[Ariyah – Fremont – Gasworks Gallery – BoL – Fame 2 – A]
[Wake Roll: Success | BoL Roll: Success | Hunger: 1]
Ariyah set up her canvas in her studio and stared at the blank surface in consternation.
The invitation for the Newcomer event had arrived in the same manner as the Prince's letter, an envelope stuck under her apartment's door. She had delayed going to her studio while she read through and considered the ramifications of the invitation.
She was beginning to feel that her haven wasn't as safe as she thought; it was one thing for the Camarilla Prince to know where she lived, but a group of Tremere as well? She doesn't know anything about the Newcomers, at least not above the general welcome the Prince had extended to the group. She didn't even know any Camarilla Tremere, so she couldn't even ask them for the gossip.
And now she was in her gallery, trying to prepare a painting for the event, and she had no clue what the theme of the event was, so she was stuck for ideas.
[Painting for the Newcomer's Event – Attempt 1: Intelligence + Craft: 2 Successes | 1 WP]
Ariyah tried noodling with painting a night sky, a glimpse of the milky way between the branches of winter-bare trees, but the result was pretty mediocre. It wasn't that the painting was bad per se, it just didn't resonate with her.
The Toreador put the paint-covered canvas aside to dry and placed a new one on her easel. She started drawing random lines on the blank surface with her pencil, curvy lines that cut through the whiteness of gesso. A few lines in, a shape began to surface and an idea tickled in the back of Ariyah's mind. She didn't question the idea, but let the image flow from her mind onto the canvas; all swirls and smooth contours.
[Painting for the Newcomer's Event – Attempt 2: Intelligence + Craft + Blood Surge: 8 Successes | 1 WP]
[Blood Surge: Success | Hunger: 1]
When it came time to put colour on her sketch, Ariyah didn't hesitate, but filled in the background with Black 3.0, the blackest black paint on the market right now; she wanted her subject matter to pop. She then mixed varying shades of red, both bright and dark, all bold.
The star of her piece may be a bit unconventional; a red rosetail betta fish. But the subject was positioned in such a way that the viewer's attention was drawn to the movement of the tail: a swirl of reds like the flow of red silk or ruby velvet, the train of a dress dragged through blood.
Betta fishes are aggressive and solitary creatures, but they are beautiful to look at; they may not drink the blood of their own kind, but they display plenty of behaviours that Kindreds would find familiar.
With immaculate attention, Ariyah reproduced the scale on the fish's body and the veins in the fins and tail. The Toreador doubted many would look close enough to discern the detail, but it brought her satisfaction to know that it's there.
Ariyah stepped back from the painting, her paintbrush still in her hand. But there were no more last-minute fixes needed, the piece was finished. The betta looked like it was a split second away from darting into the dark recesses of the canvas, the light glinting off the tail, poised to lash out and take the creature out of the viewer's sight and scrutiny.
Ariyah humphed in satisfaction; for something she had done no prior planning, it had turned out rather well.