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The Pen Mightier is a small independent craft store. it's claustrophobic, like many independent stores tend to be, crammed full of inks, paints, papers, clays, and all that other stuff that makes artists and craftspeople go "ooooooh."
Nevermore is in the ink section, peering at a jar of red ink and frowning thoughtfully.
Inks are one of the things Liezel likes to collect- a proper, high-quality ink can turn the gift of sheet music from a single present of musical composure into a calligraphic gift as well. That said, Liezel is unfailingly polite, and when she gets to the ink section, and finds a person partway blocking where she needs to go, she stands by patiently, awaiting her chance to collect a pot of pure India.
Nevy, obivious in their inspection, doesn't notice Liezel for a little while. When they do, they start. "Ope! Sorry!" They scoot to one side. "Liezel, right?"
Liezel nods her head smoothly. "Mmh. Yes. Liezel. And you are... ah." Her face falls a touch as she remembers. "You are the person I scared in Maddy's. I'm sorry about that. It wasn't my intent." She glances at the red ink. "Are you an artist? Or just a very critical teacher?"
Nevy nods. "I'm not mad - as long as you're being more careful, now." They smile. "I'm an artist. Nevermore." They offer a hand for shaking.
The name clicks and Liezel nods, accepting the hand and shaking it firmly. "Art is fun. I am not very good with art, but it's fun. I am better at music." She reaches to claim a pot of India black for herself. "What will you draw with red ink?"
Nevy chuckles. "Probably a bunch of things. Right now, I'm looking for ink that will let me replicate this." They hold up their rose-designed necklace. "I've been having trouble getting duplicates quite right, so I'm hoping tweaking the inks I use will help." The Necklace, incidentally, pings on peripheral Mage Sight.
Suddenly there's a Layla, more often known as Ellie. It's not that she appears out of nowhere so much as she walks right up, but until she's a few feet away her presence doesn't register as something worth focusing on. Background noise that the brain tunes out, until it stands out from the background a little and can't be ignored. "Hi Nevy," she says cheerfully. "Is this person bothering you?" Despite the question, the smile she gives Liezel and the friendly tone of her voice don't make it sound like she thinks that's the case.
"Oh, I see," Liezel murrs, looking at the necklace, immediately distracted. "Ah- well, has the trouble until now been the color, or..?" She's aiming to be helpful, but she can't help getting nosy. But then! Layla! Liezel straightens up, a touch surprised, but relaxing after a moment. "Oh. Um. Maybe. I haven't asked yet." She glances to Nevy. "Am I?"
They shake their head. “No you haven’t. And I’m thinking it might be the color or the iron content. Of the last six I’ve made, only half actually came out right.” Ellie gets a smile and nod. “Hey, Ellie.”
"Good," says Ellie, still smiling. She offers Nevy a hug. "I didn't expect to run into you here, but I'm definitely not surprised. I thought I heard your voice, and it turned out I was right." When the hugging is done, either accepted or rejected, the still lingering smile is turned to Liezel. "I'm Ellie," she says with an offer of a hand.
Liezel nods a touch, inquiring, "What is wrong with them when you make them? Do they not look proper, or are they not coming out of a kiln properly?" Then there is a greeting, and she turns to Ellie and accepts her hand, shaking firmly. "Liezel. A pleasure, Ellie. You are a friend of Nevermore, I take it?"
The hugging is definitely accepted. "They look all right, but they don't have the right..." They glance around and lower their voice. "Feel to them. I can tell they wouldn't protect people properly." They glance between the others. "You two haven't run into one another, then?"
"Oh, Liezel!" Ellie says like she recognizes the name, and thus puts some pieces together. "Do you know my aunt Dandy? I can't imagine there are too many Liezel's around, not like Ellies. We're a dime a dozen. But yes, I'm Nevy's friend." After which she addresses the medium. "I'd offer to help you there but it's not my area of expertise, I'm afraid."
Liezel brightens abruptly and favors Ellie with a smile. "I'm an Ellie too, sometimes. Elizabeth. Liezel's just a nickname. And Auntie's my aunt, too. She's lovely. I didn't know you knew her. That's exciting." She glances back at Nevy and then at the medallion, holding her hand out to delicately indicated the jewelry. "Wrong feel, hm? Could I take a look?"
