Ace of Spades ~Tag Sebby~

[vaysey]

Vaysey was bored. Guy had left him mere moments ago, updating him on their little outlaw's status, and Vaysey wasn't pleased. The boy had barely been touched! What had happened to the good old days when Guy had been a master of torture, inflicting little damage but enough pain to make the man spill his secrets as quickly as possible?

He wondered if maybe he shouldn't go down and see if he could have a play. He'd already tired of the villagers they'd rounded up, all dull and crying and begging for mercy, as usual, and it really was very monotonous of them. Didn't they realise they were here to entertain? He vaugely recalled Guy's Fool; there had been a funny man, and clever, too. If he'd put his skills to better use, used a bit more judgement, he'd still be at Locksley today.

Locksley...

Vaysey's thoughts darkened as he recalled the wretched name.He walked over to the window, fiddling with an empty bird cage.

He did so hate Locksley and wanted to burn it to the ground, but he knew it hurt Hood more to see it in his rival's grasp. Of course, this had never stopped Hood returning to the damned place, and Vaysey sometimes thought it pointless to keep the land from him; perhaps he could strike a deal. Then Vaysey would recall what, exactly, Hood stood for, and dismissed the notion. Another of his gang, perhaps; but then they were quickly running out of outlaws to bribe. Hood would not be swayed; the manservant had remained loyal. Allan had been theirs, Guy's boy, for a while, but he returned to his petty ways and was back with his thrice-damned gang. Potential, perhaps, in the future, but extremely unlikely.

Vaysey walked back away, opened a window to see if anything interesting was happening in the courtyard. Nothing, just some soldiers standing around uselessly, as usual.

The Saracen? he continued to muse. She cared not for anything Vaysey could give her; he'd discovered this already. The same applied for the young man in his dungeons already. All this left him with was the tall brute and Marian, and he quickly realised they too were no options at all.

So, unless he could plant a spy in their camp somehow, as he had with Carter (except this time a more loyal spy, a more loyal killer, who would not fall to Hood's damned tales!) and keep an eye on them.

Better yet, he could catch them all and kill them. Or discredit them. Somehow. He was slowly beginning to run out of ideas on how to rid himself of his outlaw menaces.

What he needed, he mused, was fresh blood. Someone who could look on the situation and say "You've been too blind, this is what you need to do!"

His doors slammed open and Vaysey raised an eyebrow. Who dared...?

Ah. Perfect.

He watched with some amusement as Sebastian waltzed in, almost dancing his way across the floor and over to his place, giving a flamboyant and elongated bow with much arm waving, handkerchief in hand, and crossing of legs, before raising himself up and giving a cheeky little salute to finish it off, complete with winning grin and a flash of reasonable looking teeth. Vaysey couldn't help but poke his tongue into his tooth gap at that point. It was a sensitive spot for him.

He didn't quite understand why the young man so loved the outrageous fashions he wore (so very foreign, so very ahead of the fashion of the rest of England), but he was certainly suited to them.

Vaysey acknowledged him with a nod of his head, opening his arms and smiling in delight as if he were a favourite nephew.

"Sebby-boy! I trust you find yourself well in the castle?"

[Sebastian Mannering]

Sebastian knew it had been terribly rude of him to leave the two girls without so much as an explanation but he'd suddenly remembered he'd promised the serving girl he'd return to ravish her. As much fun as flirting with Alice and Daine was he'd quickly realised he wasn't going to get anywhere with them quickly and so he wasn't about to pass up the chance at a proper rendezvous with a willing woman.

His visit to the kitchen had been... disappointing, but enlightening. The silly girl he'd been chasing had been far too busy prattling to her friend about the latest castle gossip to engage in any kind of scandalous acts. Although listening to her excited whispers had proved useful in the end. He now knew why Alice and Daine had been lurking in such a disreputable part of the castle. The Sheriff had his hands on an outlaw.

