• Ϯѻɼϯʉɼɛɗ • →ʂlคvɛ ɼp← f u l l

[iiGypsy_Jazz]

MaXy

y0u wAnT a Pi3cE oF me?

Maxy shrugged to his question. Okay, so it was a bit of a blonde moment, but she'd been completely serious. Want to buy her? She didn't see what there was to argue about over herself. She wasn't even pretty.
Shrugging to herself as they got to the door, she turned her eyes on Curiosity and said, "Yes,Thank you," and before he could leave, she grabbed his arm, "Are you alright?" She didn't like how shaky he looked. Max just wanted to make sure he was okay. Reticence and Naivete had scared her with their phrasing and unsaid stories.

GeT 0v3r It

 

[SilentShadowDreamer]

Curiosity smiled a little bit. "It's nothing to worry about," he said. "Once she's found some other way to one-up him, she'll stop complaining about you. She's just still bitter that he was finished with her before she was finished with him." He gave a quick shrug. "And she's stubborn, ridiculously so. So she keeps finding ways to needle him."

He paused and blinked when she grabbed his arm. There was the slightest hint of tension in his body before it eased again and he gave her a tired grin. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just residual nerves. Being called in to look after guests is always a little scary. You'll find out too, when you've been here for long enough." He traced his finger along his opposite shoulder uncomfortably. "The master tries to keep them polite around us, but...well."

With another smile, he gently detached himself. "If you want to come back with me, that's fine," he said. "But I really need to go calm Naïveté down now. She worries about us."  

[iiGypsy_Jazz]

MaXy

y0u wAnT a Pi3cE oF me?

Maxy nodded, and let go, "I may try to find the room, later...I had something on my mind I wanted to do." She pulled out the charcoal stick, and tried a small smile, "Alright...be careful." She bit her bottom lip, before retreating into the room, and seating herself at HER wall, and began the beginning of a small sketch, only a little bigger than her head. She was loosing herself easily in the work.

GeT 0v3r It

 

[SilentShadowDreamer]

Curiosity gave her one last quick grin, and nodded. "If you need help, just call one of us," he said. "We'll hear you. The master will make sure we do." With that enigmatic and mildly frightening statement, he disappeared around the corner of the hallway. Ostensibly he was heading back to find the other two, but really, it could have been anything. There was no way to definitively prove where he was, after all.

The room seemed to have changed subtly since the girls had left it earlier in the day. It seemed a little wider now, and the charcoal drawing that took up the opposite wall from the one Maxy now sat in front of seemed more...solid. More permanent.

If she tried to smear the drawing - and charcoal smeared so easily that it would have been almost impossible to have trouble - she would find it remained rock-solid. Someone or something had been in here, had added fixative to the drawing, and had done...something else to make the room look different. It wasn't really worth worrying about, but it was...odd.  

[iiGypsy_Jazz]

MaXy

y0u wAnT a Pi3cE oF me?

Maxy was too focused to realise the changes. Instead, stared at the picture she was working on, which was quickly turning into the head of a sleek leopard, that fit the theme of the other wall, too.
er fingers moved over the surface like it was water, and she started humming to herself lightly. This was her escape.
She couldn't imagine being here, without being aloud to draw.

GeT 0v3r It

 

[SilentShadowDreamer]

The silence in the room, at first the simple silence of a person absorbed in their work, gradually took on another quality - one that Maxy would notice if she was at all paying attention. This quality was one of...a sort of peace, but watchfulness as well. There was certainly someone else in the room with her, or at least nearby. At least within sight.

If she were to look up, she would find that her master was standing - leaning, rather - in the doorway, enigmatic and silent. He was watching her draw, but if he had any thoughts on it (or, for that matter, finding her here alone when he had likely expected her to be with the rest of the group), he kept them to himself.

That was not unusual, judging by his conduct towards her so far.  

[iiGypsy_Jazz]

MaXy

y0u wAnT a Pi3cE oF me?

Maxy shivered, almost feeling eyes on her, and the speed of her hand doubled in time, the lines became more jagged and exact. Each strand of fur standing out, and with the growing anxiety there was a certain jolt to her movements. She pushed her hair back, smudging graphite along her temple and cheekbone, but she didn't care. After the full form appeared, Max added value.
She was obviously the oblivious type when she was working. She put her mind to things, what could she say?
Only once it was done, did she sit back to look it over...and notice the hair standing at the back of her neck. Slowly...so slowly, she turned her head to look at the figure in the doorway.
Unsure how long he'd been there, or if he was angry she was drawing on the walls, she spoke with hopeful casualness, "Hi."

GeT 0v3r It

 

[SilentShadowDreamer]

Marcelius remained silent when she spoke to him for several seconds. He looked dreamy, distracted - the first time his face had had any expression whatsoever since...well, for as long as Maxy had been here.

Well, at least he didn't look angry.

After a minute or so, he lifted a brow and that mask of cool control snapped back over his features. Just like that. "You're very talented," he replied, examining the picture of the big cat. "I was told," by one of the other slaves, obviously, "that you were an aspiring artist. Do you paint as well, or is it only charcoal on the walls?"

