Pleased to Meet You PV Cathy Finished

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Gavin nodded in understanding. There was no use in blaming faceless figures. It was good she didn’t blame herself either. That was what he was most worried about, frankly. The blame game was never fun, no matter who the spinner landed on.

When she spoke about her interest in improving, he smiled. “Yeah, I get that. In all honesty, the thing that probably holds me back the most in my studies is my ADHD. I get really easily distracted, so I have to shift my focus to other things every once in a while… not that it helps much, since then I end up distracted by what I distract myself with. Time is funky,” he said. Despite his humorous tone and expression, though, he had to suppress a wince.

He hummed in response. Characters changed and adapted as their creators did, so sometimes they would never have a concrete appearance.

As she spoke, he found himself nodding around; what she was saying made sense, at least to him. “Character designs are pretty fluid. Things can change as you expand on their character too. Sometimes their personalities will contrast their outward appearance as well, like someone who looks really tough but has a softer personality.” He really enjoyed character design. So many possibilities. DnD classes were always a good place to start and reference if you didn’t know what to do as well.

Again, he fell silent to let Cathy explain what she could remember about the story. “That sounds quite interesting,” he responded. “Storylines are not my specialty. I can create personalities and a basic backstory, but not a whole plot," he commented sheepishly.

Reducio

Metaphors go brrr. Anyway, I would have written more, but my keyboard kind of died-
Sorry it took so long for me to get back to you.

@Catherine Drea

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At the boy's smile when she mentioned her attempts to improve, Cathy felt herself ease up. He was certainly a smart student if his academic record was anything to go by, and having the approval of someone who is succeeding makes her feel a bit better. Cathy gave a small smile in response to the boy's kind one from before.

"Yeah, I get that. In all honesty, the thing that probably holds me back the most in my studies is my ADHD. I get really easily distracted, so I have to shift my focus to other things every once in a while… not that it helps much, since then I end up distracted by what I distract myself with. Time is funky,” Gavin reflected and Cathy gave a sympathetic look. She had a bit of concern in her eyes before she addressed his comment.

"Oh my...that must not be easy to deal with....Um..How so is time..funky..for you? I-if you don't mind me asking of course," Cathy implored, tone softer, a sensitive approach to the subject matter.

"Um, regardless, it's very nice you're able to move past that struggle...you seem to be the resilient type," She complimented, that soft smile back on her face.

When they got onto the subject of character creation, Cathy found herself hanging off the boy's every word. It's interesting hearing about things from the perspective of an artist, they can be quite meaningful in the way they view things.

“Character designs are pretty fluid. Things can change as you expand on their character too. Sometimes their personalities will contrast their outward appearance as well, like someone who looks really tough but has a softer personality.” He explained, and Cathy gave a low hum of agreement. She looked up at him, nodding a little, before adding in her own thoughts.

"Yeah...I like those contrasting themes sometimes...I-it depends you know?...but er- yeah, I tend to make characters based off media or songs, then I add a little um...", She lost her words for a moment trying to think of the right thing to say, she fumbled over the sounds for a minute. "Originality to them?...Like your tough person example...um...to make it more my own, I'd give them something a little unique you know? Like...their favorite color's pink or they like jump-rope. I would say I just make a lot of little decisions like that, and the person is..er- gradually formed through that...um..actions speak louder than words so..you just show what they're like..through what..they like I guess," She rambled, voice still never hovering above a medium volume. This was conservation reserved for a more quiet, thoughtful tone, one she was attempting to wear now. There's a certain delicate nature to making characters, it's a bunch of little pieces that you mend together, traits you take, to make something resembling a person. It's not flawless, characters can be badly made, but the point still stands, a lot of thought goes into them. Lazy writing was something she could never bear to tolerate in herself, she tries to put as much little details between the lines as she could. She had her tricks, things she'd heard over the years. One was a nice piece of advice, that being If you can't give a solid answer for your character's favorite thing in a random category then you need to rethink some things. That one was helpful for making characters seem more..realistic per say, and not to mention, it's also fun to think about a person's favorite ice cream flavor.

Once she mentioned her story, she saw the boy watch her rant with interest. He was genuinely support of her little story ideas, even if he himself was not a writer. She gave him a sweet smile when she was done, a silent 'thank you for bothering to listen'. It felt good to have an output for these little ideas other than her current diary, which was only for her eyes.

“That sounds quite interesting,” he responded and Cathy brightened at the praise. A tad hint of excitement became present in her eyes as her smile widened.

“Storylines are not my specialty. I can create personalities and a basic backstory, but not a whole plot," He reported in a sheepish tone and Cathy gave a little dismissive hand-wave, no need for that type of talk.

