Pencil Sketches, PG - The Coat

[MmeBahorel]

Oh, it's so very sweet!

[a_marguerite]

Aw, Jehan's adorable here! Your hands have gotten really good as well.

Also, I love Jehan's anachronistic outfit. The cuffs and the buttons are particularly brilliant, but I do love all the detail you put into his outfits. You tend to draw marvelous fabrics (am currently in love with Jehan's cravat).

[Col.Despard]

Thanks, MusicalTwin! Yes, there may be an Amis orchestra...if only because the idea of Courfeyrac playing (or trying to play) something like a French horn amuses me to no end. A pic like this is...a couple of hours, I think? They're not very big - just A4 sketches.

MmeBahorel, glad you liked him - such a doll! As per usual, there are things I'm not pleased with. I should have done a better job, given this is the one instrument I've really played (although this is supposed to be an earlier 5 key French flute, which I'm guessing is what he probably would have played).

Glad you liked the outfit, Marguerite! As usual, it's 1790s. I like Jehan - he's an excuse to do any fashion from medieval through to 1832 (I'm assuming on rare occasions he might absent-mindedly don a contemporary outfit).

[Abelarda]

Jehan. And a flute. Thank you so much. I don't know what to say; did you really think that I may not like it?

I wrote something for you, a drabble inspired by this picture...

***

This fairytale haunts Combeferre since his arrival to Paris. He shouldn't be surprised; there are too many rats and miserable children. And maybe that's why his vision of a piper in a colourful coat becomes so important: it can drive the pallid reality away.

When he meets Jehan, his rat-catcher from Hamelin is changing: he now has gentle brown eyes and long hair. Instead of a colourful coat, he wears an unfashionable frock. And whatever he's doing, he never demands any payment.

He's not a virtuoso, but it doesn't matter. When he starts playing, Combeferre knows he'll follow him anyway.

[Col.Despard]

Chuffed you like it, Abelarda - and that little vignette is gorgeous!

[9430]

Jehan looks so beautiful and wistful there, I love it.

[merlin_emrys]

Wow, Jehan has a hypnotic quality here. (Perhaps he, like you, can charm snakes? ) It's beautiful! I am always captivated by your Jehan's eyes, they seem at once warm, thoughtful and enthralling. I can't wait to see the rest of the Mizzie orchestra!

[MmeBahorel]

Oh, I love that drabble, Abelarda! It's got a rather spooky atmosphere because of the base tale even as it's terribly sweet.

[lesmisloony]

That's adorable! His hands look perfect... I mean, I have no idea how to play flutes, so I'm clearly no authority on the subject. I like that his hair is kind of caught in a breeze. And I love the buttons on his coat. There's something about his hair, though, in this picture. It's just so real somehow. I love it.

[Cary]

I'm gonna say... woooaaaaaaah. Jehan's flute-playing is competing for attention with his (as usual) bizarre choice of clothing - which isn't a bad thing, really. You totally rock at the anachronistic clothing.

[I can't help but think of Marguerite's A Spot of Arago and break out snickering, because it makes me think, Jehan is awesome with that flute... until he actually starts playing the dang thing. (At which point you hurriedly stuff wadding into your ears). ]

Great work! Now I'm anticipating Courfeyrac with a French horn. (I hope he's not averse to cut lips).

[a_marguerite]

re: Courfeyrac's cut lips, I'm sure there will be someone willing to kiss his injuries away.

Also, what a charming vignette! I love how Combeferre engages with Jehan on a more mystic/ literary plane. Suits them perfectly! (Also, will get around to writing your fic once it doesn't hurt to type more than a few sentences at a time. Oh, H1N1 vaccine, why does my body chemistry react so badly to you?)

[Col.Despard]

Thank you, 9430!

Merlin, I did give the eyes a deliberate hooded look - although whether that's him entrancing the listener or being entranced himself is up to the viewer. Like the idea of him charming snakes...I did see that happen once in Singapore, many years ago, with a cobra. It's probably banned there now!

MmeBahorel, I agree on the atmosphere of the drabble - there's a line describing Plunkett in the Easter Rising in Frank O'Connor's Michael Collins bio that seems to apply, and I'll have to dig it up and post it.

Loony, I'm not entirely happy with the hands - it's been so long since I've played the flute and I've never played a five key, so I sort of fudged them. Glad they look okay! And thanks to you and Cary for the comments on the clothing...we're back in the 1790s for this one.

I'll have to get to work on poor Courfeyrac - and I'd certainly volunteer to dab his poor lips with...something, Marguerite.

[Abelarda]

Despard, I'm so happy you like it! Your picture is very inspiring, believe me, and the drabble just demanded to be written. Maybe it's because of Jehan's eyes - he appears to be watching a world different than ours. There's something strange in this portrait, he's a bit different than your other pictures of Jehan: it's that very, very subtle and almost unseen hint of madness in him.

MmeBahorel, thanks! I'm afraid I cannot write anything that would be just sweet. Whenever I'm trying to do it, it always ends up with something creepy or melancholic.

a_marguerite, thank you, and don't worry about the fic right now. Take your time and get better first.

[Aurelia Combeferre]

*swoons at the Amis playing instruments*

I want to see more of these!

[Col.Despard]

I've been intending to do another Enjolras/Grantaire pic for MmeJavert for a while, and this one occured to me. I'd like to do one of them actually engaged in fencing, but found the symetrical contrast here too tempting...so there may be another "action" shot.

Foils: