as he uttered a shot greeting before sitting down.

"Bonjour"

[dofaye]

Jules didn't bother to say anything to Gilbert when he first came, opting to only give him a small, kind smile instead. That was partially because he saw Serge in the distance, but just as much because he wasn't entirely sure what to say to Gilbert -- they had had conversations alone together, of course, but never in a place where Gilbert had almost literally nobody he knew to go to if he got bored of Jules. Serge would, he assumed, make things more formal for the both of them; whether that was good or bad, Jules couldn't say.

"Bonjour to you, Monsieur," he said when Serge arrived, standing up for just a moment to gingerly shake his hand. "I see that the both of you are still in one piece," he continued, glancing toward Gilbert. "Aren't you?"

[whatsatisfiesme]

As Serge arrived and moved to sit down, there was no sound (nor even very much movement) from Gilbert's place at the table. The blonde's eyes darted over to watch his classmate shake hands with Jules, and then, when he'd settled in, Gilbert shifted just slightly, just enough that he could pass for having his attention turned on both noblemen at once. Had he seen the pair together in the same room before this? Maybe passing in the hallways -- but, up this close, the sight was still new in an unwelcome way.

What was Jules de Ferrier even expecting, dragging the three of them together like this? Gilbert doubted that he could stomach a chat about 'keeping together' or 'looking out for each other in these circumstances.' And what else was there to say to both of them? (And yet here he'd come anyway!)

"Mmhm."

The smile and nod he gave in reply to Jules' glance were each artfully noncommittal.

So late. Sorry ;;

[musiquejeunesse]

Once Serge was seated he turned his attention for the moment from Jules to the other boy seated beside him. He had not actually seen his (former) roommate in person since they had arrived in this place, but at least Gilbert was looking well

"Gilbert," he greeted, with the tiniest nod of his head.

[dofaye]

In typical situations like this one (as much as a situation like this could be considered typical), Jules would already have his hands busy with brewing the tea. That would be a bit strange at this moment, though, so he only looked down at his hands, allowing his thoughts to gather. He still wasn't sure what Serge and Gilbert being here meant for him -- Why now, after he had gotten used to being without his schoolmates? Would more of them be coming? -- but he still felt a sense of duty toward them and fully intended to carry that duty out. Whatever it was.

"The two of you must have questions about this city," he began. That was the most logical thing to begin with, of course. When he had arrived there, he'd had nothing but questions.

[whatsatisfiesme]

It was perhaps a surprise that the slight, upward curl of Gilbert's lips didn't falter at the attention from Serge or at the question from Jules. Gilbert was a trace surprised himself: social situations normally drew out his colder side, as open and uncertain as they always were. But he found he didn't have the heart to feel threatened now -- Serge was a poor threat, compared to having one's entire world stolen. Instead, he nodded back and even edged his chair closer - just an inch - to his classmate's. His head tilted towards the other boy, rather than turning towards their senior.

"Hm. I don't know...do you have questions, Serge? I hardly see what there is to ask."

Not that the less prickly mood was going to make him any more cooperative. That answer, its tone lightly teasing, was scarcely a response.

Ah, finally gotten around to this. Sorry it took so long.

[musiquejeunesse]

Of course, Serge had a million questions swimming around in his mind, but where is one to begin in a situation such as this? Gilbert's behavior did not go unnoticed either. He seemed to be taking this far to well, and that alone was enough to make Serge feel uneasy. His gaze was pointed towards Gilbert as he pondered this, although it would be rather generous to say he was 'looking' at the boy. It was only upon hearing the sound of Gilbert's voice that he noticed that he had stopped paying attention to his surroundings for that moment, and with that returned to the conversation at hand.

He turned towards Jules, hoping that his brief distraction had gone unnoticed, and addressed him in the polite manner which was to be expected in a meeting of gentlemen (particularly now that they had been pulled outside of the far more comfortable environment of the academy).

"Any information you may have would be helpful. I confess I still don't really understand what is happening."

[dofaye]

It was honestly a bit disconcerting to see Gilbert and Serge them so close to each other, although Jules supposed that he couldn't blame them. He, too, would have clinged to anybody he knew when he first arrived in Death City, regardless of how much he would enjoy their company at other times. Still, why couldn't Gilbert be scooting closer to and smiling at himThis wasn't the time to be thinking of that, though, and so he lightly shook his head in hopes of banishing the thought. "Haven't they told you anything at all?" he asked Serge, studying his reactions carefully in hopes of an indication of what he was thinking and how well he was handling things. If Gilbert was going to continue to choose to be in his roommate's company, Jules could at the very least ensure that Serge was capable of keeping an eye on him. "You do at least know that we've been brought to another world in the midst of a dangerous war