She rolled her eyes at Steven's response to her question. It was meant to be rhetorical, but she did appreciate Steven's inputs. He was a pretty cool kid to be with and he was one of the people Sharon genuinely liked in school. On the subject of school, Sharon realized how this was literally their last year of school before college and university. At this point, Sharon really wasn't sure what she was going to do. She never really thought about it to much.
"Hey Steven." Sharon started as she turned to face him. "Do you have any plans after High School? I mean like are you going to College or what?" Sharon asked her friend as she donned a pensive look. If Sharon had to be perfectly honest, she wasn't even sure if she was going to even stay in America or not. While she did live in Seattle, Sharon was of Scottish blood and proud of it. She did occasionally consider going to a British University, but at the same time, she didn't know if she would be able to get in.
"I mean like, it's our last year of school. It's odd how fast this year is going by. I mean, prom's even coming up soon. It's all hard to believe. Yet, I still don't know what I'm going to do." Sharon opened up to Steven, putting her head in her arms as she looked at the park in front of the two of them. After a moment, she realized that she probably was boring him at the moment. Sharon let out an awkward laugh as she started to backpedal.
"You don't have to listen to my rambling though. It's really only rambling and speculation. Don't worry about it if you don't have to." Sharon told him honestly. She felt awkward talking about these things and even though she was the one that started the conversation, she wish she hadn't. Sharon secretly hoped to herself that Steven really did accept her talks as rambling. She unconsciously started chewing her fingernails as she waited for her friend's response.
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jimmydalad
- Posts: 290
- Joined: Mon Aug 13, 2018 3:35 pm
((Arthur continued from Encyclopedia of Ignorance))
Arthur still couldn't believe just how productive his day yesterday had been. He managed to draw a whole three pencil drawings in his book and still had time left over from the whole affair to hash out the details of this novel idea he had the week before. How could that day have been any better, really? Maybe if he'd gone to see a movie he really liked, or if he'd seen a new video from one of his favorite internet shows.
Then again, looking at those drawings again in the morning filled him with regret. He remembered the main reason why he was so hesitant in making drawings like that, as opposed to full-blown sketches, with such speed. The sketching step existed for a reason, so that errors could be fixed while that was still an easy task. Last night he'd breezed through that under the assumption that he was a good enough artist that he didn't need feedback from others on every single step of the process. Now those worries came flooding back, and he clenched his fist just looking at all of those drawings.
Could he trust his own judgment on the objective quality of his work? Probably not. Once he'd heard that everyone was their own worst critic, both in the sense of harshness and inaccuracy. Thankfully, he personally knew of someone who had never steered him wrong in the past. Sometimes her words could seem like abuse to the untrained ear, but she always, always gave him advice and steered him right.
Sharon Austin was his opposite in quite a few ways. He was tall and stocky, she was short and less than half his weight. He played the nice doormat so he didn't have to confront people (at least face to face), while she spoke her mind and subscribed to the tough love approach. She always seemed like she was so sure of himself, and he second-guessed himself almost all the time. Thankfully they both loved to read, or else he probably would never have given her a chance.
Unfortunately, his first avenue for reaching Sharon, the internet, proved fruitless. She wasn't on Skype or AIM and Arthur couldn't remember if she used any other instant messenging service, let alone her screen names. Just as he was about to leave her an email, he decided to try calling her, and got directed to the park.
His master plan hit a snag when he saw Sharon, or more specifically, saw her with a mutual acquaintance, Steve Salazar. Salazar was an unknown to Arthur, for the most part. He was comfortable enough with him to make small talk, but these drawings were personal. He didn't show them to just anyone, at least not in real life. Would he be able to work up the nerve to show Sharon those drawings with him around?
The two of them were talking about their future when Arthur walked up to them, making his entry even more awkward. Thankfully he saw that there was a pause in her conversation, and he took the opportunity to speak. "Well, um, I think I may have already said what I wanted. I'm looking at going to art or writing school and writing a novel or something. I think I'd really like art school, right?"
He scratched his head and brought the sketchbook he held in his hand up in front of his chest. Would Sharon be able to get what he wanted if he just tapped the cover with his finger? Sometimes he liked to try those little hints when he was too scared to just come out with what he wanted... except that really annoyed Sharon the last time he did it with her. So he just sighed and decided to swallow his pride.
"So, um, when you get a moment from talking about the future, do you think, you know, you could give these last few a look? Well, last couple. I'm not sure if this one is too silly for you or not." He held out the sketchbook for her to look through and gave Stephen a nervous glance.
Arthur still couldn't believe just how productive his day yesterday had been. He managed to draw a whole three pencil drawings in his book and still had time left over from the whole affair to hash out the details of this novel idea he had the week before. How could that day have been any better, really? Maybe if he'd gone to see a movie he really liked, or if he'd seen a new video from one of his favorite internet shows.
Then again, looking at those drawings again in the morning filled him with regret. He remembered the main reason why he was so hesitant in making drawings like that, as opposed to full-blown sketches, with such speed. The sketching step existed for a reason, so that errors could be fixed while that was still an easy task. Last night he'd breezed through that under the assumption that he was a good enough artist that he didn't need feedback from others on every single step of the process. Now those worries came flooding back, and he clenched his fist just looking at all of those drawings.