Nevy hesitates, but holds out the medallion. "Be careful with it," they say. "That's one of the working ones." ((It's a Blessed Amulet - protects against Possession or Claiming from ghosts or spirits))
"My Ellie's a nickname too, but I'd be impressed if you could guess where it comes from in this case," Ellie says like someone who loves an air of mystery. "I keep running into a lot of people who know Dandy and I didn't know myself. I should keep in touch better."
Nevy shrugs. "I mean, Auntie Dandy is one in a million." They smile. "Did you see my latest uploads on Instagram?"
"I have no idea," Ellie says with a laugh. "When did you upload them? If it was since yesterday evening, then no. Want to show me?"
"Pride is a terrible failing," Nevermore sighs melodramatically, pulling out their phone to show off the four latest entries on their Notable Works page. They linger on The Sage.
"It's not even the most fun of the sins," Ellie 'agrees' with a laugh, then she leans in to look at Nevy's artistic efforts. "Oh wow!" she says, all but grabbing the phone out of Nevy's hand so she can get a better look. "Can I zoom in? Do you have a better photo?" She squints. "Will you show me the original some time?"
Nevy grins. "All four of these are on display in The Green Room. And on sale, too, for that." They chuckle. "So pride isn't your deal, huh?"
"I think it's mostly that Auntie is better at keeping in touch with so many people," Liezel murmurs. She takes the medallion gently, carefully, taking a few moments to study the effects, careful not to interfere with them and trying to suss out what might be providing it with those! "Oh, I haven't even a guess," she admits distantly to Layla, absorbed in her studies for a few moments. "Pride is a dangerous one. It can make you make mistakes you should know better than. Though... hm. I suppose most of them do, don't they?" She murmurs, drawing out of her fixation and blinking at the other two.
"I think every sin has its place," Ellie says with the quiet conviction of a Mastigos member of the Guardians of the Veil. Sins for a just end, and all that. "It's when you let them take over your life that they become a problem." She finger-guns at Liezel. "Just so. You have to be in control, not be controlled."
Nevy considers that, considering Ellie curiously. "That's... an interesting way to think." They look at Liezel. "What do you think?"
"I think that I enjoy my Lust, don't have much to speak of when it comes to Envy, Jealousy, Sloth, or Greed, probably need to pay more attention to my Pride, and keep my Wrath on a very, very short leash," Liezel rattles off with the casual self-assurance of the shameless. "I have been told I should take pride in my work more and take responsibility for other's faults less."
"Nevy, can I ask what you do that Makes your necklace like it is? You said you're successful about half the time? Are you following a recipe, or is it instinctual? I'm not sure I can help if it's the latter."
"Such a Christianity-centric list," Ellie says with a chiding cluck of her tongue. "That seems to be the usual for American culture, though."
Nevermore shrugs. "I mean, this one works the whole time. It's when I'm making others - half the ones I make work, half don't."
"As for what makes it work... I mean, I threw pretty much everything I could think of at it. Mystical geometry, incorporating salt and iron into the design, invoking the Gods while I made it..." They shrug. "I think it's the design and composition of the thing working together, but for all I know I might be psychically infusing the damn thing with etheric waves from the fourth moon, or something weird like that." They sigh slightly. "I don't get to see it all, like you guys. I just get to throw spaghetti at the problem and see what sticks."
Liezel blinks. "Well, we referenced Sins. Most other cultures don't name them that way, do they? Or am I just learning something new?" She seems equally happy to be right or to learn- nothing at stake here. "Oh. We don't get to see it all, either. Not without a lot of study. I see... less than half, truly. And what I do see, I understand far less." Again, not a problem, as she sees it. There's just more to learn. "But what's important is that what you do works, even if only sometimes. Would you like company in your adventure down that path? Or should I let you walk it and discover on your own?"
"There are sins in Islam, but we have a different list," Ellie responds to Liezel with a smile. "Although the Christian seven deadly sins aren't even in the bible, they were some thing some later thing some hermits in Egypt came up, if I remember right." She turns to Nevy and says, "sorry, I find this an interesting topic. Back to your work. You know, some people could make it so you can see. I can't, though."
Nevy considers the two, a conflicted expression on their face, then shakes their head. "With this kind of thing... I think I want to work it out myself. I'd rather not have to ride on someone else's coattails."
