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

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

tune

Soon, painting the cats became rather therapeutic. Once Jayme figured out the colors, it was a simple matter of filling them in. He became absorbed in his work again, so he did not see Bathory’s expression. He chuckled a little, but didn’t look up.
“Well, she isn’t wrong. I am glad she did, because I have never tried Hungarian cuisine.” He paused, filling in a tabby’s tail. “It will surely be interesting.”
Looking up at him, he laughed again. “But that doesn’t mean she shouldn’t be held to the same standards of hospitality and politeness.” For a moment he looked down at her and scratched her head. Meowing, she stopped grooming that area and closed her eyes, clearly enjoying the touch. Soon he went back to painting. “Well… perhaps she could be, on account of the fact that she is too adorable to get me to stay angry with her.”
Soon, all of the cats were colored in. Jayme added a little more detail to one of their coats, and he then was done with that. He went back to add more shading to the man. This too was finished quickly, and it now needed to dry before it would be a good idea to continue.

"Do not tell her that or you will regret it, my good friend," He chuckled. "If you ever meet her and you say that, she will have every single Hungarian dish in existence made like that…" Neci snapped his fingers then went on. "You will like it. Normally is a dish for breakfast, but she said no one gets to dictate what time of day her food should be eaten."

His words came to a steady yet abrupt stop. "Ah, I talk too much…" He whispered. That is what he believes, but he tends to talk more. Thank God he stopped. Worries about running his mouth for ever and making Mister Ashton uncomfortable were ever so present, and yet, he felt comfortable talking to the man even about family which is a topic he is very passionate yet oddly discreet and even embarrassed about.

Throwing his head back, he let out a laugh. As he lowered it and looked over at the cat, he gave a shrug. "I suppose so. Maybe she thinks we aren't friends yet, I am not sure." His eyes flickered up to Mister Ashton as he concurred with what the man said. A gentle grin rested on him. There was light in his pupils. "They do tend to steal hearts and get away with it."

Jayme chuckled with him. “I’ll be sure to keep that in mind.”
He paused, looking up as Bathory’s words slowed. “Hm? Oh, no no sir, you are wonderful to listen to. You talk a lot, but never too much for me.” The words were soft, a little unsure if they would have a good affect on the man. But they were honest and true. Jayme did not think he would soon get tired of the smooth timbre and curious accent that shaped Bathory’s voice, nor the enthusiastic tone with which he spoke.
The cat, once her owner had stopped petting her, meowed again and went over to Bathory, pawing at his feet and rubbing her head against it. Jayme smiled. “It’s difficult to tell. Right now, I’d say she just wants the attention that I cannot give her. But it seems she likes you well enough.”
He glanced down at the painting again. Looking at it, he realized his eyes were becoming unfocused. That was one of the ways he could tell if he had been working on something for too long. It looked alright as it was, but it still needed some more work. But he couldn’t really pinpoint what he needed to work on, and for some reason he had the feeling that his mind was turning to mush.
Letting out a sigh, he asked, “Are you hungry, then, Mr. Bathory?”

Neci did not notice how his heart was pounding at the sound of Ashton's words. Did he really just hear what he thought he had heard? Was it an invitation to talk more to him? He hoped so. By God and all the angels and saints, he truly hopes so. The man's voice is so calming to him, it is sweet. The words replayed over and over in his mind.

They replayed so much that the cat's pawing almost startled him. His shoulders went up until he lowered his chin and saw the precious kitty at his feet. Watching as she was rubbing his head made him chuckle softly as he shook his head. "That is a relief to know. I even worry about what cats, such as this doll here, think of me. I am glad she likes me though," He sighed.

Bending over his waist, he reached to scratch Artemisia's head. "You shouldn't be rubbing against those dirty things, kitty cat. Here…" Using both of his hands, he gently picked her up then held Artemisia up to his shoulder like a baby. "You just cleaned yourself, hmmm? You do not want to be dirty again when your papa is holding you, okay?" He laughed a little as he scratched her head again.

Not even a moment after hearing Ashton's question, he rose up from the bench. His eyes darted down to the floor for a moment until he nodded. "Yes….uh well….maybe just a little bit."

