Vivien's Archives

Archives

Home

Credits

Exploring the City

It was a beautiful crisp Monday and after a leisurely breakfast and plenty of time to fix her hair and costume, Vivien Greywood wandered into town.

She was still a small town girl, fascinated by the sights, sounds and smells of the city. She spent a few hours just walking, looking in windows, people-watching, and buying random knick-knacks and foodstuffs off of vendors.

A slight woman with dark, drab clothes stood in front of a milliner's shop, watching the striking young tourist. The care the tourist put into her appearance and the attitude in her posture was amusingly familiar. Thirty years ago, she knew that young woman may have been seen slipping out of Atropos' chamber. He usually preferred blondes, but there was that other Anderon girl...

As the tourist passed near, the plainly dressed woman stepped forward, her scuffed and worn boots peeking from under the hem of her dress.

"Good day, Miss Greywood," the woman addressed her with a slight bow from her shoulders. "Has the city lived up to your expectations?"

Vivien turned to the unknown woman with a smile. "So far, it's lovely," she said. "But I've only just barely begun exploring. I'm Vivien, by the way... No one calls me Miss Greywood, uh...?" the slight nonverbal at the end of the sentence was obviously a bid for the woman's name.

"Maple, Maple Gallfrey," she replied. With a nudge of her head, she indicated the purse at Vivien's wrist. "I'd suggest holding that a little closer, Miss Greywood. It would make an easy handful of stanners for someone the next time you pass through a crowd."

"Thank you, Maple," Vivien's smile widened and she moved her purse closer to her to her body, holdng it more protectively. "I suppose I'm a bit reckless for the city, still. Would you like to get something to drink - tea perhaps? I'd love to better your acquaintance."

Maple looked momentarily surprised at the invitation. Her eyes glanced around, taking in Vivien as well as the surroundings.

"I.. I suppose so. I have no appointments."

Where others might have recommended a nearby tearoom, Maple merely stopped talking and allowed Vivien to take the lead.

Vivien, however, did not seem surprised or bothered by this. She was finding that she had a good memory and a good sense of direction - traits she had not had to exercise before. She remembered that there had been a cute little tea place a few blocks north and east, and headed in that direction, glancing over her shoulder every few paces to make certain Maple was still with her.

Maple followed behind. Her small footsteps were almost silent, but she easily kept up with the younger woman. As she walked, she tried to guess where they may be headed. They were heading away from the lower city, but it was only a short detour.

After a little while they came upon a small tea-house, more a nook than anything else, with the quaint name of 'The Rose Garden.' There were only a few people inside, mostly elderly women, but Vivien smiled, nonetheless and turned to Maple. "Is this all right?"

"This is fine," Maple replied, nodding. She selected a small round table not far from the door where they could both see the activity on the street through the ivory lace curtains.

"Thank you for the invitation," she offered as her contribution to the conversation. Maple sat straight-backed in her chair, feet lightly touching the ground.

"You're welcome," Vivien replied, glancing at the menu. "So... what do you do, Maple?"

Maple shifted in her seat, sitting straighter if it was possible, at the familiarity with which the young woman addressed her. Still, she didn't comment upon it.

"I work in administration at the Women's College," she said as she placed the menu back on the table. "Have you considered taking any courses?"

"At the Women's College? No, I haven't." Vivien smiled more broadly than before, showing her dimples. "I don't - um - I'm not very good at studying. But I might go to the campus sometime and see what it's like, if that's all right..." she paused. "Would you rather I called you Ms. Gallfrey? Are you more comfortable with that?"

"I am used to being called Mdme. Gallfrey, but it is your decision, Miss Greywood." She conceded to her perceived difference in their status with a nod of her head.

"The Women's College has been a great asset to the young ladies of Aquila, giving them opportunities they otherwise might not have had. Your own Lady Greywood helped blaze that trail. Even though she was a Bahlmis, she is a very smart woman. You should visit the college and consider trying a course."

Maple looked around the room, wondering where their waitress was.

"Madame Gallfrey," Viven repeated the title. "I would love to visit and see what sort of things are offered. So, how did you know who I was? Are you a friend of Aunt Olivia's?"

At this point the waitress, a plump elderly woman in a pink ruffled apron, made her way to the table, beamed a perfunctory smile, and waited for their orders.

Vivien said, "Um, peppermint tea for me, and perhaps... a scone?"

Maple returned the waitress’s smile with a pleasant one of her own, a flash of recognition passing between them. She placed her order for a scone and the house blend of tea and then turned her attention back to Vivien.

“Lady Greywood and I do know each other though I wouldn’t call us friends. I heard gossip going around about the new arrivals at Greywood Manor. This may be a big city, but gossip does travel, especially when it involves one of the noble houses.”

Maple knew this wasn’t entirely true. From a few of the houses, she received almost no information, but Greywood was not one of them.

"Well," Vivien smiled again. "I suppose we must be interesting if gossip includes a decent description. I am glad I ran into you, Madame Gallfrey. Perhaps you can tell me if gossip circulating about one is a good thing here or a bad one?"

