[ it is nice. to been seen. to be heard. to be remembered. but, rafayel isn't sure if he can hold his breath for the latter a second time. though, the idea someone can understand this sensation does make him feel something— something attuned to a spark. a trickle of water in the driest seasons, and he's sure this sensation is all the more amplified in the days of the casual indifference he held himself together in. ]
Exactly. [ he nods along on the line. though, it isn't obvious to himself, he says these words like it's praise. ] If I knew you'd have that much fun, I would have had you crit my other sketches too. [ a joke, if just because they were mostly of the aquatic life he did see here. one, even of the creature he had first encountered on the bridge. or even flowers and plants unique to the karterian landscape. ]
I think it's valuable because you chose that subject, you know. [ not just because it's takasugi, either. the subject themselves was inconsequential, it's more... ] I think art sometimes encapsulates time. Those feelings you had are preserved in each of your pencil strokes. We know it's pointless because everything falls under the laws of time, but we always keep trying... That kind of thing? [ he says it as if it's a question more than his conviction over the years.
but, he falls quiet, enjoying the sound of her scribbling on paper. ]
You're stingy as always. Makes me wonder where you learned it from.
[ not the teacher, obviously. or that's his implication, anyway. ]
[ she's glad he can't see the way her smile grows, head ducking to hide her warm cheeks despite that obvious fact, because what he says resounds heartily with her own beliefs: that though time leaves much behind, it doesn't make what was felt then any less. history is only remembered by the people who lived it; it is written only by those who remained standing; memories are fickle things, but creation affords it the chance to be longer lasting.
what is done today has an effect on tomorrow. from something as small as preparation to make the day following easier, to as grand as a building that might afford its inhabitants the chance to dream of a future brighter than yesterday's. his understanding, his musing... must come from somewhere deeper, beyond just an artist's perspective, and malkuth hatches shadows in the loose outline she's begun to sketch, amusement in her tone. ]
I'm friends with a group that think showing your hand is boring, Rafayel. Rinne's a gambler... Takasugi considers it more interesting for someone to guess... Niki tends to go along with the other two. [ maybe he doesn't count. ] So if you guess what I'm drawing, then I'll show you when I'm done.
[ just a little game, a reason to stay on, even if she'd claimed her fingers her from texting prior. it'd been a lie in the first place -- but what excuse could she use if he asked? nothing comes to mind. ]
But, [ with a kind of tease, ] I'm not too stingy to keep you from asking questions to narrow it down, if you'd like to try. We've been friends for a little while now, haven't we? I think you'll get it. It's not like I'm hard to read... you just need to know what to ask.
[ he can't see it, no. but, what he can do is fill his imagination with what sort of drawing she was beginning to map out in the background. the only hints he's given as of now is how much or little pressure he hears of the pencil on paper, and the intervals between each line she draws.
much less, he decides it'd be best to focus as little as possible on what sort of face she could be making. you know, for his own inner (peace). ] Rinne did mention being a gambler, and about luck... But, there's nothing "luck" related about making an educated guess, Miss Up-and-Coming Artist.
[ that said, he does just fall into the lull of listening to her for a second.
he also seems busy on his own line, probably lining up some seashells, before he eventually breaks the silence with: ] Is it a person? [ she seemed to like to translate her emotions into her work. specifically of the bonds she makes. if takasugi was the first person to impact her work as it had, then wouldn't it make sense it could be another? ]
[ a simple, affirmative answer, propping her cheek up in her hand as she continues to sketch. it's hard to ignore how much she's grinning when she can feel it against her palm, but hopefully it doesn't come out too much in her voice. ]
I'm still not great at it... but I kinda like drawing people. They're made of some pretty basic shapes, just like a building.
[ the length of a face, paneling of cheeks and roundness of a door's mark curved on any floor plan. there's a pause before she jumbles around in her desk for an eraser, rubbing at the paper and brushing the scraps away. the familiar noise returns after, lighter as she feathers the outline of a nose. ]
I haven't tried animals yet, but I think they'd be pretty easy. You just have to draw them the way clouds do.