Artemisia mewed when she was picked up, and looked around, bobbing her head this way and that as if she was either fascinated or bewildered by her new position at his shoulder. Her pupils seemed to dilate slightly. Jayme, meanwhile, had covered his mouth with his hand in an attempt to hide his smile at the sight. They were both so adorable together, he nearly thought he might cry. He wanted to draw them so desperately.
“Yes…” he said, almost losing his train of thought. “She pretends to be shy but she’s really friendly, even with new faces.” He paused, and then a small trickle of laughter spilled out of him. Removing his hand, he revealed his smile just as it faded. The cat’s eyes closed as her head was scratched, and then she lifted it so she could lick Bathory’s hand with her sandpaper tongue.
Jayme stood up after Bathory did, but he became nervous at his reply. He ran a hand through his hair. “Just a little bit? Well, I just thought… it’s nearly lunchtime, so…” he looked away. “I mean, I’m not that hungry either, I just want to try the… uhm. Ah, what is it called again?” His voice gradually became quieter and quieter.

"Do you like the view up there, Artemisia? Don't worry, I won't drop you." He watched as the cat looked around. Neci was more focused on the hairy baby, but he caught a glimpse of Mister Ashton watching in the corner of his eye.

"Ah, that's good. I hope the two of us can become friends, if we aren't already." He walked over to him. Cautiously, he adjusted his hands so he wouldn't lose his hold. A short laugh left him as his hand was licked. He petted the cat.

Neci leaned into to whisper, "It is called lángos." Standing regularly, he scratched Artemisia's back. He bounced her about as if she was a baby; he really enjoys holding the cat up as so. "I am always hungry! How do you think I got so tall? I only said a little bit because I was a little embarrassed by how quickly I responded to your question."

"Now of course, the only great Hungarian dish one could ever come across, is me," He laughed, giving a wink. Neci was laughing at his own joke for a whole minute before taking a deep breath. "Anyways, let's go. Shall we?"

(hairy baby djdjksdjksd)

Jayme could not help but giggle softly at the way he pronounced the cat’s name. “I think she’s going to abandon me for you, if I’m being honest.” His eyes did not know where to look. The beautiful man or his precious pet. Though, they were soon drawn to Bathory as he leaned in. “L— lángos. Right. Uhm…”
His eyes resolved to simply look at them both as one, instead of one or the other. A smile tugged at his lips and his fingers itched. Then he blinked, and his eyes could not focus anymore. Artemisia mewed, her head bobbing even as Bathory bounced her, and then Bathory started to speak. Jayme decided to just look down somewhere around his partner’s chest.
“Ahh, I see,” he chuckled. “Well, I’m usually never hungry. Maybe that’s why I am shorter than you.”
His smile disappeared as he saw Bathory wink, and his cheeks reddened. “Mr. Bathory….” He said, somewhere between disappointed and amused with the joke. Jayme sighed, and reached out to pet Artemisia’s head before making his way out from behind the desk. “Ah, we shall. I’m a little hungry, just this once.”
He walked out of the studio, and once Bathory retrieved the dish that was still in the living room, he would lead him upstairs.

(lmao, neci might be calling artemisia variations of "hairy baby" from now on)

"Abandon you?" He looked over at the cat on his shoulder. Neci booped her nose. "Now you do not leave your papa, my dear friend. Stay with him, even if he doesn't feed you on time." He laughed a little as he patted Artemisia's head. The chuckles continued as he listened to Mister Ashton. His grin grew with pride at the sound of his partner's pronunciation of lángos. It was adorable.

And at the moment, he wondered why his partner would look away from him at moments like now. He does not want to make comments on it. The grin on Ashton's face left him in a sigh. He does want to make a comment on it. He wants to say so many things already, and it's only lunch. It's only lunch for God's sake.

"Oh but Ashton, you already are perfect. Believe me." His bottom lip curled back. Was it just him or was it getting warmer? Perhaps his face was blushing too. Neci held one of the hairy baby's paws onto his partner's blushed cheek.

