[attr="class","sexyon"] "I love art. Trashtalking is an art, so is science. I love art, what can I say?"
[attr="class","makeup"]
Nox's hand shot forward in a straight line towards the suspended wastebasket. Her arm, from elbow to wrist, extended out and her wrists relaxed as she pointed at her target. Cutting through the air, the large crumpled wad of paper landed squarely in the wastebasket she'd placed at the top of her empty shelf. "Can't be stopped, cannot be stopped." the elf grinned to herself. Nox reached to pick up another from the pile she'd spent the morning crumpling together when a knock on her office door tore her attention away. "Yes? Oh, wait. Right. Okay, I'll be ready for him, go on and get him, yeah," Nox dismissed the CISD receptionist and leaned back in her chair, intent on getting an few closing words towards her wastebasket, "Don't go nowhere, not that I'd let you. I got you all locked up, you ain't doing nothing. But really, I have a guest, so..."[break][break]
Her desk was a mess and with her wastebasket not at its usual position, Nox opted to shovel the paper pile and takeout food containers into her drawers for the time being. The fizzy drink can collection stayed, though. Well, at least until she could figure out someplace to put it. Her walls were blank, lacking decorations of any kind. She'd gone and found the stud holes on accident but aside from those vicious marks, the walls remained the bright white they'd been painted before she took up occupancy. In fact, with how empty her shelf was, the only thing outside of the can collection that appeared to have any semblance of a personal touch was her overworked coat stand. Whether it had been bent in the middle to begin with or if it had bent under the weight of her greatcoat and box, she did not know and likely never would. Nox stretched her arms and did up some of the buttons on her shirt. She'd be damned if she was to ever be less than comfortable in her own office but leaving a good impression on a patron of the arts seemed like the right move. Wait, no, she'd be the patron of the arts, in this scenario. Right?[break][break]
"Hello, hello, hello? Send him in already, don't bother him with the sign-in or wait shit, come on, like you all already know who he is, right?" she sighed from inside her office.[break][break]
This Sasayaku had been recommended by a colleague, or underling if being technical, and Nox relished the idea of getting something to put on the walls of her new office. At the very least, it'd be a good way to talk to a non-egghead Elf about what all she'd missed during her stay in the box. Nox warmed up her hands together and eagerly leered at the frosted window of her door, looking out for her guest.
Even as the light of midday cast glinting rays into the offices of Yggdraisl's Centre for Industrial and Scientific Development through panes of colored glass windows. The Elf commissioned for a portrait cut a lazy, near sleepy figure as he silently drifted through the buildings elegantly carved hallways. A receptionist chatted away to Sasayku's left, the woman droned on about the important work being preformed in this particular branch of the CISD. Sasayaku politely nodded and offered the commonplace oh's and ah's at the woman's words enough to make her feel satisfied. In truth Sasayaku didn't care much about science and technology... and even if he did the man doubted this woman would spill the beans on anything top secret.
Earlier Sasayaku had been forced to wait around in a room for his client to be notified he had arrived. After that he had undergone a rather annoying sign in process. This had all happened while a separate receptionist had left to inform the woman Ms. Payton of his presence. "Is she a miss Peyton? Or a doctor Peyton?" Sasa thought to himself as they finally neared the woman's office. The artisan had hoped the frosted window of Peyton's door would give him some kind of hint... but he wasn't so lucky. "This is her office. We hope you enjoy your visit today." The receptionist said before turning and walking back to her desk. Sasayaku could only sigh once he was left alone. He was about to face the hardest part of any commission, the introduction.
Taking a moment to adjust his supplies, an easel, a bag containing various brushes, two jars of water, and a picnic basket that contained many of his other required items such as rolled canvases, mini pastels, and various small jars of paints and pigments. Once he felt everything was in order Sasayaku sharply knocked twice upon the office door and entered into Nox Peyton's office. "Hello miss, please excuse any delay on my part." Sasayaku said as his eyes quickly scanned the entirety of the barren office. Blank walls with tears revealing the studs and a coat rack laden with what seemed the entirety of Pavane's collective gravity were the first features to catch his tired eyes. Next he noticed the collection of drink cans and barren shelves and desks. Either Nox had been in this office a very short amount of time, or the woman had undergone an intense spring cleaning.
Nox herself was a rather striking Elf. She was slim and short, an oddity since Elves were often tall enough that Sasayaku's own height wasn't far removed from most Elf women. Her blue hair and violet eyes stood in stark contrast to her clothing, a professional white shirt and a wild pair of short jeans... Not to mention her boots! What stood out most was the woman's gaze. Nox had an intensity to her features, as if she had been glaring down her office door awaiting his arrival. That gaze was enough to extract a awkward pause from Sasayaku as he entered the office, making him stumble over the remains of his introduction. "Uhh... It's a pleasure to meet you Ms. Peyton. It is truly a honor for this opportunity you are giving me to paint a Inventor such as yourself." he managed after a moment, setting down his supplies upon the office floor.
