Leighton Shahrizai
Aristocrat
Lady of House Shahrizai *Voted Member of Best Overall Thread 2010*
Born of Fire
Posts: 183
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Post by Leighton Shahrizai on Jun 21, 2010 14:17:46 GMT -5
My life hung in a precarious balance. Gilded scales tipped to and fro, both in favor and out of favor of what I wanted, with no way to tell which would win when they finally settled. I fretted, I stressed, I fought tooth and nail for what it was that I wanted, what it was that was mine by right. I had to leave for the evening, to escape and have a few hours to myself to gather myself and put my mind back together again. It was cold, but warmer than it had been lately, and there was more people out and about than there had been of late. Skirts of an emerald-green swished as I walked, my face smooth, but a fur-lined hood of charcoal-grey was drawn up, wisps of sunnied locks escaping and fluttering about my face.
There had to be some way to get rid of her. If it wasn't for her babe, I'd see to something myself, but.. something.. inside of me stopped me from separating them. A babe shouldn't have to grow up without a mother, and for as much as it pained me, I couldn't even contemplate ridding myself and Raen of her if it didn't secure the babes future in the bargain. A fine mess, thanks to my Grandfather.
Catching my lower lip, I paused near the steps of a nameless establishment, looking to the road in thought. People moved about me, and after a moment I sighed and looked to and fro, not sure where to go from here; all I knew is I wasn't ready to go home yet.
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Post by Aristide de Crier (I) on Jun 21, 2010 14:33:03 GMT -5
My thin coat was not warm, but thanks to the brandy and the whiskey and whatever else I had consumed today I felt just fine, thank you for asking. Still, my hands were cold, and I rubbed them together lightly as I looked up and down the street.
I blew into my palms as my eyes fell on a woman. Her clothes and her bearings screamed rich, which was a valued quality in my eyes. Being habitually poor, I was forced to depend on the kindness of strangers.
I patted my hair down with my hands into some semblance of order, checked my breath, and fixed a smile upon my face. Then I took a few steps, bumping into the rich-looking woman in the green. I looked down at her, meeting her eyes with mine. Most found the blue irresistible. "Oh, dear, please excuse me. Sometimes I am so caught up in my dreams I scarcely can tell where I am." I smiled crookedly, letting the charm ooze from my pores.
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Leighton Shahrizai
Aristocrat
Lady of House Shahrizai *Voted Member of Best Overall Thread 2010*
Born of Fire
Posts: 183
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Post by Leighton Shahrizai on Jun 21, 2010 14:52:44 GMT -5
I'd not yet made my mind up when of a sudden someone stumbled into me, causing me to gasp and nearly lose my footing out of surprise. My hand shot out, catching upon a light pole, and as I straightened again, I glared at him, not dissembling as he raised his eyes to mine.
They were beautiful, but I was too irritated tonight to be drawn in by something like that alone. My frown deepened, and I habitually checked my body for the purse of coins that I kept hidden, making sure I hadn't been pick-pocketed.
"Mayhap you should go home to do your dreaming," I said dryly, settling my skirts again, smoothing them out over my hips. "Or at least look where you're walking, lest you run some poor old woman over with your reckless ambling."
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Post by Aristide de Crier (I) on Jun 21, 2010 14:58:22 GMT -5
"I can not go home," I said, unfazed by her demeanor. "Not while I am still looking for inspiration." I turned my pockets inside out. "No worries, love, I did not steal from you. What I seek cannot be found in monetary gain." A lie, of course. Wine always cost coin.
"And you are no old woman, as I can now plainly see." I looked at her, one eyebrow raised. "Have I seen you at the playhouse? Are you an actress? You look somewhat familiar." I smiled, as if stricken by her beauty. "A face like yours is not soon forgotten."
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Leighton Shahrizai
Aristocrat
Lady of House Shahrizai *Voted Member of Best Overall Thread 2010*
Born of Fire
Posts: 183
|
Post by Leighton Shahrizai on Jun 21, 2010 19:01:24 GMT -5
Elua, he was laying it on a bit thick. I looked at him in silence for a moment, letting my eyes go over his face, down his frame, across his chest, down to his hips and thighs before bringing them back to his own gaze once more. "Do I?" I murmured, already having made my mind up on him. I stepped closer, closing the distance between us substantially as I pushed back the hood of my cloak.
