bottlecaplogs | Noelle's December Catch-All

[After some trekking, the little Sneasel finally arrives at the Spire. This is her first time here, and her first time leaving the heart of town since she arrived! She'd heard that they might need some help, and wants to put in some effort to pitch in instead of spending all day in the Archives.

As she enters the low-tier housing level, she's surprised by how the accommodations here are so different from the Lum Berry housing. This look of surprise is quickly replaced with a big smile as a familiar Deerling walks up to her.]

L-chan! [Mayaka would normally reach out to shake a good friend's hand when she's excited to see them, but she's still wary about her exposed claws. Also, Noelle has hooves instead of hands. So, she makes do with hopping up and down on the spot to express her joy.]

I'm still settling and figuring stuff out, [she says, not bothering to sugarcoat her words even though she's in a good mood now.] But today, I'm here to help. What're we doing, anyway?

Maya-chan! [She hops up and down as well. Mayaka's excitement is infectious.] Decorating for the holidays! I thought we could try making some-- um, you know, if you want. I might have hooves, but I've figured out some ways to be a little creative!

[She leads Mayaka towards where she's set up some papers, quills, and various paints. She suddenly seems bashful-- Mayaka seemed so apprehensive about her drawings in the snow last time. Will this seem like too much?] I gathered everything I think we need, but if you have any other ideas, um... we can always do something else!

Woah! Thanks for preparing all this. Must've been a ton of work.

[Mayaka marvels at the various art materials laid out in front of her. While she's still too shy to show off her drawings, she's been craving for a way to express herself creatively. It would be rude to brush off the invitation after Noelle made all the effort to prepare this.

The Sneasel kneels down and tucks her legs neatly underneath herself before reaching out to sort through the paints and papers. It's all a blank canvas and, for once, it's not something she feels pressured to draw perfectly for a prize submission.]

Let's do this! [Mayaka says decisively, wanting to assure the Deerling that she's onboard with her idea.] What's the holidays like from where you're from? I mainly think of KFC, fancy Christmas lights and trees.

[As she says this, she glances around the hallways, wondering what would be a painting they could make to add to the festive cheer.]

Oh, it was nothing! [It was a bit of work, but Mayaka doesn't need to know that. Noelle takes the non-brush end of a paintbrush in her mouth and begins to paint.

... Unfortunately for her, she realizes her mistake as soon as Mayaka asks her a question. This worked better when she was alone. Noelle does her best to prop up the paintbrush before replying.]

Hmm... are you from a part of the world where Christmas is a more personal and, uh, romantic holiday? [She's heard about this!] Where I'm from, it was more about spending time with family. And we really went all out! Decorating the house, my mom throwing a big Christmas party, making cookies and sending cards, caroling...

[For a moment, her face falls. Maybe she's missing all that right now.]

... um, a lot of stuff. It was probably our favorite time of the year, fahaha.

That's true. Where I'm from, there's lots of stuff targeted at couples during this time of year. Fancy light displays to visit on a date, special dining promotions for two, that sort of thing. My family doesn't really have any Christmas traditions apart from eating KFC.

[Mayaka doesn't have any strong feelings towards the holiday because of this, though she takes joy in preparing gifts for friends. Noelle, on the other hand, sounds like she has lots of precious memories associated with the season.] It sounds fun, the way you describe it.

[The Sneasel leans over with curiosity, to see what Noelle had started to paint.]

What were to going to draw?

It was fun! But definitely, like, a lot of work. Just getting to hang out and eat KFC sounds way more laid-back. [She's curious about Mayaka's family, but she doesn't want to pry-- it might make her sad, since they're stuck here for the foreseeable future.

Instead, she focuses on the art in front of them. She's begun to paint a rendition of a Christmas tree with ornaments and an angel on top. It seems simple enough that she can do it without using hands.]

Just a Christmas tree! Nothing super special, haha. What about you?

It's nice and festive! Perfect for the season even if it's not special. [Mayaka begins to realise that Noelle doesn't seem to very confident in herself.

[She decides to follow the Deerling's cue and begins painting a deep green fir on her parchment. She pays extra attention to the branches, going over them a few times with brush strokes to mimic the needles of a Christmas tree.]

Since there's not a lot of space for trees down here, maybe we can paint a few to make up for it.

[She scrutinizes her own painting, frowning a little at how amateur it looks since she can only make basic movements with her claws for now. She doesn't apply the same critical eye to Noelle's attempt, though.]

Wow, you're really good at this! [She sounds genuine, at least. Her Christmas tree is more of a solid triangular shape as opposed to painting individual needles.] Can I ask how you learned to draw? I used to try and follow some tutorials online, but I wasn't that good at it.

Uh....[Mayaka falters at Noelle's question, and feigns busyness by beginning to paint the next Christmas tree on an empty sheet of paper.]

I've just always liked drawing since I was a kid. My parents thought sending me to art class was a waste of money, so I borrowed guidebooks from the library and watched videos too. [This is all true, just a convenient omitting of the fact that she's always tried to emulate the manga she loves.]

Well, it took me a lot of practice, but I can't say I'm... [The Sneasel trails off, quickly realising that saying she's 'not good' might be too careless. She knows all too well how frustrating it can be to hear those words from someone you think is better than you, especially when it comes to a topic like art.]

... I'm always looking to improve. But, if I let my inner critic stop me from drawing, I don't think I'd have as much fun with it.

Noelle's December Catch-All

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