“Thanks for lending me some paint,” Virgil muttered as he packed up the borrowed supplies, “Been a while since I did traditional work. Haven’t stocked up in a while and like hell I’m going shopping this time of year.”
Vyctor responded with a lazy smile as he moved in to help, “Any time, man. I wasn’t going to use them and I’d like to see them put to good use. My only canvas is the human body, after all.”
Lowering his eyelids and grimacing from the uncomfortable wording, Virgil shrugged slightly, “Good to know your medium. Why bother making art if you don’t enjoy what you do?”
Amused, Vyctor tilted his head, “I mean, there’s always the money...” Virgil grimaced harder, which only made Vyctor laugh. Patting his back before slinking his arm over his shoulders, he grinned to the grumpy man, “Lighten up, I’m kidding. You should know that’s not why I got into this…”
Rolling his eyes, Virgil shrugged off his arm, “Whatever. How’d you find out this is what you wanted to do anyway?”
“Mnnn…” Vyctor rubbed his chin thoughtfully from the question, “It’s actually interesting you ask…”
“Make sure to come in once your cheeks start turning red!” A woman called out to her excited son as he scrambled his way out the door. With a joyful laugh Vyctor nodded, waving back to her.
“I will, ma!”
His wide green eyes surveyed their yard with a widening grin, seeing the bounty that the ever frigid Ice Realm had presented him. A fresh blanket of sticky snow spanned as far as the eye could see, the perfect consistency for what he had planned.
Crouching down, he scooped a generous handful into his gloved hand, immediately packing it into a small ball. Once it seemed firm enough, he pressed it into the ground and began to roll it through the thick snow. As he pushed the ball grew larger and larger, until he was eventually pleased by its size. Repeating the process, he lifted the next ball on top, securing the snowman’s head into place.
Then he did this again and again, until his yard was littered with blank snowmen. With the tedious part over, Vyctor rubbed his tiny hands together excitedly before grabbing his new basket. For Solstice, his mother had given him a variety of clothing and accessories, but they weren’t for him to wear. Instead he got to work, dressing up each of the snowmen in a fresh and unique outfit.
Next, he took out a small box full of assorted doodads, such as small stones, plastic gems, and baby carrots before approaching the first snowman. With intense concentration he began to carefully press some of the smooth, black stones into the cold snow of its face, turning it into a smile. He jumped back to admire it, rubbing his chin as he tilted his head thoughtfully, “Hmmm….”
Narrowing his eyes he shook his head, moving back in to rearrange the stones. He did this a few more times before finally pleased with it, beaming at his own work, “Perfect!” He laughed, running to dress up the next one. As he ran, only one thought ran through this mind.
“It’d be cool if people could change their looks this easily!”
Virgil snorted slightly without a smile, shaking his head, “Snowmen made you want to be a body modder?”
“Just gave me the idea, I guess,” Vyctor grinned as he leaned back on his shop counter, “There’s a lot more that went into that life path, I guess… I like making people be the person they want to be, let them try new cool thing, or enhance what they already have…” Rubbing his chin he looked Virgil up and down before grinning, “Speaking of, ever think of getting more piercings?”
“Eh…” Virgil shrugged, “Nah.”
“Hmm…” Vyctor smirked, nodding in agreement, “No use messing with perfection, right?”
Rolling his eyes, Virgil moved to the door, “Nothing perfect about me. Why I don’t want to change.”
“Wouldn’t change a thing about you either…” Vyctor sighed, crossing his arms, “Meanwhile, I think I’m going to mess around and give myself cat eyes or something. You know, try something new. Why not, huh?”
“Sure…” Virgil mumbled with a shrug, heading out the door, “Long as you’re happy. Going to go work on this painting. See ya.”
“See ya,” Vyctor waved him off, mulling over his words for a moment. He took a moment to think over the last year, no, the last decade. The accomplishments he made, people he met, adventures he had, and smiled. Despite the struggles along the way, he’d trade it for nothing.
He was happy.
art by ghost
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