Sebastian made up his mind to visit Vaysey and see what he could find out. It was about time he had a chat with the Sheriff anyway, they needed to be on better terms if they were going to work together in the coming months. His long, hurried strides took him quickly to Vaysey's rooms and he burst in without so much as knocking. Inconveniences like knocking and protocol were only needed in public, besides Sebastian liked to make an entrance and what better way to do than by ruffling a few feathers?

He completed a bow with his usual flourishes and grace, adding a salute for good measure. Vaysey looked entertained, at least he wasn't in those glowering moods that he was so famous for, the old man could be so unpredictable when he was angry. "Sebby-boy! I trust you find yourself well in the castle?" Sebastian wasn't sure if he liked this over-familiarity, even though it was a tactic he often employed when snaring women, he certainly wasn't fond of the nickname.

"Vaysey." He shot the Sheriff another indulgent smile, sounding equally pleased to see the old man. "Everything has been exquisite! Particularly the women." He said giving a roguish wink to emphasize his point. Sebastian paced the room, surveying it's contents, during his tour of the castle the guard had not shown him inside the Sheriff's rooms, only pointed in their general direction. The birdcages hanging from the ceiling were certainly an eccentric touch and he poked at one, watching with delight as the bird within fluttered madly at the bars.

[vaysey]

Vaysey hid his annoyance behind a smile as Sebastian wandered around the room, exploring. Another man obsessing over women, those foul lepers whom he so despised yet had to put up with?
Wasn’t there a single other man on the planet who wasn’t obsessed with women? He didn’t see what was so appealing, anyway; of course he’d done the entire courting thing when he was younger, and even now dear, sweet dead Rose was one of the few women he could think of with some kind of emotion (that didn’t involve thoughts of maiming). He thought of her, rarely, on those cold nights when all even he wanted was someone to share it with, and he sighed; would he have been different, if she had survived her disease? Would he have changed his ways for her? He doubted it, and he’d tried his hand at courting once again after her death.

However, his brief foray into the world of women had also lead him to one conclusion; you can’t trust women farther than you can throw them, and as most women wouldn’t allow themselves to be thrown, he deduced that you couldn’t trust them at all. Davina had been an exception, and that wound still gaped wide open, salt rubbing in a little more every time Robin Hood got away.

He frowned a little as Sebastian disturbed some of his birds. That was his job, not that of his new companion.

”Yes,” he replied, choosing his next words carefully but still unable to disguise his disgust at the thought of yet another man chasing skirts. While he man himself had no power over Vaysey, he knew that he had a deep connection to Prince John, as did all the men in their order; Vaysey would be a fool if he didn’t check up on the status of his guests prior to their arrival, and Vaysey was no fool. He suspected that, according to his reliable sources, while the young man quite enjoyed his verbal sparring matches, he wouldn’t tolerate outright disrespect. He had to find out his boundaries, and this was the perfect opportunity to test them. He crossed the room and stilled the wobbling cage, small smirk visible between the bars as he stuck his finger in to stroke his small, timid pet.

”The rumour mills are already starting to spread tell of your frequent visits to a certain young wench down in the kitchens,” he said, opening the cage door and beckoning the bird to his hand. ”Have you not been served well at meals? Been feeling a little… peckish?”

[Sebastian Mannering]

Had it been the same serving girl each and every time? Sebastian's brow creased as he tried to remember. He certainly hoped not, it got frightfully boring when you stayed with one for too long. You had to promise all sorts to bed them again; marriage, financial support, exclusivity. None of those were things that Sebastian was willing to give, of course that didn't stop him promising them, but it was a lot easier to clean up the mess at the end of you didn't add to it first. He silently vowed to avoid the serving staff for a while, at least until he could tell them apart anyway.

Turning to Vaysey, Sebastian's tongue snaked out from between his lips an licked across them, he punctuated this gesture with another wink. "You know how it is Vaysey," He said, voice laced with insinuation. "Something takes your fancy and you just have to give it a try." Of course Vaysey didn't know, the Sheriff was practically celibate. Sebastian gave a little shudder at the thought, did the man not have needs?

