He didn't notice it at first, the humming so quiet and soothing that it slipped through the air without him being quite aware of it. It helped, though, reminding him subconsciously of his mothers and grandmother, of the cousins who had been close as sisters and how they would soothe the young halfbreed when bullies's taunts had gotten beneath his skin. He relaxed a little in spite of the bad memories and the horrible man staring back at him from the page, and the words tumbled out, rough and unrefined, but it was enough for now. For the moment, at least. Her words almost sounded like sympathy, almost raised his hackles in instinctive defense, but a glance from behind a fall of his dark hair showed an understanding he hadn't expected in her eyes, and the prickle of pride subsided as he swallowed and gave a grateful nod.
The gourd was so strange it was kind of cute in a pointy-toothed, unexpected way. The grumble it made teased forth a little more of Kel's smile and he looked from gourd to girl with the warmth remaining. "I'll remember," he promised. "Are you here often? Or is there a place I could maybe... maybe find you again?" An awkward question, a flush to his cheeks when he realized it sounded like a cheesy pickup line when he didn't mean it that way, but rather than dig the hole deeper he ducked his head and went back to his art with renewed vigor, sketching more boldly as Nate's shadowed features took form - with the addition of a slender, pointed, warty nose and a wicked leer twisting the sharp-toothed mouth.
The gourd was so strange it was kind of cute in a pointy-toothed, unexpected way. The grumble it made teased forth a little more of Kel's smile and he looked from gourd to girl with the warmth remaining. "I'll remember," he promised. "Are you here often? Or is there a place I could maybe... maybe find you again?" An awkward question, a flush to his cheeks when he realized it sounded like a cheesy pickup line when he didn't mean it that way, but rather than dig the hole deeper he ducked his head and went back to his art with renewed vigor, sketching more boldly as Nate's shadowed features took form - with the addition of a slender, pointed, warty nose and a wicked leer twisting the sharp-toothed mouth.
