Epiphany within Shadows. (Concluded)

Sierra exhales loudly as she finally gotten past her exams and projects that had clotted up her schedule and now she also have finished drawing a prototype of Pash's doll's dress.  She eyes over a couple of sketching for a while to make sure that each flows well in itself while keeping semblance of her dress's original theme.  The current lamp hanging above her illuminating her workshop with a pleasant glow.  Next to the draw was a thermal of hot green tea.

Sierra fought off the temptation to do some more editing as it would not do any good if Pash did not approve of something.  Speaking of which...her hand moves to the orb that resides in its stand (to prevent it from rolling) before she taps the yellow arrow a few times before the etching near it list's out "Pash" before she held the green tree while her thoughts are on her designs.

“Oh wow! This is really nice!” examined Pash while looking at a paper napkin. More specifically, while looking at a newly done pencil drawing of the restaurant they were in on the paper napkin. “Haha, and you told me you just do this for fun? Why you could do this professionally!”

She was saying this to a confused looking boy sitting across the table from her. He had every right to be confused, and even Pash would agree to that, but then again, that was kind of the point. Just a few moments ago, he was sitting on a park bench, with his head in his hands, absolutely devastated that the builders guild had refused to take him on as an apprentice as they had done for his father and his grandfather. The next thing he knew, he had let this girl talk him into buying lunch for her. Not only that, this strange girl had also managed to get him to reveal all the details of his life to her within a matter of minutes.

And while he may have felt that things were whirling around him at a breakneck pace ever since this strange girl walked up to him, one thing was for sure: she was very attractive. More so than just her looks, which she had in spades by the way. She seemed to radiate this presence that made it harder and harder to dwell on what had been making him so miserable not even an hour ago.

“Y...you really think so…” asked the boy nervously.

“Omigosh, YES!” beamed Pash, “and if it is not too much to ask, I would be really honored if you would draw a picture of me and you at this table in this notebook of mine, you know, so that I can prove that I knew you before you became super famous.”

Before the boy could even respond, Pash had already pulled out her notebook from her teddy backpack and handed to him, opened to what she thought was a blank page. The boy, with the better view of the notebook, saw a whole bunch of crude sketches of a muscular man and a…

He had no idea, the best he could guess was some kind of demon. But the demon looked so feminine. Yet, then again, why was the demon so huge compared to the really muscular man if the demon was supposed to be a girl?… whatever the case, the drawings were not very well done, but even in their crude state, one thing was for sure: the man and the demon thing were doing really really lewd things to one another.

Instead of taking the notebook from her, he began to blush. Pash, noticing this, quickly pulled the notebook back in fear of what she might have done. Upon looking at the pages, her fears were confirmed.

“Oh, hehe, ummm, yeah, don’t mind that, “said Pash with one hand behind her head in embarrassment. It is not what you think… I was just, ummm, documenting this really cool wrestling match. Oooo, you should have been there. It was so intense…. But yeah….”

She flipped the notebook to a blank page. She then double checked it again to make sure this one was blank before handing it to the boy.

“So what do you say Mr. Art Man?” she asked sweetly as she batted her eyelashes a few times, “won’t you give this girl something to remember this day by?”

And just like that, the boy took the book and started drawing. It was like he had no choice in the matter. Not because he was being forced to or anything, but more like saying no to this girl would be unimaginable somehow. Something was telling him that drawing in her book was the best possible thing he could do right now. Not just that, but doing so would also change his future for the better.

And little did he know, that something was absolutely right

As he was scribbling away, Pash noticed her little communicator was buzzing in her bag. She took it out and pointed at it.

“Oooo, Mr. Art Man, I got to take this call real quick. Please don’t think I find you boring or anything alright?~” she said playfully.

“Hey Sierra!” she shouted into the device with great enthusiasm after pressing the tree button. “I would act surprised, but you are the only one who contacts me on this thing. What’s on your mind? Could it be that Sierra has boy problems she needs help with?~”

OK she did not expect that introduction to the conversation that cause her to pause for a brief moment. It was until that her hands move to her own drawings that her brain rebooted quickly.

"Ah, no. I just made some sketches of some designs for your doll's dress. Was wondering if you are going to be available to take a look if you like any of them or at least part of their features if you don't. Sorry it took me so long but..." She lets out a brief sigh "...school-work got heavy."

"Anyways, I can bring something to eat as well. What do you feel like eating?" In the meanwhile, she decided to organize the designs she made and move them into a brown portfolio folder.