"Not that the meals were inadequate." He hastened to add, with Vaysey a slight to the kitchen staff could mean he hung the whole lot of them, and Sebastian knew how hard it was to find replacements these days. The Sheriff had approached, halting his tormenting of the small bird by still the cage and reaching inside to tempt the animal onto his hand. Sebastian leaned in, resting an arm across Vaysey's shoulder, and peered at the bird with a kind of childlike curiosity.

"Interesting pets you have here in the castle." He mentioned, eyes still on the bird as it hoped across the Sheriff's hand, but mind back on the girls he had encountered in the corridor. He wondered if he should reveal that they had been looking for information on the incarcerated outlaw. It would certainly help establish his loyalty, but if he waited he would have the chance to meet the girls again and find out more.

He would wait for now, see where the conversation led them, and then drop a gentle warning. Perhaps he should insist that the girls join them for a meal some time, it would certainly make the drab peasantry of the castle kitchens seem unappealing in comparison.

[vaysey]

Vaysey turned his hand over and over, admiring the little bird as it played across his palm. Birds were soothing. They were fed, they appreciated a little bit of attention; they were easy to handle, so long as one knew how. If only all his peasants were like that... He was slightly pleased the young man was taking an interest in the birds. It showed a well developed mind; Gisborne often dismissed them as another one of his flighty fancies, and clearly lacked imagination.

But he was, indeed, a good pet. For the most part.

"Hm," Vaysey replied, curling one finger up as the bird tried to hop back off and knocking it back onto his hand. "It's a shame not all my pets are quite as obedient..."

He guided the bird back to its perch and closed the cage door, turning to Sebastian with a raised eyebrow. He allowed one hand to tap against his side, a gesture of apparent annoyance, but really he was quite amused by the young man already. He was very audacious, seemed unaware (or, indeed, merely uncaring) of personal space and proper manners, yet maintained an air of false respect; it was refreshing.

"I take it you have been introduced to Gisborne properly?"

He walked over to his table and poured himself some wine, picking up an empty chalice and raising it, slightly tilted, enquiring if Sebastian would also like some. It was quite fine stuff, a good oat fragrance running throughout. That was Vaysey's kind of wine; good, strong, earthy.

(OOC - sorry kinda short >_>)

[Sebastian Mannering]

When Sebastian had mentioned pets he hadn't really meant Guy, although he smirked at the fact that Vaysey thought of his right hand man as a pet who could be played with. Any instance that had Guy belittled was a source of amusement to him. However he wasn't quite egotistical enough to believe that Vaysey didn't see him in exactly the same way. He also didn't dare suggest that perhaps the man wasn't disciplining them enough, he didn't want to cast doubts on the Sheriff's ability to rule with an iron fist in case Vaysey decided to show him exactly how ruthless he could be first hand. Having links with Prince John was one thing, but it was by no means enough to ensure his total safety.

"Guy. Yes, we've met... on occasion." Sebastian stated without any real enthusiasm. His lip curled slightly in distaste. "Tall fellow, broody, hung up on that Marian wench, wears a lot of leather." In truth he knew Guy a lot better than he cared to admit. The two of them had been mixing in the same social circles for years and every time Sebastian thought he as getting ahead Gisborne would stumble upon some more good fortune and pull back on equal pegging. The man was infuriating, but at least he could hold a decent conversation, not like the other dreadful bores at some of the social engagements he'd been to.

"Wine! Ooh yes please!" Sebastian said, rubbing his hands together with enthusiasm. He did enjoy a drop or two and he'd heard rumours that the Sheriff had only the best locked away in his castle. Joining Vaysey at his table he shuffled a few official looking documents aside and hopped up to sit on the wooden surface. Sure there were other chairs, but they were lowered in comparison to the Sheriff's own seat and Sebastian wasn't ready to completely bow to Vaysey's will.

