The way Natalie spoke, the way she displayed her work without arrogant pride nor undeserved modesty, made Luuk appreciate her as an artist even more. She was just honest, a simple woman with amazing talent trying to make a living, and Luuk found himself hanging on her words. He wanted to know more about her parents, about what kind of artists they were, but mostly he wanted to learn more about Natalie, about a woman he knew little about, but a woman who continued to surprise him every time he spoke to her.
And then came her question. Luuk met her eye, an excited sparkle behind his own. "Is that a serious question?" he asked. He motioned towards the table, than to the vase in her hands. "If I can walk out of here with any sort of clue as to how you make things look so beautiful, I'll be happy. Do you mind if I take notes?" He reached into his backpack for a notebook and pen. He was already scratching away at the paper when he spoke again. "I don't mind what you work on. That is, you don't have to finish it today. If there's anything you've been working on already, or some new project you want to start. If you wouldn't mind, I'd love to come back and watch the whole process, if it takes longer than today." He looked up at her again, knowing he was being overeager, but not seeing irritation in Natalie's eyes. "If that's alright?" he added a bit sheepishly, not wanting to offend her, but wanting to watch whatever part of her job she was willing to show.
He noticed how she hadn't answered some of his questions, how she didn't tell him what tools she worked. He figured he would see for himself soon enough, but a quick survey around the room left him clueless. Wasn't that unusual? Wouldn't an artist display her tools, or was Natalie more concerned about keeping her home looking clean for her guest? Luuk wished she hadn't gone through the trouble; a clean house was a house not easy to study. He shook his head, trying to not think of Natalie's home as a thing to be studied. He glanced down at his pad again, at the words he'd written in his notebook: Natalie's art, passion, passed through family, tools--? Was this as close as Luuk would get to having a parent teach him a skill passed down through generations? He scoffed at the idea; Natalie was no mother, was just a friend, and he was getting too far ahead of himself. He looked back at her, smiling. "I'd be delighted to watch, and maybe even help? Don't let me get in the way though."
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