[Day 3, ME]The lady and the rogue[Closed]

[Theomore Tullison]

Theomore had already danced for a while before approaching the Corrine, seemingly not at all fatigued by it, though much of it due to a style not demanding physical effort. It was all in the grip and the look into her eyes. And then taking the lead. The gowns would likely cause mishaps if he attempted anything more advanced than so anyhow, and to cause embarrassment for a lady is something Theomore would rather avoid. Her suitors, on the other hand, would be fair game. But tempting as it may be to mess with this one's suitors, that would be disrespectful to the lady Isobel and one ought not be disrespectful to a lady such as her. Although, what Theomore ought not do, oft becomes what he does anyway, a most amusing thought. Rules are the dogs, there to ensure that the sheep finds their way to the slaughterhouse, no? Far better to be the black sheep that goes where he pleases, unless one is the man keeping the dogs on leash that is.

Theomore has no illusion about making rules for others to follow.

"
My lady..Corrine, no?"
He bows deeply in greeting. "
May I have the honor of a dance?"

[Lady Corrine Marsten]

She meets his bow with a curtsey and a congenial smile;


"
The very same. And I believe you are Ser Theomore Tullison, is that correct?"

[Theomore Tullison]

"
I am Ser Theomore Tullison indeed"
Thomore seems to enjoy the recognition ever so slightly, gently taking her hand to start the language of the dance, would she be meekly led along like a lamb following the mother, or would she want a say in where to go? Somewhere in between perhaps?. "
I must say my lady, the tales of your beauty does not quite do you justice, I had been expecting a girl yet to blossom in full, but I see before me a woman grown, and of such delight to the eye that only the flowers of the mountains can be."


OOC: I am assuming that it's you the player that made the spelling error, if not, Theomore will still take it in good graces and act exactly as described.

[Lady Corrine Marsten]

OOC: Yes, that was my own error. I've fixed it.

Corrine smiles, and takes the first steps into the dance confidently, with a cheerful buoyancy in her step.

"
Such flattery, Ser!"
she exclaims playfully. "
Tales of your roguish charm clearly do not do you justice. I understand events like this are very much your element. Would that be true?"

[Theomore Tullison]

"
Roguish? Me?"
Theomore feigns a complaint, a smile betraying that he likes the description follows shortly, though he manages to keep a straight face as he says these words without any sign of the effort most men would expend to do so. "
Where would my lady have heard such tales?"


Oh, this could be interesting, confidence from one raised by the lady Isobel, one should think someone like that would be more reserved, Theomore reflects briefly, studying the lines around Corrine's eyes, then he makes a somewhat forceful turn as he leads them onto the floor.

[Lady Corrine Marsten]

She lets him lead her at first, getting a sense of his movement, ensuring her own form is perfect. It had long been drilled into her mind that one learns much about a person through dancing with them, and she was curious about this bold one.

"
In truth, I knew your name initially by your more martial endeavours. However, I expect you know what gossips young ladies can be. One hears the odd snippet from time to time, that is all. I cannot say I know much, only that you have a way with words that rivals your skills with a blade."

[Theomore Tullison]

"
These young gossips are most kind, my lady"
Theomore lets the rhythm of the music guide his moves, gently prompting Corrine to follow, but leaving an opening for initiative, but he does not let her turn the conversation into his skills with blade and words, true as the assumption very well might be. "
But I wonder how you have time for that with all these suitors of yours craving for attention."

[Lady Corrine Marsten]

While happy to move on from talking about him, the question of suitors is no favourite of Corrine's. Her momentum changes, as she takes a bit more control, a slightly firmer grip on his hands, and a more assertive push into each step. She uses the next little turn as more of a twirl, bringing in more flourish now that she was more accustomed to his dancing style.

"
My mother speaks of all these suitors,"
she begins, her tone a little weary. "
But I've never met one. Perhaps if she did not keep me under guard like some delicate ornament, I might get to converse with these suitors. Not that I am desperate to do so,"
she added. "
I do not have the same pressures on me as most unmarried noblewomen, as I'm sure you know."

