This request is from EdgarJamesDionisio Hope you like it buddy and thanks for being my first requester. :') Please feel free to keep sending them in.
Leaving the house is slightly nerve wracking. Of course, it's the weekend of comicon and for some reason I thought I'd have the confidence to dress up for the event. I felt stupid. Originally the plan was that I have a lift from my friend but they've just broken their leg the day before so they can't make it.
Why am I not cancelling the whole thing? I'm strongly considering it, mind you but I know that I can't. My favourite artist is gonna be there for the first time and I really wanted to take the opportunity to see him. Knowing me, though, I'll probably double back the second I see his smile.
No, I have to go, he's premiering his new series there.
I look across the room to see a painting I did of my favourite front cover he did, remembering that I did it in the hopes that my friend could talk me into giving it to him.
It's really bad, though.
I'm just about to leave without it when I get a text on my phone, laughing when I see that it's a photo of my friend in her leg cast, along with the text reading "If I find you've missed the opportunity to show Shane your painting, this will be you!"
I reluctantly take the canvas and stuff it in my bag and make my way to the bus stop, forcing myself to avoid eye contact with everyone I pass.
The bus is eerily empty but I take a seat far away from the doors and keep my eyes fixated on the tickets in my hand.
Gradually as I get closer to the comicon, I notice others dressed up as characters getting on the bus. To pass the time for the rest of the journey, I start playing the game "guess the character", finding it amusing that some of them are trying to stay in character. One guy in particular is dressed as Captain Jack Sparrow and he's acting like he's alarmed by things which weren't in the character's times. I only let myself giggle at his actions when the rest of the bus do to avoid being singled out but carefully start getting closer to the group so that I don't get anything mean from the other travelers.
I'm noticed but they seem to understand my reasoning and pretend that I was part of their original group.
When the bus pulls up to the right stop, they all enthusiastically cheer as they start running towards the building. Although, because of some of their costumes being pretty heavy, they have to slow down pretty soon. I decide to avoid getting exhausted and sweaty before the day has properly even started to walk alongside a Ghostbuster.
After getting through the queue, I can't help but be intimidated by the scale of the interior. My eyes strain a little to see the end of the room but I pull out a map to find "Comic Village" so I can see if I can get my hands on a copy of Shane Sumner's new comic.
To my disappointment, Shane isn't there but the writer of the story in the comics is. He smiles enthusiastically when he recognises me.
"Hey, we've met before at some shows. You're Dougie right?" Laurence grins, getting up from behind the table and hugging me in greeting.
I laugh nervously at the nickname while I return the brotherly hug. He pulls away with a smile. "How are you Dougie?"
"I'm good, thanks Laurence." I awkwardly reply to the taller man.
"What's that you've got in there?" He asks when he notices my bag.
"Meh, some fan art, my friend insisted that I show you and Shane but I don't know." I sigh.
"If your friend insisted then you might as well. It's good to see someone we actually know." He suggests.
"You had a busy day so far?" I try to divert the attention away from me.
He shrugs. "There's a lot going on so it's likely that no one's ever heard of or have time for us but it's not been dreadful." He doesn't push me to show him the canvas, which I really do appreciate.
"That's a shame. Speaking of, where is Shane?" I check.
He laughs a little. "Okay, sorry, I knew it wouldn't take long for you to be asking for him, especially after having that canvas. I take it he should see it more than I need to." He doesn't seem at all offensive. "He was getting us something to eat with Drew and must've gotten distracted by another stall. He'll be here soon though, he left a while ago."
I nod in reply, stepping off to the side as a group of girls arrive to talk to Laurence. While he's talking, I look carefully at the table, my eyes focusing on the preview of the new comic. I pick it up and start flicking through, wanting to kick myself when I see the precision of Shane's art style, even though he presents some of the characters in such an unflattering way, it still looks amazing.
"Are you enjoying it?" A familiar deep voice asks me, making me jump, dropping the bag with the canvas in it when I look up to see Shane smiling at me with his kind eyes.
"Y-yeah, it's really good." I shakily reply.
Dammit, great start, now he probably thinks you're an idiot!
"Laurence's story is genius, that cannot be denied." He smiles, glossing over my little embarrassment without making a big deal out of it and helping me pick up the bag with the canvas in it. He stops for a moment when he sees what the canvas is of but returns it to me with another one of his warm smiles.
"The art's pretty good too." I nervously add.
His eyes light up when he hears this. "I'm really glad you think so, I still wish I could've put more work into it but we were working to such a tight schedule it was tough to make any improvements. Laurence's happy with it and you are too, that's such a relief to me." He awkwardly scratches the back of his overgrown hair.
"If this is what you think is underprepared, there goes my future as an artist." I sigh almost mockingly.
He instantly shoots me a nervous look. "Oh no, it shouldn't discourage you. That canvas that I can only assume is yours has a lot of skill. I don't think of myself much as a painter so I'm kinda jealous that you could achieve the same affect I managed with inks." He admits.
I go really awkward at the fact that he's brought it up. "You think so?"