Could he trust his own judgment on the objective quality of his work? Probably not. Once he'd heard that everyone was their own worst critic, both in the sense of harshness and inaccuracy. Thankfully, he personally knew of someone who had never steered him wrong in the past. Sometimes her words could seem like abuse to the untrained ear, but she always, always gave him advice and steered him right.
Sharon Austin was his opposite in quite a few ways. He was tall and stocky, she was short and less than half his weight. He played the nice doormat so he didn't have to confront people (at least face to face), while she spoke her mind and subscribed to the tough love approach. She always seemed like she was so sure of himself, and he second-guessed himself almost all the time. Thankfully they both loved to read, or else he probably would never have given her a chance.
Unfortunately, his first avenue for reaching Sharon, the internet, proved fruitless. She wasn't on Skype or AIM and Arthur couldn't remember if she used any other instant messenging service, let alone her screen names. Just as he was about to leave her an email, he decided to try calling her, and got directed to the park.
His master plan hit a snag when he saw Sharon, or more specifically, saw her with a mutual acquaintance, Steve Salazar. Salazar was an unknown to Arthur, for the most part. He was comfortable enough with him to make small talk, but these drawings were personal. He didn't show them to just anyone, at least not in real life. Would he be able to work up the nerve to show Sharon those drawings with him around?
The two of them were talking about their future when Arthur walked up to them, making his entry even more awkward. Thankfully he saw that there was a pause in her conversation, and he took the opportunity to speak. "Well, um, I think I may have already said what I wanted. I'm looking at going to art or writing school and writing a novel or something. I think I'd really like art school, right?"
He scratched his head and brought the sketchbook he held in his hand up in front of his chest. Would Sharon be able to get what he wanted if he just tapped the cover with his finger? Sometimes he liked to try those little hints when he was too scared to just come out with what he wanted... except that really annoyed Sharon the last time he did it with her. So he just sighed and decided to swallow his pride.
"So, um, when you get a moment from talking about the future, do you think, you know, you could give these last few a look? Well, last couple. I'm not sure if this one is too silly for you or not." He held out the sketchbook for her to look through and gave Stephen a nervous glance.
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MurderWeasel
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"It's fine," Steven said. "I don't mind listening."
He didn't, either. It was interesting to know how Sharon was feeling. It was particularly notable to hear her getting serious, thinking about the long term. It was something weighing on the minds of so many of the students these days. Steven had certainly talked about his plans with a good number of people, and had heard from a number more what they were going to do after finishing high school. He was startled by how many were still so undecided. Then again, he could see some appeal in clinging to the way things were in the face of adulthood barreling down upon them all.
"I'm gonna go to college, yeah," he said. "Journalism, I'm thinking. I like writing, so I want to keep doing it, see if I can take it somewhere."
He was a good deal more certain of his path than he figured a lot of the others were. It was a bit awkward sometimes, and he could see Sharon chewing on her nails now, which meant she might be more anxious about her lack of plans than she probably wanted to let on. Under normal circumstances, the polite choice would have been to return the question. Now, though, Steven wasn't too sure. She had, after all, said that she had no specific plans, so trying to pry anything more out of her might be uncomfortable.
Steven was rescued by the arrival of Arthur Wells. He was a boy Steven knew loosely, but not a close friend, or even somebody he was particularly familiar with. The guy was a little awkward and didn't really run in super social circles, which was probably why Steven had so little of an impression of him. Still, he got along with Sharon, so he probably wasn't all bad. Arthur shared his own plans, and then conveniently sidetracked the discussion to his art, which Steven figured was a pretty safe topic, if one that he did not personally have a lot to add to. That was just fine with him. He gave Arthur a smile and a nod, and just waited to see what Sharon had to say.
Besides, this might give him a good way to disentangle himself. He enjoyed spending time with friends, but he'd been in the park for a while already, and he still had things he wanted to do at home.
He didn't, either. It was interesting to know how Sharon was feeling. It was particularly notable to hear her getting serious, thinking about the long term. It was something weighing on the minds of so many of the students these days. Steven had certainly talked about his plans with a good number of people, and had heard from a number more what they were going to do after finishing high school. He was startled by how many were still so undecided. Then again, he could see some appeal in clinging to the way things were in the face of adulthood barreling down upon them all.
"I'm gonna go to college, yeah," he said. "Journalism, I'm thinking. I like writing, so I want to keep doing it, see if I can take it somewhere."
He was a good deal more certain of his path than he figured a lot of the others were. It was a bit awkward sometimes, and he could see Sharon chewing on her nails now, which meant she might be more anxious about her lack of plans than she probably wanted to let on. Under normal circumstances, the polite choice would have been to return the question. Now, though, Steven wasn't too sure. She had, after all, said that she had no specific plans, so trying to pry anything more out of her might be uncomfortable.
Steven was rescued by the arrival of Arthur Wells. He was a boy Steven knew loosely, but not a close friend, or even somebody he was particularly familiar with. The guy was a little awkward and didn't really run in super social circles, which was probably why Steven had so little of an impression of him. Still, he got along with Sharon, so he probably wasn't all bad. Arthur shared his own plans, and then conveniently sidetracked the discussion to his art, which Steven figured was a pretty safe topic, if one that he did not personally have a lot to add to. That was just fine with him. He gave Arthur a smile and a nod, and just waited to see what Sharon had to say.
