words: ###. tag: Nox Payton notes: Can't forget the clip
Sasayaku could only smile and nod at Nox's words. In response to her joke about the CISD burning down the artisan pantomimed lighting a match and tossing it over his shoulder. The humor was swift and unusual for Sasayaku to attempt, bot Nox's mannerisms just dragged it out of him. Sasayku only allowed himself to get so distracted however, he had been brought here for work after all.
The display of paints seemed to draw an almost giddy reaction from Nox. At one point the woman even purred as she examined the jarred pigments. Such a response was more than a little strange, but as Sasayaku had been learning throughout the morning Nox was a strange woman. Still she was friendly and agreeable so Sasayaku let the odd sounds pass without comment. "You say that but... Elves flourish when in the sunlight. Not an office. For your skin to have stayed so clear as it is must mean you stay healthy somehow. Even despite these walls." Sasayaku replied while he worked, even than applying the cream colored paint to the portrait. "It's amazing what you learn about complexion with my job. Demon skin is very unique in that they are at their healthiest when shadows and light wash their skin alternately. Basically meaning sitting in front of a fire for them is like sun bathing for us." he continued as he smoothed out a small bubble that formed upon Nox's left leg in the portrait.
While Sasayaku finished the paintings base layer, often with broad stokes followed by quick slices of detailing. He listened to Nox ramble on about several scientific studies that she had managed to disprove during her incarceration. Sometimes Sasayaku had a reference or idea as to what she spoke of, often more he did not. Nox was a carefree and chatty woman that loved to toss around jokes to be sure. Yet it was becoming painfully clear that this elf woman was nothing short of brilliant. The blue haired girl spewed off textbook methodology and practices from memory faster than Sasayaku guessed he could read from a book. What was more she managed to do much of her work from prison, something that must have made the challenge all the harder. "You could really predict what other scientist were trying to prove and already knew the conclusion? That's nothing short of incredible." Sasayaku stated truthfully as he flicked his wrist with a motion of finality. The man couldn't even begin to imagine what it must be like to live life with intelligence at such a level.
Instead of letting his mind get wrapped up in those thoughts, Sasayaku spun his easel around for Nox to see the completed first layer. "Don't touch... it's wet still." he cautioned, sitting back so Nox could examine to her hearts content. The portrait background which had been blank up until now, was that of a fogged glass window. The green of trees and yellow sunlight shone in the image as a less detailed backdrop that added colors which would otherwise be absent from the portrait's depiction. Before the window sat a splitting image of Nox, her pose only slightly altered so that her feet rested upon the window's sill even as the rest of her was perched upon a black office chair. The window sill also contained a few items, gizmos and fizzy drink cans that Sasayaku had taken inspiration from by casually looking about the office while he had painted.
Nox however was the star of the portrait, her details were sharper, colors finer than anything else. Violet eyes depicted with a fixation, as if the Nox in the portrait was even than working to figure out the meaning of some important project. Her hair fell in tangles like waves of water going over a fall, only slightly dammed in place by a hair clip cleverly half hidden in the design. Nox's coat was finely fitted, to hint at her form. Her legs and boots painted as if a mirror to the woman in life. Only one thing came out as unexpected in the piece, Nox smiled in the portrait... yet her features appeared more sad than happy.
"I love art. Trashtalking is an art, so is science. I love art, what can I say?"
