forum The Artist’s Muse O/O- closed (stalkers will get some nice art)

Started August 28, 2021 by @Tired-but-passionate

tune

Neci was on the verge of falling asleep. Despite it being almost five or so, he felt his eyelids getting heavy. All of his worry about the interview and Mister Ashton left him exhausted. His heart finally decided to go at a regular pace for once, but it still felt warm and fuzzy.

At the moment he began to unbutton his vest, the telephone rang. A groan rose from his throat as he reluctantly got up. Trudging over to the small living room, he picked up the mouthpiece and receiver. "Hello, Bathory speaking," He said with a sigh.

"Mama says it's bad to be sleepy at this time of day. Her and Nagyi want to know if you want any kakaos csiga tomorrow," A little voice on the other line stated before yawning. "Marie said she wants to know too."

He smiled while humming. "Liliana, I know you and your sister are going to try to eat them all. But, I guess I do if there's any left.

"No we won't," the little girl protested. There was a moment of silence. She probably had to think for a moment since her mind had instantly switched from Hungarian to English. He also heard his mother speaking in the background. "Nagyi said there's no need to worry. She will have some for you for good luck cause of your interview. Did you get the job?"

The mention of the interview made him feel jittery again, but he managed to stifle a laugh. "Ah not yet. I was told I'll get a call in the morning. Let's hope and see, okay, my dear?"

Neci waited a couple of seconds till he heard her hum a yes. "But I will be in school then," She whined. "Can it not wait till after school?"

Despite them being on the telephone, he shook his head. "My dear, I will tell you as soon as I can. You will still be one of the firsts to know. I believe I will get it."

After painting for the rest of the afternoon and into the evening, Jayme was able to finish the Willerman & Co. ad. After storing it and a bit of his process work in one of his portfolios, he helped Nathalie make a small dinner. They ate and talked, in which he shared a few more things he learned about Bathory and explained why he would like to him. Nathalie found the fact that English wasn’t his first language more frustrating than her son did, but it wasn’t like that would dissuade him from hiring Bathory. He then took time to play with the cat and sketch. After a while, he found himself sketching Bathory again, going off the first one he made but trying different poses and formats. It was that easy, relaxing feeling that made him fall in love with making art in the first place, and drawing pretty men such as Bathory was as easy as breathing to him. Sometimes Artemisia demanded his attention though, and he would be forced to get out of the zone.
The next morning, his mother left to visit his aunt, and he took the ad he painted and took it to his father and brother’s company. Members of the advertising department met up with him and reviewed his work, said it was perfect, and carried it on from there. Jayme received payment for his services, and after that he went back to the studio. There was still a magazine commission that he needed to plan for, so he planned to do that for the rest of the day. But of course, he couldn’t forget the phone call he needed to make.
He fed the cat, but she kept following him as he reached for the telephone. He had to wave whiskers out of his face as he plugged in Bathory’s number and held the receiver to one ear.

An hour after he hung up the phone, Neci went downtown to meet up with some friends for dinner. All of them worked downtown. Some worked for fancy restaurants while others were ballroom dancers or bartenders. They met up at a diner across from a movie theater then went to a speakeasy they frequented at for a while now.

The whole time he listened to all the gossip they were sharing or complaints about costumers and their bosses. His mind wandered off. Even when the conversation moved on to other things, he was still stuck on that sofa looking back at Mister Ashton. What a funny feeling he gets everytime he thinks back to those moments.

Neci went home about a quarter to ten then fell asleep. He only managed to wake up the next morning out of habit. Typically he would go over to Zente and Giselle's, have breakfast with them, and then take Liliana to school before going to work or back to the house.

He had told his brother all about the interview, but he left out the strange feelings and energy in the air. Zente had gone through a good number of interviews himself since he works in the electricity industry. While his brother does not know much about art, Zente was happy for his younger brother, wishing nothing but the best for him.

Going back home, the phone rang as he shut the door. Not even bothering to take his hat or shoes off, he darted over to answer it. His heart was beating quickly as he picked it up. "Hello? Bathory speaking."

