OOC: Tylor and Vash, you are starting here.
IC:
One moment you were chatting with the strange man...and now you are here, standing across from a stranger in the woods, wearing the strangest of getups, a vest of red, stockings green, a cloak as well? It looked like something out of a picture book, but yet looking down you'd find your clothes to have undergone the same kind of transformation. The babbling of a brook was heard as the simple harmony of nature was viewed around, large trees surrounding them as a simple dirt path wove not too far away from them in the woods.
Blinking languidly a single time, Tylor studies his companion, then surveys his surroundings, remarking, "These are more comfortable than my uniform."
It seemed that his companion had a long wooden bow and some fletched arrows strapped to his back. He hadn't noticed that earlier. But then, Ueki Tylor also hadn't noticed the long sword attached at his hip, feeling surprisingly comfortable there.
Vash was perplexed, wondering what the hell just happened. Scratching his head, he looks around and notices the stranger across from him. With a smile he enthusiastically says, "Why hello there! Who might you be?"
"I'm," Tylor starts, before pausing. After a moment, where he might have listed a title, or something, he shrugs, giving a somewhat goofy, disarming grin. "I'm Justy Ueki Tylor. But just 'Tylor' is fine." After shrugging, mildly surprised at how natural movement feels, even with a length of steel strapped to his leg, he continues, "Nice to meet you, by the way."
"Nice to meet you as well Tylor! My name's Vash," he replied, still smiling. He starts to take a step towards Tylor but stops when he notices an unfamiliar weight on his back. Curious, Vash starts to inspect himself and also asks, "I don't suppose you know where we are?"
"Looks like a forest," Tylor says, shrugging. "Nice break from the city, but I don't recognize it." Eyeing the path, he then adds, "We can follow the path and see what's going on."
The sound of wheels coming down the road approached, something heavy moving down the path as they talked. If they looked near, there seemed to be a wagon making it's way through, an older man sitting before a single large horse in front.
Tylor looks somewhat astonished at the creature pulling the cart before relaxing back into his easy-going smile. "Well, hello, there!" he calls, waving to the old man. "Hi!"
Dressed in a brown robe, the older man had but a few hairs left on his head, his build was wide and almost jolly, a long string around his neck holding a wooden cross. "Hail travelers. If you are here to rob me, I must insist, I am doing the holy lord's work, and I have naught wealth to steal."
"Steal?" Tylor murmurs, turning to Vash to gauge his response before turning back to the balding friar.
Focusing his attention on the friar Vash says, "Oh, we're not robbers. Well, at least I'm not. Not too sure about him." He quickly gestures at Tylor before continuing talking. "I mean, look at this face. Does it look like the face of a hardened criminal?" He points to his face and puts on the most innocent looking expression he can, with eyes wide and sparkling while staring straight at the friar.
"Or this one?" Tylor adds with a shrug, pointing at his own disarming grin and generally lazy appearance. "Anyway-- We just met, ourselves, so, nice to meet you. Incidentally-- Can you tell us where this place is?"
"They look like a couple of slackers that were up to no good," The older man nodded, rubbing his chin. "Still, That's a relief. You almost look familiar for some reason. Were you at some wedding I did a few years back, lad?" He stared at Vash a bit. "Ah, did you get lost? And in these woods? These are the Sherwood forests outside of Nottingham. The Sheriff is a tough, but supposedly fair man, soon to be wed in fact to the daughter of the former duke, to rule these lands. It will be quite a change, but no matter. Would you like a ride on the back into town?"
Tylor does some mental calculations, determines that there is likely to be free food at the wedding.
This sounds like a good idea to him, but he wasn't asked, so he turns to Vash curiously.
In reply to the friar Vash says, "No, I don't believe we've met before. And a ride into town would be appreciated, if my companion here also agrees to it." He turns towards Tylor for his response.
"Sounds good to me," Tylor says, nodding. He then stifles a yawn and surveys the wagon a bit more closely. What's in it, anyway? Will it be comfortable for a long trip?
"Hmm? It's wine. There will be a wedding soon. In one weeks time, and so there will need to be a lot of wine at the church." He rubbed his chin. "You certainly seem familiar, but I guess everyone has someone else they look like. Hop on."
Waiting for the two to get aboard, he gave a whip to his horse, the wagon starting off once more. A gentle drizzle was coming down by the time they reached a small church on the outskirts of the town, old wood buildings everywhere the likes neither of them had ever seen.
