Nastara lounged about on a chaise lounge near the window, where the moonlight could catch her just right, depicting her in profile with the silver light dancing off her features and providing her enough light to read by.
It seemed to be a fairly quiet night in the shop, and she had hunted well that night, supping on quite fine bloodwine. With an eloquent little sigh she scanned the room before returning to her book.
Peaceful, picturesque and quiet… what could be better?
It seemed to be a fairly quiet night in the shop, and she had hunted well that night, supping on quite fine bloodwine. With an eloquent little sigh she scanned the room before returning to her book.
Peaceful, picturesque and quiet… what could be better?
Inventing was hard. Like, just, really difficult. Things could very easily go wrong. In most cases, such as the one currently on Clairette’s hands, this was usually the way things ended up going. Suffice to say, the explosion in the basement was most definitely not what she had intended. Science was unpredictable in that way- she would had to log that for the future.
She coughed as she made her way up the stairs, smoke billowing out in her wake. It was an eventful way to start the evening to be sure! Oh well, you can’t make an omelette without blowing up a basement or something like that.
It wasn’t until after her dramatic entrance did she notice she wasn’t alone in the shop common area. Sheepishly, she pulled the goggles off her face to hang on her neck. “Oh. Hi.”
Nastara felt the room shake beneath her, instantly she was on alert scanning the room for threats, scenting the air- smoke…. was there a fire? She did not like that thought at all it made her uneasy and her lips pulled back from her teeth as she considered fight or flight.
Then came the smoke pouring up from below bringing with it a…….a female noodle? Well she clearly wasn’t screaming FIRE and she couldn’t smell anything much burning, so very slowly she turned her gaze to fix it intently on the noodle. She eyed her quite obviously from head to toe, taking in everything, the soot covering her, the goggles leaving little clear circles about her eyes, and the smoke still swirling slightly at her feet, and her beauty. Her gaze hardened.
“Clearly you do not know to whom you speak, girl. Nor how to present yourself well, Look at yourself.” She sighed and turned just slightly so the light caught the rose in her hair better* I do hope you have something better to say for yourself than “ Oh, Hi”?” She arched an eyebrow, waiting.
Clairette blinked at the dark haired vixen. It sounded like someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed that morning. “No. Not really.” She gave a brief shrug as she flicked her wings and shook out her hair, sending up a small puff of soot. “I mean. I have no idea who you are. And why should I? We’ve only just met after all and I’m not psychic or anything. Though, that would be a really cool super power.”
She hummed, gazing off in the distance as she considered this. If she had that as a super power, crime fighting would be a lot easier. “Is it possible to invent something to help some read minds? Now that would be super neat.” In her mind, she was already sketching out ideas. This invention would work and probably not blow up this time.
Nastara stared for a fraction of a second, which was her version of jaw dropping shock. The little chit was utterly unphased. Recovering, she drew herself up in her seat, bringing all her regal bearing into play and looked down her nose at the soot covered angelic who was…...humming? And talking to herself- about super powers? No no no! this would not due.
She cleared her throat. “I am the LADY Nastara” she said with extra emphasis on the lady part. “And you would do well to remember that i am your better and address me with a good deal more respect than you have. But being as this is our first meeting, I will be lenient and grant you mercy. Now, what on earth is it you were doing down there, and what IS that smell?!?”
Clairette blinked again as the other females speech brought her back from her thoughts and back to reality. She frowned. “Better? That’s kinda rude. You don’t even know me.” Oh well. Not a big deal. She had more important things to worry about than this Nastara getting her skirt in a twist over something so silly. She shrugged, yanking her goggles off and looking at them. Dirty, no good. She’d have to clean them off before she used them again. “They’re just no good when you can’t see through them.”
Ah. Right. She had asked questions. Well, asked was a bit of a stretch, but no bother! “Oh. I was working on things. Trying to make new things, but some things just don’t work the way you want them to.” A lopsided grin grew on her face. It wouldn’t be far off to say she was embarrassed, but it wouldn’t be wrong to say she looked excited. Was there a word for both of those together? Embarcited? Probably not. “And sometimes when things don’t work the way you want them too, well, sometimes it fails spectacularly and things explode. But that’s just progress for science if you wrote down what happened!’
