Just Taking a Look

[Aaliyah nó Eglantine]

I put on my best dress, so as to not stand out, and made my way toward the La Confrerie Artistique. I could not afford to purchase anything, but I loved looking at the paintings there. I always worried that they would tell me to leave, a lowly adept, but so far my luck stayed.

I walked into the shop, a instant smile coming to my face as I looked around. I started to walk through the gallery looking at paintings. I took my time, studying each one for style but also enjoying them for what they were.

[Mathieu L'Envers de Montegue]

The Hall of Games seemed a bit boring for this day and I had no desire to spend time in one crowded watering hole or another. Indeed I sought a bit of solitude which at times can be hard to come by in the City. So wearing casual attire I had made my way to La Confrérie Artistique. It is not like I am really a patron of the arts but I figured the place would offer some quiet solitude. Ducking in the door the blessed silence descended as the prtal closed and I let out a rather pleased sigh.

[Aaliyah nó Eglantine]

I was about to go around a corner when I thought I heard a sigh. I peaked around to see a rather striking man who looked to be my age. I was not one to bother people so I flashed a smile his way, in case he was paying attention and then snuck around the corner to see what there was.

[Mathieu L'Envers de Montegue]

I heard something and looked in that direction noting a woman near my age. She gave me a smile and then went around the corner. Not really being familiar with the establishment I trailed in that direction taking in some of the sights. I was no art connoisseur but I did my best to fake it as the atmosphere in here was relaxing.

[Aaliyah nó Eglantine]

I looked around the section of the gallery I was at and saw a bunch of portraits. Painting people was my specialty so I started to study them. I did not forget about the man and I wondered if he had saw me as I checked out the paintings at hand. I also wondered if my paintings would ever end up ina gallery. It would be pretty neat to see my own stuff in here.

[Mathieu L'Envers de Montegue]

I saw the woman looking over the various portraits. I remained silent and moved closer looking over the items as well. I did not say anything leaving her to her own devices. It was really rather amazing the way some could make such a good semblance of life with just a brush and paint.

[Aaliyah nó Eglantine]

I noticed that they had a new one by one of my favorite local artists so I stopped to take a look over it. He always hid some strange little bit in his paintings. A ear that at a closer look was actually a face and similar such things. I started to look into this new painting to see if I could see the little play he put into it. Sometimes they were hard to find.

[Mathieu L'Envers de Montegue]

Something about a painting in particular had captured the young woman’s attention. Despite myself it got me curious and I moved a bit closer to her to look at the painting she had chosen and try and figure out what had her so interested. While I did this I did my best not to crowd.

[Aaliyah nó Eglantine]

I noticed the man I had seen walk into the gallery stand next to me and look at the painting. I smiled at him and asked, though in a slightly hushed voice so I would not disturb others, "Do you like Rene's paintings too?"

[Mathieu L'Envers de Montegue]

I smiled a bit at her and glanced at her with my purple eyes before responding in like tones “No idea who he is or what he is about. I was just trying to figure out what had captured your curiosity so intensely.”

[Aaliyah nó Eglantine]

A little glint showed in my eye when he mentioned trying to figure out the painting. I loved art and I loved talking about it. Though I usually tried to keep myself in check enough to not bore anyone.

"Well," I said trying to add a note of suspense to my voice, "he likes to hide little pictures in his paintings." I pointed over toward a portrait next to the new one. "You see the necklace the lady is wearing?" The lady in the picture was wearing a pendent that at a glance would look like a smooth orb. "If you look closely at the shadows you can see a snake wrapped around the side of the charm."

[Mathieu L'Envers de Montegue]

I looked where she indicated and indeed it was true. That put a bit of a smile on my face as I found it amusing in a quaint sort of way. “Ah I see, that is kind of amusing. Though I would imagine he could get really risqué with the sort of paintings within paintings he hid if he really wished to set tongues to wagging.” I leaned back and shrugged still grinning. It was just my puckish nature to imagine an artist hiding naughty pictures within pictures and the thought amused me considering how some of the snobs might be going on and on about such a work without realizing they were viewing light pornography.

[Aaliyah nó Eglantine]

I smiled and blushed ever so slightly when he mentioned the risque' painting. "That is quite true, though as far as I know he has never done anything to that nature. I like to think that the little hidden images mean something, though to be honest I don't know if they really do." I looked toward the painting and with a note of mystery in my voice I said, "maybe the lady in the painting angered him and that is why he gave her the snake. She could be a venomous old sort."

[Mathieu L'Envers de Montegue]

I rolled my shoulders “perhaps, though I like to think my idea is a bit more amusing.” I grinned “Mayhap I missed my calling and should have been an artsy type myself” I added in pure jest. Then looking back I added “By the by I am Mathieu L'Envers de Montegue.”

[Aaliyah nó Eglantine]

I laughed a little at Mathieu's joke, though part of me thought anyone with a mind too it could be an artist. You just have to find which kind of art you wanted to create.

"It is a pleasure ot meet you," I said, "my name is Aaliyah no' Eglantine. I can say that art has been my calling for as long as I can remember. Though unlike some of my commrads, my skills are pretty singular. Don't ask me to sing and my dancing skills are only so-so."

