Chris Halliwell (twicecharmedtoo) wrote in madisonvalley, @ 2019-08-20 19:37:00 |
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Entry tags: | !closed, !completed gdoc, ~2019 august, ~25 points, ~~chris halliwell (twicecharmedtoo), ~~grantaire (unhookingstars) |
Who: Grantaire and Chris Halliwell
What: A drink at a bar...sorta
When: Tuesday evening
Where: Homebrew
Warnings: None
Status: Completed Gdoc
Enjolras was working on a speech, or reading, or something else that was far more quiet than Grantaire could cope with at the moment. He needed to be doing something, and sitting and staring at an unfinished painting had been no better than sitting and staring at an otherwise occupied Enjolras. Not that he minded Enjolras watching, generally. Which was probably a bit inappropriate, but he had never made a secret of it.
When he went out drinking, he most often found himself at Lou’s, but tonight he wanted a change. Which was what had led him to Homebrew. Poptarts for breakfast with his friend had basically turned him off food for the rest of the day, and all he really wanted was a drink. He felt pretty confident in saying over the last few weeks he’d been drinking less, but that was about as far as he could push it. If he couldn’t hold a paintbrush with a steady hand, he wasn’t interested.
Picking a seat at the bar, he considered the room as he waited to be served by someone. There were enough people there that he knew the place must have had a decent reputation, and it certainly felt nicer than Lou’s.
***
Chris had been drying the freshly washed glasses when the dark haired man pulled up a seat at the bar. He didn't like to push for conversation unless the patron opened up first, but he was certainly going to be polite.
He slid over a drink menu with the available brews and meads. "We also have a full liquor bar if nothing else strikes your interest. But I highly recommend the ale. The owner brews it herself." Along with all of the other insanely talented things Sigrun did and could do. It was a little scary.
"Haven't seen you here before, is it your first time?" He knew Homebrew could be different compared to all of the other bars and clubs in town, but he liked it. It was cozier but well kept.
***
"Merci." He took the menu offered by the man behind the bar, considering its contents. He hadn't really considered what he wanted to drink, and he wasn't opposed to trying something new. He had always enjoyed beer, it simply did not do as swift a job as other choices.
"I am not familiar with a lot of these. I think I will go with your recommendation." He sounded like he was very familiar with the place and knew what he was talking about.
"It is. I am not sure how I have not ended up here before, actually. It is a very nice place." Very different to the Musain (which was now so different in so many ways to what it had been), and appearing far more well kept than Lou's. He had certainly not been served in this way when drinking there.
***
Chris could understand the appeal of a place like Lou's. Lou was not exactly one for conversation so if you wanted to tuck yourself into a booth in the back and hide, that was the place to go. But he was pretty good at reading when people didn't want to talk. And he was pretty proud of how much cleaner Homebrew was, sorry to say.
The Musain, though… As much as he loved his job, he had an intense amount of pride in his mother. Sure it was partly just because he was grateful to have this time with her. But she had worked so hard putting it back together.
He poured the Frenchman an ale, the summer blend with all of its fresh citrus taste. It was one of his favorites, anyway. "If you hate it, we can always try another. Some are seasonal and we rotate them out, but a few are long term and she brews them year round." Another one of those tiny things he couldn't help being proud of.
***
The lack of conversation and attention had been the initial appeal of Lou's. But when he was missing his friends more than usual, he also really longed for the conversation. The laughter and camaraderie. What he wouldn't give for just one last chance to talk to any of them…
The thought hurt too much to pursue, and instead he picked up the drink placed in front of him, taking one sip, and then another slightly larger one. It was unlike any ale he had tried before. It had a sweetness to it, but not in an unpleasant way. "It is very good." He replied in the face of the eager and proud description. "She is very talented."
He considered the bottles and things behind the bar as he sipped at his drink. "Have you worked here for a long time?' It always fascinated him, the amount of time people had been stuck here, and how settled they became.
***
Chris was equally surprised how long people had been here. His own family had apparently come and gone multiple times. And now Piper was settled down with a new husband and a baby. It was different, but he didn't hate it.
"A few months. Maybe half a year?" Goddess, how long had it been? "You tend to lose track of the time, I guess. Well, I do. Some people seem to know to the hour." Those people were, what he liked to call, weird.
"Sounds like the dome settled about six years ago. Did some reading into it when I first got here. So far no amount of magic or superpowers have been able to overpower it."
***
"Not too much longer, then. I arrived in January. I could not tell you the day if I tried, though." He would have to go back and read to figure that out. Enjolras probably knew. He remembered things like that. Little details that seemed otherwise trivial.
"Six years," he breathed. "It's hard to imagine." And yet, what would they have to go back to? And what if they were not sent back together? He would much rather stay here with Enjolras if he were entirely honest. Even if he did miss Paris terribly.