Luckily, Jayme did not have to wait long. “Hello, Mr. Bathory, this is Ashton speaking. Congratulations, you’re hired.” He hadn’t really planned out to say anything else, but felt awkward and rude to just end the conversation here. Random things came his mind, and he began to ramble slightly.
“Um, well, really there was no one else who responded to the ad other than you,” he said, raising a hand to push Artemisia away from his face. She kept head-butting him afterwards, so Jayme held one hand up to placate her. “I plan to keep the ad up so I may eventually get a lady model. So, just so you’re aware, you may likely have a coworker in the future.”
Artemisia began nuzzling his hand and purring. Jayme smiled a little. “Ah, let’s see… I’m designing a cover for Collier’s magazine at the moment, so could you come to the studio at around… ten in the morning tomorrow? That would be excellent.”

Hired? The telephone suddenly felt warm. His grip on the reciever tightened. Him, Neci Bathory, had just gotten hired. He is a model now. It took him awhile to believe since it all feels so surreal. Not to mention so sudden too. The dread that had piled up within him instantly melted away. A shaky feeling had overcome him, but he knew that everything was alright. What was he being so worried for?

Mister Ashton's voice sort of startled him. When he jumped, his hand rested over his quickly besting heart. Ah that's right, he is still on call. Pursing his lips together, he did everything he could in order to make sure that his giggles wouldn't escape. In a way, he feels very thankful that he was the only one who responded to the ad. Maybe it was fate. Maybe it was something out of his own pure will.

"Oh I see. Very well then, I will keep that noted," He nodded despite them being on the telephone. The small journal and pen were too far from the telephone for him to reach, but it was a small mote for him to remember.

Although, the next one was not. "Excuse me," He said all of the sudden. Neci dashed over to pick up the journal and pen then ran back to pick up the telephone. Getting the pen ready, he wrote everything he needed down. "That sounds good to me, Sir. I will be there at ten o'clock sharp. Is there anything else?"

Bathory’s initial silence worried him. Did he have a reaction to getting the job that he simply couldn’t see? To Jayme, there seemed to be no reaction at all. Maybe it was just that Bathory was still listening to him talk. Or maybe he didn’t want to be a model anymore, but now that he’s been hired he can’t back out.
No, that doesn’t make any sense! Stop thinking such things. Jayme put a hand over his eyes, making the cat mew in protest. He rubbed at his eyes for a moment before opening them and petting Artemisia again. At least he could detect no disappointment in Mr. Bathory’s voice. On the contrary, he sounded quite eager. Right?
He paused at the question. “Ah, um… I don’t believe so. I’ll get you acquainted with the studio and such when you arrive. I look forward to seeing you again tomorrow.”
He hung up, mostly to save himself from anything that might follow after. Artemisia mewed at him again, and he picked her up to hug her close, warm fur brushing against his cheek.
“I need to work,” he muttered to himself.

Acquainted with the studio… Those words sent adrenaline rushing through his veins. His pupils widened. He was dumbfounded for words, and could only smile. The air surrounding him felt warm beyond belief. Oh if only he had someone with him right now to tell about the news and how he feels.

"Very well. See you tomorrow, Mister Ashton." The words managed to slip out before he heard the phone on the other end hung up. A wave of relief overcame him as he clicked the receiver. Collpasing onto a chair, Neci laid back and exhaled deeply.

It seemed as if the world around him was spinning. He wasn't sure what to do next. For once, he actually was looking forward to work. He was looking forward to what the job would hold in store for him. Perhaps he should make something for Mister Ashton tomorrow, but what should he make?

His mind wandered in thought, though it deviated away from food. While the excitement in him finally began to cool down, he felt himself becoming heated up again. All the awkward moments that he had shared with Ashton already; he wondered if there would be more. He wondered where they would lead the two of them.

Abruptly, he got out of his seat. Neci shook his head while ambling over towards the window. Pushing the curtain, he looked out, watching as people were passing by and going on about their day. "I should do something today….." He whispered. "I should…"

