The art gallery is a colourful extravaganza. The ballroom has been divided into aisles, with art pieces on either side of them. Only three of the initiates have been inside since Felix's collapse. They've set up their pieces on tables, for everyone to wander by. They are forced to stand at their desks as well, waiting. Without masks on, they have nowhere to hide now. Their faces are clear for everyone to see.

Ez is neither for nor against art, but wherever the initiates go, he must follow. It is not an appealing idea for him, but it is a necessity. His knuckles are dry and raw, from walking around campus without gloves. He still reads outside, despite the cold. It's not much worse than in New York. Nothing could be quite as substantial.

He walks by Luis and stops at his art station. Most of the stuff is unintriguing to him. A vase, many sketches of hands and faces, as well as full pieces done in pastels, oils, watercolours. All of the pieces follow a similar colour palette, except one. It is dark, with looming trees and mushrooms along the ground, but only over one patch. Almost as if they are feeding off something in that spot.

"It's macabre," Ez says to Luis.

There are a few others gathered around, looking at his art.

Luis shrugs, "I wouldn't say death is that macabre. You would know, wouldn't you Ez?"

Ez's eyes widen. He keeps his head down, avoiding the eyes of the others at the art station. How could Luis say something so stupid so publicly?

"I do have a fascination with death in books," Ez points out. He does not, however. He has a growing distaste for any book that mentions college, university, or death. Any combination of them, and his stomach will churn.

Luis laughs, a dry laugh, and they shake hands with a professor who comes up to ask him about his work. As he talks, he isn't even sure of what he is saying, but he says it with confidence. His eyes won't stray from Ez.

Ez moves away and tries to find one of the other initiates in the crowd, to tell them what he has heard.

He does not find Felix, who is at Evelyn's display. Her fabrics are light and thin, more transparent than his intentions. He could never wear something like that. Rather than look like a ghost over a skeleton as she intends, he would like a jellyfish. He is certainly blobbish.

"You really made it quite unique," Felix points out. "It's almost magical."

Evelyn puts her hands in front of her, interlocking her fingers, "I quite like finding the light in the darkness."

Felix leans in close to her, putting his lips up to her ear. His breath is warm, though she can feel the cool touch of his lips, "you are the light in my darkness."

She blushes. As Felix pulls back Evelyn cannot help but want his touch again. He sees her, compliments her, in a way that is different from her parents. Felix has no expectations of her, and he has done nothing cruel in his life. It's refreshing, to see someone with as good of intentions as her.

"When this is over, maybe I could help you put your pieces away," Felix offers. He tucks a strand of hair behind her ear, a gesture that feels far too familiar between the two of them. Its familiarity doesn't distract from its intimacy. Felix reflects that Evelyn saw him at his worst, and still wanted to stay by his side.

"Okay," Evelyn says. Some of the pieces are too heavy for her. Felix has lean muscles, and though his collapse makes him seem frail, she assumes he is much better now.

Felix thinks about Kai, and how he has bested him. He has bested them all, including Poppy. Neither she nor anyone else will bring an end to him. He is eternal.

Evelyn doesn't think about Kai at all.

~~~

Ellie and Briar gather near the entrance. Artemis is with Briar as well. Though Briar has been alone with him once on a walk since they met, she had not thought to cancel her plans with Ellie. It would have seemed rather rude, after all.

Ellie admires Artemis in a very technical way. He seems put well together. His clothes are fine enough, but his hair is a mess. Ellie wonders what Briar could see in a guy like him, considering Briar's high standards. Maybe she doesn't know Briar. Maybe she doesn't even know the beginning of Briar Haslan.

"This is Artemis," Briar says.

He sticks out his hand, and Ellie shakes it.

"Briar tells me good things about you," Artemis says.

Briar has only said good things. She still cannot tell if she likes Ellie. It isn't about appreciating people anymore. You cannot have friends amongst initiates. At least, Briar doesn't think so. They are all allies, and perhaps little more.

"Likewise," Ellie says, though she knows nothing about Artemis.

"Do you have any friends with booths?" Artemis asks.

"A few," Briar smiles. She cannot resist the opportunity to brag about her connections. "Luis Belmont is my favourite though. I also know the daughter of Charles Manfred is here."

Ellie is growing more suspicious. The Divide is everywhere, and the only thing she does know about Artemis is that he is a socialist in his second year. It would not make for a good member of The Divide, but it would make for a clever ruse of one. The Divide's eyes are everywhere. She straightens her spine and plays clever.

"Do you know anyone at the art show?" Ellie asks him.

He smirks, "I find most artists here quite pretentious. In fact, I find most people quite full of themselves. You both are a breath of fresh air."

Briar smiles, but Ellie cannot help but think the pair of them are just as pretentious as anyone else.

~~~

Jetta wanders by Vieira's station and pauses. One collage, made of pieces cut from magazines and paint and sketches. It comes together to make a face with whom Jetta is all too familiar. She swallows straightening her back and heading over to Vieira.

