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Nevermore Usher: Ahh, the coffeeshop. As a habitat, it hosts several distinct species. See, over here, the Variegated Hipster, his man-bun and beard coiffed in a dazzling threat display. Over in the next corner, an Aspiring Author, Honest puts up a display of camouflage with his laptop whilst hunting the elusive Barista's Phone Number.
Ah! And in this corner, the Black-Speckled Artist Gothique stalks the most elusive game of all... inspiration. Nevermore is sketching in their notebook, the foot-long quill rubber-banded to their pen wiggling and pausing as they find, test, and abandon concepts. The evening's work seems to be progressing fitfully.
Daniel Hawthorne: A familiar creepy sensation slunk into place within the cafe as Nevy put quill to paper, with a glance revealing Daniel's presence in short order. The Haunt was well-dressed as he tended to be, with a dark grey scarf wrapped around his neck and a laptop bag on his shoulder. Pale eyes looked about the room as he got into line to put an order in, seeking a table for his own work.
Nevermore Usher: Nevy fights the involuntary squirming as the shiver runs up their spine. Unfortunately, they can’t prevent a quiver from causing a twitch in their drawing hand, apparently ruining their design. They throw up their hands in frustration, tossing the pen at the table with an affronted sigh
Daniel Hawthorne: The sudden flash of movement caught Daniel's attention, keen-eyed as he was, and he watched Nevy for a moment as he tried to place their somewhat-familiar features. Once it clicked he smiled a touch, heading their way and giving a polite nod. "Evening. Everything alright?"
Nevermore Usher: They start slightly, then consider him for a moment before recognition sets in and they give a weary smile. “Oh - hi. It’s...” They frown. “Not David...”
Daniel Hawthorne: "Daniel, so close enough." He gave a polite smile. "Nevermore, right?"
Nevermore Usher: "Daniel, sorry." Nevy gives an apologetic smile. "I'd forget my own head if Victor hadn't bolted it on firmly." They sigh. "Things are all right. I'm just... busting my head open against this project."
Daniel Hawthorne: "Even then you might want to be careful; he wasn't that good of a doctor." Daniel replied with a small chuckle, making a "may I?" motion to the chair at their table. "Been there before...what are you working on, if I can ask?"
Nevermore Usher: They gesture. "Sure." They shrug. "I got a commission wanting a victorian-era version of someone's Revenant: the Nemeses character, but for the life of me I can't figure out how to turn the description they gave of the character's wardrobe into an outfit that looks remotely functional, let alone cool."
Daniel Hawthorne: Daniel nodded and took a seat, setting his laptop bag down beside him. "Ah...yeah, definitely been there. How rough was the description they gave?"
Nevermore Usher: They flip to a new page. 'Ankle boots, jodhpurs, a traveling cloak, a ruffled shirt with a cravat, and with a bowler hat."
Daniel Hawthorne: Daniel's eyebrow arched high as he tried to paint a mental picture, shaking his head after a moment. "That...is an interesting combination."
Nevermore Usher: "I know, right?" They chuckle. "Part of me just wonders if they grabbed all the old-timey-sounding clothes names they could think of for the character."
Daniel Hawthorne: "Sounds like it. The cape is what's sticking out for me...it's a riding outfit for the most part, and that's throwing me off."
Nevermore Usher: Nevermore nods. "At best, it would cover up so much of the rest of the outfit it's not even worth it. At worst, it all just... clashes."
Daniel Hawthorne: "Yeah..." Daniel nodded, sitting back in his seat as he mulled over the idea. After a moment something clicked and he looked towards Nevy, an eyebrow arched. "Do they have to be wearing the cloak? Could have it draped over an arm or something."
Nevermore Usher: Nevy frowns. "That could work. It would still clash a bit with the rest of the outfit, but at least that would get it out of the way..." They pick their pen back up and start sketching. "Still... to a modern audience, getting jodhpurs to look badass might be a bit of a sell..."
The rough sketch takes shape quickly, and Nevy looks it over with an evaluative gaze.
Daniel Hawthorne: "True, but it's worth a try at any rate." Daniel watched as Nevy went to work, interested both in their technique and what they eventually came up with. He gave a little nod when the sketch took shape, looking it over in kind.
Nevermore Usher: The character's features are super vague - just the sketchy outlines of a head, and the hands are shapeless balls. Still, the clothing takes shape. And...
Nevy sighs. "Still a bit dorky. It's the whole 'wearing the saddlebags at your hips instead of putting them on the horse' look, I think." They tap their pen against the page. "Why would a Revenant be dressed up in this kind of... mishmash of clothes, I wonder?"
Daniel Hawthorne: "True. That was the point at the time, though, to have the extra fabric there while you were riding." He nodded quietly, looking over the sketch as Nevy thought. "It almost hits like they went through some noble's closet and just grabbed what fit them. Trying to look the part but not knowing how, if you know what I mean."
Nevermore Usher: Nevy nods, then blinks. "Or... just trying to get away without being noticed."
They pull the sketchbook back toward them and draw again. This time, the outfit is far less neat. The lines of the cravat indicate it's being used to hold together an unbuttoned collar. There's a speckling of suspiciously dark spots alongside one leg of the jodhpurs. The hat is cocked at a mad angle, as though it had been jammed on in a rush. And, in one hand, not quite hidden beneath the traveling cloak, is a long, wicked-looking dagger, similarly dripping.
The effect isn't composed or aristocratic at all. It is, however, dangerous.
Daniel Hawthorne: "I like it..." Daniel nodded with a smirk, turning his own gaze to the page as Nevy went back to work with renewed purpose. He gave another approving nod as the piece came together, looking over to Nevy with a smile. "That looks excellent...nicely done."