"That's alright! You um-..just do what makes you happy, you know? And practice makes perfect! You certainly do know how to draw...so I'm certain your designs are lovely! But U-Um, I always just sorta...have a set beginning...have a set end then um..wing it the rest of the way. I just sorta improvise on how to get from point A to point B," She remarked in a amused tone. She gave him a bashful grin at that, she really did need to work on the middle of stories. A fatal flaw so to speak, when you lack the skills to improve the mundane. She was working on it though, and she was optimistic she'd get better. It just takes more time and more...getting used to things. That's all.

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Gavin huffed a laugh, shaking his head. "Nah, I don't mind. What I mean is that it's just really difficult to keep track of time. You know the saying, 'Time flies when you're having fun'? I have that, but a bit worse. I'll just be doing something and then I look up and suddenly it's been 2 hours and it's the dead of night while my homework sits incomplete on my desk." Gavin had a good sleep schedule. It was only sometimes that he had such troubles. However, it was pretty bad when it did happen.

At the concern she expressed, he smiled. "It's nothing to worry about, really. Sometimes you have to deal with struggles." The life of an ADHD-haver was never exactly easy, but that didn't mean it had to be the worst thing.

He hummed and nodded, listening to her explanation. Inspiration was everywhere. When she finished, he commented, "Yeah. It makes them more 3-dimensional when a character has those little details. More than just an archetype or a trope." He was pretty sure archetype was the correct term. Or maybe stereotype? Words like those made his head spin at times.

She definitely had a point, although not everyone was suited for every talent. There were things that you would be good at, but that varied. Still, he nodded. "Well, sometimes things work out best when you come up with it along the way. I doubt authors always follow their outlines to a T anyways. Plus, having separate drafts also gives you some wiggle room." Honestly, most of his knowledge of writing came from Pinterest, but Cathy didn't need to know that. "And thank you."

Reducio

I understand that, so no worries. A lot of busy weeks leading up to the holidays-
Nice. I could see Cathy liking that. I don't really know Gavin's, but he would probably like something with dark chocolate. (I myself don't have a favourite food, so I never really linger much on that for characters.) I get what you mean by that, though. And thank you. I forgot what it was like to be an 11-year-old, but I try.

@Catherine Drea

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"Nah, I don't mind. What I mean is that it's just really difficult to keep track of time. You know the saying, 'Time flies when you're having fun'? I have that, but a bit worse. I'll just be doing something and then I look up and suddenly it's been 2 hours and it's the dead of night while my homework sits incomplete on my desk," Gavin explained and Cathy let out a drawn-out 'Ohhhhhh'. She herself nodding her head. That makes sense, and also does not sound fun for poor Gavin. She gave him a look of sympathy.

"Oh dear, that sounds like a pain to manage. I've heard people with ADHD have bad sleeping habits...Is yours alright? I-just-um...don't want you to suffer like that, you know? I-I've had some sleepless nights...they certainly aren't pleasant.." She pondered, before continuing on with her sympathetic little lecture.

She felt more at ease though, when the boy confirmed that it wasn't all that bad. Even so, she let out a hum of disagreement with the idea of someone having to 'deal with their struggles', it left her with an unsatisfied taste in her mouth. She spoke up, softly due to not wanting to offend.

"W-well it's good that you don't feel that off-balanced by it...e-even so, you shouldn't have to suffer in silence? I-if you have an issue, um...it's good to get assistance or manage it! Um-...I'm just saying if you feel bad, um, l-let someone know or something rather than just..shrugging it off?" She remarked, tone still unsure. She wasn't necessarily the most confident debater, not that she wanted to turn this into a debate, but despite that lack of faith in herself, there was an air of passion around her words. The girl really did dislike seeing others suffering, especially if they weren't attempting to get help when they clearly needed it. It always tugged on her heartstrings, a preventable tragedy.

Nonetheless, she was a bit more cheerful when they moved on to writing once again. She'd shared with Gavin and was eagerly awaiting his response. She did not have to wait long before the polite boy responded.

"Yeah. It makes them more 3-dimensional when a character has those little details. More than just an archetype or a trope." He agreed, and Cathy found herself smiling at the shared thought process.

"Mhm- it's just helpful with that," She joined in, a nod punctuating her words. She gave him a nice smile, it felt so freeing to discuss such a personal topic, her hobbies like..this.. were a secret thing for the girl, something she'd only confide herself too. Well, it felt good having someone other than herself to talk to about these things and Cathy felt an emergence of merriment in her. She went on with the conservation, coming out of her shell just a tad with the way her words had a newfound conviction.

"Well, sometimes things work out best when you come up with it along the way. I doubt authors always follow their outlines to a T anyways. Plus, having separate drafts also gives you some wiggle room." Gavin expressed, before adding a 'thank you' after his words. Cathy beamed a bit before rambling again.