Besides, this might give him a good way to disentangle himself. He enjoyed spending time with friends, but he'd been in the park for a while already, and he still had things he wanted to do at home.
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jimmydalad
- Posts: 290
- Joined: Mon Aug 13, 2018 3:35 pm
Sharon nodded her head as she listened to Steven talk about going into Journalism. If she had to be honest, that would be the career path that she would suggest for him to undertake. She found it hard to imagine him going into any other career path. He basically oozed journalism.
"That's a good idea. I can't imagine you doing anything else." Sharon remarked as she heard the sound of a familiar voice. Sharon turned her head to face the new arrival, Arthur. She was pretty cool with Arthur. They both shared a passion in reading and he was good at drawing, apparently. Apparently he wanted someone to check out his drawings and Sharon took up his offer, not really seeing any reason not to.
"Oh hey there Arthur." Sharon called to him as she made no movement to stand up, instead content with just raising a hand and waving. She was already comfortable where she was sitting and she didn't want to move out of this position anytime soon. Not that it mattered too much though as Arthur approached her and gave her his sketch book.
As soon as she got the book, Sharon started systematically looking through the drawings, her face impassive with every drawing she looked at, her eyes focused on the images that were given to her. She chewed her lip as she continued to look at them, looking less impressed with each of the drawings she analyzed. Once she was finished, she turned to Arthur and gave a disapproving look.
"I'm going to be honest with you Arthur. These suck compared to what you are capable of. Your proportions are all wrong and these seemed rushed. They don't really have any depth or anything of the sort. They're lifeless and bland." Sharon commented bluntly. She had a policy of tough love that was reserved for her friends. While the comments may seem to be hurtful, Sharon wouldn't have it any other way. Sometimes people needed the truth.
"What's up with these drawings Arthur? Is something up? You normally draw better than this." Sharon asked, a little tone of worry noticeable in her voice. She gave him a concerned look as she gave him back his drawings.
"You know if there's something up, you can always call on me. That's what friends are for after all."
"That's a good idea. I can't imagine you doing anything else." Sharon remarked as she heard the sound of a familiar voice. Sharon turned her head to face the new arrival, Arthur. She was pretty cool with Arthur. They both shared a passion in reading and he was good at drawing, apparently. Apparently he wanted someone to check out his drawings and Sharon took up his offer, not really seeing any reason not to.
"Oh hey there Arthur." Sharon called to him as she made no movement to stand up, instead content with just raising a hand and waving. She was already comfortable where she was sitting and she didn't want to move out of this position anytime soon. Not that it mattered too much though as Arthur approached her and gave her his sketch book.
As soon as she got the book, Sharon started systematically looking through the drawings, her face impassive with every drawing she looked at, her eyes focused on the images that were given to her. She chewed her lip as she continued to look at them, looking less impressed with each of the drawings she analyzed. Once she was finished, she turned to Arthur and gave a disapproving look.
"I'm going to be honest with you Arthur. These suck compared to what you are capable of. Your proportions are all wrong and these seemed rushed. They don't really have any depth or anything of the sort. They're lifeless and bland." Sharon commented bluntly. She had a policy of tough love that was reserved for her friends. While the comments may seem to be hurtful, Sharon wouldn't have it any other way. Sometimes people needed the truth.
"What's up with these drawings Arthur? Is something up? You normally draw better than this." Sharon asked, a little tone of worry noticeable in her voice. She gave him a concerned look as she gave him back his drawings.
"You know if there's something up, you can always call on me. That's what friends are for after all."
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VoltTurtle
- Posts: 801
- Joined: Fri Aug 10, 2018 4:10 pm
- Location: Dreamland
((Madeline Wilcox continued from A Breath of Fresh Air))
Maddie walked through the park as the sun shined down on her. It was a very nice day today, most days in Seattle are rather gloomy. Maddie enjoyed these occasional walks through the park. They are very pleasant, especially on days like this, and they remind her of the times she would go camping with her father. She bent down and picked one of the flowers that grow here in the park. She was pretty sure they were pansies, but she wasn't very good with botany; physics and chemistry were more of her forte when it came to science. She twirled the flower a bit in-between her fingers and walked along with it in her hand.
As she walked along she saw a group of three teenagers together. As she got closer she managed to make out their faces. The one boy was... Steven? She guessed. She recognized his face, but she didn't know much about him past him being two inches shorter than her. The other boy was Arthur, she didn't personally know much about him, although she knew his name and face, which was a much more than she knew about most other students at the very least.
I really need to get to know more of the other students. She thought. I have been here for two years and I still barely know anyone.
Maddie immediately recognized the girl who was sitting down, it was Sharon Elizabeth Austin, one of Maddie's few friends around Aurora. Despite Sharon's feisty temper Maddie and her got along quite well, possibly due to them both being very smart straight A students, or possibly it was due to them both being rather cynical. Whatever the reason, they were good friends, and she might as well go over and say hello.
As she approached the group she heard Sharon say something to Arthur, although she couldn't pick out exact words. She heard something about drawings and saw the sketchbook in Sharon's hands, so she figured it was Arthur's sketchbook and his drawings they were talking about. When she made it to them, she twirled the flower a bit more in her fingers and said "Hey Sharon! I hope I am not interrupting anything important. It's just I saw you and I figured I might as well come up to say hello." She added, "So how are you and these gentlemen doing?"
