Moonlit Duress -CP-

Yes, yes, more art from my Psychonauts fanfic. I'm sure you're all getting sick of it, but I just had to draw this scene.

I gotta admit, I'm really proud of this one. The CG came out excellant, makes up for my last crappy one by a ton. There are a few mistakes here and there, but overall I'm really proud of it, especially the background and the lighting.

So right, in this scene Lili finally showed up at Camp Whispering Rock, considerably angry with Raz since he ran off without saying anything. After slapping him silly she decides she wants to stick around to try and help Raz out. However, Raz is trying as hard as he can to push her away. He wants her to stay, he wants to see her so badly it hurts...but his nightmares say otherwise. While he cannot remember those nightmares, he does remember they always involve Lili dying right before his eyes. So he wants to see her, desprately so. But he can't. So he pleads with her to leave, and he can't tell her why, because if he tells her why that will just make her want to stay more and he can't have that because he doesn't want to see her hurt.

They argue over this for a good while, with Raz getting more and more desperate and frustrated. Finally Lili just quite suddenly hugs and stops him, leading to this final bit and the scene in the picture above.

---

Raz bit his lip, shivering slightly. However, he said nothing. He just stayed there, keeping his gaze fixed on the moon above, trying to ignore the feel of her arms around him. She wasn't going to listen to him. She was staying. He hadn't tried hard enough. And he knew now, even if he tried, he wouldn't mean it anymore...because he'd failed in keeping away.

Damn it all.

Lili let out a soft sigh, holding him for another moment, then released him, stepping away, though her hand remained entwined with his for a moment. “Raz, look at me.” She pleaded.

He didn't move.

“Raz...” She started, then sighed and tried again. “I talked to Oleander, he's going to let me be a counselor here. I'm staying.”

“...Fine.” He mumbled dully.

Lili squeezed his hand lightly, trying to get some sort of reaction. A few seconds ticked by, however, and she finally gave up. She stood up on tiptoes, over the years he had finally grown enough to have a few inches on her, and kissed him lightly on the cheek. “I love you.”

No reply. Her shoulders slumped, her apathetic mask falling back into place.

“Good night, Raz.” She whispered, though the emotion that had been in her previous statement was gone.

“...Night.”

She released his hand, then turned and walked back towards the counselor's cabins.

Even with his sweater and scarf, Raz couldn't help but find that summer night was oddly cold.

-- Cursum Peficio, Chapter Six