Seraphine D'aureville was not one to tolerate lateness. The majority of her business was by appointment for a reason: she found waiting around for people to spontaneously visit Galerie Mirage on the days when it was open to the public to be infuriatingly unpredictable. She liked keeping a tight schedule, and she liked to be prepared for who she would be meeting on any given day. Each and every client required their own special treatment: a specific outfit, a specific hair style, a specific pair of shoes, a certain degree of makeup, and of course, specific jewelry. A sale began the moment a customer noticed her visual appearance: a strong impression could go a very, very long way. 

For the man who would be visiting her on this particular day, it had gone all the way to her bedroom. 

But that had been a long time ago, and she didn't exactly savor those memories. Nevertheless, she had picked out Zev's favorite dress - or rather, the style he'd seemed to favor the most on her (or the most off her, to be precise) at the time they were...closer. She had pulled up her long dark hair into an immaculate ponytail that fell down to the small of her back, and she'd added to the look with a lighter touch of natural makeup save for a bold red lip. Zev had mentioned that he'd be bringing an associate along for the appointment - the person who needed her help, apparently - and Seraphine had decided to anticipate this unknown person by adorning her ears and neck with simple gold jewelry. She would soon learn more about this person and what they happened to prefer, but for the time being, she would settle for gold. Everyone noticed gold, no matter who they happened to be. Gold was timeliness.

Gold was the original symbol of wealth. 

"They will be here any moment, Rouge," She called over to her Smeargle, who was stacking a few newly framed paintings on the long table at the far end of the room, with the intention of readying them for hanging. She and her Pokémon were standing in the first floor public gallery space, a wide open room with sophisticated bright white walls and soft modern lighting, featuring all of Seraphine's most recent for-sale artworks (as well a select few by Rouge himself). Comfortable and stylish couches and chairs lined the walls, in either black or white fabric. She had worked hard to create the perfect space for showing off her talents, but once Zev and his companion arrived, they would move into her private studio on the second floor. That was where she conducted her other business, after all. 

She heard the sound of the front door sliding open, and Rouge scurried over to her side. It had been some time since she had last seen Zev; the two were not involved anymore, far from it, but he was always nice to look at and quite fun to tease. 

The other one better be interesting, she thought. Zev ought to know better than to bring me a boring job.

THE ART OF FAKING IT [M][break]Zev Harcourt + Isaac Merlo

For all of Isaac's quips, he knew when and how to be serious. Zev only hoped the kid's personality and earnestness would appease Seraphine's fickle nature. The woman was, in many ways, unpredictable. But if Isaac failed to endear himself to her and get the forgery he needed, it would be no skin off Zev's back.

Maybe.

Zev was familiar enough with the interior of Galerie Mirage that he was not wowed as Isaac was. The paintings were all different, of course, but Zev barely gave them a passing glance as he led his younger associate to the space where Seraphine waited.

She was gorgeous, of course. The past two years had not changed her much. In fact, she looked even more confident in her beauty and how to wield it against others, if that was even possible. Despite this, Zev did not smile at her when their eyes met. Whatever interest he had in Seraphine had long since died, and he had no reason to look at her with anything but the cold indifference that came naturally to him.

"Sera," he said to her in greeting. Then he tilted his head toward his blonde companion. "This is Isaac. He has a job for you."

Seraphine D’aureville & Isaac Merlo

NOTES
+ Mission: A Diamond in the Rough

My, this was unexpected, she thought, as Zev introduced his companion. Practically attached to Zev's hip was a young man - a boy, really - with a shock of blond hair and the quick, eager energy of inexperienced youth. She had half-expected him to say something rather demanding, given the way he seemed to confidently carry himself, but this Isaac had instead taken her hand right away in a polite gesture, bowing over it and speaking to her with a practiced formality, which instantly pleased her. 