"How is Gisborne anyway?" He asked, although he had no real interest in how the man was doing. "I do hope he's not too upset about Marian's betrayal, but really what did he expect her loyalty and devotion? She's a woman! Besides you'd think he'd have got the hint after she knocked him out at the alter." Sebastian never could resist a few digs in Guy's direction, even when the man wasn't there. It also gave him the chance to let Vaysey know he was well informed. Not everybody had heard about Gisborne's humiliating almost-marriage, understandably he'd wanted to keep it quiet.

[vaysey]

"Tall fellow, broody, hung up on that Marian wench, wears a lot of leather."[/i]

Vaysey let out a chuckle at that. An interesting, yet accurate, description of his right hand man, to be sure. Something in his tone suggested that the young man didn't like Guy; well, that was of no consequence, provided the two would grit their teeth and work together when necessary. A bit of friendly rivalry never went amiss.

He was a bit niggled to hear the leper's name, though. Oh, how he both hated and loved that woman. Hated her, hated her so much because she was the singule distraction for an otherwise single-minded man; even when she'd jilted him at the altar, even after he'd nearly killed her... Guy still pined for her. He didn't quite understand what drove such fervent desire. Was it a need to lay claim to everything Locksley owned, now he had his lands? Or was it that he actually loved her?

On the other hand, Vaysey had been tempted to give her a kiss himself. She'd helped prove Guy's loyalty to him, and to the cause, undoubtedly. He couldn't have asked for a better present and was still giddy at the thought that even the lecherous woman who so enthralled his second in command couldn't sway him from his duty.

He eyed Sebastian, sitting on the desk, and poured him some wine, handing over the beverage. He had yet to fully sum this man up but was quickly deducing that he had many layers and, unless he was careful, he himself could stumble into a trap.

This could be fun.

"Guy," Vaysey sighed, gesturing elaborately with his half-full chalice. "Guy has a single minded focus and unfortunately it's currently headed in Marian's direction." He raised an eyebrow at Sebastian's last comment - how did he know about that? Gisborne had gone to great effort to secure the secrecy of everyone present, and, indeed, everyone not present who had known.

Must have been questioning the guards. Clever.

"I fear he has yet to learn the leperous qualities of women," Vaysey added, moving around the table and sitting in his chair, putting his feet up on the surface. He leaned back in his chair, settled the cup on the armrest, and weaved his fingers together over his chest.

"Now tell me, good sir. I know our lord, Prince John, sends you to my shire, but for what purpose? Surely you don't expect me to think it's just a friendly visit?"

(OOC - sorry about disappearing last night, dad turned the internet off -_-;; didn't have a chance to fix it)

[Sebastian Mannering]

Sebastian accepted the wine, holding the goblet in a surprisingly limp-wristed grasp that seemed to match the almost effeminate nature of his clothing. He took a sip of the rich drink, tongue poking out of his mouth to catch what little of the bitter liquid remained on his lips. It was a good wine, not like the poor soured drinks they offered in most ale houses of Nottingham. It had an almost rustic taste to it, a wine of the country, not like the overly sweet and dry wines of the more busy cities like London and Paris. Sebastian had a sweet tooth though, but he wasn't about to start complaining about anything as high quality as this.

He set the goblet on the table, ignoring the ring of moisture that darkened the wood at the base of the cup and stained a half circle into one of the documents he had shuffled about. "Yes, she is an unfortunate obsession of his, what he needs is a distraction. Someone more obedient, who he won't form a foolish attachment to." He was slightly put out that Vaysey seemed to think of all women as lepers. They were beautiful but dangerous, and very entertaining toys to play with.

The two of them seemed to have adopted an amiable, relaxed air. Sebastian was enjoying himself, he preferred it to the stuffy and uptight approach of some of the other nobles. It was so dull when you had to mask all comments behind a careful polite tone. The serious undertones were not lost on him though, and they became even more apparent with Vaysey's next question. So the Prince hadn't told him the exact reason for Sebastian's visit. He was probably trying to make the Sheriff sweat a bit, because his recent failure to assassinate the King hadn't gone unnoticed. In truth though, Vaysey had been the only man who'd even come close to delivering John the throne. So Sebastian was here as an extra resource, to keep and eye on things and ensure they kept moving forwards.