Tylor stretches, reflecting that this wasn't the most comfortable ride he's ever been on, but he's had worse, too. He checks Vash to gauge his reaction before surveying the area and trying to figure out what's going on, or where adequate shelter might be found if the weather worsens.
Wiping off a little water from his brow, Vash observes his surroundings trying to see if anything looked at all familiar. "Hmm, nothing. I've never seen buildings like that before," he thought to himself. Speaking up, he asks the friar, "So, this is Nottingham then? Besides the Sheriff being in charge and about to get married, is there anything else you can tell us about this town?"
"Well, I can tell you a lot, if you have the time. Do either of you have a hood?" He wondered, sitting with them in a small back room, pouring a spot of wine for each, and sharing some bread. "If not, you might want to wait out the rain. The people of Nottingham have always been a hardy and bold people, the former duke a strong ally of the noble King Richard the Third. Perhaps not the most religious, but they were good folks and gave god his due. The son of Duke Edward even went off with Richard on his crusades, but he hasn't been heard of in many years It's been a bit hard these recent years. The guard building up to keep bandits off the roads, taxes just having to keep rising to pay for it all. But we make do."
"Not really the 'hood' type, but in this rain it would be nice," Tylor admits, wiping some of the water from his own face before accepting some of the bread gratefully. Hmm, tough, a bit bland, too. Better not complain about it, though.
The wine is weaker than he expected, which is probably just as well -- there are times to get drunk, and times ... not to.
"Bandits, you say?" he muses. "It sounds like those are the only real source of trouble from how you describe things. I guess we were lucky not to run into them, eh?"
"Yes, good thing we didn't run into them," Vash agreed before taking a sip of wine and a bite of the bread. "Bandits do tend to be problematic, even more so if they're organized."
Curious about something the friar said, he asks, "You mentioned a former duke, did something happen to him?"
"A great sickness afflicted him not three months ago and took him, bless his soul, to the heavens after a long struggle. In the absence of his son, his daughter's regents have been running the duchy until she is wed." The man took a quaff of his mug, sharing the tragic tale.
"That's just a shame," Tylor sighs. "About the Duke, I mean." He rubs his chin thoughtfully. They're supposed to be looking for a ribbon of some sort, right?
Probably a vague thing to search for, and a weird subject change, but it's worth a shot since this friar seems so friendly. "Hmm, there's something about ribbons and weddings, isn't there?" he muses, trying to recall ... well, any knowledge about the current area, or the tech level of the surroundings.
Admittedly, since it's not all steel and cement, it's almost completely indistinguishable from living in a cave for him. But maybe they have the tech level for ribbons? Hey, come to think of it -- ribbons -> girls, right? Tylor grows confident that this is actually a very good idea, and flashes a grin at the friar following the question, giving his best disarming shrug to try and cover his obvious lack of proper knowledge.
Vash frowns a little at that, someone dying was always a sad event. Hearing Tylor asking about ribbons and weddings, he's reminded of the reason why he's here. Sitting up a little, he waits for a response from the friar.
"Huh? Well, it's customary for the bride to give a ribbon to her husband on his wedding day around here. An old tradition dating back nearly a hundred and fifty years, when the Freczk were first accepting god's holy light." The friar smiled, seeming willing to go off into almost tiresome tales of old times.
Tylor blinks, mentally calculating that 'marriage = victory' under this new information. Wait-- There could be more to this!
"That's an interesting tradition," he says, nodding. "So-- My companion and I are unfamiliar with this area and the local customs -- can you tell me more about this?" While Tylor doesn't have much of a plan -- yet -- trying to figure out if there are competitions or games of some sort -- they did that in primitive times, right? Just like chariot races and pyramid building? He hopes it's not pyramid building; he has something of an aversion to the hard labor like that.
Still, if there's any sort of 'open to the entire public' event as part of the wedding, that'd make a great reason to sneak into town.
Though ... if that's some time away, maybe he should put thought into how to survive until then? Or find out if there are tavern wenches. Those came around some time in the viking era, right? Hard to tell where this is in comparison, but that feels like an almost equally worthwhile goal.
Vash sits there digesting this new piece of information. A ribbon given from bride to groom, he wonders if it's the one that he's looking for. And how would one get into the wedding? He could try to sneak in but that usually stirs up all sorts of trouble, given his luck.
