Fixing The Mess (05/06, Midday, Etienne/Narcisse, CLOSED)

[Etienne Fleurant]

It had only been a day or so since he had met Abrielle Laroche, but Etienne Fleurant had a problem. The problem, ironically, was that he had met Abrielle Laroche. He remembered hearing he was arranged to marry a Laroche, but at the time he had been that drunk he hadn't realised - She was the only Laroche left. It made him realise the impact that marrying her would have and the mistake it would be to rub her the wrong way.

Which was precisely what he had done, of course.

So, what he had to do now was control the damage. So he waited outside Narcisse's chambers at lunchtime, knowing she was in there until she would surface for lunch. If anyone could fix it, his sister could, because somehow she seemed the only one capable of being friends with Renate, who was the most insufferable and difficult man to like in the world. So, he simply waited. And waited.

[Narcisse Fleurant]

"Lady, I hate to interrupt you, but it seems your brother still lingers outside your door."

Narcisse looked up from her book, her face painted with annoyance. Not at her serving girl, of course, but at her blasted brother. If he wanted her attention, why did he not just knock on her door like a civilized person would? No, instead Etienne lingered outside as though he were stalking her. When the girl had first said he was out there, she'd seemed surprised when Narcisse had told her to leave him out there; but he was already on her bad side for having been so awful to her friend, so if he was going to be foolish, he'd just have to wait.

Still, she had to leave soon. It was past lunch time, and although the girls had offered to bring her something up, she really did want to get out and go for a walk, as well. "I suppose if he's still there I must speak with him..." she said, unenthusiastic enough that the maid smiled.

"You don't have to, you know. We can bring you lunch, after all, and then we could see how long he'd really sit out there." Narcisse smiled, shaking her head.

"That really is tempting, but I just can't let him squirm that long. I'll be out for a little while, I think; use your time as you will while I'm gone." The serving girl, who had come with Narcisse from home, curtseyed and thanked her, and then set to tidying the room as Narcisse opened her door.

Stepping out, she closed the door behind her before she even looked at Etienne, and when she did it was simply to nod her head, a gesture for him to walk with her. "Come and join me for lunch, and then we'll talk about why you've been outside my door for most of the afternoon, shall we?"

[Etienne Fleurant]

Their family was complicated at best. So just as she didn't ask him for a reason he hadn't knocked, he didn't ask her why somehow her serving girl had come and gone and yet Narcisse hadn't found a way to stride three paces to the door. But then, they wouldn't be Fleurants if they quibbled about such ridiculous things as bizarre attitudes. After all, between the two terrors in the family none of them were surprised at anything any of them did anymore.

Regardless of it all, never being one for mincing words, Etienne quickly launched into it as he fell in step with his sister. "Probably the same reason you've been keeping me waiting all morning, I presume. And for the record, I know what I did and why it was wrong." He looked up at her, a little shame creeping in under all that pride - A first for Etienne. "What I need to know is how to fix it. I've never done something like this before. I've acted as slow as a damn Arbrechtian."

[Narcisse Fleurant]

Oh, now this was absolutely rich. Narcisse could not have stopped the smile that came to her face if she'd had a thousand elephants pulling the corners of her mouth down. He had messed up! And admitted it! And was now coming to her for help! Oh, if only she could tell Renate. Or Abby! Well, she would tell Abby. She would have to, after all. This involved her as much as it did she and her brother.

Still, Narcisse knew better than to rub it in his face. Much. If he was being genuine, which it seemed he was, then she would help him as much as she could. However, he'd done a good enough job at mucking things up that she wasn't sure how much of it was salvageable. But she did have to try, for Abby's sake.

"Well, that's a good start then." Her tone left him no room to question just how much he'd messed up. "Never offended a woman as much as you have, or never been sorry for it? Because if it's the first, brother, I can tell you now that you're mistaken." Okay, so she couldn't resist rubbing it in a little. As they walked, a servant intercepted them, and asked Narcisse where they would like breakfast. "Oh, out in the gardens, I think. Sound good to you?" She didn't give her brother much of a chance to answer before the servant scuttled off to prepare them a table, and Narcisse directed their stroll outside, onto the path that ended at the terrace they'd have breakfast at.