“Oooooo! I would love nothing more than to spend time looking over pretty dresses with you Sierra,” said Pash. “When do you want to meet? You know me, I don’t exactly have a busy schedule filled with important things. I could even meet you tonight if you wanted.”

“Anyways, more importantly, if you are not calling about boy problems, does this mean you are single? Because if so, I’m sitting across a table from a very sweet and talented boy. He is also hella cute by the way.”

Pash knew full well Sierra would not be interested in being set up on blind dates, but she said it more for the boy to hear than for Sierra.

She wasn't really surprised about Pash hanging out a guy, though fortunately wasn't doing naughty things like the last time she called. Although hooking up with someone she doesn't know wasn't within her comfort zone.

"Gee, going too fast much? Well I wouldn't mind hanging out if he wants to. Not tonight though, I just finish with mid-terms and a project on top of your designs but I can meet up with you tomorrow evening if you want. Any preference to food?"

After putting all the things she need aside she languidly slinks over to bed while talking and sinks in with a very content sigh.

“Oh!.. I, ummm, I…. I was not expecting you to say that…” stammered Pash, as it was apparently her time to get caught off guard in the conversation. “Ummm, yeah, okay then…”

“Hey Mr. Art Man, there is the cute girl on the other end of this phone who wants to go out with you,” Sierra heard Pash say over the phone. “What?, No! I’m not lying… Yes, she is a real person… anyways, you two have a lot in common. You both have fed me for starters haha!...”

After a bit, Pash got back to Sierra.

“Alright, so anyways, you better keep your word to this boy. I won’t have you breaking his heart now.”

“As for meeting, yeah, tomorrow night will work. Seven sound good? Will the park where we first met be alright? As for what I want to eat…”

Pash paused to think about it for a bit.

“Whatever you have leftover will be plenty good for me. I’m in the mood to be surprised if you are feeling generous.”

Sierra almost tumbled out of her bed from the sudden jump in logic that Pash, or the misunderstanding.  "Pash, I mean just hanging out, not go out on a date!"  The sudden volume that she squeaked that out was probably loud enough that Pash's company heard it.  She didn't want to make a promise that she has no guarantee to keep!

It was then that that she realized how loud she was before lowering her voice.  "Sorry...didn't mean to be so loud.  But anyways, since you are fine with anything I make, does ...Mr Art Man?..." Probably a Pash nickname thing but odd. "...he has any food preference?"

“Haha! Too late now,” laughed Pash.

“Does he have any food preference? What? No, I’m not bringing him to our meeting tomorrow silly. I’m not going to torture the poor boy by making him spend a whole night listening to silly girls talk about silly dresses and dolls. That would just be inhumane.”

“Anyways, tomorrow evening it is. Seven at the park. I’ll see you there Sierra.”

“Oh and don’t you worry Mr. Art Man, I’ll make sure to remind her that she owes you a date *giggle*.”

“Anything else, Sierra?”

"Please don't hold me to that date..." She groans as she facepalms, starting to regret the call, wondering if the midara is doing this on purpose just to jostle with her.

She exhales slowly before responding to Pash's agreed time. "Yeah 7 in the evening works there. And no left-overs, 7 should give me plenty of time to whipp up something quick."

“Awesome! See you there Sierra!”

She then reached for the tree button and pressed it three times. She made sure to press it three times to avoid what happened last time.

The timing could not have been more perfect, because right after she did that, her new friend lifted up his head from his work and was eager to show her what he had created. Pash could not help but smile at the way he had so rapidly changed from absolute sadness to the expression of a proud artisan eager to show off his work.

“Woah woah, slow down there buddy,” teased Pash. “Alright, pass it over. Let me take a look.”

When she got her notebook back from the boy, she could not help but let out a gasp.

“T...this is amazing…” she found herself saying without even thinking about it.

The picture was simply of the two of them sitting at a table, but the details he had managed to work in spoke to her in some sort of unspoken language.

“The way the picture you are drawing seems to be giving you hope and peace… and the way I seem to be doing a whole cheerleading routine even though you have me just sitting in the chair…”

Then Pash decided that the simplest response would be best.

“Thank you buddy.”

She then closed the notebook, got up, and gave him a kiss on the cheek before he ever had the chance to say no. When he finally regained his composure, the girl was nowhere in sight. Which started to make him uncertain if he really did just meet a girl, bought her lunch, and then drew her a picture on the worst day of his life.

Whatever the case, one thing was certain, he had to get to an art shop.

He was going to show the so-called artists in this town how to really captivate an audience.