"Oh, is that right?" Liezel tilts her head, considering. "I never really stopped to think about it that way. Though, technically, I guess Christianity kind of reset the whole thing when Jesus boiled it down to two commandments, didn't he? "Love each other and love God" and that's- what was his phrase, the sum of the law, or something?" Liezel shrugs a little. It's all clearly just information to her.
"That's not unwise, Nevermore. It's why I asked. I wouldn't want someone seeking a guide to travel blind, nor force a pilgrim on someone else's tour." She smiles gently.
"Quite fair!" Ellie says as she puts one arm around Nevy's shoulders and gives them a squeeze. "You're going to learn more if you figure it out for yourself, anyway. I don't mind telling you what options might be there, but you get to pick which ones you take, right?" She smiles at Liezel. "I'm no expert on Christianity. I know a lot more about the fanfic stans than I do about the hardcore canon enthusiasts, since I interact with them more."
Nevy gives a little smile and returns the squeeze, but doesn't verbally rejoin the conversation immediately. They look down at the ink again, as though trying to decide if it'll work for them.
"Um." Liezel's forehead furrows faintly. "Fanfic stans? I know what fanfics are, but I don't have context to the relation to Christianity here. Can you help?" She glances at the oddly quiet Nevermore but... doesn't really have the tools to puzzle out what's going through her head. So she looks back to Ellie, tilting her head.
Ellie's soft laugh answers first. "I meant the people who follow some kind of weird version of Christianity that doesn't resemble the actual teachings at all. Sorry. Maybe we should change the subject? Or I should go get the materials I was here for in the first place. I'm looking for something to get the right color on some cosplay armor I'm working on."
Nevy looks to Ellie. "Can I ask what character? Or are we in no spoilers territory?"
Rosalyn stepped into The Pen Mightier and stopped in the doorway, looking somewhat stunned at the shop bursting at the seams with crafting supplies. She sniffed at the air delicately, then rubbed her nose. Ros was beautiful, her long blonde hair a wave that looked wind tousled instead of messy at the end of a long day. She shifted reluctantly, not quite sure where she was headed amidst the clutter.
Liezel lets out a quiet "Ohh." "Okay. That makes more sense. And we can change the subject, sure. Do you want to talk about your armor? Or tell us what color you're after so we can help?" She pauses and looks up as the door opens, blinking in faint surprise at the absurdly perfected picture of beauty waltzing into the little craft store.
"The Ironclad from Slay the Spire," Ellie answers Nevy like she expects people to know who that is, which some people might, actually! "I've tried a couple of things to get the color right, but it hasn't quite come out looking as metallic as I wanted. Either too fake, or not metallic enough." She follows Liezel's gaze for a second, then looks at Liezel again. "Someone you know?"
Nevy pulls out their phone to google the character. "Oh, wow, that'll look incredible!" They look up, following the gaze of the others, and blink at the woman. "Well, heck."
Ros unzipped her leather motorcycle jacket. It didn't quite fit right- like it had been made for someone else, but it was well worn and she seemed comfortable in it, even in the warmth of the late Spring evening. She took a few steps further in towards the others and smiled tentatively to the other customers in the store. "Pardon me," she said, her accent an old fashioned trans-atlantic accent. "Would any of you know if they happen to have stationary here?"
Nevy's exclamation draws Liezel's attention. "Oh. Golden armor. Why are they ironclad with gold armor? Aren't they goldenclad?"
"Oh. I know that." Trust the songwriter to know where the stationary is. "It's centralized, since so much needs paper. Actual stationary is to the back side of the central displays. Should be easy to find." She's polite, but she misses a few of the common beats of etiquette, forgetting to smile, failing to break her gaze away, little things like that.
"You're asking me like I had any part in designing the character," Ellie responds with a laugh. She might have been planning to help answer Ros's question, but Liezel gets it first. "What she said," she adds, instead. "Hey, where did you get that jacket? If you don't mind me asking. It's pretty cool."
Nevy nods, gesturing in the direction indicated. "They have a pretty good paper variety here. It's part of why I like this place."
She flushed when Liezel kept staring and seemed a little relieved when Ellie spoke. "Oh this? I found it in a little thrift shop down on [Atalo's shop's street]," she said warmly. "I was quite fortunate to find it, I think. Good bike jackets are hard to find." Rosalyn gave Nevy a little nod. "Thank you. I was advised that they have a good selection here, and proper pens."
Liezel finally gets a trigger to look away as Nevy mentions the paper, glancing her way and nodding. "I like having options for what I put my songs on. It's not important, but it's a nice thing."
