LOG: I want you to sleep with my wife
Date: Day 8, Month 9, Turn 25
Synopsis: Emme and Riorde aren't the only people who want to hire Raum.
If he gets any more popular, Raum is going to have to start holding court somewhere. As is, it's been a long day of work, and now he's taking a break down at the shoreline among the rocks. The sun's drifting down, but he's not watching that; instead, he's looking off to the east, like if he imagines hard enough, he'll seen the mainland from here.
The shoreline is not Tomaeran's usual haunt, though he's pretty good at being somewhere other than the settlement at about this time of day; perhaps that's all it is, for him to be here. Even so, it's with single-minded focus that he shifts his path along the water towards the 'strange one', sidestepping a couple of the mid-sized boulders before he comes up along side the man. "You're a man who likes a good woman, I've always thought," he remarks, never mind a 'hello' or 'how are you'.
The sound of footsteps over rocks alerts Raum to company early on, and the outsider turns to watch his progress a moment later. Forgot the sunset, forget the mainland hiding somewhere over the horizon; his flat attention focuses in on the younger man, the moreso for the odd intro. He notes, "The good ones are overrated."
"Depends what kind of 'good' we're talking about," insists Tom, hoisting himself to a seat on a nearby boulder. "Take-- my wife, for example. I guess you'd call her good, in the keeps house and does things by the rules sense. But there are /other/ ways in which she's good... ways I guess I'm the only initiate in." He sounds pretty smug, pretty pleased with himself, though the smile he aims at the older man is somehow encouraging.
The smugness doesn't sit any better with Raum than it does with anybody else, though. And he's not afraid to make this known, giving Tomaeran a flat look for his innuendos. "Does this have a point, boy?" he wants to know.
Both hands get raised: point taken, point taken. Tom even has the grace to look at least somewhat apologetic. Bluntly: "I want you to sleep with my wife." Beat. Then, hurriedly, "It shouldn't be an onerous task or anything. That's what I was getting at. She's pretty and everything."
Raum can appreciate blunt, but that alone just earns a lift of his brows. "Why?"
This time, Tom hesitates before answering. He glances around, first one way, then the other, confirming for himself that they really are alone before he's willing to explain further. "I don't want to be married to her anymore." He shrugs his shoulders: it's as simple as that.
"So instead," Raum says slowly, "you'll let me fuck her, divorce her, and throw me to the wolves when my place here is already precarious enough." He crosses his arms, weight shifting expectantly. "Try again."
Not bright enough to have thought this plan through to that particular conclusion, this makes Tom frown. Genuinely disappointed, it takes him a few moments of no doubt heavy thinking before he comes up with, "We can blame Ani. Everyone knows she wants a baby - it'd be totally her fault. I'd stand up for you, and you know, my Uncle is the leader here, so it's not like I don't have some sway."
"Why would you stand up for the Outsider who slept with your wife?" prompts Raum. And a beat later, "Even providing they would think your mousy young wife would or could seduce me."
Tomaeran's brow furrows intently; he purses his lips. "She's not /mousy/," he insists, this being, of course, the most important thing to correct. "If she'd been ugly, I'd've never slept with her in the first place."
Raum snorts. "I'm not really sure how you're interpreting that as a point in your favor," he points out. He takes a moment to glance at the sea again and rub the back of his neck idly, though. Finally, "And in return?"
Shoulders stiffening slightly (this is clearly not going the way Tom intended it to), the young islander man hesitates again before answering. "You'd get laid," he points out, finally. "And I could use my influence to get you something. With my uncle."
Raum turns this idea over in his head for a moment, lips pursed. Finally, he nods once. "You'd best leave the planning to me, though," he tells Tomaeran dryly.
Misinterpreting that comment, Tom only laughs. "Right. I don't want to know when it's coming or anything - it's got to be all up to you. I don't know /anything/." He seems genuinely pleased, all dimples and bright smiles. "I appreciate it. It's-- the whole thing-- well." He shakes his head, shrugs his shoulders. Women!
Raum even goes so far as to clap Tom on the back, all companionably-like. "Don't worry your pretty blonde head about it," he agrees. "It's better if you don't know what's coming--makes the surprise and hurt more real. And we'll settle our debts after the whole thing is finished."
Tomaeran positively beams at Raum, nodding enthusiastically. "This way, I won't really have to /act/. Better for everyone." He nods at the older man, sliding off of his boulder in apparent preparation for leaving the man to his sunset. "I owe you," he tells him, then, brushing off his threadbare pants with both hands. "I won't forget. Even after we settle. Thanks, Raum. Have a good night."
"You too, Tom," says Raum. He doesn't turn back to the sea, though, instead watching Tomaeran leave with a thoughtful look, and then, finally, a slow smirk. Plans within plans within plans indeed.
