Drawn Smiles [Afternoon :: Brittany Wilson]

Posts : 260 Join date : 2016-02-02 Age : 24 Location : Yes

It was honestly surprising to even herself that Nebula hadn't yet decided to go back home. Maybe it was the change of atmosphere or endless sources for drawing ideas that plagued it, but something about the outside kept her out of her home against her better judgement and her emotions. At this point, she was just strolling wherever her feet would take her, looking for new drawing material.

Eventually, Nebula would stop and stare at a beatiful, pristine white wedding dress on display in the window of one of the many stores that collectively formed the Backlight District. Getting a new idea for a drawing, Nebula would look left and right before sitting down on a small set of stairs opposite to the shop window and start drawing away at her sketchbook. She felt a slight headache coming on, but it wasn't severe enough to warrant medicine yet, so she tried to tune it out by focusing on her work.

Posts : 992 Join date : 2015-10-07

She was supposed to head back to home after a busy day, when the thought of stopping by Backlight seemed too attractive to pass. Perhaps she could bring a souvenir to her home, or even buy a toy for Bernard. Or Bernadette. It was still a mystery how to call the little owl, now that she got the revelation the true gender of her formerly male bird is, actually, female. Do female birds have a different preference when it comes to gifts and food, compared to the male counterpart? Perhaps she could ask Bernie herself later. Meanwhile, the girl busied herself with staring at the window of a very specific shop. A wedding dress... Would she ever wear that, she wondered? The girl wasn't pretentious enough to dream of a wedding ceremony for herself. In fact, she didn't care to an extent, her life as a single lady was worrisome enough to place the burden on a lover's shoulder. That and, obviously, she needed to find a boyfriend first. Regardless of little conditions and details, the sight of it was enough to make sprout a dreamy gleam in her contemplative eyes. It wasn't wedding season yet, but the prospect of it enticed her curiosity and imagination. By the looks of it, not only hers, as there was another girl who also seemed captivated by the image of a wedding gown. The stranger didn't say a word, though, and as silent as she came, she left to another place, with a sketchbook in hands, much to Brittany's innate curiosity. While inconvenient to some, the girl was naive enough to not understand the possible implications of sneaking on random people in the street. To her it seemed quite common, artists draw attention for themselves just by standing there doing their art. At least in the academy, whenever someone draws, immediately a circle of people would form around them to watch the sketching job. Naturally, after a while (the girl remained flirting with the dress for a little more before realizing the stranger from before was not too far from her), Brittany instinctively did the same, her head slightly above the woman's head quietly peeking on the sketchbook.

Drawn Smiles [Afternoon :: Brittany Wilson] FsE7wpJ

Posts : 260 Join date : 2016-02-02 Age : 24 Location : Yes

Even way back when she was but a child, Nebula was consantly criticized for her choice in aesthetics. Things that people found creepy, unsettling or disturbing, Nebula found beatiful. This, however, was not the result of wanting to be different, rebelious or a renegade; Nebula, being the naive sheltered child that she was, believed that everything ugly and morbid in the world was the universe trying to express its sadness and/or grief, so to let the universe know that there was at least one person out there that heard what it was trying to say, Nebula put her love for the artistic to use and began to draw morbid scenes and characters. Unlike what people would normally think about her drawings, Nebula wasn't trying to express sadness or grief herself; her paintings were born of happy memories and things she was fond of, but were dressed in the tears of the universe as a form of thanking it for giving her these memories and things in the irst place. Nowadays, however, Nebula had very little happy things to base her drawings off of, so instead of using her own supply of happiness she borrowed happiness from the universe around her. She would look up pictures or wander around in search of anything she thought might have sometime made someone else happy or had the potential to do so, and bathed that in the tears of the universe.

This circumstance made Nebula's sketchbook her mouth. Writing was her way of talking, and drawing was her way of smiling.

In this particular instance, Nebula had focused on the happiness that a beautiful wedding dress could bring a blushing bride. The feeling of excitement, the love for her soon-to-be husband or wife, the joy of getting to spend the rest of her life with her lover, and the hope she had for their future together were all things she kept in mind while she drew away at her sketchbook. Though years of torment had rendered Nebula unable to smile, the happiness she dipped herself in to make her art impregnated itself on her, if even for the most minuscule of moments.

