A Little Bit More

[Penelope Blaise]

When a set of dark eyes connected with her own, her expression shifted. It might have only taken a half second, but she immediately found herself back to a more stoic expression. One that hadn't contained her prior curiosity. Even so, the artist still gave a genuine response - one that was worth holding onto.

Penny nodded, her head shifting to look at the mirror instead. It wasn't that she was afraid of direct eye contact, but rather, refused to offer it for long periods of time to this woman.

"At this rate, you'll run out of space to place them." She pointed out flatly instead.

[Lucy Serrano]

Once she made eye contact, Lucy had to note how difficult it was to maintain. It was very much like the actress was refusing the most basic, humane interaction. Though she knew she didn't deserve such a scorned answer, she paid it no mind as she looked to her arm instead.

Pressed against the curve of her arm, Lucy held the stencil in place with both hands. A simple, efficient connection before she looked up again.

"I'm not worried. It's been a while since I've gotten anything." She admitted easily. The thought hadn't ever really crossed her mind. Not negatively, anyway. In this new context, it wasn't an easy thing to make sound good.

"Why're you asking, anyway?" She asked then. After all, it was only yesterday that they met, and only yesterday that she seemed so disinterested in Lucy being any kind of person.

[Penelope Blaise]

Were she given the opportunity, the actress would have asked a dozen questions. She still thought she might, even after being questioned. Through the reflection of the mirror, she watched the way this woman moved and placed the lion against her arm - she could feel the connection over the stencil that was between true skin to skin contact.

"I am portraying a character with tattoos, though I've never received one myself." Penny explained finally. For a moment, she hadn't thought to bother answering, but the Australian had been easy going enough thus far. While Penny might not have wanted to offer insight - and really, she wasn't offering full insight - the artist deserved something. "I've done my research, but it is different hearing it from a person that has experienced the drive themselves."

Finally, she did turn her head to look back over at her directly. "It's worth learning."

[Lucy Serrano]

Lucy listened to the response given; how perfect and poised it was. It was almost like it was scripted itself, like she knew the question would find her and had to recount her response before it was asked. It was perfect. She certainly put in the effort to be so.

"Shoulda known you weren't trying to learn more about me." Lucy replied honestly, and she laughed to herself for the fact. Perhaps it was a foolish notion to put any weight in in the first place; she doubted it from the second she considered it.

But she rolled her shoulders in a shrug, leaning in a fraction to maintain that perfect pressure, even if her eyes were on her own hands; "Any way I can help, I guess." She added. It all accounted to a decent paycheck in the end, anyway.

[Penelope Blaise]

Although Penny had purposefully made herself look as if she were disinterested in learning about the artist personally, her eyebrows quirked up when Lucy had made and verbalized the connection. That response irked her, and she pursed her lips as her eyes dropped down the length of her neck to the shoulders that shrugged it off as if it were nothing.

The sigh she gave a moment later didn't hide her annoyance. The actress even rolled her eyes. "Be aware that I could have asked anyone these questions." Penny pointed out factually. She stayed still, but her attention was completely focused on the woman working on her skin.

"Do not misjudge my intentions, Miss Serrano."

[Lucy Serrano]

Lucy had little way to know how those words were supposed to be taken. She listened to the pointed response given to her, and had no choice but to take it how she initially saw it. Surely this wasn't themost opportune time for someone so driven to pay compliments without a backhanded stretch?

She grinned to herself, although bitterly given the discussion at hand. She almost laughed aloud, but kept the sound to the base of her throat instead.

Hands were slow to draw back the emptied paper, leaving the usual mark behind.

"Yeah yeah, I get it," She replied, far too knowingly for her own good, "I'm expendible."

[Penelope Blaise]

Penny caught sight of that grin and she was almost relieved to see it. Though it hadn't shined as well as the day before. Perhaps the artist had gained control over her ego. It was needed, after all.

But what she said but had the Brit reacting. She exhaled through her nose heavily, leaning back when her arm was freed.

"No, bit you're certainly an idiot." She replied flatly.

[Lucy Serrano]

He response given actually made Lucy laugh. It was genuine enough that she couldn't help herself; something about the short series of words seemed to sum up the actress perfectly in her mind. Lucy barely let her fingertips graze the newfound ink connected to her skin, taking time to check the application was precise enough.

