[Nicolay]

Lazuli was practically one of the first people Nicolay texted when he'd received his COM as well as her number -- the second to be precise as the first was Kiel who was, anyway, his first friend. Since having purchased his COM, however, he was almost inseparable from it and although he'd been learning how spell the words better with the help of the device, he was normally frustrated by his beginner's skill and would end up just calling his friends whether he be in the middle of a job, waiting for a client or in his break or was reading a magazine or lying awake at night. He was starting to regain his habit of sticking a phone to his ear and it did nothing but relieve him. How he missed doing that so much! The rate in which he was doing this was nowhere near his obsessive one back home, however.

It was in one of his COM-enhanced conversations with Lazuli where he found out about her art store and the eventual finish of it which merited a heartfelt, “Congratulations!” from him. He promptly asked for the address and in the soonest possible chance, he paid her shop his first visit.

He made sure to dress (and smell and look) appropriately to the event (even if it might seem too trivial to become special but establishing brands or branches were no kindergarten deal, this he knew) -- his black leather blazer to ward off the cold, his beaded hexagram necklace, a new cyan turtle top with a deep white V in the middle to part it from the sea blue color and a pair of casual slacks and his running shoes. The smell of wood and wax was the first thing he noticed as he opened the door and stepped inside, his left hand holding a tall paper bag, his right a stout yellow box he carried by the burgundy ribbon. Nicolay took his time to appreciate the simple yet comfortable design Lazuli had decided on her shop. It made him smile -- especially with the color of the walls outside and the curtains, it was just so her.

“Ring, ring!” he announced his arrival as he lifted his left hand up and underlined his bangs with his trigger finger, careful not to hit his nose with the slightly heavy item he held.

OOC: Hope everything's good! If something is off, do ping!

[Lazuli]

(( ))

Lazuli was behind the counter, stooping over a large cardboard box filled with supplies she had brought over from her apartment. She unpacked papers, brushes, paint tubes... all were there, albeit somewhat jumbled. She gave a small sigh. I must sort through everything soon. Behind her stood several rows of empty canvases, all laid against the wall and waiting to be painted upon. It would be a few days before she started, however, for she wished to relax and adjust to her new workplace first.

She had also been looking forward to Nicolay's visit all day. One couldn't express the joy she'd felt when she found out that he was coming to congratulate her. So when the doorbell rang (or something to that effect), she prompty spun around with a welcoming smile. "Welcome to Colormints, Nicolay!" she said joyfully. It felt so great to say that!

Lazuli stopped sorting through the box and moved out from behind the counter to receive her much-adored visitor. "I'm glad you arrived safely," she remarked cheerfully as she held out her arms in an offer to help her friend with the items he carried. But then she dropped them when she remembered that it would be helpful to obtain a surface to put them on. The nymph hussled back where to she'd come from and pulled out a small wooden table from behind the counter. It was old-looking and scratched up, but she dragged it toward the couch by the window with speed and an eager smile. "I'm sorry that I don't have much furniture right now," she apologized, although she felt too light-hearted to bother worrying. She was so excited!

"You look good, by the way!" Lazuli complimented. She patted down her own attire -- a rather simple robin's egg blue dress that went down to her knees, showing white capris under it. Ribbons adorned the dress's puffed sleeves and she had worn a necklace with a blue puff ball to match. As for shoes... hm, no shoes today.

anime rain | discolore | celestial-star | night-fate-stock

[Nicolay]

“Heeey, busy girl!” Nicolay greeted her back when she stepped out of the counter to receive him and leaned forward when he had the chance to press his right cheek against hers. “Congratulations. Place looks great!” he said on. And it really did! Boxes, canvases and bareness aside, the colors were nice to the eyes and the atmosphere was cozy and warm.

Or he was just too excited for this. And ecstatic. And bursting in general.

