Whistle While You Work [Rae, open]

[Sapphire]

Elyssa Vetinari was happy. She unlocked the door to the shop with a smile. Life was good. She slipped into the shop and started to organise all that needed to be organised. It was the day after her one night off, so that would explain the happiness. That wouldn't on the other hand, explain the fact that she was humming and whistling. El never hummed. She never whistled. El was no nonsense and proffesional, so why on earth was she doing so today? She didn't know herself.

She bustled about the shop, straightening silks and cottons and making sure that everything was there. She wondered when Rae would get in. Today she was going to teach her how to make tailored coats using her magic, so she hoped she would get there soon. She hummed as she picked up the dress she was working on and started to sew. People wouldn't be arriving for anothe hour or so, so she had the shop to herself.

It was still raining, horrendously so in fact, but nothing could dampen her mood. She had ran out of the house with a smile, grabbing a freshly baked bun on the way out. She helped herself to the bun on the way, dodging in and out of doorways so as to not to get wet. She arrived at work, adn she was still smiling. This was also strange as El hated heavy rain.

She sewed her garment and wondered what had made her so cheerful. Her one night off.

[Halo]

Raelle Nokes was in a terrible mood. It was raining and she had to get to work, which meant hurrying through the rain and getting her hair wet. She took a deep breath and chraged out the door, into the torrential downpour. Splashing through the puddles and wiping the rain out of her eyes, Rae muttered curses to herself.

A spray of water hit her unexpectedly and Rae turned around. Where was that fool? I could kill them, she thought. Dodging into a doorway, she squeezed the water out of her hair. The shop was closeby, thank goodness. Rae dashed out into the rain again and sprinted towards the shop.

Pushing open the door with a shove, she sat down, on the floor, exhausted from running. Dishevelled and soaked, Rae looked up to see Elyssa, pottering around the shop.

[Sapphire]

Elyssa was in a good mood. She was in a brilliant mood in fact. The sun was shining (Not really, but who's to quibble?), the birds were singing (Or cawing, whatever) and everything was great. Her night off had been a good night off, an interesting night off. And it had put her in a good mood. She hummed as she sewed the final few stitches in the dress. Done! She shook it out and admired her work. The dress was very pretty, it was an interesting ochre colour and had stunning beading along the bodice.

She put it on the dressrack and neatly scribbled down the person who ordered it and exactly how much it was. She then picked up some threads and started organising them. It was Rae's job really, but she was done for the moment and she didn't mind it. And as if she had knew she was being thought of Raelle bustled into the shop. She smiled silently to herself. Rae hated the rain!

"Hi Rae, how is life treating you? And isn't it a stunning day?" she hummed a few bars and continued organising the threads. "Um, I thought that today we could make some shirts with magic. And then we need to finish some dresses that need to be finished in two weeks or so." She finished organising the threads and got up to put them back, still humming.

Today was a good day.

[Halo]

After watching Elyssa potter around the shop for a while, Rae was finally noticed.

"Hi Rae, how is life treating you? And isn't it a stunning day?" Elyssa seemed so happy. And she was humming. How was this possible? It was raining! Suddenly it dawned on her. It must be that man she saw last night! Before Rae had the chance to answer, El carried on talking. "Um, I thought that today we could make some shirts with magic. And then we need to finish some dresses that need to be finished in two weeks or so."

"My hair. Is wet." Raelle said, a dark, angry look on her face. "I have rain water inside my boots." Her eyes narrowed. "How can you be so happy?"

Rae was dismayed. how, in this terrible weather, could Elyssa be so happy? For Rae, it seemed that today was one of 'those days', when everything that could go wrong, did.

[Sapphire]

Elyssa was in an indescirbably good mood. She was actually humming. This meant that she was in the greatest, most spectacular mood. Because Elyssa and humming? They didn't go so well together. So Elyssa was in an amazing mood. She got arrived at the shop with a smile tugging at her lips. Everything was good, nothing, not even the rain, could ruin her sunshine-happy mood.