After a few minutes of lining and erasing and shading, her latest smile was complete.

Drawn Smiles [Afternoon :: Brittany Wilson] Il_570xN.636332949_p5p3

Where most people save for herself and her parents (were they still alive) would see a symbol of death and misery, Nebula saw excitement, joy, love and hope. She wondered if someday she would find her knight in shining armor... she blushed before meekly shaking her head. //No.// She thought. //There's no way anyone would fall in love with a monster like me...//

In shaking her head, Nebula took notice of a figure standing behind her, peering above her head and at her sketchbook. Nebula quickly got up and dusted her posterior off before hugging her sketchbook tightly, the smile facing her breast. "H-how much of that did you see?" She would ask, nervousness present in her voice.

Posts : 992 Join date : 2015-10-07

For the majority of the time the blond artist risked her papers with the pen, drawing lines and giving them form, Brittany was just behind, her body making shadow on the sketchbook. As time passed it became more clear what those doodles became. The first thing Brittany noticed was a female figure wearing a wedding dress. The same wedding dress she has been staring at the store, secretly desiring it to fit her body in one happy ceremonial day. Apparently, the lady was equally infatuated with it, just like Brittany. The second thing was...said female figure is actually a zombie. A skeleton or whatever people decided to call undead creatures. It reminded her immediately of the movie Corpse Bride, however with a different, happier ending: she found someone who was an equal, and Brittany couldn't help but to smile in surprise and awe. A nice remake for such a sad character.

"Eve-ry-thing!", she responded right away, with the earnest smile as the artist noticed her presence. Good thing the lady didn't seem to immediately shun her away despite her intrusion, which was a plus. How could she? Brittany was just watching the lines drawn in the paper assuming her own kind of life. That's one thing she admired most about painters and drawers: they are like gods with a pencil in hands. "It is so cool what you've done there! Like, really! I loved it, totally!"

Posts : 260 Join date : 2016-02-02 Age : 24 Location : Yes

The sudden onslaught (well... to Nebula, at least, it felt like an onslaught) of praise caused the timid artist to blush and look down at her boots. "O-oh... I don't know, it's just a first draft. Its nothing extraordinary..." While Nebula really did feel pride in her artistic abilities, she didn't think they were that great, just... good. Passable, at the very least. "I-I didn't really have time to properly shade it or color it..." Not like she could've colored it in without her computer and graphic editing software, anyway. She had more than a few troubles staying within the lines.

Nebula regained her composure and looked the other woman straight in the eyes, yet with a certain hint of weakness that completely prevented the stare from being any form of menacing. "Please! D-Don't tell anyone you saw it!" She really liked what this particular piece was becoming, and it would've been a shame if she would have had to scrap it to keep the identity of her internet pseudonym hidden. If the woman refused to keep silent, she could at least keep it for herself and pin it up somewhere in her room, she guessed...

Posts : 992 Join date : 2015-10-07

She honestly didn't get what there is worth to be shy about. As in, really, the girl is an artist. Artists are supposed to show their talents to the world and entice people with the emotions they can convey. That's what art is about, no? Quite similar to cheerleading though, as the name indicated, you needed to "cheer" people if you filled the role. As a drawer, you have way more liberty in regards to what kind emotions you plan to convey in your pictures, and what kind of sensations your spectators may feel. "Huh? Why not? I mean, look at it. Girl, you could, like, be making some real money on this if you want! Can I call other people to see? Pleeeeease! They won't even mind the shading thing you mentioned!" Probably a technical term she wasn't aware of, and it didn't matter. Good art is good art regardless, and everyone knows one when they see it.

