Gwen blew the pencil dust off a sheet of her sketchbook, taking another look at her latest sketches of people at Hyde Park. She didn't normal come here but Gwen needed out of her house; Mum was hovering and nagging, Will wasn't speaking to her still and Dad wasn't even home but Gwen wasn't sure where he had gone off to. She didn't bother to ask when he left a few days ago. She snuck out before her mum woke up, Will just watched her go without asking questions or even acknowledging her. Whatever. Gwen needed green space so she could forget the fact that she was in the middle of a metropolis; she grabbed her sketchbook and stepped outside.

She just started walking. Hyde was crowded today but Gwen didn't really mind. Green space and noise were exactly what she needed to work on any sort of drawing. It was habit, she supposed, from being confined to drawing in school; art classes were essentially group therapy sessions anyway. Gwen knew more about the kids in her current art class than she did of her entire year at Queen's Gate. Some of it was remotely interesting but it was usually spoiled kids bitching about whatever problems they thought they had. Gwen rolled her eyes, emitting a noise of disgust at the thought. She focused on her drawing. It wasn't terrible but she had done better; way better, in fact. Groaning, Gwen flipped to the next blank page. She needed to work on people. That was the only helpful tidbit this latest art instructor had for her; Gwen's proportioning was off. The line had caused the red-head to wonder if there were any psychological underpinnings for one having difficulty with sizes and proportions but she had yet to look into it.

Frowning, Gwen looked around the park for her next subject. Her instructor had suggested drawing from life in order to train her eye better. She had been doing a series of small, quick sketches in order to get the gist of proportioning and people but Gwen wanted to do an actual drawing. Doing proportional exercises wouldn't be too difficult it people would bother to stay still. Everyone always had to be moving. Annoyed, Gwen kept looking around until she spotted a familiar face coming towards her. She knew they went to school together, Gwen vaguely recalled seeing her in the hall. What was her name again? She gave a nod of acknowledgment to the other girl. "Sit over there" Gwen pointed with her pencil "And don't move. I'd tell you to hold your breath but that may not end well for you." Gwen scooted around so she could face the blonde and waited for her to sit.

Talia hitched her bag higher on her shoulder as she meandered. It was a beautiful day, and beautiful days meant sundresses. Sundresses made her feel stupidly happy. Being out of the house and in the midst of sunshine made her feel invincible. It was a rare moment where she could forget about her family and just focus on her own life. Her friends had suggested a movie, but how could they bear to stay indoors on such a day like this? And spend money while doing it? Her thoughts flashed briefly to the crumpled bill in her pocket, the last of Talia's allowance until her uncle remembered her. Hopefully she could babysit one of these days, or even do some anonymous delivery work. It was unsavoury, but it helped her to get by at least.

Luckily, it didn't cost anything to enjoy nature and breathe in the park life, so Talia found herself walking into Hyde Park. She filled her lungs with the smell of fresh grass, shaking out her hair a little to give it similar treatment. No matter how much time she spent cleaning the house, it still smelled like cigarettes and alcohol and she detested the idea that someone would manage to recognise that stench on her.

Even though Talia wasn't particularly looking for any company, she found herself being called over by a shock of red hair and pale skin. She recognised the girl from school, who wouldn't? Talia was pretty sure the girl was infamous for being loud and something else, but she couldn't remember it. The day was too beautiful to be in a bad mood or alone, so she gave in, striding over and cocking her head inquisitively. Dutifully, she sat down where told to, feeling more confused by the minute. "Erm... hi?"

Oh thank God, the girl actually listened. Gwen watched her carefully as the skirt of the girl’s dress swayed as she walked closer. Gwen readjusted in her new position as the blonde sat down, staring at her for a few moments while her pencil moved lightly across the page. She didn’t even react to the other girl’s awkward greeting. If anything, Gwen was a bit annoyed. What part of “don’t move” wasn’t clear? Well, she hadn’t started on the girl’s face anyway so she let this little defiance slide. “Hi. We go to school together or something, right?” Gwen asked, her eyes darting between the page and the girl across from her. “At least, I’m pretty sure that’s where I’ve seen you. I don’t think I’ve hooked up with any blondes recently.” Gwen’s tone was completely flat, as if she were barely maintaining interest in her own words as they came out of her mouth. Her pencil continued floating across the page as the other girl’s form became more and more pronounced on the page.