She looked at Rae, who had literally sat on the floor and shook her head, "My hair. Is wet. I have rain water inside my boots. How can you be so happy?" , she apprentice grumbled. El grinned at her and finished tying her long titan hair into a plait. This was her usual hairstyle, she picked up a couple of brightly coloured pins and stuck them into the bottom of the plait. This was also customary El. It was so much easier when you had pins on hand, you didn't have to search for them.

"I, my friend, are in a good mood because I had a night off last night!" She grinned and held her hand out to her friend. "And do get up off the floor, you will be trampled by customers!" she pulled Rae up off the floor with a smile. Things were good, even if Rae didn't see the bright side. She remembered seeing Rae at the Dove the night before, "Speaking of nights of, how did yours go?"

[Halo]

Rae looked at El with intrest. El, humming? Not something you'd see every day. She watched as Elyssa stuck pins into the bottom of her plait, a strange habit that Rae never got used to. Didn't El know she could get poked?

"I, my friend, are in a good mood because I had a night off last night!" Of course! Rae realised that El did have the night off last night. Elyssa hummed- again. "And do get up off the floor, you will be trampled by customers!" Rae got up off the floor, with Elyssa eagerly pulling her up.

Then came the dreaded question, imminent because El had had to have seen Rae at the dove. "Speaking of nights off, how did yours go?" Rae felt her face turning warm. Elyssa had seen her staring at her and the man in the Dove.

"Oh, it was fine. And yours?" Rae asked, smiling questioningly, willing her blush to go away. "I'm sure you had a very interesting night, didn't you?" Now came the fun part for Rae. She would get all the information of who the man was, what he did and even more!

[Sapphire]

El had definately had an interesting night off. The fact that she had a night off was a thing in itself. It made her smile because she was pretty overworked. Elyssa was a hard worker. She didn't get a night off all that often, so it was a good thing when one came around. So a night off made El happy. And that was probably why she was happily bustling about the shop. Sure, the company was pretty interesting too.

She made sure that her pins were tightly stuck into her titan hair and grinned at Rae. It was an habit that she couldn't get rid of. Rae never got it though, apparently El could get poked, but El argued that she knew that, but it was much easier this way. She had had a good night off. And Rae had also had a night off. How had that been? She lifted her apprentice up off the floor and listened to how her night off was.

"Oh, it was fine. And yours? I'm sure you had a very interesting night, didn't you?"

She smirked at her blushing friend. And now the Raelle teasing would begin. She tilted her head and shrugged. "It was pretty good, iteresting, but I can't see how that is any concern of yours!" she picked up a basket of threads that she hadn't sorted yet and handed to Rae, "Sort these with your magic only. And then I'll tell you all about it!" she grinned, she knew that Rae would want to know all about her night. That was just the way raelle was, really quiet, but she still loved the gossip.

[Halo]

Raelle knew El had an interesting night off. Very interesting indeed... Let the teasing begin! "It was pretty good, iteresting, but I can't see how that is any concern of yours!" El answered, promptly and sharply. No concern? Oh, the looks Rae had seen El giving that man made it every bit her concern! "Sort these with your magic only. And then I'll tell you all about it!" Rae hung her head glumly, trying to manipulate Elyssa.

"Oh, okay." Rae said, with a heavy sigh. She gave El a sad look and batted her eyes. "It's your choice. I mean, you could rather tell me now. Don't you want to get it off your chest?" Rae, the image of innocence asked sweetly.

If only Elyssa wouldn't cage up! Rae was defiant. She was going to get it out of her, even if it took all her strength!

[Sapphire]

"Oh, okay. It's your choice. I mean, you could rather tell me now."

Elyssa rolled her eyes and shook her head, "Not! Your! Concern! And all I did was go to the Dove. I don't know what you did, but me? I went to the Dove, had a drink and went home." She smiled and tilted her head, "Nothing incriminating at all." she knew that would make Rae just jumping with curiosity, she smirked, she loved doing that. Rae was usually so quiet, but when she was curious it was another story. She glanced at the basket, "Now get to work."

Elyssa picked up a dress she had been working on and started to stitch tiny beads into the bodice. The beads gave it such and interesting look. She glanced up at Rae and shrugged. Her night off was a good night off. It was different and fun. El sometimes needed different. And her night off was just what she needed. It was a night away from the bustling business of the shop. She loved the shop and all, but sometimes it was a bit suffocating.

