Dearly Departed

Latest Edit: This long labor of love and devotion was even more worth it in the end! I won Soft Daze from this contest; Grete is now a very real and dear character of mine. I am so excited, it feels like I have received a child to call mine <3

_{Edit3: Cleaned up some misspelling and added name info, etc
Edit2: FML I LEFT THE REF IN THE UPDATE, IM A DUMB POTATO
Edit: I totally didn't forget the light underside of the tail floof. Also, now there is a download!}

My entry for the Draw to Adopt Grem2 contest for Soft Daze!


This piece was a really wonderful way to get back into the groove of my detailed pieces since I haven't done one in a long time.
Backstory involved, if you're curious, skip down to the info about the piece, after the Grem info c;

The name is inspired from a character in a short story by Kafka, although the particular character might not be the best XD Just kinda the atmosphere and how recently I read the story clicked together somehow XD

Info:
Name: Grete (Greh-tuh)
Gender: Identifies as female
Personality: Soft, caring, nurturing, bright, intelligent. Very well-read, loving, and sensitive.
Temperament: Generally happy and relaxed in a very mellow and soft-spoken way when in company. Empathetic and sensitive, prone to extreme sadness, lonliness emotional distress, depression, and nightmares when under emotional pressure or if/when experiencing episodes of re-lived trauma.
Background: Grete is the assistant of a middle aged woman Diane, who looks after Grete as the daughter she was never able to have; her profession is in the medical sector (traveling doctor/apothecary). Grete serves as an assistant, nurse, and caretaker by Diane's side. She tends to the ill, elderly, sick, and dying and tries to brighten up their day and make the feel better along with organizing work papers and letters. Grete's compassionate and loving nature sometimes doesn't cope well with the reality of her work, as there have been cases in which she becomes extremely attached to people that unexpectedly pass away. Grete and Diane don't stay often stay long in one place; although they have a permanent residence, they travel a lot and board in places they may be working (hospitals, retirement homes, etc). While Diane is primarily a doctor, Grete is mainly a caretaker and tends to whoever she can. She enjoys reading, making others feel better, flowers, nature, and learning new things. When she isn't spending time caring for others, Grete enjoys admiring nature on warm days by exploring or reading books outdoors. On cold days, she stays comfortably inside to read.

Image backstory:
This image is a snapshot from one of Grete's vivid nightmares, resulting from the death of one of Diane's very close friends of many years: an elderly man who went by the name of Francis Thompson, who Grete became very attached to from a very young age. Mr. Thompson was a wealthy elderly man with snow white hair and stormy gray eyes. He often wore grey suits with a blue or yellow tie, and carried a tobacco pipe with him. Francis frequently visited Grete and Diane for breakfast or around noon. He would sit by the koi fountain in the garden with Grete, where he would read her books and lead long conversations or lectures; Mr. Thompson was like a father or grandfather figure to her, and he taught her much about life as well as how to read and write, a past time she enjoys. He died suddenly of a heart attack one day, later in Grete's life. He was sitting at the ledge of the fountain while Grete was trying to express one of the new things she had read in one of her books with vigorous enthusiasm when he suddenly felt ill. Clutching his heart, he fell to his side, Grete urgently bolting to his side in panic, cradling him in her arms. She held him tightly, her panicked eyes filling with tears as she tried to resuscitate him, but regardless of her efforts, she failed, and his last breath slipped through his lips and he died in her arms, his finger tips slipping into the waters of the koi pond. Gretes distressed, heartbroken wails echoed through the countryside as she tightly held her mentor in her arms and rocked back and forth.

The sudden and unexpected loss of Mr. Thompson was a very traumatic event in Grete's life, something which continues to affect her in the form of night terrors or episodes of emotional distress that manifest themselves in the form of manic depression. Albeit this, Grete still tries to maintain her bright and happy demeanor and her endless care for others.


Phew! Thats all I have for now, I might edit/add more later. ;v; I've grown quite fond of this Grem, I certainly spend long hours with her. This is a piece that I've worked on and off on for weeks; this is actually what I was meticulously devoting attention to while I was watching review videos for my exams (or just while watching regular movies on weekends). First time I've drawn koi fish on my computer, they're my favorite fish. uvu I am quite happy with how this came out! Since I worked on this over the course of many days bit by bit, i do not have an exact estimate, but I believe I have at least 24 hours docked onto this piece, but it may be more, since I tend to work 3-6 hours at a time, and I worked on this many different days. Totally worth it though! nwn

Art © me, Rainbow-Foxy 
Grems are a closed species by MrGremble