Posts : 260 Join date : 2016-02-02 Age : 24 Location : Yes

Nebula tried with all her mental might to refuse the woman's plea, but... could she in good conscience really deny the request of somebody who wanted to share her art? Wouldn't it have been stealing from the universe if she borrowed its happiness but didn't return it? "...I... I guess you can, if you want to..." Nebula took out her phone and took a photo of her drawing before carefully ripping its page off of her sketchbook. "H-here, you can keep it. I have a copy now anyway..." Well, she'd have to run her copy through a scanner and do the lining all over again, but it was fine. She enjoyed drawing, afer all, it wasn't a bother at all.

Nebula would slide her fingers across her hair in nervousness, unsure of what to do next. This stranger had shown sudden interest in her work, and it would've been rude of her not to indulge her wishes, right? Even so, it felt... incorrect, to give away her art so freely. She didn't mean freely as in free of charge, of course, she wasn't greedy, it was just... already today two people had seen her drawing stuff, and it made her wonder how well of a job she really was doing at concealing her internet identity. At the same time, it felt... good, to be able to so openly share your art without a filter. "Umm... I already make money off of it. I-I'm a commission artist." It felt so good to be able to say that with pride. "...umm... it's n-nice to meet you, miss...?" She'd leave an open spot for the newcomer to insert her name into.

Posts : 992 Join date : 2015-10-07

"Wait, really? No. Way!" Her jaw dropped immediately while the fingers recognized in their skin the paper Nebula handed her. Yes, that's it, the drawing. The original drawing! Her lips broadened in the earnest smile she could deliver. It isn't specially hard to make Brittany happy, but the kindness of a stranger and the demonstration of appreciation by an artist were like the sweetest gifts to brighten up her day. "I'm soooo gonna frame this and hang it on my living room." She said, raising the drawing as high as her face as she delighted herself with a last glimpse. When putting the paper against the sunlight, the outlines seemed even more magical and bright. Definitely, the piece would look awesome in a classy, wooden frame. "Name's Brittany. But you can call me Brit! Hey, can you, like, sign? Like an autograph!"

Posts : 260 Join date : 2016-02-02 Age : 24 Location : Yes

...Why was this girl so infatuated with her artwork? Nebula knew for a fact that it wasn't as great as this girl was making it out to be, there's no way somebody would actually love it that much! ...Was... was she being mocked? Was this girl only here to have a laugh at her hard work?... No, she mustn't think such things. Any sign of kindness - anyting at all - was beyond priceless to the depressive artist. She should've known better than to jump to conclusions... especially when the girl in front of her was being so nice!

"A-an autograph?!" Nebula blurted out in surprise. This was the first time in years, no, the first time in ever that her art had been so appreciated! Well, her parents had done the same, but that didn't count! Parents were parents, of course they liked them! "Umm... s-sure, just... give me a second." Nebula rummaged through her pockets and grabbed a pen. She placed her sketchbook beneath the drawing as support, but before she could actually sign it, she hesitated. Her signature included her surname. What would she do if Brittany had heard her name before? What if the moment she learned who she was, she turned tail and ran? Nebula put those thoughts aside: To refuse an autograph after agreeing to it would be beyond rude, and she could not in good conscience let that happen. She gathered what little courage she held within her, and signed her name onto the corner of the drawing.

Drawn Smiles [Afternoon :: Brittany Wilson] Signed10

With that, Nebula would put the pen in her pocket, and hold her breath in anticipation of Brittany's response.

Posts : 992 Join date : 2015-10-07

The girl really signed her drawing? That was incredibly nice! Perhaps because she was used to have celebrities as acquaintances in the model agency, but they were mostly arrogant, self-centered and snobbish models and producers, Brittany was quite happy to find a seemingly down-to-earth and humble artist for once.

"That's so cool! Thank you!" She held the drawing with the maximum care, taking a fascinated look at the signature. The calligraphy seemed impecable, which was no surprise. A drawer knows how to give life and beauty to carbon traces on a paper or any other surface, no wonders they can give beauty to letters as well. Coming to think of it, letters are just readable drawings. She had pride in her calligraphy as well, but this was the first time she actually put some thought into how everything about our language boils down to art and drawing. "So, what's the story behind this? Is this about the Corpse Bride? Because, if it is, I loved it already! Have you seen the movie? Please tell me you did, I so totally love the movie! It's quite sad, I had such high hopes for Emily and Victor... Guess not all stories are meant to have a happy ending, but at least we can rework the stories as we want. Fanfics, you know?... oh my gosh, did I just spoil the ending?..."

Posts : 260 Join date : 2016-02-02 Age : 24 Location : Yes

Evidently Brit didn't know who Nebula was, which she was infinitely thankful for. If she'd recognized her, she thought, that'd be another person she would've failed to befriend that day. The onslaught of praise was one thing, but an onslaught of words was another. Nebula tried her hardest to keep up with Brit's words, but she didn't even know what she was talking about. "The Corpse Bride"? She recalled having heard of a movie with a title similar to that, but she had never gotten the chance to watch it. "U-Umm..." Nebula managed to get the general gist of what Brittany was trying to say, however. "N-No... I haven't watched The Corpse Bride. Sorry..." Maybe she'd watch it later, when she had free time. "U-Umm... the drawing is just about the j-joy of getting married... the part about skeletons and all that is just my artstyle. I l-like to take happy things and draw them morbidly, I feel like t-that way it contrasts with the message behind my drawings and umm... e-emphazises it..." She didn't really need to mention the whole thing about doing it as a form of "communicating with the universe" so she refrained from doing so.

And then: Silence, if a brief one. Nebula knew that the polite thing to do would be to keep the conversational ball rolling, but as it stood this particular thread of discussion had run its course. Respectively, Nebula quickly thought up of something to keep the conversation going. She wouldn't want to be rude, after all. "U-Uh... I'm Nebula. I know you a-already have my signature and name, but... I just wanted to m-make it formal..." Smooth, Nebula. Real smooth.

"Wh-What-t d-do yo-y-you..." Nebula purposefully bit her tongue. //Stop talking, start over.// She thought to herself as she regained control of her tongue. "S-sorry, my stuttering gets worse w-when I'm nervous. I-I was going to ask, what d-do you do for a living?"

Posts : 992 Join date : 2015-10-07

Brittany's lips twisted into a sonorous "ooooooooh" as Nebula explained her reasoning behind her art. Quite deep, isn't it? The kind of thing art critics would love to hear, the whole duality concept about it likely appealing to the scholar branch. Brittany didn't mind this specific piece of Nebula's reasoning; to her hopeless romantic heart, it was enough to know it has a happy inspiration such as the joy of a wedding ceremony. "Ooooh, rad! Corpse Bride is a movie you're probably gonna like. I mean, I liked it at least. And it's Tim Burton, how can someone not like his movies? This tells the story about an arranged wedding between Victor and Victoria, all the pressure they have to deal with because their families are, like, totally desperate for the wedding, more than then. Victor then feels too pressured and he runs away for some time after screwing up the wedding rehearsal, I think? I don't even remember, ANYWAY, then he meets Emily, who's the corpse of a bride and...spoilers! Go watch it, really, you won't be disappointed!" While exhilarated about the opportunity to talk about Corpse Bride, Brittany didn't want to spoil it. Wait, actually she did, but she hoped for Nebula to actually watch it so they could converse about. Having someone to talk about your favorite tastes is such a trivial activity that became really rare for the girl in her regular social circles. Even if said company to talk about was a stuttering shy artist. Quite a stereotype, but Brittany didn't mind. Nebula was amicable enough, and it wasn't the first time she met a shy individual who had troubles talking to her. For the full disclosure, in her past she was exactly like this young lady. "Me? Uh, I'm a model. Cheerleader at school, model out of it. Not, like, THE model. Just one model. I'm still small fish in the middle of whales... Wait, whales aren't fishes, they're actually mammals... Right? Oh God, I really need to get back to biology classes."

