thenormalsquint | find a way to get to you;

[The restaurant's atmosphere and design suited quiet, small gatherings where a pair could savour their meal and linger over a glass of wine without interruption. The lighting was low but not so dark that it suggested certain activities would be entirely kept out of view. Jihae liked the wrought iron swirls on the walls and the careful architecture that prevented sound from carrying across the room.

The hostess led them to their table, reserved under Jihae's first name as he apparently did not have more than one, and presented them with menus. No prices were listed.]

If you do not mind the subject of your past, would you tell me more regarding your education? Which style is your specialty?

[In Angela's experience, no price listings on menus meant it was a place that was too expensive and they probably charged for the water too. That's probably the case here, aside from the ambiance leaning towards that impression. Most times, she wouldn't care or worry, but here in Ariel, her marks run short and she's not going to assume Jihae is paying her way, especially when he'll have to pay for the classes.]

I have a degree in Fine Arts and I'm certified in Biomedical Illustration and most days I'm a forensic facial reconstructor. I doubt you'll have any interest in the latter, though. My usual mediums are oils, charcoal, and clay, but I don't hesitate to use anything else, including metalworking if the inspiration hits.

[She takes another peek at the menu and decides to play it safe. A glass of wine can't cost as much as the fish or steak, so that's what she orders. Pretending she's not hungry is easy enough.]

Is there any one style you're particularly interested in?

[Biomedical illustration? He had never heard of it. Her words were modern beyond his understanding except to say they had an impressive ring to them. A degree in Fine Arts, that was recognizable and worthy of respect. His expression was attentive and approving.]

That is a surprising variety. I had thought painting, as a beginner, would be less wasteful. Of both materials and your time, however that is an opinion you are welcome to change. If my understanding is correct, charcoal is difficult and its dramatic style is limiting. Clay, I...have no interest in it.

[Jihae wasn't fond of alcohol as a rule but he could put up with it in small amounts when a social instance called for it, so he asked for white wine before the hostess left the table.]

Ah, please order as you like. Your presence is at my request, after all.

[It wasn't a date but Jihae was soft on women and would go out of his way to be of use or benefit them. Being raised by a single mother left a trace of automatic deference in him.]

[All it means is that she's able to draw those anatomically correct diagrams a person sees in medical textbooks and animate them on a computer when needed. Nothing she truly thinks he's interested in.]

Actually, it's the opposite. If you can use a pencil, you can use charcoal. It's versatile and really the first thing they teach you how to use in art school because it helps you learn how to turn the same line into different lines, but if your main interest is in painting, then that's doable. You have your basic watercolors, oils, acrylics, and pastels to begin with. I wouldn't suggest moving onto other kinds of paints until you have some familiarity with one of those.

[There's a few more technical aspects to that medium she could explain, but she's not quite here to change his mind on his ultimate goal, just to show him the best way to get there.]

I'm good, thanks. [Now she's wondering if it's safe to assume he's a high level resident if he's willing to put out for her (and not in that way that Ariel encourages people to.)] Is there some subject you want to do with painting? Still life, landscapes, abstract...?

Edited 2014-09-21 19:04 (UTC)

[Art was nearly entirely outside of his experiences in life so it wasn't a surprise that he would get some things wrong. He wasn't entirely certain if he could use a pencil for anything other than writing. Maybe he ought to have attempted to draw something before moving forward with hiring a tutor...

The types of paints Angela listed were familiar in name, at least. Identifiable. Apparently there were other types, too. That art appeared from the outside as a seemingly endless world on its own, mysterious and beautiful, attracted him. But as a beginner it was also daunting.]

I...don't know.

[A thoughtful look settled over his features, his gaze moving off Angela. He often paused while speaking, inviting interruption, assuming anything that related to his own likes or dislikes ultimately didn't matter. It was a difficult mindset to break. He hadn't predicted that Angela would ask what he wanted.]

...There was a small art gallery in Busan which my Lady and I enjoyed. If I were able to create a memorable piece suitable for its halls of any style, I would be satisfied.

[Angela doesn't mind if she has to start completely from scratch with him. She didn't burst out knowing everything herself. All she needs is him to be willing to learn the basics before anything else.

At his uncertainty, Angela purses her lips. Definitely from scratch here. He might not like her next question, but if he's going to hire her as a teacher, she has to figure out what she's jumping into.]

Do you have any experience in art? From a practical standpoint, not appreciative.

None whatsoever. My education was limited to what could be useful, in my youth. In adulthood there were other concerns which took greater precedence than any pastime.

[The wine tasted sharp and full of flavours that were not part of his usual diet. Someone's expertise had gone into making it. Even if he were never able to produce something like it, equally capable of delighting the senses, he wanted to try. The passion he saw in others was absent but he would nonetheless be devoted to whatever method was asked of him.]