Synopsis: Emme and Riorde aren't the only people who want to hire Raum.
If he gets any more popular, Raum is going to have to start holding court somewhere. As is, it's been a long day of work, and now he's taking a break down at the shoreline among the rocks. The sun's drifting down, but he's not watching that; instead, he's looking off to the east, like if he imagines hard enough, he'll seen the mainland from here.
The shoreline is not Tomaeran's usual haunt, though he's pretty good at being somewhere other than the settlement at about this time of day; perhaps that's all it is, for him to be here. Even so, it's with single-minded focus that he shifts his path along the water towards the 'strange one', sidestepping a couple of the mid-sized boulders before he comes up along side the man. "You're a man who likes a good woman, I've always thought," he remarks, never mind a 'hello' or 'how are you'.
The sound of footsteps over rocks alerts Raum to company early on, and the outsider turns to watch his progress a moment later. Forgot the sunset, forget the mainland hiding somewhere over the horizon; his flat attention focuses in on the younger man, the moreso for the odd intro. He notes, "The good ones are overrated."
"Depends what kind of 'good' we're talking about," insists Tom, hoisting himself to a seat on a nearby boulder. "Take-- my wife, for example. I guess you'd call her good, in the keeps house and does things by the rules sense. But there are /other/ ways in which she's good... ways I guess I'm the only initiate in." He sounds pretty smug, pretty pleased with himself, though the smile he aims at the older man is somehow encouraging.
The smugness doesn't sit any better with Raum than it does with anybody else, though. And he's not afraid to make this known, giving Tomaeran a flat look for his innuendos. "Does this have a point, boy?" he wants to know.
Both hands get raised: point taken, point taken. Tom even has the grace to look at least somewhat apologetic. Bluntly: "I want you to sleep with my wife." Beat. Then, hurriedly, "It shouldn't be an onerous task or anything. That's what I was getting at. She's pretty and everything."
Raum can appreciate blunt, but that alone just earns a lift of his brows. "Why?"
This time, Tom hesitates before answering. He glances around, first one way, then the other, confirming for himself that they really are alone before he's willing to explain further. "I don't want to be married to her anymore." He shrugs his shoulders: it's as simple as that.
"So instead," Raum says slowly, "you'll let me fuck her, divorce her, and throw me to the wolves when my place here is already precarious enough." He crosses his arms, weight shifting expectantly. "Try again."
Not bright enough to have thought this plan through to that particular conclusion, this makes Tom frown. Genuinely disappointed, it takes him a few moments of no doubt heavy thinking before he comes up with, "We can blame Ani. Everyone knows she wants a baby - it'd be totally her fault. I'd stand up for you, and you know, my Uncle is the leader here, so it's not like I don't have some sway."
"Why would you stand up for the Outsider who slept with your wife?" prompts Raum. And a beat later, "Even providing they would think your mousy young wife would or could seduce me."
Tomaeran's brow furrows intently; he purses his lips. "She's not /mousy/," he insists, this being, of course, the most important thing to correct. "If she'd been ugly, I'd've never slept with her in the first place."
Raum snorts. "I'm not really sure how you're interpreting that as a point in your favor," he points out. He takes a moment to glance at the sea again and rub the back of his neck idly, though. Finally, "And in return?"
Shoulders stiffening slightly (this is clearly not going the way Tom intended it to), the young islander man hesitates again before answering. "You'd get laid," he points out, finally. "And I could use my influence to get you something. With my uncle."
Raum turns this idea over in his head for a moment, lips pursed. Finally, he nods once. "You'd best leave the planning to me, though," he tells Tomaeran dryly.
Misinterpreting that comment, Tom only laughs. "Right. I don't want to know when it's coming or anything - it's got to be all up to you. I don't know /anything/." He seems genuinely pleased, all dimples and bright smiles. "I appreciate it. It's-- the whole thing-- well." He shakes his head, shrugs his shoulders. Women!
Raum even goes so far as to clap Tom on the back, all companionably-like. "Don't worry your pretty blonde head about it," he agrees. "It's better if you don't know what's coming--makes the surprise and hurt more real. And we'll settle our debts after the whole thing is finished."
Tomaeran positively beams at Raum, nodding enthusiastically. "This way, I won't really have to /act/. Better for everyone." He nods at the older man, sliding off of his boulder in apparent preparation for leaving the man to his sunset. "I owe you," he tells him, then, brushing off his threadbare pants with both hands. "I won't forget. Even after we settle. Thanks, Raum. Have a good night."
"You too, Tom," says Raum. He doesn't turn back to the sea, though, instead watching Tomaeran leave with a thoughtful look, and then, finally, a slow smirk. Plans within plans within plans indeed.