Page 51 of The Toymaker
Chapter Eleven
Once the balm did its job, and Kit’s nipples weren’t sore anymore, he liked the way they felt when Trig or Riju played with them in bed. He could see why some got their nipples pierced.
Trig replaced the bars with little gold rings from which small weights could be hung for fun or to torment Kit. They looked good too.
Still, he decided they weren’t really for him. Despite the pleasure that could be had, he simply didn’t want to keep them. He was fine with them as a temporary thing. If he stayed later under a new contract, he’d keep them in for Trig, and if he left, he would remove the rings.
The weather grew chilly. They didn’t have any demonstrations, and Kit made progress with his stitches when he practiced at night on samplers with Riju occasionally helping him. In early November, Riju invited him into his room twice in one week to make more little clothes.
He said the best practice was to also create the thing he wanted in the first place since he had more experience. Kit made another dress for his doll, and on the second day, once he’d finished sewing drawers for her, they ended up on the bed with a wooden board. Riju had parchment, and they doodled on separate pieces.
For a while, there wasn’t any sound except for the scratching of the never-fill quills. Kit used to draw a lot more, but he hadn’t bothered in a long time. He was pretty sure his doodle was terrible.
“I can’t draw very well even though I’ve practiced, and I like doing it,” Riju said once he’d made a lopsided cat on spiky grass.Kit figured the little things in the air were birds. “It never turns out the way I want, and my birds are all deformed.”
“I’m no good either.” Kit frowned at the little boy with a puppy next to him.
Riju looked over. “That’s…very good.”
“You don’t have to say it is just to make me feel better.”
“But it is. Look at yours, and look at mine.”
“I showed Perry I drew something once, and he said it wasn’t any good, and I have no talent.”
“That’s like something in a kid’s book.” Riju pointed at the boy. “In fact, you could probably be an illustrator for children’s books.”
“Ehhh…” Kit was pretty sure an illustrator would need a lot more skill.
“What else are you going to say about Perry that makes him sound stupider?”
“Huh?”
Riju adjusted his spectacles. “Every time you say something about him, he sounds dumber and dumber. He actually said you’re bad at drawing?”
“He said real art is like people who can paint and make it look like life. He had quite a few like that. I don't know how to paint.”
“So what about kid’s books with pictures?”
“I don’t think he counts it as art, and he didn't think mine were any good…”
“Art doesn't always have to look real. Children’s books have a different style, and simpler drawings often work better than a bunch of paintings. I like looking at those kinds of pictures. Your puppy’s much better than my cat, and you do have some talent. I think Perry just wanted to pick on you and make you feel bad to put you down. ”
Perhaps Riju was right. When Perry had said his doodles weren’t any good, Kit had been ashamed to show him again, andsince he figured his art was pretty bad, he’d stopped entirely. It wasn’t like he’d ever planned on doing anything related to art, and if he was that terrible at drawing, why bother? There was no point if he was bad at the hobby.
“He wasn’t very nice about a lot of stuff.”
“You could illustrate kid’s books,” said Riju. “You don’t need someone telling you your art is bad just because they’re a snob about what counts as talent.”
“Well, I stopped because I also don’t think I’m going to illustrate books.”
“Shouldn’t you do it for fun if you like it?”
Kit hesitated. Riju didn’t sell his dolls, and he still made them. It wasn’t quite the same because he was unquestionably skilled at it. He’d figured out carving the pieces by himself too, so he was good at his hobby.
“I guess I should. I only stopped liking it when he made me feel bad, and I figured I shouldn’t waste my time on a hobby if I’m terrible.”
“Can you show me how to draw a puppy so I can try?”
