Artistry {Ava}

[nate]

I don't want to be here.

For that matter, I don't want to be anywhere near here. The closest I want to be to here happens to be my own bedroom. Hell, half the time I don't even want to be there.

Yet here I am, a cynic in Neverland. Sunshine and rainbows. Smiles and giggles. It's enough to make a person vomit.

Nate looked horribly out of place. A blind person wouldn't suspect the lanky half-djinn of being a Wingrose, and Nate hadn't even attempted to blend in. Loose black shirt hung over tight black t-shirt, tucked into ragged blue jeans. Underneath one arm Nate carried a sketch pad, and a handful of drawing tools could be seen poking out of his pocket.

Even more fun: he smelled faintly of cologne.

I only suggested this because she was cute. I'm fairly certain that she's as far from my type as you can possibly get. But I did promise her this, and she's certainly pretty enough. Besides, she might be a genuine person.

Gah, since when have I given people chances? I must be bewitched. That's it:

Ava Winder is a witch.

[ava]

Minuscule footsteps made their way into the Wingrose dormitory. Ava had her eyes averted and had her book clutched to her chest. She had just entered the dormitory and was about to make her way to her bedroom when something told her to look up and stop dead in her tracks. There, standing in her houses common room was Nate. The one person who managed to get under her skin better than anyone else.

She appeared frustrated as she had realized that there was no way to bypass Nate. Even if she used her gift, it didn't completely conceal her as she moved. He would have been able to see her.

"What are you doing?" she asked, finally gathering the courage to speak to him. Her face had adopted an almost stony look, it was more like her trying to hide the fact that she was scared of Nate Wakeman.

[nate]

Doesn't she remember?

"I'm here to draw someone," offered Nate, turning to face Ava directly. He subconsciously made sure that she could see his lips. Oddly enough, Nate still wanted to make allowances for Ava. Probably because even though he didn't appreciate her personality, he couldn't help but admire her physical appearance.

Yes, I'm shallow. Never claimed I wasn't. Thing is, I'm honest, which is more than some people can say.

He lifted his pad, nodding at Ava. Surely the silent communication was clear. The less they talked, the better.

Why am I even here though? Sure, she's hot, but I've seen better. And she still seems so out of it. Not all there. Why on earth would I even bother with someone like this?

Gah.

"If you still want me to, that is," drawled Nate. "It would be understandable if you didn't."

Please don't, I'm already regretting this.

[ava]

For a moment, Ava just stood with her book clutched to her chest. She did in fact remember that he had offered to draw her one day, because she was aloof and 'not all there' didn't mean that she couldn't remember anything. That wasn't it, Ava did have a very good memory, but she didn't know exactly how to react to it.

Then, it was as if something inside her clicked.

"You talked about being an artist," she drawled with her nasal voice. She wasn't trying to be rude, but she did want Nate to prove that he actually was as good an artist as he said he was. Calmly she tucked a piece of hair behind her ears, though what she was feeling on the inside was completely contradictory to her shell.

Though, she was only following the advice from a poster on her bedroom wall at home.

Do One Thing a Day that Scares You

And being around Nate Wakeman certainly did scare her.

[nate]

I will never be nice enough for this girl.

"I draw," offered Nate. "It's not quite the same."

He shifted his feet, looking her over again. Yes, definitely attractive. And she... she...
reminds me of a wounded bird. Fragile and fluttering about on the ground. You know it looks pretty, and you want to pick it up and help it. But if you do, you're just as liable to screw everything up, and not help that poor little bird in the least.

"I can draw fairly well," admitted Nate. He coughed into his fist, and tried not to look as out of place as he felt at the moment. "Did you want me to do your portrait or not?"

God, I hate the Wingrose house. And Wingroses in general.

Wait, scratch that.

I hate people in general; Wingroses are just worse.

[ava]

Ava tilted her head and her face took on a skeptical look when he scolded her about there being a difference between being an artist and being able to draw. Either way, the difference to her wasn't as big as he was beginning to make it out to be.

Did you want...your portrait or not

Ava once again hesitated for a second. The way she looked was one of knowing. Almost knowing exactly what he was doing, sizing her up and what he was thinking of her. It wasn't as if she had forgotten what had happened the day that they had met. She shook the thought off again and sighed slightly.

"Fine," she started "Wouldn't want your drawing skills to be wasted" Ava finished. Her tone was one that was impossible to put a finger on, it was a mix between sarcasm, loathing, and fear, garnished with a subtle hint of bitchiness. Which surprised Ava the most, because she wasn't even aware she was capable of having a snarky bone in her body, but do you think that she was going to let Nate know that she was scared by her own actions?

Not a chance in hell. She averted her eyes and face to distract herself from her surprise. Ava cleverly disguised it as her struggling to place her book in her bag that slung over her shoulder. Looking back up to the place she referred to as the 'Happy Medium'. For whatever reason, Ava's trademark lopsided grin began forming as the two stood in awkward silence.

[nate]

Why do I keep bothering with this girl? Yes, she's pretty, we've covered that. But she's also...

snapping back. Since when does she do that? What is with this girl? I just... I can't figure her out. And darn it, I should be able to.

"Ava," he managed. He had to pause and clear his throat, shifting nervously. "Ava, I think I've been going about this... wrong."

