Re: [D3:EE] Dance, Magic Dance (Openish)

by **Baelon Drakeson** Wed May 06, 2015 5:43 pm

"
As you wish, my lady."

Baelon notes that the song is ending.
"
Thank you, Lady Corrine, for this dance. It was truly wonderful getting to know you better - and I look forward to our walk this evening with great anticipation."

[OOC: I'm having trouble keeping up on everything, so I'm going to end this one so that I can do the other thread justice.]

by **Lady Corrine Marsten** Wed May 06, 2015 5:56 pm

"
Thank you, Ser,"
Corrine replies with a curtsey. "
It was a pleasure."

[/scene?]

by **Baelon Drakeson** Wed May 06, 2015 6:05 pm

OOC: well, /left.

The scene is still open, this is waiting for a response, I believe:

Benedict Blackthorne wrote:Ben watches Baelon escort Corrine, his fist clench momentarily. He then shakes it off scanning the tables. There she was, golden haired Gwyn, radiant as ever. She should be out there dancing and enjoying herself. He scans quickly for Dunstan, not seeing him. He steels his nerves as he approaches the table, bowing politely to Gwyn and sharing a playful smile. "
My Lady, with your grace and beauty you need to be on the dance floor for all to admire. May I have this dance?"

by **Gwyneth Drakeson** Thu May 07, 2015 2:03 pm

Benedict Blackthorne wrote:Ben watches Baelon escort Corrine, his fist clench momentarily. He then shakes it off scanning the tables. There she was, golden haired Gwyn, radiant as ever. She should be out there dancing and enjoying herself. He scans quickly for Dunstan, not seeing him. He steels his nerves as he approaches the table, bowing politely to Gwyn and sharing a playful smile. "
My Lady, with your grace and beauty you need to be on the dance floor for all to admire. May I have this dance?"

Gwyneth looked up at Ben, then looked around quickly. He knew her well enough to see signs of nervousness in the slight pinch of her eyes, the somewhat-too-fast movements. Dunstan had excused himself to go hobnob with some lords or ladies, but Gwyn had no idea when he'd return and she had at least one thing to do. Would dancing with Ben risk that?

Hang it all. He won't care, not yet. And I'm not going to just sit here waiting on him. I've done enough of that already.

She rose from the table and offered her hand to Benedict.

"
Of course,"
was her response.

by **Benedict Marsten** Thu May 07, 2015 3:39 pm

"
Gwyn you look resplendent as ever, but is everything okay?"
He leads her to the floor and begins the dance. Dancing was not high on his ability list, but he was sure to at least not embarrass his partner. "
I had thought to speak to you of Dunstan, but if there is something else I may help with?"
A knot forms in his stomach. He is torn between the crush of his boyhood and affections of adulthood. His eyes glance to Corrine with Baelon. Gwyn deserves happiness and if I can give her that through Dunstan than so be it. Another quick glance at the dark haired beauty out of his reach, reassured him this was the right action.

Ellie spots Ben leading Gwyn to the floor and quickly scans her immediate vicinity. "
Oh no you dont."
She grabs Pudgy Paul a young rotund page from house Tullison dragging him onto the dance floor. His pastry filled mouth is jostled by Ellie's unannounced invite to dance. "
Do you believe this dolt. She doesn't even like him like that."
Pudgy stares at Ellie in confusion. She places her hand into his right but his left still holds the remainder of his treat. She glares at him menacingly. He quickly pops the pastry into his mouth, taking her hand into his sticky one. "
We have to get close so I can hear."
As the near the pair, Ellie smiles benevolently to Gwyn despite her toes being crushed buy the heavy page.

by **Gwyneth Drakeson** Thu May 07, 2015 4:20 pm

Gwyneth shook her head at his offer. She danced well enough, even distracted as she was. "
Speak to me of whatever you wish,"
she said breezily. "
I will listen. I think maybe that's the root of many of my troubles. Not listening."

She smiled, and her blue-on-green eyes met Benedict's, and she said nothing more, but waited to see what was on his mind.

by **Benedict Marsten** Thu May 07, 2015 5:34 pm

He did his best to stay in step. He swallows hard, his pride sliding down the back of his throat. "
I only wish to see you happy and I believe Dunstan is whose affection you seek. He is a good man and would take good care of you, keep you safe and provide. If you seek his hand, then I would aid you. On one condition you must swear to me before the gods that you will be kind to him and aid him as best you can."
It stung like an old bandage ripped off ,the dried blood adhering it to skin. The wound was open, would she throw salt into it by refusing?

by **Gwyneth Drakeson** Thu May 07, 2015 5:57 pm

Gwyneth didn't say anything for a moment. She kept dancing...adapting to Benedict's slightly unsteady pace;
subtly guiding him without quite taking the lead. She'd danced with beginners before, and knew how to help them look good.