“Sorry but I have absolutely no idea what your name is but I’m Gwen. I figure since I’m going to be staring at you and dissecting your every flaw for the next twenty minutes or so we might as well be on a first name basis.” She spoke rather absently as she was beginning to darken the shading on the skirt of the girl’s sundress. Gwen wasn’t the sort of girl to wear dresses like that but it seemed to fit the girl across from her rather perfectly – both literally and metaphorically. She began sketching in the details of the pattern on her dress. “So. What’s a pretty thing like you doing out on her own on a day like this? London’s not as safe as it used to be, love.” Her tone ended in a rather mocking way. Gwen’s flirting was rather absent right now; she was more fixated on the way this girl’s hips curved as she sat. Frowning, her eyes went from the girl’s hips to her paper and back again before Gwen erased the lines she had, starting over a bit. Her drawing instructor at Queen’s made Gwen draw in ink to break her of the habit but the woman had no clue that Gwen wasn’t easily broken of anything.

Gwen changed her grip on the pencil so her hand was over it instead of under, enabling her to curve the graphite just the way she needed. After a few more moments of lines, Gwen arched her eyebrow and looked from the real girl to the beginnings of her replication. Satisfied thus far, she nodded and continued, moving her pencil up to the girl’s waist and bust line. “Wow.” Gwen uttered, surprised. “You have a really nice figure.” before resuming her drawing.

Talia wasn't quite sure how to react. She had never been the subject of any kind of modelling before. Hopefully, there wasn't some etiquette about how she was supposed to act or behave. She arranged herself on the grass carefully, trying not to move too much but at least making it look like she didn't just flop onto the ground. Her eyes widened slightly at the direct yet monotonous words, blushing at the connotations. "Yeah... I think we do." She glanced away. "I don't think I've ever hooked up with someone quite like you, either," Talia offered quietly.

The girl, Gwen, was just so direct and straight forward. Talia wasn't exactly a subtle person, but even she was taken aback by how blunt and to the point Gwen was. It was refreshing and daunting all at the same time. "I'm Talia," she tried to follow the movement of the pencil with her eyes, but it was moving so fast and smoothly that she had to focus on something else in the distance instead. The park was a lush kaleidoscope of colours, and Talia smiled as she absorbed the view. there was just something about being in nature that appealed to her, especially in the bustle of the city. "I could asked the same about you," she chuckled. Gwen was so intent on her drawing, erasing and retracing lines, and still found enough time to try and flirt. Talia found it mildly endearing. "Besides, it's too nice of a day to stay home, don't you think?"

Talia blushed hard at the compliment. She had received compliments before and many a drunken leer, but none of them had ever looked at her with such an eye for detail. There was something about the way Gwen would glance up from her paper with an intense stare which made Talia feel like she was naked. It made her feel vulnerable. She supposed it was an artist thing but that didn't stop her from feeling more than a little self-conscious. "Th-thanks," she managed to squeak, fingers twisting a little in the hem of her dress.

Gwen knew she should put some effort into the conversation, if for no other reason, to keep her newly acquired model at ease. “Oh, I’m sorry you have to go there. I know I’m sorry I have to go there, I might as well apologize to everyone else who has to be there, too.” The other girl’s comment made Gwen snort. “Oh, now you’re just trying to flatter me, Blondie.” she replied in the same passive tone. “I’d tell you I’m unlike anyone else you’ve ever met but then I would be like everyone else you’ve ever met. That and it’s a shit pick up line.” Gwen stated plainly. “Don’t be nervous. Just stay still.” Her eyebrow spiked up as her eyes continued flitting back and forth from her sketchbook to the girl across from her. “Just relax, stay still, and be okay with the fact that I will know you better than anyone else by the time I’m done. No pressure.” Gwen added absently at the end.


“Talia.” Gwen repeated back, her pencil hovering above the paper. That name sounded very different from any of the other blonde bubblegum chewing twats she normally encountered. It also didn’t sound English-based. She continued staring blankly at her paper. It sounded distinctly… “Hebrew.” Gwen muttered to paper. She broke her gaze with her drawing. “Right? ‘Talia’ it’s Hebrew, right? It’s Hebrew for like – oh fuck, what does it mean?” Gwen’s gaze diverted to the grass, her blue eyes boring into it as if the blades would tell her the answer. “Something to do with water…” She continued wracking her brain before it finally clicked. “That’s it. ‘Dew from God’. Right?” Gwen had already lost interest in the question and resumed sketching. “There could be twenty feet of snow on the ground and it would still be too nice of a day to stay at my home.” She responded distantly as she refocused on Talia.

