Bully Eater's Return 2

Part 1 here.

Pat shook his head. “What, you want me to create a login, draw something, and upload it? Right now? Get real. It’s late, I’ve had a long day at work, I-”

Bully Eater poked the screen with its nose. No telling what the figment was made of, but apparently it worked with touchscreens; with a few boops it had opened his ‘sketches’ folder.

“N-no way am I sharing any of those!” Pat cringed at the thought.

Those were learning exercises, venting, even just for fun. Nothing there worth sharing with the world.

Bully Eater wasn’t listening. It was dragging select files to the desktop. Back half waggling.

“Oh god I’m definitely not sharing that one, the proportions are all wrong - and I couldn’t figure out a good colour scheme for that one, it looks naff-”

While the figment didn’t touch the keyboard, the still-open note filled with more text.

[come on pick one]

“I-I don’t have anywhere to put them, and-”

[you have an account you use it for lurking]

“That’s a private account! For personal stuff.”

Another exasperated wuff. [so make a new one it takes five minutes you have six emails]

“Yeah, five minutes so people can spend hours laughing at me.” Pat rested his head in his hands. Still facing the screen.

[why would they laugh]

[people might like them you know]

“Assholes outnumber people by like a million to one on the internet.”

[ignore them]

[or block them]

[or let me eat them]

Bully Eater gave a wide, toothy grin. A “nightmare appearing behind you to bite your head off for being a bully” grin.

[and there’s plenty of nice people too you’ve seen them on other artist’s posts raving about the art]

“Well, yeah, but those were done by real artists…”

Bully Eater snorted and shoved his arm with one amorphous paw. [you are an artist you draw things you’ve always been an artist as long as i’ve known you]

“I’m not a real artist though-”

[SAYS WHO] Bully Eater’s lips rolled up to reveal those rows of teeth.

“Me.” Pat scoffed, lolling back in his chair.

Silence. He could feel the figment’s gaze boring into him.

Then Bully Eater’s lips rolled further, tighter, its mouth opening in a smile which was no less familiar than before yet was somehow not comforting.

[no bully]

“I-I’m not!” Pat shrank back, fumbling for words. For excuses. “You can’t bully yourself, silly-”

[no you can’t i won’t let you]

Pat stared into the unwavering face which held every drip of frustration and longing he’d felt towards his dream since childhood.

[you draw things and love art you are an artist let other people love your work]

Pat’s voice was small and sorrowful. “There’s a lot more to being an artist than that.”

Bully Eater waggled reassuringly.

[we’ll get to them.]

Part 3 (the end) here.