Jayme didn’t begin working immediately. He made another phone call, this time to Collier’s to ask about what they wanted for the magazine. Usually they wanted something that had vaguely to do with the topic the issue was talking about, but nothing too explicit that might spark controversy. Usually an illustration of the journalist who wrote about the topic or something like that. This time they wanted something to do with cats, which Jayme was all too happy to do since he had access to a cat 24/7 and had a lot of experience drawing her.
After the phone call ended he began doing practice sketches of cats, some done with Artemisia’s assistance and some without. These sketches were quite rough and mainly captured the gesture of the cat’s pose. Some he put more effort into than others. Then he started including a human character interacting with a cat. A lot of these sketches he used his own experiences with Artemisia as inspiration. Hopefully Artemisia could get used to Bathory holding her or things like that when he comes. The thought made him remember the previous day, when the man bid her farewell. He smiled to himself, shaking his head.
Jayme sketched for a long time, and ended up forgetting to eat lunch. Thankfully when the cat began whining at him to feed her did he remember he needed to eat too. This in turn led him to remember other chores around the house that he should probably tend to, and he didn’t draw again until some two hours later. By this point he had a specific concept sketch that he liked: a young man sitting on a park bench with his cat, slowly becoming surrounded by strays. He played with idea a bit more until evening fell.

Surprisingly enough, Neci did not leave his apartment till a quarter after noon. The excitement about work left him walking around the entire apartment for thirty minutes until he decided that he should clean the place to help himself calm down. He did not eat lunch, but planned to go eat somewhere after picking his niece up from school. And according to his made up schedule, that left him with a few hours to do whatever he liked.

Eventually, after taking care of his clothes and other chores, he did leave the apartment. The streets were still busy as ever while the sun was still hanging high in the sky. He put on his cap then started to amble down the street. At least once a week he visited the library in order to keep up with his English and learn something new whether it be a subject or words. Thankfully the library was not too far off from his place, just five minutes.

The moment he opened one of the doors, he took off his cap then tucked it under his arm. A wave of cool air brushed through him as he stepped inside. The man spent about another hour inside there. He read books about art and artists. Some of them had pictures in which he tried recreating a few poses while in his seat.

He put the books away then left to walk over to Zente and Estelle's to pick up Marie. The walk there was longer but it still gave them enough time to get to Liliana's school in time. Once Liliana had rushed over to the two, he had told them about the job. Liliana was happy, but it took a moment to explain to Marie what that meant. Nevertheless, he almost lost his balance when they attacked him with hugs.

It was about a quarter to five or so when Neci had took them home. The sun was starting to set. They stopped by a diner then spent some time in the park before going home. Luckily Estelle was done with chores and such by the time they did. She insisted that Neci stayed for supper the moment he told her the news, but then forced him to sit in the living room after he tried to help with supper.

The next morning, Jayme awoke to the cat climbing onto his face. She mewed at him, as if she was his personal alarm clock.
“Arty,” he moaned, his voice nasally because she was stepping on his nose. “What’re you doing?”
She merely meowed at him again. Pushing her off of him, he yawned, a soft inhaling sound. “Alright, alright, I’m up. G’morning to you too.”
”Maow,” she trilled insistently. Her green eyes were narrowed with expectancy.
“Yes, yes, I know you’re hungry.” Sliding out of the bed, he petted her head. “Give me a minute to dress, at least.”
Once they were both fed, Jayme decided to take a walk for the first time in quite a while. It was nice out, and he felt the need to walk off the adrenaline that came from being hit with the reality that his new model would be coming in today. The walk was uneventful, and so his mind was plagued by the things he should do later, or things he should do in the future, and random illustration ideas. At one point he found a very friendly pigeon who let him do a quick sketch before flying off. Jayme returned to the studio a half hour until ten, and used that half hour to sketch more pigeons and play with the cat.

Neci found himself waking up at seven o'clock. Usually he stayed in bed for a few more minutes, but he found himself jumping out of bed and walking over to the closet. After he got home last night, he picked out some clothes he thought would look nice for his first day as a model.

His first day as a model….It feels so odd to think of such a thing. Nevertheless, he couldn't be more than happy about it. His shirt and vest snuggly fitted him, but his trousers were a little tight. Thankfully there wasn't any noticeable wrinkles in his clothes.

Breakfast was just some leftovers he had from yesterday. Time was running out until he had to go to work, and he did not want to be a second late. Thankfully Estelle helped him make something special for Mister Ashton and put it in a nice container. Once Neci was able to get things together, he took the container of food then walked out the door.

The walk over was pleasant enough. As he walked, a smile appeared on him. There was no way of containing it. All the jitters he had from the last few days came back and are running through him. Hopefully they calm down soon or do not affect him really. Despite getting the job, he worried of losing it. He worried of letting down Mister Ashton already.