He had a minor blunder when he moved to hand to her the goods he'd brought along and pulled them back just as she rushed off to take a table out of nowhere and carry it over to the place of the couch. “Oh let me do that,” he offered with his full hands outstretched, following Lazuli where she went only to no avail -- anyway, it couldn't have worked. Instead, he thanked her and placed his gifts on the surface, introducing one after another. “I brought you a cake and something to drink. Just a small party for your opening.” He winked at her as he tugged the ribbon of the box free, let the ends limp at the sides and pulled the lid up to reveal a round, cave-topped cake with a hole in the middle. It was yellow chiffon, the hue slightly burnt, and dusted with white snow. “I had this last week and it's great. They call it the Honey Goldrush Cake and it's sweet with a light taste of vanilla and nuts. I thought you might like it.” She seems the type to like sweet stuffs.

“Annnd for the real celebration,” Nicolay pulled out a tall bottle of light purple liquid with small bubbles clinging to the sides of clear walls, its label wrapped around its body in plain brown paper and written in black script. He tapped it with his two fingers, “Some light champagne. You can't celebrate without one! This one's based off Ilaris and it's doux--” he waved his hand to a side, “Sorry. It's dessert wine so it's bound to go along well with the cake.” Satisfied by his quick introduction (as can be seen of that slightly-egoistic smile hovering on his face), he set the bottle down on the table.

And that was when he noticed Lazuli's...toes. “Where'd you put your shoes?” he asked, mildly surprised.

[Lazuli]

(( This is Lazuu's 100th post!! *bounce bounce* ))

"Thanks!" Lazuli grinned at Nicolay's compliments about her shop. She had worried initially about choosing the right atmosphere and colors for her future clients, but in the end she had decided to go along with what she personally liked -- not too plain, not too rococo. She felt reassurred that Nicolay had liked them.

When Nicolay touched his cheek to hers, Lazuli's eyes widened a little in surprise. But it was a pleasant kind of surprise. She continued welcoming him in with a new rosy smile, obviously pleased and sparkly about the aforementioned gesture. Her heart felt... sweet.

She took her place on one side of the couch and watched in curiosity and eager excitement as her friend introduced the food and drinks to her. The cake looked delightful! Light honey-colored with that adorable white dusting... Lazuli thought it almost looked too good to eat. "It sounds delicious!" she remarked, also flattered that he had known what sort of food she enjoyed. Then came the champagne, which Lazuli's eyes widened at. Wine? She remembered the beer that she had drunk with Kiel and Lucas some months ago. This would be the second time! She smiled at the prospect.

"I can't wait to try it, thank you!" she said, and then... "My shoes? Oh, I decided not to wear them today."

The nymph bounced off the couch to retrieve some eating supplies like forks, knives, and cups for the wine. "I didn't get a chance to wash my studio shoes," she continued, raising her voice so Nicolay could hear as she dug behind the counter, "although that doesn't really matter. I guess I just wanted to go barefoot because I like the feel of the new floor!"

Her head appeared from behind the counter, eyes pointed toward the floor. "See? The wood is smooth and shiny! Also, that rug right there feels wonderfully soft!"

anime rain | discolore | celestial-star | night-fate-stock

[Nicolay]

OOC: Conguratulashuuuns!! \o/

Nicolay was pleased with his gifts, always having had faith in his instinct and talent on these occasions and happy that they hadn't failed him even in a foreign place, with foreign food and a non-human friend. Lazuli's exuberance did nothing but empower the already excited air and he drew his own good spirits from this aura she was exuding, as well. It was...very inspiring, to say the least, and felt nice. Very nice. It had been ages since he felt this way.

The grin fell in favor of arched brows and slightly parted lips, however. She...just decided not to wear shoes today? How could anyone just decide to not wear shoes on a day out? And it wasn't like this store was her house, was it? Or maybe her bedroom was just upstairs but still! You receive visitors and your feet are bare? What--

“I didn't get a chance to wash my studio shoes,” Lazuli explained and Nicolay preferred to have that reason, anyway. Still, it's not like her studio shoes are the only shoes she's allowed to wear in her...store-slash-studio, right? He followed her towards her counter but remained in front of it. “Although that doesn't really matter. I guess I just wanted to go barefoot because I like the feel of the new floor! See? The wood is smooth and shiny! Also, that rug right there feels wonderfully soft!”

Nicolay wondered if he should feel bad that he had shoes on and he couldn't scrunch up his toes on the carpet or slip on her spanking new floor. “W, well, you only have one pair of studio shoes with you?” Because that was a little sad. “Aren't you scared you might slip or stub your toe or step on a splinter or a pebble or paint?” Or worse! When the dishes would appear, his arms would automatically stretch themselves over the counter and his hands steal the burden from her.