[attr="class","makeup"]
Nox's eyes had gleamed as Sasayaku added his own touch to the joke. She found it less than optimal when she had to work with people lacking a sense of humour. Thankfully, Sasayaku was not such a person, far from it, though maybe he'd prefer you to not think that, Nox wondered. Considering his statement, she observed her forearm, turning it over a few times for full observation. "I guess spending most waking moments outside gulping up fresh air will do that to you." she made a facetiously worried look at her arm and then at him. I didn't know that, though. Our skin and sunlight. I think studies on it were only just beginning when I started my time. Fascinating. Previously, the theory was that only Angels' skin had any kind of specially positive reaction to light. And here I was worried science had made zero progress while I was on 'sabbatical'. I don't know many Demons myself but I imagine in your line of work that you'd get to meet a handful indeed. You know, that, that right there, about Demon skin, is the kind of knowledge the CISD would take ages to find out despite it being as simple as running a month, maximum, study on some demons. Really, the CISD really used to focus so much on Elves and Angels, you'd think Pavane was comprised of us and them alone. You know, I think some are surprised at my lack of surprise when non-scientists or non-Inventors come up with some fantastic idea. If anything, it's just more statistically likely that way. And you make for a lovely supporting statistic to my point! Though, if you have any further breakthroughs or observations, please let me know first, I'd hate to be thrown in prison again because they realise they can just farm ideas from you instead of rely on messy little me." she joked, sticking her tongue out at him.[break][break]
"Well, it was mainly just imagining the logical continuations or conclusions of already open research. You can only imagine how disappointed I was when I got out and found some topics to be far less advanced than I'd projected." Nox rolled her eyes just thinking about her underlings "That's very kind of you to say, though. I wish it weren't so, if you could believe that. Because in a perfect world, so-called Inventors would do such on a regular basis, instead of leaving it up to the freed jailbird to catch everyone up on cell-wall scratchings that will have to serve as their holy texts insofar as they relate to open projects." she sniffed. Sasayaku turning the easel to her was a welcome break in thinking about the failures of the past century of 'science'. "I love it! Goddesses, help keep my heart still! Heh, perhaps I'll dress like this all the time, keep up appearances so as to be consistent with the real beauty here, eh?" Nox beamed at the portrait, managing to keep herself from reaching out to touch the paint.[break][break]
He really was a special talent. Her eyes tracked across every centimetre of the portrait, save for one section. Maybe he noticed, maybe he hadn't. Either way, it was both a testament to his prowess and whatever Nox had yet to unpack out of her psyche. At last her eyes landed on the smile he'd painted for her. Nox tilted her head as she studied it. No kind of study or report could help her explain this. Funny for her to feel the most hurt she'd felt in months, just from looking at herself. Damn, he was good. Partially disguising her emotions, she opened her mouth to speak, "If, if every Elf was as dedicated to their craft and people as you are, maybe things would be better overall, hmhmm..." Nox giggled softly, deflecting all the while.
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words: ###. tag: Nox Payton notes: Eyes that see all in frame
Sasayaku was glad to see that his words had such a positive effect on Nox as he discussed the affect lighting had upon skin. However it seemed as though Sasayaku had confused the woman with his words. There was no scientific evidence that sunlight was good for a Elf's complexion, or if there was such a discovery Sasayaku had never heard about it from any official source. His observation was exactly that... his observation gained through years of painting and studying others. "Well I can't say its a proven fact, just what I've seen. The bit about Demon's I learned from a customer. I believe she was being honest with me... She was very concerned about her own beauty and spent every session we had together in a dark room with several low burning fires." Sasayaku explained as best he could. The last thing Sasayaku wanted was Nox catching trouble because she ran on some words he had said.
"But I'll run anything else I can think of passed you first." he added awkwardly a moment later, completely unsure as to how he could ever keep such a promise.
Nox went on to expand upon how upsetting she found the scientific community upon her release from prison. Not only did advancements in many fields seem to have hit dead ends, but it seemed the woman had correctly guessed the end results from many other studies while she was locked away. Sasayaku couldn't begin to understand such a frustration. Art was always changing, always growing. Instead of requiring some universal truth to be laid bare an artist only had to reveal what was in their own hearts and minds to create new works. This meant that art didn't always improve or progress, but that it was forever in a state of metamorphosis. Science meanwhile could apparently stay static for decades if the right mind didn't unveil some new fact or universal law. If nothing else it made Sasayaku appreciate his own field of study even more.
