Little Brother's Lament on Magical Arts Room and Sports

Arnold Manger

June 08, 2014 8:31 PM

Little Brother's Lament by Arnold Manger

He had not painted since Sally left.

Plenty of times, his fingers had twitched toward his brushes, but somehow when he gripped them, Arnold felt hollow, and he watched them slip through his hand. When his sister fled, she took his inspiration, his creativity. She was pursuing herself, the girl she wanted to find but did not know how to be, but little did she know she had stolen from a boy who already knew.

He had always known. While most people--Sally included--saw her for her intellect, he had always known what was beneath. He had watched his whole life as she poisoned herself with logic, but Arnold had the gift of seeing both sides, of stressing the importance of intelligence and creativity. Sally had the free spirit she was chasing, but she had buried it a long time ago. He supposed she just had to do some digging now.

The Aladren fought to push it all away, to forget the impact Sally had on him. He wanted to create again, to isolate and simply make something. Just to add to the droll little world into which they had been placed. Books and cleverness were fine, and he had a knack for that sort of things too, but the world did not run on strict intellect. It needed a balance of smarts and arts.

Arnold had that balance, or at least he used to. He sought to reclaim it. Staring at a blank canvas, he twirled a brush between his fingers, searching his mind for colors but finding only black and white. The colors all had drained away months and months and months ago, and there was nothing left. The brush tumbled to the ground as he recognized defeat.

“What’s the matter, son?” asked one of the friendly room four portraits, a thin brunette with eyes such a striking shade of ice blue that he could hardly imagine her inspiration sharing in real life. Arnold turned to her with an honest frown, feeling no desire to fake anything for her.

“I just… miss my muse,” he answered plainly. At the same time, however, another student was entering, and presumably under their questioning gaze, he added, “Oh, I was, uh, just talking to the painting. Sorry.” Arnold was not quite sure for what he apologized, but he felt compelled to do so nonetheless.

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Ji-Eun Park

June 09, 2014 4:33 AM

Peace and quiet for big sister by Ji-Eun Park

Ji-Eun was looking for peace and quiet. Her parents had spent midterm clucking and fussing, largely to the tune of trying to ascertain whether she had taken sufficient care to protect her precious younger brother and keep him up to date on his studies during the staff's absence. There had also been more home school than usual. Her mother was obsessed with spending the holidays catching her up on the Korean way of doing things. The fact she'd missed out on a term of Western education meant her mother had thrown herself into this project with even more enthusiasm than usual, in spite of the fact it made no logical sense.

Even though she was normally a sociable person, she was looking forward to some peace and quiet, so took herself off to the MARS rooms. Usually she enjoyed the music room, where she would practise the dances to her favourite songs, but today she just needed some calm and quiet, so thought she would enjoy some scenery in the painting room.

She twisted the door handle and stepped inside, just as another student was addressing one of the pictures. She blushed at having intruded on what seemed to be a private and rather personal conversation and was about to back out when he noticed her. She recognised Arnold, as they were in the same year, but he wasn't someone she'd spoken to a great deal.

“Sorry,” she apologised too. The fact that he was talking to a painting didn't strike her as at all odd. She had grown up with the knowledge that such things existed, though they hadn't had anything so fancy in their own home – only photographs, which moved but didn't speak. However, she had had several very engaging talks with the school portraits since arriving. “I didn't mean to interrupt. Would you like some privacy?” she asked. Most people came here for peace and quiet, and she would understand if the fact he was painting meant that Arnold didn't feel like being sociable.

13 Ji-Eun Park Peace and quiet for big sister 268 Ji-Eun Park 0 5

Arnold

June 18, 2014 2:09 AM

As a middle child, I can appreciate both of our situations by Arnold

Ji-Eun was a girl he knew little about, able to recall her year and House--third year, Pecari--but nothing much else. In fact, Arnold knew little about most of his year mates. Or his other classmates. Or anyone, really. He had kept mainly to himself for the last two and a half years of his education, and consequently had developed little to no personal relationships. Even at this point, there was no one he could truly call a “friend”.

The redhead enjoyed having his little brother Jake around the school, but he worried that spending time with him would prevent the more sociable boy from making his own friends. Arnold did not want to stand in Jake’s way and thus more often than not told his brother that he was busy, even if he wasn’t, so that he could find someone else to entertain him for a while. Arnold loved his brother, but they had to have other, different people in their lives. They could not simply stick together forever.

Currently, Arnold had no idea what his little brother was up to. Perhaps he was spending some time in his House Commons. In any case, the only person in his vision (barring the paintings, who simultaneously counted and did not count) was Ji-Eun. She reflected his apology and inquired as to if he required privacy, a polite offer that reaffirmed what he had sort of guessed to be her nature from prior passing interactions.

“Oh, no. You can stay,” he answered good naturedly. “No big deal. I’m not getting a whole lot done, anyway.” The confession was accompanied by a small shrug a half-smile that served to suggest the casualness of the situation.

