Promptly yanked from her silent revelry, the target in question was none other than Rene of House Nickolaos. More and more the youngest little cherished egg in the Nickolaos nest was tired of being left behind. More and more she had grown wary of being left to her own devices, to wallowing in the dust of others as they raced ahead with their lives. As of late, Rene had been working hard to increase her presence in the province, and even the kingdom at large. Perhaps it was to demonstrate to her family, and everyone else, that she was no longer that helpless child, subjected to the dispositions of those around her, like a hapless leaf on the wind. Perhaps it was something she needed to prove to herself. Perhaps a bit of both. One thing was certain; her dedication to her art. New techniques, new projects, paid commissions, it was at long last starting to snowball for the aspiring artist, and to be known, one had to put one’s name out there.

Rene had discovered she very much enjoyed sketching people in candid, as they absently went about their lives, completely natural and unawares they were being studied. There was much to glean from the trivial commonalities of the human condition. When people were not scripted, not posed, not propped up artificially, they were far more beautiful to Rene. They were guilty of nothing except being thoroughly human, and in said obliviousness, they were stripped of all glitter and glamor, no matter how ornately dressed. All became equal in the artist’s eyes as their humanity became their most prominent feature. What better place to study the humans of Athenia than out among them? Such innate curiosity might have accounted for Rene’s fascination with agorá. It presented a gritty reality, far removed from the sheltered spit-polished world in which she dwelled. And for the artist to capture all of that in its entirety, she must experience it, as great art was so often a manifestation of the artist’s thoughts and emotions.

With parchment and charcoal sticks in a satchel, the petite blonde had slipped from her family’s estate, not even passing on a quiet alert to Melba, her handmaid, as the woman who had practically been a surrogate mother to Rene would have done all in her power to stop her. This entirely new experience was certainly one unfettered by adult intervention, as the young woman found herself a seat at a rather noisy and boisterous place, the din of voices and merriment here and there. Alcohol seemed to flow like nectar of the gods, and in an effort to be more adult-like, Rene had requested a pint herself. The fermentation of grain was not entirely a taste she found enjoyable, but perhaps one had to acquire an appreciation for it over time. Sipping here and there, she continued to scout out potential subjects, oblivious models for her to chalk out on her parchment, perfecting the shapes of the human form so that she might better even her sculpting.

Immersed in the project, she jumped in her seat as she felt the weight of an arm drop around her shoulders, striking blue eyes widening and snapping towards the culprit. Much to her surprise, it was a woman, with a smooth caramel complexion, who slurred her speech and had no issue putting her shapely body uncomfortably close to Rene’s. Before the teen could object, the woman helped herself to the ale on the bar. She was close enough that her breath was warm and wreaked of alcohol, and Rene did her best not to recoil at having the side of her face and ear breathed upon by a stranger.

As the woman spoke, Rene blinked at her, the expression on her beautiful face an amalgamation of shock and amusement. “It would seem I am not alone. You are here,” Rene countered lightly. “You appear to be rather intoxicated yourself. Are you not concerned that these men will take advantage of you in such a state?” She continued. In the glow of all the lamps and torches, Rene got a good first long look at the woman, noting her defined cheekbones and exotic features. In such close proximity, she likewise caught any odor from the woman. As one who had the luxury of bathing daily, Rene found herself keenly aware when she was around people who did not share such dutiful hygiene habits.