Prologue - Isabella Frost

[Shrike7]

It had been a long day working at the bookstore. The last week or so had been a rush, students grabbing textbooks in preparation of the new semester, and today had been no different. When things had finally slowed down to a stop, a glance at the clock showed that there was still three hours left before closing time. They passed like three days, with not a single costomer so much as entering the store, and all the clean-up done in the first half hour. By the end of it, Isabella was bored as all hell. Cashed out and locking the doors behind her right as 8 o-clock rolled around, Isabella paused to consider what to do with the rest of her night.

 

[Copper]

Re: Prologue - Isabella Frost

And one advantage to working in the bookstore was being able to set aside the books she, herself, would be needing as soon as they became available. That meant hauling a couple bags worth of overpriced paperweights back to her room. Not that it mattered. She had to feed Bruce anyway.

Of course, that ate up a whole twenty minutes (rounded up...way up. From eleven.) which still left her with nothing to do. At the moment.

Given that it was early in the semester and the college was encouraging activities to help the new and returning students settle in, that left her with a few options.

"Why can't I kiss you, have you turn into a wealthy prince, and I wouldn't have to worry about any of this, huh?" She put a finger up to the glass vase that held both Bruce and the plant that grew from the top of it. His tail flicked, answering the "intruder's" challenge. "Be good, Brucey. I think I'm going to hit the fraternity spawning pool. I mean, the bar." If nothing else, it might give her a further look at the latest crop of her fellow students that she'd be dealing with this year.

Changing from the polo she was wearing for work to a violet peasant top, she took a few minutes to freshen up what little make-up she wore, brush her hair, and change her earring studs for little white ivory-like feathers that dangled from her lobes.

Blowing a kiss to her guard fish, she scooped up her phone and keys and headed out.

 

[Shrike7]

Re: Prologue - Isabella Frost

Heading back from the campus apartments, she passed a row of booths set into the wall, and a young man furiously typing away on a laptop, textbooks open all over the table. Not too odd a picture, except that the only classes that had started so far were trades, and all of the textbooks were either Art or History.

The man himself was fairly lean, probably in his twenties, with either a deep tan or darker skin. His head perked up to stare at her for a moment, mouth open as if to start speaking, before he closed it with an almost audible clap and turned back to his laptop screen, hands no longer typing.

 

[Copper]

Re: Prologue - Isabella Frost

Isabella stops for a moment, given that she's obviously distracted him in some way, her hand moving to casually rest on her hip, head canted to the side slightly, and a brow arched. "Was there something you needed?" Her other brow joins the other as she questions him. There's a touch of skepticism in her voice, thinking that it's not her that he's concerned with, but she's not being defensive on account of the stare.

 

[Shrike7]

Re: Prologue - Isabella Frost

His head jumps back up and he looks her in the eyes, surprise obvious. He answers her, stuttering a little and smiling nervously.

"Y-y-yeah. I'm h-having some trouble on a question, and I was w-w-wondering if you could help me..." He forces out past his stutter, then shyly looks back down to his laptop.

 

[Copper]

Re: Prologue - Isabella Frost

Well, there are worse ways to pass the time than helping a fellow human being. That, and she finds the stutter kind of cute. Her posture relaxes and she walks over to stand beside/behind him so she can get a look at the laptop and what he's working on. "What is it you're working on then?" Looks like he's got his help.

 

[Shrike7]

Re: Prologue - Isabella Frost

((Beside, think like booths in a restaurant, with the backs of the benches bolted to dividing walls))

Isabella can't tell if her agreement to help made him more or less nervous as he shifted his laptop to give her a better view. "W-w-well, I'm trying to write a review of this man's work." He says, pointing to one of the books on the table, open to a short article on an artist, George Stanforth. "And I j-just don't know w-what to write. His artwork, is pretty good, I g-guess, but he just seemed like he only did it to get rich and f-famous, like all he wanted was to be s-s-surrounded by adoring fans or something. S-so I thought, maybe if I got y-y-your o-opinion, I could write about th-that, instead." He finally explained, before smiling helplessly and looking back down. His laptop had a word processor up with pretty much a blank page, he must have been deleting his work constantly with all the typing she saw him doing. Underneath that, his desktop had what looked to be a scanned image on it, a horribly complex system of Celtic knotwork that seemed to have been planned to leave spaces where his icons were sitting, so they could still be easily seen.