[Lazuli]

Lazuli willingly let Nicolay take some of the food items, taking the rest herself as she headed back to the table.

She looked up in wonder at his concern over her shoelessness and the danger of making haptic way around the shop. She tipped her head. "Is it that strange?" she asked curiously. She went barefoot at home all the time (but then again, she was a nymph). She smiled. "Well yes, I do have others, but I didn't bring them from home yet."

After the eating utensils had been safely set on the table, Lazuli bent down by the floor and tapped it lightly with her knuckles. "Oh no, there are no splinters here," she said happily. She turned her head to look up at Nicolay, pointing at the glossy surface of the wood. "See, Nic? It's perfectly smooth and shiny. I'll be careful, though. Thank you for the warning!" Really, she appreciated his concern so much!

Lazuli picked herself off the floor and dropped down on the couch again. "Come, sit sit!" she encouraged him with a bright grin.

anime rain | discolore | celestial-star | night-fate-stock

[Nicolay]

Nicolay thought it must have been such a wonderful thing -- to be so carefree and without worries like Lazuli was now.

“I think you'll need to have those shoes sent over here as soon as we finish fixing this place up,” said Nicolay as he took up the knife and a plate and began slicing a piece. Some thick cream clung to the dull blade as he slid it up and down to part the chiffon. “It's not just for protection, after all. This is an art store, isn't it? So you're bound to receive clients from all walks of the earth.” He handed the plate to Lazuli.

He went on with his lecture as he cut himself up a piece. “Some people might not mind you going around with bare feet but you can't ignore those people who can't even stand the sight of toes outside their private homes.” As he placed his plate aside, he gave Lazuli a secretive eye, “Trust me, there are people like those.” His hands went to the bottle next and began unwrapping the cork. “And you can't just turn them down, 'specially if they're the kind to spend their money for the hell of it. Besides, the kind of shoes finish up the kind of character you want to portray, you know?” He turned away from Lazuli as he stuck the end of a fork into the cork and holding the bottle up to the same direction, he popped the whole thing open.

He poured half a cup for each of them. As he set the champagne aside, he handed one cup over to Lazuli. “You get what I mean? I don't mean you have to pretend but say, if they see you walking around with your studio shoes, it not only looks professional, but it also looks cute 'cause it'll make you look like a real artist. Kinda like that.”

He sat beside Lazuli and took up his corked fork, easing the bulk out of the end. Turning to the lady beside him, he said, “I don't mind that you don't have shoes, though.” Just so they're clear. “Well, eat up! It's your big day today.”

[Lazuli]

Lazuli gazed at Nicolay intently as he explained the etiquette involved with shoes. She knew that it was proper to wear them, but she hadn't known that it could be such a big deal. Even so, she took her friend's words at heart because she knew that he wanted her to be safe and look good in social standings. So she nodded at his words. "Yes, yes, I completely understand," she answered faithfully. "I'll make sure to try hard not to insult any customers."

Lazuli glanced out the opaque curtains with a serene smile. "The store isn't completely ready yet," she explained. "Although I'm taking orders already, I won't be starting anything until I finish unpacking. So no one else has visited so far. ...Do you know what that means?"

She giggled and beamed at him. "Nic, you're very special!"

She happily took the cup of champagne he offered her, giving him another smile of thanks. She took a sip, a shock of flavor staining her tongue. Ooh~ It tasted much better than the beer at the bar. Or was that because Nicolay sat beside her, enjoying it with her also? It was so great, she was almost moved to happy tears.

Taking a fork, she took out a piece of the chiffon cake onto her plate and stuffed a chunk happily in her mouth. The pleasant aftertaste of the champagne only served to enhance the sweet taste of the cake. "This really is delicious," she remarked in satisfaction, a few crumbs sticking to the corner of her mouth.

anime rain | discolore | celestial-star | night-fate-stock

[Nicolay]

When Lazuli blurted out, “Nic, you're very special!” at him, Nicolay had almost dropped his fork and did drop the cork which his grabbing hand missed as it fell silently to his lap. He slapped his left on it so that it didn't roll down as his face wore a...tickled look, a mixture of being pleased, amused and happy. “You really are cute,” he would have said but he didn't. Because that was weird.

