my eyes seem to blink far less when I work and always feel gritty and tired after a long session like they just endured.
I roll my shoulders and stretch my neck before standing and noticing it’s after 3:00 a.m. I don’t feel panicked or exhausted by the thought of having to wake up in a few hours. I’m far too invigorated for anything to get me down at this point.
“L O, COME check these out.” I pause and take a step back to the open office door and peer into where Kash is sitting beside King and Summer. “Come here. Remember the pictures and video I was telling you about? Summer’s showing me the edits. I want you to check these out.” Both King and Kash are turned to face me, but Summer’s eyes remain on the screen as I slowly approach them.
“Summer’s crazy good.” Kash rolls closer to the desk and points to an image on the screen. “Show her what you did to this one.”
Two images appear on the screen side by side. The image on the right has a background that has been muted while Kash’s skin is brighter, enhanced. My eyes slowly trace over the differences between the two images, noting far more differences than I’m sure she thinks I can. The one on the left showcases a scar that’s been erased on the image on the right, and though his muscles are larger in the enhanced image, the definition isn’t as beautiful, and the shadows and curve along his spine are missing.
“Crazy, right?” Kash’s question stops my comparison, and I move my attention to him and force a nod which feels too slow.
“Yeah,” I quietly agree, trying to sound more persuasive.
King’s eyes meet mine. They’re narrowed with question and doubt, like he knows I’m lying.
“That’s a really great picture. You have to let me know when you have an event. I’d like to come see one.”
“Come back to the shop. We’re going to be working on a new trick. It will make you question physics when you see this shit.”
“Yeah, you should totally come out to the shop,” Summer adds, turning to look at me.
I nod a few times, my neck feeling just as forced and awkward as before, when I meet her eyes. “That would be cool.”
“You can even get on and ride, if you want.” Her voice rises with suggestion.
“Absolutely! I can’t believe I’ve been such an ass. If you want to, Lo, you can totally come check it out. Ride around with us.”
I casually lift a shoulder. “Mercedes and I went on a path out back a few weeks ago, but I think I’m better being a spectator. The whole balancing thing has never been something I’ve excelled at.”
“You’re going to be my new project! You’re going to love it, Lo. We’ll get you comfortable and then let you experience some really sick shit that will make you fall so in love with it, you may forget your art.” Summer’s eyes flare with Kash’s proclamation.
“I don’t know how great of a nanny I’ll be in a full body cast,” I tease while taking a few steps back toward the hall.
“Don’t worry. You’ll start off on the little track, work your way up.” Kash’s voice is calm and measured, his attention back on the computer screen as he flips to the next picture. “But seriously, I want your opinion on more of these pictures. I was thinking of having you do some sort of black and white drawing or painting. I don’t want it super clean. You know that sketch you had of all the hands? I want something like that with the harsh angles, all straight lines that still somehow seemed … I don’t know how to explain it…” He turns in his seat to look at me, his brows furrowed, seeking an explanation or designation. “It was like harsh lines, but you could still see curves and almost a softness even though it wasn’t.”
I shouldn’t be enjoying his description and appreciation of my work nearly as much as I am, but his lack of knowledge and technical jargon makes his accolade seem far more superior than those from my professors that often feel recycled and
I roll my shoulders and stretch my neck before standing and noticing it’s after 3:00 a.m. I don’t feel panicked or exhausted by the thought of having to wake up in a few hours. I’m far too invigorated for anything to get me down at this point.
“L O, COME check these out.” I pause and take a step back to the open office door and peer into where Kash is sitting beside King and Summer. “Come here. Remember the pictures and video I was telling you about? Summer’s showing me the edits. I want you to check these out.” Both King and Kash are turned to face me, but Summer’s eyes remain on the screen as I slowly approach them.
“Summer’s crazy good.” Kash rolls closer to the desk and points to an image on the screen. “Show her what you did to this one.”
Two images appear on the screen side by side. The image on the right has a background that has been muted while Kash’s skin is brighter, enhanced. My eyes slowly trace over the differences between the two images, noting far more differences than I’m sure she thinks I can. The one on the left showcases a scar that’s been erased on the image on the right, and though his muscles are larger in the enhanced image, the definition isn’t as beautiful, and the shadows and curve along his spine are missing.
“Crazy, right?” Kash’s question stops my comparison, and I move my attention to him and force a nod which feels too slow.
“Yeah,” I quietly agree, trying to sound more persuasive.
King’s eyes meet mine. They’re narrowed with question and doubt, like he knows I’m lying.
“That’s a really great picture. You have to let me know when you have an event. I’d like to come see one.”
“Come back to the shop. We’re going to be working on a new trick. It will make you question physics when you see this shit.”
“Yeah, you should totally come out to the shop,” Summer adds, turning to look at me.
I nod a few times, my neck feeling just as forced and awkward as before, when I meet her eyes. “That would be cool.”
“You can even get on and ride, if you want.” Her voice rises with suggestion.
“Absolutely! I can’t believe I’ve been such an ass. If you want to, Lo, you can totally come check it out. Ride around with us.”
I casually lift a shoulder. “Mercedes and I went on a path out back a few weeks ago, but I think I’m better being a spectator. The whole balancing thing has never been something I’ve excelled at.”
“You’re going to be my new project! You’re going to love it, Lo. We’ll get you comfortable and then let you experience some really sick shit that will make you fall so in love with it, you may forget your art.” Summer’s eyes flare with Kash’s proclamation.
“I don’t know how great of a nanny I’ll be in a full body cast,” I tease while taking a few steps back toward the hall.
“Don’t worry. You’ll start off on the little track, work your way up.” Kash’s voice is calm and measured, his attention back on the computer screen as he flips to the next picture. “But seriously, I want your opinion on more of these pictures. I was thinking of having you do some sort of black and white drawing or painting. I don’t want it super clean. You know that sketch you had of all the hands? I want something like that with the harsh angles, all straight lines that still somehow seemed … I don’t know how to explain it…” He turns in his seat to look at me, his brows furrowed, seeking an explanation or designation. “It was like harsh lines, but you could still see curves and almost a softness even though it wasn’t.”
I shouldn’t be enjoying his description and appreciation of my work nearly as much as I am, but his lack of knowledge and technical jargon makes his accolade seem far more superior than those from my professors that often feel recycled and
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