Illustrating Thoughts and Feelings [Alexandrea]

[Hanei (DELETED 3287)]

Hanei listened to her answers completely, and yet he was completely absorbed in what he was doing. He had learned how to listen intently while focusing on a task simultaneously in the United States, where he had perfected his art as a serial killer. Because he did not ever kill many people in a short period of time, he had never ended up on the news, and thus most did not even know who 'Hanei' was. Her answers saddened him, in ways he had only ever felt when Mother Death left him...the night he realized she was a fae.

Her mood swing was unsettling, but then again, the scars he bore on his face and chest weren't exactly attractive to the opposite sex. He started with another color, dipping his brush in a red paint, like lipstick, and began at the top of his previous white crescent, making a rounded red like a circle, but then sharply dropping down to the other end of the crescent like a triangle-or a knife slash.

"Do...you know...why I...called...myself...Hanei?" He glanced at her briefly, almost ashamedly, like a child who suspected his mother knew what he had done despite his lying. "I know...I have...told....others...I am...simply...unaware...if you....know."

[Alexandrea]

She gave it some thought, she really did. Alexandrea really never paid much attention to gossip however. If anyone had ever mentioned anything at all about Hanei to her, she had no memory of it. No... that was wrong.

"Only one person has ever mentioned you to me before, Hanei. He used to be my driver, Alanoth. He spoke highly of you, even suggesting you as a bodyguard for me on one occasion of my... having drawn too much attention." The blonde chuckled and then went on. "But that's was the whole conversation and if anyone has said something about your name in passing, I didn't catch it."

She had taken leave of her own easel as Alex answered the Killer and she stepped to his side, taking a look at what he had so far. "You have a great stroke but perhaps you would like to see how much better control you may have over it by changing how tightly you have your grip on the brush. Would you like me to show you what I mean?"

[Hanei (DELETED 3287)]

Johnathon couldn't believe his luck, but merely nodded to her answering of his question instead of continuing where he had left off. If anything, he didn't want Alexandrea to think poorly of him for his bloody past. Then again, other Killers had his tendencies and so she was likely familiar with such behaviors. She was abnormally kind to him, more so than the majority of his fellow vampires, and he hoped to soon count her as a friend along with being a member of the Noble Bloodline.

He was reminded of what they were doing when she stood closeby and offered to show him a better technique. HE had begun to paint something of a bird's wing over the left hand circle, but was willing to pause long enough to learn. Besides, he was curious of how to properly wield an instrument other than a knife or sword.

"Yes...please." He held out the brush to her and stood back from the canvas.

[Alexandrea]

Taking the brush with a grin, the Allurist set it aside in a cup, wet side sticking up, and took up an clean and dry one. She held out her hand as she held in in different grips, showing the Killer how many different ways there really were to hold even just a simple brush. And the Alexandrea pulled a tall stool over to her own easel and sat down on the edge, having to hop up slightly to get her butt up on the seat.

One leg swinging back and forth out of habit as the blonde dipped the brush in the plain white and then showed Hanei how applying pressure along the handle of the brush at different points, gave more or less control over the how the hairs of the brush spread the paint upon the canvas.

"I'm sure you have held a sword... you know how much better you can be when you forget that the sword is separate from your arm and just react like it's a part of you? Think of the brush as the same. An extension of your hand, not just a tool. Have you ever used a scalpel? It's more like that... once you get a feel for what it can do? You make the tool a part of you."

[Hanei (DELETED 3287)]

The Killer watched Alexandrea's trained hand movements, the graceful flow of her wrist as she manipulated the brush in so many different ways. It seemed fluid, like watching water meld around a rock in the stream. It reminded Johnathon far too much of the past...of using his blade to dismember a man, or to behead him. He said nothing as he watched, not wanting to bother the Allurist with his trivial mental discord.

He nodded at what she said, and stared at the painting a moment. It wasn't finished, wasn't anything like how he wanted it to come out, to pay homage to two individuals in his life whom he felt deserved the best work possible. He knew that he himself wouldn't be able to do them justice...but perhaps the other person in the room could.