"That too, yeah." She replied, shrugging her shoulders again. "It's almost weird how direct you'll be when you're ragging on someone." Easing back in her chair, she made no move to reach for what she needed next. Instead, she fully turned her attention to the Brit; "So if it wasn't good for you, you could just say so."

[Penelope Blaise]

Penny briefly allowed her focus to be consumed by the lion, how perfect it looked on her skin, like it was truly meant to be permanent. It was a creature she hadn't expected, but it suited herself just as well as the character she portrayed for this part. Two in the same, despite other obvious differences.

When she looked up again, she was being stared at rather than worked on. Her eyebrows quirked upwards, head tilting just a fraction to the side. The corner of her lip suggested she wanted to laugh, or at the very least crack a smile, yet it remained firm.

"I wouldn't lie and say it wasn't." Penny went on, leaning in a fraction. "There's a reason I brought you back here."

[Lucy Serrano]

Lucy watched the changing expression of the person who finally looked back at her. Was that the threat of humour? Could she actually laugh on a genuine level? That would have been something.

Surely it was supposed to be obvious. Even she could see there was a clever sense of reason there, like talking without being willing to jump through that final barrier. That seemed to be the way with the actress, and while it would have been courteous to maintain it, she wasn't quite willing to falter so easily.

"So what the reason?" She asked then, staying settled in her seat. At least, she'd settle until she got a decent answer. If it were more than the obvious line of work chosen, now was the time to point it out.

[Penelope Blaise]

Penny felt her own explanation was obvious. It couldn't get any more obvious. Yet the Australian waited for a more straightforward answer, and for that the Brit found herself exhausted. Her lips pursed as she threatened to roll her eyes again, exhaling heavily in her annoyance.

She crossed her legs, back straightening as she stared at the artist. She even waited a few beats before answering, in case the woman could manage to make the connection herself, too.

Yet there was nothing, and so she had to say it. "Because it was good for me, too."

[Lucy Serrano]

The words given had Lucy raising her eyebrows. She watched the actress who sat so poised in her seat; she spoke with such ease that the Australian seemed so surprised by it. To her, things couldn't possibly add up, but it wasn't the right time to question it. Right?

"I never woulda guessed that." Lucy replied honestly. Now it felt like a proper discussion, perhaps the first they'd ever really have, if it could be maintained, "Cause like, no offense, but you're kinda mean. And usually that's the way you go when you're either mad at a person or just kinda hate them in general."

[Penelope Blaise]

Surprise wore on the artist's face as well as in her tone. Penny's own expression remained unchanged as ever. She was determined not to give anything away within her features, but perhaps that was part of the problem, as she pointed out. Of course, the actress knew she could have a harsh exterior, but to survive, one had to. More to the truth, Penny rarely liked anyone. Now that someone had caught her attention, she didn't know the appropriate way to handle it.

But by no means was she ready to admit so or even go as far as talking about it, regardless of what the Australian had wanted to explore by means of conversation. More could be said with actions, and so she chose to do so instead. She uncrossed her legs, pushing herself to the edge of her own seat to bring herself closer to the woman that leaned back.

And she stared, briefly, before curling a hand behind her neck and kissing her.

[Lucy Serrano]

Lucy honestly reeled back a fraction in her own tense nature. Last time this girl had been so close was tumultuous; she did end up with a fairly decent slap to her face and she didn't really want another one for her own attitude.

But nothing happened. At least, nothing of that nature. She held the air tightly in her lungs from the pressure held against her lips. It still didn't make sense, because nothing seemed to hold together with the last call of information given.

Worse, or perhaps better really, was the fact that she didn't deny the connection made. She gave into it, a hand reaching out to curl around the arm hung between them. At least if she tried to slap her again, Lucy could have some control over that.

[Penelope Blaise]

The artist had called her mean - like Penny was some sort of bully or something equivalent in the world they lived in. She knew so little of her intentions then. Or perhaps that it was Penny that didn't know how to properly behave with a new kind of company. Despite her status, she wasn't exactly a social being when she was on her own time. And although she was being paid for her time there, it was more of a cover than anything else. They were still on the Brit's free time.

At least she wasn't denied, because in part she had expected it after the information given to her. Yet the way this woman faltered against her lips had Penny's heart quickly racing again. How she had such an effect on the actress, Penny had no idea.

But she tightened her free hand as it curled up into her hair, precise pressure attempting to drag the artist closer to the edge of her chair.