less a hobby and more an outlet [OPEN]

[eyecontact]

Date & Time: Daytime this week
Location: Outdoors, still within the Hold perimeter
Characters: Jericho, you, some pencils and paper
Summary: Superhero sketchin vermin TOTALLY LEGIT RIGHT
Warnings: ?


He hasn't had much by way of friendly fauna to work with since...well, since Exsilium happened. And even well before that! So imagine that – seeing a scrawny little rat was exciting enough to stop everything, get the sketchbook out, and try his best to draw as fast as he can. Exciting moreso, perhaps, because these kinds of things are such races: Who knows how long that critter's going to be gnawing on that nondescript piece of trash on the other side of the alleyway?



He chewed his cheek, face scrunching up now and then as he tried to etch out the little shape to match what was just a few feet away.

Comments

so i heard he's sketching vermin?

[obfuskate]

Well, he wasn't exactly a rat, but he was as close to walking, talking vermin as one may get. Shadow needed a rest after a vigorous moment of training, and what better a place to hole up than an alleyway where no one else would lurk around?

At the very least, that's what he thought, but when he saw another shape that wasn't smaller than a toaster, he felt his ears pin down. Great. He wanted alone time, time to himself, not around other people.

Once he saw the mess of blond hair, though, he felt himself relax. Oh. Well, that was a plenty better sight than most other humans.

"I never took you as the artistic type," he admitted, stepping - or rather, hobbling - closer with heavy pants wracking his being. He kind of overdid it today. Oops.

yeah WAY TO SCARE OFF THE QUADROPEDS YA JERK

[eyecontact]

With how heavy the quiet had hung, save for the scritching and scraping of his pencil on the page, Jericho nearly jumped out of his skin to hear Shadow huffing and puffing into the alley. His head snapped up, eyes big and alert, not as quick on the uptake where recognition was concerned...The transitions of his expression showed that well enough.

His fingers gripped the sides of his sketchbook with a great deal less force when he realized who was heading his way, shoulders dropping out of their tense state with an exhale. Replacing the startled gawk was a searching stare...and a frown. And what could anyone expect, someone showing up out of nowhere in such a state? The remark practically went unheard, what with Jericho wondering just where he'd come from – why he was so worn out like that...but not completely unheard; instinct drew the book closer to his chest. Show-and-tell with his work was...still a work-in-progress.

[obfuskate]

Had he really been that engrossed in his work? How... oddly endearing, really, that he had been sucked so tightly into creativity's kind embrace. Was this what Jericho did when he had his time off? Shadow had to admit, to see someone so artistic instead of spending their time on ridiculous activities made him feel warm inside. That really was a way to unleash one's mind into an image of something beautiful.

He slowly approached, his steps soft, metal practically inaudible against the ground. He was exhausted, really, but he'd be fine. He just needed time to rest, and maybe a boy's skills to make him want to smile. (Want, of course, was different from actually doing so. Ha.)

"It couldn't be that bad," he awkwardly spoke, trying to seem reassuring, yet sounding far too shaky to do so. He was still a foot away from him, not too close, but not far at all.

[eyecontact]

The subject of Jericho's sketch wasn't about to stick around for a conversation and skittered away to places unknown – the boy didn't even notice, watching a pointedly larger critter head over. Though, really, Jericho couldn't think of Shadow like that – he walked and talked and emoted a great deal more, after all. If anything, it was kind of like having a shorter, grumpier (more dangerous...) Beast Boy around? Maybe. It was a bit of a stretch to think, but what else did Jericho have to go on?

He looked confused for a second at the remark, having put drawing out of mind again, but – Oh... His face pinked a little, glancing down at the book. It wasn't much, he thought...he still had a long way to go. Nothing anyone would find that interesting, he would think, but how would he know?

Peeking up again, mouth tugged in a dubious line, he straightened up out of his slouch, enough to let the book set on his legs, visible enough to show the rough little sketch.

[obfuskate]

Well, it wasn't too much of a stretch. Beast Boy and mopeds, though? Amateur compared to Shadow and his motorbikes. Amateur.

Shadow took the subtle movements as a go-ahead, and he carefully approached, ready to draw back again should the boy exhibit any negative signs. Was he shy about his artwork? Foolish, in his opinion. He may not be a Mona Lisa, but it couldn't possibly be terrible, could it?

Given a single peek of the sketch he doodled, he felt as if he was completely right. Shadow resisted that tug at his lips, the familiar sensation of a grin trying to come on. It... really wasn't bad. In fact, for a kid, he was surprisingly talented.