(6:50 PM at the day of the meeting)

Sierra was early to the meeting that she'd agreed with Pash. She was currently dressed in a red strapped dress with a leaf design embroider from around the neck along the dress's collar area to the center of her area between her chest and her neck with a dark pink rose on the center, looking like a well elaborate flower-motif necklace. The form of the dress narrows around the waist, giving her a more pronounce impression of a feminine feature, the dress billows out from the waist to knee length in a ruffle wave texture pattern. Matching her dress are red low-heel shoes. Around her arms is a woven bamboo basket. Had she also don a red hood as well, she would have a very good red riding hood motif.

The glow of the street lights illuminate her path that leads her towards the lake that is at the center of the park while giving a soft tranquil environment to the fading light of the sunset which is reflected off of the surface of the lake. As she settle down upon one of the picnic tables, everyone else around the park was getting ready to leave as it was usually outside of the comfort zone for most people due to how dark it was getting, the chatters and the occasional whisper of sweet nothing occasionally play in the environmental sound of waters and crickets..

“Haha, someone’s feeling girly today,” said Pash as she walked up to the table from behind Sierra. “Geez, I feel so underdressed now, with my jeans and pink jacket. I don’t think I can handle the jealousy if all the boys are looking at someone other than me for a change *giggle*.”

Pash made her way to the other side of the table and sat down.

“So how have you been Sierra?” she said as she took off her teddy backpack and sat it on the bench beside her. “It is so nice to see you again.”

“...but, more to the point, you brought food right?”

She grins back to her friend before briefly staying up and briefly before making one rotation as if she is a model while briefly showing off the elegant look before reseating back down.  

"Well technically this is one of the designs that I want to show you but since I already made it, I don't have to do any drawings of it.  Hopefully there are some part of this dress you like enough for your doll.  The other designs are on paper in a folder."

As if to answer one of Pash's other question, she reaches into the folder to take out the aforementioned folder and , with a smile, also takes out a covered plate which, when the lid is pulled open, contains several chicken nuggets with some barbeque sauce in a tiny bowl; simply, but delicious is the key here.  Also in wrapping are a couple of variety of sandwiches as well either to go or if the nuggets were not enough.

"I am good now, simply glad I am able to finally step out after weeks of 'Papers and Projects and Tests, oh my!' for one and not have to worry about them."  As she talked, she started organizing the picnic dinner across the table and the folder on the side, not opened yet.

“Well the dress looks lovely on you. The red hood might be a tad heavy handed on the fairy tale reference, but it works because of the fall weather.”

“Well, if that dress is a preview of what’s in the folder, I can’t wait to see all the designs you have come up with.”

“Haha, there you go again with work work work and project project project. You know a hobo like me can’t relate to that, but so tell me about that one project you talked about before we parted ways last time. Did you end up smooching that ranger boy until he could no longer tell night from day? *giggle*”

“Food!” exclaimed Pash at the reveal. She placed both hands on the table. Bouncing up and down slightly in her seat in excitement, waiting for her host to take one first before she went after the plate filled with her favourite. She figured it would be more polite than simply assaulting the plate the second it touched the table.

"Well to be honest, I ended making this design by accident and it turned out much better than I first planned. And when I saw what it looked like, I decided to actually make the dress itself." As she speaks, she pulls some papers from the folder and lay them out in a neat pile as well as a few napkins to wipe their hands of chicken nugget grease.

The first dress bears much similarity of Pash's original dress but with alterations. At the center of the chest area is a purely aesthetic ribbon tied in a way that almost resembles a butterfly. The dress also has an interweaving pink leaf design that goes from around the collar to the center of the chest and then circling around the waist. All of the other dress designs are still under the first one, ready to be view at Pash's leisure.

"Oh about him. It seems that he does have someone waiting for him back at his home. He lives at a bit of a distance from here and he traveled here to learn more about medical herbs, anatomy, and disease since she has an illness that causes her to feel weak from time to time. When he was talking about this, I saw within eyes that look that he would do anything for her."

She actually opted to take one of the many sandwiches instead of the chicken nuggets an start to unwrap it before taking a small bite from it.

As soon as Pash saw Sierra take a bite out of a sandwich, her hand immediately darted to the nugget plate, grabbed one and shoved it into her mouth, in pure contrast to the dainty and delicate and tiny bite that Sierra took out of her sandwich. Pash did not even bother with the barbecue sauce.

“Omigosh I love these so much,” she said while still chewing. She at least had the grace to cover her mouth with her hand while doing so. “Thank you so much for these Sierra.”

She eyes then went to the drawing of a dress that was presented to her.

“Oooooo, I really like this pink butterfly bow!” she said, a mere milliseconds after swallowing her food. “It is hella cute, and would totally help break up all the white I have going on with my current dress. Plus, the oversized bow on the front totally gives off that magical girl vibe, which I also really like.”

