Reach for the Heavens

Posted Mar 6, 2009, 6:47:15 PM UTC
Completion Date: 03-05-09
Time Taken: 4 hours
Medium(s):
+ Staedtler Mars technico pencil (4H Staedtler carbon lead 2mm)
+ Inked and watermark added in Photoshop CS2
Music:
+ Jai Ho - Sukhwinder Singh featuring A. R. Rahman
+ Silent Moon - Jia Peng Fang
+ Get Up - Mary Mary
+ Carnival Of The Animals, The Aquarium - Camille Saint-Saens

Comment:
Today was apparently the day for inspirational overload.
We had a beautiful model in my Drawing class that bent her body into some of the most beautiful and challenging poses. ;_; I absolutely love contortion and contortionists, and haven't drawn something of that subject in a long time. However, an idea started stirring...

Not too long ago, ~CrimsonSacrifice (Vera on FA) submitted a picture of her clown girl, Abigail, and a bit of history on how she lost her leg. When I initially read through her history, it really struck a chord with me, and it made me love Abigail all the more. I've been meaning to do fanart of her (which I still intend to do), however, someone had other plans. My muse took over and I ended up with a bit of prose and also a push for life for one of my own characters who really needed love. That character being Hazuo - [link]

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"Such a strange place with its music and color, it was as if the playful lights of the heavens had come down and illuminated this place. Odd, echoing music played loudly, drawing the crowds into the large purple tent at the field's center. He'd never seen the likes of anything like this before, naturally, and being curious he wished to know what the hubbub was about. Adjusting the crutch beneath his arm, he slowly made his way to the center of activity.

There was excited chattering from man and woman alike, a rather interesting crowd indeed. They alone were a spectacle to his astonished eyes, and he made to remind himself that each day he spent in the world of man proved to be a learning experience. The tent was filled, nearly to compacity as he found a seat not far from the midsection. The view was a bit hard, but he could see none the less. What had drawn him to this circus anyway? Not even the crippled man could answer that as his train of thought was interupted abruptly.

"Watch where you sit that thing!"

Hastily he apologized and gathered up his fallen crutch, nearly toppling forward as he was bumped accidently. Despite having found joy in coming down to the mortal plane, he could not help but feel less than delighted about the treatment he recieved because of his... injury. Once he was again upright, crutch securely held in his slender fingers, his gaze afixed to the center ring as the crowd hushed and the lights dimmed.

Then out came a fellow most bizarre, all painted up and brightly dressed, greeting them all. It was in that moment he canted his head much like a dog, staring with question at the announcer that looked like a rainbow. Whatever the man was saying was lost to the wind echoing in his ears, his eyes and brain too captivated by the sight of so much color on just one person. Without warning, the lights all disappeared, and he was snapped from his fixation. What just happened? Was that it? Did everyone have to leave...?

Slowly, a song began to float through the air, something strangely haunting and beautiful, music he'd only imagined when looking down at the world. And there, in the center ring she appeared. She sat, poised, atop some sort of strange podium; she too was adorned in make up and a bright costume, though not nearly as much as the man.

As the tune carried, she began to move and in doing so did he then see that something was so very different about her.

His mouth hung open. Dry.

That lovely young woman hidden behind paint and stripes had only half of her leg. The man began to feel a sort of sinking in his stomach, immediately thinking she was placed there for ridicule, that was until she began to fold her body. Those pale eyes stared, stricken with awe as her elegant form lifted, legs coming over shoulders to hang in front of her round face. She balanced effortlessly on that podium, even daring to do so on one hand. And there in the hush of the audience under the spell of the music, tears began to roll down his face unbidden. There were no words he could say to bring light to what he saw in that moment, his hand idly rubbing his own missing limb stump. Who knew that someone like him existed... and who knew that people like him could do such beautiful things. For so long he'd felt alone, and shunned because he could not fit in with the rest of the people he saw. Few offered him kindness or ignored him due to his lack of a leg, but here, this young woman was a star. No one made fun of her as she enchanted them with her act. Not a single peep left those people.

So deeply moved was he, so touched by this revelation, that he made a vow to himself then. He would be like her one day. He would train and work to be like her one day, so that he could thank her for giving him the one thing that seemed to be missing from his life...

Hope."


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As you can see, Hazuo (in this image) has reached his goal. He has reached his "tangible heaven" so to speak. And it is all thanks to Abigail and her beautiful routine that he saw at that show. As I said before, Abigail's story struck such a deep chord with me, and also with Hazuo.

So thank you so much Vera and Abigail for giving him new life and a reason. <3

Artwork, Hazuo, Prose © 2009 P. Lolla (*souls-poison)
Abigail © ~CrimsonSacrifice || ~v-e-r-a
DO NOT USE WITHOUT PERMISSION!!! ARTWORK AND CHARACTER COPYRIGHT P. Lolla (*souls-poison), CHARACTER COPYRIGHT ~CrimsonSacrifice ; ALL RIGHTS RESERVED!!! DO NOT STEAL, ALTER, COPY, AND/OR REDISTRIBUTE UNDER PENALTY OF LAW!!!

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Comments

  • Mar 7, 2009, 10:29:31 AM UTC
    His legs seem a little bit short for his body size, but otherwise, this is friggin' awesome! Your linework is really bold and satisfying.