Her gaze soaked up the easel and it's supported portrait with hungry intensity. Nox joked as she always did, comparing herself to the work. "I'll I did was paint what was before me. Changing your clothes wouldn't change the beauty here any more than it would here." Sasayaku stated simply as he pointed directly at Nox, than to her portrayal. Watching Nox survey his work Sasayaku noticed something strange... Nox was avoiding looking at a part of the painting. With the easel facing away from him he couldn't tell which part the woman was avoiding however. It would have to be the woman's secret until the day she choose to speak of it. Sasayaku could tell however when Nox finally looked at her smile. Nox's head tilted as she saw the sad grin, and though she spoke in a manner meant to disguise her feelings Nox had for the first time since Sasayaku arrived stumbled over her words.
"I'm not so special. I just do the best I can when I can." Sasayaku replied softly, giving Nox whatever time she needed to reform herself. "Besides if every Elf was like me than would there really be a need for me? It sounds a lot like we need more Nox's... At least until science takes a great leap forward." Sasayaku said slowly turning the easel back towards himself. The artisan attempted to discern which part of the portrait Nox had reframed from looking over, but he simply couldn't tell now that the moment had passed. "I would like to draw or paint you again sometime." Sasayaku went on to say. He decided it would be better to leave out his reason being that he wished to see if Nox's smile would turn happy over time.
Capping the lids to his many jars Sasayaku put away the current paints and pulled forth a light batch. Once the portrait was dry, he would apply the final layer. Brightening the color and preserving the work as best he could from the damages of time.
"I love art. Trashtalking is an art, so is science. I love art, what can I say?"
[attr="class","makeup"]
"Proven facts suck, man. No intrigue, just cold truth. I trust your eyes. Maybe I've found a new project. Appreciate ya." she winked. In between musings on the failures of science, Nox touched on the information Sasayaku had shared with her, "Sunlight, eh? I mean, if taking into account the solar illuminance constant, then it wouldn't be a stretch to think that Elven cholecalciferol synthesis would have to..."[break][break]
Awwh, he was so pleasant with the compliments, intentional or not. "If changing clothes wouldn't change the beauty depicted, why chance anything by changing?" joked the Inventor. She'd tried her best to remain subtle. In the box, she'd had no mirror of any sort. On good days, she could maybe see herself in the water they gave her with her day meal. Murky on Mondays through Saturdays, she remembered coining that for her reference early on. Maybe Denji had read her a lot easier than she'd wanted him to. If she wanted him to?[break][break]
"Well, now," Nox cleared her throat, ready to prevent him from totally averting the compliment, "Agree to disagree, I think multiple of you would be peachy! I do, of course, get the line of thought about need, but come on, that's too reductive, too harsh on ya. On the other hand, if some catastrophe were to occur and Pavane were to be saddled with multiples of me. Probably would get a lot done. But, you'd be in grave trouble, my friend. I doubt my selves would give you any peace. I know I wouldn't, I'd need to see to it I win out over my selves. Naturally, and all." Nox raised her eyebrows at him with a dandy grin. "It's a joke, it's a joke! Multiples of me would form an orderly line for you, as that's the proper thing to do, isn't it?" she said, sticking her tongue out while keeping on the grin. The Inventor looked at the portrait again, more than satisfied with it. A fleeting glance as he turned it back around seemed fitting. It's not like she was not to see it again. At least, she was not to see it again until he'd had time to add one more layer and until she herself had time to process it all. Sure, there was the bit about her own smile striking at some as of yet unknown string of emotion but otherwise, it really was marvelous. "Man, you're allowed to come and draw me, or paint me up, anytime you like. Hell, I'll pay you double. Double, really." As if to emphasise her point, she held up her fingers in a 'V' sign at him with a impassioned look. The thought popped in her head, uninvited, how much into Elf society was he? A shame if his doing a work for, at least right now, an Outsider cost him any future opportunities. He's a big boy, he chose to come here and to take the job, she decided, putting the thought to a quick rest. Nox tapped her chin with her fingers, still in mild contemplation form. A certain level of concern did manage to work its way onto her held smile.
