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He was trying to take life slow slightly more slow- trying to absorb his aims and hopes as deeply as they would go. Change wasn't something that rushed, not if it was meant to be permanent- nor could it be locked into a single aspect of his life if he wished it encompassing.

The weather was cold as could be, but he didn't pay it much mind. The cold was another aspect of anything else if managed carefully. He didn't want frostbite, so he wore a sweater, jacket, fingerless gloves, and he kept careful check on the colour and condition of his skin. But all the articles he wore were getting more and more grey and threadbare than once had been. One shirt with artistic holes had become two as last year's holes became this year's slashes. It looked dystopia chic, but Destiny City wasn't Detroit. And he wasn't doing it of any purpose other than to conserve available resources for things more important.

The sculptor hovered a hand along the multi-toned bark of a crape myrtle that lined one of the streets in the school heavy district of the city- the secondary institutions on their various blocks glaring out of sleepy, empty, window eyes. School was started again in them perhaps, but still too new to it for clubs to have gotten into the swing of after-dark learning and practicing pow-wows.

The streets were fairly quiet, even of traffic.

He took some sheaves of fallen bark and tucked them into a hand-bound journal before crouching to brush at the dusting of snow that crowned roots and thin, brown grass.

At first he hadn't really noted that it was him the passerby was talking too- and he didn't reply to her first question. To a skilled observer, it would appear questionable if he even had heard the query about loss. The step closer, the feel of someone closer to his personal space was initially alarming and drew his gaze to her knees.

Quenton? It was a unique enough name he was almost always assured that hearing it spoken was a reference to himself. Unusual just the same with how few people he'd been making acquaintance of outside of obligations like class and studio. He straightened to standing as he took her in with much the same fascination as he had the marvels of sleeping nature moments before. Three months? Four months? First the gem and jewelry exhibit, then the con.

"God's breath you're alive, after all. "
"It's been what...no..three months and twenty-some days about." He offered out his hand for hers, recognition apparent. "Your cousin and his lady friend? Did they make it out alright? I'm sorry...I'm awful with names sometimes months and months on. I could draw them both right now, but I can't pull names out. "

"I mean...the whole thing was awful. I would have done a better job of checking on you if I could have found your information. I'm so sorry."

Her hands felt warm to his, even if they were cold to her. All of her looks cold, poor thing. Why don't they let the girls wear wool tights?
Matthias and Cora.

"I could try to make it up, but I'd just be lying- all that is coming to mind is Dinah, and I'm fair sure that wasn't it. I don't recall having a folk song refrain stuck in my head when we first met. "

"I am..well. There's been some touch and go spots- but nothing doctors haven't been able to patch up. Thankfully student health insurance can be pretty comprehensive for emergency stuff like sudden attacks by strange gang persons. "

"That's...a Crystal Uniform?" Quenton looked at the sky, plainly trying to get a bead on the hour that he hadn't been paying attention to very much, "I guess it is about that time. I didn't realize you were still in school. I would have sworn you were in college."

Delilah.

"Hey there Delilah, don't you worry about the distance? I'm right there if you get lonely, give this song another listen-" He sang the words, unperturbed at being spontaneous, but didn't go further. "But I expect you get references to the Book of Judges more often."

In a way, the song attended her mention of troubles with coming life decisions, only he wasn't her boyfriend or girlfriend. She deserved a fine one, gentle and creative hearted as she was. Maybe having a cousin like Matthias curbed the willingness of suitors though- who really wanted to get their teeth kicked in if he took exception to something they did?

"Ah...not a gang-gang. More of those uniformed sorts like at the convention. Surprisingly mobile and violent sorts for all that the news is making them out to be freedom fighters. I can't say I'm a fan."

So much so that the wording of her heart and following chaos made his eye twitch once. I hope to all the nine levels that is just an expression, and no hint of other secrets.

"The best we can do is to train our hands with the skills needed to turn dreams into goals. Were you planning on attending DCU?- oh...were you on your way home? I don't want to keep you out in the cold. We could be walking. " He looked a tad distant again for a moment, looking down the street, jumping back to the initial thought, "If you were planning on going to DCU, I've given tours through the Student Affairs center before. I could let you know what their schedule is for the arts department, whether it was me or one of the other upperclassmen who's learned the ropes."