Politeness is a virtue. She thought. And if I am per chance interrupting something important, it is best to come off as polite as possible.
Maddie walked through the park as the sun shined down on her. It was a very nice day today, most days in Seattle are rather gloomy. Maddie enjoyed these occasional walks through the park. They are very pleasant, especially on days like this, and they remind her of the times she would go camping with her father. She bent down and picked one of the flowers that grow here in the park. She was pretty sure they were pansies, but she wasn't very good with botany; physics and chemistry were more of her forte when it came to science. She twirled the flower a bit in-between her fingers and walked along with it in her hand.
As she walked along she saw a group of three teenagers together. As she got closer she managed to make out their faces. The one boy was... Steven? She guessed. She recognized his face, but she didn't know much about him past him being two inches shorter than her. The other boy was Arthur, she didn't personally know much about him, although she knew his name and face, which was a much more than she knew about most other students at the very least.
I really need to get to know more of the other students. She thought. I have been here for two years and I still barely know anyone.
Maddie immediately recognized the girl who was sitting down, it was Sharon Elizabeth Austin, one of Maddie's few friends around Aurora. Despite Sharon's feisty temper Maddie and her got along quite well, possibly due to them both being very smart straight A students, or possibly it was due to them both being rather cynical. Whatever the reason, they were good friends, and she might as well go over and say hello.
As she approached the group she heard Sharon say something to Arthur, although she couldn't pick out exact words. She heard something about drawings and saw the sketchbook in Sharon's hands, so she figured it was Arthur's sketchbook and his drawings they were talking about. When she made it to them, she twirled the flower a bit more in her fingers and said "Hey Sharon! I hope I am not interrupting anything important. It's just I saw you and I figured I might as well come up to say hello." She added, "So how are you and these gentlemen doing?"
Politeness is a virtue. She thought. And if I am per chance interrupting something important, it is best to come off as polite as possible.
Arthur knew that people already had kind of an idea of what Sharon was like. She was always kind of blunt, at least when talking to other teens, and a lot of people thought of it as rudeness. But something Arthur noticed about her negative remarks is that they never seemed particularly prejudiced, and always addressed something that could be helped. For example, whenever he showed Sharon his drawings, he kept expecting her to do a double-take and ask why he chose to draw, say, a My Little Pony wearing Brotherhood of Steel power armor and shooting rockets from side-mounted guns, but that never happened. While she seldom showed the same enthusiasm for these odd concepts that he did, she always evaluated them on their own merits, giving him constructive advice.
And so she flipped through ten pages of sketches and pencil drawings, the last of which consisted entirely of crossover pictures between My Little Pony and Fallout, only commenting that his drawings were lifeless and bland. That was disheartening news to hear, but at least she was being fair.
Arthur looked up at her and sighed. "You got me, Sharon. I really wasn't in the mood for drawing when I did these, but you know how I work, I have to draw every day or I fall off the wagon. Shit drawings are better than no drawings at all for two weeks, right?" He threw his hands up a foot or two and slapped the sketchbook against his thigh.
"I'm just worried about college and job stuff and shit. I've got no idea what I'm gonna do beyond my favorite schools to apply for, I guess, and I don't know how to make money off... what, my art? My writing? You've seen my stuff, it's the nichest of niche stuff, who'll actually pay me?" He frowned and looked down at the ground, then at this new girl who came up to them. Her name slipped his mind.
"Hey, nothing much, I'm just... I'm just a bit down." He gulped, turning to look Madeline in the face. "This funk's kinda made my art go south, you know?" He froze up a bit. Normally he was kind of selective about who he showed his art to, mainly because of the nerdy subject matter. But he made himself raise his arm and show her his worn, mostly full sketchbook regardless. "I mean... Guess maybe I could use a second opinion? You into art that much?" Please take the book and look at it before I chicken out and pull it back, he thought. Please.
And so she flipped through ten pages of sketches and pencil drawings, the last of which consisted entirely of crossover pictures between My Little Pony and Fallout, only commenting that his drawings were lifeless and bland. That was disheartening news to hear, but at least she was being fair.
Arthur looked up at her and sighed. "You got me, Sharon. I really wasn't in the mood for drawing when I did these, but you know how I work, I have to draw every day or I fall off the wagon. Shit drawings are better than no drawings at all for two weeks, right?" He threw his hands up a foot or two and slapped the sketchbook against his thigh.
"I'm just worried about college and job stuff and shit. I've got no idea what I'm gonna do beyond my favorite schools to apply for, I guess, and I don't know how to make money off... what, my art? My writing? You've seen my stuff, it's the nichest of niche stuff, who'll actually pay me?" He frowned and looked down at the ground, then at this new girl who came up to them. Her name slipped his mind.
"Hey, nothing much, I'm just... I'm just a bit down." He gulped, turning to look Madeline in the face. "This funk's kinda made my art go south, you know?" He froze up a bit. Normally he was kind of selective about who he showed his art to, mainly because of the nerdy subject matter. But he made himself raise his arm and show her his worn, mostly full sketchbook regardless. "I mean... Guess maybe I could use a second opinion? You into art that much?" Please take the book and look at it before I chicken out and pull it back, he thought. Please.
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MurderWeasel
- Posts: 2566
- Joined: Thu Aug 09, 2018 1:37 am
Sharon became rather engrossed in critiquing Arthur's work. Steven would normally have tried to pay decent attention, or maybe have involved himself more directly in the conversation, but he'd been in the park for some time already and this gave him a good way to disengage so that he could head home. With Sharon and Arthur paying attention to each other, Steven could leave politely without letting Sharon down.