He gives me a little smile and nods. "I'm always so happy to see artwork people make out of what I've done, just the thought that someone else thinks my work is worth it makes me always a little awkward." He adds. "It almost feels as though I don't deserve it."
"Stop, you're an amazing artist and guitarist, you have a lot of reason for people like me to look up to you." I reassure. "Look at me, I'm a grown man and I'm all over your work."
I notice his cheeks going a little darker. "I wonder what your own style would look like." He quietly manages.
"I don't have a style yet. I just try to get my work as close to the original so that I or anyone else will like it." I sigh.
He listens intently with a sorry expression. "It can be like that at first. I remember having a particularly bad year during my attempt to get my art degree. I started doubting myself as an artist. Only Drew knows this but I was close to dropping out. I wanted to be able to fine tune my art but I was caught up around a group of artists interested in having something with a big meaning, I just wanted to like what I create and for other people to like it too. I was struggling with an assignment because they wanted me to have a meaning with it when I really wanted to do a mini study of my favourite illustrator's style and incorporate it into my work." He admits. "It was only when I took one aspect of the image that I managed to appease them. I hated it, I couldn't bare to look at it and when I was told to do more exactly like that, I was almost angry. I don't know, art school just encourages ego so mine got the better of me. If you want I can help you out when it comes to confidence in your own work. It's not an uncommon problem, it took a long time for Drew to be able to listen to any of the songs he'd written so it doesn't apply to just us artists." He offers. "Besides, if I didn't go through all that struggle to find the answer to what they wanted, my illustrations would be very different to how they are today."
I tense up at the sound of this, knowing that he's really nice but not prepared for him to offer me something like this. "Are you sure?" I murmur.
His face breaks into his natural smile again. "Of course I'm sure. Who knows, in a few years I could be appearing at your stall at the Comicon. I can see that you've got promise and I want to help."
"Can I take a moment to think about your offer?" I ask after trying to get my breath back.
He nods. "Sure, I wouldn't wanna rush you into anything, Douglas." He politely reassures.
I nod slowly and walk off, needing to sit down after hearing that offer. Of course, all the seats are taken but I just sit against a nearby wall. As what just happened circulates my mind, I start feeling a little faint.
As I do, I notice Drew walking by with some chicken wings. He notices me and takes a moment to analyse my costume when he sees that I'm dressed as his character from Shane and Laurence's earlier comics. He breaks into a smile and perches down next to me. "You alright lad?" He asks, nibbling on a chicken wing. "I saw you talking to Shane earlier, sorry I didn't get a chance to say hi." He smiles.
"Don't worry about it, I'm okay, kinda." I answer.
He seems to tell that there's something else going on so he seats with his back against the wall next to me. "You wanna share my chicken wings? I learnt the lesson that I shouldn't get food when I'm hungry. I kinda got too many chicken wings and now that the others are vegetarian I'm kinda stuck." He offers, putting them between us.
I awkwardly look at them for a while, feeling bad about eating food he's paid for.
He seems to notice this and is quick to add. "As a trader, I get a discount so it's cheaper for both of us than you leaving and getting your own. Not to mention, it's getting to the point in the day where they're no longer letting people in."
I help myself to one. "I don't know if Edgar Dioniso would be caught eating chicken wings." I manage to joke to distract myself from that conversation I just had with Shane.
He lets out a friendly laugh. "He's a bit of a savage so I think he would probably stuff his face with a whole chicken if he could get his hands on one." He chuckles.
"And forget to pluck the feathers." I giggle.
He laughs a lot at the sound of this. "Probably." He adds.
We sit for a while, just chatting casually and finishing the chicken wings until he decides to go back to check on the other two. He takes a while to convince me to go with him. When I get there, I notice Shane has been sketching something with a small smile in his sketchbook.
"Look who I found! It's me!" Drew announces as we arrive, his arm struggling to reach over my shoulder.
Laurence giggles at Drew's energy but shakes it off. Shane seems to ignore Drew and returns to smiling sweetly at me.
"I'm glad you came back, sorry if my offer scared you." Shane discreetly tells me.
"I still don't know what to think." I honestly reply.
He nods understandingly. "How about we do a trade? You let me see your canvas and I'll give you a copy of our new comic for free. Keep it between us though, Laurence would be furious if he found out I'm offering you this." He quietly suggests.
I think it through, noticing Drew's encouraging smile before he distracts Laurence.
Is he in on this?
I eventually nod, pulling out my canvas to show him. He admires it for a moment before silently handing me a copy of their new comic, winking playfully at me.
With the canvas taking up a lot of space, it captures the attention of the other two. Laurence instantly goes to praising it, making me very nervous while I notice Drew quietly tell Shane something.
The rest of the day goes by with me hanging out with the three of them until I decide I should probably get home in good time. Drew nudges Shane so he steps forwards, ripping out a page from his sketchbook and handing it to me. I freeze up when I see it's a sketch of me with the words "I hope to see you again Douglas. :) x" next to it, followed by his number.