"You're most welcome! And uh- Oh yeah! It's easier that way...you can sorta play around with things...um-..work with how a scene goes?...er-..just..have the freedom to do what you like, I suppose. Um, Is the process similar for artists like yourself? She asked, curiosity rising in her tone among a passionate enthusiasm for her craft. She really did love writing, it was just something that made her feel...like herself, for lack of a better term. It made her feel whole, it was her way of showing her thoughts on things, her way of conveying her perspective. It's her way of showing all of the little thoughts that go in and out of her brain, like tiny little butterflies. It's her way of acknowledging issues in a world where she has problems finding her voice. Quite simply, writing is her comfort.

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Gavin shook his head. “I can keep my sleep schedule mostly consistent. It’s only every once in a while that I end up staying up too late,” he reassured. He had to put in the effort to keep it as consistent as it was, but everyone was like that, weren’t they?

He hummed at her comment. “I normally take meds, but the thing is I have to get my prescription refilled every few months and I can’t really do that at school. The process is also a bit too complicated to do remotely,” he said. The person he met with had to ask all these questions about his experiences in order to see whether the meds were still working well for him and it was… Well, it was just a lot. He could technically answer the questions over letter, but that would probably raise questions. Besides, the sleep schedule issues would persist regardless. There wasn’t really anything he could do about that.

Who knew his Pinterest writing tips would come in handy one day? At least he could carry a conversation.

When she related the advice to drawing, Gavin took a moment before nodding. “Yeah, I suppose it is. Sketching is basically the base. In the next few stages you can make a few changes. Most people also brainstorm as well outside of the main drawing. You have the most wiggle room when it comes to colour. Once you’ve inked something though, you can’t really make many changes to the line art.” He could talk about art all he wanted, but words were funky. He was always better at showing things. Not that he had time for that today, since he had the club meeting at 3…

@Catherine Drea

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A shake of his head and the boy was back to talking.

“I can keep my sleep schedule mostly consistent. It’s only every once in a while that I end up staying up too late,” he reassured. Cathy found herself nodding.

"That's good! I'm usually good with getting to sleep at a reasonable hour, Sometimes I get nightmares though- They're not...the worst...it's mainly falling from a tall height or like a murderer chasing me..those things..." She described, voice shuddering a bit at that last part. She did not enjoy getting nightmares, that's for certain. The boy went on further to explain his condition.

“I normally take meds, but the thing is I have to get my prescription refilled every few months and I can’t really do that at school. The process is also a bit too complicated to do remotely,” Gavin informed. Cathy gave a sympathetic look at the boy's plight.

"I'm sorry about that....that can't be pleasant, Have you spoken to anyone about it?" Cathy questioned, tone soft and saddened. A pang of concern hit her at once. Poor Gavin to have to go so long without the proper medicine. That must be a pain.

When the topic turned to writing, Cathy found herself excited for what Gavin had to say. He seemed to have a lot on his mind, he certainly was an intelligent type. Not to mention, it's always an attention catcher to have a different opinion be presented. They can lead to some interesting conclusions.

“Yeah, I suppose it is. Sketching is basically the base. In the next few stages you can make a few changes. Most people also brainstorm as well outside of the main drawing. You have the most wiggle room when it comes to colour. Once you’ve inked something though, you can’t really make many changes to the line art,” Gavin commented about the art comparison and Cathy listened, eyes wide and nodding every few minutes. She found her voice a few seconds later, when she was sure the boy had finished his little rant.

"Oh yeah, working with different colors sounds fun. Finding what matches best....um..seeing how colors can convey diffferent messages...that sounds like quite a fun activity! Um- yeah, it's good that you set everything up with sketching though. Y-you wanna make sure you have it right before finalizing..makes sense," Cathy observed, giving him a small smile. It was clear he had a lot of passion for art, and that obvious affection for the craft was making Cathy feel fuzzy inside. It's nice to see someone enjoy what they are doing. A thought broke that coziness inside her chest for a moment.

"Erm- sorry to interrupt, didn't you have archery practice or something?" She asked, voice low, a little concerned. She didn't want her friend to miss anything.

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Gavin hummed. He didn't get many nightmares himself, as far as he could remember, but he couldn't imagine it would be fun. "That doesn't sound fun," was all he could really offer. As someone who never could remember his own dreams, he wasn't exactly equipt to talk about them.

His brow furrowed briefly, but his face reverted to normal just as quickly. "It's not really a problem. I never took it on weekends anyway. Kept me from getting used to the dosage and needing it upped," he assured. Besides, a few months into school and he had gotten used to the restless energy hiding under his skin.

Gavin nodded. Colours could be... frustrating, but once you found something that worked, it was great. "The hardest part with colours is usually figuring out what colours are right," he said. "Which ones click." The other things she said were also pretty right. Although, he'd had plenty of pieces that ended up looking completely different from the base sketch. He tried to avoid going back when he already had things down, but if something else seemed better, he would do it.