[attr="class","sexyon"] "I love art. Trashtalking is an art, so is science. I love art, what can I say?"
[attr="class","makeup"]
"May the Goddesses' peace be with you, Brother of Yggdrasil." Nox feigned serenity as she clasped her hands together and closed her eyes in greeting Sasayaku. She dropped the pretenses, asking "Do we still say that? And do that, the hands and eyes thing? I think Elves stopped doing that within the last hundred years, since all my staff look at me weird when I do. I swear, I'm a time capsule for them or something." Nox leapt out of her chair to now properly greet her guest, "Well, in any case... Hi, you! Thanks for coming!"[break][break]
Talk about dressing to impress, Nox perused Sasayaku's earth-tone outfit with a glance. Looks comfortable, she thought. And the scarf? Adorable! The Inventor tapped her fingers to her neck in contemplation.[break][break]
"Please, the pleasure is all mine! My understanding is that the CISD tends to cloister itself up, which is in part why the whole damn building looks utterly sterile. I mean, it's meant to be, but visuals are visuals." Nox giggled as she took a seat on top of her desk and scooted a chair out to her guest.[break][break]
He was carrying with him quite a lot of materials. And here Nox had thought her colleague had merely recommended some simple street artist. The number of inorganic compounds, er, paints as they may be known, he had on him was astounding, for an artist. The fact he opted to not take lead or zinc chromate colours with him definitely earned him points in her book. Ooh, was that antimony trioxide? "I'm glad we were finally able to meet, Goddesses know I've been busy, and I'm sure you have been to so it's a miracle today happened to work for the both of us! So, what all do you need from me for all this?" She swirled a finger in the air at his art materials. Seeing all of them and knowing many of them would be used for her made Nox giddy.
Taken aback by the unexpected greeting from Nox, Sasayaku's upbringing kicked in immediately. The man lowered his own eyes and clasped both his hands over his heart, "And peace be with you also sister." he replied even as Nox dropped the pretenses and went ahead to ask her questions. Sasayaku was less surprised to learn that the woman had been being polite and didn't appear so much to be of deep faith. "It mostly dissipated about forty years ago. Now only the faithful, the old, the clergy... Well and those raised in orphanages really still use the ancestral greeting." Sasayaku answered honestly. The artist pulled a select few items from his supplies as Nox came closer to greet him in a more modern fashion.
Sasayaku could feel the woman's eyes on him as he retrieved a four sectioned collapsible frame, a pastel panel, and a stretch of canvas. He felt nothing overbearing in her gaze, likely she was admiring his clothes. Sasa often received praise on his scarfs or half capes... Enough so that he found it strange that few others dressed in a style close to his own. Standing back to full height the artist looked again at the barren, white room as Nox commented on CISD design. "It certainly seems... bleak." Sasayaku said slowly as he brought his eyes back to meet Nox's own. The woman giggled and hopped onto her desk to sit, she even scooted a chair out for Sasa to sit down before her. With a slight smile Sasayaku took the offered seat without hesitation.
Upon sitting the pairs height suddenly reversed. From her higher perch upon the desk Nox now sat nearly a head taller than Sasayaku, the artist noted that the angle would actual work quite well in the framing of Nox's portrait. Nox expressed a pleased and pleasant truth that prior scheduling between the pair had been a monster to wrestle down. Seemingly out of the blue today had cleared up for both of them enough for their first meeting on this commission. "As you say the Goddesses only know. Must be fate this time around." Sasa replied with a smile as he laid out his supplies on the desk to the left of Nox's thighs. "Mostly I need to know more about you. Than what you wish for the portrait to capture. Honestly this stage is always the hardest part." Sasayaku stated looking up at the woman.
Seemingly every person in Pavane thought themselves special. Lords, ladies, aristocrats, and wealthy merchants had all desire a portrait of power or influence in Sasayaku's prior works. Few people wished for a portrait that truly captured them for who they really were. In the end however Sasayaku had to let Nox decide for herself how she wished to by captured on canvas. "For starters... Would you rather I paint you upon canvas? Or pastel?" he asked indicating both the cloth canvas that could be stretched across a wooden frame, and the white painted pastel panel. "Canvas is more popular for its use in softer strokes and features. Pastel is better for sharper, more defined detailing especial of a subjects face." Sasayaku explained. While he spoke his tired eyes seemed to stir more awake as he took careful note of Nox's face. At their close seating he could easily make out her hairline, the angle of her eyes, and the curvature of her nose and lips.