After taking a few steps outside the studio, he sat Artemisia down. Taking off his jacket, Neci held it over his arm then walked over to get the container of lángos. He strolled over to Mister Ashton, smiling.

Jayme thought he had misheard his partner’s compliment, but he didn’t want to ask about it. Although, he couldn’t help but notice the red cheeks, just like his own, that made his heart flutter. His smile grew again as the cat’s paw was brought to his cheek.

He went over and stood at the base of the stairs to wait for Bathory, and once Artemisia was let down, she followed suit. Jayme briefly bent down and scratched her head. When he straightened, Bathory was moving towards him with the lángos, with another one of his winning smiles. Jayme stared, probably longer than he should have. Every time Mr. Bathory did something, he could imagine it as pencil or an ink drawing. Even now, he just wanted to draw him like this, smiling with the container under his arm.
As Bathory approached, the cat decided to go on upstairs, probably to hide somewhere, Jayme figured. He shyly returned the other man’s smile, then gestured for him to follow. The wood underneath his foot creaked a little as he pressed it on the step, and one by one he followed his cat upstairs.

Neci looked back at Mister Ashton. He kept on wandering, kept on asking himself so many questions. Was there something wrong with him? Does Ashton not like him? Could they start calling each other by their first names? He does like the sound of Jayme, it's such a fitting name for Mister Ashton. No no, is that inappropriate for work? Is it bad to think of all these sorts of questions? Maybe it is wrong to think so much, to be so curious.

He stood straight, gazing back at the painter. His pupils widened. There has to be something about the man that is making him feel this way. Or perhaps, it is himself. Maybe there is something about him that is making his whole body tingle and shiver. That could be it, it could be his own fault.

Nodding back, he turned to watch his partner walk up the stairs. Seconds later, he followed suit. His steps were slow. Everytime the wood underneath him creaked, his heart jumped then he would stop and eventually resume again. He swallowed, looking over his shoulder until he made it up the stairs. Standing behind Ashton, he stepped the side. "I never been this excited for lunch before!"

The stairs soon opened up to a small sitting room like area, with a chair, sofa, and small coffee table. A small vase of wilting flowers stood on the table, and there was a stand with a gas lamp in one corner. Another clock was mounted on the wall, and underneath all of the furniture was a simple rug. A few doors led out of the room, and there was one window letting light in. Artemisia was nowhere to be found; she was good at hiding.
Jayme put a hand to the back of his neck, smiling a little. “Really? Me neither.” Never this anxious, either. He did not have lunch with other people all that often, except maybe his mother. And sometimes, he did not even eat lunch in the first place.
He walked past the sitting room, approaching one of the doors. Once opened, it led into a kitchen a bit smaller than the sitting room. There was a table in one corner, large enough to seat four people.
“Ah, here we are,” Jayme said. He moved inside, then turned to watch Mr. Bathory enter and look around. “Um, I can prepare some drinks if you would like. What do you think would go best with lángos?”

Neci stopped after walking into the room. After that he began to slowly take steps while gazing around. His eyes lingered onto the vase of wilting flowers; he'll have to get a fresh bouquet of some tomorrow on his way to work. Virágok, he did his best to make a mental note of this. The place was nice and quaint. He could practically touch the ceiling without any trouble.

Catching up to Mister Ashton, he smiled at the fact that they have reached the kitchen. While he has never been so elated to eat with someone since coming home from the war, it was nice having the feeling of excitement. Well, maybe it was because he was eating with Mister Ashton, but he pushed the thought to the side for now.

In the corner of his eye, he saw the table. "Ah, essünk neki. Teljes," He whispered to himself as he made his way over. Opening the container, he carefully lifted the small plate of lángos up and sat it on the table. Both him and his sister-in-law forgot putting a fork and knife in there.

"Ah thank you…." He bit down on his bottom lip while in thought. What would go perfect with it? His mom would always put out some sort of drink in the morning and it was never the same. Water, tea, and even lemonade when they arrived to the States. "Lemonade?" He said with uncertainty. "Ahhh it's okay, tea or something like that would be just fine."

