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This is a small project work that's for my Graphic Communications class. It's a little muddy and flat in some areas but overall I really like it. ^^ Now that I have returned, I am currently working on a reference sheet for both Kaira and Yang Ren (new character for meh Manga), and also Aru, Yang's spiritual creation of sorts. Speaking of manga, I'm also gonna get started back on the third page. So that's my agenda for right now; don't know if I'll get lazy during Thanksgiving break or really productive, but we'll see!

Oh and, by the way, if you're wondering if Kaira is a fox girl, she's really a human! ^^ That's a fox tail attached to her belt, a big and fluffy one at that... so ya.

At first I didn't know what to do with the background, as backgrounds are clearly not my strong point, but I ended up playing with my airbrush tool in Paint tool SAI and made some dark streaks, so I was like "oh that looks cool" and ended up making a dark lightning-y storm, which just looked pretty I thought. But I meant for the scene to be peaceful, with a lake down below, maybe a small village accompanied by a waterfall and a big ol' pine forest. Didn't quite look right at first, but I made up a little excerpt for my story to reveal the slow, inevitable turning of what goes on in Kaira's mind... and what is to become of it.

A calm sea lay before me. I could feel the wind in my hair, the gulls screaming in the distance; the water crashing into the cliff side. The salty air enveloped my taste buds, and on the edge I imagined my body being swept away wholly by the rocking waves. I imagined my skin was naught but mushy, dampened sand that was being lapped up by the ocean's arms, seemingly melting down until the very last sediment. I was at peace.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?"

"Yeah..."

A large, osyriian paw clawed the earth beside me, and a great silver muzzle had arisen from behind the cliff's tip. Yang sat criss-crossed atop the beast's head, his mane cradling her legs like a black nest. She smiled at me, but at the same time she held a sorrowful look on her face. Her brow was upturned as if she was deep in thought, a ponder of what to say. Aru snorted and flicked his ears as he came in closer to face me.

"Hey, what's up?" I smiled, immediately getting Yang's attention, in which her darkened features dissipated and she smiled back at me. There was still something about her fiery eyes that I just simply could not place.

"Nothing," she replied meekly. She shifted onto her side as she lay silent for a couple of moments before continuing on. "Siren wants you to head back, so we've come to pick you up."

"What do you mean, silly? Siren's out on the shore. I'm watching her fish," I replied with a chuckle. Yang's pale hand slid up to her bangs and she averted her eyes.

"Oh. But..." she started, "the weather isn't acceptable for that activity."

"The sun is shining, don't you feel it? Its warmth!" I pointed out, slightly confused. "The sky is as clear as any other normal day."

"Kaira." Yang called out my name once. I looked up and she was trembling; shivering as if she was cold, but she didn't return her gaze to meet mine. Her head was turned away, her hair draping over her little shoulders. She looked back at me and her eyes were wet, with a strange, bittersweet smile touching her lips.

"Siren isn't here."

"Honey, she's right down there," I said as I indicated the direction with a finger once more, becoming worried for her. The little girl decided to follow in the direction, and in sudden understanding she nodded. "Are you alright? What's the matter?"

"No, no. I'm fine," she shook her head vigorously and again looked at me. She noticed me squinting at her, figuring her out, but she just turned away to the horizon. It was strange how a simple gesture could bring out the best in someone; how Yang's hair swayed along with the wind. How she stared so longingly into the far atmosphere of this place. How the rays of light lit up her midnight cascade of hair. She was like the new thinker, a thought wanderer of sorts, and she was there for me. It was an unusual idea that collided with my train of thought, but it stuck out above the rest of the convoluted mess.

And then, all of a sudden she disappeared, Aru taking her down to the shore. His wings had outstretched and in grace he glided down effortlessly to the sand where they stood beside Siren, having a short talk before he reappeared, with Yang remaining to crown his head, before me. She outstretched her hand to me.

"Siren said she wants me to take you back now. Is that alright with you?"

"Of course, but I would like to know why," I replied.

"You've got to get some rest," was all she said.

"Rest? It's morning. Yang, are you sure you're alright? You're acting strange again," I said with a now fixed worried expression.

This time, Yang burst into tears and let out a quiet saddened sob as her hands covered her face. "Please, no, don't... please... please..."

"Hey. Talk to me."

"Kaira, you know I love you, alright? I love you. I love you..." she kept repeating over and over, like a broken record. And here I sat, looking up at her, unsure of what to do. She'd lost herself again, and my heart sank when I saw her cry.

"Don't cry, hun," I began to stand when she held up her hand once more and extended it to me.

"Let's go home."

I reached for her hand, and grasped it. The poor girl was shaking uncontrollably, but when I came into contact, my world fell apart.

Her hand was soaked. Her clothes were soiled. The wind was angry, the waves began to roar. She cried with the rain, when a second ago there was no rain. Where was the sun? Where was my light?

Was this another one of her illusions to tell me how she felt? I began to feel horrible.

"I'm sorry."

"Let's... go home."



There can be, of course, many interpretations, but to be clear they are not dating or anything like that. It's a sisterly love. My interpretation of this short is that Kaira is slowly losing her mind and her friends must protect her throughout the process of her irreversible insanity. There are monstrous things that she sees that scars her, but her mind fights back in desperation to hold on to the things that she had always held dearly, things that were happy and positive, but in reality those things were no longer. Yang is among her friends, and like Siren she watches over her and tries to play along with her fantasies, but in this case she breaks down because she can't take living with her this way, leaving Kaira puzzled. She falsely believes that Yang is troubled, when in truth she is the one who suffers illusions of the past.