"Has he now?" Seraphine purred in response to Isaac's words, flashing the young man a mischievous grin. "I would ask what he's been saying about me, if I happened to care in the slightest." She turned a cool gaze on Zev, then. "Which, naturally, I don't." She pulled her hand away rather abruptly, and turned to Rouge. "Fetch our guests some refreshments, would you, dear?" The Smeargle nodded and hurried off to the wet bar not far from the main entryway.

"I do not discuss matters of forgery in the gallery," she explained in a business-like manner to the two men, though she knew Zev was familiar with how her secret business operated. "We will retire to my private studio to go over the details of what it is you are requesting of me, Isaac. I do not work for free, as Zev knows quite well, so do keep that in mind." With that, she turned sharply on her heel and walked purposefully across the marble flooring of the gallery, the clicking of her heels echoing as she made her way to the spiral staircase leading up to the second floor, expecting the two men to follow.

THE ART OF FAKING IT [M][break]Zev Harcourt + Isaac Merlo

Zev was more than happy to let Isaac do all the talking with Seraphine. The hitman followed them up the stairs at a distance, allowing the artist's focus to fall upon Isaac. He was also absolutely not drinking anything the Smeargle would be offering except water. After all, he'd warned Isaac to keep his wits about him, and Zev would be a fool to forgo his own advice.

As they ascended the spiral staircase to Seraphine's apartment, Zev noticed that the paintings they were passing were more familiar to him. Some were new, but others brought back old, half-buried memories.

The whole trip upstairs was a bit surreal, in fact. Zev found his gaze drawn to the hallway that led to Seraphine's bedroom as they walked by it, though he did not pause in his stride. He felt nothing seeing it. He never had, and that's what she disliked about him most of all.

Zev retreated to a very familiar couch as soon as they entered Seraphine's main living area. Easels, paints, and canvases littered the space, but it was the organized chaos of an artist.

He wondered, briefly, if he should light a cigarette just to piss her off. The windows were open, so technically there'd be air flow.

Seraphine D’aureville & Isaac Merlo

NOTES
+ Mission: A Diamond in the Rough

Seraphine ignored Zev as he sunk into her studio couch, his expression utterly devoid of interest, turning her full attention to Isaac. It did not escape her notice how the blond young man seemed to steal glances at Zev, as a pup might look to its alpha wolf for approval. Does the boy know how much danger he's in? She wondered, not so much out of any concern for his well-being (she didn't waste time on worrying about strangers), but because she was genuinely curious. Anyone who grew close to Zev would eventually learn what he really was: a hateful monster. The budding master and apprentice vibes she felt between the two men meant that Isaac either did not know of Zev's true nature or did not care.

There was also a third possibility, one that left a sour taste in her mouth.

The third possibility was that Isaac was already like Zev too.

"Very well, Isaac," Seraphine began, giving away none of her inner thoughts as she took a seat on one of the cushioned stools accompanying her primary work table and folded her hands in front of her on the smooth wooden surface. "What is it that you would like me to replicate for you? A signature? A document? An identification card, perhaps?" Her smile was viper-like in its acidity as her orange-gold gazed locked onto Isaac. Will this be the usual sort of fare, or something else - something more challenging? she silently questioned him.

THE ART OF FAKING IT [M][break]Zev Harcourt + Isaac Merlo

At that moment, Seraphine's Smeargle entered the room with a tray of assorted drinks and snacks. He stopped at the couch first to offer them to Zev. The hitman selected one of two small bottles of water from the tray and a sealed bag of mini pretzels. There's absolutely no way Seraphine or her Pokémon could have poisoned them just for him and then resealed them.

Not that poisoning her exes was necessarily Seraphine's modus operandi, but when it came to his specific relationship with the woman, Zev could never be too careful.

The Smeargle walked over to Isaac next, leaving Zev to munch on his snack and listen to the conversation happening a few feet away from him. He had a passing curiosity about what Isaac's plan (or plans) really were, as they hadn't discussed it prior to their trip to Galerie Mirage. The job was Isaac's, after all. Zev was just there to make the introduction and be wallpaper while the younger man worked.

