| Poor Desmond |
| Summary: | Desmond comes across a harpless Tiaryn drawing and learns something he's not particularly happy about. Cameos by Jocelyn and Hugh. |
| Date: | 6/June/2012 |
| Related Logs: | Nothing directly. |
| Players: |
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| Tower Hall |
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| The entrance to the tower opens into a larger common room for receiving guests. Effort has been made to bring warmth and light to the interior, as well. Rugs have been hung from the stone walls as well as placed on the floor to bring at a welcoming ambiance. There is a large table with several chairs off to the left of the door, a cooking hearth against the back wall, and a wooden staircase that leads up. An antechamber behind the stairs is where the servants live and bed down. |
| June 6, 289 |
Tiaryn is in the grand hall, seated at the table. She has a charcoal pencil and a sketchbook of sorts, and she's sitting there drawing. At least there is light enough, though she's got a smudge on her unbruised cheek, and maybe more on her forehead, as she continues to draw. From memory it looks like, as there's nothing in front of her. And whether there's anything there that can be identifed, well, that's another story altogether.
Desmond enters the common room quietly, turned to tell a servant a few more things before closing the door. He's got a tall basket tucked under his arm, and he nearly overlooks Tiaryn, but the twitch of her pencil draws his eyes. "Lady Tiaryn! There you are! I've been meaning to come see you…"
Tia's drawing doesn't even show her the image in her head, and she sighs, frowning at it, before she tears it out. "That's horrible. It looks like a squirrel," she grouches, but then her gaze comes up to spy Desmond with his basket. "Hey, Lord Desmond, how are you doing today? Going on a picnic?" she asks, as she inclines her head politely. "You were? That's very kind of you. Is there something I can help you with?"
"Picnic…?" Desmond's mind drifts to the recent happenings and he stares a moment. "Oh! No no, I… took a basket from this tower a while back. Well, from a Lady. An… Erenford I think?" He moves over to peer at her paper. "I'm glad to see you're well. Uhm, you're drawing a squirrel?"
Tia is just as glad there's not another picnic happening, truthfully. She nods about the basket. "Oh, I see. Are you returning it then?" And then she looks down at her picture, and a wry smile crosses her face. "No," she says simply. "It was not supposed to be a squirrel at all. Not one of my finer efforts." Sigh.
Desmond sets the basket down. "Well I was but I don't think the Lady lives here anymore. Ah well, keep at it, m'Lady. Art is pain and practice." As if he'd know anything about that. "You seem very unfazed… I know some of the women are still recovering."
Tia smiles at Desmond, though it's a bit distant. "Do I? It was a horrible thing, but I am so glad that most everyone has ended up okay. I was - so frightened that it would end up far worse. And I lost Lady Isolde's harp, which - I don't know what to do with myself any more." The artwork doesn't get a comment, though it's not the first page in the sketchpad, if one looks. She just leaves that on the table for the moment. "Do you draw?" she asks softly.
"Your harp! Oh, that's terrible! I'll fetch you a harp, a harp that sings! It'll be beautiful," Desmond promises with a solid nod, then rubs his chin in thought. "Me? Draw? No, m'Lady. It's not very easy to focus on details through a cloth. Don't be discouraged," he smiles. "Try another drawing?"
Tia considers that for a moment, and then she nods. "I suppose it isn't, at that. I hadn't thought of it." She reaches for the sketchpad, and flips the page. She has a lovely drawing of the roses twining up over the archway in the gardens here at Tordane Tower, that is actually quite recognizeable, and she shows Desmond that one. "I can draw really. Just for some reason, this one in my head isn't working right."
Tia considers that for a moment, and then she nods. "I suppose it isn't, at that. I hadn't thought of it." She reaches for the sketchpad, and flips the page. She has a lovely drawing of the roses twining up over the archway in the gardens here at Tordane Tower, that is actually quite recognizeable, and she shows Desmond that one. "I can draw really. Just for some reason, this one in my head isn't working right."
Tia stops there though as his words clue in. "Get me - Oh, Lord Desmond, you don't need to get me a harp. I'm sure they'll find Lady Isolde's eventually. It's recognizeable, after all." Well, unless they break the darn thing instead of selling it, which would be a crying shame.
