Chéri was now in the position, but wasn’t stiff yet, as he expected Darius to bring some food first. Food was, without a doubt, in the center of his mind today. Chéri spread his smile and asked “You are certain but you don’t know?” A little curious -and probably testing Darius’s shyness “Anyway, it is true I have always had admires. What they wanted to do with their admiration wasn’t always the same thing, but they were there.” Chéri confirmed, still studying Darius, in search of any embarrassment. Chéri bent his head to the side “Did I say I was happy or well taken care of?” Someone had decided to be a little difficult just now.

Chéri nodded. Understanding only that food was going to come soon, they stretched a little again. And as it came, they triumphantly jumped onto a plate, eating in a less than graceful manner. And yet there was something beautiful in it: very few people visibly enjoy food as much as Calliope did.

Darius looked over at Calliope with a helpless smile. "I mean, I don't know.. but usually the more attractive people get married off or live an easy life on someone's arm pretty quickly, if they chose to." He shrugged and looked away awkwardly. "Well I suppose everyone has different interests. Some people don't deserve to though.. " His stupid brother popped up in his mind and he rubbed his face then noticed the man staring at him. He leaned back just a little, feeling more nervous. "No.. you did not. But you seem at ease, if you are not, you could look for somewhere else. But I would hope they would take care of you. That place seemed nicer than ..." The others? He couldn't even say it. His eyes searched the room for anything of interest than Calliope.

He was grateful to leave the room and return with food. To see Calliope lose some of his grace to eat the food with such pure enjoyment. It almost made him wish he knew how to cook, but what did he care? As long as he could provide and bring some joy to Calliope or anyone else who would spend time with him that was what mattered.

Calliope looked back and there was something sweet in her next smile, not so much patient as partial. “And that is an easy life, yes? Depending on beauty.” Their voice was very neutral, they didn’t seem offended but rather curious. And in the end, they managed to have him wander somewhere else. Calliope laughed. “See? Beauty is not enough. As soon as you feel a little discomfort, even if you call me perfect, your want to look away. You come close first because of beauty, but you don’t stay. People don’t stay for beauty.” A little dramatic?

Calliope was filled with real enthusiasm while consuming the food and even munched happy compliments to it in what probably sounded like gibberish and was, realistically, basque mixed with some French dialect. When they were done, they asked “Alright, should we start? What part are we doing today?”

He shook his head quickly. 'You misunderstand. It's not because of your beauty. It is because beauty is so yearned for, it can cause trouble. And you are right, it can make it easy but it isn't a guarantee and there are a lot of bad people that would like to be close to beauty and control it and keep it to themselves." He rubbed his face more, smearing that dash of paint more into his skin. "It isnt' your beauty, it's how cruel the world can be. But there can be good people who would treat you well. But beauty isn't everything. .. yes. And some people do stay for beauty. The problem is some can't grasp that beauty can change with time, that doesn't make it any less beautiful." He closed his eyes trying to ignore the look. "For such a deep conversation, you would do better to find a more complex man."


He watched him eat and managed to relax a bit. He had no clue what the other said, but it didn't matter. He seemed pleased and that was enough for the older Carrington. At being asked to start, he nodded immediately and began to walk towards his easel once more. "Just sit and relax for now. I am going to paint a little and just move your body when I ask. I may need to adjust it to the right spot, if that is alright?"

Chéri let him talk and in the end he laughed “It seems to me you are doing well enough, at being complex: I understood probably half of what you said. But I don’t mind: in fact, men who frown and whisper odd, difficult things are the most interesting one, if you ask me.” Chéri laughed again, the way upper class ladies laughed when they wanted to sound irresistible. It was pretty impressive, how many types of mannerism had rubbed off onto Calliope. “But if you want to talk about something simple, I can do that. Or would you like me to shut up?” He concluded, raising his eyebrows, in a ironical threat.

Chéri sat simply and looked at Darius painting. His posture was naturally good and he seem to not move at all, now that he had entered the “posing zone”, but also he hadn’t lost his light, since Darius hadn’t required him to turn back to his artificially lonely mood.

Darius shook his head and smiled sadly. "I admit I am difficult and odd. You never need to shut up, I enjoy you speaking your mind. Even if I find myself at a disadvantage. Plus, you do not have many you can speak to in town, do you?" He asked curiously towards him. "I'm sure you like to have someone to speak to openly. And I am not such a lesser man I can't taken criticism, even if I have no answer to fix it."

He painted the background and worked on the basic figure and would now and again ask Calliope to pose a body part. More often than not, he'd move back and forth to put it exactly where he wanted and then would paint. "When did you first started to work as a model?" He asked curiously since this man seemed like such a natural.

Chéri turned towards the window for a moment and shook his head. “I don’t find you neither difficult nor odd. And I am not a big talker, you know?” he seemed really calm as he said that, as if the thought itself was kind of relaxing. “If you mean French, that is a problem, sure, but I’m sure if your Sonia is as good as you say she will help me with that. And the madam herself speaks French.” Though she doubted she was *actually* French. “You are very harsh with yourself, I’m glad you give yourself at least this.” He added, adjusting the back almost majestically. He had something of the princeling, when he sat p like that.

Calliope arroge the body as requested and that implied turning his head to something else, so that his eyes could only occasionally turn to Darius. “I think I was eleven, maybe twelve. Artists would visit my dance atelier and ask pupils to pose after work and I was pretty even then, so they often asked. I think there must be half a dozen angels that are either my body or my face spread around France.”

He shook his head but looked like he felt better. "Thank you, I hope they teach you some English. Or I can try when you're here but I'm no teacher so I can't promise how good I'll be." Darius admired the other man's form and did a little marking on his painting quickly.

He looked surprised and nodded. "You dance? Or used to? You do have a ballerina's body. One day I should visit France again and see if I can locate any on public display."

Calliope nodded “I will need some, I think. And don’t worry, we have other things to focus on.” And they were to very patient, admittedly. But they also weren’t going to just say it like that, God forbid. “Plus, I think you need to think deeply about what you are doing to get the result you are hoping for, no?”

Darius was surprised. Calliope bent their head to the side “Yes. I have danced all my life. I was even a sololist in Paris, before…” they shook their head “You will easily find ballet, it is becoming more popular.” And smiled brightly, with the kind of intensity that could melt heart… and make people forget about incomplete statements.

Darius nodded. "I have a lot I need to focus on. Perhaps it's why I'm looking so hard for a distraction." He chuckled softly and turned to focus on the painting but still spoke to him. "You must have been very talented. Do you intend to continue ballet here? "

He immediately glanced over "I mean... if you wish to and felt like it. I am just thinking you are probably amazing on the stage ."