Painting on a Tree [closed]

[Saint]

The Alice Ban was ticking him off...way off than his patience could take. He had searched through his room for anything that would suffice his dire need for entertainment but nothing seemed right.

He came to the Academy to understand and to sharpen his power--termed as Alice. He came to enjoy it, to love its very nature. And what did he enjoy instead? A raven choker around his flawless neck that restrained him.

God knows how much he'd die to rip that off in front of the administration. However, his rationality told him that it was not the academy's fault...it was the government that seemed utterly insecure about itself.

Saint rolled his eyes. There had to be something to fill his longing for fun. He tossed his CD's aside. He pulled his books from their corresponding boxes. And soon after, he found a small box that contained paint tubes and brushes that varied in size and shape.

He almost forgot his love for painting.

"It's just a hobby." He used to tell himself as he closed the lid once more. He stopped, his slender fingers still holding the lid. "Something outrageous..." He muttered, taking a small messenger's bag from his cabinet and stuffing the art materials in it.

Saint walked lightly, almost bouncing, like a kid with a handsome one-sided smile on his face. With the contents of his bag juggling, he ventured to the North Woods and sought a spot where he dropped his bag. It was no sooner that he started rummaging his stuff, squeezing paint here and there, and gently moving his hand in accurate angles.

The tree before him swayed not as the breeze of the morning passed through its leaves. Its trunk grew colors as Saint stroked painstakingly with his brush.

Minutes passed and slowly, a half-finished picture of an female angel taking flight was on the tree. Shaking his hand for a moment, Saint dropped his things and sat feet away from his painting. He looked up and sighed.

"Do I just need a girlfriend or something?" He smiled to himself.

writer's block.

[Luna Katanashi]

OOC: Lol, sorry. I just can't resist myself. ><;;

The afflicted girl closed her window to ward off the intruding light from her line of sight. Nonchalantly, she went back to bed and traditionally closed her eyes. Turning on her side caused a fell crinkle to escape, and immediately, her eyes opened slightly. She only slept partially. Obviously, she sleeps that late in nights.

Sweat condensed on the inside of the girl's warm oval mask as she searched for clothing in her closet. What a somber day. Another silence eclipsed her moment in searching; she paused for a while. After another moment, she found herself wearing a black, sleeveless shirt over a blue jacket and was wearing her blue pants and sneakers.

She ventured out to the woods to have some rest, but after a while, she heard a spraying of paint here and there. When she was getting a little deeper, the noises magnified. She was striding and arrived on a tree and observed the scene. Wait, he was one of the boys she met who was spraying paint all over. Wasn't he afraid to be lashed by teachers?

After his finishing touches, there she saw a female angel. Well, it does look like an angel. So that is his painting. It still looks partially finished. Even so, it still looks wonderful to the eyes.

"Fascinating. So you can paint as well?"

[Saint]

"Fascinating. So you can paint as well?"

Saint's shades were lifted from his eyes and placed on his black-silvery hair. From his sitting position, he shifted slightly to get a glimpse of a pretty blonde who looked quite elegantly sexy in her sleeveless shirt. Instead of going through the same "I know you" introductions, he made his usual one-sided smile and then faced the painting.

"I can't paint. This is..." He smirked. "Well, it's not good. I can't call this a painting since I don't find it..." he just raised his hand to point at the angel in flight in an unsatisfied way. Saint lifted his somehow smoldering eyes once more to the girl.

"From the way you said things, you seem to know how to paint." He lifted a hand that had little drops of dried paint on it. "The name is Saint. I think I didn't catch your name when we met." He lifted a brow, remembering the comfort room incident. "May I offer you a seat?" He took off his coat and laid it on the ground beside him. "Or would you rather show me a real painting?"

[Luna Katanashi]

'I can't paint. This is... well, it's not good. I can't call this a painting since I don't find it...'

Disagreed.

Actually, she didn’t have the most talented gift with words when it comes to appreciating beauty and such but, that painting looks indeed picturesque. There wasn't a slight doubt on his wonderful talent. Though, not a word even departed from her mouth. Boredom was winding its way again. Great, now what to say?

Nothing.

'From the way you said things, you seem to know how to paint. The name is Saint. I think I didn't catch your name when we met.'

"I'm Shanine Katanashi and I do know how to paint."

She said fluently, encountering his statements. Her eyes were so transfixed on the painting. How she wished that Ryuu was here to judge it. She dismissed her gaze as she absentmindedly returned them back to Saint's appearance. It's not to decent for her to see an appearance like that. Maybe she was just not so used to it and all.

Silence. But it creased when he said something again.

'May I offer you a seat? Or would you rather show me a real painting?'

"No need to--"

Too late to say something for she felt some cold rush of air in to the gap he then created between them. A questioning illustration was furrowing her brow as he laid his coat on the ground. Why was he all doing this for her?

A little astonishing.

"You want me to paint?"

[Saint]

Something in Shanine's face changed when he said his last statement. Did he offend her or something? Or was she challenged by his innocent offer? Saint was pretty amused by how she looked at his painting and so he thought she might want to paint something--anything. However, he seemed to have sent her in deep thought before seeing her brows meet.