Hugh gives a gangly bow and is about to walk by, but his eyes are drawn curiously to the sketch book and the sketch. "I think you draw very well, My Lady."
"…W-well I'll keep an eye out for it," Desmond replies with a look of determination. "Ohh, it's the Tordane Tower itself," he recognizes, looking over her art. "Indeed, Master Hugh, it's very nice, isn't it? What are you trying to draw exactly, m'Lady?"
Coming down the hall in a slow pace is Lady Jocelyn. A made just steps behind her. There are enough Nayland guards around the property interior that she doesnt have one following after her just now. But many are keeping an eye on her. Too many, in her opinion. If she were asked. Which isnt.. so… Seeing a small crowd, and knowing one of them to be Lady Tiaryn, she gradually approaches, it appears everyone is looking at something Tia has, and that just makes Jocelyn all the more curious. "Lady Tiaryn." she greets, and for those that would look in her direction she offers a small curtsey.
Tia glances up as she hears her name. "Lady Jocelyn, come sit for a bit," Tia says, with a smile for Jocelyn as she recognizes the other lady. Tia's own guard and maid are around, but they're a bit away, settled in and playing cards. Tia looks over to Hugh, blinking at him as she doesn't recognize him. "Thank you, - " She just lets that hang, as she looks over Hugh, and then a smile to Desmond. "Now that would definitely be appreciated. If you do see it, it's probably not the fault of the merchant who has it now. Be gentle." She doesn't flip over any more pages, leaving it there on that one of the roses in the garden. "It - it's just an image in my head, but it won't take shape properly on the paper. I'm certain I will get it right eventually."
Hugh looks over his shoulder as the Lady Jocelyn arrives. He smiles. At last a familiar face. He bows. "Lady Jocelyn." And then he looks back at Tiaryn and smiles back then suddenly says, "Oh…I am Hugh Asterholm, the Lord Regent's squire and cousin."
Desmond straightens up from is slight slouch as Jocelyn approaches, offering her a deep bow and a 'm'lady'. Then, back to Tia, "Be gentle? I'm always gentle! I'll only threaten is life a /little/ bit. We can't have you bored to tears. Oh, yes. Sorry, this is… Yes." He trails off lamely when Hugh introduces himself.
As she is asked to join, Jocelyn just that. Murmuring her "Thank you." to Tia as she moves to take a seat close by her. As she passes she looks to see what the men are looking at and sees the drawing of the rose garden. She lifts her eyebrows and moves to sit in her seat, "You draw very well, Lady Tiaryn. If that is in your head, I'd like to see what else is in there, for it seems like a beautiful place, indeed." Eyes flicker to the two men, back and forth, before she settles on Desmond since she doesnt seem to know him. "Hugh has just joined us here from Hag's Mire." she pipes in to his introduction. "He traveled with us on our return."
Tia chuckles and flips the page back to the one that is a horrible mess. "No, that one I did a few days ago." Before the picnic in fact. "But this is the one - and it's not turning out right, at all." See? It sort of looks like a cross between a squirrel and a monkey or something. But what it is for sure is anyone's guess. Definitely not Tia's better work. She inclines her head then to say, "A pleasure to meet you then, Squire Hugh. I am Tiaryn Flint." In case that wasn't obvious. Desmond gets a smile. "So long as it's just a little bit, it should be fine. I should be able to keep myself from too much boredom, I think. Though I do admit that a harp seems to help me more than anything else. I appreciate you taking the time to look for me."
Hugh grins and nods to Tiaryn, "A pleasure." He looks back over to the Lady Jocelyn. "I think I should go, though," he says as he remembers his original mission.
Desmond grins at the… squirrel monkey. "It looks like the Lord Regent." This amuses him a bit too much. "Oh, well, good evening then, Master Hugh." When he's gone, he looks back to the women. "He's like a breeze, really. Lady Tiaryn, might I give it a shot?" he asks, then hastily adds, "Apologies, m'Lady," to Jocelyn, "I'm Lord Desmond Westerling, brother of Cherise Charlton."
