Topic: A Study in Sunlight

Juliane Smith

Date: 2008-04-08 00:15 EST
Morning sunlight flooded in through the wall of windows. The southern exposure meant the room got the light without the direct glare, and it gilded everything this day. With Johnny?s mods active, it was almost painfully bright when he looked up from the silver chain on the table to Juli working across the way. Silver film over his eyes flashed and glinted in the sunlight before it retracted quickly to reveal emerald brightness. ?Goin? blin? workin? on this - I need ta take a break. Ya set? How ya doin???

Juliane sat hunched and squinted, yet for different reasons. The thinest of watercolor brushes was held delicately in her fingers, a deeper shade of blush pink blossoming in the throat of a rose. The wedding invitations needed to be done and quickly, and her perfectionism for the miniature portrait on each was taking longer than she had anticipated. "I think m'hand's gonna fall off b'fore I get all these done, yeah? Jus' glad ya don't have th' even hun'red I thought ya would." Dropping the brush to the side she straightened and arched her back, arms lifted high over her head.

?No? fer lack ?a tryin?. D?ya know how long it took us ta hash ou? th? list?a people ta invite?? He grinned as he gave a bone-popping stretch of his own, and then stood from the rolling stool. ?So ya wan? some tea?r somethin?? An? have I thanked ya again fer doin? th? invites an? all? Still wan? ta pay ya fer ?em, since yer losin? jobs on accoun? of it.? The last was added more seriously as he turned on the hotplate.

"Oh yeah, please. Jus' put some honey in it. Ya make it too strong fer me." Juliane stood and crossed to the window to watch the activity on the street below a moment. "An' ya can quit offerin'. Th' only type a work I'm missin' right now are all those feather-headed hens Missus Fitzwilliams keeps sendin' my way, and I'd rather do anythin' but that, yeah?" Turning away from the window, she placed her hands against the side of the work table and hopped up onto an empty space. Sitting with her legs crossed beneath her, Juliane leaned forward to look at the pieces and bits spread about the chain work. "B'sides, ya are already payin' th' printer for settin' th' type on the letterpress an' th' production. No need fer ya ta pay him ta have 'em embellished. He handled it fine, but th' man had no vision, yeah?"

Johnny looked back over his shoulder and rolled his eyes at his twin. ?Yeah, an? ya can say tha? again. Di?ja see wha? th? guy wan?ed ta put there? Ugliest pair?a shapeless weddin? bells I ever saw.? He set up the tea mugs while he was talking and then grinned again, suddenly. ?An? I don? make it too strong, ya like it too weak. Ya know wha? someone tol? me one?a th? times I was ?tendin?? Said ya could tell how a gal liked her men by how she liked her tea. So ya wan? em ligh? an? swee? by tha? measure.? Hot water added to the mugs of tea, he waited for them to steep and turned back to face Juli. ?An? speakin? of - tha? Jolyon fella. He somethin? ta ya??

Juliane Smith

Date: 2008-04-08 00:15 EST
"Of course I saw it. I'm th' one who had ta fight wi' him ta use th' engravin' block I had ya make. Ya would'a thought I was askin' him ta hit his mamma." Her gaze leveled at him, a blonde brow arched nearly to her hairline. "And what sort'a man would I like if I drank it like ya do? Bitter'n dark that leaves a sour taste on yer lips. No thank ya. Besides, don't ya think it works both ways? How ya like yer tea is how ya like yer women?" A hand raked through her hair, smoothing it back from her temples. "An' as ta Jolyon, he's m' friend. Why d'ya ask?"

?Well?n, Si?s dark bu? she sure ain? bitter nor sour. So I guess tha?s a theory ou? th? window.? He prepared her tea first, adding the honey liberally, as he left his to steep a minute or two longer. ?As fer Jolyon - was wonderin? ?cause I?m seein? an? hearin? abou? him aroun? ya an? Katie a lo? lately an? all, an? I don? hardly know th? guy. Seems nice enough an? all, bu? if?n yer hopin? fer somethin? more?n friendship I wan? ta get ta know him a bi? better. An? if?n yer no? - well, still wan? ta get ta know th? guy better, bu? there ain? no rush abou? it, ya know??

Now both brows lifted in questioning surprise. "Oh yeah? An' jus' who's doin' all th' talkin' 'bout him and us, huh? An' if'n this gum-flapper is talkin' 'bout him bein' wi' Katie an' me, why'd ya think that I'm th' one ya should be talkin' to, yeah?" One elbow rested on her knee, perpendicularly, so that her chin could rest against her knuckles. "An' I'm not hopin' for anythin' so's not ta be disappointed, wi' anyone or anythin', really. So ya can quit yer worryin'."

