(121-07-08) Secrets and Spies
Log Title
Summary: Keyte has a confession for Kevyn, whilst Kesha and Johanna spy on them.
Date: Date of play (08/07/2014)
Related: None yet
Players:
Keyte..Kevyn..Johanna..Kesha..

Though the walls are high, covered in ivy and vines, it's hardly suffocating in the garden on the isle; unless you count the heady smells of dozens of flowers in bloom all competing with the aroma of damp earth and mulch. In the simplest of sleeveless dresses, gathered along the high neckline and strung in around the waist, Keyte sits with her skirt hiked up and her feet dangling in the pool, kicking at fishes occasionally as she searches for more gossip to share with Kevyn to keep conversation flowing as freely as the drinks are. "Hum. So are you going to go questing, then? It's a little late to start, you know. Not that you should let that discourage you."

Kevyn has been a frequent presence around the Garden Isle of late, since he's begun doing work for Ser Laurent. Though he's been keeping to those duties, and thus around little for social purposes. He is taking some social time today, however. With Keyte, obviously. He wasn't going to turn that down. "I'm not, I'm afraid," he admits, as to questing. "I've been keeping busy with matters in the city. I'm sure Ser Laurent, and my cousin Viggo, would give me leave to go but…" He shrugs. He hasn't asked.

"Oh." Disappointed, Keyte makes a funny face as she turns her attention very studiously now to the fish. "W-ahhh… well. That's… I suppose not everybody can just run off on a whim. That's very sensible of you." She nods, rather emphatically. Very sensible. "How is your cousin Viggo?"

Though she isn't here at the house too often these days, unless drinking with the twins, for some reason Johanna is here today. Here, and meandering quietly through the garden without letting anyone know that she's present, and for the time being, generally keeping out of sight of the pool.

"Oh. Umm…." Kevyn notes Keyte's disappointment and flushes. "I…I'd like to go. It's a very…umm…knightly thing to do. I'll surely go the next time there's questing to be done. But…yes…sensible." That wasn't very impressive, Kevyn. He tries very hard to move the conversation on from that subject. "Viggo's doing most well. The matter of the Blackmonts still stings, but I think he's pulled himself out of the worst of the loss of his brother. And he's got the Cockshaws more settled now, with a manse in the city and everything. It's quite fine. You should come by. Umm…with ladies in waiting and such. If you want. Some time. Err…that is, anytime you like." He does not notice Johanna, obviously. He's not very good at noticing things much of the time.

Johanna is not the only one in the gardens today semi-avoiding the garden pool. Or at least, being seen by those who are entertaining themselves by it's waters. Kesha is much more blatant in her activities, though, ducked half behind a wall and in some (thankfully not thorny) bushes where the foliage hides her well from the pool-side angles and less from others. Someone is, apparently, engaged in the very unladylike (if you are caught) pursuit of spying.

No, it wasn't very impressive. Nevermind. As Kevyn steamrolls ahead with the conversation, Keyte kicks her feet in the water, watching the fish scatter and definitely not noticing any Oakheart cousins or twin sisters nearby. She doesn't seem to be paying much attention to the answer to her question, truth be told, and a look of growing concern — or is it guilt? — is building upon on her face. "Oh," she says, glancing up with a mild smile. "Um, of course. I mean, I'd like that very much. But, um, there's something I've been meaning to tell you. Only, it's… well, it's a secret. So you can't tell anybody, especially not your cousin."

Stroll. Stroll. It's a totally innocent thing that's happening here, except when Johanna's steps slow. It's a secret. Well, if she hadn't planned on spying before, those three words change her mind, and so she stops the casual strolling not too far from the pair to listen.

"A secret?" Kevyn actually smiles, before he catches himself. He's probably expecting something a lot different than what Keyte's got in mind, for he's quite eager to get to the secret'ing. "Of…of course. You've my word. On my honor. As a knight. I'll tell no one." He even kneels by the pool, in an attempt to be slightly less unimpressive. "Your secrets are always safe with me, my lady." It's all very earnest.

