Chapter 20 #2
"No, I'm good." He shook his head. "Meat is fine. I was just teasing."
She nodded. “I know, but I should have asked regardless. I don’t know much about you and what I do know.
..well, it doesn’t really correlate to food.
So...” She looked down at her plate and picked up the wooden chopsticks, and started to work with them to get them ready for their meal.
She wasn’t sure what to say; Easton was so hard to read.
"That's partly why I stuck around today," he told her. "We need time to get to know each other. One day these things will all be familiar. I hope...I hope we can do this again...often."
She nodded. “Me, too. I mean, I know the other guys largely have regular day jobs that keep them busy, but you are the artist and make your own hours. Which is like living the dream, isn’t it?”
"It is and it isn't." He shrugged. "When the muse rides me, she rides me hard. I can go days without eating and sleeping, and then I crash. The others have to check in on me."
“The hallmark of an artist,” she offered.
“I have had to go and check on a few of our regulars when they don’t check in.
..proof of life and all that.” She smiled.
“But that’s part of the genius. And your work is always amazing, Easton.
The study in shadow that was your last show was some of the most moving work I had ever seen.
I wasn’t surprised all the pieces sold in the first hour of the show. ”
"I was," he laughed. "Talent is not a gift we received from He Who Sleeps. I'm always surprised when my paintings sell well."
“I would think not. I mean talent shouldn’t be something given, but inherent to the person.
But you have real talent, in a way so few do.
I mean some can take a picture, or work with oils.
Some can draw. Not me, though. I can’t draw to save the world,” she teased.
“But you can do everything, and it’s beautiful.
Your talent... You will be remembered with the greats in years to come.
And no, that’s not me blowing smoke up your ass.
You have all the benchmarks of timeless work.
I’m just honored I could be part of that. ”
Yuki came back with several steam baskets and set them in front of them, and then came back with a platter of sauces. Petra thanked her, then opened the nearest one to her and grinned. Veggie Gyoza.
"Mixed media is a journey," he shrugged, refusing to accept the compliments.
"That's part of the joy of it. I'm always learning new materials, new techniques.
" He selected a dumpling and ate it with a small moan of satisfaction.
"That's good!" he said. "I'll have to remember this place next time I'm in the area.
" He ate another one like he was inhaling them.
"So what about you? Where did you learn about art? " he asked.
“School,” she said. “I always liked it, and it was my favorite course in high school. When I went to college, I majored in art history and restoration. Something that stays with the world, long after the artist is gone, that’s true immortality, and it makes the world more rich and layered.
“So many artists, though, they go undiscovered or unknown. Some of the best works out there aren’t even signed.
I wanted to be a part of that. It’s why Lorne is doing the undiscovered talent shows every six months.
I suggested it, and after he found Gizzy Baker and Tawret London.
..well, he’s kept it. Neither of them would have had a chance to make it to the big time if they hadn’t shown at the gallery; they were too obscure. ”
"You're a champion of the arts," he told her with a small smile of satisfaction. "It helps that Lorne has a good eye for new talent. People trust his judgment when he says someone is going to be big. He's always right."
“Yes, he is. And I have learned a lot from him since I started working there,” she agreed.
They ate a few more pieces before Yuki came back with new steam baskets.
Opening the next one, Petra grinned. Tofu bao for her and she saw what she knew were pork dumplings in Easton’s basket.
She picked up her bao and dipped it, taking a bite and gave a little moan, and butt wiggle. “Yummy.”
"That was fucking adorable," he snorted. "Do it again."
“Wh...what?” She looked around and frowned. “Bite some bao?”
"The little happy food dance butt wiggle thing. You looked like a newborn lamb."
“Oh...” She blushed. “I didn’t even realize I was doing it. Yummy food makes me happy.” And few things did before.
"It's lovely," he said with a genuine smile. "We have so few joys in our lives. Seeing someone truly experience them to the full is a blessing."
She smiled, blushing again. “So, why did you become an artist, Easton?”
"At first, it was therapy," he admitted.
"There was an art program I was allowed to attend from the foster home.
