"The ocean is beautiful" I stare at the painting
"Most of these paintings are done from where my parents live" Ellise smiled fondly
"Do you miss home?"
"So much, but I'll be going back soon. I look forward to seeing my Dad again" she hummed, "I love the ocean. I know it's full of scary things but the beach was my childhood. I would gather shells on the seaside as a kid with my brother. We regularly ate seafood and had bonfires on the beach"
"Sounds great"
"It was magical"
Its been months since that conversation. I stare at another of her works of the ocean.
"Come along, don't doddle" Koji the head of the house urged.
I followed quickly as he lead me through the many halls before finally into a parlor, "The master of the house will be in soon. He wants to discuss some paperwork"
I nod and sit and wait. Life isn't kind. Never is. I can only guess what's about to happen. I guess I could conciter myself fortunate.
Getting caught by slavers was a risk of being a traveler. I just had hoped it nene happened. When the house of Endeavor purchased me I was absolutely terrified until I came to the fierce wings estate.
I see a coffee maker in the corner and decide to make a cup. Bribery could do me some good.
It wasn't long after I made the cup Mr Takami himself came in holding a file.
"I see you've arrived. I'm sorry for all of this. I never thought Enji would buy me a slave. Then again I guess he thought my manor was a mess on his last visit" he chucklrd opening the file.
I placed the cup infont of him before sitting on the couch opposite of the chair he now occupied.
"Coffee? How sweet" he smiled drinking it before his face seemed to light up, "how sweet. You are going to have to teach Koji how to make a cup this good"
I nod not wanting to offend. I've seen plenty of slaves to know talking is the worst idea.
"You aren't mute are you?" He raised a brow
"No sir"
"Sir? Hm, no" he mused lightly looking at the file moving one of the papers to read the one behind it.
"Mr. Takami"
"I am not my father. In polite company I prefer Hawks"
"Yes Mr Hawks"
"Just hawks"
"Ok Hawks" I nod feeling more flustered
"Good good. They don't say anything about your records do they? I would figure enji to do his research before buying but whatever. Tell me yourself who you are" he threw the file on the coffee table instead grabbing his cup to sip at.
"I am (Y/N), I was a traveler before now. Which is why they don't have my records"
"Traveler you say? How peculiar. How did you come to be a slave?"
"I was caught against my will, like most slaves"
"How brutish. Well you're safe now. I sent Tokiyami to town to get you some new clothes. I'll have Koji prepare you a bath and tell you your new jobs"
Of course he won't set me free. Wishful thinking on my part. I nodded and soon was being lead to be cleaned up.
I was given fresh clothes and a nice room. I had very simple chores. Mostly cleaning. Koji handled all the staff but the staff was small at best. A gardener and a chef. Neither of which I got to really talk to since I was kept busy doing laundry and sweeping.
I spent the whole first month just learning the layout of the manor. There are so many rooms that it was overbearing. Koji helped me learn and started with small tasks.
By the 3rd month I was able to work by myself gathering laundry, cleaning, and sweeping.
I hardly saw the master of the house until I was of course caught sleeping in the laundry room. Fortunately instead of being punished the reason I even woke up was a jacket was placed around my shoulders. Then again I only saw him for a second as he left the room.
It was weeks later when a knock on my door drew my attention from the sketch I was working on. The room I was given had a whole bookshelf that a sketchpad was on with a cup of graphite and I finally decided to indulge in some drawing by the bay window to relax.
"Come in"
Hawks came in with a warm smile, "Good evening"
"Evening" I greet putting down my sketch pad
His eyes seemed to shimmer in the sunset, "I was wondering if you could join me in my office"
"Have i done something wrong?"
"Not at all. Just would like the company. You can even bring along your drawing"
His office was big but cozy. I found a spot on the sofa in there while he went to his desk. He just did paperwork for a long while and a few hours later he sent me back to my room.
Eventually it became more frequent. Even requesting me to bring him a cup of coffee. It went from never seeing him to being in the same room with him for hours a day.
I would sketch things in his office. His shelves and the glasses left on the table.
Today I felt risky. When I traveled I painted people and places. Finally able to endulge again I couldn't help but be attracted to the beauty of the scene before me. Hawks hair looked like spun gold in the golden sunlight from the window behind him. His eyes soft but focused on his paperwork scribbling down with a glass quill. His sleeves rolled up on his strarched white shirt the top few buttons undone dipping towards his silken vest.
I was nearly done with my sketch when I looked up to meet his curious eyes, "I always notice you scribbling away over there but never know what it is"
"Just drawing" I shut the sketch pad so if he asks to see i have a chance of opening to a different page
"Well, bring it here"
Or not...I handed him the small book and he flipped through the pages curiously. When he finally got to the page I was working on he smirked, "Is this how you see me?" At my silence he asked a new question, "Did you do art professionally?"
