The Big Artiste

Penelope Le Pen. 48. Dominant. House of Anjou. Costume designer at National Theater of Breton. (18+)

[pen-le-pen]

adelaidelibrarymaid​:

Adelaide was so engrossed in listening to Penelope talk that she was surprised when the question was returned back to her. “Well, I’ve always liked to read, and I had plenty of books surrounding me as I grew up. But I also did a lot of traveling, as I grew up in Italy, but I was sent to a French boarding school. So libraries were a place that provided some consistency no matter what country I happened to be at the time. I liked understanding how it worked, what sort of services people needed and how to plan to have the right number and variety of books. By the time I was looking into the graduate degree I wanted, it was easy to decide.”

Penelope nodded, “moving back and forth like that must have been difficult.” Penelope hadn’t done much traveling in her days and she certainly never attended boarding school. What a nightmare that must have been, living with your high school bullies. “Well to combine something you love with something that gives back to the community must be very rewarding. And I don’t think it’s ever easy to get a degree. When I eventually went to get mine I dreaded it even when it was something I love. I guess it was the whole grades thing. Felt wrong to have my work given an A or a B or God forbid a C.”

[pen-le-pen]

artyeliane​:

“See? Nothing says the passage of time has to be a sad depressing thing.” She might not always admit to her age as she got older. But birthdays. Birthdays were too good to resist. “It’s pretty common actually. There’s so much stuff you have to go through after you lose someone, if it doesn’t need to get dealt with immediately, people will wait on it. Once the sting leaves, that’s when they think about the art. Luckily I don’t need to do much painting on this one, it’s really mostly cleaning and getting it reframed.”

Penelope considered her words. “I would just want to get it over with. Not to mention I doubt the person that died would want their things gathering dust for years on end. Maybe I should put something in my will about that.” Then again who would bother with her stuff when she was gone? Her parents would probably be dead by then-- and what would her son want with her? This is why she didn’t like thinking about aging it was just too depressing. “Well, that’s good to hear. Will it immediately be put on display or put museum storage?”

[pen-le-pen]

rionaguillou​:

The lingering look didn’t go unnoticed by Riona and that was exactly the kind of attention she always wanted and craved but rarely received as it was mostly sideways glances pointed in her direction.  This was a welcome change and her interest was also piqued in why she had been selected as interesting enough to approach.  “That is so true.  If there were half the number of boring people around the world would be a much more interesting place especially for me.  Jury’s still out on whether it’s for the best but I’m not bored any more so you’re doing something right.”  She just couldn’t resist the sass and winked as well but her expression turned to surprise hearing she wasn’t being considered as a weirdo.  This was definitely new.  “Damn I guess I need to work on my weirdo cred to keep my rep in tact.”  She flashed a grin and laughed.  “The apocalypse is old news everyone knows it’s the aliens now living among us that’ll cause the downfall of mankind.”  She laughed again obviously in no way serious but it was fun to play.  “As for the chemicals in the water they actually named it now.  It’s called alcohol and it’s fucking great I definitely recommend it.  As for this…” she tugged at her jacket.  “It may be warm but I look damn good in it so that wins.”

Penelope assumed it was Riona’s youth that made her so bored. When you got to her age you settled into things-- for better or for worse. Boredom was the worst but she supposed it forced you to look for something more, something better. It had been a long time since Penelope had properly looked for something. “Clearly, I’m doing a lot of things right if I found you.” A smirk spread across her face as Riona winked at her. Maybe that cheekiness was her youth as well but Penelope sensed it went much deeper than that. It wasn’t hard to imagine the girl with gray hair still dressing punk rock. “How are the aliens planning to destroy us? By mating with us till we are no longer the dominant species?” Why shouldn’t she bring up sex? It was hard to tell if the woman in front of her was a Domme or Sub but Penelope didn’t seem the harm in flirting either way. “Ah, so that’s why I’ve been waking up with headaches. Here I thought I was being healthy by drinking a glass of water before bed.” A chuckle escaped her lips, “I take it back, you are a bit odd.” Penelope nodded, “aesthetic is important, it’s the best way to tell people what you’re about without saying anything.”