“I tend to be,” was all he said in response to that sudden...complement, smirking a little to portray his joke as he corked the open bottle and cut himself a piece of the cake to eat, finishing the subtle sweetness with the tangy one of the wine and he nodded secretly in approval. He could taste the vanilla and the honey just fine and just perfectly! Mission accomplished: the celebratory meal was a success.

Lazuli's agreement to his taste only served to stroke his ego further and he gave the lady a kind-of haughty, impressed look he liked to wear whenever his friends decided he was the wiser among them. This look would drop when he noticed those crumbs decorating the corner of his friend's lips and he searched for a tissue paper...except there was none.

To brush it away himself would be awkward.

“Oh, you've got some...” he pointed to the mirror side on his lips, “You've got some crumbs on your lips.”

[Lazuli]

Of course Lazuli couldn't know exactly what thoughts were going on in Nicolay's mind, but she definitely saw that her words had pleased her friend. And that was very good! "I'm glad you think so," she responded when Nicolay agreed with her about being special. "It's nice when people appreciate themselves!"

She blinked in surprise when she realized that she did indeed have crumbs on her mouth. "Oh, oops!" She used a finger to brush most of it off onto her plate and licked away the rest. "There we go!"

Without hesitation, Lazuli continued eating forkfuls of the lovely cake, although she ate a bit more slowly and cautionately this time. Besides, it allowed her to enjoy the flavor more. Finally, she took a drink of champagne. She held the cup out in front of her, looking into the dark liquid with bright eyes.

"Ah, this is so refreshing!" she exclaimed cheerfully. She turned to Nic with a curious look on her face. "Say, when people celebrate like this, don't they click their glasses together? Shall we do that?"

anime rain | discolore | celestial-star | night-fate-stock

[Nicolay]

Nicolay had just washed down half the cake in his mouth with a sip of his champagne when he turned to look into Lazuli's golden-brown eyes -- a pair that was both new and familiar, something he enjoyed -- as he listened to her suggestion. His pace in eating was almost her direct opposite, however -- relaxed with small portions per bite and selectively chosen periods for drinking his refreshment. He did smile at her idea and gave a small nod, a small shrug. “Sure we can,” he said. “The effect would've been better if we had real glasses but oh well.” He offered his cup to Lazuli. “Here's to your success, Lazuli. May it be sweet, may it be true, may it be lasting and blessed.” These speeches -- he knew them well.

After their short cheer, Nicolay reopened the bottle and refilled their cups. “So what exactly do you sell here? Art tools? Old paintings?” It needed to be said that he wasn't exactly very aware of what her business was exactly. He took another cut of his cake and slipped it into his mouth to chew as he waited for Lazuli's answer, looking at her two shoulders and some inches away.

[Lazuli]

And so Lazuli raised her cup as well, clicking accordingly it against the edge of Nicolay's. She expressed no sorrow over the fact her friend was right and they indeed weren't legit glasses, because what did it matter? It was like people said: the thought itself counted.

"Thank you so much!" Lazuli said gratefully with a calm determination in her warm eyes. "I'll definitely do my best to make Colormints a real success."

She waited as Nicolay refilled her cup, and then took another sip. Nicolay's question caused her to brighten and almost run off in the direction of the empty canvases for show-and-tell, but she managed to remain in her seat. It would be rude to leave her friend.

"Well," she said light-heartedly, "I do commissions. I would love to sell art tools but I don't have much experience in marketing, and art tools are so expensive already. So I'm selling my own abilities instead. I draw portraits and other paintings for people who want them! Do you think that's nice?"

Lazuli blinked up at Nicolay brightly as though waiting for approval.

anime rain | discolore | celestial-star | night-fate-stock

[Nicolay]

“I think it's great!” Nicolay said instead after swallowing down his cake, looking truly impressed when he turned to his friend, as though showing her that he meant what he said. “I've never met a lot of people who sell their drawings. Back home, though, there are a lot of them...but I never really bothered.” He was patriotic like that.