Hearing Tylor speak, Vash voices his agreement. "Yes, anything you can tell us would be a huge help."
"Well, the wedding is also a chance for the Sheriff to show off before our neighbors. Many of the nobles will be in the city for the event, so there will be a festival the day of the wedding with archery, knight battles, musical displays and more to entertain them. It's said, the winners of the competitions will get a chance to meet the sheriff himself, and also greet the blushing bride before the wedding. Ah, poor Maid Marian. The sheriff confined her to a tower until the very moment of the wedding. To keep her safe..."
Tylor blinks at the 'confined in a tower' part, and looks to Vash to gauge his companion's reaction.
Raising an eyebrow, Vash says, "Confined in a tower to keep her safe? Keep her safe from what? Wouldn't she have plenty of protection being the Duke's daughter and all?"
Musing internally, he wonders if the Maid Marian is good looking. Maybe he could rescue her from the Sheriff! He seems to be a jerk if confining your bride to be was any indication. Shaking his head a little to clear away those thoughts, Vash concentrates on the reason why he's here. Finding the ribbon.
"Yes, but Nobles," The friar waved his hands. "They don't think like us normal people. Their worries and methods are on an entirely different level."
Vash nods in reply. "Ah, right, of course. You said there'll be a festival and some events to take part in, will everyone be welcome? More specifically," he points to himself and Tylor, "Would travelers like us be able to join in?"
Tylor gives an unreasonably big grin at this, probably looking lost and incompetent.
OOC: using "Lucky or damned!" on Vash's socialization/gather info, if applicable.
"Well, I don't see why not?" The friar nodded. "The competitions are open to all in order to encourage foreign travelers." His eyes drifted to an old picture along the wall, the friar blinking a moment and then glancing back hard at Vash. "Yo...You..." He ran over to the picture, pulling it from the wall. "S-Sir, I had no idea! You look just like him. The Duke's son, Vash of Nottingham."
"Say what now??" Confused, Vash takes a look at the picture in the friar's hands thinking that the man must be mistaken.
Tylor also looks at the picture, but has less to say, here.
Vash:
The picture is very old and faded, but at the same time it seems more than a likeness, it looks just like him as a kid, before he got the dumb broom-haircut style. He was dressed much like now, though sized for a child.
Tylor:
It did indeed look like your traveling companion, or maybe a brother?
"This can't be right," Vash mutters to himself while staring at the picture. He wanted to keep denying that it was him but he couldn't. Vash started thinking, this had to be a part of Q's designs. But what was the point?
He sighed to himself and shrugged. Oh well, might as well see just see where this goes. Speaking up, Vash says, "That really does seem to be me, but I don't recall being the son of a Duke. Maybe we just have a similar likeness?"
The friar looked disappointed a moment. "No, you must be him, You must! Surely if you could prove your heritage, any maid in the country could be yours."
"Yes well..." Vash started to reply before he paused. "Any maid in the land you say? Oh my..."
He started to have thoughts about being surrounded by beautiful women and a goofy smile appeared on his face. Before Vash became too engrossed in his fantasy he managed to ask, "How could I prove my heritage?"
"Hang on," Tylor interjects. "Don't nobles need staunch allies or something?" They'd get girls too, naturally. Wouldn't they? Maybe a slightly more limited selection than the son of a duke (whatever that is), but anything's better than nothing, right?
"Well, yes... And proving it would be very hard. The Sheriff would certainly object to any such claim...especially on his wedding day. But ...you're the best archer in the land aren't you? Your eye was legendary back in your youth, before you went off on the crusades." The friar wondered.
Coming back to reality Vash puts his hand on the back of his head and laughs nervously. "Well, I wouldn't say best in the land but I do know how to shoot." Inwardly panicking a little, he recalls that he has yet to shoot with the bow he was given.
It shouldn't be any different from his gun right? At least, he hopes so. Maybe he should go practice with it later.
"Good. And you...are you a good friend of Vash?" He turned to the black haired man. "We should help him get registered for the competition."
"You bet," Tylor says, nodding quickly. "Been together since ... before I can remember!"
"Come then. We shall go register him for the archery contest. We can't let the sheriff know he's here, so you should wear a disguise, Vash. See if you can't use some of my clothes to hide yourself," The friendly friar nodded, stepping out to the front door and waiting for Tylor.
Seeing no obvious need to disguise himself, Tylor follows the friar.