She blinked once, twice, three times and then just stared for another heart beat. “No, its not Rude, it is perfectly civil to say that I am better than you, as I am a lady. You certainly don’t hold any rank or station.” Her nose went slightly higher into the air as the...the thing talked to itself. About to clear her throat again to bring the attention back to where it should be, on her, her questions were answered. “ Progress?” She repeated “ For science”. I ask you what an odor is and you tell me its science? I’m afraid you might be a bit touched, shall I call for a servant to fetch the doctor? Or a caretaker?”
She was now looking clearly down her nose at the dirty miscreant and didn’t know what to make of it. Unbeknownst to her, her face had assumed the look one gets when they step in something squishy, smelly and unidentifiable.
Clairette tilted her head to the side. “Yeah, no, it is kinda rude. It’s so weird that you can’t see that all. Huh.” She shrugged. “‘Cause that? Is not important, like at all. I don’t mean any offense but umm, I don’t care and most people don’t? Titles are basically someone deciding that they are more important than someone else and then telling their kids that they must be more important because they are their kids. And it’s not like the kids did anything important, they just were born. That’s nothing to get excited about.” She shrugged again.
“And just because you don’t understand science isn’t any reason to get all touchy. A lot of people don’t. That why not everyone is a scientist. Obviously.” She rubbed her goggles with the fabric of her collar in an attempt to clean them, but as her clothes were just as dirty as the googles, her cleaning attempts failed. “And the smell was from the explosion. I just found out that those two chemicals explode when you mix them.” Ah, science.
That. Was. It. In the flash of a breath it took the other to attempt to clean the goggles Nastara was next to the THING that had dared address her in that tone, and whom had attempted to dress her down for the very title that was her birthright! She was furious, the sheer predatory power radiated off her, her tail was still, every hair in place, but something was just wrong about her.Nastara could not believe the audacity of this impertinent little whelp of an angelic.
Moving like a snake darting her head forward from the neck fast as her supernatural speed would allow she resorted to the fledglings trick of snapping her fangs in the other noodles face.” Impune my title you may, but that is not all there is to me. Mayhaps THING you should wonder just WHAT I am.”
Suprising. Clairette eyed the other vixen as she took mental notes. Were her muscles built differently to allow her to move that fast? If she wasn’t so rude and snappy, she might have asked her if she wouldn’t might being subjected to some scans. It would be interesting to look at the results from those tests. There might even end up being something that might end up helping progress medical sciences and that might even be more heroic than stopping crime. She all but vibrated at that possibility. Too bad this Nastara was basically a stuck up jerk.
“Right. Well.” She tapped a paw on the floor. “That’s very interesting and all, but if you are going to be rude and literally snap at me? I really don’t have much to say to you. Don’t you ever feel all lonely isolating yourself at the top of a false social construct? Where you call others lesser and push people away? How can you possibly make any friends like that? That’s a really sad idea to me.” She frowned towards the floor.
“hsssssss!” Nastara inhaled sharply and stepped away from the angelic like she’d been burned. She stood stock still, forgetting to keep up her human pretenses, little things, such as breathing. Standing that way as a minute passed, then another. Finally her breath came out in a huff as she darted back to where she had started.
For the briefest flicker Nastara’s eyes showed what she truly felt, a hurt so deep it was like a stake to the heart. Then it was gone and she turned her head towards the moonlight to compose herself. She drew her haughtiness back around herself like a mantle and turned once more to look at the other femme.
“ Snapping at you was a fledgling move yes, I desired to startle you, which, clearly, d….did not work,” She stuttered over admitting her failure to intimidate the other noodle. Then she gave a sardonic smile. “But, now it is you whom is being rude, for I have introduced myself and you have yet to give me your own name…..” She trailed off looking slightly superior.
Clairettes frown didn’t lessen at the other’s reaction. She eyed the other with concern as she drew back. Did she hurt her feelings? She really did mean to. She exhaled slowly as she worried her lip between her teeth. Some hero she was. Maybe she should apologize? She tipped her head to the side as she thought it over it.
However, before she could come to a decision, Nastara was speaking again. It looked like she was back to the same uppity-ness, so maybe she wasn’t that upset about it. Clairette rubbed her face, looking back over at her when she mentioned introductions. “Oh. Yeah, that’s probably a little rude, huh? I guess we kinda glossed over that with the whole… explosions and other things. I’m Clairette. Or just Claire. Up to you.” She smiled sheepishly. “Sorry about that, by the way. The explosion that is. I wouldn’t have been working on things if I knew anyone was around. I can be noisy and I know that bothers some people.”