At exactly fifteen minutes before ten, Neci strolled onto the steps of the building. Though he kept assuring himself that he would be on time, he checked his watch then rang the doorbell. The smile still remained on him while he took a few steps back with his eyes glued to the door.

Jayme did not prepare himself for the doorbell. I should’ve prepared myself for the doorbell.
Well, not really the doorbell itself, but the fact that it meant that someone was at the door, waiting for him to answer. He could feel the anxiety building up in him again. Looking down at his watch, he ran his hands through his hair. The man was early. Jayme took a few calming breaths, then rose from his seat and went to the door, Artemisia at his toes. He turned the knob and pulled.
That smile. It was dazzling, and only added to the man’s beauty, but he could detect the nervousness in it. It sort of made Jayme feel better. He was nervous too.
“Mr. Bathory,” he greeted, forcing a smile of his own. “You’re early. How are you today?”
He offered his hand, but then realized Bathory was holding something. Then the smell hit his nose. “Oh my, what is that? It smells wonderful.”
He moved to the side to let him in, his gaze switching from the container to Bathory’s smile.

Anticipation slowly built up inside him. An eternity must have passed by the moment after he rang the doorbell. No, it had only been a minute or so since he did. Thankfully it was not long till the door opened, revealing Mister Ashton as he stepped out.

It hadn't been so long since he had last seen Mister Ashton, but he was happy to see the man. No, his boss. Quite strange to think of how he is happy to see his new boss, nevertheless, he was beaming. Neci blinked and shook his head.

"Ah, good morning Mister Ashton." He glanced down at Artemisia, laughing a little. "And good morning to you, Artemisia." After taking a deep breath, he adjusted the container that was underneath his arm. "I am well. I tend to show up to work or any occasion early. Is that alright, Sir?"

"Hm?" Mister Ashton's question brought him out of his worry. For a second, he looked down at the container before holding it out. "Oh…well…it's lángos with some sausage and a bit of garlic sauce," He responded. Neci noticed how his boss made way for him, so he nodded his head then walked inside. "I know how to cook lots of things, but…I was not sure what to make, so I hope you enjoy it."

The cat responded to Bathory’s greeting with a small mew, taking Jayme’s attention away from the way he shook his head for half a second. He smiled faintly, but it then turned into a purse of the lips as he considered the other man’s words.
“Ah, it’s admirable, but unexpected. I can get used to it,” he decided.
Shutting the door behind Bathory, he stared at the container again. He was not familiar with the word used for the food inside, but it definitely looked as good as it smelled. “I think I will. You’re very thoughtful,” he said. He picked up Artemisia before she could run away and hide. She would be important for today’s piece. Before he could react, though, she moved to climb onto his shoulder.
“That’s not very professional, Arty,” he sighed. She was a bit heavy, but Jayme was used to it. Jayme led his new hire deeper into the studio, the cat enjoying the free ride.
Tapping his fingers against his leg, he muttered to himself before saying, “There’s a kitchen upstairs, but you can set it in the living room for now.” He gestured to the room they had been in yesterday, full of furniture of all styles. “Let me, ah, let me show you where we’ll be working.”

An exhale was forced out of his throat as he gleamed at the cat. In his corner of his eyes, he noticed Mister Ashton's faint smile; it was gone before he could even look up to appreciate such an expression. Sure Neci is the model here, and yet, he believed there is something flattering in Mister Ashton and his grin, faint or not.

"Oh, thank you. You do not have to force yourself to if you do not want to, Sir," He assured. "I can come in right on time if that is exactly what you want." It did not really matter to him; he still will arrive exactly on time or whenever Mister Ashton says. His only concern is what his boss feels and that's it. Lowering his chin to the floor, he smiled at the compliment. He felt his cheeks warm up a little, but he laughed it off then whispered a thank you.

As swift as he possibly could, he walked into the living room area. The air felt different than it did last time. This time he took a couple of seconds to look around at all the furniture since he rarely did at the interview. Walking over to the coffee table, he sat down the container then gently patted it. He'll have to remember to warm it up a little for lunch. Hopefully Mister Ashton will like it.