"Its shape is not round enough, and the legs seem disproportionate at the thighs... but it's quite good," he criticized, then complimented, a positive remark that was awfully rare from him. "Keep it up."

[eyecontact]

Unused to criticism or compliments in regards to his work, Jericho's face went redder as he ducked a little, thumbing at the pages to turn to a fresh, blank one. He nodded a little, mouth tugging weakly, very eager to put that aside.

He much preferred to write, then and there, and ask what had had Shadow huffing and puffing over in the first place.

What were you doing?

[obfuskate]

Aha, of course he was going to be questioned. Shadow shouldn't have been surprised, really. He gave a heavy, loud sigh as he flopped down beside him, exhausted and reaching desperately for some rest. He did want his alone time, but Jericho... He was fine around him. He wasn't sure how to describe it, but he enjoyed his presence more than most of the humans here.

He gave his simple answer, leaning his head back against the building's wall, savoring the downtime.

"I was training. I do so every day. I cannot just let myself wither." Even if it meant leaving him a tired wreck for about an hour, it was worth it.

[eyecontact]

Jericho scrunched up a little, ready to shrink or scoot if he needed to, but there seemed little demand. His head, still ducked forward a ways, tilted as he listened. Training, huh? He smiled a little. He could forget things like war in this place for fragments of time, but training never went away.

He wrote another line below the first, swiping quickly at flecks of graphite spattered from pressing too hard on a t crossed.

Did you get any water afterward?

If...training for hedgehogs was at all the same as people. Jericho wouldn't know, but it seemed a good thing to ask.

[obfuskate]

Oh. Well, he certainly expected a bad, bad reaction from admitting to this, but he wasn't about to lie for no good reason. Shadow sank down into the ground a little, twisting his head away and looking at a nearby cockroach skittering about. Well, that made him crinkle his nose up. Ew.

"No. I have little need for water. I need to regenerate more Chaos Energy."

It was as simple as that, but given humans required more water than he did, he was sure he would get a lecture for that.

[foolish_seal]

One could only do so much training before getting tired and sore for the rest of the week, so instead of getting to that point, and having nothing else to do, Minato decided to just go for a walk around the Hold. Maybe he'll find something to do?

But, as impressive as a piece of architecture the Hold is, it wasn't too terribly interesting. Some rats here and there, and... a person? Hm. They appear to be drawing something. The rat across the street, it looks like. He didn't want to bother him by walking across his line of sight and/or scare away the rat, so he stops for a moment, intending to let the guy finish before moving on.

[eyecontact]

The animals had a better sense of their surroundings than the boy did – much quicker to acknowledge and react to a fresh presence close by. Jericho's gaze had flickered back down to his paper only a second before he caught glimpse of his subject scurrying away to darker places, sitting up straight with his mouth open in a silent protest – he wasn't finished!

Not much could be done about that though, was there? He seemed quick to realize that, slumping a little with disappointment nonetheless. Doing so, shaking his head, was what gave him the peripheral glance to catch glimpse of a much bigger shape waiting not far away. Jericho's head popped up again, big eyes blinking to focus in on it. Who–?

[foolish_seal]

The mouse ran away... Minato looks towards the other boy and gives a small bow of apology. He probably should have stopped sooner than he did.

"...Sorry."

[eyecontact]

The stare Jericho gave wasn't much by way of offense, really, but he did do a deal of gawking. He was a stranger, after all, and the boy was trying to figure out if that was actually true or not!

But the rude staring ceased at the apology, snapping out of it and shaking his head quickly. He pushed a meek smile, as apologetic (moreso?) than the words he was given. Pushing himself up off the dirty ground, he laced his pencil between his fingers to give him the means to waving, trying to dismiss the need to be sorry at all.

[foolish_seal]

Not much of a talker, it seems. Minato nods, understanding the sentiment. No hard feelings, at least, but at this point it would seem a bit cold to just walk away without at least some conversation.

"Were you trying to draw it?"

[eyecontact]

The boy gave a little nod, his smile turning more sheepish than sorry. He tucked the sketchbook under his arm, passing the pencil to that hand, freeing up the other to rub the back of his neck. It looked a little strange, didn't it? Crouched on the dirty ground in an alleyway, drawing rats...

[foolish_seal]

He offers a small smile, to ease the guy's concern.

"Nothing wrong with that." He's seen a lot stranger out there.