Maple glanced across the table, amused at her reply. "I'm sure there must have been gossips in your town as well, Miss Greywood. The more interesting the story, the faster it travels. Gossip is difficult to avoid."

She slid out of her chair, grabbing the broadsheet left on the table next to them. "What you do want to avoid is having it end up in print." She handed the paper to Vivien. The nameplate across the top read "Aquila Awake!" It was no longer crisp, as though several patrons had already consumed its contents.

Vivien leaned forward and was inspecting the paper as the waitress returned with their tea.

"Oh, how interesting," she said. "I've never seen this paper before... Gossip, is it? For the whole city to read?"

She did not sound alarmed by the prospect.

"I believe Lady Bella Rostay would call it lifestyles and human intwest," Maple replied, unconsciously adding a lisp to the last word. "I believe Mr. Salter considers his paper a serious alternative to the other Aquilan broadsheets. I believe the citizens like to see that the noble houses are no better or perhaps even worse than the rest of us."

She sipped at her tea, curiously regarding her company.

Vivien laughed out loud - it was a clean, young sound, wholly without artiface. "And they need a newspaper to see that?" she said, shaking her head. "We lived in the country, so while we were technically separated by more land, everything felt closer. And we knew instinctively that people were people - some of us just happened to have more advantages than others. So some are better and some are worse and some are just alike..."

"I wonder if those that had less advantages would think the same, Miss Greywood," Maple replied, choosing to not meet her eyes but instead look out through the lacy curtains at the people on the street.

Vivien sobered up and regarded Maple for a long time. Finally she said, "I am not prejudiced, Madame Gallfrey, and I don't look down on people. But I also refuse to be ashamed of my family or my advantages, or to duck my head and keep my opinions to myself because they can be construed as naive, the product of a sheltered upbringing. Well, we're all products of our upbringing, and we can only learn if people tell us when we're wrong... So, please, if you think I'm wrong, say so... Don't ask me to guess if your words are a gentle rebuke."

Vivien's tone was light and pleasant, her face open and ingenuous. It was clear she meant the words to have no sting.

"No rebuke was intended, Miss Greywood," Maple answered, but it was difficult to tell if her words were true. "Maybe I've been in the city too long."

"Oh," Vivien smiled and sipped at her tea. "In that case, I'm sorry to be so sensitive. How long have you lived here, Madame Gallfrey?"

As the waitress passed by, Maple caught her eye. In a low voice, she asked for some additional tea for their table.

"I was born in Aquila and lived here all my life."

"Oh! Then perhaps you might tell me about the dressmakers here in town - how good are they?" Vivien seemed open and ingenuous, but this was the first time her eyes lit up in the conversation.

Outside the window a man paused, looking in, watching the two women as he spoke. He moved to the door and strode in, heedless of how out of place he seemed in the tea place filled with women. He moved directly to where the two women stood and stopped, looking down at them. "Vivien. I hadn't expected to see you here."

"Gyles!" Vivien leapt to her feet, her smile brightening and widening so that her white teeth flashed for an instant in the light. "I didn't think you'd find me so soon... This is Madame Gallfrey, who has been telling me about Aquila. Madame Gallfrey, this is Gyles... um... god, what is your family name?"

A low laugh. "Byeroth." He bowed to Maple first. "Madame Gallfrey, it is a pleasure to make your acquaintance." Then he turned to Vivien for another bow. "And Vivien. It is a... pleasure..." the word rolls off his tongue, warm and friendly, "to see you again. But please, sit, I didn't mean to interrupt."

He holds the back of Vivien's chair, his hand touching hers as he waits for her to be seated before he pulls up a chair and seats himself, seeming at ease in this place of women and tea.

Vivien seats herself gracefully, shaking her head. "You could never interrupt. How have you been?"

"Quite well. I've recently arrived in the city and have been spending my time settling in. And yourself?" For a moment, Gyles focuses intently upon Vivien, a smile lingering on his lips. Then that intense gaze shifts to Maple. A frown creases his forehead, as if trying to somehow place her in a distant memory, then his brow smooths again. "And please, Madame Gallfrey... how is it that you know my charming Vivien?"

Maple placed her teacup upon a neatly stacked pile of plates and turned the handle to be in line with the edge of the table. Already she had moved the sugar, cream, and flowers aside to make a space for the new guest.

"We happened to meet on the street, Mr. Byeroth. I had heard she was in the city and wanted to take the opportunity to welcome her," Maple replied with a pleasant smile as she casually studied the gentleman. "I'm guessing that you know Vivien from home?"

Gyles carries himself with the aplomb of a nob, but the rough skin on his hands is no stranger to hard work. "Actually, business. Vivien's family had the distinct good fortune to select two specialty dyes produced by a small business at my home. I've been looking forward to seeing her again, to see what design choices she has made for fabrics crafted with those dyes." His gaze sweeps over Viven, a smile lingering on his lips as memory lights his eyes. "She is a talented designer," he murmured, turning his attention back to Maple.