Neci rushed back, fixing his jacket and taking off his hat. Some strands of hair fell in front of his face, but he was too focused on what Mister Ashton was saying to even give a thought about it. Holding his hat with both of his hands, he followed from behind. His eyes gazing around as he lifted and turned his chin in different directions. Glancing back down at Ashton, he nodded, "Of course. Please do show me the way, Sir."

Jayme felt Artemisia’s tail brush against his forehead. “Ahh, um…” he hesitated. The reason he was not used to it in the first place was because, for some strange reason, he tensed up and became unnecessarily nervous every time he had a visitor, no matter who it was. Perhaps now that he had someone coming in almost every day now, that anxiety would go away. Then again, it was also less nerve-wracking when he knew exactly when a person would arrive beforehand. But oh, he does not want to make Bathory do that just for his sake.
Jayme shook his head. He was thinking about this too hard. “Well, ah, early is better than late, is it not? Just as long as that does not happen.”
Truthfully, perhaps his anxiety would have been worse if Bathory was late. That much he was certain of.
Looking back at the man, his eyes fixed on the way his hair ticked his eyelashes. But then the cat’s tail covered his vision, and he chuckled, turning back and opening the door to the studio proper. When they were all inside, he shut the door and set Artemisia on the ground.
A long desk sat at one side of the room, a few easels with canvases covered with sheets on the other. Near the desk was a cabinet that came up to Jayme’s waist, and there was space in the middle, empty save for a simple rug. Artemisia crossed it and hopped onto the desk, meowing at Jayme. He tsked back at her, then glanced at Bathory.
“Here we are. You’ll model for me in the middle there, and I’ll be drawing you from my desk. Just give me a moment to gather my supplies. Arty, please stay here, yes?”
Artemisia licked her nose, and settled lazily on the desk, tucking her paws in.

Seeing his boss being tensed made him wondered what to do. He did show up earlier than what he assumed Ashton did not expect. It must not be something that the man is used to, so he should come up with a way to calm his boss down. Yes his job is to be Ashton's model, but he feels as if he should look out for his boss too. Although, he isn't sure why.

"Of course it will not," He assured. "If it helps, Sir, I could always call every morning before I make my way over here. Then I can help you prepare for whatever you need for the day as well. It will not be any trouble, Sir."

Neci stopped the moment he walked into the studio. Brushing his hair to the side, he looked around from down to the floor up towards the ceiling. It is a very nice space indeed, especially for a painter such as his boss. On the other hand, it feels a little strange. If he spent so much time in here, he would feel a little lonely. Nevertheless, Neci was more than happy to work in such a spacious place.

After taking a few more steps, he looked over his shoulder at Mister Ashton. He fully turned around a moment later. A soft smile appeared as he nodded. "No worries. Take your time, Sir. I will be right here."

Glimpsing down at the cat, he sighed. "You are so adorable," He whispered. "Let's be good friends, okay? And let's be good to your papa too. I am sure you know very well that he is a busy man." Neci laughed again. "Ah…You are an adorable little cat."

Jayme raised his brow at the idea. “Perhaps, but… ah. If it really is no trouble on your end.”
Maybe his idea would prove useful, especially if there were cases where he was late and it was beyond his control.
He watched Bathory, admiring his form and that lovely smile of his. He was staring for about a minute too long before he realized needed to do things. He shook his head. “Ah, yes, good. Um, sorry I didn’t say so earlier, but can you put your hat and coat back on? You’ll need them for this.”
He went back into the living room, and surveyed all the furniture. After finding a wooden bench that was similar to the ones he saw in the park, he took it from both ends and cautiously hauled it into the studio room.
Meanwhile, Artemisia vaguely glanced in Bathory’s direction. Her ear twitched, and she stuck her tongue out at him.
Jayme let out a grunt when he set the bench down in the middle of the room. He smiled when he caught the other man’s words. “Yes, she is. I hope you two are getting along.” He went over to the chair at his desk, which had an apron draped over it. Putting the apron on, he then went over to the cabinet and looked through the drawers. “We’ll do… watercolor…” he muttered to himself, picking out a box of paints, “… on an eight by twelve…” he then produced a piece of thick paper. He set both items on the desk beside the cat. Going back to the cabinet, he then pulled out a pencil, an eraser, and several colored pencils, grouping them all in one hand. With the other, looked through another drawer and picked out a few paintbrushes. After setting those on the desk, he went back and produced a paint pallet. He muttered all the while, worrying and regretting the fact that he did not do this beforehand. In front of Bathory, he was especially nervous for some reason.
Looking over all the supplies, he occasionally had to keep the cat from pawing at something. He then raised his head and clapped his hands. “Water. And a towel.” He quickly dashed around for both items, somehow managing not to spill the cup he had filled with said water. Now he had everything.

