A Beautiful Mind [Finished]

[FlyingPanther]

It was hard for Aurelius not to be perceptive. It seemed to come with whatever seemed to be plaguing him. He was attentive to peoples needs, wants, fears, hopes, emotions, and body language. He had become quite an expert in his young age at telling what someone was feeling underneath any cover, and it came almost naturally to him now as a teen. Into adulthood, he might become annoyingly perceptive. He hoped whoever he was with wouldn't mind. His heart fluttered a bit. He might be a young teen, but at some point all teens start romanicing in their minds 'the one', especially someone such as Aurelius.

He might have said something more about his father, except that Tristian began talking about his sister, the one that seemed to have such weird ties emotionally. He wish he knew what was wrong with her, and why everyone seemed so sad about it. And why was she gone all the time? She and Tristian were young...she really shouldn't be wandering off alone. But soon the contraption was done, and he had no time to ask him about his sister, just as he hadn't had enough time to get in a word about his father. "Wow! That looks complicated. Very well done!" he praised the young pick bouncing feline. He simply noded at the mention of the walk, allowing him to step out for a while.

He had finally noticed Artemis' dismay and gave her a sympathetic look. Her story was upsetting indeed to learn about, and Aurelius looked back in the direction that Tristian had left in. What a poor child he was. So young and hopeful....he could completely understand why he would freak out about the knowledge that his sister was dead...and that all his memories were some sort of post tramatic stress illusion. He nearly shed a tear. The need to love and protect Tristian installed within him quickly. He would help replace the ghost. He would love him like he had never been loved before. He missed his brothers and sisters terribly, he would channel that energy to Tristian and help him. Maybe one day he would be able to come to terms with his loss...and he'd be more then happy to be there for him when that happened. When she mentioned that Tristian looked as if he enjoyed his company he blushed a bit and noded. "I like the time we've spent together so far. He is a bright and talented kid, and he seems very nice. I will be more then happy to keep him company." he said...with honesty ringing in his voice.

Then Tristian came back, and he was glad he hadn't asked the next question he was going to. He didn't want to alert him to his sister's death. He could always find out later if he needed aboslutely to know. He smiled excitedly at the feline, pushing everything out of his mind so he could enjoy the moments now with the little pink feline. "Yes!"

[Tigeress]

The boy's expression let Artemis know he would take her seriously and not disregard her story. Tristian made it hard to believe sometimes, but truth was truth, and she'd never say anything like that without damn good reason. Lying to a boy as sweet as Tristian was hard enough as it was, but she was doing it for a good reason. She smiled broadly when the deer admitted he felt close to the feline already, despite them only having been in each other's company for a few hours. Tristian was easy to get attached to, she knew that all too well, but this sounded like genuine, strong friendship forming.

She could only imagine them together as full-fledged teens, and it made her shake her head with the humorous pictures her mind created of them. When Tristian entered, she didn't respond to Aurelius' comment, not wanting to let on that they'd had their own private conversation, but getting that small weight off her chest had given her much brighter spirits.

"I trust your companion will keep you out of trouble, but if you'd like company, I can go with you." On his own, she knew the feline understood his limits of wandering territory. He respected her restrictions and never went past them, technically even today in the forest he'd been within the radius she'd assigned him, and he'd gone with a friend, so she hadn't raised a fuss about it.

"Try them on!" The boy purred, lifting the deer's hoof without hesitation and pushing back so that he'd land solidly on his rump. He couldn't help it, he was just so excited to share his passion with someone, maybe Aurelius would naturally be really good at it too, and they could whittle the hours away just painting fantastic scenes from their minds and comparing work, and oh.... what a fantasy! "How does it feel? Try picking this up." The angled branches were made flexible only enough to do an open and closed tight claw motion, like a crane game machine. This meant it wouldn't slip out, but he'd also have to get used to only being able to rotate his wrist to get different angles.

The child bounced back and sat down, observing his friend's actions before slipping on his own slightly different modification. He picked up a paintbrush and toyed with it, sliding it up and down in his grasp and then dipping it in a small can of murky looking water. Good thing they didn't own any type of housepet, though he'd always wanted a bander... he wanted a lot, but he was a young child and was entitled to being fascinated with everything the world had to offer.

"What's in your head right now? What's the first image you think of?" He asked curiously, eyes shining as he eased his easel down in front of the deer, slipping off his own wooden paw addition to sit partially behind and next to his friend. From this angle, he could help support and move his wrists if Aurelius had troubles.

