"I'll put to good use what my Nee-chan taught me."
"(◕દ◕) Oh yeah, I forgot that you have sister. Quick question by the way, is she hot?"
...I gave him a smile.
"Wanna die?"
~~~
"Stupid Kami. Stupid teenager. Stupid teenager Kami." I mumbled under my breath as I wrapped up some canvases together for transport. "I don't care if he is my friend, I'll bury him alive if he talks about her like that."
I didn't have be as careful with my paintings so long as they were covered enough to not be splattered with ink.
There isn't any haunted toilets with a few dozen kilometres radius of the school, with the school grounds large enough to have literal mock cities. Even if the conditions are right for a haunting, no one is stupid enough to actually do so on in an area with so many eyes, let alone eyes that are both sharp and dangerous.
So normally, the only feasible option for any in-the-know person would be to wait for the train to Kisaragi Station. Something that Manga, Kouda and a number of the other students are probably planning on doing.
I don't have a clue on what Nedzu going to do when a lot of the people he entrusted tried to leave the dorms in the middle of the night. Would he leave the gates unlocked? Let the security turn a blind eye just this once? Or is he just letting them go without a word as a test of sorts? What about the other students that happened to wake up in the middle of the night for one reason or another and stumbled upon someone leaving by pure coincidence?
The train to Kisaragi Station is an old commuter train from the 1950's that's usually filled with spirits. All of those students all at once, are there even enough seats?
.
..
...
Not my problem.
Anyway, with my work bound and myself ready, I dialed a preset number on my phone. As soon as the clicking sound of the call connected, I threw the card at my wall and watched as it collapse and fracture the surface inwards to form a familiar corridor along with the same familiar eyeball man coming out and bowing me to enter. Stepping through the hole in space, what greeted me was the same onyx-dark corridor and it's white highlights. And the other end of it all was the same puddles of ink on the ground and the same hubbub of the people and beings within.
It's been a while, Inkfall Society. You hardly changed one bit.
I've hardly been at this place since school began, or rather, this is my first visit since classes started.
Although... As this is an artistic society, should I have invited Manga?
.
..
...
Nah, he'll earn his place. And when he does, I'll be here being smug about knowing this place before him.
With the hole collapsing into a bracelet on my wrist, I trudged along while carrying my works of art. I looked for any free spots to occupy and set up a makeshift stall. There aren't anything such as a reservation or paying someone to camp at a spot until you arrive, this place operates on a first-come-first-served basis so it's more of a race for a spot and luck for opportunities if anything.
I went over to the paint-area that was partitioned by a wall. A floated a bit above most people to have a better look while walking in the air so it was easier for me to find an empty spot to occupy. Touching down back to the ground, I set up a small makeshift stall --Just a cloth on the ground-- and began selling my art.
There are some smaller paintings on the ground, the kind that can fit on the palm of one's hand, but today's primary work features two landscape portraits of one being sky beyond the clouds inspired by my flights of fancy and one being a Dragon Crystal Cavern that me and my friends once discovered when we were little. There is also a painting that was almost entirely blue, a depiction of the waters just beneath the waves. And finally, an abstract painting consisting mostly of darker hues vaguely depicting the final moments of the U.A. sports festival incident.
The previous three are works of art that I'm proud of, something that's good enough to gather plenty of attention. The last one however, is a rushed work.
The painting of the incident was something I made only a few hours prior. While the others were simply waiting for night to fall and ride the train, I was pushing my hands churning my thoughts to create as fast as I can to make this piece. The best I had was offhanded accounts to recreate this scene since during that time I was barely hanging on to consciousness, meaning that this painting isn't up to par as the rest.
But that's fine.
My plan is to use the three other works as bait. Something lackluster is certainly going to catch some eyes if placed in the same space as good works. I'm planning on using that as a natural transition for gossip to get people talking.
With my plan set, all that's left is to wait.
[2:07 P.M.]
Surprisingly, a few Fae immediately passed by my stall, speaking in riddles and rhymes. Both foreigners by the looks of it, but neither are of nobility or high birth, thankfully. Unfortunately however is that neither are really interested about anything that doesn't fall under their flight of fancy, meaning no news about Neo-Shintoism from them.
One was interested in bargaining for the blue painting and the other was interested in acquiring my dominant hand. I declined the latter and entertained the former's request while making small talk.
The information wasn't anything that I needed at the moment but it was interesting to hear about Fae legends.
Sold: Under the Waves(Painting).
Gained: Someone's Warmth of Embrace, The story of Oberon's nectar incident.
[2:34 P.M.]
Someone knocked on my foot, It was a leatherwork gnome.
They were interested in buying one of the smaller paintings. Attempt for small talk failed as the humanoid was curt and brash but not impolite. By the looks of it, they were simply in a rush.