Nevermore Usher: They grin, looking at him. "It's all about finding the story." They grin down at the picture, then pull out their phone and take a quick snapshot. "I'll send it to the client and see if he likes the pose before I go any further." They chuckle. "Thanks - I'd have wrestled with that for an hour longer if you hadn't been around. How've you been lately?"
Daniel Hawthorne: "Happy to help. I bounce ideas off my sister more often than not when I get stuck on something, so I don't mind being on the other end." The smile remained as he settled in his seat, giving another small nod. "Doing pretty good, all told. Keeping busy at work, personal studies, things like that. You?"
Nevermore Usher: They nod. "Pretty much the same. You work in fashion, right? Doing anything interesting, or is it all hush-hush top secret?"
Daniel Hawthorne: "We're heavy into wedding season, so a lot of things on that front. Some of the clients have been up for playing around with the usual baseline, though, which has made it more interesting that it would be." He pulled his phone and cued up a few photos, a mix of more standard suits and dresses along with a femme-leaning same sex couple who had both gone for the well-tailored suit route. "That last set in particular was fun; they had a blast during the fittings and picking out some fun colors for the accent pieces."
Nevermore Usher: "Oooh!" Nevy says, looking at the pair of suits. "They're really cute together!" They grin. "And that is a fantastic shade of purple on that one."
Daniel Hawthorne: "I thought so too. There was a blue that was initially suggested but she pointed out the purple and it was the right choice overall." He nodded quietly. "I've got one dress with hand-done embroidery on the front panels that I should hopefully have done in another day or two."
Nevermore Usher: Nevy smiles at that. "Ooh. What style?"
Daniel Hawthorne: "Some floral blackwork done with dark green thread and gold accents. Should turn out pretty good when it's done."
Nevermore Usher: Nevy nods. "I don't wear dresses much - they're just not really practical a lot of the time - but they can be really beautiful. And there's nothing better for proper tragic pining." They chuckle. "And next time I have an Event on the horizon and the money to spare? I am definitely commissioning you for something. You've got a great eye. I love the line of the vest there - it really sets off the shape of the bowtie, especially with the colors."
Daniel Hawthorne: "True...having the long train down the back to trail behind as one runs through the halls helps too, I imagine." He nodded with a small chuckle, perking up at the compliment. "I look forward to it, and thank you. I always try to ensure that what I make fits both in a physical and a...metaphorical isn't quite the right word, but close enough. Something that embodies the person it's made for and isn't just something pulled off of a rack. Although even that can be personalized properly if you do it right."
Nevermore Usher: Nevy nods. "Yeah... most of my stuff is off-rack, to be honest." They chuckle, a bit self-conscious. "Alas"
Daniel Hawthorne: "Nothing wrong with that. A lot of the more casual stuff I wear I've bought and then done what alterations it needed to fit properly. Deals with the size fluxuations that can come up between manufacturers." He shook his head, a wry smirk on his face. "That always drove me nuts, and my sister doubly so because it can vary so much in women's clothing."
Nevermore Usher: Nevermore rolls their eyes and groans. "Tell me about it. That and pockets are why I tend to shop in the men's section when I'm buying pants. You need a Ouija board, the second seal of Solomon, and a dead chicken to try to divine what a company means by "size 15," but an inch is always an inch."
Daniel Hawthorne: "Here here. Makes things so much easier to just get your measurements and go from there."
Nevermore Usher: Nevy nods. "When people can afford it, yeah."
Daniel Hawthorne: Daniel nodded quietly, then looked Nevy over after a moment. "If you get anything that you'd want modded for you, let me know. Not as a full-scale 'commission an outfit' sort of thing, but to make it something you feel suits you better."
Nevermore Usher: They think that over, then nod. "Yeah, okay. What are your rates?" They pause, then smile. "So... I don't want to give the wrong impression. I'm not, like, living off ramen and ketchup packets."
Daniel Hawthorne: "I didn't think you were." He replied with a small smile. "It depends on what needs to be done, but nothing over 30 usually."
Nevermore Usher: Nevy raises their eyebrows, then nods. "All right. Yeah, I'll definitely give you a call when I need something altered." They smile. "Thanks!"
Daniel Hawthorne: The smile remained in place as Daniel replied, giving a little nod. "You're welcome. I like doing that kind of work honestly...the fine detail side of it."
Nevermore Usher: Nevy nods. "If you ever find yourself in need of fine artwork, let me know."
Daniel Hawthorne: "Will do. I've been keeping an eye on your Instagram since the last time we talked to see if anything caught my eye."
Nevermore Usher: Nevy grins at that. "It's always nice when another artist appreciates your work."
Daniel Hawthorne: Daniel smiled warmly in return. "More often than not we're the only ones who really get how much work goes into what we make, so I do my best to bolster others' efforts."
Nevermore Usher: Nevy holds up a fist for a proper fistbump.
Daniel Hawthorne: Which was happily returned, the Haunt offering a grin along with it.
Nevermore Usher: Nevy does their best to hide the crawling-skin feeling at the contact - Nosferatu, alas. Then their phone beeps. "Huh. Looks like the client liked it. I should probably get back to the grind. Great to see you!"
Daniel Hawthorne: The smile faltered a touch but Daniel recovered well enough that it was hard to notice, giving Nevy a nod. "Good stuff. And agreed...was good talking with you again. Have a good night."
Nevermore Usher: "You too. Let me know if you want to chat again sometime - we creative types ought to stick together, right?"
Daniel Hawthorne: "Definitely. It's nice being able to talk shop with someone who gets it."
Nevermore Usher: "Yup!" They wave. "Remind me to introduce you to some more local artists. You'll like them!" And on that, they head out.
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