Something a Bit Different (Torrin)

[Caitrin de Archer]

Caitrin grabbed a goblet of wine off a passing servant quickly with a small wink and a smile in gratitude at the man. This was the first function in Camelot that her Uncle had allowed her to attend by herself. He had attended a few feasts with her, which had pained him quite a lot as he was not the sociable sort. Now however, he felt like she was versed enough in the Camelotian traditions, and had allowed her out into court by herself. She was only young, but her Uncle clearly felt like she was ready for the challenge, or perhaps he just wanted an evening of peace. Somehow Caitrin was leaning towards the latter. She began to sip on her wine as the entertainment was drawing to a close.

She was quite impressed with the jester who was performing; his quick tongue was quite refreshing in court, as many of the actors Uther booked were just all about throwing knives and things like that. Caitrin never really saw the appeal in that, she preferred more educated forms of entertainment. It was a shame her Uncle had chosen to miss this particular event, as he probably would have enjoyed himself. Oh well, she would have to relay the topics to him when she got home.

She faltered slightly, it still felt strange to call Camelot her home, because until very recently it hadn’t been. Camelot wasn’t proving as terrible as she had first thought it would be. Apart from the issue of her sorcery, everything was running smoothly. She wasn’t going to think about sorcery tonight though, as why ruin such a good evening, especially when there were so many young noblemen about. Caitrin knew she had already made some sort of impression on the court; after all, she had been invited for a horse ride out to the country with the Prince only last week. There was already someone who was trying to catch her eye, but she wasn’t surprised, if anything she was almost starting to expect it. She loved the effect she had on men, usually she could draw them in just with her stance, or perhaps an alluring look here or there. She was just in it for the fun, so where was the harm in that?

The jester had finished his act, and Caitrin joined in the applause with everyone else, as she had enjoyed his act. It helped that the young man wasn’t half bad looking either, perhaps Caitrin could use that to some effect at some point in the evening. She straightened out her blue gown and took another sip of her wine before turning to where she assumed the jester would be. Without making it too obvious, Caitrin began to try and catch his eye in her usual way. If he didn’t oblige then it wouldn’t be any great disappointment, after all there were plenty other men in the room.

Tags: Torrin Fletch
Timeline: Pre-series 1
Location: The Great Hall[/color]

[Torrin]

Torrin Fletch dropped into a low bow, one arm bent out in front of him and the other reaching into the air behind his back. Performing and making people laugh was all very well and good, but this was his favourite part. The relief, the knowledge that he'd done everything right. He could relax now. Well, not entirely. Uther liked to have him remain in the Hall after his performances - Torrin supposed it was the king's way of getting his money's worth out of the man. The young jester didn't mind too much, he was allowed drink so that was not something to complain about. His task now was to mingle with Uther's guests and try not to insult them too much. This was much more easily said than done.

He'd managed to find himself a drink and a quite place to stand for a few moments before throwing himself into the mass of nobles. His eyes scanned around the room, he was an observant man, especially when he was working. He liked to know the sort of people who were in his audience and see what they would be expecting from him. As he gazed around he couldn't help but notice a young redhaired young woman - was she a woman? It was hard to tell from a distance, but she was unchaperoned so he assumed so - who, unless he was mistaken, was giving him the eye. It must have been a good show.

He glanced about him again, seeing if there was anyone who looked more promising before starting to make his way over to the woman. He was wearing his jester costume so he really blended into the crowd, this was helped by the bells attached to his ankles. At least he wasn't forgettable. When he reached her he swept into a rather dramatic bow (goblet still in hand and managing not to spill any of it). "I do declare you were giving me the eye." His position was such that he could converse with nobility easily and without having to finish every sentence with a bow and a grovel. This didn't stop him from leaning in close to her and addressing her as "Milady", letting his tongue roll over the "L". "If that is indeed what you are..." He gave her a quick look up and down. Her dress had obviously been chosen to attract some attention, presumably male and presumably with a lot more money than he had. "I suppose you will do." He added with a grin.

[Caitrin de Archer]

Well, it seemed that Caitrin wouldn’t have to wait as long as she thought she would to get some attention from the man in question. He wasn’t bad looking, even with the bells. Well, the bells could be got rid of in an instance in a more intimate setting, but for now she would have to put up with it she supposed. She was more than a bit surprised that he swept into a low bow, she hadn’t expected his mannerisms to be quite so formal. For his effort though, she bobbed her head towards him. He wasn’t of noble blood, so she didn’t feel like she had to greet him as such. Therefore only a mark of respect was needed.

