Artist
It just started as something stupid. His teacher had once again taken away his book for reading in class. His work was done! Vio still got angry at that. It was almost out of spite, that he began doodling in notebooks. It looked like he was working, and the teachers were satisfied. Sure he was excited that Grandpa Smith had allowed them to enroll after their adventure, but he was tired of them being so strict. He kept it up for the year and forgot the next when he got a better teacher.
He never kicked the habit, though. When he was finished with his book and couldn’t get up for another, when he wasn’t allowed to after a test, (which he also thought was stupid and made him angry), and sometimes just to unwind.
He started drawing places and people. Current and past. Detailed drawings. By the time they were all adults it was more than just a little habit, it was something he honestly enjoyed. It was also something he never bothered to tell his brothers.
Vio rolled up his purple knit sweater sleeves, sitting cross legged on the Smith’s rooftop. Crisp fall air bit at his nose and fingertips, but Vio found the sensation refreshing and satisfying. Where Blue wouldn’t be caught dead in the cold, he enjoyed it immensely. He drew the landscape beyond the home. His page was about three-quarters into the well worn book. He wished he had known that night it would be last time in a long time he would see that sight, or he would have finished the drawing.
In his defense, no one expects several different versions of himself to appear from a portal, despite being able to except seeing four.
Vio’s eyes are half lidded, out of focus, as their team talks. He was lost in thought, the topic of tonight’s ‘get to know you’ was hobbies.
“What about you?” Hyrule gently nudges his arm. Vio looked up,
“Hm?”
“He’s boring!” Blue interjects, waving a hand dismissively. “He reads and studies.”
“Oh,” he puts together what he was asked when not paying attention. “Well, I uh.” He looks sheepishly at his fellow color, mild guilt over keeping this from them. It’s not like it was some huge secret or anything, but by the time he felt comfortable saying anything it was too late since he had started. “Actually I do.” he mumbles and goes into his bag.
“Other than reading?” Blue snorts. “That doesn’t count we all already know that.”
“Blue, be nice.” Green scolds.
Vio hesitates, then silently hands over a very well worn drawing book. Hyrule seemed surprised.
“May I?” he opens it.
“Go ahead.” Vio takes a deep breath and lets it out, nervous. Red comes over, eyes bright in curiosity himself. Hyrule flips through some pages.
“Woah…” his admiration and awe brings over more of the chain, who lean over Hyrules shoulder to see. He stops flipping and stares with furrowed brows a moment. “Who is this?” He turns over to the page in question. He had forgotten about that one, Vio’s breath left him for a moment. It was a detailed work he had done on Shadow Link. From memory, but this was the best out of theirs. It was his profile, staring out the fire tower window in a rare moment of calm contemplation. It was one of the most realistically drawn pages in the book. Hyrule flipped to another page, “There’s a few of this guy, there all amazing. I feel like I am actually looking at them!”
Red froze when he saw what he was talking about, between the stiffness in his shoulders and Vio’s silence the group picked dup on the tension immediately. Hyrule sputtered to hand the book back.
“I-I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to intrude on something personal!” Vio puts his hands up and softly pushes it back towards him.
“No, no. It’s alright. I gave you permission to look. I forgot what was all in this one…” His tone was so much softer than the chain had ever heard. It even had Time looking over, who had been minding his own business. “Do you remember when we told you about our last adventure? When I had tried to convert our living shadow to our side from within?” He got nods. Red sat down next to him silently in support. “That’s them.” he pointed to the page it was on now, Shadow laughing over something stupid, fangs flashed. “There’s a little more to it than just that.”
“Well, no shit.” Legend snarks, trying to loosen the tension, “No one draws someone like that just because.”
“I tried to draw Wolfie once, but he wouldn’t sit still long enough for me to memorize the patterns on his fur.” Vio glanced at Twi, who grinned.
Vio smiles, “Yeah.” he was glad someone picked up on it. “We were…” he glanced at his brothers, “Close. I’m not sure what I would label it as.” his gaze lands with sad longing on the drawing. “I would do just about anything to just see them again.” Legend’s playful gaze, softened.
“I get that.” he put a hand on his shoulder as he walked back to spot around the fire. Some understanding passed between them. Twi also shared a look with Vio for a moment. Hyrule handed back the book.
“Thank you for sharing. Your drawings are really good! Maybe you could draw some of us sometime?” Vio flipped it to a more recent page and turned it around. Wild leaning over a pot with a contemplative look while Wind was running up behind her in the background, arms overflowing with different mushrooms, truffles, and plants. The next page with Wars and Sky sparing playfully, scarf billowing in the wind. in the corner of a page was a doodle of the wind waker and Twi’s clawshot with a few curious notes. Some similar doodles around the edges.
He flipped it to the unfinished page of the landscape from the roof.
“Cool!!” Wind pointed. “Hey, it’s me!” he beamed.
“...If you would like I could draw people for you, when we see them next. So you can keep it with you. Like Sun, or Aryll.” he offers. “Or I can do my best on descriptions.” he meets Legend’s eyes for a moment.
“That sounds really nice Vio,” Hyrule sits back down in his spot now too. “I wish I could draw like that. I don’t have many hobbies outside of my magic.” he changes the subject. Just like that it was over and moved on. He felt a little lighter after sharing, though. Blue stopped him that evening before bed, quietly mumbling an apology for making him sound like he only cared about books, he really hadn’t meant it like that but sometimes his ribbing sounded more serious than he meant. Vio gave him a shoulder pat, a true gesture of acceptance, considering his aversion to touch. They were good. They would always be. And if Vio maybe drew the chain sleeping at the camp, well who would know? He was just grateful Hyrule hadn’t commented on his tiny corner doodles of Shadow, and what he might think about things.
Vio looked at the page wistfully, homesick. At least he had good friends, and his brothers. It made him feel a little less lonely. He turned to the page of Shadow’s profile. Vio fell asleep like that, leaned up against the log and page on Shadow.
In the morning, he had a blanket around his shoulders.
18 notes
·
View notes
The batfamily, after finding out another really important secret, are under the impression that Tim doesn't trust them. Why else would he wait for the last possible minute to inform them of his personal information?
Bruce sets up more team bonding (family time) to try to mitigate this.
Dick drops by Tim's office more with lunch to hang out.
Jason uttered out a really awkward but heartfelt apology about some past wrongdoings.
Steph hauls Tim over her shoulder and then plops him down into outings such as the movies or zoo.
Damian told Tim that his photos are so bad he might as well just give Damian copies of them.
Duke, trying to get to know Tim better, challenges him to see who can solve puzzles faster. He also brings fun inventions to Tim's workshop for them to do together.
Barbara sets up monthly code nights with Tim. She also occasionally passes along fun missions he could do with his siblings.
While all of this is nice, Cass and Alfred know the truth. Tim just finds it funny to watch his family blink rapidly and then go through five stages of grief whenever they unlock more background lore.
2K notes
·
View notes