normal_norman (normal_norman) wrote in _fracture_, @ 2014-03-31 19:30:00 |
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Entry tags: | chapter 2, finn, lavel, norman |
We're all in this together
Who: Finn and Norman
When: Before the banquet
Where: Finn's tents
Finn had just finished off washing off the last of the grime as best he could, trying to prepare for the banquet. He was going through his things, picking out the best of them to get dressed, standing in the plain breeches that doubled as underwear as he spoke to Norman. “Squire Lindsey seems prettier than I expected, for an Irishwoman,” he said casually.
Norman didn't have anything else to wear, nor did he really care if he was grimey at the banquet. It wasn't ideal at all, but he was still getting to go to a banquet! He grinned, though, when he heard Finn talk about Lindsey. "You think she's Irish just because of her red hair, right? Or...why do you think Irish people aren't attractive?" Was that something he didn't know about?
"Heathens, most of them are," Finn said, wringing out his hair as the curls bounced. "They usually are at least. I've not seen the ones that weren't men honestly and they're far from handsome."
“Heathens?” Norman repeated, having a hard time not laughing at the word. “Lindsey is probably not a heathen.” Though he didn’t know for certain, not that it really mattered to him any. She seemed nice, heathen or not. “I’m still not entirely sure she’s Irish.”
“There aren’t many others out there with hair like fire like hers,” Finn pointed out. “Their warriors are heathens. They pray to more than one God, which isn’t very holy.” Finn didn’t have that deep of belief in his religion, but a good knight was religious and close to God. And he was a good knight.
This was a lot. Norman listened and tried to remember that there were many details about Finn’s life here that would seem odd to him, and vice versa. “Well..I think you should give her a chance. Not call her a heathen right away. It’s not very nice. Maybe she just wants to be your friend, like me?”
“I haven’t said as much to her face yet,” Finn corrected though he was hesitant about that about her. Not that he was worried he’d catch any heathen ways, but he didn’t need her to sabotage him either. Which he also realized was far more paranoid than he needed to be. It was grating on him how out of place he felt here. “I am giving her a chance, though I fear I don’t really have a choice otherwise.”
“I don’t think you need to be worried about her. I think she’s just here to help out,” He said, smiling at Finn. “Just...try and be nice to her. She’s just trying to see you succeed, the same way I am. She wouldn’t be assigned to your team if she wasn’t.” Straightening out his cape, he looked back over at him. “Are we ready for the banquet?”
Finn finished the last touches on his own outfit, smoothing his tunic so his coat of arms showed perfectly. He looked himself over and nodded. “I will try not to worry about her and do my best to be cordial,” he said before standing up straighter. “I believe we are.”
Norman shook his head a little bit, a smirk on his face. He would keep trying to get Finn to stop thinking of Lindsey as a heathen but he wasn’t sure he’d be able to convince him. No harm in trying, though. “So..what is different about these banquets as opposed to...the ones at your home?”
“The food would be my first guess,” Finn said then led the way out of the tent and towards the banquet. “Though it might be less...proper as well. Considering this is France.”
“And you think France is less proper than England?” He asked, following along happily at Finn’s side. “You’d rather be back home as opposed to learning about this place?”
“I know it is. They’re more…lewd here.” Finn had seen the women, the way they dressed. It was far more revealing than at home. “I would actually. But I needed prove that I can be victorious outside of my country.”
Norman wouldn’t really call anything happening here lewd, but he’d definitely not really seen much outside of Finn and practices for the upcoming battles. So he was not really expecting to see anything lewd. “I think you might be drop dead if you saw what some people wore back home if you think this is lewd…”
Finn raised an eyebrow, looking at the other man. “Really? How so?” He didn’t know much of anything about where Norman was from, though he wasn’t sure he believed the man’s earlier statement of being from the Americas. That just seemed too far away for him to be here now.
“Well, let’s just say it’s way more than collarbone that you see sometimes.” He cleared his throat and tugged on his cloak. “Not that I really see a lot of it or anything, but just...sometimes, in passing, you know.” He ran a hand through his hair and shrugged. “But it doesn’t make anyone a bad person, or lewd or anything. Just means it’s what they want to wear. Good people can wear weird things sometimes.”
Finn raised an eyebrow and chuckled to himself. “I think often you see more than a collarbone,” he murmured, thinking of the corsets and the things they did to women. “Do you not have a woman of your own?” he asked instead, seeing the way that Norman seemed uncomfortable mentioning them.
“What? Me?” An instant blush crept onto his face. “No way,” He said, shaking his head a little. “Do you have a...lady?” Knights had ladies, right? That made sense. And it would make total sense for someone as gallant and, well, awesome as Finn to have a lady back home.
“Why not?” Finn asked, though the blush probably didn’t help the female situation. “I do not have a lady as of yet. There hasn’t been a proper amount of time,” he explained. “I want to be the best knight and being distracted would hinder that.”
Why not? It was a huge question, one that should have a very obvious answer, but Finn didn’t seem to realize it. Norman shook his head a little. “I just don’t,” He answered, tucking his hands into his pockets as he walked with Finn. “Lots of reasons I guess. None as good as being an awesome knight though.”
“What kind of reasons?” Finn asked, still curious and it was distracting him from his own thoughts. He was trying not to focus only on the tournament ahead of him and if he would wind up victorious or not.
“Just reasons,” He answered quietly, shrugging after a moment as he looked down at the ground. “I just don’t. No big deal or anything. Do you want a lady?” he asked, looking back at Finn. “Sure there are tons of ladies back home vying for your attention?”
“There are some, but no, not until I have the other things I want. Then I can worry about a wife.” Which was where his mind went, that he’d be looking for a wife, but he wasn’t ready for that yet.
Yikes. A wife. “Uh...yeah, ok. You’re right, though. Probably too early to start looking for a wife. You’re young! What’s the rush, right?” He asked, running a hand awkwardly through his hair. Man, there was so much about this time period that made sense in the movies but was really weird to think about when he was staring it in the face.
“I’m not that young,” Finn said. He had more than one friend that was engaged, and within a few years people would start to wonder what was wrong with him. “But at the moment there are more pressing matters at hand.”
“Like winning the tournament?” Norman asked, smiling back at Finn. “Don’t worry. We’ll make sure you win. We’ll help make sure you win. I bet you could win this thing on your own.”
“Exactly that. And being the best knight I possibly can be.” Finn smiled some because he did feel like Norman was right. He could win this thing without much standing in his way, but he could use the help if only so he didn’t exhaust him completely.
Norman smiled and reached to pat Finn’s arm, not thinking it might be too weird a gesture. “Well, I’m here to help. And so is Lindsey. We want to see you succeed!” And he was determined to do whatever he could to make that happen.
Finn watched Norman pat his arm, but he didn’t say anything. “Then we’re in this together,” he agreed with a nod. And it would have to be enough if Finn was going to succeed.