[pen-le-pen]

deanteepakorn​:

“That’s better, but you should keep your pencil sharpened,” Dean replied, smirking at the domme. Penelope was always fun to mess with; she bit back much better than most of the others in their house. 

“Not very good. You haven’t thrown anything at me yet,” he deadpanned, not bothering to even glance at the menu. He knew exactly what he wanted to get anyway. “Besides, if you’re going to call me a punk from the eighties, I need you to specify which one. I only accept comparisons to Bender.”

Penelope put the menu down settling for their soup of the day. Whatever that entailed. A slight frown pulled at her lips when he mentioned throwing things at him. Sure Dean was a pain in the ass but he didn’t deserve literal abuse at the hands of his mother. “Well the day is still young, I could start pitching at any moment. But I’m pretty sure we’d get kicked out. Plus that’s assault,” she muttered. “I don’t know who that is,” she admitted. “I was thinking more Charlie Sheen in Ferris Buller’s Day Off or Nick Cage in Valley Girl.” She realized her age was showing but it wasn’t like Dean was going to refrain from calling her an old hag anyway. 

[pen-le-pen]

jadonfloch​:

“You’ll have to take that up with Javan.” Jadon shrugged. He suspected they were something Javan knew he’d look good in it but only wanted it for a specific event or to please a pet of his. As close as the brothers were Javan was the enigma, not Jadon. He smiled at the woman, “Yeah, I’m just glad that he still lets me avoid buying my own.” His gaze moved over the gown again, “I’m pretty sure I read somewhere that if you’re overdressed for an event people find you more interesting. They think that you’re time talking to them is special because you’re meaning to go to some place more important after the event.” Holding out the copy of John Keats complete work. “Are you a fan of poetry?”

“If I see him I’ll grill him intently. At the very least to find out where he buys his suits.” A smile spread across her face and she rested her cheek in her hand. “Well, it’s a good thing I’m interesting and overdressed. Though I don’t have any other special events to attend. Unless you count sitting on my couch and winding down with some crap TV after this.” She leaned forward, examining the book. “To be completely honest I haven’t ever gotten into poetry. Not because I dislike it on principle or anything, working in a theater you hear poetry from time to time and I’ve liked most of the stuff I’ve heard, but I’ve never picked up a book of poetry.” She cocked her head to the side, “is it still good when read? Poetry always struck me as something best read aloud. But maybe that’s my theater background talking.”

[pen-le-pen]

maxim-lavoie​:

“If you are putting this much effort into it, miss– then I think you are going to do it justice.” He responded, fully believing the words that he was saying. “No– not usually, but I am attempting to balance more aspects of my life. Working too much can be detrimental in the long run. At least for me, miss.” He knew that far too well.

“Hmmm,” she hummed, debating if she should open up about her own struggles with work-life balance. It had been some years since she had been hospitalized after not indulging as a Domme for some time. Still, the experience shook her. “Believe me, I’m aware. A shame our jobs can only give us so much satisfaction and release. I’m quite high up at my job but that alone... well it doesn’t really scratch the itch at the end of the day.” She raised a brow, “for you it must be odd. A boss but not... dominant. Not very dominant at all.” She hoped he wouldn’t take offense but it was rather obvious what his status was.

[pen-le-pen]

adelaidelibrarymaid​:

“Yeah! There are a few prizes, although the grand prize are a pair of tickets to our lecture series for the year. Luckily, there is plenty of time still to enter if you’re interested.” At the touch, she gave a small curtsey as a thank you to the woman. “Thank you, I appreciate it. I look forward to hearing what you think a little bit later on in the evening.”

“I’d say that’s a pretty substantial prize. Knowledge is power and all that.” Again with the curtsey, she was like a Disney princess. Belle was the one who liked books, right? “And I look forward to discussing it with you. Maybe if I’m really lucky I’ll win the grand prize and we’ll have a lot to talk about, not just tonight but in the future.” It was a nice idea. Penelope hadn’t really connected with anyone in a while, not to mention she only ever went out to find release. Maybe a lecture series was what she needed.

