Touchy Subjects [Alayne and Theo]

[Théodore Holbein]

My decision to visit the bath house was pure impulse, though with the war, it was not as though my services were required at court. It left me time to pursue my own interests, namely, looking for a model that wasn't more concerned with the price of their gown more than anything else. I'd spent far too much time of late rendering perfect but rather dull portraits of beautiful but rather dull people.

I needed to paint someone challenging.

Hence the bath house, though so far the only challenge I'd encountered was trying as graciously as possible to refuse the offers.

"There's someone in particular I'm looking for," I said to a rather skinny girl as I prised her fingers off my arm. Not quite a lie but not in the sort of manner they were thinking of. I waited quietly, as though I was here by appointment, though in truth I was merely scouting. None of them had caught my attention yet.

[Alayne Lombard]

Out in the alley by the bathhouse, just by the entrance, I was still on lookout for the annoying man whom I had, ah, mixed feelings about. Just like I did about his printer and the idea of mixing inks. If he was going to---- augh. Maybe I should have just asked to meet Mavoisin. Maybe Mavoisin was more reasonable. Not that said fellow had any power to stop useless crap from being spilt onto the Doorstep.

I tried to get my mind onto something else, someone else, because I needed to stop thinking about the cause – oh, Elua, I was calling it the cause again – and certainly not by thinking about Necthan. He'd disappeared a plenty, that one. Bloody Alban.

My errant eyes caught sight of a wandering fellow, one who seemed rather intent on his way. From his gait, I assumed he might have been on the way to see Madame T., and seeing as she and I were half at odds, I took a fancy to stealing her john.

“Why, hello there,” I said, falling in step next to him with a cheery grin. “Come to visit the Madame, have we?” It was a guess and an open invitation to conversation, but unlike the last girl (ah, Mattie, so lacking in subtlety), I didn't make a pry at this arm.

[Théodore Holbein]

"Hello," I nodded my head absently in greeting, ready to decline again, when something made me look twice. At least this one wasn't clingy. I took in her features; the sharp eyes, unruly red hair. There was something about her coarse beauty... But of course it wasn't those that struck me, it was the grin.

Perfect.

"Not exactly," my hand instinctively reached up to tug up my collar, though it was already pressed against my neck, and jerked my head towards the building. "What's the usual going price here?"

[Alayne Lombard]

He looked like he was about to enter the temple of Shemhazai, or something, all strict and serious, like a man who feels the need for clothes to make sure his back stands straight. That made me smile a little.

So I'd had the playwright who'd taken me for his muse and disappeared, and then the pamphleteer who was mad and endearing, who was this one? Not a Cassiline, not a priest either, some scholar, perhaps? I raised an inquiring eyebrow.

“Depends what you're looking for, good lord,” I replied. “If you're looking for a bath, that's 20 centimes. If you want it by your lonesome, that's 15 gold ducats. And if you're looking for pretty company, that's another 10. All that's for an hour, they've got deals if you want a full day.” A pause, and a quick, mischievous, charming curtsey, a bit irreverent, because this was my turn and I could.

“And I'm Alayne, for your service, m'lord.”

[Théodore Holbein]

My lip twitched up at the corner and I bowed gallantly. "Well met, Alayne. I would need a few hours, may I prevail upon you for your time then?"

Calm interest had turned into excitement. Her very mannerism was just what I was looking to depict. She would serve me very well, although not in the way she was thinking.

[Alayne Lombard]

I laughed lightly, and leaned back as I did, giving him a predatory look. “Handsome,” I said, “so long as you're paying, you can have me as long as you like.”

I was hoping that he would want regular service – it'd been a time since I'd been toppled well enough, and I was getting a bit on the restless side.

[Théodore Holbein]

Even her laugh was perfect. Hopefully she would not take it amiss that I simply wanted to draw her. With a smile of my own, I opened the door for her.

"After you," I bowed a little ironically.

[Alayne Lombard]

I raised an eyebrow at him, smirked, and swept in with some amount of energetic amusement and mocking decorousness. “Very gentlemanly, my lord,” I teased.

_{[OOC: Thread moved to KL, continuing here.}