Her annoyance was sweet- a distinctive aire borne of teasing from friends and family when they found a debatably clever pun or reference and drove it into hyperbole. He could recognize it from the looks he himself no doubt leveled at his cousin every time she shouted 'Quincy' at him, or made oblique Dracula and Texan references.

"Which major were you thinking? I don't...actually know which specific ones related to fashion DCU offers- I'm fairly certain there's in the very least a Fashion Business and Fashion Design. Entertainment Set Design & Decoration, Film & TV Costume Design, Footwear, International Manufacturing & Product Development...Theater...? That's all I can drudge up. There's piecemeal specific classes sometimes you can catch as electives, if not majors- like textile manufacture, dyeing, weaving, history specifics. "

"Do you know if butting heads with your family will mean they won't help fund your education? You'll want to start looking at scholarships and student loans early if that's the case. And-or finding a work study or other income. " He knew that game well, having so far relied on scholarship and selling work, and occasional family graces at holiday. Quenton didn't complain or react specifically to the arm guiding him one. Moving was good, and if she had a direction in mind it saved him trying to come up with one that made sense.

"Oh no....like I mentioned, I've given University First Look tours through the Student Affairs for high school students. Most of it is just needing to know lists of stuff available from the departments in case someone asks what is available. Lists are one thing- I couldn't tell you credit requirements or course examples or...even professors in the departments really. At least not off my head. "

Business anything involved a bit of math and statistics, so it wasn't surprising that just off-the-cuff it could come off as heinously complicated or confusing. Good business practice, if the volume of books on the subject was any proving, was something that was crackable outside of whatever specific field one pursued within Business. "Step one is having a business cards and always having some in a case on yourself. I used to wear some of the jewelry I made every day, and invariably would be asked about it when I was out and about. It was simple to give a card. Social Media to be able to be easily found and watched is a must- a business specific Facebook, an Etsy account, and an email you use for business. Take a lot of pictures. Update regularly - part of which is making sure that you have a good amount of stock. Release a new thing once a week. That one is trickier since sometime you have two or three things made in one week, but its better to release them one at a time to keep the release rhythm. Getting people to come back consistently for return business is a big point. "

"Having tables at conventions that are within your demographic is also important. It is expensive at first, and you might not sell anything at the convention- but it gives you cheap advertising to hundreds of people for the price of a table. Believe me, a table is less expensive than local magazine ads. "

"I believe the table at the gem and jewelry show is seventy-five dollars? But for that seventy five dollars four times a year...so $300 dollars, I've been able to get face time and develop a rapport with regular show goers. For that three hundred dollars I've sold averaging 3 pieces a show at the show and at least two a month off Etsy for regular months and more near holidays. As long as I keep up with it, showing consistency and reliability, that will only go up. "

"Oh yes, " He answered, looking up at the skies distractedly, "I know all around campus. I haven't given tours this semester, but every other I have."

He paused in the dialogue equivalent of a text wall at her request. Slower? This isn't even fast, and its just the basics.

He blinked slowly, looking at her, nearer than she was a moment ago, part of his mind trying to piece together the how's and why's of that phenomenon while the other half of his mind stopped and backpedaled to the earlier sections of advice. "Yes. A business card with your name, necessary websites, email. Simple, but elegant. There are a lot of quick-service kinds that give 500 for $10 from templates, but if you have the initial capital you'd do better with a more memorable, more high-class card like what is available from services like Moo.com"

He lifted an arm hesitantly in offer for her to come so near.

"Not Etsy at first, maybe. But a simple web page of some sort to direct to on your contact information is a necessity. There are websites useful for that- a blog, wordpress, tumblr, google page, behance...any of them or others that have easy gallery-archive options that you could put photos of your work on. "

"Nail down your demographic first, then brainstorm locations where people who enjoy that would shop. Such as the Convention...if your designs cross enough into Lolita, I would suggest picking one or two of the larger east coast conventions and getting tables at them. If you can defer costs by sharing a table, that is a good idea for the first couple. "

"Thank Luck that be the large conventions are no where near Destiny City. I don't think I trust public events to be safe in this city anymore. "

The carnival, the convention, the lunar viewing city party and those weird rabbits. When she moved close he carefully opened his jacket, holding it behind her while also lightly laying his hand on her opposite shoulder. "If any of your classmates are good with graphics, you could ask them for help- they get a client for a portfolio and you get skilled design help. Its a good deal at high school level."