09-08-2019, 10:54 PM
“You know, Vel.”
Velameestra’s ears pricked up at the faint, echoey tone that accompanied the voice of the human ghost whose quarters she shared. She sent a half-glance over her shoulder, a narrow eyebrow raised, though she didn’t pull her full focus away from the menagerie of bones she was stacking neatly on the shelves of the closet.
“...Yes, Jandice?” she asked, having noted the almost devious edge to the late Barov’s statement. It was similar to the tone her brother acquired when he wanted something.
“You look tired,” the ghost returned simply, a statement that earned a small sigh from the elf as she finished her skeletal inventory and shut the door.
“... I’m aware,” Vel replied, no real emotion to her voice as she perched herself on the edge of the bed in the room and withdrew a book from the stack she had horded since her return from Scholomance.
Jandice hummed in return, floating idly through the air as she tapped her chin. It was the motion of a woman that was clearly working toward something, and that alone was enough to draw another glance from the elf as she opened the book in her lap. “And it annoys you when people mention it, yes? After al, of course you know if you look tired. It’s a rather redundant statement.”
Velameestra’s brow furrowed. “...Yes. I suppose it is,” she acknowledged, still waiting for whatever point the other woman was getting to.
Immediately, Jandice clapped her hands together excitedly. “So. I think you need a makeover.”
There was a very long bead of silence as Vel processed the words that that had actually come out of the ghost’s mouth. Her mouth flapped for a moment before she finally produced an incredulous, “What?”
“A makeover,” Jandice repeated, giving a nod of her head as she flipped upright in the air from the more relaxed lounging position she had been hovering in. “To hide the circles under your eyes. They are the main identifier after all.”
The elven mage continued to stare for a moment before she scoffed to herself and turned back to the tome she had opened. “That’s ridiculous.”
“Is it though?” Jandice mused as she floated closer. She clicked her tongue a few times, getting a better look and what features she could see of the elf’s face. “Consider this, Vel. Makeup is a mask. It lets you hide certain things you can’t control, and helps you accent your best features. How many queens and politicians do you you think rely on it?”
She didn’t pause long enough for Vel to answer before providing the answer with a matter-of-fact smile. “All of them. At least the good ones.”
The ghost gave a small shrug as she crossed her arms and legs, taking on a sitting position in mid-air as she looked down at the elf across from her. “It doesn’t have to be a lot, but even just enough to hide the circles. It would be nice to not have people commenting on how tired you look, wouldn’t it? You can just go about your day and people will be less apt to hound you into sitting down.”
As Jandice presented her argument, Vel felt the book sink onto her lap. She tilted her head slightly, a faintly inquisitive expression crossing her face, though her brow remained furrowed suspiciously as she waited for any catch Jandice had in this sudden font of inspiration.
“Besides, elves have beautiful features to begin with, and I have a couple ideas that would look stunning on you.”
There it was.
Vel closed the book with a soft thump as she sent the ghost a sidelong glance. “Jandice,” she started. “Are you just trying to convince me because you had the compulsion to try said ideas?”
“What?” there was a moment of faked offense as the ghost righted herself immedial and put a hand over her heart. “Of course not. I simply thought I would offer my aid in a field I specialize in. After all, altering perception is what illusion specialists like myself do. And while you’re more than capable of using magics to the same effect, I’m sure, there is something to be said of the practicality of conventional means. Less expenditure of magical resources, for instance.”
She smiled again, sending the elven mage an innocent glance.
“...But with your pale complexion, add a pop of color to your lips and play up your eyes and you would look simply prodigious. And while I do love putting on my own face, there is something to be said about the enjoyment that comes from doing someone else’s.”
There was silence again as Vel parsed through Jandice’s argument, and she finally relented a sigh as she set the book aside. “Alright. I’ll humor it,” she said. “But anything beyond the basics is getting removed before I leave this room. I’m willing to see if it makes a difference.”
Jandice smiled, half a smirk, and half true glee as she quickly spun around and coasted over to her dresser. She patted the seat before it eagerly as she looked back at her elven companion. “Then lets get started, shall we?” she called.
For a second, Vel looked at the seat and took a moment to reconsider what exactly she was getting herself into, before she sighed again and got to her feet.