"I... I would recommend the pastel in your case." he said after a moment in his usual quiet tone.
[attr="class","sexyon"] "I love art. Trashtalking is an art, so is science. I love art, what can I say?"
[attr="class","makeup"]
A large grin lit upon her face. "I'll be damned! Well, that is pertinent information, huh. Forty years? Hmm. It's funny though, that you mention orphanages. I should stop by St. Sarasah's sometime. Maybe bring pastries." she chuckled. Nox clapped her hands to her knees before crossing her legs. "Right, then. So you want to know about me? I'd say I'm flattered but it's a part of the artistic process so that's flattery enough, I think. But, I guess I shouldn't get ahead of myself. You said you recommended pastel? Then that's what I'll ask for, hmhmmhmm." Nox adjusted the clothespin in her hair as she feigned a look of deep thought. It really just came off as a humming smile, however. Sharper and more defined detailing sounded well and good but it was how he'd said it that actually sold her on it.[break][break]
"Well, I guess I can start with some background info? I mean, I got out of the Council Prison some four or five days ago," Nox pretended she didn't know the exact date, down to the millisecond, when her freedom kicked back in, "Was, uh, sprung out by the very same governing body that had put me in there. A hundred years ago. 'Extraordinary circumstances', I'd been told." she snickered. "See, I won't ask you to excuse it but I hope that helps explain why my office still looks so, as you said, bleak, right? Yeah, this ain't how I'll be keeping it so, your assistance in this matter is going to be greatly appreciated. Four or five days with walls like these boxing me in, I had to get something made for me to look at. I don't mean just myself. I just meant that some art would be nice, hehe."[break][break]
Nox's eyes looked up, side-to-side. "Yeah, I dunno, I think I'm sort of an open book.. Don't need to be much more complicated than that. I make statements, I back them up. I would hope for others to do the same in my presence. Yeah." The elf leaned back, eventually laying down on top of her desk.[break][break]
"I probably droned on, huh? I do that. I didn't use to but now, I figure, why the hell not? Still though, I'm not trying to steal your time, promise." With a solid exhale, she propped herself back up, resting her elbows back , still semi-reclined, against the desk. "I mean, anything you want to ask, shoot. I never really thought about that factoring in, you know, in the artistic process but hey, that's why I've got you here, I suppose." Her eyes previously focused on the ceiling, Nox looked at Sasayaku again, curious to see how he worked.
words: ###. tag: Nox Payton notes: Hooked on every utterance
The genuine smile that lit Nox's features as the two conversed did much to ease Sasayaku's own nerves. Every once and a while he was commissioned to paint for person he just might actually enjoy, but most of the time it was for some stuffy lord. So far things were looking up on this job and the artist wouldn't consider the work a chore. At the mention of Sarasah's orphanage a careful observer could catch the perk in Sasayaku's pointed ears. It was a place the man knew well, even if he didn't intend to get into those details at this moment. "The current Headmistresses is a fan of macaroons. I'm sure she would welcome such a gift for the children." Sasayaku replied, Nox was proving to be a far more interesting client than the man would have ever gambled.
Watching as the woman crossed her legs and spoke up a storm, Sasayaku was beginning to catch on to the woman's personality. Or at the very least her public persona. Nox fiddled with her hair pin and smiled a humming tune after taking his suggestion and choosing to base her portrait upon a pastel. Nodding at her words Sasayaku lifted the small pastel free of Nox's desk and intricately traced a symbol upon the bare placard with his fingernail. The ritual took but a few seconds before Sasayaku's Morphology magic took effect. Over a span of heartbeats the piece grew to the size of a standard portrait frame, which Sasayku replaced upon the desk until he would need it later on.
As all this occurred Nox went on to speak about herself as requested. The woman was chatty, but such a trait made up for Sasayaku's own silence. In truth he was grateful that the woman liked to fill the air as that was a skill he himself did not possess. Nox mentioned prison, such a history did not bother Sasayaku. Especially since prison or death by order of Pavane's council would likely be his own fate if his secret activities for the church ever came to light. Instead it was the short gap of time Nox had known freedom, as well as her renewed status that was shocking to learn. It meant that someone important in Pavane believed that Nox herself was of importance... "I can't understand how such an experience would feel. I can however understand why you must hate these walls now though." Sasayaku said rather forthrightly. His intention wasn't to be rude, but the man could not empathize with a situation he had never experienced. What he could do however was hear her words and strive to make her new office meet her needs.