I wasn't into it at first, but it got me out of the house and away from.
.. Well, it got me out of the house. For whatever reason, The Order allowed me to continue when they took me in.
They even brought in an art tutor to refine my art when some of my pieces were seen by The Elders.
One of them is apparently quite the collector. "
She looked to him. “You were raised in the system, too?”
"You knew that. Unless you weren't paying attention during our session?" he teased.
“I did, but I mean, full on system. When were you out? We didn’t discuss it. Myself and the girls, we were all in ‘til we graduated from high school and went to college.”
"The Order took me in when I was thirteen. The others were all around the same age." He ate more dumplings. "Did you never go into foster care?" he asked curiously. "I wasn't ever given the option to stay in a home."
She shook her head. “The orphanage kept all of us. We never had the opportunity to go to a home. We all were just there. Though it wasn’t like the orphanages you see in movies.
It was a huge old Victorian, something like twenty bedrooms, on land just outside of town.
We had the Matron, and a few caregivers that came and went, but aside from the Matron we didn’t have anyone for too long. ”
"Did they send you out to school?" He seemed fascinated by the idea, and maybe a little jealous.
“Eventually,” she said. “We all started school after our second grade year at a preparatory school, though I don’t know how, considering it was a prep school, you know?
We were told we had benefactors, but we never met them or anything.
When we went to college, we all got some sort of scholarship, though we did work our asses off for them. ”
"You were lucky," he said softly, some darkness in his eyes that showed itself in the lines of his whole face. "I'm glad for you that your experience was like that."
“It wasn’t great. I mean, we didn’t have much interaction beyond each other.
The Matron was a hard woman, and we learned early to stay out of her way.
Holidays weren’t a thing for us, nor birthdays, or anything.
We were just kinda...kept alive and allowed to learn, if that makes any sense?
We didn’t have much of anything else.” She looked to him.
“I take it your experience wasn’t quite puppies and rainbows.
” She didn’t like the haunted look in his eyes. “You don’t have say or anything...”
"Trust me, your experience is a dream compared to what I went through," he told her. "But in many ways, I'm glad you don't know better. I'm glad the...darkness that touched me never came to your door."
She shook her head. “I’m sorry anything awful happened to you, Easton.
” She swallowed. “But if you ever wanna talk, I’m here to listen.
I might not have had the same experience, but I understand about trauma.
Like I said, it wasn’t perfect, and I lost people along the way.
” She thought of Kimberly and her taking her own life.
“Fighting demons alone... Just know I’m here for you, regardless.
No judgment, no blowback. I’m just here. ”
"It's enough that you know it happened and that there are consequences," he said with a shrug. "I might overcome them one day. I might not. Either way, I'm prepared to try. For you. For my brothers."
“I’m here for you if you ever need me,” she offered as Yuki brought them more food and refills on their drinks.
Whatever he went through, she was sure she didn’t want to know the details, but she would listen and witness for him, if it helped him.
Deciding to change the subject, given the way he was looking at her, she said, “Carter told me you have a parrot?”
"Yes, an African Grey called Niobe," he said, seeming relieved at the change of subject.
She smiled. “Are you kidding? That’s so cool! Is she a good girl? I know some Greys can be mischievous. How long have you had her? Does she get along with people, or is she a one guy parrot?”
"She's a show off," he said. "Whenever the others come over, she tries to sing them arias." He grimaced. "She's a terrible singer."
She giggled. “Oh yeah? But I bet she loves you.” She sighed. “I always wanted pets. We couldn’t have them growing up and most places won’t allow them in the city.” She smiled. “Do you spend time with her at home, or at your studio? Or is it both the same place?” she asked shyly.
"It's hard to describe," he said with a frown. "They're separate buildings, but there's a caged aviary between them and Niobe can move around as she pleases. But I'll often shut her out when I'm working, because the chemicals I use are bad for birds. I can wear a respirator. She can't."
She nodded. “You’re a good bird dad,” she offered with a grin. The information he had given her reminded her of a few different buildings in Old City, which wasn’t so far from where she lived. “I hope I can meet her at some point. I love birds.”