[FlyingPanther]

Tristian was so enthusiastic about getting his invention on Aurelius he didn't have time to really say anything of protest, not that he would however. Before he knew it, the feline had slipped them on. He tried them out, the pincher like fingers opening and closing slightly. He didn't have the muscles yet to work it properly....though it was no fault of the inventions. He was just not used to moving his hoof in such a way as to make it work. He smiled though, happy with the product. He then did as his new friend asked and tried picking up a paintbrush that Tristain had pointed to. The crane-like mechanisim worked, and the paintbrushed stayed in place nicely, though Aurelius imagined he would have to take breaks so his wrist didn't get sore. Oh well, he was just starting out anyhow. "Wow...you are really a miracle worker! I actually have hands!" he giggled with absolute mirth. Hands! Well....sorta...but the idea of any kind of hands was exciting.

He turned his wrist this way and that, trying to get a feel for the contraption and what he could do with it without droping the brush. Once or twice he did, but he quickly went to pick it right back up and he began exploring again. He smiled back at his new friend and watch him put on his own 'hand' before dipping the paintbrush he was holding in some strange smelling liquid. It was really very strong...and smelled toxic. His eyebrow quirked. Maybe the fumes of this thing was giving Tristian the visions of his sister. He was already feeling a bit loopy himself from it. He dipped his own brush in it before picking a color and lathering it on the paintbrush.

He had to think of an image now? He tried to think as he looked at his friend, and with a grin realized what was really on his mind. "You!" he smiled, realizing he had picked a very golden color indeed to be on his brush. He put it to the canvas in front of him...and in the manner of a preschooler...began painting curls. "I like your hair a lot." he said as an explination, and he blushed slightly.

[Tigeress]

Tristian blushed and smiled widely, he wasn't any miracle worker... just good at getting out the ideas locked up in his head. Really, anyone in his position would have thought of it eventually, or have gone mad from the lack of being able to follow their passions properly. He felt a little scattered sometimes, with all the things he liked to do, inventing and painting and now he was getting into music... maybe he should just pick one thing and stay with it? But it was all so hard for a male in animal form at his age to be able to Do anything! Everything he did had a purpose, the inventions were to paint and play music, he didn't really have much attraction to making things up otherwise.

"T-thank you." He murmured shyly, this time not finding some way out of the compliment as he usually did. He didn't want to become cocky and conceited, people generally didn't like that kind of a creative person. Spending enough time by the local art gallery had shown him enough of those smelly know-it-all, beat-it-all types to last him a lifetime of bad impressions. Yich, even he couldn't stand them, and he was 'their type' or whatever.

His attention was drawn suddenly to the ease at which the deer had adapted to the creation, excitement building in the pit of his stomach as the prospect of his new friend becomming a fellow artist became stronger and stronger. Aurelius seemed to be as filled with joy as he was, and he wished they could sit like this for the rest of the night, though they would need a walk for more than just to stretch their legs. For a similar reason, they'd have to leave all the windows open when they left. The toxic paints were just too much to handle for too long. But Tristian kept them perfectly contained when they were not in use.

"...Me?" Something about that really touched him, that the first image that came to his friend's mind was, well, him! What did he look like in his eyes, he wondered? He watched with intent glee as the circular golden curls came to life on the canvas. It was a beautiful shade he'd picked, did his hair really glow that colour? And although he knew little about technique, the way he focussed on the different loops of golden spirals made him wonder if it was that nice to look at.

"I'm glad you do." Suddenly he felt like he should groom himself better. His hair had always been a hindrance, but now it was like... his thing. His recognizable feature. He, as a person, and an artist, had a personal, recognizable thing! It was strangely exciting.

Artemis smiled though the corner of her lip twitched a little. They had bonded unusually close for two boys just having met up randomly. Did they perhaps meet a while ago and they just hadn't let her know until today, or...? There was just some weird connection between the two that you could feel just by being in a room with them. She hoped that Tristian wasn't looking for the wrong kind of attention. The boy would not be his sister, nor would he be his girlfriend. Perhaps the lack of a strong female influence in his life had made Tristian a bit... confused.

That was probably her adult mind putting an unfair and admittedly perverted twist on an innocent friendship bond, the kind of which happened very rarely. Feeling suddenly sheepish, she stood up and stretched.

