"So give me all your pain
And love will set you free
Give me all your shame
Put all your weight on me
And I'll be the stone that you need me to be Stone (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uKBQzyyNnoI&list=PLCXZkFEXugEHKtRtFGErpBMdZhf4OwwDj&index=138)

I've been poking at this one for about 2 months now. I just couldn't make myself happy with it for the longest time. It started as a sketch, and then I started cleaning it up and lining it, and THEN I got bored of that and threw it out the window and just painted it from the first draft all over again. That's kinda why some of the proportions are weird aha, I tried to fix most of the obviously-oldish-art-bad-spots but I might have missed some /shrug. It was originally a much happier picture but hey, sappy stuff happens when I listen to sappy music.

I really like messing around with a more emotional Shard haha. We never really got to a more emotional side to Shard officially, but I like to think that there would actually be a lot of that to him. He desperately wants family ties and connections- in a way, to probably validate his existence as something that's part of a bigger whole. He wants to mean something and is extremely frustrated when he feels like he is holding himself back- whether it is his past or his present. He's more than just snark and sass and quick remarks and jokes. He's got a lot of pent up guilt and sadness that he deals with through his flippant nature, but that doesn't really heal it. He has to forgive himself first and struggles to do that. Nicole understands what that inability to move on is like, but also realizes that all he's doing is hurting himself more. And if she has to be his rock for once to get him through it, than she will do everything she can and then more.

I don't have an actual story for this one, so feel free to leave your own in the comments if you feel so inclined! I'd love to hear your guys' thoughts and interpretations ^v


—-
Want to see more of these two? Join my group! https://shard-x-nicole.deviantart.com/
I'm also hosting a shardcole contest, seen here!

Shard x Nicole: End of Summer Contest! (2 MONTHS!)
Welcome everyone, to the second annual Shard x Nicole summer contest!
I know it's off to a late start, but in a way, I almost feel it's better like this. Go out and finish summer off with a bang!
This year, we have a bit more of a prominent theme than last year. This year, we want you to Tell Us a Story of Hope!
In light of the comics recently ending, and thus, the possibility of never seeing Nicole as we know her again, and Shard being removed post-Reboot, we want you to capture the essence of these two characters and their relationship together using the comic's legacy as a guide. Your piece can be themed however you like and can be summer themed, but the bigger theme we'd like you to think about with your entry is telling a story of hope, to capture what made them — and the comics- special.
Bullet; Green (https://galaxynite.deviantart.com/journal/Shard-x-Nicole-End-of-Summer-Contest-2-MONTHS-694294936)