Posts : 260 Join date : 2016-02-02 Age : 24 Location : Yes

"You're a model? And ch-cheerleader? Wow... you sound l-like you're really p-productive..." Nebula would be lying if she were to say that she wasn't envious of Brit's talents (If what she was saying was true, which Nebula had no reason to doubt). Not to mention it would've also been a lie had she said that she wasn't jealous of Brit's looks, which in her mind exentuated the fact that she was a model. Nebula had never been been one to care too much for her appearance, but after being released from prison and being given disgusting glares from any and all officials or people that knew what she'd done, she'd become incredibly self-conscious, and this self-consciousness included her physical appearance which, as it stood, Nebula wasn't exactly very proud of. Most likely colateral damage from her depression. Then Nebula realized what what Brit said implied.

"Y-You're a student?" That was... a bit of a weird thought. "S-sorry for blurting that out... you just... seemed a lot older than me..." And then Nebula realized what she'd just said. "N-not that I'm saying you look old! I-I just m-m-meant that y-you s-seem really m-mature! I'msorrypleasedon'thatemeeee!" Nebula practically squeaked as she hid her face behind her sketchbook. This girl seriously felt like she should be older than Nebula, yet she must've been at least six years younger than her if she was still in school! Though Nebula was twenty-four... her whole childhood and adolescence she'd been sheltered, the month before her arrest she stayed inside her home, never leaving, and during her time in prison... well, all her basic needs were taken care of by others, though not by any means in a pleasant way. All of this made Nebula as good at being an adult as a twelve-year-old-child, despite having graduated and all that stuff. She guessed this was the reason why it was so surprising to her that she was older than her.

Posts : 992 Join date : 2015-10-07

"Productive" is really not a word someone close to Brittany would use to define her. Perhaps she was busy and had an agitated schedule on most days for the sake of necessity, but productive? Nah, not really. While the compliment felt welcome, just like any kind of compliment, the girl acknowledged this much. In her mind, being productive implied actually producing something with satisfactory results that will lead you somewhere. Modelling and cheerleading felt almost like hobbies, instead, and therefore hobbies, when treated as hobbies alone, will only take you so far. On the other hand, being called "older" than she looks was definitely something else. Brit didn't know why or what exactly evoked the impression that she was far more mature than reality can attest, but it was quite an amusing conclusion nonetheless.

"You know, that's the first time someone actually says that to me. Usually, it's so different! They think I'm too childish and all. I mean, not that I mind, but it's funny. Like, people can have totally opposite perceptions about you. Just like...your drawing! You may look at it and, like, think it's nothing special, but to a stranger who can't even draw a straight line without a ruler, it's amazing!" She chuckled to Nebula at her own jesting remark, a broad curling of lips showing she wasn't mad the slightest. In fact, Brittany saw in the stuttering Nebula a lot about herself, or rather, a past of hers, and so she knew better than to pick on the blonde for her obvious shyness and lack of social tact. "But just for the record, I'm eighteen. I'm an adult now, so you gotta treat me like one. Humpf!" She rose her nose trying to emulate a cocky attitude, albeit it was quite clear she wasn't mad, judging by the way the girl cheerfully laughed at herself for it.

Posts : 260 Join date : 2016-02-02 Age : 24 Location : Yes

S-She didn't hate her for saying that? But she'd been so insensitive and unmindful of her words! Nebula would slowly but surely peek out from her little make-shift shield before she returned to normal and her sketchbook met with her chest once more. If Brittany wanted to insist on praising her work so much, then Nebula wouldn't dream of being rude enough to reject her praise. "W-Well... t-thank you..." She would finally concede, in her usual meek tone.

"O-Ok." The way she said it, however, made Nebula think her transition into adult-hood had been pretty recent. "I-If you wouldn't m-mind me asking... w-what were you looking a-at the wedding d-dress for? Are you...?" It was pretty obvious what Nebula was trying to ask, despite the failure of her words. She couldn't really envision or condone somebody so young getting married so soon, but it's not like she knew much about romantic life. She'd never really had a boyfriend or girlfriend (despite having had several crushes), and in her current life, romance was completely out of the question.

» Brittany Wilson (Endymion's PT)
» Talking with Brittany (Trinity X Brittany)
» Two smiles are better then one. (Aria)
» An afternoon concert (afternoon work thread)
» One Last Afternoon (Takeru, open to any Cadet (NPC or otherwise) Afternoon):