"It is not so bad." He admitted, turning his half empty glass absently where it rested on its coaster. "I know not everyone is happy to be here, though."
***
"Yeah. I think it was November? Maybe early December. It wasn't much before Christmas." Maybe he should be more focused on when he arrived. To have no idea was probably a little weird. But honestly, it just hadn't mattered that much. "One minute I was dying, next minute I was here."
He definitely knew how hard it was to imagine six years in this place. "I'm grateful for it, don't get me wrong. Second chances and all. But I'm used to being able to travel anywhere I wanted in a blink. Now?"
Now he felt trapped. And sure, he had a great girl and the majority of his family. And a new baby sister and stepdad and even a parallel world sister he didn't know about. But still. Tiny city.
***
"I will miss Christmas in Paris. I am sure they have lovely celebrations here, though." His missing Paris couldn't really be helped, though. It was just how it was. "I am familiar with that feeling. Though I think Enjolras and I must actually have died first. And then here we were."
Second chances were not to be scoffed at, he had a point. But what of their friends? What had become of their second chance? He knew those dearest to him. They would not have taken such an opportunity for granted.
"That must be hard," he acknowledged. "I am used to staying in the same place, but there it was by choice. And Paris is a much larger city than this place."
***
"It's nice here at Christmas but I can promise you, it doesn't compare to Paris." Chris missed Paris as much as any other city he'd skipped off to to avoid his brother. But it obviously meant a great deal to the Frenchman. He could sympathize with that. San Francisco, even as dark as it had been during his time, was still firmly implanted in his heart.
"Most cities are larger than this place. It's definitely my least favorite part. There are those travel services, though." That had some appeal. He didn't spend his money on much. Just the occasional date night with Allison and his groceries. Maybe getting away for a few days would help the stir crazy feeling.
He nodded at the almost empty glass. "Did you want another round? Or try something new this time?"
***
"That is understandable." He knew he was biased, but he also knew Paris was still considered one of the beautiful cities of the world. And with good reason. Of course their way of celebrating Christmas would be a different sort of beautiful than such a small town as this.
"I am glad they are there. Enjolras and I have talked about trying them some time. Maybe a chance to see a few new places. Maybe even home, one day." If he was lucky enough. Which he didn't place a lot of stock in.
"Perhaps I will try your next recommendation. In the meantime, do you by chance have any absinthe back there?" He had not seen it much here, and wondered if it had fallen out of favour.
***
"So you have someone from home? That's good, then. I think it helps. Most of my family is here, though all from different times." Which was taking getting used to. But they all knew who he was due to his previous visit, apparently, so that was what mattered the most.
A slow smile crossed his face. It was a rare request but definitely more common from those from other times. "I did mention we're not exactly modern here, right?" Which was still amusing to him, given just how 'modern' he was. But Sigrun helped that way.
Chris reached under the bar, pulling out the drink that he admittedly found foul. Pouring a glass, he set it across from the Frenchman. He then added a second glass of water and the weird addition of a sugar cube which he never could quite get used to. "Admit it, we're better than Verdant any day."
***
"Oui, I do. Enjolras is...well. We have become closer here than we were at home. We were more...friends with our other friends than with each other, if that makes sense." Now, though, was another story altogether. A much, much better one. "You are lucky to have so much family here. That must be nice, to have that chance."
When Chris said that he laughed, conceding the point. "I suppose it is not so popular as it was 200 years ago." He didn't understand that. It was a unique drink, true, but that was why he enjoyed it so much.
He set about resting the sugar on the little metal grate over the glass, slowly pouring the water over it. There was something almost ritualistic in the process which improved the drinks flavour immensely, the sugar slowly dissolving and changing the clear green liquid to a cloudy, paler version.
***
"Maybe that's one of the perks of this place. We're all sort of thrown together so it would make sense you'd grow closer." He knew he was grateful for it. "Back home I'm...well, my family is sort of mostly gone. And in another timeline, weird as that probably sounds, I'm dead. So this is a good chance for us."
He watched as the man prepared the drink, sort of fascinated of the ease with which he did it. While Chris was proud of how much he'd learned so quickly, many things he hadn't quite grasped. Then again, an order of absinthe was rare.
"Most people these days prefer their drinks already sweet. Sometimes too sweet, to be fair."
***
"I think you must be right. About chances. I know some people might not like being here but it really is a second chance for me." And when had he ever been able to say that before? "It sounds like it is for you as well."
He smiled at that, amused. "I have noticed. Enjolras has become quite fond of the more sweet things available now. Not alcohol, but everything else. I suppose this is...habit? I do not quite know the word." The process was its own kind of soothing. "I will admit to falling victim to la fée verte on more than one occasion."
***
"The green...fairy?" It had been a long time since high school after all. Or at least it felt like it had been forever. Logically he knew it had only been a few years. But a lot had happened since then. "Odd name for what smells like death. Or a men's locker room. Haven't quite decided."
