Shazza pauses in her observance of the arbor to squint up to the sky. She shades her eyes with a hand as she looks to the progress of the summer sun, perhaps gauging the time.

1 Grayson House Guards, Peaches, a lovely white war filly with a peach saddle, Deliverance, an albino falcon, Stormy, a silvery gray hunting hound, Rascal, a hyper terrier, Rosalie, a lady in waiting arrive, following Reese.

Reese arrives in the garden while adorned in her lots of pink as is her normal. She moves with the grace of a heavily trained warrior. The girl looks over the area, trying to get a feel for things here.

Shazza had returned to contemplating the arbor's lilacs, but she turns to look over her shoulder when Reese arrives to give her a smile and a respectful nod. "Oh - your highness. It is good to see you again," she says. "Come to paint - or?"

Reese looks over to Shazza, giving her a dimpled smile. "It is nice to see you again, Shazza. I might paint. I do paint sometimes and a tiny bit about art, but just a bit. Are you going to paint?" She says in her direction.

Shazza maintains a sunny little smile for Reese, an easy expression. She shrugs her shoulders lightly. "Oh, I had an inkling to. I can't say I've tried before, beside a handful of abortive attempts. I was hoping to find some instruction here, or at least instructive examples. Perhaps the hostess will be fashionably late."

When Sven arrives the northerner doesn't look entirely at home in the magnificent Domus of the Igniseri family, it being evident in both the simple way he dresses and his walk and posture that he's not part of the nobility. As he steps inside the area dedicated to the pursuit of art he's holding his hands clasped behind his back and looks around with bright blue and curious eyes which soon pass over Reese and Shazza where they talk and he approaches cautiously.

Reese looks over to Shazza. "Maybe she will make it or maybe something came up. Sadly I don't know enough art to really help teach anyone." She says softly, before looking over to Sven and giving the man a smile as well. "I really appreciate your help at the market." She then adds to Sven.

Shazza nods to Reese in quiet agreement. When Reese speaks of help at the market, she raises her brows and looks to Sven. "Another trader, hm?" she asks, before looking the man over. "I am Shazza Sedna, of Pearlspire. Good afternoon."

"It's a pleasure connecting people to the items of their desire." Sven comments to Reese while returning her smile. "I'm Sven of Whitehold, I actually consider myself a bit of an artist but rather then paints I do most of my work with flavour." He introduces himself to Shazza as he studies her in turn.

Reese looks over to Shazza. "Oh, I was thanking you not Sven, but I do like his brews very much and got some recently. I probably wasn't very clear there." She says and has the grace to blush. "You are actually the only trader I ever used for my resources, Mistress Shazza. I just discovered the merit of selling them like that."

Maple, a brown golden retriever, Toffee, a fluffy pomeranian, 2 Laurent trained guards, Cupcake, a cookie girl, Truffle, an energetic mountain puppy arrive, following Mabelle.

Shazza emits a quiet 'ah' of understanding as Reese explains. "I see, your highness. Yes, I understand now!" Another smile, this one a curl of one side of her mouth. "Mutually beneficial!" To Sven, she asks, "Oh - you're the brewer, aren't you? I've heard of you. I wonder, do you make any distillations with fruit, or spirits only? I do enjoy Northern whiskey, by the way. What are your thoughts on it?"

"There's a healthy demand out there for goods of all kinds, it does noone any good to have them piled up in warehouses when they could be put in use by someone." Sven suggests to Reese before turning his full attention to back to Shazza. "I am the brewer yes, I did recently finish an apple brandy and I'm creating a little something for Monique that will involve cherries. I take great pride in the purity of my northern whiskey but I love the experiments I can do with all the fruits and berries I can get my hands on here in the south."

Reese goes to take a seat on the swing even as she looks over to Shazza, the girl nodding in response to her words. "I recently been to your shop Master Sven and got one of every kind of brew that I could find. I love raspberries. But I am not sure that they work well in a drink. Is Raspberry whiskey a thing?"

Mabelle exclaims as she enters, "Raspberry whiskey? oh that sounds delightful, yes please!" she interjects uninvited as she reaches the Domus. Her eyes scanning the room curious as she passes by the arches and columns, "Good evening! Your Highness, Master Sven", she wiggles her fingers to the one she doesnt know.