Well this was quite the vexing little vixen! Looking at her full on now, not trying to give the other her good side she kept a sharp eye out trying to notice the others emotions flickering across their face, while not ignoring body language.
“Clairette…” Nastara slowly said her name as though tasting the flavor of a exquisit vintage of wine. Clearly she couldn’t intimidate this noodle but there was more than one way to get under someones skin. She smiled, not showing fang, but a dazzling one none-the-less that almost reached her eyes. “Clairette” she repeated making the name a sensual purr to shiver down the spine. “How beautiful a name….” She inclined her head to the other noodle “As for the explosion, you are quite forgiven….” For without the explosion Nastara would not have met this interesting creature…..”It is quite kind of you to consider others. May I inquire what you were working on- beyond combining explosive chemicals for science that is?”
Clairette blinked, then blinked again. It was almost as if Nastara had made a 180 degree change around with her attitude. It was almost enough to give someone emotional whiplash. Well, if she was going to start being nicer, she certainly wasn’t about ready to question it. It was better than her being mean after all.
“Oh, thanks.” She smiled at the compliment- though she wasn’t sure what to do about the flirtatious tone. Flirting wasn’t something she was really good at. In fact, she was pretty bad at it. Maybe it was better just to be nice and smile. Yeah, that seemed like the best course of action. “I was just trying to come up with a few gadgets. It obviously didn’t work, so it’s back to the drawing board for me.” She chuckled and shook her head, amused and slightly embarrassed by her own mishap.
Watching Clairette blink she just waited as though she had all the time in the world, and kept smiling.When the other femme thanked her and smiled she inclined her head gracefully in acceptance. Watching her apparent embarrassment Nastra continued with her current tact.
“Oh Pshaw” Nastara said congenially, “it obviously worked….” Nastara waved a delicate hand that took in the sooty condition of the noodle and the smoke still trickling out “...If not as you had expected. As you said, you learned that the combining those two chemicals creates an explosion, which I am certain is useful knowledge. Therefore if you have learned something, you are there-by better off than where you started, am I right?” again she arched an eyebrow, this time quizically.
“I guess that’s true.” Clairette glanced down at herself. A bath would probably be needed sometime shortly. She hummed to herself as she considered the work she was going to have to put in to clean her lab back up. There were things that were going to need to be replaced to. Those were just things, however. Nothing to get upset about. She’d have to log the reaction as soon as she could, that was important. Science required documentation. Writing things down was the difference between discovery and just messing around.
She blinked back, settling back into reality. It was probably rude to go off into her own little world like that, right? “Well, whatever that case, I really do wish that we could have had a better meeting. I think we both kinda got off on the wrong foot there.”
Watching Clairette take in the tragic state she was in made Nastara smile a bit more, for her it showed her superiority, but she kept the smile friendly and flirty hiding her annoyance when Clairette began to hum and clearly went of into her own world. Nastara simply kept smiling and waited.
“You are quite right, we did start our aquaintance off with a bang though now didn’t we” She laughed softly at her own joke, a gentle easy laugh that made one want to join in. “How very perceptive of you to note that we had a rocky start.” Not owning up to the fact that it was her fault Nastara plowed on. “ I can see that you are in need of some time to handle matters. So what say we meet for tea tomorrow night at the stoke of 9?”
Clairette giggled at Nastara’s joke. It wasn’t the funniest thing she had heard, but it was quite cute and poking fun at the situation helped lighten the mood. She beamed a smile towards the other vixen, delighted by the invitation - and the excuse to sneak away for a nice long bath. Explosions had the not only the side effect of the mess, but they also tended to leave a person caught in it a little sore. Nothing a nice long soak couldn’t fix.
“That sounds really great actually. I would really like to get to know you better.” Especially now that she was being so nice, Nastara seemed like a person who might be worth getting to know. She certainly wasn’t going to turn down an invite. “I guess it’s a good thing I’m a night person, huh?”
As Clairette laughed at her joke, Nastara found her smile widening, this time including a slight sparkle in her eyes. This was odd, why was she responding this way. But before she could frown in thought Clairette smiled and continued.
“Why yes, it is a very good thing you are a night person.” She gave a small smile at this, and she felt a strange...sensation...as the noodle said they wanted to get to know her better. But moving on clearing her throat. “Achem. yes. well- very well, it is settled then, I shall secure the tea shop for us and expect to see you then.” With another nod and a smile Nastara gathered her skirts and her book, and swept out into the night.