Maddie Wilcox then made her way over, and that just made things better. Steven gave her a nod and a "Hey," in acknowledgment, but didn't greet her too effusively. Maddie wasn't someone he knew well, and she wasn't addressing him directly. He was starting to feel less involved with the gathering, probably because his mind was already wandering to some article ideas the day's activities had created.
"Thanks for the help with the pictures, Sharon," Steven said. "And nice to see you, Arthur and Maddie. I've got to be heading home, though, so I'll see you all at school."
Steven gave the group a nod and a smile, and then set out towards home.
((Steven Salazar continued in No One Talks About It))
Maddie Wilcox then made her way over, and that just made things better. Steven gave her a nod and a "Hey," in acknowledgment, but didn't greet her too effusively. Maddie wasn't someone he knew well, and she wasn't addressing him directly. He was starting to feel less involved with the gathering, probably because his mind was already wandering to some article ideas the day's activities had created.
"Thanks for the help with the pictures, Sharon," Steven said. "And nice to see you, Arthur and Maddie. I've got to be heading home, though, so I'll see you all at school."
Steven gave the group a nod and a smile, and then set out towards home.
((Steven Salazar continued in No One Talks About It))
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jimmydalad
- Posts: 290
- Joined: Mon Aug 13, 2018 3:35 pm
It looked like Sharon was right after all. She raised her eyebrows as she heard Arthur's reasoning, shaking her head a little as if rejecting what he had to say. While she could understand his reasoning, it just was wrong to her for some reason. Maybe it was due to her experience with photography that allowed her to gain an insight into what Arthur was experiencing. Whatever the case was, Sharon thought about what to say to him for a moment, then responded.
"You've already stated the problem. Your drawings, while good, are very niche orientated. Your drawings of My Little Pony and whatever the hell you were thinking of when you came up with the idea to draw that shit ain't going to get you a living. I know it's probably hard to do, but maybe try drawing popular shit? Pander to the everyman a little. I dunno, do what artists normally do I guess. I do photography, I don't know too much about this shit." Sharon advised a little carelessly, shrugging her shoulders just as her friend, Maddie, arrived.
"Hey there Willcox. You weren't interrupting too much and I'm doing fine, thank you very much." She replied casually, giving her a warm grin and wave, just as Steven bade his farewells. Not wanting to move out of her comfortable position, Sharon stayed seated and nodded her head as she watched Steven address her and the others.
"Going off to write an article? Well then, see you around I guess." Sharon called out to Steven, giving him a nonchalant salute as he made his way off. Once that was over with, she turned her attention back to something Arthur had said.
"Good idea. Here Maddie, catch." Sharon commented forcefully, ripping the art book out of Steven's hands and tossing it over to Maddie.
"You'll thank me for this later." She whispered to Arthur knowingly, giving him a little wink before turning her attention over to Maddie. She was a jerk, there was no way around it. However, she was acting like a jerk now for the better of Arthur. He needed people's interpretations and not only her opinion. Sharon doubted Maddie would not be fazed by his drawings like she was. It was a good way of seeing how most people would react to his drawings. A fresh dose of reality would be good for him.
"You've already stated the problem. Your drawings, while good, are very niche orientated. Your drawings of My Little Pony and whatever the hell you were thinking of when you came up with the idea to draw that shit ain't going to get you a living. I know it's probably hard to do, but maybe try drawing popular shit? Pander to the everyman a little. I dunno, do what artists normally do I guess. I do photography, I don't know too much about this shit." Sharon advised a little carelessly, shrugging her shoulders just as her friend, Maddie, arrived.
"Hey there Willcox. You weren't interrupting too much and I'm doing fine, thank you very much." She replied casually, giving her a warm grin and wave, just as Steven bade his farewells. Not wanting to move out of her comfortable position, Sharon stayed seated and nodded her head as she watched Steven address her and the others.
"Going off to write an article? Well then, see you around I guess." Sharon called out to Steven, giving him a nonchalant salute as he made his way off. Once that was over with, she turned her attention back to something Arthur had said.
"Good idea. Here Maddie, catch." Sharon commented forcefully, ripping the art book out of Steven's hands and tossing it over to Maddie.
"You'll thank me for this later." She whispered to Arthur knowingly, giving him a little wink before turning her attention over to Maddie. She was a jerk, there was no way around it. However, she was acting like a jerk now for the better of Arthur. He needed people's interpretations and not only her opinion. Sharon doubted Maddie would not be fazed by his drawings like she was. It was a good way of seeing how most people would react to his drawings. A fresh dose of reality would be good for him.
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VoltTurtle
- Posts: 801
- Joined: Fri Aug 10, 2018 4:10 pm
- Location: Dreamland
Maddie stood and listened as the group addressed her. Steven turned to her and gave her a small "hey." Shortly after, Arthur began to mention being in a funk and it affecting his art, and Sharon curtly told her that she was not interrupting anything and that she was doing just fine. Arthur then began to hand Maddie his notebook, asking for her opinion on his art as Steven got up from the group, said his goodbyes, turned, and walked away. Sharon gave him a goodbye as he left and turned immediately back to Arthur and Maddie.