Sebastian delayed his answer by taking another larger sip of the wine, he would not drink much more though, he wanted to keep his mind sharp. Not that he had a loose tongue when he was drunk or he would have revealed far too many secrets to count. "Oh, but I do so hope we can be friends." He said, flashing Vaysey another brilliant grin and then allowed his face to become more serious. "The motivation for my visit... well... think of me as an aid in your more discrete endeavours."

[vaysey]

"Oh, but I do so hope we can be friends."

Vaysey nearly snorted. Friends? He didn't have friends. Allies, yes, and perhaps one day he might admit Guy had a certain kinship to him, similar to family (but he didn't admit it even to himself, so it went unchecked), but he didn't have friends. He despised the word. And while he was quite aware the young man wasn't using the term in quite that sense, but it still grated on him slightly. He hated such weak words.

He eyed the wine stain on his papers (thankfully nothing important) and raised an eyebrow, but made no comment. "Discreet?" he gestured at his companion's attire. "I do feel you're anything but discreet, my friend."

He took another sip of his drink, and drummed his fingers on the base of his cup. He did realise the potential he had here. Obviously Sebastian knew how to get information, and could clearly be more subtle than his demeanour and clothing suggested - how else would he have gotten the information on Gisborne? Really, few people outside Nottingham knew, and Guy had gone to great lengths to secure this knowledge. Vaysey had been impressed by his ruthlessness to do so. It had kept him entertained for a few weeks.

So how could he use this man to help further their task? The first logical answer would be use him as a spy, and he suspected this was a good idea; in fact, may be exactly the kind of task he would be up for. He seemed the sneaky sort; almost as if his flamboyance was a cover. If you were so loud and out in the open, who would suspect you had ulterior motives, really? He knew more than a few lords who would assume Sebastian was a mere pratling fool, and that the peasants would see him as another waste of space lord (unless he played it another way, tried to gain their trust and loyalty)...

Hang on a minute.

He reviewed his thought. Should Sebastian succeed in getting the villagers to listen to him, to trust him, perhaps he could subtly plant that seed of doubt into the villagers minds, perhaps get them to stop trusting in their hero Hood, and he knew that Hood craved acknowledgement for his deeds; he needed the people to love him.

So if one village fell, would the others follow suit? Would they see people's minds change, and realise they were also foolish to believe in an outlawed lord and his gaggle of inbred, idiotic followers, would he finally win? Could he subvert Robin's power?

He realised he was getting a little ahead of himself. He had no idea how it would actually work out. Perhaps a little sweetner was in order, to make sure Sebastian would contribute his ideas to the cause. There was nothing worse than holding back a good plan.

"Sebastian," he said, smiling, his crooked and yellow teeth on show. "I would like to be friends. And, as a token of my appreciation for your own gesture of kindness, I give to you the village of Knighton."

He had been going to give it to Guy, but suspected the man would simply brood more, which wouldn't be beneficial. Besides, if Vaysey's plan was to come to fruition, Sebastian couldn't stay inside the castle. It simply wouldn't help anyone.

"The people have been in need of guidance; since the death of their former lord, Edward, they've been rather lost little lambs." He lifted his glass in a toast to Sebastian, still smiling. "I'm sure they could use your gentle, guiding hand to help them boost their morale. In fact," he mused, "we could even throw a celebratory party for you there. A little fete, quite quaint - are you accustomed to such things? - to introduce you to your people. How would you like that, Lord Knighton?"

(OOC - rambly and random >_>)

[Sebastian Mannering]

"You'd be surprised." Sebastian said, grin wide and tapping his nose in an over the top indication of his ability to keep a secret. He swept an imaginary blemish from his shoulder, giving his clothing a quick once over. He really couldn't help it that England was so outdated when it came to fashion. And he only really stuck out so much because the people he mixed with were hideously fond of wearing black. Honestly it was as if they were wearing a sign saying "I'm a villain, do not trust me".