The friar didn't seem to complain, or really recognize Tylor at all. "So where did you meet Lord Vash? Were you with him on the crusades?"
The man lead down the dirt path, still a bit muddy from the rain that had been falling while they were talking. The town indeed looking a bit downtrodden from the outside, a few beggers on the road leading into town.
"I can't even remember how we met at this point," Tylor says honestly, shrugging. He frowns thoughtfully at the odd beggars, unable to forget his own situation before enlistment. Don't these people know anything? Enlisting could turn their lives around, too!
They just need a capable leader to follow.
Still-- He's got to worry about that ribbon.
"I remember it was a bright day in the forest when we met," he says, thinking back to before the rain. "But beyond that, mm, it's really hard to recall exactly. But, I can't remember spending any time in this forest at all that wasn't at his side."
"Huh, so you must love these forests? I only moved in a little before he headed for the war," The friar mused as they walked closer, the town looking richer indeed as one oddity drew Tylor's eyes, a large tower up near the center of town.
"Oh, yeah, the fresh air is great," Tylor agrees, having never seen so many trees in such a density with his own eyes before. It's a great change of pace from the industrial areas he'd lived in most of his life, and the sterile metal quarters he'd mostly been surrounded by recently.
"Fresh air? was it really so different on the crusades? Tell me about it," The friar wondered as they moved into the noble district of town, heading toward a sign to register for the archery competition.
"Hmm," Tylor muses with a frown. "Those aren't the best of times...." They had ships back in this time period, didn't they? That should be safe to talk about. "I remember that the journey there -- by ship--" Heh, he's so clever, pointing that out! "Was a bit uncomfortable. Crowded, except for the captain's quarters. Breathing what felt like the same recycled air for days on end until we actually got where we were headed-- Then, on the front...."
Tylor suddenly realizes he's not sure where to go with that and sighs, hanging his head. Maybe not so clever after all.
Vash:
Well, being alone in the friar's church is kinda boring. Aren't there any nuns here? Or maybe he should practice...he's never shot that bow before.
Tylor:
The friar suddenly looked sympathetic. "Did you get hit in the head on the crusades? I've heard rumors before of men who have trouble remembering things after that."
After looking through the friar's set of clothes, he finds nothing that would really fit him and his tall frame. Vash shrugs, he'll just wait for the two to come back before deciding on a disguise. Remembering that he has yet to practice with the bow strapped to his back, he goes outside to find a good place to shoot some arrows.
Recalling an instance or two where he was cuffed on the head, Tylor sighs glumly and nods. "More than a few times," he admits. "It could be worse though, right?"
"True. At least you have a true friend to stick with you. Sometimes after the wars, you get desperate men on the roads, less an arm and not having anything to go back to." He shook his head. "Quite a shame really."
"I can only imagine -- good thing that, er Lord Vash and I stick together!"
"True, let's see... what's a good name to sign him up under? Something the sheriff won't suspect?" The friar walked over, leading him through the line to sign up on Ye Auld Application Form for Expertise in Archeries.
Finally finding a nice spot to practice after wandering around the church a bit, Vash wonders when Tylor and the friar will come back. Shrugging, he pulls the bow off his back and draws an arrow. Aiming at a nearby tree, Vash is surprised a bit at how familiar holding a bow seems to be. Deciding not to worry about it, he starts to shoot.
Vash:
Indeed, after a few shots, it felt as comfortable as firing his old rifle. As if his skill had simply transitioned onto the new weapon.
Satisfied with the results, Vash decided to shoot a few more arrows before heading back to the church. Maybe those two would be back by now? If not, he could at least rummage around for something eat. That bread earlier wasn't enough to satisfy his appetite.
He was rather hungry...and town wasn't too far away. Maybe he could kip over there for a bite. Surely he had some money, checking his pouch he found some.
Though the friar had said he should be careful. Scrounging around the pantry, it seemed mostly cheese and bread for the available options, with a small amount of fruit.
Taking a look at his options, he decided that what was available wouldn't be filling enough. Having decided that, Vash started to head out the door and into town but stopped when he remembered the friar's words about being careful. He grabbed one of the friar's robes and put it on with the hood up. Hopefully that should keep people from paying too much attention to him. With that done, he started leisurely strolling into town whistling tunelessly.
"Hmm," Tylor muses, "I really don't know. Something that seems good to you; I could only really suggests names we probably shouldn't use, all things considered."