Shazza listens attentively to Sven, giving little nods of her head along with the man's words. When Reese asks about raspberries, she indicates Reese with an open palm, as if to say, yes, this question, and she looks to Sven with a curious lift of her brows.

"Well." Sven pauses and runs a hand through his blonde hair while he visibly thinks about how to address the request. "Once you start adding fruits and berries I wouldn't call it a whiskey anymore but you can definately do it with raspberries. I'd expect the result to be somewhat sweet and very suitable for deserts or maybe something to enjoy outdoors in the summer. I'll see if I can have some made before the summer is over so you can all tell me if you agree."

Reese kicks her legs back and forth, bringing the swing to sway. She looks over to Mabelle with a smile. "Lady Mabelle, hi. How was the flower ball?" The girl says. She then turns her attention to Sven a moment later. "Oh, maybe not whiskey any more, but if you ever make a raspberry drink let me know and I would buy it. Not that I am a hard sell. I would guy the cherry drink too if you make it."

Shazza nods readily to Sven's suggestion! "I will hold you to that, Sven! I'd be grateful to try, though I agree, perhaps not a whiskey? Purity is best there, I think. Perhaps a liquor." Turning to Mabelle, she gives the woman a respectful nod. "Lady Mabelle, I hear her Highness call you. I am Shazza Sedna, of Pearlspire. Good afternoon." She wears a small smile during her greeting.

Mabelle opines, "I think anything that combines sweet and gives your head a twirl is worth trying. I'm in! Invite me to all the tasting experiments". She wanders toward Reese and indicates the swing asking to join her, "Is this seat taken? I swear I saw your hair behind one of those masks. It was quite lovely, so many people". Her eyes to to Shazza, "Pearlspire. I heard its beautiful there. Well me Shazza, I hope one day to visit your home".

Sven lets out a short belly deep laugh at hearing the enthusiasm from all three ladies. "It makes me happy to hear how eager you all are to taste whatever comes out of my brewery. Feel free to come visit me at the brewery if you ever want to taste the flavours I'm not quite ready to unleash on the public yet."

Reese look over to Shazza with another gentle smile. "A line of fruit liquors." She says thoughtfully. "I would would pay to have a raspberry one named after me, but I am a bit arrogant. It is a Grayson trait." She teases gently. The girl then turns to Mabelle. "I am glad you had fun and yeah so many people. I admit I got bit overwhelmed and head to leave." The girl then peeks to Sven smiling. "I will make sure to keep checking it out."

Mabelle rounds her eyes at Reese, "Oh that sounds wonderful. You know what else might taste good? one with chocolate and oranges and alcohol", she imagines, "I can drink that and then die in peace of having found perfection", she sighs dramatically as she perches along Reese on the swing.

Shazza smiles more widely as Mabelle speaks of Pearlspire's beauty. She gets a far-off look for a moment, as if reminiscing. "Oh, yes. The sun dazzling on the sea. My family's house there is high, looking out from atop a cliff. The salty air whipping through your hair - ah, it's lovely. A bountiful place, ripe with opportunity." She laughs quietly to herself. "It's been too long since I had a proper dive. Perhaps next time I'm there again." Of Reese, she asks, "You, your highness? Overwhelmed? I can't imagine it. With your reputation as a warrior?"

Mabelle asks Shazza, "If you ever go on a trip home, I'd be happy to join you. I do like traveling"

At Reese's request to have the drink named after her, Sven taps his bearded chin while his brilliant blue eyes look over the princess and the astonishing quantity of pink on her person. "A rasperry drink would fit right in with your aesthetic but to make a drink named after you I'd want to go deeper then that. It shouldn't just look like Reese, it should taste like Reese in a bottle."

Reese looks over to Shazza, giving her a smile. "Pearlspire does sound amazing and I totally get overwhelmed sometimes especially at big parties. I am not a warrior of the dance floor." She murmurs and then turn to Sven, looking pink-cheeked and eager. "I would like that very much. I am honored you are thinking about it."