"Not really. I wasn't classically trained but when I traveled I learned from those who were"
"Its truly beautiful work, do you work with paints?"
"I am familiar with oils"
"Then I would like to request you do a portrait of me" he smiled looking more at my drawing of him.
"Im out of practice"
"The artwork is beautiful anyway" he handed my sketch book back going back to his papers, "I'll request Tokiyami to get you any supplies you need"
"Are you sure?"
"Positive" he looked at the sketch book again, "I'll have him grab more stuff for your sketching too"
He sent me out shortly after. It was only a few days later a crate of supplies was dropped into my room. An easel, paints, brushes, paper, canvas, and anything else I could possibly need.
Hawks set my easel up in his office. He seemed to enjoy seeing the things I painted for practice until I finally started painting him.
"I always found painting interesting" he mused, "I could never do it. I took up photography years ago but got out of it as I got busy"
"What did you photograph?"
"What i could. I liked to travel when I was able to"
"What happened to them? I don't see any around"
"I keep them all in a binder on my shelf"
"You keep a lot of paintings around the manor"
"Im a bit of an enthusiast. Pictures are in black and white but paints have such vibrancy"
I finish my chromatic colors but can't help but get this feeling. Would he be mad if I made it surreal? I take the leap of faith unable to help myself. Big red wings on his back shimmering in the sunlight.
A head suddenly landed on my shoulder, "Wings? Am I an angel to you?"
Hawks scared the daylights out of me making me jump but his hands held my arms to keep my shoulder from slamming him in the jaw, "Im so sorry I-"
"I like it. You capture such detail. I have never had a portrait of me look so beautiful, i guess its the difference between someone classically trained vs someone who has learned on their own"
His head moved back as his hands slipped off my arms, "you are a good subject to paint" I say absently working on a highlight
"Are you complementing me?" He chuckled
"Well um...yes I guess I am" I clean off my brush before setting it down to turn to him
"Well I'm honored to receive such a complement"
"From a slave?"
"From someone who has traveled and painted people. Im sure you have painted many beautiful subjects"
"I painted painters themselves. I liked to paint them painting their favorite subject. It was a passion of mine"
"Did they ever get wings?"
"Well no. Though I have done different things. There was a woman i remember quite well because I gave her hair with vines throughout it. She was a religious painter"
"Have you done a self portrait?"
"None officially"
"I would like you to do one. I'll have a mirror brought up here tomorrow"
"May i ask why?"
"Curiosity. Would you rather me have you working on cleaning the fireplace? Or tending to the bookshelves?" He tilted his head downward with a goofy grin, "Or make you repaint all my walls yourself"
"No" I avoid his gaze not wanting to laugh
"Oi, look at me" his hand caught my chin between his thumb and index finger forcing me to turn my head back, "If I'm being silly you can laugh"
"I didn't want to offend"
"You don't need to worry about offending me. I promise I'm not gonna hurt you" his thumb very briefly grazed my bottom lip but his hand was gone a second later as he walked back to his desk, "Finish up that painting and ill get it hung in the main room. I want everyone to see it"
Oh the anxiety. How many people visit his manor?? And they'll all see it??? Oh fuck
It was the next day I gawked at it being hung in the middle of the entrance room for everyone to see.
"Perfect spot am I right?" Hawks stood next to me
"I-...um" how do I say I'm anxious but happy, but also mortified?
"I want everyone to see what my little gem did"
"Your... what?"
"My little gem" he reiterated fondly, "Whats that saying? A diamond in the rough?"
"Hardly so"
"That portrait begs to differ" his hand landed on the small of my back as he started to lead me to his office, "Im sure yours will be amazing. I got the mirror put up today so you can start whenever"
"Im not sure about this" Im not someone I paint. It requires looking at myself...I don't want to paint my insecurities
"It will be just as beautiful as you"
"Wha-"
"Did I stutter?"
I shut my mouth taking the complement. He sat at his desk while I preped my station for painting. The mirror was large so I could see my whole reflection. It was odd. I didn't particularly like this.
I spent a good few hours sketching. I just... couldn't get it right. Finally I felt ready to just paint it but when I got my paints Hawks came over to inspect.
"Your eyes are brighter, you know what I mean? This just doesn't have the right...feeling"
"I think it's fine"
He grabbed the pencil making a few thin marks, "You're thinner here, also if you change this to...yeah like that then we get closer"
He turned to me briefly staring me down, "Your lips are.." he made a new line correcting the ones I drew, "Start there and work on it more. I want it to look just like you"
"You sure?" I look at the mirror nervously.
His hands caught my chin again dragging my eyes back to his, "Positive. You're cute. Is it wrong to want you pinned to my wall?"