Thin Line Between Fool and Genius [OPEN]

Hmn!? Hmmmm!? There's someone else here! Someone that's-- oh, that's a really cute girl! Haruka's eyes looked practically sparkling with interest as she tilted her upper body to the entrance of the door. "Well hello there! Nice to meet you! I don't think I ever saw you before but--" the clothes most likely isn't any uniform, so... an elementary school student!? With few excited steps, she approached Miyako, then raised one of her arm excitedly. "Mornz~ Here to browse the club? I'm more to a... you know, eternal dweller of this room rather than a club member or something, but o'course you can come in! I hope you're... not too sensitive to certain aroma, heh!"

Pretty much practically pushing Miyako in (quite gently that is), Haruka ushered her inside.

"Currently there's only my painting at work here... the other member's unfinished painting are over there. It would be a disaster if I accidentally got them smeared over with my mix painting or aroma yessee? If you want to browse their art, it's over there... I can't really touch them right now 'coz..." she showed the younger girl her stained apron with a big girn.

"While I can't quite... be an art gallery guide for their work, I can certainly do that with mine~! Wanna see~?" she asked, practically bouncing on the ball of her feet, making a small dance. "Oh, um... and if I gone too far for your pace, please just say~ admittedly this is the rare day where someone actually addressed me personally. Usually, they just leave me be. It kinda hurts sometimes you know... Eh, but that's life~"

"Oh? Are you taking early saturday classes or something? Like, a special gifted programs or something?" ...that might not exist, Haruka, but who know. After all, this was like, her fourth year or so at school? Before that she was homeschooled, so she had no idea. "Or do you mean like, preparing for monday? Either way, that's VERY responsible of you! Me, I just let things comes when they comes, ahaha~ Let's just say that I don't really plan anything, ever! Just... go with the flow you know?"

Hmmm? There seem to be a mistake. "Oh no, maybe they used some of my visual cues, sure, but it's NOT like that. I'm just moving them there so it's not ruined, that and... they don't exactly came here everyday to finish it you see! So they will probably gonna come around Monday to finish them. In my case, I'm here practically everyday! I just love expressing my vision into the canvas! When you see something pure and white, don't it just... tickle your fancy and wonder how would it looks if it's decorated?"

....then she noticed the younger girl's albinism. "...Say, are you interested in Henna art perhaps? i don't mean odd (hen'na) art, but... those art from east asia-- Oops, soz, that was really insensitive of me. All that I want to say is that you are very cute, you see~"

And finally, a name to put on the face! "Miyappi! Miyappon? Miyacchi? Miya-tan? Which one you prefer best? I'm Amano Haruka, first year of the middle school part! Come to think of it, usually elementary schooler will go up to the same middle school if said school have middle school section, right? In case you're still going to the same place, here, I mean... I hope we can be besties~"

Anyway, she's glad that she didn't go too fast for her! "Hohoho, well then my cute kouhai-chan~ Time to wow you even more. Ahem! Listen very well, and be amazed! You see, my art project revolves not only around colors and shapes, but also... scent! And today, I'm... painting scent with aroma of sunflower and freshly sun dried fabric, here here~"

Haruka bounced toward the window side of the room. The canvas is pointed at the window, which seem to be crucial part of it. She invited the younger girl to view the painting, of the dancing girl, the crystal, and the sunflowers around it. The light of the sun does make the glitter of the paint pops out more.

"Aroma, you see, only could hang on for some time... so... I hope it will worth your while to experiece this art while it's at its peak of intended aesthetic and how it's shown. Go on now. You can walk closer to it. Just... don't touch it of course! But I'd really love it if you could tell me your impression of the aroma and the look. Don't be shy, and just say what came immediately to mind~ Even if it's "you're such a weirdo", hehehe~"

"Ahaha, well, let's just say that there were times where I had to take those.... but not because I'm gifted or anything, but because I need to catch up. Being sick do that to you~" Haruka answered. "...But you know, if it were me, actually it would make suday hurter because I couldn't play around on saturday! ...Ah, well, I said play around, but play around for me, is pretty much this," she pointed at the paints with scents and such. "I'm just lucky that the school would fund these for me~ But in turn they stipulated that I must produce at least five paintings a year."