[eyecontact]

Jericho smiled meekly in return, giving his turtleneck a little tug by hooking it with his pinky before letting his hand drop. It'd be nice if he could shout words back, say something friendly in greeting...Instead, he lifted his sketchbook with a dubious little frown and hesitation, glancing over at the stranger before making his decision to quickly scrawl something out.

Pink-faced, he trotted over, turning the page over as he moved, and held it out for him to read, trying to push a smile and expression to match the words.

Hello
Are you looking for something out here?

[hornedomen]

That shock of yellow hair stood out in an otherwise unremarkable alleyway. Ico stopped to see who would sit there of all places. Whoever it was, he looked busy with something. He went closer to see.

It was now clear to Ico that he was drawing. He saw the rat and he knew then what Jericho was doing. His sense of curiosity tempted him to lean over and see what how his drawing compared to the rat but he made himself stop. He did not want to risk scaring the animal away.

[eyecontact]

Jericho was woefully slow to recognize an audience, absorbed as he was. He wanted to draw fast: The animal wasn't going to stick around for very long, let alone sit still enough for him to get any sense of him at all. He wasn't particularly brilliant at being speedy, given how much slower life was up in the mountains and the few things he had up there to fill his pages...but it was good practice, wasn't it? Learning to be quicker, more intuitive.

In letting his eyes drift a little off his model, Jericho saw the silhouette of his watcher first. A shape with horns wasn't the most friendly of things, and so he startled a bit, head whipping around, big eyes ready to grow black if the need arise. If whatever was lurking had eyes.

...He blinked.

It was a boy.

Huh–?

[hornedomen]

There was no time to talk. That sudden movement caused the rat to look up. Ico watched it carefully.

“Don’t move,” he whispered, but it was too late. The rat ran off. Without thinking, Ico chased after it. A bony, underfed rat was no match to the creatures in Toksa forest. He easily caught up to it and he took it in his hand. Naturally, the rat bit him. Ico hissed through his teeth but he did not release it.

“You’re okay. Don’t be scared,” he soothingly whispered to the rat caught in a firm but gentle grip. Eventually, it settled down.

“Do you have a jar?” he asked Jericho.

[eyecontact]

His face went through a series of winces and flinches at all the action and reaction over the rat's want to escape. Jericho bit his own lip and sucked in a silent, hissed breath as he glimpsed the poor thing struggling in the boy's hands, and for a frightened second, he was worried Ico would try and retaliate, drop or harm the rat. Instead, as Jericho stared, he saw things settle down, and he, too, could let out his breath. Whew...

He glanced at Ico, already prone to stare yet staring all the more (Those horns are huge! And not orange, like Sollux's...) at the question. It didn't seem to click right away, but Jericho jolted when he understood, for some reason glancing about him as if he had just what was asked for. Ultimately, though, he shook his head quickly, ears starting to burn. After all that trouble, no...no, he didn't have a jar or anything.

[hornedomen]

"You don't have any?" he asked. This did not upset Ico after all that he did. He simply had to think of another solution.

"Maybe one of them will have something." He looked in the direction of the marketplace. However, he now had doubts about what to do with the rat in his hands. He doubted they would react positively to a rat around their business. Carefully, he wrapped the end of his tunic around the rat as if keeping it from sight would stop any questions.

That was not going to work. "Could you ask them?" Ico asked Jericho.

[eyecontact]

His hands were freed of both sketchbook and pencil, raised and held palm-out, shaking, matching the shaking of his head and the no on his lips. No, no! That's too much trouble.

He waves, patting the air just above the ground, encouraging him to put the rat down. It seemed unfair to the little thing – it was just minding its own business, after all.

[hornedomen]

"What?"

He watched these gestures until he put together what Jericho meant. Ico did not understand. Didn't he want to draw the rat? But if that was what he wanted…

He placed the rat down and he nudged it until it ran away. The bite smeared blood on two of his fingers but he wiped it on his tunic without drawing any attention to it.

"Can you talk? My name is Ico."

[eyecontact]

Jericho's shoulders drooped with his sigh, relieved somehow. It had hardly been an crisis, but the fidgeting and displeasure the rat had expressed at being handled had really gotten to his conscience. Drawing or no, it was good to let the little critter have its way.

But now it was just him and the boy. Jericho's fingers curled a little as they retracted, settling on his knees. His face felt a little warm at hearing the question. He swallowed and then shook his head. Again, his shoulders drew up, but this time out of shyness.