 

[Copper]

Re: Prologue - Isabella Frost

Given the question, she's actually paying a little more attention to him at the moment than the book, or the laptop for that matter. It seems an odd question to ask a passing stranger (though she's known people who do that...), so he can tell the wheels are definitely turning, her trying to place him in any of her classes or just around campus in general. She, herself, is used to being "the bookstore girl!" whenever people seem to know her.

"Well, it's a review, right? So you're perfectly entitled to express your honest opinion about him, unless your professor is an elitist snob who feels that all artists and their work should be regarded as sacred, even if it's utter crap." She grins a little. "And if you put my opinion down, that's me doing your homework for you and I don't do that." She puts a hand on her hip to emphasize the point, but she does, at least, consider what he's presented about one Mr. George Stanford, shifting around, moving the book closer to take a look at his work and seeing if she agrees with his opinion. As she leafs through the book, she continues. "As far as expressing your opinion on it, you could say just what you told me, but, well, elaborate on it," she says with a chuckle. "Talk about what you like about his work and then how it makes you feel. Art is supposed to invoke emotion and if all he's invoking is poseur for you, then talk about how lacking in spirit it seems to be, or something." She slides the book back toward him after she finishes speaking. She might not be offering much by way of completely answering his question, but it's about a good an answer as he's going to get out of her. Once her attention's off the book, too, she seems a little more interested in the desktop design than Mr. Stanford.

 

[Shrike7]

Re: Prologue - Isabella Frost

Isabella sort of recognizes him. He's been at a smattering of tables around the college for a week or so, since registration opened for the next set of classes. In fact, she vaguely remembers him buying the books the first time she saw him. He had come in practically a minute before she closed, bought then entire set spread out on the table now, and ran back out mumbling apologies for coming in so late. As for the said books, she recognizes the history books as the same edition she set aside for her own classes, though remembering that brings to mind the fact that classes haven't started yet, with the exception of trades.

The entire time she was looking through the book, he was staring at it as well, nodding and mm-hmming at the right times, slowly typing out notes as she spoke. She found that she did agree with him pertaining to Stanforth's attitude. It seemed that he made a big deal overwhatever project he was currently weorking on, spending the vast majority of his time either talking to the media or going to signings with his fans, leaving very little room to actually do artwork in, which was probably why he put out new peices sometimes slower than the Parlaiment put out new Prime Ministers. His gaze flickered to her briefly, looking worried for a second, before returning to the laptop, staring at the notes he had made. "T-that might work, t-t-thanks for the help." He stutters slowly.

The picture he's using as a background is obviously a scan of a pencil sketch upon closer examination. Furthermore, there's no stretching to fit. It's either a really big coincidence, or it was drawn and scanned to fit the same size screen at the same resolution as he was using, leaving little doubt as to who drew it. Only the left third was visible, the rest was covered up by the word processor.

 

[Copper]

Re: Prologue - Isabella Frost

((What exactly are trades? I think I can figure them out, but I just don't like being confused.))

Of course, the rarity of the pieces coming out likely only fueled the media frenzy surrounding them. She could only wonder if he was going to be one of those 'still putting stuff out when I'm dead' types due to a backlog of unfinished work. Not that she particularly cared, but she liked studying the reactions of people to individuals like that more than the individuals themselves.

"Glad to." She actually meant it when she said it, too. "Maybe I'll see you around sometime, huh?" She tapped the history book. "If you're not, you know, getting your work done early. I didn't know the art classes were up and running. Or is this a side project?"

Maybe she'd get around to complimenting him on the knotwork, too. She did find it rather interesting. She was something of a doodler herself, in her free time, but she'd never manage something that intricate.

 

[Shrike7]

Re: Prologue - Isabella Frost

((Apprenticeship stuff, Electrician, Carpenter, and so on. Sorry, didn't realize it wasn't a universal term.))

"Y-yeah, that'd be g-g-great." He stuttered out, looking sad that she was planning on leaving. "N-no, I'm just p-planning ahead, you know? C-c-college can get r-really busy, right? So I'm doing stuff before its a-asked. W-where are you o-off to? I-i-if you don't m-mind me asking...?"