“Actually, maybe you’d like to help me?” the Aladren posed. “I’m a bit stuck. I haven’t painted anything in quite some time. I’m not sure what to do.” His blue eyes positioned upon her optimistically. Whether or not Ji-Eun classified herself as an actual artist, there were possibilities in everyone, visions waiting to escape. Maybe Ji-Eun could be his muse, if only for today.

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Ji-Eun Park

June 22, 2014 5:31 AM

It's good to be able to take different perspectives by Ji-Eun Park

“Thank you,” Ji-Eun smiled, when he invited her to stay. She wondered whether he was just doing it to be polite as, even when someone asked your honest opinion on whether you wanted them there, that didn't make it easy to give it. However, when he invited her suggestions on his painting, she relaxed a little. That was a gesture of intimacy he didn't have to offer, and it made her feel more welcome.

“I'm not sure I'll have much to offer,” she admitted, “I'm not much of a painter. I tend to use this room as a gallery. Mostly, it's a place for me to get some peace and quiet,” she explained, thinking that he might think it was odd that she was here if she didn't paint. She almost volunteered the information that she spent more of her time in the dance room but still felt a little too shy of Arnold to admit that, although he might have seen her offering dance instruction at her Korean cultural booth at the fair in their first year.

“May I see what you've done so far?” she asked.

13 Ji-Eun Park It's good to be able to take different perspectives 268 Ji-Eun Park 0 5

Arnold

June 27, 2014 9:27 PM

Open-mindedness <em>is</em> very important. by Arnold

Oddly enough, the more Ji-Eun went on about not being an artist, the more confident Arnold felt in his decision to seek her input. Sometimes people titled artists overdid things, digging and digging, a crime of which the Aladren knew he himself was guilty. But it could be those who did not consider themselves artists who could transcend their non-embraced titles to become even more: creators.

He wanted to create again, and something in the pit of his stomach--faint hope, or a maybe dissident meal--suggested that Ji-Eun could help him on his way. After all, what did he have to lose at this point? His canvas was blank, his mind empty, his hands shaky, his fingers eager.

“May I see what you’ve done so far?”

The buff of pride that had filled his chest quickly deflated, and although Arnold was not a blusher, he worried slightly that his cheeks would soon shift in color to match his red curls. “Oh, uh, yeah,” he answered nervously, stepping aside to provide a better view for her. The blank canvas had never shined so white. “I, uh, haven’t got anything done yet. That’s my problem. It’s, like…. Writer’s block. But painting. Y’know?” Maybe she knew and maybe she didn’t, but really, it hardly mattered.

Blue eyes glancing between his canvas and his peer, Arnold developed something. An idea. When he looked at her, more colors came to mind. Swirls. Strokes. Dabs. Art. He could see it. She is a great muse! he thought merrily.

“This might be a weird question,” Arnold began timidly, nerves only slightly covered by creative adrenaline, words rushed as if the thought might escape him, might float beyond his grasp. “But can I paint you?” Ji-Eun was a rather especially pretty girl and would make a lovely subject, granting of course she gave him permission.

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Ji-Eun Park

June 28, 2014 9:37 AM

Life is suddenly a picnic by Ji-Eun Park

Arnold blushed when she asked if he could see his work, which she felt a little bad for. However, she wasn't really sure how she could help him without knowing what he had. She wasn't really sure she could help him even if she did know, but that was a bridge to cross when she came to it. It transpired, however, that he really had been having trouble, and hadn't managed to start at all.

“Oh, I see,” she smiled sympathetically, as he showed her the blank canvas. Even though she didn't really know what it was like, she nodded at his explanation – she had heard of writer's block, and the stark white square in front of her did seem rather intimidating. On the one hand, it just begged to be filled, but it was so perfect and pristine. You would have to sure you were improving, rather than besmirching it, by making your first strokes.

“Paint me?” she echoed, rather surprised. There were things Ji-Eun liked about her appearance, but they were mostly the things she added to it in terms of style and accessories. She was used to comparing herself to her pop idols, who were all tall, slender and professionally styled. The closest she could come was letting them inspire her fashion choices, although again their unlimited wardrobes often left her envious. Today, she was wearing a pale pink dress. It had thick straps which sat off the shoulders and were decorated with a ruffle that ran along the neckline. Her hair was in two plaits, with a pink gingham bow on either side, and around her neck hung a chunky silver heart on which a little plastic cupcake with pink icing was mounted. The bows had reminded her of a picnic blanket, and it was most definitely a good dress for wearing on a picnic, which had led her to choose the necklace, along with the fact that they all shared a colour. Perhaps it was a strange decision, when she hadn't had a picnic to go on but that was how her mind worked when putting together outfits. She thought about suggesting Arnold painted her having one but, for all he'd asked for her help, that still seemed presumptuous to her.

“If you like,” she responded shyly. In her comparisons to her idols, she always came up wanting, and she couldn't see how she was a worthy subject for a painting, but she liked to be kind and helpful to her classmates and, if Arnold thought it would un-stick him, then she was happy for him to have a go. Besides which, for all her own doubts of her aesthetic value, it was pleasantly flattering to think that someone else thought differently on the subject.

“Where should I stand? Or sit?” she asked.

13 Ji-Eun Park Life is suddenly a picnic 268 Ji-Eun Park 0 5