“Stop fiddling with your dress.” she ordered. True, she was already finished with drawing that part of Talia but the other girl didn’t need to know that. Gwen enjoyed making people feel on edge and even the girl who was currently sitting for her was no exception to that rule. Gwen found herself slowly grinning as Talia’s reaction. “Aww, I did I embarrass you?” she cooed teasingly. “Don’t worry. It’s only going to get worse from here.” Gwen teased a bit more, tucking a chunk of her kinky red hair behind her ear. Her eye was moving further up Talia’s body, now focusing on getting the dress to cling to her breasts just right. If the other girl didn’t feel awkward before, Gwen guessed she certainly would now. Not that the red-head was phased in the slightest; her model was pretty, after all.

Talia didn't particularly mind silence but she was glad for the conversation. She laughed a little, quickly tucking some stray hair behind a ear when Gwen wasn't looking. Modelling definitely wasn't her cup of tea, she just liked moving too much unless she was reading a book. Whenever she read, her friends would tell her that if it weren't for her page-turning, they might have thought her dead. "It isn't that bad. There are some interesting people around." Talia smiled, "Shit pick up lines make for good jokes."

She wasn't quite sure what to make of the idea of Gwen getting to know her. It was the first time anyone had confronted her about it in such a blunt way, even if it was an offhand comment. Talia bit her lip, eyes focusing on the ground before her as she contemplated her emotions. She missed half of what Gwen was saying, nodding absentmindedly. "I guess? I never looked up my own name..." How ironic. Her mother really had a twisted sense of humor. "I feel you," Talia agreed wholeheartedly with Gwen, "Home isn't always where the heart is. Or should be."

Though slightly miffed at being told off, Talia did as Gwen said, resting her hands on her lap instead. It had been a while since anyone had managed to embarrass her to this extent, and she turned her face away so Gwen couldn't see her blush quite so clearly. "Oh stop it," she replied halfheartedly, trying to ignore the way the red head's eyes felt like they were piercing through her. When she noticed exactly where Gwen was looking, Talia couldn't help the further reddening of her face. "I don't think anyone has ever gone such a roundabout way to stare at my breasts," she muttered.

Gwen made a face at her paper at Talia's response. Great. Blondie was a fucking ray of sunshine. Or she just didn't like sharing her opinions. Her father would have been overjoyed if his youngest child withheld her opinions even once a day. Gwen was straightforward, though. Always had been. "I don't know what you're smoking but you'll have to tell me who you get it from and how much you pay because if it's good enough to make you think that school isn't bad, it must be some good shit." Now was no exception. She chuckled. "Sure do. You know, I had one kid in my history class tell me that if I ever ran for Prime Minister, he'd vote for me even though he hates my politics? What the hell kind of a pick up line is that, right?"

She shrugged as she continued you drawing. "I look up other people's names because I'm annoyed with my own. My parents had a very cruel sense of humor. I couldn't be more Welsh if I tried." Gwen muttered. Talia's comments about home made her look up at the girl rather suddenly, a small wave of pity washing over her. She wasn't entirely sure but she thought for a moment the girl across from her had a more legitimate reason to hate her home life than Gwen did. "You, too, huh?" she asked. "Never mind, you don't have to answer that. I know I'd tell me to piss off." And she knew it, too. Gwen went back to her drawing. She had an entire outline of Talia on the paper now, she just needed to sketch in the details and add a touch or two of shading. She wouldn't completely shade it but just enough to get the point across.

Frowning, Gwen had to go back and readjust Talia's hand position in her drawing. It wasn't too far off but she wanted it to be just so. She started laughing at Talia's comment. "If there's one thing I am not blunt about, it's my seduction technique" Gwen stated sarcastically. She laughed even more when she saw how red Talia was at this point. She had an idea. Tilting her head, Gwen leaned forward a bit and asked in a playful tone "So if I were to say you looked awfully cute when you blush, would turn even more red?" She waited curiously, her eyes glinting with amusement.