Playing the politics game was what Sebastian did, and he was slightly put out that Vaysey doubted his ability to use discretion when it was needed. He'd long ago learnt that it was much easier to let people assume he was the overzealous, overindulged son of a lord and avoid the dreadful business of announcing his loyalties all together. When it came down to it the Prince knew who he was allied to and he could do much more for the cause if things remained... ambiguous. Not that it had been easy to gain the reputation of such a sociable fellow, it was a tough life having to spend all his time at parties but somebody had to do it.

Sebastian allowed himself a small smile, swung his legs a few times, then hopped off the desk. He didn't want to push his luck and now that they were down to the real reason he was here it was time he paid the subject his full attention. Sliding into one of the chairs he resisted the urge to mirror Vaysey and prop his feet up on the table. He didn't want to show up the Sheriffs footwear after all.

"Knighton?" Sebastian was genuinely surprised. Surely Vaysey was not normally so generous when handing out his lands. He raised his eyebrows, wondering what the Sheriff's motivation behind the gift was. "Well I'll certainly try to put the place to good use." Whatever the reason a Mannering never turned down the offer of good land and with his own place in Nottingham he would have more freedom.

"Ahh yes, Edward. I suppose I can rectify a senile old man's mistakes." His face twisted to a sour expression. Marian's father had been weak and foolish right till the end. A thought struck him; was the Sheriff hoping to gain some kind of trust from the people? Well that was a suitably devious idea, where Guy ruled with an iron fist Sebastian could coax them round. "What a wonderful suggestion!" He clapped his hands together delighted. "You are too kind to me Vaysey, giving me an entire village to play with."

[vaysey]

He was pleased that Sebastian found his plan acceptable; it was rather ingenious if he did say so himself. He wouldn’t reveal his hand just yet, though; just in case the plan fell through. For now, he trusted that Sebastian would remain his flamboyant self and surprise the Knightonians with his unusual air. Keeping the peasants off kilter was always beneficial - rumours would spread back to Hood and throw him off balance temporarily, too. Who knows? Perhaps he might even try to approach Sebastian, get him to “help the cause” or whatnot. That would certainly help, although it was on the outer reaches of possibility.

He was also pleased Sebastian was off his desk, and fought the urge to rearrange the paperwork he’d messed up. Instead, he tapped his chalice, seemingly impatient, but quite focused on his task. Already his mind was laying out a map of what the fete would be - another archery contest, perhaps, to tempt that wretched Hood back out of hiding…? - and how he would convince the villagers from all around to participate. It was details like this that he needed to work on, needed to have perfect; how about a masquerade event? It was just begging for Hood to appear, with little chance of him being caught… Or so he would think.

Vaysey very nearly began to cackle with glee, and occupied himself with rubbing his hands together instead. He felt like a young lad again, hunting his first deer, or perhaps winning his first duel. He couldn’t get ahead of himself, though - they hadn’t won yet. But the idea that perhaps this little fair could be the end of Hood was just so exciting…

”Think nothing of it, my boy,” Vaysey replied, grinning. ”It needs someone with a certain kind of touch. A healing touch; and I think you’re just the medicine we need for that small, diseased part of Nottingham…”

Hm, he liked that. He made a mental note to make more medical comments in the future. It was a good idea to start referring to Hood as a canker, or perhaps that strange thing he’d heard Hood call him; a cancer, was it? It sounded dangerous, anyway, so maybe he’d use it one day.

”A masquerade fair, do you think? Allows you to mingle and truly get to know the people you’ll be lord of. I don’t think there’s a better way to be a good leader than knowing how your people feel.”

And I’m the Tooth Fairy… he chuckled to himself mentally.