Shazza crosses her arms lightly over her doublet as she glances to the sky. "Yes, your highness. It's true that parties can be their own sort of fearsome. I function in them well enough, if I must, but it takes a special one to truly enjoy." She looks to Mabelle, a warm surprise lighting on her face. "Oh, truly? With me? That would be an honor. Do you prefer to go by carriage - or by horse?"

Mabelle considers Reese for a long moment and tells Sven, "It has to be a very very sweet drink, with a bit of a feeziness and then a huge kick, which is what happens to you when you match her in a battle", she winks to Reese. To Shazza she beams, "I do not mind. I just feel like I need to see more places, whether I enjoy the seasside or the mountain side or the roads. I ride a horse, though they do not like my dresses", she grins

The guardsmen of the Domus Igniseri bow respectfully to an arriving member of the household.

Flutter, a lovely passerine bird, Joan arrive, following Videl.

Reese looks over to Shazza, nodding in agreement. "And parties can be their own kind of social warfare too." She says thoughtfully. She then ohhs softly to Mabelle. "We need to get you some leather breeches then."

"I find people to be quite inspiring, it's fun to try to find the perfect balance of flavor that draws out recognition." Sven suggests to Reese and clasps his hands behind the back in the way of a person who isn't sure what to do with them, breaking into a wide smile when Mabelle describes her own interpretation of the knight of ribbons. "A huge kick, I'll keep that in mind. "

Reese hmms softly. "I can hit pretty hard when I want to." The princess says.

Fashionably late to her own party, staff rushes in to finish preparations. Art supplies put available on-site on one end,and various refreshments on the other. Videl herself arrives looking a bit pale by her standards, hiding a cough as she comes out. "My apologies." She greets, warmly, "There was some kind of interruption. Thank you all for coming."

Shazza snaps her fingers and arranges her lips into a mock pout at Mabelle. "Would it surprise you to learn I cannot ride a horse? I never had cause to learn. It's a regret. I would very much like to ride down Seacomb Track - that's this pass of land by the beach, yet far enough from the sand for firm ground. A clear sight to the sea!" A melancholy smile finds her. "Only once down it, as a child, with father. Perhaps I'll hire an instructor." When Videl arrives, she ceases her reminiscing and greets her. "Oh! The hostess. Excellent."

Mabelle grins at Shazza, "Oh I was just trying to sound fancy, I cant ride horses either", she winks to her and comments to Reese and Sven, "She demures, but I saw her wipe the ring with some of the best men in the city". A wave to Videl, "Hello Lady Igniseri!"

Reese is perched on a swing next to Mabelle. She is adorned in pink and seems to be having a good time. The girl smiles over to Videl when she arrives. "Hi, Lady Videl, no worries we were having a nice time talking and it is so beautiful here." She says before looking to Mabelle. "Oh, I can teach you to ride if you want to learn. I am a expert rider and teacher."

"Oh, there she is." Sven chimes in with the others when the hostess arrives and watches the art supplies appear with open interest. "I've only dabbled in painting in so far as to make lables for my bottles but it's always fun to try something new."

"Never a wrong time to figure out if you want to go past dabbling." Videl answers Sven with a smile, picking up a granatan peach wine and taking a look at the others present. "I can ride a horse, much to the chagrin of the physicians I ignored so I could take lessons in secret as a child." A pause, "Not very well, though. It's good to see you again, your highness, my lady." She nods to Reese and Mabelle in turn, then addresses Shazza and Sven, "And I don't believe we've met. I'm Lady Videl Igniseri."

Reese looks over to Viden with another gentle smile. "Good to see you as well. I know a little bit of art, but not tons, just a bit."

Shazza performs a slight bow for Videl - just a small bend at the waist, a hand laid flat on her doublet. "Shazza Sedna, of Pearlspire. Thank you for this event, and for allowing us into your home," she says, politely. A smile curves half her mouth. "I am looking forward to the painting. I fear I'll need guidance on producing more than a splotch."

Mabelle clearly cleans her concious and informs, "Well, do not count on me too much, it would look like a child painting or perhaps even include fingerprints you have been warned", she flashes an easily smile

"Sven of Whitehold." Sven introduces himself to Videl with a polite dip of his head towards the hostess.