A soft laugh and then a smile spreads over, Jocelyn's lips as she looks at the squirrel monkey animal, thing. "Aw, its adorable." she says and sits back with her hands in her lap. As Desmond introduces himself, she lifts her brow, "Oh, Lady Cherise brother. How good to have met you." she says warmly.
"Give what a shot?" Tia asks Desmond, not sure what he's asking her. She does nod to the swiftly departing Hugh, amusement showing for a moment. "A breeze indeed. And it might be cute, but it is entirely /not/ what I was trying to draw," she gripes, though she can't be quite serious as she looks at Jocelyn. And then she says, "Oh, forgive me. I did not realize you two had not been introduced."
"S'quite all right. And I mean a shot at drawing. Just for fun. And good to have met you, Lady Jocelyn." Desmond reaches for the charcoal pencil but waits until Tiaryn hands it to him, still eying the art. "The more you look at it, the more it looks like Ser Riordan. See his… winning smile there?"
Shaking her head, her smile remaining as Desmond likens the drawing to her cousin. Jocelyn says nothing about it, but she does look down at the drawing again when Desmond mentions the smile. "I saw never good at drawings, perhaps I should have practiced more."
"Oh, sure," Tia says, as she passes over the charcoal pencil and the book. Course, if Desmond looks, he'll find there are a few other pictures in there. One is noticeably a squirrel, for real. One is Saethwyr Charlton, and there are a couple others that seem to be a hodgepodge, not really recognizeable. Failed efforts maybe. Tia does look again at her picture, but she's not seeing any resemblance to the Regent, though perhaps she might be taking Desmond's comment too seriously. "One day, I'll get the image on the paper to match the one in my head."
"I'm sure you will!" Desmond stares at the picture of Saethwyr for a long moment, chewing his lip. He then flips to a blank page and gestures for Tiaryn's guard, Jacob to come over. "Have a sit. Look regal." And he gets to work sketching the man. "Well we're all good at different things. I'll bet no one can best Lady Tiaryn at the harp." Desmond's drawing is just awful. Poor Jacob gets a huge nose and cross-eyes.
Slowly Jocelyn rises from her seat, "If you two will exuse me." she says, "I think I'll go lay down for a bit." she is looking tired and the bruises are still healing from around her face. "Enjoy your drawing." lowering herself into a curtsey to them both before moving back up the hall.
Tia's still got a bruise on her own face, that is healing. She does incline her head to Jocelyn politely as the other woman murmurs her departure. "Thank you, m'Lady," she says, with a smile. Jacob does as he's asked, though it does appear that he's somewhat amused by it all. And Tia waits to see the work of art that Desmond is producing. "True, we are all good at different things. I could not tell you which end of a sword to hold, after all. But many knights are quite accomplished at this task."
"Well anyone can be taught how to weild a sword, m'Lady," Desmond smiles. Finished with his horrid drawing, he signs it extravagantly and flips it over to show Jacob. "What do you think? Looks just like you, eh? I even put in your strong chin." Tiaryn gets the paper and charcoal back. "I'd better be on my way, m'Lady."
Jacob looks at the picture, his expression going neutral. "It's quite something, m'Lord," he says to Desmond, trying to not be offensive.
Tia blinks as she gets the drawing equipment back and looks at the picture that Desmond drew. She chuckles softly. "I don't know, it might be the Lord Regent," she teases back. "Where is it you are going?" That seems a reasonable question as well, since it seems Desmond is about to head off.
Desmond pauses. "I've been training under the Nayland house guard since Garett left. He can't quite train me now, not easily anyway, so Ser Daerd's been keeping me busy. I had some drills. But I can linger if you want. Who is the man you've drawn? Someone you fancy?" he adds playfully.
Tia actually blushes at Desmond's question, and Jacob coughs as he discretely gets back to his feet, relocating a little distance away now that Desmond is done drawing. "That was a smart idea," she says. "I don't want to hold you up from something important, though. Please don't let me cause trouble." She pauses, and then she flips back to the drawing of the face. "That is Lord Saethwyr Charlton," she admits after a moment. "He was around when I wanted to draw, so his face ended up on the page." She pauses a moment, watching Desmond for a moment carefully. "As for fancying him, I don't think it's proper for me to admit any such thing, but - well, I suppose I do, a little."