"Alexandrea..." he hoarsely whispered, at first embarrassed, but now simply unable to speak quickly or loudly, "...will you...help...me paint....this image? It...is...of...two...women...who I...owe...everything....well, two of.....three."

[Alexandrea]

Rather than encourage her guest to continue painting, somehow Hanei seemed even less inclined to try and paint after Alexandrea had demonstrated the different brush techniques. She must has jumped ahead too quickly, thinking the Killer was more at ease with the new experience than he actually was.

The blonde chewed her lower lip in thought as she set aside her brush and stood back up, bushing a few loose strands of her flaxen hair from her eyes and then placing one hand on her hip and the other for a brief moment on Hanei's arm.

"You are trying to cross a bridge before it's built, Hanei." Was all she said quietly before walking across the room and pouring herself some wine.

"I have some blood bags if you would like something to sip?" Alex offered before taking a small sip from her glass. The blonde leaned against a table, the tip of her tongue catching a small drop on her lip. She didn't notice she was resting against a damp canvas.

"If you want me to paint something for you, I could and I would but that isn't why you are here. You are here because I already do want to help you and this is the best why I know how. Art. You were having some trouble expressing yourself I recall? This experience is something that can help you with that but you have to do it yourself, I can't do it for you. I can only show you what steps to take. You have to walk your own path yourself. Give yourself time. It's like cooking something new. You don't plan to share the meal the first time you try the recipe. It's only after you've made it your own and want to show it off that you share it."

Alex moved away from the table, the still wet painting clinging to the seat of her pants as she did so.

[Hanei (DELETED 3287)]

Johnathon had to think carefully about what Alexandrea was saying, it made a lot of sense, but it pained him to have to admit it. He didn't want to do anything that would diminish their image...the two women who he wanted to paint. He just didn't know how to do it, he was no artist, only a murderer. An extension of the hand via instrument he could understand, be it a knife or a sword or a gun, but not a paint brush.

He stopped in his musing to stare as he realized what Alexandrea did not. He only stared for a moment at her, then at the canvas she had leaned against, wondering how on earth she hadn't noticed. Should he tell her? Would that be rude? Would him having noticed be interpreted as perversion? After a moment or two of musing, his mind completely forgotten about the painting he had come to attempt, he decided that inaction was a greater risk than bringing her dilemma to light.

"Alex...andrea...you...have some...paint...on your......backside." He didn't point, and he didn't make eye contact as he spoke, hoping she wouldn't be upset that he had looked in a direction capable of letting him see the paint on her pants.

[Alexandrea]

No sooner had Hanei brought Alexandrea's attention to the unwelcome passenger attached to her rear end, then the canvas made it's presence known all on it's own, falling off of the blonde's bum and landing oil paint side down on the floor. Alex turned as it fell but didn't react quickly enough to catch it, she was laughing too hard. Once the Allurist had gotten a grip, she wiped a few tears from her eyes and grinned at her guest.

"Well, that sucks! I liked how that one came out a lot! Oh well, I'll make another. Maybe this time the painting will actually end up looking like what I have in my head for once!"

Alex grabbed a rag and patted uselessly at her pants for a few minutes and then looked back up at Hanei. "I'm going have to run upstairs and change. I'll be quick. Help yourself to some blood bags in the kitchen if you like until I get back. Or better yet? Keep playing with some paint. Remember, it's just your first try. Don't be so hard on yourself. Just relax. Take the brush and some paint and do whatever comes naturally to you. The less you think about it? The better. Try and have some fun with it."

Giving the Killer a wink, Alex left the art studio through the short hall that also led to the kitchen and headed up the stairs. She closed the door behind her out of habit and went into her room to change, dripping paint with every step she took. The traces of dried paint along the trail giving the tale that what had just happened in the art room wasn't an isolated incident and the lack of Alex's one time thrall Morgan that much more apparent. Alexandrea wasn't a slob but she was very easily distracted from the every day things like... keeping house.