Tylor:
"Well then... how about, Robin Loxeley?" The friar nodded jotting it down. "Ah, the tournament will be tomorrow morning, so you should do anything you need to do before bed tonight?" The friar's eyes flicked up to the tower briefly before shaking her head.
"We should get some food. My church doesn't have much for three to eat," He smiled.
Vash:
Much like Tylor had seen, the outskirts of the town near the church was a bit run down and desperate. It looked like deeper in there was some noble quarters, but he could probably find a shop here too.
Folks didn't seem to be paying him much attention. With a wedding coming soon, there was a lot of guests coming into the town.
Pondering the tower and the (presumably) fair maiden within, Tylor muses about maybe arranging a chance to sneak in and visit her? She's probably related to the ribbon somehow, and if not, she's probably pretty.
Better check in with Vash and tell him his cover name first, though. Plus, maybe he could help distract the guards or something -- or play wingman if there was more than one maiden in said tower.
Looking around, Vash tried to find a shop that sold some food. Preferably, large amounts of it for cheap. In a town like this there should be a few restaurants right? If not that then at least an inn. He headed towards what looked like the center of the town.
On the way back, Tylor notices a familiar face heading into one of the inns. It's mostly hidden under a hood, but it seems Vash got bored waiting for them to get back.
"Oh, hey!" Tylor calls. "V--" He almost trips over the Friar before catching himself. "Robin..." Wait, what was it, again.... He glances at the cowl and almost says 'Hood' before dismissing that as a silly name. Oh! Right! "...of Loxley! There you are!"
Hearing a voice call out, Vash pauses in his quest for food and wonders why it sounds so familiar. Looking around, he spys Tylor with the friar and jogs towards the two. "Hey! Where you two about to head back to the church? And why did you call out for Robin of Loxley? Who's that?"
"That's you!" Tylor exclaims with a broad wink, elbowing Vash in the ribs. "Signed you up for the tourney and everything!"
Still a little confused about the name, Vash shrugged and just accepted it. "Well, that's great. You want to get something to eat? I'm pretty hungry right now, it's why I headed into town," he said while gesturing to his belly.
"It's important folks don't recognize you too soon. If someone wasn't scrupulous, who knows what might happen?" The friar nodded. "Would you two like some food? There's a good pub near here..."
Assuming, he walked the trio over, soon sitting at a small dinner table, some stew and potatoes on their plates.
Seeing the food on front of him, his stomach started to growl. Loudly. Raising an arm to the back of his head, Vash grinned and laughed a little. "Sorry, I told you I was hungry," he said with a wink. Without waiting for the others, his started eating.
The friar laughed a bit. "Yes, I can see that. How long were you two in those woods? It never is good hunting there around this time of year. But then you would know that better than I!"
"I can't remember the last time we got something good to eat there," Tylor remarks absently, digging into his food with gusto to match Vash.
"Ah, it must've been rough out there among the savages," The friar nodded along. The food was crude, poorly seasoned, and of middling quality. But there was a lot of it and the salt on it made it taste alright. It definitely did an empty stomach a world of good.
"Ahhh, that hit the spot." Patting his full stomach and leaning back in his seat, Vash turned to the friar. "So, is there anything important I should know about this competition?"
Tylor listens with a keen ear, picking the last bits of stringy meat from his teeth.
"Well, all the best archers in the land will attend. So surely the level of competition will be high. The winner will get a medal from the sheriff himself. But really, no one would believe that the son of the Duke would return after all this time. If you win, you could maybe reveal yourself? You were always known for your amazing archery and before all the nobility, they'd have no choice but to acknowledge you."
The friar was a simple man, and in a way it showed in his planning.
"Sounds simple enough, I'm sure it'll work!"
Vash gives the friar a grin and thumbs up.
"Of course it will..."
Suddenly the world faded out and back in...
Tylor was standing among a mottled crowd of commoners, lurking about the edges of a great festival, a large field separated out for the archery competition that was just finishing up. Vash was next, the second to last competitor.
Vash himself found he was standing in a lineup of archers, the current high score being 2 bulls eyes and 3 centers out of five shots at one hundred yards.
Somewhat unsettled by the bizzare shift in reality, Tylor blinks a few times and mingles with the crowd, generally going with the flow and keeping an ear out for any interesting bits of information while watching his friend Vash.
