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Post by Ashara Starkwood on Oct 20, 2018 23:54:27 GMT 1
[During the Moonlit Dance, after her dance with Bloodraven]
Ashara was not entirely looking forward to this... but she had to do it. She had had her fun dancing with Bloodraven, now she had work to do. She had to clean up the mess that had been created, and there was only one way to do it. Well, that probably wasn't true, but time was becoming an issue and if the situation was not resolved quickly, all the work she and Laena had done and all the unpleasantness she had endured would be wasted.
It was likely that within the Blackbriar camp, she was being cast as the villain by only two - but no matter how wrong, the voices of family can often drown out reason - especially when one of those voices was likely more skilled at manipulation than Ashara, and the target of those manipulations was as guileless and innocent as Ser Titus.
Those voices needed to be counteracted before any hope of peace was lost, and House Blackbriar risked falling to Fire by the spilling of Blood.
We do what we have to do.
She glances over at Titus, catching his eye and smiles, a clear invitation to dance with her.
At least he's not nearly as bad as most men. If he can keep a level head and keep it attached to his shoulders, I might even actually come to like him eventually.
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Post by Titus Blackbriar on Oct 22, 2018 12:07:19 GMT 1
Ashara had caught Titus’ eye long before she decided to do so. Him and half the Reach had watched as the daringly dressed dornishwoman and Bloodraven swept across the floor. The Stranger and the Maiden, or The Stranger and the Harlot as he heard someone mumble.
When she, seemingly aware but unbothered of the whispers, had finished her dance and turned her attention to Titus he swiftly sought partners somewhere else, attempting to avoid her. Whilst he had not entirely accepted Mother’s accusations of Ashara being a liar and seeking to set him and Balon against each other they had taken root and he was mindful of the Lady. Had he been able to avoid her all evening he would have.
He was not.
His evasive manoeuvre lasted but two passes of partners before he knew it he found himself facing Lady Ashara and not wanting to appear rude offered her his hand.
“Lady Ashara.” it was courteous but guarded and poorly concealed.
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Post by Ashara Starkwood on Oct 22, 2018 16:08:24 GMT 1
"Ser Titus."
She curtsies, then takes his hand.
"Congratulations on reaching the quarterfinals. I must confess that I am a bit jealous of Lady Daena, though I suppose some will say that even just dancing with two of the quarterfinalists is more than I deserve."
She steps closer to begin the dance, placing his hand on her side - pleasantly warm on her bare skin in contrast to the night air - and placing her hand on his shoulder. In the closeness of the dancing embrace, she lowers her voice to a whisper.
"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I wanted to make peace between our families, not cause strife in yours."
You dumb oaf. I told you violence wouldn't help and you go and push your brother into a fight just as surely as he pushed Ser Walton into one.
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Post by Titus Blackbriar on Oct 22, 2018 22:26:37 GMT 1
"My lady is too kind."
He does his best to stay distant. To stay safe. But when he takes her hand in his a jolt shoots through, a spark of... something. Something that causes the young knight to pause for just a moment, just long enough to be noticed, not long enough to be understood.
Had she felt it to?
As the music carries them he pushes it to the back of his mind. His plan is simple; follow the dance through, say as little as possible. Stay polite but impersonal and don't step on her toes. It does not last long. As she leans in and whispers to him he misses a beat and had most certainly, had she been a less experience dancer, stepped on her toes. But Ashara deftly and gracefully avoids it, a simple step and a turn and somehow he appears a dancer twice his own skill.
"Lady Ashara. Do not apologies." whilst speaking he tries not to look at her, her or her deep, brown eyes. "Balon and me. It was a long time coming and no fault of yours." hesitating, he can hear his mother telling him to keep quiet, ignoring it he says even lower than before "If anything it is I who should apologise."
Quiet you fool! Quiet and dance and leave it at that! You're no better than your fool of a father! mother's voice again.
