[PrP] Who knew it was so fun? (Lady Isabelle & James)

[Random Nobody 13]

Anguis Lingua

Lady Isabelle was on a high that only came after successfully completing another beautiful jewelry design. She ever so carefully filed the design with her others and swiveled around at her desk. Her normally pale complexion was rosy with happiness and her normally glossy hair appeared darker and richer. She leapt from her desk and practically skipped from her room. The only thing that would make her happier is if she could find someone to make the gorgeous jewelry she could make. Occasionally she found a blacksmith with enough skill, but they never wanted to complete more than one or two pieces for her.

 

[Anguis Lingua]

Random Nobody 13

"OI! W'ere'd you go ya li'l bugger?!" James scowled as he got down on hands and knees, peering under the sculpture he was working on. "I know I 'eard you roll 'bout here, bloody b*****d. W'en I find you, I'm gonna-... ah, 'ere you are!"

Grinning, the vampire reached under and swept out the bronze bolt that had rolled off his workbench. "'at's roight, gotta get up earlier 'an 'at to get th' best o' James MacKavoy!" Chuckling, he stood up and tossed the bolt into a small pile of other bolts. "Bloody li'l bastards, always rollin' 'round th' place."

James sat down on his stool and wiped a hand across his forehead. He'd been working since the sun had gone down nonstop, and despite being a vampire, he needed a break. Leaning back against the workbench, he smiled as he admired the piece before him.

Already standing almost seven feet, it was little more than a skeletal mix of beams and wooden support struts. By the time he was finished with it, it would be an impressive statue of the commissioner, ready for his private garden.

"Soddin' arrogant bloke," he muttered, spinning around to look at the schematics. "'e talks down t' me again, I'ma wrap a bloody pipe 'round 'is neck." His eyes drifted up to the spools of wire hanging on the wall and grinned, fangs gleaming in the light of the studio.

"Heh, or maybe I'll just 'ang the blaggard up by 'is feet." Picking up a pile of scrap pieces, he turned around and started flicking them at the half-finished statue, the pinging of metal bouncing off filling the air.  

[Random Nobody 13]

Anguis Lingua

Click, click, click. The tapping of Isabelle's heels against the wooden floor echoed through the halls, only to be overwhelmed by the louder ping of metal against metal. Ears perked up in curiosity, Lady Isabelle quickened her pace towards the source. Dress swishing about her ankles, her tail wrapped itself around her ankles as she passed by several closed doors. 'Whatever could that be?' she wondered. Eyes sparkling and ears perked forward to better catch the noise, the crimson orbs darted from wall to wall seeking the open door the sound was coming from.

It wasn't long before she came across the open doorway. Tail flicking rapidly back and forth, she peered into the room. Her gaze was immediately captured by the large, obviously not complete metal and wood sculpture in the middle of the room. "Ooooooh," the sound full of awe. She couldn't help but wonder what the completed structure would look like.

 

[Anguis Lingua]

Random Nobody 13

The vampire drae's ears perked up, his hand stopped in mid-flick at the faint sound from the other side of his studio. "Eh?" James slide to his feet with a liquid smooth grace that belied the oil and dirt-smeared sculptor. Picking up a bent piece of iron bar, he began to thread his way through the labyrinthine maze of his workshop towards the door.

"Bloody 'ell, 'at better not be you, Charles! I told ya I'd turn ye into a bloody paste, I catch you snoopin' 'round me workshop again!" He burst around the corner, pipe held high, and froze in mid-stride. He'd been expecting a rival sculptor to be standing there, not a well-dressed Toreadoran lady in a crimson dress.

"Wot th'-" James remembered the elocution lessons that his friend d'Tistica had been teaching him, "Er, I mean, pardon me, ma'am." He tossed the bar onto a nearby table, causing a small avalanche of metal scrap. "Didn' mean to come at you with th' bar, thought you were O'Keefe. Bloody ba-, er, he's been tryin' to steal me designs lately."

His speech wasn't perfect, but it was clear he was trying at least. He doffed his hat and held it against his chest as he gave the female a half-bow. "James MacKavoy, ma'am, sculptor, jewelry-maker, and all-'round metal worker. What might I do fer you?"  

[Random Nobody 13]

Anguis Lingua

With a speed that belied her normally carefree attitude, Isabelle had slipped her dagger into her palm, though her body posture remained relatively relaxed. As the male draekat realized she wasn't who she thought she was, the dagger slid back into it's holster up her sleeve. "Oh, I do apologize for so rudely barging in! It's no wonder that you thought I might have been a rival!" she gushed.

With a swift curtsy, Isabelle introduced herself. "Lady Isabelle Rosewood Amante, jewelry designer extraordinaire. I was quite interested in this piece you were designing. I can tell it's half built bu-Wait." The other half of what James had said registered beyond her initial awe at the piece. "Jewelry maker?" her ears perked up. Taking several large steps forward she grabbed the drae's hands and gazed earnestly into his eyes. "That would be perfect! I am in desperate need of someone with the expertise it would require to create my designs!" she paused for a moment to take a breath and wait for his answer.