"This will take a bit of thought, you know," she said as they sat, a light breakfast laid before them. She took a sip of orange juice before looking Etienne squarely in the eyes. "You really have done a good job at convincing her you're horrid."

[Etienne Fleurant]

Her grin was nothing if not infuriating. If he was a lesser man, he would likely have borne the shame with little fanfare. But he was a Fleurant and would not so lightly accept that she was putting him in a position to be reviled. Was not admitting he was at fault and wanted to fix it bad enough? "Tease all you want, Cissy, but word of this gets to Renate or you try and abuse this, I'm going to lock you in a crate and send you to the natives."

It was only half empty a threat too. Etienne's wounded pride made him like an angry jackal.

He didn't dispute her choice of location and followed to the terrace without further word. It wasn't likely this meeting with Narcisse had started well, but he didn't really have much to lose. As they sat though, he put a hand to his head and squeezed his temples. "I know. I was burning with anger from Renate winning and he was keeping to himself, so I went looking for a fight." He winced. "It's a weak reason, but had I not been so drunk it wouldn't have been her. I just need to know how to start fixing it. Do I go talk to her immediately?"

[Narcisse Fleurant]

"Oh, you wouldn't and you know it, if for no other reason than then you would have to deal with Renate without a buffer." She was all too aware how keenly her brothers disliked one another, and she often went as a go between for both of them. "You know perfectly well that I won't go to him about it," she said matter-of-factly, "And what abuse do you expect me to bestow? You're just being touchy; if you're going to drag me into this further than I already am, I should be allowed to tease you a little."

It was no question that she'd back off a little, though, knowing just how upset he was about it. Even though she would have been genuinely surprised if Etienne hurt her in any way, she still didn't want to push his buttons too much. She'd harrass him more about it when the situation was better. IF it was better.

He was so out of sorts that she reached out, putting her hand gently on his arm. "Going and talking to her now...would perhaps not be the best idea. She...oh Etienne, why couldn't you have just gone and gotten in a fight with some drunk at a pub." It wasn't a serious question, but more a lament at the situation at hand. "She seems a forgiving girl...she's very sweet, and maybe more than a little sheltered. Maybe...maybe send her a gift? With an apology attached. Something small, nothing terribly showy. I'm not sure who knows what happened between you two other than me, and Lord Linnet might start asking questions if she's getting big gifts."

Hopefully if he did that, she could speak to Abby soon after and explain things a little. But then an important thought came to mind. "Oh! And don't insult her lizard...gecko...thing....again. Strange as it may be, it was a gift from her parents, and since they're dead...well, she's a little touchy about it. Him. It's a him."

[Etienne Fleurant]

She had thrown down the guantlet and Etienne wasn't about to just let her have it so easily. He set his face into the most serious he could manage, as if daring her to dispute what he said, before he replied. "You think I need a buffer to deal with Renate? I'm not scared of him. One day soon, I'll be just as powerful and then I won't even need to pretend I need him." What he didn't realise is she may have wanted him to respond in just that way - She could push his buttons so easily.

It was unusual, though, when her hand rested on his arm. The Fleurants were not a close family by nature. They were distant and only honoured family ties because of shared blood, not because of emotional ties. It surprised him and actually disarmed him a little. "I don't know, Cis. I don't know what I was thinking." There was a certain clean simple stance to the idea of a gift. "A gift I can manage. Maybe even something for the...whatever it is...to apologise too? What exactly do those things eat?"

[Narcisse Fleurant]

Narcisse stopped in her tracks and shot Etienne a look that would have sent a lesser man cowering. She didn't have to deal with his bull headed competition nonsense. He was here to ask her a favor, and here he was jumping down her throat when it was completely unnecessary. "You twist my words and make them daggers. Don't you dare go adding implications to my words that I did not intend. I don't need to help you, just as I didn't need to defend you when you made the mistake in the first place." She began walking once more, although in truth she was tempted to just go back to her room and wait until he wasn't feeling so touchy about making a mistake that he twisted everything into a slight.