Sold: A small painting.
Gained: A small golden nugget.
[2:47 P.M.]
A... Person(?) with an incredibly thin presence appeared and wanted to buy something. They pointed at the faintly glowing wisp of fog that I got from the fae.
As it turned out, they've been eyeing it for a while now?
Small talk yielded nothing as I couldn't understand what she was saying, even with the real-time translation of this place.
Oddly enough, they paid in cash.
Sold: Someone's Warmth of Embrace.
Gained: Thirty thousand Yen.
[3:10 P.M.]
Felt a bit peckish as I didn't have lunch to finish the last painting. Bought something to eat by having a head by me something.
Took a few minutes to return as the head was also chatting up with other customers in line while they waited.
At least this time I managed to get some info about what I needed.
Lost: A small gold nugget and five hundred Yen worth in the society's local currency.
Gained: A late lunch and rumors about priests spotted near certain area by the waters.
[3:32 P.M.]
Cen was coincidentally here today as well. She dropped by as she came back from one of the brewery stands.
We exchanged our pleasantries and briefly talked about the current state of affairs. Though most of it was just tidbits enough to see the shallow waters.
Lost: Nothing
Gained: Speculations about how the Japanese politics would shape our side if certain laws and regulations were implemented, news of a dragon awakening in the west and the unfortunate mysterious disaster that struck the northern part of Japan.
[4:20 P.M.]
A shimmering spirit took interest in the Dragon Crystal Cavern painting. She asked how much it cost and I just told her to quote a price. A hum came out of her she took a second to gather her thoughts.
"...Would you be willing to accept a divination?"
"Hm..." Well, you really don't know when it's with folk you don't know. But we're in this place so- "Sure. Why not?"
The spirit gently held out a keychain disco ball, starlight glittered from it's reflective surface --Somehow-- as their shawl bursts with light, illuminating patterns etched on the cloth.
"Your entry to the world past and present is no coincidence... Soon shall the truth come to a close, succouring you of your predetermined purpose. Then, and only then, will you have repaid the debt you owe."
I blinked.
...That...
That was not what I expected.
My mouth felt a bit dry. "What, exactly, do you mean by that?"
"A question most asked..." She sighed softly, as if tired. "Please understand that I merely deliver the message of prophecy. This does not mean that I can decipher it's meaning, only that I can pass it along to the recipient."
"That... Fair..."
She sighed, again, tiredly. "However, I can offer you advice, one borne from my long existence. The even ticking of a clock could never capture the ebb and flow of real life. it's too rigid. No, life is a dance. Sometimes, it's a manic disco, and others it's a leisurely waltz. You just have to be mindful of the steps you take on the world's stage."
"That... Also fair." I wrapped up her painting to go. "I'm still burning with other questions, but I don't think it'd be worth offending you."
"Thank you." She smiled. "And I am glad that I didn't have to pull the stars against you."
Pull the stars? Yeah, I made a good call.
"Although, if you truly are curious, I believe that the Lady of Beginnings can answer you own questions better than anyone else can offer." She took the painting that I handed her. "The two of you are awfully similar. Your auras are calm. Silent. Holding a facade of diminutive quality but it's not passive. It holds a quiet rebellion- a little bird fighting for freedom."
"Is that so? And how can I contact this Lady of Beginnings?"
"She will come to you if she wishes, not the other way around." She began to walk away. "Farewell."
Lost: Dragon Crystal Cavern(Painting).
Gained: More questions.
[4:44 P.M.]
An earth golem passed by. It had to be made with the dirt and soil from a cemetery going by the smell that came off of them.
It didn't talk either, but it appears to communicate by hand signs, which I didn't know. It gestured for one of the smaller paintings which it paid for.
All things considered, even if it couldn't talk, it was at least polite. The guy even gave me a bow before he left.
Lost: A small painting.
Gained: A hollow turnip with a face enchanted or something to not decay.
[5:12 P.M.]
I resigned myself that to spending more time here than I anticipated so I sent another head on an errand. It was then that a glowing kid came by, honking instead of speaking.
They were pointing at the painting with the sky beyond the clouds while honking repeatedly. When I pointed at itt, they honked and nodded. When I began to wrap it up, the glowing kid manifested a few candles and handed them to me.
The little guy seemed happy enough with the exchange seeing that they were skipping along.
Lost: The Sky Beyond the Clouds(Painting)
Gained: Special Candles(?)
[5:26 P.M.]
The head came back with art supplies.
It seemed like that I'll be here for a while so I figured that I might as well make more pieces while waiting. I suppose that I could also paint people and sell their custom portraits.
Yeah...
It's gonna be a long night, wouldn't it?