What a pretty muse...

[sakeplz]

WHO: Jirou and Kasen
WHERE: Kasen's studio
WHEN: The Saturday after the first Retrospec post of the month
WHAT: Kasen wants Jirou to model for him and the return of missing colors to flowers is the perfect chance
WARNINGS: Probably nothing. Other than Jirou is always drunk.

Jirou had narrowed his clothes down to a male option and a female option before deciding he didn't know which one he wanted to do. For that reason, he just brought both and his makeup and hair supplies. Then it was off to the address he'd been given with his little white dog in his cute purse. Little Kenti was loving life as he looked out the car window then at everything as Jirou went to go be rung in at the place he'd been told to go.

Dinner sounded great right now and he lifted his sunglasses up on top of his head as he looked at the building. He couldn't remember if he'd been to this area before but it was possible he had. He tended to get around a lot, after all.

"What do you think, Kenti? Do you like it here?" The little dog gave a bark in response and Jirou giggled then went inside when he was finally let in. This was going to be fun!

Once inside, he had fun looking around as he looked for Kasen. When he did see him, he set his bags down and gave him a cheerful wave. "I brought you some wine! Oh and I didn't know what to wear so I brought two things and you can pick which you like better." He could do makeup and hair for whichever one was picked. He'd gone for black and gold so the flowers would be more striking and because his eyes were now newly gold as well. It only made sense to highlight them!

"Oh and this is Kenti! Don't worry, he'll just probably sleep nearby. He's very well behaved."

Comments

[liberal_arts]

Given the usual folks he worked with in his day-to-day life, a small dog was far from a problem. And besides, if Kenti had his way with any of the plethora of frustratingly unfinished projects decorating the studio, Kasen couldn't say he'd mind. In fact, it wouldn't take long for Jirou to notice that... nothing in the studio seemed to actually be complete. Half-done sculptures, partially blank canvases, all sorts of things and not a one of them seemed to have any final touches put to them. It was almost eerie...

But Kasen squared away any frustration he might have at Jirou witnessing his creative deficiencies, greeting him with a smile and a small bow. "Welcome, welcome, please make yourself comfortable. I'll get a rack for the clothes and a mirror for you to prepare with."

[sakeplz]

Artist block, huh? He wondered what had caused it but knew that must be so hard for an artist as well known as this man here. Still, he looked at a couple of them without judgement and set down the purse so that way his little dog could get out and explore. The cute little thing jumped out and then trotted around the room sniffing but otherwise not bothering anything. He was such a well behaved little thing. Just like the person he was named for...only small.

He waited to get the clothes out for now since Kasen was getting the clothing rack. "Thaaaanks! I picked things in the black and gold realm so that way I wasn't drowning out the colors of the flowers." Finding a chair, he made himself comfortable while he waited, making sure not to sit on his hair.

"Ah, may I ask something by the way?"

[liberal_arts]

"By all means!" Kasen called back to Jirou as he dug through some junk to pull out a simple clothing rack, as well as a stool and rolling make-up desk.

[sakeplz]

"Are all the incomplete ones because you don't have a muse?" He wasn't judging him for it, just curious. Maybe Fai had been his last muse? It was hard to tell without knowing more about what the two of them had been like together and when that had been.

[liberal_arts]

Kasen froze in place for a long, heavy moment before he went back to his work, distracting himself with it briefly as he maneuvered both the rack and the makeup desk and mirror over towards Jirou, staying silent for the moment.

"That's a possibility I've considered."

[sakeplz]

He nodded a bit then smiled when the things he needed were close enough. Standing up, he opened his back for his clothes and pulled out first the dress. Hanging that, he let Kasen have a look at it while he got out the other outfit. Both in themes of gold and black to prevent drowning out the flowers but still with enough to them to keep him in the foreground of this.

Obviously he'd been doing fashion things for a long while now. "Let me know which you like better! Oh, where are your glasses? I'll go pour wine for us."

[liberal_arts]

"There's a kitchen just past the shelving there," Kasen motioned behind him as he stepped in closer to examine his options. Such wonderful textures... And of course, seeing them together, and knowing Jirou, a further creative thought occurred to him.

"Why not both?" he murmured to himself.

[sakeplz]

He went to get the glasses, returning in time to hear him say both. Well he certainly didn't mind that at all and offered him the wine before sipping some of his own while he went to get his makeup out. It would be easier to start with the male outfit given the makeup situation so he went to get started on that first.

"I can do both. Is it going to be me in the same work? Or maybe two works?"

[liberal_arts]

"I can have you pose twice, for the same portrait. This is a medium of capture, after all, and once I have painted you, it's not as if you'd fade from the canvas if I painted you again, right?" Kasen moved to gather up his tools for said painting, leaving Jirou to change.

[sakeplz]

He giggled and looked over his shoulder. "Are you sure? Maybe I might."