She was a little calmer when they were both seated, although she had resolved that he only had one more strike before she would leave. This was absolutely not the way she wanted to start her morning. "I'm not sure what he eats...but that can be something you talk about when you get around to actually getting to know one another. It's something she really cares about, so you don't want to make her think you're being anything but genuine in your interest. Even if you couldn't care less," she added, thinking that the last thing Etienne probably cared about was Abby's gecko. With his mood, she thought, the only thing he was interest in was saving face so it wouldn't reflect poorly on him. Damage control, plain and simple, unless he proved otherwise.

[Etienne Fleurant]

He couldn't back down now, not to his kid sister, but what choice did he have? He needed her help. Thing is, he didn't even see what he had done wrong. "I did not realise I had twisted words, sister. But I shall do it no more." An apology, especially at this point, was a little more than she could expect. Etienne, right or wrong, could not understand why she was taking offense so the best he could do is offer to not speak as he had. She could take it or leave it, really, as it was all he had.

He sat and his face scrunched up into a quizzical expression. "It's a he, you say...does it...uh...he have a name? I could write a letter, so she knows I am serious?" Oddly, even though he was only bothered about stopping this before it got out of hand, there was no mirth to his tone. If it was important to her, then it was a very important way to win points to repair it. He needed to win points badly. "And one to her too, of course."

[Narcisse Fleurant]

It wasn't much, and she knew damn well he wasn't sorry, if he even recognized what he had done. But Narcisse knew better than to hold her breath. Every member of the family had traits she could not stand, and Etienne was no different; the trick was to ignore those as best was possible. With him, it often meant biting her tongue, since even the simplest of explanations could be blown out of scale quickly. Still, she could not help but feel that his temper would be his downfall, and it made her worry greatly for him.

"I think I remember his name being...Al?" She tried to remember, but it just wasn't coming to her. There were other more important things going on in the conversation she'd been having with Abrielle at the time for her to remember every particular detail. "But perhaps it would be best if you asked her directly? Unless you think she told you when you...spoke." She paused for a moment, popping a grape into her mouth as she thought. "I'm sure you don't want to seem as though you've gotten help with this, so if she hadn't told you about Al herself then I would ask her in person later. Otherwise she might wonder how you knew, and if she were to ask me I would have a very hard time deflecting her. She's an innocent soul, and she needs to be dealt with gently and fairly."

[Etienne Fleurant]

He didn't enjoy being difficult, but people just seemed to have a habit of...well, getting on his nerves. So he tended to assume the worst of people and situations, convincing himself he was above most of them. It seemed to be a Fleurant trait, to be honest, but Etienne had got it to a fine art. Still, Narcisse was much more stubborn than him and he wasn't even going to try to out willpower her.

"You're probably right. What was he again? A...Ghetto or something?" He'd just adress it to the creatures type. Maybe even to just Lizard thing if it came to it. He toyed with his food, not really interested in it or hungry and at a loss of words how to proceed really. As usual, it came back to formalities. "Did you know I was supposed to marry her? I know Renate knew."

[Narcisse Fleurant]

"A...gecko, I think? It's also what's on her house crest, for whatever reason." Maybe the whole family had liked those little lizardy things? That would make sense, if Al had been a gift from her parents. She wondered off hand what, exactly, a gift for a gecko would be. A jeweled leash? A fancy feeding dish? Exotic bugs for it to eat? She was glad she didn't see herself giving gifts to anything like that any time soon.

She stopped with her glass raised nearly to her lips when he mentioned marriage. "You're kidding." She knew he wasn't, but there wasn't much else she could think to say. "How long have you known?" In a sudden rush of selfish concern, she wondered if Renate had engaged her off to someone without telling her yet. Such a horrible thought. "He hadn't mentioned it to me, and neither did she...I wonder if she even knows?" But then his use of the past tense clicked. "Wait, 'was' supposed to marry her? Did that change, between then and now?" If Lord Linnet had heard of what had happened and dissolved the union...gods, Renate would be so pissed.

[Etienne Fleurant]

His voice became more gravelly and his expression grim when she asked him about it. He had known for some time he was betrothed, but tragedy had befallen the Laroche family before it could be discussed. It hadn't helped that he had no real interest in courting her. If she were to be his wife, she would be his wife. That was that. "Nothing has changed yet, sister, but hopefully that sheds light on why it was her I picked on and why it's so important I fix it. Or was will become permanent."