[Mathieu L'Envers de Montegue]

Ah an Eglantine I should have known but I had not initially figured her for an adept. Her words of course turned my thoughts toward more lewd talents but my mind just naturally tends to drift in such directions and I was doing my best to be on good behavior though I almost inevitably failed in such endeavors. “Oh? So just what might your talent be?” I was more than a little bit curious and the way she said it made my mind wander despite my best efforts.

[Aaliyah nó Eglantine]

"I am a painter," I told him quite happily. I really was a little bit to obsessed with my art sometimes. "I specialize in portraits though occasionally I am commisioned for other peices."

[Mathieu L'Envers de Montegue]

"Ah" I inclined my head at her "you meant that you focus on one simple discipline and not that you have a talent that is unusual. I misunderstood you at first you had my walnut sized brain wandering a bit in lewd directions."

[Aaliyah nó Eglantine]

I blushed ever so slightly, but smiled. "I guess one's thoughts might do so when they are talking to an adept." While I was modest enough I was not very shy. "I have had the pleasure of some interesting paintings. While most wouldn't hang them in their family rooms, not everyone wants something as formal as Ms. Viper's painting here." I said motioning toward the painting we had been standing in front of ever so slightly.

I did not know if painting luid pictures was high on anyone's fantasy list, but it was about the best I could offer. Most of my bed room skills were that of most of other trained adepts.

[Mathieu L'Envers de Montegue]

I chuckled a bit "I see but I shall do my level best not to cater to the lowest denominator. Though I fear it is often the nature of the beast when it comes to me. I must confess though that your House strikes me as passing odd when it comes to scintillation. I reckon it all depends on what others find erotic." Having said that I moved on to the next painting. This was not my usual sort of afternoon but it served as a suitable distraction as it were "What can you tell me about this one?"

[Aaliyah nó Eglantine]

Eglantine was rare, it offered quite a bit more than just bedroom games. Sometimes dancers were contracted just to dance and more times than not I just painted. It was nice though being able to share another talent when it was wanted.

We were still by the gallery of the same painter, though at his last painting. It was one I had eyed many times before, a slightly unusual one in that it obviously depicted his skill. It was a scenery instead of a portrait, one of waves that turned into a heard of horses. I had decided that if I ever came into a large sum of money then I would buy this painting no matter what the cost. Though I was not expecting a large sum of money to ever come my way.

"It is by the same painter as the previous," I said, my admiration for the painting in my voice. "He painted this one simply because he wanted too, or so I suspect. I think it is gorgeous."

[Mathieu L'Envers de Montegue]

I looked over the work she indicated though by no means was as taken as she was. It was a clever things though blending one theme into another and for that I had to offer some bit of respect. I inclined my head and smiled a bit "So I see. I would guess though that, that is why one would paint any painting. I fear too often the more snobby try and read much more into something like painting than simply just a desire to paint. Of course they probably tend to do that just to try and feel superior." And that is very irritating to those of us who are superior I mentally added to myself.

[Aaliyah nó Eglantine]

I looked at the painting, and cocked my head slightly. "I guess there are some who critic art though they have no idea what they are talking about just to show off." I then looked at him and smiled, "I think it can be kind of interesting though, trying to figure out what a painting is for. Purhaps it is just a pretty face, or purhaps its a man panting a lover, one he can not have except in portrait beside his bed."

Granted this particular painting probably had nothing to do with lovers since it was not even a portrait, but at times my imagination runs away with me and I could not help myself.

[Mathieu L'Envers de Montegue]

I chuckled deeply "At this moment I would say I am one of the camp who happens to be viewing art while having no knowledge at all about it. And we have alraedy been over the whole area of my lewd thoughts though not in great detail."

[Aaliyah nó Eglantine]

I smiled, mostly at his laugh. I could not help myself, I like people who are in a good mood in general.

"Are you here to learn about art or are you hoping to explore some of your lewd thoughts?"

[Mathieu L'Envers de Montegue]

I felt my lips curl in a bit more of a smile and answered "yes." I then let a pause linger before adding in more serious tones "To be honest I just entered in order to manage a bit of quiet time. Then I saw you and tailed along in a more or less mindless state. At the end of the day most men are pretty simple creatures really."

[Aaliyah nó Eglantine]

I giggled a little at his point about men. "I guess a lot of them are," I said with a smile. "The gallery is quiet enough," I said and then added, "I hope that so far you are enjoying your trip here."

[Mathieu L'Envers de Montegue]

I inclined my head to her and gave a smile while looking up through my lashes "So far so good and I am enjoying chatting with someone who is more educated on the subject matter than myself."

[Aaliyah nó Eglantine]

My smile broadened with Mathieu's comment. I was glad that I was not boring him. I sometimes feared that I did so.

"Thank you," I told him, "if there is any painting in here that grabs your interest let me know. I don't know everything about every one of them, but I do sneak in here a lot and know a few things."

[Mathieu L'Envers de Montegue]

Well being the pig that I am and an unashamed one at that I simply could not let such an opportunity pass. If for no other reason than I suspected I was well on my way to anoying my shrew of a sibbling once more. It is a simple pleasure in life but one takes such pleasures where they can. The fact that it involved a comely adept was only a bit of icing on the cake.

Such thoughts made my purple eyes sparkle with mirth as I slide closer to her and let my arm slide around her lower back and my fingers lightly hook against her hip. I looked down at her and offered my best smile “Well, why don’t you show me around? I am sure you can manage to educate me more than a little bit.”