His words struck her straight away, and she pressed her lips into an amused smile at the man, “Do you indeed? You must have experience with women giving you the eye if you are so quick to spot it.” It was a fair point, some men looked for women who were trying to gain their attentions. She supposed it fed their egos, which was sweet really. Arthur had been the same, but then he had fed Caitrin’s ego in rather the same way. Really they had just been as bad as each other. She gave him an odd sort of look at his next comment, but decided to ignore it, because petty little arguments like that really weren’t worth her time. Besides, Caitrin was already starting to get a feel for the man. Rather than with men like Arthur, who liked compliments and a pretty woman on his arm, she felt like this man preferred wit, which was a challenge she was prepared to meet.

She let nothing more than an amused grin pass her lips as he voiced the opinion that she would do. Taking a swig of her wine, she tried to keep herself composed. She wasn’t insulted, no, far from it. Instead she was trying just not to giggle and ruin the composure she was managing to put on this evening. “Will I now?” She said with feigned shock and put her hand to her chest, “For I am not quite sure what I would have done with my evening if I had not met your exacting standards, sir.” She finished off quite sweetly, which didn’t fit with her words at all, oh well. If he was as witty as he wanted to make out then he would rise to the challenge, or concede defeat. She gave him a small wink, wanting him to know that she was neither dazzled, nor fazed by his words. She could play this game just as well as anyone else.

[Torrin]

Ah a noble with a brain! What a fine find this was. He could happily amuse himself, safe in the knowledge that he wasn't going to have to resort to tripping over his own feet in order to make her laugh. His knees had not thanked him for that. "Well, in my line of work you get used to admirers." He replied simply. That was one of the things he loved about being a jester - when he was performing all the attention was on him. It wasn't just the young women, it was everyone, men of power and influence who could be persuaded to be rather more open with their purses. He stepped closer to her, testing the waters so to speak, and continued his speech. "Especially beautiful ones."

As she spoke again a small, impressed smile found its way onto his lips. Not only did she appear to have a brain but apparently she had a desire to not let Torrin have all the fun. She was a good find indeed - now to see how far he could push her. He had a habit of being a little too enthusiastic with his teasing and ended up getting himself into trouble. However, he was of the opinion that if she was going to converse with a jester then she should be expecting some teasing and insults, so really if she was going to be insulted it was entirely her own fault. "Ah, I see we have a fellow joker!" An idea popped into his head and he surpressed a laugh - that would come soon enough. This would tell him all he needed to know about the young woman.

His eyes scanned the room, looking for the nearest chair. There was one in the corner of the room, presumably for those who became tired of dancing, so he quickly went and grabbed it. He wouldn't want his acquaintance to think he was just running off so he made haste and on returning set it firmly on the ground in front of her and practically jumped into it, sitting cross-legged with his arms behind the back. "Here is your chance, my comical companion. The floor is open."

[Caitrin de Archer]

Caitrin was already quite amused by the man. Well, she supposed that was the idea after all, as his career choice failed somewhat if he wasn’t amusing. His personality in general though was quite agreeable. In short he was different from the usual men that Caitrin managed to attract at court. Men were usually all the same, and uninteresting at that. However, a man who posed a challenge meant that Caitrin was in for an eventful night at best. Pressing her lips into an amused smile, she nodded, half amused by his words. As he stepped towards her, she inclined her head towards him, and gave him a small grin. “If that is the case, it is a wonder that half the noblewomen in the room are not lining up to fall at your feet.” She teased lightly with a wink. Ah, perhaps his ego was not so different to Arthur’s after all. This was going to be quite interesting wasn’t it?

Even though he was a performer, his wit was certainly refreshing. Indeed, Caitrin was of the opinion that he would even be able to challenge her Uncle to a battle of wits; an activity which shouldn’t be undertaken by the light hearted. She was sure this man would be able to give Rouland a run for his money. She gave a gentle laugh at his words, but she wasn’t quite sure how to take his words. Of course she wasn’t insulted, she was just amused and that was the end of it. She was spared the bother of answering because the man had darted off. For a minute she thought he had run off, well, that was rude of him wasn’t it?

Before she ran away with her thoughts, he was back; with a chair. She didn’t look surprised though, she was quickly learning to not be surprised by anything he said or did. It wasn’t in his career choice to be predictable after all. She raised an eye brow as he instructed that the floor was open for her. Caitrin didn’t have to ask if he was being serious because it was clear that he was. She set down her goblet after taking a quick swig from it, and considered the man in front of her carefully. “Then tell me what exactly you would like me to indulge you in.” Her voice was suggestive, but it had the potential to be taken as a jest as well. “Perhaps you would first do me the pleasure of introducing yourself.”

