[open] watching paint dry

[altusimperius]

WHO: Benedict and you
WHAT: Working on the dining hall mural, smoking elfroot, making himself useful one small task at a time
WHEN: Kingsway
WHERE: mostly the dining hall, sometimes other places
NOTES: ART

I. Style Taste Class

Already something of a serious person by nature, Benedict has never been more invested in a project than he is in his newly-appointed task of livening up the dining hall-- even his work as a chamberlain was more detached than this, what with him making stylistic decisions but not personally implementing any of them.

He's requested a little scaffold be set up so he can get above the large tower doorframes, and he can be found there at all hours that he isn't in Byerly's office, which is to say, in the mornings and late at night. When he sleeps is unclear, but based on the bags under his eyes, that doesn't come often.

But he seems cheerful enough, for who he is, and is usually open to conversation with diners and passersby as his painstaking design begins to take shape*.

*it's an approximation obviously

II. Recreation Station

When not at work either for Byerly or on his Masterpiece, Bene can be found lounging with his semi-erstwhile hookah in a spare room of the mage tower, having amassed a small number of battered and disused pillows and blankets to make the place homier.
His presence there is usually indicated by the smell of scented smoke, much like his former neighbors would be used to when he still had a room of his own, but fortunately he keeps the window open to let things vent properly.

III. Wildcard

The usual stuff is happening! Make your own prompt or hit me up for one.

Comments

[altusimperius]

"It means..."

He's still smiling, but it dwindles.

"I don't want you to find something I'd like." He glances at Colin, then back to his work. "...the things I like don't historically remain in my possession."

[keenly]

"I'm going to do my best to get you something you'll like." Setting that straight. "And if you lose it, you'll still have had more joy in your life than you would have. And if you have to sell it one day, that means it had a purpose I couldn't have foreseen. Things are things."

[altusimperius]

"I guess."

The conversation has taken an odd turn, and suddenly he's thinking about the cigarette box again, all the fuss that went into its retrieval, only to end in total failure.

At least he has the hookah.

"...maybe..." He sighs, and looks down at the clothes he has on under the smock.
"...maybe something nicer to wear." None of it fits that well, baggy on his tall frame, and it's all about as bland as can be.

[keenly]

That melancholy makes Colin think uncomfortably about something that happened a year-ish ago. He glances away.

"You're thinking about the box?" he asks quietly.

[altusimperius]

"It's fine," Bene mumbles with a shrug, glancing over his shoulder to meet Colin's eyes, trying to mean it.

[keenly]

When he looks, guilt is written on Colin's face. This project is supposed to be happy and here he's made Bene think of something upsetting.

"What colors do you like to wear?" he tries.

[altusimperius]

"Red," Bene says automatically, "and gold, but..." He winces, thinking about it.
"Those are my family colors. So I guess just. Jewel tones?"

Distancing himself from his family kind of matters right now.

[keenly]

Colin nods, though he's no closer to feeling confident about this than before. Well. He'll come up with something.

"Byerly will probably appreciate you being decently dressed."

[altusimperius]

"The more ornamental the better," Bene replies, humor creeping back into his voice, "let him know he holds something of value."

[keenly]

Colin smiles to hear some genuine humor and self-esteem.

"Precisely," he says. "Though you won't want to--oh."

His eyes widen briefly as he realizes what he's going to do.

"Yes. We'll have you taken quite care of."

[altusimperius]

Bene's eyes widen in response, and then he looks at him suspiciously.

[keenly]

"Just trust me, all right? I don't want to say anything in case I can't pull it together, but I really think I can."

[altusimperius]

Though still suspicious, Bene nods, slowly turning away again with a smirk.

secrets