Dido and Bard
Dido's got the hots for Bard, but seriously, who doesn't?. They snark at each other about court life for a while, and then Dido nearly makes Bard choke and die. In short: FUN. :D
Dido: *out on the lawn practicing her archery* *apparently picked up a few things on her own*
Bard: *goes outside, and watches her shooting for a minute*
Dido: *shoots for awhile then sets her bow down and gathers her arrows, tired*
Bard: Not bad.
Dido: Oh! *looks up and notices him with a blush* Bard. *tucks a strand of her hair back, flustered* Hello.
Bard: 'Ello. You have been practicing.
Dido: Yes. I have. I hope you don't mind. *smiles, picking up another arrow and returning it to her quiver*
Bard: Of course not. You will never get better without practice, and I am glad you need no one to hold your hand to make you.
Dido: *smiles* Although I'd be glad for some pointers. I'm not quite sure about my posture.
Bard: You need to stand with your feet more staggered, and raise your bow just a bit, to accommodate the arc of the arrow better. But otherwise, you are doing well.
Dido: Show me.
Bard: Alright. *takes the bow from her, and an arrow, standing in proper position*
Dido: *sighs* That's no good, I can only imitate to a certain extent. *takes the bow back* You can touch me, you know. *slightly teasing smirk*
Bard: *eyebrow raise* Very well. Act like you are going to shoot.
Dido: *does so, raising the bow slightly, perhaps too much* Like so?
Bard: *takes her arm, firmly but not ungently, and moves it down a bit* *uses his foot nudge hers into proper position* There. Try shooting now.
Dido: *nods and takes a shot* Oh, that is better.
Bard: *watches the arrow's flight* The stance will come naturally, soon enough.
Dido: Thank you.
Bard: It is not a problem. You have refrained from making me want to throw you in the lake yet, and that can be said by few of those I teach.
Dido: *laughing* You throw a lot of people into lakes?
Bard: Only the deserving.
Dido: Well, I do hope I never earn such an honor.
Dido: Or if I do, that at least it was fun in the earning. *grins*
Bard: *snorts* I doubt you will frustrate me to that end.
Dido: *laughs* Not even if I try my best?
Bard: Well, you could try, but I have full right to be wrong and dump you headfirst into the water.
Dido: How would you be wrong in that? *still laughing*
Bard: It means I would be wrong when I said I doubted you could frustrate me to that point.
Dido: I suppose we'll just have to find out. *takes off her armguard and glove* Would you like to go inside? I find I'm rather hungry.
Bard: Tire yourself out already? But yes, let us go seek the kitchen.
Dido: *gives him a wry look* If you'd like to test my stamina, sir...
Bard: *raises eyebrow* *thinks it sounds dirty too, but* You are not my apprentice, I have no need to test you.
Dido: *gathers her things and heads inside, neatly setting them away* No. Simply the way you said that, 'tired already', made me feel you doubted me. *teasing grin* And I'd be perfectly ready to convince you otherwise, in any challenge you might choose.
Dido: *sweetly* Lemonade?
Bard: I will settle with taking your word. And yes, if you do not pollute it with sugar. Dido: Lemon water, no sugar. How ... bold. *amused twist of her lips, trying not to tease him too much, really she is* *stirs some up*
Bard: I have no care for sweetness. It only blunts the true nature of things. Dido: Well put. Like a simpering courtier with too many compliments. *shudders and sets the glass down before him*
Bard: Or a woman who expects her frivolities to impress. Thank you. *look, has some manners! drinks*
Dido: *eyebrow raise* What sort of frivolities?
Bard: *lip quirk* They are probably akin to your 'courtiers,' save with bigger breasts.
Dido: *presses the back of her hand to her mouth, trying to stifle the giggles*
Bard: *looks at her, amused, and drinks more of his lemonade*
Dido: I do have those as well. *stirs herself a glass of lemonade, finding a jar of honey in the cupboard to sweeten it* But I like a touch of sweetness, as long as it's not false. It makes the bitterness of life easier to bear. You cannot deny that some people are sweet by nature, at least as children.
Bard: Children are an entirely different matter, as is inherent sweetness. Yet you would be hard pressed to find a person with such qualities.
Dido: *smiles and sips from her glass, taking a seat* I had the good fortune to be married to a man who was as sweet as he was wise, and I like to think that my son would have earned those qualities as he grew.
Bard: Then you came across luck indeed. *makes an almost toasting motion with his glass* Perhaps you will meet him again, in this place.