 

[Copper]

Re: Prologue - Isabella Frost

She chuckles. "Hacked into the professor's files, did'ja?" she asks with a grin. "Or are you taking a course again and know the drill?" There's a slight smirk that plays at her lips at that. "Oh, the usual. Gonna maybe hit one of the bars. Better than sitting home alone, y'know?" Her lips purse just slightly as she finishes speaking, as though she might want to say more, but for the moment, she doesn't, just seeing what he does about her answer.

 

[Shrike7]

Re: Prologue - Isabella Frost

He just sorta smiled sheepishly at her. "I h-have a sister w-w-who took this course four years ago, u-under the same professor. She wouldn't l-let me see, h-her notes and s-stuff, but she made a list of what he usually w-wants..."

His eyes widened as she actually told him where she was off to, and he spoke up again, trying to unobtrusively start closing books. "The V-V-Vat has a l-live band playing t-tonight, w-wo-... Would you like a w-walk there?" He asks hesitantly, his stutter getting noticeably worse.

 

[Copper]

Re: Prologue - Isabella Frost

"Clever, that," she remarks quietly as he brings up his sister and finding out about the coursework. He might catch her assisting him by closing one or two of the books that are within her reach. "I think that sounds better than what I was planning," she replies with a slight smile. "Want me to wait here while you tuck all that stuff away...?" The way she trails off and her expression make it clear she'd like to know the name of her "date" before they head off.

 

[Shrike7]

Re: Prologue - Isabella Frost

He just stared stupidly for a moment eyes wide in surprise, before hurredly throwing all the books and his laptop into a duffel that had been under the table. "U-u-uh, yy-yeah. O-oh, and I'm R-R-R... R-Raven." He barely manages to force out through his stutter, standing up and hefting the massive weight with difficulty. "I-I-I'll be r-right back!" he says excitedly, hurrying off as fast as he could with the number of textbooks he was carrying.

 

[Copper]

Re: Prologue - Isabella Frost

She waits until he's out of sight and then a few seconds more before she chuckles quietly, sliding into the seat he just vacated to wait for him. It's not wholly at him, but she's finding him...adorably amusing, if she had to put her immediate feelings into words.

Nothing wrong with making a new friend, she tells herself. And who knows, maybe he'll be nice enough company to hang around with. The name was a little odd, though, and she resolved to find out if it were real or just a nickname. Plenty of time for small talk while they headed for the Vat, though.

When he returns, he finds Isabella waiting, idly tracing a pattern on the table surface with a fingertip, maybe trying to emulate the knot from earlier, but otherwise, nothing specific, while she watches for him.

 

[Shrike7]

Re: Prologue - Isabella Frost

Raven returns much quicker than expected, jogging down the hallway and looking a bit flushed, though not panting or appearing overly tired, despite the weight of the book he was lugging, and the speed he must have managed with them. "O-okay, are you r-ready?" He asks her once he gets to the table, leaning against the dividing wall between that and another booth.

 

[Copper]

Re: Prologue - Isabella Frost

Somebody must have done track. He sort of had the build for it, that was for certain. Debating something for a split second, Isabella slid out of the booth, making sure to turn and face him as she did so. Him being on the wall as he was, that did bring the two of them closer together for a second or so before she stepped back, moving more to his side.

"As I'll ever be. Lead the way." She flashed him a smile, ready to head out with him.

 

[Shrike7]

Re: Prologue - Isabella Frost

Isabella's guess was right, as he tensed up and shied away from the close conditions, blushing heavily. "A-a-alright." He stutters out, starting to walk, looking to head out the front of the college.

"S-s-so, I-I didn't q-quite get your n-n-name..." He says, trying to sound casual but only succeeding in sounding more nervous.

 

[Copper]

Re: Prologue - Isabella Frost

"Isabella," she replied, falling into step with him, taking care to give him a little bit of space, not wanting to spook the boy too much by letting him think she was coming on too strong. "Izzy or Bell, if you must shorten it. I detest being called Bella, though. And you said you're Raven, right? Is that your first name or a nickname?" From the sound of it, she's not poking fun, but it is an odd enough name to warrant such a question.