Maddie was very surprised when Sharon then forcefully ripped Arthur's book out of his hands and tossed it over at her. Maddie fumbled for a moment before barely catching the notebook, dropping her flower as she did so. She gave a nervous chuckle as she regained her composure and brought the book up to reading level. She began flipping through the pages, looking at the art as she went along. She saw a lot of ponies from My Little Pony wearing Brotherhood of Steel armor from Fallout, and was quite perplexed by the drawings, to say the least. As she flipped through she noticed a distinct drop in quality as she went along, and while she didn't know too much about the finer mechanics of art, she did notice proportions that were a bit off and shading that almost looked like it was rushed through more and more often as she looked. She got through the book and was a bit stunned by the end of it, not quite sure what to say.
With a quizzical look on her face, she handed the book back to Arthur and pondered what to say for a moment. After a moment of thinking she finally opened her mouth and said "I'm not quite sure what to say. I am not one to criticize someone's concepts based solely on oddity alone." She bent and picked up her flower. "The main problems I noticed were that the drawings seemed quite rushed and not very professional. If perhaps they were mechanically more sound, then I probably would have come off liking your drawings, despite the oddities."
She looked towards Sharon and Arthur and added "Did I say what you wanted to hear?"
Maddie was very surprised when Sharon then forcefully ripped Arthur's book out of his hands and tossed it over at her. Maddie fumbled for a moment before barely catching the notebook, dropping her flower as she did so. She gave a nervous chuckle as she regained her composure and brought the book up to reading level. She began flipping through the pages, looking at the art as she went along. She saw a lot of ponies from My Little Pony wearing Brotherhood of Steel armor from Fallout, and was quite perplexed by the drawings, to say the least. As she flipped through she noticed a distinct drop in quality as she went along, and while she didn't know too much about the finer mechanics of art, she did notice proportions that were a bit off and shading that almost looked like it was rushed through more and more often as she looked. She got through the book and was a bit stunned by the end of it, not quite sure what to say.
With a quizzical look on her face, she handed the book back to Arthur and pondered what to say for a moment. After a moment of thinking she finally opened her mouth and said "I'm not quite sure what to say. I am not one to criticize someone's concepts based solely on oddity alone." She bent and picked up her flower. "The main problems I noticed were that the drawings seemed quite rushed and not very professional. If perhaps they were mechanically more sound, then I probably would have come off liking your drawings, despite the oddities."
She looked towards Sharon and Arthur and added "Did I say what you wanted to hear?"
Oh goody, here came the judgmentalism. Arthur couldn't help but cringe when Sharon expressed her bafflement at his chosen subject matter. He felt his ears burning, too. The first instinct he had was to let loose a diatribe about how interesting all this stuff actually was, and how popular it actually was on certain corners of the internet. But that was the rub, wasn't it? The "certain corners" part. He'd been wrestling with the truth that maybe, just maybe, he was spending too much time inside a comfortable little bubble, a bubble full of people who delighted in crossing cartoon horses over with just about any other property they could think of, the more ridiculous and unlikely the better.
As always, Arthur found himself considering Sharon's advice, and realized that she was pretty much right. Unless he wanted to make a living taking drawing commissions from furries, he'd have to try and find the inspiration necessary to make more universal, relatable stories and pictures. He shrugged and nodded at Sharon. "Good point. I kind of knew I'd have to make that leap sooner or later, but the question is, what sort of art is more popular among larger circles? Believe it or not, what I'm doing now has a devoted following on the internet, and if I wanted to be, like, a big fish in a small pond, I could!"
Deep breath. "I'm not really sure where to branch out to larger bodies of water and what kind of fish swim in them, and it's not like I expect you to know because you're not an expert in the art community or anything." He made a face and looked at the ground. "Superheroes, maybe? Those are cool. I could get a job in comics. Heh."
Just like that, his mood was clearing up, and he gave Sharon a smile. "Thanks, Sharon. I needed that. Jeez, I don't know what I'd do without-" All of a sudden, the hand which held his sketchbook was empty. A quick glance confirmed that Sharon had passed it to Madeleine, who looked like she was about to make that face from that meme about Gaston from Beauty and the Beast. The embarrassment came flooding back, not helped by Sharon whispering in his ear that he'd thank her later. Arthur didn't doubt that, and he started thinking that his friendship with Sharon was a testament to some latent masochism he didn't know he had.
Madeleine was just about finished looking through them, and her stilted manner of speaking made it clear to him that she found this whole exchange, and this peek into Arthur's interests and creative output, about as awkward as he did.
Shit, what did he put in that book again? He knew he drew a whole fucking lot of Fallout ponies towards the end, but he thought he drew them crossed over with some other things, too. Lord of the Rings, Adventure Time, Girl Genius, that sort of thing. And there were some normal fanart of other things mixed in there, with human and furry variants both, but he knew that he was a broken fucking record about one subject during the last few days. Maybe he was really frustrated with how those drawings turned out and was determined to do them over and over and over until he got them right? Oh, he did a great job in that regard.
Still, it could have been worse. He didn't draw the Fallout ponies actually killing each other or getting horribly mutilated, for one. Or go into crossovers with something like Lovecraft or Silent Hill. This poor girl would be giving him a weird look if she saw that shit!