Bard: And look. There I go being an optimist. I will never have respect, now. *drinks, amused with himself*
Dido: *shrugs* I suppose. *smiles at him, also amused* Your reputation will be ruined by optimism?
Bard: Of course. Every history book calls me 'grim' and 'dark' even as they try to call me noble.
Dido: *amused smile* I do not find you so.
Bard: Ai, you wound me. Now I shall have to work doubly-hard.
Dido: Ay, you shall. Perhaps you should work harder to smother your sense of humor. *teasing smile*
Bard: True, true.
Bard: They never did like when I was 'humorous' in the middle of an important court session.
*like it
Dido: *laughs* Nor I. Why are courtiers all bereft of a sense of humor?
Bard: I think it has something to do with the tightness of their breeches.
Dido: *chokes on her drink, laughing, and coughs for a moment before recovering herself* I do quite agree. *laughing again*
Bard: *favours her with a brief grin* See? There I go again. I need my chamberlain to stand over me and whack me every time I say something out of line.
Dido: Oh, I could never do that. I'd have such a headache by the end of the day...
Bard: I would probably end up knocking him unconscious by the tenth time, so... *shrug* And then I would have an out-of-commission chamberlain by breakfast time.
Dido: *sighs* Ah, the best laid plans...
Bard: Are the most abysmal.
Dido: Indeed. *frowns* I'm afraid I ought to be leaving now.
Bard: Oh? Pity. All right then. Thank you for the lemonade.
Dido: Thank you for your company. *gets up, rinsing her glass and setting it aside* *hesitates and turns back, thinking of something* Bard...
Bard: Yes?
Dido: *coughs, amused with herself for asking this and not quite sure how to say it so that it's not awkward* Were you ever to be desirous of *ahem* other sorts of my company...
Dido: The winter nights are long and lonely here. *playful smile* Think of me if you get cold.
Bard: *...chokes on his lemonade*
Dido: Try not to choke.
Bard: *coughs, giving her a slight glare* *slightly strangled* Forward, aren't you?
Dido: *laughing* Are you all right? *gives him a good pat or two on the back*
Bard: I am fine. Lemonade was just not meant to use that passageway of the body.
Dido: *laughs* Well, you had said you cared nothing for sweetness nor frivolities, what option had I left but straight honesty?
Dido: Now, I must be off. *drops a curtsey and blows a kiss* Until we meet again, Bard of Dale.
Bard: ...farewell. *stares after her a moment, and then shakes his head*
Dido: *out on the lawn practicing her archery* *apparently picked up a few things on her own*
Bard: *goes outside, and watches her shooting for a minute*
Dido: *shoots for awhile then sets her bow down and gathers her arrows, tired*
Bard: Not bad.
Dido: Oh! *looks up and notices him with a blush* Bard. *tucks a strand of her hair back, flustered* Hello.
Bard: 'Ello. You have been practicing.
Dido: Yes. I have. I hope you don't mind. *smiles, picking up another arrow and returning it to her quiver*
Bard: Of course not. You will never get better without practice, and I am glad you need no one to hold your hand to make you.
Dido: *smiles* Although I'd be glad for some pointers. I'm not quite sure about my posture.
Bard: You need to stand with your feet more staggered, and raise your bow just a bit, to accommodate the arc of the arrow better. But otherwise, you are doing well.
Dido: Show me.
Bard: Alright. *takes the bow from her, and an arrow, standing in proper position*
Dido: *sighs* That's no good, I can only imitate to a certain extent. *takes the bow back* You can touch me, you know. *slightly teasing smirk*
Bard: *eyebrow raise* Very well. Act like you are going to shoot.
Dido: *does so, raising the bow slightly, perhaps too much* Like so?
Bard: *takes her arm, firmly but not ungently, and moves it down a bit* *uses his foot nudge hers into proper position* There. Try shooting now.
Dido: *nods and takes a shot* Oh, that is better.
Bard: *watches the arrow's flight* The stance will come naturally, soon enough.
Dido: Thank you.
Bard: It is not a problem. You have refrained from making me want to throw you in the lake yet, and that can be said by few of those I teach.
Dido: *laughing* You throw a lot of people into lakes?
Bard: Only the deserving.
Dido: Well, I do hope I never earn such an honor.
Dido: Or if I do, that at least it was fun in the earning. *grins*
Bard: *snorts* I doubt you will frustrate me to that end.
Dido: *laughs* Not even if I try my best?
Bard: Well, you could try, but I have full right to be wrong and dump you headfirst into the water.
Dido: How would you be wrong in that? *still laughing*
Bard: It means I would be wrong when I said I doubted you could frustrate me to that point.