Twitching slightly, Vash looks around. "Man, that changing realities with no warning sucks," he mutters under his breath.
Seeing that he was at the archery competition and it was his turn, Vash readies his bow. He takes a look at his target and knocks an arrow. His whole demeanor seems to change. Vash looks more confident, calm and collected. Aiming at the exact center of his target, he takes a breath and draws back. A moment passes. He releases.
The arrow went smoothly into the target. As did the next four. Each penetrating the same spot as the last, five bulls eyes. The nobles stared and then applauded, shocked by the amazing display. Sitting toward the middle of them was the Sheriff of Nottingham himself, a gold circle around his hair as he looked sternly at the sight.
"What an amazing set of shots by Robin of Loxeley. Truly a stupendous show. Can Lord Aragon beat him though?"
A dark haired man gave an arrogant glare, his clothing looking to cost as much as a small house as he walked up, drawing his bow with ease and not even waiting for them to clear the range, splitting Vash's arrow in twain five times over.
"Amazing... who would have expected such dazzling skills at this competition! A tie! We will have to have a retest... Move the post to 300 yards!"
Tyler:
"Wow, what amazing shots. I haven't seen something like that in ages. I've never heard of a master archer Robin..."
The crowd seemed to be excited and muttering, curious as to just who this surprise archer was and where he came from.
"What other famous master archers are there?" Tylor wondered quietly. He shakes his head slightly; nothing really to add, though he tries to keep his eye out for anyone else of interest. Probably, Vash can handle this whole thing well enough himself.
Tylor isn't really clear on how this ranged firewood chopping thing is supposed to work, so he focuses instead on looking for ... well, how would he know what was really out of place? Giving up on that idea, he scans around for cute girls, or interesting people to talk to.
Turning away from his target, Vash takes a quick look at his fellow competitor. From his shots earlier, Vash could tell the man called Aragon was skilled. Skilled and arrogant.
Shaking his head to clear them of any extraneous thoughts, Vash knocks another arrow. Taking aim, he shoots again.
Tylor:
"Well, Lord Aragorn is said to be unmatched. And Sir Robin is said to have never missed a shot in all his days," The crowd yammered a bit, but their attention seemed mostly on the standoff.
There did seem to be a cute peasant girl among the crowd, and more than a few with the nobles, should he be so bold.
Vash:
"Hmph, is that really your best?" Aragorn glared at his competitor, even as Vash's first shot went straight into the bullseye.
Choosing to focus on his next shot, Vash ignores Aragorn's taunting. He draws his bow and aims for another bullseye.
Something seemed off, a slight gust of wind pushing his arrow as it went far, far, and hit in the third ring. A hit, but the first non bullseye in their match.
Well, that cute peasant girl is tempting -- but there are more among the nobles, so that means more chances of success!
Tylor works his way over towards the noble girls, attempting to be subtle and smooth.
OOC: Tylor blunders his way through the crowd, probably causing more amusement and ruckus than he really intends to; +2 to Vash vs. the other guy by being an amusing pratfall, if allowable.
Frowning, Vash nocks another arrow as he considers his next shot. That arrow shouldn't have been off, he'd been sure of his aim. "No use complaining now," he mutters to himself. Breathing deeply, he inhales as he draws his bow. Focusing on the target, he fires again.
This time things went better, Vash leading up by a narrow win, several guardsman whistling at the amazing shots, the cheers were mixed with simple shock that a no name archer had come from nowhere to claim victory in the competition. Lord Aragorn was slightly distracted by a squeal in the crowd during his last shot, but more glared with anger at Vash than took notice of where that had come from.
The guards gathered around vash, leading him up to a middle aged man looking curiously at him as he stroked his beard. "I have to admit, I have never heard of a Robin of Loxely, yet your archery speaks for itself. Praytell, what brought you here?" The way the guards seemed to stand around him, it was most likely this rude individual who didn't share his name was indeed the Sherriff of Nottingham.
"I was just passing through when I learned of the competition. I figured I would compete and see how my skill measured up to others," Vash replied with his most charming smile. It was probably better not to say anything about finding a ribbon, it might make him seem odd.
Still smiling, Vash asks, "Would I be correct in assuming you are the Sherriff of Nottingham?"
"Of course... Really now, you are here just wandering? You don't even know your host?" The man looked curious indeed. "Join me at my table and let us talk of things to come." He waved over to a large table where the richest and most powerful were sitting and enjoying a meal.