[Torrin]

The woman didn't seem terribly offended, or offended at all for that matter, so Torrin was fairly sure that he could push her quite a way. There was a look about her, a rather suggestive one that he rather liked. It was a look that to him seemed to be telling him that she was going to do the exact same and try and see how far she could do. He was a jester - this should be interesting. "And how do you know that they are not?" He asked her, raising an eyebrow. He could point out at least three other women who would be glad of his company - and no, that wasn't him being egotistical it was him being observant and part of the job. During feasts and general gatherings it was usually his job to keep the women occupied while the men discussed whatever it was that needed discussing. He'd quickly learnt how to tell when a woman was looking at him.

It was slightly disappointing that she didn't look surprised. There was no point in doing this sort of thing if the other person wasn't going to have a decent reaction. His smile didn't fade though - he was rather hoping she would have a better reaction to his proposal, otherwise she'd just be being boring and he'd go and find someone else to talk to. There were plenty of young women, as he'd noted earlier, that would be very appreciative of his company. It was just a matter of finding them-

"Then tell me exactly what you would like me to indulge you in. Perhaps you would first do me the pleasure of introducing yourself."

Now that was a good reaction. It was always so much more fun when they were flirting back, otherwise he had nothing to work with. His grin had now turned into a smirk, which wasn't surprising given the thoughts that were currently going through his mind. In his defence, she'd started it. Well, sort of. But she did have a point about introductions. It wouldn't do at all to let her continue without knowing his name. He inclined his head, it was only polite after all, "My name is Torrin Fletch." He didn't ask for hers, he wanted to see if she would volunteer it or wait until he wanted to hear it.

Now that the silly nonsense about names was out of the way he could get on with what was important. She clearly wasn't a woman who was easily shocked or offended so he could go further than he usually would. This was going to be fun. His hands were still behind the chair so he held onto his forearms to steady himself while he uncrossed his legs and hooked his ankles around the chair legs. It wasn't a very appropriate way to sit on a chair but then this wasn't a very appropriate conversation. "I think the better question is what wouldn't you induldge me in?"

[Caitrin de Archer]

The man certainly was unusual. She hadn’t met anyone below a noble status before with so much charisma really. She knew she only had a small amount of experience with courtiers, as she herself was new in Camelot, but other entertainers usually just sulked off into the background, and weren’t heard of again. This man however was quite different, he was making no mistake of the fact he found it easy to converse with her, as if he wasn’t finding it easy, he wouldn’t be so forwards with what he was saying. At his words she gave a gentle shrug, she hadn’t really scanned the room to see which women were looking at Torrin with mild interest. She could have done, but that would only feed his ego, something which perhaps tonight, she would have the exclusivity of doing. Caitrin pressed her lips together quizzically and looked behind the man and stared for a few moments before shrugging exaggeratedly at him, “Alas, there is no queue behind you sir.” She gave him a quick grin before returning to her normal stance. He really was quite amusing.

Caitrin bobbed her head towards him as he introduced himself, “It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance.” Formalities had almost become second nature to Caitrin now, as annoying as they were. It was disappointing that he didn’t ask for her name in return, as it was usually customary, obviously not if you were a joker it would seem. Now, it would really be too easy to simply tell him her name, as there was some fun to be had here, Caitrin was sure of it. Thinking on her feet, she locked eyes with Torrin, but did not speak her name, no, he would have to ask for it, or at least incline towards the topic. Really it wouldn’t do for her to do all the work now would it?

Caitrin couldn’t help but let out a wide grin at Torrin’s words. Perhaps more naive, and innocent women than her would have missed the undertone of his words, but Caitrin certainly didn’t. She could of course have graced him with a quick answer, just to let him know where he stood. However, it was much more fun to flirt, and toy around the subject, and Caitrin was allowed to have a bit of fun here and there. “It’s a bit early in the conversation to go into the specifics, wouldn’t you agree?” She asked, with a soft wink and reached back for her goblet. She took a small swig from it, and drained the rest of it off and set it back down in its original place. She drew herself closer to where Torrin was sat, and inclined her head towards him, though she had to lean forwards to meet him eye to eye. “After all, we have the whole evening ahead of us, and you don’t even know my name yet.” He could take that however he wanted, but the suggestion in her voice could not be easily missed. Why should she waste an opportunity such as this, especially when the man opposite her was being so obliging.

[Torrin]

Tor is an educated little thing. This will make sense at the end.

Torrin was having quite some fun with this new acquaintance. It was refreshing to meet someone with a bit of a bite to them. He could have done with a little more confidence in his obvious allure though - after all, she was the one who'd been giving him the eye in the first place. Why was she so surprised to find other women had the same reaction? Maybe she was jealous... He was making himself laugh with his own thoughts, which, amusing as they may be, was not what he was supposed to be doing, so he pressed his lips together and waited for the urge to laugh to leave him so he could answer her. "Well they wouldn't want to make it obvious, would they? I'm quite a catch," he said matter-of-factly, "A queue would just end in carnage." He broke eye contact, looking with what he intended to be a rather wistful expression off into the distance (but as they were in a not-terribly-big room it was more just looking at a wall, but wistfully), as if remembering some traumatic incident in which that very thing happened.