"Well I'd be glad to offer some pointers." Videl answers the comments of needing guidance, "But more importantly. I do not care for the skill of those who partake, I care about whether they put in their heart. No art is worth a dime if the artist didn't care about its creation, no matter how technically competent."

Reese looks over to Videl. "That makes sense, needing to have passion about it." She softly says while till perched on the swing.

Shazza purses her lips and nods to Videl's insight. "Well! If anything, I tend to care too much about things. I wonder if I'll benefit from another endeavor to invest myself in, or if I'll spread too thinly. If there is such a thing," she wonders. "Let's see..." She moves to the art supplies set out by the servants who arrived with Videl, and she selects a brush, a palette, a canvas, and a place to sit. "A landscape may be a good place to begin. Unless someone wishes to model," she says, with a smirk.

Mabelle rises obligingly toward the art supplies and proceeds to mimic Shazza's set up, "Maybe I'll try to paint a cookie". They did say passion after all, to each their own. She takes a brush and sits before the canvas, looking lost.

Reese hmms softly. "Cookies sound yummy and landscapes sounds like a good place to start. I wanted to pain my protege something about the ocean and the sea."

Videl glances towards her assistant, who sighs before taking up a spot on a stool, striking a simple pose with an elbow on her knee and chin in her palm to start with. "My assistant will take up some other, reasonable, pose if you so desire." Videl tells Shazza, before a servant comes over to present Mabelle a plate of cookies to use as a reference. "If either of you want help or feedback, just ask." She smiles towards Reese, "I'm afraid I don't have an ocean or sea ready for you."

"I don't think I've ever been painted before, so it's a tempting offer." Sven suggests to Shazza before adopting his best impression of a models pose, looking stoicly into the distance. "But unfortunately I need to start making my leave, I wish you all the best and..." The northeners blue eyes briefly dart towards the strange clay statue and then to Videl. "I might have a proposition for you if you do comissions, I'll send a messenger by later."

Shazza waggles her paintbrush in farewell to Sven. Then she turns an attentive squint on the posing servant. "Could you...pout, terribly? Imagine someone's spilled wine on your favorite hat," she suggests. While she's squirting paint into little viscous pools, islands on the calm sea of her palette's surface, she asks of Videl, "Do you think it's best to begin with a sort of skeleton of the figure? A very rough outline. Just colors and shapes, that sort of thing? I've seen that done before."

Reese look over to Videl, nodding to her "Oh, no problem at all. I can figure it out or paint something else too." She ays. She then looks over to Sven, giving him a smile. "Take care, Master Sven." The girl look to Shazza listening thoughtfully to her word.

Mabelle totally missed the fact she needs to paint, and begins to empty the cookie platter into her mouth

The servant is more than happy to pout and frown for Shazza, perhaps pleased to no longer have to pretend she enjoys this. "I always do a rough outline first, it helps ensure the composition looks correct before I start to work on the details." She answers Shazza, then offers Mabelle a bemused smile. "You're free to help yourself to them, but I believe the idea was that they would serve as a reference to your painting." She nods to Reese.

Shazza glances up to the summer's evening sky, noting the late day's golden light dappling through the trees here. She lets it influence her palette, choosing a lurid mix of yellows, dark golds and blues for the color of her figure, rather than a realistic rendering. "Rough outline. Yes. Mhm." She focuses on the assistant's upper half, and depicts the person with a larger head than is true, not bothering much with proportion. Smears of blue build the torso, limbs and oversized head. Squinting one eye, she examines what she's done before continuing. "Your favorite hat is gone forever," she says, more to the painting than to the model.

Reese looks over the outlines, trying to find something that she might like to use. She seems all thoughtful. The girl look for trees or earthy things of some sort. But if there is a griffin she will certainly take that!

Mabelle stirs after the basically finished the entire plate. Flushed at Videl's comment she quickly dubs the brush in some brown paint and tries to make something vague upon the Canvas. Well its round and flat. It could be a cookie. Enough for her. She stands and smiles pleased, "I think I am done, I apologize however, as I must retire. Thank you for hosting this, it was lovely".