"You want me to paint?"

Saint was caught off-guard. Her tone made him feel that his playful question meant something important to her. Maybe she had something in mind connected to the art of painting. Something or someone.

"Uh, yeah, sure." With the coat neglected, he turned awkwardly to his bag at his other side and then brought it closer to Shanine's feet. "You could use my stuff." He smiled handsomely.

He had nothing to do. He had nothing to expect. Maybe making a friend wasn't that bad. Maybe there was more to this girl who made him feel suddenly interested with someone, at last. He wasn't good at befriending women, maybe he just had to try.

writer's block. XP

[Luna Katanashi]

OOC: Me too. O-O;;

'Uh, yeah, sure. You could use my stuff.'

Wonderful.

With a light nod, she took Saint's painting materials. As she headed closer to the tree next to the painted one, she knelt down. She took off her jacket and placed it beside her. Her hands were busy in manipulating the paintbrush. After massive minutes of hard work, there she finally accomplished in painting an image of a boy. Just a simple boy -- who doesn't have an Alice.

It wasn't the boy she loved.

A comment from Saint would be appreciative. Ryuu was just like -- different from the other boys she just met. The majority of the boys back home would lie, cheat, steal and even kill to get what they desire. This was a ruthless world for her. Thus, she also just wants to be simple -- not special. Metaphorically speaking, Ryuu is an Alice holder. Ever since that day, her heart was disrupted.

Heartbroken.

Nothing is left to say. She wasn't a rhetorical type of girl anyway. There wasn't a fatal flaw in this painting of hers. Is there one? Only Ryuu will even know, but he wasn't even here! Overall, it was beautiful to most people, but she couldn't judge that by herself either. Her radiant eyes then, was looking directly at Saint. Looking at him sent a little wave of excitement at her.

"So, what do you think?"

[Saint]

Saint looked clever as he sat with carefree crossed legs as he watched her stroke in measured ways. His eyes followed the graceful movement of the brush that seemingly danced, leaving traces of paint on the old bark of the tree. He smiled, it was amusing. He had never watched someone paint live.

He stood up, dusting his pants in the process, and stood next to Shanine. She seemed not to notice him for she was absorbed in her art...a boy. Saint's brow went up. He stood closer to her to see her face and for some reason, he felt sadness overwhelming her. A sad regret over...the boy in the painting?

Saint parted his lips to ask who the guy on the tree was but he was surprised himself when Shanine turned and said in a gleeful tone, "So, what do you think?"

He nodded, taking two steps back. He raised his open hand towards the tree as if assessing the artwork seriously. "Well," he started and approached the painting. Thanks to his Alice, he had grown accustomed to sensing others' feelings even without it being activated.

"Well, she seems sad." Saint pocketed both his hands and turned his back on her. "It's a waste to see that pretty face secretly frown." He almost touched the painting. "She loves a boy...I bet it's me." He turned to look at Shanine and smirked. "Nah, I bet he's going to be jealous if I ask her if I could take her out for a coffee."

Saint was in a happy mood that day as he stretched out his arms like a boy. "Oh, and the painting's great, by the way. Better than mine, definitely." He nodded once. "So, coffee? Just make sure no one rips my head off my body in no time."

[Luna Katanashi]

Why, she was not even so optimistic; she was well-known for being naive and dramatic. She barely even criticizes anyone's talents. Even on a cold day like this, the sky was still that blue. That often cheers people up -- at least a little bit. The vastness of it reminded her that there were endless possibilities in this world. Endless possibilities? That's what her best friend told her.

'Oh, and the painting's great, by the way. Better than mine, definitely. So, coffee? Just make sure no one rips my head off my body in no time.'

"... Sure."

She accepted with a light nod, then her eyes went back to the painting solemnly. Great, she ought not to say who this boy is. If she will, Saint might get mightily curious -- or anything that concerns further interrogation. Besides, this boy is a nobody, so there won't be any problem. Still, her visage is reflecting on how broken she was when she was painting.

She was not even expected to be a big socialite, so she does feel comfortable when she socializes and gossips. The not-so-academically-minded girl returned to her senses as she heaved herself up, but was still looking at the painting. She was a little bit of an introverted person. From what she thinks, Ryuu was an extroverted one.

"Ryuu..."

[Saint]

"... Sure."

Shanine was...Saint couldn't pinpoint exactly what was wrong with her. He even thought that maybe he was the one who made her...sad. Is that even the right term for the wave of emotion that creased her face. Was he saying too much?

Saint mentally slapped himself.

He was trying too much to become a gentleman...trying too much to lift every damsel in distress to cloud nine...trying too much to please everyone. It was his sickness. He had to be nice to everyone. He had to be everyone's friend.

"So that I will be accepted." The child named Saint told himself. "So that I would not be given away like my parents did."

No more flashbacks, please. He begged to his brain. He mustn't get all emotional now. The girl before him was too sad for him to add all the more heavy atmosphere.

"Coffee it is." He smiled the widest smile he could possibly do before snatching Shanine's hand. He saw her lingering eyes on the painting so he let her stay there for a little longer before pulling her playfully towards the Central Town.

Continued to Central Town. XD