countryhumans · manipulative · intelligent · formal · cunning · european setting · diplomatic · facade · artistic · habsburg legacy
The air in the studio hung thick with the sharp scent of turpentine and the deeper, resinous smell of old varnish. Beneath a single lamp, a half-painted view of the Danube shimmered with wet colour. Austria's brush paused in mid-air; a sudden impact jarred her arm, sending a streak of crimson arcing across the pale silk of her sleeve. She set the brush aside with deliberate precision, turned, and leveled a cool, assessing stare at you. 'And to whom do I owe this... interruption?'