After a moment or two he looked back at Caitrin, his wistful expression replaced with a rather different one. His mouth was slightly open and there was the beginnings of a smile tugging at its corner. He was looking at her rather intently again, but it was justified as she appeared to have gone into "proper noblewoman" mode, complete with head bobbing and it was rather amusing. Obviously some things were just second nature to a woman like her. She didn't give him her name though, and Torrin liked to think this was her trying to be mysterious or at least too stubborn to tell him without his asking. Well he wasn't going to ask. He was going to see how long she could go without saying it. He didn't see her lasting that long. In his experience woman - especially those with fancy names and titles - liked to speak about themselves and liked everyone to know exactly who they were.

Torrin was still sitting rather inappropriately - and he had noticed that since he'd done so he'd been attracting rather a lot more attention, clearly he should sit like this more often. The woman he was talking to however appeared to be unfazed by his new position - or if she was she was hiding it well, which, now that he thought about it must be right, obviously she was fazed by it, why would she be? - but there was still the obvious flirtation in her voice that told him that there was not his limit.

His hands were still behind his back and holding onto his forearms, index fingers pressing against his elbows, so with any luck he wasn't about to fall off. He was more than used to falling off chairs (oh how he hated slapstick) but unsurprisingly this time he'd rather not. Holding onto his forearms slightly more he pushed his hips forward, managing not to budge the chair but mearly slide down the chair slightly. He was now grinning at Caitrin, a slightly open-mouthed grin with the tip of his tongue touching his canine. Frankly, he would be amazed if she managed not to jump on him, public place or not. "Is it ever too early? And as for your name, I'm sure I could think one up for you. How does Aphrodite sound?"

[Caitrin de Archer]

Perhaps, after practically calling the man over to her, she was being a bit cold towards him. Not in any other sense than she wasn’t being as forthcoming as giving him the eye would suggest she was defiantly interested. However, it wasn’t like her to just throw herself all over a man straight away. It was much more fun to leave them guessing, and then move in for something a bit more after a while. So far Torrin was being obliging, so perhaps he would continue to play along to her tune, she couldn’t see why he wouldn’t after all, it was her that he had the pleasure of conversing with after all. “Then I am honoured sir to be the focus of your particular attentions tonight.” She pressed her lips together, perhaps it showed that she was being slightly over enthusiastic, “Though perhaps you would tell me why exactly I was so fortunate to capture your attentions?” It was a perfectly valid question, he could speak about other suitors until he was blue in the face, but he was still here, with her.

Of course Caitrin didn’t give her name right away, he hadn’t asked so why would she just volunteer such information. However, he still hadn’t asked her name, which was slightly irritating. It was always better when the formalities were done with, because it left a more informal feeling in the air, one which Caitrin was rather fond of. She decided very quickly to play Torrin at his own game. It would be more fun that way to play a different set of rules anyway. However, she still wanted the outcome to be the same, and perhaps Torrin wanted the same eventually as well.

Caitrin’s eyes dropped to just look on at Torrin, and his rather open way of sitting. It was probably having the effect that he wanted, because she was finding it harder to concentrate on his words, it was more interesting anyway to just enjoy his looks for now anyway. Well, she had already gone this far, after all, she might as well aim to get something out of it. He was quite handsome really, there was no denying that. She pressed her lips together thoughtfully, trying to not show how interested she was. However, she had a suspicion that she was failing somewhat. After all, she wasn’t the most experienced courtier just yet; she still had quite a lot to learn and she knew that. However, that didn’t mean that she didn’t know how to have fun, and toy and tease with men. She’d had the Prince of Camelot, and the Prince of Mercia eating out of her hand before now. She was sure she could manage a jester as well. “True, but perhaps that sort of conversation is best had in private.” It wasn’t a question, it was a statement, and perhaps if he had half a brain he would rise to it. She couldn’t see any reason why he wouldn’t rise to her words; he had said he could have other women in the room, but his own argument was ruined by the fact that he was here, flirting with her.

The name he had given her rang a vague bell. One which went back to things Helgund had told her as a child. From what she could remember, the name was vaguely related to love, or something romantic like that. She wasn’t even sure if she’d got that right. Caitrin drew closer towards Torrin, and inclined her head towards him so that she was only inches away from his face. “Perhaps I can show you how much I can live up to that name.” She said softly with a wink, “If you have the time that is, what with all your admirers .”

