*For maximum enjoyment of this chapter please go read this read this chapter on Archive of Our Own. Trust me. If you keep reading this chapter on you'll get the idea, but you'll miss out. Look up "In the Grasp of the Doppelganger" and "Silvana, From Clone to Clown" on Ao3. Or add: /works/12823941 to the site's homepage link. 38. Chapter 30: A Picture of Two Friends or "Finally" He Screamed. If you wanna leave a review here instead of a comment there, that's fine. Whatever you do, I hope you enjoy it.
~kirby"Seriously, why do people like my work!?"manx*
*At the park…*
Stanley had taken over Klug's body again. He was leisurely reading a book on a bench. He's too addicted to actually do what he really wants. He couldn't enjoy it fully, however. He had several admirers admiring him.
In the bushes, behind trees. Even a demon like him, usually too engrossed in his books to notice it he found himself extremely distracted by these onlookers. Some even walking past to tell him some compliments. Things like that they don't know what it is. He just looks good now.
He just wanted to be outside in the sun, and read. "Humans…" He scoffed.
"Boo!"
*Groan* "Hello, Silvana." He barely looked at the harlequin's head looming behind the bench.
"I saw you sitting there just thought I stop by." She jumped over the bench, flawlessly landing sitting down. "Mind if I sit here a while, it's been a while." She smiled at the boy.
"You've already taken place. I won't stop you any further, milady." He kept reading.
*Chuckles* "Milady! You're so polite, Stan. Clearly not from this era. Fufufufuuu~" She half-joked.
"…I appreciate you coming to confront me, rather than what these ladies do."
"Ladies?"
"Look closer."
"Wow, that's a lot. Are they bothering you?"
"Bother, no. But they do distract me with their stares."
"I can't blame them, I didn't see what other girls saw in physically in boys for the longest time, but then I saw you."
"This never happened back in my day…" He pouted. Missing of his old body.
"I may know how to solve it."
"Please tell, Silvana. I wanna read in peace, this book is getting good."
"Oh, in that case, I have two options~"
"Go on."
"My book on how to run a circus says (and this works, I tell this to my crew): Confidence sells."
"Now that you mention it, I do remember reading about that. Humans and its sub-species are naturally attracted to confidence." He rubbed his human chin.
"And boy do you radiate it, man. If you pretended to be Klug, or dressed worse maybe we wouldn't have to eyeball you."
"…What is the other option?"
"I could just set a lawn chair outside my home. Less people there, plenty of peace, plenty of sun. It's like the expression "peace and harmony"."
"Harmony? I'm not sure…"
"I finished that book too. I love it. So I can try having a psuedo-intellectual discussion about it. It's certainly a better way to spend your temporary freedom, for sure. Right?" She shrugged.
"You won me over, Silvana." He closed his book. "Would you please escort me?"
"Teehee~" 'All he needs is a monocle. Nobody should be this confident.' She blushed.
Chapter 30: A Picture of Two Friends or "Finally" He Screamed
"Almost done, Sig?" Sil said having stood still for still for hours. "My muscles start to hurt. I need to move soon." Her arms spasmed. Both meanings. "And Arms is starting to get cranky."
*Cranky monkey*
"Uh, just a little more." The bluehead kept stroking at the same pace he has for the last moments.
"Let's never do this again!" Sil groaned a little.
"Yeah… My arms have been feeling funny we since started." Sig said with usual tone.
"Sig!" Sil shouted in concern.
"What?"
"Don't "what?" me, Mister. If you have a cramp you should take a break!" Sig looked deep in Sil's painted-on eyes. He then promptly ignored her concerns as he changed his glance.
'Sig? What's gotten into you, man? Please take me seriously! It's my turn to be concerned about your health for a change!'
"Done." Sig dropped the brush, palette, and stepped away from the canvas.
"Oh, sweet!" Sil dashed to the canvas to she what masterpiece portrait Sig had painted of her.
…
…
…
…
…
The painting of Silvana in her casual duds holding Arms, and was giving a peace sign. It was on the level of a talented crayon drawing of a kindergartener. Except it was painted. The sky had a lot of white left, and I don't mean clouds, I mean the canvas. The grass is similarly sloppy. Behind Sil was her circus, but she only recognized that because Sig did a decent merging to get the right colors. And the word "CUrCUS" was written in the darkest shade above Sil.
"Pffffffffffffffft!" Silvana hugged Arms tight, she bursted out in laughter on sight. "Hahaha! Sig, you're no good at this! Hahaaaa."
"Don't… like it?" He sounded a bit disappointed. Sil picked it up.
"I LOVE IT!"
Sig was happy on the inside.
"I mean objectively it's trash, but I like it."
Now he was receiving mixed signals.
"My very own portrait and you painted it~" Sil mouth went all wrinkly, she liked it so much.
"Glad you like it, Sil."
*Monkey bounce*
"Heh, you too, Arms. All I know about painting is the colour theory a mosquito told me."
"After we show it to Prof I'm having it framed. I'll give it a good home on the wall of a cozy room where we both can enjoy~ So what do you call it, Mister Artist?" Sil teased.
