A Tale For Somebody's Sake

“And nothing like…weird? Like nothing weird popped up in the painting suddenly? Monsters? Your own face but creepier?”

Maybe that’s a good thing. But Badou sighs.

“I don’t even know if we should just stay here and wait, or move on…”

"Oh - that! I forgot to mention it, I was quite caught up in the fact of meeting someone else here." A thoughtful look came upon their face for a moment.

"A hand came out - almost trying to pull me in - and when I refused - the painting seemed to change all together - almost upset that I hadn't accepted the invitation."

Caster almost took the said hand for a moment - it felt familiar to their Master's hand from back then.

“Huh… so people dress up as monsters to scare themselves, run around playing tricks on people and receive a reward in return… then they have fun dressing up as ghosts.” Zhang San’s mouth drops open in awe.

“There’s absolutely no respect for the dead, is there!? It sounds like a mockery of the dead– and then get rewarded for it.” A low grumble exits his throat, and he drops his chin into his hands. “I still don’t understand the purpose of Halloween, it sounds like it was made by children for children.”

“The living pretend to be dead? Are they that eager to die?” Zhang San puffs up, and sighs, “And what’s the point of playing tricks on people if they don’t receive treats?” Zhang San looks up in thought before looking back to the young girl.

“What sort of offerings does Halloween have for the dead?”

“Halloween, huh? I’ve seen giant street parties on the news, but I don’t get the purpose of Halloween.”

Of course!!! Of course someone would find this amusing! Badou groans louder at their statement. 

But he does have a tiny twinge of curiosity about what they’d looked at, but..

“It was a statue. Something stupid, but brutal.” 

Had they said something wrong? They had only spoken what they thought of at the moment - perhaps they were a bit too callous. Who knows, as she wasn't certainly going to ask him.

"A brutal-looking statue... I must have passed it... or I must have missed it..." A thought hum. "What I saw was a large painting, I wasn't sure what.... perhaps a landscape painting, with plenty of various of creatures. Deer, rabbit and so forth."

Badou, from where she spots him, is standing there in clear dismay. Face buried in his hands, and there are groans and whimpers rolling off of him– much like that despair.

Realizing someone’s addressed him, the redhead looks up, frowning.

“Not just troubled, pissed! I forgot this stupid ass museum does weird stuff…”

"Such strong language - but I understand such sentiment."

Hands folded in front of them, almost trying to discern the exact way to go - which nigh impossible with the way they seemed to lead... to nothing.  "So, the museum occasionally does strange things like this? Well, I think I may find some entertainment value in it."

a book that could eat cake was one thing, but eating and never getting full was even more amazing! just thinking about how much you could enjoy without having a sore tummy afterwards was enough to make him hungry. but luckily they were somewhere that wouldn’t allow food, otherwise he might forget that his own tummy wasn’t like theirs, and go a little overboard.

he nodded when they answered about the collar, it had been really hard when people couldn’t make out what he was saying, so it was always a one-sided thing in those meetings. he had company, so it wasn’t lonely, but it did make him sad that they could talk both ways. but now it wasn’t a problem and it was just a matter of whenever they talked about something he didn’t understand, or when he couldn’t figure out the right word — and those were just misunderstandings that could be cleared up with time and learning more!

there was a thoughtful hum. ϟ that makes sense. if you wore a collar like this, you might not be able to open up whenever you wanted or talk the same. how do you project your voice? is it like speaking directly into someone else’s mind? i know someone who can do that, they’re very small and powerful so maybe you’re both alike a lot. ϟ

"Yes - exactly - I just speak into someone's mind. Oh? What an amusing thought."

The two of them had been speaking for quite a bit, and it seemed that Caster was growing tired from speaking. "As much as I'd like to continue this conversation ... you're a wonderful company after all, I should get going."

They sway back and forth, and sighed. "I wonder if I should take this dictionary back with me? I wonder..."

“ Yeah. I get it, I do so….. “

“ I didn’t know so I wasn’t really thinking what I said. Everyone is different and… so I really am sorry. “

He ended up inadvertently hurting them and it stings. You never know what’s going on with everyone in this place so watching your mouth doesn’t hurt. Well… The least he can do is to be earnest about it. 

“ Um… Can I help with that somehow? Like.. parting your pages or… something? “

"You're sorry?"

Their voice sounded a bit incredulous, and wary. They were growing tired by all this, if anything.

A quiet pause. "Alright, you're sorry - thank you for your apology." They reply tersely.

"But I won't need your help, in fact, I think I'll leave." They float away from the fireflies, and Eiden, clearly intending to leave the premise. "My purpose for coming here already's complete."

Such a quandary they'd found themselves facing, giving a long sigh. In response to the sigh, an annoyed glare passed their way, and the grip on their wrist was held tightly, if anything, jostling them from above. How'd they even get in this situation? They don't recall -- but apparently to these surprisingly idiotic fellows, it'd be high time Caster stopped interfering --

Interfering in their deals -- which were if anything trying to extort innocent people... unaware of such things.

If anything, they'd hadn't been doing it on purpose, per-say, but... the many times that they'd stopped it from happening, was .... frankly hilarious, and it was easy, enough to run in and distract their would be victim and lead them away....

But this time, it seems... they themselves were the victim! A funny little thought!

"Ah.... what shall I ever do....?" They cry out, demurely, but it didn't quite... match the face they were having. "Should I try calling for help, I wonder.....? Such a bother...."

Hearing their complaints, lead these idiots to be more intense, but Caster simply couldn't care. "Oh, dear, this won't do! Heeeeeeeeeelp, anyone!"

"Hmm... oh dear."

From the way they spoke, it would have sounded they were worried, yet nothing seemed to be indicating that in how they looked. Poised with calmness, their eyes look around, a hand on their chin. They looked to be the very essence of calm, only besides their tell tale words.

It all begins with Tempus Museum, a place of the arts. Today, just happened to be their first time visiting the place, and they entered it with full intention of exploring it. That was for a time, until being caught up by a piece of painting that caught their eye....

Everything around them seemed... to inexorably changed. If they were to look left, or right it seemed as if the halls kept going.... and going! There were never end to them! This was a whole lot excitement for someone like them, and they wondered how they'd managed to get... sucked into via this mechanism.

Was it due to that they were looking at that certain painting for so long, that the whole museum had derailed and left them behind? As they look around -- they find another individual, seemingly.... supposedly in the similar position.

“Unfortunately, it takes practice to identify these things somtimes”.

That makes things much easier; no strange joke to trip them up with their half-spoken set-ups. “That might be the case. There are those who seek to broaden their audience and could attempt their material on you as a stranger. They usually come in form of questions, so if ‘updog’ or an unheard-of medical diagnosis is provided, you know something is coming”.