ARGO UNION STATION
Argo Union Station. The largest and most impressive train station outside of Argo, connecting nearly every train line that comes into Argo from the outside, and also connected to the transportation system that's actually within the cave. The need to build outside the caves in order to tie these together means the station is always hot in the summer, and Fredrick Stapleton felt the air conditioning could only do so much.
Which is why, as he approaches the next train to review scheduling for, the man actually stops short. He chews on his cigar for a bit, trying to ponder exactly what he's looking at. Then he shrugs.
"That artist again." Fredrick comments, as he gazes upon a train dressed not in the usual livery of Ulimaroa Central, but a detailed replication of a seaside. "Well... maybe we can use it for the train to the coast."
After all, their experiences already told him the artist in question wouldn't care about rights or royalties...
------------------------------------------------
In a small apartment in Argo, Kennedy Wilson heads downstairs. He'd gotten here early, aiming for him and Cirral to get on the ground floor for the inevitable stories the Kobbers would bring. Stepping out of the building, he opens the door, and as soon as he does, steps out and turns around.
To his surprise, the door has been painted. It now resembles an industrial set of gears and cogs, a mechanical menace that jumps out the second you look at it.
Asking around, Kennedy learns from a couple commentators that this was normal. A well-known rogue artist who traveled through Argo, painting anything anywhere that she wished. All he can think, as he finishes noting down another conversation, is that it sounds like there's a story here.
------------------------------------------------
Outside a warehouse, Grace Samiel whistles as she patrols, night having fallen upon Argo. Though daylight only came from one direction, and deeper in the cave like this it wasn't very visible, the artificial lighting systems that dominated the ceilings and walls were tuned to match the light of the sky. Areas like this that would be brightly lit at noon were now dim and lonely.
Though in Grace's case, that just meant her job was more important. The woman had been hired by one of the local companies to guard their warehouse, and with her usual security jobs not necessary for various reasons, she'd taken it up to give herself something to do. Grace leans against the wall and shuts her eyes for a second... before hearing some noise.
Looking down, Grace sees a woman. A familiar one, with her paint-splattered smock and hat. Currently painting, no less, scribing a sunset scene onto the wall of the warehouse. Grace immediately shouts over. "PETRA!"
The artist, one Petra Sideris, looks up from her art with an air of occupation. "Grace Samiel." And with that simple acknowledgement of her accuser, Petra returns to painting, as Grace smacks her shield into the wall. "I've already told you, the company doesn't want you painting their walls!"
"They are bland and boring. What I am doing is nothing less than a public service for them."
"Just because some people put up with you randomly painting doesn't mean that everyone wants you redecorating the area!"
"Their thoughts are temporary. Art is perpetual."
"You never listen. Okay, I'm coming over there."
Grace starts to walk over towards Petra, only for the artist to put away her brush and paints... and produce a much larger brush, this one clearly not designed for painting. With a swing of the brush, she sends a bunch of paint towards Grace. Bringing up her large shield, Grace is able to keep the paint from covering her, but the distraction is enough that the artist has already gotten a good head start by the time Grace recovers.
As she watches Petra run off, Grace sighs. "What a hassle..." The guard turns and looks at the sunset scene. "...It is impressive, though."
Elsewhere, the artist in question comes to a stop. She pants, exhausted, before straightening up... and looking at another blank wall. She nods, a new scene coming to mind.
"An artist's work is never done."
No comments:
Post a Comment