Jayme watched him, smiling faintly but also still anxious. He was not sure how to act, so he just stayed standing, his feet wandering occasionally. Even though the plate looked small, he didn’t mind since he had a small appetite.
He glanced up to Mr. Bathory, quietly getting the urge to draw his lip bite. He hummed, then let his feet take him to the small ice chest beside the window and opening it. Some days earlier, while his mother was still staying with him, they had made tea together, and there it was, in a jug on one of the chest’s shelves. There was lemonade there too, but it was running out. There might have been enough for two people, but Jayme wanted to save it for later. He brought out the tea jug and set it on the counter, then opened a cabinet to retrieve two glasses.
Remembering something, he turned to Bathory again. “Oh, there’s silverware in that drawer, by the way,” he said, pointing a set of drawers behind him. He turned back again to pour the tea and put in some ice. Once he was done, he set the glasses on the table. The smell of the lángos reached him again, and now that he got to see it up close, it looked even more delicious.

Looking over his shoulder, he found the drawer. His eyes squinted as if he was trying to use some sort way of remembering the drawer. Anyways, Neci hummed as he strolled over. Carefully opening it, his eyes scanned at all the silverware. He picked out a pair of forks and knives then closed the drawer. Assuming that they would be sitting across from each other, he placed a pair on one end and then the other.

Standing in front of the lángos, he snapped his fingers. "A kurva életbe!" He muttered to himself. Going back over to the drawer, he took out another knife to cut the food. After setting the table up for his family ever since he was little, he couldn't believe he forgot such a thing.

He went back to humming while cutting pieces of lángos. It was some patriot song that his comrades would sing during training. Sometimes he wished that he could've made something like lángos for those poor men. At least he is here now with Mister Ashton sharing such food. Internally, he is screaming with excitement like a little kid. Could a man of his past, his age be so happy over something small as this?

"You will like this," He stated with full confidence. Cutting out a piece for Ashton, he sat it on the plate across from him. "I cook too, but usually not things like lángos. I should make us lunch tomorrow or the day after that. It doesn't have to be Hungarian food, as long as it's not Chinese food. I don't know how to make that yet. What do you like Mister Ashton?"

Jayme watched as Bathory brought back a third knife for cutting, and chuckled, having been about to ask about it himself. He pushed the glasses of tea closer to their plates and silverware, then sat down. There seemed to be this extra layer of awareness in him, a kind of faded or dulled nervousness, that kept his eyes open for anything that could go wrong with this. Or maybe it was just anxiety and excitement canceling each other out, or something to that effect. Whatever it was, it made his eyes wide and hands shake, and he was privately glad that he was not the one cutting the lángos. Faintly, he hummed along with Bathory.
He managed a smile, though. “Thank you,” he said, when he was given a piece of the dish. He examined it a little, then looked back up, his smile dropping. “Oh? You don’t have to, sir, but I suppose it would be appreciated. You’re very kind for considering taking the time for something like that.” He paused to consider the other man’s question. “My mother’s cooking.” He chuckled again. “I know that’s specific, but she has a cookbook that she says has been in her family for generations, and I could swear to you that it has some of the best meals I’ve ever had inside.” The smile came back as he spoke. “To me, it never really compared to any other kind of food I would try.”
Looking back down, he mulled over the lángos a bit before cutting a smaller piece, then putting it in his mouth. He blinked as he chewed, then swallowed. “You know, this comes at a close second,” he said, immediately going to cut another another piece.

"Ah, thank you," He said, noting the cups of tea. Pulling his chair out, he sat down. It took him a few seconds to process the fact that he was a good distance away from the edge of the table. Sighing to himself, he did everything in his power to quietly scooch it closer.

His attention focused on the man across from him. Mostly to, somewhat, secretly admire the smile before it disappeared. "I mean, it wouldn't be any trouble. I love cooking, especially for people I care about. Just think, if there's a point in time with a piece where you don't need me, I could up here and start cooking. By the time you are done and ready for lunch or supper, everything will be ready. Doesn't that sound wonderful?"

He stopped himself just in time to hear Mister Ashton, to sigh over the way his partner lights up at talking about his mother's cooking. The way he chuckles sends a shiver down Neci's spine. Now he knows that he can never beat Mrs Ashton's cooking, but he wishes he could have some now.

