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 Posted: Fri Dec 09, 2016 1:17 pm
"Hm?" Penelope had been gazing out the window, taking in the mill of people flitting from place to place. Some had shopping bags along their arm and others were hunkered down, trying to brace themselves for the bitter winter chill. Turning her head towards him, she blinked slowly, edges of her mouth curling upward.
"Of course," she replied pleasantly, cheeks flushing with practice. "Under the condition that you'll let me see if after." She lifted her free hand to wag a finger at him. The one he'd grasped with both of his shifted as she moved to idly slide her fingers between his. Touch seemed important with him and Pen had no issue exploiting that.
"Traditionally, or at the very least through mainstream media, Cinderella is portrayed to be blue eyed and blonde." She gestured to her face, nails skimming her cheek and coming to rest with a single one at the corner of her mouth and her knuckles pressed against her chin. "I look the part, don't you think royalty suits me?" She teased, corners of her eyes crinkling with her grin and wink.
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Posted: Fri Dec 09, 2016 10:58 pm
"Naturally," Kit agreed, smirking at her wagging finger. He squeezed her hand once before releasing it in order to retrieve the sketchbook from his side pant pocket. A mechanical pencil was stuck through the spiral binding of the sketchbook, so he withdrew the tool and flipped open the book to a blank page.
"Oh, right," he acknowledged, realizing what she was talking about when she mentioned Cinderella having blonde hair and blue eyes. His own gaze flickered up from his paper to her face as she gestured and then back again. At her question, he grinned back. "Look and act. Your demeanor matches well, too."
Glancing through the window, Kit peered past the many people and tried to see if he could get a view of the park they'd just been at. The rabbits were still bothering him. "So, your majesty...if there were dangerous rabbits plaguing your kingdom, what would you do about it? Investigate? Send your royal army to get rid of them?"
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Posted: Sat Dec 10, 2016 12:56 pm
With both hands now free, Penelope drew her arm back and observed Kit and his sketchbook. "Art a primary hobby for you then?" She asked, interest obvious. "Traditional only or do you dabble in digital as well?" In reality, Penelope didn't know that much about art, just enough to make some pleasant conversation, but wouldn't be shy about using the lack of knowledge to convince Kit to give her more attention.
"Perhaps, in another life, I was a princess," she mused, the finger at the corner of her mouth sliding over her bottom lip.
Her gaze flicked over to the rabbits that were bouncing across the snow and she gave them a long look of consideration. "If you're so curious my good sir, we can examine the rabbits, see if they're harmless or a threat and then make a decision after."
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Posted: Sun Dec 11, 2016 7:25 pm
"I wouldn't exactly call it 'art' so much as occasionally scribbling what I see," Kit answered with a small smile as he began to sketch. "I can draw what's in front of me pretty well, but it's not like that requires imagination or creativity. Not really a form of emotional expression, either; more like something to pass the time or keep my hands busy. Like how people sometimes click the ends of pens." He shrugged while he made several small, short strokes, every so often pausing to glance up at Penelope. "I know how to do some digital stuff, but pencil and paper are just more convenient."
Smirking, he cocked his head at her and asked, "So what kind of hobbies do princesses these days take up? I'll bet they're much more interesting than the hobbies of the ones in the past." His gaze flickered from her eyes to her finger on her lip and back again, the corners of his own mouth curving upward ever so slightly more.
"I already heard they're dangerous, so I'd rather not be responsible for exposing a princess to that sort of hazard," Kit replied, softly laughing through his teeth. "If we were going to check, though, what would you have us do to be able to tell? Poke them with sticks and see if they fight back?"
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Posted: Sun Dec 11, 2016 11:11 pm
Pen considered his words, blue eyes sneaking glances as he sketched and she shrugged. "Art is a matter of interpretation. To some, scribbles are artwork and to other's a waste of time." As far as she was concerned it was a matter of finding out what her company considered art and going from there. "I wouldn't mind if you felt like showing me some of your work sometime."
She was careful not to move too much, fingers shifting along her lips and skin now and then but for the most part, Penelope stayed in the pose she'd deprived for the sketch.
