Aggression-Reducing Landscape Painting
699 words
A03 Ver
Poppy watched in disappointment Barb breaking her fourth paint brush. The stick with the soft end broke into two pieces and fell on the forest floor next to it's poor predecessors.
"Barb it's not gonna work if you keep mistreating the materials." Poppy pointed out. In return she got a mean glare, it was easily ignored as Poppy went to look at her own painting. She had painted a field of flowers with a few animals scattered here and there.
Looking back over at Barb's painting, it was..well.. different!
"I told you this isn't my thing, I know you're trying to help but this is honestly making me angrier." Barb took a few steps back with- what Poppy deemed - an exaggerated sigh, arms limp at her sides, ears pinned down in annoyance and eyes rolling to show her lack of enthusiasm.
Poppy stood up from her foldable chair and faced Barb. "Well, maybe painting isn't your thing. Is there any sort of art you like?" This time Poppy could actually see Barb thing. Unlike most rock trolls Barb was very expressive, especially with her face.
Pulling in the back of her Mohawk she let out a small breath. "Do you have.. charcoal sticks?"
Oh! Poppy wasn't expecting that. But the pink haired queen quickly nodded and ran over to her backpack nearby that she had set down earlier. This spot was a little aways from Pop Village but not too far away from the perimeter line. Grabbing some charcoal sticks she walked back over to Barb who seemed grateful.
Poppy watched as she threw her current canvas behind her and plop and new one into place. Seeing that she was actually putting in effort, Poppy went back to her own painting.
-------------------------------
Barb swallowed as she stared at her now finished painting. It was the flower patch in front of her as the foreground and the trees and rest of the forest as the background.
She glanced at Poppy's painting, it was bright, colorful and full of life. Barb's eyes immediately shot back to her own painting, before she could tear up the painting caused from all the anxiety filling her chest, she heard Poppy gasp. Now the pop troll was standing beside her, oddly quick and a little confusing to Barb but she didn't comment.
"Barb it's beautiful!" Poppy gasped out again. Fiddling with her spiked bracelets Barb looked down at the grass, frown on her face except at the very corner of her lip where a smile seemed to pull with all it's might. "It's nothing special." She answered with a shrug.
Out of the corner of her eye Barb could see Poppy take a step closer to the painting, inspecting it like it was an important letter from another kingdom. "Nothing special? You shade better than I do! And I've been painting my entire life." A small snort escaped the pop queen and Barb had to physically look away until her blush died down.
"I think King Thrash would love this."
Barbs ears- or more like ear - perked up as she finally looked at Poppy. "You're..just saying that." But when Poppy grabbed both of Barbs hands and held them in front of her chest, then gave her the happiest look of all time, a small spark in Barbs chest lit. "No! I mean it! Honestly I'm surprised you hadn't pursued this before."
She could only hold so much eye contact with Poppy before she had to look away, all her positivity was getting to her; Barb wasn't so sure she liked it. "Well..I have when I have the time. I only started in my early teens though." If Poppy could let out a bigger gasp then she would. And did. Right in front of Barb and her precious ears. "Oh sugar that's so cool! We have to do this more oftenohandwecanbringsnacksand-"
"Poppy!"
The pop troll stop quickly snapped her mouth shut. "I think once in a while it wouldn't hurt." Barb slightly caved, but that's all it took for Poppy to become a dog whistle from how much high pitched squealing she was doing.
Maybe this girls painting day wasn't so bad after all.