[Sebastian Mannering]

Sebastian allowed his hands to hang over the sides of the chair he was slumped gracefully in. He set one arm swing slightly, letting his fingers brush against his knee as he reached the upper end of the arc. The little movements the Sheriff was making, subtle changes in body language, suggested to Sebastian that he was irritating the man. But he did not bother to change his behaviour accordingly, as long as Vaysey continued to mask this irritation he would continue to irritate. Besides he seemed far too busy scheming to be that bothered by Sebastian's careless behaviour.

What was Vaysey planning though? Sebastian wished he had a view into the man's mind so he could have more of an idea about what was expected of him. He didn't want to assume his position and treat the villagers fairly and generously, only to find he'd done the exact opposite of what Vaysey wanted of him. For the moment though he did not ask, instead he could pick up clues from what the Sheriff said to him next. And there would be plenty of time to be briefed once he was settled in.

Sebastian ceased the swinging of his arm and raised his hand to carefully examine his nails. As usual they were neatly trimmed and clean. All Vaysey's talk of medicine and disease had made him paranoid, he sensed the Sheriff was on a rich theme. If his opinion of women (lepers) was any indication he enjoyed dwelling on the viler side of the human condition far too much. He had a point though, peasants could be so... dirty! He would have to remember to get the Hall scrubbed from top to bottom, even if it had only just been rebuilt.

"Masked, excellent." Sebastian sat up slightly in his chair, growing more interested in the proposed welcome party. Of course he had no intention of allowing his mask to conceal his identity, he would most likely be the most flamboyantly dressed person there, in fact he had to get in touch with a tailor somehow. But it always made conversation more fun if you were trying to guess the identity of the person you were talking to. And it would perhaps make the villagers a little less intimidated, allowing them to hide who they were would most likely loosen their lips.

Sebastian gave a sly smile. "I don't suppose you're hoping that the famed outlaws will make an appearance?" He asked carefully. He had an ulterior motive for guiding the conversation in the direction of Hood and his gang. He wanted to know who Vaysey had locked up in his dungeon. He also had a few suggestions of his own to rid Nottingham of their poisonous influence.

[vaysey]

Swing, swing, swing, swing…

Vaysey watched as Sebastian’s arm continued its motions, not rising to the bait. He wanted to play? Then he could play away, but he’d get as good as he gave. There were ways to irritate his comrades without losing their cooperation, after all; a few visits to Knighton, unannounced, inviting himself over for dinner, and so on… It would be easy to do in the future.

Vaysey had no doubt in his mind that the nobles in attendance would be clearly noticeable, especially Sebastian; if this was how he dressed normally, how would he look when he dressed up? However, it truly was a perfect opportunity to strike a blow against Hood; a token of goodwill to the people, a nice new lord with only their interests at heart (or so they would say) and a competition he knew Hood couldn’t refuse…

”Whatever would give you that idea?” he asked, trying for innocent but coming out far more sarcastic than he would have liked. He leaned forward in his chair, pressing his fingers to his mouth, almost looking like he was praying, but of course he wasn’t. Perhaps his new acquaintance would be able to shed some light on the few problems he had…

”Hood simply can’t pass up a challenge, or a chance to show me up. Holding a little contest, an archery contest - in your honour - as the main event… He’s bound to show up. It’s as sure as the sky is blue. It would be so simple to catch him… dress up all the guards, identifiable to each other, of course; I don’t want them going after each other. Then all we have to do is wait for Hood to reveal himself, and we have one dead outlaw.”

He calmed himself. He was getting excited again.

”And, of course, to celebrate the arrival of their bright, new, charitable master, Sebastian Mannering.” he said, raising his glass, questioningly, in a toast. He took a sip, savouring the taste of the wine, before adding, ”Why do you ask about Hood?”

