Enjoy the Silence (open)

[Keaton Derrickson]

The afternoon sun had long since set and the winter winds had started to rattle the windows in Key's room. So, the young man decided to walk down to the student lounge for some relaxation and to sip a much needed hot chocolate. Key had already finished his homework and to be honest, his roommates were being a little noisy. Not that he really minded that much, but he did enjoy the quiet. In his long black coat, he moved as silently as possible into the lounge and over to a nearby chair-hot chocolate in tow.

He had made the drink before he left his room, just so it would be a nice temperature by the time he got to his destination. Sitting very properly in the chair, the young man began to gently sip at his warm beverage, taking in the view out of the window. Key hated to be cold, this was a fact, but he did enjoy the site of snow. It was beautiful and pure, and made everything seem fresh and new. As he watched a few flurries drift passed, he took his small dry erase board and marker from his jacket pocket and placed it on a nearby table. Just in case anyone decided to strike up a conversation.

Key doubted they would though, most people seemed to be to preoccupied with the snow and talking about holiday plans. Which Key never thought about anymore. Christmas no longer held that special charm for him and deep down, he wondered if it ever really had. Shaking his hair a little, he pushed the bad memories aside and smiled to himself as he took another sip. Now, he slowly relaxed into the chair.

[Alexei Strauss]

Alexei always found something relaxing about snow. It was beautiful and so fragile at the same time. It was perhaps, for him, the most anticipated and enjoyable about winter. It brought him a lot of inspiration for his artworks and he would never pass up the chance to draw.

That was how he found himself in the Student Lounge. He wanted to draw but the silence in his room was grating at him and it was far too cold and wet outside to be able to properly get something done in his sketchpad. So, sketchpad and art materials in his bag, he had made his way to the lounge where people had already gathered to chat and hang out.

Alexei looked over the room, searching for a seat near the window—somewhere where he could hopefully see the snow that was to be his inspiration. He caught sight of a lone person sitting on a chair near a window. The young man was sipping a cup of something—a warm drink, most probably. There was still an empty seat across that person and Alexei found no harm in asking for permission to sit down on the empty chair.

Alexei approached the person and asked in a kind and friendly manner. He gestured to the chair, “Excuse me. Do you mind if I take this seat?”

[Keaton Derrickson]

The young man was lost in thought as he stared out the window at the sparkling white flakes that drifted down. He'd grown up in Vermont, so he was definitely used to snow, but the cold. He shivered gently and took another sip from his drink. Two years ago, he would never have imagined himself drinking hot chocolate, or anything with sugar in it. To which Key had to constantly remind himself that, that was then, and this is now.

At least that's what all the psychiatrist told him to do. He was trying, really he was, but something always felt off. Like something was holding him back in some way. Lost in this fog of thought, he barely registered someone coming towards the little seating area he had chosen. Until the other spoke or course, then the silent-dark haired young man glanced up with polite smile.

He fumbled for a very brief moment to get his board, mostly because he had his drink nested between both hands. Popping the cap off with one hand was second nature to him by now, and he quickly wrote a response. Picking the board up, he turned it to face the other, on it he had written. "No, of course not. Please, sit."

With that Key made another smile and nodded to the chair as well.

[Alexei Strauss]

Alexei was curious about the other after he used the board to talk to him. Was he mute? Maybe, he just didn’t like speaking. He figured it might seem rude to ask about it so he just took the seat. “Thanks!” Alexei replied with a grin. “I’m Alexei. You are?”

He began unpacking his things—his sketchpad, pencils, and color pencils. He opened the sketchpad to an empty page and began thinking of something to sketch while staring at the window. The snow, of course, would be incorporated into the drawing he was going to do but he also wanted to add some other things but he wasn’t sure what.

Alexei had always found inspiration when he talked to other people so he decided to turn his attention to the other boy. “Um…what do you think of the snow? I mean, do you hate it or do you like it? It’s a random question but…I’m just curious, you know.”

[Keaton Derrickson]

To say that Key was a bit surprised that the other wasn't taken aback by his lack of speech, would be an understatement. Yet, he was very happy for it all the same. It was difficult explaining his problem from time to time. Key returned the other boys smile and nodded when he introduced himself. Board in hand, he cleaned it and started to write. "My name's Keaton, but everyone calls me Key."

He tilted his head curiously at the drawing supplies that Alexei produced. Key was not the artistic type, but it always seemed interesting and fun to him. As did the people who liked to draw. His eyes drifted back to the snow outside as he took another sip. The hot chocolate was getting low, but he wasn't about to leave. Besides the fact it was rude, he was rather comfortable.

The other's voice caught his ear and he glanced up again. Key made a silent chuckle and cleaned his board again. "I like snow, but I don't like being cold. Also, it's okay, I don't mind."

[Alexei Strauss]

Alexei nodded at the other’s response. “The one thing I like about being cold is that it gives you a reason to be close and to cuddle with someone. It’s nice.” He said, smiling as he began drawing a landscape depicting the winter outside the window. He placed his chin on his palm with his elbow resting on the arm of the chair as he stared out of the window. “I think the snow is nice. It’s pretty.”

He went back to sketching, deciding that instead of just a landscape, he’ll add a few touches of fantasy and magic. He grinned as he made a throne of ice on the landscape though this one was still empty of its ruler. He bit his lip before turning back to the other. “Uhh…Key? Since you mentioned that you don’t mind the random questions, can I just continue asking you stuff? Like, if winter was a person, do you think it would be male or female? It’s for the sketch I’m making. Oh, and also, what kind of animal would winter have?”