Vieira is surrounded by guests. Most of the students don't pay her much mind, but most of the students don't know she is a celebrity in the art world. Men and women shake her hand. Vieira has a smile carved into her face, so deep that the mould won't break no matter what. She sees Jetta, and the smile remains despite the force behind it softening.

Jetta walks up to the station. She swallows and looks at the collage. It is near the back, and hopefully, most people won't see it, for it is clearly Poppy. A messed up, rotten-looking version made from different bits and pieces, but it is definitely her. If Jetta had better sticky fingers, and there weren't already a dozen eyes on Vieira, she would swipe the collage.

She doesn't draw attention to it anyway. Instead, she looks at the other pieces. A girl being dragged down by ten sets of hands. A still life of a skull, what looks to be a real one, along with some flowers, and a bottle of poison. The whole station reeks of death and it reeks of Poppy.

"You showcased a variety of mediums," one of the men says, admiring the bottle made out of clay. It is in the same shape as the bottle of absinthe.

Vieira smiles, "thank you. I still find myself loving paints the most. As Frida Kahlo once said, I don't paint dreams or nightmares, I paint my own reality."

Jetta freezes. She needs to talk to someone, and quickly.

~~~

Kai came to support Luis, but he cannot find the artist's booth anywhere in this maze. He sees Roman though. He thinks about his conversation with Jetta, and he sees the mess that is Roman's hair. It doesn't look properly washed. Haircare is important, especially when it's as curly and wild as Roman's.

"Hey," Kai approaches Roman. "You like the art?"

"Yes," Roman has been trying to like the art. They wanted to feel something pump the life back in their body, and art is supposed to help them feel again. They wanted another ah-ha moment, a triumphant realization. Unfortunately, every colour looks muted. Every moment soft.

Kai clears his throat. He can tell something is saddening Roman, but everyone is reacting differently.

"You coming to the game next weekend?" Kai asks, trying to break the ice.

Roman doesn't want to be around next weekend, "I'm more of a soccer person myself."

"What's your team?" he asks. "Please don't tell me we are rivals."

Roman smiles, remembering their father. He feels much closer than he ever has. If Roman could just reach out and touch him maybe things would be better.

The front door bangs. Kai and Roman, are the closest to the entrance, and they turn to see Tom stumble in the front door. He picks himself up, stifling a hiccup, pulling himself off the ground.

"Itseems I'm ravher clumbsie t'day," he murmurs, to no one in particular.

Kai and Roman head over, Roman quicker than Kai. Desperately, Kai doesn't want to cause a scene. Roman is more concerned with Tom.

"Did you hit your head?" Roman asks, "your words are slurring."

Kai gets close and wraps an arm around Tom, "how are you doing?"

"Just fantassstick," Tom tries to enunciate his words more clearly. He continues to stumble, but Kai has a firm arm around him, preventing him from falling.

Kai can smell the alcohol on his breath. He's drunk.

"Bit early for a pint, isn't it?" Kai asks.

Tom laughs loudly and a few heads turn.

Roman continues along beside them, hoping that they will turn Tom around and have him exit the building.

"I thought you didn't drink, Tom," Roman begins. "You aren't... you're not like yourself. I suppose, what does it mean to be like one's self. I certainly no that I am not me, even if it is empirically impossible and-"

"Where's Vieira?" Tom asks. "Evelyn sssaid that Icould see her t'day."

Kai puts a hand to his forehead. Tom trips and crashes down onto a display table. Thankfully, it is that of a fashion student who has been experimenting with feathers. Kai drops Tom and walks away, not wanting to get involved and reveal they know each other.

Roman grabs Tom by the arm and helps him up.

"We need to leave before you cause a scene," they hiss.

"I need her," Tom says.

"Need is relative," Roman argues, dragging Tom outside.

He starts to cry, and more people are staring.

The other initiates begin to notice.

Felix and Ez rush over, wrap their arms around Tom and drag him outside, as he yips and howls. Roman feels an agony deeper than they have ever felt before.

"You're lucky we don't kill you for that," Feliz spits once he, Tom and Ez are outside. "You're going to get us all caught."

Tom drops to his knees and sobs on the ground. He's drunk. He's hurting Vieira. He is just like his father.

At her display table, Vieira is spooked. She tries to keep her cool when Briar and Ellie approach with a stranger.

"Do you know where Luis is set up?" Briar asks, batting her eyelashes. She is arm and arm with the strange man. "We've been looking for him and can't find him."

Vieira doesn't know why they need Luis. It could be because of Tom, but it could not be. Maybe the man with them has information that they don't know.

"I'm Artemis," he introduces himself. "I love that collage. Tell me, what was the inspiration?"

"I create reality," Vieria says. "It is a portrait of a friend."

Artemis'ssmile tightens, "how splendid."

~~~~~

Good soup. I'm happy with this. Appropriate length, tension-building, all that stuff. I figured out the plot-ish also. I ramble too much lmao. Anyway, Artemis is maybe my favourite character. What could go wrong next?