She wouldn't dare… "She had better not," whisper-hisses Kesha in the bushes. WHAT ARE YOU DOING, KEYTE?

Oh, Kevyn. Keyte does not echo that smile, not even for a moment. In fact, she frowns instead. "On your honor," she repeats warily, "As a knight." A knight who doesn't even go questing for the Festival of Chivalry. Skeptical, she continues: "I really mean it. This isn't a small secret, you know. And if you tell anybody, I will find out. Especially your cousin Viggo." SHE IS STALLING, OBVIOUSLY KESHA. And also, reaching for a cup of wine from that magical place that wine appears from in scenes like this when needed. Hello, dutch courage.

Are the bushes whispering? Johanna turns to squint down the path on which she is disguised, but a brief squinting search offers up nothing. Maybe she imagined it. Maybe not. Either way, there is a big secret to come, and she's not revealing her presence. To anyone. Not yet.

"I already swore I wouldn't tell." Kevyn is wounded by Keyte's skepticism. Even given his lack of questing. He puts his hand on the pommel of his sword, to make this seem extra-proper. "I swear, on the Warrior and hte Maiden and the Mother, I shall not break your trust, and shall say nothing publicly that would tarnish your honor." Which still leaves him room to do the honor-tarnishing things in private, he probably figures. He eyes the wine, but doesn't comment. He's not going to discourage that.

The bushes are totally not whispering, you must be going crazy Johanna. Too much time spent in the company of those at the Holdfast, obviously.

Wounded or not, Keyte's skepticism is there. "Well alright," she finally relents, what with the sword-swearing-oath and all. It's not until she's had a big ol' gulp of wine that she leans in — no, Kevyn. It's not what you're thinking. In a stage-whisper, she confesses: "I was there when Brockholst Ball died."

Johanna is very nearly in the bushes now too as she edges closer to listen, while trying very hard not to make noise. This is a harder task than it appears, and is not at all ladylike. She'll worry about that if she's caught though, for now, she continues to spy.

Kevyn leans up ever so slightly, convinced this is a prelude to a kiss. Which doesn't come. He's briefly confused. "Err…what…?" What she actually said sinks in, and he looks even more confused. "You were…?" His eyes widen. "Lady Katya's husband? The one…?" He gulps himself. And gets himself some wine, from that magical fount close by. "They speak dark rumors of his death, about her. And about Ser Viggo." He frowns, affronted by this slander to his cousin's honor. Though he doesn't precisely start denying the possibility Viggo might've done something slanderous.

The bushes are also totally not cursing quietly but very colorfully. Really, Kesha, who have you been hanging out with to know such things to say? They are not very complimentary towards her twin sister. "That…that…mangy-curr faced upside-down village idiot down a whore-piss well." KEYTE.

Keyte looks very guilty. "Yes, Katya's husband. I know what they say. None of it's true. I was there, it was just he and I. He was terribly drunk, and he tried to — it was very inappropriate, Kevyn. And I moved. And he fell. And… that was that." Increasingly panicked in the retelling of the events, she shifts in her seat on the edge of the pool. And takes a moment to down some more wine. "Listen," she continues on most gravely, "You swore on your honor you wouldn't tell. Katya doesn't know. It's horrible and awful and nobody can know, alright?" Thankfully, she is far too absorbed in her secret-telling to overhear any of that foul language coming from her twin. Seriously. Where did you even hear that, KESHA.

Possibly Johanna. She's a terrible influence. Who probably heard it from her brother, or Laurent, or Harry, or the soldier types at the holdfast. For the moment though, this terrible influence is leaning further into the bushes to listen. It's getting a bit precarious here, but honestly, these are good secrets.

"He tried to…" Kevyn frowns, squaring his shoulders back. "He didn't…he didn't hurt you, did he….? What do you mean, you moved and he fell?" He sort of puts that together in his head, but can't bring himself to connect it entirely. "I…I swore, yes…" For a moment he just stares at her, trying to comprehend what she's telling him. And doing a poor job of it.