Picking up his own mug, he returned with hers and passed it over before he answered. ?Oh, goin? ta talk ta him an? ta Katie, too. Bu? yer here now. An? y?all have made th? papers, b?lieve it ?r no?.? A shrug, a sip of the tea before he continued. ?No? tha? tha? means anythin?, bu? tells me tha? ya been aroun? him a lo?. Can? quit th? worryin? though, Juls, yer m?family, m?twin, an? when ya hurt I hurt. So better ta avoi? th? hurtin? in th? firs? place, ya know? Glad ta know ya ain? goin? headlong an? blin? inta somethin?.?

The announcement on making the papers received a derisive muttering. After the last fiasco, the girls had been firmly warned not to talk about anything within the pages to Juliane upon pain of harm. "It don' mean anythin' more'n that we're friends, yeah?" A sip of her tea before abruptly changing the subject. "So... whatcha workin' on, huh?"

Juliane Smith

Date: 2008-04-08 00:16 EST
Hooking over the rolling stool with a foot, he sat and accepted the change of subject with another sip from his very strong tea. ?Presen? fer Si. Hudson came by with th? pearls there, an? I?m workin? on makin? a necklace fer him ta give her. Din? wan? ta take paymen? fer tha?, neither, bu? he said it wouldn? be his presen? ta give if?n he din? pay fer it.? A shrug dismissed that consideration, but then he shook his head. ?Guess I can see th? poin?, bu? still.?

Fingers went to the strand of pearls encircling her own neck, the smooth irregular bumps resting against her collarbone. "I think it has somethin' ta do with them being Scots, yeah? Very determined on doin' things their own way and by their own power." She looked at how he had the project laid out, perusing quietly while sipping her tea. Finally, she spoke. "But there's nothin' sayin' ya have ta charge him for anythin' more'n supplies, yeah?"

?Tha?s true enough an? I ain? goin? ta do more?n tha?. Easy enough work anyway, jus? time-consumin?, getting? th? links ta be seamless. Long chain, fer th? wrap twice an? ta drape down.? He leaned over to tap at one of the pearls lightly, rolling the faintly pink iridescent orb on the table. ?An? I can? work with th? mods on m?hands on these directly. Organics. So I?m havin? ta shape th? metal aroun? ?em l?il differen? than otherwise. Still, wan? it ta be perfect fer Si.?

"Couldn't ya use one of m' clips ta hold th' pearl for ya, yer hands free ta loop th' wire in an' about wi'out damagin' th' pearls? Would go faster then, yeah?" Picking up the pearl he had rolled and holding it in the light. They're absolutely gorgeous, yeah? Hudson's got good taste."

Johnny Smith

Date: 2008-04-08 00:17 EST
?Say so. Gave ya tha? string yer wearin? too, din? he? An? tha?s a good idea with th? clip. When?d ya ge? so smar?, huh?? Mug of tea set on the table with a quiet thunk, he picked up another of pearls and held it up to the light as she was doing. He didn?t look over at Juli at the question about the necklace she was wearing, but again the faint sense of concern-worry resonated in the air.

"In th' six minutes I had ta myself b'tween ya being born an' then being born myself." A sly grin at her own wit as she dropped the pearl softly back to join the others. "Yeah, said it was payment fer helpin' him repair th' rudder on his boat. I'd stopped by ta check th' paint had held up wi' th' cold -- 's'been a while since I painted anythin' that would be in th' elements, yeah? -- an' was able ta help, or so he said. Gave 'em ta me b'fore he took her ta water so's ta clear up debts er somethin'."

?Huh.? It was more a thoughtful sound than a word as he set down the pearl he had been examining. ?Differen? traditions, I guess. Better?n some.? He picked up the mug of cooling tea again and took a long swallow. ?So how many?a those invites?r done an? how many lef?? Hate ta soun? rushin? ya, bu? we need ta get?em delivered here pretty quick ta be sure people know in some kind?a time.?

"No ya don't, Jo. Ya wish ta work me until m'hands are nubbins and bleedin'." She flexed them dramatically, the grin wide across her face. "Although if ya rush me ta much, yer liable ta get a real botched job, yeah?" Juliane sipped her tea and then swirled the mug lightly to help the honey dissolve more. "Last I counted I'm ta a dozen or so. Jus' started this mornin'."