"Don't you want to get it off your chest?" She rolled her eyes at Rae, "What do you want to know then?"She knew what Raelle wanted to know about. The 'man' that she had seen El with. El knew that she was dying with curiosity.

[Halo]

Rae was positively bursting with curiosity. Elyssa had better tell her or else she would explode! "Not! Your! Concern! And all I did was go to the Dove. I don't know what you did, but me? I went to the Dove, had a drink and went home." Oh really? Rae had a totally different idea of what El had done the night before. "Nothing incriminating at all."

El bagan to stitch beads onto a garment of clothing. "Of course El. I would never expect you to do something fun or interesting on your night off." Rae's words were dripping with sarcasm. If El didn't want to tell her, Rae would make her.

"What do you want to know then?" Ah, there it was, the question Rae had been waiting for.

"Oh, maybe just what you and that man were talking about, who he was, what he's like, what he does. And that's only a few of the questions, by the way!" Rae sat down and made herself comfortable. She was looking forward to a gossip session with El, hearing every little detail about the unknown man.

[Sapphire]

"Of course El. I would never expect you to do something fun or interesting on your night off."

Oh! Elyssa swatted at Raelle. The horrid thing was that lately El didn't have that much fun. Such a pity as she was truly a social butterfly. El glared at her friend and rolled her eyes. Rae knew how to manipulate people. You wouldn't think to look at her, but she knew exactly what made people tick. And she knew that El was a work-a-holic and that she had been a bit work-obsessed the past few weeks. So Rae knew exactly how to manipulate El.
"I have fun. Laods and loads of innocent fun. And it didn't look like you were doing anything remotely interesting last night," she smirked an continued to stitch.

El relented and asked Rae what she wanted to know. She knew that she would be bothered until she told her all about her night. And a pestering Rae wasn't a good thing. El picked up her box of beads and picked out a few groups of beads that she would need. She arranged them each into seperate boxes and put the main box away. It was something she did, she couldn't just use the beads from the main box, it was to messy and the beads got mixed up. They were in the workroom of the shop, but soon they would have to move to man the counter. The officail opening time of the shop was in an hour.

"Oh, maybe just what you and that man were talking about, who he was, what he's like, what he does. And that's only a few of the questions, by the way!" [/colour]

She rolled her eyes and nodded to the box of threads. "Would you please start with that? And it was nothing." Her night off was a good night off, but it wasn't really in the direction of what Rae was thinking. Rae jumped to major conclutions. she tilted her head and thought of the night before. It was a really interesting -strange, but interesting- night. She had had fun for the first time in ages.

"Okay, we talked about stuff. His name was Felix. He was nice and a scribe. Anything else, oh curious one?"

[Halo]

Rae jumped as El swatted at her. She smirked triumphantly. She knew what made El tick and she would use whatever she could to get the answer out of her. "I have fun. Laods and loads of innocent fun. And it didn't look like you were doing anything remotely interesting last night," El smirked. Rae thought she looked just like a cat that had eaten all the cream without her mistress knowing.

"Of course you have fun. Maybe a different kind of fun. But still, fun is fun. And I was just sitting there because I enjoy my own company." Rae then asked her about the man.

"Would you please start with that? And it was nothing." El sounded ticked off. Rae must have pushed the wrong buttons by mistake. She didn't want El to get angry!

"Yes. Fine, I'll start." Again, Rae put on her wounded puppy face and looked at El. "I guess I'll just go do this now."

"Okay, we talked about stuff. His name was Felix. He was nice and a scribe. Anything else, oh curious one?" There we go, thought Rae. Smiling at El, she put on her coyest voice and batted her eyelashes in thanks.

"Felix? A scribe? Alright... Felix and Elyssa. That has a nice ring to it!" Rae grinned impishly. She slowly backed away from her friend, just for safety, in case there was a chance El would swat her again. Today Rae had already learned a lesson: El could hit hard.

[Sapphire]

"Of course you have fun. Maybe a different kind of fun. But still, fun is fun. And I was just sitting there because I enjoy my own company."