[Torrin]

Why was it women always wanted to know why they were the special ones? Well, relatively special, special right now. Torrin didn't actually have a reason other than the fact that she happened to be the first person he saw who looked interesting but that wasn't going to be adequate answer. He was going to have to think on his feet, which was something he was rather good at, only this time he was trying not to insult her and that proved to be rather trickier. "And why would I want to do that? You might use what I say to find another man."

Torrin wasn't entirely sure, but he could have sworn she was looking at him and yes, by "looking" he did mean looking. His choice of sitting had obviously been a good one and seemed to have had the desired affect. But then, that wasn't really a surprise. He didn't bother to surpress a rather self-satisfied grin.

"True, but perhaps that sort of conversation is best had in private."

How very forward she was! Well, Torrin definitely wasn't complaining after all the king had told him to entertain his guests and that was exactly what he was doing. He unhooked his ankles from the chair legs and placed his feet firmly on the ground and moved his arms so his hands were now pressed against the seat of the chair inbetween his legs. With this new weight shift he was able to bring his feet up onto the seat without flying backwards. It did occur to him that he did resemble a rather large - and brightly coloured - frog in his new position, but a very handsome frog and that was the main thing. "Milady, I do say that you are propositioning me," he leant forward as far as he could without falling flat on his face (that would be attractive) "And I cannot say I mind it."

“Perhaps I can show you how much I can live up to that name. If you have the time that is, what with all your admirers.”

It was round about here, Torrin seriously stopped thinking with his brain. Before now his words had all been in jest - as he supposed hers were, but even he could no longer deny the fact that he was definitely hoping there was a seriousness in her voice. He bit his lip, managing to rip some of the skin, not that that mattered, his mind and nerves were elsewhere. "Oh I definitely have the time." He replied, his voice slightly lower than it was before. Hopefully she hadn't noticed, or, if she had, she appreciated it.

[Caitrin de Archer]

Torrin’s word struck Caitrin as being rather odd. Wait, was he worried that she was going to go off and find another man? She gave him a rather smug grin, perhaps this conversation wasn’t as one sided as she had thought it was. This just made things more interesting, as everything about him was agreeable. This wasn’t anything romantic of course, it was more like a need which had to be filled for both of them, for similar reasons no doubt. Carefully, she shifted so that Torrin would be able to look over her with such ease as she was able to look over him. “And why would I do that?” She asked, with a look of obvious feigned innocence. She had no intention of finding another man after all, she was having too much fun with Torrin to consider going after another man for now.

Caitrin felt quite fortunate, as Torrin was quite handsome, and he had a quick wit about him. You never usually found both in a man, or one who could play them both so successfully, and in such an agreeable way. Men knew when they were good looking, as did women, and Torrin was certainly proving no exception to the rule.

Even though Torrin had shifted from his first position in the chair, he had switched to an even more unconventional way of sitting. However, in his new position, as he was leaning forwards, he almost seemed like he was trying to be alluring. Caitrin wasn’t complaining of course, because it once again showed that he was into this just as much as she was. She raised her eye brows at his words, and bit her bottom lip in a thoughtful way and grinned at Torrin. “Really?” She asked, trying to act like she was surprised and she pressed her lips together, “Then what do you intend to do about my proposition, sir.” Now she would find out just how far he did want to go with this. Of course they had not yet passed mere words, but the potential was there for more, and they both knew that.

Torrin was biting his lip, which could only be a good sign. She noticed the change in the tone of his voice, which was pretty hard to miss after all. Caitrin pressed her lips together thoughtfully, not really sure what to do next. Well, that was a lie, she knew what to do next, but not really how to introduce the topic. “Well then, I shall show you how much I can live up to the name.” She winked at him softly, “But I believe perhaps this is a little too public.” It wasn’t a question, it was a statement, because if they were intending something a little more intimate it really wasn’t appropriate in the middle of the feast. She looked towards the door and back at Torrin, but then put a finger inbetween him and her and grinned at him, “But on one condition, you must ask my name, sir.”

[Torrin]

It seemed his words had gone down rather well - something Torrin was glad about as he'd hate to ruin the moment. But apparently he hadn't. "Well that is true," he replied, feeling more comfortable with the situation again. Not that he'd been feeling particularly uncomfortable, but at least now he wasn't in danger of having her running off. That would be annoying. "When we're having so much fun." He raised his eyebrows briefly, letting the 'n' continue for longer than was strictly necessary.

The young jester found himself paying far too much attention to Caitrin's lips, but she was purposefully pressing them together to make herself more appealing - not that she needed to - so he supposed she'd take his interest as a compliment. He'd certainly taken her looking as a compliment. "Wouldn't you like to know," his feet touched the ground again so he could properly lean forward - his mouth mere centimetres away from Caitrin's ear. "Question is: would you like to be shown or told?" He leant back again and resumed his sitting position. He'd been sat like that for about a second before an alternative idea presented itself to him.