 

[Anguis Lingua]

Random Nobody 13

A smile twitched across Jame's lips. He'd heard the faint whisper of steel against leather, rather hard to miss with a draekat's ears and vampiric hearing. "Er, no' a problem, miz Isabelle. T' be honest, not all tha' used t' havin' someone visit, 'ceptin' Sasha, but I ain' seen him 'round lately. Think he's doin' one o' his wanderin' th' countryside an' paintin' adventures."

He started to turn around, then was startled as the well-dressed woman grabbed his hand and explained her situation. "Wot th-?" James scratched his head before setting his battered hat back on his head. "Er, well miss, I ain' gonna lie and say I'm some fancy-schmancy maker, but I think I'm decent 'nough." It was clear he'd already forgotten whatever enunciation lessons he'd been taught, and and slipped back into the more comfortable speech of his origins.

James picked his way back towards his workbench, pushing several half-finished pieces out of the way so Lady Isabelle could get through without her dress being destroyed. "So, iff'n ya don' mind me askin', what kin' o' jewelry ye do, Miz Isabelle? And-... ah, 'ere it is."

The draekat picked up a thick book and blew across the surface, coughing at the small cloud of dust it kicked up. "Bloody 'ell, been a while since I cracked 'is bugger open." The book was nearly six inches thick, and shook the workbench as he slammed it down on the nearest clean surface. "This 'ere's me book o' works. Mostly jus' drawin's and sketch-types, but Sasha's done painted in some o' me finished pieces." He stepped back so Lady Isabelle could go through it.  

[Random Nobody 13]

Anguis Lingua

Gazing up into the drae's eyes, Isabelle couldn't help but to subtly use her discipline of choice, Presence. Awe would help her to be more attractive to the male and hopefully making him more inclined to help her. After all, what male could resist a pretty woman in need of some assistance? Following James through his workshop, she paid close attention to the half-built pieces scattered about. One misstep and her dress would acquire many rips and tears that would be absolutely horrid to repair.

"Mainly I work on pieces meant for those in high society, though occasionally I find myself interested in something those in less fortunate classes desire. As a result, many of my pieces are quite elegant and fine, needing someone who is a near master in their craft to create. Occasionally I myself can make the piece," she gestured to the jewelry adorning her neck and hand. The designs appeared simple, but were complex and interwoven with small glittering jewels. "Those, of course, I keep for myself," her smile was radiant.

Far enough back that the dust did not disturb her, Isabelle moved closer to peer at the pages in the book. "Oh my, I see you do sculpture of all size. Have you done jewelry before? If so, I'd love to see the finished works." Slowly leafing through the book, she was impressed both by the amount of work he had completed and the beautiful renditions of finished pieces that had been done by another's hand. "These paintings are rather good; who did you say had done them?" she queried.

 

[Anguis Lingua]

Random Nobody 13

James felt the scales on the back of his neck itch, which usually meant someone was trying to pull a fast one on him, or in a vampire's case, probably trying to use a discipline without him knowing. He feigned scratching his neck to smooth the itch. She probably was using something on him, but, she appreciated the work one put into making fine, intricate jewelry, so letting her use a little Presence wouldn't hurt anyone, if that's what it was.

The vampire drae chuckled as he looked through the pages with her, refreshing his memory on each piece created since his turning, and silently thankful for the near perfect memory being a vampire granted. "Oi, I 'member 'at piece. Did 'at one fer a lovely lady 'ho lived 'bout three weeks from 'ere. Bloody b*****d o' a child took 'er belongin's, so I crafted 'at while gettin' pissed in th' tavern." He grinned at the memory. "'course, 'at was 'fore learnin' it's hard t' get drunk as a vampire. Musta drank half th' bloody place dry 'fore I finished that piece. Thought she'd drown the city wit' 'ow much she cried in thanks."

When Isabelle gestured to the jewelry, MacKavoy reached out and took her hand into his, not even thinking about the breach of etiquette as he inspected the ring with a critical eye. "Hmm... I gotta say, Miz' Isabelle, 'is is mighty fine work. You made 'is?" He looked up as he let go of her hand. "'at knot 'ere, 'at's bloody 'ard to make properly, even fer me. Ye did fine work there, mi'lady."

As they went back to leafing through the pages, he pointed out various pieces, especially the more complex ones, ranging from being made from pure, hair-thin silver wire to intricately laid sets of armor. "As ye can see, mi'lady, I've done a fair bit o' jewelry makin'. Problem is, people fin' out yer born an' raised from th' docks, 'ey don' wan' no dirty common 'thief' in 'eir house. Bloody bastards. I don' get t' work on it nearly as much as I'd like." As she pointed at one of the paintings, he smiled. "Ah, 'at's Sasha's work. 'e was embraced last year, I think it was. Bit traumatic fer th' bloke, but he adapted. Came from an arty fam'ly. Makes 'is own paints, an' even busted up one o' them annoyin' druids a while back."