"Well... okay. That's fair. I was hoping you knew is all. And you'll have a hard time finding a paint to make it look both metallic and realistic. Gold is tricky."
"I should have figured," Ellie says with resignation. "Not someplace I'm likely to go and find a second one just waiting in my size!" She laughs. "Thank you anyway, I'm glad you had such good fortune. Don't get me started on pens. They're almost as bad as comic books for expenditures I can't afford, but want to buy anyway." She tells Liezel, "I should have brought the last attempt I made. It's almost right, but not quite. I think I need a really fine coat of something..." she tries to find the word, and looks at Nevy like they might know. "Something that will dull the saturation a little bit without being opaque?"
"Translucent? Dulling? Aging?" They shrug one shoulder. To Rosalyn, they say, "Was it the Clarifi charity shop? I love that place. The owner sometimes sets aside the spooky finds for me." They grin, seeming to have climbed out of the funk. "It's always fun finding unexpected treasure, isn't it?"
Rosalyn stiffed ever so slightly at the mention of gold, and took a quick step through to look at the pens and paper She selected a small pack of cotton paper and then then stalled out in front of the pens. "He is a good friend, and there's always some little joy to find there. Alas, his stationary section is somewhat lacking, and a cell phone text message just doesn't quite convey a message properly."
"Pens are lovely," agrees Liezel, glancing between Nevy and Ellie for an answer to the question from the former. She misses the response to the comment on gold, noting only when Rosalyn speaks again. "Friends are good, but sometimes tricky to make. Or to keep. But yes. I hear thrift stores are very frequently without high quality stationary. You did well to come here instead... but what do you mean about texts? They are perfectly adequate to send a message. It's all they're for. Unless there are things you want to say outside the words themselves?"
"I'll have to go check this place out. Nevy has good taste in shops, so..." Ellie shrugs. "If you think it's a good place, I'll need to go see it," she tells Nevy. "I should consider investing in some stationary, too. Something really extra, flowery, and perfect for sending delightful concise 'fuck you' messages to people who upset me. Anyway, thank you, dulling. That's what I was looking for. The Ironclad's armor isn't bright."
Nevy nods, smiling. "Every time I go in there, he just seems so earnest. Like, I think if you asked what he wants on his pizza, he'd answer with a deeply thought out essay. Or a poem." They consider the stationary question. "I mean... the medium contributes a lot to the message in general. The words "I love you" mean very different things when they're in calligraphy on rose-scented paper than they do when they're in blood on your bathroom mirror, right?" To Ellie, they tilt their head. "I'm thinking you probably know more about that kind of work than I do, but... have you tried a darker wash? Sometimes I do that when I want to make a piece look drab and murky."
She laughed softly and nodded to Nevy in approval before looking back to Liezel. "I'm afraid text messages are brief, tragically spelled, and abominably formatted. Words are thrown away without any meaning attached to them because they cost nothing. Letters on proper stationary are something that everyone can appreciate and enjoy. Each word takes up specific space on the paper and the style conveys a message of its own." She selected the least expensive calligraphy pen and sighed a little at the price of ink but added it to her stack of purchases.
Liezel looks to Ellie briefly. "I think Nevy has it. Also, think on whether the Ironclad's armor no longer gleams- or whether it never did? Putting shiny paint onto dull materia and then sanding off the paint partly might help get the worn look if that's more appropriate." Just a thought- she's far from an expert.
Nevy's words make Liezel think, and she nods slowly. "Yes. I suppose you're right. Though even then the meanings reverse if we're discussing a flowery note from a stalker versus a final message from a loved one." She shrugs. "Context is king, as always, but you're making that point already, I think."
"Mine aren't," Liezel protests briefly. "And they cost. Everything costs the only currency there is- time, and just because the medium is cheap doesn't mean the cost isn't dear."
"The hand written note is definitely a dying art," Ellie laments. "I say despite being decidedly in a generation that epitomizes that. It always seems to blow people away when I write them something by hand. The last time I had a job interview I actually landed the job because I hand-wrote a thank you note. Not that there isn't some severely problematic aspects to that fact on its own, example aside."
Nevy waggles a hand in an "ehhh" gesture to Rosalyn. "I don't know if I agree. There are times when a text message is perfect. If I'm texting someone to say 'hey, I'm going to be late for dinner,' it doesn't need to be an artistic masterpiece, right? The right medium for the right message." They pull themselves up straight. "And my text messages are spelled immaculately. Unless they aren't." They blep slightly.