Alexei laughed as he ran his fingers through his hair. “Yeah…am I being weird with this one? The questions are sort of weird, isn’t it?”

[Keaton Derrickson]

His dark eyes lowered a bit in confusion. Cuddling with someone? What did that mean exactly? Key was far to shy to ask, that and he felt silly now and then when he didn't understand things. He knew what cuddling was, but it was more the significance of it that was lost on him. His jacket kept him warm enough. With this thought, he nodded to Alexei. The other boy was nice, and though he was talkative, didn't seem overly loud in any way.

The sudden stream of question took him by surprise, but he smiled and set down his now empty mug. Board in hand he started to write. Pausing a moment to think about some of the answers. He scrunched up his face as he thought, he'd never had a very vivid imagination so he based his answers on things he knew. "I'd say female, but like an old movie star from the 40s or 50s. Super Classy." Making sure Alexei saw the board, he erased it to answer the animal part. "For animal, I'd either say an Elk or possibly a white Peacock." This was definitely a different conversation, and he was enjoying it.

Another wipe of the board and he was ready to respond to his new friend? Key wasn't sure what to call him since they had only just met, but friend sounded like a good place to start. "No, not weird at all. I'm enjoying this. May I see the sketch when it's done?"

[Alexei Strauss]

Alexei nodded, taking note of his answers. He went and drew the outline of a woman, sitting on the throne he had already drawn. A movie star, huh? Alexei thought about it before fishing his phone from his pocket and calling up a search engine to look for a reference for the sketch.

It took him a couple of tries before being satisfied with the image of the woman. All that time he was muttering things as he drew and erased things. He was muttering that, “The winter queen rules all of the winter court. She brings the winter to the human world. She is seen by most as an elegant, regal, and stoic woman although she does rule her court fairly…”

He added the finishing touch—the crown on Winter’s head before turning the sketch to the other. He wondered if Key thought him weird with that storytelling he did just then. Most people probably would think him weird with that. “Well, what do you think? I present to you the winter queen.”

The sketch, to Alexei, was far from done. He hasn’t even shaded the thing and it could probably be better but he wasn’t sure if it was just him being insecure about his own art which is why he was asking the other boy’s opinion. “I’m thinking about your suggestions and I’m going with the elk. But, I sort of like the peacock suggestion as well. Maybe, I’d give the queen a fan made of peacock feathers? Will that be good?”

[Keaton Derrickson]

Crossing his legs in front of himself, Key leaned back some and watched the other draw. It was definitely a fascinating process, at least to him. Right as he was wondering what went on in and artist's mind, Alexei started to ramble. Well, it obviously wasn't rambling, it was a story. At least Key figured it was a story and it was a glimpse at a drawing that he assumed few but the artist really got to know.

Now, the sketch was being held up to him and he smiled again. Even for what seemed like a rough basic idea of a drawing, was art to Key. He wrote swiftly on his board. "I like it already, can't wait to see it finished." So, he didn't actual expect to see it all the way done, mostly because he rarely saw the same person twice. Except his friends and teachers. And the good Doctor Sean of course. Key was slowly wiping his board when Alexei spoke again.

His marker squeaked as he scribbled his response. "Oh, I like that idea. Sounds very elegant." He smiled and continued to write. "Is this something for class or a personal project?" Key figured the other wouldn't mind a question of his own. At least he hoped he didn't.

[Alexei Strauss]

Alexei grinned as the other wrote that he liked the idea he planned. He always somehow found affirmations such as that to be encouraging. It was just the way he was.

He placed the sketchpad back down on the table and started sketching the fan made out of peacock feathers. He made it so that the queen was holding the fan fully spread out to her chest. It made her look more regal somehow, he thought.

He looked back at the other boy as Key wrote something else on his board. "It's a personal project," Alexei answered with a smile. He gestured to the snow outside the window. "I felt like drawing and the snow was quite the inspiration so I decided to follow through with it. I tend to add stories to my sketches, like background. It adds more depth to the work, somehow. Also, it's probably from all the times I've played video games like RPGs."

Alexei went back to the drawing. He even called up another search on his phone as a reference to the elk. As he drew, he kept the conversation going with Key. "What about you? Do you have something like drawing that you like to do all the time? A hobby? Well, sometimes these things become more than just a hobby but an escape from reality, eh?"

[Keaton Derrickson]

For a brief moment, he was distracted by two boys arguing out in the snow. Their voices were loud enough to tell they were fighting, but not really what it was about. That didn't really matter to Key. He shook a little and turned his head away from the window and tried not to frown when he remember his new friend was there. These were the questions he hoped the other boy wouldn't ask, but it usually happened. For now, he turned his focus on watching Alexei draw. He was rather talented and honestly, Key was a bit jealous. It had to be nice to just be able to draw whatever was in your head.

As Alexei mentioned the snow being his inspiration, the quiet youth just nodded and smiled. Not forced this time, for the shouting boys had moved on. Then a word caught his attention, he'd heard it before...somewhere. RPGs? He let it sink in until he realized that he'd seen his older brothers play some of those after they got adopted. Key tried once, but it was a bit to violent for him at the time, but at least he wasn't totally lost on what Alexei was talking about.

Hobbies? His friend asked about them, did he have any? Key's inner monologue went searching to see. There were a few things he did enjoying doing so he nodded when he asked and began to write. "Well, I did play piano for a long time, and I used to sing." His face scrunched a bit at the thought and after he showed this to the other, he wiped it and continued. "Mostly, I enjoy watching older movies. Like the old black and white musicals, guess that's my hobby. Though it's probably silly." He added the last bit with a silent chuckle.