MUSE . bakugou katsuki

┊02 : faint memories

— third person —

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A tap on the shoulder is the only sensation that breaks her focus on the canvas before her. She jumps lightly, turning in the direction of the source with wide eyes and a look of surprise written on her features.

Her aunt's husband smiles apologetically, lifting his hands to sign an apology. Pointing at the painting sat in front of the young girl, the man signed, "What's this one about?"

The girl pursed her lips and peered back at her canvas, scanning the array of paint that decorated the blank white material. "A guy I met. He's like my inspiration." She signed back quickly, turning away from his eyes out of embarrassment.

Sensing she didn't want to talk about the topic any longer, he patted her on the back in encouragement before he walked away to return to whatever house chores he had been doing while his wife was out shopping. He knew just what kind of space the girl needed in order to truly flourish and create something so meaningful that it would touch the hearts of others who knew nothing of what she had experienced in order to bring this piece to life.

Exhaling quietly, she hummed to herself as her gleaming eyes stared at every line and stroke on the canvas that came together to create an image of the boy who had been inspiring her for the last year and a half since she had left her home in Japan to reside with her aunt and her aunt's husband in the United States. Those long months were spent in the comfort of these four walls with a canvas in front of her and a paintbrush in hand, allowing her heart to dance the way it had craved all those years she had spent with him in her childhood.

His vibrant blond hair was the first thing to draw anyone's eye towards the painting. The way the tips of his hair spiked outwards in a bodacious manner ⎯ so threateningly sharp as if it was warning others not to come near. He faced away from eye view, broad shoulders spread across the canvas covered by a thin white collared shirt. The slender body of his was her favorite thing to draw, leaving it up to her imagination to fill in how he may look after all these year without seeing him. Eyes would typically last see his hands that were situated down at his sides. Liquid gold trickled down from his inner forearm, trailing all the way down to his fingertips where it thinned out when it dripped off of his fingers. The gold created a ripple effect in the small sea of water half of his body was submerged in, distorting the faint faces that decorated the light blue water.

The painting itself wasn't all that great in her opinion. The meaning behind it was nothing profound or crazily touching that it would matter more than just her own satisfaction in the outcome.

Despite her mediocre grade on her own art, her aunt and her husband thought much differently of it. The praise she received for it when she finally had grown the courage to present such atrocities to them had her baffled. They were both art majors who worked in high positions at facilities that taught art and promoted the art of extremely famous artists and amateurs who would seek recognition for their masterpieces. As loving as they were, they were strict when it came to art and wished for the utmost creativity from the girl who had so much unrevealed potential.

Upon seeing the painting she had made, they were stunned. The suppressed talent had finally poured out of her and crawled onto the canvas to show just how truly connected she felt to this piece, and they were beyond proud of her. It was one of her best works that finally captured the true of essence of what kind of artist she was deep down. The raw emotion poured into this drawing was enough to make anyone with a good eye for art feel the emotions hidden in these paint strokes.

"honey" by 'Ren' had become a hit within the art community in a matter of days. With a little bit of promotion from her aunt's husband Shin, her painting had become more and more popular amongst people who were willing to pay big money for it. It was an immediate no from the girl who refused with her entire soul to sell the original painting. And because of that, she assumed her career as an artist had died with her stubbornness to keep the original in her possession until Shin had suggested portraying it in an art gallery that was sure to get it more recognition.

Hesitantly, she agreed. That was the first step she had ever taken to get where she was today.

"honey" by 'Ren' was spoken about worldwide by many artists and art-lovers alike. Her pen name was a name uttered by many, wondering who the person behind such an emotional painting was and why they created it. Their own interpretations were no longer enough to satisfy their curiosity. They demanded more. Just one painting wasn't enough anymore.

Ren, also known as [f/n] [l/n], was now in search of a muse. Where else was better to find a new muse than where she had found her first one?