A quick glance around the room had Sasa's gaze return to the collection of drink cans that sat as trophies upon the edge of Nox's desk. Gaze jumping from cans to the blank white wall standing firm on the rooms western face. With a sudden snap of his fingers the blank wall bleed color from every pore within the stone. Red and white danced into a familiar, swirling pattern as the logo of what must be Nox's favorite drink soon overtook the barren wall. In moments the bleak field of white was entirely replaced, and in it's place sat a ruby pattern laced in pale white that resembled frosted ice. Or at least that is how the wall would look to Nox for the remainder of time Sasayaku would spend within her office. Sasa was a passable Morphologist, but his true gift with magic came in his ability to manipulate Sensosomatic energy.
Returning his attention to the woman now laying down upon her desk, Sasayaku found he rather agreed with what she said next. "If only everyone would back up their own words." he half mumbled in agreement. He was uncertain if the woman heard his reply, as he practically whispered the words.
When Nox propped herself up upon her elbows Sasayku offered up a kind smile. "You aren't stealing my time. If you tried I'd simply leave... Talking is good. It. Helps." he said in his odd way. With the woman finally seeming to be at a pause for words, Sasayaku figured this would be the time too ask over the basics. "I think I'm figuring out a lot just by listening to you. So lets get some details first." he began taking a pause to look the woman over again. Her current lounged pose upon the desk felt very natural, but it wouldn't serve as the kind of painting one would hang at a place of business... Such a painting would be more appropriate as a gift between romantic partners.
"Colors, posing, and background. I need to know what you would like for all three. If you don't have a preference I simply paint what I feel would fit you best... but you would have no control in that case." Sasayaku stated. Very few customers commissioned him without some prior ideal for their painting. Color was always chosen. Posture and poses was often discussed, than minor corrections were made to catch a subjects best features. Background was normally the only thing left open to the artist, as many customers never really gave thought to what should be behind them. "A hundred years locked away... I hope you get the most out of your new freedom. That this isn't just another cell." Sasayaku suddenly said rather out of nowhere. The man often stayed focused on business when he could, but all along he had been listening carefully to Nox speak and he truly wished the woman wouldn't have to face an ordeal like that again in her lifetime.
[attr="class","sexyon"] "I love art. Trashtalking is an art, so is science. I love art, what can I say?"
[attr="class","makeup"]
Nox was absolutely thrilled. She'd already gotten her money's worth and the painting had yet to even begin. "Macaroons? Lovely, she's not changed at all, then!" she had laughed to herself. After she'd mentioned her stay in prison, his sincere statement further reassured her that she'd made the right choice.[break][break]
"Ooh, that's quite nice." The elf looked at the colours appearing on the westward wall. Elven magick always ran in slow motion, in Nox's eyes. In this case, it made appreciating it in motion all the more pleasing. "Simply lovely!"[break][break]
Nox sat back up as Sasayaku began to explain the kinds of options available for the painting. "No control, you said? As in, one of the options would leave me with no control, somewhat? And it lets you paint what you feel? Oh, then definitely that one. Hardly any contest. I have to control about everything else in my life so it's nice to kick back when you can." Nox winked and stuck her tongue out a tad. "Who would pick a painter only to not let them paint how they paint? Right? Maybe I'm not well-versed enough in art, but..." she shrugged.[break][break]
The emotion in his words regarding her century in prison caught her off-guard, if only just for a moment. "Well, I plan on it, getting the most out of my freedom indeed. That being said, I've got to be on best behaviour for my parole officer," she giggled, "He's an ass but he really does mean well. Nevertheless, I am making sure to enjoy all the things I couldn't in there out here, including art, and good conversation." Nox clapped her hands together with joy.
Nox expressed that she had knowledge of the headmistress at Sarasah's. This was entirely possible since Elve's lived for a fair enough span of years. Plus Sasayaku had no idea just how long the woman had been in charge at the orphanage, he only knew it was long enough for all the children to have nick named the woman granny. Either way Nox had gained a good deal of respect from Sasayaku in that moment. After all once an orphan, always an orphan.
While Sasayaku enacted his magic upon the western wall, he gauged Nox's reaction carefully. The woman seemed to enjoy the minor spectacle, but it clearly didn't astound her. Nox's appreciation was in kind appreciated, however Sasayaku didn't want his future painting to merely be enjoyed. It was his goal as an artist to forge something his client would come to love to it's core. This little test told Sasayaku that he would need more than simple color and patterns to capture Nox's emotion. Nodding to himself at this revelation, the Elf quick stood from his seat and pulled the rest of his supplies closer to Nox's desk. Sasayaku expertly set up his easel and secured his pastel in place before sitting again with all his items closer to hand.