Once again, she'd turned her gaze out the window watching as the rabbits bounded across the snow and even bit the poor, foolish person that drifted too close. "The usual things; studying, literature, and penning a few written works in her free time." She didn't go into much detail, the writing hobby a side thing she wasn't sure Kit would be keen on.
"There's a bit of knitting too. Be on your best behavior and maybe you'll get a sweater," she teased, with no true intention of providing the man with such a gift. People gave things to Penelope, not often the other way around.
A particularly brave child made their way into a group of rabbits and instantly regretted it. "We'd have to capture one first, without getting bitten of course." Nails tapped on her lips. "See how it reacts in captivity and when exposed to new, preferably not from one of us but third party, environments."
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Posted: Sun Dec 11, 2016 11:28 pm
"If you want," the black-haired young man answered nonchalantly. "Like I said, it's not much, but you're welcome to see 'em if you like." The smile played at the corner of his lips as he noticed her trying to keep her movement to a minimum. He was used to sketching moving subjects, especially because his drawing subjects weren't usually aware they were being drawn, but he appreciated her efforts to make things easier on him.
"Those are 'usual things'?" he asked, amused. "Sound like some pretty amazing hobbies to me; knitting included. I'm not sure I'd count studying as a hobby, though," Kit stated, sneering at the comment about getting a sweater. "What kind of stuff do you like to write?"
When Kit glanced through the window to see what Penelope seemed to be looking at, he caught sight of the foolishly brave child that went over to the group of rabbits and his lips parted in astonishment. Had no one put signs or anything? Were the warnings on the news not enough?
"Spoken like a true researcher. A scientist even, maybe," he murmured, catching the blonde's words as he frowned at the sight of the events in the park. "They should really rope off that park or something. People just keep getting hurt."
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Posted: Tue Dec 13, 2016 10:06 am
"Your interests are my interests," Penelope teased, smile slipping into more of a smirk.
"Royalty must always be educated," she said, with a bit of that's just how it is in her tone. "I dabble in fairytales, but it's not really things for the general public. I have a specific audience I cater to." Works like hers were certainly for a niche crowd. "It's all very boring because I write dissertations and thesis's otherwise."
Penelope couldn't wait until grad school was over so she could just work full time at the school and get paid to write and occasionally reorganize books.
"I cannot protect my people if I do not understand the threat," she mused, clucking her tongue and shaking her head as the child began to cry. "I doubt that would stop the creatures. They're wiley."
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Posted: Wed Dec 14, 2016 9:53 am
"And what specific audience might that be, if I may ask?" Kit found himself talking slightly more formally than usual again, maybe thanks to the reference of Penelope being royalty. "You must have some interesting topics for your dissertations and thesis papers, though."
He chuckled lightly. "I didn't mean to stop the rabbits; I meant to stop the kids and other people from going to investigate the rabbits." Just then, their drinks came and Kit thanked the server who brought them before passing Penelope her latte.
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Posted: Wed Dec 14, 2016 10:08 am
He asked about her writing, like she knew he would and she merely smiled at him in response. "Now, I can't tell you all my secrets quite yet." Drawing her hand from her face, she waggled a finger at him, looking over to the server with a polite smile and a quiet thank you.
She slid her middle and ring finger between the mug handle, pinkie resting just below and her index curling around the rim. "Have you met the people in this city Kit? I doubt a single one of them could resist a keep out sign." She shook her head, soft laughter on her lips as she raised her mug to her lips and sipped carefully, as to not burn her tongue.
"Papers and thesis are the gifts of grad school. Not terribly interesting, but unfortunately necessary."
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Posted: Wed Dec 14, 2016 10:16 am
"Of course not. Pardon my nosiness," he answered with a sneer and a dip of his head. Then he took a sip of his own drink before going back to his sketch.
"Yeah? I guess that would explain a lot," Kit mused. "In that case, it would probably attract more attention to rope it off than to leave it as it is. Still, seems strange not to do a thing about them when so many people have already been hurt."
