[OPEN] Start with Goodbye

[witheredpeonies]

Who: Annabel Lee Whitlock (witheredpeonies) & You!
What: Arrival and CR-building opportunities
When: Early June
Where: All over the place!
Warning(s): None yet, comment titles will indicate any that arise.

1. Never a hand hardly to hold [Downtown]
A new arrival has...well, arrived! Annabel Lee Whitlock, a pale blonde wisp of a woman with clever eyes and an easy smile spends her first couple of days exploring her new surroundings. Today, it's the downtown. Walking with a dainty gait and curious glances into the shops, weighing her desire for better clothing against the limited amount of brass in her pocket. Clearly, she's going to need to find work for herself. Nothing nearly so nasty as hard labor, fishing or farming, of course. It's good work, but nothing she'll set her hands to.

When she sees a thimble in the window of a general store, an idea starts to form. Implementation may take effort and aid, but she has time to work it all out. Right?

Feel free to encounter her anywhere in the downtown, looking every bit the tourist.


2. Big city sway, move with the day [Bulletin Board/Workshop]
A message written in an elegant script, on cheap paper:

Now Open, with the Support of the Artisan Guild!
Whitlock Needleworks
Embroidery and Mending at Fair Prices; Braiding, Tasselwork and other Embellishment also Available.
See Annabel Lee Whitlock for More Information.
[Address]

Should someone come seeking the workshop where Annabel's set herself up, they'll find her working on a display piece of embroidery meant to show off her skills. Peonies, of course.

"Welcome in. Was there something particular you were looking for, today?"


3. Wanting it bad, ever-returning home [Wildcard]
Feel free to contact me on almost any social media (discord, plurk, etc.) at darkersolstice to get a custom starter

Comments

[witheredpeonies]

"Goodness! Did you encounter a dangerous creature out there?" Clearly it wasn't a nice, civilized person who gave him that black eye. Right? Riiiight? "Do come over and let me get a closer look at the damage--those sleeves will need reinforcement, clearly. And patches for the knees?"

[skeletonkeay]

"What? No, no, I like the knees. And the sleeves," Gerard grumbled. "I was wondering if you could make, ah, embroidered patches. For a jacket."

[witheredpeonies]

"Oh. Well, yes, I'm certain that I could." She's a little baffled about him liking the frayed edges. Look, punk is not something she has an understanding of. The closest thing in her life is Lenore women who crossdress and men who are dandies.

(Though one could argue her world is the gothest of goth, fit to outdo Ebony Dark'ness Dementia Raven Way and her Hogwarts.)

[skeletonkeay]

"Well, uh," he muttered, "I don't have the jacket yet, because I just arrived, but..." He paused, deciding how to describe it. Not like he can pull out a smart phone and give her pictures. "Where I'm from, it's a fashion statement. Torn clothes and embroidered patches with symbols. I just don't quite feel like myself without it. If that makes sense."

[witheredpeonies]

"Well, it's certainly not a fashion for me, but I would hate for you to not feel like yourself. Patches--what sort of symbols would you want me to embroider?" Her gaze pulls to the tattoos on his hands, anticipating something similar to those.

[skeletonkeay]

Gerry feels the movement of her gaze. "Yes, like that, but--- other things as well," he says. "I could get you some sketches. I'll likely have the money next time stipends go out, but I could get you a down payment."

[witheredpeonies]

"I can't put together a solid price estimate without knowing the complexity, but I'm relatively certain I can manage what you're looking for."

It's not her fashion in the least. But Annabel can't help but wonder if it might have been Lenore's, if she and Gerry were of a time.

[skeletonkeay]

"Yeah, of course," he agreed. "You got some paper? I'll sketch out some designs."

[witheredpeonies]

"Paper..." She goes to rummage among the supplies she was given for starting the business, coming back with some brown paper intended for wrapping completed projects, as well as a triangle of white tailor's chalk. "Will this do?"

[skeletonkeay]

"Yeah, that'll be fine," he said, sitting down to sketch.

While some patches did indeed have to do with eyes, he also drew a plethora of other suggestions, some of which made more or less sense than others. But he seemed to have a clear idea of what he wanted, and he handed over the sheet of surprisingly well-drawn and accurate designs faster than one might expect. Apparently he was quite an artist.

[witheredpeonies]

"Some of these would take more work than others. The skeletal hand extending a middle finger, for example? I can do it, I think, but I'd need to figure out how. Something like the coffin with an eye on it, that'd take a couple of hours at most. The rats, I'd be able to do, but I'd need to make them larger in order to not lose details."

She takes some chalk, marking a few other changes that would need to happen to make these patches work for someone embroidering by hand.

[skeletonkeay]

Gerard nodded along understandingly. "Sure. Feel free to... simplify, stylize, or take as long as you need. You're the professional."

He can't sew, so he's worked with small businesses before. Supporting local artists is just as good as DIY.

[witheredpeonies]

"On the contrary, I'm an amateur trying to make a few brass while I'm here."

Her smile comes easily, though.

"I'll let you know as I finish each patch, I think."

[skeletonkeay]

"Don't undersell yourself," he said, giving her a stern point. "Anyway, I'm just up the street from you. I'm--- The printing press and book binding place. That's mine."

[witheredpeonies]

She's not sure if it's the point and reassurance, or his business that surprises her more. "That's an interesting career choice. I will have to visit at some point for curiosity's sake."

[skeletonkeay]

Gerry shrugged awkwardly. "My mum ran a book store when I was a kid," he said vaguely. "It's the devil I know. But I'm making some blank leather-bound journals and making reprints of old manuscripts for that Leeds woman, so it's steady work."

[witheredpeonies]

"Mmm, perhaps we could exchange some of those patches I'm making you for a journal, and leave brass out of it?"

Because she already feels like she ought to be making notes on everything.

[skeletonkeay]

"Fine by me," Gerry readily agreed. "Black cover stamped with a floral pattern?"

He seems to believe he has her type pinned down already.

[witheredpeonies]

"Black with a chess queen, if you can make that happen."

And what does that say about her type, Gerry?

[skeletonkeay]

Oh, she's got a brainy angle under there, does she? Color him interested.

"Sure," he agreed. "I can even add a little gold detail to the outline of the piece, if that's your style."

[witheredpeonies]

"Make it silver and I'm sold." She smirks.

[skeletonkeay]

"Oh, of course, how silly of me," he joked. "I'll get to work when I get back. Thanks."