Curiosities With Go-Faster Stripes

"Movement onna landin' pad, serr," purrs the console, and Ruin looks up.

"....Um," is Ruin's oh-so-erudite response. For the Vollistan is clearly not Nait, and clearly in possession of quite a colorful aura - a rather odd combination of green and pink, swirling around, and carrying things under his long arms.

Rathenhope blinks at the screen. "What..? Interesting...?"

Ruin simply nods, watching the screen as the Vollistan starts setting up an easel. "...Is he painting my ship?"

Rathenhope blinks at the screen. "Talk about artistic..."

The Vollistan is, indeed, apparently painting the ship. Though it's hard to tell, given that all that's visible from the cockpit is the back of the easel, and the Vollistan's legs.

"...They must really not get a lot of tourists out here," Ruin muses, staring in blank surprise at the screen.

Rathenhope chuckles. "I hope he's painting the ship anyway. Do you want me to go check?"

Ruin nods. "Just ...you know, to make sure he's ...just painting," he says slowly. "And if he is, I guess whether the finished work will be for sale."

Rathenhope chuckles again, standing and heading out of the ship. He flicks his gun to charge as usual, just in case. Rathenhope punches in a keypad code and exits. Rathenhope disembarks from the IND Saviour's Haste.

Vollista Outpost Landing Deck 


 * This massive round pad is suspended over the sheer gray mountainside. Wind whistles around the weathered structure, which shows little evidence of recent, consistent use. A protective railing serves as a meager barrier to the panoramic view of the rocky mountains that the outpost clings to. Far below and sprawling along the base of the peaks, a rich growth of navy blue pine trees covers like a blanket. A small lake is also noticable among the pine forest immediately below the outpost, reflecting the green-tinted sunlight. The sky itself is a tumult of green plasma tentacles, wrapping across the sky like a fantastic spaceborne highway with the flaring emerald star of Volir at the center.


 * A small structure has been built of the rough gray stone of the mountainside. It stands near the stairway which pierces the protective railing and leads down the mountain. Through its thick plastic windows several Vollistans can be seen; they politely check to be sure no visitors to the planet carry psi blockers with small handheld devices they carry.

The artistic Vollistan seems quite content at his work, offering a cheerful wave to Rathenhope once he's in view. ~Hello!~ he calls. ~Oh, don't block the light, it's perfect just there...~

Rathenhope walks down the ramp quite cheerily, hands nowhere near his weapon. He blinks at the telepathic contact, but approaches the Vollistan quite jovially, making sure to stand out of the man's light. "Hey there. Can I help you?"

The Vollistan looks Rathenhope up and down, and then nods cheerfully. ~Yes, yes I believe you can!~ he mentally chirps, aura shading pink. ~Just stand - there, will you please?~ and he indicates a spot near the bow. ~A human for scale, I should have thought of that before!~

Rathenhope frowns somewhat, but then shrugs, standing where the Vollistan has indicated. He grins and shrugs at the cockpit's cameras as he walks past them. Once he's there, he turns around and calls over to the Vollistan. "So.. what do you plan to do with this picture?"

The Vollistan painter seems busy adjusting his easel, apparently looking for just the right angle to display Human With Ship. ~Oh - it'll be part of my Curiosities display,~ he says, mental tone delighted but somewhat absorbed. ~A collection of works I'm putting in a show next week. You're welcome to attend...-ohh, don't move, that's perfect, right there is perfect...~

"I see..." nods Rathenhope, not moving much, worried he'll disturb the other's work. "Is there a charge to attend? Or is it an open show?" he asks curiously. He realises he's standing quite stiffly and readjusts slightly to be a little more at ease, without posing. "Uh... any way you want me to stand?"

And indeed, once he's got the light and positioning just so, the Vollistan sets to with a cheerful will, swishing paint in bright colors all across the canvas. ~No, no, I love natural settings,~ he demurrs cheerfully. ~Just how you always stand is fine. Maybe a nice lilac for your aura...~

Rathenhope frowns just slightly, standing in his natural relaxed position. "My aura? Lilac? What does lilac signify?"

~Purely symbolic, of course, you aren't gifted with an aura,~ is the Vollistan's distracted, cheerful mental babble. Swish, swish goes the brush on the canvas. ~A hint of pride, victory maybe, you've made it all the way to Vollista!~ And something in blue on the canvas. ~Not many get to see the wonders of our world, you know, you must feel so honored - ah, that's a good shine, just there...~ swish, swish...

 >>>COMMNET Albatross on ALMIGHTY:  ...You realize Leodhais is going to be jealous you got painted first.

Rathenhope watches the Vollistan, smiling slightly as he shakes his head. "Pride... perhaps, yes. Pride in being painted with this ship, probably." He chuckles slightly, turning to grin at the cameras and then nods in response to the comm message. "Yup," he smirks, talking to the ship. "It'll bring him down a bit after all those compliments he got last night." He turns back to look at the Vollistan thoughtfully, "Well yes, you do have a beautiful planet."

~Oh, don't move, don't move,~ pleads the Vollistan. ~The play of light off your nose is perfect - just there, hold right there.~ The artist swaps brushes around his fingers, taking out something much smaller to paint with. ~And the backdrop here is perfect, just perfect...~

Rathenhope freezes midmovement, a frown developing on his face. "My nose?" he says with as little movement as possible. "It's not that big, is it?"