"Ooooh, that stuff always gets to my head so quickly. I'm going to get a bit of fresh air, when you boys are ready to leave, just open all the windows and meet me out front." She waved before turning towards the door, oh so very happy when the first bit of cool evening air met her and allowed her lungs to take in that deep breath of clean oxygen they'd been yelling at her for.

[FlyingPanther]

"I really do. It's really different from everyone else, and it goes nicely with your coat color. It's really very regal looking. I wish my hair had the same effect...I don't really like it so much." he said, looking away from the canvas to stare down his back at the mohawk. Well, it wasn't so bad he thought, but it was very strange, and he imagined that whenever he got his bipedal form it would be even stranger. He had heard of a place that others could go to, a barbershop in the outer bazaar. The barber's name was Mr Todd...if he remembered correctly...or at least that was what he liked to be refered to. He was sure the man's first name wasn't Mr at any rate.

It was really only a matter of time. As Aurelius grew to know Tristian, his love for him would grow more and more until it was a painful emotion that he couldn't quite understand. It was that way for Igal...it was that way for his memory of Kare, and had his mother and siblings not been related to him it might have been the same way. His love for them was different though due to the fact they were related...but to say he loved them any less would be a lie. He loved them more then anything...he just...didn't have that...stirring feeling...and longing for them. Yes...it was really only a matter of time.

He was beginning to wonder to if his family knew what was wrong with him. He had talks with Ilana once or twice about his situation, and she always seemed to be...so sad...as if she was withholding something from him...or that she noticed something that he didn't. For as much as he was perceptive about others...he had a real problem recognizing things about himself.

It was natural that Tristian and Aurelius were so close after only so long...or at least it was natural on the part of Aurelius. He bonded quickly with everyone he met. For now the relationship was innocent, but no doubt the confusion that came with all his relationships would plague him one day. That was hardly on his mind however, he was enjoying painting and being in the company of the lovely little feline.

"Oh yes...It's already getting to my head a bit to." he said with a smile as he watched the doe leave before turning to the feline. "Maybe we should just open one of the windows? That way some of the fumes can escape." he smiled at the velvety colored boy.

He then went back to working on the painting...it looking more and more like a painting by picasso.....when he was in preschool. The shapes were all strange and juvenille, the colors all bright, and the paint all globby. But this didn't seem to deter Aurelius. He knew it wasn' great...that was to be sure...but something like that never stopped him. If anything...they could look at the painting after the walk and have a good laugh at how ugly it looked. Though he realized with a blush, that he was trying very hard to make it not look that bad. He didn't want to give the impression that he thought the young boy ugly with his poor skills. After making the curls he dipped his brush in the toxic liquid to wash it off before picking a nice and bright magenta making a circle for the boys face. This was alot of fun.

[Tigeress]

"R-really?" He found a paw going to his hair rather self-consciously. Regal? He would have never thought himself worthy of a description like that! Why Aurelius was so nice to him, he'd never know, but his tail was getting tired from thumping the floor in pleasure as it had been for almost twenty minutes now. The boy was just so kind and fun and they just really got along. They were similar in a lot of ways, he felt. When Artemis left, he only nodded, so caught up in what was going on in the painting. While he might have agreed that it did look preschool-ish, he didn't think that was a bad thing at all.

His first year's worth of paintings were all very, very burned. They actually didn't look too far off from Aurelius' first attempt, it was almost impossible to just pick up a brush and be a painting expert. But the attention to detail and colour, the understanding of hue and design was there. Though if he said it, he felt the deer would deny it, but it was there. He'd probably be shocked to know how hard it was to match colour value with real life colours, that had been the hardest part for Tristian. Shapes and such had been easy, but his colours had been so drab and off on his first few attempts, it had been quite disheartening.

"Normally Artemis doesn't like the windows being open, bugs and cold and all, but she's already outside, so why not?" That might mean they could spend more time together inside. Not that he didn't want to go for a walk, but painting to him was a secret, personal passion. He didn't find it to be a group activity and he often felt embarassed when people watched him or other people. He didn't say that to his aunt though, she would probably think it was strange.

"Your wrist is slipping." He giggled, shifting up behind the deer and placing his paw on the base of Aurelius' wrist to keep it from getting any more tired.

"That's a beautiful shade..." He whispered contentedly at the pink, watching as it was carefully placed between the golden swirls. He had to admit, the deer made him seem too pretty with all this vibrance, it might start to go to his head. Beauty and brains? No way! It was just flattery.

[Kiki]

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