Artists are only as good as their materials

[Allison Taylor]

Allison was in the mall looking around a few days before her boyfriend's birthday. Alex loved to draw, particularly sketches or oil paintings. He could always use new paints and sketch pads. She thought as she window shopped, walking past stores that either interested or didn't interest her. She kept walking in the air conditioned building the smell of the many different restaurants and food joints in the cafeteria wafted through the building. It was getting that time, sun was just beginning to set. "Where's that art store?" She thought aloud as she walked. The only time she usually came to the mall was for clothes. Allison was just that type of girl, she played some sports in college, was terrible at arts of any kind. A loud, stubborn, outgoing girl. One would see her more in a fashion or sports store than art store or home maker store. So it was only natural the art store wasn't something she noticed when she went to the mall.

"I'm sure it was around here... bingo!" Alli said to herself aloud as she saw the good sized art store. She entered it and didn't know where to start, didn't know which brand was best, what exactly was what. All Allison knew was sketch pads and those crayon looking oil paints. She started down isles of paper and pads. The blond girl looked for the ones that looked like what Alex already had. If Alex bought it for himself then surely it's what he liked. Allison thought as she looked at pads and books. "Where's the type Alex uses though?" She asked herself, scratching her head as she looked for what was familiar.

[Kitty Warshaw]

Kitty sighed, the things people wear out of their houses mde no sense whatsoever. As she passed a woman still in here pajamas and a head scarf Kitty scoffed and looked away. I swear people are so dumb she thhought lazily as she stopped to buy a smoothie at a vendor.

Wearing a white sundress and a pair of brown cowboy boots and a scarf Kitty felt comfortable. Although she loved shopping for clothes it wasn't what she was at the mall for. She'd begun a new project and she needed a new sketch book so to the art store it was. Walking in she waved to Merve, the store owner, and made her way without looking up from her phone. Since she'd begun attending CHON ((haha got it right this time)) she made this art store her second home. Stopping to pick up a a new pack of shading penicls she noticed a blond haired girl making her own rounds.

Making a mental note to ask the girl how she got her hair to fall so nicely Kitten made her way to over to the sketch pads. Touching the paper she felt for the right sort of texture but frowned. Looking at the price tag she rolled her eyes. "Why sell something so expensive thats so crappy?" she said aloud. Thats when she noticed the girl examining the sketch pads aand books.

"Do you need some help?" she asked. Kitten was always polite to those who shared her love for art. Although from the girls hands she wondered who the suppllies were trully for.

[Allison Taylor]

Allison continued looking for the design on the outer cover of the pads looking for the one that had a hummingbird on a plum tree branch drinking from a plum blossom. "My boyfriends birthday is in a few days and I figured he want new pads and paint but I'm not an artist... I'm an athlete and all I know is to get the sketch pad with a green and blue humming bird on it but I don't know the brand and I don't see it anywhere... then I have to find crayon looking paints... um... what were they...? Oil paints! But I have no clue on this stuff.". Allison blurted without thinking to hold back a bit or keep her voice down a little more than it was.

"I'm Allison, Allison Taylor.". She said offering her hand. "Friends call me Alli.". The blond said happily grateful someone offered to help her. The last thing she wanted was to get the wrong things or worst really low grade wrong things. Price wasn't a problem the club paid well especially for human employees. Hell the health plan and everything came with the job due to the risks and every detail the job entitled. "Alex loves art and I know he'll love to get new supplies but I'm clueless in the arts department...." she admitted openly.

[Kitty Warshaw]

Nodding Kitty giggled, she was looking for the exact same brand! As for the oil paints they were in another isle. Nodding as the girl continued Kitten turned to the shelf behind her and dug through the pads. Sometimes people would hide the best to save them for the next time they came back. She knew this because she did it sometimes. Handing the girl one of the pads she smiled and put one into her eco friendly shopping bag.

"Now as for those oil paints, they'll be over here." she lead the girl to two isles down and smiled picking up a nice set of paints. "Okay you see these?" She asked. "These are the bes, it has alot paint and it doesn't dry in the bottle as fast as the others, plus its cheap." she shrugged as she shared info with the girl. KNOWLEDGE EXPLOSION. she thought excitedly.

