picture challenge

[loyseofverlaine.livejournal.com]

Hi everybody! Newby popping in here with my first contribution, a drabble.

Verlaine

A Thousand Words

I don't usually try to draw his face. I never was much good at portraits; don't have the true artist's eye for subtlety. The wrong slant to his mouth, and he looks like a sulky spoiled child. Shadow his eyes too much, and he's a brute, cold as any terrorist.

But his back—that tells the real story, in simple strong lines that carry the weight of life and death with grace. Nothing subtle about the power in those shoulders. Deadly competency can be beautiful.

I can only say stuff like that when he can't see my face.

Comments

[myrebelcat.livejournal.com]

Oh... I like this!

I particularly like how we don't need to know it's Doyle who is the artist, because it's unmistakable who he's talking about. Bodie *does* get that sulky spoiled look sometimes, when the camera isn't complimenting him. And he can look like a thug. But that back... I'm in love with Bodie's back, I think. The line of the shoulders carving down to the hips is very striking.

And of course with your last line I now have a wonderful image in my head of Doyle tossing out a comment like that just when Bodie's got no opportunity to look him in the eye, and then the expression of endearing bewilderment on Bodie's face when he realizes he's just been complimented and not even in a backhanded kind of way. Nice! :-)

[loyseofverlaine.livejournal.com]

Thanks, Rebel. I'm quite fond of watching Bodie walk away too

And I think this is the first comment I've ever gotten that's longer than the actual story