Maybe if you spent more time with your sister and less time telling secrets to dolphin-boys you'd know where Kesha could have heard such language. (Some of it at least is probably Johanna's fault. She might even be proud if she were in a position to appreciate such colorful language).

"What do you mean, what do I mean?" Keyte is starting to frown, too. "I just — stepped back. And he… stumbled forward. And fell. Do you not believe me?" She stares right back, folding her arms a little bit huffily WHILST MAKING NO COMMENT ON HOW SHE SPENDS HER TIME THANKYOUVERYMUCH.

WAY TO GO KEYTE! You accidentally murder that groping bastard. He deserved it. That might be what Johanna is thinking, but all such cheering is withheld as she spies, because cheering and snooping do not mix. A particularly bothersome bit of foliage makes the sneaking Oakheart retreat from her present spying spot and meander down the path a little ways. MUCH closer to Kesha, her unknown fellow snooper.

"He fell…" Kevynr repeats. He takes a deep breath. And drinks some wine. "Fell. Aye. That is what's said. Though others say he was…he was murdered. By Lady Katya, or by Ser Viggo. It has been…it has been an affront to his honor, though few make such accusations to his face. I'd never asked him of it. I always thought perhaps your sister…and that he held his tongue because…" He trails off. And drinks some more. "But they were not there at all? And it was only you and he…" The last wasn't a question. Just something he repeats, so it'll better sink into his brain.

Uh oh. Is someone else there? Johanna's creeping is close enough to startle Kesha a little. Someone other than those she is spying on. The Tyrel twin creeps further into the bushes with a pained expression as they rustle. NOTHING TO SEE HERE, JUST A BUNNY RABBIT. HIPPITY HOP.

"I know," says Keyte testily, "I know what other people say. He wasn't murdered, I didn't push him. He was gross and drunk and my sister's husband and all I did was step back, I swear!" It was not murder, ok. Springing into action, she stands up — in the water, oh — and climbs out of the pool a little awkwardly, trying to keep her skirt from getting too wet. You could offer her a hand, Kevyn. Maybe the gentle splish-splashing helps to cover up the bush-rustling in the background. Maybe not. "This was a bad idea," she mutters.

Did those bushes rustle? DID THEY? Johanna stops trying to watch the chatting pair to instead investigate the nearby shrubs. It's fine if she spies, of course, because she's family and isn't going to go about telling anyone, but if someone else is snooping, this could be a whole other matter!

"I…of course that's all you did!" Kevyn says quickly. "But…but if it was…" The 'if' seems like a bad idea. "Since it was an accident…why…why didn't you tell my cousin? Or your sister?" He is not handling this well, though he does awkwarldy offer her an arm to help her out of the pool.

"Ow!" You are by yourself, just trying to spy on your sister, as one does, and then someone comes along and starts poking around your hiding spot. "Could you not?" Kesha hisses quietly, sounding like a temperamental bush from where she hides amongst the foliage. Its leaves rustle. Go away.

Keyte stops for a moment, fixing Kevyn with a very flat look. Really. (Though she does take his arm after that, and clambers out of the pool.) "What would I say? Hello, Katya. Your husband is a pervy snot, he tried to grope me so I let him fall to his death — I hope you don't mind?" Was that a noise over there? After her very sarcastic quip, Keyte darts a look over her shoulder. EXCUSE ME, BUSHES.

Could she not. That's a reasonable question, though possibly less so coming from a bush. Johanna crouches down just enough to get a proper look behind those rustling leaves to spot her cousin. AH HA! Busted. Also, oops, caught. There's a mingling of amusement and just a sliver of guilt, but not much, and with that she stops trying to edge in on her cousin's hedge and instead occupies her own to listen.