"I don't smoke," Talia giggled at Gwen's expression. It was so reminiscent of the open honesty that was so evident in young children. Not to say that Gwen reminded her of a child or seemed childish, but it was quite refreshing for Talia to meet someone her age who wasn't quite affected by social propriety. She found that those who kept quiet about their opinions normally spent most of their time talking rather loudly behind other people's backs. This blunt, straight-forward manner just made Talia respect Gwen a tiny bit more. "That's... a rather failed attempt at some kind of intelligent political pick up line. Maybe he likes politicians?" Now it was her turn to make a face at the idea. Politicians weren't the most liked people in her books, and she couldn't imagine dating one. They just talked too much.

"Wait, how is Gwen incredibly Welsh?" She asked innocently, quite confused. Talia was rather taken aback by the sudden expression on Gwen's face, and the way the other girl was looking at her. She quickly focused on something else in the distance. Though Talia wasn't quite so egotistical to think that she was the only teenage girl who felt like she had problems at home, she did hope that Gwen's issues weren't as severe as her own. She liked Gwen's outright manner and hoped that it would remain so despite pressure to conform. "It's... it's just something I'd rather not discuss, if you don't mind," Talia replied quietly, her thoughts turning inward as her smile faltered.

"Seduction... technique? I've never quite heard it being put that way before." Talia could feel her face burning up. She was mortified, but she couldn't cover her face with her hands. That would kind of ruin the purpose of her sitting there for Gwen to draw, after all. When Gwen leaned forward, Talia bit her lip, resisting the urge to move away. She wouldn't give Gwen the satisfaction. At her words, however, she did exactly what she didn't want to. If the heat of her face was anything to go by, she was as red as a boiled lobster. "Don't say that!" Talia groaned, covering her face with both hands.

Gwen arched an eye brow at her. "We go to the same school and you don't smoke?" She stopped drawing altogether and looked at Talia in a very serious way. "How do you make it through the day there without being on something?" She shook her head. Gwen could make it through maybe two periods before needing to slip into the bathroom and take a few hits. She snorted at the blonde's justification for the pick up line. "He's shit out of luck cause I sure as hell don't." Gwen respected her father the man, not her father the politician; they were two very different people.

She chuckled. "Gwen is short for Gwenhwyfar. It's spelled the Welsh way: G-w-e-n-h-w-y-f-a-r. In the Welsh Triads, there were three different Gwenhwyfars married to one King Arthur. Sounding familiar? She's a Welsh myth." She blotted away a few mistakes on the page with her eraser, blowing the dust off. "In the common version, she's childless. In other stories, she takes up with Mordred -- you know, Arthur's son?" Gwen shrugged. "Twisted shit, right?" She looked up at Talia's response about home life. "Fair enough. My home life is shit hole, too." And without saying another word, Gwen went back to her drawing.

"Well yeah. I mean, saying 'Hey, let's fuck' may work on guys but with girls, it takes a little more...finesse if you want to be successful." She smiled wickedly, her thoughts flicking to Kirsty. Gwen laughed victoriously as Talia blushed a lovely shade of red. She growled as the girl covered her face, however. But Gwen couldn't help teasing her more. Setting her sketch pad down, she playfully tugged at Talia's hands. "Come on, I have to get the shade of your face just right for my drawing. I even have a red pencil on hand. You'll look so fetching!" Gwen continued to laugh through her teasing. This was too much fun.

Talia laughed. It was a light, tinkling laughter that even she hadn't heard in a long time. Gwen was just so adorable. Talia didn't know quite how to place the other girl's responses, but it was just so out of the ordinary that it interested her. As strange as that sounded. "I manage," she finally answered after she choked down another bout of laughter. Talia had a feeling the beautiful weather and lack of uncle also played a part in her good mood. She nodded, raising her fist into the air and declaring melodramatically, "Death to all politicians!" The concept of being politically correct just annoyed the hell out of Talia. There were opinions and ideals which differed in everyone, who's to say who was correct and who wasn't? She didn't think any human being had the right to make such a ridiculously subjective call.

She could almost feel her jaw drop at the story. How did you even pronounce that fully? The name just rolled off Gwen's tongue, but Talia was pretty sure she would mutilate it. "That's... wow. That's actually pretty cool in a weird way." She was more than impressed by Gwen's knowledge, and her eyes lit up a little at the thought that such fantastical stories held some truth at their core. As an avid reader, it tugged at her imagination and took her onto a tangent elsewhere. The mention of home brought her crashing back down and Talia shrugged, not willing to pursue that particular train of thought.

