infringe: (Loop)
Alecto Crabtree ([personal profile] infringe) wrote in [community profile] fuguestates2022-09-22 05:36 pm

Portrait of a Man on Fire (Painter/Subject)


A STUDY IN RED
( alecto, josh )

A young painter is commissioned to make a portrait of the peculiar young master of the House of Crabtree, who is known to be a very difficult subject not only to capture but to work with.
singinthestorm: (JA summer sunshine)

[personal profile] singinthestorm 2022-09-25 02:57 pm (UTC)(link)
He watches, more than a little unbecomingly slack-jawed, as the man - his host, a subject, the person he was ostensibly here to paint - strips off in front of him without a care or thought for propriety, as unselfconscious and single-minded as a child, clearly having no thought for anything beyond his immediate goal and desire of swimming in the ocean. It's a complete shock, and Joshua averts his gaze, turning his head away as though that could save him from the knowledge of what he was witnessing.

But his quick eye, trained and honed through long and constant practice, if perhaps not quite expert yet, continues to supply his mind with all the details, even if he'd only caught glimpses consciously - a sense of color, of a constant adjustment of shape and form, the individual pieces that would layer together until they formed a distinct and harmonious whole, an artist's vision capturing the spirit of the individual.

There's a feeling, he thinks, for that sort of striving, for the sense of reaching, of thwarted attainment, of wanting to immerse yourself in a particular work until you'd managed to capture some small facet of a glorious whole.

It feels a lot like greed, or hunger.

Almost before he realizes what he's doing, he starts to shrug off his overcoat.
singinthestorm: (JA looking at you)

[personal profile] singinthestorm 2022-09-27 04:20 pm (UTC)(link)
The brisk temperature and the steady tumult of the waves provide their usual calming influence, the clean, uncomplicated physical exertion imposing clarity. Glimpses pass before his eyes - long lean lines, graceful curves of movement, even the shadows at each joint and fold of skin, dusky hair both hidden and emphasized by the water - and he can feel his fingers twitch, longing for a graphite stick or a piece of charcoal, a clean sheet of paper, his thoughts teetering precariously, desperate for physical form, seeking a concrete outlet for the overspill of his mind's eye.

He barely realizes he's following, his movements mechanical and thoughtless - the dragging on of sandy clothes over salt-damp skin, a sense of inevitability to his steps back up the path towards the house. He's already sketching, making, creating, a thousand small invisible motions combined into an unknown whole, little glimpses all providing depth to what he is laying out on an invisible canvas.

The drawing room itself is not so much a surprise as an underlying facet to Joshua's understanding of his subject. Too early yet, to know what this structure would provide to his output, if he would be able to capture some sense of the true weight and substance of what he had been engaged to capture, but he wanted...

Joshua Archer stands, still a little damp and chill, his clothes clinging to him, and tries to find words, when his fingers are the part of him that are clamoring for an appropriate outlet.

"I... Is this how you want to be painted?" He gestures, awkwardly, to the room, the open doors, the curtains half drawn to let in what there was of the mid-morning light, revealing the dust motes and benign neglect of eclectic scattered belongings.
singinthestorm: (JA Huh how 'bout that)

[personal profile] singinthestorm 2022-09-28 05:46 pm (UTC)(link)
He can't help feeling small, confused, off-center, watching the way Alecto is observing him, careless and casual, with the utterly self-composed manner that Joshua was familiar with from the very wealthy and established.

Old money often came with high expectations."

"I..." He takes a deep breath, and obediently sits in the small chair, as directed, his fingers interlaced to keep them still, his shoulders tensed. "I have a confession to make, actually." He blurts out, and then continues immediately, "I've never done a full portrait commission before. I know how but I... the person who arranged things - she sat for me, just a sketch one afternoon in the park. I don't... I don't know why she thought I could do this, why she went to all this trouble."

Saying the words is freeing, the coil of tension unwinding in his entire body, and he says, a little softer. "I want to, though. I... there's something about you that I really want to...capture. To reproduce. But I understand if this...arrangement doesn't work for you. I assumed you already knew."
singinthestorm: (JA Oh I see)

[personal profile] singinthestorm 2022-09-29 03:26 am (UTC)(link)
He can't help eagerly lapping up these little hints, these crumbs, the hints of underlying substance and personality. The sudden, unexpected curve of a smile that briefly passes over Alecto's face has the effect of a rainstorm on a desert landscape, and Joshua's heart can't help but skip a beat, almost not hearing his actual words at all

All too soon, the smile fades away entirely, and the expression that Joshua had suspected was both mask and habit returns. He's sure he's said something wrong. But in the end, he's mostly distracted, trying to think through the task that had been set before him, that - against all odds or logic - was not being taken away from him after all, despite being utterly unqualified.