They grin to Liezel. "I think I'm going to write a poem based on that imagery, if you don't mind - the beloved writing a final farewell in their own blood."
They snort and nod at Ellie. "Some people don't have money for fancy, presentable paper, or have some issue keeping them from handwriting clearly, or that kind of thing, yeah."
She broke into a beatific smile. "Fair points, all of them. Not that I can afford anything in really fancy, but this will do for regular correspondence I think. And I do use text messages, though under protest as a general principle."
Liezel beams as Nevy takes her imagery for their own, clearly pleased. "I should like to read it when it's done. And thank-you notes seem a poor metric by which to select applicants, unless you're a finishing school."
Mollified by Rosalyn's leniency, Liezel nods as she rolls back her statement just a touch, no longer posing any objection whatsoever. "I use them a lot. It's easier to text a lot of things than say them. And sometimes I'd rather not be overheard."
"You're so extra," Ellie says to Nevy like it's a compliment. "For what it's worth, I spell correctly in my text messages too. Writing is important to me, so I like to make sure I keep myself in the habit. I'm with you on the not being able to afford fancy, most of the time."
She nods as she turns back to Liezel. "There's that, and also the fact that telling someone thank you for the chance to be judged on whether I'm worthy of being subordinate to them is kind of... wrong. Being more of a kiss-ass seems like poor qualification for a job making art for somebody, you know?"
Nevy nods to Rosalyn. "Honestly, I use more art paper than I do fancy stationery, myself. Liezel gets a grin. "Of course! I'm a firm believer in sharing when people inspire me." They tilt their head. "My friend Mearc sometimes prefers texting over speech, too - usually in a big crowd or someplace loud, but it happens."
Nevy makes an elaborate bow to Ellie. "Hwy, thank you," they say with a grin.
Rosalyn hesitated, trying to parse what 'extra' meant in this context, then moved past it. "There used to be a particular etiquette around thank you notes that is no longer observed. When they were more common, I believe they were used as a way of building connections between individuals. A thank you note following an interview might be a discrete reminder that you're the best choice for the job, and thank you notes following social engagements were stylistically effusive in their praise- it may be the equivalent today to receiving a heart emoji after an evening out." She shook her head a little and sighed. "It's a small world if you know Mr. Mearcstapa though I shouldn't be surprised considering his far flung connections."
"If it helps, I haven't the slightest who this fellow is." Liezel shrugs, unsure if that WILL help or not. "And I agree. That is an awfully poor way to judge an artist."
"And I can understand the lean towards texts in those situations. I don't like loud places or big crowd, either." She turns back to the inks, studying them briefly, looking to see if there's anything else she needs.
"You're hwelcome," Ellie says as she bows back. "I should probably go get my things and get going. For what it matters, I also don't know who that person is. It was nice to meet you, Liezel. It's always nice to see you, Nevy. Good night, stranger." Ellie makes a feigned hat-tip at Rosalyn, then offers Nevy a departing hug.
Nevy grins at the hesitation. "Extra: putting way more effort into The Aesthetic than is strictly-speaking absolutely necessary." They consider Rosalyn for a moment: Talks about old-style etiquette like they're more familiar with it than with modern manners, knows Mearc... Hmmmm.
They nod. "Frankly, huge crowds aren't really my thing, either. A little group where I can interact with everyone? Love that. But a huge faceless mass of people? I never feel like I can really get a grasp on it."
They hug Ellie back, of course. "Have a good evening! Let me know how the armor thing goes!"
"Rosalyn," she supplied, giving Ellie a little nod in return. "It was a pleasure to meet you." She winked at Nevy. "Very kind of you. I think there may be some disagreements on what is considered 'necessary', however."
"It was nice meeting you, Ellie. Please be safe." A small smile. Tiny, really, but seemingly sincere. "I would like to see your work when it is done."
"That is usually how I feel," states Liezel simply as Nevy talks about crowds. "But bigger numbers make it worse."
"Disagreements? Isn't the slang "extra" essentially a disagreement already?"
"I'll send you preview pictures," Ellie promises, both to Nevy and to Liezel. "Nice to meet you, Rosalyn." She lifts her hand in a casual wave and drifts off to get the things she came to shop for, and then goes to check out and depart.
