notes: just playing around with the idea that in the post-series, malen still finds herself drawing rue every once in a while, for reasons unknown. honestly, i just like the idea of autor and malen fangirling together over her.
i own nothing.
Image
Within moments, the pure white canvas had taken new life in the form of delicately smudged charcoal. Curves and cross-hatches accentuated every possible surface, and the focused center became asphyxiated in a deep red. Her hands were gifted.
"I like drawing bowls of fruit and trees the most," she would say to him, her eyes never leaving the easel, "but sometimes, only every once in a while, I feel like I must draw a ballet dancer…their frames are strong and well defined, you see," she explained.
He stood behind her, watching blackened fingertips touch up the raised pointe shoe with an admirable concentration. The detail was truly mind-boggling.
She continued, "But the thing is, I never need to go out and ask someone to model for me. It's a very careless thing to do in drawing," she turned around to face him for the first time, "to not use any sort of reference." She went back to the easel to fill in the raven-black shading of the subject's hair, so carefully applied and real that he swore he could just run his fingers through and stroke it.
"But still, I allow myself to close my eyes and draw. I let my hands make the decisions for me. And once I open my eyes again…"
As she leaned back to reveal her work, he couldn't help but feel the air get caught in his throat. The figure's back curved eloquently, and the deep crimson of her tutu fluttered over her hips with fluid motion. Her arms outstretched themselves in the air, looking as though she could just leap off the canvas and fly. Red eyes gazed away from the viewer with an incredible softness that all but demanded attention. It was charismatic.
"…she is always there," Malen finished. "And I always wonder who she is. And why I feel like I'm forgetting something." She turned to him, a smile taking hold of her lips. "It's a mystery."
He glanced at the girl before going back to the figure in the drawing. It was enough to make his heart beat unrealistically fast, seeing her for the first time in years…even if it was only a portrayal. The girl's hands, they were gifted.
"Will you draw her again?"
Malen blinked, caught off guard by the first words he uttered. But then her eyes grew gentle, smiling, as she thought about her answer. She focused on the drawing, giving it a look of something like admiration.
"I suppose. It happens less than often. But," she reached over to sign her name in sweet cursive loops in the bottom corner, her fingertips carefully avoiding the canvas, "I will let you know when I do."
Autor said nothing more, and continued to watch the girl and her portrait of Rue.
She was beautiful.
end