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Post by Ashara Starkwood on Oct 23, 2018 2:48:57 GMT 1
Ashara felt Titus' hand twitch when she placed it on her side. "Did you.... reconcile? I may not like what your brother has said and done, but I would have peace between him and I before I would see your family torn asunder because of me. Yesterday your father tried to set up a meeting for us to talk, but he refused. I must say I was a little relieved - I cannot help but fear that it would have only inflamed the tensions between us." She is not specific about which brother she was including in the 'us'.
This is about 1/5th of what I wrote... then I decided it would be best to save some material for during/after the intrigue. Speaking of... first a question. It seems to me that the attire bonus should apply as a circumstantial thing, but I'll let you decide on that. Disposition: Dislike Technique: Seduce Objective: 'Friendship' D8 Dance Titus Initiative: 4d6 13 (15 if Attire bonus applied) ID 11 DR 5 Composure 12/12 Frustration 0
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Post by Titus Blackbriar on Oct 23, 2018 15:50:18 GMT 1
"In a way." he offers little else to the details on his and Balon's potential reconciliation. "No blood was spillt and nothing was done that could one day be undone - I hope." he looks at her, if the injury was on both parts perhaps everyone could move on? Go on then with your +2 slutty outfit!Disposition: Indifferent (not the right label but best covers Titus'... shall we say confusion?) Objective: Friendship Technique: Charm ID: 11 DR: 4 Composure: 11/11
Pale Moonlight - Initiative v Ashara: 4d6k3 11 - Ashara goes first
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Post by Ashara Starkwood on Oct 23, 2018 16:53:25 GMT 1
Keep it slow. This isn't your usual dance. Don't rush, don't push. Leave a gap that he can step in to fill. Subtle. Gentle. Especially subtle - it wouldn't do to give that bitch more fuel to work with. Either of them. you also don't want him to think that it's an offer - not that he would likely try to take you up on it, but you don't want him to think that the rumors about you are true.Being taller than most women made it harder for Titus to fully avoid Ashara's eyes - and she took full advantage of that. A half-step 'to keep her foot from being stepped on' shifted their balance in such a way that Titus's head naturally shifted to compensate, just as she raised her head to lock eyes. Not only enticing, but also the ideal for her to read into his expressions. "I spoke with our Maester about what it would take to secure peace between our houses. He said that it would likely require a marriage."
I was musing on Ashara's disposition for the better part of an hour, so yeah, I get the 'not the right label' thing. D8 Dance Titus Free Action Deception(act): 5d6k3+2 19 vs passive awareness (Romantic/Naive applies) ID 11 (+1 per DoS on Free Action) DR 5 Composure 12/12 Frustration 0 D8 Dance Titus R1 Read Target Awareness(empthy): 6d6k4+3 17 vs passive deception, pretty sure that succeeds.
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Post by Titus Blackbriar on Oct 23, 2018 18:03:27 GMT 1
This time he didn't fumble the steps. He didn't step on her toes nor miss a beat. He didn't start to ramble or say something he shouldn't. Ha carried on, dancing unfazed end even taking advantage of a piece in the music where he spun Ashara around, buying himself a little time to think. But that doesn't matter as the moment she said the word marriage he blinked and looked away. And for someone like Ashara that would be all she needed. Taking another two steps he merely repeats the word "Marriage?" vaguely.
Passive Awareness: 9 - 3(Romantic) = 6 so thats 3 DoS on Free Action Disposition: Indifferent (in terms of Ashara's understanding from Read Target - look at it as Amiable but forcing himself to Dislike to stay distant, probably from influence by Lady Shiera) Objective: Friendship Technique: Charm ID: 11 (8 against Deception) DR: 4 Frustration: 0 Composure: 11/11 Free Action: Pale Moonlight - Status(Breeding) v Ashara Passive Status: 4d6k3 11 - fail I think Round 1: Consider (+2B next round) Passive Deception: 9 so Success on your Read Target
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Post by Ashara Starkwood on Oct 23, 2018 19:39:21 GMT 1
"Aye, between my brother and your sister. I think he would have preferred a bride from a larger house for my brother, perhaps a lesser daughter or niece of Crane or Rowan, but securing peace with your house is a top priority, and as seem fated to be indefinitely betrothed like Lady Alicent, my brother is the only option available." She pauses to let his reaction that - whether relief, disappointment, or some mixture thereof - come to full fruition. "As your sister is Lord Jon's niece, Maester Ronnel thought that a second Blackbriar should come with her to strenghten the tie - as a sworn shield, and to be given a position of honor within our house. Your elder brother has won no love from my family and Vortimer is too young, so that would be you." The hand on his shoulder curls into a tight grip on the fabric of his doublet, as if hanging on for dear life - or preparing to pull him in much closer than would be appropriate. "I would be lying if I said that it would displease me to have you at Starkwood." Language could be so tricky... that 'have' could possess so many different meanings...
ID 14 (11 +3 from Free Action, will return to 11 if Titus succeeds on a Read Target) DR 5 Composure 12/12 Frustration 0
Ashara's passive Status(reputation) is 16, so yes that was a fail.
D8 Dance Titus R2 Persuasion(bluff) +1D RT, +2 Courteous, +4 Attire: 7d6k5+2+4 17 2 DoS, 4 composure per DoS, less 4 DR. Remember that True Knight would increase your ID against seduce by the number of dice you have in Dedication, and if you happen to have Dutiful that would be another +2 to ID. However, with this roll it would probably be 2 DoS regardless (you would need to drop to 7 or increase to 13 to change the DoS), so that's 4 composure lost after DR.
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Post by Titus Blackbriar on Oct 23, 2018 23:34:07 GMT 1
He swallowed. Hard. Their faces where closed, too close had they not been in the embrace of the dance. In a whisper, low but weaker than before he responds. "My lady does not think she is will be leaving for Hammerhaal soon then?"
Disposition: Indifferent Objective: Friendship Technique: Charm ID: 11 (-3 against Deception, +2 against Seduction) DR: 4 Frustration: 0 Composure: 7/11 Do I understand it correctly that you are using Deception (Bluff) as Seduce? So it would be ID 10 (11-3+2) so indeed 2 DoS
Pale Moonlight - R2 Read Target v Ashara Passive Deception: 5d6k3 15
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Post by Ashara Starkwood on Oct 24, 2018 2:17:41 GMT 1
Ashara's grip loosens and the distance between her and Titus broadens as she speaks about her betrothal. "Lady Maegelle made it quite clear at last night's performance that she sides with Bittersteel and Lord Peake in advocating for the overthrow of Good King Daeron. My father will not forsake his vows to the king, nor break his word regarding the betrothal, so unless Lord Ilyn can find the strength to stand against his Lady Wife and declare his support of the king, or House Cordwayner decide to break the betrothal themselves, I would likely be little more than a hostage at Hammerhal." She sighs. "My father will not break the betrothal, but he will also not force me to be a hostage against him - so for an indefinite amount of time I will be remaining at Starkwood, trapped between honor and politics." At this point she is physically farther from him than she has been for the entire dance, and the cool night breeze flows between them. Ashara shivers, and her arms tense slightly as if wanting him to pull her back closer. Meanwhile, an uncomfortable gnawing feeling has been developing in the pit of her stomach, discomfort clawing at the back of her mind.