"Thanks for the invite. Would it be alright if I bring along my companions?" Vash scans the crowd as he asks, hoping to find a glimpse of Tylor and the friar.
OOC: Giving a second for tylor to set his direction rather than just forcing him to the table.
IC:
Tylor isn't too hard to spot, currently busy making a cute brunette girl blush as he talks about the amazing color of her eyes and how passionate she must be. Dressed as she was, she was no doubt one of the visiting nobles, wealth clear in her poise and manner of dress.
"Oh, Tylor, wherever are you from, you're such a rogue!" She swatted at the young man talking her ears off so.
"From the ... forest, with my friend V--" Tylor recovers enough presence to cough, still admiring the young noblewoman's ... generous tracts of land. "With my friend Robin of Locksley," he adds, indicating the guy he expects should be winning the tournament.
Oh, he's got a bunch of people around him, now-- Did he win already? Did Tylor flirt through the entire award ceremony?
It didn't seem like that, but he certainly had missed the ending of the archery duel. From the wrathful glare Vash's competitor was giving, standing alone and unloved by the applause, it seemed clear who hadn't won.
Indicating so brought his attention to Vash himself, currently in talks with the noble Sheriff, and looking around for someone clearly.
OOC: You two can see each other. Up to you if you do something on it :)
Spotting Tylor in the crowd, Vash starts to shout out his name before he notices the pretty brunette next to him. He lets out a low whistle, impressed at Tylor's success. And the tiniest bit jealous. Hmm, wasn't he the winner of this competition? Shouldn't the ladies be surrounding him and in awe of his martial prowess? Maybe once they reach the dinner table the women would start to come to him!
Vash nods his head, eager to be off and shouts out, "Tylor!"
"And there he is now," Tylor concludes with a shrug, before brightening. "Hey, want to come with me to meet him?"
"You're really friends with that strange rogue that upset Lord Aragorn? How curious," She nodded. What was her name? Rebecca of Hartland, still with that bountiful bodice, it was a surprise he could remember much as she followed him over to Vash.
"Hmm, and just who is this?" The sheriff raised an eyebrow at the additions.
"Oh," Tylor says in a very pleased voice. "So glad you asked!"
From there, ignoring the man's attitude and the guards, Tylor gives his best formal introduction to the lovely young noblewoman: "This beautiful presence is Rebecca, of Hartland!
"Lady Rebecca, this is my ... long-time companion, Robin of Locksley," he concludes, seeming to forget to introduce himself in the confusion, but beaming smiles around to all.
"Oh my," She giggled, fluttering her hand a bit before her face. "It's such a pleasure!"
The sheriff's eyes drifted over to the buxom woman, taking more than a moment to scan over her before his eyes flicked back to Tylor. "No, I don't mean her. Who, in heaven's name, are YOU?"
"Eh?" Tylor noises, as though not expecting the question. "Oh, well-- I'm captain-- Er, well ... I was a captain, anyway...." Tylor mumbles something under his breath about Raalgons, then shakes his head and continues, "I'm Justy Ueki Tylor, a companion and friend to Robin of Locksley!"
He tries to take the man's hand before he can react, and gives it a hearty shake.
"Nice to meet you!"
Ignoring Tylor and the Sheriff for the moment, Vash focuses on the Lady Rebecca. Taking her hand in his, he tries to act as charming as possible. "Lady Rebecca," he starts, "I am V-, Robin of Locksley, and it is a pleasure to meet you."
He raises her hand to his lips, gives it a chaste kiss, and grins at her roguishly.
The busty woman blushed at the blonde archer taking her hand and gracing it with a delicate kiss and a roguish smile. "Oh my, this is just so exciting, Sir Varobin," She smiled, almost seeming giddy as she happily soaked up the attention. "Wherever did you learn to shoot so straight and far?"
The sheriff's eyes batted to the side, slightly distracted by what was going on to his left. "Alright, Justy, now see here, I don't just open my table to every wandering never-good that makes their way up claiming to be a captain!"
"Hey!" Tylor exclaims with a frown, standing straight and looking at the sheriff in confusion. After a moment, he adds, "What's this about a table?"
Still smiling at the woman, Vash replied, "Oh it's something I picked up during my travels. I tend to wander around from place to place and being able to shoot is quite a useful skill." He was so caught up in impressing the noble lady before him that he was completely oblivious to the Sheriff confronting Tylor.