Now That Your Picture Is In The World

28th of January, 2024 – Sunday 7:00pm

Sunday, as Garrick tries to do something he once considered his world. Now he’s working through some stylistic thoughts after taking Shorty #7, “Short_Of_Breath” to his Worlds Online friends, to get enough clothes at the Thrift store so each of the eight Shorties had two extra sets of clothing. Aside from that trip he had spent at least 15 hours since 5:00am working on a concept gauntlet to allow Patsy a means to defend herself. Three broken carbon fiber shells taught him that none of his ‘3D printable’ materials had the ability to resist super hero or villain style attacks but at least it might stop a color punk from doing her in. Knowing he was getting stretched thin he tried explaining to Shorty #7 on there shopping trip that he wants all of them to have a childhood and enjoy life, not running in fear anymore. Every month he’d try and add to their wardrobe options. He set them up accounts and profiles on his Worlds Online server under the user names they pick. While cliché, they may be the first chosen names that didn’t involve a number.

Getting up after his fifth revision of the a gauntlet that could look fashionable as an accessory yet defensive piece. The three colors he had made it in were black, pink & black, and pink & light gray. Taking his large screen tablet with him to the kitchen area he propped it up as he made himself a slice of Manakeesh (Middle Eastern Pizza equivalent) with a side of Tabouleh salad. Behind him coming out from her room he heard, “Hey tall, dark, and… orange. Man those are bright!”

Garrick turns around and grins, “Well, they’re new, given time they’ll fade. Speaking of new things I was thinking about something to keep you safe when your out and about.” He talks with Patsy about him building a stylish gauntlet so she could have protection while she was out and about. He shows her the mocked up drawings and points out the armored bits, the laser camera, and stun features.

Patsy reacts with surprise at the idea of the gauntlet. “Oh no, you’ve already done so much for me already! I couldn’t accept something like that too. You said I don’t have to worry about paying you back or anything but I can’t help but worry about it. I need to earn my place here. I’m so grateful for how you’ve helped me but I need to be able to help myself too…” She flashed Garrick a sincere smile while moving some of her hair away from her face. She watched him gulp and just stare at her.

“You look,” Garrick shook his head as though he might say something he considered unethical and predatory, “I umm, I am going to enroll in the University again as a student. It’s time I pursue my doctorate degrees and stop living in my father’s shadow, or my personal shame from it.” She smiled at seeing him so positive and talking about broadening his skills with art for aesthetic design. The gauntlet on his tablet showed he had some talent, she wondered what he might create with professional training. She had almost loss track of what he was saying while he was talking about what he had drawn when he asked her if she might pose as a model for him.

She blushes and stammers. “I-I- what?”

He got just as red in the face, flustered and stutters out, “It’s not anything lewd. If you would just study at the table and I can draw you while you try to find a way to get your powers back?

“Oh, I thought…” She trails off, suddenly very embarrassed. “I thought you meant something else. I wouldn’t mind that. You. Drawing me. Reading or something. What you just said there.” She’s obviously a little flustered – the question must have caught her really off guard. “Well for now I’m just going to get back to my research.” She hurriedly walks off, in the wrong direction. A few moments later she stops in front of Garrick’s bedroom with the open doors, turns around and walks back with a sheepish grin on her face. When she passes him again she tries to laugh it off. “Heh heh heh. My rooms this way. I’m just gonna… go. Yep. Going to my room. Go-ing. Bye.” She walks backwards to her room while talking awkwardly like that. Once she gets to her room she waves and closes the door.

Garrick finally exhales when the door breaks eye contact for them both. He hits a button to switch apps showing a digital sketch of Patsy from the collar up, “A work in progress indeed.”

Art by: AZ_Artisan