Pulling forth a simple pencil as he listened to Nox speak, Sasayaku began to lightly sketch upon the blank pastel. Soft lines that could be easily cleared or corrected that would slowly be given shape. Some artists dived straight into applying paint, but Sasayaku preferred to get at least a rough sketch in mind before he began setting down chemicals and powders. "Really? Your comfortable with me painting what I see and feel? You really are more special than most customers Lady Peyton." Sasayaku stated as Nox consented to letting him run while with her portrait. The Ocean haired woman simply shrugged it off with a tongue sticking grin that was well outside the norm of behavior for most Elven Inventors.
Somehow though Sasayaku found that he wasn't surprised to hear Nox say what she did. However important or intelligent as the woman may be, she acted with a level of maturity that Sasayaku would have expected to find in a young elf. Not one older than himself. It was while Nox spoke about her freedom and future that a thought struck Sasayaku. "Is she older than me truly? Forced into prison for a century would mean she lost her youth..." he thought. Could that be what had been calling out to the artist during their conversation? Was this woman before him younger at heart than she was in body? "Well I hope I can provide you with both." he replied as the woman finished speaking, intending to offer whatever skill and conversation he could for the woman.
Even though Nox liked to constantly shift and move as he sketched, Sasayaku easily managed to capture the details of her eyes, cheeks, and smile. The messy swirls of her hair also came with ease for his fingers to map out upon the pastel. All the man need do was add the right color blue, and Nox's hair would be as if an ocean wave upon the sketch... but it was not yet time to color. The curve of Nox's body followed next, with additional detail put upon her exposed legs. In the current sketch Nox was draw in a relaxed manner similar to the way she lounged upon her desk. This drawing was far from a finished project, but it hinted at what could be. Sasayaku turned the easel with his foot enough to show his quick design to his customer.
"We need to figure out a pose for you. Also... Not to sound weird but, do you think you could tell me how old you were when you were sentenced?" Sasayaku asked kinda nervously. He wasn't sure how he would do so yet, but a vision was building for Sasa. If he could he would paint this portrait in a way that captured both who Nox was now... and who she was a century before.
[attr="class","sexyon"] "I love art. Trashtalking is an art, so is science. I love art, what can I say?"
[attr="class","makeup"]
"Ooooh? Lady Payton? I'll have to insist on that sometime, tickles me ear in the right way. You're too kind, hehee. But, really, if I'm more special than most customers, I fear the implications that has for the art-going Elven population. Though, I think art purveyors can be, or have maybe always been, a bit, well," she pantomimed a indecorous motion with her hand to make her facetious point. "It's just, when it comes down to it--you're the artist, like it's as simple as that. If it's about art, I'm leaving it to you cause I know you're gonna be able to make that informed choice. Not a hard concept, more should be able to grasp it, you'd think." Nox eyed him sketching closely. To her, it indicated a healthy amount of dedication to detail juxtaposed with a reasonable amount of self-confidence in the craft. Too much of the latter and perhaps he'd have jumped at using the paints immediately. Not that she found that to be wrong, per se. She just enjoyed seeing steps taken.[break][break]
Nox smiled as he expressed his hope, "You're doing a good job so far, I trust you won't disappear from the occasion. The art was the only thing I knew to expect, the conversation is icing on the cake. Icing for which I hope you won't charge, but honestly, I wouldn't hold it against you if you asked." she pulled a gold coin from her shirt pocket and raised her eyebrows at him whimsically. "Only joking. But seriously, it is nice chatting with you. You really could make a good chunk of change on the side, running some talk like this as you painted." The coin was quickly returned to its pocket.[break][break]
"Wowowow. Are you sure you don't just want me to pay for that?" Nox pointed at the sketch on his easel. Very well detailed, as a sketch no less, and with clean lines that swordcrafters would envy, the drawing impressed the Inventor a good deal. Nox looked at the sketch and then looked at her shorts, and then back at the sketch. "I didn't even notice they were fraying at the ends that badly. I'll be damned." Her ears perked up as he talked about selecting a pose, for which she readied her answer consisting of leaving it up to him, but his question about entering lockup surprised her. "H- Hey, are we not taught anymore not to ask a lady her age? I'm pulling your leg, relax, relax. I ask anything, I answer anything, is how it tends to go. See now, I was twenty. And a day. Twenty and a day years-old." said Nox, resting her head on her hands.
Being called out on his use of the words 'Lady Payton' was enough to make the socially distanced Sasayaku blush. Luckily it was simple for the man to tuck his chin against his chest and momentarily hide his cheeks against the material of his scarf. The need for this lasted only a moment however as Sasayaku was absorbed in the combination of his work, as well as Nox's words. "I agree with you. Yet many people with power in Pavane only wish to be seen one way. Their way." Sasayaku responded as he erased a small line only to redraw it with slightly more curve.