[One of her eye narrows as he explains something of a reserved background. What could be useful? Sounds like none of the arts and only the hard sciences and math. Things that are useful yes, but not entirely soul satisfying in her view. She gets off on getting messy, flinging paint every which way instead of punching in numbers day in and day out.

But this is about him and not her, so Angela untweaks her eye and nods slightly.]

It really sounds like we should start with normal pencil and paper. Give you a basis in lines and shapes before we move onto different mediums and styles. Maybe a little bit of reading of art history. That's probably not what you want to hear, but I feel it's really the best way to get you from point A to point B.

[One of these days Angela ought to drag him out to fling some of that paint around. Jihae wasn't adventurous without someone else giving him a nudge. Or a kick. But he tended to like it once led outside of his routine.]

History? Ah, yes, of course. I recall the heaviest textbooks on my Lady's desk were on that subject. Is there an artist you admire in particular? Our worlds do not share a common history, but perhaps their name will be one I have seen in passing.

[Does he know that's her side gig? Grabbing people by the arm and dragging into her shenanigans to have fun and realize that life is for living? She has so much practice in that with her best friend. Jihae would be breeze.]

François-Raoul Larche. He was a sculptor rather than a painter, but he's done some pieces that were memorable enough to make an impression on me.

[One breeze, coming up. Also, a waitress.]

Hm, that name is not familiar...but I will add it to my studies. Unless you would prefer to speak more upon their work once we have ordered.

[The staff member waits until he finishes speaking and glances towards her, and a polite exchange takes place in which he orders a vegan extravaganza that spares nothing in conveying that he's hungry.

[She sips at her wine as he orders, his choices not missed by her. The ears kind of gave away his dietary choices, and it's not that surprises her. Angela's best friend is vegan and while she herself isn't, she respects that.

Angela still orders nothing. Well, nothing but another glass of wine. Little does she know this avoids a potentially nasty discussion about food choices.]

He did a piece called Les Violettes that was sculpted to make the children featured in it look like the personifications of flowers. Stems, leaves, vines wrapped around them. Different than anything I had seen before. He had a tendency to work on female figures, a fair few of them nude, and a couple of religious works as well.

[Speculation regarding the reason behind her order was a trap, which he didn't fall into. She offered no explanation therefore it was none of his business. They might appear strange to other patrons as a result but Jihae couldn't care less.

The waitress bobbed to take the menus and left, leaving Jihae looking forward to an abundance of crunchy veggies. She must have enjoyed the wine, at least. He would hate for any aspect of their meeting to be unpleasant.]

Nature can be very inspiring. I may start there... Would you consider his work diverse, or is it common for an artist to explore unrelated subjects such as nude women and religion?

[It's not a purposeful trap. After all, Angela isn't the type that particularly enjoys defending her personal choices, in public or in private. And if she ever gave two shits about what complete strangers at other tables thought of her, she wouldn't start now.]

Well, it depends on what the era and trends were at a particular moment in time. The farther back you go, the more religious iconery you'll find. He, on the other hand, was known better for his nude figures than for Christ. It just worked out that way for him.

Our legacy is so often out of our hands.

[There was a slightly wistful tone in that statement but it was not a line of thought he continued.]

The religions of various worlds are of less interest to me than what was born of one's own inspiration, without the pressure of outside authorities. Although they may be beautiful I cannot help but wonder what state of mind the artist found themselves in when conscripted to speak on behalf of the divine. The message is not easily translated.

Not mine. Not if I have any say in it.

[She's going to leave a mark on the world--not Ariel in specific because she doesn't care enough about this place to want to stay here and back it up--but her home world. Come hell or high water, she's going to leave something other than death and sadness for people to look at.

She sips at her wine again, smirking because what she says next will say a lot about the life Angela's lived.]

As for their state of mind, I can't say anything about them for sure, but my personal experience meant there were some illicit substances involved.

Illicit substances.

[Huh. She sounded intelligent so he hadn't pegged her as that type of unfortunate person. His gaze dropped to the wine glass. Hopefully she wasn't also the type who indulged too much or too often.]

Do you find inspiration so infrequent that you must resort to such tactics? Or is there another reason?

[His repeating of her words pulls her up short and the smirk fades, replaced with a more neutral look. Depending on who defines the term, it could be too much or too often, but in either Angela has final say on how she defines it.]

I don't do it for inspiration. It happens that I get inspired while resorting to such tactics for unrelated reasons. [She's not a fan of his words, having experienced people judging her living methods before.] Is that going to be a problem?

[Leaving it at 'unrelated reasons' was fine. Thus far she had shown no indications of poor judgment and her choice in recreation was irrelevant as long as she wasn't foolish enough to let it affect a lesson.]

No, likely not. That is, if you have decided to accept my proposal. Should we discuss compensation?

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