[PQ] The Artist's Sanctuary

Bastien

Done my time and served my sentence
Dress me up and watch me die
If it feels good, tastes good
It must be mine

Lucas was the first person to enter, complaining about the sun; Bastien nodded in agreement. He had always been more of a creature of the night, but being unable to wander out in the day had begun to prove difficult. That was when merchants were open, when people wandered outside to see performances. "Ah, that is the price we pay for our gifts. Do not worry. I shall make sure at least some of our meetings occur after dusk." He motioned for Lucas to sit on a provided chair after an eyebrow raise at the news he was a musician.

Next was Caiside, the God-now-fallen he had once spent a night with. He had not seen the man since, or at least not in any way worth mentioning, and smiled warmly as he entered. "My health has never been better, santo. Ignore all rumours you may have heard. Please, sit."

After Caiside a man he didn't recognise entered, introduced himself as Seiji. Bastien stood and placed a welcoming hand on his shoulder. "A musician! Well, you will be in good company with Lucas here, then. Sit with us, friend. We will wait for one more before I begin to make introductions." Sitting back down he made easy conversation with his three guests until the door opening once more took his attention.

As soon as he saw Rexanna, Bastien's whole face lit up, the joy clear. Ah, of course she had come! She would not have missed this. "We could wait years for you, cara." Walking to her he pressed a kiss to her cheek (something he had not done for months, but had once been a customary greeting for him, it felt right here) then pointed to his own chair for her to take. "Now that there are four of you, I will begin. Any more can come as they please."

Stood before an audience, where he belonged, Bastien looked to each person before he spoke; met their eyes and nodded as if each of them were the most important guest he had ever had.

"Esteemed guests, friends. You are here on a most historic day. Back in my home of Venice, I owned a place I called 'The Artist's Sanctuary'. It was a wonderful place, somewhere for young talent to thrive and grow, a community of creatives living and working together. I want to rekindle that flame, now in this dark hour." He opened his arms to gesture to the world at large, hoping they would understand the darkness he meant.

"Please, to begin. Tell me more of each of your talents. Tell me how you began, what it is you like to create. Your tools, why you do it. What I could do to help you. A studio, an instrument, a pen. Anything. I will begin."

Bastien moved to a pose where he held a hand to his chest. "I am Bastien De Rosieres. Painter, performer and occasionally, dancer. Though I have not danced for many years. I love to paint and make because it is the only way to truly speak what is in my soul, what is in all of our souls. But more than anything I love to create art in the real world, in the interaction of like-minded people with each other. Hopefully I will make that here. Now, you do the same."

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SELL YOURSELF AND YOUR TALENTS!

Posting order:
1. Lucas
2. Rexanna
3. Caiside
4. Seiji

(Order reshuffled to accommodate Johnny and Kae.)