| Charming |
| Summary: | Katrin literally bumps into Rafferdy on the docks. |
| Date: | 2/May/2012 |
| Related Logs: | Quiet Walk |
| Players: |
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| Upstream Landing outside of Stonebridge |
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| The waters here are more adequately described as a stream or tributary and thus the boats moored here are of the smaller variety. Two or three dozen of them with sails and even small dinghies and rowboats are tied up along the wooden docks. Sailing farther downstream takes one to Seagard while upstream to the north leads to the Green Fork and The Twins. |
| 2nd May, 289 |
It's late in the evening, the humid, warm air sticky on the waterfront. The stars are out, the moon is up. The boats are moored for the night, and slosh gently back and forth with the shallow waves of the river. There's no one here now, save a dock keeper tending to some rope and Rafferdy Nayland. Rafferdy is laying at the end of the peir, on his back. He's wearing only his brown leather pants, his matching sleeveless doublet is folded up under his head as a pillow. His eyes are closed, and there's a skin of liquid laying beside him, along with a very battered vielle case.
Soft steps traverse slowly toward the end of the pier. But only one set of steps. Dressed in a muted gown of dark colors, Katrin seems intent on at least reaching the end of the pier, her eyes focused on up toward the sky. With Rafferdy on his back, it's hard to identify him as more than a lump of something left behind after a boat has left for the day.
Rafferdy doesn't move. He doesn't seem to notice the approaching footsteps.
Nothing to distract her, Katrin keeps on walking. Right until she trips over Rafferdy. A frightened squeak escapes her lips as her arms wave and she works desperately to avoid falling into the water.
It's touch and go for a second but Rafferdy manages to drag Katrin back to sturdier footing. She flops down onto the ground and just blinks. "Why are you laying there like that?" she asks. "I did not even see you in the darkness."
Rafferdy laughs a little, "Are you alright?" He smiles, "Huh? Oh… Heh… Sorry." He shrugs, "It's relaxing. And, well, I wasn't really expecting company." He tilts his head a little, "What are you doing out here?"
"I was hoping to find a moment of quiet," Katrin admits. "I did not expect to find you out here so late," she says, shaking her head. She smoothes out her skirts and gives a nervous smile. "There are times, late in the evening, that I will take walks, just on my own. I know there are several different societal rules that I am breaking but… sometimes a lady needs to step away from them."
Rafferdy furrows his brow just a little, and looks back up the dock, looking for her Septa or any other accompaniment. "Oh." He looks back at her. "I came out here this late because everyone important has went back to the Mire. And it was really warm in the Tower…" He smiles then, "Well, we have two choices, I suppose. I can head back and leave you here for your quiet, or you can lay here beside me with your shirt off as well and we can share the pier." He smiles a little bit wider. "I'm joking."
It seems that Katrin is just now realizing that her companion is not wearing a shirt and her cheeks immediately redden. Her gaze drops down, then up toward Rafferdy, then down again. "Oh. Oh my," she breathes out. "Well then… my Septa's dear heart would just about stop if she saw us at this moment," she says and then laughs. "If you would not mind, I would happily share the pier with you." She pauses and tilts her head. "Your kin left Stonebridge?"
Rafferdy smiles, "Then I hope your Septa doesn't see us." He winks, confidently, and then allows, "I don't mind." He nods, then, "Yeah. Riordan and his bunch have went to speak to father about the results of the duel and what happens now."
"It is strange that they would just up and leave so suddenly," Katrin muses absently. "So much turmoil at the moment. It is hard to know which side is safe to even stand on to stay out of the way." She sighs, tucking back some of her hair. "My sister dislikes it here. The intrigue, the people… all of it. At times like this, I almost understand why she wants to go home."
Rafferdy reaches out when she brushes her hair out of the way, and unless she objects, he pushes a bit more back behind her ear, helping. He nods, "Well, they need to get Father's take on things before the Tulley party arrives." He smiles, "Why don't you sit." And he returns to sitting on the dock.
"Part of House Tully is coming to Stonebridge?" Katrin asks, her eyes widening a little. "That is… I just can't even think of words for it," she admits, settling down beside Rafferdy. "Things only grow stranger and more complex here…" she murmurs. "Perhaps Lari would be right and we should return to Broadmoor. The last thing I would wish is to have her be in some sort of danger."