[Theomore Tullison]

"
Under guard, my lady?"
Theomore's interest seems to pique up at that choice of words, though it most likely is the part of her not having had the chance to see any suitors. "
As in behind lock and key? Like an exquisite bird in a cage? I can see a certain appeal in it, as I too would not wish to risk you fly out of the window."
Theomore answers the firmness of her grip with one of his own, using the length of his arms to stretch hers, and forcing Corrine to step close. "
Do slap me, should I ever be about to find myself on the list of suitors"
He almost whispers. "
For then I could not converse with you..."

[Lady Corrine Marsten]

"
Not quite so severe as that, Ser,"
she replies, though his imagery does visibly amuse her. "
She rarely actively limits my movements now that I am of age, but she does have me watched most of the time. When she can't follow me around herself, she has me take guardsmen. I represent a significant investment, after all."


A slight sadness flickered briefly in her eyes.

"
It would be good to be treated as an individual though. To have honest conversations. To be truly free."


She shrugged a little, and her polite smile returned, as she allowed him to clasp her closely to him for a few steps, then reeled gracefully round behind him, and came back into the next step seamlessly. She challenged his displays of strength with her agility, making some parts of the dance a little like a chase.

[Theomore Tullison]

"
A lady on a leash, then."
Theomore's eyes shows approval of her moves, doing no more than to have his left hand rest upon her hip, allowing her to decide the next step without resistance should she so wish. "
If honest conversation is what you desire, then it would be my privilege to offer that gift."

[Lady Corrine Marsten]

She smiled politely;


"
If only it were that simple, Ser. There are many unscrupulous people who would seek to gain my confidence for their own ends. How can I know you are honourable and true?"


(OOC: I hope I got the rolls etc right. I will edit if I've done it wrong)

Initiative: [url=Initiative][/url]: 4d6k4 12
Persuasion (Charm): [url=Persuasion - Charm][/url]: 6d6k5 28
Objective: Gain concrete assurance of honourable intentions from Theomore
Disposition: Amiable
Intrigue Defense: 9
Composure: 12
Drawback: Naive
Quality: Heir

[Theomore Tullison]

"
The honest answer, my lady."
Theomore gives her a bit of a scrutinizing look. "
Is that a man can only be judged to be true on account of his deeds proving him to be so, and even that is no guarantee that he will remain that way."


[url=iniative][/url]: 4d6 15
Disposition: Amiable, DR 3
Objective: Let me think.
Intrigue Defense: 10
Composure 9

It's me going first on account of initiative, objective I am uncertain about what to choose, see incoming pm about that. You should be displaying your intrigue defense and composure, as I just did, and naive isn't too bad to display.

But it goes like this: Higher initiative has action first, and you can only offer a yield on your action. I usually throw people pm's first because if intrigue is not needed to get what one wants, then one need not have it, hmm? First off it's my action, which I'll post in a bit (you can make an IC post, then I take my action in the following post, then it's your turn in the intrigue.).

Then it's your turn, you can then decide whether or not to offer yield terms, which you might wish to do before rolling, if I know you have a 28 charmbot roll incoming, I'll probably take the yield. Also, define your objective, if "
Give a concrete assurance of good intentions"
is what you want from Theomore, then state that as your objective. Charm may also not be the technique of choice, defeating Theomore with charm makes his disposition towards you improve by one step, which may make him inclined to grant your wish because he likes you, but you have no IC way of knowing if he likes you enough that winning by charm will make him do that without succeeding on an awareness(empathy) first. Then again, Corrine being naive as she is, she might assume it's enough. Convince would generally be the surefire technique for achieving that. Yield is primarily used to negotiate between the characters so that they both can walk away with something they want to have, people can quit if they don't want to loose completely.