Still, he shot a playful smile. After all, he certainly wasn't the one drinking it. And it sounded like Grantaire did so out of habit more than anything. The routine of it and all. "I prefer somewhere in between with my sweets. I didn't get a lot of it growing up." How could he, with Wyatt snagging it all before he could have any?
***
"Oui, you know some French I see." He laughed a bit at the smells he ascribed to it. "The name was given to her by the many who took her as their muse," he explained. "It is meant to be a symbol of enlightenment and inspiration. How true that is I can not say. I just like the name." He shrugged. Grantaire had never felt himself inspired by drinking it. He just liked the feeling that it brought about.
"I can understand wanting something you missed out on. I have been enjoying trying many of the foods we did not have. Cooking is a new experience for me but I will admit to finding it rewarding." He took a healthy swallow of the green liqueur from the glass.
***
"A little," he admitted with a laugh. "More than my Spanish, at least. And a bit of Italian. Enough to ask for a bathroom and order a pizza." The perks of orbing were that his need for other languages was low. And not being taught the proper ways of a whitelighter meant he couldn't exactly work internationally. But then, he'd never really needed to.
"My mom's a cook. A professional one, I mean. She taught me when I was little." But then Piper had died and what he did know hadn't really had the chance to be improved upon. Maybe Allison was right and he should try to get her to teach him here. "She's actually the chef and co-owner of the Musain. Have you been there yet? It's actually French food." And since the man was French, he could maybe even comment on the authenticity? "I'm sure some of the dishes have changed since your time, though. That has to be such a big change."
***
"I believe in this modern world you would call this priorities, yes?" He was amused by some of the expressions which had seemed to be adopted. He didn't know if they were only English or not.
His expression unwittingly faltered slightly at the mention of the Musain. "Yes. I've been. It is actually the same as the place we frequented. Back home. I understand it was my friends who started it, whenever it was they were here." How he wished he hadn't missed that.
"I have tried her cooking though yes. It is very good, though different." Mostly he suspected that had to do with some old recipes being lost, and also the ease with which people could now get a variety of ingredients.
***
Chris knew the history of the Musain. Well, the one here at least. Not so much the original. If it actually existed and wasn't just in the one from the fictional world. That was a possibility, he supposed. "Yeah, apparently when you all got sent back she and her friend Garin took it over. They're good people, it's in the best possible hands, considering."
Not that he was proud or anything. Except he really was. It wasn't P3, but it didn't have to be. It still meant a lot to his mother and therefore it meant everything to him. "It's pretty close to modern Parisian cooking. If you get out to Paris anytime soon, you should see the similarities. I'd like to think hopefully your friends at least were able to keep some of your old recipes. That would be nice."
***
"I have no doubt that is true." And he would hardly say they should not be running it. That didn't mean it didn't feel wrong, somehow. Having people he didn't know owning it, controlling what happened there. It was just something else to get used to.
"Enjolras and I have talked about that. Seeing Paris in its current state. I would very much like to." He thought it less likely his friends had brought recipes from home. They hadn't been the cooks themselves, after all.
***
"You should," Chris said encouragingly. "Paris is one of the places offered. I've thought about it myself. Seeing if I could get the time off and go see a few places I haven't been." Maybe he could convince Allison to go with him. Or one of his aunts. Some family bonding time might be nice. "Paris is a pretty romantic city, but seeing something new sounds good, too."
But then, he supposed, for them it would be something new. Paris still, yes, but not like they knew it. "It would hopefully still give you a taste of home. Even though I'm sure it's got its differences. But at least you wouldn't be experiencing it alone?"
***
"We did have quite a list of places we would like to see." And there was no reason for them not to do it. They had, as was said time and again by everyone, been given a second chance. The only logical thing was to take advantage. He didn't want to spend his time worrying about what might happen and miss time with Enjolras.
"From what I have seen and read, there is quite a lot of both. Things that have changed, and places largely untouched." It would be wonderful to see some of those places he had loved spending his time.
He finished his drink, setting the empty glass back on the bar. "Okay. You have just edged out Verdant." He said it with an edge of humour, responding to the earlier comment.
***
"If you go, I'd love to hear all about it. The differences and such." He smiled brightly. "I'm Chris, by the way." They had spent all this time chatting and he hadn't even introduced himself. That was just sad. Professionalism was boring.
Laughing, he gave an affirmative nod. "Verdant is great as a dance club, but for drinks? Sometimes you just need traditional." Something he was pretty proud to be learning, all things considered.
***
"I will be sure to bore you with all the smallest details," he promised with a laugh. It amused him to realise they had been talking for so long and not even exchanged names. "Grantaire. It has been nice talking to you, Chris."
That, he could agree with. He could admit to having trouble letting go of much of the past, or his own time, as it were. "I will definitely be back. I might even see if I can convince Enjolras to join me next time. I am sure he would like to meet you as well."