Day 852 #Freewrite - A Character Sketch Keeping It Straight

The [prompt](https://steemit.com/hive-161155/@mariannewest/day-852-5-minute-freewrite-wednesday-prompt-keeping-it-straight) for today from @mariannewest was "keeping it straight". Here is the character sketch that came from the prompt:

https://cdn.steemitimages.com/800x800/https://cdn.steemitimages.com/DQmcWpy17uEgtZ1afsKCJXAfRwHhvTFB6vFxrTTcCdgsiaB/loyola-university-chicago-1519922_1280.jpg

https://steemitimages.com/80x80/https://steemitimages.com/DQmVzSo2bfA2xrbshEQjjbTKeXGJpX5dy1KXjkQwR24phPW/grunge-spade-symbol-4-1004x1024.png

Not So Straight

Virgil wistfully exhaled the blue smoke into the air of the abandoned train car, watching his girlfriend Sylvia become increasingly frustrated as she launched into a diatribe against the rest of the battery members, lazy and pathetic, without much time or patience for meaningful practice, sure to place in the upcoming competition, but only winning second at best; she was beautiful even in her ravings, her hair nearly curling with the heat of her words, but he sometimes tired of her perpetuated anger.

I watched as Virgil managed poetry with his expression: a yearning for some sort of peace, even in this contrived world of floundering percussionists. His brows furrowed like arches, bridges from warzone of pensiveness to warzone. He was a Roman bust, the only flaw in his features being his choice in girlfriend. Even as he moved from his stony position to hand me the pipe and lighter, he moved as though he had just come from his seat on Olympos, or some sort of temple. I put the pipe to my lips and inhaled.

“Octo, I thought you weren’t doing that anymore,” Sylvia said with admonishment in her voice. I looked up from the pipe long enough to shoot her a look that meant seriousness and returned to my task. I inhaled as I flicked the lighter, a meditation within a meditation. Octo, don’t do this. Octo, don’t do that. Octo, go to church and go to seminary. Octo, go to priesthood meetings and young men’s events. Octo, Octo, Octo…

https://steemitimages.com/80x80/https://steemitimages.com/DQmVzSo2bfA2xrbshEQjjbTKeXGJpX5dy1KXjkQwR24phPW/grunge-spade-symbol-4-1004x1024.png Thank you for reading my work. I appreciate your time and comments. To speak more of my writing ambitions, I am looking to strengthen my creative/generative acumen. This #freewrite community is the best place to do that. Over the next several months I will be working on a novel, and as such, some themes or characters that I have dwelt upon may come up. Thoughts and comments on my work are helpful as my ultimate goal is to improve my novel such that I improve my writing. Also this is my first time participating, so I hope I did everything correctly!