Her mind was still. The sort of stillness that precedes a storm.

He was asking her to swear an oath.

It was, to her perceptions, a 'man thing.' Oaths, that was. Women only required oaths when they were fulfilling the duties normally expected of men. Most of the time, they had other ways of ensuring loyalty, or obedience. Women preferred leverage, and the social pressures of peers, and the convincing power of debate and argument. Men tended to rely on brute force, and the unflinching boundaries of codes of honor...as expressed by oaths.

By asking her to swear, he was offering to include her in 'men's business,' she reckoned. Being made, for this purpose, an 'honorary' man. It was also almost certainly a salve...if Benedict was about to break a confidence, this would be one way he could try to reach peace with it. At least the only person he told was sworn not to be a bitch about it.

Under that though, Gwyn could see he was in pain. Conflicted. She was not so unfeeling as to be able to just ignore that. He'd been a friend to her, when few others had been. He was always willing to put himself second on her behalf.

It was a tragedy that the best men were so seldom from the best Houses.

She reached up to trail a finger along his cheek...no artful attempt at seduction, but a heartfelt expression of a connection she felt.

Did that make it any less cynical that she was going to exploit it?

"
Bendy,"
Gwyn whispered affectionately, then looked down for a breath. "
If Dunstan and I are married, we become one. I could no more be cruel to him than to myself. Could no more hurt him, or undermine him than I would cut off my own hand."

Yes. And people are never cruel to themselves, hmm Clever Gwyn?

She looked back up into Benedict's eyes.

"
I swear, before the Seven Gods, that should Dunstan and I be wed, I will be kind to him, and aid him as best I can."

by **Benedict Marsten** Thu May 07, 2015 6:23 pm

Ben flinches slightly at her touch. He takes a deep breath.
[url=Awareness Gwyn][/url]: 3d6 16

Ellie almost squeals aloud. "
Did you hear that Pudgy. Finally."
Pudgy heard something but it didn't make sense to him. He just stood staring at Ellie, with a big goofy smile. I told him to do it days ago, I knew it was the only way to get him to move on. "
what are looking at Pudgy? Stop looking at me like I'm cream filled."

[url=Awareness Gwyn][/url]: 5d6k4 15

(OoC: rolls were to determine honesty of Gwyns words and oath. I will wait for your results.)

by **Gwyneth Drakeson** Thu May 07, 2015 6:34 pm

(OOC - Gwyn is being honest;
she has no intent to harm Dunstan or his interests, or be mean to him or anything like that. She's put far far too much work into him to wreck that now. Smile

)

by **Benedict Marsten** Thu May 07, 2015 8:38 pm

Releasing that breath he speaks. "
Well then Intel is an important factor, his likes and dislikes, habits, etc. For that I will send you Ellie tomorrow. Let me know when and where. She has spent the last few years with him and knows him how better than me. As for tactic, you need to be more yourself let the reckless girl who snuck out to go riding on her aunts horse in Hartshorn be known to him. Take off the noble veil and just be Gwyn. Use your natural charm."
He smiles as he brushes back a lock of her hair. "
As for terrain meet him on his ground where he feels more comfortable."
Ben finds his dancing has improved with the distraction of talking an Gwyns subtle guidance. "
I do apologize for the martial format, but it made it easier to relay for me."

Ellie's toenails were sure to fall off by morning she thought as you kept pace with the pair. When she heard her part you burst out. "
What!-Are you doing pudgy? Left foot first."
She shakes her head attempting to cover her outburst. His face again contorts into a confused look, but he quickly does as she says.

(OoC: I will send you a PM.for further clarification.)

by **Gwyneth Drakeson** Fri May 08, 2015 1:56 pm

Gwyneth nodded at his words. Some of it she'd already pieced together, but it was useful nevertheless. More than that, it just felt good knowing she had an official ally in her efforts. One close to Dunstan. She broke into a smile.

"
Thank you. I know you know what it means to me. And...I have some idea of what it means to you. So...I thank you. Wherever I find my place, you will have a grateful friend there."

Then she spied Dunstan at last, and her smile turned apologetic.

"
I should go to him."

by Dunstan Tullison Fri May 08, 2015 2:00 pm

Dunstan came back from the musicians, happy as they finally started playing his favourite song.

"
Ser Ben"
he greeted a friend, "
Do you mind if I borrow Lady Gwyn for the next dance?"

by **Benedict Marsten** Fri May 08, 2015 2:22 pm

One last longing look. Then a bright smile. "
My lady is all yours my Lord."

by Dunstan Tullison Fri May 08, 2015 3:03 pm

"
Thank you Ser Knight"
Dunstan continues with the courtesies.