Checking his watch, Gavin hummed. Archery had been on Thursday, two days prior. He did have a club meeting, though. "I have a Musicians' Corner Club meeting at 3, yes. However, I probably do have some things I should take care of before then..." Did he put up his paint water? He'd hardly left in a rush, but if he'd forgotten...

Reducio

Sorry this was so late-

@Catherine Drea

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"That doesn't sound fun," Gavin piped up, throwing her a bit off balance. she recovered quickly though, giving back a nod.

"Nightmares usually aren't...but..they're just dreams..I don't tend to get them very often anyway..atleast there's that," She added, tone optimistic. Nightmares were certainly no walk in the park, it made her feel better to remind herself that after all is said and done, it is a dream and nothing more. It's easier to deal with nightmares once you remove the illusion of their reality.

Speaking of issues, Cathy felt a bit better knowing the boy wasn't too bad off without his meds. She gave him a smile at the assurance, before giving him a reply.

"I'm glad it wasn't affecting you much," She spoke, tone much more content. She was glad the boy wasn't facing too many problems in that regard, she was also glad she didn't offend him. She'd just never experienced meeting anyone with ADHD, she didn't mean to intrude with annoying questions. She let that bit of anxiety that had previously formed evaporate, and she seemed much more relaxed as he went on to describe how the process of choosing colors work. She was listening attentively and giving him a few encouraging nods.

"The hardest part with colours is usually figuring out what colours are right," He remarked, "Which ones click.". Cathy's expression grew thoughtful as she pondered the words, it seemed right in her mind. She said as much.

"Yeah, I can imagine it would be sort of difficult to get the..um...perfect? color....You know, trying to figure out a shade or something, I bet that could be a chore," She expressed, voice sounding sympathetic towards the end. Oh man, she can imagine with her need to do something right she'd probably spend hours deciding on one color, just to make everything right. If Gavin was anything like that, Cathy felt herself wince at the amount of time that he'd most likely spend.

When the thought of him missing his meeting popped into her mind, worry filled her body. She watched as the boy checked his watch, he let out a hum.

"I have a Musicians' Corner Club meeting at 3, yes. However, I probably do have some things I should take care of before then..." He explained, correcting her that no it wasn' t Archery, it was the Musicians' Corner Club meeting. Cathy mentally gave herself a mini-lecture for that, she must get better at remembering those kind of details.

"Um, well, if you're going...then thank you for such a nice time. I'm happy to have a good friend like you," She told him, a smile creeping up on her face. She had a thankful look in her eyes and an earnest sense of gratitude about her.

"It was very nice meeting you, um, tell me how you meeting goes in your next letter, alright?" She asked, tone bittersweet. She didn't exactly want him to go, but she was glad he was going to have fun at that club. It sounded fun at-least, she wished him the best with that.

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Gavin nodded. Honestly, he sometimes struggled to understand other people's plights. He'd been told he lacked empathy quite a few times, although that was mainly by the school nurse or counsellor. He just struggled to understand people's experiences when he hadn't had similar ones... And it was good that they didn't happen frequently. That would likely take a more significant toll on her mind.

"I'm glad it wasn't affecting you much." Her comment made him chuckle a little and nod.

"Yeah. Probably quite fortunate, too. I was absolutely bonkers when I was little, but I've calmed down now. The hyperactivity part of ADHD has slowed down for me. So the transition has been pretty easy." He would leave it at that. He'd also gotten slight headaches at first, but overall, it really was a smooth transition off the meds.

He nodded again, shuddering slightly for comedic effect. "That's definitely true," he said. Trying to describe the utter dread and frustration he would experience when it came to choosing his own colours was beyond him. (His mother would call him dramatic. Andy and his father, on the other hand, would absolutely be on his side. She just didn't understand them.) "Once you've got them though, it's pretty smooth sailing."

He was gathering his stuff up as she spoke, draping the scarf over his shoulders and consolidating his sketchbook and pencils. Still, he spared her a smile. "Of course. I enjoyed talking a lot," he told her. "Most people won't listen to me talk about art so much," he added, expression stretching more into a grin. "And... I'm glad that you're my friend as well." One of the first ones he'd really had, frankly. Having a friend was nice.

He made a noise of agreement. "You as well. And will do!" He didn't expect the meeting to be all that eventful, but he would still do as she said. Standing up, he gave her a small wave before finally walking out of the library, heading back towards the flights of stairs towards the Ravenclaw Common Room.

We'll have to do that again sometime.

Reducio

You're fine! (Even as I say this though, I too apologize for the same exact thing.) And yeah! Thank you for threading with me. It's been a delight! Anyways, although you can reply to this one, this will be the last post by me in this thread.

@Catherine Drea

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