"Oh, Silvana, the… Clown?"
She hissed from laughter. "Sig. Why do you crack me up so much?" He shrugged. "My turn to paint you! Sit down." Putting Arms aside Sil picked up the painting tools and put on a beret. "Donny told me the basics, I first need to make outlines." She mumbled. "Please raise your hand like this if it doesn't hurt. I'll make you come to life on the canvas!~" Spoken like an artist.
Now inside Sil's head: 'Mustbeperfect!Mustbeperfect!Mustbeperfect! He deserves better than a doodle! Why must the Professor make us do this assignment? I was never good at drawing! Forgive me Sig!'
"You look nervous, Sil."
"I'm fine!"
"You should rest if-"
"I'M FINE!"
*Half an hour later…*
Sil's face was red. 'I never focused so much on his face. Sig, no boy should be as cute as you… I'm starting to sound like Rulue… Maybe I changed too mu-' *Stroke too long* *Overreaction through gasp*
"Sil?"
"I just made a simple mistake!" She cleaned the brush. "Nothing I can't fix." Silvana chuckled nervously. She slashed at the canvas like a ninja. "There! Fixed." 'I should stop daydreaming.'
"Didn't Prof say that we should have fun?"
"She won't know! Now onto… Should I?"
"Should you what?"
"Nevermind, I'll include him. It wouldn't be complete without him."
"Who?"
"Li'l Sig."
"Li'l Sig?"
"Y'know, the ghostly wisp sticking out of your back."
"Oh." Sig looked into his (own?) eyes. The wisp was being more expressive like usual while Sig… wasn't.
*Burst of laughter*
"Huh?" Sig looked with his four eyes.
"I just realized we have something in common. You have two faces like me. Fufufufu." She laughed so she didn't have to cry. "Not like me, obviously. But still. One of ours reveals our true feelings. I think?"
"Huh, guess you're right, maybe?" The mute wisp was amused at least, while big Sig looked at it befuddled. Sil looked at him giving that look.
"I've been meaning to asks for months. But what's up with li'l Sig?"
"Dunno."
"Dunno."
They said in unison. Silvana sighed that she could predict that. "Ever fantasize what he could be?"
"No."
"Sig… Sometimes I worry about you." Sil almost painted a tear where Sig's eye should be with his hair colour. "It could be a spirit of an unborn sibling. Your true self? A benevolent curse? Maybe rest of your personality? Cause you certainly lack some, and I mean that in the nicest way possible. Oooh, what if… It's the rebellious teen troublemaker in you~"
"Don't think he's that…" Li'l Sig was thinking about it too.
"Done? But I don't think it's very good." Sig stood up
…
…
…
…
…
It was a mediocre painting of Sig in his jacket, raising his red hand up shyly. Sig was staring straight at the viewer. Li'l Sig leaned into the picture as well. Both Sigs blushed and smiled. Big Sig, in particular, had a wider smile than you'll ever catch him with. The style had no outlines or shading. The brushwork wasn't as sloppy as Sig's painting, but there was a lot of background between strokes.
Sig was processing it. Not knowing he's toying with Sil's nerves.
"I just learned the meaning of shading and colour theory. Your hand is awful! Your eyes too!"
"My eyes… Not sure what it is." Sig kept staring.
"I don't know what I did wrooooong! But it looked good in the moment, I couldn't keep my eyes off of them." She nervously made excuses.
"I like it."
"What."
"Can I have it?"
Silvana needed to blink to snap out of it. Once she did she blushed. "I'm glad you like it, Sig." She flipped. "I gave you a big smile~ Well, a bigger smile anyway… I thought it looked good on you."
"Looks weird."
"I KNOW! Let's make a copy! I want to improve on it…"
"Okay."
…
Silvana had something to say…
…
And she will!
"Uh… Sig?"
"Something wrong?"
'Besides my heartbeats?' "Remember two days ago?"
"Halloween?"
"Y-Yeah. I-I accidentally let something out of the bag…" Her heart fluttered. "The whole class now knows and it's embarrassiiiiing. My thoughts are stuck on you, Sig. And I have a hard time keeping a lid on it if don't do anything about it." She hugged him. To Sig's surprise.
"You're always so kind to me! Much more than I deserve. I want to take you out to dinner as a thank you. There! I said it!"
Sil felt Sig flinch an inch. "Like a date?" He calmly asked.
"Exactly like a date, but let's not call it a date!" Sil's mask became a tomato.
"I love to." Sig smiled.
Sil hugged him tighter. That's normally not in this emotionally challenged boy's vocabulary, which meant to her he's not just agreeing out of any nice-ity. He wants to go out to dinner too. She felt so delighted. "Thank you~ So when, and where?"
"Dunno…"
"Dunno." *Sigh* "Never change, Sig."
Author's Notes:
Sig's portrait's real name is: "I hope she still likes me after this…"
And Sil's: "Hope you like it, Sig~, I just think it's okay…"
Next up: The date…