Etienne winced and began to pass a grape from one hand to the other as if in thought. It had been a silly question and Narcisse had picked up on a stupid slip of the tongue, but...what else was he meant to say here? "Renate didn't arrange it. As far as I'm aware, it's...always been the case. An agreement between our parents and theirs. Her hand for their second oldest. Renate will just have been privvy to knowing."

[Narcisse Fleurant]

Narcisse picked at her breakfast, contemplating this newest turn of events. At least before the worst case scenario was that Abrielle and Etienne never spoke again. That wasn't too bad an outcome, considering. But if they were engaged to be married...that would be a very, very unhappy household if this situation couldn't be fixed. Not to mention if she said anything about the fight to Lord Linnet...nothing good would come of that.

Her mind was racing now, kicking into full damage control. She took in what he said and nodded to let him know she was paying attention. It didn't really matter who had arranged the marriage, really. If anything, it just got Renate off the hook a little bit if things came to an ugly head. "So basically there isn't an option...she has to forgive you. But we can't act like it's a necessary thing, or it won't seem genuine. I did as much damage control on the night as I could, and if you send her a gift, that'll be a good start. She and I are friends, so I can get her to talk about it, see where she stands. It...shouldn't take her too long to come around."

[Etienne Fleurant]

Etienne winced as he watched his sister start to toy with her food too - That couldn't have been a good sign. He was nervous about the situation he would have to deal with, but with this revelation causing her to be nervous for him? Abrielle must have taken what he had done very, very sourly. He couldn't blame her, of course, but...it didn't bode well. "Pretty much. I don't have a choice in apologising, but I have to look like I do."

Oddly, her offer of talking to Abrielle wasn't as attractive a prospect as it should have been. "I think it will have to come from me, won't it?" Etienne sighed, as if that was the worst thing that could have been asked of him. "I'm not used to this, Cissy. I have no idea how to make up for things I've done wrong. I've never had to care, if I'm honest."

[Narcisse Fleurant]

"I know," she said somewhat sourly. He was rubbish at apologizing because he didn't care who he wronged. He as much as anyone else in the family was why Narcisse had such thick skin. It paid to be able to shrug such things off. Still, this wasn't about her. He likely didn't care about this situation, either, which was why it bothered her so much. She dreaded seeing Abrielle grow callous, but with a husband like Etienne, if he didn't ever change...well, it was inevitable. She couldn't let her personal feelings get in the way of this, though. She needed to help him apologize and make it look like he meant it, and that was it.

Giving up for now on her breakfast, she sat back in her chair and put her napkin on the table. "I meant more that I would see if your letter, your gift, whatever you choose to send her, had made things any better. After all, if she still would be happiest never seeing you again, another effort might better be made before you, say, show up on her doorstep." This was a delicate dance...if she sounded too much like she was telling him what to do, he'd very likely do the opposite. But if she merely made suggestions, he stood a chance at ruining the whole thing worse than it is now. "It is, of course, up to you in the end. I wouldn't want to run the risk of meddling instead of simply being helpful."

[Etienne Fleurant]

He caught the bitter edge to her tone as she spoke and realised that maybe, just maybe, Abrielle wasn't the only person he had wronged. If he had, it wasn't that Narcisse showed any signs of being anything less than her usual self, though, so he felt no real need to apologise to her. At least with Abrielle, he knew he had been boorish. With Narcisse, who knew what he had done wrong to her? So until she told him, he would ignore it. "It would be difficult to be my sister and not know, really. I suspect Musetta knows better than most the sharpest side of my tongue and the ruthless manner I speak in."

His tone evened out, almost to a wistful one. Etienne was not a man who spent too much time thinking, though wiith the news on where his life was going and the opportunities it conjured...Well, how could one not? "Still, I would imagine that would make married life unneccessarily difficult. I have never had to act such in our family because, for better or worse, Renate sets the pace we must follow."

It was the most candid he had been in years, but there was a glimpse of a soul there. Etienne had always felt stifled by Renate, built to live in his shadow. Here was his chance to seize it and come out of the shadow, to be his own person. But honestly...he was scared. "But it won't be a Fleurant I'll need to follow. It will be as a Laroche that I will be a married man. I have no idea what a Laroche should be like, Narcisse. How can I be who she needs?"