"For many of them it's more important than to be painted by a big name than how the art actually looks. Your not far off with how you describe a lot of them." Sasayaku stated, than mimicked Nox's somewhat rude hand gesture himself to drive home the point. "Not everyone has such straightforward thinking as yourself. Honestly your pretty refreshing." he added as his pencil finished scratching along. From the corner of his eye Sasayaku could see Nox watching him work. It was normal during this kind of work for two people to be caught staring at each other. Oddly enough Sasayaku found this completely standard, even if to a passerby it would be considered strange.
Nox went on to tease him with a gold coin pulled from her blouse. Clearly she was just speaking kindly, but Sasayaku found he disagreed with her in this case. The painter was a far cry from a conversationalist. In fact today he had spoken far more than his average, and still Nox was talking circles around him. It was nice though to be told his words and thoughts were interesting. "If one of us were to be paid for speaking than I think that honor would go to you Lady-... Nox." Sasayaku replied, catching himself before using the honorific of 'lady' a second time around.
A smile peeked out from Sasayaku's features as Nox reacted to his sketch-work. The detail seemed to impress the woman rather highly, leaving Sasayaku feeling proud. "Absolutely not. I can't accept pay for a drawing I would have gladly done for free. That doesn't mean you get a discount on the finished work though." Sasayaku answered. He even went so far as to try his hand at a joke, something he did exceedingly rarely. Nox seemed to immediately perk at the subject of posing, but instead of really answering him the woman explained that she had only been twenty years of age. Twenty and a day. The news made a certain kind of sense... Elves lived for centuries, meaning that at two decades old Nox had practically been a child. Nodding as he processed this information Sasayaku decided it might be better to steer the conversation a different way.
"I noticed earlier the up angle framed your eyes well. Which means..." he said, pausing only long enough to bring his feet up to his chair seat and than stand tall in one fluid motion. "That a down angle should compliment you equally well while showcasing more of your figure." he added once he was balancing effortlessly upon the office chair. This new height put Sasayaku several feet taller than the sitting woman. "Can I ask you to turn away from me... Than look back over your shoulder and just a little upward?" Sasayaku asked, for the first time since entering the office taking a more directive role in the process.
"So what do you do here by the way? I think this is actually my first time being inside an CISD office." Sasayaku questioned as he waited for Nox to take position.
[attr="class","sexyon"] "I love art. Trashtalking is an art, so is science. I love art, what can I say?"
[attr="class","makeup"]
Nox elevated herself back to sitting up straight. Nodding in agreement with Sassayaku's conclusions, she couldn't help but smile again at being called 'refreshing'. Fizzy drink was refreshing, she thought, she considered herself more a hassle than anything but a compliment is a compliment. Sasayaku deflected the bit about being paid to speak, easily, leaving Nox replying, "Careful now, this coin may just end up with your other belongings you keep up this witty streak." she laughed, patting her shirt pocket. "Shame about the discount though," Nox pouted sarcastically in response to his joke.[break][break]
He began speaking, after taking some time in thought seemingly, of angles and framing, both subjects Nox was ecstatic to hear about. As Sasayaku stood up, Nox leaned back a bit until he gave his instructions. "Hm! My figure, eh? I see, I see... Only joking. I quite like that pose, so like this, right?"[break][break]
With a twirl, Nox pulled her legs up onto the desk and, angling herself away from him, shot a look at him from behind her shoulder with an upward tilt. "As for what we do here? Well, between the classified stuff, sometimes I throw together a proof of concept or a gizmo. Decarbonisation is in right now, you know, for steel production. Could help with forging. But that's just sorta there. Contracts, from the Council, are what the CISD crave. I'm more after fizzy drink, personally." said Nox with a wistful bent at the end of her statement.
Nox's words and offer was very appreciated by the young artisan, but in the end Sasayaku was glad to see the gold coin disappear. Unlike many people in Pavane Sasayaku didn't really care for things like money or influence or power. They were an everyday weapon in Pavane's upper society to be sure, but Sasayaku only worried about those kinds of things when he was on mission for his contacts in the church. Instead the most enjoyable things Nox could give Sasayaku for his work was already being offered freely, her genuine thanks and the opportunity for him to perform his craft. "Well I do like to eat though... So money isn't all bad." he thought a moment later.
The playful woman teased Sasayaku momentarily as he spoke about her figure, but Nox revealed that she also enjoyed the pose he had requested of her. With a few simple twists of her body Nox was sitting as instructed and Sasayaku scanned her form while she went into some detail about her work. "Proof of a gizmo sounds like it could be fun." Sasayaku replied as he carefully studied how the rooms light highlighted Nox's facial structure at this new angle, he was so focused he didn't even realize he had blended some of the woman's words together when he spoke. "And decarborization is... when you soften metal with intense heat and gas right?" he asked bending awkwardly to grab his pastel off the easel and pull it up to his chest. Sasayaku braced the work between his thigh and hip at an angle, holding the upper edge steady with one hand as he resumed sketching with renewed fervor.