Seraphine D’aureville & Isaac Merlo

NOTES
+ Mission: A Diamond in the Rough

"Counterfeit gems?" Seraphine tapped her jaw with one of her long, pointed fingernails thoughtfully, weighing Isaac's request. It had been some years since she had sculpted anything, preferring her oils and acrylics to the 3D arts, but the fundamentals were still familiar to her. A fake diamond was nothing a little well-molded resin couldn't solve. More importantly, she would be able to replicate the documents proving the authenticity of the gems - those were the forgeries that would matter the most, as they would likely prevent a jeweler from scrutinizing the gems too closely, giving her more leeway with them.

"I can do this for you," She told Isaac, tone decisive and laced with an undercurrent of arrogance. She idly took a glass of champagne from Rouge's proffered tray of goodies and sipped it as she stole a glance at Zev. A mild curiosity graced his handsome features, but it wasn't directed at her - instead, he seemed fixated on Isaac and what the young man was planning to do. His little protégé indeed.

"But the cost will depend on how many fake gems you need, and how soon you need them. What is the timeframe for this particular operation? I will need to gather supplies. Sculpting is not my primary craft these days, as I'm sure you can tell." She waved a hand at the studio and its myriad of paints, brushes, and canvases.

THE ART OF FAKING IT [M][break]Zev Harcourt + Isaac Merlo

As Isaac and Seraphine talked, Zev paid close attention, listening with one ear turned toward them as his gaze wandered idly across the woman's newer paintings. Some sat drying on their easels while others existed in an unfinished state. They were mostly landscapes, as he expected. It seemed Seraphine still had not tired of painting them, though he failed to understand why.

Isaac's plan was less solidly conceived than Zev had expected, but what did he know? He was not a master thief. Such an elaborate heist that required switching real diamonds for fake ones and a forged proof of authenticity was beyond him. If Isaac could pull it off, then he would certainly deserve whatever praise his bosses deigned to give him.

As for whether Seraphine could produce diamonds deceptive enough to fool professional jewelers, Zev did not doubt her skill. He'd brought Isaac to her for a reason. Despite his history with her and their thorny interactions in the present, Zev knew better than to deny her good work whenever it crossed his path. He did not expect any acknowledgment from her for it, but when had he ever?

Zev took out his phone, intending to check his email and any new text messages to pass the time.

Seraphine D’aureville & Isaac Merlo

NOTES
+ Mission: A Diamond in the Rough

Seraphine waved her hand dismissively when Isaac began to ramble on about one of his Pokémon's abilities, intending to help her acquire resin. Such a foolish, overcomplicated suggestion. She'd agreed to do the job, hadn't she? He needs to learn to recognize when he's said enough, she noted with slight irritation. That was one thing, thankfully, that Zev was good at: knowing when to keep his mouth shut.

Overall, though, Isaac had impressed her, and he was still young. Perhaps in time he would become the master thief he clearly wanted so desperately to already be. "Nonsense," She quipped. "I can buy all of the materials I need at Slateport Art Supplies. I will simply mix in much of what I regularly purchase, such as my favorite oil paints, so as to better cover our tracks."

She walked over to a collection of smaller paintings leaning against a far wall, each depicting a different view of the Slateport beach. Rouge hurried around to her side, anticipating she might ask him to move one of the canvases for her. Hands on curved hips now, Seraphine contemplated them for a moment, and then turned back to look over her shoulder at Isaac. "One week will suffice. I can create 10 small diamonds and 5 medium ones. I do not think large gems are the way to go here - you're trying to be subtle, after all." She smiled at him, and it was neither a kind nor unkind expression, toeing the line between mockery and diplomacy. "Payment will involve time and materials - which is standard, and I will write up a receipt once my shopping trip is complete - as well as one other, special request."

Now she did turn her gaze on Zev, and though she had not, in fact, poisoned any of the food or drink she had offered him, her smile had grown sharp enough to wound. "My other condition is that Zev hang one of my recent paintings in Howling at the Moon. An artist is always in the business of self promotion, after all."

THE ART OF FAKING IT [M][break]Zev Harcourt + Isaac Merlo