"Not anywhere near a trouble…." The words quietly slipped off his tongue. He got lost in the way that his boss was staring at him. It was just like during the interview and again, no one has ever looked at him that way before. His pupils widened the same time he felt his chest becoming tight.

He was swift with replying to Ashton's question. With a grin, he nodded. Setting his hat down on the floor, he took his coat and put it on. He picked up his cap then strolled over to a window. Sometimes his hair does not act the way he wishes it to. Hopefully it will look fine for the painting.

Turning around, he watched how his boss was walking over with a bench. His eyes widened. "Oh, Sir!" He called out. Neci ran over to help with the bench, but noticed he was too late to do anything. Resting his hands on his hips, he sighed to himself. "I could lift that, I could practically lift anything. Mister Ashton, I do no want you to pull a muscle or get hurt."

Glancing over at Artemisia, he was not able to hold back his laughter. After removing his left hand from his hip, he pointed over to the cat and walked over. "Aww you really are sweet, aren't you?" He asked, softly giggling afterwards. "I believe that we are getting along just fine."

Softly, he scratched Artemisia's head then turned to look at Mister Ashton. It caught him off guard to see the man dashing around to get things. Worry rose in him, but thankfully nothing happened. "Are we ready, Sir?"

Bathory’s shout startled him a little, but Jayme quickly saw what he was worried about and briefly ran his hands through his hair. “Oh, I’ll be alright, sir. I’ve done it before. O— of course, if you would— would like to help me with things like this, I would appreciate it. I just don’t expect you to.”
He smiled a little as he watched the cat purr in response to Bathory’s scratches, then looked over the supplies again. “I believe so,” he murmured slowly. Producing his sketchbook, he turned to the page where he had done all his concept work. “Now, look here,” he said, pointing to a particular sketch. It was nothing fancy, merely a combination of pencil scribblings, but it clearly depicted a man sitting on a park bench with a cat beside him, and dozens of other cats walking up to the pair. The man wore a surprised expression, and the cat beside him had its hackles raised.
“This is what I am going for,” Jayme said, glancing at Mr. Bathory. “And it’s partially why I asked if you were allergic to cats.” He closed the sketchbook and took Artemisia in his arms. She mewed inquisitively, and he responded without skipping a beat. “Yes, Arty, you get to be a model too. If you please, Mr. Bathory, sit on that bench with one hand on your hat. I will place the cat…” he mused for a moment. “Beside your hip, and see how that looks.”

Right away, Neci nodded eagerly at Mister Ashton's words. His eyes were as wide as his grin. "Of course! I would love to!" He beamed. Helping is one of the things that he is best at. Same goes for lifting and carrying things. Holding up his left arm, he flexed it. "I was not blessed with these muscles for nothing, Sir. I could probably lift you if I tried." Laughing at what he said, he let his arm down then looked over to see Ashton with his sketchbook.

Standing at his boss's side, he lowered his head a little to get a good look at the sketch. He loved it. A man at a park bench holding a cat while there are other cats coming up to them. His eyes squinted. Neci took note of how the man has a surprised look. The way his brows are arched and how the man's arms are wrapped around the cat. It was a simple yet charming. Excitement ran through him as he kept looking at it.

He could not wait. Feeling Mister Ashton's eyes on him, he glanced back at him. A chuckle came from his throat at the mention of the question about being allergic to cats. Standing up straight, he fixed the collar of his shirt and jacket. Neci rushed over to the bench then sat down. Following with what Ashton was saying, he tried to replicate how the man was holding his hat. "Should I keep my hand on like this? Or do you want me to switch to my right?" He asked. "This is what you want, yes?"

