guffawsungraciously | psl time: single dad au edition

[There is still an atmosphere of discomfort after King Carnelian exits the hall, and Hendrik focuses his attention on drinking the wine in hopes it will ease his mind somewhat. He can't put a finger on the precise tension felt from the encounter, but he definitely understands Jasper's hesitance now.

He says nothing until his friend breaks the silence, frowning faintly. The significance of the observation isn't lost on him.]

Yes... I have not sat down with His Majesty for dinner in a long time to notice.

[He shakes his head. That is not as important as the outcome of that discussion.]

Ah, congratulations on having your idea accepted. It is a good one to explore.

Neither have I, for obvious reasons.

[He doesn't sound too surprised, though. Just kind of... morose. Maybe a little frustrated, too, because jesus fuck the demon's not even a good actor.

...

He supposes it's good he's the only person who's noticed, but it's a little hard to deal with...]

In any case, it is only the first step, I think. I do hope it works out, though, as I am sure all of our soldiers' minds will be at ease if there is a higher chance they will be coming home in one piece at the end of our campaigns. I do have a new assistant to count on to help me through this proposal, though, so I am certain it will be perfectly persuasive.

[He smiles at Celestine, who has been watching her father and Hendrik blissfully unaware of any tension in the air, and pats one of her little hands.]

[Hendrik reaches for the wine bottle to pour more for himself, nodding as he listens to Jasper talk about the soldiers. He's briefly distracted by a maid coming back with the rather important bottle of milk for Celestine, which he accepts before setting it next to his friend's plate.

That may be why he completely misses any nuance to Jasper's last remark.]

A new assistant? I was not aware you had one.

[Jasper finds himself laughing as he takes a sip of his wine, so he pulls the goblet back to clarify.]

Well, Celestine does need to earn her room and board.

[He takes another sip before, well, explaining more...]

I had her by my side today when I was doing other paperwork and she was very good company, so I see no reason not to continue keeping her with me while I work, especially at the age where she is a dear little loaf who cannot do much to distract me.

[The first remark is met with a blank look before Hendrik realizes Jasper is jesting. A baby earning room and board sounds like a trying life.

He turns his attention back to eating, listening and glancing at Celestine from time to time with a faint smile.]

As long as you are not depriving yourself of sleep in the process. I think it is wonderful you can spend time with her while doing your work.

[...Isn't that the best of both worlds?

He doesn't have to choose one over the other.]

Oh, of course not. I need to feed her overnight, of course, so I can presumably do other things while I am getting her back to sleep.

[He takes another bite of stew before responding further, mulling things over.]

I cannot take her with me when I am assigned to patrols, so I think it would be best to spend time with her when I can.

Ah, yes, that is true. It it fortunate they do not have to take you very far.

[Hendrik resorts to using his hands for the piece of chicken he retrieves from the plate, focusing on ensuring he eats a decent meal after his earlier workout. ...He also has to try to balance out the fact that he probably shouldn't have started in on the wine without any water.]

Do tell me how it goes with the nursemaids once you are in more of a schedule.

Indeed, it is. Someone has to keep an eye on the local environs and see to it that we are prepared in the event of any sudden activity near the city.

[He doesn’t really have official command capacity outside of seniority over some of the even younger knights, but that and his familiarity with the region must count for something, right?]

I most certainly will. I am hoping to do as much on my own as I can, but I recognize that I need at least some help.

Mm. I do not wish to push Sir Lazarite's hand, but should he choose you as his successor, there may be a period of delay between your official promotion and change of duties. I remember a rather chaotic week following my promotion ... but I suppose circumstances were different then.

[He shakes his head, dismissing the thought as he glances over at Celestine's bassinet.]

How is she doing? Did she fall asleep in the middle of everything?

Ah, not yet. She just seems to be watching us at the moment.

[It is something she does not mind doing! She’s being quiet at the moment, as she tries to look around without much in the way of movement ability... maybe when her neck muscles are stronger. Until then, it’s a lot of ceiling.]

And I do not mind, really. I do have something to keep me occupied for at least a day or so, and while I am excited by the possibility, I understand these things take time.

A day? For writing the proposal?

[His experience with writing for work purposes has largely been contained to reviewing and sometimes writing reports of varying lengths. Writing a proposal to be sent to the king of another kingdom is ... well, a little daunting.

Okay, more than a little daunting.]

If all goes well, of course.

[Celestine burbles a bit in a way that sounds somewhat bored to him, so he gently rocks her bassinet as he continues.]

Given the king’s temperament earlier, I do not wish to try his patience too much... and in any case, I have had the idea long enough that I should not have too much difficulty putting it down on paper once I have done a bit of research just to confirm my ideas are correct.

I see... That is amazing, Jasper. Efficient and forward-thinking in exactly the way that is needed.

[Hendrik smiles as he finishes his meal, having made a decent dent in it while the king and Jasper were talking. He pushes his plate set away so he can fold his hands on the table edge.]