"So tell me about yourself, messere Sedna. You're from Pearlspire, you said? That's in the crownlands, isn't it?" The woman expresses curiousity, "Have you been in the city for long? I like to think I know of most of the prominent merchants in the city." She takes a good look at the work in progress, glancing towards Reese, there's trees in the Atrium but no Griffins. Closest to one would be the strange statue.

Reese look over the item and ends up picking out a tree. She carries it over to a spot and begin to select green and brown paints.

Shazza slowly layers lighter blues, and some dark golds here and there, atop the figure's amorphous base. "Pearlspire. The city in House Seliki's county. Crownlands, yes - northeast, coastal, not far from the snows yet with a gentle clime protected by mountains." She splotches some ghastly purple on the oversized head's mouth, forming the foundation for the exaggerated pout of Videl's assistant. "I have not been long in Arx, no. Often I am back to home, though on business more than pleasure. Not long ago I was to Pearlspire and Stormwall, to assist with a construction project there. To and fro...that's me." She tsks herself when she makes a mistake with the lips - or a happy accident. She chooses to incorporate the change into her composition, rather than paint over it. "I enjoy reading, and good conversation. And writing letters. I do wish I could ride a horse. And I enjoy work. And fashion. And swimming, though it's been years since I last swam," she says, telling Videl about herself as she was bid.

Videl listens closely, and nods. "I happen to be looking for a merchant to sponsor." The woman explains, watching Shazza paint without uninvited comment on the work "I will have plenty of custom for such a merchant, and association with me would raise your profile. No pressure, however."

Shazza has laid enough paint to summon some sort of figure on her canvas. It's amateurish, for certain - there are errors in perspective that are objective faults rather than artistic choices. Yet there's a playfulness in the work that comes through, making light of the extreme pout on the exaggerated head. "Are you," she asks rhetorically, lifting her gaze from the canvas to Videl. "I've heard of you, yes. I can see the value in that, certainly." For a moment, the painting seems to be forgotten, and a thoughtful squint narrows her eyes. But then she's asking Videl, "What do you think?" She must mean the painting.

"It's quite good for a novice. If you like I could offer some technical advice." Videl offers, still making sure that's what Shazza actually wants before going in to deep. "I tend to have a large supply of writs on hand at most times, and I like to have silver to spend on clothes and parties. Unfortunately, writs don't tend to translate into silver without the hand of a skilled merchant." She smiles. "And I'd much prefer to find some merchant to work with, who I can pay better than standard rates in return for reliability."

Shazza nods to Videl and indicates the painting with a shift of her eyes. "Certainly. I am good at taking criticism. I find a perverse pleasure in it, even." Half her mouth curls up at what Videl says about turning writs into silver. "Mm. And many merchants are committing robbery worse than highwaymen, from some of the public rates I've seen." Judging by her tone, she finds equal parts amusement and derision in that fact. "I can find you profit. I am relentless!" she claims, showing a grin that's self-assured without being grossly arrogant. "And I appreciate that you understand the value in intangibles, such as reliability. I also value intangibles," she says, cryptic for now.

Reese checked dexterity + artwork at difficulty 15, rolling 18 higher.

Reese is still here working on her tree painting and she seems very very focused on such. She misses much of the conversation going on. Her tree is looking pretty good though! Eventually she gives them both a smile. "It was nice seeing you both, but I should be going." She says softly.

Reese is overheard praising Videl: Yeah, great hostest and art party!

Reese is overheard praising Shazza: And interesting woman with layers and may interests.

1 Grayson House Guards, Peaches, a lovely white war filly with a peach saddle, Deliverance, an albino falcon, Stormy, a silvery gray hunting hound, Rascal, a hyper terrier, Rosalie, a lady in waiting leave, following Reese.

"Your perspective is somewhat off, which causes some unbalance in the composition." She explains, starting with the basics, and offering some suggestions on how to work on that. "I do like that you took a mistake and went with it, experimenting that way can lead to new insights, but in this particular case I think..." She offers some more suggestions. As for the mercantile stuff, "I'd be willing to offer you this, if you're willing to come under my wing. Any writ you liquidate for me, I offer a flat rate. Three hundred silver per." She smiles, "How does that sound?" She glosses over the highway robbery part, clearly not wanting to talk poorly of others.