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words: ###. tag: Nox Payton notes: Eyes that see all in frame
Listening while Nox spoke was proving to be a thrilling experience for Sasayaku. The Elf was no scientist, but he often found himself wondering philosophical questions and debates. Nox was proving to be a good person to ricochet these questions off of in conversation. The woman was a scientist, a fact finder. Yet she expressed trusting ones eyes and experiences over that of simple data. Given enough time around her Sasayaku believed he could become good friends with the admittedly odd woman. Just than Nox broke into a babble about sunlight reacting to cells within the flesh... It all blew over Sasayaku's head almost instantly.
So he simply smiled and nodded in place of voicing any answers.
The woman eventually moved on to more jokes about her not changing clothes. The words felt a little stiff to Sasayaku, but he couldn't exactly see anything wrong with the statement either. "Well I do always suggest you wear what makes you feel happiest. Maybe you should try a scarf sometime? I rarely get complaints for mine." he replied with his own soft grin. Sasayaku began to wonder if he was reading Nox just a bit incorrectly, as she deflected quite a bit when he commented upon her appearance. Something she was kinda paying him to do as her artist. Still Sasayaku had been nothing but truthful with the woman... Perhaps she was just nervous? That was an emotion Sasayaku could get behind, as crowds and large gatherings really wracked his own nerves.
Before he could say anymore the pair were discussing how Pavane would function if placed with multiplies of themselves. Sasayaku had attempted to deflect himself on this subject, there were several reasons he felt the world didn't need more of him running around... events from his past that he hardly even gave thought to these days. Nox was seemingly having none of it however. The Inventor pushed that Sasayaku clones would be good indeed. In terms of her own duplicitous doubles Nox expressed that Sasayaku would be in trouble, as they would all be vying for him. This statement nearly flew over Sasayaku's head until Nox drove the point home with a joke about standing in line. "You must really love your friends Nox if so many of you would be coming after me." Sasayku said feeling oddly flustered.
As Sasayaku finished laying out his jars for the second layer, he began extracting brushes with softer tips for the work. Nox stated that she would love for him to come by and draw or paint her again. Sasayaku nodded happily at this, he would likely stick to drawing that next meeting so that he could focus sole on detail without the added trial of color. When presented with an impassioned 'V' saluted before him Sasayaku slowly began to chuckle at the mirthful sight Nox presented. "I think you have the wrong idea Nox. If I ask you to draw you, than I'd do it for free. Still sounds good to me, we'll make it a date." he replied stirring his brushes into a second water jar that was still crystal clear.
Testing the portrait with a faint touch of his fingertip Sasayaku found the work sufficiently dry enough to begin his second layering. Lids were quickly popped from jars and brushes his fresh paint with a delicate grace as Sasayaku began his finishing strokes. The artisan worked for several minutes be for glancing at Nox, whom sat with her fingers pressed against her chin clearly in thought. Her smile had underwent a change however... as if some thought weighed heavy on her mind. "Copper for your thoughts? Looks like something isn't sitting right in there." Sasayaku asked flipping his brush around and lightly tapping Nox on the top of her brow with the end of the wooden tip.
"I love art. Trashtalking is an art, so is science. I love art, what can I say?"
[attr="class","makeup"]
Nox had eyed his scarf carefully. Shame it hides the neck though, she thought. For Sasayaku however, it suited him nicely. A very warm look. Welcoming as well, if that wasn't too strange a descriptor. The clone conversation had been very entertaining, especially as Nox got to see a little bit of ruffled Sasayaku. It was only fair, she'd shown off the same side of herself a bit earlier. Poking fun at him proved to come easy to her, egging on the naughty smile that she'd had on for most of the appointment.
"Yes, I suppose so? I suppose I do, hah." she cocked her head inquisitively at him after his comment about love for friends. Nox was not to press the joke further though, she hoped not to distract him too much from his work after all. Sasayaku proved slick yet, managing to dodge an offer for double the pay towards a second appointment. Nox appreciated his honesty but really did wonder if he would ever just accept some extra payment for the incredible amount of effort he was putting into all of this. That being said, she was an ex-convict, maybe such an offer would seem suspicious, she thought to herself as they sat in her spacious CISD corner office.