"Nice to meet you Alli." She grinned taking her hand. "I'm Kitten, Kitten Warshaw." Letting go she nodded as the girl shared her lack of knowledge about shopping for art supplies. "Oh you play sports? I do too!"

[Allison Taylor]

"Oh my goddess thank you! And yeah I'm a soccer and tennis junkie."She said jumping up and down. "But these paints don't look like the ones Alex uses. The ones he uses look like crayons or chalk but waxy." She said wondering about the bottles of paint. Allison was happy that she was getting such great help. "Do you work here? Or just come her enough? What sports do you play?" Alli asked bombarding the girl with questions as she always did. Her friend Night always told her she talked too much but for some reason people didn't walk away from it. Night always said it was something about my friendly aura that attracted people and convinced them to stay near me though i babble a lot.

Allison looked at the girl focusing on her forehead. "Do you go to the house of night?" She asked sensing the mark she was used to seeing at work. Most night clubs wouldn't allow under aged kids in but vampyres, even fledglings were allowed. There was an agreement for subtly in the clubbing business with the vampyres, fledglings, and every thing going on in the club.

[Kitty Warshaw]

Kitten waited patiently as the girl babbled on and on while taking a sip of her smoothie and nodding. Giggling she thought to where the oil pastels were and made a mental note to pick some up herself. When the girl said Goddess a shocked look crossed Kitten's face. How did she know of Nyx?

"Uh no I just come here alot...like too much." she joked still wondering how the girl knew of the goddess. "Merve say'sI should work here though...I would if I could. As for sports I play soccer and softball and I'm an archer."

Kitten moved leading the girl over to the oil pastels and pointed them picking one up for herself. Kitten enjoyed the conversation she was having, she couldn't stand most of the girls she went to school with. Looking up Kitty noticed the girl staring at her forhead and it kinda creeped her out.

"Oh, um..."she trailed off wondering how this human knew so much about Nyx and CHON. "Well um yes I do..." Taking a step back Kitten wondered if she should have brought a warrior with her. She'd heard of fledglings getting attacked by humans for being blessed by Nyx.

[Allison Taylor]

Allison took a step back and put her hands up almost dropping her stuff. 0She could sense the House of Night student getting a bit creeped by her. "I'm sorry i just work in a club that's full of vampyres so i can get a feeling between the species. I actually have a friend who's a red vampyre. When we were young we all kinda liked the ideas of Nyx over most of the religious crap humans came up with." She said babbling again.

"So these are the oil paints he uses..." Alli said picking up one that looked familiar. Yes now i have his gift all set just have to wrap it and wait for Night's info about the party! Allison thought happily before wondering about the party and what Night would be doing for it. "Hey as a thanks why don't you come to Alex's party?" Allison said as the pushy side of her, as Night would put it, started to come out. She was as jumpy and cheery as she was always and hoped even though she already creeped out the young vampyre she hoped she could thank her in some way or another for helping her out with this artsy fartsy stuff.

[Kitty Warshaw]

Oh she worked at a night club very understandable, Kitten knew a few of her friends indulged in going. She decided against it though she had no time for being grinded on by some guy she didn't know she'd rather be in her dorm painting or out on the sports field.

Hmmm a party? That could be arranged, she thought smiling but she'd need something to wear? "What's the theme?" Kitten asked twirling a lock of hair between her fingers. "When and what time." Clubs were one thing but parties were another. Not really but she liked to think so. But the worst part was she didn't have date.

"Thanks for the invite." she smiled at the girl. "Shall i bring a gift for the birthday boy?"

[Allison Taylor]

"I'm not sure if there is a theme but I know Night will have cleaned up the Midnight Rose Club for the party. Blood wine, guys, lots of stuff but I have no idea, Night's in charge of it. But I think its a bash. Just all sorts of fun. Karaoke dancing and whatnot." Allison eagerly answered as it seemed her new friend would come along. "And as for a gift you can if you want but I'm sure just helping me out would be enough for Alex." She said happy to have gotten such help and gotten her lover's gift so easily.