A smirk appeared in the red haired girl's face. "...But you see, that's pretty much what I made per month so~"

The misunderstanding is cleared, yay~ "Yeah, you can treat me more as a groundkeeper! Er... roomkeeper? Either way, we don't have special art atelier just for one person, so I have to share with them. I don't mind but at times I wonder if they mind. After all, When I get into paint mixing it often gets... really messy ahaha~ But hey, those are what the newspapers are for."

Fufufu, they're really talking a lot~ Haruka's smile is getting wider and wider. "Hmmm, well if it's up to me, then I'll just follow my mood! See, I think too many artists doesn't have enough of just having fun. Sometimes, splattering paints on big canvas could be therauputic! My first art after discharged from the hospital was something like a primate would make you know! Would you like to look?" she asked. Just in case, she took out her phone and... instead of showing the screen, she flipped it back, to show the phone case.

"This is reproduction of my first art. Quite the avant-garde piece isn't it? You probably wouldn't say that it's a piece of art, but... for me, it's my figurative first scream. Scream that 'I am here'. Scream that 'I exist', my first 'Cogito ergo sum'! Right after I painted all of that, I realized... that I wish to live in this world without denying myself of my heart desire. Of course I don't mean to live impulsely, but... I want to paint my way to the heart of the people, and anyone who's willing to listen! I want to be remembered, even if it goes against the norm~"

Fufu, oh dear, she got really excited. "...Oh, Henna art? Hmmm, lemme see, I think I have some in my folder. I tried some on my own arm. The idea is that you first put them on a plastic filament.. The henna I mean. Then you pretty much draw shapes with the Henna, and finally when it's time to apply it, you put it on the skin. Those who are much more experienced apparently just directly paint it above the skin. Because it's above the skin, it's nonpermanent, but it might cause some allergic reaction. So make sure to be careful!"

Haruka then showed her henna art folders. "Henna can have different colors, and I do think it's interesting to see~"

Heh, aw, she's so cute~ "Well then Miyacchi, I'll welcome you next year~ Oh, we can also trade phone number if you want~"

Hmmm, her thoughts of the art is interesting. "So you saw the crystal as an unknown object. That's interesting for sure... Me, I saw this crystal as a fake sun. The smell of well dried fabric does gave you happiness, but... could a fake sun replace the real one? Do you know that if your room atmosphere is not bright enough it could cause you to feel down and depressed, Miyacchi? Sun can be harsh, they can cause me to faint in summer days and frankly I hate it~ But you know... sunny days are really nice~ They made me feel like I should move and dance more~ Rainy days and their smell of wetness of earth are also great, but... they kept me inside and as much as I want to dance in the rain, my parents don't want me to do that~ ...So, how to say, if you can replace something with such dual nature with something... that you perceive better... would you do it? This crystal doesn't radiate as much heat, but it still felt like the sun... the girl's happiness is from her feeling that she have replaced the sun... but how about the sunflowers? How are they affected by it?"

Haruka smiled afterward. "...Well, that's just how I feel at least~ Evoking such thoughts in my viewers' mind is my goal~ Of course, I'm only telling you this after you have formed your own opinion. After all, art is subjective. I'd like my visitors to form their own opinion first, before I tell them mine. Even if I didn't get my point across, at least it stimulates their brain. And pride of being alive, huh... i guess I really had that image everytime I paint, huh~"

Ah, her heart feels full. This is fun, this was the first time she could talk this openly with someone.

"Heheh, at that time all I can think is that 'I'm angry! I was kept inside an unknown room for years and I didn't get to enjoy life! I was born weak and frail, but all I wanted is to scream that I am here, I am alive, and no one will take that away from me!", Haruka commented.

So she want to be remembered too? They might be more similar than she thought. "...Hmmm, you know what, Miyacchi? When you know what do you want to do, you should tell me. No matter how mundane you think the way you left your epitaph and legacy, as long as it can stay, even a second, a minute, an hour, a day, a week, a month, a year, or even a decade longer than your own life, I think it would still worth it. The voice that says 'I am here'. Because those who left their magnum opus behind as how they desire it-- a magnum opus-- surely have strong feelings about themselves. That they care about their own worth. Those who desires to be heard from the depth of their souls often make the most notable ripple in this sea called 'life'."