Nox stirred alive after being tapped by the brush. "Eh? Oh, well, uh. A- A copper for my thoughts? Mmmm, I think my thoughts are worth a good bit more than that, man... An ingot of gold maybe? I'm kidding, I'm kidding, I know it's a saying!" she burst out laughing, having feigned indignation for such a short span of time most would not have believed her to begin with. "Nothing, really. I mean, not nothing. I dunno. I guess I'm just a bit taken aback by how much things have changed. A hundred years is like a small chapter for a lot of people in our city but, well, here we are. Maybe I'd just not paid close attention prior to entering the Box. Eh, nothing to worry about now. Past is the past is the past is the past, I think the saying goes. Awfully long but I like the message." Nox shrugged and examined her fingernails.
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words: ###. tag: Nox Payton notes: Ready to listen
Much like how the daylight streaming in from the window was growing ever more orange with the setting sun, dusk was beginning to set upon the pastel portrait. Sasayaku had discussed many topics with Nox, but in the waning hours several of the conversations had run there course. Sasayaku had been flustered to all ends with the clone topic, but it was little more than playful fun. Also for a time the painter had noticed Nox eyeballing his scarf. He wondered what the woman thought in those moments.
During the ending of speech and stories Sasayaku had remained dedicated to his craft, so that when he stirred Nox from her stupor with his brush the portrait was nearly finished. The inventor of course responded with a mirthful joke. Yet this was another moment in which the words just felt... off. Applying a heavy stroke of yellow to the pastel, Sasayaku nodded along with Nox's words to urge her on to whatever she was about to say next. Swirling his brush in the now discolored mess of the water jar to clean it, when he was done Sasayaku dipped the wet tip into a jar labelled Amethyst. Nox discussed how she was feeling about the passage of time. She avoided making any definitive spectacle about it yet Sasayaku could hear the regret in her voice.
Softly Sasayaku's brush filled in the portraits eyes with renewed splendor, reigniting the vibrant color after the first layer had settled. "I think you added a few extra pasts there." Sasayaku stated as he cleaned his brush again before dipping it into black, which he used to sore up a touch of shadowing in the painting. "I can't speak to losing a hundred years. I can say that we aren't Angels or Demons or Vampires. One hundred years is nearly a third of your life... That must have been something unbelievably hard to go through." Sasayaku replied as he made his final stroke. "If I were you. I think I would seek out the things from a century ago that still exist even if only for comfort, once I did that I would carve out my place in the new world." Sasayaku said setting down his brush for good with his work finished.
"May Charlotte the Calamity shake the roots of our realm. May the chaos spur new wonder and new life. May my sister of Yggdrasil be blessed as she rises from the turmoil of change." Sasayaku chanted than, his utterance an old pray of blessing and good fortune that few Elves like even knew in the modern age. Sasayaku said the words serenely, for he both meant them and believed them. With that Sasayaku once again turned his easel around for Nox to see the final product of his work.
"All I can say is there's a whole world outside the box... Also outside this office." Sasayaku said as he carefully began cleaning up his many supplies and placing them back into his basket. The artisan truly hoped that Nox would trade one 'box' for another by burying herself in work. Once all of his belongings were put away and aside Sasayaku returned to the blue haired woman's side.
"I love art. Trashtalking is an art, so is science. I love art, what can I say?"