Nevy grins. "Not when it's being used like this? So, like... 'Extra' in this context means... like, over-the-top. Say, for example, wearing a skull-embroidered coat around even though it's summer and way-to-hecking-hot, just because you like the way it looks." They glance at their own coat with a self-deprecating chuckle.
Rosalyn grinned. "I think it's delightful as it is. Now if you added extra accessories or scarves then it would be too much but the embroidery speaks for itself."
Nevy chuckles. "You mean, accessories like this?" They pull up a picture and proffer it: it's them, in the coat, and a swashbuckler-style hat with a long plume rubber-banded to a bic pen sticking out of the band, and a bloused shirt beneath a crimson vest, and a pair of turned down boots. It looks, as Nevy's player so often says, as though Edgar Allen Poe fucked a pirate.
"Now that looks like you're dressed for an event." Rosalyn would clearly rather die before she would denigrate their stylistic choices. "You wouldn't wear a ballgown to the races after all."
Nevy chuckles. "I absolutely get that how I dress would be 'too much' for most people. Honestly, it's kind of why I dress like this. I'm giving anyone who's going to be interacting with me plenty of fair notice about who they're going to be dealing with." They smirk. "Plus? I just think it looks neat."
Floretta comes into the store, flashy green hair tied back in a ponytail, heavy eye makeup, darkened lips, leather choker and a button up shirt that's not completely buttoned up with black slacks and suspenders the color of rainbows. Along with some flat shoes. She start to look around, trying to get the layout in. "Hmmm." (Blush active)
"And it does. I've been doing most of my shopping at the thrift store," she admitted. "Everything is so expensive now. Even something as simple as a pen."
Nevy nods. "Yeah," They say, their expression staying relatively stable. "I bet the prices are hard to get used to, right?" They glance at Floretta and grin. "I am loving the look!"
This startles the kindred, of course, but she turns toward the compliment giver with a bright, amused smile when the momentary jolt of surprise is given. "Thanks, Happy Pride." she gives a thumbs up to Nevermore and then? There's a moment of recognition. "Hey, you don't happen to make and sell art online, do you?" she approaches, when she's close enough and realize she's sort of intruding in a conversation, she winces apologetically to Rosalyn. "Sorry, didn't mean to interrupt, I kind of got carried away."
"Nono! It's fine!" Rosalyn said, glancing at Nevy and shifting anxiously. The hints they'd been dropping hadn't been missed.
Nevy notices the anxiety. and winces. "Sorry," They murmur. At the recognition, they smile. "I do indeed! Nevermore Usher, at your service!" Another florid, overwrought bow, to Floretta this time.
Rosalyn stepped over to pay at the register for her stationary supplies, carefully counting out the cash from her wallet, and then giving Nevy and Floretta a polite nod. "Have a pleasant evening," she said politely. "It was nice to meet you." Then she eased around them through the impedimenta of the well stocked shop, and escaped out to ride off off her motorcycle.
Floretta looks momentarily a little awkward. "Did I make something awkward, I'm sorry." She clear her throat. "And yeah I have one of your prints hanging in my office, Predator Heart." She grins a little bit, trying to move past it.
Nevy shakes their head, looking bemused. "I... think I did, honestly." They smile. "I'm pretty proud of that one. Raw hunger and need, right?"
"Yes, but I also appreciate the blood and gore aesthetic in general." Floretta explains. "Do you work here?" she asks, making a round motion with her index finger to indicate the whole store.
They shake their head. "But I shop here... way more often than I should."
"Well, if you sell art I kind of get it. I'm here to make an assessment of what kind of budget I need." She points around. "Could you like, show me where to get the good drawing paper and some kind of fancy pens?"
Nevy nods. "Are you doing drawing, calligraphy...?"
"I'm treating myself to a new skill learning by myself." Floretta nods. "I've been focusing on a lot of pretty complicated things lately and I need some kind of outlet for my creativity." she speaks, setting her hand on her hips.
Nevy nods again. "So, what type of skill are you trying to learn? Different types of art will need different tools."
"I'm thinking mostly animals or still life, like, my first attempt is going to be my dog." Floretta grins just a little bit.
Nevy nods. "Drawing, then? Cool. I'll show you what I use. C'mon!" They trundle down an aisle.