Desmond crosses his wrists at his back and uneasily tugs at one of his sleeves, maintaining a small smile. "I… do hope he fancies you then. My sister married a Charlton, as you know. They are… wealthy. Forgive me for prying, I realize it's not the most appropriate thing to ask." His smile wavers, and he appears more glum than he means to. "I wonder what the Charltons at the inn are up to."
Tia has to shrug at that question. "I don't know. Well, I know Ser Saethwyr was staying there, as he'd just arrived in town. But he was out searching with everyone, and I don't know if he's there still or not. I should imagine he is." She hasn't seen him since being rescued, though she does still have his cloak. She does watch Desmond a little cautiously, noting that he appears a little bit glum. "I have said something that disturbs you?" she asks, carefully. "I'm sorry. I did not mean to." She shrugs a bit. "I don't know if Ser Saethwyr has much of that wealth - he is far down the line of inheritance, being a cousin to the direct line." She doesn't answer whether or not Saethwyr fancies her in return, leaving that up to the Charlton knight to answer, should he feel a need.
Desmond rubs the back of his neck and lets his hand rest there for a moment. "Just the same, it should help with reputation. Oh, no, don't worry. I just haven't gotten much sleep." With a small shake of his head, he grins again. "You've got quite an attachment to that harp, yes?"
Tia gives Desmond a sharp look, worried somewhat. "you should get some sleep then," she starts, but she can easily be distracted by discussion of music or harp, yes. Desmond knows her well, it seems. "Oh. It is Lady Isolde's harp, that was loaned to me so I feel quite badly that she has lost it, because of me. And I do love to be able to play whenever I wish." Her fingers are itching to find the harp strings, even now, but she will have to make do. "I should love to have one of my own again." That last comes wistfully, though she's sure that will take some time.
"You'll have it again," Desmond assures. "I don't suppose there are any other stringed instruments you know? By the by, I haven't seen that other handmaiden about… the one you were trying to teach how to run?" He then chuckles. "Do you still run these days?"
Tia considers that for a long moment. "I could probably learn," she says with a nod of her head. "It hasn't been something I've looked into previously, but I expect it would be just a matter of learning where the notes are." She could certainly give it a try, that's for sure. "We had a beautiful standing harp at Tall Oaks. Such a beautiful instrument it was." That's something she's not been able to play in quite some time - a full sized harp. She then chuckles softly. "Bethy? She is still around, but resting. She was at the picnic with us. And as for running, I have been unable to do so, after my knee was injured. I will begin again, now that it is safe." Once she gets time out from under her family that is. The menfolk in general seem to have gotten overly protective after all. "I love to run through the woods, even if it does make my hair look a frightful mess." A pause and then she says, "You are kind to recall her. I will tell her you were asking about her welfare."
"Perhaps you ought to see about getting a standing harp one day. When you're even more wealthy," and Desmond winks, but the gesture is lost behind his bandana. D'oh. "Ah, so Bethy was kidnapped as well. I still feel quite terrible for all the women having to endure that, but I'm just glad that everyone's safe. Though I can't imagine what kind of house clashing went on with all of you together," he teases.
Tia smiles a bit as she recalls the tensions within that cave. "It did get tense a time or two, though interestingly, it seemed to be that most of us put those differences aside, at least for the time we were imprisoned," she says, not saying anything bad about anyone. "And yes, Bethy was also kidnapped, as were a few other ladies' maids. Thankfully, they were not injured either." She just leaves it at that, perfectly glad that everyone has gotten off relatively lightly. "And I am very glad that you and the rest of the Knights and Lords and trackers were able to find and rescue us. Or else things would have gotten a lot worse, very quickly."
Desmond nods, "The timing was quite fortunate. Lady Ilaria even thanked me." He appears wistful for a moment. "M'Lady, as much as I'd love to linger, I've got to get to the drills. I'll keep an eye out for your harp, though." He bows deeply, and tips his hat. "Keep up with your drawing, I'm sure the image come easier soon enough."
Tia is still a little bit worried, as something seems a bit off, but she's not sure what. "Thank you, Lord Desmond. I'm glad you're here to help out, my friend." She curls her fingers beneath the table, where they are not seen, but doesn't stop Desmond from heading out.