"It's really not flattery. Simply put, I don't have any confidence in my ability to do you justice right now," he admits, apologetic but straightforward. "If...if it's alright with you, perhaps we could start with a few more detailed studies first? Pencil and charcoal and ink. I'm...not sure how long you're used to these things taking, but I'll have a better idea of what I can take on once I've gotten more familiarity and time to plan."
singinthestorm: (JA summer sunshine)

[personal profile] singinthestorm 2022-09-29 06:06 pm (UTC)(link)
He blinks caught off guard, watching the flickering of expressions over Alecto's face. He didn't know enough (yet) to interpret, but he was used to registering those minute movements, considering how they would contribute to the overall whole. He's not accustomed to the leisure of time - his stock in trade was quick sketches, the equivalent of a simple trinket picked up off the side of the road, hurriedly completed before the customer could become bored with the process - and it's a significant adjustment for him to have this kind of security at his disposal.

"I...would be honored," he says, a little breathless, but mostly awkward, not used to this close regard, this sense of being utterly and entirely out of his depth. His brain immediately goes to his own sketchbook, the messy drafts and doodles contained within, his few small works as evidence of skill. "I'll...take my leave then?" He continues, tentatively, half unsure whether he should bow or turn away, or even allow his host and subject to precede him.
singinthestorm: (JA looking at you)

[personal profile] singinthestorm 2022-09-30 03:03 am (UTC)(link)
He halts when the conversation does, taken aback, still a little uncomfortable under Alecto's regard. He's dressed neatly and had clearly taken some care with it, but each article is well-worn, carefully mended, painstakingly maintained. Whatever skill he had in art has clearly not borne out in any kind of commercial or financial success. He has his folio clasped in front of him, standing at an awkward attention as he tries to figure out where he is meant to sit.

"Good evening," he greets, with a slight dip of his head, before finally spotting the other place laid out at the table, opposite his host. Despite his obvious nerves, his movements are gracefully economical, and he settles down in his chair easily, looking down at the modest spread in front of them with curiosity, delight, and not a little relief, as though he'd worried about being presented with something unfamiliar.
singinthestorm: (JA chuckles)

[personal profile] singinthestorm 2022-10-01 03:59 am (UTC)(link)
Alecto's words don't have quite the effect that he was likely intending, backed as they were by his deliberately distant tone. But Joshua had no choice, in any case - whatever Alecto's expectations, he had no experience with such things, had no experience with guesting at a rich patron's home, whether or not formal etiquette was expected - and his tentative commentary on the food - which, though simple, was all delicious - the house, his lodgings, and the island itself, eventually wend their way into something a little more like an actual conversation. At first he can't help but dart glances between Alecto and the folio he'd placed next to him, holding a few samples of his work that he was at least a little bit proud of, but the food and surroundings and the easy, unaffected manner that peeks out in between Alecto's chilly tone - particularly in brief addresses to his servants - work a little magic on him, and he starts to relax, little by little.

The laughter is a delightful surprise, and Josh barely stops himself from staring, his heart beating a little fast. Alecto's entire face was transformed with unexpected warmth by it, and something in Joshua aches, wanting to hear it again, elicit that response again, though he's not entirely sure what it was he had said that had amused him so much.

As the dishes are cleared away, he shifts a little in his chair, and reaches for his folio again. "Did you...still want to look at my previous work, Alecto?" He asks, tentative again, shyness creeping back in at the return of a transaction to their temporary relationship. "It's nothing impressive, but I did bring a few things..."
singinthestorm: (JA summer sunshine)

[personal profile] singinthestorm 2022-10-03 07:42 pm (UTC)(link)
Showing his work to someone else always felt deeply personal and intense and this was no different, no easier. If anything, it somehow felt even more challenging. There was something in the way Alecto was examining his work closely, his dark eyes sweeping each page with an unexpected and yet unsurprising sense of expertise, examining details and technique with an experienced eye, that gave Joshua the impression that he was deeply acquainted with artistic techniques. He forces himself to look to the side, to the table, to the rest of the room - anything to avoid the magnetic draw of his host's very expressive and mobile face reacting to Joshua's handiwork; he's not sure what he would do, if he saw disappointment there.

So the question catches him entirely off-guard, thrown by the sudden return to formality, after being invited to use a first name.

"I... I don't know that I decided, exactly," he replies, sounding more than a little bit baffled. "I just. I can't imagine not making things. Even when I was younger, I was always being scolded for letting my mind wander." And now, away from home and independent, forced to support himself, he was far more likely to skip a meal or five than to fail to replenish his meager supply, seeking out cast-offs and discards and eking a few more images' life out of those remains. He had never dreamed of supporting himself on his art - a few coins here and there to supplement the odd jobs he was able to pick up, the satisfying stretch of creating something to order and sharing it with the subject and seeing their reactions - but he still devoted himself to it, in every moment he had to spare.

"Even now I'm..." he bites his lip, looks down at the table's surface. "I don't know if I can call myself a painter. This is the first real commission I've ever been approached with. But nothing else seems to fit."
singinthestorm: (JA Oh I see)

[personal profile] singinthestorm 2022-10-03 09:38 pm (UTC)(link)
His brow furrows slightly, hearing something else in Alecto's tone, teasing at the edges of his brain, an artist's eye for detail conflicting with his limited social consciousness, but he nods in agreement. What else could he do?