“Can you show me, though?” he asked after, setting down his fork while he began to shrug off the jacket he was wearing. It was warmer, finally, so he had no use for it. “I don't think I've seen any of your works just yet.” With the jacket gone finally -- and dumped to the side, he'll fix it later -- he slipped his handkerchief out of his pocket and dabbed it on his lips. He wasn't finished eating yet but just in case he had to stand up and walk around, it would be better to do it without crumbs and stuff.

[Lazuli]

Lazuli thought back to when she was on Earth. To be honest, she had not quite expanded her artistic capabilities at that time, preferring to stay by herself at home or in a park with various stacks of printer paper. It was only as time passed that she began seeing farther into the world of art. "I only visited a few galleries myself," she admitted.

She set down her own fork as well, for she had eaten her fill, and took a drink of champagne to wash down the sweetness. With a finger, she lightly brushed off any crumbs that may have been stuck to her mouth. Then she perked up. "Oh yes, I'd love to show you my paintings! I'm afraid I haven't put up the samples on the walls yet, but there are plenty of them in the attic that will be moved down soon."

Lazuli stood up and gestured to Nicolay to follow. "Please come! The attic's very nice and has a great view." She began walking to the counter, where the stairs were behind.

anime rain | discolore | celestial-star | night-fate-stock

[Nicolay]

As Lazuli took to her feet and started off, Nicolay practically threw away modesty and remained true to his perpetually-hungry character by stabbing the cake right where it mattered and tossing the whole thing into his mouth and then following it up with what was left of the champagne. That was...so uncool. But at least the flavors blended well and Lazuli wasn't looking -- that was the most important part. It would have been embarrassing.

He scooped up his jacket from the side as he followed behind the lithe lady, tossing the black thing behind the counter so that he was removed of any excess baggage as he joined Lazuli up to the stairs. “Have you decided which ones to move down?” he asked her as climbed on, distracting himself from her answer as they reached her upper room and he looked about the new space, noting immediately where a window might be seen since his friend seemed very proud about the scenery she'd managed to claim.

[Lazuli]

Lazuli had no idea of what might have happened to the food items after she turned away, but it didn't matter as she was quite full already and had no more yen for them at the moment. She was full, and quite happy. Two things that mixed well just like cake and champagne.

The attic of Colormints was shaped like, well, an attic, with a sloped roof and loads of boxes lying around. Lazuli, however, had converted part of it to an almost mini-living room. A vieux rose-colored rug lay in a corner by a round window. The window couldn't be too large, but it was big enough for someone to climb into and lean against the glass while looking out. The view opened straight toward the Quandrangle with Xanth's statue in almost plain view. That and the cobblestone streets and flowers that would bloom in spring made it a really inspiring view. Lazuli even had placed a small pillow in the window space.

The majority of the attic, of course, still remained reserved for storage. The paintings mentioned earlier sat on the floor and atop boxes, all lined vertically against one another. Lazuli had already framed them, choosing simple wooden frames over anything francy. Among many, one of the paintings in plain view was a landscape watercolor of the River Cora with a band of flowers directly in front of the camera. Another painting showed a pretty nymph with flowing red curls and almost rebellious golden eyes staring straight at the viewer with what could be called a playful smirk.

"I'm going to try my best to stop this place from becoming dusty," Lazuli noted with a smile, glancing over her beloved paintings for a moment. "Otherwise it would be a nightmare to climb up here all the time."

She led Nicolay to the paintings and removed some of them from each other so he could see. "Feel free to go through them," Lazuli spoke brightly. "In fact, you can help me choose a few to bring down! What do you say?"

anime rain | discolore | celestial-star | night-fate-stock

[Nicolay]

When Nicolay noted the presence of a sit-down space, he made a joke that she should have introduced him to the attic earlier -- as that would have been a lovelier place to have cakes and wine in. “I'll even remove my shoes for that,” he went on to say as he approached the pinkish rug and looked over it down the Quadrangle which used to be so golden in color, now gray and dormant. It had been days since he last went this way, having preferred to change his weekly running route to one that was closer to his house and warmer than trekking out to meet Xanth. He'll have to rethink it now, he thought. Now that he knew where else to find Lazuli, he thought he might drop by more often.