"I take it you're an artist," I said, putting a little smile on my face, " and not some poor playwrite who is looking for a handout. I have no respect for that, but artists.. there's something appealing there."
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Post by Aristide de Crier (I) on Jun 21, 2010 19:20:29 GMT -5
I tried not to squirm as she looked me over. Elua's balls, but this woman was cold. "I am drawn to beauty such as you possess. It is a gift and a curse."
I resisted the urge to step back as she approached, somewhat uncomfortable that she had figured me out so quickly. "A playwright is an artist," I said, still smiling. "My family in Eisande has plenty of wealth, but I found that money and expensive trappings were a distraction from real, genuine beauty--the kind you find on a street corner, perhaps, or whilst looking up at the night sky." I shrugged gently. "You may find it unbelievable, but it is the truth." I raised my hand in a solemn promise. "On my honor as a scholar and a gentleman."
I looked her over much as she did to me, my eyes traveling over the curves of her body, the swell of her breasts. "What do you find appealing about artists, my dear? What interest can someone like me hold for someone as gorgeous as yourself?"
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Leighton Shahrizai
Aristocrat
Lady of House Shahrizai *Voted Member of Best Overall Thread 2010*
Born of Fire
Posts: 183
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Post by Leighton Shahrizai on Jun 21, 2010 19:42:27 GMT -5
I swallowed a tsking when he corrected me on whether a playwrite was an artist; that wasn't what I was getting at at all, but either he was more cunning than I gave him credit for, or he really just wanted to bandy simple words.
He seemed too.. slippery for me, though it wasn't the easiest for me to trust others.. something nailed into me and honed to a fine point by my Grandfather.
"You are a playwrite, then?" I asked, surprised to hear it, though from the lack of paint upon his clothes I supposed I shouldn't have been. Reaching, I took his hand in my own and ran the tips of my finger over his, looking for smudging of ink for one, and two, trying to keep him unbalanced. I was.. irritated with my life, to put it nicely, but more than that I just wanted to forget my woes for a short while at least. My fingers traced down his and over his palm again before I let go, seemingly satisfied with my search as I raised my eyes back to his again.
"Well," I said, bunching my mouth to the side a little as if I were pondering my answer, "I've always had a fascination of sorts, you see." A lie. "There's something unparalleled to how an artist thinks, or talks, or even eats." Another lie, but who was counting? "More than anything though, I've had this.. urge of late, to have a portrait done of me, laying nude upon a settee." I shrugged my shoulders as I turned away a little, my eyes dropping to the street as if I were saddened. I'd never had the want before I said it, though now that I had, it did sound rather nice. "It's too bad you're not a painter, or someone who uses pens... I thought for a moment you were a hint from Elua himself, that I'd finally have the drawing done."
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Post by Aristide de Crier (I) on Jun 21, 2010 20:45:34 GMT -5
I repressed the urge to shudder at her touch. It had been a very long time. I felt a little embarrassed at the ink on my hands, but since I wrote almost constantly it really could not be helped. Something she saw in my hands seemed to satisfy her, and she let me go, thank Elua. I nodded at her question. "I would not lie to you. Plus, have you ever seen someone like me in this City? The people here rarely forgo creature comforts. Though I have to admit that finery like what you wear has never looked as good on me."
I watched her face as she talked. She was plotting something, I could tell. She had probably figured me out almost immediately, and I knew something was up with her. But I liked this game. "Nude, hm?" I said, quirking an eyebrow. "I have taken some art classes, though it is not my true forte." I slowly walked around her, as if appraising her. "But for you...I suppose I could make an exception." I smiled again. "Where would this take place, pet?"
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Leighton Shahrizai
Aristocrat
Lady of House Shahrizai *Voted Member of Best Overall Thread 2010*
Born of Fire
Posts: 183
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Post by Leighton Shahrizai on Jun 23, 2010 0:27:41 GMT -5
He went for it, and had it not been for the glimmer that lit his eyes, I might not have been able to tell he'd seen through my facade, as thin as it had been. I laughed lowly, a deep sound in my chest as he circled me, his eyes taking my form in.