[attr="class","makeup"]
The Inventor clasped her hands together. Everything he'd said made sense. Easier said than done, of course, but she didn't think Sasayaku was unaware of that fact. Nox fiddled with the calluses on her palms while looking away from him."I think I may do just that. I probably had something of an address book back then. I always hated writing things down back then. But since then, it's become more vital for me than conversation, seemingly." said Nox.[break][break]
That prayer, the prayer she'd heard for the first time when they arrested her. The Council had brought an Elven clergy member along, to keep up appearances. If Nox wasn't so many years removed from that, maybe she would have had some kind of negative reaction to hearing it again. Instead, she lowered her head, engaging in the prayer with him.[break][break]
Hearing the brush being set down caused her to blink, before she realised. It made sense of course, he was going to have to leave eventually. Nox looked at the setting sun, which reminded her of just how much time had managed to pass. Before she could start to stand up, he turned the easel around, displaying the completed work. Simply stunning. Without taking her eyes off of it, Nox produced a pouch of gold coins, stuffed with a little more than the pre-arranged amount, and tossed it to Sasayaku. "Hm, I'm biased but I think I can make a scientific prediction that one day, you'll be Pavane's most prominent artist." A certain self-assured gravity attached itself to her grin this time around. "Really superb work. It's got me looking forward to this so-called 'world' outside of here. I mean, with your eyes, I can't really doubt what you tell me about the 'great outside', can I?" she joked, " I cannot thank or praise you enough, it seems, hehe." Nox crossed her arms and let out a satisfied breath. Sliding over her desk, knocking some miscellaneous items over the in the process of doing so, the Inventor nestled herself back into her chair. "I'm sure your work has had you meet with some impressive people already but trust me when I say, your skills will bring you some spectacular clientele. But you don't need me to tell you that." she smiled. "I shouldn't keep you too long, I know your schedule is as busy as mine after all."
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words: ###. tag: Nox Payton notes: No need to count
Sasayaku watched in silent surprise as Nox clasped hands and fiddle her fingernails against her palms as he spoke. More than just her fidgeting it was the coy way the woman seemed to refuse to meet his gaze in that quick moment that caught the painter so unexpectedly. All day long the inventor had been quick to laugh and forward of character, even in the few moments Sasayaku had seen a sadness hidden beneath the surface. Instead of drawing attention to Nox's reaction however Sasayaku simply sat by in silence support. Eventually Nox did speak, seemingly taking his advise to heart. "Well if you ever want help in running down a place or person I'd be happy to help." he replied calmly.
When the inventor bowed her head and joined him in his prayer it warmed Sasayaku's heart. Not every Elf held a high regard for faith these days, but it had always given him comfort in trying times. Sasayaku didn't really know where Nox fell on the scale of religious belief, but whether it was the familiarity of his words or something else the painter was glad it seemed to shed a brief moment of comfort to the woman.
Nox produced a bag of coins as she examined the finished portrait, which Sasayaku casually placed inside his carrying basket without much thought. Counting in the woman's office would be rude. Plus Sasayaku felt that he could trust Nox, she was a odd person to be sure... but no more so than Sasayaku himself. "Well I do hope to get my name out there a little more. Not sure I would want that level of fame though, it would make walking the street a real trial." Sasayaku said with a light chuckle at Nox's kind words. "You don't have to thank me. As you said earlier, why higher a painter if he isn't allowed to paint? I did no more than what you asked me too." Sasayaku replied as the woman slide along her desk to drop skewed into her chair. Sasayaku managed to catch a empty can of fizzy drink that toppled and rolled toward him during the effort.
Setting the caught can down upon the desk, Sasayaku lifted the portrait free of his easel and carefully placed it against one of the offices empty walls. Nox or her employees would have to hang the piece later on. Once he was done Sasayaku went about collapsing his easel for travel as the woman spoke. "Meeting interesting people only happens on the good days." Sasayaku replied as he expertly broke down the easel to a size small enough to tuck under one arm. "Today was a good day." he added with a grin as Sasayku bent to pick his basket off the floor. "Busy or not I will be back to sketch you again Lady Payton." Sasayaku said walking towards the frosted glass door. Sasayaku stopped after opening the exit to look back at the woman. "Also... You can reach out for more than just business you know. I'd be happy to make the time." Sasayaku said in his soft manner.
"Charlotte's moon protect your night my sister." Sasayaku added in traditional night time goodbye as he closed the door behind him and set off for his home. He would see the woman again, when that would be however was up to Nox he thought as Sasayaku waved goodbye to the recepitonist on his way out CISD's front door.
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.