[ it's also hard for him not to try and picture her expression. he's sure she thinks she's being subtle, and that idea does also make him smile just a little. though, it does taper off to something a little more serious as she speaks on her own artistry.
drawing people... it's a subject he tended to avoid, personally. prior to this, there had probably only been a handful of people he's drawn, even just for practice. there are probably a hundred attempts he's once made at a face he knows has forgotten him, but also... it's funny to think he's also drawn malkuth's outline before too.
two more facts he opts to ignore. ] Yeah, and just like a building its how those shapes come together that creates the final product, right? But, I'd like to think there may be more subtlety to expression. What kind of face does your subject have on? Do they seem somber like they just had a really bad day... Or, are they grinning away on the phone, for example?
[ teasing aside. ] The clouds do leave a lot of imagination though.
Is that how you see animals? [ as almost fantasy-like, perhaps? or maybe out of their grasp? ]
[ oh my god she's hopeless. she can't hide to save her life. should she just hang up on him? no, that's rude and she's the one who wanted to call anyway. wanted to keep talking. it feels like they haven't in ages (despite the texts, the blur of a dream) and she feels pathetically starved because of it.
what kind of expression is he making now? lightly amused, or more attentive the way his face gets when they talk about art? just sketching sounds in place of a reply at first, battling her embarrassment at being called out, before she clears her throat. ]
Buildings have subtleties too, depending on the architect. [ j. just so he knows. ] And I just mean thet as long as you have the general shape, someone can guess pretty spot on what it is -- just like the clouds. There's no need to be too specific.
My thoughts on animals... are that they'd be pretty fun to touch. But maybe that's because I've never really got to before now.
[ the fact that she actually considered hanging up on him....
if only he knew. though, if she had... you know she wouldn't have heard the end of it. perhaps, that's the real saving grace here. that said, he listens to her speak of architecture, and he gives a small huff of humor. ] Truuue. Your sketch of the buildings did have a lot of personality. Though, I'd like to think a little fishie helped you out too. [ by doodling in the corners.
but, he figures it has to be like that. he presumes when you have the passion, there's no shortage of things that inevitably catch your eye. that passion fuels you and in turn, the world looks a little different. almost like a spell was cast. ]
... Never? We've got to change that. I don't mean petting the people here, either.
Maybe he did. And are you planning on making all my wishes come true, Rafayel?
[ it's just a tease, since he's truly managed to do just that when she hadn't experienced something others might've, or when she lamented not being able to... but she regrets it coming out of her mouth almost immediately, closing her eyes for a moment before following it up with: ]
Though if I heard something as pathetic as that, I'd wanna change it, too.
Yeah, I can at least put a good word in for you when I see the faeries again.
[ while he isn't sure if he'd consider himself a wish granter, he did consider himself the type of person who liked to take initiative to make things happen, and if he could offer some of that to one hard-working girl... ]
Then we should. I am pretty close with some of the birds by the waterfront. We can also check out the forest again too. [ those seem more accessible than the water everyone seemed to avoid in certain parts of the city. ]
[ not the fairytale princess... that's prince to you ]
You say that, but you might be running for the hills if you'd have to touch everything in these waters. [ the ocean was a frightening place for some. a realm where they readily operated on the survival of the fittest, and yet in spite of all its dangers, it was also beautiful... home. ]
the response makes her giggle though, shaking her head across the line. ]
Oh, I doubt that! I'm used to some pretty frightening creatures... and humans tend to be more monstrous than what they call monsters themselves. I'm hard to scare.
[ or rather... what scares is her something specific, and the chances of it coming around isn't likely. not while she can still breathe. ]
I still can't swim though, Professor. Shouldn't we fix that first?
Then you might have more problems than just not being able to swim.
[ swift agreement. though, he'd argue if she were pushing for the deep sea, the chill there is just as unforgiving. but, then she pushes him right back on topic. oh, right. ]
Is it... someone related to 3kon? Or is that question too on the nose for you?
They've been integral to 3kon's ascent here in Karteria. While not playing a major role, I can say their support would be missed should they rescind their help.
