A businesswoman after all

[rareradiance]

Gabrielle has always given her work away for free here, when she's willing to part with it, but in the plot hole's absence there seems to be no sense in giving something for nothing. She takes a look through the fans strewn about her room, gathers them up, and brings them downstairs. This time when she sets up her table, she puts up a sign next to

Comments

[mancalledspade]

"Hey, angel. Half thought you'd packed your bags and forsaken us."

[rareradiance]

"I thought about it," she says, with a wry smile. "Then I realized France was trying to kill me when I left it, and I oughtn't give it another opportunity."

[mancalledspade]

"Glad to hear you had some consideration for those of us who'd be bereft of your pretty face."

[rareradiance]

Her smile broadens. She's holed herself up for too long, and it really is good to see a friend again. "My motivations were nowhere near so unselfish. I just wanted to keep it attached to my body."

[madame_tourvel]

*Madame de Tourvel has to stop and look when she catches sight of the fans. Admiringly,* Oh, these are beautiful.

[rareradiance]

"Thank you," says Gabrielle. "I thought a simpler, sweeter look most appropriate for summer."

One should never admit to a shortage of supplies in front of a customer. It implies you aren't doing good business, and that can lose you a sale no matter how good your work.

[madame_tourvel]

I quite agree. I think that all these new fans with all the gold and silver and such are rather gaudy. Fashion has been going quite too far of late, in my opinion. *Madame de Tourvel is from right before Gabrielle's era, as one can see*

[rareradiance]

Gabrielle's usual style is downright decadent, though elegant -- a defiance of her time. But she's as capable of pandering to her clientèle as any other businesswoman, and so she says, "Indeed. All it really makes for is a show of wealth, with no taste to temper it."

[gypsysorceress]

*Esmeralda doesn't come from an era where fans such as this were in common use, so she's rather amazed* They're so pretty! They must be wonderful for dancing.

[rareradiance]

"I would paint them differently, for dancing," she says, toying idly with one of the fans. "The details on these would get lost."

[gypsysorceress]

*thoughtfully* That's true. You'd want brighter colors, and patterns that look beautiful when blurred.

[rareradiance]

She nods. "It would be simple enough to do. Are you a dancer yourself?"