"Open to Interpretation" by kazoosandfannypacks
Pairing: Captain Swan
Rating: General
Word Count: 1K
Summary: At the art museum, Emma is appalled at works by modern artist Killian Jones- until a handsome stranger convinces her otherwise.
Tags: au, fluff, captain swan, one shot, modern au
Author's notes: Happy Valentine's Day to my lovely followers and readers! Yesterday I released a poll to see which fic I should release next... and surprise, surprise, the release date was today! Almost half of you voted for "Art Museum," so I hope y'all enjoy this one! it is, in fact, based on that list of meet uglies that was floating around!
Taglist:@zahara@kmomof4@jonesfandomfanatic@booksteaandtoomuchtv@jrob64@tiganasummertree@anmylica@teamhook@undercaffinatednightmare@gingerchangeling@lonelyspectator@caught-in-the-filter @ultraluckycatnd @cs-rylie @silver-the-phoenix [if you’d like to be added to or removed from this list, hmu in my dms or askbox!]
Also on Ao3!
"I can't believe this guy has a whole wing dedicated to his art." Emma muttered, staring at the painting in front of her. She didn't know who this "Killian Jones" was, but based on his art, she was glad she didn't.
"Why not?" A voice behind her asked.
She hadn't even realized she'd made her statement out loud, but she'd never been one to back down from a fight, even over something as trivial as art.
"It's tasteless," She turned to look at the stranger, only to find him more attractive than she expected, "and purposeless- like if absurdism and abstract art had a child in a soulless void. This guy isn't trying to communicate anything, and if he is, he's buried it so deep his viewership can't find out what it is."
"That's because they're not looking," He said, "besides, isn't art open to interpretation? 'Death of the author' and all that? Maybe the reason you're not seeing the message is that you're not looking hard enough."
Determined not to be outwitted by a cute art museum stranger, she turned back to the painting in front of her and tried to see what it could possibly mean. This piece in particular was of waves on a stormy sea- except one large blotch of a vibrant white, silhouetting a sailing ship.
"This one communicates that he knows how to paint water," Emma suggested, "but he's scared to try his hand at realism when it comes to boats. It almost looks like he intended to paint a magnificent vessel there- but backed down at the last minute."
The stranger laughed. "That's what this picture shows. But what does that communicate?"
"That he doesn't like to paint boats?"
"Then I suppose you haven't paid close attention to the rest of the exhibit," he said, "ships seem to be a recurring theme in Jones' work."
Emma bit her lip and nodded. She did recall seeing a few other paintings of ships in this wing.
"So the absence of the ship here is intentional," he continued, "he meant for this picture to be missing something."
"A purpose?" Emma suggested.
He gave half a laugh, "You're closer than you think. I believe Jones' purpose," and here he paused, for a dramatic effect, "is that some purpose of his is missing. The sea has everything but a vessel to sail on it, and without it, something is missing. A clever metaphor, really- though it may be a bit lost on less intellectual self-proclaimed connoisseurs."
"Did he just insult me?" Emma thought, though she had to admit, she started to appreciate the meaning behind the piece- there'd been times she'd felt like that shipless sea herself. Still, she was determined not to be outwit by this stranger.
"That's just one piece," Emma said, then pointed to one she'd spent twenty minutes judging, "what do you think he meant to communicate by this?"
This one was more simplistic than the other, painted in only three colors, and only using basic shapes. It depicted a classic red heart on a white background, with three lines overtop the heart, something like thorns sticking out of the lines- and those were deep black.
"A valentine's heart a five year old could draw," Emma said, "basic shapes, a self proclaimed gritty design that a twelve year old emo with Microsoft Paint would be able to make for themselves."
"You've done it again," he said, "in attempting to swing a low blow on the painting, you've instead hit the nail on the head. This is simple, it is easily accessible- and I think that's because grief is too. Whatever pain inspired this piece, he must've found it extremely extraordinary, to paint it in such an ordinary manner- as if trying to make one understand it. See how the thorns cover the heart, almost like a jail cell, like you can't reach your heart through all that grief."
Emma nodded. "Or maybe the heart is trying to get out- and the grief is the cage you use to protect it."
"So this piece doesn't exist in a soulless void either?" he asked, and raised an eyebrow.
"Two out of twenty means nothing."
"Then perhaps discuss another?" he asked.
"What about that one?" Emma asked. A few paintings down the hall was an abstract array of brushstrokes, all positioned vertically on the canvas. All of them were in shades of red, pink and white, except for two of them. These two would've been directly parallel with each other if they were centered on the canvas, but one was on the top right and the other on the bottom left. They were a deeper shade of red, so much so that they were almost purple, and on further inspection one could even see a little bit of blue peeking out the edge of each stripe, on the sides facing their nearest edge.
"What do you think he doesn't mean to say in this one?" he asked her.
"It looks like Pong without the ball or the center line." Emma said. "Is this another 'something important is missing' too, like how," and here she feigned a dramatic tone of voice, "a game of Pong without the ball is already lost?"
"Not even close this time," he said, "and you were so good up until now."
"I thought art was up to interpretation?" Emma asked.
"True, but look at this," he pointed to the title of the piece.
"Silverstein's Masks?" Emma asked. "I don't know who Silverstein was, but he must've been some kind of picasso painting himself if he could wear this as a mask."
"So knowledgeable in the visual arts, but not in the literary," he shook his head, "I believe the Silverstein in question is Shel."
"Shel Silverstein?" Emma asked, "like, The Giving Tree."
"Ah, so you do know the classics," he said, "but you may not be familiar with one of Silverstein's lesser known works, a short poem almost like a tragedy, simply entitled Masks."
"And I take it you know the poem?"
"Quite familiar with it," he said, "'She had blue skin, and so did he. He kept it hid, and so did she. They searched for blue their whole lives through- then passed right by and never knew."
"And these stripes are supposed to represent that?" Emma asked, trying to hide how impressed she was by his recitation.
"You know more than you're letting on," he said, putting a hand on her shoulder to turn her attention back to the painting, pointing out details with his other hand, "see how these two almost look like they're moving, moving past each other. And while, for the most part, these appear like the others, you can see, just barely peeking out at the bottom- though not where the other could have ever noticed- that under all that red, they're blue."
"So?" Emma asked, understanding exactly what it meant, but wanting to hear him say it in his own words, finding his intellect and voice and his face altogether quite attractive.
"In trying to blend with the rest of the palate, they've closed themselves off from the opportunity to be understood- they've lost a chance to be truly loved because they tried to be something they weren't."
Emma nodded. "I think I get it now."
She looked up at the stranger, his hand still on her shoulder, his eyes a work of art unto themselves, one that she carefully inspected.
"Shall we discuss another one?" he asked, remembering his place and taking his hand off Emma's shoulder.
"I think you've proved your point," Emma said.
"Oh?" he asked, "and what point is that?"
Emma rolled her eyes. "Killian Jones is very clearly a talented artist with a clear message in his works."
The stranger smiled a little more than expected, almost sheepishly.
"I'm glad to hear you've changed your mind, miss…."
He held his hand out to her, and she took it, noticing how strong his grip was, but how delicate as well.
"Swan," Emma said, "Emma Swan. And you are?"
"Artist in residence," he smiled, "Killian Jones."
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