Jayme flustered a bit when he saw Mr. Bathory’s smile. So enthusiastic… His eyes were then immediately drawn to his bicep, but he quickly looked away, as if he was ashamed for looking. “I… I have no doubt about that, sir. I would be grateful for your help.”
Looking down at Artemisia as his hire fixed his collar, he said, “It’s alright if you don’t model the facial expression, or if you can’t hold it for very long. I’m usually already pretty good at— hm?”
When he looked up, Bathory was already in position. So eager… He moved closer and examined his position. After a few moments of staring, he said, “Let’s switch to your right hand… and I’ll put Arty on your left side.” The cat seemed to meow at this, but Jayme just tutted in reply. He placed her beside Bathory, but she just got up and walked to him again.
He sighed. “Oh come now, I’m just going to be a few feet away.” He picked her up again and set her on the bench, and this time she stayed put, licking her paw.
Jayme then stepped back, putting a hand to his chin. “Perfect,” he decided, a small smile coming to his face. Artemisia was still grooming herself, far from the frightened, bristling cat in the sketch, but it wasn’t like he could tell her what to do. Besides, he could work with it. He just needed to see how the cat and the man looked in relation to each other.
Turning to Mr. Bathory, he tilted his head. “How do you feel, sir? It’s alright if your arm gets tired.”

Having his arm up for awhile would be more feasible than trying to hold a facial expression for the same amount of time. "Oh….Well alright then. If you would like, I could try for a bit when you are working on the face."

His eyes flickered over at the wall as Ashton walked over to him. Neci was swift to make the adjustment of his position. Practically the moment, he heard him say to use his left, he switched to his left hand, making sure that he positioned it correctly.

With lips curled back, he bit down on his bottom lip. Despite his lips thinning, the corners of them shot up. The urge to laugh at the cat walking away was tempting and difficult to fight off. Suppose that he still cannot get over how adorable and funny Artemisia is; he loved seeing how the cat interacted with her owner.

"Ah come on kitty. I thought we made a promise to bother your father. Eh?" He said with a quick laugh. When Ashton had placed Artemisia down on the bench again, he grinned then petted the cat. "There we go. All set!"

Neci looked over at Ashton. The head tilt made him wonder if something was wrong. He shook his head. "I am alright Mister Ashton," He responded, smiling. "I will do my best to keep this arm still for as long as I can."

Jayme nodded, and was about to turn back to his desk when his eyes fixed on Bathory’s arm again. A frown pulled on his lips. Did he misunderstand him? It was alright if he had, but it did not look quite right if he held up his left arm.
“Your right arm please, sir,” he corrected gently. “It will create a nice line of action.”
He did not trust himself to stare at the man’s smile for too long, but that strange feeling rose in him again when he did. “Good,” he said.
Satisfied, he turned and sat behind the desk. Artemisia looked up when he did so, staring at him with her big green eyes. Jayme chuckled. “I’m right here, Arty. Stay there, please.”
Moving all of his painting supplies to the side for later, he took the pencil and began outlining the shape of the bench with light strokes. He then moved on to drawing Bathory and the cat beside him. Occasionally he would differ to the thumbnail he made in his sketchbook, and other times he would look up to study his models. Sometimes he would take his eraser and correct a mistake.
“If you want to chat, you can,” he said. “It doesn’t bother me.”

"Oh, my apologies, boss." He responded quickly. "I appreciate your correction. I think the excitement has gotten to my head. Thanks." Immediately, he switched to the correct arm then positioned it. Hopefully he was right this time. He could not believe that Mister Ashton's words had flown over his head like that. Making mistakes at work was always a fear and to make one on the first day too. The two things he does not want to do is mess up and to stress Mister Ashton; he wants to stay as far away from that as possible.

Neci kept quiet, sitting there and staring ahead at the wall. His attention wandered with his thoughts. While it was quiet, he enjoyed listening to the soft sounds of the pencil. Occasionally every now and then, he would glimpse down at Artemisia to make sure that she was alright.

"Pardon?" In all honesty, he thought that he would have to be silent the whole time. Really he is fine with it, although he did like how Ashton offered to chat. It made him all the more giddy. "I am not sure what to talk about. I worry that I would distract you from your work," He said. Biting down on his bottom lip, he tried to think of what to talk about. His eyes lingered over to Ashton, watching as he worked. "How did you get into art, Mister Ashton? Was it something natural to you?"