Caitrin was fairly close to him, well, more than fairly, so it took little effort (he was rather flexible, after all) to stretch his leg out and hook it around her waist (the other was back, firmly on the floor). His legs were not that long, however, so he had to pull her closer towards him - not that this was at all at downside. Of course they were still in the middle of the hall, but the dancing had started and anyway, no one really paid attention to what the jester was doing unless he was performing for them. Anyone who saw would just think it was part of the act, when actually it was part of the seduction. The real test would be to see if Caitrin would stay there once he removed his leg - but he had enough stamina to keep her there for the time being at least.

There! She'd asked him to ask her what her name was. Torrin couldn't help but grin. He was actually rather impressed she had lasted this long. "I thought we agreed your name was Aphrodite?" He asked with the small pout. "But very well, I shall ask your name if it will mean you shall live up to it. Will you offer me your name, fair maiden?"

Considering Caitrin means pure (LOL FOREVER) I think Tor will be very disappointed if she does live up to it.

[Caitrin de Archer]

Caitrin hadn’t really come across a man at court who could use words as effectively as Torrin was. Usually, only knights tried to charm women, and they just about knew how to string a sentence together half the time. Caitrin wasn’t naive or stupid enough to think that she sat as the only person in Torrin’s affections, her experiences had been enough to show her that there was no such thing as romance per say. Or at least Caitrin didn’t believe it in, so it was essentially the same thing. That didn’t matter anyway, there was nothing wrong with having a bit of fun was there?

Caitrin thought for a moment that Torrin was going to be quite abrupt and just walk out of the room there and then, but no, he was just leaning forwards. Though Caitrin was quite used to the attentions of men, even she couldn’t ignore the warm feeling that his breath against her skin left. As he drew away, she followed his eyes and grinned at him, “I believe that actions speak louder than words.” Any man could speak of ways that they hoped to please a woman, but sometimes very few men actually took the challenge, and put actions to their words. Hopefully Torrin wouldn’t prove a disappointment in this respect, however, Caitrin doubted that he would at all. After all, his enthusiasm was hard to miss.

Though Caitrin had been expecting some sort of reaction from Torrin, she was surprised as he wrapped his leg around her middle, and pulled her closer towards him. Her legs were now pressed up against the chair, and in an effort to prevent herself falling off balance, she went to put a hand on the chair. However, Torrin was taking up the majority of the chair, so her hand came to rest just above his knee. She wasn’t looking around to see if anyone was watching them, because everyone was often too caught up in their own worlds to intrude on anyone else’s. With a soft grin, she raised her eyes to Torrin again and bit her lip. Somehow she figured that the rest of her evening would only continue to be in such close proximity with Torrin, though hopefully in a less public venue.

She smirked as he reminded her of the name he had given her. In truth she didn’t mind which name he used, but it was her desire that he knew her actual name before the evening proceeded in whichever way they both intended it to. “My name is Lady Caitrin.” She said softly, but didn’t bob her head this time, her current position made moving in general quite awkward as Torrin’s leg was still wrapped round her. It wasn’t an altogether bad position to be in, and she certainly wasn’t complaining. “Now that we are well aquainted, perhaps you can show me just how you intend to respond to my proposition.” Her voice had switched into a whisper, but the tone of seriousness was there which mimicked the tone in his. She wasn’t playing with him, and she could only hope that he wasn’t playing her for the fool.

Notes: Caitrin will never live up to her actual name. It’s not even in her vocabulary. [/color][/size]

[Torrin]

There was no denying the fact that Torrin was attracted to Caitrin, and why shouldn't he be? She was beautiful, intelligent and flirting just as much as he was. From the signals she was giving him, and she wasn't being incredibly subtle about it, he could reasonably assume that she was attracted to him as well, and perhaps this interaction was going to go farther than some less-than-innocent flirtations. "I would hate to break your faith." He replied, rather revelling in the look she was giving him. Yes, she was definitely attracted to him.

His eyes started wandering again, lingering over certain parts of her figures. He wasn't trying to be subtle about it, there was no point, not during this conversation. Besides, Caitrin would no doubt appreciate having his full attention. He certainly appreciated having hers.

After wrapping a leg around her waist he had been expecting some kind of reaction. What he hadn't been expecting, however, was her to press her hand against his leg. Luckily, her hand was below the knee and not above it, so he didn't have to squirm too much to prevent the stirrings of a rather familiar feeling. That was for later, or so he hoped. Everything about Caitrin's manner suggested they were of two minds, rather inappropriate mninds at that.