Is she smiling? What is with this girl? Is she brain dead or something.

Wow, she's got an amazing smile though.

"Look, I really do want to draw your picture. I meant it when I said it," he offered. "You're pretty enough that someone should get it down on paper. So can we just try and get through this without tearing into each other?"

wishful thinking, Wakeman. You're not having fun unless you're trying to make pretty girls cry. Particularly pretty wingroses.

You lovable scamp you.

[ava]

When Nate told her that she was pretty enough that someone should get it down on paper, she found it slightly odd. He said it as if she would wake up and suddenly not be pretty anymore, and besides, her parents had pictures of her so it wasn't like there wasn't any documentation of what she looked like when she was a teenager.

"So-" she was about to apologize when she had remembered the last time she did that. Her mouth was still open in a O shape when she quickly closed it.

"Sure, want me to sit somewhere.....specific?" she asked, kind of confused. She had never been a model for someone before so she had no idea how to do any of this. She began to rub the pads of her thumbs along the bottom of her sweater sleeve.

[nate]

Right, I need to just get this over with. I don't like this girl, and I don't need to pretend I do just to make her happy....

Not for the first time, Nate's thoughts didn't ring quite true. He frowned, wondering why that was. After all, what he thought was, of course the truth.

"Do you have somewhere you like to be?" he asked, making sure to again lock eyes with Ava.

Why do I do that? Why do I make it easier for her? I should be an a**, looking away and talking fast. Not looking her directly in the eyes and talking like a normal person. What the f**k is wrong with me?

"It's better if you're comfortable," he explained, waving. "It will make you more relaxed and easier to draw. Besides, your smile will look better."

I'm not flirting with her, am I? I guess it doesn't matter, she doesn't look like she'd get it even if I was.

[ava]

Ava pursed her lips in thought and then looked around the room. If she had to pick a spot, she would have to pick the giant lounge chair by the window. It was a spot where she could be comfortable and warm.

Turning her attention to Nate again, a sincere smile came across her features and it made her seem even softer than she was, if that was even possible. She took her bag from her shoulder as she lightly walked across the floor to sit on the chair. Chucking it on the ground with a thud, she plopped her rear on the seat and turned sideways so she was sitting sideways in the chair. The sunlight was spilling along the back of her head and her shoulders giving her an almost ethreal glow.

Her eyes looked towards each Nate and a small pink tinge formed across her cheeks. She bit her lip and let out a small, short airy chuckle.

"This Ok?" she asked awkwardly.

[nate]

She's not supposed to be cute.
and if she is supposed to be cute, it's supposed to be that lost kitten thing. Like a puppy that's too stupid to realize that it shouldn't be yapping around your ankles. That kind of cute. Not "dang, she's cute, I wonder what it would be like if..." cute. No. Definitely not.

Nate frowned again but valiantly fought off the expression as he realized that it would be taken the wrong way by his subject. Ava was already anxious as it is, without adding a disapproving expression to Nate's face.

"It's fine," he managed, sounding somewhat curt. It was better then angry, though, which he almost did.

It's not supposed to be complicated. It's a d**m picture. she probably doesn't even think that way.

"It's more then OK," he admitted, "the light's good and your pose looks natural."

he took out his notebook and some charcoal pencils, but then he looked up at Ava for a while, studying her.

The light makes her look good. I wonder if I'm good enough to capture that?

[ava]

Ava began picking at the already chipped nail polish that was on her thumbs as she tried to focus on being a model...well model. Then she realized that probably moving wasn't the best idea and she pomrptly stopped fidgeting, finding it really hard to sit still.

"How long have you been drawing?" she asked, trying to make conversation in which she wouldn't be reprimanded for. After all, there was always that saying that you caught more flies with honey than with vinegar and even though Nate Wakeman was not Ava's biggest fan, for whatever reason she was determined to change his mind.

Looking over with her eyes and slightly turning her head, she bit her lip as a nervous habit. Something about the gesture of having her picture drawn made Ava nervous, like her head was spinning and her stomach was beginning to tie in a knot.

It was then and there that Ava determined that she did not like that feeling, along with a lot of others that she had experienced since coming to the Academy.

[nate]

don't think about how cute she is. don't think about how cute she is. don't think about how cute she is. don't think about how cute she is; don't think about how cute she is; don't think about how cute she is. donthinkabouthowcutesheis;don'tthinkabouthowcutesheis; don'tthinkabouthowcutesheis; don'tthinkabouthowcutesheis...

"What?" Nate's pencil nearly jerked across the page as he suddenly looked up. The girl had just asked him something, he knew that much. Of course, now he couldn't remember quite what she'd been asking. Probably because he'd been altogether too focused on how not cute she was.

"Err... drawing, right? Well, uh," Nate fidgeted, "I've been doing it since I was little, I guess. Doodled on notebooks and whatnot in elementary school..."

And now she was biting her lip, and looked uncomfortable.

Why the hell does she look uncomfortable? She's not the one concerned about ogling their drawing model who is nearly polar opposite of them.

"Quit fidgeting!' snapped Nate. "It makes you hard to draw. And stop biting your lip."

Because that is far too cute, and I'm having enough trouble concentrating as is.