"I'm probably going to make things look terrible but it'll be fun." Floretta follows them into the aisle and looks over the various items on the shelves there and she scratches the back of her head. "What kind of things do you use for inspiration for your pieces usually?"
Nevy chuckles. "What did that dog in that cartoon say? Sucking at something is the first step toward being kinda good at something?" They grin. "We all start by drawing things badly. Enjoy it!" They shrug. "I look for the strange, the macabre, and the melancholy. Then I try to find the beauty in it - whether it's the joy of overcoming the pain, the memory of the gladness before the loss, or laughing about just how overblown a lot of that stuff can be." They chuckle again. "I also find a lot of inspiration from my friends, honestly. Predator Heart came from a friend talking about how they dealt with hunger, and thinking about how much wanting and needing can eat you if you let it."
That gets a side-glance from Floretta, but she quickly moves on to selection of paper and pens around with a curious eyes and her attention shift to the price tag. "Hunger for what?" she asks, curious, considering the tools before her, making mathematical analysis of the situation.
Nevy shrugs. "For me? A place to belong. Understanding of the world around me. People to talk with about how I see the world. For my friend?" They shrug.
Something about the way Nevy says that gives the impression that they do know what their friend's hungry for - but they don't want to say. "So... I tend to use these," They say, pointing at one set, "But they're... really pricy Took several birthdays to save up for them. If you're just starting out, this is a decent set. Doesn't have quite as many colors, but they make really nice clean lines, and the ink is refillable."
"Nice!" She picks up the pens and then looks at Nevermore again "I'd like the best drawing paper though, I can't imagine it can be that pricy..." she says fully aware she might not appreciate the price tag. "Wild guess, is your friend's name Rena?"
They side-eye. "No, but Rena is a friend of mine. And... if you're looking at 'the best' of anything, it's going to be pricy. Thus be-eth life in Capitalism, alas."
"Oh great, how do you know her? Did you work on something together?" Floretta is still ogling the pens in her hands with a fascinated look and a bright smile. "Yes, unfortunately, I do not possess fuck-capitalism level of powers. I am still curious about that paper."
"Well, 'best' really depends what you're using it for. Sometimes the texture of the paper is good for an effect you're working on. If you're looking for smooth paper - like printer paper but on steroids? Probably that one." They point it out. It is indeed not cheap. "As for Rena, I was doing a bit of, uh... let's call it urban exploration? I ducked into an abandoned convenience store, and I ran into her there. Almost scared me to half to death." They chuckle.
"How do you know her?"
Floretta smiles a little bit as she picks the paper and shrug her shoulders. "A lot of what I could tell you, she'd punch me over it and I really don't want that." the gangrel gives a little laugh there. "We're colleagues of sort."
Nevy eyes her, then nods. "Right, gotcha." They smile lopsidedly. "So. Stuff someone else might not tell you - do you have a laptop stand or something like that, where you can adjust the height and tilt?"
"No, I don't have that." She shake her head no and pick the pad of paper. "I'm guessing it's a posture thing or maybe a lighting thing?" she asks curiously.
"Posture. Hunching over a kitchen table peering at the page is a great way to earn the nickname 'Igor.'" They grin. "But you've got the right idea - posture and lighting. I mean, if this is a hobby, you probably won't be spending as long at it as I do - but then again, you might."
"Hmm, I think I might be able to do something like that with some stuff I have at home." She run her fingers down her cheek in thoughts.
Nevy nods. "So if you don't mind my asking, why'd you go for art when looking for something to while away the nights and days?"
"I need something that's not work, I need something new and something to let my ideas out that aren't words words words." she makes a motion to her head like an explosion.
Nevy nods. "Well, art's good for that." They pause. "Or, you know, screaming. That's a good way to let things out, too."
"I have neighbors and a dog who would very much not like that." A little chuckle.
"I mean, pillows do exist." Nevy grins. "But yeah, point made. And honestly, art's great for getting things out of your head, but... like... Coherently?" They pause. "Well. As coherently as anything I ever do is?"
"Coherency is over-rated. I ramble like crazy when I get nervous." She roll her shoulders once.
That draws a chuckle. "You know what? Valid." Nevy shrugs. "But I really ought to pick up my own stuff and head out. The strange and fantastical won't draw itself." They grin. "But it's great to meet you."
"I'm Floretta by the way, or Rena calls me Ironside." she nods to Nevy. "Have a good evening." she waves.
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