The revelation of her name brought a smile to his face. It was a fittingly beautiful name and as he had absolutely no idea what it meant he could only assume its meaning was "she who is inappropriate in public areas". He noticed she'd used her title as well as her name, that old noble pride seeping through, reminding him that although he currently had his leg around her waist she was still a Lady so he'd better be careful.

“Now that we are well aquainted, perhaps you can show me just how you intend to respond to my proposition.”

And here was him thinking that he was the unsubtle one. Still, he was not complaining. He bit his lip, just looking at her for a moment, his head full of a thousand possibilities, most of which didn't have a particular need for clothing. "Milady, what can I do but oblige?" He dropped his leg, releasing her but her hand was still on his knee. Normally he wouldn't have any objection to this, only it was a slightly awkward position and she'd probably start becomming uncomfortable in a short while. So he lifted it from his person and brought it to her lips, all the while looking directly at her. "You spoke of somewhere private...does Lady Caitrin have a preference?"

[Caitrin de Archer]

Quickly, Caitrin began to wonder why she had not noticed Torrin at court before. She supposed she was usually distracted by one thing or another, but now she was finding it quite hard to believe that he hadn’t attracted her attentions right from her arrival at court. After all, she was very attracted to him, but not just physically, but she was attracted to his wit as well. Though Caitrin knew her feelings did not run too deep that they would cause her too much grievance in the future, but here and now they were quite dominant in her thoughts. “I’m glad to hear it.” She said with a rather smug grin. Everything he said and did just encouraged her, as it proved that she was not alone in her thoughts, and that he did feel something for her. At least now talks of other options had left the conversation, and it just left both Caitrin, and Torrin in the conversation without any other distractions.

She couldn’t help but notice Torrin’s eyes flicker over her figure, and it left her with a smug sort of confidence, as his full attentions were now on her. After all, this was why she wore the dresses which clung off her figure and made herself up; to attract attention. There was no point in being youthful, and beautiful if you didn’t take advantage of the fact. Caitrin had nearly been shackled into marriage once, and she was finding this new sense of freedom liberating, and was using it to her full advantage.

As he removed her hands from his leg, she thought that straight away she had gone too far perhaps, but as he kissed the same hand, her doubts were quickly dispersed. She grinned at Torrin and his words took her by surprise. Surely he should be the one suggesting a place for them to be in private? Obviously not, or perhaps Torrin was testing the waters, and seeing just how far she would go with this. Of course Caitrin was more than happy to oblige with his words, though perhaps not in the overt way that he was expecting. “Surely sir, you must have somewhere that you privately entertain the courtiers?” She queried gently, as she raised her eye brows. She wasn’t naive enough to think that she was alone in his affections, and hoped that he was the same in a way. She had previously had men wrapped around her finger, and she knew she would again. However, for the moment at least, her efforts and attentions were focussed on Torrin completely for now.

[Torrin]

It seemed Lady Caitrin was not going to disappoint, which was good because he'd rather got himself in the mood now. She was certainly a beautiful woman, and rather good company too, so time spent with her was not going to be time badly spent. The only problem was that she was expecting him to suggest somwhere. That was annoying. Of course he did have sleeping quarters in the castle but they would hardly be up to her standards - they weren't even up to his. But he couldn't say he didn't have anywhere. That would completely ruin the mood and wouldn't do at all. Instead he just decided to go with it - he was rather good at that sort of thing. "Oh I think I can think of somewhere." He replied and stood up, albeit rather awkwardly, especially as he was yet to let go of her hand.

Now that he was on his feet he was at the same level as everyone else in the room and could observe them far more easily. No one appeared to be paying them the remotest bit of attention. "Now, milady, if you will kindly come with me," he began, taking a more formal tone just in case someone happened to see a noblewoman leaving with a decidedly un-noble man, "I will be only too happy to help you find your father, he cannot have gone far, you need not worry." He doubted Caitrin would be confused at his words, but he winked at her anyway before letting go of her hand and offering her his arm instead. He briefly leant in closer to her, whispering in her ear, "Perhaps we should search the servants' quarters first..." before stepping back again and beginning to lead her out of the room, all the while watching to make sure no one had noticed. He'd be terribly put out if his fun was ruined now.

[Caitrin de Archer]

Perhaps Caitrin had been setting her hopes a bit too high when she had asked Torrin to suggest somewhere they could go. Or perhaps she was doing him a disservice. She had just assumed he was used to this sort of particular attention, but maybe not everyone was as obliging as Caitrin was proving to be. Caitrin could see no reason to stop, Torrin was after all quite handsome, and of course charming. She was sure the true force of his charming nature would be fully recognised when they were alone. Here, in the hall, they were restricted by the fact that others could see them, and that they were not of the same status. However, those things would cease to matter in a little while, and she hoped Torrin was not going to disappoint her.