He turned back to her when she began revealing to him her paintings -- that one of the fiery nymph immediately catching his eyes what with her strong colors. Hands in his pockets, he leaned in to check out the work -- not that he knew how to judge but Lazuli's skill was definitely nothing offensive and ordinary. “I like this,” he said, straightening up. “Is she a friend of yours?” He asked her as he looked up to the smaller lady and smiled, adding, “Her eyes remind me of yours.” It was one of the nymph's most distinguishing marks for him, after all.

Nicolay looked at the painting again...then said, “Hey, let's take this one down. You could hang it at the right wall from the counter.” He began going around. “Let's put this one down, too,” he said with a point to her painting of the River Cora. “Since it's winter, people might want to see some flowers, right? Besides, it's a landmark.” He turned to one of the farther paintings from them and pointed again -- a scene of a beach. “And what about this one?”

If he knew better, he might just tell Lazuli to bring everything down. But to his credit, he's pointing at thing that immediately catch his eyes.

OOC: Hope it's okay I suggested a painting!

[Lazuli]

Listening to Nicolay express his interest in the sit-down place, Lazuli smiled and made a suggestion. "Maybe we could have another party here the next time you come," she said. "Preferably in the spring, when the Quadrangle's in full bloom! Don't you think that would be fun? I'll get the food next time."

When Nic mentioned the portrait of the lady, her smile widened. "That's my mother!" she said cheerfully, happy that Nicolay had pointed out the eyes. She was very proud of her mother's eyes. Her heart warmed every time she looked at that painting. "But yes, she was also a friend. A very close friend!"

Lazuli picked up the painting, holding it carefully by the frame, and nodded at the River Cora one, too. "Oh yes! I am very fond of that one as well," she said, leaving Nicolay to pick it up since he was closer. She moved to retrieve the farther painting, the one of the beach. Then she glanced around. "Maybe one more for now. Oh! How about the cheefle picture right there? It's my pet, Chiko. She's at home right now, but I'd love to introduce her to you sometime."

(( ooc: No prob! Suggest whatever you like. ))

anime rain | discolore | celestial-star | night-fate-stock

[Nicolay]

Nicolay nodded with a happy smile. “It's a date,” he said positively. “Although if it's the spring, we could just...picnic outside, I guess.” It was a passing thought.

He was amazed when Lazuli mentioned that the beautiful woman in the picture was her mother and had to look again to see any similarities aside from the eyes. Whether or not it was driven by knowledge or he really saw one, though, he recognized some features on the painted face and left no room for questions. “She looks beautiful, Lazuli,” he said, then turned to say to his friend with a tamer smile, “Now I see where you get your looks from.”

By the time the nymph had began picking up the paintings, Nicolay hurriedly got to work and lifted that one of the River Cora up by its top side, noting its weight with surprise as he went towards Chiko the Cheefle's painting and took that one up by its longer side with little time to really look at it. As he followed behind the artist, he gave the attic and the paintings a last once-over (he would have liked to look at them more) before he looked at where he was descending and stepped down carefully. “What kind of paintings do you draw? I noticed you don't have macabre drawings...” There were a lot of those back home, he remembered -- history and all.

[Lazuli]

Lazuli nodded. "Yes, we could," she agreed. "This place will be good for when it gets too hot outside."

The nyad's heart warmed even more when she heard Nicolay praise her mother. She smiled when he made the comparison of their looks. What could be better than one saying that you had the beauty of your beloved parent? She blushed a little and voiced her thanks.

Once the paintings were safe in their hands, Lazuli carefully descended the stairs ahead of Nic. Although she was concentrating ahead, she paid attention to every one of her friend's words. "I draw landscapes, portraits, and still-lifes mostly," she said serenely. "But really, anything that I feel like. It's a hobby, after all!"

On the ground floor, Lazuli approached one of the walls that was empty from floor to ceiling and set down one of the paintings beside it. She held up the other against the wall, stepping back a little to see if it was even. "Oh wait, I have to get anchors," she remembered, and prompty retrieved a small container of them from the Counter of Infinite Supplies. "That way we don't need to use nails."

"We should put a fair amount of space between each," she explained as she set one of the anchors onto the wall. "They should be eye level so people don't have to look up."

anime rain | discolore | celestial-star | night-fate-stock