Fufu, mystery huh? "...Maybe I'll make a sequel painting someday. Who knows? Maybe not and better let people think about the continuation themselves?"

....But then Miyako tossed a curveball that she didn't expect. That... was a great question, she admit. Haruka tapped her cheek as she cupped her chin. "....Hum... Well first of all, it won't be the smell of chemicals. In fact, It'll be the farthest from chemicals. I hate the inoffensive smell of hospital. The 'no scent' and smells of medicine. That will only makes me think that I return back to the gloomy hospital bedroom. So if I were to choose.. I would pick the scent of my home. I always remembered my home fondly. Not the one that I have now, mind, but the one that I used to have. It was small, cramped apartment, and honestly it wasn't a great place for a child and two parents to live in. But still, I always remembered how warm it was everytime I returned home. The smell of slightly damp wood, the scent of miso soup, a hint of my mother's soft lavender perfume, and the musky scent of my father's deodorant. It might sounds creepy, but it is what home felt like me. But the main scent is probably my own. What would my scent be? ...now that I have no idea. My name 'Haruka' means 'faraway fragrance'. So a scent that would captivate anyone even from far away I think... that would be mine."

There's a content smile on her lips as she reached out at the painting.

"...Yeah, I think that's how I would describe it. I want people to still get captivated by my scent even if I'm far from them. To remember that I exist, no matter how long."

...There's something that makes Haruka snaps into action the moment Miyako's last sentence caught her attention. Suddenly, the red haired girl grabbed a canvas out of nowhere, and like a professional artist that she is, her eyes lit up from sudden spark of inspiration.

"...Miyacchi.. hmmm... do you have... a little bit of time? Thirty-- no, make it fifteen minutes, alright? Do me a favor and sit there a bit... There's no need to do any specific pose, just do sit there."

And before long, her sketching began. It was such a flurry of movement, of focus, of impulse that she never felt long since she got inspired to work on the first splatter of art that marked her change into the girl she is now. Not even willing to lose her focus, she quickly texted someone, then put her phone on silence. Fifteen minutes was all she needed indeed... to make a sketch of her first friend, smiling softly like a blossoming flower's first bloom. It wasn't a full smile kind of bloom, no. It was that very specific moment when the flower started to bloom. That's the kind of feeling she's invoking.

Once the sketching was done, Haruka took out paints, paints that have been mixed with certain scents. She checked if the scents still lingers or not, and thankfully it is. Her brush moved like they were dancing. The focused expression on the older girl's face slowly replaced with glee, just like someone who had hard time trying to figure out a piece suddenly got flood of inspiration that they just MUST act on it!

The painting slowly takes shape. From the younger girl's eyes, which she depicted full of kindness and acceptance, to the flowing silverish white locks... The snow white skin... as it's only a quarter body picture, it's unclear what kind of clothes that she's wearing, but.. what's clear are the flower bouquet that she's carrying.

"Shion - Aster tataricus meant 'Remembrance' in Hanakotoba... but in western world, there's these flowers called forget-me-not--oh, in japanese it's called Wasurenagusa, which is the same. From genus Boraginaceae... Myosotis is its name. "Mouse's ears". It's such a cute name isn't it? It kind of reminds me of you. Cute in a way that you can't shake off her impact." Haruka mused. "Ah, though, this flower means true love in hanakotoba, I don't think this feeling is romantic kind of love, but... how to say, it's complicated~! But let's just say..."

She turned the canvas around to show Miya what she just made. It's still rough, it still need more coloring to be more like her other painting, but... it was so clear that she treasures this first meeting greatly. The softness of the lighting on the dark background, yet the soft light around Miyako gave emphasis on her 'whiteness', while her whiteness gave emphasis to the colorful purple and blue flowers that she's carrying in a bouquet. Faint smell of both flower wafts in the room.

"I was caught by someone who could bounce off with my energy... and let's just say I'm really happy about that!"