She cast Torrin a grin as he replied, telling her he could think of somewhere. Her hand was still in is, and of course she didn’t give the game away as he declared he was in fact helping her find her father. Heh, if her father could but see her in this position with a man then his shouts would be able to be heard across Albion. So it was probably best to leave Payton de Archer out of this. She nodded quickly, noticing that no one was really paying them any attention, why should they really? Caitrin took Torrin’s arm gladly, and grinned across at him, “Your help is much appreciated, sir.” As he whispered into her ear, telling her they could search the servants quarters first, she hoped that his words were just to get them out of the hall. The servants quarters were hardly to her usual standard after all, and it was hardly right for the mood. She pressed her lips together and smirked at Torrin as they left the hall. There was no one else around, and the doors shut behind them. “Now, do you really want to search the servants quarters first? Or perhaps my guest rooms would be a more worthy search. Unless you have a better suggestion, sir?” In short she wasn’t getting dragged down to the servants quarters, but perhaps Torrin had something else up his sleeve, or so to speak.

[Torrin]

Torrin was actually rather impressed with himself. When he’d first engaged the woman in conversation he hadn’t expected her to be quite so fun – you never could tell with nobility, but it seemed he’d found the perfect woman: beautiful, charming and clearly thinking what he was thinking. Now that they were finally out of the damned hall he could take more liberties with his actions and speech – not that he’d been that restricted anyway, it was one of the perks of being a jester. The majority of his time was spent doing and saying what he wished, all in the name of entertainment.

“Now, do you really want to search the servants’ quarters first? Or perhaps my guest rooms would be a more worthy search. Unless you have a better suggestion, sir?”

“Lady Caitrin!” Torrin exclaimed, a look of shock across his features, “Are you suggesting what I think you’re suggesting?” His shock quickly dissolved into a smirk, “Because if you are, I daresay your quarters are far more comfortable than mine.” Somehow he didn’t think his rather pathetic room would quite live up to Caitrin’s standards, besides, he never got to go to that part of the castle and was rather curious to see what a guest chamber looked like. He was waiting rather expectantly for her answer, not because he was in a particular hurry, but because if she did want him to suggest somewhere else, he was rather at a loss. She’d already rejected his suggestion, which wasn’t actually that surprising, but castles weren’t exactly known for their privacy.

[Caitrin de Archer]

Now that they were out in the corridor, Caitrin relaxed slightly. Not that she had been worried while they were in the hall, but now they were free from prying eyes and gossiping lips. Caitrin wasn’t of much interest to anyone at court just yet, the initial pleasure of her cultural background had worn thin with many traditional Camelotian families. A lot of them didn’t want their sons dancing with a daughter of Mercia, after all, relations with Mercia were incredibly shaky at the moment. Caitrin turned back to Torrin with a grin, wondering where to take this next. The servants quarters were hardly going to set the mood was it? And it wasn’t that comfortable. Her guest chambers were a lot more private, and no one would disturb them in there, after all, she still had some of her reputation to protect.

His mock shock only increased her grin, and she matched his latter expression. Pressing her lips together, Caitrin’s eyes almost began to sparkle. “I was just suggesting a private drink, why,” Caitrin winked at Torrin, “What did you have in mind?” She knew exactly what was on his mind, and Caitrin was thinking the same thing. However, to just launch into the suggestion out here in the corridor was hardly fun, instead she shifted so that she was walking away from Torrin, towards the general area of her guest chambers. She put her head over her shoulders as she walked away, cocking her hips as she did though not in an overtly obviously manner, “Are you coming?” She asked cooly with another wink, just to let him know that she was indeed thinking the same as Torrin was. After all, she had come this far, why stop now? She just wanted to feel like she was in control of this situation. Torrin was quite handsome after all, and he was being very obliging to her thought and she was sure that he would continue to be as obliging.

[Torrin]

Sorry it's so short, these posts are mainly filler anyway.

It seemed Caitrin was still trying to act the innocent party in all of this, and it would have been a convincing act if he didn’t know better, or rather expect better. They both knew exactly what he had in mind, and he wouldn’t have just come out and said it anyway, there wouldn’t be any fun in that. “How about I show you when we get there?” He asked, looking her up and down again, women seemed to like that sort of thing and she was a very attractive woman so it was hardly an odorous task to admire her.

She started walking off down the corridor so he stayed where he was, head tilted and watching her move. He was fairly certain it wasn’t necessary for her to be moving her hips like that but it was certainly appreciated by the young jester. He wasn’t going to answer her question with the first thing that came into his head – that would hardly win her over, although it might gain a laugh from an adolescent boy. Instead he just nodded and jogged a few steps to catch up with her, “After you, my lady.”

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