“I don’t know about the pink leaves though. I mean, leaves are not supposed to be pink. Well, that is what I think when I see it, and it kind of distracts me from the rest of the dress. I guess I’, more of a simple and clean kind of girl. The leaves just add too much in my opinion.”

She took and another nugget. This time opting to sample some of the barbecue sauce as well.

Sierra nods as she pauses from her sandwich to write down notes on keeping the butterfly bow as well as mention of magical girl as a plus.  Next she make notes to remove the leaf design while also noting that Pash, like her eating habits, like to keep her designs simple.  

"Alright, got it.  You must really like the magical girl motif.  The only problem is that many of their designs is a bit showy which may detract attention from yourself so I can keep the bow and...

What about pink outlines on the dress hem?  Would give more flavor to the dress, keep in line with the color scheme and isn't distracting. The other option is to make the skirt pink but with white outlines."

“Haha, yeah, I’m on a bit of a magical girl kick as of late. Gives me something to aspire to you know? Instead of moping around about how I’m cursed with this destiny, I watch them and think of ways I can use my talents to be cool and adored like they are.”

“Oh yes, their outfits can be a little, *giggle*, ridiculous at times. I totally get what you are saying about that, but right now my outfit is looking a bit like a blank canvas you know? So I guess I could use a little pizzaz to spice it up.”

“The pink border at the hem of the skirt sounds really good. Just not too thick though, I do enjoy subtlety, that and keep the skirt white. The sudden change in color from top to bottom it not quite what I like.”

She writes down a few notes about the hems before looking at the design one more time before looking back over to Pash.

"OK one last modifcation that I have in mind for this. Many magical girl outfits have the shoulder sleeves" She points over to the dress shoulder area " a bit buffed up. We can end the sleeves barely past the shoulder ending with the same pink outline to complete the theme.

Aside that anything else you'd want to add?"

She takes a moment sneak another bite from her sandwich while letting Pash make her decision and voice her opinion.

“Ugh, I hate those stupid poof ball things that some girls seem to insist having on their shoulders, but you make a good point. You know, maybe there is a bit of a middle ground to be had. Have you ever heard of a magical girl named Sailor Saturn. She has these cool petal sleeves on her outfit. What do you think about those?”

Sierra hmms briefly. "I think I recall the ones you are talking about. It is a different design then the one I am used to but pretty unique."

Then she starts sketching the 6-petal shoulder pads the same shape as Sailor Saturn. "That said if you want to go for this theme, probably pink on the pads and white for the petals."

"Alternatively..." She makes a sketching of a more normal short sleeve but having the same pink outline as the dress with a smaller pink butterfly, only to keep with theme and not to attract attention to it. "This gets rid of the puff design in favor of a more simplistic effect."

”Oooo, I like this little sleeve with the butterfly on it. That would bring it up to three butterflies, but I’m willing to go with it.”

“From now on, I shall be known as butterfly girl! Criminals everywhere had better watch themselves, because butterfly girl is on the case!”

Pash thought about it before sitting back down.

“Okay, now that I have said it out loud, butterfly girl sounds really dumb.”

She then looked at the drawing again.

“I still like those sleeves though… just going to have to think of a better name though.”

"Yes, I feel like these fit your design theme more.  " She smiles as she makes a final mention of the sleeve design.  

"Not sure about name though but I guess Fairy Heart.  Anyways.  I think that should do it for this design unless you want to add anything else. Personally I think this works well as it is."

She moves to take the edge of the paper for the magical girl design but does not move to the next page yet.

"Ugh, fairy heart sounds even sillier, but this is great for the dress design. I can't wait to see the doll you make."

"Oh wait, you have more designs?!" asked Pash, astonished that there could be even more amazing designs. If the first one was already this good, there was no telling how awesome the others would be.

"Heh, I'll admit that Fairy Heart sounds rather corny." She snickers briefly before she pulls the next design page and placing it on top of the magical girl outfit sketch. "Yeah I made multiple ones to cover a somewhat broad sense of many different styles since I was not entire sure what style you would like. However, now that I have more of an idea of what type of designs you like, these might not appeal to you so much as much I may be wrong."

The next design seems to give more an "everyday casual girl" field consisting of a white blouse with a lace texture along the collar and a matching white skirt. The design also has a light blue jacket that is open to see the blouse underneath. Finally to accompany it is a tan cloche hat with a bow above the brim and at the center.

She lets Pash judge the next design as she quietly munches on her sandwich.