Hm, integral, but not major. So clearly, this isn't a self-portrait? [ that would be an interesting submission for an assignment though, he thinks. but, it did seem a little out of character for her, so he can't help but find a touch of humor in that. ]
Looks like you have a lot more hands in the pot helping you all than I thought. The kitchen must be pretty messy. [ he says with a slight hum of consideration. is he also having fun just guessing? maybe a bit. ]
[ not many, she'd think, but clearly this says more about him than anything. her pencil taps and then clacks as its set down, warmth in her teasing tone. ]
You might just be overlooking them, Rafayel, we really don't have that many hands on deck... Let's see. They're someone I really like to spend time with, [ someone who makes her ears turn with a single notification, ] but I haven't really been able to recently. Though I guess that doesn't narrow it down at all either, huh?
[ she has lots of friends, and she's had a busy few months. really up in the air still... ]
But, you're right. You really haven't narrowed it down when you seem to keep yourself so busy... That's like me saying guess which fish in the ocean is my friend?
[ at her words, he throws out: ] Caleb? His braised chicken could win over an artist or two, I think.
[ but, that was more of a building houses thing, wasn't it? a statement that dies on the tip of his tongue. ]
I didn't even know he could cook! [ note to self ask for food next time too ] He did give me some advice for my poor sleep, but I wouldn't say he's at all connected to 3kon... More to me alone.
[ because of the building houses thing, unspoken on her end too. but that isn't important-- ]
How do you know which fish is your friend in the sea? Do they have names?
time for him not to explain anything to caleb, and let him just be hit with the request. the idea does make him laugh a little. ] They do, actually. How could I not? That's like me asking you if you can tell the difference between Mister Prez and Rinne?
Actually, that might be a bad example. I thought they were twins. [ lol.
[ not enough to be twins, but maybe from the back? she could see it. the comparison's enough that she can get what he means, which
is honestly really cool??? a whole fish society with their own language and names... if she takes him at face value. which there's no reason for her not to, considering the weird things she's already experienced back home and here, and maybe people by the sea in his world can just do that. that'd be pretty neat. they like sunsets and sunrises beneath the ocean, they have names and stories, they can befriend people they like... just like a fairytale.
the fairytales in the city always end up so sad. she hopes rafayel's has a happier one. ]
Well, this person is definitely one of a kind. I don't think I've met anyone like them before... though that's not saying much, since before here I didn't have a thriving social life. [ not that she knows if she'd say she has that here. business is different. ] I guess they share something similar to another friend of mine, sort of in the same way as Rinne and Takasugi, but I don't think the two of them know each other.
[ so it doesn't matter!!!!!!!!!
...
she... thinks they don't know each other, anyway... wouldn't be surprised if they did, but... ]
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Exactly. [ he nods along on the line. though, it isn't obvious to himself, he says these words like it's praise. ] If I knew you'd have that much fun, I would have had you crit my other sketches too. [ a joke, if just because they were mostly of the aquatic life he did see here. one, even of the creature he had first encountered on the bridge. or even flowers and plants unique to the karterian landscape. ]
I think it's valuable because you chose that subject, you know. [ not just because it's takasugi, either. the subject themselves was inconsequential, it's more... ] I think art sometimes encapsulates time. Those feelings you had are preserved in each of your pencil strokes. We know it's pointless because everything falls under the laws of time, but we always keep trying... That kind of thing? [ he says it as if it's a question more than his conviction over the years.
but, he falls quiet, enjoying the sound of her scribbling on paper. ]
You're stingy as always. Makes me wonder where you learned it from.
[ not the teacher, obviously. or that's his implication, anyway. ]
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what is done today has an effect on tomorrow. from something as small as preparation to make the day following easier, to as grand as a building that might afford its inhabitants the chance to dream of a future brighter than yesterday's. his understanding, his musing... must come from somewhere deeper, beyond just an artist's perspective, and malkuth hatches shadows in the loose outline she's begun to sketch, amusement in her tone. ]
I'm friends with a group that think showing your hand is boring, Rafayel. Rinne's a gambler... Takasugi considers it more interesting for someone to guess... Niki tends to go along with the other two. [ maybe he doesn't count. ] So if you guess what I'm drawing, then I'll show you when I'm done.