Rafferdy shakes his head, "No danger. House Tully makes perfect sense. They need to handle the matter of Ser Gedeon and the decision of who is to oversee Stonebridge now. So, no worries. No danger."
"There is trouble on who will continue to control Stonebridge?" Katrin asks, brows drawing together. "But Ser Gedeon is dead… there is no proof the child Danae Westerling carries is his. Would the control not remain with House Nayland?"
Rafferdy shrugs, "That would be what we would assume, but… Who knows." He shakes his head, "Either way, the final decision still must be delivered by them. So, they come."
Katrin nods slowly, looking over toward Rafferdy. She works very hard to avoid letting her gaze slip down toward his bare chest but her eyes do wander a few times. "Ah… What will they do with Lady Danae?" she asks. "She presents a threat with her child. If I were her, I would take myself far from Stonebridge."
Rafferdy shakes his head, "I don't know about that. How does one know in a single night that one's with child? And that it's a boy?" He laughs, "It's a bit crazy, really."
"Perhaps it is woman's intuition?" Katrin suggests with a smile. "Though through personal experience, I could not say." She chuckles and gives a wry look. "People will do many things to achieve power and hold on to it."
Rafferdy nods, "I suppose that's true. Well… I don't look for it to hold much water. Either way, we'll know soon enough. Or, we won't know for a dozen years when the kid is old enough to make claim." He sighs, and lays back on the dock, his head on his vest once more. "It is what it is."
Katrin leans over, peering down over Rafferdy. "So you prefer to stay away from the political intrigue," she muses with a grin. "What is it that you do then, My Lord Rafferdy?" she asks teasingly. "Besides laying on docks late in the evening."
Rafferdy lays there, casual and comfortable, looking up at her. "I prefer it. But, to be honest, I do play the game some. I just…" He shrugs, and grins, "I play it differently than everyone else." He glances around, then back at her, "And I lay on docks in the evening."
Katrin lifts a brow, "Do you play the game with me?" she asks solemnly. She doesn't move away, or even blink, just staring down at Rafferdy with a fixed expression.
Rafferdy shakes his head a little, "Not that one. There's no political gain to angle for."
"Do you play a different game with me then?" Katrin asks. She leans back a little, fixing her gaze instead toward the sky. "Try to play with my poor heart, perhaps?"
Rafferdy laughs a little, "A different game, yeah. But to put it the way you do, you make me sound like a bad guy." He reaches his hand to touch her cheek, "I'm not a bad guy."
"Are you not?" Katrin murmurs quietly. "I suppose only time will tell what you are. If you do not think you are a bad guy, then what do you believe you are?"
Rafferdy smiles widely, "Charming."
Katrin laughs quietly, "I would agree with you on that," she says with a nod. "However I have yet to see just how far that charm will take you." She lightly brushes her fingers over one of his bare arms.
Rafferdy watches her fingers. He's an archer, so his arms are thick and muscular. "It takes me pretty far, My Lady." His eyes trace up her arm, back to her eyes. "But your father wouldn't approve."
"No, I suppose you are right," Katrin agrees, moving her hand away. "My father has aspirations of my marrying well, to bring prestige and honor to our House. That is my duty as a daughter of House Haigh."
Rafferdy lifts his brow, and playfully asks, "I'm not 'marrying well?' I'm VERY prestigious and honorable, thank you very much."
"My mistake," Katrin replies with a smile. "My deepest apologies if I have offended, my prestigious and honorable lord."
Rafferdy laughs, "I think I could be bribed to forgiveness, Lady Katrin." He leans back and reclines onto the deck once more, folding his thick arms behind his head.
"And what would it take to bribe you to forgive me?" Katrin replies, leaning back over Rafferdy again, peering down at him. She actually looks somewhat worried that she may have offended.
Rafferdy shaks his head a little, smirking, and looking away, "Ahh, forget it. You wouldn't be interested."
Katrin nudges at Rafferdy, "What? You cannot just leave me hanging. That is just cruel, my dear lord Rafferdy," she says. "So very cruel indeed."
Rafferdy shrugs once more, shaking his head, "I just think that perhaps I could forgive you if you were to kiss me. But, I don't think you'd be interested in that…" He peers then her direction for a moment, with just his eyes, and then looks away again, with a playful smile.