He so didn’t want to be wrong about this delightfully cunning man. He hoped he wouldn’t have to kill him for outlaw collaboration. It would be such a waste of fine skills…

[Sebastian Mannering]

Sebastian was lost in thoughts about his outfit for the masquerade fair. He was thinking deep blues, some feathers, a peacock design maybe. Or he could go with a rich purple and have a beaded design sewn into the fabric. His brow creased and, as always happened when he began to plot this kind of thing, he ended up chewing thoughtfully on a nail. There wouldn't really be much time to design and make a costume, he certainly couldn't get in touch with his usual people in London. It pained him to admit it but he may have to wear one of the items he'd already brought with him to Nottingham. There was nothing worse than an ill-fitting suit and he simply would have a chance to get anything else adjusted to the right size.

"Hmm?" Sebastian looked up a little confused as Vaysey's words jolted him from his thoughts. "Oh yes, I'm very much looking forward to an encounter with your troublesome outlaw. Word of him spreads around with annoying regularity, he must be quite the nuisance." He said, his smile twisted by malice directed at Hood and his band of men. Sebastian had worked hard all his life to get into this position, one of power, influence and wealth, and he wasn't going to let some unkempt, battle-scarred excuse for a lord ruin his plans! He sat up in his chair and looked over at Vaysey, hoping to convey his need to rid the world of Robin Hood and all men like him.

"Of course I'll be only to happy to comply with Hood, turn a blind eye to his activities in my village, so long as he keeps helping my villagers." His voice was layered thick with sarcasm and his mouth turned down in a grimace at the thought of having to work with the outlaw. "However if the guards should happen to miss their chance to capture Locksley, because I doubt he'll enter without some kind of backup plan, then there are always other chances to thwart his actions..."

Sebastian paused, hoping to peak Vaysey's interest. The man was notorious for wanting to run things his own way, although that may have something to do with the bunch of fools he had working for him. If he wanted to suggest a way forward for them, a fresh approach to the whole Hood dilemma, then he would need to tread carefully. But really, an archery contest? It was all very well baiting Robin, but setting such an obvious trap allowed the man to prepare. He would waltz in with that irritating confidence of his and steal the prize right from under their noses. No, what they needed was to be more... underhanded. And the plan Sebastian had in mind was just perfect, provided the details could be worked out.

[vaysey]

Vaysey was ever so slightly irritated by the distracted Sebastian, but he shoved it to one side. It wasn't really important. He was listening when it mattered, and that was what he needed.

Quite the nuisance. Quite the nuisance? Hood was a menace! The bane of his existence, the only reason Vaysey wasn't out of this thrice damned shire, a plauge! A curse! A man who haunted him with his deeds in the day, and crept into his dreams and stole his sleep at night. As cunning as a fox, as obvious as a flickering candle in a field on the darkest night of the year, and as dense as several short planks. Vaysey rubbed at his temple to try and ease away the headache that was starting to come on just thinking about the former lord of Locksley. He attempted to smile, but it came out as more of a grimace.

"Hood... is like a rat. You know he's always lurking around somewhere, ready to nibble into your larder, and he can get in bloody anywhere regardless of what you do."

He was pleased to see Sebastian didn't like the man already. This was somewhat good.

He chuckled a little at the sarcastic tone Sebastian had taken. If he could maintain a pretence co-operative stance with Hood, things could go much smoother. He was intrigued by Sebastian's insight on the guards. Vaysey knew they were useless and didn't really hold much hope for their chances of catching the man he so wanted to kill. One of his companions, if they were lucky, but certainly not Hood. It was yet another pitiful attempt to sort out a kink in his otherwise perfect tapestry. He leaned forward in his chair slightly, curiosity piqued by his new cohort's potential 'actions'. Did he have a better idea? He certainly hoped so. Most ideas were better than his feeble one at the moment - get Hood in, catch the one who hits the target perfectly. Not exactly complex and certainly full of holes.

"I take it you have a better suggestion?" he asked, not menacing but genuinely interested. If it had promise, he might even give Lord Mannering Gisborne's lands.

He chuckled at the thought. He might suggest that to Guy anyway; light a fire under the man's arse.

(OOC - sorry kinda short >_>;; )