Velameestra’s ears pricked up at the faint, echoey tone that accompanied the voice of the human ghost whose quarters she shared. She sent a half-glance over her shoulder, a narrow eyebrow raised, though she didn’t pull her full focus away from the menagerie of bones she was stacking neatly on the shelves of the closet.
“...Yes, Jandice?” she asked, having noted the almost devious edge to the late Barov’s statement. It was similar to the tone her brother acquired when he wanted something.
“You look tired,” the ghost returned simply, a statement that earned a small sigh from the elf as she finished her skeletal inventory and shut the door.
“... I’m aware,” Vel replied, no real emotion to her voice as she perched herself on the edge of the bed in the room and withdrew a book from the stack she had horded since her return from Scholomance.
Jandice hummed in return, floating idly through the air as she tapped her chin. It was the motion of a woman that was clearly working toward something, and that alone was enough to draw another glance from the elf as she opened the book in her lap. “And it annoys you when people mention it, yes? After al, of course you know if you look tired. It’s a rather redundant statement.”
Velameestra’s brow furrowed. “...Yes. I suppose it is,” she acknowledged, still waiting for whatever point the other woman was getting to.
Immediately, Jandice clapped her hands together excitedly. “So. I think you need a makeover.”
There was a very long bead of silence as Vel processed the words that that had actually come out of the ghost’s mouth. Her mouth flapped for a moment before she finally produced an incredulous, “What?”
“A makeover,” Jandice repeated, giving a nod of her head as she flipped upright in the air from the more relaxed lounging position she had been hovering in. “To hide the circles under your eyes. They are the main identifier after all.”
The elven mage continued to stare for a moment before she scoffed to herself and turned back to the tome she had opened. “That’s ridiculous.”
“Is it though?” Jandice mused as she floated closer. She clicked her tongue a few times, getting a better look and what features she could see of the elf’s face. “Consider this, Vel. Makeup is a mask. It lets you hide certain things you can’t control, and helps you accent your best features. How many queens and politicians do you you think rely on it?”
She didn’t pause long enough for Vel to answer before providing the answer with a matter-of-fact smile. “All of them. At least the good ones.”
The ghost gave a small shrug as she crossed her arms and legs, taking on a sitting position in mid-air as she looked down at the elf across from her. “It doesn’t have to be a lot, but even just enough to hide the circles. It would be nice to not have people commenting on how tired you look, wouldn’t it? You can just go about your day and people will be less apt to hound you into sitting down.”
As Jandice presented her argument, Vel felt the book sink onto her lap. She tilted her head slightly, a faintly inquisitive expression crossing her face, though her brow remained furrowed suspiciously as she waited for any catch Jandice had in this sudden font of inspiration.
“Besides, elves have beautiful features to begin with, and I have a couple ideas that would look stunning on you.”
There it was.
Vel closed the book with a soft thump as she sent the ghost a sidelong glance. “Jandice,” she started. “Are you just trying to convince me because you had the compulsion to try said ideas?”
“What?” there was a moment of faked offense as the ghost righted herself immedial and put a hand over her heart. “Of course not. I simply thought I would offer my aid in a field I specialize in. After all, altering perception is what illusion specialists like myself do. And while you’re more than capable of using magics to the same effect, I’m sure, there is something to be said of the practicality of conventional means. Less expenditure of magical resources, for instance.”
She smiled again, sending the elven mage an innocent glance.
“...But with your pale complexion, add a pop of color to your lips and play up your eyes and you would look simply prodigious. And while I do love putting on my own face, there is something to be said about the enjoyment that comes from doing someone else’s.”
There was silence again as Vel parsed through Jandice’s argument, and she finally relented a sigh as she set the book aside. “Alright. I’ll humor it,” she said. “But anything beyond the basics is getting removed before I leave this room. I’m willing to see if it makes a difference.”
Jandice smiled, half a smirk, and half true glee as she quickly spun around and coasted over to her dresser. She patted the seat before it eagerly as she looked back at her elven companion. “Then lets get started, shall we?” she called.
For a second, Vel looked at the seat and took a moment to reconsider what exactly she was getting herself into, before she sighed again and got to her feet.