[pen-le-pen]

jian-riou​:

Sensing her frustration, Jian smiled sweetly. Though it wasn’t really hard to tell what with the way she was waving her hand about. He loved when someone wanted to talk but oh how he adored when they didn’t. Getting someone to talk when they didn’t really want to was one of the things he loved about this medium.  He thought maybe he had seen her at some house function before but couldn’t be sure. He gave his assistant the sign to start recording. “By all means, please start talking now.” 

Penelope sighed before she started speaking. “Of course the library is a prodigious resource. For myself, it provides me with hundreds of photo references. A lot of people think you can just find everything online nowadays but that really isn’t true. Plenty of museums and private collections will only publish photobooks which can be expensive and not to mention take up a lot of space. So I’m grateful for that. Beyond my own experiences, people should have a quiet place to work and a place where resources are openly available to them. That’s not even touching on all the reading programs for kids and teens.” She paused for a moment, looking away from the camera and back at Jian, “how was that?”

[pen-le-pen]

rionaguillou​:

Riona was all about getting reactions from people. Good or bad if someone reacted to her in some way it meant she was getting attention which in her world meant a job well done. She met the woman’s gaze as she approached not shying away in the slightest. She recognised her as another member of her house despite their paths not yet crossing which wasn’t unusual. For a brief moment Riona wondered what way this could go but her thoughts were interrupted by the comment and she laughed. “It’s been soooo dull. I’m sure this bench would be more appealing to people if it had spikes on it rather than me.” She huffed but then smirked. “Not a single weirdo in sight. Everyone has been painfully normal, but I guess things might have just gotten a bit more interesting with you here now. Or was I not the weirdo you were looking for?”

Penelope looked Riona up and down, noting her bold outfit choice. It wasn’t anything she would ever wear but Penelope appreciated personal style. It took guts for a person to wear whatever they wanted and she respected that-- even if the outfit wasn’t aesthetically pleasing. Though Riona’s outfit was well put together. Matching all that black was an impressive feat. “Well, I suppose most people are rather dull themselves, so maybe it’s for the best I was the first person to approach you.” A slight smirk pulled at her lips. She chuckled, “no, no my dear I don’t think you’re a weirdo at all. Maybe if I had sat down and you started going off about the apocalypse or chemicals in the water I’d think differently, but sitting and watching people isn’t odd. Nor is wearing leather in the summer.”

[pen-le-pen]

adelaidelibrarymaid​:

“Perhaps.” Hopefully, the event and the raffle would be successful enough that they wouldn’t need to, especially considering how generous most of the Houses were int heir support. But that was always a backup option. “I won’t be at the door all night, but I’ll be circling for a bit. And then I’m helping facilitate the raffle, so that will be most of my time. But hopefully after that, I’ll have more time to talk.”

“Oh I hadn’t heard about the raffle,” she admitted. “How exciting,” though her words felt genuine her tone remained neutral. “Perhaps I’ll buy a few tickets. Though if the prize is really great I doubt I’ll beat out the lords and ladies. The arts only pay so much.” She reached out and squeezed Adeline’s shoulder, “I’m sure everything will go great tonight. Hard work pays off, that’s how I justify killing myself over my work.”

[pen-le-pen]

maxim-lavoie​:

Maxim nodded in understanding then, “I saw that show once… when I was in my early twenties.” It had been when he’d first moved to Paris. “It is my pride, miss.” He agreed, smiling broadly. He loved what he did. “It was many years in the making. Though someone managed to encourage I hire a night manager so I am able to take some time off.” He laughed slightly.

“Well it is rather popular, I just hope I can do it justice,” she said, though she had full confidence in her capabilities. “There’s a couple hundred years of costumes to live up to.” She shook her head, “well you can’t do that, can you? Not when it’s so important to you. I’ve never taken vacation time for my job. I just can’t bring myself to do it.”

[pen-le-pen]

adelaidelibrarymaid​:

“I’ve had a lot of wonderful people helping me, so they can’t have led me too far astray.” Adelaide nodded and looked around at the group, just enjoying the sight of so many people here and happy. “I certainly hope so. We’re planning to renovate many of the community spaces and the study rooms soon so that they are fully updated and comfortable. That way people will be able to focus on their work with all the tools they need. It would be nice if that could get started sooner rather than later.”