He is strong and muscular but clumsy when it comes to dancing, not a grain of grace is present when he grabs Gwyn's hips and starts stepping left and right in what appears to be a random and different number of steps each time.

While dancing, if you can call it dancing, he humms lay lay my sweet lass, down on the grass..

by **Gwyneth Drakeson** Sat May 09, 2015 12:14 am

Gwyneth grins at him and lets him manhandle her for a moment before she starts using the same little techniques she'd been using on Benedict. It takes her back to when she was much younger, practicing dancing with Corrine and Edmund and Benedict. Gwyn had always caught on rather quickly, and found very quickly how prickly boys could be if a girl tried to lead them. But they were still so BAD. But dancing was a language of physics and anatomy as much as music. Turn a little here, and he would step around to keep facing. It wasn't as assertive as leading. It was guiding.

With Dunstan she went a step forward. There was no way to guide him exactly. So she adapted to him...looking for ways and times to move so that his own movements seemed intentional rather than accidental. When he pressed her too hard, she twirled or otherwise moved to turn something awkward into something that looked like it was part of a dance and always had been.

With Mundy and Bendy, she'd tried to adapt the boy to the dance. With Dunstan, she adapted the dance to the boy.

Once Gwyn felt she had a handle on that, she started singing along with Dunstan. She didn't know the words, but the tune was easy enough to follow. After a couple of stanzas she worked out the harmony and shifted to harmonize in counterpoint with his deeper voice, turning the song into an impromptu duet.

(Intrigue!)
Initiative: 12
Objective: Friendship
Disposition: Friendly
Technique: Persuasion (Charm) - Influence 4
Defense: 11
Composure: 12

Rolls
Init: [url=Magic Dance Intrigue (Initiative)][/url]: 4d6 12
Persuasion: [url=Magic Dance Intrigue (Persuasion Charm)][/url]: 6d6k4+5 19
Hotness Reroll of two 1's: [url=Magic Dance Intrigue (Persuasion Charm) - Hotness Reroll of 2 ones][/url]: 2d6 11

The 5 and 6 replace two 3's, raising her result to 24
No idea what Dunstan's defense is offhand, but I'll guess that's at least 3 DoS which would be 12 influence minus his AR from Disposition.

Edit - Oops! It's only +3 from Friendly. So the total is 22, not 24!

by Dunstan Tullison Sat May 09, 2015 11:09 am

Initiative: [url=Initiative (Status)][/url]: 5d6 25 (Damn, 4 sixes!) (Dunstan, Gwyneth)
Goal: Friendship
Disposition: Amiable [+1 Per, +0 Dec, 3 DR]
Defense: 9
Composure: 9
Frustration: 0

Action: [url=Persuasion (Charm)][/url]: 3d6 11 +1 = 12. 1 DoS = 3 influence.

Gwyneth's moves make the dancing appear almost as it is flowing naturally. Dunstan stumbles a few times but soon accepts the new rhythm.

"
This is not that hard with a good master. Almost as circling around before a fight. Exciting too, in a completely different manner"
he says and sends a cheeky wink Gwyn's way. Not a proper way to court a Lady, and he was not intentionally doing so, but Dunstan had a bit of Theo in him - blood is blood, and he was used to flirting with only Marei who had ways that are all but subtle.

He is completely taken aback by Lady Gwyn "
My Lady we should spend more time together! I miss the times you were on the Rock with us!"
Dunstan says, idealizing the past times - he did not particularly care for the visiting maiden than, but is charmed by her now!

"
I just had a thought, can I wear your favor in the tourney?"
Knights went to great lengths to acquire favors from ladies, but Dunstan is Dunstan, and he just asks.

OOC: With 3 DoS I'm defeated since I won't be taking frustration. Disposition moves to Friendly and you get a +1D in the next intrigue!

by **Gwyneth Drakeson** Sat May 09, 2015 2:08 pm

Gwyneth plays the flirting game as well, blushing and looking away at the wink, but her eyes stay on him, sidelong. For all that these are steps in another kind of dance, she finds that her smiles and laughs are heartfelt... Dunstan's lack of self-consciousness and earnestness are contagious. They won't win any points for poise or style, this couple, but they may well be having the most fun.

"
Oh, Dunstan,"
she said affectionately, "
I've missed you too."

At the request for her favor, her eyes sparkle, and she takes just one step back so she can produce a hankerchief. It's fine linen rather than silk, and the Marsten thunderbolt has been set against a backdrop of stars.

With a teasing grin, Gwyn holds it out for him...fully intending to twitch it out of his hand as he tries to take it.

The chase was ever so much more engaging than just skipping to the end, after all.

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