Regardless of what happens, I hope to work with you more closely in the future. You always have had a way with words.

[...he tries not to preen over it, but he does smile as he continues eating his stew...]

I do as well, my friend. I have missed working closely with you, and I believe that if we do, we will help Heliodor weather this storm together.

[Hendrik relaxes back into his chair at that, content to pick at a bread roll and sip his wine in thought while waiting for dessert.

His friend is truly the full package, isn't he? Strong, smart, good-looking, trained as a knight surrounded by the brightest minds in the world. An avid learner and quick to pick up on new skills, if his experience with Celestine is any sign...

It's no wonder he has the eyes of any woman who looks at him. And probably men too, if he thinks about it. Jasper could have his pick of any of them.

...

And he likely would, to give Celestine a proper family.

Soon enough, a maid arrives to ask if tea would be acceptable for dessert. Hendrik nods; while he's not overly fond of sweets, a cup of tea would help with his lack of water thus far.]

Ah, lemon and sugar as well, please.

[Jasper’s tastes are predictable, at least. And he is very nearly done with his meal, so he will keep eating as he waits for Dessert. He does turn to Celestine with a smile, though.]

Once you have teeth, I may very well share my desserts with you. I hope you are excited about that.

[The maid leaves to finish preparations for tea, and Hendrik again looks over at Jasper speaking to Celestine. His penchant for speaking to her throughout all of this is ... charming. And a good sign.]

I am glad to see you speaking to her so much. Before you know it, she will be hearing your voice as a source of comfort.

I do hope so. It seems like it is the sort of thing that would be good for her language development, at the very least.

[He watches her... well... watch him.]

I know she does not understand me yet, but I think we both enjoy these slightly one-sided conversations. I do hope I am not overwhelming her, though...

[Hendrik tilts his head to get a look at Celestine, studying her for a moment.]

As far as I know, babies react in similar ways to adults when they are overwhelmed -- they will either fuss or freeze up. She still seems to be quietly looking around, so you should be fine.

[...]

You could always tickle her foot to see if she reacts.

Hm. Well, she is cute when I bother her...

[He reaches over and lightly tickles one of her feet. She squeaks and wiggles, lightly kicking his hand in the process.

...

It’s very cute, and Jasper laughs at it.]

Well, she certainly let me know how she felt about that!

She certainly did.

[He sighs contentedly at Celestine's little sounds. Is it any surprise at all that Jasper would have an adorable daughter?

...Well, it isn't really a surprise to him, at least. Even if he's never seriously thought of them as having children and their own families.

That's. That's probably just a sign of what he imagined his future to look like, when he was younger.

Two maids arrive shortly after, one carrying a tray with a teapot, teacups, dessert saucers, and accompaniments, while the other carries a tray with the desserts Hendrik had mentioned before -- pear tarts and berry cobbler. The berry cobbler specifically still has a delightful aroma, warm as it still is from the kitchens. After presenting the desserts on the table, the maids linger to fawn over Celestine again.]

You will have to keep that up, my dear. Never be shy about telling anyone that they are out of line.

[He gently boops her nose instead, which provokes a significantly less annoyed squeak. Though, he is quickly distracted by the heavenly scent of dessert, and he waits just as long as it takes to remain polite before scooping a large helping of berry cobbler onto his plate. He keeps an eye on the maids’ interactions with Celestine to ensure she isn’t getting stressed, but it’s still very cute seeing her look curiously between the people surrounding her. It’s... nice, honestly. Hopefully he can introduce her to children her age once she’s old enough, but he’s happy to see that it seems as though she will never truly be lonely.

...

Then again, he had felt so for quite some time even though all he had to do was begin speaking to the people around him again. Though... he does wonder if people are more interested in the baby...

...well, he wants her to be happy, so that’s fine, isn’t it? She deserves to be loved, and it’s nice to see that just about everyone loves her.]

[Hendrik watches with a small smile as the maids continue talking about how cute Celestine is. It's wonderful that there's a pleasant source of positivity in the castle ... even if it is strange to think of a baby as a morale booster. She was more than a morale booster, after all.

...Coffee would probably be preferable over tea, but tea is certainly welcome after only wine. He carefully takes a tart from the platter and starts in on it, commenting quietly.]

I hope all the attention does not make you uncomfortable.

Do not fret. I have not found it particularly irksome.

[If anything, it feels like a nice change of pace from almost feeling like he’s invisible to everyone. Well, perhaps that was an exaggeration of sorts... but at the same time, it was better than it had been.

He thinks about it a little harder as he eats some cobbler.]

I will admit that I was concerned her presence would be an issue, but it had turned out well for everyone, really.

An issue with whom? The staff?

[He watches at the maids reluctantly pry themselves away from Celestine, nodding to them as they take away the dinner dishes for washing.]

I suppose she could become a distraction, but that would be a personnel issue, not her fault. You cannot very well keep her in a corner all day.

[What a sad existence that would be.]

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