The Artist and The Painter Meet Who: Ren and Nikolai Where: Rec Center When: November 8, around six. What: The artists meet Rating: Low Status: Incomplete/Closed
Well, Ren just got his flu shot. That was a relief. He almost got on his run away thought ride again. He wasn't afraid of needles but he was afraid that if he suddenly became afraid of them and he would be triggered. He went cross-eyed for a few moments after that. He decided to pass on the mist because last time he did get it, he did get sick. He did his best to not think about the rumor going around about the weird flu strain. After all, he did live in a place of isolation. It would be hard for it to get here, right?
After he went on a candy run with Lenore, he ate some dinner and then decided to do some drawing in the rec center in one of the TV rooms -- the one with the big table. He didn't quite feel like going back to his room. It was a Friday night, he should try to be social even if sitting in the back of one of the rooms drawing isn't exactly social. There wasn't much he could do. He knew most people would leave for an evening of drinking or visiting the city. He could not leave with the other first and second years. It would get pretty quiet soon. Still, he didn't want to be stuck in his room. He needed to get used to being out.
Ren sat at the table and took out some notepad paper. He had an idea for this while sitting in class and he did it once before several years ago. This time would be less cartoony and more realistic. He would water color it after sketching it out. And once he finished that, he would hang it on the door to his room. Right now he just had a knight saying, "You Will Not Pass" but it seemed so ridiculous right now. He wanted a change.
On the first piece of paper, he drew the kanji 宮 which meant palace or shrine. The second paper, he wrote the kanji for swamp, 沢. The last, he had to resist himself from drawing it extra stylishly, as a signature, 蓮 which is Lotus. Miya - Zawa - Ren. He always liked Japanese calligraphy because it was a form of art anyway and the written script of his first language always impressed him with its beauty. Not that English calligraphy was somehow ugly. Ren didn't know cursive but it had crossed his mind to try some time.
He started with the first kanji, the one for temple. First thing, he darkened the actual kanji with a black pencil to make sure it really stood out. Then next, he took out a red pencil and began to use the basis of the symbol as a starting point to draw a pagoda style architecture castle. He liked to imagine what the Swamp Castle in his name must have been like. But it could also have been a shrine. Maybe tending to a shrine for a swamp kami would have been neat too. No, he decided on palace for his picture.
Getting sucked into this project, he didn't see how quickly time time passed as he really worked on the realism and shading of his castle. As he drew, he already had his own little story of the family that ruled from it. The father is the shogun's nephew and he may not have been the best of swordsman but he was a good statesman. His wife really liked flower arranging. He had only three daughters and he planned to put suitors through three tasks to prove their worthiness to them. The oldest is not as enthusiastic. The middle was plain. The youngest was into medicine (wait, this is part of the plot to Downton Abbey).
Ren was completely lost in his drawing and in his head at this point. His brow furrowed in concentration and his lower lip disappearing into his mouth.