She practically jumped up and down and all around. "Hey wanna go look for outfits?" She asked. "Night never participates when i wanna shop for party clothes." The bubbly blond said trying not to jump about and look more foolish than an athlete in an art store. Too late for that but she was happy. There was never a dull moment when she was. Just so long as she was, if ever she wasn't happy the whole mood of anyone within range of her would be pulled down in the turmoil of her emotion, whatever it may be.

[Lucien Argeneau]

Luc sighed as he stood in front of a mirror looking at his tattoo on his forehead if he wanted to go out he would have to figure out a way to cover it up. He had already tried to just cover it with his bangs but that hadn’t worked so well so he pulled open one of his dresser drawers and gazed down at the contents of it which house a bunch of his accessories. There he found a red bandana and decided it was perfect. He twisted it up to make it into a small strip and tied it around his forehead tightly making sure it was secure and in place. He was already wearing a faded black tee shirt and black jeans with a red buckle type wrist guard on his left wrist and black chucks, so the red bandana wasn’t a random color in his outfit that consisted of red and black. He also had his wallet attached to a chain that hung on his left side.

He decided to head down to the mall and pick up a few things there and relax being stuck in house of night all the time got dull. As he left his dorm room he whistled lightly keeping an eye on his surroundings as he walked. He hadn’t spent too much time in the city of Chicago as he had hoped besides he wanted to go out to mail a letter to his family back home in France. The letters he wrote to them said very little about what was actually going on in his life right now but he knew that his mother and younger sister would enjoy hearing from him nonetheless. They kept asking when he would visit but Luc would never give them an answer because the truth was he couldn’t he couldn’t leave Chicago not until he had graduated from House of Night and knew that he didn’t reject the change and die but even then with the charge of protecting his Vampyre he wouldn’t be able to go far. It was painful for Luc to be so far away from his mother and little sister but the other werecat fledglings had become part of his family now but they could never replace his true family. Lucien knew that fate had chosen this path for him and there was nothing he could do about it but accept it but he knew that it would break his mother’s heart if he told her that he would probably never see him again.

Lucien shook his head clearing his mind of these thoughts. He headed out of the school and into Chicago towards the mall. He was walking along when he picked up a familiar scent. “Kitty?” he muttered to himself. What was she doing her? He wondered as he followed the scent and found her at an art store. He glanced in the window spotting her and saw that she appeared to be talking to another girl. She was fine for now but he's keep an eye on her while he was at the mall.

[Kitty Warshaw]

"I'm not sure if there is a theme but I know Night will have cleaned up the Midnight Rose Club for the party. Blood wine, guys, lots of stuff but I have no idea, Night's in charge of it. But I think its a bash. Just all sorts of fun. Karaoke dancing and whatnot." Nodding Kitten threw the idea of wearing something thar matched the theme. This girl sure can talk her but off, it was a little annoying but her voice was so darned adorable.

When the word shop reached her ears Kitten couldn't help but grin and bounce with happieness. Shopping was one of her favorite pass times and she never backed down whenever someone offered.

"Of course I would," she nearly fainted with happiness. Just as she turned to throw her hair over her shoulder something familiar caught her eye. Turning a little she noticed Luc looking back at her. Smiling she waved for him to come in. Taking a mental note to comment on what he was wearing she smiled, it wasn't bad for a guy.

"Excuse me for just one second," smiling she ran back to the entrance and stood watching him with a brow. "What are you doing here?"

[Allison Taylor]

Allison watched and nodded as the vamp walked off toward some good looking guy. She recognized the features to be of French decent, since she herself was French. "Then i'm gonna get a head start." Alli said as she looked for the nearest and best fashion store. "I'll be in Charlotte Russ. But take your time with the cutey over there!" She waved to the blond vampyre.