Katrin's cheeks immediately darken into a deep red and she looks away. "I-I-I… I have not kissed a man since my betrothed, may the Gods watch over him. "I do not think I was very good at it."
Rafferdy looks at her, and sees her blushing, and he sits up. "Tell you what," he offers, "I'll just give you this one. We'll call it a free pass. I don't wish to disrespect your loss."
"I was never one to take without paying," Katrin replies. She takes a breath and in a rush, plants a quick and brief kiss on Rafferdy's lips. True to her word, she is certainly inexperienced.
Rafferdy returns the kiss, though brief, and he smiles widely, perhaps just a little surprised she went through with it. He watches her then, for a long moment, in silence, tracing the outline of her face with his eyes, before they settle once more on her eyes.
"I am a lady of House Haigh," Katrin says quietly. "I would never do anything to dishonor my House or my family. I hope that you understand and respect that. Word spread quickly when it was my cousin, Briallyn. I would not wish the same to happen to me because it would also reflect poorly on my sister."
Rafferdy slowly considers her words, his face still a bit serious, and he nods, quietly answering simply, "Of course." He gives a very small, reassuring smile, and then he rises, pulling his vest on.
Katrin hesitates for a moment, following Rafferdy as she also rises to her feet. "I enjoy your company a great deal," she says quietly. "It has been a pleasure getting to know you better." She looks down at her hands. "I suppose I could even go as far as saying that I like you. But I do not know what I am supposed to do with that."
Rafferdy smiles, and he moves just a bit close to her, his vest hanging open, and he lifts his hand to her cheek, caressing it gently as he looks her fearlessly, right in the eyes. "Then do nothing." He smiles a little, "It's okay."
Katrin looks up at Rafferdy as he steps in closer. "You are right. Of course you are right. It is but a passing folly in the night, right?" As she questions, she leans a little closer.
Rafferdy leaves his hand on her cheek, not moving. "Maybe. Maybe not." He smiles once more, "It's so hard to tell with these things, really. But, regardless…"
"Regardless?" Katrin prompts to continue. She matches his smile and hesitantly leans in to kiss Rafferdy again, with a tad more confidence this time.
Rafferdy tilts his head just slightly, apparently, a little surprised by her continued movement. His smile fades, and he just shrugs a little, "Regardless." And then he finishes closing the distance between them, laying his lips over hers. Assuming she doesn't break, she'll find that Rafferdy IS rather practiced. He moves his mouth over her lips, gently kissing her, giving a little bit of playful lick, and even then nibbling slightly on her lip as he works his lips across hers. He allows the kiss to last about a half minute before withdrawing, holding her lower lip in a loose nibble that only the increasing distance between them is what gently pulls her lip from his teeth. He leaves his hand on her cheek, staring into her eyes.
Katrin sways a little as they part, her cheeks once more a rosy color, but her eyes glow with delight. "I believe you make things even more confusing, My Lord," she murmurs. One of her small hands rests against the bare skin of his chest, fingers running gently across.
Rafferdy smiles, "Call me Rafferdy. Or Raff. Please." He swallows, and nods once, "Nothing fun is ever simple. Happiness is only achieved through strife." He pauses a moment, looking upwards as if searching his brain for another quotation to share, but can't come up with another, so he chuckles, "It's very deep stuff, Kat."
"Raff, then," Katrin says with a smile. "I suppose we must just wait and see what comes with each passing day. It is something I look forward to seeing and watch unfold."
Rafferdy continues to smirk, "I should go." He leans forward once more and gives one single gentle kiss, and then slips his hand from her cheek and steps away, picking up his vielle case. "You're sure you're okay walking back alone?"
You have already given Katrin a cookie this week.
Katrin nods, "Yes, I walk about by myself almost every night," she admits sheepishly. "And it would be best if you were not seen escorting me back to town. That would be troublesome for the both of us." She hesitates briefly. "I bid you good night, Raff. I am sure I will see you again soon." A twinkle appears in her eyes. "Perhaps you could show me Tordane Tower some time. The architecture is quite lovely, after all."
"It would be my pleasure. Just…" Rafferdy smiles widely, "Not the balcony. It's awful high." He flashes her a charming smile and another wink, and then heads off back down the pier.