He winked but obviously that wasn't the case at all. Of course he wouldn't just fade away. That wasn't how this worked as far as he knew. Finishing his makeup, he got changed then started to tie his hair up before pausing.

"Hair tied or free?"

[liberal_arts]

"I think it will illustrate matters better if it's left free... plus I think your hair is gorgeous. I'd love to capture it in its purest form," Kasen hummed as he continued to set things up at his work station, making certain all of the various pieces were in place before he went over to the draped curtain and set up a serious of white cushions. The bird-of-paradise flowers were also there, vibrantly blue as they always had been in their memories...

[sakeplz]

"Beautiful..." He left the tie behind then went over to run his fingers over one of the flowers. Beautifully blue with that wonderful golden color as well. Tropical and vibrant. He smiled as he lowered his hand. Already he seemed like he belonged in the setting, beauty with beauty.

"Do you have a preference for pose?" Because otherwise he was sure he could come up with something but best to ask the artist first.

[liberal_arts]

Kasen had nearly been brought to tears when he saw a blue flower again. It was remarkable what one could take for granted...

"Do what comes naturally to you. This is about capturing an essence, not just an image."

[sakeplz]

"Naturally..."

He paused a moment then immediately went to get his glass of wine and the bottle. Bringing both with him, he relaxed on the cushions, reclining with the bottle in one hand and the glass in the other. A smile came to his lips as his hair just naturally rested along the cushions as they wished.

A divine creature of sorts just waiting for their image to be captured. Or something else.

"Ta-da."

[liberal_arts]

"Subarashii..." Kasen mouthed, mostly to himself, as he set himself at his work stool, checking his perspective and lighting a few more times before he picked up his brush and pallet and began to work...

[sakeplz]

He was very good about not moving, save for having a sip of his wine now and then. Jirou was used to modeling and it showed, his face tilted to show just the right angle and his body relaxed in a way to be most flattering. This was someone used to being admired and worshiped and making it easier for others to do so.

"Have you always been interested in art, Kasen?"

[liberal_arts]

"Since I was very young, yes. It started with calligraphy classes in elementary school. Learning to admire the artistry in something as simple as ink brush strokes," Kasen hummed as he continued to work, his hands quick in building out the initial layer.

[sakeplz]

So he could appreciate beauty in everything but sometimes capturing it wasn't so easy. It had to be hard on an artist if he were to be perfectly honest. He wasn't one himself but he could imagine it. To think about lacking inspiration for one of his times as Juri...

He sipped at his wine then studied the man. "Do you still do calligraphy?"

[liberal_arts]

"Not really. At least not traditional Japanese style. I've largely not indulged in the esoteric arts of my homeland since settling here in America," Kasen sighed, setting down a new layer of color. Lots of cool blues to accentuate both the flower and Jirou.

"Though lately, I've wondered if I should look back into it... I received a most strange gift from Retrospec recently, and I'd like to understand it more."

[sakeplz]

"You should. I think if you received a gift here then you should explore it to see what else you'll remember or get from it." It seemed a good idea to him anyway. Probably rather strange but logical if nothing else.

Surprise, surprise, he could be that once in awhile.

[liberal_arts]

"While I understand where you're coming from, I'm not sure what about myself could be learned from a sword," Kasen sighed, setting down the outline for Jirou himself.

[sakeplz]

Here he'd thought he meant a calligraphy set or something. But a sword? "...You received a sword from them?"

[liberal_arts]

"Yes. An exceptionally well made one, as far as I can tell, though I don't really have any experience to say for certain. It at least *looks* well made." Kasen sighed, motioning over to where the sword was resting on a makeshift stand in another corner of the room.

[sakeplz]

Sliding his gaze over, he noted the sword. It was certainly very beautiful. Elegant even. Kasen didn't seem a sword type though so he wasn't sure why he'd have one sent to him from the company. Odd. "You don't have any memories of it yet?"

[liberal_arts]

... Kasen set down his brush.

"The name carved into the blade. When I had it appraised, they told me it was signed 'Nosada'. I have seen the face of its creator in my mind, but it's so strange...," Kasen set his eyes on the brush itself, watching as a drip of color pulled itself free from the brush, pooling below on the palette.

"When I think of that man, 'Nosada'... I think of them as my creator."

[sakeplz]

He took Japanese history in college but the name wasn't familiar to him. Though what Kasen said next intrigued him.

"Your creator? The maker of the blade made you?"

[liberal_arts]

"It sounds so silly, doesn't it? Completely irrational. It's just more disassociative thoughts creeping their way into my mind," Kasen sighed, taking his brush back up and leaving more strokes.

[sakeplz]

"I don't know about that. I think it's pretty interesting. And I don't see why it can't be true." Then again, Jirou was far more willing to believe the extraordinary than most people were.