#kc_necropolis

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Bachdion has his student on his arm as he leads her into the small but prominent art gallery, one of the few in Kansas City.

Well, few worth anything in Bachdion's opinion

Coradel is dressed demurely, as coached to fit the daytime gallery scene...a black pencil skirt and buff silk blouse, hair coiled up and held with a silver barrette.

She looks curiously around the entryway. "What appeals to you about this place, my..." Then a whisper, "You know, I'm not sure what I should call you here."

Bachdion has a nice suit, not his usual style but he wears it well. No tie though, he drew the line at ties. "Call me Ishmael... just call me Dion." A smile, "And this place has some of the art by that fellow who got it right, and some others as well. Most galleries. especially the higher end ones are often more about money that quality. This place tries to encourage true art that goes overlooked, and by doing so, has launched a few. One Painting here shot up to ten times its worth just being presented here."

"Really? That's impressive...Dion. Is it still here, or has a collector snatched it up?" Her eyes scan the work presented in the first room they enter, her hand still lightly resting in the crook of his arm.

"Remember, we don't just want expensive art, we want true passion that got recognized for the gem it is. A way to satisfy your parents and make that cold manor hospitable for dream folk. And I'm afraid that one was sold but... mmm kenn about eh?" A reminder. Kenning, is not something that you have to train for to have, but it is something you have to train for to do well.

"Oh, I didn't mean to snatch it up, just curious about its appearance." Then at his suggestion, she pauses and closes her eyes, a slight inhale and then a bit of a sigh as she exhales...."taking in the atmosphere" as it were. And...kenning....

She opens her eyes, and murmurs, "There's...something..." (1 sux)

While a measure of pretense is almost required in any art gallery, the feel here is more relaxed grandeur, hints of warmth in some of those showing off the art. A few love what they're doing! And... and she notices two sources of glamour, one to the left, the other straight ahead.

This sense of...nurturing and celebrating...it's very refreshing! And when she realizes the sources of the glamour, the smiles brightly at Bachdion and tugs his arm a bit, leading him to the one on the left.

They enter into the side of the gallery with heavy impressionist, surrealist leanings... and some are marked 'EDb' like the painting she has at home. And what a morbid set of art much of it is. There is one depicting a woman collapsed into a beautiful dress, cutting at the dress about her as if she were a coyote trying to get free of a trap, her long lanky hair covering her face but clearly wet with tears. She cuts and cuts but there always seems more dress, and the dress is white but blood stains can be seen.

"It's the same artist..." Coradel murmurs...and then she's absorbed by the painting, gazing at it, captured by brushstroke and color and shape.... "...Oh."

Another has a more erotic display, a tree with very male humanoid features drinking from a dark stream, the stream is also more human like, feminine and she grasps/splashes at the tree's root where a 'mouth cups' down to..well, if you use your imagination it's almost like he's pleasing her. And yet, in the back drop, other now fallen trees float, soaked and half submerged, broken and no longer rooted. yet the faces on those give lingering smiles of bliss as if they welcomed their demise.

Again, the long submersion into examining the painting, seeking out its hidden parts...

"That is one happy river... a wicked happy river"

Dion mutters impressed.

"Pleasure...and a price..." she murmurs back.

A guide approaches, "oh, hello? I see you've found some by EDb? He has been an amazing discovery. His works are utterly sublime. Talented young man, I've met him. It should be no surprise among his heroes is Edgar Allen Poe"

Coradel/Chloe gives the guide a gracious smile. "His work is captivating, yes. You say you've met him?"

The guide is a mortal, "Yes, tall slender young man, grew up on a farm and uses a lot of nature and rural scenes, but he's not limited to them. His name is Earl DeBuke, but most of us know him by EDb. He's still in his late teens. Just imagine what wonders he'll make on canvas as the decades go by? If his talent wasn't enough, the possible rewards of getting one of his earlier works while he's young and then waiting until that time might pay off handsomely."

Her smile warms. "Indeed, that was my thought as well. Well, in addition to simply appreciating work that is...well...stunning." She looks at the river painting again.

"Yes, he has twisted romantic side, and it shows. " the woman blushes a bit, "this particular one is called Dark Water Tithe I believe."

An appreciative smile at the painting's title...and then another look at the guide. "You say you've met the artist. Is this...twisted romantic side...something you saw in him, personally?" A slightly conspiratorial tone, girl-talk. Nevermind the handsome gent who can easily overhear....

Dion pretends he is invisible.

"Oh." She answers, "More my own reading in his work which I should not do. I should let you make up your own mind. He is often in company of a slim young woman. I believe he's quite smitten. So if you want a part of him you'll have to settle for buying his painting." She plays along.

Amused, she gives Dion's arm a little squeeze. "I see." She smiles again to the guide. "Well, I am considering it, I'll admit. How would that be arranged?"

"Oh, certainly..." And she goes into matters of how easy it is to make a bid, how paper work can be handled electronically if preferred or old school , and the price of the painting which is now 1,750 dollars but expected to up in value.

"And...this one?" She gestures back to the one of the woman in the white dress.

"Ah, we've priced that at $1,250, not that its quality is less, but is a smaller painting and that affects even great works of art."

"Hm...size matters?" A slight glance at Dion. "I see. Well..." She considers. "Will you excuse us for a moment?" And she gently draws her companion aside.

Dion grins, "Don't let them fool you" He says as they pull off, "Even places like this can barter. If you plan on getting both, you might be able to get them to knock some off the overall."

"Oh, good to know."

"I am thinking of both... I'm just trying to strategize how best to get Chloe's father to be happy with them."

"Mmm, her own sales pitch, about his youth and the value only increasing isn't a bad one to use." He says.

"Yes...yes, that makes sense. It did impress me. Well...I very much want both, but there was something else just down that way, as well...shall we investigate?"

"Yes, let's." He takes her arm. The guide does not detain them. That's just not done.

She moves along with him, unhurried in the hunt.

"This way, I think...." Following the path of what she sensed before.

"You think right. " Her mentor says pleased. They come to more classical forms of art. Classical indeed! A depiction of a noble woman, in a lovely dress, shielded from a crowd hurling insults and fruit upon her... or they would be, were her knight companion taking every effort to shield her from it. The love in his actions and the wounded yet still existent pride even in her sorrow is tangible. This is the one that pulled with her kenning.

Knight and Lady go into exile

It's so vivid, that Coradel's ire is raised on the couple's behalf. "That's...awful!" Said with rage, not artistic contempt.

"Dear lord, if the artist who did this wasn't mused by a fiona, they should have been." Dion mutters

Coradel is silent for some time, jaw set, staring at it.

"This..stirs something in your soul, doesn't it?"

Dion says

"It..." She looks away. "Hurts."

He puts arms about her , "We can leave it if you like."

"No." She rests her head on his shoulder a moment...then straightens and gently pulls back, looking around for another guide.