"Sounds impressive, but I don't really get chemistry like that... I'd rather stick to my paints." Sasayaku continued, metal work had never really been a strong suit of his. Lines upon the pastel were erased and redrawn, changing the angle of Nox's features as well as her overall pose. Before long the sketch matched her current manner of seating. Instead of being placed upon a desk in the portrait, Sasayaku mocked up a image of a rotary office chair. "I... I think I would be afraid to take a contract from the council. You must be pretty brave Nox." Sasayaku said once the woman finished. The council of Pavane was made up of the cities strongest and most ruthless people... the kind a young artist could be beheaded by simply for having a dissenting opinion.
Looking from pastel to Nox and back again, the painter noticed a minor flaw. A single strand of azure hair had shook loose of Nox's bangs to dangle just beside her nose. "Wait..." he muttered just loud enough to still be heard. Balancing upon the chair and pastel in tight cling, Sasayaku bent and reached out his empty hand, fingertips just barely brushing nox's forehead as he slide the single strand off to the side of Nox's face. "Perfect." he stated before quickly resuming his sketch. "Okay. I think we may be ready for the actual paint." he said a moment after, spinning the pastel around for Nox to see the changes and additions.
[attr="class","sexyon"] "I love art. Trashtalking is an art, so is science. I love art, what can I say?"
[attr="class","makeup"]
"It can be." she smiled. Whether he'd combined the two objects into one on purpose or on accident, Nox found it entertaining nonetheless. Her eyes lit up as he described decarbonisation with impressive accuracy. "Hey, hey, you come in here and speak of concepts with better knowledge than my underlings, how can you expect me to not try and tempt you to come work for me?" Nox held her hands together in a pleading fashion to drive the joke home. "You're right, by the way. That's exactly what it is. I think, should our initial tests prove reliable, that we'll be able to craft very efficient conductive steel. Goddesses only know why the Council wanted us to look into that. Oops, I haven't said too much, have I?" she tilted her head and winked very briefly. Nox coughed, her next words returning levity to her speech, "Or perhaps I've not said enough and you're not convinced you should come work for me? Only joking! Only joking, sorta."[break][break]
Nox stretched for just a moment. "It's not strange, feeling unable to grasp the science behind things--chemistry, in the case of decarbonisation. Who is to say to I understand it? Well, that'd be me but the larger point is that science, or discovery, will absolutely try to out-wile you, make you question yourself and what you think you know, all in the pursuit of some breakthrough. Science talks back, no matter how hard I trash it. In all honesty, if I did manage to tempt you away from your paints, I'd be doing the art world a great disservice so it's perhaps best I let you stick to them, hmm?" she giggled.[break][break]
His mention of bravery in relation to the Council contracts piqued her interest. "Me? Brave? You're real kind but I'm not really in a position to say no, even if I wanted to," Nox stifled a laugh, bravery had been the last thing she'd thought to associate with her CISD work nowadays, "Maybe I would've, a hundred years ago. I mean, I guess I did, in a way. But like, they watch me real close now so it's tough. Work is easy, so I guess I ought not like really mind." she shrugged. Before Nox realised, Sasayaku had already turned his easel towards her. "Goddessdamn, you're fast. And good. I mean, we already knew the latter but... Wow. You sure you don't want to fleece me now and make me pay for it unpainted? Cause you could get away with it, I'm telling you. You're a rascal, in the best sense, you." Nox exhaled, impressed. Wowowow, all this already, and then comes the paint?"
words: ###. tag: Nox Payton notes: Finding what works
Sasayaku's brief description seemed to actually impress Nox a fair degree. In truth he only had a minor understanding of decarbonization, and what he knew was solely do to his morphology teacher's strict tutelage. Of course Sasayaku couldn't exactly just say those words aloud. Many Elves studied morphology intently as it was believed to be the superior form of natural magic among many in Pavane. Sasayaku honestly was far less skilled with the magic than he was with Sensosomatic, but his church instructors demanded excellence in everything and Sasayaku had been forced to study. "Honestly other than knowing the theory I wouldn't know much else. You know how St. Sarasah's is... They really pushed education for us." Sasayku said with a nervous laugh and awkward smile. He would have to hope Nox believed him, besides the man had no wish to work in an office all day.
Nox surprised Sasayaku though as she went on to explain how science was, at least how she viewed it in her eyes anyway. The woman spoke as if the scientific path was a great beast to be wrestled. No matter how well one did science could always fool you, there was always something new to learn. In a strange way it sounded close to how Sasayaku viewed the arts. No form of art was perfect... nothing was truly right or wrong. Popularity in style changed every few years and fads waxed and waned. From listening to Nox's explanation it seemed as if science was a beast of the outer world, while art was a beast within. One defined life, the other defined living. Sasayaku had no clue how to voice these thoughts aloud, or perhaps he was simply embarrassed to do so. Either way his lips lifted in a smile and his eyes sparkled just a hint brighter after Nox's words. "I don't know that the art world would thank you or not. I however am thankful to hear you say that." Sasayaku replied, "If you ever wish to experience my world just ask. If you tackle it like you do science perhaps you'll be painting your next piece yourself." he added sincerely.
As the conversation flowed it didn't escape Sasayaku's notice that his comment about Nox being brave hadn't landed as intended. Nox spoke as easily and readily as ever, but she seemed far less enthusiastic about this subject. Than there was her warning that the council watched her closely. Sasayaku didn't truly know this woman's past beyond what she had told him here and now. Perhaps Nox had challenged them and lost... the reason for her hundred year incarceration no doubt. Either way the blue haired woman had lived a challenging life, and here she remained. Sasayaku choose to believe she was brave, even if Nox herself would disagree.
While Nox studied the easel and commented upon his speed and skill, Sasayaku hopped off the chair and resumed the much more comfortable sitting position he had enjoyed before. Bending over in his seat he pulled forth a proliferate number of jarred paints and brushes. Sasayaku examined several paints against the backdrop of light from the offices windows. "Nope no fleecing. I think these colors will work the best for the base layer." he stated, selecting blues, yellows, whites, and blacks that were all a shade darker than what matched Nox herself. "The pastel's white base will lighten the colors as I paint. Than the additional coat will be shaded closer to a perfect match for you. Only the material for your skin has to match at this stage." Sasayaku said tapping a cream colored paint with the handle of a brush.
Once Sasayaku was certain Nox was finished examining the sketch, he turned the easel back his way and began to paint. The elf cut the thick material with water, his strokes carefully applying pressure enough to smooth out bubbles and imperfections. At times Sasayaku went over areas multiple times, sometimes with more paint other times with just water itself. Even with the attention to detail Sasayaku gave each curve and line he still managed to layer the portraits base in only half an hour. Time which passed swiftly with the way Nox enjoyed talking.
[attr="class","sexyon"] "I love art. Trashtalking is an art, so is science. I love art, what can I say?"
[attr="class","makeup"]
Ah, it made sense now. He'd only mentioned it like twice earlier in their conversation. "Of course, of course. St. Sarasah's will do that to a young mind, won't they?" She grinned at his continued sincerity. "Well, if this whole CISD thing burns to the ground, or otherwise fails to work out, I may do just that." she giggled at the idea of trying her hand at painting.[break][break]
Ssayaku had brought out the painting equipment, fascinating the Inventor. Each colour, the measured result of chemical processes with the right pigments, she appreciated seeing in their tidy jars. She nodded, purring approval, as he explained the pastel base's effect on the colours he picked out, as well as the colour he'd picked out for her skin tone. "Oh, the lighting in here is very flattering for my skin, trust me." she joked.[break][break]
Nox, while still maintaining her pose of course, watched Sasayaku work keenly. Oh, the sights and people she'd missed while in the Box. Simple things like seeing brushstrokes of paint gave her joy these days. Whether she enjoyed having such a low threshold for happiness now was not a concern she'd need to grapple with for a while. As he worked on, she mused out loud on existing assumptions made by Elven science that she'd had plenty of time in the box to disprove. Nox hardly had a chance to notice the base he'd gone and completed as she was very much caught up in thinking aloud, "...I read their reports, I mean, I read them after I got out. But I was correct in assuming what they'd said so I was still right, their whole publication was rubbish, honestly."
Living in a dystopian society, seven mystic races are trapped due to their own selfishness. Tensions rise between the races and the different social classes, leading up to the constant struggle for power, with no end in sight.
News
4/11 - With the Ghoul Purge complete, Pavane's fear shifts from the goddesses towards the Council. Check out the aftermath here to get an understanding of the current situation in the plot.
MYSTICAL SOULS belongs to YUMEKUI, DYLZOE AND LUNARIS. This is an original plot created by staff members.. The skin "Midnight Madness" was created by Dorothia. This includes Board Mod, Mini-Profile Mod and such. Thread list was made by Kagney. User Profile mod was made by Pharaoh Leap. Graphics belong to their rightful owner. Plagiarism is not appreciated and will not be tolerated.