Allison entered the the high trend fashion store looking through each rack, slowly and throughly with a glace up from the cloth to the blond artsy vamp and the hotty French blond she was visiting with. He's so fine. And it seems he was keeping a close eye on Kitty. Wonder if they're together or if I need to work some magic and get them together.
She looked at the corset looking tops, the strapless ones, asymetric, waist banded, loose fitted, tight fitted. SHe looked at each color and style of each shirt, skirt, pants, dress, shoes, and accessories She couldn't decide with all the options and at the same time couldn't bother Kitty until she left the hotties side to come shop. At least Kitty seems like she'd be interested in shopping thought... Night never does.

[Lucien Argeneau]

Uh oh, Kitty had spotted him. Lucien didn’t make much indication to move as he saw Kitten come towards him though he did step inside the shop slightly to meet her. “What am I doing here?” he repeated her question. “Well if you think that I’m stalking you and followed you here, I’m not and I didn’t. I just happened to come to the mall to hang out myself and caught your scent and planned on saying hi. But I saw you were with someone and didn’t want to interrupt. Is there a problem with that?” Luc said his words rolling easily off his tongue. “So…your going clothes shopping huh?” he asked. “Mind if I tag along I was actually planning on finding some new clothes myself. I’ll stay out of your and your friend’s way if you want me to though.” Luc said.

“Come on, you shouldn’t keep her waiting for too long else she might think something is going on between the two of us. It's your choice if you want to introduce me to her or not though.” Luc said not knowing that the other girl knew that Kitty was a vampyre already and didn’t seem to mind. He did notice that the other girl was French though which he hadn’t seen a lot of French people around in Chicago though there was a handful of them at CHON. Lucien started to walk towards Charlotte Russ and then turned around to look at Kitty. “You coming?” he asked.

[Kitty Warshaw]

“Well if you think that I’m stalking you and followed you here, I’m not and I didn’t. I just happened to come to the mall to hang out myself and caught your scent and planned on saying hi. But I saw you were with someone and didn’t want to interrupt. Is there a problem with that?” Kitten blinked a few times after listening to him finish his mini rant. Who knew a guy could talk so much? And what was this about not stalking?

"Well no I wasn't thinking any of those things until you kindly suggested it." She grinned remembering that Alli called him cute. "But yes we are." This time when she returned her eyes to him she looked him over, Alli did have a point. He was cute. Blushing at the thought she fidgeted with the drink in her hand.

“Mind if I tag along I was actually planning on finding some new clothes myself. I’ll stay out of your and your friend’s way if you want me to though.” biting her lip she nodded. Of course nothing bad could come of this. With their marks covered no one would be able to tell that they were blessed by Nyx.

"Sure you can come, but we may need your opinion when we're trying stuff on she warned." she rememberd how her brothers had hated going shopping with her when she was human.

“Come on, you shouldn’t keep her waiting for too long else she might think something is going on between the two of us. It's your choice if you want to introduce me to her or not though.”

"Something going on between the two of us?" she giggled. "Trust me honey no one's going to think that." smirking as she looked up at the werecat. Okay maybe, she thought to herself.

She watched as he turned to head after Alli and smiled smugly. Oh this is going to be a fun day. "So are you going to tag along for the party too?" she asked catching up too him.

[Allison Taylor]

Allison pretended to have not been looking and watching the two. She pretended a shock when the two entered the store after her. "So he a friend... family... or perhaps a boyfriend?" Alli questioned being as nosy as ever as she played nonchalantly looking through the racks she already looked through.

She grabbed a shirt, a blue loose waisted top and held it up, judging it while listening for answers, gossip, anything that was considered girlie conversation. Allison held up the next shirt. One sided strap with a lacing on the sides. "What do you think of this one Kitty?" She asked glancing at the couple grabbing for one in a different color. "Maybe strapless or both straps... i don't really care for the asymmetric look." She said looking closer at the party top.

"Perhaps with this necklace?" Alli asked grabbing a triple stringed green and teal beaded necklace. "Or the orange one with the purple top." She asked quizzically. The purple top was a strapless corset with orange embroidered beads along the top and bottom hems around the neck and waist with an orange medallion looking necklace. "Is your boyfriend coming to the party too?" The blond human asked grinning.