"Oh…" Neci threw back his head with laughter. "I am glad you like it." He glanced down at his plate. Right, he needs to eat too. Picking up the silverware, he cuts a piece then puts the whole thing in his mouth.

Jayme found himself staring at his partner’s lips as he spoke, watching how they moved around his words. His own lips parted slightly; he was not sure what to think. Having Bathory cook for him sounded like a strange fantasy. Nice, but oddly disturbing.
“Oh. Oh my. Um, Mr. Bathory, if you do that, I will have to pay you extra. Wait,” he blurted, “does this mean you care about me?” Then a split second later he realized what he said, and a flush came over his complexion. “Oh dear, nevermind that. Forget what I said.”
He went back to eating to avoid looking at Bathory. The lángos was so good, it was the perfect distraction. Though, the other man’s laughter pulled his attention right back to him again, and made his lips quirk into an embarrassed smile as he swallowed a bite of food.
“I do,” he said. “Actually, speaking of payment, I would like to discuss that now. If you don’t mind.”

Setting the utensil down, he held his hands out and shook them. "Oh no no. If you do, I will use the extra money for the food I will cook for us," He interjected. His brow quirked up as he tilted his head. His chest felt tight, warm, and fuzzy, all at the same time. "Well I mean I suppose so. You mentioned something about forgetting to eat at times. Plus we are partners after al-"

Neci stopped. His breathing stopped for a second as he had lost his train of thought. All he did was look up from his plate to see Mister Ashton and his light pink cheeks. Not only did he lose his train of thought but also his sense of reality. His mind dozed off for a bit until he snapped back to reality. "Oh….alright then," He muttered before clearing hid throat.

Copying his partner, he went back to the food. The fork lightly pressed against it, yet he used no force to pick a piece up and eat it. His mind was too distracted to. He kept gazing back at Ashton, at that handsome, pretty, beautiful face of his that he is particularly fond of.

To get his mind off of whatever was floating through, he took a sip of tea. He took a deep breath as he carefully sat it down. "Oh no, by all means, go for it."

Jayme used his free hand to cover his face. “I’m sorry. I— I keep thinking my words will imply, uh, something that will make you uncomfortable. I thought it was too much. But it’s— it’s nice to hear. That you care about me. And it would very kind of you… if you cooked meals here.”
He really was such a thoughtless person, wasn’t he? His careless words must have done something to Bathory, because he did not know how else to interpret his awkward cut off and muttering. Jayme quietly died as he reached for his cup of tea, the flush in his cheeks not going away any time soon.
He couldn’t get his mind back on track, but the tea helped somewhat. “Ah, well. It varies sometimes, but I usually receive a paycheck from the people who commission me after I give them an art piece that they can print and reprint. It’s not exactly a week by week sort of thing. But I was thinking that when I do get paid, I could split the money with you, since we’re partners. That may have to change though, once I get a lady model. Um, what do you think?”

"Oh Mister Ashton…..I understand your worry, but it is alright. So far out of everything you have said, none of it has made me uncomfortable," Neci assured. He took another sip then gently placed the cup down. A gleam settled on his face, gently lifting the corner of his lips up. "Oh it will never be too much. You are a kind person, and you have a handsome smile that is so pleasing to see."

Is he making Mister Ashton very anxious right now? Has he been doing so ever since their call on the phone? Those pauses, oh they must have made his partner worried. If only his mind was stronger and not flimsy constantly hopping around three languages. Strange. It is the same mind that is making him stare at Mister Ashton with wide eyes and a relaxed sigh.

Neci went back to the food. He ate quietly while listening to Ashton talk about pay. For the better part, he kept his eyes down to his plate. He nodded along until finally looking back at him. What's he supposed to say? He has no clue. Maybe, he would rather it be him and Mister Ashton and no lady model? Not for pay, he doesn't care about it really. He just likes it being him and Ashton. That's normal thing to want, right?

"Makes sense to me," He responded. "But if you do pay me extra, it is going to our meals and you cannot stop me, partner."