She rolled her eyes and nodded. It was true, Rae was a loner. Where El was a people person Rae was more reserved. El was a bouncy happy-go-lucky person. Rae was quiet and shy. And she kept to herself, while El made loved socialising. That is the way the world went round. "True. And I have alot of fun."

She looked pointedly at the box of threads. Once you got Raelle talking not much work got done. "Yes. Fine, I'll start.". She nodded and threaded a few more beads onto the bodice of the dress. It was a pretty dress. She actually wanted to own the dress. It was a good dress. She raised an eyebrow as Raelle put on her 'I am a wounded puppy, don't hurt me' look on her face. It didn't work on her. She didn't much like wounded puppies. "Not going to work Rae."

"Felix? A scribe? Alright... Felix and Elyssa. That has a nice ring to it!"

She reached out and swatted at Rae. She ducked out of the way and El glared at her. Rae was so irking! "Um, what in the gods name goes on in your head? You are so mean!" she glared sourly at her and picked up the pillow behind her. She aimed the pillow at Rae and threw very accuratly.

She smirked and continued beading. "Besides, it wasn't anything. Your mind is overactive. It really wasn't anything....." she murmered as she pulled out a pin from her hair. She neatly placed the pin into the dress and sighed.

[Halo]

Rae knew that her last comment would get a reaction, if not a good one. She knew El would get angry..... who wouldn't? "Um, what in the gods name goes on in your head?" was Elyssa's outraged question. "You are so mean!" Mean? No, irritating..... well, maybe. Rae noticed El picking up a pillow and dodged it a best she could, even though it still hit her.

"Oh El. Can't you take a joke? But then, some people wouldn't know a joke if it danced around naked in front of them. I'm sure he was a perfectly nice..... scribe." Rae couldn't help it. She was biting her lip so hard to keep herself from laughing, but it wasn't helping!

"Besides, it wasn't anything. Your mind is overactive. It really wasn't anything....." This was the last straw. Rae couldn't help it. She burst out laughing, even though El's last comment was not even funny.

"It's just that your face was so funny when I was talking about you and Felix." Rae gasped, wiping the tears from her eyes. "If you could have seen your expression, you would react the same!" Rae calmed down enough to put on a serious face. "Just a tip, El dear. The sour face doesn't work for you." With that, Rae started organising the threads El had given her, chuckling every now and then, wearing a huge smile. Finally, Rae was starting to feel cheery again.

[Sapphire]

Elyssa had met Raelle a while ago. The girl she had met then had no control over her magic and little control over her comments. She had much better control over her magic, but still had not cotrol over that tongue. She knew what stung and, the evil child, knew how to use that. Elyssa had become friends with Rae for probably that reason. They were two peas in a pod in that respect.

"Oh El. Can't you take a joke? But then, some people wouldn't know a joke if it danced around naked in front of them. I'm sure he was a perfectly nice..... scribe."Elyssa glared at her friend and thought of having the tapestries attack her. She shook her head, thinking better of it. She sighed, "Well, I can take a joke. And he wasn't actually that nice..." she stabbed her thumb with a pin. Shreiking shook her thumb, eyes watering. "Ow! Ow ow ow! Damn!" she cursed. This was all Felix's fault! If he hadn't laughed at her and subsequently made her loose her concentration she would never have stabbed her thumb!

She glared as Rae started laughing at her, "I am such a better mage than you are. Do you really want me to unleash my power onto you? Because I will!" she smiled slightly and continued to thread. When Rae laughed at her it was a different story. She laughed even more at Rae and besides, Raelle was one of her best friends.

"It's just that your face was so funny when I was talking about you and Felix. If you could have seen your expression, you would react the same! Just a tip, El dear. The sour face doesn't work for you." Sometimes El really hate her friend. "You are horrid. And the sour face does work for me!" she finished a row of beads and sat back to admire her work. "Besides, he was actually a bit mean. Really. He laughed at me. You do not laugh at me. The first part was fun though." She thought back to the previous night. Something horrible dawned on her. She. Had. Left. Her. Purse. At. The. Dove! "Oh gods!"