Red, Blood Red [Elyss, Izumi]

"Well... It was technically your breasts that were more visible in the pai- wait a minute. That's a dumb excuse for me 'not' caring. If I didn't care I wouldn't have been so passionate about painting you! Also you said yes, don't make it sound like you didn't allow it."

Izumi went from one thing to another and quite quickly at that. All to justify to the woman that she did in fact care about what Elyss gave her, really everyone that allowed themselves to be painted by her brush was a blessing to her. With each piece, with each stroke she was refining herself like a swordsman spending hours each day on their blade to become one with it.

"You wouldn't make it sound so evil if you saw the way people gazed at your portrait, the lonely red headed woman bathing but her head turned away as though she was waiting for someone that has not arrived and the realisation that someone might not come drew such expressions from the people that gazed upon it."

Did those people wonder if people avoided her out of fear or perhaps no one just knew that she was there. Did the person that might've been supposed to come just never show up? Such things were unanswered question to the eyes of the people that gazed upon such a work.

"Art doesn't exist to only capture the best, it captures the worst and it captures the mediocre. If the world was good and just, it'd be perfect and there'd be nothing worth painting."

Still, Izumi kept her eyes fixed on Elyss through the very direct telling her to put down the paint brush and suspend her passion which was absurd for the woman with the penname of Lady Cherry Birch. Something that she rarely ever heard from people and the directness of Elyss as well as the mystery of what the point Elyss could make with this trail of conversation did appeal enough to the curious soul in her and close her collection of pieces.

"Hmm?"

For a rare moment someone had her full attention where she was not thinking about her dream. Izumi did have high expectations though, if she was not impressed or found it unsatisfying then she would be willing to stop paying so much attention.

Eh? A piece. She did have her there, a painting could only fit so much into the dimensions and she was restricted to the two-dimensional nature of it. It did not allow for her to capture anything but a still moment which is why multiple pieces were created, now realistically though it was those same restrictions to the amount of "data" she could ink onto that canvas which drove her to keep testing it.

And then her book was snatched away.

"H-hey!"

How was she so fast anyway, it was in her hands one second and gone the next. At least Elyss was looking through it though, various paintings of animals, scenes and people littered the pages. A diverse kaleidoscope where each piece captured something different from the one before it. Izumi surrendered the book and fell back, laying on Elyss' desk with her legs hanging off the side. Staring up at the ceiling while pondering an answer, it was hard to describe since she rarely ever vocalised it to others.

"Why would I. Mmm, not really. I don't really like people that much honestly, it feels like everyone around me is seeing something different than I am. So I get frustrated if I try to hard and just continue with my passion in hope of catching that dream of mine in my hand and convey the world through my brush."

Izumi's expression soured for a moment if such a thing could ever be seen. It wasn't her normal pout either but a moment of genuine frustration when Elyss compared what she was after to validation. For Elyss it was probably the statement and patting her head demeaningly but for Izumi it was just reinforcement of what she had said. Then it was gone and she turned to face the captain from the awkward angle.

She could explain it, try to get Elyss to understand her philosophy and worldview. The reason why she pursued this with such devotion and conviction, it meant so much to her after all. It was just pointless though the more she thought about it.

"I guess you're right, all I really care about is other people's validation and praise. As long as the art sells for lots of kan, that's all that matters right?"

The artist said in a tone that was anything but genuine, a petty snippy comment at Elyss laced in her normal cheerful voice.

What were these ridiculous questions that she was being peppered with? One after the other, how was she expected to answer all these different things which were thrown at her? She had already forgotten half of them because of Elyss' aggressive encroachment onto her.

"Because it feels good."

While she was a hedonist, Izumi was not stupid and Elyss' taunting face looming over her made her feel more remiscent of a mouse underneath a cat's paw and staring up at jaws. Truly this woman could torture her, maim her and devour her like a giant against an ant if she wanted. The silhouette of a woman in the shape of a demon surrounded by fire.

"I'm not really in the mood for anything right now. I'll just do whatever you want, how's that sound?"