[ just a little game, a reason to stay on, even if she'd claimed her fingers her from texting prior. it'd been a lie in the first place -- but what excuse could she use if he asked? nothing comes to mind. ]
But, [ with a kind of tease, ] I'm not too stingy to keep you from asking questions to narrow it down, if you'd like to try. We've been friends for a little while now, haven't we? I think you'll get it. It's not like I'm hard to read... you just need to know what to ask.
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much less, he decides it'd be best to focus as little as possible on what sort of face she could be making. you know, for his own inner (peace). ] Rinne did mention being a gambler, and about luck... But, there's nothing "luck" related about making an educated guess, Miss Up-and-Coming Artist.
[ that said, he does just fall into the lull of listening to her for a second.
he also seems busy on his own line, probably lining up some seashells, before he eventually breaks the silence with: ] Is it a person? [ she seemed to like to translate her emotions into her work. specifically of the bonds she makes. if takasugi was the first person to impact her work as it had, then wouldn't it make sense it could be another? ]
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[ a simple, affirmative answer, propping her cheek up in her hand as she continues to sketch. it's hard to ignore how much she's grinning when she can feel it against her palm, but hopefully it doesn't come out too much in her voice. ]
I'm still not great at it... but I kinda like drawing people. They're made of some pretty basic shapes, just like a building.
[ the length of a face, paneling of cheeks and roundness of a door's mark curved on any floor plan. there's a pause before she jumbles around in her desk for an eraser, rubbing at the paper and brushing the scraps away. the familiar noise returns after, lighter as she feathers the outline of a nose. ]
I haven't tried animals yet, but I think they'd be pretty easy. You just have to draw them the way clouds do.
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drawing people... it's a subject he tended to avoid, personally. prior to this, there had probably only been a handful of people he's drawn, even just for practice. there are probably a hundred attempts he's once made at a face he knows has forgotten him, but also... it's funny to think he's also drawn malkuth's outline before too.
two more facts he opts to ignore. ] Yeah, and just like a building its how those shapes come together that creates the final product, right? But, I'd like to think there may be more subtlety to expression. What kind of face does your subject have on? Do they seem somber like they just had a really bad day... Or, are they grinning away on the phone, for example?
[ teasing aside. ] The clouds do leave a lot of imagination though.
Is that how you see animals? [ as almost fantasy-like, perhaps? or maybe out of their grasp? ]
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what kind of expression is he making now? lightly amused, or more attentive the way his face gets when they talk about art? just sketching sounds in place of a reply at first, battling her embarrassment at being called out, before she clears her throat. ]
Buildings have subtleties too, depending on the architect. [ j. just so he knows. ] And I just mean thet as long as you have the general shape, someone can guess pretty spot on what it is -- just like the clouds. There's no need to be too specific.
My thoughts on animals... are that they'd be pretty fun to touch. But maybe that's because I've never really got to before now.
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if only he knew. though, if she had... you know she wouldn't have heard the end of it. perhaps, that's the real saving grace here. that said, he listens to her speak of architecture, and he gives a small huff of humor. ] Truuue. Your sketch of the buildings did have a lot of personality. Though, I'd like to think a little fishie helped you out too. [ by doodling in the corners.
but, he figures it has to be like that. he presumes when you have the passion, there's no shortage of things that inevitably catch your eye. that passion fuels you and in turn, the world looks a little different. almost like a spell was cast. ]
... Never? We've got to change that. I don't mean petting the people here, either.
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[ it's just a tease, since he's truly managed to do just that when she hadn't experienced something others might've, or when she lamented not being able to... but she regrets it coming out of her mouth almost immediately, closing her eyes for a moment before following it up with: ]
Though if I heard something as pathetic as that, I'd wanna change it, too.
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[ while he isn't sure if he'd consider himself a wish granter, he did consider himself the type of person who liked to take initiative to make things happen, and if he could offer some of that to one hard-working girl... ]
Then we should. I am pretty close with some of the birds by the waterfront. We can also check out the forest again too. [ those seem more accessible than the water everyone seemed to avoid in certain parts of the city. ]
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You're not gonna introduce me to your family, Mister Fishie? I'd love to see where you get your looks.