[Hanei (DELETED 3287)]

Hanei had watched Alexandrea for quite some time, not sure of what he was supposed to do. To offer assistance might seem forward or perverted, let alone it wasn't appropriate. He was reminded of when he first met his Sire, Corin's friend Alanoth who had always been something of a pure chivalrist. He never once did anything forward around a woman, and he wondered about that. The Killer had very little interaction with members of the opposite gender other than with Isabella, Corin, Jezebel, and Alexandrea. It didn't exactly make him a player, and he certanly wasn't confident.

Before he could answer her offer, she was gone, and thus Johnathon Kelvin Anders was left alone in the painting room. He stared for a moment at the painting that had been accidentally ruined, then picked up the frame and set it on a table. Staring at his own attempt at painting, he tried to imagine in his mind what he wanted to appear on the canvas. It was certainly difficult, he wasn't entirely sure just what he intended to do, and he wasn't sure if he had even known before hand. But that's how most works of art begin, isn't it? A concept or idea in the mind, not an entirely planned out masterpiece.

He straightened his shirt and glanced at his suit jacket to ensure it was clean, then sat on the stool again and took up the brush. He scrapped what he had originally been doing, making one large circle in the upper center of the black paper, out of a pale white. He then found a much smaller brush and made two black lines to separate the circle into three sectons, each of approximately equal size. Then, the Killer took up a different brush, somewhat small but not ridiculously so, and made four black dots in a straight line, two in the center section and one in each of the other sections of the circle. He examined what he had thus far, and decided that would suffice, making eliptical black circles around each dot that made them somewhat like eyes, though in a more exaggerated way than the actual shape of a human eye. He thought carefully, and made the center image have a black blindfold instead of having eyes.

This was how he would show the three most important women in his life, the two he felt strongly towards, and the one who never left him alone no matter how he cried in the night. Pausing to recollect his thoughts, Hanei let the brush rest on the paint tray, staring at the image before him.

[Alexandrea]

The woman was dressed in a flash, having ended up undressed in unexpected way had become a running joke that the blonde didn't find in the least bit funny. More than one of her close friends that she trusted had a habit of summoning her to them first and telling her about it afterward. Back down the stairs in no time wearing an old ripped up pair of jeans and a Maple Leafs sweatshirt, Alexandrea stood in the doorway and watched Hanei as he undid his work so he could start over. She thought she understood why.

She debated showing the different attempts she had made at capturing Odin to Hanei but wasn't sure about sharing them with anyone. Then it dawned on Alexandrea how silly she was. By keeping them hidden away she was making a much bigger deal out of the fact that the Killer had inspired her so much then she would want him to know. 'Him' meaning, Odin. The much frequent subject of her paint brush. If it really was no big deal, then why did the Allurist keep them hidden?

Besides, the point of teaching her fellow DC family member about painting was to help him to express his own feelings. More than likely to do with a love interest but it wasn't any of Alexandrea's business unless Hanei brought it up. Regardless of the young Killer's motivations for being in her art studio, he had come to Alex for help. It wasn't her style to be; 'do as I say not as I do' with people. If she expected her new friend to feel safe opening up in front of her, she would lead by example. Trust and mutual respect are two way streets, the blonde thought about that... and hoped that by letting her own guard down Hanei might be able to do the same.

"Nothing I ever tried seemed to be right while I was painting what my eyes saw, so I stopped and I painted what my heart saw instead. And then... I was happy with it. And my friend seemed to be too. He hung it up where he could see it, at least." Alex chuckled and then pulled out a large leather case that zipped up around the sides. She opened it up and pulled out her private portfolio. Opening up it in front of her guest, Alexandrea flipped through dozens of sketches of Odin Birn, and then snapshots of the finished paintings. Four in total.

"These are my attempts at showing what I see when I look at a friend of mine." A burst of laughter escaped the blonde's lips. "Yes, even this last one." Pointing at the most recent finished work of the sometimes temperamental killer she loved.

"But was it exactly what I saw in my head? No... it never is. No matter how many times you stop and start over, very rarely does art comes out to be exactly what you had planned for it to be. But is usually comes out as good if not better than what you had envisioned and it's all about thee journey. Getting there, is part of the fun."

Alex set down her portfolio and crossed her arms, meeting Hanei's eyes with her own and a kind expression on her face."So, Hanei... are you having fun yet?"