[Theomore Tullison]

Pre-action:

Yield offer: Theomore will be honest to Corrine (though he will not divulge anything about his shadier nature) if Corrine will think more highly of him (her disposition towards him goes up by one step).

[Lady Corrine Marsten]

"
You speak truly, of course,"
Corrine concedes. "
Words are wind, after all. I shall just have to observe your deeds more closely, I suppose."


A small, flirtatious smile plays across her lips as she looks into his eyes.

(OOC: Corrine's disposition towards Theomore increases to Friendly)

[Theomore Tullison]

Now that, is an invitation Theomore can not turn down. His own smile reciprocating hers, and he looks right back into her eyes, as if to challenge who might keep it there the longest.

"
Then I shall do my best not to disappoint under the pressure of scrutiny, and I hope not to be boring to my lady's eyes."

[Lady Corrine Marsten]

Bolstered by how well the conversation seems to be going, Corrine boldly holds his gaze until the next step of the dance requires her to turn away for a moment. When she returns, her curiosity extends to the rest of his face.

"
I'm sure such a well-travelled man as yourself could never be boring. After all, your reputation precedes you. That usually means you are the source and subject of many a glorious tale. Or nefarious ones,"
she added with a questioning look.

[Theomore Tullison]

"
I doubt my accomplishments are as grand as you make them sound, my lady"
Theomore does have to wonder how a lady that by all accounts, including her own words, had not been allowed to travel beyond the reach of lady Isobel's watchful eye would respond to his invitations like so. "
Though I have indeed had the good fortune of being allowed to see much of the realm, from Winterfell in the north to the Arbor in the south, and I do believe that the only ones here besides myself that have seen how the world looks like from the sky has hair of silvery white"

[Lady Corrine Marsten]

Her eyes widen with surprise and curiosity.

"
How did you manage that, Ser? This, I must hear!"

[Theomore Tullison]

"
My brother died fifteen years ago, my lady."
Theomore smiles teasingly, leaving no doubt that he knows exactly what she asked for, yet chooses to save that story. "
Leaving behind my nephew of two years as lord of Mountain's Reach, as his mother and regent was loathe to leave him behind or have him travel far, the task of being present at court and other such representation oft fell to myself, and seeing that she had the affairs back home well in hand, we found it prudent for me to be travel more often and further away from our domains than a lord usually can allow himself to do."

[Lady Corrine Marsten]

"
That was not what I meant, though I am sorry about losing your brother,"
Corrine replied, catching his deliberate tease, but too polite not to express condolences anyway. "
Were you close?"

[Theomore Tullison]

"
He was nine years my senior, my lady, and left to squire for Lord Blackwood when I was very young, and shortly after he returned, I went to Runestone to serve there as a page, I only saw him but briefly after that"
Theomore doesn't seem sad, more fond of what memories he had. "
We never grew close enough to have any fights that I can remember, but I sure invoked the name of my brother, the knight, quite a few times at Runestone when younger brothers argue over who's older brother can beat the other one's in a fight."

[Lady Corrine Marsten]

"
Sounds like he was a fine knight,"
Corrine said, with a kind smile. "
Of all the places you have been, where did you like most?"

[Theomore Tullison]

"
He did not quite live up to the tales I spun to the other boys at Runestone my lady, but all who knew Sterl well speaks highly of him"
Theomore agrees.

"
That is an easy question to answer, my lady, I have yet to see a place more wonderful than Highgarden, it does not have the size of Harrenhaal or Winterfell, and not so impregnable as the Eyrie, Storm's End or the Rock, but it is immense by any other standard, and all in white, it's halls and gardens filled with music and light and flowers, and it is surrounded by fields of golden roses as far as the eye can see. I can think of no other place built by men more pleasing to the eye."

[Lady Corrine Marsten]

"
It sounds breathtakingly beautiful,"
Corrine mused, wistfully. "
I envy your worldliness. I can only dream of seeing all the world has to offer."

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