"I'm an interested amateur," Vivien corrected with a pleased smile. "But I have got an interesting opportunity, if things work out. We're going to do a fashion show to raise money for the plague victims, and I'm going to design some clothes for it. Doesn't that sound like a fantastic idea?"

A slight proud smile lifted Gyles' lips.

"The epidemic was horrible, a cause close to my family, Miss Greywood. I will take two tickets, that is, if they are available to the public." Maple turned from the young lady to regard the older gentleman again. Her eyelids lowered slightly, her mind searching old memories. "Mr. Byeroth, have you ever done business with the Nest... the Duke's residence?"

"Two tickets it is," Vivien said, smiling happily, then leaned back, seeming to listen to the conversation shift. There was a dreamy look in her eyes, pale green today, and what she was really thinking was that Madame Gallfrey ought to wear something in a slightly warmer tone, perhaps with a little ruffle or ribbon to dress it up just a tad. Not girlish, but... things ought to be underplayed, not gone completely.

"I have not," Gyles admitted. "This is my first time to do business in the city. But of course, I hope that all those of noble blood may be intrigued by the dyes. And Vivien, I will have you to thank for bringing them." His smile warms for the young woman. "I will take at least one ticket to your show."

"At least one?" Vivien raised her eyebrow playfully. "Bringing a date, are you?"

"Perhaps," he mused. "If I could find a young lady with an appropriate interest in fashion and charity, who is not already busy herself working at the event." One arched eyebrow teased her in return. "You wouldn't mind, would you?"

Her look back was pure innocence. "Of course not... I was only curious."

"I apologize, Mr. Byeroth. You looked familiar. I thought I might have met you before," Maple surveyed the gentleman one more time, and then with a blink she changed the subject. "Did you want to order some tea?"

"Ah, no, I should be on my way. I was expected at the Voice some minutes past, but I couldn't help but stop in when I saw Vivien." He pushed back his chair and stood, bowing slightly to each woman in turn. "It has been a pleasure to meet you, Madame Gallfrey. And Miss Greywood," his bow was slightly lower, his gaze warm when he raised his eyes to hers. "I hope I will see you again, while you remain in the city. A pleasure indeed."

Maple murmured pleasantries, enough to count as an acknowledgement to Gyles without distracting the pair, fading back to be a mere observer of the scene.

"You're leaving already?" Vivien pouted a little. "Oh well... I'm staying with my relatives, the Greywoods. Look me up sometime." She nodded in response to his bow.

"I will," he murmured, with a look of assurance in his eyes. "I look forward to seeing more of you, my dear. Until then." With another nod for VIvien, and one for Maple, he will exit (unless called back for some reason).

Maple nodded in return as she mentally filed notes from the encounter.

"Well, that was a surprise," Vivien laughed. "I knew he was in the city, of course, but it is a large enough place I didn't expect us to simply run into each other."

Maple was searching through her small, plain bag. Her eyes looked up and then her head tilted to follow, mouth curving into a little grin. "You would think so, yet it happens." Her fingers reached toward the slip of paper left by the waitress.

"Oh, no, Madame, let me," Vivien said, sliding her own hand toward the paper, but slow enough that she wouldn't accidentally knock into Maple's fingers. "After all, I think you might have saved me from being robbed earlier."

Maple did something she doubted her daughter would ever do and withdrew her hand. "All right, Miss Greywood, but should you ever decide to visit the university, I want the opportunity to repay the favor."

"That sounds lovely," Vivien agreed, picking up the paper, glancing at it, and taking some money from her purse. "Um... does one... tip here in the city?"

Her head nodded as Maple glanced toward their waitress. "You should." She waited silently to see what Vivien would do.

Vivien nodded. "Thank you." She glanced at her money, then at the bill, did a quick calculation and added fifteen per cent. Then she turned back to Maple and smiled. "It's been a pleasure meeting you, Madam Gallfrey. Thank you for having tea with me."

"Thank you, Miss Greywood. It was unexpected yet a worthwhile detour for me. Best wishes on your fashion show." She seemed satisfied with the actions of the young woman. Perhaps Vivien did believe that people were people, with or without certain advantages.

Maple lifted the napkin from her lap and placed it on the table, the folds of fabric neatly concealing a note with a few additional stanners. She stood, her dark skirt falling to the tops of her worn boots, and gathered her small bag.

"Thank you again," Vivien said, extending her hand toward Maple. "I hope you'll come."

"If I can, I will," she replied with a nod. Maple briefly touched her hand to Vivien's and then indicated with that hand that Vivien could leave the tea house ahead of her.

Vivien smiled, gathered up her purse and shopping bags, and left the building.

Copyrights & Credits

Designed by Aethereality.net
Images © Index Stock
Textures © The Blooming Effect and Hybrid Genesis
Brushes © Relished.net and Cirratus.org and Roshiweb.com