Penelope nodded, “yes that would be good. Well, let’s hope everyone realizes what a good resource the this place is and resources need money. Maybe if you offer to name one of the new study rooms after someone.” That always seemed to loosen people’s pocket books. “Will you be at the door all night? Or I should say, are you busy with library duties tonight? It would be nice to chat some more but I know how work is.”

[pen-le-pen]

maxim-lavoie​:

Maxim followed suit and gently placed the fabric in the trunk, doing his best to not wrinkle or damage the fabric in anyway. “Of course… Though I’m afraid I’m not exactly sure what you are talking about, miss.” He didn’t really know about fabric, but he also wasn’t sure who Tatiana was. He cleared his throat, “I’m a professional chef and owner of La Lune Bleue in town.”

“Ah, right,” she was always so caught up in her work it was easy to forget most people didn’t live in her world. “Midsummer Night’s dream, the fairy queen Titania. I work at the National Theater.” She was rather curt in her explanation but there wasn’t too much to really explain. “Oh, I’ve heard of La Lune Bleue, though I’ve never been myself. I don’t really go out much,” she admitted. “But the owner and the chef? You must have a lot of pride in your business, well deserved from what I hear.”

[pen-le-pen]

jian-riou​:

“Yes, exactly. What does the library mean to you? Any good memories? How do you use it now? That sort of thing. Does that mean yes, you are good with me recording?’

Penelope understood this was the kid’s job but did he really have to bombard her with questions? “Yes, yes,” she said waving her hand about. “Recording is fine.” She smoothed out the creases in her dress. “Might as well get this dress on television,” she muttered to herself. The dress wasn’t her design but she did adore it, the color and the added sparkle not too much but enough to make her feel fancy. “Alright, should I start talking now?”

[pen-le-pen]

maxim-lavoie​:

Maxim offered another smile, “I never thought about it like that, miss.” Usually it was only his parents that used his full name, very few other people did. “It is a pleasure to meet you as well.” He nodded his head in understanding, neither were exactly in a position to shake hands.

The pair approched her car. Penelope popped the trunk and slipped the first bolt into the back, waiting for Maxim to do the same. “Thank you again, really. There are the fabrics for Tatiana’s dress so important and rather expensive,” she explained. Curiosity struck her. “What is it you do for a living, Maxim?” She really did like the way that name sounded.

[pen-le-pen]

jadonfloch​:

Jadon hadn’t noticed he was being watched, too wrapped up in his favorite poet, despite having every word memorized. When he did he neither recognized the woman’s voice or face, but assumed maybe she’d been through J2 at some point and knew him. “My brother, Javan, hates his blue suits so they’re the only ones he’s ever willing to let me borrow.” His blue eyes moved over her dress. “Clearly you’ve nailed the summer look. You look like stunning.”

“If he hates blue suits why does he buy them?” Penelope just didn’t understand buying someone you would never wear. Of course, she had bought things she intended to wear but never got around to, and see them hang in her closet gave her a lot of guilt. “At least someone is getting use out of them. It would be a shame to just have that hang in a closet gathering dust. It looks rather well-tailored even if it wasn’t meant for your body. Thank you,” she lifted her skirt, showing off the thin fabric. “I thought it might be a tad too much but why not take the opportunity to wear something nice?” She walked over and sat across from him in another plush chair. “Might I ask who you’re reading so intently?”

[pen-le-pen]

adelaidelibrarymaid​:

“Of course. We do want everyone to be able to celebrate, and what is a celebration without champagne?” She smiled and offered a small curtsey at the compliment. “It’s always amazing to see how many people participate in the summer activities once we have them all together. I was a little surprised to hear what kind of turnout we would expect, but we certainly met it.”

“Well I’m not a party planner by any far stretch but it sounds like you’ve thrown together the perfect bash.” She couldn’t help but chuckle at Adeline’s cutesy, the woman was just too cute, like a Disney princess. “Well that’s good, isn’t it? Drumming up interest for the library will hopefully give you all the support you need. Plus if this many people showed up for a party, you hope some of them show up for books once that champagne is gone.”