kittens, probably

[merryeccentricities]

The theater set-up took longer than Joly had thought it might;though, of course, he's not drawing on a wealth of experience in the matter. He's happily tired by the time he stumbles back into the Blue Room, toolbox clonking against the doorframe. Meta makes an automatic attempt to bolt out while the door's open; Joly automatically blocks her way with one leg. Corralling a cat adds nothing to the stealth and grace of his entrance.

Comments

[tire_moi_mes_bottes]

Lesgle has made his share of awkward entrances in his time, and his share is a pretty large share. At the turn of the doorknob he scoops up Tarsal and starts nudging the beetle back into its pen; by the time Joly's through the door, Lesgle is ready to take the toolbox from him. "Ah, hello again! Not too much electrocuted, I see?"

[merryeccentricities]

"--Thank you. Heh, not for lack of trying!" Joly runs a hand self consciously through his still-damp hair. " I'll blame Autor for denying me the chance to be my own voltage-meter, he had the sense to use wireless tools. Batteries are fantastic!--But not quite the same thing as live current." He looks around the room. "Did the rats take my other coat already?"

[tire_moi_mes_bottes]

"Did the rats...hmm, a question to puzzle the ages..." A quick check turns up a second coat, not yet off to the laundry. Lesgle presents it with a flourish. "Your enthusiasm doesn't seem to have been dampened, so can I take it the work was a success?"

[merryeccentricities]

" Oh good, I should probably block it out properly. It's not dirty, you know, just wet." He laughs. "It was too absurd, really, I managed to have a whole bucketfull of water fall on me. And then the bucket. I've never heard my voice in a bucket before, it was very strange! --Yes, we finished everything!" He closes his eyes and falls back on the couch with a mock dramatic gesture, coat over one outstretched arm. Tarsal climbs onto it.

"...Wet, with cat hair on it." Joly concedes without opening his eyes. "But that is a constant of the universe."

[tire_moi_mes_bottes]

"You never put a pail over your head and ran around pretending to be an ancient knight when you were little? Tut-tut." The next thing to get is a towel; Lesgle brings it over and drapes it over Joly's arm, taking the wet coat in exchange. And once that's hung up in the bathroom, then Lesgle draped himself on the couch.

"Why was the bucket of water up where it could fall on you?"

[merryeccentricities]

"If I did, I never pulled it all the way down over my chin. Anyway I think it would have sounded different, a child's head is smaller and there'd be more room for soundwaves to--oh, thank you." Joly blinks in slight confusion as Lesgle takes the coat--he really was going to put it up himself-- but happily accepts a state of affairs that means he doesn't have to get up again.

He kicks off his boots as Bossuet wanders back to the couch. "And we had the bucket on top of the ladder to cool the drill. Basic safety." He starts laughing again and lets himself fall sideways over Bossuet. "Oh, it was ridiculous. You should have been there after all, it deserved some sort of commentary. We just laughed a bit." Joly starts laughing again, as if in demonstration."--And then I fell over. Oh, my word, and Prouvaire wanted me to play Romeo!"

[tire_moi_mes_bottes]

The man who fell out of a tree during an amateur roof-raising has no room to comment on other people's safety protocols. Bucket on top of a ladder? Sounds good!

He wraps an arm around Joly and hugs him close--and then pushes him away again a moment later for the sake of staring at him in incredulous amusement. "Prouvaire sees you as Romeo? Ah, Prouvaire! I never knew he had such good sense to his visions! Even if you weren't called Joly you'd look the part; I say deny thy father and refuse thy name--for the sake of the stage--or if thou wilt not, be but sworn my love and I'll no longer be a Capulet!"

His English pronunciation is terrible.

[merryeccentricities]

Joly isn't sure whether to feign offense at being compared again to a character who doesn't know how to check for a pulse, or groan in real dismay over getting even more English pointed at him, but forgets both options in favor of laughing when he realizes what particular English is being recited.
"Are you a Capulet now, too, besides all the other names? Fine, if you put on the dress and play a blushing Juliet, I'll play Romeo; we can make Grantaire be the Nurse and wholly revolutionize the play. There won't be a dry eye or an unthrown vegetable in the house, I'm sure."

[tire_moi_mes_bottes]

"It might take more art than nature to make me into a blushing Juliet, but if our Nurse promises not to talk about putting wormwood on his breast--and makes a timely exit--I don't mind the part with such a Romeo! Do you picture Juliet as a blonde or a brunette?"

[merryeccentricities]

Joly gives the matter very serious consideration, or tries, covering his mouth to attempt a serious expression. "Oh, no, none of that, it's been done, you know. We shall set a new fashion in Juliets. Not blonde or brunette, just bearded." He pulls himself up briefly to kiss the top of Bossuet's head before settling back on the couch with an air of greatsolemnity. "And we shall make old coats and doeskin trousers the rage across all the fine courts of various Europes. Because I"m not wearing those puffy knickers."

He manages to look very serious for a whole second before grinning and then laughing outright.