His voice held just the barest whisper of amusement.  

[iiGypsy_Jazz]

MaXy

y0u wAnT a Pi3cE oF me?

"Thanks..." Maxy replied a little nervously she pushed herself into a standing position, "Um, yeah......I can use paint." she looked down modesty.

GeT 0v3r It

 

[SilentShadowDreamer]

Marcelius didn't look in the least surprised, though there was no way he could have known that. Maybe he had just figured it would be so. "I see," he replied, and shifted so that he was now standing clear of the doorway. "In that case, you might wish to follow me." Then he walked out the door. It had been phrased politely, and it was clearly more of a suggestion or request than an order. Whatever he was thinking of, it didn't seem to matter to him one way or the other if Maxy followed.

If she did, though, she might discover something rather interesting about this place - and about the people in it.

He was waiting for her outside in the hall, but he wouldn't wait long. She'd have to make up her mind quickly.  

[iiGypsy_Jazz]

MaXy

y0u wAnT a Pi3cE oF me?

Maxy contemplated for a moment, before shrugging, "I've got absolutely nothing to lose." Except her life, but y'know, whatever.
She straightened up and went into the hall to follow him.

GeT 0v3r It

 

[SilentShadowDreamer]

Marcelius went on his way, walking without a second glance back to see if Maxy was following. That made it clearer than anything else that had happened so far that this was voluntary. It was evident that he knew she'd followed, however, because a moment or two later he began to speak.

"All four of you have some sort of artistic talent," he said, stating it as casually as he would have said that his slaves belonged to him - a simple fact. "Reticence writes. Naïveté sings. Curiosity's a sculptor. You, I suppose, are the painter." He didn't speak any further - maybe he just thought it was no one else's business.

He opened a door similar to the two that showed the slaves' quarters. This one, though, was smaller and revealed itself to be a sort of artist's studio, with wide windows looking out onto an alien landscape - the Keshval world.

Mallets, chisels, clay and a lot of multicoloured stone took over a table in one corner, while another two were covered with paper, charcoal and Keshval writing implements. A fourth little table in its own corner sat empty - waiting.

"That one is yours," he said, nodding at it. "You can use it or not, as you like. If you don't, it's no one's business but yours. If you do, you'll require things - paint and canvas and so on, I suppose. Talk to Reticence about it. He's the one who keeps records of things like that for me, and I'll ensure it gets here." He turned, lifted a brow. But he said nothing, seeming to wait for her reaction.  

[iiGypsy_Jazz]

MaXy

y0u wAnT a Pi3cE oF me?

Maxy gaped at the room. It was perfect! Everything about it! She covered her mouth, "This...is...AWESOME!" she clapped once, before his words sunk in. She didn't know Naivete sang, or that Curiosity sculpted. How amazing that they all ended up with the same owner. It couldn't be coincidence! Another realisation sunk in then. Reticence. She would have to ask Reticence. Reticence hated her. It was obvious to her.
Max sighed. Great. She pulled a grateful smile to her face, and looked to Marc, "Thank you...."
Her actual expression was changing nearly every other second, flipping between innocence, to anger, to sadness, to anger, to happiness....and suddenly she was left with the blank expression again, and she repeated, "Thank you so much." It took a moment, but she pulled herself together, "If I could..I uh..borrowed the charcoal I used before, from Reticence, and I was wondering if maybe I could have another stick to replace the one I used up?" She smiled lightly, as if the action itself made more sense than her thoughts.

GeT 0v3r It

 

[SilentShadowDreamer]

Marcelius waited silently through her words, not speaking until she went completely quiet. Then he nodded at the two tables that were pushed together, the ones covered in writing implements. When at last he did speak, there was no mention of her thank-yous. Maybe he didn't know what to say. "There is enough there. I doubt Naïveté would begrudge you one of hers to replace it," he replied instead.

He looked very, very mildly troubled, but he didn't say anything. Instead, he crossed to the writing table and picked up a stick of charcoal. Upon walking back across, he handed it to her.

Then his head turned, tilted slightly, and the smallest hint of a smile crossed his face for a breath.

And Reticence appeared in the doorway.

Seen face-to-face like this, if Maxy was paying attention, she might notice something odd - Reticence and his master looked very much alike. It was possible that it was a coincidence, but it was a very easily spotted similarity.

Reticence's gaze tracked to Maxy and his eyes darkened for a second. Then he swung his stare back to his master.

Marcelius nodded. "She will be taking the remaining table," he said, as though answering a question. "You can add her requests to your list." He walked towards the boy, past him, and then paused and looked back. "Oh. And tell Curiosity he did well. He has no reason to worry."

And the Keshval was gone, leaving Maxy and Reticence alone.  

[iiGypsy_Jazz]

MaXy

y0u wAnT a Pi3cE oF me?

Maxy stepped back from Reticence like he might strike her, even though she was (pretty) sure he wouldn't actually hurt her. She smiled to Marc, looked between them. What had happened that would worry Curiosity? She bit her tongue, as not to speak up, and waved as Marc left.
Only once he was gone did she chance taking a step forward, and asked, "You are able to get Canvas and paint?"

GeT 0v3r It