"Yyyeah, basically," he told Madeleine, looking just to the left of her actual face. "I needed this kind of talk to give me a new direction. And I probably should have told you that you'd have to sort through all the dross in that book. No quality control. I've got an online gallery if you're still interested." She might not be. She might have just been being polite, but Arthur wasn't listening to that negative Nancy in his head, not this time.
As always, Arthur found himself considering Sharon's advice, and realized that she was pretty much right. Unless he wanted to make a living taking drawing commissions from furries, he'd have to try and find the inspiration necessary to make more universal, relatable stories and pictures. He shrugged and nodded at Sharon. "Good point. I kind of knew I'd have to make that leap sooner or later, but the question is, what sort of art is more popular among larger circles? Believe it or not, what I'm doing now has a devoted following on the internet, and if I wanted to be, like, a big fish in a small pond, I could!"
Deep breath. "I'm not really sure where to branch out to larger bodies of water and what kind of fish swim in them, and it's not like I expect you to know because you're not an expert in the art community or anything." He made a face and looked at the ground. "Superheroes, maybe? Those are cool. I could get a job in comics. Heh."
Just like that, his mood was clearing up, and he gave Sharon a smile. "Thanks, Sharon. I needed that. Jeez, I don't know what I'd do without-" All of a sudden, the hand which held his sketchbook was empty. A quick glance confirmed that Sharon had passed it to Madeleine, who looked like she was about to make that face from that meme about Gaston from Beauty and the Beast. The embarrassment came flooding back, not helped by Sharon whispering in his ear that he'd thank her later. Arthur didn't doubt that, and he started thinking that his friendship with Sharon was a testament to some latent masochism he didn't know he had.
Madeleine was just about finished looking through them, and her stilted manner of speaking made it clear to him that she found this whole exchange, and this peek into Arthur's interests and creative output, about as awkward as he did.
Shit, what did he put in that book again? He knew he drew a whole fucking lot of Fallout ponies towards the end, but he thought he drew them crossed over with some other things, too. Lord of the Rings, Adventure Time, Girl Genius, that sort of thing. And there were some normal fanart of other things mixed in there, with human and furry variants both, but he knew that he was a broken fucking record about one subject during the last few days. Maybe he was really frustrated with how those drawings turned out and was determined to do them over and over and over until he got them right? Oh, he did a great job in that regard.
Still, it could have been worse. He didn't draw the Fallout ponies actually killing each other or getting horribly mutilated, for one. Or go into crossovers with something like Lovecraft or Silent Hill. This poor girl would be giving him a weird look if she saw that shit!
"Yyyeah, basically," he told Madeleine, looking just to the left of her actual face. "I needed this kind of talk to give me a new direction. And I probably should have told you that you'd have to sort through all the dross in that book. No quality control. I've got an online gallery if you're still interested." She might not be. She might have just been being polite, but Arthur wasn't listening to that negative Nancy in his head, not this time.
This is an archival account used by staff to port posts belonging to the handler Solitair. While this handler hasn't been around in quite a while, should they return and wish to take custody of this account and/or its posts, they are welcome to do so by contacting staff.
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jimmydalad
- Posts: 290
- Joined: Mon Aug 13, 2018 3:35 pm
Leaning back against the tree, Sharon crossed her arms over each other and watched the entire debacle occur before her. A satisfied smirk was on her face as she was pretty proud of her actions. While the others seemed to find it awkward, Sharon took it in her stride. A reality check was what Arthur needed. Judging from Maddie's face, Sharon came to the conclusion that she found it very odd. Who wouldn't find the things that Arthur drew odd? Sharon thought he was strange in that retrospect, but she had to give credit where credit was due.
Her eyes narrowed a bit as she listened to what Maddie had to comment about his drawings. She nodded her head to her criticisms, turning her head to Maddie and raising her right eyebrow, pointing with her head at Maddie to indicate that Arthur should take this into account. Maddie pointed out the thing that Arthur had to do if he wanted a career in art. He needed to branch out. As to what he was to branch out to, Sharon really wasn't sure. She didn't draw. How was she supposed to know?
"Thanks for that Maddie. Your insight was very much appreciated." Sharon told her clinically, turning to her and giving an appreciative smile. She was a jerk. She knew she was a jerk. However, she was only a jerk if given a reason. Her actions may have come off as very abrasive, but if it was to her friends, she always had a reason for doing so and Sharon wasn't sure if the others knew that.
"Now then, now that that is over, I have to ask. Maddie, what are you doing here?" Sharon asked bluntly, not even trying to sound polite. She knew why Arthur was here and Steven had already left. She was curious to hear why Maddie was in the park as she didn't know what she usually did. She tilted her beret upwards and looked at Maddie quizzically, waiting for a response.
Her eyes narrowed a bit as she listened to what Maddie had to comment about his drawings. She nodded her head to her criticisms, turning her head to Maddie and raising her right eyebrow, pointing with her head at Maddie to indicate that Arthur should take this into account. Maddie pointed out the thing that Arthur had to do if he wanted a career in art. He needed to branch out. As to what he was to branch out to, Sharon really wasn't sure. She didn't draw. How was she supposed to know?
"Thanks for that Maddie. Your insight was very much appreciated." Sharon told her clinically, turning to her and giving an appreciative smile. She was a jerk. She knew she was a jerk. However, she was only a jerk if given a reason. Her actions may have come off as very abrasive, but if it was to her friends, she always had a reason for doing so and Sharon wasn't sure if the others knew that.