"Wear - " He takes a breath, a little surprised at his daring. "Wear something you're comfortable in, if you could. I... I won't be able to start painting right away. There's no reason to dress up, just yet."

He gathers up the pages, tucks them back into the worn folio and tucks it against his chest. "I'll take my leave then, Alecto," he says his voice a little breathy, ducking his head in an awkward but sincere bow, and backs out of the dining room. His sleep is fitful but deep, his dreams a cacophony of color, dawn-tinted waves breaking on rocky shores, and he wakes early to a tray of breakfast outside his door - an unimaginable luxury - even before he'd intended to leave for the walk that he hoped would become part of his daily routine. So he is content and as composed as he ever was when he retraces his steps back to the drawing room again, clutching a blank sketchbook and a few other supplies to his chest, his fingers already itching to get started.
singinthestorm: (JA white)

[personal profile] singinthestorm 2022-10-04 04:29 am (UTC)(link)
Well. He had said something comfortable...

"Thank you," he says, looking over all the supplies, but not picking any of them up just yet. Instead he takes a few steps back and forth along the edges of the room, careful not to disturb anything placed there, and observes the lighting, the way the furniture is arranged, before he selects a chair and pulls it closer to where Alecto is already sprawled over the arm chair, with only his sketchbook and a few pieces of charcoal.

"I really appreciate your generosity. I'll make sure to familiarize myself with all the materials on my own time," he says, by way of reassurance, flipping the book open to the first page. "I don't want to take up too much of your day while we're still in planning stages." He knew how to use all of these things, of course - but his career had always been defined by scarcity and improvisation. It would take at least a few practice sessions to be sure of his colors and techniques again, at least if he was intended to produce something worthy of his subject.

He doesn't give Alecto any direction, simply bends his head over his sketchbook and starts - filling in undefined splotches of gray and black on white paper, slowly picking out contour and shadow and curve, the hint of arrested movement. There's a moment, the trick of the light falling on the page, before the seemingly random sweeps of charcoal on the page resolve into Alecto's crossed calves, cut off at the ankle and the knee, capturing the lean curve of muscle beneath his tight-fit trousers, the slightest wrinkle of the cloth lending additional texture.

Without a word, Joshua flips to a new page, and begins again.
singinthestorm: (JA Oh I see)

[personal profile] singinthestorm 2022-10-05 02:35 am (UTC)(link)
By now he'd filled three whole books, cover to cover, with studies, sketches, and details of Alecto. It's an unimaginable luxury, being able to devote himself so absolutely to a single, all-consuming subject. He had learned how to infer a mood in the minutest shift of that now-familiar face, the deceptive insouciance of his arm draped along the back of the couch. Sometimes it seemed he could draw Alecto with his eyes closed, could discern the sound of his step, the musical ring of that hard-to-earn laughter, even the pace of his breathing, could feel the unique weight of his presence even in Joshua's dreams. There was seemingly no angle, no lighting, no cloud-filtered slant of sunlight that he wouldn't be able to recognize him in. He could mix - had mixed - the exact right shade of his lips, the pale flush of his cheeks, the delicate threads of lighter color woven through his dark hair - had lined up his paints and palettes and brushes in anticipation.

And yet, he hadn't yet managed to bring himself to properly put paint to brush to canvas, the painstakingly mixed pigments drying in splotches, the brushes finer than he'd ever used before, but already becoming worn with the grooves of his fingers against the wood, alone in the guest room, recalling the motions and methods of his art, over and over every single night.

He brings a single sheet of paper today, his charcoal, his pencils, and his paints, newly mixed hues dolloped over the layered remains of the old. Alecto is there already, of course, arranged as he always was, and Joshua starts with a detail of that graceful hand, palm up, his fingers automatically selecting the colors he needs. It's not until he's finished that he registers the thinnest slice of crimson across the fleshy part of the palm, the muscles tensed against unexpected discomfort, despite the languid position Alecto has assumed.

"What happened to your hand?" he asks, coming out of his trance almost with a gasp of reaction, setting his tools doen messily and smudging the edges of the outline.
singinthestorm: (JA looking up)

[personal profile] singinthestorm 2022-10-05 01:27 pm (UTC)(link)
Almost before he quite realizes what he's doing, he sets his things down and reaches out for Alecto's hand, peripherally conscious of the black smudges of charcoal and pencil, his fingers absolutely reverent and gentle as he cups Alecto's hand in his two, peering at the cut. "You..." he strokes his thumbs very carefully over the unbroken skin, not getting anywhere close to the cut, but feeling the tension in the muscles that he'd registered only subconsciously, reflected in his art.

It didn't look that painful, but - "Are you sure? You're...so tense..."

He can't meet Alecto's eyes with his face turned away like that, but he peers at him anyway, searching, noting the way his lip trembles, the sharp intake of breath.

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