"I…no, I guess you probably wouldn't say that." Kevyn takes a moment to think on this. Which isn't helping. He doesn't notice any disturbances in the bushes. He has a lot of things on his mind. "I suppose I…if he tried to violate your honor than I suppose he…it was obviously an accident, so…" He doesn't finish any of those sentences. "Why…why are you telling me this?"

The bushes DO NOT EXCUSE YOU, KEYTE. They don't seem to much excuse Johanna, either, at the moment, the way Kesha is glaring at her from between some leaves like she's Lord of the Flies. But there is nothing to be done about what she already heard and at least she isn't trying to out her cousin, so there is that. Magnanimously, she will also not out the Oakheart for spying. "Yes, why are you?" She whispers peevishly to herself.

Keyte lets her skirt fall, the hem descending to the little puddle gathering around her wet feet as she glances back from the bushes to Kevyn, at his question. "… I don't know," she admits, sounding as troubled as she looks. "I suppose I thought you should know, before you… really decide that you… you know." Here, she just looks to her feet. This is so awkward what was she thinking.

Johanna glares back, because that's the sort of thing you do when you're being glared at, right? Well, it'swhat she does anyway. Not that this comes of too much, because currently she's trying to listen, and not get caught. Again. Really, this is getting awfully complicated here.

"I…" This is very awkward. Kevyn takes a moment to stumble for the right thing to say, but he doesn't find it. "Before I…?" He can't help but sound a little surprised, and vaguely hopeful, before he reflects on the actual conversation they're having. "Err…I suppose…thank you." That was not the correct thing to say, Kevyn.

Not when you are caught SNOOPING on that someone's SISTER, Johanna. But Kesha is pretty much equally guilty of the snooping part, so she can't really throw stones. Besides, that would give them both away. And yet it is very tempting to throw rocks at Keyte from here (and probably at Kevyn too). She makes a quietly disgusted noise instead. UGH.

You are never going to make second base with responses like that, Kevyn. Her head still bent, Keyte rolls her eyes and heaves a weary sigh, shoulders sagging. "It's alright if you've changed your mind. I'll just — I think I need some more wine." Please don't throw stones over here, you might break the magical fount.

This is not almost like getting laid, Kevyn.

Johanna's guilt at being a snooping snooper is limited, as it is with most things, and what little bit there is, isn't dwelled upon. She shifts slightly, causing the neighbor bush (to Kesha) to rustle. It must be more bunnies. Just bunnies, and not even cute bunnies. DON'T COME LOOKING HERE ANYONE.

"I haven't changed my mind…" But Kevyn doesn't seem to know what to say apart from that. "It's just…I need to think. I need a moment to think." He finishes his own wine, but doesn't go for more. "I…I won't tell my cousin. Or your sister. Or…or anyone. As I swore, so not as if you need to ask again but…I did swear so…I won't tell anyone what you've told me."

At least it sounds like Kevyn isn't actually going to tell anyone, so that's one less murder that needs to be committed. Probably. Kesha rubs her temples anyway and eyes the wine with longing. Why are you so far away and out in the open with those idiots?

Keyte goes for more. More, more, more. She drinks her wine down thirstily, surfacing from the cup to blink surprisedly. "Oh, you haven't?" Well, there's that. And another few gulps of wine. It's a lot of alcohol to take in, in such a small amount of time, and she's left a little breathless and pink-cheeked after. "Phew." Um. "I mean, thankyou. Thankyou! I really appreciate it. I'm sorry. I just thought you should know." And so, now you do. You're welcome. Not you, bush-hiders. You're not welcome.

"I…yes. Now I know." Kevyn does not look at all comforted by this knowledge. "You…err…should maybe have some water. That's a lot of wine. I need to…" Be somewhere else around less murder talk. "Umm…I have many duties. I'll…see you later?"

IT WASN'T MURDER OK SHEESH. "Yes, later. I mean water. Both." Keyte waves her hand a little sloppily. Bye, Kevyn.

Watch your step, Kevyn.

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