Dido: I suppose we'll just have to find out. *takes off her armguard and glove* Would you like to go inside? I find I'm rather hungry.
Bard: Tire yourself out already? But yes, let us go seek the kitchen.
Dido: *gives him a wry look* If you'd like to test my stamina, sir...
Bard: *raises eyebrow* *thinks it sounds dirty too, but* You are not my apprentice, I have no need to test you.
Dido: *gathers her things and heads inside, neatly setting them away* No. Simply the way you said that, 'tired already', made me feel you doubted me. *teasing grin* And I'd be perfectly ready to convince you otherwise, in any challenge you might choose.
Dido: *sweetly* Lemonade?
Bard: I will settle with taking your word. And yes, if you do not pollute it with sugar. Dido: Lemon water, no sugar. How ... bold. *amused twist of her lips, trying not to tease him too much, really she is* *stirs some up*
Bard: I have no care for sweetness. It only blunts the true nature of things. Dido: Well put. Like a simpering courtier with too many compliments. *shudders and sets the glass down before him*
Bard: Or a woman who expects her frivolities to impress. Thank you. *look, has some manners! drinks*
Dido: *eyebrow raise* What sort of frivolities?
Bard: *lip quirk* They are probably akin to your 'courtiers,' save with bigger breasts.
Dido: *presses the back of her hand to her mouth, trying to stifle the giggles*
Bard: *looks at her, amused, and drinks more of his lemonade*
Dido: I do have those as well. *stirs herself a glass of lemonade, finding a jar of honey in the cupboard to sweeten it* But I like a touch of sweetness, as long as it's not false. It makes the bitterness of life easier to bear. You cannot deny that some people are sweet by nature, at least as children.
Bard: Children are an entirely different matter, as is inherent sweetness. Yet you would be hard pressed to find a person with such qualities.
Dido: *smiles and sips from her glass, taking a seat* I had the good fortune to be married to a man who was as sweet as he was wise, and I like to think that my son would have earned those qualities as he grew.
Bard: Then you came across luck indeed. *makes an almost toasting motion with his glass* Perhaps you will meet him again, in this place.
Bard: And look. There I go being an optimist. I will never have respect, now. *drinks, amused with himself*
Dido: *shrugs* I suppose. *smiles at him, also amused* Your reputation will be ruined by optimism?
Bard: Of course. Every history book calls me 'grim' and 'dark' even as they try to call me noble.
Dido: *amused smile* I do not find you so.
Bard: Ai, you wound me. Now I shall have to work doubly-hard.
Dido: Ay, you shall. Perhaps you should work harder to smother your sense of humor. *teasing smile*
Bard: True, true.
Bard: They never did like when I was 'humorous' in the middle of an important court session.
*like it
Dido: *laughs* Nor I. Why are courtiers all bereft of a sense of humor?
Bard: I think it has something to do with the tightness of their breeches.
Dido: *chokes on her drink, laughing, and coughs for a moment before recovering herself* I do quite agree. *laughing again*
Bard: *favours her with a brief grin* See? There I go again. I need my chamberlain to stand over me and whack me every time I say something out of line.
Dido: Oh, I could never do that. I'd have such a headache by the end of the day...
Bard: I would probably end up knocking him unconscious by the tenth time, so... *shrug* And then I would have an out-of-commission chamberlain by breakfast time.
Dido: *sighs* Ah, the best laid plans...
Bard: Are the most abysmal.
Dido: Indeed. *frowns* I'm afraid I ought to be leaving now.
Bard: Oh? Pity. All right then. Thank you for the lemonade.
Dido: Thank you for your company. *gets up, rinsing her glass and setting it aside* *hesitates and turns back, thinking of something* Bard...
Bard: Yes?
Dido: *coughs, amused with herself for asking this and not quite sure how to say it so that it's not awkward* Were you ever to be desirous of *ahem* other sorts of my company...
Dido: The winter nights are long and lonely here. *playful smile* Think of me if you get cold.
Bard: *...chokes on his lemonade*
Dido: Try not to choke.
Bard: *coughs, giving her a slight glare* *slightly strangled* Forward, aren't you?
Dido: *laughing* Are you all right? *gives him a good pat or two on the back*
Bard: I am fine. Lemonade was just not meant to use that passageway of the body.
Dido: *laughs* Well, you had said you cared nothing for sweetness nor frivolities, what option had I left but straight honesty?
Dido: Now, I must be off. *drops a curtsey and blows a kiss* Until we meet again, Bard of Dale.
Bard: ...farewell. *stares after her a moment, and then shakes his head*