"Skin" for slashfairy

[slashababy_mod]

Title: Skin
Recipient: slashfairy
Author: elmathelas
Pairing: None
Rating: PG
Summary: Sir Ian feels cut off from the fun of associating with his fellow actors after work due to the
reaction he has to the glue and facial prosthetics.
Pre-reveal Notes: The suggestion was for a character study, perhaps including Ian Holm. He's here, but he's not as chatty as I was

Comments

[itstonedme]

Oh, this is understatedly divine. You have captured the ages of both Ian's so effortlessly (although I suspect it was not effortless at all.) I particularly enjoyed Sir Ian's vanity and reluctant acknowledgement of an aging, uncomfortable body ("watching his skin wrinkle against touch and movement like tiny waves before a small ship's bow"), especially when countered by Dom's affection. There are too many passages I could quote back, each one small moments of satisfying agreement. Lucky slashfairy. I suspect she'll be charmed. Thank you for this.

[slashfairy]

I am lucky. And I am charmed. And that phrase you quoted did me in, just- it's so just what I imagine he'd think. Now I must go thank my writer for exactly that, and for all of it. Including Dom. Just- lucky me.

[slashfairy]

Well done.

You've captured an interior quality about Sir Ian M. that I very much enjoy and admire- his willingness to admit his vanity, and his acceptance of his aging, and his still wishing it weren't bringing all the wear and tear it does with it-

And the other Sir Ian- just like, just like I imagine, too- Bilbo's bounciness not quite gone, with the delight of the cleverness of the strings-

And Dom. Dear Dom.

And a possible future, series of future moments.

Just- wow. Character studies aren't easy. You make me happy with this one.

"watching his skin wrinkle against touch and movement like tiny waves before a small ship's bow"

And that, I will treasure forever. Thank you.

[kiltsandlollies]

This is really gorgeous. I love Ian-centric stories (and Ian/Dominic, even just in warm beginnings like this), and you've really captured some wonderful imagery and though processes here. It's a pleasure to read. And this:

Once his hand had been smoooth and strong, with skin that hardly moved at all over the inner web of bones and muscle. He had been the younger man, once, pressing his hand against the soft thin skin of another man's chest, his back, the lightly furred belly, slipping down to grasp a hip, the bone sharp inside a sheath of shifting muscle and skin, no amount of calisthenics able to conceal the man's age. Ian had touched him with tenderness, admiration, attraction. Perhaps, even at times, love, though the years had dimmed that particular memory, maybe softened that interlude into something kinder. After all, they'd not stayed together long, just through the heady days of Cymbelline's run, and then separated by mutual consent, an almost business-like affair. He thought of the engagement of sorts they all had here in New

[almostnever]

This is beautifully written and ends on such a lovely moment.

I thought it caught Ian's character very faithfully and included a lot of little actorly details that I don't usually think of, like everyone removing their makeup at the end of the day and missing the bit by their ears. Including those details adds to the sense of thoughtfulness and compassion that makes this such a warm story.

[shegollum]

Very nice and full of tiny things that resonate in so many different way. lovely! thank you and happy new year!

blurry through the screen of his eyelashes

Sarah's deft fingers smoothed out his skin, pressing on his ear just a bit as she used the point of the sponge to expertly remove the makeup, and he made a small sound, a hum of approval.

"It is, very much."

Once his hand had been smoooth and strong, with skin that hardly moved at all over the inner web of bones and muscle

his plea of old age was never really challenged

Sir Ian felt a lump in his throat suddenly. He had been isolating himself, and he missed the madness that could happen when with a group of actors, tired, stretched beyond their limits but still wired
the soft light making it easy to become lost looking at shadows on the wall opposite