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You say that, but you might be running for the hills if you'd have to touch everything in these waters. [ the ocean was a frightening place for some. a realm where they readily operated on the survival of the fittest, and yet in spite of all its dangers, it was also beautiful... home. ]
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the response makes her giggle though, shaking her head across the line. ]
Oh, I doubt that! I'm used to some pretty frightening creatures... and humans tend to be more monstrous than what they call monsters themselves. I'm hard to scare.
[ or rather... what scares is her something specific, and the chances of it coming around isn't likely. not while she can still breathe. ]
I still can't swim though, Professor. Shouldn't we fix that first?
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but, what she says isn't a lie. something they were both intimately familiar with. ]
Okay, but petting a human is a liiiittle different.
[ pretending he doesn't see her point. ]
But, sure. There are only so many you can pet in the shallows, landlubber.
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Seastars, crabs... little fish? What else? Jellyfish? I read they're dangerous to touch though, even when they're beached.
[ her pencil is coming to a slow stop, with some erasing between her words -- finishing touches maybe as their conversation's gone on. ]
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Maybe rays? But, I always called them potlids. [ lol. ] Anyway, you should leave planning the petting course to me, you just need to show up.
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Fine, my well-being is in your hands... when it gets warmer again. I'm not in a huge rush to take a dip in anything chilly.
[ hoping they gotta now. anyway, she aaaaalmost sounds sorry but she sure isn't ]
Any more questions, by the way? I totally distracted you from my sketch-guessing game.
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[ swift agreement. though, he'd argue if she were pushing for the deep sea, the chill there is just as unforgiving. but, then she pushes him right back on topic. oh, right. ]
Is it... someone related to 3kon? Or is that question too on the nose for you?
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[ how to put it best. this person... ]
They've been integral to 3kon's ascent here in Karteria. While not playing a major role, I can say their support would be missed should they rescind their help.
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Looks like you have a lot more hands in the pot helping you all than I thought. The kitchen must be pretty messy. [ he says with a slight hum of consideration. is he also having fun just guessing? maybe a bit. ]
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You might just be overlooking them, Rafayel, we really don't have that many hands on deck... Let's see. They're someone I really like to spend time with, [ someone who makes her ears turn with a single notification, ] but I haven't really been able to recently. Though I guess that doesn't narrow it down at all either, huh?
[ she has lots of friends, and she's had a busy few months. really up in the air still... ]
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[ at her words, he throws out: ] Caleb? His braised chicken could win over an artist or two, I think.
[ but, that was more of a building houses thing, wasn't it? a statement that dies on the tip of his tongue. ]
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[ because of the building houses thing, unspoken on her end too. but that isn't important-- ]
How do you know which fish is your friend in the sea? Do they have names?
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time for him not to explain anything to caleb, and let him just be hit with the request. the idea does make him laugh a little. ] They do, actually. How could I not? That's like me asking you if you can tell the difference between Mister Prez and Rinne?
Actually, that might be a bad example. I thought they were twins. [ lol.
it's a joke. (he's not funny) ]
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[ not enough to be twins, but maybe from the back? she could see it. the comparison's enough that she can get what he means, which
is honestly really cool??? a whole fish society with their own language and names... if she takes him at face value. which there's no reason for her not to, considering the weird things she's already experienced back home and here, and maybe people by the sea in his world can just do that. that'd be pretty neat. they like sunsets and sunrises beneath the ocean, they have names and stories, they can befriend people they like... just like a fairytale.
the fairytales in the city always end up so sad. she hopes rafayel's has a happier one. ]
Well, this person is definitely one of a kind. I don't think I've met anyone like them before... though that's not saying much, since before here I didn't have a thriving social life. [ not that she knows if she'd say she has that here. business is different. ] I guess they share something similar to another friend of mine, sort of in the same way as Rinne and Takasugi, but I don't think the two of them know each other.
[ so it doesn't matter!!!!!!!!!
...
she... thinks they don't know each other, anyway... wouldn't be surprised if they did, but... ]