Treatement day, with a friend - Maria and Shadow - SFW (Patreon)

Since posting on social medias is getting less and less safe with AI tools taking over, you now get to see in advance everything I'm working on, even the stuff I would have posted on social medias immediatly in the past.

It's a sketch that is pretty old but I struggled to draw Shadow for some reason. I'll finish it if you want me too, otherwise it will stay like this. Maria's hospital gown is based on one from the 50's, for people who had long stays at the hospital. It looks feminine and comfy! I searched for photos of hospitals in the 50's but... it wouldn't look right in the setting we know. The ARK was very advanced technologically, so I would have to come up with a good blend between 50's aesthetic and the futuristic vision the devs had when SA2 was being developped. Didn't feel like doing it for this sketch... but I would love to try on another occasion!

We know nothing of what Shadow and Maria's days were on the ARK. Did she received any treatement to help with her symptoms? And where was Shadow? Was he allowed to come visit her?

My headcanon is that no, he wasn't allowed but after Maria pleading to her grandfather, he finally relented, seeing how being with Shadow boosted her mood. I wouldn't be surprised if they ran a few non invasive tests on him while he was there. I don't think Maria knew anything about Project Shadow in details and if she knew what type of tests Shadow had to go through, she would have been horrified and it would have shattered her relationship with her grandfather.

But even if, in my mind, none of them knew exactly what the other was going through, there is that shared trauma around hospital, tests and medications - one I know too well with my chronic illness - done by the same people, at the same place.

At least, for a time, they weren't alone.

Hope you like it!