"Well, my home is out of the question," I said, not wanting to deal with everything there and this man, too. "So, that leaves yours... providing you have the necessary.. equipment, that is," I added, my eyes flickering down to the front of his pants before back up again. I had a feeling he'd take it badly - men always did, with stiff egos and pride, but I wasn't here to please him. Still, the idea of doing this did amuse me, stripping naked before a man whose name I still hadn't learned, and letting him draw me.
"What's your fee?" I asked curiously, my fingers gathering my fly-away hair and coiling it over my shoulder.
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Post by Aristide de Crier (I) on Jun 24, 2010 19:47:26 GMT -5
I sniffed at her implication, feigning insult, though I could not help the smile playing about my mouth. I leaned in a bit nearer, our bodies just touching. I could feel her warmth, even through her thick cloak. "Darling, I assure you that I have the necessary equipment and I know exactly how to use it," I said. "I wonder if you are truly invested in creating a work of art. How often have I sat down to work with a partner, only to realize that he or she is scared or nervous, unwilling to go through with the process! Alas! what a shame." I shook my head, as if I could not understand the unmitigated gall of such people.
"As for my fee," I said, reaching to push a lock of hair behind her ear that she had missed, my hand lightly brushing her skin, "maybe it would be best if we discussed that in a more comfortable place. I dare not spread news of milady's monetary status in the middle of the street. It would be...unseemly."
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Leighton Shahrizai
Aristocrat
Lady of House Shahrizai *Voted Member of Best Overall Thread 2010*
Born of Fire
Posts: 183
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Post by Leighton Shahrizai on Jun 24, 2010 21:40:39 GMT -5
My my! He picked up his game, flirting with me just a little more, coming close enough that our bodies brushed together. My cloak covered the front of me, pulled over my shoulders as it was, but I could still feel him, his outline, brushing up into my body. He blinked at me with those pretty eyes of his, and I felt a smile rise to my lips as I didn't back away from him.
"Oh, touché Monsieur," I teased. "And worry you not about my.. dedication. The arts are quite precious to me, and I find I wouldn't want to sully myself or you by backing out once committed. But we'll wait to discuss the price," I said, turning to slip my arm into his, letting him lead me where he would, wherever it was that he called home. "Might I the pleasure of your name, though?"
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Post by Aristide de Crier (I) on Jun 24, 2010 22:42:59 GMT -5
"It is good to hear that there is at least one soul with an appreciation of the arts left in this city," I said, smiling crookedly in return. Her arm felt good in mine. "My name is Aristide de Crier, darling. What about yourself?"
We started to walk, obviously in a rougher area of the city. She was a lady of high standing, and I lived in a poor area, as befit my status as an artist. Though I did not might my meager accommodations, I wondered what she might think.
"Now, pet, I want you to understand that I do not have the most...robust...of living spaces. It is sparse, to say the least." I paused, glancing at her, and then continued. "If that bothers you, mayhap we should find another place for our artistic endeavors."
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Leighton Shahrizai
Aristocrat
Lady of House Shahrizai *Voted Member of Best Overall Thread 2010*
Born of Fire
Posts: 183
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Post by Leighton Shahrizai on Jun 27, 2010 16:49:26 GMT -5
Ugh, I hated it here. The South Borough stood for everything that had gone wrong in my life, everything that should have been mine taken from me. My brother, my rooms, my very standing in my family, gone for the color of my hair and the shade of my skin. I strolled closer to Aristide, letting him take the action that I wished he'd protect me against anything unseemly, though truth be we were only a street away from where my house lay.
I scowled at the thought before realizing he'd spoken, and hurriedly I smoothed my features, looking back at him with wider eyes than normal. "Truthfully Monsieur de Crier, I don't care what your establishment looks like. It's the size of your talent that holds my interest."
Flashing a pretty smile at him, I stayed walking close to him, wishing we'd arrive soon. I needed what he had, in a way that I couldn't begin to explain. I needed it, to forget, if just for a few minutes.
...Though hopefully he had more stamina than that.
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