"Guys think with their dicks," Talia agreed softly, the wicked smile on Gwen's face drawing out her mischievious side, "Oh? And are you very good at it?" There was a sly challenge in her words that she didn't know existed in her. Unfortunately, the new found cheekiness didn't help the horrible blush on her skin. Talia let Gwen tug her hands away, nose wrinkling at the suggestion. "Hey! You are not using red to denote my embarrassment!" Her fingers curled into Gwen's palm so that the other girl couldn't follow through with her threat. She tried not to think of how awkward this was, or the fact that she hadn't held another person's hand in the longest time.

The sound of Talia laughing made the red-head smile. How were people this cheery all the time? Truth be told, it didn’t annoy Gwen with this girl the way it normally would have; it didn’t seem false. Gwen shook her head. “I promise to fix that for you soon. Trust me. School is much more tolerable when you’re blazed. Everyone seems lovely.” she paused for a moment. “Not that it stops me from being a miserable bitch to everyone but you get the idea. I’m less inclined to commit murder.” she shrugged. Everyone seeming lovely was a bit of a stretch for pot but Gwen knew it might take a try or two for Talia to get high. Still, it would prove an entertaining project for school; something interesting to do besides flirt with Kirsty. Gwen chuckled at Talia’s declaration. “We should pull out the guillotine and start immediately!” she added in the blonde’s revolutionary spirit.

Gwen chuckled at Talia’s comment. “It’s only cool when you’re not saddled with it. My middle name is even more entertaining.” Merilyn. Gwen often wished that had been her first name. Although then she might have to deal with the American actress/presidential mistress by the same name with a different spelling. Not that Gwen was anything like her: blonde, curvaceous, sexual siren, mentally unstable. No. Gwen was a ginger, rail thin thanks to her ballet education, flirtatious and – well, some would argue mentally unstable. Although Gwen did have to question her sexual prowess when she considered Queen’s Gate’s faculty.

No. No unpleasant thoughts today.

She raised her eyebrows as she nodded to Talia’s comment about guys. “True. For better or for worse, that is very true.” Gwen’s eyebrow spiked at the other girl’s change in tone, feeling a mischievous sensation rise in her. She also detected the challenge the blonde had laid down. Challenge accepted. “Seems to be working fine just now.” Gwen dared back. She chuckled as Talia held onto her hands, presumably to make sure Gwen did not follow through with her threat to make her cheeks red in the portrait as well. She smirked, not feeling the slightest bit awkward by the circumstance. Gwen tugged playfully. “Oh come on. I can’t be the only one to see how charming you look when you’re blushing such a lovely shade of red.” This was very entertaining for Gwen since she clearly had the upper hand in this scenario.

"I guess I'll just have to place myself in your capable, artistic and murderous hands then," Talia teased. After meeting Gwen, she was definitely much more inclined to give it a try. She wasn't rich enough to afford any 'pleasures' on a regular basis anyway, so there was no harm in having a little. Besides, Talia liked Gwen enough to say that she trusted her, even if only a little. Things such as faith and hope and trust never came easily to Talia, but when it did she embraced it wholeheartedly. At least, until the next time that frail belief was broken. Talia laughed when the other girl played along, "I don't think they even make guillotine replicas anymore, do they?"

Talia briefly wondered if her own first name held any significance. Names were filled with meaning and history but in the modern context what sort of role did it play? Her father used to say that his ancestors were warriors, given the rather unique last name that he had. They weren't Smiths or Cooks or anything ridiculously mundane like that. Reavere. Reaver. She had clung onto it with illusions of grandeur when she was little, but now it just filled her with disgust. Her fists clenched unconsciously at the thought of her father. Talia took a deep breath and forced a smile onto her face, loosening her white knuckles. "It's not that bad, Gwen. Really."

"Boys." She sighed, shaking her head sadly. The way Gwen looked at her next made Talia almost want to swallow back her words. But Talia Reavere didn't back down from a fight, be it physical or otherwise. "Oh? You're rather confident I see." She gave a mock gasp of horror at Gwen's next words, refusing to relinquish her hold on those long fingers. "No way. Who knows where your drawings will turn up!" Talia glanced down at Gwen's lap, wondering if she could outrun the other girl. Snatching up the red pencil and bolting seemed like a much better idea than just holding Gwen's hands until it grew too dark for her to see.