[Narcisse Fleurant]

She wasn't sure if it made it worse or better that he was so self-aware and yet continued in his habits. On one hand, Musetta often deserved it...or at least some of it. Even with as little love as she held for her sister, she had to realize that perhaps Musetta wouldn't be so horrible if Etienne wasn't egging her on all the time. But then on the other hand, Etienne knew how difficult he'd been toward her, even, and he had never changed his behavior. He was one of her favorite people, but he was so difficult sometimes that he drove her away, and he never seemed to care, at least outwardly. Finally she decided she just needed to stop thinking about all of that and just concentrate on the matter at hand.

As Etienne became more of a human before her eyes, Narcisse softened, if only a little. She had always known of the rivalry between Etienne and Renate; one could hardly live with them and not know. But was that truly the reason for most of Etienne's behavior? The answer that rose to her lips first was too sharp, although it held truth, and so quickly she rejected it in favor of another. "You cannot know what she needs until you know who she is. She most certainly is not a Fleurant, and if you treat her as one it will never work."

Narcisse thought she knew at least some of what Abrielle needed. She needed, not a man to rule her and control her hand, but one who will work with her. One who would pick up another man's work, another man's vision, and see it through. She needed a man who would consider her an equal, value her opinion, ask for her input. They were going to be ruling her people, from her home; Etienne could make it his, really his, or he could take it over.

"Why don't you ask her?" The thought came after a small pause, and Narcisse took a sip of her drink to let her brain rewind to where they had actually been in the conversation. "About her family, I mean. You want to know what it means to be a Laroche? Ask a Laroche. A good way to know about a person is to hear them talk of their family; you can see what really matters to them." It was something she'd learned from listening to so many people speaking over the years. It was an even better tool to use if the person was speaking candidly, but even if they weren't there was knowledge to be gained.

[Etienne Fleurant]

It was not like Etienne to open himself up, but if there was any in the world that understood him, it was Narcisse. Even she didn't really understand him. He had never really needed anyone close, for if he was anything Etienne was a man who insisted on getting anywhere himself, but recently he was noticing the distance he put people at. It was just easier that way, especially with his...

...No. Now was not the time for such musings. He could not see the red here. Not with Narcisse. Even a thought of it made him shiver, just a little. His head was whirring and he had to chase off the anger that threatened him again. Though, he couldn't entirely keep the frustration from his voice. "I doubt she will speak to me, Cissy...that's the real problem." He sighed. "But I will do my best to try."

He couldn't keep this up. The rest of it was on him, so he stayed silent for a second and began to chew on his breakfast instead. He wanted to change the topic to something he understood...either that or leave. "I wonder if I'll be any good at managing a city. Renate hasn't exactly guided me in this."

[Narcisse Fleurant]

Narcisse sighed lightly and squeezed her brother's arm once more. Talking to him was like talking to a brick wall sometimes...but maybe, just maybe, something she said would wheedle its way into the mortar that held him so surely aloft from everyone else. "All anyone can ask of you is that you try, really. Just...don't go into the conversation sure you know how it's going to go and end. That would be unfair to both of you."

She found the conversation had made her lose her appetite, and so she motioned for a servant to clear her things away, leaving only her tea cup in front of her. The table was still laid with food if Etienne was still hungry, but she just...couldn't find eating an attractive prospect just now. She hated it when there was a problem she couldn't solve, something she couldn't help with. And of course the ways she thought she could be most helpful, Etienne wouldn't accept. She just had to keep in mind that the relationship between Etienne and Abrielle was theirs to control, and whether it went for good or for ill, she could not, ultimately, interfere.

"I'm sure you'll be quite good," she said, leaving off how she truly wanted to end the sentence. He would be quite good at managing a city if he would accept the help that would be offered him. If he would let Abrielle have a hand, have a say. If he would listen. "From the sounds of it you'll have good resources to draw on, Abrielle's father's ledgers and notebooks and things. She herself will be an invaluable voice for you." She realized that the direction she took was likely not where he had wanted to go...after all, he'd changed the subject away from Abrielle on purpose. "I'm sure you'll be fine without Renate's guidance. You've a good head on your shoulders, and I trust you'll do what's best."