a little idle talk

[clayforthedevil]

Bahorel knocks on Feuilly's door. If Feuilly answers, he's there to chat, and to return a book that he borrowed after Feuilly borrowed it from the Library (on Polish crafts. Of course it's on Polish crafts. But it's an interesting book, so Bahorel only teased a relatively little.).

(If Feuilly doesn't answer, Bahorel's got his lockpicking kit, a container of dental floss, some small coins, and a few little sewing tools. It's good to have backup plans!)

Comments

[tu_vas_triompher]

Oh. Oh God Bahorel is saying lover and--

Feuilly is too red and sputtery and too busy wrapping his arms very tightly around his knees, small and indignant and protective, to say anything. Which is just as well, because he catches the change in tone at the end. The result is an even tighter ball, because now he can't look at Bahorel, but-- "Mmmh."

A monosyllabic grunt counts as an expression of gratitude for years of friendship, right?

[clayforthedevil]

Sure, it's eloquent enough in its way. Bahorel puts an arm around Feuilly's hunched shoulders. And Bahorel could absolutely go on--

But because he isn't entirely merciless, he changes the subject. "You're looking at Gauguin for your fan commissions?" There's a cover of a book, bright and recognizable, propped open among the other references.

[tu_vas_triompher]

Oh, fine. Feuilly leans affectionately against him. And starts to uncurl at the question. "Oh--yes--well, no, not exactly. I, I got distracted. I was, I was looking into some of the work painters were doing at the end of the nineteenth century, start of the twentieth--they talk about post-impressionism--" He uncurls a little more, reaches out to pull over the Gauguin book. "--He painted in Tahiti. Which--oh, you probably know some of the colonial history--but the paintings are wonderful--"

Where do we come from? What are we? Where are we going? It's a series of questions certain to pull Feuilly's attention.

[clayforthedevil]

" They are--I'd love to see the originals." Color printing may have eventually exceeded the hopes of his own day, but he knows still a book-sized replica will never match the effect of a full canvas. "Were you looking to them for the style, or the history?" Either one's interesting! And probably going to get them into arguments! Bahorel grins, and settles into the familiarity of Yelling About Art.

[tu_vas_triompher]

"I found them because I was looking at the style--I need to read more about the history, I have some books out from the library--colonialism, exoticism--the paintings are very troubling, and there's something--here, this title is nothing but questions, and--"

Feuilly is more of a Stammering About Art type, not so much Yelling About Art. But that's friendship for you: different people.