"Now then, now that that is over, I have to ask. Maddie, what are you doing here?" Sharon asked bluntly, not even trying to sound polite. She knew why Arthur was here and Steven had already left. She was curious to hear why Maddie was in the park as she didn't know what she usually did. She tilted her beret upwards and looked at Maddie quizzically, waiting for a response.
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VoltTurtle
- Posts: 801
- Joined: Fri Aug 10, 2018 4:10 pm
- Location: Dreamland
Maddie stood as Arthur explained himself, saying that he needed a talk like the one she just gave him to give him a new direction. He then asked her if she would like to see his online gallery. "Um, sure, I guess. Is your gallery on DeviantArt, or would I find it elsewhere?"
After she said that, Sharon piped up, saying Maddie's insight was appreciated, and with that taken care of, she asked what Maddie was doing here in the park. Maddie twirled the little flower in her hands as she spoke. "Well, I usually like taking a nice walk through the park." She glanced at the flower and watched it spin in between her fingers. "It helps calm my nerves sometimes. You know, being out here with all the flowers and trees."
She looked up into the air, feeling the gentle breeze go past her. "It is really quite peaceful." She heard the sound of young children playing in the background. "Unless you consider the young kids." She said with a hint of disdain. "But, overall, it is pretty nice out here. All things considered."
She twirled the flower more as she looked back at Sharon and Arthur. "So, what exactly are you two doing here?" She paused. "You know, besides critiquing Arthur's art."
After she said that, Sharon piped up, saying Maddie's insight was appreciated, and with that taken care of, she asked what Maddie was doing here in the park. Maddie twirled the little flower in her hands as she spoke. "Well, I usually like taking a nice walk through the park." She glanced at the flower and watched it spin in between her fingers. "It helps calm my nerves sometimes. You know, being out here with all the flowers and trees."
She looked up into the air, feeling the gentle breeze go past her. "It is really quite peaceful." She heard the sound of young children playing in the background. "Unless you consider the young kids." She said with a hint of disdain. "But, overall, it is pretty nice out here. All things considered."
She twirled the flower more as she looked back at Sharon and Arthur. "So, what exactly are you two doing here?" She paused. "You know, besides critiquing Arthur's art."
Arthur looked up at Maddie and smiled. He still didn't know how sincere she was being. The fact that she wanted to know more about his gallery was encouraging, but she did it in a half-hearted way, with a limp "I guess" tacked on. "Yeah, it's on DA. Look under, um, tornbyindecision. That's my user name."
Then the matter was settled, and the girls wanted to change the topic. When the question of what they were all doing here rose, Arthur stopped to think. Did he have any reason besides seeking out Sharon to come to the park? He didn't think so, not really. Normally he wouldn't go outdoors for fun, but since he was here, maybe he could stay?
"I... am... going to practice drawing trees," he said. He thumbed through the pages in his sketchbook until he came upon a blank one, then turned to the nearest tree. "Broadening my horizons and stuff. It's been a while since I did any trees."
Then the matter was settled, and the girls wanted to change the topic. When the question of what they were all doing here rose, Arthur stopped to think. Did he have any reason besides seeking out Sharon to come to the park? He didn't think so, not really. Normally he wouldn't go outdoors for fun, but since he was here, maybe he could stay?
"I... am... going to practice drawing trees," he said. He thumbed through the pages in his sketchbook until he came upon a blank one, then turned to the nearest tree. "Broadening my horizons and stuff. It's been a while since I did any trees."
This is an archival account used by staff to port posts belonging to the handler Solitair. While this handler hasn't been around in quite a while, should they return and wish to take custody of this account and/or its posts, they are welcome to do so by contacting staff.
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jimmydalad
- Posts: 290
- Joined: Mon Aug 13, 2018 3:35 pm
"I was here to read my book and help Arthur over here." Sharon commented as she looked at the time.
"I probably should get back home by now. Parents will probably wonder where I am." She said the others as she stood up and made her way away from the gathering.
"I'll se you guys around" She called out to them, waving backwards as she made her way home.
((Sharon Austin in Metal of Honor))
"I probably should get back home by now. Parents will probably wonder where I am." She said the others as she stood up and made her way away from the gathering.
"I'll se you guys around" She called out to them, waving backwards as she made her way home.
((Sharon Austin in Metal of Honor))
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VoltTurtle
- Posts: 801
- Joined: Fri Aug 10, 2018 4:10 pm
- Location: Dreamland
Arthur said he was at the park to draw trees, and Sharon said she was there to read and help Arthur. Shortly after, she got up and left, saying her parents were probably wondering where she was. "Alright! See you later Sharon!" Maddie said, as Sharon waved to them.
Maddie turned her attention to Arthur. "I should probably get going too. I've been here a while." She smiled. "Hope you have a good time practicing drawing those trees!" She turned in the opposite direction from Sharon and walked to the park's exit.
That was... interesting. To say the least. She thought as she walked out of the park.
((Madeline Wilcox continued elsewhere...))
Maddie turned her attention to Arthur. "I should probably get going too. I've been here a while." She smiled. "Hope you have a good time practicing drawing those trees!" She turned in the opposite direction from Sharon and walked to the park's exit.
That was... interesting. To say the least. She thought as she walked out of the park.
((Madeline Wilcox continued elsewhere...))