"You can't even pick the topics of your papers and thesis yourself? I've heard that people learn best when learning in the context of their passions. Why bother putting effort into researching something you care nothing for when you could research something that interests you?"
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Posted: Thu Dec 15, 2016 10:05 am
She sat with her elbows on the table, mug now clasped between two hands, thumbs crossed over each other and pinkies just beneath the bottom to steady it. "Mhm," she hummed, looking out the window again. "There's a thrill to what you're not supposed to do or want." Blue eyes glanced over at Kit, her expression considering.
"To a degree we have some freedom, but it depends on the major. Besides, while some might work best with more creative freedom, the real world presents us with many a problem that we must learn and adapt to without having a choice." Shoulders shrugged and she took another, delicate sip.
"That teaches students to develop the skills necessary to persevere and succeed regardless of interest levels. And, in some ways, it's just a means to the end goal. Do you attend classes Kit?"
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Posted: Fri Dec 16, 2016 12:31 pm
"That's true," the young man agreed, taking a deep drink of his hot chocolate. "Sounds like you've had experience with that sort of thing." It reminded him of when she talked as a princess of running away with a pirate.
"I got'cha. Like if you can't get a job in the major of your choice. But ideally, what's your ultimate goal? You have a dream career in mind?"
He tapped his pencil against his paper thoughtfully. "Yeah, I just graduated from Hillworth recently, but I thought it'd be better to attend Sovereign Heights Prep for a couple years before applying to DCU. Figured it'd give me more experience and time to build up credits as well as money for tuition. But who knows? Maybe I'll be able to earn a scholarship. You're at DCU already, right?"
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Posted: Fri Dec 16, 2016 1:03 pm
"It's easy, to be tempted by things you shouldn't want but do anyway. I like to think I've learned how to tread the line quite excellently." Though, that mostly entailed Penelope winning the attention or even affection of whatever the object of her attention was.
"Librarian," she answered easily, smile soft and fonder. "I already have a job lined up, at the new school Romano's?" She was halfway to her dream job already.
"I am, halfway through my program already." Pen was quite proud of that fact. "I'm the assistant librarian at the school and once I graduate, I'll step into the full time roll."
She debated telling him that part of her desire to be a librarian was because she liked the idea of being the fantasy librarian. In the end she decided against it. "If you don't know what you're going to school for, avoiding uni is a good idea."
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Posted: Fri Dec 16, 2016 5:04 pm
Kit ran a hand through his dark hair. "It's most annoying when it happens and you can't help it, though. Like falling in love. I wonder if not being able to have something creates the desire for it or just enhances its value. I guess it depends on what's desired and the person desiring it." He smirked at her. "What do you mean, 'learned how to tread the line'? By not being tempted, or not getting caught? Or something else entirely?" He propped up his left elbow and rested his chin on his palm. "Unless that's another secret."
His pencil continued to make strokes across his page. "Librarian? Very nice. Gonna be a free-lance writer on the side? I have to say, though, sounds like a pretty secluded, quiet life for such an adventurous-seeming girl. I mean I know books and stories provide adventures of their own, but there's only so much one can experience through the written word as opposed to real life, right?"
Kit nodded at her mention of avoiding university. "I figured as much. And at least if or when I figure something out, I'll probably have most of my prerequisites out of the way."
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Posted: Tue Dec 20, 2016 11:33 am
"Lust is a funny thing my dear Kit," Penelope mused, setting her cup back on the table but still keeping her fingers wrapped around them. "Do you fall in love often?" She wondered aloud, curious about the sort of person, or thing, that Kit might fall for.
She had never been in love, but she was quite talented in pretending like she was.
"I dabble in storytelling as I can," she supplied, thinking of how many hours she spent logging her little novellas. It wasn't the best income, but it supplied enough. Though her salary at Romano's was more than enough for her preferred style of living.
"Considering I work for a school, I have plenty of opportunities to travel during the breaks. Besides, every person that steps into a library is searching for something and that itself has tantalizing note." She ran her finger along the rim of the cup, gathering up stray liquid and carefully sucking it off.
"Any idea what you want out of life?"
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