Yes, all influence actions will be using the Seduce technique unless she changes technique (which carries consequences). Per the house rules, using Deception specialties to influence still uses Persuasion dice. Ashara's passive deception(act) is 17, so that Read Target fails. R3 Manipulate(to seduce), Deception(bluff) +1D RT +2 Courteous: 6d6k4+2 18 vs passive Will(dedication), Romantic/Naive does NOT apply nor does True Knight, so if my math is correct, that's 18 vs 18 = for exactly 1 DoS. Ashara would recover 1 Composure if she had lost any, and for Titus' next action IF he attempts to influence, he must use the Seduce technique or suffer penalties as if changing techniques. A few quick notes: 1) Titus is NOT forced to use the Influence action, and the Manipulate effect will end after his next action regardless of what action he takes. 2) Titus has, I think, literally a 0% chance to defeat Ashara in a single influence action, and both Seduce and Charm are Awareness-based so mechanically there would effectively be no reason for Titus to switch back to Charm immediately. 3) This was (intentionally) a strategically bad move for Ashara - that is intentional for RP reasons, and the desired outcome is largely a short term RP effect. Basically, Ashara wants Titus to feel like he wants to pull her closer... and mechanically speaking she succeeded. Whether he acts on that or not is entirely up to you.
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Post by Titus Blackbriar on Oct 25, 2018 2:31:32 GMT 1
It is barely without thinking that he pulls her back in, perhaps even closer then before. The heat of their bodies radiating towards each other. A poet might have described it as the protective nature of a honerable knight, shielding a shivering maiden whilst a fool (who oft speaks more truth than poets) might have called it for what it was; lust. “I see...” is all he has to say in regards of her story. Her mentioning of treason and Gormon’s intents for the realm hits a chord with him but he does not wish to discuss it now. It’s not that he does not feel for her plight but right now he simply doesn’t know what to say. Or do for that matter, other than hold her. Hold her and dance.
Disposition: Indifferent Objective: Friendship Technique: Charm ID: 11 (-3 against Deception, +2 against Seduction) DR: 4 Frustration: 0 Composure: 7/11 Pale Moonlight - R3 Seduce v Ashara: 4d6+2 19 Influence: 3*2 DoS=6-5(DR)=1 Influence dealt
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Post by Ashara Starkwood on Oct 25, 2018 5:06:46 GMT 1
Ashara stiffens in his arms, her mind a whirlwind of competing thoughts. This is what you wanted, right?No...You didn't want him to want you?Well...You wanted him to want to come to Starkwood. To want to have peace between your houses, at any cost.Not at any cost...Isn't this is a cost you were more than happy to pay?No! I... I don't want this... not like this...Not like what? Not like a slut, a harlot, a Dornish whore?Not because I wanted him to want to...So you did want him to?I... no... I... I don't know...Isn't this just like last time?NO.She misses a step, and stumbles off balance. "W-wait... n-no... I d-don't..."
She pushes him away slightly, but it is as if her arms were a rag-dolls; she makes the motion but seems to have no strength whatsoever.
ID 16 [or 19?] until the end of R5 [temporarily increase from 14 (11 +3 from Free Action, will return to 11 if Titus succeeds on a Read Target)] DR 5 Composure 11/12 Frustration 0
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Post by Titus Blackbriar on Oct 25, 2018 12:25:22 GMT 1
As she stumbles Titus is there. When she tries to distance them he allows her, his grip remains firm and strong but not as close as before.
"Ashara?" No Lady before, less distance in his voice. If he left the courteous title out on purpose or simply lost it in the moment it uncertain.
Disposition: Indifferent Objective: Friendship Technique: Charm
ID: 11 (-3 against Deception, +2 against Seduction) DR: 4 Frustration: 0 Composure: 7/11
R4: Consider (+2B next round)
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Post by Ashara Starkwood on Oct 26, 2018 2:46:29 GMT 1
Ashara's head drops forward, her hair covering her face. The top of her head rests against Titus's chest. He can't see her face, but it doesn't take a maester to tell that she is crying.
"I'm s-s-sorry. I c-can't... I'm s-s-sorry... T-t-t...."
Whatever that last word was, it is evidently a ledge to high, and Ashara cannot reach it.
She pulls away, turns, and flees from the green yard.
Intrigue action: Quit
[/scene from my end, I suppose this would be a good place for reactions from other dance attendees, though... if Titus is ok with it.]
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