The Vollistan peers worriedly over the top of his canvas, aura shading somewhat into the orange. ~I wouldn't know?~ he says. ~I don't see many humans, is it a big nose for humans?~ He blinks, the pink shade reasserting. ~Doesn't matter, the effect of light on it is just perfect anyway, now hold still...~

"I didn't think so..." says Rathenhope, uncertain now. He makes every effort not to move. "Holding as still as possible...."

~You'll see,~ asserts the artist confidently. ~This will be a beautiful piece. Offworld technology humble before the majesty of Vollista - oh, now that was a good shift, let me-~ he actually pauses briefly, trying to freeze an image in his mind before his hand starts painting quickly.

Rathenhope raises an eyebrow, chuckling slightly, but doesn't move beyond that.

For several minutes, the artist seems absorbed in his work. Maybe quite a bit longer than a few minutes, the silence broken only by the light scraping of brush on canvas, and the brief telepathic mutterings of ~Just a bit more green,~ and ~A little gold just there...~

Rathenhope mouths quitely to himself. "Green? Gold?" He frowns at the Haste's colouring, shaking his head as lightly as he can get away with without moving enough to disturb the painter.

After a while, the artist switches brushes again, apparently getting more detailed. Little lines of color are added, and not so many large strokes. His aura's entirely pink, with little streaks of gold, as his hand moves along the canvas.

Rathenhope sighs slightly, resisting the urge to scratch at his leg, which would require him shifting position. He instead just frowns a little, waiting for the Vollistan to be finished.

~Free to move!~ says the Vollistan, after a few more minutes. ~You're welcome to watch me finish, if you like.~

"Oh thank the stars..." sighs Rathenhope, scratching the itch on his leg which had become almost unbearable. He wanders over to the Vollistan who is still painting, looking at the canvas so far.

The artist isn't finished yet, but it's pretty clear what ship got painted and where it is. The off-white ship is shades of pale green under Volir's light and Vollista's flare-streaked sky, turning her blue running streak a color nearer black. The ship looks as if it's being cradled by the huge gray mountains on all sides, and the ship in trn is cradling the small proud figure of Rathenhope, rendered in surprising detail for the scale, with a complimentary shivery small lilac aura surrounding him.

Rathenhope blinks at the painting. "Wow..." is his only response for a few seconds as he stares at it. He gets his voice back quickly though and says, "That's a damned good picture."

It's not quite done yet, either, as he's using some odd clear gloss over portions of the sky and ship. ~Why, thank you,~ he preens, aura sparkling gold in places. ~I do pride myself on my work, of course. This will be a good addition to my show.~

"It will," nods Rathenhope. "So... what other Curiosities have you painted for your show?" he asks, obviously interested.

~Oh, let's see,~ muses the artist absently, carefully drawing one of the clear glossy lines along the Haste's running stripe. ~I did the rift, of course, and added flares for artistic effect - very dark piece, that one...and a representational piece of the massacre...juxtaposition of a communication bank with a pair of lovers...~ his free hand waves dismissively. ~I should do something about those ugly things,~ he decides, and picks up a different brush. A dip into blue, and a rich blue vine starts taking shape around the Haste's gun turrets.

"I see," nods Rathenhope, still watching the artist paint. "Where did you say it was again?" he asks absentmindedly.

The artist blinks. ~Where what was?~ he asks, momentarily distracted.

"The show," replies Rathenhope thoughtfully, studying the painting.

~Oh!~ bursts the artist, pleased. ~Radiance, in a few weeks,~ he replies with a smile. ~I need to get a few more pieces together. You're welcome to attend, of course.~

"If I'm still about, I will," nods Rathenhope. "My.. business," he begins, glancing at the Haste, "is an unstable one, so I may not be around then. I'll keep an eye out though."

~Truly a shame,~ the Vollistan agrees, his attention drawn back to his work, and the clear lines he's painting. The earlier ones, that have had time to dry, have an unusual sparkle to them.

"Indeed..." nods Rathenhope, inspecting the work of the Vollistan artist. "You really have a talent there."

~I should,~ the artist grins, broadcasting the feeling of laughter. ~I've been painting for fifty years. But thank you.~

"Wow," blinks Rathenhope. "That's twice my life, just painting." His eyes cross as he tries to work this out.

This seems to delight the artist as he finishes his work, and sets his brushes in a cup to clean. ~I also take commissions,~ he offers.

Rathenhope tilts his head slightly. "I'll remember that... unfortunately I move around far too much to be able to take art with me. At the moment anyway."

~Ah, what a pity,~ sighs the Vollistan. ~Well. I'm Volerian, if you should happen to find yourself with room for some of my work in future.~ Settling on the stool, the artist busies himself cleaning his brushes properly and packing them away.

Rathenhope nods. "I will definately keep that in mind. If I ever find myself wanting some art, I shall contact you."

The brushes are put into a case, the palette in a second, the stool dismantled and put into a third, and lastly he carefully sets his work down and dismantles the easel. ~Well, perhaps we'll meet again,~ says Volerian, as he collects the various kits together with some practiced rope-tying. ~If you're ever in Radiance.~

"Perhaps," agrees Rathenhope with another nod of his head. "It has been a pleasure meeting and observing you," he smiles.

~And a pleasure to paint you!~ answers Volerian, carefully gathering up his painting. Hands thus full, he offers Rathenhope a nod and a feeling of farewell before heading off in the direction of the Radiance shuttle.

Rathenhope waves slightly after Volerian, heading back to the ship.