?No? bad, really. An? I?d take a botched job from ya over those horrible weddin? bells th? printer wan?ed ta use, any day ? bu? I don? wan? ya bleedin? on th? paper!? Johnny grinned over at his twin and then wheeled the rolling stool over closer to where she had been working, to examine the invitation resting on top of the pile. The pale slate-blue paper showed the faint texturing in the sunlight, with the black print elegantly pressed in. The wild rose Juli had finished painting was framed by an elaborate filigree border.

She spun around on the tabletop to face the streaming sun and let herself soak it in for a moment, eyes drifting shut. "Mmm, well ya can't really blame 'em entirely. They haven't seen anythin' th' like of what we wanted 'round here before. And if I were bleedin', ya could have jus' about anybody color it in that had a hand wi' paints. Th' tricky part was gettin' th' engravin' how Si wanted it, yeah?" A chuckle bubbled up. "Yer future wife is very opinionated." As if he needed the words of wisdom.

Johnny Smith

Date: 2008-04-08 00:18 EST
Laughter filled the studio merrily as Juli added that comment. ?An? ?s a good thin? one?a us is, since I ain? fer th? mos? part. B?sides, ain? nothin? wrong with her wantin? everythin? ta be jus? righ?, yeah? Ya?d be th? same way if?n it were ya gettin? married, ya know it.? Taking a sip of his tea hid the grin, and he looked at the invitations again. ?Gettin? really real, now.?

Another sip of her tea as she nodded. "Yeah, I'm no' blamin' her or anythin'. Jus' observin', yeah?" Her green eyes seeking out their mirror. "Fer th' mos' part? I didn't think ya were opinionated 'bout anythin'." She grinned slowly. "But yeah, I'd be like Si I think, if'n I was gettin' married." Juliane watched him a moment before venturing the question. "Does it feel queer, Jo? Ta be so close ta it?"

Baritone voice came slowly into the sunlit air; he was considering as he answered. ?Sometimes, yeah. Like, I can? believe tha? it?s true an? happenin?, ya know? An? sometimes wonder if?n th? ceremony?s goin? ta change anythin?. If?n Si?s goin? ta regret th? choice, or ?.? Johnny cut off the words and shrugged his shoulders with a self-disparaging sound. ?Don? worry abou? much, bu? the thin?s I do I can? seem ta let go of easy.?

"Well, I will say as it's amazin' ya found someone willin' ta put up with ya, if ya want my two cents worth. An' really, what could possibly be changed by th' ceremony that isn' fer th' better, yeah?" She smiled softly, tender emotions bubbling to the surface in spite of her teasing. "And how she regret th' very bes' choice of her life, yeah? Ya set th' bar real high, ya know? Th' mold was broken when ya were born."

He smiled back over at his twin?s calm assurance. ?Six minutes after, ya mean, when ya followed. I din? say my worryin? made sense, jus? tha? I was doin? it. Bu? I ain? hesitatin?, ya better b?lieve. Ain? lettin? her go, tha?s fer sure.? Mesh-embedded fingertips tapped lightly on the top invitation. ?This?s jus? ta make sure ev?rybody else knows, too.?

She looked down at herself and then to him and then back again, one hand trailing lightly over her smooth cheek. "Nah, I'm pretty sure that since we're fraternal an' all that... I didn' get exactly th' same mold ya did, Jo." Her giggle was unrestrained and infectious. "Yep, ev'rybody else'll know, that is if ya invited 'em and they get th' invitation in time." She moved to climb down from her perch on the work surface.

?Tha?s righ?! So back ta work with ya!? He laughed as he mimed cracking a whip, then leaned over to give her a quick hug before she returned to her position before the invitations. The rolling stool he sent wheeling back to the layout of silver and pearls on the other side of the table. ?An? yer righ? ? missed bein? identical, an? good thin? too, since it?d be a pure shame ta curse a girl with this face.? He rubbed at his own cheek, producing the harsh rasp of stubble against the mesh on his hands.

"Or tha' excuse fer a beard tha' tries ta hide it." She bit her lip to keep quiet, her back to him, and picked up her paint brush again, swirling it in a small cup of water. "An' don' ferget ta use th' clip. There's one over on m'easel ya can use."

Johnny shot Juliane an injured look as she mocked his stubble ? an injured look that was entirely wasted, since she had her back to him. ?Hey now ? this ain? th? beard I can grow if?n I wanted, an? ya know it. This?s jus? two days withou? shavin?.? He left his empty mug of tea on the table as he stood to go to her easel and grab the indicated clip. ?Thanks.?

"Don't mention it, Jo. Weren't nothin'." Another giggle threatened to escape her. So it was with laughter and sunlight that the twins turned back to their work.